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***What Does Psalm 87:2 TRULY mean?
Here is Psalm 87:2 from the KJV. “The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”
This Verse Study is to answer the question of what and who is Zion.
Certainly, the literal city of Jerusalem is also called Zion. But in Hebrew 12:22,23, Sion or Zion is called the CITY of God, the HEAVENLY Jerusalem.
So, to me, Psalm 87:2 is one of the many prophecies of the CHURCH of the FIRSTBORN, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Son of the Living God.
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Is Zion Jesus and the Gates the Church?
The word “mountain” and “hill” in the Bible prophetically refer to kingdoms.
And thus, PROPHETICALLY, Mount Zion means the Kingdom of Zion.
So then, what or who is the Kingdom of Zion, the CITY of the Living God?
And also, what or who are the GATES of Zion?
Let us begin this Verse Study by reading all of Psalm 87:1-7 so that you can see the BIGGER picture.
Psalm 87:1-7.
“His foundation is in the holy mountains. (Or Yahweh began fixing the earth with His foundational commandment for holiness.
Let there be LIGHT, as in, let there be light in the world.
But Genesis 1:3,4 has no less than three meanings.
The first meaning is the LITERAL light of the sun gradually being let back into the earth, which was being blocked by thich dark clouds completely surrounding the earth due to God’s wrath, according to Job 22:13-23, Job 26:8, and Psalm 18:11-15.
The second meaning is a PROPHECY of Jesus being the LIGHT of the world.
And the third meaning is that the word light also means UNDERSTANDING, as in, both the understanding of the knowledge of God and also the understanding of people getting along with each other)
Psalm 87:2. The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psalm 87:3. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. (Here we see that the “GATES of Zion” is the CITY of God.
Selah means to pause and THINK about this. Yahweh loves His CITY of holiness more than all of the dwellings of Jacob.
This is speaking of the tent, the house of God, the tabernacles, or temples that were built by God’s chosen people for Yahweh’s presence to dwell among the people in the Ark of the Covenant.
But that dwelling place in the Ark was not God’s desire.
For you see, His house or dwelling place is forever among humans, according to Isaiah 66:1-12 and Psalm 132:13,14.
I will cover those passages of Scripture further on in this Verse Study.
But for the moment, let us finish reading the rest of Psalm 87.
Also, the word “Zion” carries the meaning of being PERMANENT or the permanent dwelling place for Yahweh.
In other words, the permanent place of Yahweh’s THRONE of authority and power)
Psalm 87:4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know Me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this MAN was born there. (NOT this Adam or NOT this HUMAN was born there.
But rather, this “being”, this entity referred to as Rahab, was born in Babylon.
And again, prophetically, these names speak of the things regarding Satan as being the god over the earth or world. Babylon speaks of the corrupted world SYSTEM.
And the name “Rahab” means the BOASTER.
So, to me, these names are referring to Satan and the people of his corrupt worldly system)
Psalm 87:5. And of Zion it shall be said, This (This MAN Zion) and that man (Rahab) was born in her: (In other words, BOTH the “boaster” and Zion were begotten or bought forth into existence by God for the PURPOSE of ruling over the earth) and the highest Himself shall establish her. (Or more correctly translated, Yahweh, the highest God Himself will FIX her, speaking of Almighty God fixing the earth, and the system of RULING over the world by bringing an END to the war in heaven and the evil in the earth.
God’s will is for PEACE and LIGHT in the world)
Psalm 87:6. The LORD shall count, (Or Yahweh will keep score or a record that He will reckon) when He writes up the people, (The Hebrew word translated as the people also means the troops or the attendants.
So, to me, this speaks of the watchers, the fallen angels, who corrupted the earth during the PREVIOUS age of the earth.
But it also refers to Zion and the GATES of Zion. And thus, Yahweh will reckon which man He will count worthy to rule over the earth.
One of the KEYS to understanding the Scriptures is that God created MAN and the Son of MAN for the PURPOSE to STILL His enemies, according to Psalm 8:1-6.
And God will COUNT) that this MAN (Referring to Zion, the Son of MAN, Jesus) was BORN there. Selah.
Psalm 87:7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: (Or more correctly translated, “As well, the OBSERVERS of those WOUNDING shall be there”.
In other words, God’s WITNESSES will be THERE on the final Day of Judgment when Yahweh JUDGES the world by the MAN whom He ORDAINED and raised from the dead, according to Acts 17:29-31) all My springs are in you.”
The meaning of the Hebrew word translated as “springs” also means source of satisfaction.
So, to me, this is a prophecy about the BODY of Jesus Christ as being in the CITY of God, Mount ZION.
And, we who are Christians, have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
And thus, we are wells or tabernacles of the springs of living waters.
Also, the dwelling place of “Jacob” is a figure of the “children” of Israel.
And in God’s plan of salvation, he chose to lay a STONE in Zion for a sure foundation, according to Isaiah 28:16.
And, according to Matthew 21:42-44 and Isaiah 8:14-18, it is a stone that the builders rejected and a stone of STUMBLING for the children of Israel.
And thus, by their fall of not accepting the Messiah, God could turn the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles, according to Romans 11:11,12,32.
I emphasize the word children because the chosen people of God are called the “daughter” of Zion, the PROMISED children of Zion.
God’s covenant is with Abraham, Isaac, and Jabob. So then, we must always remember that God chose Abraham before Jacob was born to have the twelve tribes of Israel.
And according to Galatians 3:16-29, we, who are created as new creatures by Yahweh in Jesus Christ, are the SEED of Abraham, both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Also, keep in mind that the NAME “Israel” means he shall rule as God.
And know that the NAME Israel is a FIGURE of Jesus, the King of Israel.
Plus, we must remember that the gospel of salvation was preached to the Jews FIRST, and then God turned the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles.
And we must know and understand that at the second coming of Jesus, God will turn again to the REMNANT of Jews to recover them, according to Isaiah 11:11,12.
And thus, there are THREE harvests of ZION or firstfruits unto Almighty God Yahweh, according to 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
But every MAN in his own order or in God’s order according to His plan of salvation.
Jesus is the FIRSTFRUITS, then WE who are saved in Jesus will ALSO be made partakers of the Divine NATURE of immortality at the coming of Jesus, according to 2 Peter 1:4.
Just as a side note, a good way to remember the reference for this verse of Scripture is that the number 2 is for second coming, Peter is the first disciple to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the number 4 is the number for the world.
Thus, 2 Peter 1:4 is about the second harvest of firstfruits, speaking of us who are found faithful at the coming of Jesus, commonly called the second coming of Jesus.
This means that we are NOT of the world in the same way that Jesus is NOT of the world, according to John 17:14-17.
And then, the third harvest is after the wrath of God is poured out just a little, and then God lifts His wrath lest He destroys all of His people of Israel.
A remnant of no less than 144,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel will be saved or delivered alive in the mortal bodies to go into the Millennial reign of Jesus.
Then ZION, Jesus and his church will teach the REMNANT of the “daughter” of Zion a SECOND time.
And during the Millennial reign of Jesus ALL of Israel shall be saved.
In other words, Romans 11:25-32 does NOT mean that every child of Israel from the Old Testament all the way to the second coming of Jesus will be saved.
But rather, the phrase, “ALL Israel shall be saved”, in verse 26 means that WHEN Jesus comes again at his second coming, then, at that time, all of the children of Israel, who go into the Millennial reign of Jesus, shall be saved DURING the 1000-year reign of Jesus in the world to come.
However, the daughter of ZION began, as in, the CITY of God began to be BUILT, with the saving of the Jews at the first coming of Jesus.
For you see, the gospel of salvation was preached to the Jews FIRST and only to the Jews for the first 3 and a half years. But the Gentiles ALSO became living stones with the daughter of Zion like Jesus, being the FIRST living stone, according to 1 Peter 2:4-10 and Ephesians 2:20-22.
John 12:15.
“Fear not, daughter of Sion: (Or Zion) behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt.”
Now, we as Christian, all know that Jesus did not REIGN as King over the earth during the first coming of Jesus.
And we also know that when Jesus comes AGAIN that he will indeed REIGN as the King over the whole earth.
And that is WHEN Yahweh will deliver the REMNANT of Israel through ZION and Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
The physical city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt with no “physical” walls of protection.
And Yahweh will be the WALL of the city, according to Zechariah 2:5.
Psalm 14:7.
“Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! WHEN the LORD brings back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”
Again, the NAME Israel means he shall rule as God.
In other words, ZION shall rule as God and the King of kings over the earth and shall be glad for the “daughter” of Zion, the remnant of Jacob.
To say this another way, God will continue building His house, His CITY of Zion, DURING the world to come through or by means of the GATES of Zion preaching the gospel from the AIR or from the heavens seated in heavenly places to the remnant of the Jews.
The remnant of the Jews are the “daughters” of Zion that HALTED, according to Revelation 14:6,7 and Micah 4:6-8
And this will be done so that ALL of Israel who survive the WRATH of God to go into the Millennial reign of Jesus can be saved in order to also become a part of the BODY of Jesus Christ, the CHURCH, the bride of Christ, Mount Zion, the CITY of the Living God.
Isaiah 59:20.
“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, says the LORD.”
Now, the meaning of the Hebrew word translated as the “GATES” of Zion means the DOORS of Zion or the ENTRANCE into the CITY of the Living God.
Jesus said in John 10:1-18 that he is the DOOR to the sheepfold. I will only quote a few verses from that passage of Scripture.
John 10:1,7-9,16.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters NOT by the DOOR into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber…
…John 10:7. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the DOOR of the sheep. (Or I am the ENTRANCE into Zion, the CITY of the Living God, the DWELLING place that Yahweh Himself has chosen to tabernacle for all eternity)
John 10:8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:9. I am the DOOR: by me if ANY man ENTER in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture…
…John 10:16. And OTHER sheep I have, which are NOT of this fold: (Speaking of the Gentiles and God turning again a SECOND time to recover the REMNANT of Israel) them ALSO I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
And NOW, we are the LIGHT of the world showing the WAY, the ONLY WAY to enter into the CITY of Yahweh.
Also, we see TWO ways in this passage of Scripture, the WAY that leads to eternal life and the WAY that leads to the second death, the lake of life on the final Day of Judgment.
In other words, there are two DOORS or two GATES, the narrow gate and the broad gate.
And thus, with some we save with fear WARNING them that God is a CONSUMING fire of those who reject His WAY of salvation.
And of others, we teach them of the GLORY that they will receive for overcoming the world through the Eternal Spirit, is to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Psalm 9:13,14.
“Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, You that lift me up from the gates of death:
Psalm 9:14. That I may show forth all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in Your salvation.”
Now, in Isaiah 12:1-6, we can see that the Holy One of Israel is also one who inhabits, dwells in, or is a part of Zion. I will only quote verse 6.
Isaiah 12:6.
“Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of you.”
And from Hosea 11:9, we can see that Almighty God the Father, is NOT that MAN, the Holy One in the midst of you.
Hosea 11:9.
“I (Yahweh) will NOT execute the fierceness of MY anger, (Because I have committed all judgment into the hands of My Son, BECAUSE he is the Son of MAN, according to John 5:22-27.
And this honor of executing my vengeance I have GIVEN to ALL of the SAINTS, according to Psalm 149:7-9) I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and NOT MAN; the Holy One in the midst of you: and I will not enter into the city.”
The city that Yahweh will NOT enter is referred to as Gilead in Hoses 6:8 which is the city of those who work INIQUITY.
Let us now do a quick review of what we have learned from Psalm 87:2, the GATES of Zion.
In Isaiah 62:11,12, we see that Yahweh prophesied about the END of the world.
This prophecy is speaking about the end of this PRESENT world and the BEGINNING of the 1000-year reign of Jesus.
Isaiah 62:11,12.
“Behold, the LORD has proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say you to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (In other words, in the last days of this present world or AGE, the church is to preach not just to the Gentile world, but also to the Jews, the daughter of Zion that HALTED. “Say you, to the daughter of Zion, behold, your salvation is COMING. Behold, his REWARD is with him”
Now, this gospel message is to strengthen the church to LOOK UP for our redemption draws near.
But it is also to warn the Jews who REJECT the Messiah in this present world to REPENT when they SEE the Son of MAN coming in clouds of glory.
For you see, they will SEE the rapture of his bride who has made herself READY being taken up into the air to meet Jesus.
And they will MOURN because of the WRATH of God. Remember that the honor to EXECUTE the wrath of God upon the workers of INIQUITY and the DISOBEDIENT children of the gospel was given to ALL of the SAINTS, or the holy ones)
Isaiah 62:12. And they (Those left behind at the coming of Jesus who survive the wrath of God) shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and you shall be called, Sought out, A city NOT forsaken.”
In other words, Jesus will continue to BUILD the CITY of Yahweh to tabernacle DURING his 1000-year reign over the earth.
And during the Millennial reign of Jesus, the children of Israel will NOT sin.
But rather, they will KEEP the TRUE meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is to RECEIVE Jesus as their Lord and Savior and obey his TWO commandments under the NEW Covenant.
Zephania 3:13-16.
“The REMNANT of Israel shall NOT do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
Zephania 3:14. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. (Jerusalem means the city of PEACE)
Zephania 3:15. The LORD has taken away your judgments, he has cast out your enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of you: you shall not see evil any more.
Zephania 3:16. In that day (The 1000 year-long DAY of Yahweh’s REST) it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear you not: and to Zion, Let not yours hands be slack.”
Again, remember that is that DAY when Jesus will rule as God and for God as the Lord of the Sabbath rest of Yahweh, the TRUE seventh DAY, God will turn again a SECOND time to the REMNANT of Israel to DELIVER them.
Isaiah 11:11,12.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Isa 11:12. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
In other words, those who will be saved DURING the Millennial reign of Jesus is the THIRD harvest of the FIRSTFRUITS unto Almighty God the Father.
Please read 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 where we see the BIGGER picture for WHY God created MAN and the Son of MAN, Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Corinthians 15:21. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:23. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
1 Corinthians 15:24. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1 Corinthians 15:25. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1 Corinthians 15:26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:27. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1 Corinthians 15:28. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”
And as another side note as an interesting observation, Sion, the fulfillment of the prophecy, is found 7 times, and Zion, the prophecy, is found 153 times.
Both of these are prime numbers. Seven in the number for COMPLETION or to make COMPLETE.
And the number 153 is associated with the RESURRECTION.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies! ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies! ** to find the suggested study.
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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
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