The Vision of Zion

We need to realize that the Lord desires to plant an onward vision within all of His people. Zion is the ultimate goal of the Church of Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul states in Hebrews 12:22: “But you have come to Mount Zion…” The Lord wants to impart the vision of Zion to each one of us.

This vision is something that must be birthed in our hearts. Spiritually, we must be born in Zion. This is made very clear in Psalm 87:5-6: “And of Zion it will be said, This one and that one were born in her: and the Most High Himself shall establish her. The LORD will record, when he registers the peoples: this one was born there.”

This is a Christ-centered vision. The message of Zion is all about Jesus Christ and having an intimate relationship with Him. It is about having a wholehearted desire and love for the Lord. It causes us to desire to seek Him, behold His beauty, and dwell with Him. If you are pursuing that kind of relationship with Christ, then you are headed toward spiritual Zion! The prize for reaching Zion is Christ Himself. He is the prize of the high calling. Let us seek to win Christ, even as Paul said (Phil. 3:8).

In conclusion, I would like to recount a vision I had at the beginning of my ministry over fifty years ago. I saw a man walking down a path that led into a beautiful valley filled with joy. The sun shone, birds were singing, and everything seemed so alive. Then the path came to the bottom of a mountain, and the man started to climb the path up the mountain. It was steep but the man persevered, and eventually, the path came to a level place.

To the left there was another glorious valley, much more beautiful than the first. Multitudes were in that valley and they cried out when they saw the man, “Come down into our valley for we have the blessing of the Lord.” Then a voice sounded from on high, “What they say is true, but if you go down into that valley, you will remain there. Come up higher.”

The man continued walking up the path, which by this time had become very steep. Eventually, he came to another level place with another valley more glorious than the previous two. A multitude also was in this valley, and they also said to the man, “Come down into our valley for we have the blessing of the Lord.” The voice from on high again sounded, “What they say is true, but if you go down into that valley, you will remain there. Come up higher.”

The man continued to climb up the mountain. This time, however, the climb was considerably more difficult. At times, he had to crawl on his hands and knees. Finally, after much effort and perseverance, he arrived at the top of the mountain, but there was nothing there. Yet as he patiently waited, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared.

Over the years, the Lord has continued to shed light on the interpretation of this vision. The first valley represents the valley of salvation, filled with joy and light. The second valley represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The third valley represents the Feast of Tabernacles and the glorious last day revival. The top of the mountain represents Mount Zion.

All of these experiences along the way—salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and revival—are wonderful, but they are not our goal or resting place. We cannot stop until we get to the top of Mount Zion because the Lord Jesus Christ is waiting for us at the top of the mountain. We must not remain at any certain level or experience in our Christian walk. The blessings of God must not be our goal; our goal must be to “win Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

In Our Own Spiritual Journey

The question we should all ask ourselves is: “Lord, where am I on my spiritual journey and what are the next steps You want me to take?” Stop right now and ask God to reveal to you where you are in your own personal journey. You need to know where you have come from, where you are at now, and where you are headed. What is your goal in life? Do you have the vision of winning Christ? If not, ask God to birth it in your heart.

Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, God wants you to keep pressing on. Do not stay at any certain level, or become discouraged, or become lukewarm in your Christian walk. Keep on pressing on! That is the underlying theme of this article. Your spiritual journey on earth does not end until you reach heaven.
I pray that this study on the journey of Israel has been a blessing to cause you to continue pressing on until you win Christ. May the Lord richly bless you, dear reader!

– by Dr. BRIAN BAILEY, the President of Zion Fellowship (1981-2012)