Zion

Biblical Text

Zion first appears in Scripture in 2 Samuel 5:7. David attacked Jerusalem, which was held by the Jebusites, and "took the strong hold of Zion," which he called "the city of David." The same account appears in 1 Chronicles 11:5.

Zion subsequently appears frequently in the Psalms and the prophetic books. Psalms 48 and 87 celebrate Zion as the city where God dwells. Isaiah 2:3 declares, "out of Zion shall go forth the law." In Psalm 137:1–6, which expresses the grief of the Babylonian exile, the captives weep as they remember Zion.

Background

Zion originally referred to the stronghold on the southeastern hill of Jerusalem. After Solomon built the temple on the hill to its north, the meaning of the term broadened. As in Psalm 2:6, "my holy hill of Zion," it came to designate the mountain on which the temple stood, and eventually the entire city of Jerusalem. The poetic expression "daughter of Zion" refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem or to the people of God.

Several etymologies have been proposed for the Hebrew name Tsiyyon, including "fortress" and "dry ground," but none has been established. The southwestern hill in present-day Jerusalem known as "Mount Zion" received that name at a later date and is understood to lie in a different location from the Zion of David's time.

Zion in the New Testament

The New Testament cites Old Testament passages about Zion in connection with Jesus Christ.

• Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15 apply Zechariah 9:9, which speaks of a king coming to the daughter of Zion, to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
• Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6 identify the stone laid in Zion in Isaiah 28:16 as Christ.
• Romans 11:26 quotes Isaiah 59:20: "There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer."
• Hebrews 12:22 tells believers, "ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem."
• Revelation 14:1 depicts the Lamb standing on Mount Zion.

In the New Testament, then, Zion becomes a symbol that reaches beyond the earthly city to signify the New Jerusalem and the people of God.

Interpretation and Debate

• The church and Israel: Covenant theology and the Reformed tradition generally read the promises concerning Zion as fulfilled in Christ and the church. Dispensationalism tends to hold that a substantial portion of the Old Testament prophecies of Zion's restoration will be literally fulfilled for ethnic Israel. This difference also shapes views of the modern State of Israel.
• Distinction from Zionism: Zionism, a nationalist movement that arose among European Jews in the late nineteenth century, takes its name from Zion. It is, however, a modern political movement and is distinct from the biblical text itself.
• Use by certain groups: Shincheonji reportedly identifies itself with the Mount Zion of Revelation and uses the name "Zion" for its educational institutions. The World Mission Society Church of God reportedly calls its congregations "Zion" and claims to be the Zion that keeps the feasts. Both groups have been declared heretical by the general assemblies of several denominations, which have criticized these interpretations as arbitrary applications of the text.

In the Korean Church

Many Korean churches include "Zion" in their names. Likewise, in hymns and gospel songs, Zion frequently refers to the community of God's people or to the heavenly homeland.