Editor’s Note: This is the final installment of our Symbols in the Bible Course from earlier this year. If you’d like to catch up, here are the links for the previous sessions:
The War of Two Mountains: The story of the Bible can be told as a war between two mountains: Mount Zion vs. Mount Babylon. Mount Zion is equated with Jerusalem and the anti-God mountain takes many forms, starting with the Tower of Babylon (Babel). We’ll be looking at what they were actually up to in Shinar in Genesis 11 and why it was so significant. We’ll also spend some on the other anti-God mountains of Mt. Hermon, the “high places,” and the empire of Rome.
List of Key Passages
Genesis 10—Nimrod, the Mighty Man
Gen 10:8-12 “Now Cush fathered Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.”
Genesis 11—The Tower of Babylon
Gen 11:1-9 “Now all the earth used the same language and the same words. And it came about, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.” Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the men had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they have started to do, and now nothing which they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. Therefore it was named, Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”
Psalm 22—The Bulls of Bashan
Ps 22:114 “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is no one to help.
Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
They open their mouths wide at me,
As a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.”
Psalm 68—The Many-Peaked Mountain
Psalm 68:15-18 “The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of God;
The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.
Why do you look with envy, you mountains of many peaks,
At the mountain God has desired as His dwelling?
Indeed, the Lord will dwell there forever.
The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;
The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among people,
Even among the rebellious as well, that the Lord God may dwell there.”
Jeremiah 29—Plant Gardens on Mt. Babylon
Jeremiah 29:4-7 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and grow in numbers there and do not decrease. Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord in its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.’”
Jeremiah 51—O, Destroying Mountain
Jeremiah 51:24,25 “I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the Lord. “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the Lord, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain.”
Matthew 16—The Siege of Hades
Matt 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My church; the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Matthew 17—The Mount of Transfiguration
Matthew 17:1-9 “Six days later, Jesus *took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.”
Hebrews 12—The Church is the New Holy Mountain
Hebrews 12:22-2318 “For you have not come to ara mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not cope with the command, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of bathe living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”
Revelation 17, 18—The Whore of Babylon sits on seven mountains
Revelation 17: 8-9 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and, go to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while…”
Revelation 21, 22—The Heavenly Mountain Comes
Revelation 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will well among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
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