Chapter Twenty-Nine/Singing the Triumphal New Song - Continue

 John, and with him the John class today, is given a preview of that happy outcome: "And I saw, and look! the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads." (Revelation 14:1) As we have seen this Lamb is the same as the Michael who cleansed the heavens by casting out the Devil and his demons. He is the Michael whom Daniel describes as "standing in behalf of the sons of [God's] people" as he prepares to "stand up" in executing Jehovah's righteous judgments. (Daniel 12:1; Revelation 12:7, 9) Since 1914 this self-sacrificing Lamb of God has been standing on Mount Zion as the Messianic King. 

It is just as Jehovah foretold: I, even I, have installed my king upon Mount Zion, my holy mountain." (Psalm 2:6; 110:2) This no longer refers to the earthly Mount Zion, the geographical location of earthly Jerusalem, in which city human kings in the line of David use to reign. (1 Chronicles 11:4-7; 2 Chronicles 5:2) No, for Jesus after his death and resurrection in 33 C.E., was installed as a foundation cornerstone on the heavenly Mount Zion, the celestial location where Jehovah determined to place the "city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem." Hence, "the Mount Zion here represents the exalted position of Jesus and his joint heirs, who make up heavenly Jerusalem, which is the Kingdom. (Hebrews 12:22, 28; Ephesians 3:6) It is the glorious royal situation to which Jehovah elevates them during the Lord's day. Over the centuries, anointed Christians, as "living stones," have earnestly looked forward to standing on that heavenly Mount Zion, united with the glorified Jesus Christ in his majestic Kingdom. 1 PETER 2:4-6; LUKE 22:28-30; JOHN 14:2, 3. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Nine/Singing the Triumphal New Song - Continue

From the jw.org publications