Imagine the jubilation in a capital city after a good king has subdued a rebellion, and you have a picture of what Zion stands for in Scripture. The term Zion refers primarily to the mountain on which the temple was built in Jerusalem. But as Scripture unfolds, it comes to symbolize God’s victory over His enemies and so much more.

A Shadowy Zion

Zion’s story begins with the Lord’s choice of it: “The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place” (Ps. 132:13). But in order to dwell there and establish His reign, the Lord first needed to defeat the enemies who opposed Him and occupied His mountain. These are the Canaanites, specifically the Jebusites. With God’s help, David defeated this last holdout of God’s enemies (2 Sam. 5:7; see Josh. 15:63).

Having subdued His enemies, God establishes His city. He has Solomon build the temple in the middle of the new city. The climax comes when Solomon moves the ark from Zion (the old Jebusite city) to the new Zion (the temple mount; see 1 Kings 8:1). God crowns these labors with His glory coming down to fill the temple (1 Kings 8:11). He is Zion’s founder and consummator (Isa. 14:32).

Psalm 132 celebrates these events as the Lord’s enthronement as King on earth. Of course, God has always reigned as the Creator. But now the Lord is publicly recognized as the rightful King of all the earth.

So when you think of Zion, think: the Lord reigns. On Zion, the Lord is enthroned as the high King (Ps. 9:11; Isa. 24:23).