Jesus made a major announcement to a woman he meet as he travelled through Samaria. The lady had just been startled by his ‘prophetic insight’, after she had heard him reveal her relational history, finishing with the ‘last blow’ - and the one you have now is not your husband (John 4:18). As we often do when caught in the ‘headlights’, we scramble for cover, for this woman this was to start a religious discussion: our father’s worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship (v20).

She was quite correct, of course. The last two places where God had placed his Name and his presence, and there called Israel to worship, were indeed in Jerusalem. The last being Mount Moriah where Solomon built the Temple, and before that, Mount Zion where David erected a tent for the Ark if God’s Presence.

Then Jesus made his remarkable announcement Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father . . . True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (v21 - 24). This was new, this was different, Jesus is announcing that the coordinates had changed, the longitude and latitude no longer intersected at Jerusalem. Having taken that away, he then gives two new references (two intersecting lines are required to give us a location): spirit and truth.

By ‘spirit’ Jesus refers to that part of us that lights up at conversion, becomes the God-conscious part of us, and responds with heart, passion and devotion to the Lord. By ‘truth’ Jesus refers to the Word of God - the Bible; that is, we do what the Bible teaches concerning our entry into God’s presence with praise and worship. Being located on both these lines means we’ve found the ‘place’ of  true worshipper.

However, on going references in the New Testament to the ‘old’ places of worship show us that they still have relevance. No, not as places to which we should travel in order to have a valid experience in worship and the presence of God, but as types, shadows and symbols. Mount Zion, in particular, reveals to us more about New Testament worship than any other theme in the entire Bible. In fact, Amos prophesied that the ruins of David’s place of worship on Zion would be rebuilt in the last days (Amos 9:11). Then James declared that the great multitude of gentiles being converted to Christ had a direct link to that prophecy of Amos’ (Acts 15:13-17).

When Paul wrote his letter to the Hebrews he wrote of the place to which they came when they gathered to worship (Hebrews 12:18-24). He clearly told them that it was not Mount Sinai (symbolising law, requirements and fearfulness), but indeed they had come to Mount Zion (symbolising praise, worship, authority and liberty). Zion became the symbol of worshippers located in spirit and in truth. We see them again in the book of Revelation … with Jesus the Lamb standing on Mount Zion singing before the Throne (Revelation 14:1-5).

Zion can be found between two other mountains, not geographically but chronologically, as the place that God inhabited. We first see the dwelling place of God on Mount Gibeon. It was there that the tabernacle of Moses was pitched once the Israelites had completed their journeys. Moses Tabernacle was a place of sacrifice and service, but not of praise and worship … it was ‘church without noise’. Once Solomon had built the Temple on Mount Moriah, the activities on Gibeon stopped, they had been succeeded by the dwelling place of God that was built of permanent materials, full of gold, and into which the glory of God had come during it’s magnificent dedication. The Temple on Moriah speaks to us of the eternal and final place of God’s glory and rest, the manifestation of God’s fullness and glory in the Church, and the glorious kingdom reign of the overcomers with Christ on earth.Mount Zion represents the things God is doing just prior to his final glorious habitation with men; there was something missing on Gibeon that God desired in his final place of habitation on Moriah, and he established those things in Zion. For the first time in any dwelling place of God the sound of worship was heard. Musical instruments, choirs, singing, dancing, shouting and joyful celebration burst forth on Zion. And for the first time in any dwelling place of God a man embodied both the ministry of a king and that of a priest. A priest offers sacrifices … let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15) - the priestly ministry to the Throne. A king rules, he reigns in authority and with power. Kingdom power healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead - the kingly ministry from the throne.

The worship and the ministry of a people who have been made kings and priests is seen in the overcomers who have inherited the Throne (that is, the place of God’s authority and glory): they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty … you are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power … (you) have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth (Revelation 4:8-11, 5:9-10).

The lesson of the tale of three mountains is that we should be in Zion; that is, completely immersed in our ministry as a priest and a king. A passionate worshipper … located in spirit and in truth, and one pressing into the Holy Spirit in whom we find the flow of life and power that sets creation free.