Read Psalm 48 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
Psa 48:1-14 {p} The greatness and glory of God reflected in the excellence and strength of His city
Psalm 48:1-14 Chiastic structure:
In working out the structure, “set your heart on her strength,” (vs. 13) troubled me, because we just saw in 2 Kings 25 that Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Babylonians. It didn’t seem like something God would encourage His people to do.
However, a thorough investigation of the Hebrew confirmed that vs. 13 indeed says, “set your heart on her strength.” The dichotomy reveals that the natural city of Jerusalem is not the same place as Zion, the spiritual City of God.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” Yeshua, in Luk 13:34
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Rev 11:8
So there are natural cities, and spiritual cities. Jerusalem is a natural city, a Natural Picture of the place where God’s name is established forever and His glory dwells among His people. And that place is the spiritual city of Zion, excellent in glory, excellent in strength, the City of the Great King.
Citizens of natural cities are citizens of the kingdoms of this world. Citizens of the spiritual city of Zion, are citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Heb 12:22-24
If there are questions, this is a good resource:
Hebrews 12, On citizenship – Christine Miller
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