See the Bible Through Jewish Eyes BIBLE STUDY WITH DR. RICH FREEMAN
Hebrews 12:18-24
A CONTRAST OF TWO MOUNTAINS
Our last Bible study of Hebrews 12:12–17 focused
on the obligations of a mature believer in Messiah.
Now, beginning in verse 18, the writer goes back to
the familiar topic in Hebrews of the superiority of
the New Covenant over the Old Covenant. He uses
the metaphor of two mountains, Sinai and Zion,
to point out the difference in
relationship to God under the Old
and New Covenants. Why would
he need to do that? Because of the
persecution these Jewish believers
were experiencing, they were being
tempted to return to trusting in the
Torah. By directing their thoughts
back to the giving of the Law, the
writer reminds his readers that they
did not experience quietness, rest,
and peace at Sinai, but rather an
overwhelming fear from “a blazing
fire,” and from “darkness and gloom
and whirlwind.” The event was
so frightening that even Moses
himself said, “I am full of fear
and trembling” (Hebrews 12:21).
Clearly, the point the writer of
Hebrews is making is that a believer
seeking to escape persecution in
this manner will not find the peace
and rest he or she desires, but like
Moses, would only experience an
overwhelming fear.
Hebrews 12:18 begins with the
negative phrase, “For you have
not come to a mountain…” and
describes the overwhelming fear
on Mount Sinai. Now, in verse 22,
it is contrasted with the phrase,
“But you have come to Mount Zion
and to the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem….” As terrifying
as the experience of Mount Sinai is, the heavenly
Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem—the city of
the living God—is quite the contrary. It is a place
that brings rest and peace to the redeemed of the
Lord. Though not presently on earth, the heavenly
Mount Zion will be revealed prophetically in the
future.
Beginning at the end of 12:22, the writer of Hebrews
describes five groups of occupants in Mount
Zion. The first group of occupants is the “myriads
6 The Chosen People | NOVEMBER 2019
of angels.” It is interesting to note that the same
myriad of angels at Mount Zion were also at Mount
Sinai, but like the God they served there, they also
were inapproachable and brought fear and terror
to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 33:2, Daniel 7:10,
Galatians 3:19). The second group is described as
“the general assembly and church
of the firstborn who are enrolled in
heaven.” The Church as a whole,
comprised of both Jewish and
non-Jewish believers in Messiah,
will eventually be in the heavenly
Jerusalem. However, given the
context of the book of Hebrews,
written especially to struggling
Jewish believers dealing with
persecution, the church of the
firstborn is likely referring
specifically to Jewish believers,
as in the book of James who also
refers to them as firstfruits.
The third occupant in Mount
Zion is “God, the Judge of all.”
God the Father, in His role as
Judge, not only actively judges
people to determine their eternal
abode, but He will judge angels,
as well—thus His title, “Judge
of All.” The fourth group of
occupants are “the spirits of the
righteous made perfect.” These
are the Old Testament faithful,
who the writer of Hebrews
so beautifully describes in
Hebrews 11. These believers
are called “spirits” because they
have not yet received resurrected
bodies since the resurrection of
Old Testament believers has not yet taken place.
The fifth occupant is “Jesus, the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks
better than the blood of Abel.” Jesus’ Hebrew name,
Yeshua, is His redemptive name. As our redeemer,
Yeshua is the mediator of a new covenant. Here,
the writer of Hebrews uses the Greek word neos,
meaning new in point of time, instead of the usual
word kainos, meaning new in quality or nature. The
new covenant was recently made, because Jesus’
blood was recently shed and speaks better than the
blood of Abel, as it is the only blood that can bring
us into the very presence of God
Dr. Rich Freeman, D. Min.
serves as the Vice President
for Church Ministries and
Conferences with Chosen
People Ministries and
lives in South Florida
with his wife, Julia.
HEBREWS 12:18-24 NASB
18For you have not come
to a mountain that can be
touched and to a blazing fire,
and to darkness and gloom
and whirlwind, 19 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.…
21 And so terrible was the
sight, that Moses said, “I am
full of fear and trembling.”
22 But you have come to
Mount Zion and to the city of
the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to myriads
of angels, 23 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,
24 and to Jesus, the mediator
of a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood, which speaks
better than the blood of Abel.