Garments of Glory!
Teaching on Zion
by Penny Sheahan
At this very moment, we see Zion in the spirit, God’s holy mountain rising, ascending, out of the midst of the city of Jerusalem. It is a Zion of many generations forming one preeminently high mountain — the mountain of THE KING. She is robed in a glory that far surpasses that of Jerusalem. Her robes are of purity, righteousness, and exquisite beauty. She shimmers in the radiant light of one who has been changed — reflecting now the image of the Lord she loves with passionate, obedient devotion. She is formed from a remnant of all His people — both male and female, bond and free, poor and rich, of all peoples of the earth.
As He sees Zion of this generation begin to arise, the heart of the King leaps; kindled with a burning desire to receive her to Himself. From Zion’s lofty peaks, Jesus listens . . . “She is worshipping Me!” Her sweet voice fills His heart with rapturous delight. He watches . . . “She is dancing with Me!” He thrills to the sight. Slowly, the King turns to His Father; “Oh Father, how long I have waited for her to appear! This is the one I choose to be MY BRIDE.”
Truly, Jesus’ BRIDE is appearing. We believe Zion, a city within the larger city of Jerusalem, is a type of that Bride. In the height of Zion, the King reigns. Worship resounds to Him in the heavenly atmosphere of His glory. Through Zion, as the Scripture says, NATIONS will be born into the Kingdom of God. “Who hath heard such a thing?who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a NATION be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” (Isaiah 66:8, KJV).
The appearing of God’s bride is paramount. She is the key to the greatest revival the world has ever known. This appearing, or unveiling, of the glorious bride of Christ is by degrees. At her stage of development today, she is still quite hidden. She has heard the call, “The bridegroom cometh”and is going forth to meet Him. Much like the account of King David when he moved the ark of the covenant from the house of Abinadab to Mt Zion (2 Samuel 6), she has been faithfully following His presence. As the ark, representing His presence has moved, she has moved. As He has stepped, she has stepped. Each step she takes is significant.
First, she has followed the ark of God out from the house of Abinadab to Nachon’s threshing floor. At this point, she goes through a threshing or PURIFICATION PROCESS. Much of her life and ministry are left behind. Oh, what a relief to shed all the old, worn, dingy garments! What a pleasure to put off, as in Colossians 3:8, “. . . anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”
As she slips off each of these sins, the heaviness that had plagued her miraculously disappears; leaving her feeling almost weightless.
Giddy with His presence now, she perceives Jesus is moving again. She must go with Him!
Leaving the threshing floor, she follows the ark “aside into the house of Obededom . . . and the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord BLESSED Obed-edom and all his household.” (2 Samuel 6:10,11, KJV)
Those represented by the bride, who are following His every footstep, are entering a time of tremendous blessing. It is a time of CLOTHING. Each has shed the old garments and now will put on the new. The Lord is clothing them with: