The college on Mount Zion

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:1-2.

A different kind of school

On Mount Zion a “school” has been established for “the general assembly and church of the firstborn.” In other words, for all those who are disciples of Christ – those who want to learn of the Master. (Hebrews 12:23)

The Holy Spirit is a teacher at this school. He is the teacher of righteousness; He teaches us all things in every subject. He reminds us of all things Jesus said – the laws He gave us. (John 14:26-27)

At this school the students feel safe and secure – the security here is an innumerable host of angels. God, the judge of all, is there, and Jesus Himself, the Mediator of the new covenant, is extremely active in the school. He teaches us to be zealous for His laws and commandments. These are written in our text book: the Word of God. As we learn them, they also become inscribed in our hearts and minds. (Hebrews 12: 22-24; Hebrews 8:10)

Here the students learn to walk on the way that the Master opened for them; to follow in His steps. This is an absolute requirement for all the students in this college.

The students of this school become fully developed. They are not one-dimensional people. They get height, and width, and depth in their spirit. They are conformed to the image of the Son. (Revelation 21:16; Romans 8:29)

Read more about Zion here: Were you made for another world?

Course requirements

In order to become like the Master, the students must learn to give up their own will, ideas, opinions, reasonings, etc., and do His will. This causes suffering, but because they look forward to the joy they receive as a result of the suffering, they are able to bear the suffering. The course material for this was clearly laid out by one of the first students of this school, in Philippians 3:7-10. This student, an example for all future students to look to, was of course the Apostle Paul.

Students are required to give up all of their natural human “wisdom” in order to get the spirit of divine wisdom and revelation. For example, human wisdom is to repay evil with evil. But we learn from the Master, who “when He was reviled, reviled not in return,” and teaches us to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Everyone in this school loves and keeps these commandments that lead them to this divine wisdom and revelation. (Ephesians 1:17; 1 Peter 2:23; Matthew 5:44)

The meal program at this school is the very best nourishment. New students start off with pure, undefiled milk, and as they grow and mature and are able to tolerate more, they receive more and more solid food. (1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:13-14)

At this school there are no “cliques,” no arguments, no conflict, no envy, no malice, or anything of the kind. The students are taught to love one another with a pure, “brotherly” love, which is so clearly written about in the Word of God. No one thinks of himself as “great,” each esteems the others better than himself. It is Christ who is preeminent here – the first among many brethren.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1, Philippians 2:3; Colossians 1:15-18)

Read more here: What does the Bible say about love?

Each student must learn to wear and use the whole armor of God, to defend himself against the inevitable enemies. There are intensive classes on learning to recognize the enemy – the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this present age, the spiritual hosts of wickedness – and becoming intimately acquainted with their methods of warfare. Their methods are most often not blatant, but subtle in convincing believers to doubt, to envy, and to other sins, using “reasonable” arguments and thoughts. This is the art of their warfare, and this is why it is so crucial that students give up all traces of human reason and wisdom and learn the wisdom which is from above, which is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” The students learn to use the mighty weapons of warfare to “(cast) down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (Ephesians 6:12-17; James 3:17; 2 Corinthians 10:5)

The stumbling stone

At the entrance to this school lies “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” Only those who can make it past this are able to attend the school on Mount Zion. Many fall and are broken and ensnared at this stone. (1 Peter 2:8; Isaiah 8:13-18)

This stumbling stone is the requirement to give up everything. Those who don’t give up their own honor, their value in their own eyes and in the eyes of others, anything outside of Christ, etc., will not make it past this stone, because entrance is dependent on full submission to Jesus. For example, holding on to pride in earthly accomplishments, instead of giving the honor to God, carrying bitterness or resentment or a grudge, holding on to worldly pursuits that lead away from Christ. Those who are great in themselves have no need to be filled with Christ, and they stumble at the idea of giving up everything.

Those who attend Mount Zion’s school must give up relying on self, living for self, and going their own way. They live only according to the laws of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, which they learn at this school. (Romans 8:2)

Making many disciples

The students – the disciples of Christ – also have the mandate of making disciples of all the nations, because all people actually belong to the Lord, and all people are to be given the opportunity to attend this school. Not many make it past the stone of stumbling, because the way is narrow, but everyone should be given the chance. The driving force behind this missionary work which makes disciples of upright people, is the great Master and Teacher Himself. (Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 28:19-20)

In these days may there be many who seek and find enrollment in this school on Mount Zion!

“For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Isaiah 2:3.

The thorough education the scholars here receive prepares them to reign with the Master. The graduates of this school will have learned the wisdom that enables them to rule the earth with Him in the Millennium, in order that all nations may learn righteousness, and in order to establish the Kingdom of peace and righteousness which will be for eternity. (Romans 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:5)

This article is inspired by and based on an article of the same name written in Norwegian by Johan O. Smith and published in BCC’s periodical Skjulte Skatter (Hidden Treasures) in March 1937.