The Sinners In Zion

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Hi R____,

Thank you for your question.
You have taken note that God dwells in Zion, and then you note that the sinners and hypocrites in Zion are afraid. Then you ask if Zion is all mankind?
The answer is that in the long run all mankind will indeed be in Christ and in His Father. But there is more to answering your question than simply accepting the final outcome of Christ’s sacrifice. The admonition is that the sinners and hypocrites in Zion are afraid and fearful. Why is that? Why are we told of this fearfulness among the sinners and hypocrites in Zion? The answer is that we are all still struggling with fearfulness and hypocrisy within us and that must be cast out of us even as we are “in Zion.” It is not others, but us, who “must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Those words proceeding out of God’s mouth include these words right out of the mouth of Christ.

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [ my] fatlings [ are] killed, and all things [ are] ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5  But they made light of [ it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [ them] spitefully, and slew [ them].
Mat 22:7  But when the king heard [ thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

What is the subject of this parable? Is it the same subject as all Christ’s parables. It is “the kingdom of God (Mat 13 10-12). Where is that kingdom? It is “within you” (Luk 17:20-21).
The kingdom of God is not just a parable likened to a king, It is a parable like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come…” etc. etc… the entire parable is the kingdom of God within you and me.
So this parable, just like Isa 33:14-15, is addressed to you and me. It has nothing at all to say to those who cannot see or hear the things written therein.
Judas did not forsake Christ when most of His disciples forsook Him. Christ’s disciples forsook Him when He told them that they had to eat his flesh and drink His blood. This is Bible speak for “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God… the words I speak unto you.” Christ explains that right here in John six.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Joh 6:52  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [ his] flesh to eat?
Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Joh 6:59  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Joh 6:60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
Joh 6:61  When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Joh 6:62  What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 6:64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 6:66 From that [ time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Eat Christ’s flesh and you will have life… “the words that I speak… they are life… from that time many went back and walked no more with Him. But look who was still with Him, still in the wedding supper without a wedding garment:

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

Judas was both called and chosen, but He was not faithful to the end. None of us are faithful to the end. We are all “chief of sinners.” We all deny Christ, just as all the apostles did. We all go out and weep bitterly, and confess to betraying innocent blood. It is only by God’s sovereign work in us that we repent and are restored to a relationship with our Savior and His Father.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

This is “an hard saying; who can hear it?” This is “the words that I speak unto you.”
I hope this helps you to see that even though Judas was chosen along with the twelve, the message in all of this is that we are to be sober, vigilant, and faithful to the very end, realizing that we too are sinners in Zion who do not have a wedding garment, at our appointed time, and like Peter who saw himself as guilty as Judas, and Paul who saw himself as “chief of sinners” we too must acknowledge that it is God, and God alone who brings us through all of our trials and grants us to repent of what He has made us, and accept what is is making us, simply because,

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

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