The Unseen Realm At Zion

June 3rd, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 12:22-24 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.

The beauty of Mount Zion over Mount Sinai is like comparing heaven to hell. Whereas Sinai represents law and death, Mount Zion represents God in the heavenly Jerusalem—the city of God and of His people, past and present (12:22).

At Mount Zion is where Christians come to worship—from the place of mercy and grace. First, the author says we come to “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22)—“the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (11:10)—what Abraham was looking for when he obeyed the voice of God and came to Canaan in Genesis 12:1-7. This city is the place of eternal treasure and hope for all believers of every age—coming to Zion for salvation. It is for those who trust in God and His word. Only them.

Second, Christians come “to myriads of angels, to the general assembly” (vv. 22-23). Since angels were created to praise God (Dan. 7:10) and serve His people (1:14), when Christians approach God through Christ to worship, we join this “general assembly” of elect angels doing likewise, angels who were also present at the giving of the Law to Moses (Deut. 33:2; Gal. 3:19).

Third, all Christians, when they approach God through Jesus Christ, come to the “church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (v. 23)—a reference to all Christians who have died since the beginning of the Church Age in Acts 2—our fellow heirs of Christ (Rom. 8:17)… “the firstborn of many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). In OT times, the firstborn children received the family inheritance and the blessing of the father. Christians are, as a group, the firstborn of many brethren, our names “enrolled in heaven” (Rev. 21:27), written in the Lamb’s book of life from the foundation of the earth (Rev. 13:8; cf. Eph. 1:4-5). When we worship, we gather with them!

Fourth, Christians come “to God, the Judge of all.” Whereas Jews believed no one could come to the terrifying God they encountered on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, Christians know that the way to God was paved through the Son of God, who, when He died, prompted the veil of the temple, separating man from God, to be torn in two, paving the way to God (Luke 23:45).

Fifth, all Christians, when we approach God through Christ, come “to the spirits of the righteous made perfect” (v. 23), namely the OT saints who were also saved by faith alone in God alone (cf. Heb. 11). Unlike Christians who are made perfect at the moment of their belief in Christ, the OT saints had to wait for the death of Christ to realize their perfection (11:40), the death of Christ finally paying the penalty for their sins long after they believed and died.

Finally, Christians, when they approach God through Jesus Christ, come “to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel” (v. 24). This is a reference to the blood of Abel that cried out from the earth (Gen. 4:10) for vengeance and judgement after Cain murdered him in Genesis 4:8. In contrast, Jesus’ mediatory blood shouts even louder from heaven that those who place their faith in Him are forgiven and have peace with God (cf. Rom. 5:1)—guilt free! So, Jesus’ blood sacrifice, His “sprinkled blood” as the Lamb on the altar of God’s mercy, is superior—cleansing once for all.

Food For Thought
Most Christians today are not looking to go back to the Law given at Sinai either for salvation or to maintain it (although some do). What most of us have a tendency to do, however, is make up our Sinaitic laws—man-made regulations (legalisms) that we not only obey but that we foist on others in order that they be as “holy” as we think we are. If you think every parent must homeschool their child, that alcohol is the devil’s juice, that card-playing is satanic, etc., then perhaps you’ve fallen into this trap? Since these man-made (not Scriptural) do’s and don’ts are not sins in and of themselves, we must never think that they are sinful in those who practice them. In Christ we are free, but we are never free to sin as defined in Scripture. Man-made legalisms are the modern Mount Sinai. But Mount Zion will always be the place of grace and mercy, the place where true Christians come to worship with a whole host of others they can’t even see!