327. The High School on Mount Zion

This school is on the top of the mountains, as it is written: “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.’” Micah 4:1-2.

This school trains “mountain Christians” who cannot be moved. They are also called kings and priests. Rev. 1:6. The Teacher of righteousness, The Holy Spirit, teaches us all things in every subject, and He will bring to remembrance all of the things that Jesus has said. John 14:26-27. He has given us His peace, and our hearts are not afraid, neither are they troubled.

Here on the mountain we are surrounded by an innumerable host of angels so we feel safe. The general assembly and church of the firstborn are here, and they are all students in this college. The Judge who is the God of all is also with us here on the mountain. The innumerable company of angels is always at His service here, and the spirits of just men made perfect never depart from the mountain. Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, is extremely busy in this school. He teaches us to be zealous for the laws and commandments of the new covenant, which are written in our hearts and minds and also written in the Word of God. Here we are thoroughly educated about what it means to be reconciled in His earthly body through death so that we can be presented holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight. Col. 1:22. Here we have boldness in the blood of Jesus to enter into the Holiest by a new and living way which He has opened for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. Here on the mountain we learn that He went into the sanctuary and that we are to follow His steps. This is an absolute requirement for all the students in this college; and should someone not do this, he will be expelled from the school.

Every mountain Christian becomes cubic, just like the city. They receive height, breadth, and length. Rev. 21:16. Here we are conformed to the image of the Son. Rom. 8:29. In all of this we experience the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ (Phil. 3:10), but for the joy that is set before us, we bear all things.

Here, in this school, it is strictly forbidden to rely on those things that you know naturally. Jude 10. For this reason we must have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Eph. 1:17. Everyone in this college has God’s commandments and keeps them; therefore the Father and the Son come to them and dwell in them. John 14:21-24. As a result, every single student can say together with John: “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:6.

In this school we are sustained with very nourishing food. First we receive the pure, undefiled milk, and later strong meat, so no one is malnourished. All of the students have fellowship in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and they love one another according to the new and the old commandments relating to love.

This school has a huge forge where we learn to forge spiritual weapons which are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. 2 Cor. 10:4. We often need these weapons. That’s why this school has a fencing room where each student is trained daily in the art of swirling prime, vertical cuts, horizontal parries, and tierces. It is especially difficult for beginners to parry every thrust effectively, but practice makes perfect.

Here on the mountain we learn to drive back very intense attacks because we are not warring against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. For sure, we are not unaware of Satan’s attacks.

In this school we are trained to be experts in strategy (commanders) because we will become kings. For this reason we have to become intimately acquainted with the methods of warfare that our adversaries use. Here on the mountain we read about David and Saul. It was very difficult for Saul to hear the women sing: “Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands.” 1 Sam. 18:7-9. That is how Satan crept into Saul; the satanic spirit of envy gained power over him. In this school we learn that when it goes well for our brother, we are to rejoice together with him; then Satan is driven out. But Saul made a strategic error. He opened himself to the spirit of envy and consequently lost the battle. David conducted himself wisely, and that made Saul afraid. 1 Sam. 18:15-16. Saul became more and more fearful of David as he saw that the Lord was with him. Saul persecuted David and threw his sword at him. But David was a student in this school, and he was agile enough to duck out of the way. This sword finally sealed Saul’s fate, and this is written for us as a warning. David had the “spirit of fear” over him so he dared not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. God dealt with Saul Himself in His own time. God was with David so his house became stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. So, in this school, we learn to abide in the spirit and the mind of David and to be on guard against the spirit of Saul. This is all part of the art of war.

Here on the mountain a very noteworthy Bible study is given about Alexander the coppersmith. He did much evil to Paul, and the Lord will repay him according to his works. “You must beware of him for he has greatly resisted our words.” 2 Tim. 4:14-15.

Nothing is written about why he resisted Paul. More than nineteen hundred years have passed since the day of the coppersmith, so I guess our conjectures about him will not hurt. Students here at the college know that Paul’s words are the Word of God, and that the Word of God frees us from the things of the earth. It frees us from covetousness, and it binds us to the things from above. The coppersmith must have been doing business in a way that was directly against God’s will. Either he used the Word of God to generate income, or he made idols and sold them.

He did not seek after the law of righteousness. If he had, Paul would certainly have been the right man to set him free. For the coppersmith, knowing the truth and knowing what was right was not the most important thing; for him, that was not important at all. He really did not care what Paul taught as long as his business could grow and flourish. So it was covetousness that compelled Alexander to firmly resist Paul.

There must have been a number of people with Alexander, because further on it is written: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” [Emphasis added].

Here on the mountain we are taught how futile the coppersmith’s strategies are. This is written in the context of the mouth of the lion. No doubt, Alexander preached the “finished work,” but he preached it in such a way that no one needed to become a disciple and follow Jesus. The coppersmith had allowed himself to be deceived by Satan who came in the form of an angel of light; he walked right into the mouth of the lion. Satan had hidden the way of God from him, and God allowed this because there was guile in his spirit. Paul could not allow this gospel of half-truths to remain standing, which is why he took up a battle against it so that everyone could hear. The message would be preached fully through him.

Behind this “finished work” which people parade around like a banner, they seek to annihilate discipleship. In the shadow of this “finished work,” people can continue in covetousness, high-mindedness, domination over others, quarreling, writing books in order to blacken the reputations of disciples of the Lord, forming factions, taxing people with tithes, sending articles to the newspapers, hatred, and all kinds of other evil. “The work is finished,” and so, when it is convenient for them, they can live in the flesh. This is age-old false liberty. Such people are not bond servants of Christ. For them that would be bondage.

The fact that the work is finished in Christ does not mean it is finished in us. This is the way of the cross, the way of faith, the way of suffering, the way of perfection and growth into Him who is the head of the church.

We, like Abraham are justified by faith without works, but as justified, James writes, “But do you not know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” [Emphasis added].

In other words, they are bad people—very wicked people—who would try to hinder a person for whom Christ has died from becoming His disciple. And when such people go to war against the students of this school, you do not even have to be a prophet to understand that they will utterly fail.

It is the spirit of the coppersmith that led Korah, Dathan, and Abiram to rise up against Moses. But what did the Lord say? “Go away from their dwellings, depart from the tents of these ungodly men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them.” God will judge those who are on the outside. They have never been disciples of Jesus Christ and have never been students in the high school on Mount Zion.

Here on the mountain you will find the “stone of stumbling.” Isa. 8:13-18. Many are those who will fail and be broken and will be ensnared and taken captive. It is the work of the students of the college to make sure that no one is allowed to become a student in this college unless they have made it past the stone of stumbling. Pastors, deacons, and spiritual leaders of every sort perform the most absurd movements and maneuvers to avoid this. The usual practice here on the mountain is that any new students desiring to be accepted are met with the stone of stumbling. Everyone is emptied and all of the old leaven is drained out, together with everything else that anyone imagines he or she understands. For fear of this stone most religious people draw back—each to his own church or synagogue. For this same reason you will not find one single pastor or prelate here. On the mountain we learn to conduct ourselves appropriately among people and to conduct ourselves appropriately in the sight of God. Here we learn to be brothers among brothers, since those who are “important” have no access to this school on Zion. Such people have to allow themselves to be broken in pieces on the stone of stumbling, and once this is done, they are welcome. It is a comfort for us that we all must go through this same experience. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Here in the high school on the mountain we have been given the guarantee which is written in Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper. And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.” There is no future for anyone who forges carnal weapons. May God preserve me from ever ending up in their forge.

Here on the mountain we also read about Diotrephes who loved to have the preeminence. Even a disciple of the Lord like John was not received. Here in the school we learn that Jesus Christ has the preeminence; He is the preeminent one among many brethren. Without a doubt, Diotrephes was a “pastor” type who was terrified of the stone of stumbling, and I am sure he thought that he had a monopoly on the “leadership.” Everything and everyone was to be in complete submission under his mighty hand. If not, they met Diotrephes’ wrath. But students of this college refuse to be bound by Alexander the coppersmith, or by the preeminent Diotrephes. They hold on to the word: “Bind up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples.” Isa. 8:16. If no one else understands them, God understands them. And they themselves understand what they possess.

We have received the mandate to make disciples of all nations, regardless of what sect or denomination they have allowed themselves to be captured by, because the people belong to the Lord. We have received a commandment to teach them to observe everything that Jesus has commanded us. Matt. 28:20. And that we do most gladly.

Many young students of this school have already been out on the mission field, and they have made disciples of upright people within the different denominations. And it is the great Master and Teacher Himself who sees to it that their work succeeds.

In the last days the nations will go up to the house of the Lord which is established on the top of the mountains. The Gentiles will say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways so that we should walk in them!” [Emphasis added].

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

Lærum’s and Barratt’s book will have the opposite effect of what was intended, and it has already in these days opened the eyes of many upright souls, driving them to Mount Zion. Moreover, the students in this school have received many good texts which will attract other students to the school. Already many Pentecostals have thanked us for a clearer explanation of that book. And many more will follow.

All things work together for good to those who fear and love God.

Among hungry, needy, seeking souls, any admiration of Diotrephes’ preeminence and Alexander the business man is on a dramatic decline.

May there be a great influx of students up to the school on top of the mountain.