It’s easy to skip over a phrase like this, but better to trip over the truth and discover a treasure.
Would you mind one more look at the Holy City? It’s described as “the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north” (Ps 48:1-2). “The city of our God”? Melchizedek served there. Abraham offered Isaac there. David captured it and established worship there. Jesus wept over the inhabitants there. The Church was born there. “His holy mountain”? Here the temple was raised, untold sacrifices made, and the Lamb of God by one sacrifice finished the work. “The joy of the whole earth”? We’ll have to wait for that. But now, “Mount Zion on the sides of the north”? Jerusalem is on the eastern slope of Zion and the southern flank of Moriah. What could this mean? We know the north side of the altar was the place of sacrifice (Lev 1:11)—where Calvary is! Job said the Lord “comes from the north as golden splendor” (Job 37:22). In Isaiah’s day, Babylon would capture Jerusalem and destroy it. The holy vessels “he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god” (Dan 1:2). In the end, Babylon would be seen as the ally of Satan in the last great war (Rev 17–18), with Shinar ground zero (Zech 5:5-11). God wrote a taunt for His people to use on the day of their final victory against both Babylon’s king and Hell’s Lucifer (Isa 14:1-23). Where did Lucifer want to place his throne? “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount…on the farthest sides of the north” (Isa 14:13). Oh no, you won’t, said God! That place is for MY King. In fact, He’ll arrive “from the north” for battle (41:25). Of Satan we read, “you shall be brought down…to the lowest depths of the Pit” (14:15; Rev 20:3). In dark times, remember we’re on the winning side!