A mountain in Scripture represents an elevated place above the level of this world. In the Book of Matthew, we find the Lord Jesus upon seven different mountains. Matthew, of course, presents Him to us as the King of the Jews, primarily in His rejection. Since He was rejected by His people Israel, the Lord Jesus introduces a new dispensation, a dispensation of grace, in which is found the kingdom of the heavens. The rejected King will rule His kingdom from heaven and whosoever will believe are its subjects.
The First Mountain
The first mountain for consideration is in Matthew 4:88Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (Matthew 4:8). After His baptism and His public acceptance by God, the Lord Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted of the devil. At this time, “the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,” and he offers them to Him if He will fall down and worship him. The Lord Jesus uses the whole armor of God to defend Himself from the tempter’s attacks and defeats him with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We, too, “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)).
Christ would not receive glory from any other than His Father, even though the kingdom could be obtained only through suffering and death. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Phil. 2:9-109Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:9‑10)). This principle cannot be understood by the natural man. The Lord Jesus was despised and rejected, becoming the Man of sorrows; His subjects, too, if they follow Him, will find this same kind of life.
The Second Mountain
In the second mountain, in Matthew 5, we find Jesus seated and His disciples coming unto Him, as He taught them the principles of His kingdom. It was through meekness and lowliness that they would be blessed, not by asserting themselves or claiming their rights.
The Third Mountain
In Matthew 14:2323And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. (Matthew 14:23), the Lord Jesus goes up into a mountain again to be alone with God in prayer. If the principles of the kingdom are going to be maintained, they must be maintained by dependence upon and obedience to the Father. This is the power the believer receives from God in prayer, and it is necessary for any faithfulness and service to Him. In prayer the individual also is alone with God.
The Fourth Mountain
Matthew 15:2929And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. (Matthew 15:29) gives us the fourth mountain, where Jesus is found giving His disciples the example of service in meeting the needs of others. No matter how little it is, He can use what we have to feed the multitude, and with much left over. We may feel our contributions are insignificant, but in the hands of our Lord and with His blessing there is an abundance.
The Fifth Mountain
When we come to Matthew 17, we find a display of the future glory of the Lord Jesus Christ as He brings Peter, James and John unto a high mountain apart — a preview of the coming kingdom. In that day He alone will be exalted (Isa. 2:1717And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:17)). The same is true for us; we have the privilege of honoring and hearing Him because He is God’s Son, and God’s delights are in Him. God will not give His glory unto another (Isa. 48:1111For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. (Isaiah 48:11)).
The Sixth Mountain
The Mount of Olives is prominent in the life of our Savior. From this mount He ascends into heaven (Acts 1:1212Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. (Acts 1:12)), and upon this mount He will return to earth again (Zech. 14:44And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:4)). In Matthew, however, the Lord Jesus begins His triumphant procession into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and offers Himself once more to His people as their King. They refuse Him again and He ends His final rejection by weeping over Jerusalem (Matt. 23:3737O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37)).
From the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24:33And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3) through chapter 25, the Lord discourses with His disciples of coming events: the great tribulation, the judgment of professing Christendom, and the judgment of the Gentile nations. We do not learn these things from the intelligence of this world, but by being in communion with Him in the heavenlies. The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” (Gen. 18:1717And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (Genesis 18:17)). It was from the Mount of Olives also that Jesus disclosed to Peter that he could have no confidence in the flesh, and Peter had to learn this through sad experience. The best intentions can never be accomplished without divine power. The Lord Jesus is a patient, loving teacher, and His desire is to restore those who fall so that they may learn to trust in Him.
The Seventh Mountain
The seventh mountain in Matthew in which we find the Lord Jesus was a place that He had appointed to meet with His disciples after His resurrection. “When they saw Him, they worshipped Him” (Matt. 28:1717And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17)). Today the Lord Jesus has an appointed place where He has also promised His presence: “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)). The place, however, would be nothing apart from His Person, but if He is there, it makes all the difference. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the gathering center. Do we value and appreciate Him when He gathers us around Himself, above the level of this world? It is there that we learn what is in His heart and what is in our hearts. We learn also to depend on Him, to serve Him, and to learn what He is about to do. But most of all, it is there we have the privilege of worshipping Him.
Although physically His own are still in the world, morally and spiritually we are seen as seated with Him in those mountain heights (Eph. 2:66And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6)). May this encourage us to be more faithful to Him while we wait for His return, when we shall be with and like Him in those heights of glory!
R. Klassen (adapted)