Hebrews 12:23, commentary and pictures

The verse describes coming to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem with innumerable angels and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, not to the fearful mount at Sinai that could be touched. The church of the firstborn are those united with Christ in God, whose names are written in heaven by the blood of Christ. The just made perfect are those who through Christ's grace have formed characters fit for heaven in their probationary time, and who will stand before God's throne among the angels to His glory. The church on earth and the church in heaven are one church, with believers below joined in covenant to those above who never fell. Earthly assemblies are God's appointed means of preparing for that heavenly assembly, by bringing His children into unity in love, prayer, study of His Word, and mutual encouragement unto the end.

Heavenly Jerusalem and Assembly

Believers have not come to a mount that could be touched and that burned with fire, with blackness and darkness and tempest and the fearful sound of trumpet and voice as at Sinai, but have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with an innumerable company of angels and with Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and His blood, and to the general assembly and church of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous people made perfect. The city of God is greater than Babylon, which falsely claims divine authority and equality with heaven, and God's church is a heavenly community whose citizens are found throughout the heavens.

The church of the firstborn is those united with Christ in God, joined to Christ and to God. Such unity makes professing Christians its representatives and preserves the Christian church, whose members are bound together in a solemn covenant to obey God's Word and strengthen one another's faith. Those saved by the blood of Christ have their names written in heaven as the church of the firstborn, and when Christ calls the roll in heaven they will answer to their names.

The city of God is where the just are made perfect and stand before God's throne, and the just man made perfect is among those who will be met there. The just made perfect are those who through Christ's grace have formed a character fit for heaven during their probationary time on earth. They will appear among heaven's angels, and their perfected character will bring praise and glory to Christ's power.

Church Above and Below

The church on earth and the church in heaven are one church, made up of believers on earth and those in heaven who never fell. The church of God on earth is joined to the church above, standing in covenant relation with God. God brings His witnesses into covenant with Himself and thereby unites the church below with the church above.

The church on earth is constituted by faithful souls from the beginning, the Lord's watchmen in every age who bear faithful testimony in their generation. When they are called to lay off their armor, others take up the work. Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness God sustains His church, foreseeing every opposing force and fulfilling all His purposes, so that the gates of hell are not able to prevail against His people.

God keeps open communication between His people on earth and heavenly intelligences. Christ dwells in His people, who are cared for by God, and angels are sent forth to minister to those who shall inherit salvation as they faithfully share Christ's sufferings. Heaven is near to earth, and every heavenly intelligence is interested in and present at the assemblies of the saints on earth who meet to worship God in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness. In the inner court of heaven they listen to the testimonies of the witnesses for Christ in the outer court on earth — the testimonies, thanksgiving, praise, songs, prayers, and supplications offered below. That praise and thanksgiving from the church below is taken up into the heavenly anthem and supplemented by the choirs of the angelic host above, with praise and rejoicing resounding through the heavenly court because Christ has not died in vain for fallen men.

While angels drink from the Fountainhead, the saints on earth drink of the pure streams flowing from the throne of God, making glad the city of God. Angels of light are companions to earthborn children even when unknown, sent forth as silent witnesses guarding every living soul to win and draw him to Christ. They never leave the tempted one a prey to the destroying enemy while hope remains, guarding men as long as there is hope until they resist the Holy Spirit to eternal ruin. Unity is to preserve the Christian church, and such unity makes professing Christians its representatives. Its members are those united with Christ in God, bound to God by a solemn covenant to obey His Word and to strengthen one another's faith.

Promise and Preparation for Heaven

God will speak from the city of the living God and shake not only the earth but also heaven, and before Christ appears the saints receive the Holy Spirit and God's glory so that they can stand before Him. God's people gathered before Him in the heavenly city are those to whom He delivers the everlasting covenant and pronounces a lasting blessing for honoring Him by keeping His Sabbath holy, and they are ultimately welcomed into the Holy City.

The heavenly assembly is the promised fulfillment of the inheritance and of the pledges of the inheritance for which Christians prepare through earthly gatherings. Earthly assemblies are God's appointed means of preparing for that heavenly assembly by leading His children into unity, so that in Christian love and fellowship they help, strengthen, and encourage one another and grow in Christian love and faithfulness. As the day of God approaches they are to meet often to study His Word and pray, to refresh their minds by communion with one another and with God, and to exhort one another to be faithful to the end. In every earthly assembly they meet with Christ, the Master of assemblies, and are to take a personal interest in one another, knowing men in Christ Jesus and considering one another in love whose keynote is the gospel rather than self whose keynote is the world.

The city of God is the goal believers are traveling toward and everyone must zealously guard the way that leads there, with standing together in full numbers to represent the truth before opposition as part of guarding that way, while treating the work as indifferent by staying away when believers should assemble to make the truth known displeases God. The church below is to be like a well-regulated family in perfect harmony, with every member understanding the rules of church discipline and doing his duty, and living here in union with Christ prepares God's children below for the great reunion in the church above and for endless life in heaven. In heaven all is pure and perfect and every being reveres God and His holiness, so those who are to join that heavenly assembly must be prepared to appreciate its purity and to worship with true reverence. Those preparing to unite with the heavenly family in the city of God should live together without speaking unpleasant words.

Those saved by the blood of Christ have their names written in heaven as the church of the firstborn, and when Christ calls the roll in heaven they will answer to their names, yet being among those who answer requires laboring together with Christ to save souls and earnest, persevering prayer, as for children under temptation and discouragement, until victory over the oppressive power of Satan is won. The heavenly assembly is the higher school above, where people whose characters are fit for it will unite with the saints and angels. Children are to be prepared to enter that higher school through right habits, thoughts, reverence, and discipline, with their education beginning when they are little to teach them their responsibilities to one another and to God and to shape their minds by the principles of God's Word. A spiritual home atmosphere helps prepare family members to enter that heavenly school.