And the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount
Zion
That is, on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times, and especially in the latter day; which are the dwelling places of Father, Son, and Spirit, and of believers in Christ. The word F15 used signifies a place well fitted up, and prepared, and established, and settled; and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory; they will be fitly framed together and built up, a habitation for God, through the Spirit; they will be beautified, and made glorious, and will be established upon the top of the mountains, and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down, whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken, ( Ephesians 2:21 Ephesians 2:22 ) ( Isaiah 60:7-13 ) ( 2:2 ) ( 33:20 ) and so will be sure dwellings, and quiet resting places; and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them, since they will have the best of company, the best of provisions, and all health and prosperity, ( Isaiah 32:18 ) ( 12:6 ) ( 33:24 ) : and upon her assemblies;
or "her convocations" F16; in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals, ( Leviticus 23:2 Leviticus 23:3 Leviticus 23:4 Leviticus 23:7 Leviticus 23:8 Leviticus 23:21 Leviticus 23:24 Leviticus 23:27 Leviticus 23:36 ) which are the churches of Christ, as before, consisting of men called by the grace of God, with a holy calling; called to be saints, and so are an assembly of saints, ( Psalms 89:7 ) called by means of the Gospel, as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets, to assemble together, to hear the word, and attend every part of divine worship, ( Numbers 10:2 Numbers 10:3 ) and as the invisible church is called Zion, and the general assembly, ( Hebrews 12:22 ) so particular visible churches are called assemblies, ( Ecclesiastes 12:11 ) ( James 2:3 ) and which will be very numerous in the latter day, and well attended. A cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by
night;
alluding to the Lord's going before the children of Israel in the wilderness, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night; and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle, when it rested; and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai, when the Lord was present there, ( Exodus 13:20 Exodus 13:21 ) ( 19:9-18 ) ( Numbers 9:15 Numbers 9:16 ) and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence, both in the Old and in the New Testament, ( Exodus 19:9 ) ( Exodus 40:34 Exodus 40:35 ) ( Leviticus 16:2 ) ( 1 Kings 8:10 ) ( Matthew 17:5 ) so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable; he will be seen over them, and be the glory in the midst of them, ( Zechariah 2:5 ) ( 9:14 ) and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies; as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians, when they passed through the Red sea, and secured them from them, ( Exodus 14:19 ) as well as a cloud, is refreshing and protecting from heat, as Christ then will be from heat of every kind. (See Gill on Isaiah 4:6). And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel, and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time; so Christ will be the light of his people, by the very great illuminations of his spirit, and the clear preaching of the Gospel, which will give both light and heat; and from both which will arise such a bright shining light, as shall drive away the night of affliction, darkness, desertion, and sleepiness, which shall precede this glorious day. See ( Isaiah 60:1 Isaiah 60:2 ) and this will be all the Lord's doing, a work of his almighty power, and therefore signified by a "creation"; it will be a new, strange, and marvellous work; wonderful in the eyes of the saints, and in the eyes of the world, that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency, and the joy of many generations, ( Isaiah 60:15 ) ( Isaiah 65:17 Isaiah 65:18 ) : for upon all the glory [shall] he a defence;
the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ; in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them; in the purity of Gospel doctrine, worship, and discipline among them; in the holiness of their lives and conversation; and in the peace, harmony, and unity, that shall subsist with them; and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel, in the pure administration of the word and ordinances, as means, but principally the Lord himself, who will be a wall of fire about them, and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them, ( Zechariah 2:5 ) ( Isaiah 26:1 ) .