Seeking Jesus' Face in the Mountain City
Undated, before 2000 Betsy Elam
Note: I had the following dream during the night before I was scheduled to minister one of the songs the Lord has given me to a church congregation. I knew that the dream was for the church body and I was given permission to share it. I believe it is relevant to much of the body of Christ. My husband had heard me singing the song and felt the Lord direct him that I should share it with the church. So, the song that the Holy Spirit had already picked out for me to sing, before having this dream, had the words, “Oh sweet fellowship gazing at Your Face; Beyond the veil, into the Holy Place.” So fitting.
Dream:
Some other people and I were in the midst of visiting a city.
We were in a room of a beautiful cathedral, when we realized that there was more to the cathedral. I realized that the entire city was a vast cathedral!
Then someone said that there was a mountain in this city. I understood it to be 4,000 feet high. I climbed up some stairs in the beautiful cathedral room where we were. I looked out and saw what must have been the mountain. But it was no ordinary mountain. It was made of huge, towering, pillar-looking sculptures in the rock. I saw that the face of Jesus was in the pillar-looking rocks. Other things of God were sculpted into the rock of the mountain. The sculptures were most majestic, but I could only see the back view and a small portion of the side view of Jesus. I really wanted to go to the other side and see the face of Jesus.
For some reason I was burdened with a sack of clothes that I needed to return to a store in order to get my money back. I also was told by someone in my group that we only had an hour more to be in this most magnificent of all cities. This struck me as a strange way to structure our time, to rush through the most wondrous place I’d ever been, which even held the face of God. Why, one hour was not enough time to walk the path to the glorious mountain and see His face, let alone linger there. This made me very sad, thinking there wasn’t enough time.
Finally, it dawned on me that seeing the Mountain of God was infinitely more important than the small monetary value of the sack of clothes and the seeming constraint of time. So I laid the burden of the sack of clothes down, not caring anymore about my loss of money or material things. Then I begged the others I was with to go with me to see the face of Jesus on the other side of the mountain.
I found myself following someone on our way to the mountain. They left the narrow path and wandered into some big rocks and uneven treacherous ground. They eventually made it back to the path and I, too, finally overcame the obstacles to get back to the path. But then someone else in our group started to make a game of sliding down the rocks which were a bit off the path, even though at the end of the slide there was a big rock they were crashing into and getting hurt on. Another distraction.
I did end up back on the path to see the face of Jesus in the mountain, but the dream ended before I got there.
Conclusion: I invite all who read this to forget time constraints, forget distractions, and to lay aside burdens and weights that beset you and walk the one true path, joining me to seek Jesus’ face, the face of God.
Note: The highest mountain in internationally recognized Israeli territory is Mount Meron at 3,963 feet, which is 37 feet less than the mountain in my dream, which I believe symbolizes Mount Zion. Biblically, Mount Zion represents the City of God which represents the people of God with God dwelling with them. There is a ‘last days’ prophecy in the Bible that says that Mount Zion will become the tallest mountain (at least in Israel). The mountain in my dream had surpassed the current highest mountain by 37 feet. Before this dream, I had no knowledge of the heights of Israel’s mountains. This prophecy may have both a literal and spiritual fulfillment. The prophecy is found in Isaiah 2:2, 3. In these verses, the ‘mountain of the Lord’, ‘the house of the God of Jacob’, ‘Zion’, and ‘Jerusalem’ are all used interchangeably. Walking in His paths is also mentioned here.
Whenever someone left the path of God, there was danger of some sort, such as the treacherous ground. This is a spiritual truth. Also, Biblically speaking, ‘treacherous’ is another word for betrayal or unfaithfulness. So, in this context, it represented unfaithfulness toward God, when we got off the path of seeking His face. Leaders, don’t leave His path. Someone is following you!
Also, Hebrews 12:1, 2 talks about laying aside every weight, encumbrance and sin which easily entangles and hinders us. I had to do this in the dream in order to truly ‘seek His face’.
John 15 talks of relationship with our Lord as abiding… always together. There is no other option in our relationship with Him, for apart from Him we can do nothing. We are not supposed to leave that beautiful place where He dwells. That is our true home and calling. We are not called to ‘visit’ God for one hour. We are called to abide in Him; to be in Christ. Read the book of Colossians about this mystery.
Seeking His face (the face of Jesus) is of utmost importance in this dream as well as in scripture. Jesus/God is also in many places in scripture referred to as a Rock, so it is fitting to have his face symbolically in the mountain rock. Just a few scriptures that talk about seeking the face of God are listed here:
I Chron. 16:11- “Seek His face continually.” (NASB)
II Chron. 7:14- “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Psalm 27:8- “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’”
The high priestly blessing spoken over God’s people is for the purpose of invoking God’s Name on them which results in the Lord then being able to bless them (Numbers 6:27). Is this similar to a bride taking the name of her bridegroom and him caring for her because she is now his and he is hers? :
Numbers 6:24-26- “The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.”
II Corinthians 3:18 reads, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” The word, “beholding” is a very strong word meaning a very focused and intense gaze. So, as we seek His face, we are changed as we gaze upon His holiness, His goodness, His love and mercy. We become like Him, thus true followers of Christ. That is the purpose of seeking His face. “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Undated, before 2000 Betsy Elam
Note: I had the following dream during the night before I was scheduled to minister one of the songs the Lord has given me to a church congregation. I knew that the dream was for the church body and I was given permission to share it. I believe it is relevant to much of the body of Christ. My husband had heard me singing the song and felt the Lord direct him that I should share it with the church. So, the song that the Holy Spirit had already picked out for me to sing, before having this dream, had the words, “Oh sweet fellowship gazing at Your Face; Beyond the veil, into the Holy Place.” So fitting.
Dream:
Some other people and I were in the midst of visiting a city.
We were in a room of a beautiful cathedral, when we realized that there was more to the cathedral. I realized that the entire city was a vast cathedral!
Then someone said that there was a mountain in this city. I understood it to be 4,000 feet high. I climbed up some stairs in the beautiful cathedral room where we were. I looked out and saw what must have been the mountain. But it was no ordinary mountain. It was made of huge, towering, pillar-looking sculptures in the rock. I saw that the face of Jesus was in the pillar-looking rocks. Other things of God were sculpted into the rock of the mountain. The sculptures were most majestic, but I could only see the back view and a small portion of the side view of Jesus. I really wanted to go to the other side and see the face of Jesus.
For some reason I was burdened with a sack of clothes that I needed to return to a store in order to get my money back. I also was told by someone in my group that we only had an hour more to be in this most magnificent of all cities. This struck me as a strange way to structure our time, to rush through the most wondrous place I’d ever been, which even held the face of God. Why, one hour was not enough time to walk the path to the glorious mountain and see His face, let alone linger there. This made me very sad, thinking there wasn’t enough time.
Finally, it dawned on me that seeing the Mountain of God was infinitely more important than the small monetary value of the sack of clothes and the seeming constraint of time. So I laid the burden of the sack of clothes down, not caring anymore about my loss of money or material things. Then I begged the others I was with to go with me to see the face of Jesus on the other side of the mountain.
I found myself following someone on our way to the mountain. They left the narrow path and wandered into some big rocks and uneven treacherous ground. They eventually made it back to the path and I, too, finally overcame the obstacles to get back to the path. But then someone else in our group started to make a game of sliding down the rocks which were a bit off the path, even though at the end of the slide there was a big rock they were crashing into and getting hurt on. Another distraction.
I did end up back on the path to see the face of Jesus in the mountain, but the dream ended before I got there.
Conclusion: I invite all who read this to forget time constraints, forget distractions, and to lay aside burdens and weights that beset you and walk the one true path, joining me to seek Jesus’ face, the face of God.
Note: The highest mountain in internationally recognized Israeli territory is Mount Meron at 3,963 feet, which is 37 feet less than the mountain in my dream, which I believe symbolizes Mount Zion. Biblically, Mount Zion represents the City of God which represents the people of God with God dwelling with them. There is a ‘last days’ prophecy in the Bible that says that Mount Zion will become the tallest mountain (at least in Israel). The mountain in my dream had surpassed the current highest mountain by 37 feet. Before this dream, I had no knowledge of the heights of Israel’s mountains. This prophecy may have both a literal and spiritual fulfillment. The prophecy is found in Isaiah 2:2, 3. In these verses, the ‘mountain of the Lord’, ‘the house of the God of Jacob’, ‘Zion’, and ‘Jerusalem’ are all used interchangeably. Walking in His paths is also mentioned here.
Whenever someone left the path of God, there was danger of some sort, such as the treacherous ground. This is a spiritual truth. Also, Biblically speaking, ‘treacherous’ is another word for betrayal or unfaithfulness. So, in this context, it represented unfaithfulness toward God, when we got off the path of seeking His face. Leaders, don’t leave His path. Someone is following you!
Also, Hebrews 12:1, 2 talks about laying aside every weight, encumbrance and sin which easily entangles and hinders us. I had to do this in the dream in order to truly ‘seek His face’.
John 15 talks of relationship with our Lord as abiding… always together. There is no other option in our relationship with Him, for apart from Him we can do nothing. We are not supposed to leave that beautiful place where He dwells. That is our true home and calling. We are not called to ‘visit’ God for one hour. We are called to abide in Him; to be in Christ. Read the book of Colossians about this mystery.
Seeking His face (the face of Jesus) is of utmost importance in this dream as well as in scripture. Jesus/God is also in many places in scripture referred to as a Rock, so it is fitting to have his face symbolically in the mountain rock. Just a few scriptures that talk about seeking the face of God are listed here:
I Chron. 16:11- “Seek His face continually.” (NASB)
II Chron. 7:14- “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Psalm 27:8- “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’”
The high priestly blessing spoken over God’s people is for the purpose of invoking God’s Name on them which results in the Lord then being able to bless them (Numbers 6:27). Is this similar to a bride taking the name of her bridegroom and him caring for her because she is now his and he is hers? :
Numbers 6:24-26- “The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.”
II Corinthians 3:18 reads, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” The word, “beholding” is a very strong word meaning a very focused and intense gaze. So, as we seek His face, we are changed as we gaze upon His holiness, His goodness, His love and mercy. We become like Him, thus true followers of Christ. That is the purpose of seeking His face. “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”