Hebrews 12:22
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Study Note
Study Note
'But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering' — the eschatological catalogue that follows (verses 22–24) presents the believer's present access in worship to the heavenly assembly, contrasting with Sinai's terrifying inaccessibility (verses 18–21). The 'heavenly Jerusalem' draws on the apocalyptic tradition of the celestial city (Galatians 4:26; Revelation 21:2) and the Zion theology of the Psalms of Ascent, indicating that Christian worship is participation in a heavenly rather than merely earthly reality. The 'innumerable angels in festal gathering' (muriasin angelōn, panēgurei) uses the vocabulary of ancient festival assembly, presenting the liturgical gathering of the church as a cosmic festival attended by the entire angelic host. The verse has been foundational for Christian theologies of worship as heavenly participation and for high-church liturgical traditions that emphasize the eschatological dimension of earthly worship.
Other Translations
but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels,
But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,
But you have come to the mountain of Zion, to the place of the living God, to the Jerusalem which is in heaven, and to an army of angels which may not be numbered,
Cross References
For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the …
And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount …
And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail …
It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rab–shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his …
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city …
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in …
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for …
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.