I received this letter on 12/14/2001 quoting a source that argues that Zion is referenced 144 times in the Tanach.
Below is a second letter from the Your Arms to Israel organization that contains the 144 figure and other thoughts on Zion.

Shalom, Carl.

The various translations of the Word apparently effect exactly how many
times the word "Zion" in particular appears. Where many translators have
deemed it to be a euphemism for Jerusalem, some of these translators have
interchanged to (sic) two, depending upon their intellectual bent (pardon the pun
... as the Torah, the Prophets and the Book of Revelation clearly state "do
not add to nor take away from" the Word. Why translators simply could not
just use the written Hebrew place names /The Names is unfortunate and leaves
us at a disadvantage.

The figure 144 comes from the research of Reuven Efraim Schmalz (a Messianic
Jewish historian and archaelogist) and Raymond Robert Fischer (a Messianic
Jew and Bible scholar) who have compiled a work entitled "The Messianic Seal
of the Jerusalem Church" based upon the artifacts found in the grotto in Mt.
Zion where they believe the first followers of Yahushua met for worship and
to mikveh. The figure they state is based upon the KJV. I use The
Scriptures and, unfortunately, there are no concordances in existance, yet,
for this most wonderful translation.

I note with interest your reference to your research and will endeavour to
review same next week, Yahueh providing.

An early Shabbat Shalom!

Rebbetzin Wendy McNulty

dvaremet@nbnet.nb.ca

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Shalom, Janet.

Rav Moshe has forwarded your question regarding Mt. Zion and places of refuge.

Yes, the Scriptures definitely tell us that, if we are walking "in the Song of Moshe and the Song of the Lamb" - the Torah and the testimony of Yahushua (see Rev. 12:11, Rev. 12:17, Rev. 14:12, Rev. 15:1-3), we will overcome in the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 12:6, referring to the woman of Rev. 12:1 (who represents Israel) says: "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by Elohim, to be nourished there one thousand two hundred sixty days."

As a second witness (the Ruach always affirms everything by 2 or more witnesses in Scripture), see Rev. 12:13-14: "And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, to fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent."

1260 days equals 3.5 years and represents the latter half of the Tribulation, during the anti-Moshiach empire, when the beast is given authority for 42 months (3.5 years).

"And he was given a mouth speaking great matters and blasphemies, and he was given authority to do so for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against Elohim, to blaspheme His Name, and His Tent, and those dwelling in the heaven. And it was given to him to fight with the set-apart ones and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation. And all those dwelling on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the slain Lamb, from the foundation of the world shall worship him." (Rev. 13:4-8) This represents the last half of the Tribulation - the reign of the anti-Moshiach - the prophet Daniel's "abomination that causes desolation" (Dan. 8:9-14, Dan. 9:24-27).

While the Scriptures referenced above refer to "the wilderness" and "a place of refuge", there are at present, and indeed have been for so years now, believers in Yahushua who have felt the call of the Ruach to create places of refuge for believers during the Tribulation, ranging in size from small to the size of cities (just as Yahueh provided cities of refuge in Eretz Yisrael when the Israelites first took possession of the land.) These places of refuge are being built and are prophesied to be built in various places of the world: Canada, the U.S., South America, Europe ... wherever the divine burden to do so has been placed upon servant hearts by the Ruach haKodesh. Could some of these various places have been created in the strength of man, as opposed to direction of the Ruach? Yes, some of them could well be as such; however, I am certain that when the days of the Great Distress are upon us, those who are walking in Torah and the testimony of Yahushua will not precisely where to go and when for the Ruach haKodesh will bring all such revelation and knowledge to come to pass inorder that the protection and refuge prophesied in Scripture will come to fulfillment.

As to your question as to where is Mt. Zion, it is indeed in Israel, in Jerusalem. It is not "in the wilderness" geographically by any means, and as such I do not believe it is the place of refuge during the Great Distress spoken of in Scripture. I believe Mt. Zion being a place of deliverance and refuge refers to the return of Moshiach, as you will see below.

Jerusalem is situated on five hills or "mountains"; three of which are well known: Mt. Moriah (The Temple Mount), the Mount of Olives, and Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion lies several hundreds meters south of the Temple Mount, outside both the ancient and the present walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is also quite a bit higher than Mt. Moriah/The Temple Mount. King David's Tomb and the Upper Room are located at Mt. Zion. It was also the location of the gathering place of the early Messianic assembly of Yahushua's disciples and followers.

There are 144 references to "Zion" in the Tanach and 19 specific references to "Mt. Zion". In the Brit Chadasha, there are 7 references to "Zion" and 2 specific references to "Mt. Zion", most noteably Rev. 14:1:

"And I looked and saw a Lamb standing on Mount Tsiyon, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's Name written upon their foreheads"

"Zion" is sometimes used in Scripture to euphemistically refer to Jerusalem; however "Mt. Zion" is a specific geographical location within Jerusalem. If we meditate upon what is being said in Revelation 14:1, we realize that it portrays the triumphant return of Messiah Yahushua, together with the 144,000 sealed servants of Yahueh spoken of in Revelation 7. Bearing this in mind, if we consider certain verses from the Prophets which mention Mt. Zion as a place of refuge and/or deliverance, I believe that what is being prophetically portrayed is the Latter Days victory of Moshiach Yahushua and the establishment of His Millennial Reign, not a designation of Mt. Zion being a specific hiding place for all Israel during the Great Distress - remember, in Mattiyahu 24:16, Yahushua warns "let those who are in Yehudah flee to the mountains". There is an ancient grotto in Mt. Zion and perhaps it will be a hiding place for a few during the Great Distress, but I do not believe that all Israel will find refuge there - physically, they could not. Look at the following verse from Yeshayahu/Isaiah:

"And in that day, it shall be that Yahueh punishes on high the host of exalted ones, and on the earth the sovereigns of the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in prison, and be punished after many days. And moon shall blush and the sun shall be ashamed, for Yahueh of hosts shall reign on Mount Tsiyon, and in Yerushalayim, and before His elders, in esteem!" (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 24:21-23) This is definitely at the return of Moshiach and a prophetic picture of the establishment of His Kingdom here on earth.

Likewise in Mikah 4:6-7, we read: "In that day, declares Yahueh, I gather the lame, and I bring together the outcast and those whom I have afflicted. And I shall make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a strong nation. And Yahueh shall reign over them in Mount Tsiyon, from now on and forever." Remember, "in that day" is Hebraic idiom for "in the days of or immediately preceding the return of the Messiah" and we know that Yahueh is Yahushua/Yahushua is Yahueh. Hear O Israel - Yahueh our Elohim, Yahueh is ONE.

In Yeshayahu 31:4, we find "... so Yahueh of hosts shall come down to fight upon Mount Tsiyon and upon its hill." In Yeshayahu 8:18; 10:12,24,32; 18:7, and 29:8, we find Mount Tsiyon depicted as the dwelling place of Yahueh and as the place when He brings judgment upon and fights the nations. We know from the Scriptures that the nations of the world shall come against Jerusalem in the Latter Days and that there shall be battles in the land, the Gog Magog war (Yehezekel 37-38) being one of the most noteable, as well as the Battle of Armaeggedon in the plains stretching towards Jerusalem from the foot of Mt. Carmel. The anti-Moshiach shall set up his false and evil empire from Jerusalem and that will be overthrown and destroyed by the final judgments of Yahueh of hosts. No, I do not think Mt. Zion can practically be determined to be the place of refuge/the wilderness to which Israel/believers in Messiah Yahushua shall flee during the Great Distress. However, we shall definitely return there when Yahushua establishes His Kingdom upon the earth and reigns from Mount Zion. There are many who believe (myself included) that the Third Temple, that which will be built upon Mt. Moriah/The Temple Mount, is not the Temple from which Yahushua will reign during His Millennial Kingdom. The Scriptures specifically refer to the Messiah Yahushua/Yahueh reigning from and dwelling upon Mount Tsiyon. Mount Tsiyon, as we have seen, is a specific geographical location in Jerusalem and the very place where the early Messianic assembly gathered to worship Yahueh. Look at Yeshayahu 4:4-6 below:

"When Yahueh has washed away the filth of the daughters of Tsiyon, and rinsed away the blood of Yerushalayim from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then Yahueh shall create above every dwelling place of Mount Tsiyon, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all the esteem shall be for a covering, and a booth for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain."

When will the daughters of Tsiyon be cleansed and "the blood" (of battle presumeably) of Jerusalem be rinsed away? After Yahushua's triumphant return at the end of the Tribulation. What goes on during the Great Distress? The judgment of Yahueh is poured out upon the nations, and believers are refined as if by fire - the fire, the furnace of affliction. Will believers be protected by Yahueh? Yes. IF we are walking in His Torah and are in Messiah Yahushua. Does that mean we will not suffer any ill effects from the Tribulation? No, it does not. We will be tried during the Tribulation, but, by the Power of Moshiach at work within us by the Ruach haKodesh, we can overcome. When Messiah returns to Mount Tsiyon, as foretold in Revelation 14:1, I believe there will be "a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night" just as there was when the Presence (the esteem) of Yahueh (the pre-incarnate Yahushua) dwelt in the midst of Israel and within the Kodesh haKodeshin when He first brought His people out of Mitzrayim, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. All the Feasts remind us of the Exodus ... because what has been, will be again.

May Yahueh bless your understanding of words and verses shared with you above.

Rebbetzin Wendy McNulty
YATI Canada
Congregation Devar Emet
dvaremet@nbnet.nb.ca