Jesus said, in Mark 11:23 KJV — For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.I

Really? Isn’t that impossible?

It says we must BELIEVE.

So I’ve written the following with that goal in mind.

Decoding some terms

I’ve covered a lot of ground below, and bolded significant terms in order to explain them.

First, Biblically speaking, what is a mountain?

MOUNTAIN

God uses physical things that we see to help us understand things we can’t see. If you think the mountain being spoken of in Jesus’ words is a metaphor for a problem, well, it is. But a mountain can represent more than that.

We are in a plain on the earth. God is high above us (Isa 55:9) like a mountain, and beneath us, metaphorically speaking, there is a bottomless pit.

Sometimes we are faced with a problem, or a mountain that has raised itself above the plain, often pushing itself higher where it has no right to be.

In Revelation 17:6 there is an evil woman.

In Rev 17:9 she sits on seven mountains.

A woman symbolizes a church. The woman doesn’t just sit on one city. This is talking about a church who has power over seven nations or countries. But this doesn’t last.

Hab 3:6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.

The Bible explains that in the future, God’s mountain will prevail over the other mountains:

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Also Micah 4:2 and other places show this.

SEA

Next, what is the sea, as a metaphor?

I think the sea often represents spiritually dead people and nations!

Psa 65:7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Jud 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Isa 57:20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Psa 98:7, Eze 26:3, etc.

Does that sound like spiritually dead people?

Related words

LIVING WATERS

What are living waters, as opposed to sea?

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Jer 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters (here representing God’s Spirit) cover the sea (representing Satan’s influence).

Hab 2:14 repeats this expression. “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Understanding my definition of water, as opposed to sea, should help you understand the meaning of these verses better. They prophesy that in God’s future kingdom, the Holy Spirit will prevail over spiritually dead people!

So far I’ve covered mountains and water. But is there any other mention of someone in the Bible removing mountains?

Yes.

Zerubbabel

It seems Zerubbabel can remove mountains!

Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Who is Zerubbabel?

Hag 2:21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; (also Hag 2:22 & 2:23).

Zerubbabel was a governor of Judah.

Judah, under Zerubbabel’s direction, worked to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem after their return from Babylonian captivity. (The Samaritans, in the North, also built a rival temple, however in 168 BC the Samaritans sided with the Syrians and named it the Temple of Jupiter.)

Zec 4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house (there are more connections with this word below); his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

So Zerubbabel seems to represent Christ’s spirit working in God’s house or temple.

Zerubbabel holds a plumbline.

Plumbline /measure

You can figure the meaning of plumbline from these verses.

Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Also see Amos 7:7, Amos 7:8, and Isa 28:17.

2Ki 21:13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab (Israel’s most wicked king): and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

A plumbline in the above verses symbolises judgement, and is used to measure the building of God’s house or temple.

TEMPLE /HOUSE /ZION

The Jews plan to rebuild God’s destroyed temple in Jerusalem. But genuine Christians should understand that God has already rebuilt His temple – in them!

1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Also see 2 Cor 6:16, and 1 Cor 3:17,

Jesus famously gave the sermon on the mount, or mountain (Matthew 5, 6 & 7). This is the mountain we are to gather from. Hag 1:8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Christ’s words living in us give us glory. God measures our work building the temple who we are. We have to build according to his standards.

We also are to rise and measure the temple being built in us, with Christ as the chief cornerstone.

Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. ‘Measure‘, in Strong’s Concordance, means to ascertain in size by a fixed standard.

Again, here are more verses: 1 Cor 3:16, 2 Cor 6:16, and 1 Cor 3:17,

Mic 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

Notice, WE are the Lord’s mountain.

We are the house of God, – the temple of God:

We are built on the sure foundation of Jesus in us.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

We have a precious corner stone in us, for us to build upon.

Mic 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

We are Zion, the house of the Lord, the mountain of God. Matt 21:5

Isa 40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Check the verses in this screenshot:

According to the verses above, in future, Jerusalem or Zion, which refers to Christians, will not be intimidated by a mountain because they will BE the higher mountain.

GOD dwells in this high mountain, and for Christians, God dwells in us now.

We are the house. We are the temple, and we have the Zerubbabel authority to move the other mountains into a plain.

We can move mountains, and with God’s help overcome ANY obstacle.

Before us, all other mountains will become a plain!

Practical Application

The way I understand Jesus words, he’s saying whosoever shall say unto this mountain, or problem, whether it be a small problem, or nation sized, “be removed, and cast into the sea (or realm of the dead?),” and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that Christ lives in him, who has authority that, like a mountain, is above all things to command those things, that which he says will come to pass!

More

In time I may add some more to this study, as it’s not perfect. But if any of the verses above increase your faith, I encourage you to do your own word study, and see where it leads you.

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This section is following on from the above, but is only partially complete…

A mountain, if it’s not God’s mountain, is a work of the devil…

2Thes2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself ABOVE all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God (is temple literal, metaphorical, or both?), shewing himself that he is God.

This is another mountain we are to cast into the sea.

To be continued?