These natural features of Palestine are often used as poetic symbols when describing God or his dealings with his people. Specific mountains are remembered because of their association with important events in the history of Israel. Some of the key events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ take place on mountain sites.
Mountains and the character of God
Mountains and the steadfastness of God
Psalm 125:2 See also Psalm 11:1, Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 54:10
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.
Mountains tremble at God's awesome presence
Judges 5:5 The violent physical response to the presence of the holy God evokes a sense of his might and majesty. See also Exodus 19:16–19; Psalm 97:5; Isaiah 64:1; Micah 1:3–4; Habakkuk 3:3–6
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
Mountains cannot stand before the anger of God
Psalm 18:7 See also Jeremiah 4:23–26; Nahum 1:5–6; Revelation 6:12–14, Revelation 16:19–20
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
Mountains as places of encounter with God
Exodus 34:1–3 See also 1 Kings 19:11–13; 2 Peter 1:16–18
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the originals, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and come up on Mount Sinai to present yourself before Me on the mountaintop. No one may go up with you; in fact, no one may be seen anywhere on the mountain — not even the flocks or herds may graze in front of the mountain.”
Specific mountains as the sites of important events in Israel's history
The mountains of Abarim: site of Israel's camp
They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim facing Nebo. They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
Mount Ararat: resting place of Noah's ark
But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained. The waters receded steadily from the earth, and after 150 days the waters had gone down. On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.
Mount Carmel: scene of Elijah's defeat of the prophets of Baal
Mount Ebal: site of cursing; Mount Gerizim: site of blessing
See also Deuteronomy 11:29, Deuteronomy 27:12–13; Joshua 8:30–35
Mount Gilboa: place of Saul's suicide
1 Chronicles 10:1–12 parallels 1 Samuel 31:1–13, 2 Samuel 1:4–12
Mount Hermon: a boundary of Israel
See also Deuteronomy 3:8; Joshua 11:16–17; Psalm 42:6–7, Psalm 89:12
Mount Hor: place of Aaron's death
Numbers 33:37–39 See also Numbers 20:22–29
They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom. At the LORD’s command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt. Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
Mount Moriah: testing place of Abraham
Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.
Mount Moriah: site of Solomon's temple
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Mount Nebo: place of Moses' death
Deuteronomy 32:48–52 See also Deuteronomy 34:1–5
On that same day the LORD said to Moses, “Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites as their own possession. And there on the mountain that you climb, you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. For at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence. Although you shall see from a distance the land that I am giving the Israelites, you shall not enter it.”
Mount Sinai: God gives Moses the law
Exodus 24:12 See also Exodus 31:18; Nehemiah 9:13–14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
Mount Tabor: scene of Sisera's defeat
When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor, he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. Then Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.
Mountains as the sites of significant events in the NT
On the Mount of Temptation the devil offers Jesus Christ the kingdoms of the world
Matthew 4:8–9 parallel Luke 4:5–7
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.”
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus Christ teaches about life in the kingdom of God
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying:
On the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus Christ's glory is revealed
Matthew 17:1–8 parallels Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, I will put up three shelters— one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror. Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” He said. “Do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
On the Mount of Olives Jesus Christ teaches about the destruction of the temple and the last things
Matthew 24:3 parallel Mark 13:3–4
While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.