Zion, Bethlehem and a whole bunch of symbols

This week in our study of the Doctrine and Covenants, there is much talk about building Zion. So I decided to look up the hebrew meaning of the word Zion. Pre-Christian era, it was just a place name, ציון, the name of a hill near Jerusalem where the original City of David was built. If you have read the Christmas story in Luke you are familiar with the term, City of David.

"11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
I had never really wondered before why the angel told them to go to "The City of David" and then the shepherds went to Bethlehem. Why didn't the angel tell them to go to Bethlehem? Back to that in a minute. First a look at the name, Bethlehem.

The name Bethlehem, בּית לחם , means "house of bread" in Hebrew, but it means, "house of meat" in arabic. (sorry, I don't have an arabic font, nor would I know how to use it.) So, can you see all the symbols here? In John 6 Jesus said,

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

So where did this man, whose flesh, (meat) was living bread, come down from heaven? in Bethlehem, of course, which means both, house of meat and house of bread. It is a symbol of the sacrament, and ultimately, of the atonement.

And where was this city, Bethlehem built? on Zion! (actually, I don't know if Bethlehem is actually on the hill, Zion, but it is certainly associated with the City of David, which was built on Zion.) In modern scripture (D&C 97) the Lord says "for this is Zion—the pure in heart". How else to become "pure in heart" than through the atonement of the"Bread of Life" as symbolized in the Sacrament.

One more symbol, in Matt 22: Jesus asks
"42 What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David."
We know from Matthew's geneology that Jesus was literally a descendant of David, and that the Christ, or Messiah, was prophecied to come from the lineage of David. So it makes sense that he would be born in the City of David. Even though Christians often give David a bad rap because of his adultry with Bathsheba, to Jews he is the quintessential king figure.

If Zion is another name for the Kingdom of God, and Jesus is the Son of David, the ultimate king figure, then it makes sense that Jesus would be born at Zion, and that is were we, like the shepherds of old, are called to gather, worship, and meet our king.