“Rahab” and “the dragon” also appear in the creation story of Ugarit, one of Israel’s neighbors to the north in Old Testament times. In that story they represent the forces of chaos that God subdued through the order of his creations. God has power over all elements and all enemies.
“Put on strength”—“What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to? He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost” (D&C 113:7–8).
Israel and Zion in Latter-day Saint Usage
The terms Israel and Zion can be confusing to those (for example, Jews and Muslims) who hear the Latter-day Saints use them. The word Israel has a host of meanings. It refers to a man, Jacob, one of the Old Testament patriarchs. It also designates a people, the descendants of Jacob, known as Israelites. Then again it refers to a nation, the northern kingdom of Israel—in contrast to Judah, the southern kingdom of Israelites in the Old Testament period. And now, in modern times, there is a modern country called Israel. As Latter-day Saints, we use the term Israel as a label for God’s covenant people, whoever and wherever they are. That is the way the scriptures use the word: in reference to the people who are learning and living the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the people of Israel.
The term Zion also has a variety of meanings. In the Bible the word Zion is used to identify the hill the Jebusites occupied, which King David conquered and made the administrative capital of his empire. Later, Mount Zion was the designation for the Temple Mount, where Solomon built the great temple. Later in history, the western hill of Jerusalem became known as Mount Zion. Today, in our scriptures, the term Zion has even more meanings. It is another name for the City of Enoch (Moses 7:18–19). It also refers to the future New Jerusalem in Jackson County, Missouri (Moses 7:62; Articles of Faith 1:10). Additionally, Joseph Smith expanded the definition of Zion to all of the Americas (his statement is cited at 2 Nephi 12:3). The Lord explains in Doctrine and Covenants 97:21 that Zion is “the pure in heart.” Therefore, Zion means God’s covenant people. Joseph Smith taught that “the building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and … have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory.” 12 He also taught: “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.” 13
In the most important context, then, the Latter-day Saints and their scriptures use both terms, Israel and Zion, not in any political sense but in reference to all the children of God who want to learn of him and keep his commandments and thus become part of his special, chosen, covenant people.
See “Why Does God Have a Covenant People?” accompanying the commentary at 3 Nephi 5:21–26 (in vol. 2 of this work).