Updated
4 June 2005
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Storm Clouds Over Jerusalem
To Be Dispersed By Christ
We Are Living On
Borrowed Time
Jerusalem: City of Destiny
Middle East Turmoil
Why Jerusalem Is a Trouble-spot
The Mercy of God
God's View of Jerusalem
Jerusalem: City of Crucifixion
Jerusalem: Centre of Intrigue and Trouble
The Modern Miracle of Jerusalem
Who Owns Jerusalem?
The Storm Clouds Gather
Jerusalem: The Holy
Jerusalem
"I will gather all
nations against Jerusalem to battle..."
(Zechariah 14:1).
We Are Living On
Borrowed Time
The records of history reveal many cities that have played decisive
roles in the development and decline of nations. Rome, Constantinople,
London, Washington and Moscow are among those that come to mind. But the
greatest city of destiny, yet to play a most conspicuous part in the
future of man kind, is the city of Jerusalem.
Today, because of the Middle East crisis, its status is becoming
increasingly prominent in the counsels of the nations. That crisis not
only fulfils Bible prophecy, but is playing its part in developing what
the Bible predicts will become "a time of trouble such as never was
since there was a nation" (Daniel 12: 1). Unfortunately for humanity,
that 'time of trouble" is going to culminate in the most devastating war
of all time: the judgment of Armageddon.
The signs all point to the fact that Armageddon is looming. The modern
revival of Israel, political antagonism in the Middle East, the
belligerency of the Russian power, the divided state of the nations are
all the subject of Bible prophecy; they are all signs indicating the
imminence of Christ's return. He will return to establish on earth an
epoch of divine glory and peace, when the message of the angels at his
birth will be fulfilled: "Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth
and goodwill towards men"; and the Lord's prayer will be wonderfully
answered: "Thy kingdom come, that Thy will may be done in earth as it is
in heaven".
But before that time of world peace and equity comes, the world will be
purged of its wickedness by the fires of Armageddon. It is not God's
desire that man should suffer; it is what he brings upon himself through
his own folly. He rejects the way of truth and sanity, turns his back
upon God, and sowing to the wind, will reap the whirlwind. The nations
are busily preparing for their self-immolation; they are expending their
wealth in the manufacture or purchase of weapons of destruction, capable
of wiping out life itself from the earth. Even nations of the Third
World, whose populations face starvation, are busily spending money they
cannot afford on weapons of destruction. According to the latest
estimates, the world is spending $1.4 million every minute on war
material; and no less than 60,000,000 people are currently employed in
munitions making or kindred industries. With such stock-piling of
weapons, the frightening possibilities of the future may be assessed by
comparison with the tragedies of the past. It is claimed that during
World War II, 3,000,000 tons of TNT equivalent were used, including the
two atomic bombs exploded over Japan in 1945. Yet today, the US and USSR
between them have the equivalent of 16,000 million tons of TNT in
nuclear weapons alone. In other words, the two super powers could fight
the equivalent of 5,000 World War IIs in an afternoon!
About 50 million people were killed during World War II. But on the
ratio of explosives and weaponry on hand, the major powers have the
potential in theory to kill everyone on the earth 47 times over!!!
Take a further comparison. The world today is free of smallpox. The
total cost of the 30 year UN campaign to eradicate it is the equivalent
of one morning's expenditure on the arms' race. Recently the Japanese
Government announced a 10-year program to find a cure for cancer. The
total cost of that program is the equivalent of one day's expenditure on
the arms' race!
And the frightening fact is this, that Bible prophecy, which has proved
such a true guide in outlining history to date, warns that in the day of
Armageddon "the slain will be from one end of the earth to the other
end of the earth; they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor
buried; they shall be dung upon the ground" (Jeremiah 25:33).
Such Bible predictions as that may have appeared extreme prior to World
War II; today they must be viewed as a fearful possibility.
In short, the world is living on borrowed time. In the absence of an
effective plan for peace on the part of world rulers, we must make our
peace with God. In Him alone is there any hope of a any relief. And,
thanks be to Him, for He has set forth a plan for personal salvation and
world peace in the Bible.
Jerusalem: City of
Destiny
Among the nations that are foremost in the stockpiling of sophisticated
weapons of destruction are those of the Middle East. The Middle East is
not only the greatest trouble-spot of the modern world; it is also the
testing ground of the latest weaponry of the major powers. Bible
prophecy warned that this would be so. Some 2,500 years ago, the Bible
declared that the Middle East would be the focal point of World War III
at the epoch of Christ's coming. Today the cauldron of the Middle East
is rapidly reaching the boiling point, vindicating the warning of God's
prophetic word.
The centre of the vortex of coming trouble, the spot where the storm
clouds are today gathering, and will become thickest is Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is a city of crisis and destiny because it occupies a special
place in the hearts of so many people throughout the world. For millions
it is Jerusalem the Holy! Jews, Moslems and Christians alike revere it
as a sacred city: a place of worship. It is considered holy by the Jews
because it was once the site of their ancient Temple; and to this day
they worship at the Western Wall, the remaining stones of that once
sacred area. It is claimed as holy by the Moslems because their legends
connect the city with Mohammed from whom they have derived their
beliefs. In their worship, Jerusalem is second only to Mecca itself.
Christians revere it because the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified in its
precincts, and ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives overlooking
it on the east.
Hence deep-seated emotions are stirred when the future of Jerusalem
comes up for consideration. Bible prophecy shows clearly that one day in
the future, and that not far off, Soviet Russia will occupy Jerusalem in
an attempt to unite and dominate the whole world under its control. But
Russia will find its plans thwarted by the presence of the Lord Jesus
Christ in power, and his intervention in world events (Daniel 11:45).
Predicting this, the Bible declares:
"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in
the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to
battle ... Then shall the Lord go forth and light against those nations,
as when He fought in the day of battle" (Zechariah 14:1-3).
The gathering of nations into the Middle East under the direction of
Russia is clearly predicted in Ezekiel 38. It will be the prelude to
Armageddon, world conflict, the crisis mankind fears and faces at
present. For centuries Jerusalem has been a trouble-spot in
international relationships. Its immediate future will involve all
nations in the greatest holocaust of war known to man; but its ultimate
destiny will witness the most glorious and peaceful reign on earth of
all time, under Christ the King.
Middle East
Turmoil
Israel is a tiny nation of less than 5,000,000 people occupying a
slither of territory along the eastern border of the Mediterranean. Yet
the whole world is conscious of its existence. Bible prophecy requires
this. God declared:
"Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles
afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather Him, and keep
him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and
ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he" (Jeremiah
31:9-10).
This prophecy shows that God will not only restore Israel in the latter
days, but will do so in spite of the strength of the opposition
experienced by the people and nation.
Moreover, prophecy requires that the nation be revived in an environment of war and trouble. Thus:
"For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the
captivity of my people Israel; and I will cause them to return to the
land that I gave to their fathers and they shall possess it. These are
the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and Judah: 'We have
heard
a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace!" (Jeremiah 30:3-4).
That exactly describes the condition of Israel today. It exists as an
island in a raging sea of international hate. It is surrounded by
nations that are either at war with it, or are preparing for such an
eventuality. "Trembling" and "fear" describes its political state. The
world's media constantly highlights the Middle East as the danger spot
to world peace. Syrian forces are intriguing in Lebanon whilst the
nation develops its war potential for a future contest with Israel.
Jordan and Saudi-Arabia are expending billions in purchasing arms. Iraq
and Iran are engaged in a bitter struggle for survival, resulting in a
shocking loss of life and resources.
The Middle East is in a state of flux, whilst the major powers of East
and West view this state of things with consternation and fear. They
know the consequences of nuclear war if it comes.
Millions of dollars of sophisticated weapons are flooding Syria, Iraq
and other Middle East countries, increasing the tension between Israelis
and Arabs; a tension that spreads to all nations near and far.
At the centre of this vortex of trouble is Jerusalem. Its political
status is exactly as Bible prophecy requires. Proclaimed an
international city by UN in 1947, it was annexed by Jordan in 1948,
occupied by Israel in 1967, and then made its capital. This has
increased the antagonism surrounding its future. Russia has supported
the Arabs in their goal to control Jerusalem. Thus the future of the
city remains the subject of debate and antagonism. As Bible prophecy
declared it would:
"In that day will I (God) make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all
peoples: all that burden themselves with it will be cut in pieces,
though all the peoples of the earth be gathered together against it"
(Zechariah 12:3).
Nevertheless, the destiny of Jerusalem is in higher Hands than those of
human manipulation. The revival of Israel is much more than a Jewish
foothold in the Middle East; it is a movement pregnant with tremendous
issues: one destined to dramatically affect the future of every living
person upon the earth. Israel is in the land to stay.
True it is that the Jewish people will be humbled by reverses when
Russia invades the land. But this will cause them to turn to God, and
they will be helped and educated in truth by the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul
wrote:
"I would not that ye should be ignorant of this secret ... that blindness (concerning the Lord - Jesus Christ) in part is happened to Israel,
until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall
be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11:25-26).
The prophecy of Zechariah 12:10-11 predicts that the Jewish people will
look upon him whom their forefathers pierced, and shall mourn their past
blindness (see also Ch. 13:6).
It is the Lord Jesus Christ who will decide the issues in regard to
Jerusalem and Israel.
Why Jerusalem Is a
Trouble-spot
The name Jerusalem is based upon the Hebrew term of greeting: Shalom!
meaning, Peace! Jerusalem is a God-given name signifying Vision, or
Foundation of Peace. However, instead of that being its state today it
is the centre of discord.
Why? To understand why man is afflicted with trouble, and faces
Armageddon, we must seek the cause. The Bible, alone, reveals the true
answer.
It all began at the epoch of Creation, some 6,000 years ago. God created
the first human pair upon the earth, provided them with the intellectual ability above all other created beings to reproduce Divine
characteristics. He placed them in the Garden of Eden where all the
needs of life were provided, and gave them a Law, obedience to which
would demonstrate their loyal and loving response to all that He had
granted them.
In that Garden were two trees among all the others. One was called the
Tree of Life, the other the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God
invited man to freely eat of the fruit of all the trees in the Garden,
except that of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If he ate of
that, his transgression would bring him under the law of sin and death
superimposed by God. In short, to eat, was to disobey God and would
result in sin, mortality and death. To obey would lead to life eternal
when the fruit of the Tree of Life ripened under God's direction.
Obedience would identify Adam as loyal to God, living in harmony with
Him, an heir to life eternal. To eat of the forbidden fruit meant taking
to himself the knowledge of good and evil; deciding for himself right
from wrong; pleasing himself as to what he would permit or refuse; no
longer heeding God's counsel and law; but living in a state of
disharmony and discord. It would be to show himself as a rebel against
God, a sinner inheriting the fruit of transgression: discord, mortality
and death.
Our first parents chose that way: the way of self-indulgence, rebellion
and sin; and brought upon themselves and the race that sprung from them
the results of their transgression. All sin and evil, all the wickedness
and rebelliousness of man, all the violence and bloodshed of history has
stemmed from that action of God-defiance.
Since then man has continued to disobey resulting in greater discord and
more antagonism and war. Today, with the possibility of nuclear war,
humanity faces annihilation.
The Mercy of God
But God did not abandon man to his own devices. When sin and death first
made their appearance, He countered the results of man's folly by
opening a way of redemption. He promised to provide one of the human
race, styled "the seed of the woman" who would conquer all that sin had
brought into being (Genesis 3:15). His proclaimed purpose is to fill the
earth with His glory (Numbers 14:21; Psalm 72:19; Isaiah 6:3; 11:9).
There fore, to men and women of faith, he has made "great and precious
promises" providing a most comforting and glorious hope
(2 Peter 1:4; Romans 15:8-9). Indeed the Gospel is summed up in such
promises, and is summarized in the promise made to Abraham: "In thee
shall all nations of the earth be blessed" (Galatians 3:8). The promises
made to Abraham not only comprise the basis of the Gospel as proclaimed
in the Old and New Testaments, but are also the key to the Middle East
crisis of today.
To Abraham, the "father of the Faithful" God promised that He would make
of him "a great nation", and that through him "all nations shall be
blessed" (Genesis 12:1-2).
The nation of Israel sprung from Abraham. At no time has it really been
"a great nation" as promised; but the fact that as a people, Israel has
been preserved throughout time in spite of bitter opposition, and as a
nation it has revived again in the Holy Land, is witness that God's
promise to Abraham will be fulfilled.
How will it become a great nation? Under the rule of Christ, who was
born and who died as proclaimed King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2; 27:37).
That is why Israel is a nation again in the earth. And in the very
territory which God promised Abraham as an everlasting inheritance the
land over which Israel and the Arabs are quarrelling today.
In reward for his great faith and obedience, God brought Abraham from Ur
of the Chaldees, into the Land of Canaan (modern Israel) and invited
him to "look northward, southward, eastward and westward: for all the
land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever"
(Genesis 13:14-15).
At no stage did Abraham ever possess that land, as the Bible clearly
states (Acts 7:1-5), yet God promised that he will have it for AN EVER
LASTING POSSESSION. How can this be? Only by the physical resurrection
of Abraham, and the granting of life eternal unto him.
The promise of an eternal inheritance on earth is likewise promised to
"the seed of Abraham". Elsewhere, the Bible teaches that this term comprehends the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16), and all those who are "baptized into Christ" (Galatians 3:26-28).
In other words, all those, whether Jews or Gentiles, are treated as the
"seed of Abraham" if they embrace the promises made to him in faith
through baptism into Christ Jesus.
To show Abraham without doubt what Land is involved in the promise made
to him, God invited him to "walk through the land in the length of it
and in the breadth of it; FOR (declared God) I WILL GIVE IT UNTO THEE"
(Genesis 13:17).
That land is yet to be possessed by Abraham, Christ, and all who embrace him in faith and live in accordance with His will. They will
possess it forever, because they will attain unto eternal life. So
Christ taught: "The meek shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).
God's View of
Jerusalem
Later, God brought the Israelites into the land promised to Abraham, and
there constituted them His people and nation. He laid claim to Jerusalem as the capital of that nation; choosing it as the city above all
others upon the earth to "put His name there" (I Kings 11:36).
Concerning Jerusalem, or Zion as it is also called, the Bible teaches:
"The Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This
is my rest FOR EVER; here will I dwell for I have desired it" (Psalm
132-13-14).
When Israel was constituted a monarchy, Jerusalem became its capital,
and there David, Israel's most faithful and illustrious King established
his throne by Divine decree. The city was given a special title: "The
Throne of the Lord'. So the record states: "Solomon sat on the throne of
the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all
Israel obeyed him" (1 Chronicles 29:23).
King David is described as a "man after God's own heart", and his throne
was established in Jerusalem. Because of his outstanding faith and
integrity, another wonderful promise was given him, yet to be fulfilled.
Whereas the promise of Genesis 3:15 promised life to the faithful; and
that made to Abraham gave them promise of an eternal, earthly
inheritance; the promise made to David added to these benefits by
promising everlasting kingly authority and glory. God told the king:
"I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that
they may dwell in a place of their own, AND MOVE NO MORE: neither shall
the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime" (2
Samuel 7:10).
These words have not yet been completely fulfilled. True, Israel is back
in the land, but the nation is pressured by enemies. The promise will
not be filled until no longer does Israel suffer the political
oppression it does today.
But is the Israel referred to in the promise the nation we know in the
Middle East today? Yes, most certainly, for this David himself acknowledged. The Israel of the promise is that nation that was taken out of
Egypt, "from the nations and their gods" (v. 23). In view of that fact,
David responded to God: "Thou hast confirmed to Thyself Thy people
Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever" (v. 24).
That is the reason why all the political and military opposition Israel
experiences will never destroy the nation. Hitler slaughtered 6,000,000
Jews in the concentration camps of Germany; time and again the Arabs
have attempted to destroy the nation; Russia will yet invade the Middle
East. But God's promises are inviolate. Israel might be challenged
threatened, pressured, invaded; it will never be destroyed.
David was promised that after his death a descendant of his would be
established over Israel FOREVER (w. 12-13). This caused him to respond
with the words: "Thou hast spoken of thy servant's house for a great
while to come" (v. 19). That promised descendant is the Lord Jesus
Christ (Acts 2:29-36).
The wonderful point about the promises of God is that they enable those
who embrace Christ to live in hope of personal redemption in fulfilment of the promise made to fallen men in Eden (Genesis 3:15; Hebrews
2:14-15); of an eternal inheritance on earth with Abraham (Genesis
13:15; Galatians 3:26-29), and sharing a royal glory for ever with David
(Isaiah 55:3; Revelation 5:9-10). The promise is made to such: "They
shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20:6). And
Isaiah prophesied: "The Lord shall reign in Jerusalem, before his
ancients gloriously" (Isaiah 24:23).
Hence Jerusalem is a unique city. Jews, Arabs and Gentiles quarrel over
it, but God lays claim to it, and because He has a unique purpose with
it in the Age to come. He guides its destiny.
Jerusalem: City of
Crucifixion
When Israel proved disobedient, and the kings established on the throne
of David disgraced their honourable status by their wickedness, the
nation was punished with drought, disaster, and enemy invasion. The last
king to sit upon the throne of David was the wicked king Zedekiah. His
reign terminated with the disastrous Babylonian attack. Jerusalem was
besieged and destroyed, and the king and nation taken into captivity.
The king had been warned of this disaster by the prophet Ezekiel who had
declared:
"And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when
iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem,
and take off the crown: this shall not be the same; exalt him that is
low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, over turn,
it; and it shall be no more, UNTIL HE COME WHOSE RIGHT IT IS: AND I WELL
GIVE IT HIM" (Ezekiel 21:25-27).
1900 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared among men "preaching
peace" through the redemption he offered (Acts 10:36) by the forgive
ness of sins. He was the "seed of the woman" sent to destroy the power
of the serpent (Genesis 3:15; Hebrews 2:11-15); he was the seed of
Abraham to whom was promised an earthly inheritance for ever (Matt.
1:1); he was the seed of David destined to forever reign upon his throne
in Jerusalem. These promises were brought into true perspective through
his preaching. Before his birth, his mother was told by God:
"Thou shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no
end' (Luke 1:31-33).
Those words are clear and unambiguous. They mean what they say. The
throne of David was in Jerusalem, when it was called "the throne of the
Lord" (1 Chron. 28:23), and the promise to Mary, the mother of the Lord
clearly shows that there is a remarkable future for that city. It is to
become as the Lord described it: "The city of the great king" (Matt.
5:35). Speaking of that time, yet in the future, the prophet Jeremiah
declared:
"At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all
the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to
Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of
their evil heart" (Jer. 3:17).
Jerusalem: Centre
of Intrigue and Trouble
What an amazing transformation. Jerusalem no longer a city of intrigue,
violence and debate, but the unifying centre of real peace established
by Jesus Christ "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:1-7). The peoples of the
world will no longer be in blasphemous rebellion against God, but submissive to his teaching and commands, united by a common worship emanating
from Jerusalem.
A few heeded the teaching of Christ and embraced the way he set before
them. The majority did not. Instead of that, they endeavoured to get rid
of his troublous presence by removing him from their sight. So, they
crucified him
They did so crying, "His blood be on us and on our children!" They
demanded his death, and when Pilate protested that in doing so they demanded the death of their king, they exclaimed: "We have no king but Caesar!"
They crucified Christ, but God raised him from the dead, granted him
eternal life, and withdrew him into heaven, until the time of his second
coming. The Apostles witnessed him ascend into heaven, and they heard
the promise of God:
"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven? this same Jesus
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
As for the people of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem that witnessed
his cruel execution, they were banished from their previous state of
privilege like Adam had been from Eden, until "the time of their
restoration (Acts 3:21). Concerning the people and city of Jerusalem,
the Lord Jesus predicted:
"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive
in all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gen tiles,
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).
Forty years after those words were spoken and the Lord was crucified,
they commenced to have their fulfilment. The first of the great national disasters fell upon the Jewish people.
The Romans invaded Judea, and destroyed the Jewish State. In A.D. 70, in
one of the most terrible sieges ever endured by a city, a holocaust of
horror that has rarely been exceeded in world history, Jerusalem was besieged: its walls were breached, its buildings destroyed; its people
reduced to cannibalism, and finally massacred. The Temple of God in
which the Lord had worshipped was put to the flames.
In A.D. 136, the Jews again revolted against the Romans, and the legions
attacked and destroyed the city at the command of Emperor Hadrian. Its
site was ploughed as a field, the Jews banned from its precincts , and
its name changed to Aelia Capitolina (the capital of Hadrian). The
prophecy of Micah, proclaimed over 700 years earlier was fulfilled:
"Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem
shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house (the Temple) as the
high places of the forest" (Micah 3:12).
But the prophet Micah continued with words of wonderful hope:
"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the
house of the Lord shall be established at the top of the mountains, and
it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 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. And he shall
judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off, and they
shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more" (Micah 4:1-3).
That glorious prophetic promise has not yet been fulfilled. Jerusalem
has not yet become the centre of worldwide pilgrimages of peace; instead
the nations prepare war in greater measure than ever before; and the so
called City of Peace is a centre of intrigue and violence.
Meanwhile, the prophetic words of Christ continued to be fulfilled.
Jerusalem still suffered as the rival policies of nations involved it.
The city experienced long centuries of "down treading". The Romans were
only the first of a number of fierce conquerors that brought war and
devastation to Jerusalem. They were followed by the Persians,
Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Turks, Mameluks, British, Jordanians and
others who have battered at its walls, and brought war, violence and
bloodshed to its inhabitants.
Then, in 1860, a significant event took place. At the instigation of Sir
Moses Montefiore, a wealthy philanthropic Jew of Great Britain, the
first dwelling outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem was
constructed.
It was the beginning of a new era for Jerusalem. It encouraged Jews to
extend their activities beyond the old city. From that time onwards, and
particularly since the conclusion of World War I, Jerusalem has
continued to expand. It is divided locally into the Old City and the New
City; the former title defining Jerusalem within the walls, and the
latter the city beyond those boundaries.
The Modern Miracle
of Jerusalem
At the beginning of this century, Jerusalem formed an important city of
the Turkish Empire that extended to Egypt in the south. Following World
War I it came under the control of the British who had been granted a
Man date over Palestine by the League of Nations. At the conclusion of
World War II, the British, tired of the constant squabbling of Jews and
Arabs, gave the problem to the League of Nations. By vote of its
members, national identity was granted Israel and the country was
apportioned between Jews and Arabs. Jerusalem itself was declared an
international city under UNO jurisdiction. That was in 1947. On 14th
May, 1948, Israel was proclaimed a nation, and given portion of the
territory in what was previously known as Palestine.
The UNO, however, made no attempt to defend its right to Jerusalem, and
the Old City was annexed by Jordan, and the New City by Israel. That
remained the state of the city until 1967 when the Jordanians declared
war on Israel but were defeated, and Israel occupied the whole of
Jerusalem both New and Old.
Now, please note the remarkable fulfilment of Bible prophecy during
those years.
Before World War I, Turkey dominated Palestine including Jerusalem. But
Bible prophecy demanded a change in the status quo. This was summed up
in 1848, by J. Thomas a Christadelphian commentator on Bible prophecy.
From his study of Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 14 and other passages of
Scripture, he wrote: "There is, then, a partial and primary restoration
of the Jews before the advent of Christ, which is to serve as the
nucleus, or basis, of future operations in the restoration of the rest
of the tribes after he has appeared in the kingdom. The pre-adventual
colonization of Palestine will be on purely political principles; and
the Jewish colonists will return in unbelief of the Messiahship of
Jesus, and of the truth as it is in him. They will emigrate thither as
agriculturists and traders, in the hope of ultimately establishing their
commonwealth, but more immediately of getting rich in silver and gold by
commerce with India, and in cattle and goods by their industry at home
under the efficient protection of the British power. And this their expectation will not be deceived; for, before Gogue (Russia) invades their
country, it is described by the prophet, as "a land of unwalled
villages, whose inhabitants are at rest, and dwell safely", ...Now any
person acquainted with the present insecure condition of Palestine
under the Otto man (Turkish) dominion must be satisfied from the
testimony, that some other power friendly to Israel must then have
become paramount over the land, which is able to guarantee protection to
them, and to put the surrounding tribes in fear. This is all that is
needed, namely, security for life and property, and Palestine would be
as eligible for Jewish emigration as the Untied States have proved for
the Gentiles" (Elpis Israel P. 441-442)
The author of Elpis Israel was not a prophet: he received no special
vision to write as he did. He was a keen student of Bible prophecy, and
wrote as that wonderful Book dictated. In Elpis Israel he asked readers
to carefully assess for themselves the teaching of the Bible, and set
before them the very references upon which his prognostications are
based.
Christadelphians have thrilled to the way Bible prophecy and his ex
position of it, have been vindicated. Particularly in relation to the
city of Jerusalem.
Prior to World War I, all Palestine (including modern Israel) was dominated by the Turkish Empire, and the Turks were opposed to the
restoration of the Jewish State such as prophecy required.
The War brought about the fulfilment of the prophecies in a remark able
manner. Britain attacked the Turks at Gallipoli, but on the eve of success (as later history revealed) decided to withdraw, and instead drove
at them from Egypt, through Palestine (modern Israel) as Bible prophecy
specifically required (Daniel 11:40-45). General Allenby was entrusted
with the task. The Turks bitterly resisted the allied advance, but
suffered initial defeat at Beersheba. The advance towards Jerusalem was
then begun, and that sacred city, was freed on 9th December, 1917.
Now a similar miracle had occurred. How was Jerusalem taken? The Turks
retired through fear from a city which is almost an impregnable for
tress. Instead of resisting they fled. Not a shot was fired. Allenby
himself had a great reverence for the city, and abhorred the thought of
shedding blood, or damaging its ancient walls in order to take it.
Meanwhile a rumour reached the city that a strong army was approaching,
led by one whose name Allenby sounded to the Turks as Allah Bey, or
Prophet of God. The terrifying conviction came upon the Turks in
possession of the city that God was against them, and they fled,
allowing General Allenby to walk into the city without a shot being
fired!!
That same year the British had proclaimed the Balfour Declaration that
granted Jews permission to establish a national home in Palestine. This
Declaration was later confirmed by the League of Nations, and the return
of the Jews to their ancient homeland commenced under the supervision of
the British Power, as Elpis Israel had predicted as early as 1848 on the
basis of Bible prophecy.
In a dramatic manner, Bible prophecy was being fulfilled. Even the time
period was significant. For 1917 on our calendar is 1335 on the Moslem
Calendar which the Turks then used; and Daniel's prophecy had declared:
"Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days" (Daniel 12:12).
The deliverance of Jerusalem, and proclamation of the Balfour Declaration were blessed events to those who were watching the signs of the
times and the fulfilment of Bible prophecy.
In 1947 Britain announced its intention to withdraw from Palestine. The
Government had become bitterly frustrated over the continued antagonism
and bloodshed between Jews and Arabs; and decided to hand the problem
to the UNO. The Jews urged upon the UN Council that they be granted
National Status with a land grant of its ancient territory. The
proposition was put to the vote. The anti-Semitic influence in the UN
was so strong that it was feared that the Jewish people would lack the
support to receive the grant of nationhood.
But another amazing reversal took place. Unexpectedly, the Communist
bloc of nations decided to vote in support of the Jewish request. Not to
help the Jews, for the Communist powers have been violently opposed to
their national aspirations, but in order to embarrass Britain. Britain
was opposed to the establishment of the Jewish State, and that was
sufficient for the Soviet and its satellite powers to vote for it. USA
also supported the decision, as did Australia and other nations; and the
proposition was carried. This took place exactly fifty years after
Theodor Hertzl had announced to the Jewish Congress in Basle
Switzerland, his proposition for a Jewish State. He had declared:
"Perhaps in five years, certainly in fifty" the vision of the Jewish
State will become a fact. Now, fifty years later, contrary to all
expectations, the UNO voted in favour of a Jewish State.
Fifty years is a very significant time-sequence in the prophetic time
table. God's Law declared:
"Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all
the land to the inhabitants thereof... and ye shall turn every man unto
his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family"
(Leviticus 25:10).
Who Owns
Jerusalem?
The land of Palestine was partitioned between Jews and Arabs. How ever,
the UNO decreed that Jerusalem should belong to neither: it was to be an
international city, administered by the UNO.
But Jordan annexed the Old City of Jerusalem, whilst the Jews laid claim
to the New the Jewish city outside the walls of the Old City. Whilst
Jordan held the Old City, Jews were denied access thereto, and could not
visit their sacred sites. That changed in the significant year of 1967.
In 1967 Egypt determined to destroy Israel. Their forces invaded the
Jewish State but were decisively beaten. Other Arab powers lent their
sup port. Jordan indicated her intention to do so. The Israeli
Government urged restraint upon the Jordanians, and pleaded with their
Government to remain neutral. Jordan decided otherwise, and mobilized
its troops to invade Israel. Instead, and within the compass of three
days, the splendidly equipped Jordanian army was decisively defeated;
and after 2,000 years of foreign domination, Jerusalem once again was in
the hands of Israel.
What God had decreed, what Jesus Christ had predicted, came to pass in a
remarkable and dramatic manner.
The Storm-Clouds
Gather
Despite protests from other powers, the Israeli government has constituted Jerusalem its capital. This has brought the ancient city under
greater threat. The place is sacred to Jews, Christians and Arabs alike,
so that any change to its status quo has immediate international
repercussions. Pro tests have been made to Israel from many nations, and
most have refused to set up their embassies in the city.
The determination of the Israeli Government to establish its capital in
Jerusalem has increased the international tension relating to its
future. Bible prophecy anticipates the time when the gathering storm
clouds of today will let forth their fury. God declares:
"My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the
kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger:
for the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy" (Zephaniah
3:8).
Then will the words of Zechariah 14:1 be fulfilled:
"I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city
shall be taken ..."
Other prophecies show that Russia at the head of a Eurasian confederacy
will invade the Middle East. The action of Russia will be resisted by
the West: and the most devastating war in history will then break out.
Bible prophecy has predicted it for over 2,500 years; whilst statesmen
have feared it ever since Israel became a nation.
Today it is on the eve of taking place.
The city that witnessed the humiliation of Christ, his crucifixion and
death will become the centre where the modern national representatives
of Jew and Gentile will be gathered to witness his power, victory and
glory.
For though the nations will be gathered to Jerusalem, and though the
city will fall to Russia, to the humiliation of the West. Russia, in
turn, will suffer defeat.
Not by the hands of man, but by the power of Jesus Christ.
For the greatest miracle is yet to take place. Christ is to personally
return to this earth, to save humanity from the results of its own
folly, and to establish upon earth his righteous reign to the glory of
God and the wellbeing of man.
Jerusalem: The
Holy
The world, therefore, is shortly to witness the presence of Christ in
power and glory. He comes, not as "the Lamb of God for the sin of the
world", but as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Rev. 5:5) to establish
the Kingdom of God on earth. The Bible declares:
"God has appointed a day in the which He will judge the world In
righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given
assurance unto men, in that He hath raised him from the dead" (Acts
17:31).
The world will resist Christ, for:
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall over come them:
for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings; and they that are with him
are called, and chosen, and faithful" (Rev. 17:14).
He shall "judge among the nations, and rebuke many people: and they
shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4).
Jerusalem shall then become the Holy City in fact. It shall be rebuilt
"unto the Lord" (Jer. 31:38), and will become a rallying
centre of for
all mankind. All nations that survive the holocaust of Armageddon will
be united in a common acceptance of divine Truth, and shall send their
representatives to Jerusalem year after year to pay their respects
before the King, and worship God in truth (Zechariah 14:16). Thus the
present city of war will become the centre of worship, and at long last
the world will be brought into submission to God.
That is the wonderful destiny of this significant city. Every facet of
its history demonstrates Divine interest in its development. God guides
the destiny of nations (Daniel 4:17), and is moulding history to conform
to His will. Today the storm clouds gather over Jerusalem; and tomorrow
they will break; but they will pass away to reveal a glorious era of
peace: a "morning without clouds" (2 Samuel 23:4).
Meanwhile let it be borne in mind that everything that happens to it is
under divine cognizance, and its ultimate destiny is already shaped in
the purpose of God.
Christ is to reign from Jerusalem over a world at peace. When that
glorious consummation takes place, he will require assistants with him
in the governance of the nations, and the education of the peoples, He
offers to all with hearing ears the opportunity to be with him in that
day of glory. "To him that overcometh," he promises, "I will grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome, and am sat down with
my Father in His throne" (Revelation 2:21). Again: "To him that
overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power
over the nations" (Revelation 2:26).
Christ's coming will witness the resurrection of those responsible to
judgment, and the granting of life eternal to those whom he approves (I
Corinthians 15:22-26). Bible prophecy indicates that he returns before
the judgment of Armageddon is poured out upon the world; hence his
coming could take place at anytime. In Luke 21:24-28 he issues a
prophetic-warning. He speaks of Jerusalem rising from the dust, at a
time of increasing national perplexity and trouble, and of men's hearts
failing them for fear. In the midst of such conditions, he implies, he
will return to reward those who have given themselves to him in the way
appointed. The "Son of man" will come with "power and great glory" (Luke
21:28).
Gathering war-clouds over Jerusalem today herald the second coming of
the Lord Jesus Christ. It shows that time is short, and the day of
opportunity will soon close.
We urge the reader to seriously consider the issues involved, to recognize the significance of the times, and to make his peace with God. This
requires that he learn of His purpose, endorse the Gospel message in its
truth, and accept Christ by submitting to the sin-covering waters of baptism. Remember: tomorrow may be too late.
Jerusalem
The destiny of humanity is bound up in the future of Jerusalem. If that
is not recognized, the Bible is not understood. Jerusalem is described
by Christ as "the city of the great King" (Matthew 5:35), and is
destined at his coming to become the metropolis of the world (Zechariah
14:16). Consider the facts of the Bible in regard to its past, present
and future.
First mentioned as ruled by a King-Priest, Melchizedek, and then called
Salem (Peace) (Genesis 14:18). Its final picture reveals it as again
called Salem after Armageddon, and ruled by a King-Priest, even Christ
(Psalm 76:1-9; Psalm 110; Hebrews 6:20).
1.) Also called Jebus (sig. down-trodden Judges 19:10-11) figurative
of its state during Gentile times (Luke 21:24).
2.) Place selected by God in which to place His name (i.e. worship)
-Deut. 12:5-7; 1 Kings 8:1,12-20.
3.) God removed His protective care when Israel proved disobedient
(Jeremiah 35:13,15,17).
4.) Christ predicted its overthrow but ultimate restoration (Luke
21:24).
5.) The prophets warned that it will prove the trouble-spot of
Armageddon (.Joel 3:I-2,12-17; Zechariah 14:1-2)
6.) They also predict that Christ will deliver it, and under his rule it
will become the centre of world peace and worship (Joel 3:20-21; Isaiah
2:2-4; Micah 4:1-8).
7.) It will then be known as "the city of Truth" (Zech. 8:3); the "joy
of the whole earth" (Psalm 48:2); the Metropolis of Christ's reign
(Isaiah 24:23), where he shall sit in Glory with his resurrected and
glorified Apostles (Psalm 122:3-5; Luke I:31-33; Matthew 19:28).
8.) It will then be universally acknowledged as "the throne of the Lord"
(Jeremiah 3:17).
9.) All nations will submit to the authority emanating there from
(Zechariah 8:20-23).
10.) The revival of Israel, and the gradual elevation of the city of
Jerusalem are certain signs based upon Bible prophecy testifying to the
imminence of Christ's personal return to reign on earth. Your personal
destiny and salvation are bound up in acknowledging these matters (Mark
16:15-16; Romans 1: 16).
H. P. MANSFIELD
Reproduced
by courtesy of the Christadelphian Press, West Beach, South Australia
by whom all rights are reserved.
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