Saturday, June 9, 2018

Jerusalem.


Jerusalem. What comes to mind when you read that word? Jerusalem. We know that Jerusalem is a city in Israel and is considered political and religious in nature, much more so than any other city. Jerusalem has been considered a holy city for thousands of years. David - King of Israel, a relation to Jesus Christ Himself,  resided in Jerusalem and wanted to build God a permanent temple there- as opposed to their traveling sanctuary which was brought into existence after God used Moses to deliver His people from Egypt. That traveling sanctuary moved with them as they wandered the desert for forty years. After they moved into the promised land the traveling tabernacle remained portable until Solomon, David's son, built the permanent temple in Jerusalem.  Throughout the Bible you can read of Jerusalem.  There are 814 references to Jerusalem in the King James Version of the Bible. Four references to Salem in the same Bible. To ignore this history of Jerusalem is all but impossible. The people of God are called Jews, the religion is called Jewish.

'The English term Jew originates in the Biblical Hebrew word Yehudi, meaning "from the Kingdom of Judah", or "Jew". It passed into Greek as Ioudaios and Latin as Iudaeus, which evolved into the Old French giu after the letter "d" was dropped. A variety of related forms are found in early English from about the year 1000, including IudeaGyuGiuIuuIuw, and Iew, which eventually developed into the modern word.'
From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew_(word)>

From the Kingdom of Judah- Jerusalem was in the Kingdom of Judah.  The Jews have since the days of David considered Jerusalem a holy city.  Several times the Jews were ousted from their homeland but never stopped returning.

When Jesus said this--

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 
Mat 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 
Mat 23:39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 
Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

He was telling the Jewish people that they would no longer be God's chosen- their house would be left desolate.  The Jewish corporate body denied that Jesus was the Son of God, and still today, the Jewish religion denies Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah.

Still, Jerusalem remained a focal point for prophecy and history.

Jesus said this as well--

Luk 21:24  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 

And Jerusalem WAS trodden down of the Gentiles UNTIL the times of the Gentiles was filled- and that happened in 1980.

'This Day in Jewish History 1980: Israel Enacts the Symbolic 'Jerusalem, Capital of Israel' Law

East Jerusalem was never actually annexed, but in 1980, Tehiya's Geula Cohen decided to protect 'the integrity and unity of greater Jerusalem,' to the world's annoyance.'

On July 30, 1980, Israel’s Knesset passed the “Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel.”


No longer were Gentiles in control of Jerusalem.

This fulfilment of prophecy is so incredibly important.  The next prophecy concerning Jerusalem is this--

Dan 11:45  And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. 
Dan 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 
Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

The 'between the seas in the glorious holy mountain' -

Dan 9:16  O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. 

Thy city Jerusalem- thy holy mountain.

'And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in -JERUSALEM- and he shall come to his end and none shall help him and at THAT time shall Michael stand up, that great prince which stands for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at THAT time thy people shall be DELIVERED, everyone that shall be found written in the book…'

END TIME PROPHECY.

Our EYES NEED to be on Jerusalem!

So much is happening there in Jerusalem right now. Closer and closer the end comes. The prophecies will all be fulfilled.

Remember this from yesterday's study--

Rev 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 
Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 
Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 

'While the sixth plague is poured out on what is termed "the great river Euphrates," the "spirits of devils" had gathered the leadership of earth with their forces to a place with a Hebrew designation. Herein is a factor of the Jewish equation. God's wrath reveals how He views this development. To Him it is what He has always revealed it to be - Babylon, the epitome of rebellion. Thus the symbolism of "the great river Euphrates," and the fact that the "whore" is carried by the beast that "was, and is not, and yet is" who makes war with the Lamb. (Rev.17:14) But the spirits of devils do not gather their devotees to the river Euphrates, but rather to a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Magedon. . . .

Har-Magedon
In the Hebrew language - har - means, mountain. This rules out "Megiddo" for it is a valley. (Zech. 12:11) However, there is a mountain named in the Old Testament which meets linguistic requirements. It is called, har-mo'ed - Mount of the Congregation. It is described as being "in the sides of the north" or Mt. Zion "the city of the great King." (See Isa. 14:13; Ps. 48:2) By noting the objectives of Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12-14, it is he who plans to "sit upon the mount of the congregation" - har-mo'ed. To this end, the spirits of devils gather the nations of the earth. Daniel simply states - "He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain." (11:45)

To John it revealed that "the spirits of devils" coming from the dragon, beast and false prophet gather the nations to the mount of the congregation. But the prophetic message behind this symbolism is that literal Jerusalem is to be made "an holy city" from man's view-point, while God's view-point the deception is in reality, Babylon the Great. The significance to us is that when this occurs, the prophecy states - "And at that time shall Michael stand up." (Dan. 12:1) "But the true leader of all of this rebellion is Satan clothed as an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate churches that unite in exaltation of Satan, the sentence will go forth, 'Therefore shall her plagues come in one day...'" (TM, p. 62) How near are we to the fulfillment of this Divine edict? (Bold and italicized emphasis added.)

From <http://adventistlaymen.com/Documents/MARK_OF_THE_BEAST.html>

*******

The HOLY CITY, JERUSALEM, the place where so many people go to on pilgrimages to renew their faith- Christian faith, Jewish faith, and yes…Moslem faith.  This special city that is being fought over is truly desolate to our Savior. While people may hold fast to the *good* things about Jerusalem in truth it isn't special, it isn't holy to God any longer. Satan has laid claim to the holy city and so many can't even conceive that it could be so. Satan has BLINDED them, DECEIVED them and while the fight over PEACE in the HOLY LAND, PEACE in JERUSALEM wages on, it won't always be that way. There will come a day when 'HE" will plant his tabernacles in Jerusalem and then… probation is over and soon, so soon our SAVIOR returns, but not before the 'time of trouble.'

We have to pay attention! We have to study this! We have to watch and we have to PRAY!

Please, Father, please….help us to ever watch and pray so we are not taken unaware, so that we are ready for You, so we are ready for the return of our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!



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