Jerusalem in the Future

SEARCHING

FOR THE TRUTH

JERUSALEM IN THE FUTURE

The Focus of ADONAI, the LORD our God & the world, will be on this City!

[This is a Biblical Study, of an important subject based on the whole
Tanakh/ O.T. & also using the Jewish New Testament with quotations in Italics.
As it is a Bible study it would be good if you could print it off & look up the Scripture references we have given, as we have not typed them all out here. Thankyou.]

INTRODUCTION.

The Spiritual & Prophetic Significance of Jerusalem, in Israel.

This is a very big subject! About as big as the whole Bible – the Tanakh (O.T.) & the New Testament put together. The KEY FACT is that it was meant to be a place where the paramount focus was not on its geographical or political or international religious importance! Not on any of its spectacular buildings, nor even a Temple (when there was one) - BUT on the Sovereign ADONAI Who chose it as His Place to be and therefore desired His People to worship Him there!

How the significance of Jerusalem ~ was seen by the presence, or absence of the Temple.

It would seem that even the loss of the second, beautiful Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in AD 70, was a significant act allowed by God! The very fact that no genealogical records of Jewish tribes and families, or actual complete artefacts from the second Temple period have been proved to have survived, inspite of conjectures of many people, is very important. We refer to furniture such as the Menorah, Ark of the Covenant & other treasures; or even ‘hard-copy’ pieces of other sacred historical items, & no written records.

The utter destruction of the Temple was very serious!
This suggests that God Himself did not want the Jewish Faith to survive on things – icons or relics - which can become a focus of worship, but on a spiritual and inward recognition of ADONAI Himself as The Holy One of Israel.

So God allowed the City & even the Temple to be destroyed.
How else could we understand the terrible history of the rape & pillage and destruction for 2000 years of this ancient, but battered City?

Fortunately, the written records of historians, both Jewish, Christian and secular writers confirm without a doubt, the true importance and significance of Jerusalem! The Tanakh especially, confirms it too, as you will see in our notes about the Temple’s Biblical focus.

The future of Jerusalem is based on its Divine choice as a centre for worship of ADONAI ~ “The God of Israel”! It will yet be exactly ~ that.

Yet, The amazing God ~ uses His Word & Visible Events in Jerusalem to teach us.
Even the Land, (almost forsaken) the City & the Temple, (destroyed) the Jewish People (dispersed for 2000 years)- all the actual fulfillments of specific Prophecy were not “accidents of History” as some Secular Jewish People say.

They all emphasise the requirement of our intelligent trust in the evidence of the proven historical accuracy of the Word of God, and now we have other evidences of prophecies fulfilled in the events of the last 100 years, available to students of Israel’s Past and Future!

God has not finished displaying His power & His love through future events in Jerusalem!

Yes! God Who made mankind, is the greatest Communicator of all time, and has always & often been available to speak, act, or demonstrate His love and His justice - in many Sovereign acts, & has focused on what could be visibly witnessed. We will soon see more of God’s power, there.

This is why He chose a nation of People, a Land, and a City to be the ‘stage’ on which He could convey His most important messages.

This explains Israel, the People, the Land and the City of Jerusalem and lays the legal and ethical base for finding God’s Truth, for each Believing person as an individual. Yet even secular observers around the world will see God’s Sovereign acts of blessing through this City.

The future of Jerusalem is bound up with future events for Israel & all Jewish people.

21st CENTURY CONSIDERATIONS OF JERUSALEM’S FUTURE

General guidelines regarding understanding future (prophetic) events in Jerusalem, Israel & the world.

1. The Bible is the ONLY place where reliable prophecies are given regarding Jerusalem. Significant ones are: Zechariah 14: 10 –15, Ezekiel 40 –47, Revelation 11: esp.13.

2. Sometimes - but not often there can be two similar fulfillments, of a prophecy. An example is Joel 2: 28 & 29, Acts 2: 17 & 18. Also Jerusalem & it’s Temples were destroyed twice! And God allowed it to happen, However events in the past are NOT indications that they will happen again, in the same way, so trying to use this idea of foretelling Jerusalem’s future could be wrong.

3. Repeated events may simply emphasise the Sovereignty of God, or the sinfulness of man. Where similar events did happen, it surely is for a very real reason, like - Israel’s own sin bringing the destruction of the Temple, & the dispersion in exile of the Jewish people -twice! (God explained the reason in Ezekiel 33; 21 – 29.) So God may use different methods, or events for the one important reason.

Peter explains this, regarding ‘The Flood’ in the past, but A Fiery end for the physical world at the end of the Millennium. 2 Peter 3:5 – 7 & Rev 20: 14 & 15 compared with 21: 1, as examples of judgement – but in two different ways.

4. When considering the city of Jerusalem especially, there are two extremes, seen.
a) One is the ordinary fact about it as a city – good or bad - in ancient or modern times.
b) The other is the spiritual significance it holds, as God’s specific ‘place’ - & called Zion, in that context. [Our study on ‘Biblical Zion’ explains this, here.]
This City is of far more significance because of this holy, spiritual dimension!

5. Generally ‘Jerusalem’ can be seen as the ‘representative’ of all Israel. So when we are asked to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” Psalm 122, we are praying not only for the City, but the whole nation.

But since there will never be true, lasting peace, except for the Prince of Peace establishing - (not just ‘lack of war’) - but a spiritual renewal of all the Jewish people when they accept Yeshua as Saviour & Messiah; this is the deeper meaning of the prayer. Praise Yeshua, we know He will answer!

Yes! The City of Jerusalem for millennia, has been, now is, & always will be very, very significant! Understanding this will shape our thoughts & even attitudes as we watch modern events, & pray for God’s will to be done, & God’s Glory to be seen.

THE POSSESSION OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM BY THE HEBREW/ JEWISH PEOPLE.

Possession promised ~ by God, to His Chosen people.
The past acts as a guide to ‘ownership’ of the City & a guarantee of a wonderful future

1. Abraham. At his first call by God & instructions, Abraham was to leave one place & “go to the land I will show you“. [Genesis 12: 1 – 6] As he obeyed & arrived in the Land, God again confirmed this gift saying, “To your offspring I will give this Land”. Later (after Lot chose the Jordan area & left), God again confirmed to Abraham that his descendants would posses the whole Land visible to him, (which actually would have included the area Lot had just gone to!)

But God added the order: “Go walk through the length & breadth of the Land, for I am giving it to you.” It is significant (in the next chapter – 14), that circumstances took Abraham (as he rescued Lot from the kings of the area), to the ‘mount of Salem’ – actually Jerusalem, where the leading kingly priest made a celebration feast of bread & wine for him with a special blessing from “God Most High”!

Again, Abraham’s possession of Jerusalem was confirmed. This was by travelling to the place indicated by God in order to sacrifice Isaac, (his son by a miraculous conception), back to the “region of Moriah”, (Genesis 22) and so prophetically enacting the sacrifice of Yeshua/ Jesus centuries later, by God the Father. As this crucial test involved Isaac as Abraham’s chosen heir no other descendants of Abraham can lay a claim to the Land, let alone Jerusalem.

It was clearly where the city of Jerusalem came to be - a further confirmation that this city was designed not only to be possessed by the Hebrew race, but of very great significance to them! [Also now, to all who acknowledge the Sacrifice God gave, in His unique & only Son, Yeshua.]

2. Isaac given possession of all the Land. This is described in Genesis 26, and must have included the mountain of Jerusalem, though we cannot be sure if any family or group was living there, then.

3. Jacob. The very significant story of Jacob becoming the father of 12 sons, starts in Genesis 28, & ends in chapter 32, with two special spiritual encounters with God Himself!
The second time God came to Him in the Form of a Man – (Yeshua, we believe), and along with the conferring of the NEW name of ISRA’EL, He made it clear that that territory was sacred land. Jacob made land purchases & the last verse of chapter 33, says, “There he set up an alter & called it ‘El Elohi Isra’el’ – “God the God of Isra’el”, so laying claim to the Land in the new God given name -‘Isra’el’! Perhaps this event was far more important than many people realise!

4. Moses, out of all the instructions he gave to the new nation, one was clearly about Jerusalem.
And the great significance of this is, because God gave him these instructions, well before the people had come anywhere near conquering the Land.

The main Scriptures are in Deuteronomy chapter12. He said: “You are to seek the PLACE the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put HIS Name there, for HIS dwelling”. And five more times in that one chapter, the Place we now know was Jerusalem, was called “the Place where the LORD your God will choose”. Since it was the Hebrew prophet Moshe, who gave this instruction, specifically to the Israelite people, it cannot be given to any other People! [Even those of another religious group, who also recognise Moses as a prophet!]

5. The time of Joshua. This book is an interesting story of the victorious claiming of the whole land, (formerly possessed by Canaan) by the Hebrew tribes, in many battles under Joshua. However, although indirectly Jerusalem is referred to (in Joshua 9: 27), as the place the Gibeonites would work later, it was not a fact at that time. Again chapter 10: esp.16 – 24, mentions the story of the 5 ‘runaway kings’ (chieftains)–one from Jerusalem, being captured & humiliated & killed.

But there is no mention of taking of the City which still may have been little more than a village centre for the area, especially as they would have to go down to the Siloam Spring, to get water. See cities named in chapter 20 & 21 as special to Fugitives & Priests, yet (surprisingly) no mention of Jerusalem, at all nor as a place of refuge. But the historical existence of Jerusalem is certified by its mention in the other records.

6. Judges chapter 1 opens with a story of the tribes of Judah & Simeon being directed to attack more Canaanites, & in the process they found a fugitive king, that they then took with them on the next battle (which was against Jerusalem, where he died), as they “put the City to the sword & set it on fire”. However they did not possess it at that time. The date was about 1,375 BC. It seems this was when the Jebusites may have moved into the city, but the tribe of Benjamin who were allocated the territory around Jerusalem, could not dislodge them [Verse 21.]

It was not yet God’s time for Jerusalem to be The Centre of His Kingdom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

THE REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE OF JERUSALEM WAS AS A ROYAL CITY.

The City ADONAI claimed as ‘The Place’ for the King, & later The Temple of God.
So, in GOD’S TIME ~ King David, not only took the city, but made Jerusalem his capital.
1 Chronicles 11 is one account of the clever strategy David used & the result, “David became more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him”.

This is known to be in 1,000 BC, so God was patiently waiting for the Nation to become established, (through many tests of loyalty - as described in the years of the book of Judges).
Also ADONAI wanted a “man after God’s own heart” to become His chosen king, & of course later it was even called ‘The City of David’.

So David became the forerunner, (as ancestor & prophetic godly Leader) - of Yeshua/ Jesus Messiah, the One who forever holds the Kingship of Jerusalem & God’s People!

Yes! God uses People or Places or Situations to foretell His greater Purpose & Plans.

The City – especially as ‘Zion’ - was to reflect the Heavenly Jerusalem – a Holy City.
This is a big subject & we have a separate study on ‘’Zion”
In actual fact it was rarely more than a ‘normal’ – sometimes even a positively wicked city. Partly because it’s natural features did not lend itself to becoming a geographical hub – with no large river or sea port or oasis-like setting like ancient Jericho; nor at a cross roads as ancient Damascus was, it surely demonstrates the principle that GOD chooses the inadequate things, to glorify Himself. Even now other religious centers are regarded as more influential as cities!

Jerusalem only has significance & is worth a worldwide focus, because 9 times in the Tanakh / O.T. ADONAI said it was His City. 2 Chronicles 6: 6 is only one of 9 references.
[The LORD, the GOD of Israel says] “Now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there.”

For this reason & only this reason, it always was, always has been & still is the focus of the Evil One for that reason alone.

This explains the battle over ‘who’ would both possess and rule over Jerusalem!

THE PRESENT BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM.

From every religious power in the world.

1. The predominant ‘Christian’ power. The Orthodox Christian religious powers, especially the Roman Catholic Church, but endorsed by other streams, such as Greek, Russian, Armenian Orthodox Churches, (far more numerous & influential than we ‘evangelicals’ realise), want to make this City an “International City”. This is because while they recognise the Jewish claim to the City, they also want to have a controlling presence, so they also (sadly) want to include the Islamic claims that are totally false, (as Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran!) New Age Humanists also want it. We cannot bring up all the relevant written & spoken statements that would confirm this. But it is so.
Even we Believers in Yeshua/ Jesus must not idolise the City.

2. The ambitions of Islam. The 57 nations of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, [OIC] represent 1.5 billion Muslims, though the immediate claims by the nearest neighbours are those of the Palestinian Arabs, represented by the two main factions, Fatah & Hamas. Their present demands for the City to be divided, in order for them to claim the East part as the capital for the Palestinians, is well known. Giving any part of Jerusalem to the Muslim Palestinians would represent a HUGE victory for the whole Islamic world, & would truly be - a spiritual tragedy!

Yet God may allow this very thing to happen for His own loving reasons!
As God said through the prophet Jeremiah [29:11]; most especially for Israel:
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the LORD, ‘Plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future’.”

3. The Future world Dictator. Even secular people & certainly Bible-reading believers, know from New Testament Scriptures that a personality called ‘the Anti-christ’, or more accurately ‘The False –messiah’, (after making a treaty with the Jewish people to all return to their own Land of Israel & allowing them to build a third Temple on the Temple Mount), will suddenly lay claim to it, himself. This will be [we believe] in jealous response to the huge number of tourist sight-seers who will flock there during 3.5 years of the False-messiah’s world rule, causing him to place his own statue in the Temple & re-enforcing his demand for everyone to worship him! This is a big scenario that we explain in the article ‘The False-messiah’

4. Of course Israel & the Jewish people are sure it must be totally theirs. However if the price for a ‘genuine’ PEACE & security, due to excessive pressure from the Muslim & ‘Western world’ is to divide the City, in the near future, it seems even most (‘left wing’) Jews would agree.

This issue of the possible division of the City & it’s ultimate control is the greatest question, behind all the spiritual battles between the forces of Satan, (represented by the Islamic world & Allah their so called ‘god’), & YHWH – ADONAI Elohim, the God of Israel.

But God will again choose Jerusalem, & will soon deliver it totally into Israeli Jewish control!
There are some lovely prophecies in Zechariah chapter 1, & chapter 8: 3, 8 & 15 for you!

ISRAEL’S EFFORTS TO ELEVATE & HOLD ON TO JERUSALEM IN THEIR OWN WAY.

1967, the Jewish nation RECAPTURED the City from the Muslim Jordanian occupiers.
The historical events of the modern State of Israel are reasonably well known. It may not always be realised that in the initial war of Independence, in 1947, (after Jerusalem was under the British administration), the Jordanian & Arab forces at that time, deliberately destroyed some 50+ synagogues & were able to hold onto part of the City, especially the Temple Mount. The Muslims then, even barred Jews from praying at the sacred ‘Kotel’ or Temple Mount retaining wall except for one day a year, ‘Yom Kippur’, the Day of Atonement when a few Jews were allowed to visit & did so with heart-rending wailing. The small area at that time on the Western side of the Temple Mount was therefore called ‘The Wailing Wall’.

So the re-claiming of the whole City in a war lasting 6 days, by the Israeli Defence Force under General Dayan was a most momentous occasion for the Jews. Israel cleared an area we often see pictures of, by the Western Wall, as a place for prayer. Sadly, the Jewish Leadership respected the Muslim Waqf (Arab religious leaders) & granted them the continuing control of the Temple Mount! Not one Mosque was destroyed by Israel.

1980, Israel’s DECLARATION about the State of the City of Jerusalem. This was a legal Israeli government Declaration, “that the City of Jerusalem would be the eternal, indivisible Capital of Israel, for all time”. No doubt this was due to the continuing demands & threats following the wars of 1973 (the costly “Yom Kippur War”) & others; also the continual discussion about ‘whose City Jerusalem would be’.

1992 –3, World Jewry makes a solemn COVENANT with the City of Jerusalem, under President Chaim Herzog. Readers will remember that 1992 was the time of Saddam Hussein’s attempt to invade Kuwait, which was thwarted by an almost world wide Military war under the leadership of (the 1st) President Bush. The USA pleaded with Israel NOT to get involved with that war, which they agreed to even though 39 Scud missiles were fired into Israel. Amazingly they did little damage & only one Israeli died.

1993, saw the launch of the ‘Oslo Peace Accords’ between Israel, under P.M. Rabin, & Pres Arafat for the Palestinians, sponsored by President Clinton but negotiated by the Norwegians. [It is now considered to have been a failed attempt to bring agreement, & therefore no real peace between the Palestinian Arabs & Israel, 15+ years later.]

However, in 1992 copies of a COVENANT WITH THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, written beautifully on parchment, with numerous solemn statements & some Biblical quotations, went to every Jewish community, of every religious or secular persuasion, in every country of the entire world in that one year. In May 19th 1993, as part of the 25th anniversary of the re-taking of the entire city of Jerusalem (a celebration for “Jerusalem Day’) was held with a special focus on the Covenant. All signed copies were returned, & in a special setting with a large number of special Jewish guests, each copy was received & placed in a receptacle by young Jewish soldiers. Finally, 70 Leaders representing all of Jewry, & the President of Israel signed the master copy, for all of Israel.

It was intended to be a declaration to the rest of the world, as a spiritual & prophetic statement about Jerusalem.
[A full description, with the actual wording, & other details about the ‘Jerusalem Covenant’ can be seen at http://christianactionforisrael.org/covenant.html ]

Yet we wonder how the LORD God Himself felt about this dramatic set of actions? There is little evidence that it actually unified the many strands of Judaism.
Nor has it brought the admiration, of the rest of the world.

If anything we are now seeing not only the possibility of Israel almost being forced by her ‘enemies’ to divide the City, but the Jewish people themselves are uncertain about whether it should be divided, especially IF it would bring the desperately longed for peace & security!

YET!
COULD IT BE THAT GOD IS DISAPPOINTMENT THAT HIS PEOPLE MADE A COVENANT WITH A HUMAN BUILT CITY?

EVEN MORE THAT ISRAEL HAS NOT ACCEPTED THE ‘NEW COVENANT’ OF ENORMOUS BLESSING THAT HE HAS MADE, THROUGH THE DEATH OF YESHUA, WHO’S BLOOD SEALED THAT COVENANT?

In Jeremiah 31: 31 -34 God outlines ‘the New Covenant’ HE would make with Israel in their hearts! “ ‘This is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after that time,’ declares ADONAI. ‘I will put My Law [of love] in their minds; & write it on their hearts. I will be their GOD & they will be MY People’.”

SO, WILL GOD [quite soon], ACTUALLY ALLOW THE FUTURE DIVISON OF THE CITY AS A SIGN OF HIS DISPLEASURE WITH THEM?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JERUSALEM & THE DEBATE SURROUNDING IT IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

The search for peace for Israel, & a settled State for the Palestinian Arabs.
This has dragged on from year to year, but has had more focused attention put on it in the first decade of the 21st century. What was hoped might be a meaningful step towards the goal, encouraged by USA President George W Bush, was another signing ceremony to agree to work together in 2003.
This was based on an Arab designed proposal, called, “The Road Map to Peace”.

The signing ceremony involved President Bush of USA, President Mahmoud Abbas for the Palestinian Authority, & Mr Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel & witnessed by King Abdullah ll of Jordan at Sharm El Sheik in Egypt.

In 2005 Israel even made the costly & much criticised concession to the Palestinians by withdrawing all Jewish people from well-established towns within the Gaza area.

They handed over gardens & viable business facilities that could have benefited the Arab people, who promptly looted them, & destroyed valuable agricultural glasshouses given them freely, having been paid for by a group of philanthropists for around $18 million. Sadly, no progress was made to bring peace, let alone any sense of security.

In 2006, so-called democratic elections were held by the Palestinians resulting in a surprise win by the Hamas Party, which does not recognise Israel as a nation, nor its right to even exist, & is clearly a terrorist group. As such, attempts have been made to isolate the regime, mainly in the Gaza Strip area of Israel. Inspite of this, firing rockets & other militant acts against nearby towns in Israel, & the smuggling of Iranian supplied & funded weapons, trained bomb makers & military personnel, has continued incessantly. Israel has tried to contend with the situation by closing borders posts & reducing non-essential supplies.

In November 2007, Another Conference, to which many Arab & other nations were invited was held in Annapolis, in USA, in an effort to propel the hoped for agreement forward, (especially while the P.A. President Abbas was available to dialogue with).

Barriers to agreements for peace.
Both sides have set many conditions, but the situation for Jerusalem is the most contentious. The Muslim Palestinians, as mentioned are demanding that part of Jerusalem be ‘given’ to them for their capital of the proposed Palestinian State, including the areas of Judea & Samaria, (called ‘the West Bank’ by them).

This would create another Muslim State but bordering on Eretz Israel - The Land of Israel.
For most Jews & Evangelical Christians this is an unreasonable anti-Biblical demand.

HOWEVER FOR BIBLICALLY BASED WATCHMEN THERE IS A NEED TO DISCERN GOD’S ANSWERS.

[Some readers may disagree with the conclusions from Scripture that the writers of this article describe, but they are not offered in any way dogmatically but for your individual prayerful consideration. See our article on ‘Roadmap to Perdition']

What are GOD’s priorities?
>> To provide salvation for repentant sinners.
V Throughout the whole of Scripture, God’s plans, purposes & great desire was to bring many into His Royal Family – into a special relationship with Himself. But mankind’s SIN was the tragic barrier that started from the earliest days of His Creation. But at that very time, as Genesis 3:15 tells us, God planned to atone for the sin’s of any individual through the death of His own Son, so that anyone who would turn & look to Him by faith, would be made holy, & therefore acceptable to a Holy God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only & unique Son, so that every one who trusts in Him, may have Eternal Life.” Yochanan/ John ch. 3: verse 16, [Jewish N.T.]

>> To restore His own Israeli Nation to Himself, as a holy Nation.
The prophet Ezekiel writes about it so clearly in the 36th chapter of his book. “This is what the Sovereign ADONAI says; ‘I will gather you from all the countries & bring you back into your own Land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, & you will be clean… I will put My Spirit in you & move you to follow My decrees’…” There are many passages that indicate these wonderful Plans that God has for His Nation, which He is now in the process of fulfilling! It is sad, so few people seem to see this probability – even being part of their total experience in this world, as a witness to His faithful promises.

Isaiah paints it as a beautiful picture of Israel, in chapter 60, “Arise shine! For YOUR Light is come, & the glory of ADONAI arises on YOU”. [But by contrast in a time of world total distress – as in the ‘Tribulation period’; He continues…] “See, darkness is over the Earth, & gross darkness is over the peoples – but the LORD rises upon you, & His Glory appears over you.” We believe this will be when by trust or faith alone, all Jewish people will look by faith to Yeshua, their Saviour & Messiah! See Z’kharyah 12, compared with Ezekiel 38 & 39, & all Joel chapter 2, esp. 20 –32!

>> We believe the Father is longing to send his Son Yeshua/ the Messiah back to this weary, wicked world to Reign.
& Revelation chapter 19, & Psalm 24, 45 & 72 describe it like a Wedding Day! [You may like to see our specific study on ‘The Second Coming of Yeshua to Earth’.]

WE ARE GLAD GOD HAS OUTLINED THE EVENTS, WHICH WILL FULFILL THOSE, THREE PRIORITIES.

FIRST – The restoration of Israel, as a Holy nation.
This is a big & wonderful subject. We cover it in other articles in detail, such as “Israel’s Glorious Future”. Very briefly, God will use the events as described in Ezekiel chapters 36 –39.
[Please read these for yourself?] Here are the series of events we foresee.

>> Restoration as a Nation State to their own land, with Jews from many nations. Soon could come a time of ‘False peace & security’ by Israel agreeing to the terrible step of giving the Muslims most of their demands, including more Land, & even the dividing of Jerusalem! In this way, God will humble Israel for their false covenant, & will shut them into a small area of land, where they’ll be unable to protect themselves in the coming Magog War.

>> After the testing time of 60 years, inspite of a soon coming time of ‘False Peace’, Israel will continue to be godless, proving that their own man made plans will not bring lasting blessings, only shame. Sadly, God often has to use hard methods to soften & win hard hearts of unbelief!

>> Therefore, God will allow Israel to come under enormous threat of possible annihilation from the Magog army that gathers “on the mountains of Israel” - (in today’s Syria -part of the promised Land never actually possessed). The terror Israel feels is described by Jeremiah in chapter 30! [Current events on the borders of Russia are a small example.]

>> At that time they will individually, but as a Nation, “call on the Name of the Lord – Yeshua”. This is outlined in Zechariah 12, and referred to by Paul in Romans 11: 1 – 27.

>> It is described as the climax to the great scenario of ‘Ezekiel’s war’ in 39: 29, & “I will no longer hide My Face [Yeshua/ Jesus] from them, for I will pour out My spirit on the House of Israel’, declares the Sovereign LORD.” This is when “all Israel will be saved” spiritually! There is one concluding verse (as given above) in Ezekiel that spells this out clearly. [See our article on ‘Who is the FACE of God’]

>> It seems God will act for Jerusalem, [using an earthquake] by the possible destruction of the Islamic buildings on the Temple Mount, & among other world changing events all Jews will be made to return to Israel, & they will be given permission to build their Temple on the Temple Mount. [See our full study, ‘Sequel to the Ezekiel War’]

SECOND - Newly redeemed Jewish & many M.E. Gentiles & others will, in a brief window of opportunity, spread the Good News worldwide ~ of the Salvation offered to all in Jesus!

This will be the fulfillment of special Scriptures already refereed to above, and summarised in Isaiah 19: “In that Day there will be a Highway from Egypt to Assyria… The Egyptians & the Assyrians will worship together. In that Day, Israel will be the third along with Egypt & Assyria, al blessing on the Earth. The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt My People, Assyria My Handiwork & Israel My Inheritance’.” [Verses 23 –25.]

OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS IN JERUSALEM.
[As this study is rather long already we can only summarise events that we have written about separately, especially, ‘Earthquake & Sky Signs in Jerusalem’, & ‘The Ezekiel War Part 2’.]

1. After the above events Israel will be granted ALL the Land originally promised to them. This is told about in Isaiah 14: 1 & 2, and in Isaiah 60 & 61, (esp. verse 7!)

2. All Jews will be returned to the Land of Israel. God may use the new ‘World Leader’ (the False-messiah or Antichrist’) to force Jews to return, but God says in Ezekiel 39: 26, “Though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own Land not leaving any behind’.”

3. Because of the exile of many anti-Israel people before the Ezekiel war there will be plenty of room for all who come. Believing Non-Jews will join them. Zechariah 8: 23.

4. Israel will become a Holy Nation, as clearly promised. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says… ‘For the sake of My Holy Name which you have profaned… I will show the holiness of My Great Name… Then the Nations will know that I AM the LORD… when I show MYSELF HOLY through you, before their eyes’.” Ezekiel 36: 22 – 23.

5. Jerusalem will be fully restored including the Temple on the Temple Mount. Yochanan/ John describes the Temple being measured in Revelation 11 & where Believers will worship. [That it will be a literal building is indicated by Jesus’ warning in Matt. 24: 15.]

6. God will have 2 human godly prophetic spokesmen to declare God’s plans & punishments. They will not be re-incarnations but will have a similar ministry to previous prophets, but will harmonise with the ‘Trumpet Events’ during the Tribulation that is over the entire world except for Israel. This will be for 3.5 years, during which efforts to kill them will be made.

7. Three & half days after they have finally been killed, they will be raised to life & to Heaven.

8. At that moment a huge Earthquake will happen to 1/10th of Jerusalem, with 7,000 killed. All Believers will give God the glory. Revelation 11:13.

9. The False-messiah will angrily relocate his ‘worship statue’ to the Temple & demand to be worshipped there. See 2 Thessalonians 2. As he will bring his armies also soon after…

10. All the Believers in Jerusalem will quickly relocate to the hills north of Israel. Matthew 24: 15 – 22. [Not to Petra or Pella, we believe.]

11. The ‘bowl judgements’ will follow quickly, & culminate in total destruction of the Evil Anti-christ’s regime & his great army!

12. This will be because of the sudden return of Yeshua as told in Revelation 19: 11 – 21!

FINALLY THE FOCUS WITH MARVELLOUS BLESSINGS WILL BE ON JERUSALEM, BECAUSE THE PRINCE OF PEACE WILL BE THERE!

It seems that this may be the time when to amazing city & Temple complex described in great detail by Ezekiel (40 – 47) will be spread out on the much bigger area than the present city!

But there is one glorious, certain promise for us to look forward to as we pray ~
“May Your Kingdom come”… it is the last verse of Ezekiel 40:
“And the name of the City from that time on will be:
‘THE LORD IS THERE’ ~ ‘ YHWH SHAMMAH’

May it be so soon, to God’s great glory, Amen!

So this summary is for your blessing & as a basis to your own study. Rev.22: 12-14!

“Behold, I AM coming soon! My reward is with Me. And I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I AM the Alpha & the Omega, the First & the Last, the Beginning & the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes that they might have right to the Tree of Life, & may go through the gates into the City.”

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