Jerusalem: The center of the fight between Jews and Arabs.
Is Jerusalem the capital of Israel or Palestine? Should either one of them have an equal claim to the city?
What do you think, has this mostly been a political debate among bitter enemies? Is there a spiritual component behind the constant divide?
God’s View
Does God have a say in the matter, and if so what would he say if anyone was willing and able to listen to God’s point of view?
Turkey is one of many nations that insist on sticking their noses into the debate as seen in this article. (Here)
Muslim nations claiming a right to Jerusalem has been a common refrain coming from the Middle East.
The Muslim claims to Jerusalem The Middle East Research project Islam’s belated claims
The city became a hotly contested issue in 1948. After World War Two, and seeing the horrors of the Holocaust, the nations of the world voted to let the Jews return to their Promised Land. Many strongly opposed that decision and today that opposition is still very strong.
Individuals or nations may have differing opinions on the subject but God’s Word does not. The Bible is not at all unclear or undecided on this issue.
Here are just a few of the numerous Bible passages that point to the important place this city has in God’s story. It’s a past, present, and future history.
Matthew 2:1 the Magi came to Jerusalem
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When the famous group of wise men came to honor him they stopped first in the city of peace.
Malachi 3:4
And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.
The offerings of Judah, the Jewish people will become acceptable to the Lord after many years of exile. We are quickly approaching that time.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice Jerusalem, your king rides a donkey
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey
The Palm Sunday events took place in the city of God. The humble shepherd sat on the back of a young donkey while children praised him, and sang songs.
Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”
This verse predicts what many see as impossible. The Bible predicts the house of David, the Jewish people will return to God. That’s not the impossible part. The impossible part is that they will see Jesus returning in the clouds of glory as their Messiah, Lord, and King. They will weep and repent and acknowledge their grievous error.
Ecclesiastes 1:12 A King in Jerusalem
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
The wise King Solomon, the writer of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, stated that he ruled over the city.
Daniel 9:25
“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.”
Here we read part of one of the best-known prophecy passages in the scriptures. The prophet Daniel wrote down an amazing prophecy about Israel and its most famous city. The Jews would lose the city, and later regain it, only to face near annihilation one last time.
The Bible is clear about the history of the city, though others will continue to debate it. God will settle it in the end.
Here are some other articles about this
Jerusalem’s leaders get another opportunity
Back to the future and the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem
Let me know what you think.