Archive for September, 2008

“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of God.” Psalm 87:1-3

Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times in the Bible; not once in the Quran.

The word “Zion” refers to Jerusalem 152 times.

It is also called the “holy city” 10 times, and the “city of God” twice. It is called “city of truth” – “the city of the great King” – “the city of Judah” and “the city of David.”

It is called “Salem” on 4 occasions, including the first mention of it in Genesis 14:18.

Psalm 76:1-2 says “In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel. In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.”

Psalm 46:4 says “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.”

IT IS THE PRIORITY ABOVE ALL CITIES OF THE WORLD!

Psalm 48:2 calls it “the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King.”

Psalm 137:5 refers to it as “my chief joy.”

Psalm 87:2 says “The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”

IT IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD HIMSELF THAT MAKES IT A PRIORITY!

II Chronicles 6:6 says “But I have chosen Jerusalem, that My Name might be there.” In Psalm 76:1-2 we read: “In Judah is God known: His Name is great in Israel. In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.”

Psalm 99:2 says, “The Lord is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people.” Psalm 132:13-14 makes it very clear: “For 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 135:21 adds: “Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem.”

IT IS THE PICTURE OF GOD’S PROTECTION OF HIS PEOPLE!

Psalm 125:2 says “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.”

Psalm 46:5 adds: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”

IT IS THE PLACE WHERE ABRAHAM WAS BLESSED!

Genesis 14:18-19 – “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.”

Hebrews 7:1-3 confirms the story saying, “For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from smiting the kings, and blessed him; to whom Abraham gave also the tenth portion of all; first being interpreted King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is King of peace; without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but assimilated to the Son of God, abides a priest continually.

IT IS THE PROPERTY OF KING DAVID AND THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON!

II Samuel 5:4-9 – verse 7 says “Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.” In II Samuel 24:18-25 we learn that David purchased the site of the present Temple Mount from Aravnah the Jebusite and built an altar there.

II Chronicles 3:1 says “Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriyah…in the place that David had prepared in threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

II Chronicles 7:16: “For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my Name may be there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.”

IT IS THE PRAYER OF OUR LORD YESHUA THAT REVEALS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CITY IN THE HEART OF GOD!

Matthew 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!”

IT IS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAME UPON JEWISH BELIEVERS IN THIS CITY AND THE CHURCH WAS BORN!

Acts 1:4 says that Jesus told His disciples “that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father….that ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.”

Acts 1:8 continues: “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

In Acts 5:28 the Sanhedrin said to the disciples of Jesus: “and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.”

Acts 6:7 says “and the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly.”

IT IS THE PROPHECY OF OUR LORD YESHUA THAT THE CITY AND ITS TEMPLE WOULD BE DESTROYED!

Luke 21:20 – “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation is nigh.” Verse 24 says “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” The knowledge of this terrible destruction of the city caused our Lord Yeshua to weep over the city.

Luke 19:41 says “And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it.”

IT IS THE PROBLEM OF ALL THE NATIONS!

Zechariah 12:2-3 – “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about” and “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.”

IT IS THE PLAN OF GOD THAT BRINGS DESTRUCTION UPON ALL NATIONS WHO ATTACK THIS CITY!

Zech. 12:9 – “I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem”

Zechariah 14:2: “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle.”

IT IS THE PURPOSE OF GOD THAT BRINGS SALVATION TO ITS PEOPLE!

Zechariah 12:10 – “And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced…”

Zechariah 13:1 – “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”

Joel 2:32 says “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance…”

IT IS THE PROMISE OF OUR ETERNAL HOME!

Isaiah 2:2-3 speaks of a future day: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it….for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

Zechariah 14:16 says “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts…”

Isaiah 62:1-7; “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes out as brightness, and her salvation as a burning lamp. And the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will name. You also will be a crown of glory in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You will no more be called Forsaken; nor will your land any more be called Desolate; but you will be called My Delight is in her, and your land, Married; for Jehovah delights in you, and your land is married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so will your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so will your God rejoice over you. I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who will not always be silent all the day nor all the night; you who remember Jehovah, do not be silent. And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

65:18-19; “But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and I will rejoice in My people; and the voice of weeping will no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying be heard in her.”

Revelation 21:1-4 concludes with, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.”