Jerusalem is the center of a holy war. Furthermore, it’s the center of End Times Bible Prophecy. Since we live in the Last Days, let’s sing and pray this Psalm and bless the Holy City.
Psalm 87
A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.
1 On the holy mountain
stands the city founded by the Lord.
2 He loves the city of Jerusalem
more than any other city in Israel. (Hebrew He loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.)
3 O city of God,
what glorious things are said of you! Interlude (Selah, pause and reflect)4 I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—
also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia (Cush).
They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!
5 Regarding Jerusalem (Zion) it will be said,
“Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.”
And the Most High will personally bless this city.
6 When the Lord registers the nations, he will say,
“They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.” Interlude7 The people will play flutes and sing,
Psalm 87 NLT
“The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!”
Why Jerusalem?
Pastor Sandy Adams enlightens us…
The greatest city in the world is not Washington, or London, or Beijing – it’s Jerusalem. Jerusalem is God’s city. It’s God’s earthly headquarters. Jerusalem was the sacred site of His Temple – a showcase for His glory. From Melchizedek to the Millennium, Jerusalem has and will play a pivotal role in God’s plan. Ezekiel 5:5 tells us, “This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her.” Jerusalem is the epicenter. It’s the center of the earth geographically and politically. Not a day goes by that you don’t pick up a newspaper and read a story about Jerusalem.
And unlike most cities, there’s no strategic reason for its prominence. John Phillips writes, “It stands where no city has any business standing. It has no river… no strategic highway, its roads lead straight out into the desert, its topography is most unusual.” It has few natural advantages. Yet 34 times in its history Jerusalem has been besieged and fought over. Today the city is under Israeli control. The modern Israelis have made it their capital once more. They vow to never let go of Jerusalem…Jerusalem is built on five mountains – Zion to the west, Ophel to the south, Olivet on the east, Scopos to the north, and Moriah in the middle. It sits 2,500’ Above Sea Level. About 25 miles away, the Dead Sea sits 1,290’ Below Sea Level – the lowest point on the earth. Thus, Jerusalem is 4,000’ above the Jordan River Valley.
Here’s what makes Jerusalem such a special place – the Lord loves the city. The word “spoken” can be translated “betrothed” or “engaged.” And Jerusalem’s grandest days are still ahead. When Jesus returns and rules the world a 1000 years, His throne will be on Zion’s hilltops.
People were proud to be citizens of Babylon, or Philistia, or Tyre, or Ethiopia – but no birthplace was more prestigious than Jerusalem.
Pastor Sandy Adams
Besides the U.S., many other countries moved or are planning to move their embassies and consulates from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Yet the Muslims claim the temple mount as their own.
The Prophet Zechariah wrote circa 520 BC…
2 I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.
4 “On that day,” says the Lord, “I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. 5 And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, their God.’
6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.
Zechariah 12:2-6 NLT
Iran, its proxies, and the Islamic extremists may want to take over Jerusalem — and all of Israel for that matter — however, God has other plans. We are called to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem…
Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
Psalm 122:6 NLT
May all who love this city prosper.
Nevertheless, at the end of Zechariah’s book, he writes of the future battle…
Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! 2 I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city.
3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.
6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light.
8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.
9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.
Zechariah 14:1-9 NLT
Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, Jesus showed the Apostle John what The Holy City would be like in the future…
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one [Jesus] sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:1-8 NLT
God could not be any clearer!
Will you be shut out of the New Jerusalem?
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
