Jerusalem: a burdensome stone to all nations

The name Jerusalem has almost mystical qualities . For people all around the world it is a name that evokes remarkable feelings .

Most glorious things have been Spoken of her

The Jews have more than emotional feelings about this city in all their generations : Psalm 137: 5-6 / Daniel 6 : 10 .

Daniel was not prepared to conceal his devotion to his God . His window was not merely open ; it was open ” towards Jerusalem ” ; Why ? It is not possible to see Jerusalem from from Babylon – except with the mind’s eye . Daniel’s hope were centered on that same city that his Comrades lamented upon .

There , God placed His name .
For about 1900 yrs. in exile the plaintive greetings each Passover was , ” Next year in Jerusalem ” . They , too , felt the irresistible pull of this Small Oriental City. In doing so , the Jews of diaspora gave voice to the Spirit recorded in the Psalm , 137 .

Jeremiah’s haunting elegy – i.e. Lamentation , Daniel’s account , and those of many other prophets , place Jerusalem at the centre of their thoughts . This is not Surprising because the city plays a central role in the prophetic word . ( Jer. 1 : 7, 8,17 , etc. )

Jer. 3: 16,17 encapsulates the Centrality of Jerusalem to the Gospel of the Kingdom of God . …( Isa. 2: 1-4 / Matt. 5: 35 / Isa. 62: 6-7 / 65: 17- 19 / 66: 10- 12 .

Jer 3:16-17 KJV

“16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.”

Jerusalem , even today , is a relatively Small city . 15 miles from Jordan , and 31 from the Mediterranean. It has a harbour and is on no Significant trade trade route. It is a hilly region with very limited natural water Supply and few other resources nearby . It is only in this century that the city has enjoyed a reliable water water Supply . Infact , this city is built on 4 hills – Zion , Dera , Moriah and Bezeta .

For all natural purposes it should be an Obscure backwater of little interest to anyone , and it captures the attention of people around the world , and its name appears in our newspapers almost daily .

Jerusalem ( Yerushalayim ) means ” city or place of Peace . e.g. at the end of an article in this platform , it is normally , for some of us , to do so with the word ” SHALOM ” ; this is really kind of saying ” PEACE ” ( to all ) .

Paradoxically, it has been the centre of Conflict throughout recorded history . For Milenniah, Competing forces has struggled for control of the City – and today that struggle is reaching a Climax . Tension and Conflict appear as Constants in the history of Jerusalem .

The city in mentioned throughout the Bible , and what almost certainly its first appearance is associated with War and conflict ( Gen. 14 ) – Invasion of the land by Chedorlaomer ) Melchizedek / Abraham / Lot …….

Later in Abraham’s life there was another remarkable incident in the Vicinity of Jerusalem . In Genesis 22: 2 , Abraham is told to journey to the land of MORIAH to offer his Son – Isaac – in Sacrifice to God . Where was the land of MORIAH ? Which mountain was it to which God directed Abraham ? In 2 Chron. 3 : 1 , the temple mount is described as Mt. Moriah . – Building the temple on Mount Moriah would seem fitting in the view of the words of Gen. 22: 13 , 14 …….

On this occasion , God provided a ram , Obviating the needs for Abraham to slay his only begotten Son . Heb. 11 describes ISAAC as having been Symbolically resurrected at this time . We know that this incident is a FIGURE if the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ – the sacrifice provided by God that we might have redemption from death and hope of eternal life . Both took place in Jerusalem ( Moriah ) .

Although the Jews came to possess Jerusalem ; by the time of Christ , the city well and truly back under the control of sinful men . The Jews controlling the city and temple rejected the son of David , and as the hour of his sacrifice approached the Lord uttered a plaintive Lamentation of the city – Matt. 23: 37- 38 ” O Jerusalem , Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her !! How often I wanted to gather your children , as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings , but you were not willing ! ” See ! Your house is left to you desolate ; ” for I say to you , you shall see Me no more TILL you say , Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD ! ” ( NKJV ) .

May the Lord open our eyes and minds to discern the Wondrous things out of His word as we read , study and meditate over them , and be blessed abundantly in so doing

Fourth year after the wicked killed Jesus , the nation was punished when God when God sent the Roman ( in AD 70 ) under VESPASIAN , and later , his son TITUS , to raze the city , and destroy the temple and sent the Jews into exile

Oliveth prophecy of Lk. 21: 20- 23 captures a significant event ; also Lk. 21: 24- 32 . The treading down is a fact of history that is well known to us .

See the trend :

1) AD 70 = Romans .

2) 313-636 = Byzantines

( 3) 637- 1091 = Arabs

( 4) 1091- 1098 ) = Seljuks

(5) 1099- 1291 = Crusaders

( 6) 1291- 1516 = Mamluks

( 7) 1517 – 1917 = Ottoman Empire ( TURKEY )

( 8) 1918-1948 = British .

Here we realise that the cup of Trembling has become Jerusalem , and the Unceasing trouble over possession of the City by those round about .

TRANSITION OF THE CUP OF TREMBLING : Isa. 51: 17 cf. Isa. 51: 22 .

That transition is fully defined by Zech. in 12 : 2 ; and in v 3 .( the word ” when ” here is key – in the latter days .

Zec 12:2-3 KJV “² Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. ³ And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

In order for this to be possible , Israel has to be in possession of Jerusalem – otherwise , there is no contest . Israel must be a nation in order to possess it . Only since 1967 ( the six-day war ) , can that be possible ; when Israel finally captured the Holy City and annexed it to the state of Israel . It is significant that since that provide day , Jerusalem has been the object of desire for all Nations of the ” the ” earth ” which have been gathered against it .

We must realize there is NO REAL CONTEST in the conflict – The forces of God will Obliterate His enemies . But we must patient for the for the outworking of HIS PLAN – a necessity which promotes FAITH in those who patiently wait , and trust upon the Lord .

” A BURDENSOME STONE TO ALL NATIONS ”

[ OSLO ACCORD ( pact ) :

In 1993 , the Israelis and the Palestinians Signed a remarkable pact – negotiated at secret meetings in Norway . It provides for a series of negotiations on a range of Contentious issues aimed at securing a level of autonomy for the Palestinians . The last issue Scheduled to be resolved in these talks was the Status of Jerusalem . The aggrement was a classic case of a modern approach to ” dispute resolution known as ‘ ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION ‘ ” .

Unlike the traditional adversoral system of dispute resolution using force or legal coercion , this involves two seemingly irreconciliable parties identifying the few things in which they aggreed , and using these to build a platform for wider agreement .

The secret to such negotiations is to defer for as long as possible discussion of those issues which agreement is least likely , in the interim to remove the obstacles to agreement . That is why Jerusalem was Scheduled as the last issue to be determined .

Most people recognise that the Israeli and the Palestinian views in Jerusalem were apparently irreconciliable , and that if Oslo pact was to collapse it would do so over this issue .

Even as the treaty was signed it was recognized that it could lead to war over the status of Jerusalem . Events since then have only served to confirm this. view .

JERUSALEM : HOLY TO THREE GREAT FAITHS .

Israel Uncompromisingly hold Jerusalem as their eternal capital ( citing the Bible ) .
* The Palestinians claim that it will be the capital of an Independent Palestinian state ( when it will be a reality ) .
Three main religions of the world have some claim to this city ; Catholics ( Pope ) want it as an international city where they will control it ; Moslems regard it as the 3rd. most holy cities in Islam after Mecca and Medinna : Judaisers see Jerusalem as their religious capital . ( e.g. Tel Aviv Vs Jerusalem as present day Israel in the view of different people ) ; USA and UK want it as their Economic and Military Strategic post .

It should be noted here that , during the tenure of the immediate past president of the USA , ( he , through the force of the hidden finger of the God of Israel declared Jerusalem as the Eternal Capital of Israel and transfered it from Tel – Aviv to Jerusalem immediately , to seal the declaration as official _ ‘ emphasis mine ‘ ) – Yes , another Milestone to the kingdom .
took steps to strengthen it’s control over Jerusalem and surrounding areas by extending the boundaries of the city . This provoked a rebuke from the UN , which has never recognized Israel’s control of the city , and sparked off the INTIFADA ( Resistance ) by the Palestinians . ( the issue of Gaza and West Bank governments ) .

In 1998 Israeli government Under Prime Minister Ehud Barak , the Israeli government confirmed it’s commitment to retaining full control over Jerusalem . The peace talks have broking down principally over the Question of Jerusalem’s Sovereignty , and previous agreements are also under threats ; not only those between Israel and Palestinians , but relstions with other neighbouring Countries are also threatened .

Another problem is Israel’s demographic time bomb ( the city’s Jewish growth rate is declining , while at the same time Arab population is growing ) . This may have a longer fuse than a terrorist bomb , but it might in the end be much more devastating . And if you add to this , the influence of extremists on the both sides , there is a very volatile mix indeed .

Given the tension that have already ignited in this region and that are focussed on Jerusalem , it would not take much to start a major conflict that will involve many other nations . Such a conflict is predicted by the prophets , and the budernsome stone that is Jerusalem may well be the trigger .

Jerusalem is now a budernsome stone , and s cup of Trembling . It is at the centre of world tension .

Most glorious things are indeed spoken of Jerusalem , but dreadful things are also recorded We now see a city enmeshed in conflict . Surely this is a portent ( sign or warning ….) Of the nearness of the set time to favour Zion , when the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come singing unto Zion.