Day 7: Jerusalem - A Tale of Two Cities

"Remove the stones"

We've covered a lot of ground on our journey to the Holy Land ("holy" because it is the sanctuary of the Lord, the site of His earthly throne). Today we enter the long awaited city of Jerusalem ("Yerushalayim" in Hebrew). The city, which is known by many names such as "the Holy City" and the "City of Peace," is the only place on earth the Lord has chosen for His Name (the place for Himself, His dwelling place (Deuteronomy 12:5; 2 Samuel 7:13; Ezra 7:15); the place He would reveal Himself (1 Kings 5:5)): "But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule My people Israel" (2 Chronicles 6:6). It was here, in the Holy City, where the glory of the Lord filled the temple, assuring the people of the Lord's presence among them (1 Kings 8:10-11). "I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where Your glory dwells" (Psalm 26:8).

Surrounding the outside of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem is a growing metropolis. The bustling streets, with its crowded buildings and many people, created quite a contrast to the peaceful scenery and lush fields of the northern region we had visited earlier in the week. The modern city of Jerusalem preserves the historic nature of the old city with its use of Jerusalem stone on the exterior of its buildings. Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

During our stop at the Israel Museum we were able to view a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. This extraordinary structure provided a birdseye view of Jerusalem during the time of Christ and was even constructed of many of the same original materials of that era. The beautiful detail, with which the Temple was constructed, paid homage to its magnificence in the day and to the city that once was, but also provided a symbol of hope and what is to come for the City of God.

Today, the Old City is surrounded by walls built during the Ottoman period in the sixteenth century A.D., unfortunately the plans neglected to include the City of David which sits outside the present wall to the south of the Old City. We entered the city through the Zion Gate, in the southern wall facing Mount Zion, it is one of seven gates through which one can access the city. The eighth gate, the Golden Gate, which leads to the Temple Mount located in the eastern wall facing the Mount of Olives, was sealed off by the Muslims years ago, but will one day see the triumphal return of the King of Glory!

Jerusalem is central to God's work on earth and is first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Genesis where Abram, after rescuing his nephew Lot from Kedorlaomer (as we discussed in day four of our journey) gave Melchizedek ("My king is righteousness"), king of Salem ("Jerusalem"), a tenth of everything after he had been shown kindness and hospitality (Genesis 14:17-20). "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand. Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything" (Genesis 14:18-20). Later, Abraham's obedience to bring his son, Isaac, to Mount Moriah to provide an offering to the Lord would establish the sacredness of the Temple Mount (Genesis 22:1-18). "So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided" (Genesis 22:14). Indeed the Lord has provided, in the city that once was, as our great High Priest, "in the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 7:17), and will complete His work, in the city that will be, the New Jerusalem. "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God" (Revelation 21:2-3).

From the beginning of the Book of Genesis to the end of the Book of Revelation the Lord has spelled out His purposes for His chosen people and His Holy City. The Lord's promise to Abraham will be fulfilled and all nations will be blessed because of His people Israel. "...and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me" (Genesis 22:18). Our visit to the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem, while honoring the victims of the Holocaust, provided testimony that the wicked plans of man cannot thwart the holy and righteous plans of God (Proverbs 19:21). What God has purposed He will fulfill. "...to them I will give within My temple and its walls a memorial and a name ("yad vashem") better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off" (Isaiah 56:5).

As we left the Shrine of the Book, a unique building (its roof resembles the lid of the jars in which the scrolls were discovered) constructed to house and preserve the Dead Sea Scrolls, there, written on one of the walls were the words from Habakkuk: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:2-3). Every inch of this beautiful land we have travelled so far has brought to life the fulfillment of the Scriptures that have been written down so that we might know the One Who has come, not just to establish a Name for Himself in Jerusalem, but as the Name above all Names throughout the earth. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).

Heavenly Father,

How majestic is Your name in

all the earth. There is no other

name under heaven given to men

by which we must be saved. How

we praise You for revealing Yourself

to us that we might experience the glory

that once dwelt in Your holy temple in

Jerusalem. "Therefore God exalted Him

to the highest place and gave Him the name

that is above every name, that at the name of

Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on

earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

May all that we do and say bring glory and honor

to Your holy, awesome, and majestic name

and may the whole earth confess the name of

the Holy One of Israel.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

(Psalm 8:1; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:9-11)

[My Israel journal, June 2008: "...Standing outside the Zion Gate, before entering the Old City of Jerusalem, our tour guide, Amir, drew us an illustration of the topography of Jerusalem. The layout of the area (from the Hinnom Valley to the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives, to Mount Moriah and the City of David in between) forms the Hebrew letter "Shin" (It looks like a "W") and is the name of God, Shaddai, God Almighty. The shape of the "shin" mimics the shape of the human heart and is included on the exterior design of the Mezuzah, a small vessel that is placed on the outside doorframes of Israeli establishments and homes (I noticed that on all the doorposts of our hotel rooms there is a little mezuzah that the bellhops touch as they enter and exit the rooms with our baggage). Inside the Mezuzah is a little parchment scroll with the Shema Yisrael prayer calling all Israel to love their God with all their heart, soul, and strength (reference Deuteronomy 6:4) and to write the commandments on their hearts (Deuteronomy 6:6). Truly God is in the details...every inch of land, every part of history, everything perfectly planned for the purpose of declaring His glory...].