June 5, 2015 - A. V. Rauf
Jerusalem: A Trembling Cup Unto All Nations
Zechariah 12:1-10—The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
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. 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 that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 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, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
The rebirth of the nation of Israel and the quest to establish Jerusalem as its capital has always been at the center of conflict between the Jews and the Arab-Islamic world. In all land negotiations that have been attempted notice that it was not the West Bank or Gaza or even the Golan Heights that have been the central point of contention. The issue has always been and ultimately will be the final status of Jerusalem. Of much importance is also the issue of the Temple Mount as well.
Revelation 11:1-2—And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
As ironic as this may sound, historically, Jews and Arabs are both descendants of Abraham and are like estranged brothers who one day will reconcile in the Millennium.
It also can be proven that it wasn’t until the rebirth of the Nation of Israel that Islamic religious leaders began to popularize the claim that Jerusalem was the third most holiest site to the Muslims. The holy cities for Islam have always been Mecca and Medina. Ultimately, once the Jews returned to their homeland, it was since then that the battle for Jerusalem really began and it will ultimately end with the return of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Just as Islam on the basis of its religion is attempting to lay both political and religious claim to Jerusalem, so has the papacy ever since the Middle Ages. Lately, there has been speculation in that there has been an acceleration in the pope’s plans to move the entire Vatican to the city of Jerusalem, and that moving the Vatican to Jerusalem is imminent.
Over the past decade the Vatican has been in negotiations with the government of Israel to obtain land in Jerusalem upon which to build a second Vatican.
Why in Jerusalem you ask?
The Word of God explicitly and repeatedly states that Jerusalem is the city chosen by God from which He will rule the world.
So what man on earth today claims to be “The Vicar of Christ;” or in other words, the very embodiment of Christ upon the earth?
It is being reported that these negotiations between the Vatican and Israel were approved by the Israeli government back in 2012, or perhaps longer, and construction has been going on ever since. Now the residence of the Pope; the Papal “palace,” and other buildings for the second Vatican are complete or nearly so. Where is this construction taking place? On Mt. Zion!!!
Again, lets not forget that principalities operate through personalities. According to the New Testament it is in Jerusalem where Satan suffered his greatest defeat with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it is right here where he will receive his final defeat. In the following Psalm the city of David is also referred to as Mt. Zion and it is on the sides of the North:
Psalm 48:1-2—Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Notice where Satan wants to establish his throne…….
Isaiah 14:5-14 —-The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
With all this talk about the building of the third temple as well as the recent rehearsals of the Feast of Passover and First-fruits (please see the following posts: https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/05/28/the-stage-is-being-set-is-anybody-paying-attention/ and https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/04/14/does-the-building-of-the-third-temple-seem-to-be-drawing-closer/
Now let us also keep in mind that the Anti-Christ will ultimately sit in the temple of God in Jerusalem, on the sides of the north, and proclaim that he is God:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-6—Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
Now notice the rest of the chapter and also pay attention to the prophesied destruction of “The Assyrian,” This happens to be one of many allusions to the Anti-Christ. (Please see the following post: https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/05/06/anti-christ-and-the-assyrian-connection/ )
Isaiah 14:15-27—Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
Currently, there happen to be not one but two Jewish religious academies known as yeshivas, in Jerusalem and dedicated to the resurrection of a Levitical priesthood conducting the training of student rabbis with Levitical names (i.e. “Levi,” Cohen,” “Segal,” etc.) to literally officiate a reastablished sacrificial system.
The amazing facty about Bible prophecy is that what God spoke ages ago in His Holy Writ, is literally coming to pass before our very eyes, word by word:
Isaiah 46:9-10—Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Ladies and gentlemen, the Rapture is not too far off…….It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when and from the way things are setting up like Bob Dylan would say, folks we are literally:
Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven’s door!!!!!