The Fate of Jerusalem by S. Jones

COMMENTS ON THE FATE OF JERUSALEM

By Dr. Stephen Jones - Dec 08, 2017

https://gods-kingdom-ministries.net/daily-weblogs/2017/12-2017/comments-on-the-fate-of-jerusalem/

Trump’s recent decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem fulfills the will of Congress, which passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act on November 8, 1995.

https://www.congress.gov/104/plaws/publ45/PLAW-104publ45.pdf

Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama all signed waivers to postpone it. Even Trump signed a waver six months ago. But now it is being implemented.

I see it as the start of a final countdown toward the destruction of Jerusalem, as per Jeremiah 19:10, 11, a prophecy which was partially fulfilled in past destructive wars, but which has yet to be fulfilled in its entirety.

Although Trump’s policy is based on a misunderstanding of Bible prophecy, fed to him by his evangelical spiritual advisors, I see also the inevitability that this prophecy must be fulfilled at some point in history.

It is the only way (in my opinion) that the dispute between Hagar and Sarah will be resolved, since both of them firmly believe that they are called to give birth to the promised seed. The dispute has been ongoing since the book of Genesis. In Genesis 21:10 we see that it was Sarah’s request to cast out the bondwoman and her son. But Paul affirms that decision as valid in Galatians 4:30.

In our time, I believe, we will see this prophetic verdict actually carried out. Hagar-Jerusalem must be cast out, along with her spiritual children of the flesh, in order for the world to recognize and establish Sarah, the heavenly Jerusalem, as the true mother of the Kingdom.

Recall that the Hebrew word for Jerusalem is Ierushalayim. It literally means “two Jerusalems.” The -ayim ending does not simply make the word plural; it means “two.” So every time Jerusalem was named by the prophets, they were prophesying about two cities, perhaps without realizing it.

This revelation was given to the New Testament writers, Paul and John in particular, for they make a clear distinction between the two cities. Paul says in Galatians 4:25, 26 that the earthly Jerusalem is Hagar, and the heavenly Jerusalem is Sarah. In Revelation 11:8 John says that the earthly Jerusalem is the equivalent of Sodom and Egypt, while the heavenly Jerusalem is the bride in Revelation 21:2, 9, 10. By inference, that also makes the earthly Jerusalem the false bride, i.e., the great whore, the one pretending to be the bride, the one also persecuting the true bride.

This issue has remained unresolved for thousands of years, and much conflict has occurred as a result. But we are now on a countdown toward the resolution of this dispute, and the result will not be pretty. Full background on this dispute is in my book, The Struggle for the Birthright.

The Revelation of June 24, 2017

Last June a local friend came to my office to tell me that he was given revelation on June 24, 2017 about Daniel’s 70 weeks. His understanding was that June 24, 2017 was the start of a 70-week cycle, ending October 27, 2018. He was seeking more understanding about this.

I told him that the original pattern was when Daniel prophesied about 70 weeks of years, or 70 sabbath years, beginning with the decree of Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. and ending with the crucifixion of Jesus in 33 A.D. This is a cycle of Blessed Time (490). In Matthew 18:22 it is a forgiveness cycle.

Applied to Judah’s history, it speaks into the fact that every year on the Day of Atonement, the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. All of the sins that had been deposited daily under the altar by the blood of sacrifice was brought to the mercy seat once a year, and God forgave the nation.

After 490 years, however, a great reckoning had to be made. This is the point of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:23-35. After forgiving 70 x 7 times, the “certain king” began “to settle accounts.” The debtor asked for more time, and the king went beyond that, cancelling the entire debt. In other words, he received a Jubilee, the cancellation of all debt. But when the debtor could not forgive the small debt that his neighbor owed him, he lost his Jubilee. The moral of the story is found in Matthew 18:35,

³⁵ So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.

Sin is reckoned as a debt in Scripture. So the parable was not just about forgiving monetary debts, but forgiving offences that make us legally indebted to those we offend.

That is what happened to Judah after 490 years. They sinned throughout the year, but their sins were covered by the blood of sacrifice twice a day. Each year on the Day of Atonement, God forgave the nation for 490 years. God then settled the account with Judah, but Jesus paid the price on the cross to give everyone a Jubilee.

Yet those who do not live by the principle of the Jubilee will be disqualified and will then be sentenced to pay off their own debt, if that were possible. That is why only a few will inherit life in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4, 5, 6). Most of humanity will yet have to learn righteousness and forgiveness after the general resurrection, so that they qualify for the Creation Jubilee at the end of time. Then God will be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

It appears that we are presently in a short-term 70-week cycle from June 24, 2017 to October 27, 2018. How do we apply this? It appears that God is about to reckon the accounts next year. It is somewhat unclear as to who this applies to. But now that Trump is moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, there may well be a connection to this 70-week cycle.

The Rise of Violence

The Muslim world is not known for its ability to forgive. They always demand justice, because they see justice as a duty, rather than as a right. Such is the nature of Old Covenant thinking, which characterizes all who consider the earthly Jerusalem to be their mother. Trump’s decision is already causing widespread reaction in the Mideast. It has started with the call for “three days of rage” as the people vent their anger.

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/1.827026

It is probable that Trump’s decision will spark a new Intifada, and the Israelis will use it as an excuse to blow up the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and replace it with their own temple. Since all of the materials have already been gathered, they could do this rather quickly. This would spark a wider war, of course.

It is quite possible that the temple controversy itself will prove to be the cause of Isaiah’s prophecy to be fulfilled, regarding the manner of Jerusalem’s destruction. Whereas Jeremiah 19:10, 11 gives us the fact that Jerusalem will be destroyed so completely that it will never again be repaired (rebuilt), Isaiah 29:1-8 gives us a description of a nuclear disaster.

Most people totally misunderstand this prophecy, because of their assumptions. It is a prophecy of “woe” upon Ariel, a poetic name for Jerusalem. Isaiah 29:1 says, “Woe, O Ariel, the city where David once camped!” Ariel has a double meaning. It means “the lion of God,” and it also means “the hearth of God.” It was supposed to be the lion of God, but because of its wickedness, God was to turn into His “hearth,” that is, a fireplace, a place of burning.

In Isaiah 29:2 God says, “And I will bring distress to Ariel.” In other words, God speaks directly to Jerusalem, telling her that He Himself will do this.

In Isaiah 29:3 God says, “And I will camp against you encircling you, and I will set siegeworks against you…” Here God lets Jerusalem know that God is the King who is laying siege to the city. As we see later in verse 7, God uses other nations as His army to lay siege to Jerusalem.

In Isaiah 29:4 God prophesies that His war campaign against Jerusalem will succeed, and the city “shall be brought low.” The city will then speak “from the earth” and “from the dust.”

Isaiah 29:5 then says in a very misunderstood passage, “But the multitude of your enemies shall become like fine dust…” Most assume that this is a reference to the nations who are part of God’s army in this siege against Jerusalem. But we already know that God’s army will succeed in bringing Jerusalem to the ground and to the dust. Will God destroy His own army and save the city, as so many Christians believe?

The answer is found in Isaiah 63:10, where God says about Israel in the days of Moses,

¹⁰ But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.

In the law of tribulation, we read in Leviticus 26:40-42,

⁴⁰ If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— ⁴¹ I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, ⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob…

This law shows that when nations or people act with hostility against Yahweh-Yeshua, they become God’s enemies. That is why Isaiah says “He turned Himself to become their enemy.” God enemies are not defined in terms of race or genealogy, but in terms of their unfaithfulness toward God Himself. Further, when Israel was unfaithful, God said He would become their enemy and “bring them into the land of their enemies.”

This clearly shows that God would raise up an army of foreigners to lay siege to Israel and Judah, and that God essentially leads those armies against His “enemies.”

Therefore, when God tells Ariel in Isaiah 29:5 that “the multitude of your enemies shall become like fine dust,” he is referring to internal enemies, not to the armies laying siege to the city. The context shows that he is describing the manner in which Jerusalem is brought to the dust.

⁵ The multitude of your enemies shall become like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; and it shall happen instantly, suddenly. ⁶ From the Lord of hosts you [Jerusalem] will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.

Verse 6 clearly shows that God was continuing to speak to Jerusalem and that it is Jerusalem that will be “punished” in this siege. The description of that punishment appears to be a nuclear explosion, which causes “a loud noise” (or “thunder”). The ground shakes (“earthquake”). A “tempest” blows with a great wind. A “flame of a consuming fire” is unleashed.

Here is video of an actual nuclear blast filmed by the US government in Nevada. Go to the 9:30 mark to watch its effects and see if Isaiah describes it quite well in his prophecy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA8z94MXo9M

Once Isaiah establishes the fact that God will lay siege to Jerusalem and that Jerusalem “will be punished,” then God turns His attention to the armies that He is using to accomplish His purpose. Isaiah 29:7, 8 makes the analogy of a dream or vision. It is like having a dream where you are thirsty and are drinking, but when you wake up, you are still thirsty. In a dream you are hungry and are eating, but when you wake up, you are still hungry.

What does this mean? The Arab nations are “hungry” for Jerusalem. They desire that city and the land of Palestine itself. That is probably their motive for laying siege to Jerusalem. But when it is all over, they will find themselves still hungry and thirsty. Why? Because NO ONE will get to inhabit the city. There will be too much nuclear fallout. Hence, it will be like a dream, where they will wake up still thirsty and hungry.

Finally, Isaiah 29:9 tells Jerusalem, “Blind yourselves and be blind.” In other words, the people will not understand what is going on. Isaiah 29:10, 11 says,

¹⁰ For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, the seers. ¹¹ And the entire vision [of Jerusalem’s destruction] shall be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”

So we see that Isaiah’s vision in the 29^th chapter of his book is “sealed.” People cannot read it, that is, they cannot understand it, because their eyes are blind. That is why hardly anyone understands this prophecy. That is why most Christians misapply it, thinking that God will save Jerusalem at the last minute. Few even understand Jeremiah 19:10, 11, although it is plain as day once your eyes are opened to see it.

Yet once we understand the prophecies, we will not be taken by surprise, nor will we lose faith in God when Jerusalem is destroyed. Many Christians, who consider the earthly Jerusalem to be their mother, will be astonished and will even lose their faith, because they have been told that this city is an “eternal city” and will be the capital of the Kingdom. They think Jesus will rule from a temple at that location, rather than from the temple that Paul described in Ephesians 2:19-22, which is made of living stones (1 Peter 2:5).

But you are not deceived, for you know the difference between the two Jerusalems, and you know that you are temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16).

The Two Jerusalem(s)

THE TWO JERUSALEM(S)

A Prerequisite for Understanding the “Cup of Trembling” Post

The Presence of God

After Moses and the Hebrews initially left Egypt and made camp, the presence of God appeared as fire upon the Mount.  After the completion of the tabernacle structure, the presence of God inhabited the innermost section of the tabernacle tent.  Upon entering the land of Canaan through the leadership of Joshua, the tabernacle was established or set up in Shiloh and the presence of God was within.

After a few centuries, the priesthood of Eli at Shiloh had become so corrupt, that God forsook the tabernacle.  A child born on that particular day was named Ichabod, meaning “the glory has departed” as a remembrance.  When the temple was completed by Solomon, the presence of God moved to that place.

A few more centuries passed and the corruption in Jerusalem was similar to that of Shiloh and so the presence of God departed from the temple which is documented in Jeremiah 7:11-14.  Although Jeremiah prophesied of God’s departure, the prophet Ezekiel saw the vision of His parting to the top of the Mount of Olives. 

Ezekiel 10:15 NET  The cherubim rose up; these were the living beings I saw at the Kebar River.

Ezekiel 11:22-23 NET  Then the cherubim spread their wings with their wheels alongside them while the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.  (23)  The glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stopped over the mountain east of it (i.e. the Mount of Olives).

The top of the mount was 2,000 cubits beyond the city walls, and this was defined by the rabbis as being “outside the camp” and “a Sabbath day’s journey.”

There is no indication within scripture that the glory of God ever returned when the second temple was built in the days of Zerubbabel or after the renovation performed by Herod.  In fact, since the Ark of the Covenant had long disappeared during the time of Jeremiah during the Babylonian invasion, that second temple and its later renovation contained a Most Holy Place that was empty. Josephus tells us that a stone slab was put in its place within the modification of Herod.  But the glory of God did not return to that place, because He had forsaken it “as Shiloh.”

After Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected from the dead, He ascended to heaven from the very spot where the glory of God had been seen last by Ezekiel.  This is also the same location as the transfiguration.  This concluded the departure of the presence of God from Jerusalem.  Ten days later the presence of God did return but not to a physical structure. The Spirit of God, at that moment, inhabited the believers in Christ or the citizens of the New Jerusalem.

Two Jerusalems

The word “Jerusalem” is naturally a plural term.  It is Ierushalayim, or “Jerusalems.”  Although ancient rabbis discussed this plurality of the city, they never seemed to understand there are two different Jerusalems prophesied in the Old Covenant.  One of the Jerusalems is described as being restored in the future in some manner or form.  The other is prophesied as being destroyed to the point that it can never be rebuilt (more on that later).  Many Bible teachers and commentators are confused concerning this subject even today.  However Paul teaches the distinct difference between the two cities, the existing one and the future version.  If not for him almost everyone would continue to be confused.  Some people continue to be confused, although some people purposely confuse themselves.

There was the ancient rebuilt city of Jerusalem and then there is the New Jerusalem designated as the “bride of Christ” in Revelation 21.  These two cities are revealed in the New Testament by the teachings of Paul the apostle, which are found mostly in Galatians 4:24-31.

Galatians 4:22-26 NET    (22)  For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.  (23)  But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.  (24)  These things may be treated as an allegory (or a type), for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar.  (25)  Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.  (26)  But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

The ancient physical city of Jerusalem, which is allegorically described as Hagar, cannot bring forth the promised seed (i.e. the Christ or the children of God).  Hagar did not bring forth the promised Isaac, an heir to Jesus, but is the mother of Ishmael, who was prophesied to be a wild donkey as told to Hagar by God.  Although Ishmael is the son of Abraham, he is not the inheritor of the promises of God, but rather Isaac is the promised seed and the inheritor of the promises.

The Old Covenant scriptures contain various prophecies concerning the two cities of Jerusalem.  Some are positive in nature and others are negative describing the future destruction of the physical city of Jerusalem.

Ten Northern Tribes of Israel

Jeremiah 18 is a prophecy dealing with the ten northern tribes of Israel who were captured by Assyria and led captive to an area between the Caspian and Black Seas.  They later migrated toward the west and north and now occupy the western and northern countries of Europe.  The prophecy is issued to “O house of Israel”.

Jeremiah 18:3-4 NET  So I went down to the potter's house and found him working at his wheel.  (4)  Now and then there would be something wrong with the pot he was molding from the clay with his hands. So he would rework the clay into another kind of pot as he saw fit.

Please note that displaced Israelites (i.e. the ten northern tribes) constitute the primary group of people to accept the Gospel of Christ within the European continent and the Near Eastern area.

Matthew 10:6 KJV  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

James 1:1 KJV  James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

They are metaphorically represented as the wet clay that can be reshaped or reformed to conform to the purposes of God.

The Southern Tribes of Judah and Benjamin

The prophecy contained in Jeremiah 19 is issued to “Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem” (i.e. the southern nation of Judah).  Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and other prophets are specific about the nations of tribes they are transmitting their message.  Many modern Bible teachers either do not understand the difference or they believe that all tribes were present and represented subsequent to the Babylonian captivity until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.  However, the scriptures have a different explanation than the Bible teachers.

Jeremiah 19:1 NET  The LORD told Jeremiah, "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take with you some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders of the priests.

Jeremiah 19:10-11 NET  The LORD continued, "Now break the jar in front of those who have come here with you.  (11)  Tell them the LORD who rules over all says, 'I will do just as Jeremiah has done. I will smash this nation and this city as though it were a potter's vessel which is broken beyond repair. The dead will be buried here in Topheth (Gehenna) until there is no more room to bury them.'

 
 

The city of Jerusalem has been destroyed several times, most notably by the Babylonians, the Romans, and the Crusaders but after each destruction it has been rebuilt.  Jeremiah prophesied the nation of Judah/Israel and the city of Jerusalem would be broken beyond repair as a smashed potter’s vessel.  Since we are at the end of the age, this will be the last and final destruction of the city.

The broken vase was to be thrown into Topheth or Gehenna.  This was the garbage dump of Jerusalem containing carcasses of sacrificed animals and criminals.  As described by Jesus, it was the place where, “the worm never dies”.

The prophecy of Jeremiah 19 represents an adverse or destructive forecast concerning Jerusalem.  However, there are other prophecies portraying the city in complimentary terms which appear to contradict the Jeremiah prophecy.  These glowing prophecies are not describing the ancient city of Jerusalem but the New Jerusalem which will be a gift from God.

Isaiah 60:19-20 NET  The sun will no longer supply light for you by day, nor will the moon's brightness shine on you; the LORD will be your permanent source of light — the splendor of your God will shine upon you.  (20)  Your sun will no longer set; your moon will not disappear; the LORD will be your permanent source of light; your time of sorrow will be over.

Isaiah 62:1-5 NET  "For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines brightly and her deliverance burns like a torch."  (2)  Nations will see your vindication, and all kings your splendor. You will be called by a new name that the LORD himself will give you.  (3)  You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal turban in the hand of your God.  (4)  You will no longer be called, "Abandoned," and your land will no longer be called "Desolate." Indeed, you will be called "My Delight is in Her," and your land "Married." For the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married to him.  (5)  As a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

The majority of Isaiah 60, 61, & 62 describe the New Jerusalem.  It is assumed this new city will present itself during the Millennial reign of Christ which is the Kingdom of God.  Where it will be and how it will be created is not scripturally known to my knowledge.

Revelation 21:9-27 describes the New Jerusalem.  Many elements are the same as the Isaiah 60, 61, & 62 passages.

Revelation 21:10-12 NET  (10)  So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.  (11)  The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.  (12)  It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel are written on the gates.

Revelation 21:23 NET   The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Revelation 21:27 NET  but nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Zechariah 12: 1-9 is another passage representing the city in a complimentary fashion because it is describing the New Jerusalem although the term “new” is not used.  Granted, this particular passage does not contain the heavenly and glorious attributes as does the Isaiah 60 scripture, however it is still describing the New Jerusalem.

When Mr. Trump stated that the US Embassy would be moved to Jerusalem, one Bible teacher pointed to this verse and said, “At last.  Jerusalem (i.e. the current city) will finally become the spiritual center of the world”.  He apparently overlooks the destruction prophecies or dismisses them as relating to some else.  He is not alone.  Most, if not all, the pre-trib, dispensational teachers have the same attitude and refuse to understand the existence of two Jerusalems.  When the final destruction of Jerusalem occurs in the near future, these teachers (and many others) will be totally stunned and possibly horrified.  The effect on their beliefs and doctrines will be catastrophic.