On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her,
I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.
All who try to move it will injure themselves.
Zechariah 12:3
Yerushaliyim is the Hebrew name for Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish world. This city is first mentioned as Salem in Genesis 14:18. It is also where David purchased land on Mount Moriah to build an altar to God (2 Samuel 24:18–25). It later became the site of the First and Second Temples. Centuries later, this same piece of real estate in Jerusalem was claimed by the Muslims as one of their holy sites and the city was named al-Quds. For many more centuries up to the present, the battle has raged for God’s Holy Land and City.
Let’s rewind back to Jesus’ day and look at His close connection to this place. He was taken to Jerusalem as an infant to be dedicated to the Lord (Luke 2:22–24). His parents also went there every year for Passover (verse 41). On one of these occasions, Jesus, as a child, left His parents and went to the temple to engage the religious teachers in discussion (verses 43–50).
As an adult, Jesus rode on a donkey into the city on the day we now celebrate as Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:1–11). Shortly thereafter, He chased away the money lenders from the temple (verses 12–16). He again engaged the religious leaders there (21:23–46). Jesus mourned for Jerusalem because the people had rejected the prophets before Him, and because they would not see Him again until His final return (23:37–39).
Jesus had the “Last Supper” and was arrested, crucified, and resurrected in Jerusalem. After His ascension, the gift of the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost in Jerusalem and the city became the headquarters of the church (the book of Acts).
Prior to His Second Coming, Jerusalem will be a major site of events at the End of the Age. Specifically, the Temple Mount in the heart of the city is a primary hotspot (Revelation 11). After God’s ultimate victory is won in Revelation 21:2, the Apostle John foresaw a future Jerusalem that we will all enjoy:
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
So how do we apply Jerusalem to us living in the West? Psalm 122:6a: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”. This city that has meant so much to the Jewish people, to Jesus, and to Christendom will be constantly surrounded by war and unrest. We need to pray for Israel in general and Jerusalem specifically until the day comes when Jesus returns and establishes His Kingdom there forever.
