What is the Destiny of Earthly Jerusalem?
By Manfred E. Kober, Th. D.
( Dr. Kober, who writes the Prophecy Corner for Mustard Seed International, gave me permission to post his article on Jerusalem. This is Part 1. Dr. Kober also conducts Holy Land tours and you may contact him at: MKober@mustardseed.com with questions or comments.)
Jerusalem is almost daily in the news. The Palestinian leadership and Israel’s enemies, such as Iran, wish to divide the sovereignty of the city, by making east Jerusalem the capital of a Palestinian state. They deny the Jewish history of Jerusalem, insisting that there never was a Jewish temple and worst of all, they desire to destroy the citizens of the city. In the words of Ahmadinejad, “Israel must be wiped off the map” (October 26, 2005).
Is the tiny country of Israel, which would fit eight times into the state of Iowa, doomed? Will Jerusalem survive the turmoil and terrorism of the 21st century? The Scriptures afford a glimpse into the future, indicating that despite trials and tribulations, Jerusalem will ultimately triumph over its enemies and emerge as the world’s capital.
It might be helpful to study seven assertions concerning Jerusalem’s status in the Tribulation period and an equal number of predictions for the Millennial kingdom. In this article, we’ll look at Jerusalem in the Tribulation.
1. Jerusalem will be a refuge for persecuted Jews. Apparently, after the rapture, a vicious worldwide anti-Semitism will erupt (Mt. 24:5-8). Scattered Jews from all over the world will flee to Israel (Ez. 37:7-14), a return that will be total so that “none is left behind” (Ez. 39:25-28). Antichrist, the Roman prince, will sign a covenant with Israel, guaranteeing her protection (Dan. 9:27).
2. Jerusalem will be the site of the Tribulation temple. A new temple will crown Mt. Moriah, probably just north of the Dome of the Rock, where apparently Herod’s temple was located. Jews will worship in the sanctuary until Antichrist desecrates the temple after three and a half years (Mt. 24:15, Dan. 9:27, 2Thess. 2:3-4).
3. Jerusalem will be the headquarters of Antichrist. When God destroys Gog and Magog in the middle of the Tribulation period (Ez. 38-39), Antichrist is free to extend his rule worldwide. To counter an approaching army of 200 million demonized horsemen from Asia (Dan. 11:15; Rev. 9:16), he moves his seat of government from Rome to Jerusalem, “on the holy mount between the seas” (Dan. 11:45).
4. Jerusalem will be the center of Antichrist’s idolatry. This counterfeit Christ will break his covenant with Israel and desecrate the temple with the “abomination of desolation” (Mt. 24:15). Discerning Jews will escape to Ammon, Moab and Edom east of the Dead Sea (Dan. 11:41). Antichrist will demand worship for himself and his image in the temple (2 Thess. 2:4).
5. Jerusalem will be a mission field for the two witnesses. Two witnesses, during the last three and a half years of the Tribulation period, will forcefully and with miraculous signs minister the gospel in Jerusalem, protected by a sovereign God (Rev. 11:3-12).
6. Jerusalem will be the scene of a catastrophic earthquake. When the two witnesses are martyred by Antichrist, God avenges their death by causing an earthquake in Jerusalem that will prove fatal to 7,000 citizens (Rev. 11:11-13).
7. Jerusalem will be the focal point of Armageddon. During the final half of the Tribulation, the world’s armies will inundate Israel from the south, north, west and east (Dan. 11:41). While the campaign extends to the Valley of Armageddon in northern Israel, a fierce battle rages around Jerusalem at the very conclusion of the Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble (Zech. 12:1, 2; 14:1-3). As we will see in the second part of our article, just when all seems lost for Israel and Jerusalem, Christ will deliver His people.
God Bless You All,
Pastor Moser
June, 2010
W. O. W.
Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
(image courtesy of http://blog.dennisfox.net/index.php/archives/2008/11/)
In : 2010.06 "What is the Destiny of Earthly Jerusalem?"
The Home Place Mission had a former site and the time came where we had to switch web site hosts. Our email had to be changed as well. In transferring the articles over, every effort was made to correct any inferences to the old email address (the new one is on the home page). Also, all articles containing hyper links were needing updated too. Please forgive us if some things may have been overlooked. Because this page is in a blog format, the date we transferred each article over is what shows under the title when opened. The correct date each article was written is beside the title under the category column. We apologize for the blog format, as it is not as "user-friendly" as our old site but we do hope you find the articles encouraging and are blessed by the insights shared! Thank you for reading!
