When God Sets Jerusalem Free
Jerusalem is in bondage with her children. She is in bondage to sin, uncleanness, and to the rejection of her Messiah. Jerusalem has been in bondage since the Roman, General Titus, wrecked and burned her with fire in 70 A.D. We might say that her bondage goes back to the moment the Son of God died on His cross or when the Jewish mob cried, “Give us Barabbas, but crucify Jesus.” It was a faithful Jewish apostle that stated, “For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children” (Galatians 4:25).
There is no biblically named city as important as Jerusalem. A truly born again Christian cannot study the Bible, including the life and death of Jesus Christ, and, especially, Bible prophecy and not become fixated on Jerusalem. The name Jerusalem and other derivatives of that name total well over one thousand occurrences in Holy Scripture. It is the Father’s counterpart of His own Heavenly Jerusalem. God Himself chose this city and named it after His Heavenly capitol. For any person or persons on earth to call this city their capitol except the Jewish families is certainly close to blasphemy. To a devoted Jew, Jerusalem is “their oasis in the desert.” No Jewish person can dare forget Jerusalem.
No city or country in this entire world will be free until Jerusalem is free. That statement can set you back, but take a moment to consider. The Son of God had walked through the cobblestone streets of this city that He dearly loved before He sat on the Mount of Olives and spoke revelational truth to His disciples. One of the far-reaching remarks was about the future of this city that would soon reject Him as the Messiah. He stated, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).
Jesus Christ proclaimed clearly that one of the conditions that would rule these Gentile nations was trouble and troubles and more troubles. “Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven” (Luke 21:10-11). The Prince of Peace will settle the troubles of Jerusalem and His kingdom will crush the Gentile empires to establish His One World Order. Jesus clearly confirmed the revelations of Daniel, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35). The Peace of Jerusalem will mean the peace of the kingdoms of the earth because the entire world will be annexed to the “Promised Land.”
It would not be fair to you if I did not also include Daniel’s interpretation of the previous verses, “And in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44-45). Peace in Jerusalem will be peace in every city and every nation of the world.
Angels are busy night and day keeping watch from the top of the walls of Jerusalem and guaranteeing that every prophetic plan will be fulfilled. “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isaiah 62:6-7). It is sad to see the multitudes that have written off the nation of Israel and the prophetic future of Jerusalem. Such ideas are clearly the imagination of unclean spirits or demons. These people and their ideas can no more be fulfilled than God can be ejected from His own beautiful Jerusalem.
His Pearly White City is so spiritually and prophetically connected to earthly Jerusalem that for one to fail both must fail. If the earthly family of Jesus Christ does not inherit their Jerusalem, then the virgin born Jewish Son will not inherit His New Jerusalem. David spoke of this heavenly city and tied it to the earthly prototype, “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” (Psalm 48:1-2).
The same Son of God that promised Jerusalem and the Promise Land to His kin, the Jews, is the Son of God that was manifest out of the Ivory Palaces of Heavenly Jerusalem. For any religion, nation, or army to think of possessing this city and driving the Jewish people into the sea is insane.
Yes, the City of Jerusalem is in bondage at the present. However, the recordkeeping and promise keeping Father that sits in His Heavenly Temple with His Son will soon say, “It is enough.” The Father will look to His Son on His Right Hand and declare that the hour has come. He will speak to His exalted Son concerning Himself and Jerusalem, the chosen city, “Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married” (Isaiah 62:3-4). What a prophetic certainty to know this is in our future.
Dr. Donn Parker
As one travels around Jerusalem, it becomes vewry clear that this city is very different and very special. I remember seeing the Western or Wailing Wall for the first time and knowing that this was part of God’s Temple. My breath was taken away as I visited the Dome of the Rock…just above the wall and saw the place where God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son and to see what remains of the “Holy Of Holies”. This is the only place in the entire world that one can point to and say God the Father came to this spot to accept the sacrifices of His People… The Jewish people. It took my breath away. The day is coming very soon when God will reclaim Jerusalem and His Jewish People. It will be then that the Jews who realize that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and that He is God. When one is raised and practices as an Orthodox Jew and then, comes the realization that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, it becomes very easy to know the Jerusalem is God city.
Jim
Pastor Chambers:
Thanks so much for this inspiring message. I’ve also heard you mention other cities prophetically, particularly Babylon and Rome. Forgive me, but could you remind me of their functions as well? Did you write that Babylon (Iraq) would be the capitol of the Anti-Christ or one world government?
Also, if the earthly Jerusalem is the capitol of the messianic kingdom, where will the New Jerusalem (the eternal city) be? Will it be placed at the present Jerusalem or somewhere else on the earth? Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving.
Byron
Pastor Chambers,
Love your insight’s and “words” of encouragement, the writings on the wall, it’s clear, the only easy way for “them” to get their global agenda implemented is for the ‘great’ catching away to take place. Whenever that happens, Christians need to be very strong and trust in the promises of our (God) Savior! It’s so amazing that how many Jewish folk’s are waking up to Jesus, PTL! Israel is w/o doubt a “burdensome stone”, w/the the latest out of Palestine, Awesome God, awesome!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving
Noreen Jackson
Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King! I am praying and watching tearfully for Our Master to return for us in the clouds and pray it will be soon. The hatred awash for Christians who truly believe is almost overwhelming. People I thought were friends have equated us with the Mulims who worship the moon god allah. Those people are atheists, agnostics, humanists who are the majority. No wonder so many will die during the tribulation. God will cleanse the population drastically because He will not have to deal with those filthy rags.
Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus.
Ed Wood
Hello Pastor Joseph.
You are right about Jerusalem. What people might also find interesting is that it will become the focal point of dispute among the nations of the world (Zechariah 12:2-4). I believe we are seeing this right now as Israel and its adversaries now wrangle over Jerusalem’s status. I have no doubt this will continue right up until the Second Coming.
Zechariah 14:2-3 reveals half of this city falling to its enemies, very likely in a final assault of the forces of the Antichrist. They would succeed entirely were it not for the return of Jesus himself.
***********
Note to Jim: Here’s a quick opinion on the three cities you mentioned.
1) Jerusalem – God’s city, as Pastor Joseph covered very well in this commentary. I also believe that Jesus himself will reign there personally for the 1000 year Millennium.
2) Babylon – located in modern Iraq. In ancient times it was the center of the Babylonian Empire which under Nebuchanezzar conquered and destroyed Jerusalem and took the inhabitants of Judah (all that was left of Israel at that time) into a seventy year exile. Cyrus the Persian in turn conquered Babylon and allowed the Hebrews to return there in the 6th Century A.D. The book of Daniel was written during this exile.
Though possessing remarkable riches and technology for its time, it was always a center for idolatry. It was there that people under a man named Nimrod (Genesis 10:9-10) attempted to establish the first one-world government and even encroach into God’s domain (Genesis 11:1-9).
Babylon’s ruins were partially restored by Saddam Hussein and I personally believe this project will be finished and will become the center of the Antichrist’s final world government and economic center. Reference to it being destroyed one last time is found in Revelation, chapter 18. It appears that this will happen near the end of the Tribulation.
I tend to think of Babylon as a kind of “anti-Jerusalem,”
a place that Satan has always favored as a city of his own.
3) Rome. Center of the old Roman Empire and possibly the center of the last Empire soon to come with many characteristics of the old one (Daniel 2:31-44; 7:1-27). With the consent and the assistance of the Romans, the religious authorities of Jesus’ time crucified him outside of Jerusalem. It is from modern Rome that the present European Union can trace its origin and it is my opinion that the EU in combination with the Mediteranean Union or possibly a successor entity may form the nucleus of a new world government which will eventually be taken over by the Antichrist, who, as mentioned before, will ultimately move the government to Babylon. Interestingly, the territory of the present EU and MU mirrors very closely that of the Ancient Roman Empire.
It is also the center of the current Roman Catholic Church and it is also possible that the Antichrist will co-opt this institution and use its existing infrastructure and influence to his own advantage in forming a one-world religion based on the worship of himself as well.
Please keep in mind that others who study eschatology may very well have different opinions, but this is where the evidence leads me at this time!
Jim
Thank you, Mr. Wood, that is very helpful.
ARTHUR
JEREMIAH 50 & 51 PORTRAY A BABYLON KNowN AS THE DAU OF BABYLON AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THAT NATION DOES NOT IN ANY WAY REFLECT THE HISTORY, DESTRUCTION, AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF THE OLD CITY OF BABYLON. SHIPS DONT SEE THIS BABYLON OF IRAQ FROM THE SEA AND MEN RUNNING FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER FOR COMMUNICATIONS, ANCIENT BABYLON WAS ONLY ONE BIG CITY (EMF BOMB?) THIS JER. 50-51 LOOKS LIKE AMERICA AND IDENTIFIES WITH ISA 18 WHICH REFLECTS THE RAPTURE IN ITS VERSES….WHAT CH think? arthur
Dear Arthur,
When we change the meaning of a word without clear Biblical proof we end up in error. Babylon is Babylon and not America. At the same time America has enough sin to to be morally like Babylon but it ends right there.
Joseph Chambers
nobody
It seems like the Bible uses the names of cities metaphorically sometimes. Because of the sinful state of Jerusalem, she is called Sodom and Egypt (Rev.11:8). The message says that the predominant sins there are sexual perversion and occult witchcraft. Based on this, it is possible that America could be “Mystery Babylon”, not Babylon itself. Why? Because America is the land of confusion (Babel), it has all of the world’s languages, is awash in luxuries, rebellion and paganism while it seeks to dominate and control the world just like the original Babylon. America is being used by the devil to build the world wide kingdom of antichrist. If the shoe fits, you have to wear it. (my 2 cents worth)