The Dome of the Rock seen  from Antonio Barluzzi’s Altar Window (1955) in the Dominus Flevit (‘The Lord Wept’) Chapel – Photo by Robert Mock (2006)

 

Jerusalem and “The Land”

 Signs at the Time of the End

 Translation of text by the New English Bible

Commentary by Robert D. Mock MD

robertmock@biblesearchers.com

January 2004

Edited August 2006

 

Zechariah 12:3 – “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.

 

Back in 1844 at the climax of the Great Awakening, when Jesus did not return as the messiah, a great disappointment was felt and most of the participants in this great movement disappeared returned to their former religious institutional churches.  Many asked why?  These early Adventists continued to search and modify and readapt their understanding of future prophecies.  What most Christians did not count on was that the Lord of hosts was really asking, “Be patient, trust Me and it will be revealed to you but at a later generation.”  My great-great grandfather was a participant of the Great Awakening and now five generations later the revelation of God’s plan is being revealed to his people. 

 

The question begs an answer as to why the early prophetic pioneers such as William Miller, Joseph Bates, James White, Hiram Edson and others were so dedicated in the belief that Jesus the messiah was coming literally in 1844 yet could not comprehend how this was to happen without the Land of Israel, Jerusalem and the whole world’s military complex at Armageddon surrounding a literal city.  They interpreted the coming of Jesus’ coming as literal yet Jerusalem, the Land of Israel and all Armageddon was interpreted as spiritual.  What they wanted to happen so bad also affected their exegesis or proper interpretation of scripture. By why? Consider the fact that the city of Jerusalem was a dusty forgotten city that no nation of the earth wanted in the 1840s. 

 

The Muscovite style Russian Church of St. Mary Magdalene overlooking the Muslim Cemetery surrounding the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount – Photo by Robert Mock (2006)

 

Consider the facts as portrayed by Paul Johnson in “The History of the Jews:”

 

“Between 1827 and 1839, largely through British efforts, the population of Jerusalem rose from 550 to 5,500 and in all Palestine it topped 10,000 – the real beginning of the Jewish return to the Promise Land.”  (Ibid 321)  

 

How were American prophetic scholars to understand Jewish ideals  and the fundamentals of studying the Hebrew Torah and the Jewish prophets when there were no Jews to dialogue with, Hebrew was virtually a lost language, and there was no geo-political presence of God’s chosen people anywhere on the globe.  In fact, in America in 1826, there were only 6,000 Jews in the entire United States.  This population grew to about 15,000 around 1840. (Ibid 366) 

 

Unbeknown to the American prophetic pioneers, the orthodox Jews in the mid 1840’s were not only finding a world-wide political emancipation, but also were beginning to dream of returning to their own homeland and listening intently for any rumors of a coming messiah.  The finger of the Lord was already working in molding the consciousness of Americans, Europeans and the Jews in order to stimulate the early pangs of restoration of the House of Judah to her home.  This was foretold by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Obadiah. The world was becoming awake and aware to the fact that the day of the messiah, known as the Maschiach to the Jews, was becoming a reality in consciousness.

 

The Jewish Cemetery at the Base of the Mount of Olives framing the Dome of the Rock with modern Jerusalem in the Skyline – Photo by Robert Mock (2006)

 

Yet one hundred sixty years later (1844-2004), the world is not the same.  Whereas Jerusalem was but a forgotten dusty city with a history in the misty centuries of time, today the city of Jerusalem is as rich a cosmopolitan city as any in Europe or America.  Today, the number one city directly or indirectly in the news is the city of Jerusalem.  Today, the geo-politics of the world revolves around the Middle East and the geo-politics of the Middle East revolves around the city of Jerusalem.  Everybody wants a piece of that city. 

 

As strange as it may seem, even though the nations of the earth are lining up to claim possession, Zion and the city of Jerusalem do not belong to anybody on this planet Earth.  They do not belong to Islam. They do not belong to the United Nations.  They do not belong to the Vatican.  They do not belong to America.  They do not belong to Israel.  Zion and Jerusalem belong to the Lord of Hosts.  He alone will decide who the inhabitants are who will dwell in His Holy Land. 

 

The Land, the Land!  Everything revolves around “The Land”.  There is one place that the Lord of Hosts calls His capital in this universe and that is Jerusalem.  This is the place where He chose to build His House.  This is the one place where He chose to place His Shechinah Glory.  It is not in London, New York City, Tokyo, Mexico City, or even Washington DC, only Jerusalem. 

 

Isaiah 62:2 - For Zion's Sake I will Not be Silent;

For Jerusalem's Sake I will Not be Still,

Until her Righteousness goes forth as Brightness,

And her Salvation as a Lamp that Burns.

 

Message from BibleSearchers

 

BibleSearchers scans the world for information that has relevance on the time of the end.  It is our prayer that this will allow the believers in the Almighty One of Israel to “watch and be ready”.  Our readiness has nothing to do trying to halt the progression of evil on our planet earth.  In our readiness, we seek to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah of Israel so that goodness and evil will be manifested in its fullest.  Our preparation is a pathway of spiritual readiness for a world of peace.  Our defender is the Lord of hosts. The time of the end suggests that the Eternal One of Israel’s intent is to close out this chapter of earth’s history so that the perpetrators of evil, those that seek power, greed and control, will be eliminated from this planet earth.  The wars of the heavens are being played out on this planet earth and humans will live through it to testify of the might, power, justice and the love of the God of Israel.  In a world of corruption and disinformation, we cannot always know what the historical truth is and who is promoting evil or mis-information.  We cannot guarantee our sources but we will always seek to portray trends that can be validated in the Torah and the testimony of the prophets of the Old and the New Testament.

 

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