Jerusalem's struggle- Bible Verse Handbook

Session #1 Jerusalem: Her Glory, Significance, and Struggle

I. THE PROPHETIC DESTINY OF JERUSALEM

A. Jesus is zealous for Jerusalem or Zion.

2 “I am zealous for Zion with great zeal …3 I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst...”  (Zech. 8:2-3)

B. Jerusalem is central to God's end-time purposes.

17“Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem.”  (Jer. 3:17)

D. One way that we walk around Jerusalem is by searching out the glorious things spoken of her.

3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!   (Ps. 87:3)

12Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; 13mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following. (Ps. 48:12-13)

10Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;   (Isa. 66:10)

14For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and show favor to her dust. (Ps. 102:14)

E. God's choice of Jerusalem:

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord , and spoke, saying:

“I will sing to the Lord ,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea! (Ex. 15:1)

17You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance  [Jerusalem],  in the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. 18The LORD shall reign forever and ever.  (Ex. 15:17-18)

14In the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.   (Deut. 12:14)

F. God loves Jerusalem and Satan hates her.

4  He also built altars in the house of the Lord , of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” (2 Chr. 33:4)

8  As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah (Ps. 48:8)

20  But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation. (Joel 3:20)

7 I will make the lame a remnant,
And the outcast a strong nation;
So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on, even forever. (Mic 4:7)

13For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: (Ps. 132:13)

6Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there…  
(2 Chr. 6:6)

2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.  (Ps. 87:2)

68But [the Lord] chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.   (Ps. 78:68)

G. The uniqueness of Jerusalem: Many nations have been affected by their choice to bless or curse Israel.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you… (Gen. 12:3)

5 This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations…   (Ezek. 5:5)

H. God promises to prosper any who will love and pray for Jerusalem because God's house or temple is in Jerusalem forever.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you…” 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God [the temple in Jerusalem] I will seek your good. (Ps. 122:6-9)

II. GOD'S COMMITMENTS TO JERUSALEM

A. Jesus declares that Jerusalem is His own city, calling it the city of the great King

35“Jerusalem…is the city of the great King.”   (Mt. 5:35)

Jerusalem will forever be the joy of the whole earth

2 The joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion…the city of the great King.  (Ps. 48:2)

He will make Jerusalem a praise in the earth at the time of His return

15I will make you [Jerusalem] an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations. ( Isa. 60:15)

7 Give Him [God] no rest till He…makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.  (Isa. 62:7)

B. The kings of the earth will come to Jerusalem to encounter the glory of God

2The LORD will arise over you  [Jerusalem],  and His glory will be seen on you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising… (Isa. 60:2-3)

2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory.   (Isa. 62:2)

C. At the second coming, Jesus will establish His throne of glory on earth to judge all nations.

31When the Son of Man comes in His glory…then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them… (Mt. 25:31-32)

III. RELATIONSHIP OF THE EARTHLY JERUSALEM TO THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM

A. The centerpiece of God's eternal purpose is for Jesus to come back to establish His kingdom rule over all the earth as He joins the heavenly and earthly realms together.

9 Having made known to us the mystery of His will…10that He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.   (Eph. 1:9-10)

B. The New Jerusalem descends to earth twice.

First, at the beginning of the Millennium when Jesus returns

10He…showed me the great City, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven…  (Rev. 21:10)

Then at the end of the Millennium when the new heaven and earth begin

2  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(Rev. 21:2)

C. Jesus' one throne is in the New Jerusalem and on the millennial earth at the same time

17  “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord , and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord , to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. (Jer. 3:17)

4 The glory of the LORD came into the temple  [millennial temple] ... 6 I heard Him  [Jesus]  speaking…from the temple...7 He said, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.   (Ezek. 43:4-7)

12  Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:

“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!
From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord ;
13  Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord .
He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” (Zech. 6:12-13)

3 The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it   [New Jerusalem].   (Rev. 22:3)

E. The saints in the New Jerusalem are described in their eternal state.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5  Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

6  And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7  He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev 21:1-8)

There are four reasons the New Jerusalem is close to Millennial Jerusalem yet not on the earth.

9  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.” 10  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11  having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12  Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13  three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14  Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15  And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16  The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17  Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18  The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19  The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20  the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21  The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22  But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23  The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24  And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25  Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26  And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27  But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3  And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5  There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Rev 21:9 - 22:5)

F. (Rev. 17:1-19:10)

G. Millennial Jerusalem will be the joy of the whole earth.

1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. 2 beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion…the city of the great King. 3 God is in her palaces…4 For behold, the kings assembled, they passed by together. 5 They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, they hastened away. 6 Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as of a woman in birth pangs…
(Ps. 48:1-6)

2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways…" For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  (Isa. 2:2-3)

IV. THE BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM

A. It will be finished at the time of Jesus' coming, when He comes to reign over the earth and cast Satan into prison

2  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; (Rev. 20:2)

11A white horse, He  [Jesus]  who sat on him…makes war…19I saw the beast [Antichrist], the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him…20The beast  [Antichrist]  was captured…21The rest were killed…20:2He  [an angel]  laid hold of…Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit… (Rev. 19:11-20:3)

B. All nations will gather against Jerusalem

2  I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land.

12  “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. (Joel 3:2, 12)

3  And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (Zech. 12:3)

2 I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken…half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth  [second coming]  and fight against those nations…  (Zech. 14:2-3)

8  “Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord , “Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All My fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy. (Zeph. 3:8)

19  And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army . (Rev. 19:19)

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Jerusalem Series

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Download Part 1 Jerusalem her glory, significance and struggle

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Download Part 2 Jerusalem God’s manifest glory resting on a city

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Download Part 3 Jesus zeal and commitment to Jerusalem

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Download Part 4 Jesus the Warrior King

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Download Part 5 Jerusalem the capital city of the New Earth

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