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Chapter 26: Jerusalem
God chose Jerusalem, which means "City of Peace," to be the capital city of the descendants of Abraham. 2 Chronicles 6:5-6 'Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' According to the book of Ezekiel, Jerusalem is located in the center of the Earth. Ezekiel 5:5 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. Jerusalem the capital of Israel, is a holy city of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is situated in the Judaean Hills, 35 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem's history stretches back about 5,000 years. About 2500 BC, the Canaanites inhabited the city. Later, Jerusalem became a Jebusite citadel. When David captured the city (c.1000 BC), and made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom. For Jews, Jerusalem is the focus of their religious longing, the site of their ancient Temple, and their historical capital; for Christians, the city is the site of many of the events in the life of Jesus Christ; for Muslims, the city is their third holiest as the site from which Muhammad is said to have risen to heaven and the site of important mosques. Jerusalem's religious role makes tourism a major source of income. Jerusalem is divided into three sections: the Old City, New City (West Jerusalem), and East Jerusalem. The walled Old City, in the center, contains Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian quarters. Many of Jerusalem's religious landmarks are located in the Old City. The Western Wall (or Wailing Wall) is a small remaining portion of the original wall of Solomon's Temple. After the Jews were banished from the Temple Mount, the Western Wall became the most sacred place of Judaism. In 1949, at the end of the First Arab-Israeli War, Jerusalem was partitioned between Israel and Jordan. In 1967, however, Israel took control of the entire city; it officially proclaimed all of Jerusalem the capital of Israel in 1980. These actions were bitterly resented by the Arabs, and most nations refuse to recognize the Israeli claim to sovereignty over all of Jerusalem. The Software Toolworks Encyclopedia Zechariah 8:8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God." The 1948 United Nations partition plan for Palestine called for the internationalization of the city. The Arabs rejected this resolution, and, from 1949, Jerusalem was divided into an Israeli and a Jordanian sector. The city remained divided until 1967, when Israel took the entire city following the Six Day War. The city is reunited today under Israeli government, which guarantees religious freedom and protection of all holy places. The question of who will ultimately control Jerusalem, however, remains a major obstacle to any lasting peace settlement in the Middle East. The Software Toolworks Encyclopedia Zechariah 12:1-3 & 9 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the Earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 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. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem Joel 3:16-17 The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the Earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. 'Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. Zechariah 8:3 This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain." |