A Tale of Two Cities - Part 2, Jerusalem

Last time I gave part one of a two-part sermon titled, A Tale of Two Cities, part one, Babylon. And of course, Babylon is first mentioned back in Genesis 10 verse 10 as being the beginning of Nimrod's kingdom shortly after Noah's flood. Of course, it then eventually became the greatest city in the world and then the greatest empire in the world for a while. After being completely distorted, it was revived as a great system of Babylon and became a great political religious system, as mentioned six times in the book of Revelation.

In Revelation 17 5, it is called Mystery Babylon the Great. Babylon, the great religious political system that still exists today. It influences the great entire world. But today, in part two, I want to give the tale in the history of a second city.

Today, we'll look at the tale and at the history of the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, along with Damascus and Syria, is one of the oldest cities of the world, which is still in existence. Jerusalem is over 4,000 years old. At a very humble beginning, it has been restored, I should say, just destroyed and rebuilt many times. Many times it's been destroyed and rebuilt on more than one occasion, I should say.

I'll give you a little bit more details on that a little bit later. But it's also the only city which has two totally separate realms of existence. It has an earthly realm and a heavenly realm. We're not going to get into the heavenly realm, but a whole sermon could be given on that, on the new Jerusalem, which is going to come to the earth after Christ's return. But at the very end, I should say, after the eighth day.

But the title of my sermon here, then, this afternoon, is A Tale of Two Cities, Part 2, Jerusalem. Now, when and under what circumstances is Jerusalem first mentioned in the Bible? It's first mentioned during the time of Abram, or about possibly 500 years after the flood, after Noah's flood. And in total, it's interesting, you go to a concordance, in total, Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times. I didn't count them all. It's too many, but I know it's over 700, maybe close to 800. It's mentioned over 700 times in the Bible. So now, then, let's look at the conditions under which it is first mentioned.

And it's some lessons that we can learn. We're going to point out lessons we can learn from Jerusalem and how it's portrayed in the Bible. First, let's go back to Genesis chapter 13. This is where our first mention leads up to it. It's all we can learn from that. Genesis 13, beginning in verse 7, and there was a strike between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock and the Canaanites and the parasites then to open the land.

So Abram said to Lot, please let there be no strike between you and me, between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we're brothers. Isn't that the whole land before us, for you? So please separate from me. Abram said to Lot, please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right. If you go to the right, then I will go to the left. And Lot looked at his eyes and he saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere.

This is back before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. And it was like the garden of the Lord. It was like the garden of Eden. It was so beautiful. Like the land of Egypt as you go towards Zohar. Then Lot, he looked at it, he says, wow, that's a great look, like a play, let's go there. It's like the garden of Eden. So then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan and Lot journeyed east. And he and Abram separated from each other. So Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.

Now, you just read this here. What was it we learned from this? What kind of an attitude did Abram display? Well, he had a very giving attitude, didn't he? He let Lot make the choice. He said, you choose what you think is best for you and I'll take the other. So Lot had a giving attitude and he also displayed faith in God.

He believed that God would work things out for the good, regardless of which land he chose, if he had the right attitude. And if he displayed love toward his brother in order to avoid strife. What a tremendous lesson that is for us. Display love to your brother in order to destroy, avoid strife if you can.

But then war broke out with four kings making war against five other kings. You read that in Genesis 14 verse 9. And in this war, Abram's, Lot was, Rob's nephew Lot was taken captive.

And here we'll come to where Jerusalem was first mentioned in the Bible. Let's go to Genesis 14.

Beginning in verse 14. Genesis 14, beginning in verse 14. Now, Abram heard that his, it says his brother, here's really his nephew Lot, was taken captive. He armed his 318 trained servants who were born in his own house, and he went in pursuit as far as Nan. He divided his forces against him by night, and Brahm did. And he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So it seems like a Brahm here. He's got an army of servants. They're skilled at warfare. So he brought back all the goods and also brought back his brother, it says here, nephew Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shabbat, that is the king's valley, after his return from the defeat of Shetaliomer, and the kings were with him.

Then Melchizedek brought out bread and wine. He was the priest God Most High. And he, Melchizedek, blessed him, blessed Abram, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Now, latter part of verse 20. And he gave him, Abram gave Melchizedek, tithe of all. So the first thing Abram did was to give a tithe of everything he had confiscated from the enemy to Melchizedek, king of Salem, or king of Jerusalem.

Shows what? Shows the law of tithing was established by God long before the time of Moses, who was probably established by God from the very beginning.

Before getting to Melchizedek, let me first ask this. What did Abram do with the rest of the spoil after giving a tithe to Melchizedek? Verse 21 of chapter 14. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons, which we've taken prisoner here, and you take all the goods for yourself.

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have raised my hand to the Lord God Most High, the resistor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich.

Except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Anna, Ischol, and Mamri, let them take their portion. So Abram gave everything else to the king of Sodom, who was with him, lied with him in this particular battle against these other kings, and refused to take any payment for himself, lest his wealth be attributed to his victory in battle, instead of being attributed to God. He wanted God to get all the credit. He didn't want any way to look at him and say, well, I got this victory so I could gain this or have this or possess this. He didn't want to take anything. He wanted all the benefit of the victory to be attributed solely to God, because Abram knew that all his blessings, his victory and all the blessings he had, came from God. It was God who gave him the victory. What about Melchizedek? Who was he? Let's turn to Hebrews, chapter 7. Hebrews, chapter 7, beginning in verse 1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, preached to the most high God, who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated king of righteousness, this Melchizedek, and then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace. Salem means peace. Jerusalem means city. Jerusalem means city of peace. Only it hasn't been a city of peace very much in its history. And who was he? Verse 3. Who was Melchizedek? He says he was without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God remains a priest continually. Does Melchizedek still live today? Verse 8. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he, Melchizedek, receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives, that he still lives today. So who is Melchizedek? He is the Son of God.

He is the one who became our Messiah, Jesus the Christ. And he's the king of Salem, the king of Jerusalem. So the history of Jerusalem in the Bible begins in Genesis 14, 18, by introducing us to Melchizedek or to Christ as being its king. Now what was the city of Jerusalem like back at the time of Abram? What was life back then? Well, we don't really know for sure. Historians speculate about what it might have been like, but it undoubtedly had a very humble beginning. This extremely important part of the hill of the city of Salem, the city of Jerusalem, is also associated with the time of Abram, whose name, of course, then later was changed to Abraham, father of a multitude. Let's go back to Genesis 22. Genesis 22. Let's go to Genesis 22, verse 1. Genesis 22, verse 1. Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and he said to him, Abraham. And he said, well, here I am. Then God said to him, He said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burn offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. Offer him there on Mount Moriah.

The God provided a ram for him to offer instead of Isaac, verse 13. Then Abraham lit his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it for a burn offering instead of his son Isaac. And Abraham, excuse me, verse 14. In Abraham called the name of the place, the Lord will provide, or as my margin says, the Hebrew is Yahweh-era. Yahweh-era, the Lord will provide. As it said today, in the mountain of the Lord it shall be provided.

Where's Mount Moriah? Where is the mountain of the Lord? Where is Yahweh-era? Was it a part of Salem or a part of Jerusalem?

But the answer is, let us turn to 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles chapter 3 gives us the answer.

2 Chronicles chapter 3 verse 1.

Talking about the reign of Solomon. Now, Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. There it is. He began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. So where's Mount Moriah? Mount Moriah is in Jerusalem.

Where the Lord had appeared to his father David at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Orne and the Jebusite. So what else happened here on Mount Moriah? Well, it says this is where Solomon began to build the house of the Lord. That's what began to build what's called Solomon's Temple. Solomon's Temple was built on Mount Moriah. So the Temple of Mount of Jerusalem is located on Mount Moriah. So let's now move forward to the time of David. We're going through the history of Jerusalem and learning lessons. Let's look at Jerusalem at the time of David and Solomon. At some point prior to the time of David, the Jebusites controlled the city of Jerusalem. Let's go to 2 Samuel chapter 5.

2 Samuel chapter 5 beginning in verse 4. David was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years, probably from about 1010 BC to around 970 BC. Verse 5, In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years overall Israel and Judah. In verse 6, And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites. Because the Jebusites, that dept took time and controlled Jerusalem.

Who in the heavens of the land, who spoke to David when they saw him come and he said, You shall not come in here. You're not going to take Jerusalem. It's our city.

I mean, even the blind and lame could repel you. Do you not stand a chance against us, thinking David cannot come in here? Verse 7, Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, he took the city of David, which is within the city of Jerusalem. Verse 10, So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. That's why he was so victorious. God was with him. God had designs on Jerusalem. He wanted in the hands of David. Verse 12, So David knew the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. So David is now the king of Israel, which includes the city of Jerusalem, which at that time was not exactly an ideal place to live. It was somewhat isolated and remote at that time, being about 30 miles from the nearest coastline and far from the normal trade routes, as most historians will look at and say back at that time. And it was that time it's kind of exposed to very cold winters and very hot summers. But of course, the climate might have been different 3000 years ago as well, so we don't know for sure. But Jerusalem at the time of David was not yet a highly fortified city. But what was David? David was a man of war. He greatly expanded the kingdom of Israel. He made war against other nations and so on, and greatly expanded Israel. He conquered many nations, expanding the nation of Israel. And after David died, his son Solomon became the king of Israel, and Solomon sought to establish a period of peace. The psalmon also fortified the city of Jerusalem by building a wall around it. This is important in the history of Jerusalem. Let's read that in 2 Kings chapter 3.

2 Kings chapter 3 tells us that. 2 Kings chapter 3, verse 1. Now, Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king. That's not an established peace. He went to all these other nations that David had made war against and he made a peace treaty with him. And then he sealed the treaty by doing what? He married the daughter of the king of the other country. That wasn't a good idea in some ways, but it did make peace with that other country. And Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he married Pharaoh's daughter. I mean, how was Egypt going to attack Israel when his daughter was a princess there? Then he brought her to the city of David, Pharaoh's daughter, until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall all around Jerusalem. So David built a wall around Jerusalem. I mean, Solomon did, excuse me. At the dedication of the temple of Solomonville, Solomon made a great sacrifice to God. Then God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told Solomon he would grant him whatever he wished. Can you imagine that? God's saying, you know, I'm so pleased with your sacrifice that you made. I'm going to grant you a wish. Grant whatever you want, and I'm going to grant it to you. What do you ask for? The blessed feet of ourselves. 1 Kings 3, verse 4. He asked for wisdom. 1 Kings 3, beginning in verse 4.

Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. God overlooked the fact... It's amazing. There's something about God. That was not where he should have been sacrificing, but God overlooked the fact that he sacrificed in a high place. He took a look at Solomon's heart and Solomon's attitude for why he was making the sacrifice. He overlooked that sin, and he looked instead on his heart and on his motive.

And Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon a dream by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give you. Ask anything you want.

And Solomon said, You have shown great mercy to your servant, David, my father, because he walked before you in truth and righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. And you've continued this great kindness for him, and you've given him a son. Solomon talked about himself here, to sit on his throne as it is to this day.

Now, O Lord, my God, verse 7, you have made your servant king instead of my father David. But how am I going to be able to fulfill that role?

Don't we ask ourselves that sometimes? We're going to be king someday? I'm only a little child. I don't know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people. These are your people, God. They're great people, and they're not mine, they're yours. And you've entrusted me to be a king over them? And you've chosen a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore, verse 9, therefore, give to your servant, understanding heart, to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil.

For who is able to judge is great people of yours that are your people.

So here, Psalm 1 displayed a great, great attitude of humility.

But it's God didn't give Solomon. He gave him wisdom as well as riches. Verse 13, I have also given you what you have not asked. I've given you not just wisdom, but not just riches.

I've given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, along with wisdom, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.

So God then gave him wisdom as well as understanding great riches. I mean, he gave him great riches as well as wisdom. So what lessons did Solomon learn from acquiring great wealth? It's very important. What did he learn from acquiring great wealth at the same time having wisdom from God? Let's go to Ecclesiastes chapter 1. Here's what he learned.

I mean, God gave him great wealth, tremendous wealth. He could have anything he wanted. God gave it to him. Ecclesiastes 1, written by Solomon, verse 12, he says, I the preacher was king over Israel and Jerusalem, and I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom, because all that is done under heaven, this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man by which they may be exercised. And I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and indeed, you know, I look at it, it's all vanity. It's all just grasping for the wind.

Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verses 1 to 8, very interesting to read through, describes how Solomon satisfied himself with anything he desired, mirth, laughter, wine, wisdom, great works, great houses, vineyards, gardens, water pools, male and female servants, herds and flocks, gold and special treasure and silver, everything he wanted. He had it all.

What's the end of it? Verse 9. Ecclesiastes 2, verse 9, So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure. What did Solomon learn from that?

Going back to the first two verses of Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes chapter 1, verse 1, The words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem, vanity of vanity, says the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. He learned that material goods and pleasures do not bring lasting happiness or satisfaction. He had everything, but didn't satisfy him. He's still missing something. What was he missing and what did he conclude? Well, that's called the inclusion of the Ecclesiastes. He tells us what was missing and what the real conclusion is. Ecclesiastes 12 verses 13 and 14, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. He says, hey, you've got to have the spiritual material. It's not going to satisfy us. You've got to have the spiritual element in there. Fear God and keep his commandments, for that's really man's purpose. That's the only thing that's going to satisfy man, is to have a solid relationship with God and seeking God's purpose. This is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Now, what happened after Solomon? Well, he had a divided kingdom. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became the king of Israel. But what would Rehoboam do? He refused to listen to wise advice and instead, post heavier taxation on all of the subjects. What happened as a result of that? Let's go back to 1 Kings 12.

1 Kings 12. Look at verses 16 and 20. 1 Kings 12. Verse 16. Now, when all Israel saw the king did not listen to them... Listen to people give you advice. Listen. Try to think about it. Don't refuse to listen to people. Now, when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, Well, then what share have we in David? We have not going to have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now, see to your own house, David. So Israel departed to their tents. He said, If you're not going to listen to us at all and seek our advice, you're going to make our life worse. You're going to post heavy taxation and restrictions on us. Then we're going to go somewhere else. We're not going to be under your rulership. Verse 20. Now, came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back. Jeroboam been a servant of Solomon's. When he came back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation and made him king over Israel, over the ten tribes of Israel to the north. This was none, and there was none who followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only. As we learn later, also the tribe of Benjamin and a half tribe of Levi. Again, Jeroboam was one of Solomon's servants who the people then made the king over the northern ten tribes of Israel after the kingdom was divided. He first made Shechem and then Samaria, the capital of the northern ten tribes of Israel. And then he turned them, Jeroboam, turned them to idolatry. And from that time until the northern ten tribes fell to Assyria around 721 BC, there were no righteous kings over Israel. At least tomorrow, they were not a one. The sons of Rehoboam ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah, which consisted of the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and a half tribe of Levi.

So Jeroboam then became the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah.

Some of their kings were righteous. Most of them were not, but some were.

That then brings us to the reign of King Hezekiah.

King Hezekiah and Hezekiah's tunnel, which is very interesting.

Let's go to 2 Chronicles chapter 29.

And I'll begin in verse 1. Hezekiah became king when he was 25 years old, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in sight of the Lord according to all that his father David had done. Hezekiah reigned as the king of Judah from Jerusalem between about 715 BC and 686 BC, according to both biblical historians.

He reigned for 29 years and he sought to restore, and he did restore, the true worship of God during that period of time of his reign. Interestingly, he lived at the time the northern ten tribes of Israel were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 BC. He was about 18 or 19 years old when that occurred. He wasn't a king yet, but he was about 18 or 19 years old. So he saw that. He had that experience.

The northern ten tribes were conquered by Sargon II, who reigned as the king of Assyria from 722 I should say to about 705 BC. Then in 705, Shannachorev became the king of Assyria, and he then conquered Egypt. Just to give you some history, leading up to Hezekiah, he conquered Egypt, and then he had thoughts of then continuing north from Egypt to conquer Jerusalem. But after conquering Egypt, Shannachorev headed north toward Jerusalem, but he first attacked and conquered Hezekiah's second main city, which was the city of Lachish, L-A-C-H-I-S-H, which is about 20-30 miles south of Jerusalem. And they had a terrific battle there, and Shannachorev just slaughtered the people. Archaeologists have excavated a mass grave at the site of ancient Lachish, which contained 1,500 men, women, and children. 1,500.

Some had been impaled or skinned. Syrians were brutal. They wanted to make sure they put so much fear in people that they conquered that no one would... when they started to attack people, they would just surrender right there and try to make a peace agreement, because they just did brutal, brutal, brutal enemies. Some of these 1,500 men, women, and children had been impaled or skinned, shown by a boss relief discovered at the site. Boss relief was a clay tablet that had a picture carved on top of it to show some of the things that happened during battle.

So Hezekiah knew what to expect when the armies of Sennacher reached Jerusalem. He knew it was going to be brutal. They were just going to slaughter everybody if they could get him within the walls of the city. So what did Hezekiah then do? He did two things. Sinners, because it's awesome, we can learn. One, he took immediate action to prepare in advance as best he could. 2 Chronicles 32, verse 1. After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib, faithfulness to his cause, Sennacher, king of Assyria, came and entered Judah. He encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and was on his way and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city wall, and they helped him. Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs in the brook that ran through the land, saying, why should the kings of Assyria come here and find a lot of water available to them?

Going back over to verse 30. This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the city of David within the walls of Jerusalem. And Hezekiah prostrated in all of his works. So he brought in water by tunnel.

2 Kings 20 says Hezekiah made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city. This is very ingenious and magnificent undertaking which was accomplished in a very short period of time. He built a tunnel under the walls of Jerusalem to link the Gihon spring, which is outside the walls, to the Poulashai loam, which was inside the walls just south of the temple mount. He then covered up the Gihon spring outside the wall to make it inaccessible to the Assyrians army so they could then withstand a long siege, hopefully. This enabled Hezekiah to do that, to withstand a longer siege. The tunnel was discovered and there's been documentaries on this. You can see it and it's still there. If you go to Jerusalem, you can actually get tours and walk through the tunnel. The tunnel was discovered in 1867 by the British explorer Sir Charles Warren. This tunnel, they found out, was hacked through solid rock, solid rock, with craftsmen working toward each other from both sides. One started inside the city, the other started outside the city, and they started making this tunnel to try to meet in the middle. And they had to work fast because they knew the Assyrians were on their way, would beat it within a few weeks, the earliest, or latest, I should say. It was hacked through solid rock, working from both ends towards the middle. The tunnel is 1,700 feet long, and when they met, they were only off by about three feet. Amazing, back at that time. In addition to taking action, what else did Hezekiah do? He prayed, and he cried out to God. 2 Chronicles 32, verse 20. Now because of this, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amos, prayed, and they cried out to the God of heaven.

What happens as a result of that? Verse 21. Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor of the Assyrians and the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria then returned shame-faced to his own land, and when he had gone into the temple of his God, some of his own offspring struck him down with a sword there, and they killed him. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the heavens of Jerusalem from the hand of Sarnacharib, the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others. And he guided Hezekiah, and those are with him on every side. You know, you think about that. Can God not do that also for us? If we do our part, take whatever action we can, and then cry out to God in prayer. Great lesson for us. What happened next in the tale and the history of Jerusalem? Well, then Judah and Jerusalem then fell to Babylon. Syria was conquered by Babylon in 612 BC, and after Hezekiah died nearly all the succeeding kings of Judah were evil. But the brief section of Josiah, Josiah was the one king that ruled after all. Hezekiah was a good king. He tried, and this is something that's very interesting. Josiah was very young when he became king. When he got a little bit old and he got to be a teenager, he tried to restore the true worship of God, but by then, it got to the point where there was no remedy. And the final kings of Judah were all evil. Let's go just a few chapters forward here. Second Chronicles 36, the last chapter in Second Chronicles. Second Chronicles 36, beginning verse 11, Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear right over God that he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. Verse 14, over all the leaders of the priests and the people transgress more and more according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

So then the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by his messengers, rising up early and saying them because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.

But what did they do? But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets. They didn't want to hear it. And till the wrath of the Lord rose against them, against his people, I should say, and then the latter part of verse 16, till there was no remedy.

Now you have to stop and think where we are today as God's peoples, God's nation. Are we almost to the point where there is no remedy? Will there be any leader who can change his country around to turn it back to God? I don't know. What happened after that? Verse 17, therefore, he brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with a sword, etc., and had no compassion. And he gave them all into his hand. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, of his leaders, he took to Babylon. That was well in their economy.

So, Jerusalem was then conquered and destroyed, including the temple. I want to just read something here that's interesting. You get off and go into the history of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times, captured or recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and completely destroyed twice. And you have to wonder why. Why so much people wanted to destroy Jerusalem? I think it's because of the city of God.

But now let's go forward to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. In the 400 BC, during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, in Esther, the walls and city of Jerusalem were rebuilt and repaired and restored.

They began building the second temple around 515 BC. In May, the former inhabitants of Jerusalem had been expelled before Tainkati. They rather than came back and returned to Jerusalem. You can see Ezra and Nehemiah for the history of that. So, we then become to a time of a dreadful time in the history of Jerusalem and the people of Judah. We come to the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

He became the Seliuk, king of the Medo-Persian Empire in 175 BC. And he ravaged the second temple in the city of Jerusalem in 168 BC and set out. He set up the Balmesh of Desolation, prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 11. I just want to read a very brief account here from the book of 1 Maccabees. It's a powerful book, but it's historically correct. It just tells what happened. This is 1 Maccabees chapter 1 about Antiochus Epiphanes. Then the king issued a proclamation to his whole kingdom and all were to become a single people, each renouncing his particular customs. The king sent structures to Jerusalem and towns of Judah, directing them to adopt customs foreign to the country and profaning Sabbaths and feast, sacrificing pigs and uncleaning animals, leaving their sons uncircumcised, that they should forget the law of God and revoke all observances of it. Anyone not obeying the king's samaah was put to death, forcing Israel into hiding in all his places of refuge. On the 15th day of Shizlev, in the Hebrew calendar, the king erected the abomination of distillation above the altar. Any books of the law were torn up and burned. Whenever anyone discovered possessing a copy of the books of the law of practicing the covenant or practicing the law, the kings of Crea sentenced him to immediate death. Women who had their children circumcised were put to death according to the Edict, where the babies hung around their necks and the members of their household and those who had performed the circumcision were executed with them. It goes on. 1 Maccabees says, Yet there were many in Israel. It is recorded in 1 chapter, 1 Maccabees. Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food. They chose death rather than profaning the holy covenant, and they were executed. It was a dreadful wrath that visited Israel.

Of course, that led to the revolt of the Maccabees, which led to the eventual restoration of Jerusalem. But the question for all of us is, will we be willing to die for what we believe as they did? Do we believe that conviction of the truth?

That brings us to the time of Christ and to Herod the Great.

Herod the Great was a megalomaniac who wanted to equal the wealth and prestige of King Solomon.

And to equal the prestige of Solomon, Herod knew that Jerusalem would be the key to success.

So he actually was actually of Jewish descent, Herod was.

When we get around 20 BC, between 20 BC and 15 BC, Herod began to restore and expand the second temple, which had been very much disarray, and to build a wonder of the world in this place. He wanted to restore the second temple, the second temple, was built after the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

He wanted to restore that and make it a wonder of the world.

But he died around 4 BC and never saw its completion.

And it actually ended up taking about 80 years to totally restore the temple.

And it was a temple that existed during the time of Christ, as it was referred to in Matthew 24. Let's look at another lesson here. Let's go to Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew 24, verse 1.

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple.

Herod's temple is being restored. It hadn't been restored yet, but it had been restored to a larger extent by this time.

He went out and departed from the temple. And his disciples came up to show him the building of the temple. He said, look at that! Look at how this temple is being restored! Look at the beautiful marble! Look at all the expenses going into it. This is going to be a wonder of the world. What a fantastic temple this is going to be!

How did Christ respond to that? Verse 2. Do you not see all these things?

Surely I said to you, not one stone should be let tear upon another that will not be thrown down.

You know, physical buildings, physical temples can be destroyed.

Everyone was looking to the physical temple of Jerusalem, but Christ was about to begin a new temple that would never be destroyed.

Christ is about to begin building the spiritual temple of God, which you and I are now all a part of. As mentioned by Paul in his letter to 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 3, 16, where Paul wrote, Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?

But you know, there is one who would like to destroy God's spiritual temple.

Who is that?

1 Peter 5, verse 8. 1 Peter 5, verse 8. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He wants to devour, destroy God's spiritual temple, and he's never going to quit, as long as he has the ability to try to do it. He's given that. But how can we prevent that from happening? How can we prevent Satan from destroying God's spiritual temple, we're a part of? Verse 5 of 1 Peter 5. Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you be submissive to one another. Be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Then verse 9. Resist him. Remain steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Eris Temple was completed around 66 AD, but it only lasted about four years.

Christ's prophecy of Matthew 24 too came to pass in 70 AD, which then leads to the Roman general, Titus.

67 AD, Emperor Nero appointed Vespasian and his son, Titus.

They had them go to restore order when there was confusion and rioting between 66 and 70 AD with the Jews around Jerusalem and Temple. So he sent Vespasian to restore order, and he conquered Galilee, Vespasian did but not Jerusalem. Then Nero died around 68 AD, and Vespasian actually then became the new emperor of Rome. He then appointed his son, Titus, to go to Jerusalem to lay siege to the city to restore order.

In around 70 AD, Titus laid siege to Jerusalem with four legions of Roman soldiers.

And he had taken the city and killed or captured all of Jerusalem's citizens by the end of August of 70 AD.

And just prior to that is when some Christians fled Jerusalem to go to Pella.

According to Jewish sources, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, as I said, about August 70 AD. In fact, it was destroyed, as they say, according to Jewish history, on the 9th of Ab, and on the very same day when the king of Babylon burned and destroyed the Temple back in 586 BC.

But then there were various resistance fighters who continued to fight. Finally, of course, they fled to Masada. You know the story. And so then finally, Titus, he fenced up there and he led siege to Masada. There's high up. It took very, very difficult to get up there.

But finally, in about 73 AD, he finally destroyed all the Jews in Masada.

Then in the second century AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city, and he renamed it Aelia Capitolina. He then built a large temple to Jupiter Capitolinus there, which later became the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, interestingly.

And he placed restrictions on some Jewish practices which caused a revolt led by Simon Barcoba between 132 and 136 AD, becoming known as the Barcoba Revolt.

And here's what one Roman historian says, it's just unbelievable.

But according to Cassius Dio, a third century AD Roman historian, over 500,000 Jews throughout Judea were killed by Hadrian between 132 and 136 AD. You know, I think 53,000 of Vietnam War. Can you imagine 500,000? But that was the history of Jerusalem during the first and second centuries AD. Now let's look at that from then until now very quickly, just a brief summary.

Constantine became the emperor of Eastern Roman Empire, which included the city of Jerusalem. In 312 AD, in what is known as the Battle of the Mivian Bridge on the Tyber River, he became the emperor. Constantine became the emperor. In the following year, in 313 AD, he made Christianity, or a form of Christianity. It's not foreign to us, it's very foreign to us, not the true Christianity, but he made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Initially, Jews were allowed to practice their religion, or the true form of religion. Actually, Christians who kept the Seventh-day Sabbath in God's Feast and Holy Days were called Jews, because they hadn't yet discovered that Christianity was a new religion apart from Judaism. They thought it was a form of Judaism.

But there then began to be more and more persecutions against Christian Jews, who then banished from Jerusalem in 351 AD. Then in 636 AD, Jews was conquered by a Muslim caliph, a successor of Muhammad, and then became under Muslim control of Islam. Then in 1099 AD, it was conquered by the Crusaders, then conquered again by Muslim Arabs. Then in 1453, the Ottoman Empire took Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul. 1517, the Ottoman Turks took possession of Jerusalem, and they then controlled Jerusalem and Palestine up until the end of World War I, when Jerusalem and Israel then came under the control of the British, which brings us up to our time today and to the Balfour Declaration.

On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, wrote a letter to Britain's most illustrious Jewish citizen, Baron Rothschild, expressing the British government support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. In the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War II, the British were entrusted with the administration of Palestine and Jerusalem, with the understanding they would be worked on behalf of both Jews and Arabs. The British mandate ended at midnight on May 14, 1948, and Palestine was allotted to Jews and Palestinian Arabs. But the very next day, war broke out, and the Palestinian Arabs attacked Israel because they didn't want to share it with the Jews. They wanted all of it. The State of Israel won a swift and decisive victory.

Then, in 1948, the Arab-Israeli war broke out, and the old city of Jerusalem was then captured by Jordan when that war broke out. The Arabs then again attacked Israel in 1967, with the states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria attacking the State of Israel. That war lasted only six days and became known as the Six-Day War, again with Israel winning a very swift and decisive victory.

With the defeat of Jordan, Israel then occupied the old city of Jerusalem, but they let the Dome of the Rock remain under Muslim control. So, the fulfillment of the Balfour Declaration led to the State of Israel's eventual occupation of the old city of Jerusalem, which contains the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock, and the Alaska Mosque. Now, they've got the Temple Mount. A lot of things are on the Temple Mount. What's beneath the Temple Mount? Well, it's very interesting. You know, they had a program just in discovery of one of these history channels this long ago. I'll show you what's under the Temple Mount. They go on, there's a lot of tunnels under there, and the tunnels lead to brick walls and things, and they can go so far, but they're all under... Why are they making tunnels and doing any tunnels under the tunnel? Well, they think maybe the Ark of the Covenant's there, but they got to a certain place and they can't go any further. So they never discovered it, never had to quit. But really, what's really beneath the Temple Mount? Well, 6,000 years of history.

Here's a quote from a book that was written back in 2017. It was beneath the Temple Mount by Joshua Hammer. This was appeared in Smithsonian Magazine in April of 2011. He then released 6,000 years of history surrounding the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Jewish traditions holds it is the site where God gathered the dust to create Adam in the Garden of Eden, and where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac to prove his faith. King Solomon, according to the Bible, built the first temple the Jews on this mountain top around 1000 BC, only to have it torn down 400 years later by troops commanded by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who sent many Jews into exile. In the first century BC, Herod expanded and refurbished the second temple built by Jews who had returned after their banishment. It is here, according to the Gospel of John, that Jesus Christ, lifestyle against the money changers, was later crucified a few hundred yards away. It is a territorial prize occupied and conquered by long succession of peoples, including Jebusites, Israelites, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, early Muslims, Crusaders, Ottomans, and the British. The Temple Mount has seen more momentous historical events than perhaps any other 35 acres of the world.

There's yet one more event that's going to occur in the area of the Temple Mount, and looking at the history of Jerusalem, this could be the most astonishing event that's ever going to take place in the history of the world. This is going to absolutely dumbfound the whole world, and it's going to be witnessed by the whole world due to modern technology. Let's go to Revelation 11. Go over in chapter 11, verse 1, Then I was given a reed like a mazing rod, and the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it. For it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months, or three and a half years. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sacriles, again three and a half years. Verse 4, These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands, sending for the God of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth, and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, they will be killed in this manner. And these have power to shut heaven, to sow no rainfalls in the days of their prophecy. And they have power over the waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they desire. And when they finish their testimony, the beast that proceeds out of the bombless pit will make war against them, and overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is fiercely called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. It's going to lay in the street near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Verse 9, Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations, people from all over the world, because of modern technology and television and satellite, they will see their dead bodies for three and a half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. They could be lying there by the Temple Mount. Dead bodies are going to see them there. What are they going to do? Are they going to be happy about that? Verse 10, And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and make marionts and gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Well, what's going to happen after three and a half days that's going to astonish the entire world? Verse 11, Now I threw a three and a half... Can you imagine? You're watching television set. There are these two bodies out there, and they've been laying there for three and a half days. All of a sudden you're watching, can't believe what you see. What? Is this a trick?

Am I really seeing what I think I see? After three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood upon their feet, and in great fear fell on those who saw them, and they heard a loud voice from heaven, saying to them, Come up here, and they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw it. They saw them. What else happens? What happened next also happened the moment Christ died. Verse 13, In the same hour there was a great earthquake has happened when Christ died. Matthew 27 verses 50 to 54, and has also happened when an angel revealed Christ had been resurrected. Matthew 28 verses 1 and 2, as we'll see in a moment, is what happened again when Christ returns. See, monumental biblical events are accompanied by a great earthquake. Verse 13, In the same hour there was a great earthquake, an attempt of the city failed in the earthquake, and 7,000 people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. And what happens next? Verse 15, Then the seventh angel sounded in the loud voice of heaven, saying, The kings of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Now there is one final event that's going to occur.

I want to just bring about an interesting announcement.

This announcement may not too long go by our current president, President Donald Trump. And there is one more event that will soon take place. In December of last year, President Trump announced that he will officially move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and he then designated Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Of course, those are Jews who have always considered that, but he made it official. This past May, the American Embassy was moved to Jerusalem and expanded and renewed to Emissim. It was going to be completed sometime in 2019.

President George W. Bush and Barack Obama both made the same promise, but they didn't follow through on it, but President Trump has. He is following through on it, which I think could be extremely significant. Could this move to officially make Jerusalem the capital of Israel and have the American Embassy there? Could that prepare the way for the Millennial Temple and the Millennial Jerusalem? Let me just ask this one final question. A couple more scriptures.

How much does Christ value Jerusalem? What value will it have to Christ in the Millennium?

And when Christ returns, will he return to Jerusalem and will he build his house and his temple there? Let's turn to Zechariah finally. Zechariah chapter 1. Zechariah 1 verse 14. So the angel spoke with me, said to me, proclaimed, saying, Thus is the Lord of hosts, I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal. Verse 16, Therefore thus is the Lord, I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built, and it says the Lord of hosts. I'm going to have my house there, my temple there. And his survey's line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem, again proclaimed, saying, verse 17, My city shall again spread out and through prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem. He's going to choose Jerusalem again. Zechariah 2 verse 1. I then I raised my eyes and looked and behold him, the man with the measuring line in his hand, and I said, Well, where are you going? He said, To measure Jerusalem to see what it's with and what is its length. And there was the angel who talked with me going out, and another angel was coming in to meet him, who said to him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls. We're not going to have a wall around Jerusalem anymore. We're going to tear down there. We won't need a wall. God's going to be there. Jerusalem will be inhabited in its towns without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock. We can't contain everything in the walls of Jerusalem. We have to tear that down and go out in our room to build towns and livestock and men. For I, says the Lord, will be a wall, a fire around. I'm going to be your protection, and I will be the glory intermixed. So up, up, flee from the land of the north, says the Lord. For I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven.

Up Zion, escape you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. Verse 7, escape you who may still be caught up in the Babylonia's political religious system.

What is Jerusalem to Christ? Verse 8, For this is the Lord of hosts. This is chapter 2, Zechariah, verse 8. For this is the Lord of hosts. He sent me after glory to the nations which plunder you. For he who touches you, God says to those who want to overtake Jerusalem, he who touches you, God says, touches the apple of his eye, the apple of God's eyes.

To Christ, Jerusalem is the apple of his eye. Will Christ return to Jerusalem to reign from Jerusalem as king of kings and lord of lords?

And will that event also be accompanied by a great earthquake? Zechariah 14, final scriptures. Zechariah 14, verse 4, beginning in verse 4.

And in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which faces Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from the east to the west. Because it may be a great earthquake. Making a very large valley, half of the mountains shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through my mountain valley. From the mountain valley shall reach to Azeal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you. We're going to be there to witness this with him, all those in the first resurrection with Christ. Finally, verses 8 and 9. And in that day it shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea. In both summer and winter it shall occur. Verse 9, The Lord shall be king over all the earth from Jerusalem. And in that day it shall be the Lord is one, and his name is one. So that then is the tale in the history of the earthly Jerusalem, up to and including the millennium. Which then concludes this two-part series on a tale two cities.