Authored By :
Bill Kochman
Published On :
December 24, 2000
Last Updated :
January 3, 2009
It is a known fact that for many decades now, the Arabs have wanted to divide Jerusalem, and Israel in general, in order that the Palestinians, the modern descendants of the ancient Philistines, might have a legitimate homeland, as well as a capital city. It is also a known fact that in recent years, it has been the Jews, (or Israelis if you prefer), who have refused this kind of arrangement, stating that Jerusalem is their eternal and undivided city which was given to them by God. This continues to be their staunch position to this very day; and as I note in such articles as "Oh Israel, Why Will Ye Die?", "The Triumphant Touchdown Of Jesus Christ" and "Yasser Arafat's Ultimatum", it is my view, based upon my understanding of the Scriptures, that this adamancy on the part of the Jews will ultimately result in full-scale war. Consider the following verse written over two thousand years ago in the Old Testament:
"For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city."
Zechariah 14:2, KJV
As I explain in the aforementioned articles, and as daily news reports clearly attest, when this war occurs, it is undoubtedly East Jerusalem which will be forcibly taken by the Arabs in the not-too-distant future. The Jews have had control of East Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War, when they took it from the Jordanians, who themselves are about ninety per cent Palestinian by heritage. Now, unless the Jews begin to show more flexibility in the current peace negotiations, they will lose it again through another war.
Surprisingly, had the politics of men prevailed, instead of the Will of God, the current explosive situation in the Middle East could have been neutralized many years ago. According to the 1947 United Nations partition plan, also known as Resolution 181, Jerusalem would have been made an international city, belonging to neither Jews or Arabs, and the Palestinians would have been given more land than they currently possess; however, because they didn't like the deal they were getting at the time, they decided to go to war instead. It was the next year that the Zionist Congress, with the cautious support of some Western leaders, declared Israel a state, right when the British mandate was coming to its conclusion. Again, these details are further explained in the aforementioned articles.
So here we stand, over sixty years later, and the ancient, city of Jerusalem once again faces the distinct possibility of being divided. As I state in my articles, the only real question which remains in my mind, is whether a fragile US- brokered, (or possibly UN-brokered), accord will usher in a false, temporary period of peace, inevitably to be followed by war, or whether war will occur first, to be halted by a short-lived peace treaty of several years, known to Bible students as the seven-year Holy Covenant, (although it will be broken after only three and a half years), during which time the ancient Temple will be reconstructed, and daily sacrifices re-instituted. Either way, we know that there will be a final Arab invasion, which will result in the desecration of the Temple, and the Beast setting up his own headquarters in Jerusalem, which will mark the beginning of the long-awaited Great Tribulation.
Regardless of how the division of Jerusalem occurs, we should not overlook the fact that there are some strong indications which point to the possibility that the actual administration of the city may fall upon the shoulders of the Roman Catholic Church, which has for centuries had a keen interest in controlling Jerusalem. Let us not forget the so-called "Christian Crusades" of centuries past. In fact, as you begin to read the news reports contained in this section, you will see that the Roman Catholic Church, as well as several other denominations, have already clearly stated in writing, that East Jerusalem should be given to the Palestinians.
As this volatile situation surrounding Jerusalem continues to play out, we need to remember that this is yet another prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes; which is further evidence that God's Word is not only inspired and real, but that it should be trusted. Only two chapters before describing the invasion of Jerusalem, the Prophet Zechariah also wrote:
"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."
Zechariah 12:3, KJV
I find it interesting that the Prophet tells us that the adamancy of the Jews, will result in Jerusalem becoming a burdensome stone to the nations, and that those nations and people will be cut into pieces. If you look up this word "adamant" in a dictionary, it states that it is a legendary stone believed to be impenetrable. It is derived from the Latin and Greek "adamas", which means hard metal or diamond; and a diamond can most certainly cut through many other softer materials. It seems to me then, that despite the best efforts of politicians, whether it be the US president, the United Nations, or anyone else, their negotiations will all fail, and war will eventually come to the Middle East, because God is going to use it to judge the nations at the great Battle of Armageddon!
With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!
For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.