One place in the Bible that is often mentioned is Mount Zion, also known as Jerusalem or the City of God, located in Israel. Although Jerusalem is a small city, it is an important religious site for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. For Christians, it is where Jesus performed many of His miracles, confronted the religious leaders during his earthly ministry, and died and rose from the dead to save us from our sins. For Muslims, it is where Muhammad ascended on his night journey to heaven. For Judaism, it is their religious center because the temple of God used to stand there before it was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. Today, the old city of Jerusalem is divided into three parts: Christian (including Armenian Christian) quarters, Jewish quarters, and Muslim quarters. But the most significant fact about Jerusalem is that there will come a time when Jesus comes back to restore everything in Jerusalem and will sit on His throne in Jerusalem, ruling the entire world for 1,000 years (Revelation 20). When we go to Jerusalem today, the temple that used to stand there is still in ruin. The Jews prayed on the western wall of the temple, and they have been waiting for an opportunity to rebuild the temple, but the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands on its path.
Regardless of the complex situation in Jerusalem, God is still in control of that place, and He will rebuild Jerusalem in His time. Psalm 48:1-2 says, "The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise in the city of our God, his holy hill. It is lofty and pleasing to look at, a source of joy to the whole earth. Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon; it is the city of the great king." The reason God allowed the temple to be destroyed was because of the rebellion of the people. The temple became a symbol of the Jewish religion and rejected God. We saw that when they rejected and crucified our Lord Jesus. But Jesus is coming back and will restore the glory of Jerusalem because He will reign there once again. For us who are believers of our Lord Jesus, we will reign with our Lord Jesus when He physically returns to this earth.
Our hope is in our Lord Jesus. No matter what is going on in this world, our Lord Jesus is still in control. World history will eventually show that our Lord Jesus is the Lord and Savior of this world. Philippians 2:10-11 says, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Ask yourself these questions for application: (Think through carefully and meditate on the questions while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you). Why is Jerusalem a religious place for the major religions? Where do I find my hope? Why is it important to know that God is in control of world history?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, you are timeless. You accomplish your purposes and will outside of our time. You control the world's events, and you are always in control no matter what is going on on this earth. Thank you that those who believe in the Lord Jesus will be secured because you are our Lord and Savior. In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.