JERUSALEM, THE CITY OF GOD

The third part of Psalm 132 is about God choosing Jerusalem as His home. Psalm 132:13-16 says, "For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home. 'This is my resting place forever,' he said. 'I will live here, for this is the home I desired. I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food. I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy.'" The city of Jerusalem has been one of the most contentious cities in the world. It is where Christianity, Islam, and Judaism collide. Each religion has a claim in the city of Jerusalem, and they have their own quarters. In the Christian quarters, three denominations were fighting for space in the church of the Holy Sepulcher: the Roman Catholic, the Armenians, and the Christian Orthodox. It began in the 4th century when they believed that the place of the crucifixion, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus was in the church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to them, this is the most sacred site in Christianity. The Jewish quarters, or the Jews' section of the city of Jerusalem, include the Western Wall, where the Jews send their prayers to God. The Jews believed that the Western Wall was the original wall of the Temple of God, which was the wall of the Holy of Holies of the Temple when it was still standing. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans, and it has not been rebuilt since. The Muslim quarters have the shrine of the Dome of the Rock, which they built in 691-692 A.D. They built it where the Jewish temple used to sit. The Jewish people wish to rebuild their temple in its original location; however, the Dome of the Rock shrine is situated where they intend to construct it. The following image shows the different quarters of the different major religions in the city of Jerusalem. Please note that the Armenian Quarter is also considered a Christian Quarter, which means that the Christian Quarter is the second biggest quarter in the city of Jerusalem.

The City of Jerusalem is divided into Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters.

With all these divisions and turmoil among these three religions, a day will come when our Lord Jesus will seize the city of Jerusalem and rule over it. I believe that Satan wants to control it because he knows that this is the place where our Lord Jesus wants to reign in His millennial kingdom, and he wants to reign over it because he wants to be God. However, God will put Satan in chains during the time of the millennial kingdom so that Satan will not be able to deceive people and bring chaos in Jerusalem while Jesus is reigning as King over the world. It is during the millennial kingdom that our Lord Jesus will completely restore the city of Jerusalem. No matter what is going on in the city of Jerusalem at this time, we know that there will be a day when our Lord Jesus will bring order to that place and restore it. The encouragement that we have from today's devotion is that our Lord Jesus is in control of history. It seems Satan is winning today because chaos and conflicts are everywhere, but all these things will cease, and our Lord Jesus will bring peace in this world for 1,000 years, which is called the millennial kingdom.

We can't wait for our Lord Jesus to return to this earth to bring order and peace. He has not returned yet because He is giving a chance to those who have not believed in Him to believe in Him for their salvation. When He returns, He will judge those who reject Him as their Lord and Savior. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Who can bring peace in Jerusalem? Why has Jesus not returned to this world yet? How should I live my life while I wait for Jesus' return?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, I acknowledge that only my Lord Jesus can bring peace to Jerusalem, and it will happen when He returns a second time on this earth. Please help me to continue to trust and follow you as I wait for my Lord Jesus' return. It seems that this world is getting worse every day, but I thank you that I am secure in you. No matter what happens in this world, you will be with me, guiding and providing everything that I need. Thank you, Father, for being my God. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.