| “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God” (Genesis 14:18). |
| “They shall call thee [Jerusalem], The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 60:14). |
| For the past few days we have spoken about the city of Babylon, and how it represents man in all his pride. Now we would like to look at another city — a city that the Lord loves. You have probably heard of it, and read about it, both in the Bible, and in the news today — the city of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is in the news a lot today, as the nation of Israel claims it as its capital, yet many in the Muslim world consider it to be their sacred city too. There is constant fighting over it, although the nation of Israel controls it with its army. |
| Jerusalem is a very old city, and many consider that the reference in our first verse to Melchizedek as “king of Salem” as a proof that the city of Jerusalem existed away back in his day, nearly 4000 years ago. What we know definitely about Jerusalem dates from about 1000 B.C., although it is mentioned in Egyptian history under another name about 1400 B.C. Before David was king the Jebusites had settled there, and they were not definitely defeated until David’s time. |
| Perhaps no city in the world has been fought over as much as Jerusalem. It was destroyed at least twice, attacked more than fifty times, and captured and recaptured forty-four times. Under David and Solomon the city became the capital of Israel, and evidently was very beautiful. Much later, in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, the city was destroyed and then eventually rebuilt. It came under Muslim control in the seventh century A.D., and continued in this way until the British took it over during World War 1. |
| Today, Jews, Muslims, and Christians all have a strong interest in Jerusalem, and the eyes of the whole world are focused on it. But the day is coming when it will be the capital, not only of Israel, but of the entire millennial earth. Only when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to reign during the millennium will it again be called the “city of peace,” which is what Jerusalem means. (Salem is the Hebrew word for peace.) |
