The name “Jerusalem” means “city of peace.” On one high part was Mount Zion, with the king’s house; on the other high part, Mount Moriah, was the temple, where God was to be honored. All was for the people’s good and for peace. Yet, because of their sins, they had wars and trouble, the opposite of peace.
Many years they had no ruler of their own, but were ruled by cruel kings of other lands. But it was promised in the Scriptures that God would give them a holy King, or ruler, to bring peace. It was written of that One as first a child, “Unto us a child is born,” who would grow then older, “Unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder.” One of His names was to be “Prince [ruler] of Peace” (Isaiah 9:66For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)).
When Jesus was born in the town near Jerusalem, the angel said, “Peace on earth”; He was the One to bring peace, and when older, He did the good written of that One.
Perfect Prophecy
It was written that the holy King would be just and lowly, and how He would ride into Jerusalem, (Zechariah 9:99Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)). The year this holy Ruler would be born a child was not foretold, but the exact year He should be there as “Prince,” or Ruler, was written, He being also called “Messiah,” which meant the One anointed and chosen by God.
The Israelites were captives many years in another country; then God told Cyrus, who ruled over them, to send them back to build up Jerusalem, (Ezra 1:1-51Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. 5Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1‑5)). An angel told the prophet Daniel that from the time of that command “unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,” or 69 “weeks” (Daniel 9:2525Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (Daniel 9:25)).
A week to us means seven days, but then a “week” also meant seven years (as shown in Genesis 29:27-2827Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. (Genesis 29:27‑28)), and it was entirely plain to the people then, that 69 “weeks” meant 483 years. They knew well the year of command to restore their city, so they could count the 483 years from then to know the year the holy King would be there.
All the people who knew the writings should have been expecting Him, and that was the year the Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem. But the men of the temple, who had the writings, did not want the holy King.
Jesus knew they would refuse Him, yet He mourned that they would have no peace. He looked down on the city, perhaps from the Mount of Olives where He stayed at night, and wept, and spoke as though to the city itself, “If thou hadst known ... the things which belong unto thy peace!” He was the One to bring peace and deliver them from their enemies, if they had welcomed Him. But instead of peace, Jesus said that an army would surround the city and fight against them until all would be broken down and the people destroyed. Because they knew “not the time of their visitation,” meant that they did not believe the coming of the holy King.
Although refused by Israel, the Lord Jesus, by His death on the cross, made peace, which God offers now, not to one city only, but to every person who will accept Him.
Further Meditation
1. Where had the Lord’s coming as Messiah been prophesied?
2. How are man’s predictions different from God’s prophesies? What does fulfilled prophecy tell us about God’s knowledge of the future? What other reasons do we have for being confident that God knows best how to direct our lives?
3. If you would benefit from a richer understanding of the prophecy referred to in Daniel 9, you can find it in the pamphlet The Seventy Weeks of Daniel’s Prophecy by W. Kelly.