Have you noticed that in the world of our time, a traveling spotlight seems to move its illumination from one nation to another? It highlights wars and problems and difficulties and crisis, in places you've hardly even heard of before! It's very interesting, is it not, to see how the attention of the world seems to focus upon some unlikely place. At such a time, have you ever wondered why you didn't notice that place before?

Certainly, we all notice that there's one place where that spotlight stops far more frequently than others. Indeed, it's a place that's really the center of the Earth. I refer, of course, to the nation of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem. Every time it stops there, Jerusalem says, "Pay attention!" once again.

We have told ourselves that Jerusalem will finally find peace when the rest of the world is at peace. But it's the other way around. As goes Jerusalem, so goes the world. The peace of the world depends on the peace of Jerusalem. That's why the Bible says:

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper who love thee," Psalm 122:6.

That spotlight has focused on the city of Jerusalem and the Middle East once again, although I realize that could be said at almost any time in history. Does the Bible recognize this? When we consider the things taking place in Jerusalem, we should remember the words of Zechariah's prophecy.

"The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it," Zechariah 12:1-3.

This is the opening part of Zechariah Chapter 12. What it says in the balance of that chapter approaches the point of the fantastic. Let's think about what's happening in these days as we consider the center of the world, Jerusalem.

By the way, they did some testing about that. There are individuals who are given to examining the land mass of the world, and where the nations are. They decided that it is literally true, that Jerusalem is the center of the world. People have long believed that. Many centuries ago a map was published, in which the balance of the nations of the world fanned out from Jerusalem like large flower petals. Although the world is shaped quite differently from that old map. the basic idea has been proven.

Today, we are in the midst of a set of difficulties that grow from abrasions between Israel and the Arab world. Much of the controversy revolves around Jerusalem and the claims of the Palestine Liberation Organization. That's quite a picture to think about. Jerusalem is the center of the nation of Israel that has only 4 million people in it's population. That area, that land, that nation, is entirely surrounded by the Islamic world, which numbers one billion people.

To make matters worse, those billion people are led by men and women who have sworn to do away with the nation of Israel. They are promising the very provocations of which the Bible speaks. When we realize the similarity between what is happening in the Jerusalem now, the world's most famous city, and what the Bible says will be the case as we move into the prophetic future, we really ought to think about it and take notice.

By the way, Jerusalem is the world's most famous city. It is mentioned more than 600 times in the Word of God. The next most famous city - you guessed it - is Babylon, which is only mentioned about 240 times in the Bible. Jerusalem figures prominently in every era of history since the days of its inception, and it's sure to figure even more prominently in the days to come. Think of the trouble, think of the expense, think of the money that is being spent by the nations of the world to somehow solve the problem of Jerusalem. It's not happening. It is a burdensome stone to the nations of the world. It is a cup of trembling that must be dealt with. It is happening now. The present provocation should make every one of us that notice and say, "How shall we understand this, and what will be the case in days to come?"

First of all, let's ask the question, "How did all of this begin?" It all began in a very interesting fashion. One night, Abraham was listening and was attempting to communicate with God, when God said:

". . .Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee," Genesis 12:1.

Abraham believed God. By the way, that very thing is recounted in the New Testament.

". . .Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness," Romans 4:3.

He responded affirmatively to the leadership of the Lord. He took his family across the land of the Chaldees, to the place which is now Israel, and God said, "This land belongs to you," Then Abraham was made a promise by God. God told him:

"And I will make of thee a great nation. and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be blessed," Genesis 12:2

Has that come to pass? Indeed it has. Israel is a great nation today, the number three military power in the world, and the number one provocative power in the world. Has Israel been a blessing to the nations of the world? Time would fail in this short space, to tell of all of the things that have come to pass. But it began when the call of God came to Abraham.

You will recall that Abraham and Sarah did not have a child. Sarah suggested that Abraham go into his concubine, Hagar, and produce a child. The child born to her was Ishmael. Ishmael was not well loved in the family, so after the birth of Isaac, Ishmael and his mother were cast out of the camp of Abraham. God took compassion upon Hagar, and promised her that Ishmael would father a great nation as well.

So the trouble that besought the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem began, really, when Ishmael was born. Isaac, who was born to Sarah just as God promised, was the child of the promise. Ishmael was the child of the flesh. And there has been Abraham between the sons of Isaac and Ishmael from then until now. Down through the ages of history, the nation of Israel has been constantly troubled.

Israel became a nation with the 12 tribes, the sons of Jacob, and began to grow and prosper in the Middle East. God ordained that Judges would govern the nation, and Israel then progressed in obedience to God. But there came a day when Israel demanded to become a kingdom, and God reluctantly allowed Israel to do so. He warned that their king would take away many of the things that they held dear.

Saul became the first king. Saul, of course, did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and Israel began to be infected with evil things. But David succeeded Saul. The Davidic kingdom was really the time of Israel's greatest glory, humanly speaking. It conquered the nations round about and stood supreme in the Middle East.

David asked God if he would be the one to build the promised temple. God said, "You are a man of blood, but your son will be called to build the temple." So Solomon did. The temple that Solomon built, the center of the Judaistic religion, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Solomon's temple and the splendor of the nation of Israel was so magnificent, that the world began to envy what was happening in the city of Jerusalem. The queen of Sheba came, in order to see for herself what was the story of Solomon's leadership. She was tremendously impressed.

During those days, Israel fulfilled its function. What was the function of the nation of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem? It was to illustrate to the world how wonderful it can be when you obey God and enjoy His blessing. Israel fulfilled very beautifully that testimony in those days. Also, the function of the city of Jerusalem was to be a custodian of the Word of God. Paul explains this in Romans Chapter 3.

"What advantage, then, hath the Jew? Or what profit is there in circumcision? Much every way, chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles of God," Romans 3:1-2

They were the custodians of holy Scripture. It was also a part of their function to be the channel by which God would ultimately send the Messiah into the world. Jesus Christ was born of Jewish genetic nature, but He was, of course, the Son of God the Father. Joseph was not His father, but the virgin Mary was His mother. And Israel was the national custdian by which the Messiah came to pass. In these thing, Israel has already been a tremendous blessing to the world, wonderful beyond description.

In the fulfillment of that function, Israel was turned by God into a great nation. But then something happened after the death of Solomon. Solomon as you know, despite his occasional foolishnesses and many other things, was a godly man who depended upon the Lord. I'm always impressed by Solomon's opening prayer when he was chosen to be king. He said, "Lord, I don't know anything about a king, so I've got to have Your help. I don't know how to walk out of the door and come back in the same way." And God said to Solomon. "Because you have asked for wisdom, I'm going to give you riches and leadership, but it's wisdom you must have." Solomon was a wise ruler.

But after that, the kingdom was divided as civil war tore Israel apart. There was Israel and Judah, led by Jeroboam and Rehoboam. The successive kings in Israel and Judah were poor testimonies to the reality of God. Again and again, the Bible says, "they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord." Israel lost its testimony. It didn't stay on the pilgrim journey to be a mission and a ministry to the world. But rather, it involved itself in internecine fights and selfishness, and the inquisition of goods and riches for the sake of their kings. During those dark days, Israel amounted to very little in the world.

Take the time to read the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Almost every one of their writers was called to speak on the spiritual defection of the nation of Israel - how Israel should be true to God, but was not.

You and I need to keep that in mind. Israel did testify to the fact that the blessing of God comes when we obey Him. But Israel also testified to the fact that the curse of God, comes upon a person or a nation that disobeys Him. If that's all we knew about the history of the nation of Israel, it should drive us to spiritual obedience, maybe superior to days gone by. To follow the Lord is the only key to blessing and prosperity. To turn from God, to follow idols, to go your own way, which Israel did, produces a desperate problem in the land. That should be a frightening lesson to us all.

Now despite Isrel's periods of defection, Israel was still being fashioned by God into a great nation. When one looks with a perspective eye at history, he cannot get away from the contribution that the Jews have made down through the ages of history.

Think, for instance, of the Crusades. The Crusades started in around 1098 AD. They continued for approximately 200 years, and consisted of ten major military expeditions into the Middle East. The Crusades in part came to pass because of the oppression of the Jews by the invading hordes of the Moslem world.

The Moslem world began in the 5th and the 6th centuries, and soon took control of the Middle East. Descriptions of what was happening were presented up in Europe. Pope Urban II, in Lorraine, France, extended the great call, "Will you take the cross?" Thousands did, and that became the first Crusade, and it rolled on from there.

The oppression of the nation became the trigger mechanism for the Crusades. The Crusades, in my opinion, brought on the Renaissance, particularly in Italy. The Renaissance, in turn, brought on the Reformation, particularly in northern Europe. And that was triggered by the Judeo-Christian influence behind it all. The world of Europe was forever changed after the Crusades, The Mideast culture, and particularly, the reminder of the reality of God, as shown by the nation of Israel, was brought back to Europe, and produced in effect, spiritual revival in Europe.

Think of each one of the centuries from then until now, and you have the Jews becoming a mounting influence in the world. They became the bankers, the artisans, and in many cases the political rulers of one and another nation.

In fact, I feel constrained to mention a person whose life has held a great deal of interest for me. He changed our world so that it would never be the sane again. He was a Jew by the name of Albert Einstein. Einstein came from the oppression of the Jews in Germany in about 1932 or 1933. He was a nuclear physicist, as you well know. He came up with a simple formula, E=mc2, which means that the energy component in everything is equal to the mass of that thing multiplied by the speed of light squared.

Well, what happened was the atomic bomb. That atonic bomb made possible the triumph of the allies in World War II, and in a very real sense, the safety of the world from then until now. No one has been willing to risk nuclear war.

Atomic capability came from the research of Albert Einstein. By the way, he first thought of the theory of relativity when he was 16 years of age. When he was 24, he made a mature presentation of his theory. It was that 24-year-old man who produced the nuclear understanding that has enlightened the scientists of the world ever since.

Einstein was a Jew. One of the most tragic blunders that Hitler made was his persecution of the Jews. He drove many of them, including Einstein, to seek safety in other countries of the world, particularly the United States. As a result, Hitler's Germany lost much of its intellectual capability, which, if they had kept it, might have won them the war. Influence on the part of the Jews has been a marvelous and amazing thing.

Did you know that God gave the Jews an outline of history that we can follow to this day? God spoke to the Prophet Daniel and said, Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city" (Daniel 9:24). In other words, if you want to know how the moral history of the world will turn out, what you must do is watch Jerusalem, and watch the Jews. They are the barometer, the measuring device, by which you can know where we are in history. And that's a very interesting passage. In that period of time, the moral history of the world will be matured.

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." Daniel 9:24.

All that will take place in that 70 weeks of years. That's God's little calendar that says, "Follow this. Remember that parenthesis between the 69th and the 70th week, the Church Age, and you'll know how the world is going to work out."

Jesus told us to watch Jerusalem if we would know world history as well. You remember in Luke Chapter 21 He said:

". . .Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," Luke 21:24.

Then He talked about there being signs in the heavens above and the earth beneath, and the waters under the earth. He then announced:

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth near," Luke 21:28

When you see the Jews returning to the Holy Land, that's the time to look up, because your redemption draws near. Keep an eye on what they are doing. The more you see what is happening in Israel contemporaneously fulfilling Biblical prophecy, the closer you are coming to the return of Jesus Christ. That is in effect the formula that the Bible tells us to watch.

It's been an amazing thing to see Israel fulfill prophetic Scriptures. Ezekiel predicted that Israel would be scattered across the world into all the nations of Earth. But then he predicted that like a valley of dry bones, Israel would come to life again, be gathered from the ends of the world, to become a viable nation.

Can you imagine, a nation scattered, that had no official existence for 2,000 years, becoming a nation again? It takes God to do that. It has never happened, never, with any other nation of the world. But in Israel, reconstituted as a nation again, and Jerusalem, no longer trodden down by the Gentiles, you are watching the beginning of the consummation of history. That is what the Bible says.

Has Israel been regathered? Yes. Is Israel a nation again? Yes. Does Israel have force in the world? Yes. Does Israel have plans for the future? Yes Keep an eye on the nation of Israel, because you'll discover Gentile destiny is involved in that nation as well. It's a great day to watch the barometer which is Jerusalem.

When we look at recent history, we know that the Jews have gathered from a hundred nations of the world, back to Jerusalem, to the land of Israel, fulfilling Bible prophecy. And in that the story of Israel has been the story of the fulfilling of Bible prophecy from then until now, we are especially interested in the question, "What about tomorrow? What about the future?"

That's what we want to think about, because we live in an era in the history of the world that is more prophetically provocative than ever before. We remember that Jesus said to watch Jerusalem, that it would be "trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). Well, it has been and now it is not. But rather, Jerusalem is now occupied by the Jews, and the army that is there is the army of the nation of Israel.

What will come to pass in the days to come as relates to Jerusalem and the nation of Israel? The first major consideration to keep in mind is, that there will be a tremendous invasion of Israel and the city of Jerusalem from the north. This is mentioned in detail in the Word of God. Ezekiel, in his amazing prophecy in the Old Testament, tells about this time in which God will again breathe life into the nation of Israel. It will have been dead, like bones in a cemetary, but this valley of dry bones will take on life again. This promise is a marvelous one, of the eternal occupation of the Middle East by the nation of Israel. But then, in Ezekiel Chapter 38, the Scripture says:

"And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him," Ezekiel 38:1-2.

The folling two chapters unfold the story of a devasting invasion that moves from the north by a person who is called the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. Here we have Russia, mobilized once again, ambitious for world conquest, deciding to move to the south. Russia moves against the nation of Israel with her army: horses and horsemen, bearing swords. A massive military campaign descends upon the Middle East, with deadly intent to overcome and possess Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

The outcome of this battle will be very interesting. You ought to take the time to read those two chapters, Ezekiel 38 and 39, because they contain details of an amazing and furious conflict. The masses of this army of the north will be hurled against the nation of Israel when suddenly, something happens that leaves everybody amazed - fire and brimstone falls from Heaven. God tells us that He will be the one who consummates this battle. This reaction from Heaven, with fire and brimstone coming down, destroys that invading army from the north so thoroughly that you can hardly find any life in them. It will take seven months to bury the dead, and seven years to burn the weapons. The world, looking on this awesome scene, will know, the Bible says, that God is God. "They shall know that I am the Lord," the Bible says.

At this point, Israel needs to be especially cautious about those with whom she makes alliances, because today's friends often become tomorrow's deadly enemies. In the process of thinking of the future, Israel will fall prey to a seemingly valid concern. Just before this battle, Israel will have wondered, "Who will be our true friends, in the days to come?" The friend of Israel in these days is the United States. We are practically Israel's only friend in the world. We have supplied the money and the machines by which Israel has survived with reference to war, and we've also been an economic partner with the people of Israel.

But by that time, it is my opinion that something very serious may have happened. You see, Russia would have attempted to invade Israel and the Middle East a long time ago, were it not for the United States. So, where is the United States when this terrific battle takes place? The answer to that question may have serious implications to you, because in all probability, you are a citizen of the United States.

There is a possibility, then, that America may have been destroyed. Another possibility is that America may have been blackmailed out of military strategic existence. It may also be that America will be considered a "paper tiger," having rotted into corruption. And surely, in a great measure, that is happening today. It may also be that the Rapture of the Church will have taken place at about that time, thereby taking out of America its leadership class. But everyone agrees that it is difficult to prove the significance of America in the final prophetic picture.

Where is America? We don't know. The possibility therefore is that by this time, there will have been a covenant made between Israel and Europe, so that Europe has an army in the nation of Israel, to protect its interests. Europe agrees to work together with the nation of Israel, in return for the protection of the oil supplies that move through Israel and Turkey, and the Middle East, on thier way to Europe.

Israel, then, will be delivered from the devastating effects of this army that moves from the north. But almost immediately, there will come another development that will have a telling impact upon the stability of the world. The people will decide to build a new temple.

Throughout the long history of Israel, the temple has been tremendously important. As a new temple rises on the Temple Mount, the city of Jerusalem will take on a heightened significance. This will happen in the early part of that period of time known as the Tribulation.

Israel, perhaps with the help of the leader of Europe, builds this new temple, and it once more becomes the envy of the world. The Israeli religion, Judaism, experiences a revival at that time. But in the meantime, something else begins to happen. A dreadful person called the Antichrist rises to power in the world. He does so, in part, because he has made a covenant with the nation of Israel. He is therefore viewed with favor by the nation of Israel. In response to this covenant, it may well be that he puts money and architecture and other types of help into the building of this splendid temple, so it is again the object of world envy.

But the Antichrist, called "the beast" in the Bible, has designs not just in Israel, but upon the whole world. After being in this period called the Tribulation for 3-1/2 years, he decides that his plans can be better served if he promotes himself as the god of a new religion. So what does he do? Paul explains in the Bible, in the Book of 2 Thessalonians, that he goes down to the city of Jerusalem and:

". . .he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God," 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

He occupies the temple, he puts himself on a kind of a throne, and he demands that the people worship him. So the temple is profaned by the advent of the Antichrist, as he attempts to advocate and bring to pass a new religion. This new religion is explained in Revelation Chapter 13 in several ways. It is first, the devil calling the world to worship him, using his man, the Antichrist, to bring it to pass. So the new religion is Satanic - it is Satan-worship! It is also humanistic - the people worship both the beast and also the devil himself. It is also universal and ecumenical - the whole world is involved in this worship. It is also phenomenalistic. The Antichrist and the False Prophet who works with him call fire to come down from Heaven. It is also very pagan - the Antichrist builds an image of himself and demands that the world worship him. And then it is terribly cruel. The Bible says:

"And he hath power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that so many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed," Revelation 13:15.

Will there be a world government? Yes. Will there be an ecumenical religion, whereby the whole world buys into a new age religious philosophical approach? Yes. What will the results be? Disaster. Many will die because they will not embrace this new religion. And the new religion, being essentially pagan and Godless and Satanic, will repulse many people. These many people will become the martyrs of the Tribulation. They will refuse to take the mark of the beast, or to fall before him. As a result, they will be put to death. Many will be beheaded for the witness of Jesus. They are the ones who will cry out from under the altar:

". . .How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?," Revelation 6:10.

How long until we move into the place where the Antichrist himself is deposed? It will be a form of religious agony that comes upon the world, as a result of the new religion of the Antichrist, which he will attempt to establish, going to the temple, presenting himself that he is God.

All of this will take place during a period of time called the Tribulation. Christ spoke about it and said there will be great tribulation across the world, worse than anything the world has ever seen or will see again. And He said:

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. . .," Matthew 24:22.

These days shouldn't be allowed to run their course by God, because if they did, all of the world would die. The story of the Tribulation is a very elaborate one, given to us in the pages of the Book of the Revelation.

During that time, first of all, one fourth of the population will die, with the advent of the rider on the pale horse, one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse described in Revelation Chapter 6. And then one third of the balance of the world will die, as in Revelation Chapter 9 these terrible plagues come upon the people. It will be an awful time in the history of the world, but it will also be a time in which people will come to believe the Gospel of the Kingdom. And they in turn will tell others. It may well be, that the Tribulation will contain the most wonderful time of evangelism the world has ever seen, as the Gospel of the Kingdom goes to the ends of the Earth, telling people about salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, the Tribulation will be a time in which there will be a tremendous division between the people: those who are loyal to the Antichrist, and receive his mark, as opposed to those who look forward to deliverance by the returning King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

During that time, the thought will grow in the mind of the Antichrist: "I've got to master this world. I've got to take it over. I've got to be the boss of everything. What can I do to really clinch my hold on the world?

The answer is not easy. It's hard to get people all organized into the same thing. So in the name of his new religion, he says, "We've got to have another Crusade to deliver the world from the clutches of the outdated Judeo-Christian point of view. That old religion has led the world into countless wars and tragedy. We must stamp out all memory of the Judeo-Christian God. If I could just do away with that, I will be the master of everything."

The devil's ambition has always been to get the world to worship him. He has not succeeded. And so, in the end, he will attempt to do it by violence. He will work through his surrogate, the Antichrist, who will muster the armies of the nations of the world. They march in a new, Godless, anti-Christian, anti-reality crusade, and they surround Jerusalem. Once again, Jerusalem becomes the center of the attention of the world.

Jerusalem sees these armies coming at her, and braces things up for an awful siege which again comes to pass. The siege of the city of Jerusalem will be the last great battle in a series of battles called Armageddon. The battles of Armageddon start in the Valley of Jezreel, where the blood will run to the level of the horse's bridle straps, through that army which is occupying a valley 30 miles long. And the final battle of Armageddon will be where, inch by inch and mile by mile, the armies of the Antichrist gather about the city of Jerusalem. The Bible speaks of this in many places. Zechariah, seeing this picture, quotes God as saying:

". . .I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem," Zechariah 12:9.

All of the nations will come against Jerusalem in that terrible, terrible siege. It will look hopeless for a while. It may be that part of the city of Jerusalem will be occupied. What shall they do? Is there any deliverance that will come from anywhere? To lift a siege is not an easy thing. What will the answer be?

Well, God provides an answer which is one of the most interesting ones described in the whole Bible. There is a counter-invasion that comes upon the world, and that counter-invasion comes from Heaven. It is the army of God that comes back. The army of God, these armies that come from Heaven, will overwhelm the armies that stand against the city of Jerusalem. The siege will be broken, and there will be a whole new set of things established in the world, particularly centered upon the city of Jerusalem. Maybe you'd like to get that description again. This is John writing, and he says:

"And I saw heaven opened and, behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nation, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," Revelation 19:11-16.

Now we've referred to this passage on many occasions, but there it is again: the mighty invasion from Heaven, that breaks the power of the devil and the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and liberates the world from the terrible capturing bondage of sin. This is the glorious return of Jesus Christ, when He comes with an army of His saints to put down the devil.

Think about that picture, and you may want to ask some questions about it. He comes, the Scripture says, with an army of His saints. Who, then, is in that army? Will it be an army of angels? It will not. It will be an army of the saints of God. Enoch describes this, quoted by Jude:

". . .Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints," Jude 14.

So, we can promise from the Word of God the marvelous reality that the saints will return with Christ and be a part of the mastery of earth. In another place, the Bible says the saints will judge the world, and will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). So, we will be among those in that army who ride back to earth upon the return of Jesus Christ. Christians will set the nation of Israel, and the world, free from the bondage of sin. We will depose the Antichrist. And we will be a part of the establishment and the rulership of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Thr army that rescues the world, the army of Jesus Christ, will then establish His Kingdom, which will be in the world for 1,000 years.

Our capstone thought about the city of Jerusalem is that it will one day be the capital of the world. That's why it's called the city of the great King. And that's why we are to revere the city of Jerusalem: because from the city of Jerusalem, Christ will extablish His Millennial Reign, and He will rule over the nations of the world.

People may not think much of Jerusalem today, but I tell you, every nation of the world will send delegations to worship the great King at the city of Jerusalem. If they do not do so, it will not rain upon their lands. The King of the World at that time, Jesus Christ, will even control the forces of nature! Jerusalem will be exalted to its proper place. It will be an amazing thing.

One more simple thought. John sees, at the end of the Book of the Revelation, the New Jerusalem coming down from on high (Revelation 21:2). So revered is the name "Jerusalem," that the New Jerusalem, which is a part of Heaven that comes down to Earth, is given the name "The New Jerusalem." That will be the place where both the redeemed of Israel and the redeemed of the Church will live. The New Jerusalem will be an absolutely fantastic place.

So, what can we learn from all of this? We can learn that God has a plan that reaches out into the ages of history. And God gives us the opportunity to see parts of that plan for our value, to inspire our confidence. That surely is what we have with reference to the city of Jerusalem, the city of the great King.

You are given the opportunity to live in the New Jerusalem. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you will be a creature of eternity. To be a Christian is the greatest experience in all of life. Wouldn't you like to be a Christian, a child of God? It's done by accepting Jesus as your personal Savior. You can do that right now. Just pray this prayer, and believe the Lord to bring to your heart that assurance of salvation.

"Heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner, and that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again. Please come and live in my heart and bring the assurance of salvation, I pray in Jesus' dear Name, Amen."

If you've meaningfully prayed that prayer, you have the assurance of being in the army of Christ when He returns to rescue Jerusalem, and you will reign with Him in His millennial Kingdom and dwell with Him in the New Jerusalem.