The Two Great Cities of Scripture:

Part 2

By

Ivan Foster

2. Jerusalem too figures in the great end time purpose of God. 

Jerusalem is the city eternally favoured of God. In the reign of Solomon the temple was built. When the work was finished we read that the LORD appeared to Solomon . . . and the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put My Name there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually’ (1 Kings 9:2-3). Perpetually—there is no divorce with God. When He says this in terms most resolute, then we can be sure that there is still a place in the heart of God for Jerusalem. Even in this day of Israel’s desolation, God has not forgotten Jerusalem or His ancient people.

I received a document from America as a result of a sermon I printed some time ago in “The Burning Bush.” I do not know how my paper arrived in Texas—it is a long way from Ulster but “The Burning Bush” arrived there and someone sent me a few publications that would not share our view an what the Bible has to say about the last days. I was urged to read these wonderful(?) expositions of God’s truth. In the opening sentence of the first of these great treasures(?) was the statement “God has finished with the Jew.” I thought that I had surely better things to do than wade through this, although it is necessary to read these things at times to be acquainted with what is being said.

God has not finished with the Jew. If God has finished with the Jew, I tremble for He might just as easily decide to finish with me. I have a nature which is every bit as corrupt as the Jews ever had. Peter belonged to the Lord but he denied the Lord. And even into his apostolic career, there were times when Peter came close to doing the same thing again. And Paul nearly did the same. On that occasion in Jerusalem toward the end of his ministry, he was going into the temple having shaved his head and was about to make a vow. The crowd, the mob, laid hold of him otherwise Paul, seeking to placate the Judaizers may well have entered into a vow in the temple. I do not believe Paul would have ever done such a thing in his earlier days. God intervened and stopped Paul and maintained his testimony. So there is the potential within us all to go back an and fail the Lord. I am glad that there is no chance of God failing or abandoning me. I cannot understand the Lord ever choosing me but even less could I understand God dropping me once He has entered into a solemn covenant in Christ to keep me.

Romans 11 begins, “I say then, hath God cast away His people? God forbid.” The idea was a thing astonishing to Paul’s mind. It brought forth the exclamation from him, “God forbid” —it cannot be. And throughout that chapter the theme continues. Verse 2 says, “God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew.” He has not cast His people away. There is still a place in His heart for them and for their great city, Jerusalem.

A. Notice firstly, that God’s faithfulness requires a future for Jerusalem and for Israel. God has promised it. When He entered into the covenant with Abraham, He promised that He would give the land to his descendants. And no one can frustrate that promise. Nothing will change God’s mind. God’s faithfulness is bound up with again bringing Jerusalem to a place of prominence and glory in the earth.

B. We learn from Scripture that Jerusalem shall flourish for a time before God restores her by His power. The city that rejected Christ will welcome antichrist. The Lord Jesus said in John 5:43 that there would come another and they will welcome him. And I do believe He was referring to antichrist. The Bible tells us that the city of Jerusalem will be linked with antichrist in the day of his power and his earthly glory. He will be seen in his glory in Jerusalem, even as Jerusalem will also see his destruction.

Isaiah 14 indicates this clearly to us. It is the song sung by triumphant Israel and they make reference to antichrist, saying, “How art thou fallen from the heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! for thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Jerusalem will be chosen by the antichrist because he knows that it is the city of God, and he will defy God in His Own city. The song of triumph is sung by Israel after God has dealt with antichrist. “You said, you would be as God. Where are you now? Taking the titles of Christ, assuming that you would ascend to the heights of Christ, but where are you? Hell hath opened up her mouth to receive thee.” Jerusalem has a future and it will be raised again in the providence of God. It will see great things. It will see antichrist in his power and glory, but it will also see antichrist in his ruin.

C. The regathering of Israel to their land and city in unbelief is for judgment. God will see that Jerusalem will become the center of the crucible in which He will work His final judgment upon His erring people. The Bible makes that clear. Antichrist will be the chief instrument of that judgment. He is spoken of as such, “O Assyrian (one of the titles of antichrist), the rod of Mine anger” (Isaiah 10:5). God’s instrument—the rod of Mine anger.

Another thing I have learned from school—God believes in corporal punishment. Parents ought to as well. One of our ministers was enrolling his child in a school, and he thought it one of the most important things to discover what form of punishment there was in the school. Unfortunately he was not careful enough with his words. Upon meeting the principal of the school he asked, “Do you believe in capital punishment?” The headmaster looked at him for a moment and said, “I am sure you mean corporal punishment.” Well, capital punishment would be taking the matter just a little too far but God believes in the rod. He is going to use the rod on Israel. The rod brings results. Did it not do you good? God will use antichrist as a rod and it will bring results. The nation of Israel in that great city will be brought to repentance. Ezekiel 22:19-22 deals with that matter, as does Zechariah 14:1-3.

D. The intervention of Christ at His return will signal the beginning of Israel’s prosperity and the day when Jerusalem will enter upon her glorious time. It will be the capital of the great kingdom of peace and righteousness. How sweet it is to read those words in Isaiah. What a comfort it is to consider the plan of God and the scenes that this earth shall witness. “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains” (Isaiah 2:2).

Jerusalem now lives under constant threat. Her people do not know when the next alarm will sound. But there is a day coming when she will be established. None shall move or threaten her then. She “shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it, and many people shall go and say, Come ye. and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3). What an age that will be!

On sabbath mornings as we make our way to a place of worship, we meet crowds of people who have no interest whatsoever in joining us. But here we read of nations wanting to go to the house of the Lord. And this will come about. It is the purpose of God. Every word shall be fulfilled. This is not a reference to a revival in the past although it can be applied. God has been pleased to give us foreshadowings of this great day, but the prophecy has not been fulfilled by whatever revivals God has been pleased to give in the past. There is a glorious fulfilment yet to come. Oh happy day! In that day Jerusalem will be sovereign over the earth. Her sovereignty shall be restored. The end of the time of the Gentiles will have come. God will in glorious fashion restore sovereignty to Israel.

3. These two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem, will provide the child of God with an accurate indicator of the approach of Christ’s return. 

Those who have the Bible can look at it and then survey the scene. Two places an the earth will provide an accurate indicator an how things stand with regard to the fulfilment of prophecy.

A. Events in Jerusalem and Babylon will settle the question of prophetic interpretation. What are folk going to say when they start building the city of Babylon? It will settle the matter. We need not be contentious or argumentative about this. Time is an our side. We can be patient. We can bear the reproach of believing that when God speaks, He speaks the truth. We can bear with the reproach of being accused of foolishness for taking God at His word. We can bear with that because God will keep His word. Babylon will rise, and Jerusalem will witness the things of which we have spoken. The child of God will be able to say, ‘See, it is happening.

B. When God gives us information of this nature, it is in order that we might work. There were those in the kingdom of David “that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). In this Testimony, there is a people who have understanding of the times. But more than that, we ought to know what ought to be done. We ought to be the leaders of action. We ought to be the people leading in prayer. What we know from God’s Word will guide us in praying. Daniel understood by books, and took himself to prayer. An understanding of God’s Word, fires our souls and makes us act. When God gives knowledge we dare not sit an it.

Andrew heard John the Baptist say. “Behold the Lamb of God,” and, possessed of this knowledge, he immediately went and told Peter, “We have found Him.” The knowledge made him act. I believe that much of the stagnation and deadness that there is upon God’s people today results from a lack of knowledge. Another portion of God’s Word, speaking of the day of the antichrist, says, “The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

I have heard people say, “God has said it so it is going to happen; there is nothing I can do about it.” And they sit down. They have not come to an understanding of God’s Word, no matter what they may think, for an understanding of Truth causes us to be strong and do exploits. Let the Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony be known as a people of action, of vision, of power, of going forth. It vexes my soul when I hear folk who adhere to a post-millennial view say that we folk have no vision for revival or for souls. Believing as I do that their views are wrong, I cannot see how a lie can promote the winning of souls. It is truth that will promote a furthering of God’s cause. We claim to have the truth. I believe the exposition of Scripture that is espoused by the Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony is correct. Let it be seen to be so, by our being an fire.

C. Our feelings for these two cities are different. Psalm 122 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” When Abraham had revealed to him what Israel would go through in Egypt, he was broken. When Daniel had revealed to him what Israel would go through in the latter days, he was broken. Likewise, there should be an agony of soul in us. We see what the ancient people of God have yet to face, and it should drive us to our knees, that God, in wrath would remember mercy.

But for Babylon, we should pray as they pray in heaven, “How long Lord before Thou dost judge her?” I see Babylon in embryo all around me. I see her blood letting all around my country. I long for the day when the Lord will proclaim to the saints in heaven and to saints an earth that the judgment has come. “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you an her” (Revelation 18:20). Some folk find it difficult to comprehend statements that rejoice in the destruction and damnation of evil. There are evangelicals today, particularly those who have an emphasis an the “jelly,” and they have a difficulty with this. Those in heaven do not seem to have any problem rejoicing over Babylon’s damnation. Neither does the Lord have any trouble, as He stirs them up to rejoice. He calls upon them to shout. If we know anything of the workings of Babylon we will share the sentiments of heaven. May the Lord help us in these days to fulfill our calling in Christ.

Providence Baptist Ministries © copyright_date PBM Desktop Publications © copyright_date All rights reserved Revised: February 14, 2005