Posted on 01/13/2011 3:36:43 PM PST by wmfights
Jerusalem should be your favorite city! After all, it’s the city that God has chosen for Himself (1 Kings 11:13). In Psalm 87:2,3 we read, “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.” Ancient maps put Jerusalem in the center of the world, and I think those maps are right! Jerusalem is also God’s timepiece. The final events of world history will culminate there with the glorious return of Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives.
What about Jerusalem’s ancient past? In Genesis 22:2 the Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on “Mount Moriah.” The only other passage where this name appears is 2 Chronicles 3:1 where we read, “Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah...” So, evidently Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah, which was the exact spot where the temple was later built in Jerusalem. When you look at the temple area today, remember this is where that dramatic event happened.
Jerusalem was a Jebusite city when Joshua came to conquer Canaan. But after David became king, he conquered the city and made it his capitol. Here briefly are five periods in Jerusalem’s fascinating history.
The First Temple Period (1000 - 586 BC)
Solomon, David’s son, built a beautiful temple in Jerusalem. We can only imagine what it looked like. Its glory was greater than anything that had ever been built in the ancient world. And we read, “It came about when the priests came from the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 8:10,11).
But after Solomon’s death the kingdom was split; Samaria became the capitol of the northern tribes. This city succumbed to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Thousands of captives were taken to Assyria and never heard from again.
In 586 B.C., the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, the southern kingdom. After three sieges, Solomon’s beautiful temple was totally destroyed. Many Jews were carried off to Babylon where they lived for seventy years. When the Persians later overthrew Babylon, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland. Jerusalem, however, lay in ruins.
The Second Temple Period (538 BC - 70 AD)
When the Jews returned from Babylon, a small temple was constructed where Solomon’s beautiful edifice stood. Many of the older men remembered Solomon’s temple and wept when they saw this smaller edifice. Zechariah the prophet encouraged them by asking, “For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10). Incredibly, this smaller temple served the Jews for nearly five centuries.
In 19 B.C. the Roman ruler, King Herod proposed the idea of reconstructing a beautiful temple in Jerusalem. He promised the Jews that he would not tear down Zerubbabel’s temple, but build a new one over it. In effect, the building of the new one and the tearing down of the smaller one would happen simultaneously. Worship would not be interrupted. He also trained one thousand priests as masons so that no Gentiles would have to work in the sacred areas.
This beautiful structure was not yet finished when Jesus Christ was on earth. After cleansing the temple, the Jews asked that He give them a sign and Jesus answered, “`Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews therefore said. `It took forty years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body” (John 2:19-21). This temple had been under construction for forty-six years and was not yet completed. Though Herod was long since dead, work on the temple continued.
One day Jesus and His disciples were on the Mount of Olives overlooking the temple area. They noticed that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts. Christ explained, “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down” (Luke 21:5,6). Thus Christ predicted that the second temple would be totally destroyed, and destroyed it was.
In 70 A.D. the Emperor Titus came to put down a revolt in Jerusalem, so he surrounded the city of Jerusalem and captured it. He starved the city. And when people would sneak out at night to find food or water, they were crucified until rows and rows of crosses stood outside the city walls. Jerusalem was then destroyed and the temple taken apart stone by stone. Christ’s prophecy was meticulously fulfilled.
The Gentile Era (70 AD - 1948)
Recall that Christ said, ...”And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive into all of the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). Let’s take a tour of this Gentile period noting seven different eras that span nineteen centuries.
1. The Roman Period (70 - 33) The Romans brought their own people to repopulate the city.
2. The Byzantine Period (330 - 638) This is the period after Constantine (See chapter on Rome).
By the way, Constantine’s mother, Helena, made a trip to the holy land and established the various traditional sites regarding the life and ministry of Christ. Even today her identification of places such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher are considered by some to be authentic. Various churches and fortifications can be seen dating back to the Byzantine Period with its unique architecture.
3. The First Muslim Period (638 - 1099) Mohammed began the religion of Islam and conquered the city of Jerusalem with the sword.
Today, Jerusalem is the third most holy site for this religion after Mecca and Medina. During this era, the Dome of the Rock was built, believed to be the place where Mohammed ascended into heaven. Just think, this beautiful building was constructed 1300 years ago and is still an architectural wonder!
4. The Crusader Period (1099-1187) Pope Urban II issued a decree saying that anyone who was willing to go to the holy land to liberate it from the Muslims would (1) be forgiven all sins: and (2) if unable to go, the same benefits would extend to those who contributed financially to send a substitute. Hordes of Europeans went to Jerusalem after the initial liberation. Today, crusader churches and walls still can be found throughout the land, all of them nearly a thousand years old.
5. The Later Muslim Period (1187-1517) Once again, the Muslims dominated the land of Israel for four long centuries.
6. The Turkish Period (1517-1917) The Ottoman Turks defeated the Muslims, and Suleiman ruled from Constantinople over the eastern wing of the Roman Empire. Under his reign, the present walls of the city of Jerusalem were built, nearly four hundred years ago.
7. The British Period (1917 - 1948) The British asked the United Nations to resolve the conflict surrounding the city and the land was given to the Jews in 1948. Jerusalem was divided up into four sectors - Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian. But in the war of 1967, the city fell to Israeli hands and the territory all the way to the Jordan River (known as the West Bank) became a part of the Israeli State. Many people believe that this ended the domination of the Gentiles which Christ spoke about. Recall that He said, “Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). This explains why some people think that Christ’s return may be near.
Jerusalem In The Future
The fourth period is still future. The battle of Armageddon will spill over to Jerusalem. Zechariah writes, “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14:2). This then marks the great sorrow that will yet come to the city of Jerusalem as all the nations of the earth turn against the Jews.
After Armageddon, Jerusalem will experience exaltation. “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem...” (14:3,4). Christ will come and defend His people; the Jews living at that time will look upon their Redeemer and recognize Him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Then Jerusalem will enter what is know as the Millennial Kingdom, “...the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:3,4). After Judgment comes blessing.
The New Jerusalem
The fifth major era is when the earthly Jerusalem gives way to the New Jerusalem that comes from God out of heaven. This heavenly city is not so much an extension of the old, as it is a new substitute for all that has ever been known here on earth. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:1,2).
Later we read, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal clear jasper (vv. 10,11).
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city” (22:14).
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
>> She herself is created and not divine.<<
Do you not read my posts? I showed you were they have declared her divine and omnipotent. St. Alphonsus De Liguori [1696-1787] who was canonized a Saint in 1839 and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX on July 7th, 1871 in his Dignity and Duties of the Priest specifically states that she is to be considered divine and omnimpotent. Go back and read that post. The RCC disagrees with you.
Now stop trying to deceive me.
You missed the point .
Samuel was not happy to be disturbed .
Saul and his army ended up swallowed up by the philistines.
[pg. 16]
27. Inasmuch as grace perfects nature, and glory perfects grace, it is certain that Our Lord is still, in Heaven, as much the Son of Mary as He was on earth; and that, consequently, He has retained the obedience and submission of the most perfect Child toward the best of all mothers. But we must take great pains not to conceive this dependence as any abasement or imperfection in Jesus Christ. For Mary is infinitely below her Son, who is God, and therefore she does not command Him as a mother here below would command her child who is below her. Mary, being altogether transformed into God by grace and by the glory which transforms all the saints into Him, asks nothing, wishes nothing, does nothing contrary to the eternal and immutable will of God. When we read that in the writings of Sts. Bernard, Bernardine, Bonaventure and others that in Heaven and on earth everything, even God Himself, is subject to the Blessed Virgin, they mean that the authority which God has been well pleased to give her is so great that [pg. 17] it seems as if she had the same power as God; and that her prayers and petitions are so powerful with God that they always pass for commandments with His Majesty, who never resists the prayer of His dear Mother, because she is always humble and conformed to His will.
28. In the Heavens Mary commands the angels and the blessed. As a recompense for her profound humility, God has empowered her and commissioned her to fill with saints the empty thrones from which the apostate angels fell by pride. The will of the Most High, who exalts the humble (Lk. 1:52), is that Heaven, earth and Hell bend, with good will or bad will, to the commandments of the humble Mary, whom He has made sovereign of Heaven and earth, general of His armies, treasurer of His treasures, dispenser of His graces, worker of His greatest marvels, restorer of the human race, Mediatrix of men, the exterminator of the enemies of God, and the faithful companion of His grandeurs and triumphs.
Transformed into God? God Himself is subject to the Blessed Virgin? Do you have any idea what your church really believes and teaches? Good grief.
It certainly did, until the end of the feudal system, and the advent of the printing press.
no dear friend, it’s not history that is the problem, it’s these mythical “true” Christians that weren’t there that is your problem!
Hardly. They become more evident as time marches on... In the last four hundred years of her Reign of Terror, It becomes easy to see.
But being protected does not negate persecution - Just look to the Jews to see the meaning. They are still here, even while being the single most persecuted people on the planet...
I am assuming the ignorance about this is due to only joining FR 1/1/2011 and a poor education. I've pinged these additional posters because I know they are knowledgeable about the topic if there is a desire to learn. What I suggest is look up the names I list and see.
The Donatists
The Pailicians
The Albigenses
The Paterines
The Petrobrussians
The Arnoldists
The Waldenses
The Anabaptists
I know there are more, but these were the ones that came to mind right away. I did not include Christian churches prior to the 300's because until the church became part of the state any differences were resolved by disassociation rather than force. One of the key features of the state church was the willingness to kill those that refused to submit to it's authority.
No Catholic will say Catholics don’t pray to Mary, where do you get this stuff from?
i read them all, you would make Bill Clinton blush with the “spin” you put on them, and i am being kind.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Catholics do not teach Mary was transformed into God! Really, where do you get this stuff from? God is eternal, the First and the Last, there was no other God before Him and there will be none after Him! One God, no Mary, get it? is the ninth commandement still in effect?
No, the point you miss is you don’t understand the saints on earth and saints in heaven are all in the same Body of Christ!
LOL! THE Donatists? Really? Look up what they believed and i can assure you, under your theology, they are not “saved”
The other groups have nothing to do with each other , except heresy over time. is that the best you can do?
here’s a quote from the same book, just to show you how you are taking these words and twisting them, from section IV:
“besides the power of the priest surpasses that of the Blessed Virgin, for, although this Divine Mother can pray for us, and by her prayers obtain whatever she wishes, yet she can’t absolve a single Christian from the smallest sin”
Wow, some god she is is, she can’t absolve sin!! that is certainly no god any Catholic will worship, our God can and does absolve sin!
i am not familiar with what he taught, but he was declared a heretic. he came along in the 12th century, so again, by definition, he can’t be the Apostolic Church.
Wow, some god she is is, she can’t absolve sin!! that is certainly no god any Catholic will worship, our God can and does absolve sin!
A priest is not God.
... as opposed to the various Popes declared heretic over the centuries that were categorized as "anti-popes" in hindsight to pretty up the ugly grasping politics of it all in order to create the appearance of Apostolic lineage in your church?
we agree on something!!
now if a priest is not God and the power of the priest surpasses that of Mary accrding to the author quoted by cynicalbear, that would mean Mary isn’t God either!!
i think we are finally making progress here.
now before you respond, please read John 20:21-23. Priests have authority from Jesus Himself.
The Popes are not the Catholic Church. The Church is still here whether there is a Pope or not. Why even worry about Popes, when you deny the fundamentals of the Faith, Baptism, The Eucharist, The Church itself!
The "absolution" of sin, forgiveness really, is obtained via faith in the atoning sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross. No priest grants absolution of sin, particularly through rote recitations of some formulaic set of words or actions performed as "penance."
Repentance is a sincere, heartfelt change that affects both mind and behavior. It's the desire to literally go forth and sin no more, as Jesus himself advised. It's not really possible to be in the flesh and to be sinless, so we fail at this, some much more visibly or reprehensibly than others in our eyes, but we all do.
We're all flawed and fallen, priests and popes included. For this there is forgiveness as well, provided that there is faith and repentance.
In other words, "oooh, look over there!"
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