Was Babylon The Great a Symbolic Name for Jerusalem? Part II: Mother of Harlots and Sins of Sodom.

Okay, I knocked a few items off my honey-do list; so now I will try to analyze each of the nine remaining items on your link, in order, and see where we end up. This is the second Item:

"2. Israel would be brought back to life"

>>>In Ezekiel 37:10-14, the prophet receives a vision in which Israel was seen as a scattering of dried-up bones. In this vision, God tells Ezekiel that the bones (Israel) would be brought back to life. Just as Ezekiel had prophesized about 2600 years ago, the Jews were brought back to the land, and the country of Israel was brought back to life. Israel re-established sovereignty in 1948, a mere three years after the end of the Holocaust, during which the Nazis killed about one-third of the world’s Jewish population.<<<

Let's take a look at the verses in Ezekiel that follow those mentioned above:

"16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:" (Eze 37:16-21 KJV)

What does the underlined part of verse 19 mean? Is it possible this prophecy was for the period during the restoration that began about 535 BC, following the captivity? I think so, and I will explain why.

The Septuagint was translated about 275 BC, during the restoration, and it translated verse 19 as follows:

"Then shalt thou say to them, Thus saith the Lord; behold, I will take the tribe of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel that belong to him, and I will add them to the tribe of Juda, and they shall become one rod in the hand of Juda." (Eze 37:19 SEP)

That last part was not the language of the original Hebrew, which read, "will make them one stick and they shall be one in my hand." But recall that all the tribes were allowed to return to Israel; and the "immigrants," regardless of the tribe they came from, all became "Jews" living in Judaea. The only logical conclusion was the translators of the Septuagint believe the prophecy was already being fulfilled, and the name of the combined "stick," if you will, was Judah, and not Israel. Let's look at more of Ezekiel 37:

"And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. 24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." (Eze 37:22,24 KJV)

And that is what happened, but in a figurative sense. A descendant of David, Zerubbabel, became the Persian governor for the province, or, in other words, the ruler or "king" of Judea. Now for the next verse:

"And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." (Eze 37:25 KJV)

The last phrase, "for ever," will make no sense in this context unless you understand that God's promises are always conditional, and that Israel (aka Judah) ultimately returned to its sinful ways. Eventually the old covenant went exclusively to Christ (Gal 3:16,) also a descendent of David: and Christ in turn made an everlasting covenant with the small remnant and with those who call upon his name, e.g., "all Israel," as well as with the Gentiles who call upon his name:

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." (Joel 2:32 KJV)

The Zion and Jerusalem mentioned in Joel are the heavenly mount Sion and new Jerusalem explained in Hebrews 12:22-24. And this is the covenant:

"Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Eze 37:26-27 KJV)

The everlasting covenant was the new covenant, also known as the new testament, explained in Hebrews 9. There is also this mention of fulfillment in Hebrews 10:

"Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (Heb 10:15-18 KJV)

In summary, Ezekiel 37 is a summary of the return from captivity by Israel and Judah, beginning around 535 BC; the rejoining of the two kingdoms into one, named Judah; and the reestablishment of the kingdom of David under Zerabbabel; with all culminating in the everlasting covenant established by the blood of Jesus Christ, along with God's establishment of his permanent sanctuary and tabernacle in the hearts of men.

Philip

This is the third Item from your website link:

>>>Isaiah spoke of a Israel being reborn in one day<<<

>>>In Isaiah 66:7-8, the prophet foreshadowed the re-birth of Israel in 1948. Isaiah describes a woman giving birth before going into labor, and he speaks of a country being born in one day. This accurately describes what happened on May 14, 1948 - when the Jews declared independence for Israel as a united and sovereign nation for the first time in 2900 years … When reading Isaiah 66:7-8, keep in mind that Israel’s status as a sovereign nation was established and reaffirmed during the course of a single day, and that it was born of a movement called Zionism, and that its declaration of independence was not the result of a war but rather the cause of one.<<<

This is the passage in question from Isaiah:

"7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." (Isa 66:7-8 KJV)

The underlined part should immediately bring suspicion of the interpretation provided by the website. Isaiah is simply referring to Jesus Christ and his Church: the church of the firstborn, which is New Jerusalem located on heavenly mount Sion. In particular, verse 8 is a prophecy of the early Church: the faithful remnant of Israel.

Recall that heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all:

"Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." (Gal 4:24-26 KJV)

Revelation 12 talks about our "mother" from the perspective of Isaiah:

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." (Rev 12:1-2 KJV)

Note the twelve stars which represents the twelve tribes in the Old Testament (Gen 37:9.) The sun and moon in the same verse in Genesis represent Jacob and Rachel. The next verse represents the "birth" of Christ, in the sense of his resurrection and ascension to the throne:

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." (Rev 12:5 KJV)

In the next verse the devil goes after the early Church: the faithful remnant of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev 12:17 KJV)

Suceeding verses in Isaiah 66 further reveal that the Lord is referring to New Jerusalem, the mother of us all:

"Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." (Isa 66:10-13 KJV)

Philip

This is the fifth Item from your website link:

>>>The second Israel would be more impressive than the first<<<

>>>In Jeremiah 16:14-15, the prophet said the second Israel would be more impressive than the first. In many regards, it is. The first time that Israel was established as a country was after Moses led the descendants of Jacob (typically referred to today as Jews) out of Egypt, where they had been enslaved for 400 years. They then conquered Canaan and established Israel about 3400 years ago. But the second time that Israel was established was after the Jews had been scattered far and wide for a few thousand years. This time the Jews had to return from as far away as the United States, China, Russia and South Africa.<<<

That was the claim. This is the passage in question:

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers." (Jer 16:14-15 KJV)

I find the claim odd, at best. Consider the following verse, found only 3 verses after that passage:

"And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things." (Jer 16:18 KJV)

That passage is referring to the return from the Babylonian captivity, which was the punishment for breaking the land sabbaths. Now examine this earlier verse in the same chapter:

"For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride." (Jer 16:9 KJV)

That only happened twice to Jerusalem: once when the Lord sent the Chaldeans (Babylon) to destroy it (Jer 25:10;) and a second time when the Lord sent the Roman armies to destroy it (Rev 18:23.)

In summary, that chapter, Jeremiah 16, has nothing to do with modern day Israel.

Philip

This is the sixth item from your website link:

>>>Ezekiel predicted when Israel would be re-established<<<

>>>In Ezekiel 4:3-6, the prophet said the Jews, who had lost control of their homeland, would be punished for 430 years. This prophecy, according to Bible scholar Grant Jeffrey, pinpointed the 1948 rebirth of Israel. Here’s a summary of Jeffrey’s theory:

1. Ezekiel said the Jews were to be punished for 430 years because they had turned away from God. As part of the punishment, the Jews lost control of their homeland to Babylon. Many Jews were taken as captives to Babylon.

2. Babylon was later conquered by Cyrus in 539 BC. Cyrus allowed the Jews to leave Babylon and to return to their homeland. But, only a small number returned. The return had taken place sometime around 536 BC, about 70 years after Judah lost independence to Babylon.

3. Because most of the exiles chose to stay in pagan Babylon rather than return to the Holy Land, the remaining 360 years of their punishment was multiplied by 7. The reason is explained in Bible’s book of Leviticus. (Leviticus 26:18, Leviticus 26:21, Leviticus 26:24 and Leviticus 26:28). In Leviticus, it says that if the people did not repent while being punished, the punishment would be multiplied by 7. And, by staying in pagan Babylon, most exiles were refusing to repent.

4. So, if you take the remaining 360 years of punishment and multiply by 7, you get 2,520 years. But, Jeffrey says those years are based on an ancient 360-day lunar calendar. If those years are adjusted to the modern solar calendar, the result is 2,484 years.

5. And, there were exactly 2,484 years from 536 BC to 1948, which is the year that Israel regained independence.<<<

>>>(In this Bible passage, Ezekiel is asked by God to symbolically act out the 430 years of punishment)<<<

This "calculation" by the late Grant Jeffrey is one of the strangest things I have read by any so-called biblical scholar. I had obtained a copy of Jeffrey's "Armageddon, Appointment With Destiny," 1988, shortly after I was introduced to dispensationalism last summer (chapter 3 of the book contains the calculations mentioned above.) I was simply astonished at the imagination of that fellow: he gave Hal Lindsey a run for his money.

Even giving Jeffrey the benefit of the doubt on his wildly speculative assumption; he still had this problem: a year, is a year, is a year. The ancient Hebrews had to ensure that their appointed feasts fell in the right seasons. So they added an additional month to the calendar every few years. It was called an intercalary month. That kept the lunar calendar in line with the solar year. Therefore, according to Jeffrey's assumption, but with the proper calculation, Israel should have become a nation in 1984.

Of course, all that was for nought; though I don't dispute that charlatanry such as Jeffrey's can sell books: because it does, and lots of them.

One of the many problems with Jeffrey's assumptions and calculations is the fact that Israel and Judah began their punishments at different times, over a century apart; but Jeffrey began his calculations in 606 BC, the year Judah was taken captive; not 722 BC when it is assumed Israel was taken captive (some believe it was earlier under Pekah.) Therefore, when the captivity ended in 536, Israel had already been punished 186 years, not the 70 years Jeffrey used in his calculations, which leaves Israel only 244 years remaining to be punished. Using Jeffrey's own methods, we get:

244 years x 7 biblical years/year = 1708 biblical years x 360 days/year = 614,880 days / 365.25 days /year = 1683 years.

Subtract that from Jeffrey's 2484 years would yield 801 years, which would place the re-establishment of Israel around 1147.

Another fallacy of the argument by Jeffrey and the website were their claims, based on Leviticus, that Israel was to be punished seven-fold for their sins. I guess it never occurred to Grant that, using his assumptions, their sins would have been continually accumulating in pagan Babylon --- times seven!

But if you carefully read the "seven-times punishment" warnings in Leviticus 26, you quickly realize that those who were still sinning in Babylon would soon be doing everything they could to get back to Israel, what with the swords, wild beast, famines, and pestilences that God would be plaguing them with! Since many did not return, it is a safe bet that God was not thinking like Grant Jeffrey regarding those that remained. In fact, the "seven-fold" was the intensity of the punishment, not the length of punishment.

Finally, and as aforementioned, Israel and Judah were different nations, and received different punishments. Adding their punishments together, and applying to both; but only after subtracting a different punishment of one of them, is, I believe, what they call New Math!

LOL! This is really crazy stuff!

In summary, there is no evidence that prophecy in Ezekiel 4 reveals the slightest clue when, or if, Israel would be "re-established."

Philip

This is the seventh item from your website link:

>>>The people of Israel would return to “their own land”<<<

>>>In Ezekiel 34:13, the prophet said that God would gather the people of Israel scattered throughout the world and bring them back to “their own land.” After many centuries of dispersion, hundreds of thousands of Jews returned to their ancient homeland beginning in the late 1800s. But, millions more returned after Israel declared independence in 1948. In other words, millions of exiles returned to their ancient homeland which was now truly “their own land” in the sense that it was now a sovereign Jewish state.<<<

"And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country." (Eze 34:13 KJV)

It is important to note the Ezekiel prophesied early in the captivity; and his prophesy jumps around, time-wise, from the thirteenth year of captivity, back to the sixth, to the seventh, the ninth, to the eleventh, back to the tenth, etc. Most time-lines cross multiple chapters. Much of his prophecy related to the Babylonian captivity and the subsequent release and restoration of Israel and Judah, as Judah, in the land of Judaea.

That said, Ezekiel 34 is similar to chapter 37 discussed earlier. Both appear to be prophesies received during the twelfth year of captivity; and both refer to the restoration and to the "reign" of Zerubbabel as the figurative king David. The difference is, this one mentions the "covenant of peace," which may refer to the upcoming 300+ years of peace awaiting Israel after their return from captivity. That peace lasted from the return under Cyrus until the invasion by Antiochus IV, which occurred about 175 BC.

The subsequent chapters 35 and 36 mention the punishment of nations, such as Seir and Idumea, that treated Israel badly during their captivity.

Philip

This is the eighth item from your website link:

>>>God would watch over the people of Israel<<<

>>>In Jeremiah 31:10, the prophet said that God would one day gather the Jews back to Israel and that He would watch over them like a shepherd. Believe what you wish, but there is evidence that God indeed has watched over the re-established nation of Israel. Hours after Israel declared independence in 1948, the surrounding countries attacked, hoping to replace the Jewish state with an Arab state. These countries are much larger than Israel. But tiny Israel prevailed in that war and was able to capture additional land, increasing the land size of Israel by 50 percent. Israel also prevailed in the two other major wars that followed.<<<

This is the passage:

"Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock." (Jer 31:10 KJV)

Recall that Jeremiah began his prophecy prior to the Babylonian captivity, warning them they would be in captivity for 70 years (Jer 25:11-12, ) and that after the seventy years captivity they would be released to return to their land (Jer 29:10.) Chapter 29 was written prior to the final fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Zedekiah, but after Jeconiah was taken prisoner, in the days of Nebuchadnezzar II. It includes this prophecy:

"Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes; And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;" (Jer 29:20-22 KJV)

In Chapter 30, Jeremiah prophesied again that Israel would return from captivity. Their return would occur around 536 BC:

"For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." (Jer 30:3 KJV)

As we saw in Ezekiel 37, Israel and Judah (together as "Judah") will serve "David their king," which was a figurative name for Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, who was appointed governor by the Persians. They shall also have hundreds of years of peace until being taken over by Antiochus IV around 175 BC.

"But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid." (Jer 30:9-10 KJV)

Again, Verse 10, as in Ezekiel 37, states that all the tribes of Israel (e.g., Jacob) will return to the land (although only as a remnant as we shall see in 31:7.) There was also the following warning to the wicked:

"Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." (Jer 30:23-24 KJV)

Those who have carefully studied the terms last and latter days will know that prophesy refers to the days of Christ, until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which brought in the new age.

Chapter 31 is a continuation of chapters 29 and 30, and contains this passage about those who were to be returned, e.g., the remnant:

"For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock." (Jer 31:7-10 KJV)

It also contains this dire prophecy of the future days of the birth of Christ and the murderous Herod:

"Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not." (Jer 31:15 KJV)

The chapter culminates first in the promise of the new covenant, which Christ established with his blood:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jer 31:31-33 KJV)

And finally, in this promise that the seed of Israel will be a nation for ever:

"If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord." (Jer 31:36-37 KJV)

But, as we have learned from Matthew 21:43 and Galatians 3:16, the kingdom was eventually taken from the nation of Israel, and given to another nation (of Jews and Gentiles,) created through the seed of the promise, Jesus Christ, who is also a seed of Jacob (of Israel.) Therefore, the promises of verses 36-37, above, were not broken.

|You may have noted this prophesy was similar, in many ways, to the prophesy of Ezekiel 37, examined earlier.

Philip

>>>The prophet Zechariah warned that in the last days, Jerusalem will become “a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured....” (Zechariah 12:3 NASB)<<<

Let's analyze this chapter, but first the chapters fore and aft. In Zechariah 11:12-13 there is an unmistakable reference to Judas and the thirty pieces of silver:

"12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel." (Zec 11:12-14 KJV)

Notice what happens in verse 14 to the bond between Judah and Israel. The bond that was re-established on their return from Babylon is to be broken again. What does that mean? We know that it occurred around the time of Judas' betrayal, which was also the time of the crucifixion of Christ. We will get back to that later. Now let's look at chapter 13:

"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." (Zec 13:7 KJV)

That was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified, as he explained in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27. Next, in chapter 14, we see the day of Pentecost:

"And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be." (Zech 14:8)

Sandwiched between those chapters--which contain clear references to the betrayal of Christ, the scattering of the disciples after the crucifixion, and the day of Pentecost, respectively--is chapter 12.

The most obvious reference in chapter 12 is verse 10, which prophesies the piercing of Jesus by the Roman soldier during His crucifixion as mentioned in John 19:34:

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zec 12:10 KJV)

The underlined word "me" should leave no doubt who was being pierced. And now we see the following themes in consecutive chapters:

Chapter 11: Betrayal of Christ
Chapter 12: Crucifixion of Christ
Chapter 13: Scattering of Disciples
Chapter 14: The day of Pentecost

Therefore, any reasonable interpretation of the other verses in chapter 12 would be centered around the crucifixion of Christ.

Verse 1 implies that the verses that follow point to a "burden" for Israel. But who is Israel? We know that "Judah" is a name for all twelve tribes that immigrated during the restoration after Babylon. Therefore, Israel must be Christ. He was the only seed of Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) to inherit the promises (Gal 3:16.) This is verses 2 and 3:

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people 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 people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zec 12:2-3 KJV)

Verse 2 is unclear. Who is "they?" The original Hebrew is not much help, nor is the Septuagint, which reads:

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem as trembling door-posts to all the nations round about, and in Judea there shall be a siege against Jerusalem." (Zec 12:2 SEP)

That would appear to be the Roman armies; but their siege of Jerusalem doesn't match the timeline at hand: the crucifixion of Christ. The Latin Vulgate reads:

"Behold I will make Jerusalem a lintel of surfeiting to all the people round about: and Juda also shall be in the siege against Jerusalem." (Zec 12:2 LV)

That makes some sense. The early Church had to contend with the Jews, as well as Nero during the last four years of his reign.

Whatever the case, I have found the only way to understand those verses is to separate Judah from Jerusalem; that is, assume Judah to represent the twelve tribes, as it had since the restoration; and assume Jerusalem, Israel, and the house of David represent Christ and his kingdom. Then everything fits: Jerusalem from above, the Mother of us all, becomes a burdensome stone, that is, a stumbling stone and a rock of offence to the house of Israel, a.k.a. to Judah (Rom 9:30-33.)

The following verses, therefore point unfavourably to Judah, and favourably toward Jerusalem. Verse 4 represents those most opposed to Christ and his Church: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and high priests, who Jesus said were the "blind," as in, "blind leading the blind" (Matt 15:14,) and "blind guides" (Matt 23:16):

"In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness." (Zec 12:4 KJV)

The governors, on the other hand, appear to have accepted Christ. They would fall into the class of people like, maybe, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus:

"And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." (Zec 12:5-6 KJV)

The notion that the governors would "devour" all the people around them could only be referring to a spiritual event, such as the upcoming day of Pentecost which began at Jerusalem.

The Lord said he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (e.g. to the lost sheep of "Judah,") as referenced in Matthew 15:24 and 10:5-7, and here:

"The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah." (Zec 12:7 KJV)

The house of David will eventually contain the Gentiles, which leads me to believe the last part of the verse is what Paul was referring to in Romans 11:18, when he said to the Gentiles, "boast not against the branches."

So, when we read the following verses, it is easier to understand that it was referring to the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church:

" In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." (Zec 12:8-9 KJV)

Philip

This is the ninth item from your website link:

>>>Israel’s army would be disproportionately powerful<<<

>>>In Leviticus 26:3, 7-8, the Bible says that the army of Israel would have a supernatural power to prevail during times of conflict, if the people are obedient to the Lord. This Bible passage says that 5 people would be able to chase away 100 people, and that 100 would be able to chase away 10,000. Is there any proof to this incredible claim? Judge for yourself: <<<

>>>Example 1: Within hours of Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded Israel. The combined population of those countries was at least 20 million at that time. Israel had fewer than 1 million Jews. Even so, the Jews won the war and expanded the size of Israel by 50 percent. <<<

>>>Example 2: During the War of 1967, Israel attacked the air force bases of the surrounding countries and took control of Jerusalem for the first time in about 2000 years. They also seized additional territory. That war lasted a mere 6 days. <<<

>>>Example 3: On Oct. 6, 1973, Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria. Other countries later joined the attack. But the Jews were able to push back the attacking armies and occupy land outside of Israel’s borders.<<<

I thought the Grant Jeffrey claim would be the most bizarre. But I have to admit, this tops it. Where did this web site get the notion that a secular nation, over nineteen centuries removed from the Lord's presence, can keep the following highlighted commandment?

"Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord." (Lev 26:2 KJV)

Where, exactly, can one find the Lord's sanctuary in Israel?

How about the land sabbaths? Does modern day "Israel" keep the land sabbaths? How does that work?

And guess what happens if they don't keep all those commandments and statutes? Read the remainder of Leviticus 26 to find out. It is not pretty.

Fortunately, none of that applies. The old convenant was replaced with the new covenant long ago; and Israel is no longer subject to the 600+ ordinances of the old law. All they have to do now to be saved is to call on the name of the Lord, like everyone else. It is wonderful freedom from the bondage of the old law, if they would simply accept it.

Philip

This is the tenth and final item from your website link:

>>>The fortunes of the people of Israel would be restored<<<

>>>In Deuteronomy 30:3-5, the Bible said the Jews would be scattered worldwide and that they later would return to their homeland and have their fortunes restored. This prophecy began to be fulfilled in modern times during the late 1800s when many Jews returned to Israel, from as far away as China and the United States, Russia and South Africa. Israel declared independence in 1948. Today, Israel is among the world’s most prosperous countries. In 1999, for example, Israel’s per capita Gross Domestic Product was twice as prosperous than the neighboring countries. <<<

As mentioned in the previous post, Israel is no longer under the old covenant, and is therefore no longer subject to the laws of Moses. Otherwise, they would have this hanging over their heads:

"In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." (Deu 30:16-19 KJV)

It is a good thing Israel is no longer subject to the laws of the old covenant.

Philip

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.