Final Comments

From the very beginning Jerusalem has survived countless conquests and been home to many peoples. Now today, when we visit Jerusalem we stand at the crossroads of both history past and eternity future. The revelation of God's plan for Jerusalem began in the book of Genesis as it appeared in Abraham's life. Then, during the reign of David, the Lord began to use Jerusalem as his base of operations on earth. The Lord continued to use the city of Jerusalem, the people of Israel, and the Temple Mount on Mount Moriah throughout the days of the kings of Judah. Later, the Jews were removed from Jerusalem when God judged Israel by the Babylonian Empire, but he later restored them again to the city through Cyrus, king of Persia. Jerusalem was the setting for much of the ministry of Jesus Christ, and more importantly, Jerusalem was the site of Jesus' death, burial, resurrection and ascension. In days to come, Jerusalem will be the center of other great battles and will become the government seat of the coming Kingdom of God. The same scriptures that record Jerusalem's past also describe its glorious future when the Lord returns to redeem his people, restore the earth, and establish his kingdom. To stand in Jerusalem is to stand in the middle of history and gaze into the future.