Jerusalem, the Tiny City the World Knows

Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people in Israel. It should also be the site for the U.S. Embassy as well. A few statistics about Jerusalem you may not have known.

Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed two times. Thank God for the safety of tiny Jerusalem.

The destroyers were Nebuchadnezzar II (578 B.C.) and Titus (70 A.D.). Please give those writers you read some feedback respectfully on their articles. It would be much appreciated.

Let us remember what God said about the regathering and return of the Jewish descents to Jerusalem. The regathering of the Jews is the single most crucial earthly sign in the end times in the entire Bible.

"Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples.

All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. 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. from Zechariah 12.2, 3

I hope you are curious about what happened to those, both Jews and Gentiles, within Jerusalem when the destruction of God's footstool by Titus began when his troops encircled Jerusalem in 67 A.D.

The Roman Legions surrounded Jerusalem and allowed Jewish people and others into the city, but not out. We can learn from history only when we take the time to study and learn from it.

I find it curious that the writers of the New Covenant failed to mention the destruction, including both Luke, John, and Paul. They wrote after 65 A.D. However, several historians of the period did take time to write on the destruction, and from these, we will inform you of what happened.

Vespasian, the Roman Emperor from 69 to 79 A.D., was ordered by the then Emperor Nero to attack and take over the city of Jerusalem and the entire area Judah.

Vespasian and his General son Titus succeeded in Judah and Galilee but not Jerusalem. Galilee was now under Roman control. Shortly after Vespasian and Titus took control of Judah and started their siege of Jerusalem, Nero passes in June of 68 A.D. and leaves Rome in a shambles.

Anarchy and civil war ensued after his death. One of Nero’s associates, Galba, takes over immediate rulership and is murdered by January of 69 A.D. Ortho is next. Still, he is defeated and commits suicide by 16 April of 69 A.D. Next is Vitellius, but he is murdered by his troops by 20 December 69 A.D.

Would you have wanted to be Emperor of Rome? With all the turmoil in Rome and the Roman Empire at stake, Vespasian is encouraged by his troops to take over leadership in Rome and assumes the Emperor position in late December 69 A.D.

Vespasian cleans up all the mess left over by Nero and his successors: the murders, the corruption, inattention to details of the Empire, the reposition appointments made, and not made.

Vespasian restores order to Rome and the Roman Empire. Titus is left to take over the siege of Jerusalem. But remember there is an eighteen-month period where the Roman troops in Judah are without leadership and tactical direction on when and how to attack Jerusalem.

Those within the walls of Jerusalem - especially the very young and old - begin to starve due to the lack of incoming supplies on which they depended. Atrophy of the troops and those within Jerusalem set in from the inactivity. (Josephus, Wars, VI, vi, 1)

Read on.

By now the Romans have surrounded Jerusalem, but haven't attacked through December of 69 A.D. Eusebius, an early Church father. Historian, states that "the Jews who heeded Jesus warning recorded by Luke, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near." have left Jerusalem." (Luke 21.20)

They listened to Jesus warning and lived. Great

The Christians got out of town and avoided the starving, mass killings, and destruction in Jerusalem by Titus and the troops of the 5th, 10th, 12th, and 15th Roman legions.

For the ones left in Jerusalem who were near starvation, we can hardly imagine the terror that rained down on them in their weakened state. In obeying the Words of the Lord, the Christians who listened escaped before the Roman attack. What a tremendous prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to Eusebius (Book III, 5.1), they fled to the mountains of Pella in Perea. No Christians were killed in the siege because of their following the instructions we read from our Lord in the book of Luke. The letter distributed to the home churches in Asia minor.

The prophet Zechariah recorded God's predictions regarding this troubled city:

"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 torn in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (see Zechariah 12.2, 3)

Think about Jerusalem. It has no harbor, no major river, and no natural resources. And yet no city in the world is more renown. And other than Israel, the city has no strategic significance.

It is no longer part of any trade route and has no geopolitical relevance either. It is God's footstool. It's only cultural significance is a small few millions of Jewish people who regard it as their capital.

Chuck Missler, one of my former teachers, says, "Even if all Jews were concerned, it still would not represent a centroid for "all the people of the earth to be gathered together against it."

The Muslims controlled it for a thousand years, and they let it go and crumble into rubble - until they discovered it was significant to the Jews; then, of course, it became critical to Islam.

And yet, the late lights are burning tonight in every headquarters of every capital of every nation that has international relevance. Their leaders are struggling with what to do about the issue of Jerusalem!"

Christians regard it for historical and Biblical reasons, but not to die. But did you know that God tells us to do something for Jerusalem? The Psalm says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure." (Psalm 122.6)

Back to what happened to the Jews in 70 A.D., Gessius Florus, the Roman procurator of Judea from 64 until 66 A.D., loved both his vast reservoir of money and hated the Jews, citizens.

Florus action touched off an explosive rebellion, the First Jewish Revolt, that had been sizzling below the surface for some time. Gessius ruled Judea with an iron fist, caring scarce little for the Jew's religious sensibilities.

When the Roman tax revenues became low, he seized silver from the Jewish Temple. As the uproar against Florus grew, in A.D. 66, he sent troops into Jerusalem, who massacred 3,600.

The Jewish Revolt thus began, and the Romans met a bitter end of it at Masada, a large chunk of rock overlooking the Dead Sea. The Romans thought they had built a virtually impregnable fortress there.

Yet the atrocities of Florus inspired some crazy Zealots to attack Masada. Amazingly, they won, slaughtering the Roman Army there. Things were looking up, but wait. The temple captain in Jerusalem is showing solidarity with the Revolt by stopping the daily sacrifices to Caesar.

An uproar occurred all over the city of Jerusalem. Jews in a frenzy started expelling and even killing the Roman guards in the town. Then all Judea was in Revolt; then Galilee.

The history books tell us Cestius Callus, the Roman governor of Judea, marched down from Syria with twenty thousand soldiers. The city of Jerusalem was seized by Callus for six months, yet the Romans failed to defeat the Zealots.

Some six thousand Roman soldiers died, not to mention leaving weaponry behind that the Jewish defenders picked up and used. Emperor Nero hears of this and sends Vespasian, the decorated general, to quell the Judean rebellion.

As we have stated, Vespasian puts down the opposition in Galilee, then in Transjordan, then in the Idumaean territory. His troops encircle Jerusalem. Nero's death and subsequent leadership changes ending in death inspire Vespasian with Rome embroiled in a leadership struggle, with the Eastern armies calling for him to be Emperor. He goes to Rome and cleans up the mess left over by Nero.

One of his first imperial acts was to appoint his son Titus to defeat the Jewish War. The future Emperor Titus in 70 A.D. leads the 5th, 10th, 12th, and 15th legions into the city.

In 70 A.D., the Siege of Jerusalem was the pivotal event of the First Jewish–Roman War. The Roman Army led by Titus with Tiberius and Julius Alexander as his second-in-command besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been controlled by Judean rebel factions since 66 A.D.

30 August, 70 A.D. marks the end of the siege and sacking of Jerusalem with the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple. The Jews still mourn the destruction of both the first and second temples annually as the Jewish fast Tisha B'Av.

The Arch of Titus, celebrating the Roman sacking of Jerusalem and the Temple, still stands in Rome. The account of Josephus described Titus as moderate in his approach and, after conferring with others, ordered the 500-year-old Temple to be spared.

According to Josephus, it was the Jews who first used fire in the northwest approach to the Temple to try to stop Roman advances. Only then did Roman soldiers set fire to an apartment adjacent to the Temple, which led to the burning of all the silver and gold melting. (ref. Mireille Hadas-Lebel. Jerusalem Against Rome. p. 86)

The Temple was destroyed much to the dismay of Titus, who wanted the gold and silver in tack. Josephus says that some 1.1 million people killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish and that 97,000 were captured and enslaved, including Simon Bar Giora and John of Gisela. (Josephus, The Wars of the Jews VI.9.3)

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel! It is well-known when the Jews came to Palestine in 1948; the land was a land untouched for two thousand years. No proper road system, no electric and water infrastructure to speak of either. Jews were already there with shops in Jerusalem in small numbers.

But when David Ben-Grunion made the announcement 14 May 1948 of the rebirth of Israel, everything changed. The wasteland became a park, or a settlement with farms, fruits, vegetables, and melons. The Jews love their homeland, and it showed more and more of them coming to the homeland by the thousands. The Jews made their tiny strip of land a place of milk and honey. Now there are almost nine million at home there. 1.7 million Muslims live and work in Israel as well. The latest population of Jerusalem is just 865,000.

I hope you learn from these small essays and get into the subjects in the Bible and come to your conclusions. God's blessings to you and please leave a comment below. Shalom. Dr. G

People have never had more time than now to read the precious Word of God, the Bible. Dust it off and read. If you need help, let me know. I am here to help.

Read this and tell me what it says: "O Lord We Do Beseech You, Grant Us Success Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you in the house of the Lord." (Psalms 118.25-26)

Jerusalem is the religious and historical epicenter of the world. What is it about a city of 800,000 that demands this respect in the world as a whole? It is not a big city, and you will not find it in tourist information;

Jerusalem is God's footstool and the future site of Jesus Christ's ruling seat. It is the capital of Israel.

I love my earthly Father. Hal Walker Hill, my human Mother, Louise Pearl Hill, my physical Sister, Beverly Hill Horn, Gary Horn my brother-in-law, my daughter, Jessica, and Sons Jason, Adam, Richie, and Joshua, and the Lord God Almighty, His Son and My Savior the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.

Thank you and God's blessings. Gary