“This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her” (Ezekiel 5:5)
Jerusalem is mentioned some 850 times in the Bible. It represents crucial symbolic and prophetic messages. It features wars and at the same time represents the promise of everlasting peace to all people in the future.
In the past centuries, we have witnessed a great contention for Jerusalem by 3 religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Today, some Arabs question the right of the nation of Israel to exist.
How does this relate to the believer? We must learn from the fig tree (representing Israel in the Bible) and draw inspiration from how the Jews over the millennials till now have continued to contend for their own survival as a nation and equally maintain an undying passion for Jerusalem, in defeats and victories.
Since our faith in Jesus is the priciest thing in our spiritual armory we can be sure that the great adversary of our soul will contend for it like the famed and historical contention for Jerusalem and we must learn to resist the adversary.
Jude had admonished us in the scripture saying:
“I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3).
Why do we draw a comparison between Jerusalem and the contention for our faith? It is because the city serves as a figurative reference for us to understand that Satan will always contend against the people of God.
Why the attack on Jerusalem?
God has had an affection for Jerusalem since the time Melchizedek, the King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2), met Abraham. (Genesis 14:18-20). Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and Jesus is coming again to the same place. (Zechariah 8:3).
This doesn’t seem like a piece of good news to Satan and thus he has continued to sponsor unending conflict against Jerusalem, though allowed by God for a season. (Zechariah 12:2)
Little wonder that the final battle between Jesus Christ and the forces of evil will inevitably happen in the valley of Megiddo in modern-day Israel (Revelation 16:16). The battle derives its name from the town of Megiddo.
We have taken the necessity for this background to conclude that if the devil will contend for Jerusalem he will also contend for our faith.
This message is the more important in these last days where a lot of heresies, falsehoods, and half-truths are being bandied around as the gospel of Christ. Hence, the need to know the truth and walk in that direction to contend fiercely for the truth of the gospel and for our faith.
One key thing to note is that we must keep challenging ourselves to build our faith against the onslaught of the enemy (Jude 1:20). The onslaught may come in the form of discouragement, anxiety, fear and temptation to sin or to get ahead of God’s leading.
A vital part of building our faith in God would come from reading and studying God’s Word so that we know how to use it to counter all sorts of satanic opposition.
In the Old Testament Jerusalem represents the dwelling place of God and in the New Testament believers have become the dwelling place of God. Jesus of course declared this truth saying: “ If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him”. (John 14:23).
As we build our trust in God His words will transform into a wall of defense for us against the enemy and he will fight our battles as he has fought for Jerusalem.
As part of his body, the church, the new dwelling of God, we can lay hold of his everlasting promise to defend and protect Jerusalem. He has said:
“ As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it”. (Isaiah 31:5).
Reading:
Luke 21: 29-36
