The Gospel According to Mark: Chapter 11 Key Terms
JERUSALEM
History
Known as the "Holy City," Jerusalem is sacred to the world's three leading monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. [ref] This esteem is based on Jerusalem's role and function as recorded in the OT, where we first encounter Jerusalem in Genesis 14:18 when its king and high priest, Melchizedek, pronounces a blessing upon Abram (Abraham). The city is not mentioned again until Joshua begins leading Israel in conquering the Promised Land. Unable to take Jerusalem, it remains a Jebusite stronghold until the time of David, who made it the capital of Israel and brought the ark of the covenant there - thus elevating it to both political and religious prominence. [ref]
It was David's son, Solomon, who built the first temple for God, in Jerusalem, about 960 B.C. [ref] Following Solomon's death, civil war broke out in Israel, with Jerusalem continuing as the capital of the southern kingdom. Then began a long series of wars, revolts, plunderings, and rebuilding as Israel was dominated by first one nation and then another.
The city was taken by the Philistines and Arabians, in the reign of Jehoram, B.C. 886, and by the Israelites, in the reign of Amaziah, B.C. 826. It was thrice taken by Nebuchadnezzar, in the years B.C. 607, 597 and 586, in the last of which, it was utterly destroyed. Its restoration commenced under Cyrus, B.C. 538, and was completed under Artaxerxes I, who issued commissions for this purpose to Ezra, B.C. 457, and Nehemiah, B.C. 445. [ref] (quoted verbatim)
The Hellenistic period began with Alexander the Great's conquest of Jerusalem in 322 B.C. Political and religious oppression eventually led to open revolt, as recorded in the (OT Apocrypha) book of Maccabees. This occurred in 167 B.C., and was followed by a century of relative peace. Then came rule by the Romans, who appointed Herod the Great king of Judea in 40 B.C. His legacy was massive building projects, including a new and much larger Temple that required ten years and the labor of 18,000 men to build. Begun in 20 B.C., further construction and repairs extended the final completion date to A.D. 67 - just three years before it was destroyed by the Romans. [ref] [ref]
Jerusalem played an important part in the birth and early years of Christianity. It was there that Christ was put to death, rose back to life, and appeared to many witnesses. It was there that the Holy Spirit established the Christian Church and empowered its members to boldly proclaim the Gospel. It was from there that persecution forced the believers outward toward the ends of the earth. And it was there that the Jerusalem church met to consider the monumental changes taking place as Christianity made its way into the hearts and lives of Gentiles. [ref]
Jerusalem's glory days, however, were destined to end. "The last prefect, Gessius Florus, stole from the temple treasury and provoked a revolt (A.D. 66) that resulted in the destruction in A.D. 70 of Jerusalem and the temple by Roman troops led by Titus." [ref] A final revolt broke out in A.D. 132 in which the Jewish troops were quickly and decisively defeated. It then became a capital offense for any Jew to enter Jerusalem. This remained the situation until, under Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313, Christianity became the official state religion. Overnight Jerusalem was flooded by pilgrims, and churches were erected on one holy site after another. This "Christian phase" of Jerusalem lasted for 300 years, and was followed by persecution. The last Christian phase came as a result of the Crusades and lasted nearly the entire 12th century (A.D.1099-1187). [ref]
Modern Jerusalem has been associated closely with the nation of Israel since 1919. Originally divided into the old city, controlled by Muslims, and the new city, controlled by Israelis, since 1967 the entire city of Jerusalem has been under the control of Israel. [ref] [ref]
Symbolism
Jerusalem is symbolic of all that it means to both seek after and struggle against God. It "is at the same time the place of Jewish infidelity and disobedience, and also the place of God's election and presence, protection, and glory." [ref] Originally its name was associated with a foreign god but then, following its conquest by David, it became known as the "City of Peace (Shalom)." The temple erected there indicated God's desire and willingness to dwell permanently among his chosen people. And just as the city enjoyed natural defenses that made it virtually impenetrable, those who walk faithfully with God will always find him to be their strong rock and mighty fortress. As evidenced by its history, however, time and again Jerusalem proved no match for her enemies. Inevitably her defeats were tied to the conduct of her inhabitants, as they repeatedly violated their covenant relationship with God, choosing rather to glorify and serve foreign gods, materialism, and their own bodies. The mere presence of the Temple was never intended as a guarantee of God's protection against the natural consequences of such conduct. So, too, with us today. We fool only ourselves if and when we think it does not matter how we choose to live, or that we can have two lives - one public, one private. [ref] [ref] [ref]
Despite its small size (never more than a mile long and a little more than half a mile wide [ref]), if and whenever its inhabitants earnestly sought their God, Jerusalem was blessed with peace. Whenever that relationship was compromised, however, hard times were sure to follow. God's people in today's world may represent a minority but, just as with Jerusalem, our faithfulness can and will cause others to come and see what God is doing among us. We are wise, of course, to temper that thought with the reminder that, just as with Jerusalem, our unfaithfulness can and will bring reproach upon the name of our God.
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