Jerusalem

We’ve been in Jerusalem since Wednesday. I’ve been here twice before and this time is entirely unique. It’s still a delight to be in Jerusalem, of course, it’s just different.

The other two times the experience was filled with crowds. In the streets of the Old City we would be squeezing through crowds standing shoulder to shoulder. At every turn there was a merchant yelling after us trying to get us to enter their shop and a restaurant filling the air with the smell of their delicious food. There was no silence or calm; the streets were filled with humanity.  

This time, most of the streets are empty. Some shops are open in the Old City, but very few. I can only recall the smell of fresh bread and nothing else wafting into the street from the local eateries. We were able to roam several streets that were entirely vacant with the only sound coming from pigeons flapping their wings. The merchant streets are actually quite beautiful and colorful in many instances. There’s still a vibrance to them in spite of their vacancy.

There was a stark contrast between the merchant streets and the areas where people live though. If we stepped off the main paths and into the areas where people live, we once again see life! Prophecy is still thriving! As children were running and playing, the prophecy of Zechariah came to mind. In chapter 8 HaShem tells us that “once more old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand because of his age. The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in the streets.” (Zech 8:4-5)

In spite of the year of COVID dampening the travel industry, this place still has life. HaShem is still fulfilling His promises. If we step outside the walls of the Old City and into greater Jerusalem, those verses carry the reality into a grand scale. A population that once was less than 10,000 Jews has now become 850,000. Strolling the streets of Jerusalem revealed many children playing and the men and women with their canes as Zechariah promised. People rushed about running errands and living life.

During our time at the Western Wall we watched several bar mitzvahs. In spite of everything these families still went about celebrating these children becoming participants of the covenant. These events draw entire families out to celebrate as they dance, sing, blow trumpets and hold a chuppah over their child. These celebrations carry some deep prophetic allusions with the trumpets and chuppah. In spite of a media storm trying to convince people to be afraid, they continue to celebrate the milestones of life.

Across the street outside the walls of the Old City we were able to visit the City of David. The calm absence of tourists gave us plenty of time to reflect on what it means to see this archeological site. Even though this year has stopped tourism, the Antiquity Authority is still working to bring the City of David out of the dirt. Why is that important? It’s helping to fulfill even more prophecy! The City of David is the ancient city that David would have built and where his palace would have been. They have found astounding evidence at this site to corroborate that.

Two prophecies come to my mind when I look at this site. In Isaiah 52:2 God speaks over Jerusalem saying “Shake of the dust and arise! Be enthroned, O Jerusalem.” I’ve visited this site three times now and it is continuing to shake off the dust. Ancient Jerusalem is arising from the dust and one day it will be enthroned in all its glory.

Of note at this site is the palace. They have models and a fantastic light show in the evenings (during regular non-COVID times, of course) to show what it would have looked like before it was destroyed. This is the site where ancient kings of Israel once dwelled. More importantly, this is where *the* King will dwell and that brings up the second prophecy that comes to mind. This one can be found in Jeremiah 30:18 where God once again is speaking over Jerusalem and saying “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on its mound and the palace shall stand where it used to be.”

In spite of the year of COVID that seems to have so many petrified and wondering what terrible thing comes next, God is still working. HaShem is still comforting His people and raising up the banner among the nations to call them home. He’s still performing miracles, even if we don’t recognize what is happening before our eyes. If we allegorize it, we miss it. If we read it and accept what it says we may just see a city shaking off its dust and arising from its mound.

As I was confirming the “address” of the Zechariah verse, it struck me that the following verse (v. 6) seemed to fit well with the time we’re living in. “It may seem difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, but will it also be difficult in my eyes?” It’s been a really hard year for this country that depends so much on tourism. For God, it seems as though He’s at ease and setting the stage for His next great work. How shall we respond? Should we be scared of what the world fears or awestruck by the wonders HaShem is performing before our eyes? It occurred to me to check other translations of the same verse and in many instances, it speaks of the amazement the remnant has rather than the difficulty. In others it speaks of the remnant marveling at these events. When life seems difficult, perhaps we should try a different translation or in other words, try a different viewpoint. You may discover the beauty and wonderous acts of God amid that suffering.

In a time where the 4.5 million annual tourists are absent from this country, the 7 million+ diaspora Jews are taking a new look at emigrating home. Something is afoot in the Kingdom. How you respond and react simply depends on what you’re focusing on.