In the Bible there are a great wealth of promises foretelling the gathering of the children of Israel into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Many today are saying that the Jews who, since 1967, are occupying Jerusalem are fulfilling these prophetic lines. In this article we are going to show why this present gathering of Jews into earthly Jerusalem is not the long awaited gathering surrounding the Messianic appearing of Christ; that we are awaiting a better gathering of both spirit born Jew and Gentile converts into the kingdom of God. Most importantly, we will further show that there is a third destruction foretold for earthly Jerusalem, that God has a better plan for His people than the present Jerusalem, which is subject to sin and death.

Before this, it is important to note that there is a promise of Jerusalem being restored just before the scenes of the second coming, as we are witnessing in our generation (See Luke 21:24). The last generation to live before the second coming were to witness earthly Jerusalem becoming the property of the Jewish people once more. Furthermore, that from this event of Jerusalem coming under Jewish control, that God would cause a sizeable remnant from among the Jews to see the light of the truth, before a great exodus out of Jerusalem should occur prior to it’s destruction. “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20-21) Many have come to believe that this passage only refers to the second destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies, but remember that Christ gave this as a sign of His second coming (Compare Luke 21:7, Matt. 24:3). Moreover, this article will make plain that a third desolation is also here foretold; that the days of vengeance are near to come.

NO SIN SHALL ENTER INTO THE PROMISED LAND OF ISRAEL

One of the most overlooked points regarding the gathering of the people of God together into the holy land is that sin and sinners shall not enter into the land.
“And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 20:38)
Already from this alone, we can know that this is not referring to the present gathering of the Jewish race in the land of Palestine. Rather, before entering into this land, the transgressors will be purged from the congregation, and the Messiah will have a pure and holy bride, beloved and undefiled, to enter into the promised land. What land is this? It is the heavenly Jerusalem, where “there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”(Revelation 21:27)
At the return of Christ, there is a clear separation of the sheep and the goats; the wheat and the tares. The sheep are called to enter into the kingdom of God, prepared for them from the foundations of the earth, which is the wheat which is gathered into the barn. The goats, likened to the bundles of tares, are to suffer the eternal fire which fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah, thus will the rebels be purged. John the baptist spoke of this, who warned the religious leaders of the Jewish nation regarding the purging of sin that must take place before entering into the kingdom, “think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I…he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the granery; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:9-12)
These texts themselves are sufficient to show that the gathering into the land of the people of God only occurs once the rebels have been purged, and destroyed with the fire of the second coming, “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thes. 1:7-9) At the end of this article, there are a list of sins ennumerated which abundantly testify that sin has not been purged from the Jewish race.

THE THIRD DESOLATION OF JERUSALEM

There are a number of texts which deal with the third destruction of Jerusalem, and certain texts which outline the sins by which that desolation will be accomplished. The first time the Lord withdrew His protection, permitting Jerusalem to be destroyed was in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jerusalem had been government under the kings of Israel for over 420 years, and was desolated for seventy years for it’s sins. The second time Jerusalem was destroyed was  in the days of the Roman empire, under Roman emperor Vespasian. Jerusalem had been a government from the time of Zerubabel for about 500 years, and has been desolated of Jewish governance until 1948, when the state of Israel was instituted, and Jerusalem becoming the capital city of the state in 1967.
As such, many do not anticipate a third overthrow of Jerusalem, but rather expect that this restoration of Jerusalem is surely the promise of eternal restoration. Some remarkable evidences may testify that it was quite providential that the state of Israel came together. Nevertheless, the same sins are existing which led Jerusalem to be destroyed beforehand, and new sins which did not exist previously are prevalent and foretold by the prophetic word exist in Jerusalem and in the house of Jacob today. First, we will examine the case for three overthrows.

THREE OVERTHROWS OF JERUSALEM

Upon the approaching scene of the long foretold overthrow of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon, Ezekiel proclaims the overthrow of the crown of Israel. Looking forward to the time when “sin shall have an end”, Ezekiel beholds the threefold overthrow of the land of Israel’s government on account of sin, after the which will usher in the crowning exaltation of the Messiah on the throne of His Father’s glory. “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt Him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overthrow, overthrow, overthrow it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.” (Ezekiel 21:25-27)
Here, we might show how it was under treaty and tribute to Babylon before it was destroyed by Babylon, which was the world’s ruling power. Then, we might show how this treaty and tribute with Rome, who also destroyed it as the world ruling power. Lastly, we can demonstrate how the United Nations had essentially birthed the state of Israel through it’s Resolution 181 Partition plan for Israel, thereby leading to civil war between the Arabic and Jewish people in 1947 AD, thus fulfilling in part the prophecy of Joel 3:2, “I will also gather all nations… and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” Then how it came under the membership of the United Nations in 1949, one year after it became a Jewish state for the third time. That it is required to submit to resolutions of the United Nations, which has made numerous demands over the years, and to pay a sum over over 10 million dollars annually to sustain the United Nations. Israel is also treaty-bound to the Paris agreement of the 2030 sustainable development agenda.
If Jerusalem was overthrown by the power which it submitted and paid tribute the first time, and also the second time, why not the third time since Ezekiel’s prophecy states it will be so? Thus will be fulfilled the words of the Psalmist, “Thou hast caused them to eat bread of tears, And causest them to drink With tears a third time. Thou makest us a strife to our neighbours, And our enemies mock at it. God of Hosts, turn us back, And cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.” (Psalms 80:5-7)

THE TWO COVENANTS OF THE TWO JERUSALEMS

For those who find it difficult to accept that Jerusalem, the home of the Jewish race, will be overthrown, we must remember that Jerusalem on earth is distinctly outlined by the apostle Paul as being connected with the flesh and blood descendants of Abraham, which were likened unto Ishmael. Ishmael, like every descendant out of Jacob, was the child of Abraham born after the flesh, and born from the slave woman who came out of Egypt, and this is the case with the fleshly seed of Israel. Speaking of the two covenants of Abraham with Hagar and Sarah and their children, Paul likens the covenant of the fleshly seed to earthly Jerusalem and was likened to his covenant with Hagar, while the everlasting covenant of God’s promise to heavenly Jerusalem was likened to Abraham’s covenant with Sarah. “For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; but Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Hagar came out of Egypt, and through Abraham’s covenant with her, she had Ishmael. Ancient Israel after the flesh came out of Egypt, and inherited the Jerusalem that now is. “Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” (Galatians 4:25,30-31) What does the Scripture say? The earthly Jerusalem shall not be heir with the heavenly; the flesh and blood children shall not be heirs with the spirit-born children of the kingdom of God, the promised land; for except ye born again, ye cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3), for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:50).
So what shall become of the earthly Jerusalem with her children? The same thing that happened to Hagar and Ishmael; “cast out the bondwoman”. The fate of Jerusalem shall be to be destroyed. Christ relates the same thing pertaining to the children of the Jews after the flesh, if they continue in unbelief when commending the Gentile Roman soldier, among whom many of like faith would be found in the Kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:10-12) How is it that Abraham’s covenant with Sarah was likened to heavenly Jerusalem? It was because that kingdom is based on those who are born again by the power of God through faith in God’s word. Isaac was born by “the word only”, since Abraham’s flesh was aged and “dead”, and “the deadness of Sarah’s womb” would have left her childless without the express power of God to give new life through that which was dead. Thus Isaac was a child born of the Spirit of God, as Paul the apostle clearly states in Galatians 4:29. Likewise, it was the word only that the Roman centurion anticipated his servant would be restored to health. Christ declared that by faith, his works were more true of a child of Abraham, reflecting the covenant of Isaac, over the sons of Jacob, who were reflecting the covenant of Ishmael, and would be “cast out into outer darkness.” The Roman, by faith, was commended with the class that will be in the heavenly Jerusalem with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, in a “city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God” (Hebrews 11:14), above even legitimate flesh and blood descendants of Jacob.
Yet in the article, “The Desolation of Jerusalem pt. II: Exposing the Sins of the State of Israel”, we will explore prophecies addressing the question of why Jerusalem is destroyed the third time, and why the children are fated to be cast out. Since this subject is so misunderstood, we invite you to read this article for more information.

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