« Prayer for America | Home | Trust in God proves who we are »
Hope of the Future of the Mid-East
By Administrator | December 4, 2008
Psalm 87 1 He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; 2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God:
Selah 4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ “
This prophetic writing begins to celebrate, without naming it what he is talking about, assuming that the general reader, at that time would understand the subject. The writer is saying “The LORD founded Zion”, upon the holy mountains.
The “other dwellings”[i] of Jacob, is a phrase that does not mean God did not love Jacob, rather God loved the actual mountain, upon which Jerusalem is located better than the other places Jacob lived or had spiritual experiences.
Another way to say this would be “God really loves the place that Zion was finally located.
Even now the God-founded city (surrounded on three sides by deep valleys), whose firm and visible foundation is the outward manifestation of its imperishable inner nature, rises aloft above all the other dwelling-places of Israel.
God takes a stand in a lasting, faithful, loving relationship to the gates of Zion. These gates are named as a entrance into Zion, because they are the bounds to the circuit of the city, and any one who loves a city delights to go frequently through its gates. The gates of Zion are open to ; all people, all nations, all ages.
The writer of this scripture, without doubt, seals the promise concerning the eternal continuance and future glory of Jerusalem: And because God said it. I believe it.
Zion is the city of God, city of His choice and of His love.
It is the world-wide mission of Zion to shall become the birth-place of all nations.
Rahab is in Egypt, in the South. Babylon [1]represents in this scripture in the northern. These worldly kingdoms, who have and still are geographically contain religious hostility towards God and His people. Yet, in this scripture God publicly and solemnly declares them to be those who will know Him,
Accordingly, it is clear that these entire nations shall be converted to believing in Zion.
God also points out that three other nations will have a change of heart.
These three nations are Philistia, the rich and proud Tyre, and the adventurous and powerful Ethiopia does not refer to the individuals or to the sum-total of these nations, but to nation after nation. It could be that the writer is seeing that eventually, what we refer to now as the entire population of the general area is included in this prophecy.
If one looks to the general area that this prophecy speaks of it is considered at present nations dominated by the religion of Islam.
Zion appears elsewhere as the mother who brings forth Israel again as a numerous people: it is the children of the dispersion (diaspora) which Zion regains; here, however, it is the nation’s which are born in Zion.
The writer infers that the nations will attain a right of citizenship in Zion. Zion is clearly explained in Ephesians the second chapter.
Take time to read the definition of Zion in the Holy Scriptures below.
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
The writer of Ephesians leaves the clear impression that Zion is their mother-city. The writer clearly declares they will experience a spiritual change which, regarded from the New Testament point of view, is the new birth from above.
This imposes on us a great “hope for the future for this entire region of the world. In a time frame that it would appear that the population and citizens of these Islamic dominated societies and nations have no hope for the future of their nations, the Bible actually predicts they DO have hope.
What should our posture be toward these nations? How can we truly help them? Is war, killing, manipulation, money, political domination the answer? Or, do we need to BELIEVE the Holy Scriptures and act accordingly.
Take time to read the following scripture by the writer of Hebrews Chapter Twelve.
14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. 18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our “God is a consuming fire.”
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistia
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia
[5] Isaiah 23
[6] Isaiah 66; Psalms 54
[7] Isaiah 60
Topics: Uncategorized |
