TEXT: Isaiah 62:1-5
SUBJECT: God’s Plan for Jerusalem, Part III
INTRODUCTION:
In this message, we will continue unfolding and unwrapping God’s plan for the literal, physical city of Jerusalem by listing nine things that are a part of that amazing plan as seen in verses 2-5 of our text.
As I have said previously, it will be as we receive God’s revelation about Jerusalem and understand His heart for this city that we will grow in our desire for her and in our understanding of how to pray for her according to His will.
Church, we are entering into the season on God’s prophetic calendar where the Holy Spirit is revealing the heart of Jesus—the Bridegroom King—to the Church—His Bride!
In the last days the heart of the Bride will become one with her Bridegroom-King. What is on the heart of Jesus will be on the heart of the true Church.
As He burns with passion for the city of Jerusalem because of His plan for her, so too will His Church burn for the city that is on His heart.
Let us today be thankful that the Holy Spirit is giving us a prophetic voice to help prepare the way of the Lord. And a big part of that preparation is to help remove the veil that is covering much of the Church’s eyes as to the Lord’s heart and plan for Jerusalem Israel.
Sadly, at this juncture, much of the Church doesn’t even give Jerusalem a second thought. Most pastors never preach on it. And this is in spite of the fact that the battle for Jerusalem is constantly in the 24/7 news cycle. It is no accident that Israel is mentioned in the news 362 out of 365 days each year!
Be that as it may, by the grace of God we can yet be a voice ministering under the anointing of the Holy Spirit to help awaken the Church to the reality of Zechariah 8:2, where God said, “I am very zealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”
May God open our eyes, and the eyes of the Church, to His heart and plan for Jerusalem.
1. First on the list from our text in God’s plan for Jerusalem is that “The nations will see your righteousness.” (V.2)
Since I preached on the “righteousness that will shine forth from Jerusalem like the dawn,” in last week’s message, I will only make a brief comment or two here.
First of all, the prophet said, “the nations will see your righteousness.” What the Lord is going to do in Jerusalem in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus will not be done in secret or out of sight from the rest of the world.
God’s righteousness, that is the true standard of justice for all, will flow out of Jerusalem and will touch and transform the whole earth. And “This same Jesus” of the New Testament, who now has a resurrected and glorified body, will extend His righteous rule to every person on the planet.
The scripture says that the nations, all 195+ of them, will see (and be impacted) by His righteousness! It will be a glorious day for everyone who truly loves and desires God’s righteousness! Beloved, righteousness will flow from the city of Jerusalem.
2. Next on the list in God’s plan for Jerusalem is that all kings (rulers, presidents, prime ministers and all of those in authority) will see the glory of God.
Under the leadership of Jesus from Jerusalem—along with His Church and saved Israel—there will be no lack of resources anywhere in the world. True prosperity will flow from Jerusalem to all the nations of the world.
The rulers of the nations will come to Jerusalem to encounter the Greater Solomon—the Lord Jesus Christ—to learn His ways and take them back to their countries.
As I said last week, there will be no need for any third world countries during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
But along with the glory of abundance will be the much greater glory of the presence of Jesus where people will come to the Holy Land and to Jerusalem just for that reason. Just to be in the glorious presence of King Jesus will be life-changing!
3. Third on the list in God’s plan for Jerusalem is this: “You will be called by a new name which the Lord will bestow.”
Jerusalem’s history as a city of war and bloodshed because of the devils desire to possess it will no longer be remembered.
Because of how God is so abundantly blessing the world through His Son Jesus Christ, Jerusalem will have a new name.
The Hebrew word for “name” here is “shem.” It means “fame, glory and reputation.” God’s plan for Jerusalem is to give her a new name—a new reputation that will be glorious.
In the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus, Jerusalem will be a name and a city that the whole world will speak of with appreciation, honor and respect. I believe that there will be many number one hit songs about the city of Jerusalem and what it means to people world wide!
4. Fourth, “Jerusalem will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand.”
The Hebrew word for “splendor” also means “beauty and honor.” It can refer to beautiful garments and jewels. In God’s plan, Jerusalem will be the most beautiful city that has ever been.
This beauty and splendor will not be because of its geographical features but because of Who is king there, even the Lord Jesus, and because of what is coming out of Jerusalem—the very beauty of God Himself!
Beloved, God is coming to Jerusalem! That is and has always been His plan. And when He does the entire world will be transformed by His divine beauty that is flowing out from there! This will be one thousand years of the earth experiencing the glory of the eternal God up close and personal.
5. Fifth, Jerusalem will be “a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”
A royal diadem was a head piece, usually a piece of cloth wrapped around the head like a turban, and in many cases studded with gems or precious jewels and worn by Monarchs.
Jerusalem will be ruled by the beautiful God-king, Christ Jesus. Think of a city ruled by the One Who is perfect in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
That is God’s plan for Jerusalem Israel—to be ruled by the perfect man! And in this way the whole planet will be impacted and blessed with His beauty!
6. Sixth on the list in God’s plan for the city of Jerusalem is that she will no longer be called deserted or its name desolate.
I will only say here that once Jerusalem has been transformed into the millennial capital of Jesus, all negativity of her past will be forgotten forever. And she will never be deserted or desolate again!
7. God’s future plan for Jerusalem is that she be called “Hephzibah.”
“Hephzibah” means “my delight is in her.” Because Jerusalem will be “God’s delight,” she will also be the delight of the world.
The literal city of Jerusalem will literally be a blessing to the whole world. Because the God-man King will be in Jerusalem, His presence and wisdom will be what delights the whole planet.
As it was in the New Testament when God in the flesh—even Jesus of Nazareth—fed the five thousand; healed the sick; raised the dead; calmed the storm and spoke words that have blessed people for over two thousand years, so will it be when He is ruling and reigning from Jerusalem in His resurrected and glorified body! The God-man will be living on the earth!
And the entire world will find their delight in Jesus Christ. There will never have been a time like it! Beloved it will truly be the day of days up to that point in God’s redemptive plan.
All the nations will come to Jerusalem to delight themselves in Jesus. What a day it will be when Jesus Christ has returned to planet earth—this time as Lord and King!
8. Along with Jerusalem being called Hephzibah, it will also be called Beulah.
“Beulah” means “to rule, to be a husband.” From Jerusalem Jesus Christ will be “husband” over the whole world. He will have authority over all nations.
All the rulers and all of the nations will submit to the righteous king who is ruling from the chosen city of Jerusalem.
Let me say it this way: King Jesus does have a strategy for dealing with ISIS and all other kinds of evil and unrighteousness. And He will do more than just talk!
As the old song says, “I’m kind of homesick for a city.” And that city is Beulah land—Jerusalem, Israel.
9. And number nine on the list in God’s plan for Jerusalem is found in verse 5, “As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will God rejoice over you.”
Beloved, God passionately desires the city of Jerusalem.
And He desires her because from there he will fulfill His heart’s desire of forever dealing with sin and its effects on HIS CREATION.
He desires Jerusalem because from that city he will restore back to Himself all that was lost when man joined Satan’s rebellion and so caused the earth to be subjugated to bondage, corruption and decay.
He also desires Jerusalem because from Zion He will completely and totally liberate the earth and bring it into divine perfection.
And God Almighty desires the city of Jerusalem, Israel because it is the place where He will completely remove the veil that separates Him from His eternal desire to dwell completely and fully dwell with His eternal family on a perfect earth in a perfect universe.
CONCLUSION
Beloved, let it now be our increasing desire and prayer to grow in the revelation of knowing God’s heart and His plan for Jerusalem. This is our blessed hope in Christ Jesus the Lord.
SUBJECT: God’s Plan for Jerusalem, Part III
INTRODUCTION:
In this message, we will continue unfolding and unwrapping God’s plan for the literal, physical city of Jerusalem by listing nine things that are a part of that amazing plan as seen in verses 2-5 of our text.
As I have said previously, it will be as we receive God’s revelation about Jerusalem and understand His heart for this city that we will grow in our desire for her and in our understanding of how to pray for her according to His will.
Church, we are entering into the season on God’s prophetic calendar where the Holy Spirit is revealing the heart of Jesus—the Bridegroom King—to the Church—His Bride!
In the last days the heart of the Bride will become one with her Bridegroom-King. What is on the heart of Jesus will be on the heart of the true Church.
As He burns with passion for the city of Jerusalem because of His plan for her, so too will His Church burn for the city that is on His heart.
Let us today be thankful that the Holy Spirit is giving us a prophetic voice to help prepare the way of the Lord. And a big part of that preparation is to help remove the veil that is covering much of the Church’s eyes as to the Lord’s heart and plan for Jerusalem Israel.
Sadly, at this juncture, much of the Church doesn’t even give Jerusalem a second thought. Most pastors never preach on it. And this is in spite of the fact that the battle for Jerusalem is constantly in the 24/7 news cycle. It is no accident that Israel is mentioned in the news 362 out of 365 days each year!
Be that as it may, by the grace of God we can yet be a voice ministering under the anointing of the Holy Spirit to help awaken the Church to the reality of Zechariah 8:2, where God said, “I am very zealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”
May God open our eyes, and the eyes of the Church, to His heart and plan for Jerusalem.
1. First on the list from our text in God’s plan for Jerusalem is that “The nations will see your righteousness.” (V.2)
Since I preached on the “righteousness that will shine forth from Jerusalem like the dawn,” in last week’s message, I will only make a brief comment or two here.
First of all, the prophet said, “the nations will see your righteousness.” What the Lord is going to do in Jerusalem in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus will not be done in secret or out of sight from the rest of the world.
God’s righteousness, that is the true standard of justice for all, will flow out of Jerusalem and will touch and transform the whole earth. And “This same Jesus” of the New Testament, who now has a resurrected and glorified body, will extend His righteous rule to every person on the planet.
The scripture says that the nations, all 195+ of them, will see (and be impacted) by His righteousness! It will be a glorious day for everyone who truly loves and desires God’s righteousness! Beloved, righteousness will flow from the city of Jerusalem.
2. Next on the list in God’s plan for Jerusalem is that all kings (rulers, presidents, prime ministers and all of those in authority) will see the glory of God.
Under the leadership of Jesus from Jerusalem—along with His Church and saved Israel—there will be no lack of resources anywhere in the world. True prosperity will flow from Jerusalem to all the nations of the world.
The rulers of the nations will come to Jerusalem to encounter the Greater Solomon—the Lord Jesus Christ—to learn His ways and take them back to their countries.
As I said last week, there will be no need for any third world countries during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
But along with the glory of abundance will be the much greater glory of the presence of Jesus where people will come to the Holy Land and to Jerusalem just for that reason. Just to be in the glorious presence of King Jesus will be life-changing!
3. Third on the list in God’s plan for Jerusalem is this: “You will be called by a new name which the Lord will bestow.”
Jerusalem’s history as a city of war and bloodshed because of the devils desire to possess it will no longer be remembered.
Because of how God is so abundantly blessing the world through His Son Jesus Christ, Jerusalem will have a new name.
The Hebrew word for “name” here is “shem.” It means “fame, glory and reputation.” God’s plan for Jerusalem is to give her a new name—a new reputation that will be glorious.
In the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus, Jerusalem will be a name and a city that the whole world will speak of with appreciation, honor and respect. I believe that there will be many number one hit songs about the city of Jerusalem and what it means to people world wide!
4. Fourth, “Jerusalem will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand.”
The Hebrew word for “splendor” also means “beauty and honor.” It can refer to beautiful garments and jewels. In God’s plan, Jerusalem will be the most beautiful city that has ever been.
This beauty and splendor will not be because of its geographical features but because of Who is king there, even the Lord Jesus, and because of what is coming out of Jerusalem—the very beauty of God Himself!
Beloved, God is coming to Jerusalem! That is and has always been His plan. And when He does the entire world will be transformed by His divine beauty that is flowing out from there! This will be one thousand years of the earth experiencing the glory of the eternal God up close and personal.
5. Fifth, Jerusalem will be “a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”
A royal diadem was a head piece, usually a piece of cloth wrapped around the head like a turban, and in many cases studded with gems or precious jewels and worn by Monarchs.
Jerusalem will be ruled by the beautiful God-king, Christ Jesus. Think of a city ruled by the One Who is perfect in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
That is God’s plan for Jerusalem Israel—to be ruled by the perfect man! And in this way the whole planet will be impacted and blessed with His beauty!
6. Sixth on the list in God’s plan for the city of Jerusalem is that she will no longer be called deserted or its name desolate.
I will only say here that once Jerusalem has been transformed into the millennial capital of Jesus, all negativity of her past will be forgotten forever. And she will never be deserted or desolate again!
7. God’s future plan for Jerusalem is that she be called “Hephzibah.”
“Hephzibah” means “my delight is in her.” Because Jerusalem will be “God’s delight,” she will also be the delight of the world.
The literal city of Jerusalem will literally be a blessing to the whole world. Because the God-man King will be in Jerusalem, His presence and wisdom will be what delights the whole planet.
As it was in the New Testament when God in the flesh—even Jesus of Nazareth—fed the five thousand; healed the sick; raised the dead; calmed the storm and spoke words that have blessed people for over two thousand years, so will it be when He is ruling and reigning from Jerusalem in His resurrected and glorified body! The God-man will be living on the earth!
And the entire world will find their delight in Jesus Christ. There will never have been a time like it! Beloved it will truly be the day of days up to that point in God’s redemptive plan.
All the nations will come to Jerusalem to delight themselves in Jesus. What a day it will be when Jesus Christ has returned to planet earth—this time as Lord and King!
8. Along with Jerusalem being called Hephzibah, it will also be called Beulah.
“Beulah” means “to rule, to be a husband.” From Jerusalem Jesus Christ will be “husband” over the whole world. He will have authority over all nations.
All the rulers and all of the nations will submit to the righteous king who is ruling from the chosen city of Jerusalem.
Let me say it this way: King Jesus does have a strategy for dealing with ISIS and all other kinds of evil and unrighteousness. And He will do more than just talk!
As the old song says, “I’m kind of homesick for a city.” And that city is Beulah land—Jerusalem, Israel.
9. And number nine on the list in God’s plan for Jerusalem is found in verse 5, “As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will God rejoice over you.”
Beloved, God passionately desires the city of Jerusalem.
And He desires her because from there he will fulfill His heart’s desire of forever dealing with sin and its effects on HIS CREATION.
He desires Jerusalem because from that city he will restore back to Himself all that was lost when man joined Satan’s rebellion and so caused the earth to be subjugated to bondage, corruption and decay.
He also desires Jerusalem because from Zion He will completely and totally liberate the earth and bring it into divine perfection.
And God Almighty desires the city of Jerusalem, Israel because it is the place where He will completely remove the veil that separates Him from His eternal desire to dwell completely and fully dwell with His eternal family on a perfect earth in a perfect universe.
CONCLUSION
Beloved, let it now be our increasing desire and prayer to grow in the revelation of knowing God’s heart and His plan for Jerusalem. This is our blessed hope in Christ Jesus the Lord.
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