Warning! Jerusalem is a Burdensome Stone!

"I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone…all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces…" Zechariah 12:3.

Zechariah 12 is an end-time warning to the nations that Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people. Jeremiah 30:16 is another end-time warning to all who oppose Israel, God’s people.

"Therefore all they that devour thee [Israel] shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey."

Jer. 16:14-15; Jer. 30:10,11; Jer. 31:4-12; Jer. 31:35-37; Amos 9:14,15; Zech. 8:7,8; and Zech. 8:13 are just a few scriptures relating to God’s end-time work in Israel. President Obama is leading the United States down a dangerous road of opposing this work of God restoring the Jewish people to their land in Israel with its capital in Jerusalem. No other president has drawn a line in the sand about the Jewish presence in Jerusalem.

For one exemplifying a precise vocabulary, the President’s use of the word "settlements" is puzzling when referencing Israel’s new housing in East Jerusalem. Jerusalem East and West is a metropolis, the proud capital of the State of Israel. His so-called capital of "settlements" is the capital of the high-tech superpower of the world.

A common view of Jewish housing in East Jerusalem is a distortion of history. The distortion is that Jewish presence and housing in East Jerusalem only dates back to 1967 when the Israeli army captured East Jerusalem from the Arab nation of Jordan. Then, as the distortion goes, so-called Jewish "settlements" began. The writer has been in current Arab homes that date back before the 1700’s, which have proofs of original Jewish ownership—a mezuzah removed from the door post and a Jewish ritual bath called the mikvah in the basement.

Actually many Palestinians in East Jerusalem are fearful of living in a Palestinian State as observed by the director the Begin-Sadat Center. "Every Palestinian who can has been desperately scurrying over to the Israeli side of the security fence in and around Jerusalem. That’s why Jerusalem Arabs are buying up homes at a dizzying pace in several predominantly Jewish neighborhoods like French Hill, Pisgat Ze’ev and Talpiot."

Now a recent lesson of history. When Israel, in harmony with the UN, declared its independence in 1948, the armies of six Arab nations invaded the newborn state. Vastly outnumbered, Israel’s ragtag army pushed back the invaders and took more of their rightful land than decreed by the UN. Divine providence was telling the world something. The land belongs to Israel.

Jordan-Occupied East Jerusalem

However, the Arab state of Transjordan captured East Jerusalem, expelled all Jews and desecrated all Jewish holy sites. In defiance of the UN mandate, Jordan also occupied the west bank of the Jordan River. No longer limited to being "Trans," across the Jordan River on the east bank, Transjordan reduced its name simply to Jordan. It now occupied both banks of the Jordan River. Thus, the Bible Jerusalem and the so-called "West Bank" became "occupied territory"—territory that was now both scripturally and illegally occupied by the Arab nation of Jordan.

In the miraculous 1967 Six Day War Israel captured the so-called "West Bank"—the heartland of ancient Israel, which included East Jerusalem. The Arab oil-financed propaganda now had the audacity to call the so-called "West Bank," which was always the heartland of ancient Israel, "occupied territory." Look at the map of the ancient Middle East. Israel, including East Jerusalem and the so-called "West Bank," was a part of dynamic Israel under King David and King Solomon, while the Arabian Peninsula was a dark and superstitious land of Arab tribes, worshipping multiple pagan gods, and continually warring with each other.

"Jerusalem shall inhabit its own place"

Zechariah 12:6 prophetically describes the thrilling details of Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem, which is the Biblical Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:6: "In that day I will make the governors [rulers] of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire [religious fervor] in a sheath; and they shall devour all the people round about [Arabs], on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." Verse 6 reveals that as a result of war with the Arabs, "the people round about," Jerusalem shall inhabit its own place, "in Jerusalem." What a unique phrase! What does it mean?

In 1948, when Jordan took the Old City, Israel declared the New City of Jerusalem as its capital. But in their hearts the Israelis knew the Bible Jerusalem was in the hands of the Arabs. When Jordan entered the 1967 War, the Israelis attacked the Old City, Israel’s ancient capital, with a religious fervor. With the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem Israel’s capital, was now moved to "her own place," even into the Biblical location of the city of Jerusalem. What a remarkable fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy!

God took East Jerusalem away from the Arabs and gave the biblical East Jerusalem to Israel in the 1967 War as described in Zechariah 12:6. Now the President is demanding that Israel give Jerusalem to the Arabs. Remember Verse 3 warns that Jerusalem is "a burdensome stone." He is attempting to reverse God’s prophetic work that was predicted in Zechariah 12:6.

There are now far more Jews than Arabs in East Jerusalem areas liberated by Israel in the Six Day War. There are about 200,000 Jews in such places as Ramot, Ramat Shlomo, Gilo, and the like—much more than there are Arabs in these East Jerusalem areas.

Not only were Jews denied access to holy places during Jordanian occupation, the holy places were desecrated. Sacred stones were used for walk places. Since the 1967 victory, a Moslem holy place has never been desecrated by Israel. Both Arabs and Christians have access to their holy places. Between 1948 and 1967 Jordan had systematically destroyed the Old City’s Jewish Quarter trying to destroy any evidence of Jewish existence in Jerusalem.

Since 1967, the Israeli government embarked on an ambitious building program. The old synagogues have been rebuilt. The largest synagogue, Hurva, was left in ruins for decades, an arch being built as a memorial of the endless list of indignities suffered in the Jewish Quarter. Now, 43 years later, the Hurva Synagogue has been rebuilt. The restored Jewish Quarter is sufficient testimony that Jerusalem could never be surrendered after the remarkable recapture of Israel’s true capital in the 1967 War. But Obama is determined to force Israel to do just that.

Jerusalem means a "City of Peace," yet few cities have experienced more wars than Jerusalem in its 3,000 years. Still a center of controversy, the Bible reveals that Jerusalem will soon become the "City of Eternal Peace," the capital of God’s Kingdom which will bring peace and righteousness to the whole world.

One senses the presence of the Prophets who centuries before walked the streets of Jerusalem. History surrounds you—Warren’s Shaft through which David’s army entered Jerusalem unawares and captured it. King Hezekiah’s Tunnel constructed over 27 centuries ago. Archaeological digs yield thrilling finds. The stairs and paved streets that led to the Second Temple. The name of Yahweh and an extract of the Priestly Blessing on a silver amulet dating back to the days of the First Temple in the 10th century BC. Babylonian arrowheads next to the remains of an Israeli defense tower—the first evidence of the siege and destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Further excitement came with the recent archaeological discoveries of King David’s Palace, the walls of Solomon and the Elah Fortress with pottery from King David’s time inscribed with the old known Hebrew text.

While Israel was already enjoying an advanced culture in Jerusalem, its capital, with an ancient written language in the 10th century BC, the Arabs, not yet a nation, but warring tribes in Arabia, were without a written language until the 4th century AD. Obviously the Jews have historic roots in Jerusalem, not the Arabs.

Who can doubt Jewish antiquity in Jerusalem? Who can doubt Israel’s right to Jerusalem? Further, this is the Holy City of Israel as pointedly reflected in the Western Wall—part of the Temple Mount. For centuries, this was the center of Jewish worship, especially during the periods of the First and Second Temple. Is it any wonder that the Jews throng here to pray, the same place their ancestors had worshipped for nearly 3,000 years.

But how holy is Jerusalem to the Arabs? When Arabs worship in the Mosque of Omar, they face towards Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Arabs in Jerusalem face towards Saudi Arabia to pray. The Arabs’ center of worship is Mecca, not Jerusalem. To the Jews, Jerusalem always was and will be the center of their worship.

Western powers insist that Jerusalem is negotiable in any Israeli-Arab peace talks. Jerusalem is NOT negotiable! Archaeology and history confirm Jerusalem is now in the hands of its rightful owners—the Jewish people. Remember Zechariah’s prophecy. All nations who involve themselves in the Jerusalem issue will be cut to pieces. The nations of the world including the US had better heed this warning!

A Serious Threat

During its expansionist threat, Communist Russia armed the Arab States to defeat Israel and take over the Middle East. Israel withstood Russia’s expansionism. As a part of this ploy, the Arab nations and Russia presented many resolutions before the UN Security Council condemning Israel for legitimate activities in the "West Bank" and East Jerusalem. The US, thankful for Israel’s actions, always cast a negative vote on these resolutions. If one of the founding members of the UN (United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China) votes "No," that resolution is defeated even if it receives a majority vote.

If the Arab nations present a resolution to the UN Security Council condemning Israel on the East Jerusalem issue, The President is threatening to abstain, thus allowing the resolution to pass. Then the UN could punish Israel with severe economic sanctions.

Caught In A Trap

In his video message to the November 8, 2009 Rabin Memorial Rally in Tel Aviv, Obama walked into his own trap. How? He urged Israel to pursue Rabin's legacy. In reality he opposes Rabin’s legacy. In Rabin’s last speech to the Knesset a month before his assassination, he outlined his final terms for peace. Rabin said, "First and foremost, united Jerusalem, which will include both Ma'ale Adumim and Givat Ze'ev, as the capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty."

Rabin not only affirmed a united Jerusalem, East and West, but he was going to extend its size to include both Ma'ale Adumim and Givat Ze'ev.

Also Rabin stated, NO Palestinian State. The "State of Israel … will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state."

And Rabin ruled, NO return to pre-June 1967 borders: "The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines."

Many think of Rabin as the ultimate compromiser. He was far less compromising than Obama or even Netanyahu. The Lord might permit Israel to experience a temporary loss of land as a chastening for lack of faith. But the time is coming when all nations, including the Arabs, will recognize Israel’s land rights.

Jeremiah 3:17 "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart."

Send for your free copy of the new booklet, Israel’s Land Rights—Biblical, Historical, Legal. It is urgent that those who support Israel not only realize Israel’s Scriptural and historical land rights, but they should know Israel’s legal rights according to international law so they can effectively stand up for Israel.