Eternal Jerusalem

Psalm 48
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,
2beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.
4For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together.
5As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight.
6Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
7By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah
9We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!
12Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers,
13consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

In the Bible the city of God is Jerusalem, but it is Jerusalem on three levels: the earthly city, the church on earth, and the church in heaven. This psalm praises God for His presence with us using Jerusalem as the focal point.

The first mention of Jerusalem in the Bible comes in Genesis 14 when Abraham meets up with Melchizedek who is the king of (Jeru)Salem. At that point, the city was known only as Salem. During the time of the Canaanites it was known as Jebus (as in the Jebusites). It wasn’t until the time of King David that it took on the name Jerusalem as he added the name of God to the city’s designation. Since that time the ownership of Jerusalem has been most hotly contested. As we know, today in the center of this city lays the Temple Mount, controlled by the Muslims. Jews, Muslims, and Christians all claim it to be a holy site and thus desire control. But if we are to be students of the Word, we will find that for God, that clump of dirt is not the main focus. Instead God looks at His whole Church and the true Jerusalem in Heaven with Him. I need not be in Jerusalem to experience the presence of God. Instead through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is ever with me, no matter where I am today.

I suppose one could say that Jerusalem has spread over the entire globe, as God’s people live everywhere on the earth right now, for where they are, so He is there with them. Since you are “the Church” you have your own piece of Jerusalem wherever you go. Ultimately, you will arrive in His Heavenly Kingdom and “Jerusalem” will become your eternal home.
This is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

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