US Embassy in Jerusalem: Will it last?

US Consulate in Jerusalem (Magister)

Here is an American report about the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem:

May 12, 2018

STATE DEPARTMENT —

With the opening Monday of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, the region is bracing for both celebrations and unrest.

The United States plans to host about 800 guests at an opening ceremony of its embassy. U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will be on hand, while Trump addresses the ceremony via video, reaffirming his December 2017 decision to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv.

“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said at the White House late last year. “While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.”

National Security Advisor John Bolton points out that other presidents also said they would move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, but Trump is the only one to do it.

“That’s not simply something that has an effect on the conditions in Israel, but it says to world leader all around the world, when he says he’s going to do something, he does,” Bolton told VOA on Friday.

Most of the 850 U.S. Embassy workers will remain in Tel Aviv until a new embassy building is constructed in Jerusalem. Fifty of them will make up the initial staff at the new embassy, including U.S. Ambassador David Friedman.

Experts say the move is largely symbolic. But with Palestinians wanting to name East Jerusalem as a capital of their future state, this symbolism matters. https://www.voanews.com/a/joy-outrage-as-us-embassy-set-to-open-in-jerusalem/4390403.html

Some prominent Americans plan to attend the opening:

May 12, 2014

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced on Saturday that he will attend the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem on May 14. He will join the president’s delegation, which includes daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin along with US envoys Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman.

Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dean Heller (R-Nevada) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) will also be in attendance. https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Sen-Ted-Cruz-to-attend-opening-of-US-embassy-in-Jerusalem-556226

But there is opposition to this move:

The Palestinian Authority severed its ties with the Donald Trump administration following its decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem, and some leading Muslim countries, such as Turkey and Jordan, have also criticized the decision. 05/11/18 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/trump-moving-embassy-to-jerusalem-serves-u-s-interests-official-says-1.6076172

Palestinians and much of the world community have deplored the announcement. The USA, Israel, and a few other nations support it.

Some consider the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem as prophetic. Because of Donald Trump’s decision related to Jerusalem, some think this will make it easier for a ‘Third Temple’ to be built there and that Donald Trump is the biblical ‘Cyrus’ (see Donald Trump reportedly a ‘Cyrus’ preparing the way for a new Jewish temple and Sanhedrin releases a Trump-Cyrus ‘Temple Coin’ and Claims ‘Third Temple’ needed to avert war).

Essentially, this mainly has to do with prophecies related to animal sacrifices, though according to the Bible (see Ezra 3:6) and the Sanhedrin (see Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required?), an actual ‘third temple does NOT need to be built for sacrifices to resume.

Bible prophecy shows that they will be stopped by the King of the North (Daniel 11:31) who will align with the final Antichrist.

What about war?

Yes, war or other regional conflict is possible.

One day, Jerusalem will be attacked:

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. (Isaiah 22:8-9)

Ultimately, and probably after conflict, a temporary peace deal will be put in place (cf. Daniel 9:27; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

But this will not end as hoped by the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses) or Israel (cf. Daniel 11:31).

Some may be surprised to realize that the Jews were not the original inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Bible tells that King David had the city of the Jebusites, now called Jerusalem, taken over:

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).

8 Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”

9 Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. 10 So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. (2 Samuel 5:6-10)

Now after Zedekiah later rebelled, King Nebuchadnezzar’s forces took it over and destroyed it in the sixth century B.C.:

1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. 5 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 7 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. 8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 9 Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. 10 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah. 11 He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

12 In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 13 And he burned the house of the Lord, and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. (Jeremiah 52:1-13, ESV)

So, the Jebusites were there before the Jews.

What may this have to do with the Palestinians?

Notice also the following:

The politicians Yasser Arafat and Faisal Husseini among others have claimed that Palestinian Arabs are descended from the Jebusites, in an attempt to argue that Palestinians have a historic claim to Jerusalem that precedes the Jewish one, similar to the more common Palestinian Arab claim that they are descended from the Canaanites. Thus, the 1978 Al-Mawsu’at Al-Filastinniya (Palestinian encyclopedia) asserted, “The Palestinians [are] the descendants of the Jebusites, who are of Arab origin”, and described Jerusalem as “an Arab city because its first builders were the Canaanite Jebusites, whose descendants are the Palestinians. (Jebusite. Wikipedia, accessed 12/12/17)

While many do not believe the above is accurate, consider also the following from the Bible:

15 Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; 16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. 19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations. (Genesis 10:15-20)

So, we do see a biblical connection between Jebusites and the various Canaanites–and that there was a tie to Gaza. Palestinians dominate Gaza.

There was also Melchizedek, king of Salem (Genesis 14:18), to whom Abraham paid tithes (Hebrews 7:2). Salem appears to be a reference to early Jerusalem. This is well before there were any Jews as Judah was the great-grandson of Abraham.

The Jews were certainly not the first peoples in Jerusalem.

Although Jerusalem became the capital of Judah, he Jews were basically pushed out of Jerusalem in 606 B.C. by the Assyrians. And from then, until its destruction in 70 A.D. and then again later in 135 A.D., when the Jews were forced out and the city was renamed Aelia Capitolina, Jerusalem was under the authority of Gentile governments.

So, obviously Jerusalem was NOT the capital of the Jews for 3000 years.

In 1517, the Turks gained control for 400 years.

The Turks surrendered Jerusalem to the Brits in 1917.

The current Jewish state formed in 1948 with part of Jerusalem. The next year, David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, said, “For the State of Israel there has always been and always will be one capital only — Jerusalem the Eternal. Thus it was 3,000 years ago — and thus it will be, we believe, until the end of time.”

Israel got the rest of Jerusalem through the war in 1967–but it will not keep it as it has.

Jesus says changes will happen:

24 … And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

Notice also something from the Book of Revelation:

2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:2)

Anyway, the Jews are not Gentiles, but the Palestinians are.

God says that the Gentiles will gain Jerusalem.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem will not last.

Furthermore, the Palestinians will make gains in the area according to various scriptures (see also Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy). The Vatican may also be involved in that.

The current world order is changing and will change further–the final time of the Gentiles is coming (Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:1-2; see also The Times of the Gentiles).

Despite certain Jewish and American hopes, steps are moving in this direction.

The US Embassy move will harden certain positions and, ultimately, contribute to the fulfillment of the fact that Gentiles are prophesied to dominate Jerusalem.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Evangelical support for Donald Trump’s Jerusalem policy BBC asked, “Why do US evangelicals support Trump’s Jerusalem policy?” BBC provided quotes from some believing it has to do with the ‘last days’ while others saying that is not the reason. Hal Lindsey’s book, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’ is one of the sources pointed to. In this video, Dr. Thiel addresses scriptures related to Jerusalem as well as prophetic ones. He goes over the common ‘fig tree’ interpretation, belief about a ‘Third Temple,’ and statements about animal sacrifices. He explains biblical statements on those subjects as well as the views of certain modern Jewish organizations. This is a video.
Jerusalem, Donald Trump, and Prophecy On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise related to the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This brought anger, protests, and rockets from some Palestinians. It also brought condemnation from European allies–it has been claimed to be disruptive and even catastrophic. The Palestinian President (Mahmoud Abbas) said that this pronouncement eliminated the USA as being a fair mediator for a peace deal. Others have claimed that Donald Trump is an end time Cyrus and his pronouncement will lead to a Third Temple in Jerusalem. Is there ever going to be a peace deal? If so, will Europeans be part of it? Is Donald Trump a ‘Cyrus.’ Do the Jews require a Third Temple for sacrifices? Dr. Thiel answer those questions and more in this video.
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