1880

Solomon built the first Jewish Temple over the same spot where Abraham sacrificed the ram in place of Isaac. It
was there that the Holy of Holies was located, the sacred room where God said his presence dwelt.[23]
Five hundred years before Christ, it was prophesied that the Jews would be the occupants of Jerusalem when the
Messiah arrives in the end times.[24] However, when Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., a million of its
inhabitants were killed, and the rest fled for their lives. Jerusalem’s long history as the central place of Jewish
worship ceased to exist. Jews could only dream of its future restoration.
However, the Jews’ dreams that Jerusalem would one day be restored were based on God’s promise given
through his prophet Ezekiel nearly 600 years before Christ. This prophecy speaks of the dispersion of the Jews to
other nations due to their disobedience. It then tells that in the last days, God will send them back to their land
from other nations. God said through his prophet: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all
the countries and bring you back into your own land.”[25]
For nearly 1900 years following its destruction by Roman armies, there was no nation of Israel, and Jerusalem
was a “no-man’s land” under foreign occupation. Then, in the latter part of the 19th century, Jews began
populating Palestine. After the Holocaust imposed by Hitler’s Nazis, Jews immigrated en masse to Israel.
On May 14, 1948, the Jews’ 2,000-year-old dream of the rebirth of Israel became a reality, as a United Nations
charter granted them partial control of Jerusalem. However, within hours, five Arab armies along its borders
vowed to destroy it. Tensions between Israel and its neighbors became explosive.
In 1967, Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian armies surrounded Israel. Newspaper headlines read, “Egypt Vows to
Destroy Israel.”[26] Israel’s army seemed to be hopelessly outnumbered. But a surprise attack by Israel
devastated its enemies in just six days. Many spoke of the Jews’ overwhelming victory as a miracle. After
Israel’s lightning victory in the 1967 war, Jerusalem finally belonged to Israel, and the peace they had hoped for
seemed within reach. Yet, the prophecy that Jerusalem would become a “burdensome stone” to the world has
come true.[27]
Israel’s miraculous rebirth has set the stage for the coming of the Messiah which requires the Jews to dwell in
Jerusalem. Nearly six million Jews now live in the land God promised to Abraham. In one century, Israel has
exploded from virtual non-existence into a nation that dominates the world’s headlines.
How Will Jesus Return?
The Bible speaks of the Lord returning visibly with great power and glory.
Five hundred years prior to Christ, the prophet Zechariah wrote of the Lord coming to Jerusalem during a time of
intense war. Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies from “all nations.” The battle will be bloody and fierce, and
the armies of Israel will be overwhelmed by its enemies. Then, something dramatic will change everything.
Suddenly, when all hope seems gone, the Jews will gaze up in the sky and see their mighty Lord himself coming
in the clouds. We are told that “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.”[28] The Lord speaks
through the prophet, telling us how he will be recognized when he returns:
They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve
bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.[29]
It is important to understand that this prophecy of the Messiah’s return to Jerusalem was written five hundred
years before Jesus was born. No other person in history has been pierced, died and returned to life. It will be an
incredible, emotionally moving experience for all who see him.