June, 2007

Dear Friend,

It was forty years ago this month that the city of Jerusalem was reunified as a result of Israel’s victory—universally acknowledged as nothing short of miraculous—over the combined armies of Syria, Jordan, and Egypt in the Six Day War.  Control over the city had been divided between Jordan and Israel since the 1948 War of Independence—almost thirty years—resulting in East and West Jerusalem, until 1967.  Since then, Israelis observe Yom Yerushalayim (“Jerusalem Day”) in mid-May of every year to commemorate their complete control of the ancient Jewish capital city.

A Jewish psalmist exiled in Babylon 2500 years ago wrote these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.  If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.  (Psalm 137:5-6)

Ever since King David made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom over 3,000 years ago, the city has held a special place in the minds and hearts of the Jewish people, based not only on geo-political affairs, but also—and even more important—spiritual realities, for it is the only city identified as God’s city:

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.  (Psalm 48:2)

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  (Matthew 5:34-35)

The centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish thought is a foreshadowing of its unique role in the earthly reign of Jesus when it will be not only the capital of Israel, but the capital of the world.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  (Isaiah 2:3)

Our purpose at Hebrew Christian Fellowship is to introduce Jewish people to their Messiah Who will be ruling and reigning from Jerusalem when He returns to the earth.  Our earnest hope is that many will receive Him now and so be assured of salvation and eternal life.