Page 127 - Isaiah Student Worktext

Study Section 18: Chapters 62 - 64

18.1 Connect.

If you every get a chance to go to Jerusalem in Israel, take it! It is an amazing city. It is located
on the top of a mountain called Zion or ancient Mount Moriah…the place where Abraham
offered up Isaac as a sacrifice of faithfulness. The old city has high walls built around it with
several gates leading out to the newer parts of the city. The city is divided into four quadrants,
occupied by Muslims, Armenians, Christians, and Jews. You can walk down streets that Jesus
and his disciples walked 2000 years ago. The Garden of Gethsemane is still there, across the
Kidron Valley from the site of the ancient Herodian temple. It is a beautiful city today and recently
recognized as the capital city of Israel. It is called Jerusalem, the “city of peace.”

The city has an important future. It will be the city where Christ will come and establish His millennial
rule over the entire world. It is an irony that the “City of Peace (Salem)” has seen so little peace in its
long history. From the time of the judges to 100 AD, the city was besieged 17 times, twice totally
destroyed with all the walls leveled. It was captured and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 588 AD and
rebuilt by the Jews 70 years later after their release from Persia. Alexander the Great took control of
the city in 332 BC; it fell to Egypt in 170 BC. Since those days, it has been taken and destroyed by Rome,
the Turks, and the Crusaders. It was reborn when Israel became a nation again in 1948. Israel came to
control the entire city following the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

Jesus visited Herod’s temple as a boy of 12 years. He also visited this city many times throughout his
ministry, partaking in the Passover and preaching in the temple and performing miracles throughout the
city. It was here he came into sharp conflict with the ruling Pharisees and Sadducees and Scribes. And as
a result, and as God had it planned, it was here he was crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind.
Just outside the city He was buried and rose again. And it was just outside of this town that he ascended
into Heaven from the mount facing the city, Olivet.

Today we will see that this city is important to Christ. He has great plans for it. Let’s find out what they
are….

18.2 Objectives.

1. The student should be able to describe Christ’s passionate zeal for the glory of Zion, His bride, is
relentless, calling forth a corresponding zeal from His people until her radiant beauty is finally and
perfectly consummated.

2. The student should be able to describe God’s passionate response to sin, both in wrath for the nations
and discipline for His people, should call forth persistent and fervent prayer from God’s people.

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