Jerusalem Will Again Become Israel s Capital in Last Days
Examining the Significance of Jerusalem as Israel'southward Capital
Dr. Randall Price removes fragments of storage jars that held the Dead Sea Scrolls.
My wife and I were graduate students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem when our girl was born at nearby Hadassah Hospital. We were so proud, and we felt our kinship to the State of Israel was nearly complete — until we went to the American Consulate in Jerusalem to become our daughter's first U.S. Passport. The line designated for "country of birth" read "Jerusalem," not "Israel." When I inquired of a consulate official, I was told bluntly, "the U.S. does not recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel."
It has now taken 70 years for the U.S. to officially change that policy and finally recognize Jerusalem as State of israel's capital. For many who are not apprised of the facts but have only heard political propaganda through the mainstream media, this act of recognition may seem troublesome. Some media have fifty-fifty explained information technology as President Trump's attempt to reward pro-State of israel evangelicals whom he credited with his election victory. So, let's review the facts from historical, religious, and political perspectives.
Historically, Jerusalem became the capital of Israel by prescript of King David 3,000 years ago, based on his understanding of God'southward own choice. It has remained Israel's uppercase ever since, and though other nations conquered and settled in the Land of Israel, none ever alleged Jerusalem equally their capital. Over the past two,000 years, even during times of occupation and persecution, a Jewish community resided there and maintained it as their "eternal capital."
In 1948, when the U.N. voted to partitioning Israel into Arab and Jewish states, Israel immediately reaffirmed Jerusalem as its capital and enshrined it in its national anthem, "Hatikvah" ("the Hope"): "As long as within our hearts the Jewish soul sings, equally long every bit forward to the due east to Zion looks the heart — our hope is not nonetheless lost. It is two thou years old, to exist a free people in our state, the land of Zion and Jerusalem."
However, during the 1948 State of war of Independence, Jordanian forces conquered and occupied the eastern role of Jerusalem containing the historic Jewish Quarter, the Temple Mount and Western Wall, Hebrew University, and Hadassah Hospital. In 1967, the 6-Day War restored this part of the metropolis to Israel and Jerusalem was reunified. Every Israeli prime government minister since has declared the urban center "the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish State." Sir Winston Churchill, recognizing the historical reality that no other people could restore Jerusalem to its former celebrity, remarked to British diplomat Evelyn Shuckburgh, "You ought to allow the Jews take Jerusalem; it was they who fabricated information technology famous."
From a religious perspective, the Bible, which mentions Jerusalem more than than any other place (about 800 times), states, "the Lord has called Jerusalem and will dwell there forever" (Psalm 132:13-14) and expressly calls upon God'due south people to never forget Jerusalem and to "exalt information technology in a higher place their chief joy" (Psalm 137:v-6). There, Israel'south kings ruled and the Temples stood. Jerusalem was, and is, at the eye of the prophets' predictions of worldwide peace and blessing at the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah ii:2-4). For this reason, it was called "the Metropolis of the Great King" (Psalm 48:2), and Israel, uniquely, has guaranteed religious freedom and access to all religions in Jerusalem since it regained sovereignty in 1967.
Politically, the United states of america has continually acknowledged Jerusalem — despite its international status every bit a disputed urban center — every bit the capital of Israel. In 1992, President Bill Clinton said, "Jerusalem is the uppercase of Israel and must remain an undivided metropolis." The next year, he said he supported "the principle of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem." In 1995, the U.S. Congress passed the "Jerusalem Embassy Act," calling Jerusalem the undivided uppercase of State of israel and requiring the embassy to exist moved to Jerusalem by 1999. Information technology was for this reason that George W. Bush, while even so a candidate, said "as before long as I take function, I will move the U.South. Diplomatic mission to the urban center State of israel has chosen as its capital."
While this did non happen nether the Bush assistants, in 2008, President Barack Obama declared, "I accept said Jerusalem is the uppercase of Israel and will remain so." And, only six months ago, the U.Southward. Senate marked 50 years of Jerusalem's reunification with a vote of 90-0 that the U.S. Diplomatic mission should be moved to Jerusalem and that it should remain the undivided uppercase of State of israel. After all, Jerusalem is where the prime government minister of State of israel lives, where all of the government agencies are housed, where the Knesset (Israel's parliament) sits, and where the Supreme Court presides.
Recognition of these facts by President Trump was nothing more than following through on the historical reality of the city, the religious precedent going dorsum to biblical times, and the political intentions of the U.S. government and past presidents.
What will be the outcome? There has been, and will be, political protests past those who accept sought to undermine these facts with their own revisionist view based on a religious calendar of supersessionism. At that place will continue to exist condemnation from the politically biased United Nations General Associates. Withal, the U.Due south. act of recognition serves the interest of renewing the peace process in the Middle East.
Israel has always demonstrated its willingness to reconcile political disputes with the Palestinians through direct negotiations. In recent years, the Palestinian Potency abandoned this procedure and sought to have its demands met through the Un. Formerly, the U.Due south., while promoting direct negotiations, abstained from recognizing Jerusalem — the major issue in this dispute — which emboldened the Palestinians to independent activity. The U.S. move of its embassy to Jerusalem at present strengthens the call to return to negotiations with Israel and to deal with historical and political facts.
Equally for my daughter, it now means she will get a new passport with a long-awaited change affirming that beingness born in Jerusalem ways beingness born in Israel!
Dr. Randall Price teaches courses on biblical and Judaic studies equally a distinguished research professor in the Rawlings School of Divinity. He has also had an extensive career as an archeologist, serving as the director of excavations on the Qumran Plateau in Israel (site of the Dead Bounding main Scrolls customs) since 2002. Price is the writer or co-author of thirty books and has produced 5 films in Israel. He too leads almanac tours to the Holy Land and is curator of the Liberty Biblical Museum, which houses many of the biblical artifacts he has nerveless throughout his career.
Early final year, Dr. Randall Cost and Liberty students and faculty helped to uncover evidence in a cave in Qumran, Israel, making Christianity Today's Top 10 Discoveries of 2022 for Biblical Archaeology. The discovery of broken storage jars, scroll wrappings, string, and a piece of worked leather, as well as pickaxe heads from looters in the 1950s, proves the Dead Sea Scrolls were once stored at that place. It was the first major discovery related to the Dead Body of water Scrolls in 60 years.
Support for Israel
On Oct. 18, Liberty honored the civilisation, heritage, and accomplishments of past and present Jews during a Judeo-focused Convocation. Israeli worship band Miqedem led the crowd in a worship set sung entirely in Hebrew. Wayne Hilsden, founder and president of Fellowship Israel Related Ministries, delivered the bulletin. Hilsden is co-founder of the King of Kings Community in Jerusalem, a Messiah-centered congregation that seeks to unify the organized religion-based community in State of israel.
Liberty has continued to nurture a relationship with State of israel. In February 2016, the university hosted Ron Dermer, State of israel'southward Ambassador to the United States. That spring, Liberty appear a financial investment in leading-edge evolution projects in the engineering science, medical, and defense industries in Israel.
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Source: https://www.liberty.edu/journal/article/examining-the-significance-of-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/
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