Featured Is the Land of Israel Still a Special Place to God? Part 2

In a previous thread, "Is the Land of Israel Still a Special Place to God?" I provided biblical evidence and reasoning that showed that the land of Israel (especially Jerusalem) was and is still special to God.

In post #113 of that thread, I summarized four aspects:

"1. God cared for that land in a special way before there were any Israelites

2. God made Melchizedek a priest and he was the king of Jerusalem, which shows that Jerusalem was a place of the true worship of the true God before there were any Israelites.

3. The land of Israel was and is special to God because it was/is the place of the tombs and of the burial in other ways as well of many of His choicest servants.

4. God cared for that land when the Israelites were not in the land as a nation because He had judged them for their sinfulness of not allowing the land to rest in its sabbaths. Through His judgments on them, the land enjoyed that rest while they were in exile."
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In post #114 of that thread, I treated a fifth aspect:

"As a fifth aspect of how Scripture reveals that the land of Israel was special to God, consider what God did when He removed Israel from the Northern Kingdom for their wickedness:

2 Kings 17:23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

As a result of God's judgment, the Assyrian king subsequently settled pagans in the land of Israel who did not fear the Lord:

24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. 25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

Notice carefully what God did on this occasion. Even though He had removed Israel from the land, He still cared whether or not those who were dwelling in that land feared Him. Because the pagans who were in that land then did not fear Him, God sent lions to punish them!

It is impossible to say that this passage shows that the land was only special because of the Israelites because if that were the case, God would not have cared what would have taken place in the land once the Israelites were out of the land.

The passage, however, clearly shows that God did care about what took place in that land even when the Israelites were no longer there!

As a result of what God did, the new inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom who were unbelievers somehow yet knew and told the Assyrian king that the God of the land was judging them because they did not know "the manner of the God of the land":


26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

In response, the Assyrian king--who was an unbeliever-- ordered that one of the Israelite priests be sent back to teach the new inhabitants the manner of the God of the land:

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

Even though the Israelites were no longer in the land--and never returned to the Northern Kingdom--God acted so that those who lived in that land still feared Him. Clearly, God wanted whoever inhabited that land to fear Him. His concern for that land was not at all only because the Israelites were there and only as long as they were there.

This passage definitively shows that the land of Israel was special to God even after He had expelled the Israelites from the Northern Kingdom!"
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In post #130 of that thread, I treated a sixth aspect:


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

Matthew 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

In His day, Jesus confirmed, just as the Psalmist under inspiration proclaimed long ago in Ps. 48:2, that Jerusalem was still the city of the great King. Jesus thus taught that Jerusalem was still a uniquely special city to God as the great King over all.

Jesus said this at a time when there was not any Jewish king ruling over that city. Jesus' words link directly with the revelation about Melchizedek to show that Jerusalem had been (and still was) a uniquely special royal city to God from the time of Melchizedek until that very day that Jesus spoke these words!"

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In this thread, I would like to provide additional biblical evidence and reasoning concerning why the land of Israel was and is still a special place to God.

 

I will have to reenter this response later.

 

The Hebrew word for "Salem" in Gen. 14:18 is shalem. That word used in that sense occurs twice in Scripture:

Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

‎WTT Genesis 14:18 וּמַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם הוֹצִ֖יא לֶ֣חֶם וָיָ֑יִן וְה֥וּא כֹהֵ֖ן לְאֵ֥ל עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
(Gen. 14:18 WTT)

Psalm 76:2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

‎WTT Psalm 76:3 וַיְהִ֣י בְשָׁלֵ֣ם סֻכּ֑וֹ וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ בְצִיּֽוֹן׃ (Ps. 76:3 WTT)


Holladay, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the OT (HOL)
Hol8663 שָׁלֵם
II שָׁלֵם: n. loc., presumably = Jerusalem Gn 1418 Ps 763. † )pg 373(

Based on its usage and its lexical meaning (as given by the standard Heb. lexicon's entry for that word that I have cited above), I believe that Genesis 14:18 does teach that Melchizedek was the king of Salem, that is, Jerusalem.

 

These are mere assertions of your positions that you hold. As such, they do not answer the considerations that I have treated.

 

I agree that there are numerous passages that teach the glorious truth of the literal and physical Millennial Reign of Christ. I am not going to try to provide a list of those Scriptures. Rather, I am going to present various considerations that I believe are key in supporting my positions.

 

I did not ignore anything. I believe that I have answered biblically whatever has been said. We are certainly not going to agree on this subject so it would be best that you not comment any further in this thread lest you transgress by repeatedly speaking the same words that state faulty positions.

 

It's highly inappropriate for you to use my comments that were directed to someone else and respond to them as if they were directed to you. You are unethically interacting with me when you do that.

For the record, you and I had considerable interaction in the previous thread, but we have had no interaction in this thread. It is your own fault when you choose to take comments that were directed to someone else and regard them as also directed to you.

 

According to divine revelation, Jerusalem is the only city in the history of the world that God has spoken of as "the holy city." This unique divine designation for Jerusalem shows that the city was special to God in a way that no other city has ever been.

Neh. 11:1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

Neh. 11:18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.

Isa. 48:2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

Isa. 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Dan. 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Matt. 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

Matt. 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Rev. 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Three NT references clearly show that Jerusalem was still "the holy city" of God even when there was no nation of Israel and there was no Jewish king ruling over Israel or the city. Jerusalem's status as that unique city was unchanged even long after God had judged that nation and those people for their unfaithfulness.

 

Looking forward to the New Jerusalem is certainly biblical and a glorious hope, but longing for the worldwide vindication that Christ will receive in the earthly Jerusalem during the Millennium and for all the other glories that will be ours in that period is also preeminently biblical.