This is the decisive Jerusalem event that initiates the prophetic periods of the appointed time of the end. Jesus forewarned, "And great [destructive] earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven," (Luke 21:11). And, there will be... earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains," Matthew 24:7-8.

Benjamin Netanyahu, on Jerusalem Day, May 22, 2009, said, "Unified Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Jerusalem always has been and always will be ours and it will never be divided again... I stand here today… saying what I said in my visit to the US: Jerusalem will never be divided again. Only Israeli sovereignty over the city would ensure the freedom of religion for the three faiths, and it is the only thing that can guarantee that all minorities and congregations could continue living in it."

A Brief History of Jerusalem

Source: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 2007

King David made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom and the religious center of the Jewish people in 1003 BCE. Some forty years later, his son Solomon built the Temple (the religious and national center of the people of Israel) and transformed the city into the prosperous capital of an empire extending from the Euphrates to Egypt.

Exiled by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, who conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple, the Jews were allowed to return and rebuild the city and the Temple some 50 years later by the Persian King Cyrus.

Alexander the Great conquered Jerusalem in 332 BCE. The later desecration of the Temple and attempts to suppress Jewish religious identity under the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV resulted in a revolt led by Judah Maccabbee, who rededicated the Temple (164 BCE) and re-established Jewish independence under the Hasmonean dynasty.

A century later, Pompey imposed Roman rule on Jerusalem. King Herod, installed as ruler of Judah by the Romans (37 - 4 BCE), established cultural institutions in Jerusalem, erected magnificent public buildings and refashioned the Temple into an edifice of splendor.

Jewish revolt against Rome broke out in 66 CE, as Roman rule after Herod's death became increasingly oppressive. In 70 CE, Roman legions under Titus conquered the city and destroyed the Temple. Jewish independence was briefly restored during the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135), but again the Romans prevailed. Jews were forbidden to enter the city, renamed Aelia Capitolina.

After Byzantine conquest of the city (313), Jerusalem was transformed into a Christian center under Emperor Constantine, with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the first of many grandiose structures built in the city.

Muslim armies invaded the country in 634, and four years later Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem. Only during the reign of Abdul Malik, who built the Dome of the Rock (691), did Jerusalem briefly become the seat of a caliph.

The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099, massacred its Jewish and Muslim inhabitants, and established the city as the capital of the Crusader. Synagogues were destroyed, old churches were rebuilt and many mosques were turned into Christian shrines. Crusader rule over Jerusalem ended in 1187, when the city fell to Saladin.

In 1247 Jerusalem fell once more to Egypt, now ruled by the Mamluks, until the conquest by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the city walls (1537). After his death, the central authorities in Constantinople took little interest in Jerusalem and the city declined.

Jerusalem began to thrive once more in the latter half of the 19th century. Growing numbers of Jews returning to their land, waning Ottoman power and revitalized European interest in the Holy Land led to renewed development of Jerusalem.

The British army led by General Allenby conquered Jerusalem in [November] 1917. From 1922 to 1948, Jerusalem was the administrative seat of the British authorities in the Land of Israel (Palestine), which had been entrusted to Great Britain by the League of Nations. 

Upon termination of the British Mandate on May 14, 1948, and in accordance with the UN resolution of November 29, 1947, Israel proclaimed its independence, with Jerusalem as its capital. Opposing its establishment, the Arab countries launched an all-out assault on the new state, resulting in the 1948-49 War of Independence. The armistice lines drawn at the end of the war divided Jerusalem into two, with Jordan occupying the Old City and areas to the north and south, and Israel retaining the western and southern parts of the city.

When the Six-Day War broke out in June 1967 Israel contacted Jordan through the UN as well as the American Embassy, and made it clear that if Jordan refrained from attacking Israel, Israel would not attack Jordan. Nevertheless, the Jordanians attacked west Jerusalem and occupied the former High Commissioner's building. Following heavy fighting, the IDF recovered the compound and removed the Jordanian army from east Jerusalem, resulting in the reunification of the city.

After the liberation of the city by the IDF, the walls dividing the city were torn down. Three weeks later, the Knesset enacted legislation unifying the city and extending Israeli sovereignty over the eastern part of the city.

The reunification of the city was also a fundamental moment in the history of religious tolerance, opening the city of Jerusalem to worshippers of all faiths, permitting Jews to return to the Western Wall and other holy sites, and allowing Israeli Muslims and Christians to visit those sacred places in eastern Jerusalem from which they too had been barred since 1948.

One year later, in 1968, it was decided that the day marking the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem—28 Iyar according to the Jewish lunar calendar—would be a national holiday in Israel. On Jerusalem Day we celebrate the reunification of the city and the Jewish people's connection with Jerusalem throughout the ages.

Jerusalem: City of Three Religions

Judaism, Christianity, & Islam

The city of Jerusalem is considered hallowed by three different religions of Abraham's descent: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem listed 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within the city. Jerusalem has been sacred to the Jews since King David proclaimed it his capital in the 10th century BCE.  Christianity reveres Jerusalem not only for its Old Testament history but also for its significance in the life of Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was brought to Jerusalem soon after his birth and later in his life cleansed the Second Temple, then died there. And, Jerusalem is considered the third-holiest city in Islam. Before it was permanently switched to the Kabaa in Mecca.

In 1949 at the end of the first Arab-Israeli War Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan. But, in 1967, Israel took control of the entire city. Jerusalem was officially proclaimed the capital of Israel in 1980. Today, Jews make up about 75% of the population in Jerusalem and Arabs about 20% and both the Hebrew and Arabic language are spoken.

Judaism

For Jews the city of Jerusalem is the site of their ancient Temple and their historical background. Jews worship primarily at the Wailing Wall. This is the only remaining portion of the original wall of King Solomon's Temple. After the Jews were banished from the Temple Mount, the Wailing Wall became their most revered place of worship. Just above the wall is the Dome of the Rock, where Moslems worship. However, increasing numbers of Jews are going up to the Temple Mount as a form of worship and solidarity, in hope that someday the Temple Mount will be a place of worship for all nations.  

Christianity

Christianity's most notable site of worship is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This church was established in the 4th century AD and was rebuilt by the Crusaders beginning in 1099. The church is believed by Christian historians to stand on the hill of Calvary or Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. For Christians the city is the site of many events in the life of Jesus Christ and His followers, and is therefore reversed as holy--the Mountain of God.

Islam

Moslems worship at the Dome of the Rock, which is also known as the Mosque of Omar, on top of the Temple Mount. This gold-domed mosque was built around 691 AD. For Muslims, the city is their third holiest because it is the site from which Muhammad is said to have risen to heaven.

The End-Time Destruction of Jerusalem

Although not understood by the three monolithic religions, Jerusalem will experience great destruction with a major earthquake, which will likely bring down the mosques on the Temple Mount and initiate the counting days of Daniel's prophecies. A decree will be proclaimed later in the counting periods to "rebuild and restore" the city... opening the door to build the third Jewish Temple.  However, the Day will arrive at the end of the counting periods when Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives and split apart the Great City with an even greater earthquake than started the end-times (Matthew 24:2).  Beginning with Jerusalem, He will bring an end to powerful cities and corrupt governments worldwide, and with the global destruction the schemes of Satan will fail. 

Revelation 16 tells of this Jerusalem earthquake: "The Seventh Angel poured out His bowl into the air, and out of the Temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The Great City [Jerusalem] split into three parts," dividing the three religions of Jerusalem, which have joined together with Antichrist against God, "and the cities of the nations collapsed," Revelation 16:17-19.  Zechariah also forewarned, "Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south... You will flee [in fear] as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah," Zechariah 14:3-5. After this, fire will consume the beloved City, Babylon the Great (Revelation 19); in its place Messiah has prepared a place for His people, the New Jerusalem.

Related Video: Jewish Holy Site? 02/20/13

Related Video: Dome of the Rock - Temple Mount - Jerusalem - Epicenter - Joel Rosenberg

Related Article: Hatred of Jews