#restoration of Jerusalem

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

1 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; 3 who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man.”

5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the Lord: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and this city is the cauldron, but you shall be brought out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord God. 9 And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. 10 You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, 12 and you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you.”

13 And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

Israel's New Heart and Spirit

14 And the word of the Lord came to me: 15 “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ 18 And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”

22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 And I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me. — Ezekiel 11 | English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Cross References: Deuteronomy 28:36; 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 14:25; Job 3:25; Psalm 2:1-2; Psalm 31:20; Psalm 105:45; Psalm 107:3; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 16:11; Jeremiah 16:18; Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 2:7; Ezekiel 3:4; Ezekiel 8:4; Ezekiel 8:10; Ezekiel 24:3; Ezekiel 33:24; Acts 5:5; Acts 8:39; Acts 10:16; Romans 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:4

[6ghassan]

Mosque of Omar by Louis Haghe after a drawing by David Roberts, lithograph with hand coloring on paper, 1842 by Wasfi Akab Via Flickr: The Ayyubid Mosque of Omar is an Islamic place of worship inside the Old City of Jerusalem. It is located opposite the southern courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in the Muristan area of the Christian Quarter. The mosque is not open to tourists, and can be accessed only for praying. Wikipedia

[coreofthebible]

Salvation and the Kingdom of God

Up to this point in our journey of doctrinal issues, we have established some understanding of promises and covenants that God has made with Abraham and ultimately with his people, Israel. Last time, I mentioned how these were “necessary and proper until the fulfillment of the promises and covenants in Messiah.” We explored how becoming a “child of Abraham” was to be defined by the believer’s…

[kdmiller55]

Obedience Is Never Easy

8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: 9 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported…

[mindfulldsliving]

Ezekiel 37 Prophecy: Uniting Sacred Texts and Peoples

We aim to explore the intricate connections between this Old Testament prophecy and the teachings within the Book of Mormon. Knowing the background and context of these scriptures helps to illuminate their potential meanings and enriches our appreciation

The Prophecy of Ezekiel 37: Unveiling Its Connection to the Book of MormonCriticism of Ezekiel 37:15-17 and Its Relation to the Book of MormonUnderstanding the Two SticksEzekiel 37:15-19: Books or Sticks? From Mormonism Research Ministries – by Bill McKeever and Eric JohnsonAppraising Ministries blog – Two Sticks: Refuting the Mormon View of Ezekiel 37:15-17 by Pastor – Teacher Ken…

[heartofashepherd]

The Sin of Jerusalem Exceeded the Wickedness of Sodom (Ezekiel 16) - Fro...

[visualpoett]

The City is beautiful beyond imagining. The walls are made of jasper, the foundations of precious gems, the gates themselves are pearls, and the streets “pure gold, like transparent glass”.

[fearlesswriterblog]

Can You See the Procession Coming??

Psalm 24 was probably written for the triumphant and joyous return of the Ark of the God to Jerusalem. The ark contained the 10 Commandment tablets, the budding branch and manna all sacred items. On the top was the winged mercy seat where God had promised he would dwell with the people. The story is recorded in 2 Samuel 6. David attempted to bring the ark to Jerusalem but did not pay attention to…

[ultrachoppedpenguinbouquet]

Isaiah preaches repentance

[papasmoke]

This evening, Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the UNRWA Headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem.

This took place while UNRWA and other UN Agencies’ staff were on the compound.

While there were no casualties among our staff, the fire caused extensive damage to the outdoor areas. The UNRWA headquarters has on its grounds a petrol and diesel station for the Agency’s fleet of cars.

Our director with the help of other staff had to put out the fire themselves as it took the Israeli fire extinguishers and police a while before they turned up.

A crowd accompanied by armed men were witnessed outside the compound chanting “Burn down the United Nations” (see video below 👇 from Israeli media).

This is an outrageous development. Once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk.

In light of this second appalling incident in less than a week, I have taken the decision to close down our coumpound until proper security is restored.

Over the past two months, Israeli extremists have been staging protests outside the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, called by an elected member of the Jerusalem municipality.

This week, the protest became violent when demonstrators threw stones at UN staff and at the buildings of the compound.

Over the past months, UN staff have regularly been subjected to harassment and intimidation. Our compound has been seriously vandalized and damaged.

On several occasions, Israeli extremists threatened our staff with guns.

It is the responsibility of the State of Israel as an occupying power to ensure that United Nations personnel and facilities are protected at all times.

UN staff, premises and operations should be protected at all times in line with international law.

I call on all those who have influence to put an end to these attacks and hold all those responsible accountable.

The perpetrators of these attacks must be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable.

Anything less will set a new dangerous standard.

-Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA

[atfnews]

Acts 1:9-11 which speaks of Christ coming on the clouds in like manner is being understood as His returnin connection with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. The text is clearly typologically associated with temple imagery. It is also found in the center of Israel's restoration motif along with the coming of the kingdom of God. Preterism continues to gain a wider acceptance among those unafraid to embrace truth.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

No God besides Yahweh

1 “But now hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus says Yahweh who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour out water on the thirsty ground And streams on the dry land; I will pour out My Spirit on your seed And My blessing on your offspring; 4 And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.’ 5 This one will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s’; And this one will call on the name of Jacob; And this one will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to Yahweh,’ And will name Israel’s name with honor.

6 “Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:

‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. 7 Who is like Me? Let him call out and declare it; And let him tell it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient people. And let them declare to them the things that are to come And the events that are going to take place. 8 Do not be in dread and do not be afraid; Have I not long since caused it to be heard to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’”

The Futility of Idolatry

9 Those who form a graven image are all of them futile, and their desirable things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. 10 Who has formed a god or cast a graven image to no profit? 11 Behold, all his companions will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them be in dread, let them together be put to shame.

12 The man crafts iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, forming it with hammers and working it with his powerful arm. He also gets hungry and has no power; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 Another crafts wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a stylus. He makes it with planes and outlines it with a compass and makes it like the form of a man, like the glory of man, so that it may sit in a house. 14 In order to cut cedars for himself, he takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also kindles a fire to bake bread. He also works to produce a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm; I have seen the fire.” 17 But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

18 They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they will have no insight. 19 No one causes this to return to his heart, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination; I fall down before a block of wood!” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver his soul, and he cannot say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Yahweh Forgives and Redeems

21 “Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. 22 I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a cloud. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” 23 Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory.

24 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,

“I, Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone, 25 Causing the omens of boasters to be annulled, And making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to turn back, And making foolishness out of their knowledge, 26 Confirming the word of His servant— And the counsel of His messengers He will complete— And being the One who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise up her waste places again. 27 It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’ And I will make your rivers dry. 28 It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And all My good pleasure he will complete.’ And saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” — Isaiah 44 | Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Cross References: Judges 17:4; Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 4:28; Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 27:15; Deuteronomy 32:15; 1 Kings 11:5; 1 Kings 18:26; 2 Chronicles 25:14; Job 37:18; Job 39:14; Psalm 81:12; Psalm 97:7; Psalm 136:22; Isaiah 27:11; Isaiah 40:20; Isaiah 41:4; Matthew 5:18; John 7:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 19:26-27; Romans 1:21-22; Romans 1:25; 1 Corinthians 1:20; Galatians 6:17; Ephesians 4:9; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 16:12

[signipotens]

As per the tractate Kiddushin, Jews as a religious people (benei Israel) include any person who can trace direct matrilineal descent (mater semper certa est) to one of Jacob’s wives or concubines, or otherwise to a woman who formally converted. This includes Levites like Moses, who form the lesser priestly caste in Judaism. The children of female apostates and their female descendants are still considered benei Israel, as it is halachically impossible to remove that status (save some complications like that of mamzeruth).

In patrilineal traditions like Karaitism and Samaritanism, membership in the religious peoplehood is instead determined by direct male descent from Jacob, again including Levites like Moses. The extent to which either of these groups accept converts or the children of apostates is debated.

That said, the asker is clearly using a more constrained definition of Jew here, one that developed during the Hasmonean and Roman periods: that is, a member of benei Israel who is a monotheistic Yahwist and who recognises the primacy of Jerusalem and the authority of the rulings of the Hasmonean Great Sanhedrin as recorded in the Babylonian Talmud.

Samaritans recognise neither the primacy of Jerusalem nor the authority of the Talmud, while also recognising the primacy of Mount Gerizim (there are inscriptions from diaspora Samaritans where they identify as “Israelites who offer at Argarizein”). Karaites recognise Jerusalem but not the Talmud, being founded by a Davidic scion who was influenced by Islamic scholar Abu Hanifa.

All three traditions claim Moses for themselves, of course, with Samaritans claiming that Moses was given a commandment to establish a sanctuary at Mount Gerizim (Samaritan Exodus 20:14c); Jews claiming that the majority opinions held in the Mishnah were given by Moses to the sages after Jethro teaches him how to delegate in Exodus 18; and Karaites claiming that the Masoretic Torah was the only set of laws given to Moses.

Jews also traditionally claim that Samaritans are the descendants of foreigners called Cutheans (Kuthim), who were settled in the hill country of Manasseh by the Assyrians, so Moses wouldn’t be Samaritan; while Samaritans traditionally claim that Jews are converted Edomites who fell sway to the apostate priest-judges Eli and Samuel, who set up heretical shrines at Shiloh and Jerusalem, so Moses wouldn’t be Jewish.

In reality of course both groups have equally valid claims to Moses and the Israelitish peoplehood, and neither much predates the Hasmonean period as the coherent groups that we would recognise them as today.

okay I know you’re not the right person to ask this. But. In the Myth Moses wasn’t from the tribe of Judah. He’s Levite. So like. Is he Jewish? This sounds stupid but i think it’s a justified reasoning. Samaritans aren’t Jewish. Israelites weren’t Jewish.

hmm. i cant find good sources on halakhic jewishness. cuz like obviously the samaritans are like, ethnically jewish. but the idea of "jewishness" outside of ethnic judaism, feels inseparable from the concept of the rabbi and the diaspora, which like. obviously postdate moses. i think moses is sort of like a samaritan

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Pietro Ricchi, il Lucchese (Italian, 1606-1675) The wounded Tancred, cared for by Erminia, n.d.

Tancred, a Christian warrior, lies wounded after slaying the giant Argantes. Tancred is helped by his squire and by Erminia, a Saracen princess, in love with the Christian knight. The warrior will be restored to life and eventually united with Erminia. The subject is from Tasso’s epic poem 'Jerusalem Delivered' (1581) which describes the First Crusade (1096–1099).

[kdmiller55]

Moved by the Almighty

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6 And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. 7 Cyrus the king also brought…

[takami-takami]

The Uncommitted Movement and Uncommitted Delegates have been petitioning to have just one Palestinian-American speak at the DNC for months; among a sea of speakers, including a random border patrol agent, Trump voters, and the CEO of Uber.

They were told three words and no other explanation: "It's a no."

The delegates and Palestine protesters have been working tirelessly to get the DNC to rescind this decision on the last day of the convention and apply pressure. There is only one ethnic background that is not allowed to speak at the DNC, and that is Palestinians.

Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman is at the top of the list of Palestinian democrats that were offered— of which the Uncommitted Movement and delegates generously offered the DNC to take their pick.

In case they don't let her speak, this is her speech.

"My name is Ruwa Romman, and I’m honored to be the first Palestinian elected to public office in the great state of Georgia and the first Palestinian to ever speak at the Democratic National Convention. My story begins in a small village near Jerusalem, called Suba, where my dad’s family is from. My mom’s roots trace back to Al Khalil, or Hebron. My parents, born in Jordan, brought us to Georgia when I was eight, where I now live with my wonderful husband and our sweet pets.

Growing up, my grandfather and I shared a special bond. He was my partner in mischief—whether it was sneaking me sweets from the bodega or slipping a $20 into my pocket with that familiar wink and smile. He was my rock, but he passed away a few years ago, never seeing Suba or any part of Palestine again. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him.

This past year has been especially hard. As we’ve been moral witnesses to the massacres in Gaza, I’ve thought of him, wondering if this was the pain he knew too well. When we watched Palestinians displaced from one end of the Gaza Strip to the other I wanted to ask him how he found the strength to walk all those miles decades ago and leave everything behind. 

But in this pain, I’ve also witnessed something profound—a beautiful, multifaith, multiracial, and multigenerational coalition rising from despair within our Democratic Party. For 320 days, we’ve stood together, demanding to enforce our laws on friend and foe alike to reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety. That’s why we are here—members of this Democratic Party committed to equal rights and dignity for all. What we do here echoes around the world.

They’ll say this is how it’s always been, that nothing can change. But remember Fannie Lou Hamer—shunned for her courage, yet she paved the way for an integrated Democratic Party. Her legacy lives on, and it’s her example we follow.

But we can’t do it alone. This historic moment is full of promise, but only if we stand together. Our party’s greatest strength has always been our ability to unite. Some see that as a weakness, but it’s time we flex that strength. 

Let’s commit to each other, to electing Vice President Harris and defeating Donald Trump who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur. Let’s fight for the policies long overdue—from restoring access to abortions to ensuring a living wage, to demanding an end to reckless war and a ceasefire in Gaza. To those who doubt us, to the cynics and the naysayers, I say, yes we can—yes we can be a Democratic Party that prioritizes funding our schools and hospitals, not for endless wars. That fights for an America that belongs to all of us—Black, brown, and white, Jews and Palestinians, all of us, like my grandfather taught me, together."