If you weren’t familiar with North America, wouldn’t it be a bit disorienting to discover that North Carolina is in the south and South Dakota’s in the north? Our geography may be a curiosity, but for one country it’s a matter of life and death.
There’s a little dusty region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, about 60 miles wide—two minutes in an F-16. It has no oil, no important seaport, and it’s more than 60% desert. Yet it’s the most sought-after, fought-over, and misunderstood spot on the planet. Drawing a map of the region is enough to start a war!
The modern state of Israel isn’t the same as biblical Israel, of course, but, for those who take the Bible seriously, it’s the epicenter of human history.
It’s the nerve center of the world politically. The Lord said, “This is Jerusalem; I have placed her at the center of the nations” (Ezekiel 5:5, NASB). It’s the salvation center of the world spiritually (Luke 13:33), the gathering center of the world prophetically (Zechariah 14:1-8), and the glory center of the world ultimately (Isaiah 2:1-5).
It has a fascinating past. Among other details, it absorbed the sweat of Nazareth’s Carpenter and the blood of Calvary’s Redeemer. But it also has an amazing future. It’s The Happening Place!
Years ago, my father was staying at the Intercontinental Hotel (now called 7 Arches). It straddles the Mount of Olives, about 260 feet higher than the Temple Mount. The view is breathtaking.
Standing there one morning, my father was lost in thought. He could imagine Abraham and Isaac wending their way up Moriah, and David’s men claiming the city for God. He saw Hezekiah praying down heaven’s help against Sennacherib’s army, and Jeremiah pleading with the city to repent.
How could he forget Jesus confounding the doctors, later cleansing the temple, healing the sick, His triumphal ride, or being led out to die.
But the story wasn’t over. The Romans would decimate it in AD 70. Caliphs and Crusaders have claimed it; Ottomans and Europeans have fought for it. Yet with turmoil to this day, that isn’t the story’s end, either.
As he thought of Jerusalem’s future, my father was greeted by the hotel manager.
“I see you’re in deep meditation,” the man said. “May I ask what you’re thinking?”
“I’m thinking about the fortunate—and unfortunate—place selected for this hotel. Near here one day soon Jesus’ nail-pierced feet will land. Very fortunate for those who can’t wait for His return in glory. But His landing will split this mountain in two.
“Listen: ‘In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley.’ (Zechariah 14:4) Won’t that be a moving experience!”
Fact 1: That prophecy isn’t fulfilled yet.
Fact 2: Jesus has a perfect record fulfilling prophecies.
Fact 3: Like the divided mountain, Jesus divides humanity. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son…the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, BSB)
Fact 4: Today’s the day to ask Jesus to save you from your sins. (2 Corinthians 6:2) He’ll also save you from “the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
Be kind to your soul.
Article published July 26, 2025 in the Commercial Dispatch.