Importance of Jerusalem

     The fighting for Israel and Jerusalem is much more than cultural, economical, or political. It is spiritual warfare. Wars of old have always been about whose God is stronger. Every empire which ever existed in the mid-east has had its eyes on Jerusalem. That small country, the size of New Jersey, has always been the prize desired by everyone. Why is that? If I suggested that they all fight over Heaven, would that make sense?

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. (Heb 11:8-9)

     Paul, therein, referred to the "land grant" issued to the Hebrew people through his agent Abraham. The original grant and deed to the land came long ago.

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Gen 12:1-3)

In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates (Gen 15:18)  

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.(Gen 17:9-10, 14)

     That land grant is called the Abrahamic Covenant. Most Baptists and Calvinists preach that God's gift to the Jews was out of love and was unconditional.  The gift was what we call "the Promise Land". The condition for the giving was that every male child be circumcised as a seal that they are pledged to keep the covenant. It is not described what the grantee would need to do other than circumcision. However, if chapter twelve verse 3 implies, "all the families of the earth be blessed". 
     Let's look at the ceremony celebrating the promise, the treaty with God, if you prefer:

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Heb 7:1).

     Paul spoke of the meeting of Abraham with Melchisedec back in Genesis chapter 14. Abraham had what we now call "communion" with the King of Salem to celebrate the promise. They took bread and wine which of course represents the body and blood of Jesus. There is so much that happened in the land grant and ceremony.
     Let us first examine "Salem". It is Shalem in Hebrew and means "peace" (Etymology Online; "Salem"). Melchisedec was King of Peace. Later on, we see that when Jesus was born, it was declared "peace on earth" (Luke 2:14) and then his purpose changed to: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Mat 10:34).
     That is what I shall call "God's Paradox of Peace". I believe it means that Jesus is King of Peace, but on this earth the King will cause variance (dissension) between everyone (Mat 10:35). In other words, the King of Peace returned to earth when Jesus was born!
     The King of Peace was a priest of the most high God. "Priest" is a mediator between mankind and God. Jesus is the only mediator who can do that: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5).
     Abraham's encounter with Melchisedec  should already be clear. He was signing the deal with Jesus himself! Jesus is not just God the Man who was born in the flesh; since no one can look at God and live, but God manifested Himself in different ways. He often appeared as a Man. Jesus himself was God appearing to mankind in the flesh. Melchisedec was as much Jesus as Jesus was (John 1-3, 14).
     Melchisedec blessed Abraham. He consecrated Abraham just as Jesus did with Christians with the beatitudes (Mat 5). Jesus was saying to early Christians what he promised to Abraham: Just look at them!

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (v. 3)
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (v. 4)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (v. 5)
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (v. 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (v. 7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (v. 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (v. 9)
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (v. 10)
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. (v. 11)
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (v. 12)

     The beatitudes are the individual blessings which Melchisedec gave to Abraham and the Hebrew nation. Note that the covenant was for "all families of the earth" (Gen 12:3), not just the Jewish people. Look what Jesus promised: citizenship in Heaven, comfort, the earth itself, contentment, mercy, to see God, be adopted by God, find peace, and be joyful. Specifically, "the meek shall inherit the earth." I contend that is what Melchisedec was offering, but not just to the Jewish people but to all mankind!
     The Hebrews were not people with any depth. Abraham knew of what Melchisedec was speaking. It was the land shown below on the map:

The Promised Land

      Mel granted to mankind David's Kingdom. The kingdom God promised was divided as the kings broke the covenant. Circumcision was not efficacious. They broke their promise regardless of their seal. (Without explanation for now, let me point out that circumcision is a picture of baptism and circumcision of the heart. I have written on that several times.)
     The Jews couldn't keep the kingdom; they sinned to greatly. Their greatest sin was blasphemy against the Holy Ghost - the Holy Spirit who experienced death on the cross with Jesus (Mark 15:37).  By denying Melchisedec, the Jews were denying Jesus! We thought they did that at the time of Paul, but it was long before! People still want that land back because it belongs to God, and He can give it to anyone who trusts Him! Those who don't believe in God are not joint heirs to that "land", but only those who trust in Melchisedec - Jesus the Christ (Rom 7:18)
     Before we move on to the significance of the Promised Land, lets validate further that Melchisedec is God manifested - called Jesus: "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually." Melchisedec was the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. That is the description of God Himself (Rev 1:8).  Melchisedec is the priest forever - the Mediator Jesus Christ!
     I hope that you are convinced that Abraham made his promise to Jesus who in turn provided the hope of contentment and joy! We think of the land, but the Promise was much more than land; it was the blessings Jesus made in the beatitudes! It was Heaven on earth.
     Now back to Abraham: His heirs, all of them, were to "sojourned in the land of promise". The contingency was that they trust God and love Him, sealed by circumcision. It was an everlasting covenant, and Abraham met the obligation to trust God by his willingness to sacrifice his only remaining son. That willingness was accounted to Abraham as faith. (Rom 4:12) where it indicated that Abraham's faith preceded Melchisedec's gift. Therefore, Abraham did nothing more than show blind faith in whom he could not see. Soon afterward, he saw God face to face and was blessed! Faith allows the Christian to "see" God. I "see" Him in the Word!
     Abraham and his heirs would sojourn in the land of promise. "Sojourn" was to be a temporary stay but the covenant was everlasting. People misinterpret the promise: God was promising Abraham eternal life in Paradise. 
     Mankind, by entering the Promised Land were returning to the Garden eastward in Eden as Genesis indicated. Look where Jerusalem is: eastward in the Kingdom of God - the world! Jerusalem means "foundation of peace". It's where the King Of Peace resided and his Voice resonated in the midst of the Garden. Jerusalem is the foundation of the world. Mankind had came home. Abraham went there by blind faith, "not knowing whither he went." He was going to Heaven without realizing it. 
     His body lies nearby in the Cave of Machpelah. At the rapture, Melchisedec's promise will finally be fulfilled. The Promised Land will be his home, he will see Melchisedec face to face, and will walk in the Garden of God - near the Jordan - the river of the Garden. 

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12)

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev 21:2).

     Heaven will come down. Paradise will have a re-genesis on it's original foundation. The City of God - New Jerusalem - will be on it's origin foundation stone - (The foundation stone under the New Temple where the Dome of the Rock now covers it.) Abraham will finally be there again with Melchisedec when he again reigns as King of Peace. The Abrahamic Covenant is all about Jesus, and the restoration of the world - Heaven on earth. And everyone thinks it's all about the land!