The arch rival of man, the great accuser of the brethren, the father of lies, the fallen morning star, is desperately trying to prevent the second coming which requires Jerusalem to go back to Israel. The devil is stirring the uprising to put pressure on political events and powers in an attempt to halt the return of Jerusalem to Israel so as to delay his coming judgement at the hands of Jesus, which the devil knows full well comes after the second coming of Christ. The devil is desperately trying to buy time. The devil knows the scriptures better than any man. And he knows better than any man that God looks after His Word to perform it. Jerusalem is effectively a time-clock for the last days events.

Just like the devil tried to prevent Jesus once before from becoming the King of the kingdom at the first coming of Jesus, which is representative of the events of Joshua (being a forerunner of Jesus) taking “the gold and silver” that is His precious treasure of “human hearts and souls” back from the kingdom of the world, a spiritual metaphor represented by the walls of Jericho falling (being representative of the soul walls man builds between him and his Saviour being removed, which just as with the Jericho walls, is by no hand of man’s either), and the subsequent plunder of all the gold and silver of Jericho (being the work of the body in Christ in loving their neighbour as themselves), the devil is desperately trying to prevent this critical catalyst on the prophetic milestone of the time clock of heaven from transpiring.

The devil tried to prevent the Kingdom, then, by plotting to have Him betrayed and killed (crucified), thereby removing the Head from the body. For the devil believed, as did the Jews, that this the "kingdom of grace" was an earthly kingdom. And in much the same way, the devil is trying desperately now, too, to avoid events transpiring that will set in motion the King’s second coming as prophesied in His written Word (by both Jesus, the perfect prophet, and the old prophets), which is by trying to remove the head of Israel, Jerusalem, from the body (the land) of Israel. For whereas the kingdom of grace was spiritual only, the "kingdom of glory" will be complete, covering both spiritual and natural realms. Jesus is coming back for victory over every dominion and realm and to claim His earthly kingdom for the thousand year reign. Just like God accomplishes His purposes through men, the devil has to accomplish his purposes through man. The devil had to rally political events and powers at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion to achieve his ends. In the same way, the devil is rallying political events and powers to try and accomplish his goals now. But just as the perfect mind of Christ outsmarted the devil at the first coming, because He WANTED to be crucified, the devil will once again be outsmarted this time too.

In Zechariah 12:1-3, God says: "The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:  “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.“ In Zechariah 12:9, God further states: “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” And if we were to stop and reflect on the timings of such events, the time setting is immediately before Jesus Christ’s return. “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming  when the spoil (taken from you) shall be divided (among the victors) in the midst of you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” (Zechariah 14:1-3).

Besides Zecharia 12:1-3, both Joel 3:2 and Revelation 16:16 also speak of the war that will come as a result of the fight over the city of Jerusalem. The devil will even incite war in an attempt to prevent Jesus claiming His earthly kingdom which requires Jerusalem returning back to Israel. And when the nations lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem, Israel will be miraculously militarily strong, and able to successfully defend itself. "On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour to the right and to the left all the peoples round about, while Jerusalem shall still be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. And the LORD Will give victory to the tents of Judah.... On that day the LORD will put a shield about the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, at their head. And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:2-7).“And 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; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:1-4).

In chapter 37 of Ezekiel, where God instructs Ezekiel to raise the dead bones to life, this is a prophetic event about the Jews coming to life in Christ the Messiah, which is also a necessary catalyst for Jesus to come back. Once the full allotment of Gentiles that has been set aside by the Father for Jesus has been fulfilled, then God will soften the hearts of the Jews, and they shall be saved - dead bones brought to life. “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:10-11). The “lost tribes” is a misnomer, as God made a covenant with Abraham. They are not lost, for God has not forsaken them, and never will. They are not lost to God. "Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days" (Hosea 3:5). Jesus Himself prophesied the conversion of the Jews prior to the Second Coming when He said (Matthew 23:37-39): "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.... Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"  Isn't it just like the astonishing brilliance of God to first SPEAK of the greatest love in Matthew 22:37-39, and to then DEMONSTRATE that great love one step later in Matthew 23:37-39!! In the same way that worship God "in spirit and truth", Jesus loves us in spirit and truth too! (John 4:24).

In the end, God will prove Himself faithful to both Gentiles and Jews with the final events in Jerusalem. If God would forsake the Jews, after making unconditional promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to all their descendants, then how could Christians, with their faith in the Jewish Messiah, have confidence in Him to complete the good work that He began in their lives that He prepared for His son before time? (Ephesians 2:10). The only way man has learnt to trust God’s word and to have faith in the Father heart of God, is because God ALWAYS looks after His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12).

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.(1 Timothy 1:17).