THE WORLD’S GREATEST CITY

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

We return to the blog site after spending a week in Israel. Damascus, Syria has been credited as the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth. But the question today is---what is the greatest city in the world? Obviously, it depends on who you ask. Some may say it is Paris, the City of Light. Others may say it is Rome, while others may submit New York or Moscow or Tokyo as the world’s greatest city. To the theologically-thinking, Bible believer, one city stands out as the greatest---Jerusalem.

Jerusalem (Yerusalim in Hebrew) is not the largest city (about 725,000 in population), or the prettiest city (by human standards), and Jerusalem has no natural resources to boast of. The actual word Jerusalem means city of shalom (peace), and yet ironically, throughout its history Jerusalem has been destroyed eighteen times, and changed hands thirteen times in the last 1,000 years.

Jerusalem is mentioned 767 times in our English Bible and 669 times in the Hebrew scriptures, referred to in the Bible as the City of our God (Psalm 48:1-2, 8). Interestingly, the first and last scriptural references are significant. Jerusalem is first referred to by the name Salem (Genesis 14:18) where Abraham fellowshipped with a mysterious man name Melchizedek, a priest of Salem; and the last specific reference is of the eternal, holy city called the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10).

Theologically, Jerusalem will play a significant role in many future prophetic events unfolding today. The Eastern Gate (AKA the Golden Gate) is one of eight gates in the wall of the Old City. It is the only eastern entrance onto the thirty-three acre Temple Mount. One day Jesus will walk through the Eastern Gate to set up His millennial kingdom (Ezekiel 44:1-3). Knowing this ancient eschatological prophecy, the Ottoman leader Suleiman shut up Eastern Gate in 1541. A large Muslim cemetery was also placed directly in front of the gate for the purpose of keeping Jesus out. But massive blocks and an old cemetery won't keep the King of Kings out (Psalm 24:7).  Think about it.