Jerusalem Day - ‘Yom Yerushalayim’
Iyar 28, 5784 - June 5, 2024
Jerusalem Day commemorates the miraculous liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem on the 28th of Iyar, 5727, just days after several Arab armies threatened to wipe the State of Israel off the map (June 7, 1967 – in 2024 this equates to Wednesday June 5th on the Gregorian calendar). Israel took the initiative with a surprise, defensive attack, wiping out the Egyptian Air Force in one day, and taking over Jerusalem, Gaza, Judea, Samaria, the Sinai and the Golan Heights shortly thereafter. Weeks of national trepidation and tension, including the preparing of thousands of body-bags in Jerusalem and elsewhere, suddenly gave way to celebration and thanksgiving.
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The war marked Israel’s return to the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time since having been ignominiously driven out in 1948, and for the first time in 1,899 years as sovereign rulers. In fact, though most Jews were thrilled in 1948 when the renewed State of Israel was established, for others the joy was greatly tempered by the lack of inclusion in its borders of the holy sites of Jerusalem–and particularly the Temple Mount.
The continued longing for Jerusalem and other Biblical areas was expressed by Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, the head of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav. Speaking to his students on Independence Day of 1967, just weeks before the Six Day War, he appeared to be gripped by prophecy when he cried out, “Where is our Hevron? (Hebron). Have we forgotten it? And where is our Shechem? (Nablus). Have we forgotten it? And where is our Jericho? Have we forgotten it?! … And where is all the rest of the Land of Israel? Where are all the pieces of G-d’s Land? Do we have the right to give up even one millimetre? Heaven forbid!”
One of his students, Rabbi Chanan Porat, who was later to be a leader in the movement to settle all of the Land of Israel, said that the rabbi’s emotion was so extreme that it left an impression on him forever: “He roared and cried out from the depths of his heart; we saw that he was truly like one crying over someone who had just died, as if he was torn in pieces. We felt as if he was speaking in the name of the Land of Israel, and that its tearing-asunder was tearing his own flesh as well.”
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Just days after Rabbi Kook’s emotional cry, Egypt placed a blockade around the Straits of Tiran leading into Israel, and preparations for war began. Within three weeks, Hebron, Jericho, Shechem (Nablus) and Jerusalem were once again in Jewish hands. Rabbi Kook and his friend, Rabbi David Cohen, were given a special military escort to the Western Wall within hours of its liberation.
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The continued longing for Jerusalem in the 19 years between ’48 and ’67 was expressed on another level by Naomi Shemer, in her famous song “Jerusalem of Gold.” The original lyrics read, “The city that sits solitary, and in its midst – a wall…How the cisterns have dried, the market-place is empty, and no one frequents the Temple Mount, in the Old City… Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light, Behold I am a violin for all your songs…” Just a few months later, she was able to add these lyrics as the final stanza: “We have returned to the cisterns, To the market and to the market-place, A ram’s horn (shofar) is heard on the Temple Mount, In the Old City.” The song Jerusalem of Gold quickly became Israel’s unofficial national anthem, sung in joy at every opportunity.
In the Six Day War (1967) the Paratroopers Brigade took part in the capturing of Jerusalem together with the Jerusalem Brigade, Harel Brigade and armoured support. The Paratroopers were the ones to capture the Western Wall and the Temple Mount - a moment that is considered as "historic" and the "highlight of this war" by the majority of the Israeli public, mainly due to the sacredness of these places to the Jewish people. Consequently, ever since 1967 the Israeli Defence Forces Paratroopers Brigade hold their Passing Out Parades and taking their ‘Oath of Allegiance’ at the Western Wall (Ha Kotel).
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Soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade are distinguished by their maroon beret, paratrooper wings, reddish-brown leather boots and the paratroopers service dress (Yerkit), which is slightly different from the regular ground forces service dress. |
Lion of Judah - Revelation 5:4-6 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:4-6 (NIV) The Jerusalem Flag depicts the Lion of Judah –representing the Tribe of Judah –also one of the names of our Saviour Jesus Christ. |
In the Book of Genesis we find Jacob blessing his sons in the following reading:
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.
Genesis 49:8-12 (NIV)
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.
Genesis 49:8-12 (NIV)
The importance of Jerusalem for Jews: It is the capital of Israel. It is central to the Jewish heart. When religious Jews pray 3 times a day, they turn towards Jerusalem. They also keep a small section of an eastern wall unplastered or unpainted in their houses, as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the Temple. During a Jewish wedding the groom breaks a glass to signify mourning commemorating the destruction of the 2 temples. They close the Passover Seder with the words “next year in Jerusalem” (La Shanah Haba’ah Bi Yerushalayim)
Matthew 5:34-35 reads: But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. |
For Christians Jerusalem is “The City of the Great King” (Matthew 5:34-35)
It is the place where our Saviour was crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended into heaven. It is the birthplace of the church. (Acts 2) It is the place Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ the Messiah) returns to as the Son of David (Mashiach Ben David) to restore the throne of King David in Israel. (Zechariah 8:2-4) But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly. (Hebrews 12:21-23) Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.( Revelation 14:1-3) |
Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:1-3)
This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”
(Zechariah 8:2-4)
This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”
(Zechariah 8:2-4)
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. “Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.“In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD’s house and will water the valley of acacias. But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? No, I will not.”
The LORD dwells in Zion! (Joel 3:14-21 NIV)
“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”(Psalm 2:5-7)
Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 9:10-12)
…that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. (Psalm 9:13-15)
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! (Psalm14:6-7)
Occurring over 150 times in the Bible, the word “Zion” essentially means“fortification.” In the Bible, Zion is both the city of David and the city of God. “Zion” was eventually used as a name for the city of Jerusalem, the land of Judah, and the people of Israel as a whole (Isaiah 40:9; Jeremiah 31:12; Zechariah 9:13).
The most important use of the word “Zion” is in a theological sense. “Zion” is used figuratively of Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14).
The spiritual meaning of “Zion” is continued in the New Testament, where it is given the New Covenant meaning of God's spiritual kingdom, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1).
Peter refers to Christ as the Cornerstone of Zion: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).
O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you— the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants. (Psalm 83: 1-8).
This Psalm could well be prophetic telling of this present age when Israel’s enemies plot for her destruction!
Does this sound familiar? The language could be out of today’s headlines and the countries lined up against Israel in this Psalm are also Israel’s enemies today. They inhabited the lands of Israel’s current neighbours. Edom and the Ishmaelites were in the land occupied by southern Jordan today while the territories of Moab and Ammon make up the rest of that country. Amman, the modern spelling of Ammon, is the capital of Jordan. The Hagrites were part of Aram, whose capital was Damascus in modern Syria. According to 1 Chronicles 5:10 they occupied the area east of Gilead in today’s northern Jordan. Gebal (also called Byblos) and Tyre can still be found in present day Lebanon.
The Amalekites lived in Israel’s southern desert and Philistia settled in Gaza on Israel’s southern border. Assyria would conquer Aram shortly after Psalm 83 was written and the descendants of Lot is another reference to Jordan. Remember, Moab and Ammon were the sons of an incestuous union between Lot and his two daughters.
So here we have all of Israel’s next door neighbours, all of them sworn to Israel’s destruction, and all of them being whipped into a frenzy by Syria and Iran.
The Word of God is relevant yesterday, today and tomorrow, therefore we need to be “Praying For the Peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122).
Shalom Shalom.
The LORD dwells in Zion! (Joel 3:14-21 NIV)
“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”(Psalm 2:5-7)
Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 9:10-12)
…that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. (Psalm 9:13-15)
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! (Psalm14:6-7)
Occurring over 150 times in the Bible, the word “Zion” essentially means“fortification.” In the Bible, Zion is both the city of David and the city of God. “Zion” was eventually used as a name for the city of Jerusalem, the land of Judah, and the people of Israel as a whole (Isaiah 40:9; Jeremiah 31:12; Zechariah 9:13).
The most important use of the word “Zion” is in a theological sense. “Zion” is used figuratively of Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14).
The spiritual meaning of “Zion” is continued in the New Testament, where it is given the New Covenant meaning of God's spiritual kingdom, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1).
Peter refers to Christ as the Cornerstone of Zion: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).
O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you— the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants. (Psalm 83: 1-8).
This Psalm could well be prophetic telling of this present age when Israel’s enemies plot for her destruction!
Does this sound familiar? The language could be out of today’s headlines and the countries lined up against Israel in this Psalm are also Israel’s enemies today. They inhabited the lands of Israel’s current neighbours. Edom and the Ishmaelites were in the land occupied by southern Jordan today while the territories of Moab and Ammon make up the rest of that country. Amman, the modern spelling of Ammon, is the capital of Jordan. The Hagrites were part of Aram, whose capital was Damascus in modern Syria. According to 1 Chronicles 5:10 they occupied the area east of Gilead in today’s northern Jordan. Gebal (also called Byblos) and Tyre can still be found in present day Lebanon.
The Amalekites lived in Israel’s southern desert and Philistia settled in Gaza on Israel’s southern border. Assyria would conquer Aram shortly after Psalm 83 was written and the descendants of Lot is another reference to Jordan. Remember, Moab and Ammon were the sons of an incestuous union between Lot and his two daughters.
So here we have all of Israel’s next door neighbours, all of them sworn to Israel’s destruction, and all of them being whipped into a frenzy by Syria and Iran.
The Word of God is relevant yesterday, today and tomorrow, therefore we need to be “Praying For the Peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122).
Shalom Shalom.