ISHBOSHETH, KING OF THE NORTHERN GROUP OF YISHARALITE TRIBES (KING SAUL’S FORMER KINGDOM) IS DEAD AT THE HANDS OF ASSASSINS WHO BROUGHT ISHBOSHETH’S HEAD TO DAVID IN HOPES OF RECEIVING A REWARD. SO LAST CHAPTER SET THE HISTORICAL STAGE FOR DAVID BECOMING THE FIRST KING OF YISHARAL TO RULE OVER A UNITED NATION OF ALL THE YISHARALITE TRIBES.
HEBRON IS CURRENTLY THE UNOFFICIAL CAPITAL-CITY OF JUDAH, HAVING A HERITAGE THAT TRACED BACK TO ABRAHAM. DAVID CHOSE TO MOVE FROM ZIKLAG (IN PHILISTINE TERRITORY) TO HEBRON BECAUSE IT PLACED HIM IN THE POWER-CENTRE OF JUDAH (WHICH IS, OF COURSE, WHERE THE PROSPECTIVE LEADER OF JUDAH WAS OBLIGATED TO RESIDE). ALSO JUDAH (AND THEREFORE HEBRON) WAS NOT SEEN BY THE PHILISTINES AS THEIR ENEMY (AS YISHARAL WAS) TO THE NORTH. KING SAUL FOUGHT AGAINST THE PHILISTINES AS THE KING OF YISHARAL, AND WHEN SAUL DIED
ISHBOSHETH BECAME THE NEW KING OF YISHARAL AND WAS INSTANTLY AN ENEMY OF THE PHILISTINES. BUT DAVID FIRST BECAME KING OVER JUDAH (NOT YISHARAL) AND SO WHILE THIS MAY HAVE RUFFLED THE PHILISTINE’S FEATHERS A LITTLE, JUDAH WAS NOT THE PHILISTINES’ ENEMY AND SO THEY WERE ON RELATIVELY PEACEFUL TERMS WITH DAVID’S ADMINISTRATION. BUT ALL OF THAT WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE.
YERUSHALIM (2 SAM.5)
Then all the Tribes that made up the people of Yisharal came to David at Hebron, and the Tribal-Leaders said, “We are all related, flesh of your flesh and bone of your bones. When Saul was King, you always led the Army of Yisharal out and then brought it back safely. And now Yahuah said to you that, 'You’ll be the shepherd of My people Yisharal, the ruler over all of them.'”
And all the leaders of Yisharal came before King David there at Hebron, so he made a Covenant-Agreement with the Tribal Leaders there before Yahuah and they anointed David the King over all Yisharal. David was 30 years old when he first became King, and he was King for 40 years, reigning in Hebron (over Judah alone) for 7½ years and then over the United Kingdom (of Judah and Yisharal) for 33 years. THERE WAS NO SHAME PLACING THEMSELVES UNDER DAVID FOR HE'D ALREADY ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A LEGITIMATE MONARCH.
And soon David and his Private Army marched to Yerushalim to fight the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites (currently living in Yerushalim) felt very secure behind their high-walls (stronghold) and were sure David could not enter into the city. They even mocked and jeered, “Unless you come and take away the blind and the lame from here, you ain’t welcome.”
But despite the taunts, David and his Army managed to capture the stronghold of Zion, which David renamed `the City of David' (BELOW WHAT WOULD BECOME THE TEMPLE MOUNT, ABOUT SEVEN MILES FROM BETHLEHEM AND ADJACENT TO YERUSHALIM).
And David spoke to his Army, “Anyone who strikes down the Jebusites, make sure you take some blind and lame through the water tunnel with you, cause I can't stand the state they're all in". (And from this conversation came the saying, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the house.”)
So once David captured the stronghold of Zion, he stayed there and named it `the City of David’, building it up all around, carefully terracing the hillside from the Millo inward. And David continued to grow in power and reputation because the Eternal Alahim, Yahuah, Commander of Divine Armies, was with him.
DAVID USED A WATER TUNNEL TO MORE OR LESS SNEAK HIS MEN INTO THE CITY. THIS TUNNEL, OR REALLY MORE A “SHAFT”, WAS FIRST REDISCOVERED IN THE MODERN AGE BY SIR CHARLES WARREN IN 1867 AND HAS BEEN APTLY NAMED WARREN’S SHAFT, NEATLY VERIFYING THE SCRIPTURAL ACCOUNT OF DAVID’S CONQUEST OF ZION.
"TAKE THE LAME AND BLIND WHO ARE HATED BY DAVID'S BEING" (ORIGINAL VERSION)
IS DAVID REALLY DISGUSTED AND REPELLED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE LAME AND BLIND? OR IS THIS A PROGRESSIVE REVELATION INVOLVING WHO DAVID IS A SHADOW OF?
IN MATT 11 YAHUSHA ANSWERED, "GO AND TELL JOHN WHAT YOU ARE HEARING AND SEEING, THE BLIND ARE SEEING AGAIN, THE LAME ARE WALKING, PEOPLE WITH SKIN DISEASES ARE BEING CLEANSED, THE DEAF ARE HEARING, THE DEAD ARE BEING RAISED, THE GOOD NEWS IS BEING TOLD TO THE POOR AND HOW BLESSED IS ANYONE NOT OFFENDED BY ME".
IT’S HARD NOT TO SEE A CONNECTION TO DAVID’S DESCENDANT YAHUSHA TRIUMPHANTLY ENTERING INTO YERUSHALIM AND HEALING THE LAME AND THE BLIND. IN 2 SAM 5 THE PEOPLE OF YERUSHALIM ARE SAYING TO DAVID (ON ONE LEVEL) AND TO MESSIAH (ON ANOTHER LEVEL) THAT 'UNLESS YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CAN HEAL THE LAME AND THE BLIND YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO COME INTO YERUSHALIM'. AND THE RESPONSE OF BOTH DAVID AND MESSIAH IS THAT THEY DESPISE THE BLINDNESS AND LAMENESS THAT HAS HARMED THESE PEOPLE. SO WHAT WE REALLY HAVE IS DAVID SAYING THAT HE DESPISES THE CONDITION OF LAMENESS AND BLINDNESS ITSELF. AND SO WHEN YAHUSHA SPEAKS IN MATTHEW 11:6 AND SAYS, “HOW BLESSED IS ANYONE NOT OFFENDED BY ME” (IN REFERRING TO THE BLIND AND THE LAME) THIS FITS HAND AND GLOVE WITH DAVID’S RESPONSE TO THE PEOPLE OF YERUSHALIM HERE IN 2ND SAMUEL 5.
King Hiram of Tyre sent diplomats to David with Cedars and Carpenters and Masons to build David a magnificent palace. Then David realised that Yahuah had established him as King over Yisharal and that He was increasing David’s Kingdom in power and majesty for the sake of His people Yisharal.
And after the move from Hebron to Yerushalim, David married more women from Yerushalim, took more concubines, and fathered more sons and daughters: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
ONCE DAVID WAS SETTLED IN `THE CITY OF DAVID’, HE MOVED HIS HAREM FROM HEBRON TO YERUSHALIM AND EVEN ADDED TO IT WITH MORE WIVES AND CONCUBINES. REMEMBER THAT A CONCUBINE WAS NOT A SEX-SLAVE OR A PLAY THING FOR THE MAN. RATHER SHE WAS A LIKE A WIFE BUT USUALLY SHE DIDN’T RECEIVE A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE SO SHE WAS SORT OF A 2ND CLASS WIFE. A CONCUBINE (ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF KINGS) WAS OFTEN THE HANDMAIDEN OF AN ARISTOCRATIC WOMAN THAT THE KING WOULD MARRY TO CREATE A NEEDED OR WANTED POLITICAL ALLIANCE WITH ANOTHER KING OR OFFICIAL. THE LIST OF NAMES OF DAVID’S SONS REPRESENTS ONLY THE FIRSTBORN SONS FROM EACH OF THE MOTHERS. MANY DAUGHTERS AND OTHER SONS WERE BORN AS WELL TO THESE WOMEN. DAVID WAS CREATING QUITE A DYNASTY OF LOYAL LEADERS FOR HIS ADMINISTRATION.
When David’s former allies, the Philistines, discovered that David (whom they still considered an embassador of Gath) was now King over a United Yisharal, they sent an Army to battle him, but David heard they were coming and withdrew into the fortress. So the Philistines spread their forces in the valley of Rephaim, South-West of Yerushalim, and David spoke to Yahuah (through the Urim and Thummim stones), “Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will You make me victorious over them?"
“Yes, go. I will definately give you victory”. So David battled the Philistines at Baal-Perazim and defeated them. Then David rejoiced, “Yahuah has broken through my enemies in front of me like water bursting through a dam”. And that’s why the place was named Baal-Perazim, meaning (the them) 'Yahuah who bursts through.'
THIS USE OF THE NAME BA’AL IN THIS CONTEXT GIVES US A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO PAUSE MOMENTARILY, BACK AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE AND LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THE CONDITION OF YISHARAL IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO YAHUAH. WHILE THE USE OF THE TERM BA’AL IN THE COMMEMORATIVE NAMING OF THIS MOUNTAIN WAS UNDOUBTEDLY NOT INTENDED TO HONOR THE CANAANITE DEITY, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS WAS JUST ANOTHER SUBTLE STEP IN THE PERVERSION OF THE TRUE HEBREW BELIEF AS DEFINED BY YAHUAH THROUGH MOSES ON MT. SINAI. THE TERM BA’AL HAD EVOLVED FROM BEING ENTIRELY IDENTIFIED WITH EVERYTHING THAT YAHUAH HATED, TO SIMPLY A COMMON WORD USED BY HEBREWS IN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATIONS. WE HAVE WATCHED THE HEBREWS SLOWLY OVER DECADES AND CENTURIES INTEGRATE SEEMINGLY SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT PAGAN OBSERVANCES, PEOPLE, CUSTOMS, AND WORDS INTO THEIR CULTURE, BUT AS MINISCULE AND UNIMPORTANT AS THESE CHANGES WERE, THEY ADD UP; AND BY THE TIME OF DAVID WE HARDLY HEAR MENTION OF THE WORD “TURAH” OR “MOSES” OR “LAW” ANY MORE. THE CONSTITUTION OF YAHUAH’S KINGDOM, HIS DIVINE REGULATIONS AND COMMANDMENTS, HAD BEEN INFILTRATED WITH TRADITIONS AND COMMON MIDDLE-EASTERN SOCIAL CONVENTIONS TO THE POINT THAT OTHER THAN FOR A FEW ODDITIES, THE YISHARALITES WERE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM ANY OF THE OTHER MIDDLE-EASTERN PEOPLES.
THE FACT THAT YAHUAH IS BEING REFERRED TO AS A BAAL BY YISHARAL IS NO SURPRISE GIVEN HOW IDOLATROUS THEY CONTINTUED TO BE, AND DURING HIS RISE TO THE THRONE (AND HIS REIGN), DAVID'S FOCUS WAS NOT SO MUCH ON HOW TO PERFECT AND PURIFY THEIR SYSTEM OF BELIEF (AND BEHAVIOUR), RATHER IT WAS TO UNIFY THE TRIBES INTO A POWERFUL SOVEREIGN NATION. DAVID LOVED YAHUAH, BUT HIS HANDS WERE FULL AND ALL HIS FACULTIES WERE AIMED (WITH TUNNEL VISION) TOWARDS FINISHING WHAT JOSHUA HAD STARTED OVER 300 YEARS EARLIER. SO WITH SOLOMON (IN TIME) TAKING OVER FROM DAVID AND THEN WITH A LONG LINE OF VARIOUS KINGS THAT FOLLOWED, THE HEBREW (TURAH-LAW) BELIEF BECAME CORRUPTED WITH PAGANISM AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS, BECAUSE THE WORD OF YAHUAH WAS NO LONGER THE AUTHORITY BUT RATHER IT WAS MAN-MADE DOCTRINES AND TRADITIONS THAT RULED.
IN FACT IT WOULD BE SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE YEARS AFTER DAVID BEFORE A LONG ABANDONED TURAH SCROLL WAS DISCOVERED IN A PILE OF RUBBLE, BROUGHT TO THE KING AND READ TO HIM, AND THIS KING REALISED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO YISHARAL SINCE THAT WONDERFUL MOMENT AT MT. SINAI. KING JOSIAH TORE HIS CLOTHES IN A SIGN OF MOURNING AND GRIEF AND ORDERED PAINFUL REFORMS TO BRING BACK PROPER TURAH-UNDERSTANDING, PROPER WORSHIP-BEHAVIOUR, AND THEREFORE A RESTORED RELATIONSHIP WITH YAHUAH.
So the Philistines abandoned their precious idols on the field, and David and his forces carried them away. But again the Philistines came up and prepared for battle in the valley of Rephaim and David asked Yahuah what he should do. “Don’t directly face their forces, but circle around behind them and array yourselves for battle in front of the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of a mighty Army marching, reverberating in the tops of the balsam trees, come quickly and fight, for I am going ahead of you into Battle to destroy the Army of the Philistines”.
And David did just as Yahuah commanded and won a great victory, striking down the fleeing Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer, just before the coastal plain.
DAVID DID WHAT YAHUAH INSTRUCTED AND THE YISHARALITES ACHIEVED A GREAT VICTORY THAT DAY. THE RULE OF THE PHILISTINES OVER YISHARAL WAS BROKEN AFTER CENTURIES OF AGGRESSION AND SUBJUGATION.
YERUSHALIM (ERRONEOUSLY CALLED `ISRAEL’ TODAY)
THIS BEGINS THE STORY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF YERUSHALIM AS THE CAPITAL OF DAVID’S KINGDOM. YERUSHALIM MEANS SOMETHING LIKE, “THE FOUNDATION OF SHALEM”, HOWEVER IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT “SHALEM” WAS THE NAME (OR BETTER THE CHIEF-ATTRIBUTE) OF YAHUAH, SO PERHAPS A BETTER WAY TO SAY IT IS, “THE FOUNDATION OF YAHUAH’S SHALEM”. SHALEM SHOULD SOUNDS FAMILIAR TO US BECAUSE THE WORD SHALOM IS TAKEN FROM IT. SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE ALAHIM OF THIS CITY OF 2500 BC WAS THE ALAHIM WITH THE ATTRIBUTE OF SHALOM (OVERWHELMING SENSE OF PEACE, ABUNDANCE, WHOLENESS AND COMPLETENESS).
IN GEN 14 WE FIND THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MELCHIZEDEK, KING AND PRIEST OF THE CITY OF SHALEM (YES, THE SAME SHALEM) AND WE KNOW FROM THE NARRATIVE THAT MELCHIZEDEK SERVED THE ONE TRUE CREATOR YAHUAH THAT HE ALSO CALLED AL ELYON (THE MOST HIGH ALAHIM). MELCHIZEDEK WAS NONE OTHER THAN A VERY AGED SHEM. WHY DIDN’T THEY JUST CALL MELCHIZEDEK SHEM? BECAUSE MELCHIZEDEK ISN’T A NAME, IT’S A TITLE. IT MEANS, “THE KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”. SCRIPTURAL GENEALOGICAL RECORDS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT SHEM WAS STILL LIVING WHEN ABRAHAM WAS ALIVE AND HE WAS THE KING AND PRIEST OF YAHUAH MOST HIGH, LIVING AT THE CITY OF SHALEM (CALLED YERUSHALIM BY MANY).
NOW ANOTHER NAME THAT WE’LL FIND IN THE SCRIPTURE FOR THIS SAME PLACE IS JEBUS. AND THE NAME OF THE INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE (AS WE READ OF DAVID GETTING READY TO ATTACK) IS THE JEBUS-ITES.
JUDGES 19 “BUT THE LEVITE MAN WOULDN'T STAY THAT NIGHT; SO HE GOT UP AND LEFT WITH HIS CONCUBINE AND HIS TWO SADDLED DONKEYS; AND THEY ARRIVED AT JEBUS, ALSO KNOWN AS YERUSHALIM”. SO WE KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT JEBUS AND YERUSHALIM ARE THE SAME PLACE JUST SPOKEN IN TWO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES OR UNDER TWO DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
ANCIENT CITIES DON’T GENERALLY BEGIN AS WALLED CITIES BUT AS SMALL VILLAGES AND THEN FOR SOME IMPORTANT REASON OR ANOTHER, THE SETTLEMENT IS SEEN AS MORE VALUABLE THAN USUAL SO AN ENEMY WANTS IT AND THEN IT IS WALLED FOR PROTECTION AGAINST THAT ENEMY. BUILDING A WALL AROUND A CITY WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING AND IT TOOK A STRONG AND POWERFUL LEADER TO ORDER IT AND SEE IT THROUGH, AND A SUBSTANTIAL POPULATION TO PROVIDE THE MANPOWER TO CONSTRUCT IT. THE ORIGINAL YERUSHALIM, BEFORE IT WAS A WALLED CITY, WOULD HAVE BEEN A VILLAGE WITH FARMERS AND HERDERS WITH THEIR FIELDS AND PASTURES SURROUNDING IT.
FURTHER, THESE ANCIENT VILLAGES AND CITIES DIDN’T HAVE PRECISE BOUNDARIES. TODAY WE MEASURE THE BOUNDARIES OF EVERYTHING FROM RESIDENTIAL LOTS RIGHT UP TO THE BOUNDARIES OF NATIONS DOWN TO THE MILLIMETRE. BUT IN ANCIENT TIMES THE BOUNDARIES WERE GENERAL AND APPROXIMATE. A VALLEY, A HILLSIDE, A PLAIN, UP TO A RIVER OR NEAR A BOULDER. BUT ONCE YOU WALL OFF AN AREA YOU HAVE BY DEFINITION CREATED A PRECISE BOUNDARY. AND IN ANCIENT TIMES WHEN AN ILL-DEFINED BUT NAMED AREA HAD A WALLED CITY BUILT UPON SOME PART OF IT, USUALLY THE WALLED CITY WAS GIVEN A SEPARATE NAME FROM THE AREA WHERE IT WAS BUILT. OR IT WAS CALLED `THE CITY OF SO AND SO’ MEANING THE CITY THAT WAS BUILT UPON AN AREA OF LAND OF A CERTAIN NAME. OFTEN IT WAS NAMED FOR A DEITY OR A KING.
YERUSHALIM WAS THE NAME FOR THE VILLAGE AND THE GENERAL SURROUNDING AREA. WE DON’T KNOW OF ANOTHER NAME GOING BACK ANY FURTHER THAN THIS. AT SOME POINT THE PLACE ALSO BECAME KNOWN AS JEBUS BECAUSE JEBUS WAS THE NAME OF A TRIBE OR A CLAN OF CANAANITES WHO EITHER INHABITED THE PLACE OR PERHAPS BUILT IT UP. IN ANY CASE IT WAS THESE JEBUSITES WHO CURRENTLY INHABITED THE AREA IN DAVID’S TIME, AND ALSO CURRENTLY HELD THE WALLED CITY. ONE OF THE NAMES ASSIGNED TO THE WALLED CITY PORTION OF THE PLACE WAS ZION.
A WALLED CITY IS ALSO A STRONGHOLD, A FALL-BACK PLACE WHERE ONE CAN DEFEND AGAINST INTRUDERS. THE REASON IT IS SOMETIMES TERMED “A STRONGHOLD” IS BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING AT THE PLACE LIVED OUTSIDE THE CITY WALLS. SO YOU WOULD HAVE A WALLED CITY WHERE THE KING, HIS FAMILY, HIS ROYAL COURT, MERCHANTS AND OTHERS WITH REASON AND STATUS TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING INSIDE THE WALLS RESIDED, AND THEN THE GENERAL AND LARGER POPULATION LIVED IN BUILDINGS OUTSIDE OF THE WALLS. THESE VILLAGERS GAVE THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THE KING OF THE CITY FOR THE VERY REASON THAT IF DANGER FROM AN ATTACKER CAME, THEN THE GATES WOULD BE OPENED TO ALLOW THE VILLAGERS TO COME INSIDE AND THE PLACE BECAME THEIR STRONGHOLD. SO THE GENERAL AREA WAS CALLED YERUSHALIM AND JEBUS, BUT THE WALLED CITY PORTION (THE STRONGHOLD) WAS CALLED ZION. AND WHEN DAVID CAPTURED IT, HE CHANGED THE NAME FROM `ZION’ TO `THE CITY OF DAVID’ BUT (AS IS OBVIOUS) THE NAME `ZION’ HAS BEEN RETAINED AND APPLIED FOR OTHER PURPOSES THAT WE WON’T GET INTO RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS ANOTHER REFERENCE IN THESE PASSAGES TO A PLACE CALLED THE MILLO, MEANING EARTH-MOUND OR RAMPART, OR IN MODERN LANGUAGE A TERRACE IS PROBABLY APT. THIS IS REFERRING TO WHAT IS TODAY CALLED ‘THE OPHEL’ WHICH IS LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE THE ANCIENT WALL AT THE NORTH END OF THE CITY OF DAVID. IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP OF ANCIENT YERUSHALIM YOU’LL SEE THAT THE CITY OF DAVID IS THE OLDEST AND ORIGINAL WALLED PORTION, AND IS LOCATED WELL DOWN THE SLOPE FROM MT. MORIAH. THE CITY OF DAVID IS BORDERED BY CANYONS AND RAVINES (INCLUDING THE KIDRON VALLEY) WHICH MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO ATTACK.
THEN THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL OPEN SPACE BETWEEN THE NORTHERN WALL OF THE CITY OF DAVID AND THE TEMPLE MOUNT THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE BUILT ON MT. MORIAH. IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO PLACES IS CALLED THE OPHEL AND MANY VILLAGERS BUILT THEIR HOMES THERE TO EXPAND THE CITY. THE PLAN WAS PROBABLY TO (IN TIME) EXTEND THE WALL TO ENCOMPASS THAT AREA AND EXPAND THE CITY OF DAVID.
THE REASON DAVID ATTACKED YERUSHALIM IS TO MAKE IT HIS CAPITAL. HEBRON WAS THE VERY SYMBOL OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH AND SO THE NORTHERN TRIBAL COALITION WOULD NEVER ACCEPT HEBRON AS A CAPITAL FOR ALL YISHARAL. IN FACT IT’S HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT PART OF THE COVENANT-TREATY THAT THE ELDERS FROM THE NORTH SIGNED WITH DAVID, DEMANDED THAT A NEW CAPITAL BE FOUND THAT WAS MORE NEUTRAL IN ITS LOCATION. WELL YERUSHALIM WAS RIGHT ON THE BORDER BETWEEN YISHARAL AND JUDAH AND IT WAS CLAIMED BY NEITHER ENTITY. IT WASN’T EVEN INHABITED BY HEBREWS (SO YOU CAN’T GET MUCH MORE NEUTRAL THAN THAT).
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER ASPECT THAT IS INVARIABLY OVERLOOKED: JUST AS WE’LL SEE THE TWO TERMS `JUDAH' AND `YISHARAL' TIED TOGETHER, WE’LL OFTEN SEE THE TWO TERMS `YERUSHALIM' AND `JUDAH' TIED TOGETHER ALSO. AS YOU NOW KNOW THE REASON JUDAH AND YISHARAL ARE TIED TOGETHER IS NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE 2 DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE SAME PLACE, BUT RATHER BECAUSE INDEED THEY WERE 2 SEPARATE ENTITIES. ONLY WHEN TIED TOGETHER DO THEY FORM ALL OF YISHARAL, AND SEPARATELY THEY EACH REPRESENT ONLY PART OF YISHARAL.
SO WHY ARE JUDAH AND YERUSHALIM SO OFTEN SPOKEN OF IN SIMILAR FASHION? ALL THE EVIDENCE AND CIRCUMSTANCES INDICATE THAT AT THE VERY LEAST, THAT PORTION OF YERUSHALIM CALLED `THE CITY OF DAVID’ WAS HELD ONTO BY DAVID AS HIS PRIVATE ESTATE, MEANING THE CITY OF DAVID BELONGED STRICTLY TO DAVID AS HIS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED AS NATIONAL TERRITORY. THIS EXPLAINS WHY IT IS THAT DAVID USED HIS PRIVATE ARMY INSTEAD OF HIS NATIONAL ARMY TO CONQUER JEBUS. BY DOING SO THIS WOULD BE SEEN AS MORE OF A PRIVATE THAN A NATIONAL ENDEAVOUR. IF HE’D USED THE TRIBAL TROOPS TO CONQUER THE WALLED CITY, THE TRIBAL LEADERS WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS TO BE SEEN AS A JOINT EXPEDITION AND THUS THE WALLED CITY AS NATIONAL PROPERTY.
THAT KIND OF PHILOSOPHY SEEMS TO HAVE EMBEDDED ITSELF IN THE VERY ESSENCE OF YERUSHALIM AS THE CAPITAL OF YISHARAL FROM DAVID’S DAY FORWARD. THAT IS, YERUSHALIM WAS IN YISHARAL, AND WAS THE CAPITAL OF YISHARAL, BUT IT IS SEEN AS A SOMEWHAT SEPARATE ENTITY. EVEN IN YAHUSHA’ DAY, WHEN THE SET-APART LAND WAS DIVIDED UP INTO THE ROMAN PROVINCES OF IDUMEA, PEREA, SAMARIA, GALILEE, AND JUDAH, YERUSHALIM WAS SPOKEN OF AS A SEPARATE ENTITY. THUS WE HAVE NUMEROUS MENTIONS LATER ON (N.T) OF JUDAH (OR JUDEA) AND YERUSHALIM.
IT IS INTERESTING HOW EVEN TODAY MANY JEWS (AND CHRISTIANS FOR THAT MATTER) CAN ACCEPT THE IDEA OF JERUSALEM BEING AN INTERNATIONAL CITY THAT IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF ISRAEL BUT AT THE SAME TIME CAN BE SEEN AS A SEPARATE ENTITY THAT IS OPERATED BY SOME INTERNATIONAL BODY SUCH AS THE UN, ALLOWING IT TO PERHAPS BE THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL AND THE CAPITAL OF A PALESTINIAN STATE SIMULTANEOUSLY. IN FACT THAT IS MORE OR LESS HOW JERUSALEM WAS ENVISIONED BY THE UN WHEN THE LAND WAS APPORTIONED INTO JEWISH AND ARAB STATES OVER 6 DECADES AGO. JERUSALEM WAS TO BE OWNED BY NEITHER THE JEWS NOR THE ARABS; IT WAS TO BE NEITHER JEWISH NOR ARAB TERRITORY. RATHER (THEY SAY) IT WAS TO BE A NEUTRAL SITE, A WORLD HERITAGE SITE, FOR ALL TO ENJOY.
OF COURSE MANY MORE JEWS (AND ARABS) REJECT THAT IDEA THAN THOSE WHO ACCEPT IT, BUT WE’LL SEE THE INTERNATIONAL CITY CONCEPT ARISE AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS THE DEMAND INTENSIFIES FOR ISRAEL TO RETURN TO IT’S PRE-1967 BORDERS. MANY THINK THAT THERE IS SCRIPTURAL BACKING (BASED ON DAVID’S ACTIONS) FOR THAT IDEA, AND OTHER’S SAY `FORGET IT’, FOR YERUSHALIM WAS THE CAPITAL ONLY OF YISHARAL; IT WAS NOT AN INTERNATIONAL CITY. DAVID WAS THE KING AND HE OWNED ONLY THE CITY OF DAVID, NOT ALL OF YERUSHALIM. SO WE MUST BE CLEAR THAT CORRECTLY SPEAKING, THE CITY OF DAVID WAS NOT YISHARAL’S CAPITAL BUT YERUSHALIM WAS. THE CITY OF DAVID WAS JUST DAVID’S PRIVATE AND SECURE PERSONALLY OWNED COMPOUND. WHICH ALSO EXPLAINS WHY THE TEMPLE WAS BUILT NOT IN `THE CITY OF DAVID’ BUT RATHER IN YERUSHALIM, UPON MT. MORIAH.
SO SINCE DAVID TOOK ZION WITH HIS OWN MEN AND DIDN’T INVOLVE THE NATIONAL TRIBAL TROOPS HE FELT FREE TO ASSIGN A PERSONAL NAME TO HIS NEW CAPITAL, `THE CITY OF DAVID’, BECAUSE IN FACT THIS BECAME HIS PRIVATE ESTATE. WE NEED TO GO BACK IN TIME AND GET THE PICTURE THAT YERUSHALIM WAS THE NAME FOR THE GENERAL AREA AND `THE CITY OF DAVID’ WAS MERELY THE NAME OF THE WALLED CITY THAT RESIDED ON A PORTION OF THAT AREA; THE AREA THAT LAY DOWNHILL ON THE SOUTHERN SLOPE OF MT. MORIAH. SO THE CITY OF DAVID WAS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH YERUSHALIM AND AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE SCRIPTURE WE NEED TO KEEP THIS IN MIND. WE’LL REVISIT THIS SUBJECT AS WE ARRIVE AT THE TIME OF KING SOLOMON BUILDING THE FIRST PERMANENT TEMPLE FOR YAHUAH ATOP THE CREST OF MT. MORIAH, WHICH IS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF DAVID.
We are the living dwelling of the inter-dimensional portal !
OF COURSE LOOKING FORWARD PROPHETICALLY TO THE FUTURE NEW YERUSHALIM, (WHICH WILL DESCEND ONTO A BRAND NEW EARTH), WE KNOW THAT THE HEARTS OF CHOSEN MEN AND WOMEN WILL BE THE ONLY DIVINE REAL ESTATE RELEVANT AND WORTH HAVING, COMING TOGETHER TO FORM THE GREAT CITY ITSELF (‘LOOK LET ME SHOW YOU THE BRIDE, THE LAMB’S WIFE …. THE CITY!)
YAHUSHA DID SOMETHING VERY SNEAKY ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, RIGHT AFTER HIS ASCENSION - THROUGH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND PRESENTING OF HIS OWN PERFECT BLOOD, HE TRANSFORMED AND SHIFTED THE LOCATION OF HIS SET-APART LAND AND TEMPLE (THE SOLE PURPOSE OF WHICH WAS TO HOUSE THE DIVINE PORTAL BETWEEN DIMENSIONS (ON THE ARK) AND OFFER COMMUNICATION AND INTIMACY WITH HIS PEOPLE (PREVIOUSLY REVEALED THROUGH THE SHADOW-CONCEPTS KNOWN AS `CANAAN’, `THE PROMISED LAND’ OR `YISHARAL’) …
THAT’S RIGHT, THOSE WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR NO LONGER HAVE ANY INTEREST IN TALKING ABOUT THE GEO-POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE MIDDLE-EAST - IT’S A WORLDY, MAN-MADE CRISIS AND ANOTHER IN THE LONG LINE OF `AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE’ WE ARE TO STAY OUT OF … WATCHING FOR YAHUSHA’S PERFECTED REIGN, MATURING AND FORMING WITHIN HIS BRIDE, UNTIL SHE IS READY FOR THE FINAL STEP OF TRANSFORMATION AND CONSUMMATION, INTO THE PERFECTED BRIDE, THE LAMB’S WIFE - THE NEW YERUSHALIM - SO PUT YOUR EYES THERE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NOT ON THE BOWLS OF WRATH YOU SEE BEING HARPOONED ONTO THIS UNREPENTANT WORLD.
