Topical Bible: Jerusalem of Pestilence, Famine, and War In

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Jerusalem, the ancient and sacred city, holds a significant place in biblical history as a focal point of divine judgment and mercy. Throughout the Scriptures, Jerusalem is depicted as a city that experiences periods of pestilence, famine, and war, often as a consequence of the people's disobedience to God.

Pestilence in Jerusalem

Pestilence, a deadly and widespread disease, is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a tool of divine judgment. In 2 Samuel 24, King David's census of Israel incurs God's wrath, resulting in a devastating plague. The angel of the Lord strikes down 70,000 men from Dan to Beersheba, and as the angel stretches out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relents and commands the angel to cease. David then builds an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, offering sacrifices to appease God's anger (2 Samuel 24:15-25).

Famine in Jerusalem

Famine, a severe shortage of food, is another form of divine chastisement that Jerusalem endures. In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, the city faces famine as a result of the Babylonian siege. The people suffer greatly, and the scarcity of food is so dire that it leads to desperate and tragic circumstances. Lamentations 4:9-10 poignantly describes the suffering: "Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields produce no food. The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people."

War in Jerusalem

War is a recurring theme in Jerusalem's history, often serving as a manifestation of God's judgment against the city's inhabitants for their sins. The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC is a pivotal event, marking the destruction of the First Temple and the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The prophet Jeremiah warns of this impending disaster, urging the people to repent and turn back to God. Despite his warnings, the city falls to Nebuchadnezzar's forces, fulfilling the prophetic words: "I will summon all the families of the north," declares the LORD, "and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land and against its residents and against all the surrounding nations" (Jeremiah 25:9).

Divine Purpose and Restoration

While pestilence, famine, and war serve as instruments of divine judgment, they also underscore God's desire for repentance and restoration. The biblical narrative consistently reveals God's willingness to forgive and restore His people when they turn back to Him. In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 , God promises Solomon, "If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Jerusalem's experiences of pestilence, famine, and war serve as sobering reminders of the consequences of sin and the importance of faithfulness to God. Yet, they also highlight the enduring hope of redemption and the promise of divine restoration for those who seek the Lord with sincere hearts.

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Jeremiah 34:2
Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus said the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
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Ezekiel 5:12
A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the middle of you: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
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Joel 3:2,3
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
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Amos 2:5
But I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
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Library

The War in Heaven.
... may be that these words have fulfilled themselves many times"at the fall of
Jerusalem"at the ... War and bloodshed, pestilence and famine, earthquake and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xxi the war in.htm

Oracles on the Edge of Doom. (vii. 16-xviii Passim, xxii, Xlv. )
... Jerusalem! ... 430) It is followed by a passage in prose, 11-16, that implies a wilder
"sea of troubles," not drought only but war, famine and pestilence. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 oracles on the edge.htm

That when David had Numbered the People, they were Punished; and ...
... numerous the multitude were, and returned to Jerusalem to the ... liked best: Whether
he would have famine come upon ... or, whether God should send a pestilence and a ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 13 that when david.htm

Church History
... Chapter X.--The Bishops of Jerusalem. ... Chapter VIII.--The Misfortunes which happened
in Connection with these Things, in Famine, Pestilence, and War. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/

The Destruction of Jerusalem.
... Terrible were the calamities that fell upon Jerusalem when the siege was resumed
by Titus. ... Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. ...
/.../1 the destruction of jerusalem.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... Terrible were the calamities that fell upon Jerusalem when the siege was resumed
by Titus. ... Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 1 the destruction of.htm

To the End and After
... the field, compelled her army to retire, and resumed the siege of Jerusalem. ... surrender
and though the city was sapped by famine and pestilence, the fanatics ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture vi to the end.htm

How the Zealots when they were Freed from the Idumeans, Slew a ...
... After which these Idumeans retired from Jerusalem, and went home; which ... imprecation
upon them, that they might undergo both famine and pestilence in this ...
/.../chapter 6 how the zealots.htm

Jehoshaphat
... by the founding of a court of appeal at Jerusalem, where Jehoshaphat ... when evil cometh
upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 15 jehoshaphat.htm

The Tears of Christ.
... That famine, and pestilence, and treachery ... of Life, that within a while the Romans
should crucify their brethren outside the walls of Jerusalem, till there ...
/.../the life of duty a years plain sermons v 2/sermon xlv the tears of.htm