Jerusalem holds a central place in biblical history and theology as a city uniquely chosen by God for His divine purposes. Throughout the Scriptures, Jerusalem is depicted as a city under God's special care and protection, a theme that resonates from the Old Testament through the New Testament.

Divine Selection and Presence

Jerusalem is first mentioned in the context of Melchizedek, the king of Salem, in Genesis 14:18. However, it is during the reign of King David that Jerusalem becomes the political and spiritual center of Israel. David captures the city from the Jebusites and establishes it as the capital, bringing the Ark of the Covenant there, signifying God's presence (2 Samuel 5:6-10; 6:12-17).

God's choice of Jerusalem is affirmed in 1 Kings 11:36, where He declares, "I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put My Name." This divine selection underscores Jerusalem's role as the focal point of God's covenant with Israel.

Protection and Deliverance

The Bible records numerous instances of God's protection over Jerusalem. One of the most dramatic is during the reign of King Hezekiah, when the Assyrian army besieges the city. In response to Hezekiah's prayer, God sends an angel who strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, delivering Jerusalem from destruction (2 Kings 19:32-36; Isaiah 37:33-36).

Psalm 125:2 captures the essence of God's protective care: "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people both now and forevermore." This imagery reflects the enduring nature of God's guardianship over the city and its inhabitants.

Prophetic Assurance

The prophets frequently speak of Jerusalem's future restoration and protection. In Zechariah 2:5, God promises, "For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst." This assurance of divine protection is coupled with the promise of God's presence, highlighting Jerusalem's significance in God's redemptive plan.

Isaiah 62:1-2 further emphasizes God's commitment to Jerusalem: "For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch." This prophetic vision points to a time when Jerusalem will be a beacon of God's righteousness and salvation.

Eschatological Fulfillment

In the New Testament, Jerusalem continues to be a symbol of God's ultimate plan for His people. Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, including His crucifixion and resurrection, fulfills Old Testament prophecies and establishes the city as the epicenter of the new covenant (Luke 13:33-35; Matthew 23:37-39).

The Book of Revelation envisions a new Jerusalem, descending from heaven, as the culmination of God's redemptive work. Revelation 21:2-3 states, "I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.'"

This eschatological vision underscores the eternal significance of Jerusalem as the place where God's presence and protection are fully realized, bringing to completion His promises to His people.2 Samuel 24:16
And when the angel stretched out his hand on Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now your hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 19:32-34
Therefore thus said the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 12:7
And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Children's Bible
... A SHEPHERD BOY WHO WAS CALLED TO LEAD A NATION. JERUSALEM MADE THE CAPITAL CITY. ...
GOD'S PROTECTION OF THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. GOD'S LOVING CARE. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/

The Destruction of Jerusalem.
... planted it "in a very fruitful hill."(14) His guardian care had hedged ... But in that
day, as in the time of Jerusalem's destruction, God's people will ...
/.../1 the destruction of jerusalem.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... had planted it "in a very fruitful hill." His guardian care had hedged ... But in that
day, as in the time of Jerusalem's destruction, God's people will ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 1 the destruction of.htm

Three Pictures of one Reality
... in the Jerusalem which God 'defends,' is not defended. Another condition of divine
protection is obedience. We need not expect that God will take care of us ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/three pictures of one reality.htm

Great Preparations for a Great Work
... Solomon's first care was to secure timber and stone. ... religion hallows not Gerizim
nor Jerusalem, but every place where souls seek God The spiritual ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/great preparations for a great.htm

The Songs of the Fugitive.
... and covered head he had fled from Jerusalem, but "Thou ... The growing security which
experience of God's care should ever ... like a tired child, without a care or a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/xv the songs of the.htm

On the Journey to Jerusalem - Departure from Ephraim by Way of ...
... marks a farther stage in the Per??an journey towards Jerusalem. ... the Jewish Law took
the most watchful care of the ... that they were one - and what God had willed ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxii on the journey.htm

A Man of Opportunity
... the soul weighed down with grief and care, or fiercely ... the unfailing love and power
of a covenant-keeping God. ... to build up the waste places of Jerusalem and to ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 52 a man of.htm

Ezra, the Priest and Scribe
... as vigilant stewards over the treasure entrusted to their care. ... a freewill offering
unto the Lord God of your ... of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 50 ezra the priest.htm

God's People Delivered.
... Alleluia!" as the chariot moves onward toward the New Jerusalem. ... flowers that he
once loved to care for ... of his family redeemed, standing in the Paradise of God. ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /40 gods people delivered.htm

How many times has Jerusalem been destroyed? | GotQuestions.org

What was the Kingdom of Jerusalem? | GotQuestions.org

What is the New Jerusalem? | GotQuestions.org

Jerusalem: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus