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Every single prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled in human history without fail, and is still being fulfilled today. Some prophecies, which still remain unfulfilled, will surely be fulfilled soon according to the providence of God.
Now, we have the most important prophecy of the Bible before us. God said that the glory of Jerusalem would be proclaimed to all the nations of the world. Even though there is a prophecy, unless we ask God and make an effort to fulfill the prophecy, it will be delayed in its fulfillment and we will not share in the glory which is prophesied. As the soldiers of the heavenly army in Zion, we should keep in step with the prophecy and proclaim the glory of Jerusalem to the whole world.
Jerusalem will be a praise in the earth
The prophet Isaiah prophesied about Jerusalem who would be the praise and glory of the earth as follows.
I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. Isa 62:6-7
“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; … For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance.” For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; … Isa 66:10-14
The prophecy about Jerusalem is mentioned many times in the book of Isaiah. The Bible says that it is God’s will for Jerusalem to be praised by all the nations of the world and that we, all the children of God, will be comforted and glad in Jerusalem.
Who is Jerusalem that she will be praised and honored by all the nations of the world? As it is generally known, Jerusalem is a specific place located in the Middle East. How can a mere city called Jerusalem be established by God Himself and praised and honored by all the nations of the earth? How can we be carried and comforted in the arms of Jerusalem if it indicates a physical place?
Taking the prophecies literally will only increase doubts. As the Bible says, “… expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Cor 2:13), we need to find out what the spiritual Jerusalem, not the earthly one, means in the Bible.
The heavenly Jerusalem is our Mother
The Bible mentions not only the earthly Jerusalem but also the heavenly Jerusalem. Now, let’s find out what God wants to show us through Jerusalem.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. Gal 4:26
It is written that the Jerusalem that is above is our mother. The Bible personifies Jerusalem on earth to show us its reality, the heavenly Jerusalem our Mother. It says in the Bible that we will be comforted in Jerusalem and satisfied at her comforting breasts. This shows that we, children of Jerusalem, will grow up spiritually, being comforted by our heavenly Mother, like a child who is dandled on his mother’s knees and in her arms.
The Bible prophesies that Jerusalem will be praised and glorified in the earth. This prophecy does not refer to the earthly Jerusalem located in the Middle East. As spiritual watchmen, we should proclaim the glory of God to all the nations and clearly testify that it is God’s firm will for Jerusalem our Mother to be praised in the earth.
Until the prophecy is completely fulfilled, we must continually pray to God that the day will come soon when the glory of Jerusalem our Mother will be proclaimed throughout the whole world. The gospel work will be finished when Mother is proclaimed and revealed throughout all the nations of the world.
The Bible continues to explain:
For it is written: “Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Gal 4:27-31
We are children of the free woman, our Mother, and also children of promise. What God promised us is eternal life (1 John 2:25). So, children of promise can be called children of eternal life. As we are children of Mother, we become children of promise who can receive eternal life and inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Children of promise like Isaac
Isaac was born to Abraham by his wife Sarah, and he became Abraham’s heir. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, represents our heavenly Mother. That’s why the Bible calls us “children of promise like Isaac.”
Abraham, the forefather of faith, represents God the Father. Let’s find out what the relationship between Abraham and God is, through the parable of the rich man and Lazarus spoken by Jesus.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me …’” Luke 16:19-31
In the parable, when Lazarus and the rich man died, Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side and the rich man went to hell and was in torment. Strangely enough, the rich man in hell called to Abraham in heaven, “Father Abraham, …” It is only God who can be called Father in the spiritual world. In other words, Abraham represents God.
The history of Abraham’s family is described in various places throughout the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. In Abraham’s family, the matter of an heir was mentioned many times, and finally Isaac, whom Sarah bore, became the heir of Abraham. It was Sarah, Isaac’s mother, that had a crucial role in deciding the heir.
Why do many verses in the Bible specifically describe an individual’s family history? There is a certain reason for this. The history of Abraham’s family shows us that Jerusalem our Mother has a decisive role in qualifying us as God’s heirs to inherit His kingdom.
Abraham’s family and Mother
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram (the original name of Abraham) in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” … Gen 15:1-5
When Abraham was 85 years old, he still had no son. So, he wanted to make Eliezer, a servant in his household, his heir to inherit his estate. However, God said that Eliezer was not suitable to be Abraham’s heir and that a son coming from his own body would be his heir.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. … Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. … So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Gen 16:1-6, 15
Abraham’s wife Sarah gave her maidservant Hagar to her husband as his concubine. When Hagar conceived, she began to despise her mistress Sarah. Since Sarah bore no children, she was despised by her maidservant. Afterward, she continued to suffer mental distress and anguish for about 14 years until Isaac was born.
When Hagar bore Ishmael to Abraham, he seemed to have an heir. However, God said to Abraham, “A son coming from your own body will be your heir.” It was not God’s will for Ishmael to be Abraham’s heir. God wanted a son, who would be born to Abra-ham by Sarah his wife-the free woman, to become Abraham’s heir.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, … God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Gen 17:1-7, 15-19
Abraham assumed that Ishmael would be his heir. However, God said that He would establish His covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah would bear to him. God didn’t allow Eliezer to be Abraham’s heir for the reason that he was not his own son. Even though Ishmael was Abraham’s son, God rejected him as his heir because he was born by the slave woman. God acknowledged only Isaac who would be born through Sarah.
As God had promised, one year later Sarah bore a son, Isaac, who became Abra-ham’s heir through his mother, Sarah (Gen 21:1-12).
The heavenly inheritance is given through Mother
The history of Abraham’s family shows through whom we can become God’s chil-dren and inherit the kingdom of God. God has made those who are like Isaac children of promise and allowed them the blessing of eternal life. As Isaac was designated as Abraham’s heir through his mother, so we can become God’s heirs through our Mother and enjoy the precious blessing of eternal life.
Those who do not know Jerusalem our Mother can never become children of promise like Isaac. God said, “A son coming from your own body will be your heir.” Ishmael was the first begotten son of Abraham, who was 14 years older than Isaac. Nevertheless, why didn’t God accept Ishmael as Abraham’s heir? Ishmael represents those who know God only as Father. However, the Bible clearly shows that there is God the Mother as well.
God has determined not to give the heavenly inheritance to those who have no part with Him. He doesn’t accept the people, who believe in God the Father but do not believe in God the Mother, as His heirs. It is Mother who holds the final key. Everything on this earth is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. If we think about why God lets the physical life be given through a mother, we can understand what the divine will is.
Surely there is a reason why God establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. The history of Abraham’s family shows how much Mother has suffered until She is glorified. However, it expresses just a little bit of Her suffering. Until we’ve received eternal life promised by God, there’s been the great sacrifice of Mother, who has suffered so much for 6,000 years in order to lead Her children to heaven. Mother grants us, Her children, eternal life through Her invisible, inexpressible pains. That’s why God does not rest until He makes Mother the praise of the earth. The Bible describes the scene that God’s children, who have received Jerusalem Mother, nurse and are satisfied at Her comforting breasts, delighting in Her overflowing abundance, like a child.
Heavenly Mother whom the Bible testifies about
The existence of our heavenly Mother is already recorded in Genesis. Let’s look back to the time when our heavenly Mother did the work of creation together with our heavenly Father.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. … Gen 1:26-28
When God created man in His own image, male and female were created in the image of God. This suggests that there are two images of God: male and female. That’s why God said when creating man, “Let us make man …,” instead of saying, “I will make man…”
Even before the creation of the world, both images of God already existed: the male image of God and the female image of God. Therefore, those who have received only God the Father cannot be God’s heirs. Although they live together in Abraham’s family and call him Lord or Father, they cannot inherit his estate, just as Eliezer and Ishmael, who were not children of Sarah, didn’t inherit Abraham’s property.
If we just call out to God without knowing Him correctly, we cannot communicate with God. We can worship God rightly when we know Him. Keeping the will of God in mind, we should quickly proclaim Jerusalem our Mother, who is life, to all the nations of the world. As the eternal kingdom of God is close at hand, we will bear more good fruit if we fully proclaim the glory of Jerusalem our Mother. God’s prophecy must surely be fulfilled if we believe in it and put it into practice.
Proclaim the glory of the new Jerusalem to the whole world
We have to fulfill the prophecies of the Bible diligently. Young adult members like the dew of the dawn must arise; the gospel must be preached to all nations; and the prophesied 144,000, whom John saw, will all come to Mount Zion and be guided by the Spirit and the Bride.
We must not delay doing God’s work. Even at this moment, time passes away. Making the most of every moment, let’s proclaim the glory of Jerusalem our heavenly Mother all the more. Some will probably intend to defame the glory of Jerusalem, like Tobiah and Sanballat. However, even amid their hindrance, the city of Jerusalem was completed without fail, because it was the work of the Holy Spirit, not something men could accomplish by themselves.
We all experienced the work of the Holy Spirit during the Preaching Festival of the Feast of Tabernacles. The number of the souls we found during the week of the Preaching Festival is almost the same as the number of the souls whom we had found for a year. How can we say it’s the work of men? Since we all became one with filial piety toward Jerusalem our Mother, the gracious work of the Holy Spirit occurred, like a good son in an ancient Korean story who moved heaven and was able to find strawberries for his old mother in the middle of the winter.
Now, through the fire of the Holy Spirit, let’s proclaim the glory of Jerusalem our Mother to the whole world. Then the people of all nations will come together to see the glory of God, and when each of them returns he will proclaim God’s glory in his country (Isa 66:18-19). How amazing!
It is our mission to proclaim the glory of Jerusalem throughout the whole world. When Gideon’s army of 300 soldiers broke the jars, held the torches hidden in them and shouted, “For the LORD!” they were able to defeat 135,000 men and won a great victory. Likewise, when we shout out the glory of Jerusalem, a marvelous work will occur. Now is the time for us to break the jars and hold the torches high. Let’s shout altogether, lifting up the torches. Let us all arise and shine the light of the gospel to the whole world. Looking forward to the day when God’s glory will be shone brightly all over the world, let us diligently proclaim the light of the glory of the new Jerusalem to the whole world.