Building Jerusalem Part I

Building Jerusalem Part I

Psalm 147:2,3

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the out casts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: The Jerusalem that is here spoken of, with respect to the eternal purpose of God, is the Jerusalem which is above. “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Galatians 4:26). It must be abundantly clear that the Jerusalem which is here spoken of as: “the mother of us all” cannot be speaking of the universal congregation of men for that includes the seed of the serpent, (Genesis 3:15). But this epistle is written to the “churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:2) who were of the elect of God, and this is common to all the Bible which is written to the people of God, and not to the entire world of men, “us all” then here, as well as many other places of scripture means all the chosen people of God. This particular must be kept in mind as the Bible is read in order to avoid the confusion of Arminianism.

This Jerusalem is the city of, the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than than of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24). This Jerusalem was seen of the Apostle John “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth was passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:1-2). This Jerusalem is, the bride the Lambs wife “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, and I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:9-11). The Jerusalem that is here held forth to view, as being built; is the church of Jesus Christ, His called-out assembly, who are written in heaven, and ordained to eternal life from eternity past, (Acts 13:48) chosen of God and beloved in Christ Jesus (I Peter 2:1-10).

He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel: the outcasts here, are, of Israel; not geographic or national Israel but, spiritual Israel, the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16); who are the spiritual seed of Abraham; as it is written: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” (Hebrews 2:16). The seed of Abraham are they who are of faith; as it is written “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, (the Jew) but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; (though they be  Gentiles, writers parenthesis) who is the father of us all,” (Romans 4:16). It will be pointed out that “us all” in the above sited verse is all the spiritual seed of Abraham: for they are the subject of the verse, and it is to the saints at Rome that the epistle is written (Romans 1:7). These gathered ones are the children of Abraham spiritually; “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, (those who are given faith to believe the gospel, writers Parenthesis) the same are the children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7). And again it is written “He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:28-29). And these that are the spiritual seed of Abraham are the seed of Israel also, for “In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be Justified and shall glory.” (Isaiah 45:25) These are the chosen of God from everlasting, (Ephesians 1:4; II Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 1:9) they were beloved of God without beginning, and without end, (Jeremiah 31:3; John 17:23) they are accepted in the beloved (Christ) from old eternity (Ephesians 1:6) and from everlasting has been sanctified (set apart) in Christ Jesus (Jude 1; I Corinthians 1:2), and all this assembly have been perfected forever in Jesus Christ, by His one offering; only once offered to God, (Hebrews 10:14).

He gathereth the out casts of Israel. These gathered ones of Israel are out casts, for in all their generations they are hated of the world, but it is primarily of the religious world that they are hated. It was the religious world that joined hands with the political powers of the world to crucify the Lord of glory, as it is written “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” (Acts 4:27-28). “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John17:14). “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John15:18). The true preachers of the gospel should expect to be rebuked by the religious world; by preachers and pastors who do not know and believe the truth; and true preachers of the gospel are many times verbally rebuked while they are preaching the truth of the gospel. “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:19) “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not (therefore the world hateth us John 15:18,19, writers parenthesis) because it knew him not.” (I John 3:1). The religious world, who knew not God, called the Master of the house of God Beelzebub, (Matthew 12:22-28) His faithful preachers should expect no different treatment from this lost religious world. Our lord Jesus Christ suffered without the gate, treated, of this world as though He were not fit to be among the society of men; so must the true people of God “go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13). False worship, in a false gospel which is centered on man’s choice and not the election of God, is an abomination to God. “When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble into me; I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make your prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood,” (Isaiah 1:12-15). Those who are of free-will-works religion believe their choice, their decision, their work of repentance, their faith, these, are the things that brought salvation to their soul; and believing that their salvation is brought about by their choice, their decision, they mix their works with God’s grace,  which demonstrates that their heart is not fixed on Christ alone for all salvation, that they are not submitted to the righteousness of God, (Romans 10:3) nor the word of God, for they have not obeyed the gospel (Romans 10:16; 6:17; II Thessalonians 1:8). Those who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ believe that the Father purposed all those things for His elect and secured them for His elect in the everlasting covenant of grace; (II Samuel 23:5; Genesis 17:7 compared with Galatians 3:16, 29; and Hebrews 2:16) and that all those things were purchased for the children of God by the blood of Jesus Christ; (Acts 2:33-36; Matthew 27:50-51) and that all those things are the free gifts of God’s grace applied to the hearts of the children of the covenant by the Holy Ghost, (John 3:3-8; compared with Ezekiel 36:25-27; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:10-11; 10:16-17; Philippians 2:13). See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com  hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org  webcasting live at listed service times.  A.J. Ison