Jerusalem is
the city chosen by God as
the central place of
His presence, worship, and redemptive purposes
in the Old Testament.
It became the capital of Israel under David,
the location of the temple,
and the focal point of Jewish life and hope.
In the New Testament,
Jerusalem remains significant as
the place of Jesus’ death, resurrection,
and the outpouring of the Spirit,
while also pointing forward to
the heavenly New Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was originally a Jebusite city. David captured it and made it his capital (2 Samuel 5:6-10), bringing the ark of the covenant there. Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, establishing it as the center of Israel’s worship. After the division of the kingdom, it remained the capital of Judah.
Key events in Jerusalem’s Old Testament history include:
Jerusalem (often closely linked with Zion) represented:
Jerusalem plays a major role in the life of Jesus and the early church:
At the same time, Jesus wept over Jerusalem and announced judgment on the city for rejecting Him (Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44; Matthew 23:37-39). The physical city was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.
The New Testament ultimately points beyond the earthly city to a greater reality:
In the new creation, the presence of God with His people is the true and final fulfillment of everything Jerusalem symbolized.
Jerusalem stands at the center of much of the biblical story. It was the city of David, the place of the temple, the stage for the climax of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and the birthplace of the church. Yet Scripture consistently points beyond the earthly city to the greater reality of God’s presence with His people. The final hope of the Bible is not a rebuilt earthly Jerusalem but the New Jerusalem, where God Himself will dwell with His redeemed people forever.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.