Prophetic Proof: Jerusalem and Judah Belong to the Jews
on Saturday, February 15, 2025 by Bill Salus
This article will prove prophetically through Zechariah 12:1, as supported by a sequence of historically fulfilled foretold events, that Jerusalem and Judah belongs exclusively to the Jews. This article concludes with this proof.
Zechariah’s prophecies in chapter 12:1-9, foretell of a coming siege upon Judah and Jerusalem by the surrounding Arab states. Presently, these Arabs contest Israel’s rightful sovereign claims over Judah and Jerusalem. These Muslim countries believe that Jerusalem is Islam’s third holiest city and that Judah is under Jewish occupation, but actually belongs to the Palestinians. Ultimately, the Arabs will try to forcefully take over Judah and Jerusalem. Below is a brief overview of this future siege in Zechariah 12:2,4,6.
“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:2; KJV)
In that day, the Lord will intervene to prevent this. First, by making Jerusalem likened to a cup of trembling, dizziness or intoxication in some translations. This will initially stagger their efforts, but then secondly, they are hit with three heavy supernatural blows.
“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.” (Zech. 12:4)
Remember that when Zechariah wrote, the soldiers rode into battle upon horses, rather than flew in on fighter jets or drove military tanks. Therefore, I will translate these events into modern-day warfare concepts.
The LORD will level the field by the following three supernatural blows;
1. “I will strike every horse with confusion.” This suggests that debilitating malfunctions might occur within the Arab artilleries with their jets, tanks, weapons, transport vehicles, etc.
2. “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness.” This implies that the military equipment malfunctions will cause panic and hysteria among the soldiers. By now Jerusalem will certainly become a cup of trembling to these Arab attackers.
3. “I will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.” To top off the failed equipment, it seems that the military GPS guidance and radar systems also quit working.
Now, with the divine interventions above, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are able to decisively defeat the attackers.”
“In that day I will make the governors of JUDAH (IDF) like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; THEY shall DEVOUR all the SURROUNDING (Arab) PEOPLES on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.” (Zech. 12:6, NKJV; emphasis added)
This siege is unsuccessful! Key words are in bold font above to show that the attackers are from the surrounding Arab armies and not international armies. The world armies will subsequently make a siege upon Jerusalem in Zechariah 14:1-2 and it will succeed, but that is part of the Armageddon campaign and not the Arab siege.
For more details about both the Arab and subsequent Armageddon sieges read my articles entitled, “God Helps Israel Defeat the Arab Armies: (Zechariah 12:1-6),” and “Zechariah 12: The War Before Armageddon.”
Jerusalem and Judah Belong to the Jews
Now, it’s time to prove prophetically that Jerusalem and Judah both belong to the Jews. Zechariah 12:1 intentionally quotes from Isaiah 44:24-28. Isaiah prophesied between approximately 740-701 BC. Zechariah began his prophetic ministry about 200 years later in 520 BC.
“The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.” (Zechariah 12:1)[i]
This sovereign declaration serves as the Lord’s certificate of authenticity concerning Zechariah’s prophecy. This acknowledgment was first made around 720 BC in Isaiah 44.
“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: (forms the spirit of man within him) “I am the LORD, Who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who (lays the foundation and) spread out the earth—Who was with me. Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness; Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places; Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; Who says of Cyrus, (King of Persia 600-530 BC) ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’ (Isaiah 44:24-28; emphasis added)
This Isaiah prophecy was issued over a century before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians around 586 BC. Isaiah essentially stated that, as sure as the Lord single-handedly stretches out the heavens and spreads abroad the earth, the Jews would rebuild Jerusalem and Judah.
Isaiah was clearly issuing a future prophecy because during his time, Jerusalem was inhabited and the cities of Judah had already been built. In essence, Isaiah anticipated the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah by the Babylonians and the subsequent need to restore it.
Isaiah 44:26 prophesied that Jerusalem would be inhabited with Jews and the cities of Judah would be rebuilt by Jews. Isaiah 44:28 proclaimed over 150 years in advance, that King Cyrus of Persia would issue the command for the restoration of Jerusalem and Judah.
In 539 BC the Persian King Cyrus conquered the Babylonians and according to Ezra 1:2-4, he immediately commanded the Jews to return to Israel to rebuild the Jewish Temple and restore the devastation in Judah.
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people, (the Jews)? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:2-4, NKJV; emphasis added)
Zechariah’s generation served as the living fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. His generation was the one that again re-inhabited Jerusalem and rebuilt the cities of Judah that the Babylonians had destroyed. Thus, his repeat declaration of Isaiah 44:24 is intended to leave no doubt that both Judah and Jerusalem were exclusively sovereign to the Jews.
PROPHECY fulfilled HISTORICALLY is the best PROOF AVAILABLE!
Zechariah 12:1, which called to remembrance Isaiah’s prophecy about King Cyrus, clearly declared that the Jews possessed God given sovereignty over all of Jerusalem and Judah. King Cyrus commanded the Jews, not the Arabs, to return to Israel and restore their homeland.
Zechariah 12:2 foretells that someday Israel’s rightful claims to these areas would be falsely and forcibly contested by the surrounding Arab peoples. They will attempt a final siege upon Judah and Jerusalem, which Zechariah 12:6 informs will end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
[i] Zechariah 12 verses are taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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