Mike Bickle emphasizes Jesus' deep zeal and commitment to Jerusalem, illustrating how the city holds a significant place in God's heart and plan. He highlights the prophetic messages from Isaiah 60-62, which describe Jerusalem's future glory, the return of the Jewish people, and the transformative power of the anointed one, Jesus. Bickle stresses that Jesus' love for Jerusalem is akin to a bridegroom's love for his bride, showcasing the intimate relationship God desires with His people. The sermon calls for a deeper understanding of our identity in Christ and the importance of intercession for Jerusalem as part of God's global plan. Ultimately, Bickle encourages believers to engage with God's heart for Jerusalem and to participate in His mission of bringing glory to the earth.

If you want to have your Bibles open as we're looking through this, you might have a different translation. I use the New King James. Father, we thank you in the name of Jesus for the glory of your Son. Father, we thank you for the things that burn in His heart for the city of Jerusalem. Lord, I ask you, Holy Spirit, to teach me about Jerusalem. I want to see what you see and feel what you feel about that city. So we just take a moment and we open our heart to you, Holy Spirit. Teach us new things. Mark our spirit. We know that it takes God to love God. So we ask you, God, the Holy Spirit, teach us about God's heart even now, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Well, we'll start with Zechariah 8 again. We've started with that for three sessions in a row. And that is because it's the foundational passage for this series. And this series is on the glory, significance, and the struggles of the city of Jerusalem. And of course, in three sessions, we've only touched the tip of the iceberg. But verse 2, the revelation that really alerts my heart, and it excites me, the revelation that Jesus is zealous for Zion. That was a new revelation to me. And I don't really understand that much about it. But I know He's zealous with great zeal. He goes on to say, with great fervor, I'm zealous for her. I mean, He's really making a point. That's a verse, again, that alerted me, but it excited me. I said, Lord, something is that much on your heart? Let me in on it. And of course, His answer would be, if you ask, if you pursue understanding, I'll let you in on it. Little by little, just day by day. Then He goes on, and He describes various expressions of His zeal. Verse 3, He says, number 1, I'm going to return there. At the second coming, I'm returning to a city, not just to the earth in general. Number 2, I'm not just returning there, I'm going to live there. It's going to be my home forever. It's intense. Number 3, Jerusalem is called the city of truth. I'm going to dispense truth to the ends of the earth from that city. Of course, you can find that in Isaiah chapter 2, where the nations come there for these awesome conferences. I'm sure they won't call them that. Every subject under the sun that is in the will of God. It's called the city of truth. Number 3, or the next expression of His zeal, it's the mountain of the Lord of hosts. It's a mountain city, because we know the New Jerusalem connects with it. It's called the holy mountain. It's not just a vast, glorious mountain city. It's filled with the brightness of God's purity and holiness, which is the same thing as love. It's a mountain in which pure, bright, holy love dominates everything. It says that's some expressions of how excited and zealous I am for that city. Paragraph B, Isaiah 60-62 is the most detailed prophetic description on Jerusalem's glory and her destiny. And you really have to add the first 6 verses of chapter 63. Every time I read that, Isaiah 60-62, I do something in these shouts, and 63, verse 1-6, Mike, don't forget that. Because 63, verse 1-6 is one of my favorite descriptions of the second coming. It's after these 3 chapters, then Jesus marches into Jerusalem. And I tell you, things really get going. So add 63, verse 1-6 to that. But in chapter 60, he describes Jerusalem filled with the manifest glory. But it's not just filled with the manifest glory. The Jews from around the earth, those that have been dispersed, and those that live in the four parts of the earth, they're returning with great joy. And the wealth of the nations is coming to that city. So we have glory, we have people, and we have money. Those are the 3 main subjects of chapter 60. Chapter 61, which we'll look at just for a few moments, mostly I'll leave the notes to you, because we don't have that much time to go into deep, Isaiah introduces the man. It's a man that makes this happen. Yes, he's fully God. That's not the remarkable part that he's fully God. What's remarkable, he's fully man. I mean, it's reasonable that God could do this, but that a man would do this, again, it's the great mystery of God came in the flesh, fully God, fully man. But he introduces the man under the anointing. And the emphasis is on a human being who's anointed, a son of David. An anointing that's so vast that he is the one responsible for everything he promised in chapter 60. So in 61, this man, this anointed son of David, this Jewish man who has a measure of the spirit beyond anyone, he has the spirit without measure, is what John chapter 2 says. This man, the son of David, he is the one that releases the transforming glory to change Jerusalem. It doesn't stop there. That's the beginning of the domino effect. It starts in Jerusalem and then it works its way out like a wave, tidal wave of glory. Then it reaches all of Israel. But in verse 11 of chapter 61, it comes to the pinnacle. All the nations of the earth are captured into this great momentum of the glory of God that's coming from this one son of David. Well chapter 62, we get a peek into his heart. We see the passion that burns in him for this city. He gives one of the most dramatic declarations imaginable. I delighted this city. I delight in the people in the city. So much so that the only way to describe how I feel about the city and my people is the way that a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. What? I have such connection and desire with my people. I'm moved by desire. It's not just a building project. It's a relationship with people. And that's why I'm filling the world, the earth with the glory of God that my father would be glorified and my people would be a part of this glorious reality that he takes up in his own hands. And he has passion for the full destiny of Jerusalem. He says, I won't be quiet. Nothing will distract me. Nothing will stop me till that city reaches the full pinnacle of everything that the father has ordained. And the reason, because wherever Jerusalem goes in the glory of God, that is what is multiplied throughout Israel and then to the nations. I mean it's always the highest intensity in Jerusalem, but that's the first domino, so to speak, that goes down. And then all the dominoes follow in like suit. Well, let's look for a moment at Isaiah 61. This anointed man, I mean I just can't get over, this is an anointed man doing this work. Well don't worry, none of us will get over it. A million years from now we will still be saying, worthy is the Lamb, the man that was slain who's fully God. We'll never get over it. Well, chapter, paragraph A, Isaiah begins by introducing the mission of this man who's going to bring this transforming glory from chapter 16, he's going to bring it to the city of Jerusalem and all of Israel. Paragraph B, now it's interesting that all of these three chapters are dynamically connected. I don't have this in the notes, but I'll tell you this. The last two verses of chapter 60 are the same subject as the first two verses of chapter 61. So the last two verses of 60 and the first two verses of 61, they go together. The last two verses of 61 and the first two verses of 62, they go together. The last two verses of 62 and the first two verses of 63, they go together. I mean it's an interlocking puzzle. You cannot separate these chapters. I just want to point that out to you when you study on your own. It's one storyline being told in 60, 61, 62, and the first six verses of 63. They all interconnect. So if you separate these chapters like some commentators will separate them and make them unrelated to one another, so much is lost if you only read chapter 62 without it being interlocked with 61 and 63. You want to tie them together, it's one grand storyline. Well chapter 60, paragraph B, it ends, verse 21, declaring that this rebellious, stiff-necked nation is going to be righteous and obedient and tender with God. I mean after 4,000 years since Abraham, this nation that has so often resisted God, the God of Israel and His covenant, they're going to come into full agreement. Fantastic. God says, lest you think it is your virtue or that you possess in yourself something special. I want you to know it's the work of My hand, it's My Son, it's that man that is making this happen. Yes, you have to respond to it, but He is working in such power and such wisdom and creating a context that Israel, you will do nothing but respond with all your heart. But when you do, you will never forget it was the work of My hand, it was the planting of the Lord, it was the anointed One that was the center and foundation of this whole plan coming together. Now this very point in chapter 60, verse 61, it's the planting of the Lord that I'd be In the next chapter, 61, verse 1 to 3, you'll find at the end of verse 3, it's the same statement. Again the two chapters tie together and you're not going to understand chapter 61 as well without understanding chapter 60. The two go together and you won't understand 60 without interacting with the man that makes chapter 60 happen. Paragraph C. Now this is a famous passage, I'm not going to go into the detail, you know it. It's worth many sessions on its own of time. But here's the point of verse 1 to 3. This man, this is remarkable to me. This man, when he's introduced the anointed One. And you know that the word anointing and the word Christ and the word Messiah is all the same. It's the anointed One, in Hebrew that's the Messiah, in Greek that's the Christ. Jesus, I remember when I first met the Lord, I thought Christ was His last name. You know I was just a teenager, it was Mary and Joseph, I mean somewhere, Mr. Christ, Jesus Christ. I did not know it was a title, it just means Jesus the anointed, is what the word Christ means. But here's the part that's remarkable, when this man's introduced, his focus is on individuals. I mean he doesn't get to the building project till later. The very first concern on his heart is the individuals. But it's not these awesome, successful, dynamic, fun people, it's depressed, despairing, in a super bad mood people. The sort of folks you don't mind praying with but you might not want to go on vacation with. The most powerful, the most anointed, the most famous man is absolutely focused on these broken, disenfranchised, sad, depressed humans that others don't have any interest in. And he wants to liberate them. I love this about this man. He is absolutely captured with love towards the people in the need. Now as one of the key phrases that's repeated, is that he's going to liberate them. Paragraph D, he's going to heal and liberate them. They're enslaved, they're enslaved spiritually, many of them have demons. They're enslaved emotionally, they're depressed and really under a lot of heaviness. Many of them are enslaved financially because of decisions they make. Some enslaved physically with ailments and sicknesses, others socially, but they're oppressed by political powers and other forces in society. Now here's the amazing thing, this most powerful man, he wants to liberate, that's the group he wants to be close to. He says, I don't want to just be close to you, I want to heal you, liberate you and marry you and partner with you forever. Wow, you're amazing. We're kind of excited by the building project, he's more excited by the people. He loves to liberate, paragraph E, he loves it. Here's another remarkable thing, he loves to liberate people even when they walk into the captivity by their own bad choices. I mean think of how many are in captivity in various ways and they actually made the choices that made the captivity more severe. Now not everyone, not all captivity is that way, but my point is, he says, you know what, we're going to lay that issue aside and I'm going to heal you, liberate you and marry you. I go, I love you Jesus, I love a leader like this. Top of page 2. Now we look at verse 4 to 7, we move from the individuals to some of the practical issues in terms of the building project, the nation building, the city building. Verse 4 to 7, Jesus takes on the leadership, he oversees a nation building project. It's the nation of Israel and he starts and he builds them city by city and of course he starts with Jerusalem. Now remember, when he returns, the cities of the earth, not all of them, but many of them, certainly throughout Israel, the Middle East, it's like war-torn Europe. The cities are in desolation. A lot of people read these verses and say, he'll raise up the desolations, repair the ruined cities. They go, well, the cities look pretty good, that's the way they do now. Things are going to get more intense before the Lord returns. The prosperity of the cities as they are now isn't exactly how it's going to be before he returns. There's going to be a global attack and assent upon a descending on this city to destroy it. When he comes, Jesus, there will be desolation all over the land. Some people, they think, well, no, what's happened in the last 40 years is this verse is being fulfilled. No, this is talking about what happens when the Lord comes in person to the city of Jerusalem to set up his throne. That's the context. Though I'm happy to quote this verse about what's happened in the last 60, 70 years, I understand the fullness of this verse is what happens when Jesus comes in person, which means there will be desolation and ruined cities all over the land. But not just Israel, all of the Middle East, not just the Middle East, all over the world. Well, he's going to begin a city building project on the way to building nations. Verse five, this is an amazing, surprising is a better way, piece of information that he's going to build. He's going to build the farms and the agricultural industry by a foreign workforce. Because the fields have got to be clean, cleansed and, and recultivated. And I mean, it's going to take a lot of time to get those fields and then they have to be worked season by season. But Jesus says in essence through Isaiah, Israel, I have a surprise for you. Something you're not expecting. I'm going to have a foreign workforce, work your fields really were used to the foreigners destroying our fields or taking all of the fruit of our labors and taking it back home to their country. Jesus said, it's going to be different. I have a plan. Well, why do we need a foreign workforce? Verse six, he goes, well, it's because of who you are and what your calling is. The whole nation, you're going to be priests, all of you. What you mean? Kind of like this group or that? No, the whole of you will be full-time priests. Oh, well, who are we going to teach and minister the glory of God and the word of God if we all know it? Well, John Wesley said it best, the world is my parish. The world will be the parish of this nation. He says, and I'm going to make you all priests, not just in the sense that you take a little bit of time and you give yourself to the Lord because we're all priests in that sense. I'm talking about people in the millennial kingdom with natural bodies will have resurrected bodies living in the new Jerusalem. The whole nation will operate in the occupation of priests. Well, who's going to support them? The riches of the Gentiles, just like there were a few that were supported through Israel's history by the majority economically, the majority would tithe, support a few, a small, a minority of priests. Now the nations are going to bring their wealth to support the priests and they're going to move to Jerusalem, Israel, and they're going to farm the fields for them. That's a complete surprise. That's a, nobody would have guessed that one. Well, that tells you a little bit about the place of Jerusalem in God's worldwide plan. He says, trust me, I'm going to need you fully devoted to your priestly occupation. I can't imagine an entire nation of priests, again, not in the general sense that we all witness to somebody every now and then, and we all pray a little bit, and we read the Bible a little bit. We're talking about this will be the occupation of the nation. And it goes on, say, well, yeah, but what about, what about the property we have? He says, well, verse seven, you're going to get double honor. You're going to have double fruitfulness in your lands. You're going to have a double, this anointing of the double fruitfulness, the double honor, meaning I'm going to help you. And in your priestly role, you're going to find that I'm going to visit you in this realm of what, of your, even your natural inheritance. Now this verse five, these strangers, these foreigners, these children and grandchildren of the former oppressors of Israel, they will count it a privilege to work in Israel. They'll be working in the fields, doing the manual labor. Somebody might say number two under F, it's not forced labor. Oh, I know what it is. It's a payback. It's revenge. No, it's not revenge. These foreign workers will consider it a privilege to work so near the God of Israel and to be in interacting so closely with the glory of God that will be uniquely in the land of Israel, though the glory will fill the whole earth, but it's coming from that one throne of glory and it's growing in intensity as the years unfold. Let's go to paragraph G. Now we're going to look at the zeal of this man, the anointed man. We're going to look at his character and his faithfulness, but we're going to look at his zeal. Look what it says in verse eight. He goes, in this building project of building the nation and the nations of the earth, I want you to know this. I am zealous about justice. I really care about justice. Things are going to be done right and I hate robbery. I don't want anybody manipulating the information to where somebody does not get what is due theirs. I hate robbery and in my leadership in Israel, I won't allow that to happen among my people there or among my people worldwide, the Gentiles that are serving the Lord. Everything that I do, I will see to it in my zeal that things are done right and there's no manipulation and anything. I will direct their work and I'll direct it in truth. Now put by the word direct, the prophetic spirit, God's going to supernaturally direct and the sense of blessing and guiding and directing in that sense, but he's going to direct in the sense of the work has to be done his way with character, godliness and honesty and truth in it. But all of these things that are so dear to him that will be openly manifest to the whole earth. They are dear to him now. So we gain insight now as to what he will manifest when he has his way in the earth when it's all openly manifest. So I look at that verse and I go, I want to say yes to this now. I don't want to wait till then. I know what you care about. Verse nine. Now he tells the Jewish people again, it's some gears down the road. We don't know when, but it's those survivors of the tribulation. They have their natural bodies. They have children. They have children. Verse nine. He says, let me tell you about those people. They will be known among the Gentiles. What would they be known for? Well, they're priests. They're in a priestly function. They'll be known for operating in the anointing, the power of God. They will be renowned in the earth for their living understanding of the word in God's heart. Right now, there's places all around the world where a ministry is doing this or a ministry is doing that. You have a Reinhard Bonnke. He's well known around the world because he moves in power ministry. You have Billy Graham. He's well known around the world because he's led so many people to the Lord. Verse nine is talking about the success in the anointing of these ministries. They will be acknowledged, not all of them, but many of them worldwide as being under the anointing of the blessing of God. Again, Jesus is revealing his zeal for that nation. Paragraph H, now the anointed one is talking. Most commentators agree that verse 10, the anointed one of verse one, the one in whom the spirit of the Lord is upon me, he is the one talking. It's the son and he's talking before the father. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul is so joyful in you fathers. What he's saying, using new Testament language, why? Because my father has anointed me or clothed me with the garments of salvation. This is talking about the anointing to bring salvation. This is not the verse we use for a biblical principle, which is the day we're born again. We all receive the garments of salvation. The robe of righteousness in the sense of we receive the free gift of righteousness. This is talking about something more than that. He's anointed is what he's talking about, but the garments of salvation, the robe of righteousness, everything that he does, his words, it causes the power of God, the salvation purpose of God to increase in the earth and it will be filled with righteousness. There will not be any deviation from perfect righteousness and all that he does as the anointed one. He goes on to say, and the way that a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and the way that a bride adorns herself with jewels, that's how this garment will be on me. In other words, Isaiah by the spirit is comparing the garments of a wedding, whether the bride or the bridegroom, the idea, the most beautiful, the best garments, the most precious, the garments that were chosen by love. The idea is that's the kind of the garments of the anointing that Jesus will go forth in. That's the idea. And he's happy. He is so grateful to his father for the way that he is changing Israel in the nations of the earth. Verse 11, now he gives the big declaration. For sure as a garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth. I mean, you plant a seed in a garden in the right conditions, it's only a matter of time till the seed springs forward. Well, he was the seed that died and was planted in the earth at his cross, death and then resurrection for 2000 years. That garden has been budding and filling the earth, but there's going to be a tremendous advancement of increase of the effectiveness of his ministry at the time of his coming. God will so work through this man who again is fully God. Righteousness will spring forth in every nation. It's not just that Jerusalem is a city or Israel is a nation. All the nations will be inspired and instructed and empowered in righteousness. All of them. This is where it's going. Jesus is happy. He goes, Father, thank you for the anointing, the garments that you've given to me as the son of David, the greater son of David. But it's not, it's more than just righteousness. Worship and praise. The place of praise, put worship. Worship will spring up everywhere in the earth. Now as the church is growing and the harvest is increasing and the church is maturing, we're seeing verse 11. We see it even growing now. But when the Lord comes back, it's going to go to a whole nother level. Let's look at the top of page three. Now we're going to move to the man, to his heart, to his passion. We're not, we're moving from the building project, the nation building mandate of chapter 61, and we're building on the premise that chapter 60, the city will be filled with the glory of God. The peep, the Jews from the earth that will be returning and wealth will be beyond anything we can imagine. Now we're going to look at his heart. What moves him? Now he has just proclaimed in chapter 61, 11, we just read it, that righteousness and praise will fill the earth. So it's out of that declaration, forget the chapter division. You know, for centuries, they didn't have chapter divisions. This wasn't called chapter 62, verse 1. This was just the verse that followed the last verse. Now I'd like to, not really, but I'd like to get rid of those chapters, breaks. I'd be confused. I wouldn't find anything then, but anyway, see, you know what I mean. But don't lose the flow of what's going on, because in 61, verse 11, he is filled with joy that what he has planted, that seed is breaking forth, and he is confident the whole earth will be filled with what he is doing in Jerusalem and Israel, it will fill the whole earth. Habakkuk 2, verse 14, the whole earth will be filled with his glory. That's what's on his mind. Because you know what's really on his mind? When the whole earth is filled with the glory of God and all the kingdoms of the world are completely brought under obedience to his leadership, then at the very end of the millennium, he's going to take all the nations and he's going to deliver them all to the Father as his gift of love to the Father. And then he will submit himself to the Father and say, it's all yours, I did it just for you. So he's excited by this mandate, and he wants us partnering with him in it. He wants his bride, step by step, issue by issue, enjoy, enjoying what he enjoys, engaging with his heart. Because when it's all said and done, he wants to offer the nations back to the Father. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 24-28, I don't have that in the notes, 1 Corinthians 15, 24-28, after the millennial kingdom, a thousand years, every single opposing force and influence has been subdued, and all the nations are brought into obedience under the leadership of the son of David, and then he offers the earth to the Father, and he says that you would be all in all, Father. I did it out of love for you. And then he submits himself to the Father openly before the nations. And then, really picks up, because you know what happens after that? Then the Father puts his throne on the earth. We know the verse, behold, God will tabernacle among men. That's talking about the Father's throne will be on the earth one day. Can you imagine the Father's throne on the earth? We're preparing the way of the Lord. Jesus and his people will prepare the way for the Father, and the Father will come on the earth with his throne face-to-face in the natural realm with human beings. With the full properties of the supernatural realm of the resurrection, interacting and completely working together with the natural realm. Again, you'll have a physical material body. You'll eat real food. It's exciting, and the Father's throne will be on the earth. Everything that was lost in the Garden of Eden will all be brought back and brought to fullness by the leadership of this man. Worthy is the Lamb. Well, this man has a burning heart. Chapter 62. He's resolved. Nothing can stop him. He sees all the earth is going to be filled with righteousness and praise. But he goes, it begins with Jerusalem. If Jerusalem doesn't get it right, the earth is not filled with praise and righteousness. And I don't offer the earth to the Father then. I mean, I'm talking about fully in obedience to the Father. So he locks in to the city where his throne will be that he has such zeal for. Chapter 62 elaborates on the heart that's behind this great transformation project of nations and the whole earth. It's the heart behind the themes that we find in chapter 60 and 61. Again, we got to keep these three chapters together and throw in the first part of 63. B, the transformation of Jerusalem. That's the key point. Where does it start? In the heart of Jesus, his dramatic, his commitment, I mean, to intervene in a dramatic, supernatural way. He says, for Zion's sake, paragraph C, for Zion's sake, I will not be silent. For Jerusalem's sake, I will not rest. He says it has to start with Jerusalem. It's not just that he's the most zealous for it. He is. There's no question. It's not just that it's his home and his throne. It is. No question. It's the beginning. It's the domino that goes down and whatever happens there, the overflow happens everywhere else. It's the key to the big picture. All the nations filled with the glory of God. That's what's on his mind. But even more than that, that he could offer it to the Father. That the Father's throne would come back down to the earth. That God would dwell and tabernacle among men, Revelation 21 3. The ultimate place of where this thing is going. Says in verse 1, for Zion's sake, that's the same as Jerusalem, I'll not hold my peace. I won't be quiet. Hold my peace or be silent. Interchangeable. One translation says, I will not be silent. One says, I will not hold my peace. God says, I'm gonna break. Jesus says, I'm gonna break the silence. Now Jesus has been active for 2,000 years, obviously in the nations. But there's so much more he wants to do, but he's restrained in his leadership in terms of his involvement in the nations. So much more he wants to do and so much more he's able to do, but it's all about timing. He's allowed wicked men to run their course and wicked nations. It grieves him and at any time he could stop and just completely shut the thing down. He goes, no, there's a bigger picture I'm working with. He's restrained. He still breaks in. His power, his intervention happens, but the rule of it is, it happens only in measure. Only in small measures. Compared to what's going to happen. But when he returns, oh my goodness. He will not allow any deviation from righteousness anywhere. In any banking system, in the far more remote parts of the earth, they will obey God. He will break in on every area. There'll be no school system that will not honor him anywhere in the earth. He says comparatively, I'm really silent and I'm resting. Meaning I'm inactive in terms of my manifestation of intervention in the natural realm before all the nations of the earth, so they can see it. I'm not intervening at the level I'm going to. Wait and see. Now we see the Lord touch our lives and our ministries. We say the Lord's so active and he goes, well, you haven't seen my work ethic and my ability to break in. You wait until it's all, all the information's out and you'll look back and see that I was relatively silent through history. But he goes, I'm not going to stay silent. I'm not going to keep resting. I'm not going to stay inactive in terms of my intervention in the natural realm for all the world to see is what we're talking about. Unmistakable divine intervention. He goes, here's what's on my mind. This city will have righteousness bright as the sun. Because if this city operates in that, he's not going to violate anybody's free will. I'm talking about people. With natural bodies, real people in the natural realm. They're going to walk in a righteousness. He said, I won't stop. I got a worldwide historical plan. It's leading up to this great crescendo. But not only will their righteousness be bright like the sun, their salvation. Put the word ministry. Their ability to minister to others. To bring my salvation purposes to other people. That's what it means. Their salvation like a lamp. Now the lamp in the ancient world, they didn't turn a switch on. That lamp in the ancient world was a torch. That's what Isaiah was familiar with. It'll burn like a fire, like a torch. Now most conservative commentaries agree, this is God speaking. That verse 1, it's the same person speaking as the verse before it. Back in chapter 61 verse 10 and 11. Two verses before. Paragraph E. One of the first things he's going to do in his burning seal. See the reason he's going to make Jerusalem bright in righteousness and ministry burning like fire, because he is bright in his righteousness and his heart is burning like fire. He has the bright and burning heart. That's why he's going to impart it. You know when he met the two disciples on the road of Emmaus, he talked to them. Afterwards they said, and this is Luke 24 verse 32, they said, did not our hearts burn? I mean when that man, that stranger, talked, are we were on fire? That's because it's a man that's on fire talking to them. Oh, I love the testimony of John the Baptist from the lips of Jesus. I don't have this on the notes. John chapter 5 verse 35, put that down if you want. John 5 35. Jesus is talking about John the Baptist and Jesus actually references Isaiah 62 verse 1. He actually references this. He goes, John was a burning and shining lamp. Anybody that knew Isaiah would say, wait, wait, he's a down payment of the kind of caliber of devotion you're after. Yes, he was a down payment. You're right. He is a burning shining lamp. That's what I'm after. I don't just set Jerusalem as a city on fire. I set individuals on fire. Matthew chapter 6 verse 22, right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. He said, if you will focus yourself on me, your body will be full of light. Matthew 6 22. In other words, individuals can touch some of this now. Well, let's get on to paragraph E. One of the most important issues to settle as he is bringing transforming glory to Jerusalem than Israel than the ends of the earth as the glory covers the whole earth. One of the most important issues to settle is the issue of spiritual identity. So the Lord says, I want to tell you, I'm gonna tell you who you are to me, Jerusalem. Now, he's talking to Jerusalem and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the principle is true in redemption to all who call upon his name. It's not limited to the people in that time frame, it's what his heart's like, it's the way he relates to his people, but he's talking about that city in that particular time frame when he returns. But he feels that's the same way right now. He says, I want to tell you how I see you because if you don't know how I see you, you won't see yourself the right way. And if you don't see yourself the right way, you won't relate to me, right? You won't function right and you won't relate to other people, right? The great need that we all have is to understand who we are in his heart more and more and more. Because when we know who we are to him, it changes how we see ourself. I'm just gonna repeat it again. When we see ourself different, we function different, we carry our heart different, we see people different, we relate to people different. The whole thing starts with seeing ourself. Like he does, and that's where the great master teacher begins. He goes, I'm gonna declare who you are to me at the heart level. He's a brilliant teacher. Great understatement. He says, but before I tell you your name, see in verse 2 he says, I'm gonna tell you your identity, your name. But before I do that, I'm gonna prepare you for it. He didn't tell them their name till verse 4, but in verse 3 he goes, I'm gonna get you ready for this stunning statement of who you are to me. Then he's gonna wait for a verse to tell him. He goes, but first I'm gonna tell you how valuable and how precious you are to me. That will prepare you, because if you don't know that how precious to me, you'll never understand what I mean by I delight in you and rejoice over you like a bridegroom. You can't even imagine what that means. People underline that verse in their Bible, and I'm one of them. I understand this. And it's a cool verse, but it kind of hits us and bounces right off because it's the magnitude of what this means is beyond what our natural mind can even comprehend. So he's telling him in verse 3, he goes, I'm gonna tell you how valuable you are to me first. Verse 3, you're like a crown of glory in God's hand. You're like a royal diadem, a diadem of the crown. You're like a crown of glory, because there are crowns that they gave the athletes that won the Olympics. There's crowns they would give a soldier or somebody that did a valiant work in society. So, but this is a royal crown. This is a crown that's particularly related to the royal family, so to speak. Now he's not saying he's gonna put a crown on their head. That's not what he's saying. Although that that is true. That's that's another passage. He says, you are so valuable to me, let me explain it to you. It's like the royal treasures in a king's hand. He looks at them. They're close to him. He guards them. They're valuable to him. He stares at them. He protects them. He shows them off. He goes, that's how he feels about you, Jerusalem. You are like a crown that he's looking at continually, guarding and holding close. He goes, do you understand that's who you are to him in Jerusalem? Again, it's it's born-again believers is what we're talking about. Because he's, though he's talking about Jerusalem in that day, it's born-again believers. Nobody can come to the Lord without being born again. So whether it's this age or in the Millennial Kingdom, they still have to be born again. But he says, now let me tell you the shocker of what your new name is. Now that you know how dear you are to me. Verse 4, now let me give you the bigger truth. Your new name is Hephzibah. That's who you are to me. Your new name is Hephzibah. Because the Lord delights in you. He goes, you're more than my treasure. You're more than my valuable possession. You're more than that. You're not just valuable, you're dear to me. It's not just that you're important. I actually like you. I like you. Yes, you're valuable, but it's more. I like you. Because see, somebody could be valuable to you, valuable to a nation, but you might not have a personal connection. He goes, no, no, it's personal. It's more than I see your value and how well things are working in you serving me. It's more than that. He says in verse 4, I delight in you. How much do I delight in you? Are you like my little buddy, and I just kind of, you walk by, I rub you on the head. Yeah, I like that little guy, you know, like some little kids run the church, and I just gotta rub their head. I like them. And they stop, and they put their hand down. Okay, then I give them the dollar. They stop, put their hand again, I give them two. Okay, I know they're in for something. Like the little guys, I like them. He says, no, no, it's more than that. Way more than that. Verse 5, and the way that a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, that's how I feel about you, Jerusalem. Now, there's no sensual overtones in this at all. Some people put those in there. That's really inappropriate. He's talking about deep affection and heart connection. There's not an ounce of sensuality in this. This is how he feels about men and women, that his people. And he feels this way about Jerusalem, but it's not limited to Jerusalem. This is how he feels about his people, even in this age. But he's going to pronounce this in a way the whole earth will hear by his own lips when he returns. But beloved, I don't want to wait till then to get this. I want to see myself as a crown in his hand that he muses over and guards and protects and holds close. But more than that, I want to see that I'm the one he delights in, but more than delights in, verse 4, I want to see that he rejoices in the closeness and the loyalty and the partnership and the heart-to-heart connection of a bride and bridegroom is what we're talking about. It's more than delight in the casual sense. Probably page 4. Beloved, this is amazing. I love to tell this story. I'll tell it fast. I normally tell it slow, but I'll tell it fast. In November 1995, so you know some, what, is that 15 years ago plus? I have a most dramatic prophetic dream one night. Changed my life. And in that dream, I'm standing before this auditorium. It's where we have our young adult conference downtown that can, at the capacity, you get 40,000 there. Typically have 20,000, 25,000, but it's bigger than what we use. It's a big old room we don't even use. I was in that building, but the whole building was being used. I was standing on the stage and 30,000, 40,000, mostly young people, and I was, had a microphone in my hand and the place was clearly that building. The audible voice of the Lord came, like, from the right up, right there. This thunderous voice, and the Lord says this, Call them Hephzibah, for I delight in them. And I was so overcome by the power of God, and I said, Hephzibah! He delights in you, Hephzibah! And the emotional chemistry of the people in the room changed, meaning their emotional makeup was different. He likes you. He doesn't just like you when you grow up and mature. He likes you while you're maturing. That's the key to maturing. The voice, voice of the Lord, he says, tell them, Hephzibah! In other words, the message was, make sure this is central. They know I really, really like them. I don't, I'm not just raising up a free workforce in the earth called the body of Christ. I want more than an army in a workforce. I want partners with my heart. They're dear to me. It's personal to me. It's not just somebody I use, it's somebody I like, and I pronounced this, and I knew this was a key. Not the only key, but a key to changing and shifting their emotional makeup, their emotional chemistry. Woke up, power of God was on me. And anyway, I could go on and on, tell a little more on the story, but that's the essence of it. Paragraph H, verse 6, He is so jealous. He is so jealous and on fire for Jerusalem, that he sets night and day intercessors on that city to make sure the full destiny comes to pass. See, verse 6, that God set the watchman in place. This is Jesus speaking again in verse 6. It's the anointed one speaking. I will put the intercessors in place because I'm going to guarantee Jerusalem your full destiny comes to pass. But notice, verse 6, flows out of his passion and desire like a bridegroom in verse 5. The reason God's raising up a prayer movement in the earth, because he has such passion for the nations and his people, and he knows they'll never enter into their fullness without night and day prayer. So he's visiting people, causing night and day prayer. I'm not talking about in a building like we're doing at IHOP. I don't encourage people to try to do 24-7 in a building, but in cities, in regions, maybe a hundred ministries and churches working together, out of the cooperation, night and day prayer can come forth. But he's doing it all over the earth. But notice, they never hold their peace. Wait. Verse 1, Jesus never holds his peace. Verse 6, his people are in unity. They don't hold their peace. Both of them are wholehearted. They're completely invested in the vision together. Equally yoked in love. Equally yoked, all of their heart. Now our all is not as big as his all, but we bring our all to the relationship. Let's look at paragraph verse 8. I'll just say this, you can read on your own. What he says here, verse 8, he said, the fruit of your labor will never be destroyed again. He goes, I'm gonna set night and day prayer for you, Jerusalem. I'm gonna raise up workers for your farms and fields. I'm gonna make you kings and priests. I'm gonna visit you, but have no fear. Because Israel said, Jerusalem said, wait a second, every time things go good, the enemy comes in, we work our fields or we bring them to maturity and harvest, and then the enemy comes and steals it from us. He says, don't worry. I'm putting the night and day prayer in verse 6 and 7 in place. There will be no loss of your labor. Verse 8 and 9. That's the essence of what that means. Now he ends in verse 10 to 12. You, again, you can have to read through some of this more specific on your own if you want to. But he's raising up people that will prepare the coming of the Lord. He's saying, in order for all of us to come to pass, Jerusalem, I have to come to you. But if I come to you and you're not prepared and the nations aren't prepared, it won't work in the way that I have planned. But don't worry, I will raise up those that will prepare the way in the practical, physical way, and I will raise up those that will prepare the way in the spirit through the forerunner message like John the Baptist did. So he declares it there. You can read that on your own. And then, remember those chapter divisions, those are new. The next verse, right after this verse 12, the very next verse, they don't have it on the notes, chapter 63, 1 to 6, Jesus is the mighty warrior entering into Jerusalem, destroying all the enemies that are trying to prevent him. He says here in verse 10, 11, tell them salvation is coming, but tell them this, salvation is a man. Salvation isn't just a program, a man is coming. Tell them, salvation is coming. In the very next passage, verse 1 to 6, he comes and he removes all the obstacles. Let's look at, let's end with this. Paragraph L, the very last thing. Now in order to prepare the way, the Lord tells the Gentiles in the earth who love Jesus, he goes, I want you to take a stand. I want you to take a stand because that will change you. I want you to take a stand because it will comfort Israel. I want you to take a stand because it will prepare the nations. Many will say no, but many will say yes, it will change them. So I have a message that I want you to make sure you say. Now the message is the whole of Isaiah 60, 61, 62. That's the message. Isaiah 40, comfort ye my people, that whole chapter, that's the message, etc. It's the message about Jesus. But it's not just the message that he forgives us for our sins. It begins there, but he has more than forgiveness. There's more than him stamping our passports so we go to heaven. We're brought into a dynamic partnership with him forever. He has a plan to fill the earth with his glory. He wants us a part of that message and that plan with him. Yes, I love to introduce people to free forgiveness. But that's the beginning of the relationship, that's not the end of it. There's a message that's bigger than forgiveness. He has a global plan and here's what he tells. Part of it here, Jeremiah 31, he tells the Gentile believers, he goes, now I want you to know this. Verse 7, I want you to say something, Gentiles. I want you to sing for the gladness of Jacob. What? I want some of your worship songs, Gentiles, to carry the themes of Isaiah 60, 61, 62. Those kind of themes. I don't mean every worship song, but I want some of this. I want you to sing for the gladness. I want it in the mix of what's normal in your midst. Okay? And they're kind of fun, you're all in the house together. But when other folks walk in who aren't so pro-Israel, they might not really appreciate those songs. Oh, what are you guys into? We knew you were into weird stuff, but that's really getting weird. He says, don't limit it to singing, whether corporate songs or individual songs, shout it. In other words, it doesn't mean you have to scream, it means with energy make it known. In other words, exert yourself. And he goes, just so you know, I'm talking not about Israel right now, I'm talking about the chief of the nations. Now do you know any nations that would be considered among the chief of the nations? Well, we're living in one. He says, okay, America, you're involved. I want you to make this message clear. Well, we're not really into the Israel thing. He says, well, get into it, because I'm into it. It's not your only message, I'm into Jesus, and whatever's exciting to His heart, I want to do. He says, here's what I want you to do. I want you to proclaim, teach, that's what this conference is doing. I want you to praise, that doesn't just be worship songs, but we're thanking Jesus, this is His plan. You know, some people go, we'll do the Israel prayer meeting, but why not try it? I go, no, be grateful for it. And here's what I want you to say, save the remnant of Israel. Well, that's not a politically correct statement always. Well, it's going to get far worse in verse 10. Verse 10 is one of the most politically incorrect statements in the Bible. But he insists that we say, we'll end with this. He goes, as you're singing and shouting the message, making it known, taking a bold stand, verse 10, hear the word of the Lord. O nations, do we fit there? Yes. Korea fits there, all of Asia, all Latin America, everybody fits, all the islands, O nations, everybody. This is beyond Israel. Here's what I want you to declare. Now, not just the big nations, even in the little islands, I want you to preach this message. Here it is, it's very simple. It's a three-part message. Number one, well, let me just give it to one sentence, it has three parts. He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock. Seems like an innocent statement until you say it. He who scattered Israel. The Jews go, I beg your pardon? I go, yeah, God scattered Israel. We thought you guys did. You, you know, all the Inquisition and the Crusades and all, you guys scattered Israel, not God. Oh no, God used sinful men and they brought their sin in the equation and created confusion. But it was God that scattered you. Ouch. Well, the Jews are mad. You know, some of the religions of the world are going, praise God, they're finally saying it straight. Then we say, well, part two, he's going to gather them. Islam, Jesus is gathering Israel. No, he scattered them. He's not going to gather them. Now Islam's mad at you. We have the Jews mad in the first part of the sentence, and now we've got Islam mad. Then he's going to keep you as a shepherd. He's going to be deeply involved in your life, oh Israel. He's going to be deeply involved in your affairs. And a shepherd gets rid of some of the positive and the negative and reinforces the positive. And some things are wrong, Israel, but he's going to be involved like a shepherd with his rod. We don't like that Christian Jesus. We're not talking about Christian Jesus. We're talking about him being deeply involved in the decisions you make. And when he doesn't like them, he will use his rod. And the ones he does like, he will reinforce. That's Jesus of Nazareth, the one that loves you with great zeal. That's a very politically incorrect... I've tried to figure out a better way to say it. God loves you. How's that? That's good enough. God loves you. Just keep it generic so nobody can be troubled with God loves you. Who's mad that God loves you and wants to give you free forgiveness without repenting? I mean, that's a great message. If you've got a man-pleasing spirit, just tell the earth, God loves you. He will forgive you. You don't have to repent. Live in your sin. Cast off his word. Everything is fine because he's so full of love. That's a total deception. He goes, now I want a little more specific than that. Amen. Let's stand. Misty, let's just take a minute. Again, I want to get you a chance to get some... Move around a little bit and get some rest and get back here for Asher. But let's just respond to the Lord for a moment. Just take five minutes. Lord, I love you. I love you, Jesus. You say, you know, we've got already a couple of days. We have so many teachings already. I can't stand with it. Just ask the Holy Spirit. Say, Holy Spirit, connect me with the stuff you want me to feed on later. Maybe this message. Maybe the other message of the other guy. Whatever, the book or... Ask him. Just a moment. Holy Spirit, connect me with what you want me to focus on after I leave here. Isaiah 60, 61, 62. Zechariah. Say thanks to Asher. He's got his little this, little that. Holy Spirit, lead me. Teach me. Just take this next three or four minutes and ask him that. I tell you, it will make a difference. I don't take that for granted. I ask him those questions. And he does lead. Jesus, I say yes to your heart. Come on, Jesus. Jesus, we love you, Jesus. Come and touch me. Come and help me to love you. Come and help me to follow you, Jesus. I know it's on your heart, Jesus. Here I am in faith. For the Lord delights in you. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? I have to know. Have sabbath. For I delight in you, says the Lord. Jesus. Do you know who you are to me? Here I am in faith. You are my beloved one, says the Lord. What are you thinking? I will heal your heart. I will heal your heart. Help you. You are mine. Have sabbath. For I delight in you. For I delight in you, my beloved. Jesus, you are mine. For I chose you. I came after you. I want you forever. You are so dear to me. Look at you. My special treasure. Oh, so near to my heart. I enjoy my fellowship with you. I adore you. Continue to draw near. Don't give up. Don't get lazy. The accuser. For I want your love. Called you. You're mine, even in your weakness. I'll call you back. Here in the sea. For I chose you.