“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. Joel 3:17
This is another verse about the end of time. The Lord now dwells in the hearts and bodies of men. In His time, He will also once again dwell in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion: traditionally the site of the temple. Zion is also both a historic and colloquial name for Israel itself. At the end of time, the Lord will both physically make His home again in Jerusalem while also still living in each of us.
Throughout the Bible there are mentions of “then you will know that.” It’s as if God’s people need to be constantly reminded that God will make His home among us. That He hasn’t forgotten us. That He still wants us. That He keeps His promises. Now would be a good time to remember that He is the Lord and He doesn’t change.
God said He would be with us. He said it many, many times, the most memorable being as Jesus was preparing to ascend to heaven, when He promised, “I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” That’s a golden promise; it’s a guarantee. And then you remember that words much like it are said again and again throughout the Bible, even by Jesus. Is God slow?
No, my friend. We are. We do need that constant reminder that He will be with us always, especially since it has been so long since Bible times. God meant the promise the first time He mentioned it, and He meant it when He said it through His Son. He means it every time you read these verses and wonder why it’s mentioned so many times. We need that reminder over and over because we keep forgetting it over and over.
That matters more now, when our lives are whirling in twenty directions; when the availability of information makes it difficult to focus and easy to forget. We will need it even more the closer we get to the end of the age. Jesus spent much of his last few days reiterating ancient prophecies and discussing what would happen at the end. And He didn’t shy away from mentioning that those days would be the worst in history.
Those days haven’t happened yet. They may not happen for another 5000 years, or they may begin today. That’s why we need to be ready now, knowing who we believe in; knowing what we believe. That’s why we need to be constantly reminded that God is with us and, at the end, He will victoriously reign and live again in Zion.
For more reading: Exodus 6:7, Psalm 2:6, Psalm 74:2, Isaiah 4:3, Isaiah 52:1, Jeremiah 31:40, Ezekiel 17:22, Zechariah 9:8, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 28:20, Joel 3:18
Lord, thank You for the reminder that You will reign again from Zion, that You will return.
Practical Proverbs 