We all know that Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the time of the end and His return.

Among the signs preceding His return Jesus mentioned a siege of Jerusalem and its destruction: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near" (Luke 21:20).

This particular prophecy is dual. It was fulfilled in 70 AD when the Roman general Titus conquered Jerusalem after a 3 year siege of the city. For the next 50 years, Jerusalem was quiet. But in 135 AD a second great Jewish rebellion led to another Roman conquest of Jerusalem. This time Jews were forbidden to reenter the city on pain of death, and a pagan temple was erected where the Herodian temple had once stood. In 637 AD Jerusalem was conquered by an Islamic army. Except for a short period during the Crusades, Jerusalem remained under Islamic rule until 1917 AD when Palestine become a British protectorate.

During these many centuries Jerusalem had little geopolitical significance. In those centuries it would have hardly seemed possible for Jesus’ words to be fulfilled.

But since 1917 – and especially since the founding of the state of Israel – Jerusalem’s importance on the world scene has changed dramatically.

In recent weeks attention has been diverted from the Middle East peace process by events in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya. The current unrest in the Middle East is only a precursor to the final fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy.

The prophet Zechariah wrote: "It shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth are gathered against it" (Zechariah 12:3).

The modern geopolitical significance of Jerusalem is a remarkable forerunner to the final fulfillment of Jesus’ Olivet prophecy, offering proof of the Bible’s prophetic predictions. As Mr. Herbert Armstrong so often emphasized: "Watch the Middle East – watch Jerusalem!"

With these thoughts I wish us all a rewarding Sabbath!