JERUSALEM O JERUSALEM

Story 1-Jerusalem O Jerusalem. 2-8 vocanoes in phillipines ready to erupt.

City of Old ,Nelly F Villafuerte

SOMEONE once said: There’s some sort of intangible special feeling about Jerusalem. It’s difficult to put into words. It’s almost as if its walls are bursting with its tortured and triumphant history. It is a wonderful, hating, and mysterious place.

Nobody will dispute the fact that Jerusalem is a city revered by Christians, Muslims, and the Jews. It is also a city where lighting never ceases for thousands of years – and continues up to this day.

And unknown to many, archaeologists found evidence of people living in Jerusalem as far back as 3000 B.C. Confirming the speculation that people were living in Jerusalem for tens of thousands of years before cities appeared. No wonder, Jerusalem is called the City of Old. It is amazing that archaologists found pieces of a broken bowl from Egypt dating to about 1800 B.C. It was a practice of the Egyptians of the Old World to write names of their enemies on bowls and other objects which they then smashed.

The archaeologists found the name of the ruler of Jerusalem and his retainers on the pieces of the broken bowl – together with other enemies of the Egyptians. In Hebrew, Jerusalem is Yerushalayem, which is thought by many to be a combination of the words for city and peace. Jerusalem is a favorite pilgrimage site for many years now. Simply, because from the Biblical account Jesus preached in the place, miracles were performed, and finally Jesus died there.

The word Jerusalem appears about 600 times in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. In the Holy Bible, the City of Jerusalem is known by other names – Zion, City of Jehovah, City of the Prophets, Holy Mountain, Holy City, Hephzibah, and City of God. In one biblical passage (Isalah 45:13), the Lord Himself refers to Jerusalem as "My city." Far back in the early times, about 1400 B.C.,

Jerusalem was called U-ru-sa-lim, meaning the city of peace. Ironically, religious strife and not peace has often been the picture depicted every time Jerusalem is mentioned in the international scene. Jerusalem is special to God in a very extraordinary way. The Bible says that when Hezekiah, King of Judah was praying to the Lord to spare Jerusalem from destruction by the Assyrian army of King Senhacherib, the Lord in 2 Kings 19:32-34 said: He will not enter
this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city. I will defend this city and save it, for My sake and for the sake of David My servant. That night, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were killed by the angel of the Lord!

Jerusalem is also special to many people. To the Moslems, Jerusalem is the third holiest city of Islam after Mecca and Medina because the Al Aqsa Mosque is located in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is known as al-Quds, Arabic for "the holy. To the Jews, the whole city is sacred. The Wailing Wall, Judaism’s holiest shrine is in Jerusalem. To Christians, Jerusalem is closely identified with Jesus Himself and with His spiritual teachings. For one, from biblical account, the triple events of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ occurred in this place.

In Genesis 22:2 we see Abraham being tested by God to offer his only son as a burnt offering to God. The place was Mount Moriah. From 2 Chronicles 22:2, we again see King Solomon building the temple to the Lord on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Later in 2 Kings 25:8-17, we see the Babylonians led by Nebuzaradan, commander of the army of King Nebuchadnezar burning the temple. It is in this same biblical site that the Al Aqsa Mosque is standing today. Nowadays, many people are trying to unravel the mystery of the biblical prophecy that the temple of God will be rebuilt and anti-christ will sit in the temple of God. Many people are puzzled how this
biblical prophecy can be fulfilled when the Al Aqsa Mosque is standing on the same supposed site of Solomon’s temple.

It is saddening though, to note that subconsciously many of us impose human restrictions to divine prophecies. We seem to forget that with our almighty and sovereign God, nothing is impossible. From biblical account, we can conclude that Jerusalem occupies a very special place in God’s reservoir of love. In Zechariah 12:3: on that date when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I (our Lord God) will make Jerusalem rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.

Only by reading the Holy Bible can the wonders of Jerusalem, the City of the Old be truly unfolded. Hopefully, this story of Jerusalem will inspire and challenge us to read the Holy Bible everyday of our lives. This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis-Villafuerte, 5th floor, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Roxas Blvd., Makati
City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano version that is preferred.

This column is also giving out for free a 42-page 3x5 inch booklet that briefly explains the said doctrine of salvation presented in the Holy Bible. To those who are struggling as to what the Holy Bible really says on how souls can be saved from eternal damnation, please do not hesitate to write me and ask for a copy of the booklet. Let us not forget the Biblical verse that says What profits a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?

Have a joyful day!

8 volcanoes to erupt?

THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology is closely monitoring at least eight active volcanoes in the country which are showing signs of impending major eruptions.Speaking before the weekly forum Kapihan sa Sulo, Philvocs Director Renato Solidum Jr. identified the eight restless volcanoes as Mt. Bulusan, Taal volcano, Mayon, Mt. Pinatubo; Mt. Canlaon; Mt.
Hibok-Hibok, Mt. Matutum and Mt Parker. The last two are in Mindanao.

These eight volcanoes are among those 22 active volcanoes in the country, but these (have been) frequently erupting since (the) 1960s, that is why we are keeping our eye on these, Solidum said. According to Solidum, Philvocs is monitoring all active volcanoes in the country as these may cause a strong earthquake in the future.He said a strong earthquake like the killer temblor that hit Indonesia last week may strike the country since the Philippines is within the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Earthquakes are normal occurrences in the Philippines with Philvocs recording more than 20 weak temblors every day.The country experiences at least one to two strong earthquakes every five years.Because of this, Solidum once more called on the public to be always prepared for disasters.

Jester Manalastas,Peoples Journal,6/4/2006 19:14 PM