"In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:8-9).

"Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east" (Zech. 14:3-4a).

I see people saying that Jerusalem is the wicked, end-time "Babylon." This is a dangerous teaching that can fuel the already burgeoning antipathy against Jewish people. Consider:

1. God's intention is not to leave the Jews scattered forever, but to regather them.

2. God's intention is indeed to gather the nations against Jerusalem, but in order that He might judge those nations.

3. God's ultimate intention for the City is to make it the capital and jewel of His Kingdom, and not to leave it an eternally barren waste.

To assert otherwise comes from failing to receive the Scriptures as literally true, and from ignoring the oaths that God Himself swore. It requires more cleverness than human beings possess to transform what God has said throughout the prophets into a soup of symbolism and allegories. There are numerous Scriptures to prove the truth of this, but just to focus on one small element:

Christians are commonly taught that when Jesus returns, He will be returning to the Mount of Olives. But what will He be doing when He arrives there? - Nic Uva