By the days of Judges, Jerusalem had become 'the city of a stranger,

that is not of the children of Israel' (Jud. 19:10,12).  With the advent of

David, the type of Christ the King, the restoration of Jerusalem took place.

First, we read that David brought the evidence of his victory over Goliath to

Jerusalem (1 Sam. 17:54), and then after the death of Saul, David reigned

over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:5).

Here in the history of Jerusalem from Melchizedek to David we have an

epitome of its fall and rise again.

A

King of Righteousness.

B

Adoni -zedek -- Amorite

Canaanite dominion,

B

Goliath -- one of the giants

a type of this world.

A

King of Israel.

The history of Jerusalem opens and closes with a Priest and a King of

God's appointing, but the attainment of that goal will not be accomplished

without great opposition from the enemy.  In the overcoming of Adoni -zedek

there is a foreshadowing of the ultimate triumph of the true seed over the

evil seed, for all prophecy runs back at last to Genesis 3:15.  When David

slew Goliath he chose as his weapon a 'smooth stone out of the brook', and

did so, apparently, because as a shepherd lad he had become skilful with

sling and stone.  Goliath represented the colossus of Daniel, and the smooth

stone foreshadowed 'the stone cut out without hands, which smote the image'

(Dan. 2:34).  If we can but keep these tremendous issues in mind, then the

chequered history of Jerusalem will become intelligible and the overthrowing

of Babylon at the close of the Apocalypse essential.  The usurpation and

domination of Jerusalem by Gentile powers characterizes the history

of Jerusalem, until, in the language of Zechariah 14:21, 'There shall be no

more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts' and the treading down

of the Holy City ceases for ever.  Four sieges of Jerusalem stand out in

history.  Two being recorded as past events in Scripture, one foretold, but

unrecorded in Scripture, and one future investment in the last days.

The siege under Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13 to 20:21).  Isaiah places

this story central in his prophecy (see Isaiah, p. 335, structure of the

whole book), occupying chapters 36 to 39.  This assuring record of

deliverance from the Assyrian invader, gives encouragement to believe that in

the last days a greater Sennacherib could and would likewise be smitten

without hand.

The successive sieges under Nebuchadnezzar:

Against Jehoiakim (2 Chron. 36:6,7).

Against Jehoiachin (2 Chron. 36:10).

Against Zedekiah (2 Chron. 36:11 -16).

The destruction of Jerusalem, foretold in Matthew 23:37 -39; 24:1,2,

which took place under Titus in a.d. 70.

The future investment (besieging) of Jerusalem and its deliverance at

the Coming of Christ, when His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of

Olives (Zech. 14:4).