I behold a city on a hill
A nation torn by war
But in that place
Adonai says
His Grace has been poured forth
Shalom Jerusalem
Messiah will come
HE'll wipe away your tears and pain
Rejoice, Daughter of Zion
I behold a people who
Are waiting for their Lord
For HE will come
With trumpet sounds
As nations watch in awe
Shalom Jerusalem
Peace be within your walls
Yeshua will return to reign
In majesty and power
When we see the Son of God
Descending from the clouds
HE'll be arrayed in light
Shining glorious and bright
On you, Jerusalem
How interesting it is that it should take me so long to realize that the "Jerusalem" in this song need not necessarily mean the literal city of Jerusalem, but can also mean a frame- or state- of mind.
I think I should never have found it out, had it not been for the depressed mood that I was in, had it not been for the panic attacks that I was experiencing, and had it not been for the tiredness and the fear that consumed my heart and mind.
For all of eleven years that this song had been sitting in my iPod playlist, I had always assumed that it was a spiritual prayer of blessing to the city of Jerusalem in the Land of Israel, for after all, this song had been released by a megachurch on our shores around twelve years ago in 2007, and the church was known for taking members on Biblical trips to the Land.
Yet when I heard it again (as a remixed version) this time, all of a sudden it dawned upon me that Jerusalem wasn't just the city that physically exists in the Land of Israel.
It was me.
It was me- I was "Jerusalem"- in soul, and mind.
Everything came so clear. Yes, it wasn't just the city that had been torn by conflict and terror. So had I. It wasn't just the people that were waiting for their Messiah. So was I. And neither was it just the city that needed peace within her walls. So needed I.
I needed peace within me.
Plenty of it.
For not only was I a "nation torn by war" , not only was I the "people waiting for the Lord", it hit me that- in my mind and soul- I was truly inhibiting the conflict, chaos, tension, tumults, fear, exhaustion, tiredness and terror the same way that Jerusalem (as a city) had had for the longest time, and till today still did.
I was torn, inside out.
There had been panic attacks.
There had been fears to face the day.
There had been uncontrollable tears.
There had been wishes to drift happily into eternity.
But I never fell asleep at night and woke up in Paradise. And neither did I fall so down the line that I couldn't keep my day going- even if during it all there was this consistent, never-leaving sense of tension, exhaustion and fear.
Which was where this song brought me more than just a new understanding of "Jerusalem".
It brought me the reminder that yes, I needed "peace within your walls", that "Messiah will come", that "He'll wipe away your tears and pain". that "Yeshua will return to reign" and that "grace has been poured forth".
I still cry a little when I hear this song. Not as much as I used to, thankfully, because there are some things that just wont' lie- a Promise being one of them- and so since such Promises are good, faithful, covenantal and true, well, as a "Daughter of Zion" I'll learn, and try, despite the annoying presence of the chaos and conflict, to live, do something with the s*** and "Rejoice".
I think I should never have found it out, had it not been for the depressed mood that I was in, had it not been for the panic attacks that I was experiencing, and had it not been for the tiredness and the fear that consumed my heart and mind.
For all of eleven years that this song had been sitting in my iPod playlist, I had always assumed that it was a spiritual prayer of blessing to the city of Jerusalem in the Land of Israel, for after all, this song had been released by a megachurch on our shores around twelve years ago in 2007, and the church was known for taking members on Biblical trips to the Land.
Yet when I heard it again (as a remixed version) this time, all of a sudden it dawned upon me that Jerusalem wasn't just the city that physically exists in the Land of Israel.
It was me.
It was me- I was "Jerusalem"- in soul, and mind.
Everything came so clear. Yes, it wasn't just the city that had been torn by conflict and terror. So had I. It wasn't just the people that were waiting for their Messiah. So was I. And neither was it just the city that needed peace within her walls. So needed I.
I needed peace within me.
Plenty of it.
For not only was I a "nation torn by war" , not only was I the "people waiting for the Lord", it hit me that- in my mind and soul- I was truly inhibiting the conflict, chaos, tension, tumults, fear, exhaustion, tiredness and terror the same way that Jerusalem (as a city) had had for the longest time, and till today still did.
I was torn, inside out.
There had been panic attacks.
There had been fears to face the day.
There had been uncontrollable tears.
There had been wishes to drift happily into eternity.
But I never fell asleep at night and woke up in Paradise. And neither did I fall so down the line that I couldn't keep my day going- even if during it all there was this consistent, never-leaving sense of tension, exhaustion and fear.
Which was where this song brought me more than just a new understanding of "Jerusalem".
It brought me the reminder that yes, I needed "peace within your walls", that "Messiah will come", that "He'll wipe away your tears and pain". that "Yeshua will return to reign" and that "grace has been poured forth".
I still cry a little when I hear this song. Not as much as I used to, thankfully, because there are some things that just wont' lie- a Promise being one of them- and so since such Promises are good, faithful, covenantal and true, well, as a "Daughter of Zion" I'll learn, and try, despite the annoying presence of the chaos and conflict, to live, do something with the s*** and "Rejoice".