How God Fulfills Jerusalem Prophecies in Recent History

by mcardinal

Lauren Moye, FISM NEWS

 

When modern headlines show Israel as an important nation in the modern world with advanced defensive technology, it can be difficult to remember that Jerusalem had a population of around 15,000 people less than 200 years ago. That’s why self-described author, educator, and history explorer Doug Hershey has a mission to show people how God is actively fulfilling Old Testament prophecies in modern times.

The Bible prophesies about the scattering of Israel and the desolation of Jerusalem. Zechariah 8:4-5 tells of a future Jerusalem following this where “…old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of age. And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its squares.” (NASB)

Jerusalem was anything but this in 1844. Back then it was under the control of the Ottoman Empire and in decay. Hershey described it as, “a once legendary city now desolate and destitute, revered only in history and spiritual texts.”

It was in 1844 that Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey explored the Middle East using the newly developed daguerreotype, an early photographic technology that transcribed images onto metal plates. Prangey spent some time in Jerusalem, where he captured images of the city. These images have rarely been viewed by the public, but were recently digitized by the Smithsonian Institute.

This allowed Hershey and accompanying photographer, Edden Ram, to create a then-and-now look at the changes Jerusalem has undergone during this time period. This photo collection will be published in the upcoming Jerusalem Rising. The goal is to tell the visual story of how God has accurately kept His promises to the nation.

Jewish immigrants began returning to their homeland in the 1880s. Israel regained statehood in 1948 and has since become important to the nations. All of this was foretold thousands of years ago.

Hershey writes on his website, “But truly, we can be grounded in Truth simply by looking back to what God originally said. The Scriptures are bursting with indicators of what we can expect today, and how we can even be a part of the process, both practically and in prayer.”

You can learn more about Jerusalem Rising and Hershey’s other projects on his website, www.doughershey.co

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