There is only one place in the Tanach that says “pray for Jerusalem’s peace.” It does not say “pray for Israel’s peace,” is says “pray for Jerusalem’s peace.” It was written by King David and it can be found in  the Psalms.

Pray for Jerusalem’s peace; may those who love you prosper. May shalom be within your ramparts, prosperity in your palaces. (Psa 122:6-7)

We will see here that Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ is not a place, Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ is a people; those spiritually born men who lead all within their gates peacefully and have Yehovah dwelling in the midst.

In our Sabbath class today we only covered the first eighteen verses of Genesis 14. In this portion Abram’s nephew Lot (and all belonging to him) “the women” and “the people” are taken by 800,000 men led by 4 kings who came from Babylon; one of whom is Nimrod (a.k.a. Amraphel). When Abram, the Hebrew, hears what happened, he gathers “318 young men who were born in his household” and recovers Lot, his wives and all belonging to him.

But this portion REALLY gets interesting in verse 18. In my NKJV it reads like this.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (Gen 14:18)

In reality mel·chi’-ze·dek’ [ומלכי צדק, pronounced mel·kee’-ze·deek’] is a compound word meaning “king of the righteous” or “righteous’ king.”

This is not a name of a man, it is a position of authority. The mel·chi’-ze·dek’ is the highest ranking member among Yehovah’s people (men) on the earth; he is the one who carries the rod of THE Elohim and who also possessed ha·a·dam’s (and his woman’s) garments.

The NKJV says “king of Salem”; but even that requires more understanding; the mel·chi’-ze·dek’ is the king of שׁלם (Sha·lem’).

H8004
שׁלם
Sha·lem’: A proper noun designating Sha·lem’, a city where Melchizedek was high priest and king. The name means “peace” and is an early reference to Jerusalem. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen_14:18; cf. Heb_7:1-2), and he blessed Abraham. (WordStudy)

Ultimately, while I really like WordStudy, even it is written by men who have never left the kingdom of their birth and have become wholly Yehovah’s men, those who dwell in heaven. So it is hard for men of the flesh to gain spiritual understandings.

Sha·lem’ is another word for Ye·ru’-sha·lem’. It is only used twice in the Tanach.

Then Melchizedek, king of Sha·lem’, brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of El Most High. (Gen 14:18)

At this point “Jerusalem” did not even exist; it was called Jebus or Jevus; the home of the Jubusites.

In Sha·lem’ also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion. (Psa 76:2)

We will see that Yehovah dwells in the midst of Ye·ru’-sha·lem’, those who “shall lead peacefully.”

The Sha·lem’ are a people (men) at peace with Yehovah. The Sha·lem’ are the “contented ones” who have restored Yehovah’s image in their life, His ezrach men.

The mel·chi’-ze·dek’ is the one who taught Abram all that he knows about Yehovah. First it was Noah and now it is Shem; later the mel·chi’-ze·dek’ will be Abraham. And all those who will carry the rod of Elohim. So it was out of gratitude for the understandings which Abram received from Shem, that he gave a tithe of the booty which he took from the 800,000 men whom he killed.

Here is what Yasher says about this encounter between Abram and his “king”, or in this case, “master.”

Yasher 14:11 And a·do·ni’-ze·dek’ [righteous’ master] king of Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ [those who “shall lead peacefully], the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech.
12 And a·do·ni’-ze·dek’ blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for a·do·ni’-ze·dek’ was a priest before Elohim.

The mel·chi’-ze·dek’ and the a·do·ni’-ze·dek’ are one in the same.

And the Sha·lem’ and Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ are also synonyms.

But where is the “city where the mel·chi’-ze·dek’ / a·do·ni’-ze·dek’ is priest and king?

This city is NOT a city made of brick and mortar, it is a holy, a spiritual city in which Yehovah dwells in the hearts of his spiritually born seed, Ye·ru’-sha·lem’, those who lead all within their gates peacefully.

Could Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ be the place where the “Resh” (those who lead their women, children, servants and their Ger peacefully in each of their gates) dwell?

Brown-Driver-Briggs defines Jerusalem as the “teaching of peace;” but could this word also be a compound word? Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ [ירו שׁלם]

The prefix י (yud) and the suffix ו (vav) form a verb conjugation which forms an imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural; a conjugation which says, “they shall …” the word (in this case the Hebrew picture) they modify is the ר (resh).

[Note: Here is a Hebrew verb conjugation chart that you must have in your files if you want to learn to decode Hebrew verbs.  Hebrew Verb Tenses]

Look what Jeff Benner says about the resh in his Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible.

The Ancient picture for this letter is resh, the head of a man. This letter has the meanings of head or man as well as chief, top, beginning or first. (AHLB)

I think “they shall lead peacefully” is better than “teaching of peace.” The kingdoms of this world rule by force and intimidation. But in Yehovah’s kingdom no one is forcing or tricking anyone into joining Him; all who join themselves (and their families) to Yehovah and His Ye·ru’-sha·lem’, must do so voluntarily.

BUT NOW, look what Joshua 10 says about another “a·do·ni’-ze·dek’.”

Now it came to pass when a·do·ni’-ze·dek‘ [אדני  צדק, righteous’ master], king of Jerusalem [ירו שׁלם] heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them. (Jos 10:1)

This is the 1st time that the name “Jerusalem” is used in the Tanach, and the place most people think of today as His “holy city” does not yet exist.

This supposed a·do·ni’-ze·dek’ is 500+ years after Abram meets with the true a·do·ni’-ze·dek’, and the physical city of “Jerusalem” is still called Jebus.

The world thinks “Jerusalem” is Yehovah’s city, but they fail to understand who the real Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ (his Ezrach men who lead everyone in each of their gates peacefully) actually is.

Read Joshua 10 and you will see a false “master of the righteous”, the supposed “king of Jerusalem” come against Yehovah’s host, the men who are led by Joshua, as they claim Canaan for Yehovah’s kingdom. I will encourage you to read this whole chapter, as we did in our class, with eyes that see what I am teaching here.

All of this chapter is a shadow picture of what is going to happen in the last days also. Yehovah is even now raising up Ye·ru’-sha·lem’, His Ezrach men, all over the earth, who will battle with supposedly righteous men who have never dwelt with Yehovah in their midst.

Pray for Jerusalem’s peace

Now look at how Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ is often used in the scriptures.

Break forth into joy, sing together you waste places of Ye·ru’-sha·lem’! For Yehovah has comforted His people, He has redeemed Ye·ru’-sha·lem’. (Isa 52:9)

“Ye·ru’-sha·lem’,” “Zi·on’,” “Israel,” “the holy city,” ” the Ezrach,” “Israel’s seed,” “His people,” and more, all refer to the same group of spiritually born men.

For they call themselves after the holy city, and lean on the Elohim of Israel; Yehovah of hosts is His name: (Isa 48:2)

And they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of Yehovah; and you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken. (Isa 62:12)

O Zi·on’, You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your Elohim!” (Isa 40:9)

Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you “The City of Yehovah“, “Zi·on’ of the Holy One of Israel“. (Isa 60:14)

His foundation is in the holy mountains. Yehovah loves the gates of Zi·on’ More than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah
“I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ”
And of Zi·on’ it will be said, “This one, and that one, were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” Yehovah will record, when He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” (Psa 87:1-7)

Abraham waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is Elohim. (Heb 11:10)

Pray shalom [שׁלום, shalom] of Ye·ru’-sha·lem’ [“they shall lead peacefully“]: May they prosper who love you. (Psa 122:6)

“May they prosper who love you.” And,as Yehovah told Abram,

I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:3)

Pray for Jerusalem, those men (who shall lead the world when Yehovah brings back Zion) to have shalom!

Here is the YouTube video on this very important understanding.

Pray for Jerusalem’s Peace

2G18 Genesis 14:1-18
[Click here to download this audio mp3]

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