Why will Jerusalem be called “the throne of the LORD” where all the nations will gather in the presence of the Lord?

The expanding scope of the Lord’s covenant purposes becomes clearer and clearer. Not only will Israel be united as a nation and restored to true worship, but all the nations will gather to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem. The ark that represents the throne of the Lord and his presence (Leviticus 16:2, Leviticus 16:13; 2 Kings 19:15; Psalm 80:1) will be replaced by Jerusalem itself (Ezekiel 48:35). Jerusalem will then be the focal point for the worship of the nations, and both Judah and Israel and the nations will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil heart.¹ In Jeremiah human sin is clearly traced to the inner person, the heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Thoughts and desires are not morally neutral.² Idolatry begins in the heart, because that is where true worship begins. A central part of the restoration Jeremiah is describing is that people will ultimately be given new hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–34).

This vision of Jerusalem as the focus of worship of the Lord by all the nations is ultimately fulfilled in the vision John has of the new Heavens and new Earth in Revelation 21:1–27. John sees the new Jerusalem descending from heaven so that the Lord’s dwelling place is now with his people, made up of people from all nations. The Jerusalem pictured by Jeremiah and the new Jerusalem seen by John in his vision is ultimately not just one city on earth, but the whole earth. As intended in Genesis 1:1–31 and Genesis 2:1–25, the whole earth will once again be the place where all people worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Everything Jeremiah speaks of is ultimately fulfilled through the life, death, resurrection, ascension and return of Jesus the Messiah.