The Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives

The view of the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. We were up at 4:30 this morning so that we could have at least an hour to ourselves for Kay's teaching - it was worth it!

In the foreground you see the Mount of Olives white with the stones of the Jewish Cemetery. You don't see flowers at a Jewish cemetery because visitors to the grave site leave stones instead. Though it is a strong Jewish tradition there does not seem to be agreement as to why this is done.

One of the things I read was that when the tradition started, grave monuments were mounds of stones. Visitors added stones to "the mound" to show you are never finished building the monument to the deceased. I'm sure there are several valid reasons why this tradition began.

We are walking to the garden chapel of Dominus Flevit where Kay will teach with the Temple Mount as her backdrop.

Olive trees on the Mount of Olives with the sun hitting across the Kidron Valley on to the Dome of the Rock.Looking across the Kidron Valley to the Temple Mount and the Eastern Gate. (Pat and I got up really early!!!)According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here and bring the dead back to life. Therefore, the hillside became the most holiest cemetery, and the hillside is covered by thousands of grave stones. Just above the trees you can see the gold onion shaped domes of the Russian Orthodox Monastery of St Mary Magdalene.

The view from the Mount of Olives is so beautiful and so full of meaning that it was hard to stop taking pictures.

"But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up." 2 Samuel 15:30

"Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken...Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives..." Zechariah 14:1-11

"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them." John 8:1-2

Dominus Flevit ("the Lord has wept") is a Catholic Franciscan church. According to tradition, this is the site where Jesus was looking at the city, visualizing its destruction, and weeping over its fate. The location of the church fits the description in Luke 19 - on a descent from Mount of Olives and facing the temple mount.

We are walking down "Palm Sunday Road". Starting at the top of the Mount of Olives, walking down Palm Sunday Road, and ending at the Eastern Gate, is the path that Jesus took his last days.

The Eastern Gate with the muslim cemetery in front of it.

Note: The following video was taken with an iphone as I was taking notes in my Bible. I maintained a view of the temple mount and the Eastern Gate because the speaker was positioned there and it is always more important for me to get Kay's words than her face and I wasn't sure what kind of reception my iphone could get at what distance. I am pleased with the result! :)

There were many unforgettable and life-changing moments on this trip but Kay's teaching here was one of those moments. She spoke on Christ's coming and referenced Revelation, Matthew 24 and closed with Zechariah 14. The above video is the climax of our time on the Mount of Olives.

Zechariah 14 speaks of the day when the LORD will return to fight Jerusalem's foes.

"In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!" Zechariah 14:4-5


"And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one." Zechariah 14:9

Kay closed with this question... "Does He have the preeminence in your life as the only One, the King of Kings? Precious ones, He is coming again and His reward is with Him. And the question is are you ready?" Our time ended with the song Midnight Cry.
Midnight Cry

VERSE 1
I hear the sound
Of a mighty rushing wind
And it's closer now
Than it's ever been
I can almost hear the trumpet
And Gabriel sounds the chord
At the Midnight Cry
We'll be going home

CHORUS
When Jesus steps out
On a cloud to call his children
The dead in Christ shall rise
To meet him in the air
And then those that remain
Will be quickly changed
At the Midnight Cry
When Jesus comes again

VERSE 2
I look around me
I see prophecies fulfilled
And signs of the times
They're appearing everywhere
I can almost hear the father
As he says
Son go get your children
At the Midnight Cry
The bride of Christ will rise

REPEAT CHORUS + TAG
TAG:
And then those that remain
Will be quickly changed
At the midnight cry
When Jesus comes again
At the midnight cry
When Jesus comes again
When Jesus comes again

Masada and The Dead Sea

Masada

About 34 miles south of Qumran is Masada and as we are traveling we are getting some good looks at the Dead Sea.

And, of course, we can't help but snap pictures even though we will be eating lunch at the shore of the Dead Sea.And have the opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea but that's a story for later!!Here is our first look at the desert fortress of Masada!! A little introduction before we proceed...

The only written source about Masada is Josephus Flavius’ The Jewish War. Born Joseph ben Matityahu of a priestly family, he was a young leader at the outbreak of the Great Jewish Rebellion against Rome (66 CE) when he was appointed governor of Galilee. He managed to survive the suicide pact of the last defenders of Jodfat and surrendered to Vespasian (who shortly thereafter was proclaimed emperor) – events he described in detail. Calling himself Josephus Flavius, he became a Roman citizen and a successful historian. Moral judgment aside, his accounts have been proved largely accurate.

According to Josephus Flavius, Herod the Great built the fortress of Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. Herod, an Idumean, had been made King of Judea by his Roman overlords and was hated by his Jewish subjects. Herod, the master builder, “furnished this fortress as a refuge for himself."

Some 75 years after Herod’s death, at the beginning of the Revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 66 CE, a group of Jewish rebels overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple (70 CE) they were joined by zealots and their families who had fled from Jerusalem. With Masada as their base, they raided and harassed the Romans for two years.

Then, in 73 CE, the Roman governor Flavius Silva marched against Masada with the Tenth Legion, auxiliary units and thousands of Jewish prisoners-of-war. Josephus Flavius dramatically recounts the story told him by two surviving women. The defenders – almost one thousand men, women and children – led by Eleazar ben Ya’ir, decided to burn the fortress and end their own lives, rather than be taken alive.

To Israelis and many others, Masada symbolizes the determination of the Jewish people to be free in its own land. ~Jewish Virtual Library

Here our group is waiting for the cable car to take us up to the top of the rock cliff.

Those that had a problem with heights were a little anxious about this trip - my problem was with the number of people they had allowed on one car. I think the limit was 80 people!! :o You can see below the "snake path" that people can walk up to visit the fortress.The bridge to enter the fortress.For many years, new recruits have participated in a ceremony at Masada when they finish basic training. They hike 15 miles from Jerusalem in full gear and then run up the snake trail to the top of Masada. Here they are sworn in as Israeli soldiers and receive their red berets. I did not witness this, but I was made to understand that afterwards, they march to the southern end of Masada and shout three times in Hebrew: “MASADA SHALL NEVER FALL AGAIN! MASADA SHALL NEVER FALL AGAIN! MASADA SHALL NEVER FALL AGAIN!”I believe we went to the western palace. Who knew there would be a choice?!That is the original plaster on the remaining wall behind Kenny.Floor in the anteroom of the western palace; probably used by the Zealots as a kitchen.

The black line whenever seen indicates that anything below it is original and anything above has been reconstructed.This room may have been King Herod's throne room in the Western Palace when he was in residence in Masada.

Pat and I don't want to leave the shade!

The above picture is of the public immersion pool. And the plaster work that remained was so good - it was amazing!

We are now inside the ruins of the Byzantine church.The decoration that remained on the walls of the Byzantine church.

This is the picture looking down over the wall over the fortress to where the Romans would have built their rampart.And this would be looking more to where the Roman encampment would have been in the lower left of the picture.

We are sitting in the Synagogue built by Herod. It was a hall measuring 12.5 x 10.5 m., incorporated into the northwestern section of the casemate wall and oriented towards Jerusalem. This synagogue also served the Jews who lived in Masada during the Revolt. They built four tiers of plastered benches along the walls, as well as columns to support its ceiling. This synagogue is considered to be the best example of the early synagogues, those predating the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE.Kenny pointed out that it was here that the Jews decided on their fate.

This is the Northern Palace or otherwise known as King Herod's residential palace. We did not climb down to see this but I will on my next visit!!The Dead Sea

After Masada we went to the Crowne Plaza in Ein Bokek, Israel which sits on the shores of the Dead Sea. Here we had lunch and had access to the spa, beach, and pool!

There was an indoor pool for those who wanted to stay out of the sun.

The pool was beautiful but the sun was intense even if the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth and the deadliest sun rays don't reach your skin you still will burn.

It is at this point that I have to apologize to my sister because I threw a big fit about her not taking my picture! I am at a point in my life that being in my bathing suit around others is not high on my list of things to do much less being photographed but boy did I over react! Sorry, Pat!

In case you don't know you can't swim in the Dead Sea - you can only float! I would think it would be like trying to swim in a thin jello!! I was glad I tried it but I wasn't there long because the sun is so intense and I am so fair.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’" John 7:38