Israel Day 8

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Prayer started our day lead by Pastor Drew, thanking and praising God for answering prayer for the mission team that had been stuck in Nepal.  The group was finally able to get out and come home!  Also thanking God for Joseph & Yasser, they have made our trip a memorable one!

Our first stop-The City of David

The first place that was called the City of David was Bethlehem.

In Genesis 14:17-20, it was called City of Salem.

The City of David is the original hilltop upon which King David dedicated ancient Jerusalem as his capital 3000 years ago.  David conquered this city and built his palace at the highest point of the city.  In David’s time, the dome was used as a threshing floor.  He had a bathroom “inside” his palace!  There were seals found here which were used to close parchments.  Two of the seals belong to personages from the Bible.  First is Gemaryahu, son of Shafan, a high official at the court of King Jehoiakim of Judah (Jer. 36:10).  Second is Azar yahu, son of Hilkiyahu, a member of the family of high priests who officiated at the end of the First Temple period (1 Chron. 9:10).

We are going through “Herzekiah’s Tunnel” which is under the City of David.  It connects the fresh water supply from the Gihon Spring, also called “Jerusalem’s Beating Heart” with the Pool of Siloam (from the Greek meaning “The Messenger” where Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes).  King Hezekiah had this tunnel dug to redirect the water when preparing Jerusalem for the attack by the Assyrian King, Sennacherib (2 Chron. 32:2-4).  The tunnel is 1500 feet long.  Charles Warren (who first rediscovered it in 1867) found an Ancient Hebrew inscription describing the construction.  It says a team of diggers started at each end, listening for the sound of each other’s pickaxes, and eventually met in the middle!

Second Stop-The Southern Steps (Davidson Center)

Joseph informed us that until 1967 nothing was here except an arch from 1880.  We watched a short film, “A Pilgrims Story” then toured the Center that houses many artifacts from the Second Temple Period (1^st Century), such as oil lamps (ref: Parable of the 10 Virgins), the ½ Sheqel coin (change) also known as the “Widow’s Mite”.  The tax at that time was ½ Sheqel (ref: story of Peter & the fish w/coin in month).  There were many other artifacts to see as well.

We go outside and approach the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount.  The Pinnacle of the Temple would have been much higher than what we see here today.  Most of the original stones are here.  When looking up you can see Robinson’s Arch.  Most important discovery here during the 1960’s was the cornerstone with an inscription “To the House of the Trumpet”.  Trumpets were used to announce things like times to gather, times to pray, etc.

We now reach the area of the Southern Steps (also known as the Teaching Steps or Rabbi Steps).  It is believed to be where Jesus would often teach when He was in Jerusalem.  These steps led to the Hulda gates which were a primary entrance to the Temple Mount in the time of Christ.  The original stones that are left (not replaced) go back to when King Herod restored the city around 25 BC.

We gathered together and Pastor Drew read John 15:7.  Some questions for us: Are we abiding in His Word?  Are we abiding in His Love?  Are we at the “much fruit” state?

He then closed us in prayer.  We were given time to go walk and sit on the steps and explore the area.  What an experience, to again walk “where” Jesus walked so that we can return home and walk “as” Jesus walked.

Next stop-Pools of Bethesda (The Site of the Virgin Mary’s Birth)

This is also the site where Jesus met and healed a paralytic (John 5:2-9).  We see the Lion’s Gate-only gate open to the east (also known as St. Stephen’s Gate).

This is the home place of Anne & Joachim, the Virgin Mary’s parents and the place where she was born.  The apocryphal Gospel of James which dates from around AD 150 supports this information on Mary.  Mary served in the temple until she was 7 to 10 years old.  A church was built over their home around 450 and was dedicated to “Mary where she was born”.

The present basilica was built by the Crusaders just before 1140 AD.  Its crypt was the cave where the Crusaders believed Mary had been born.  The church was not destroyed after the Muslim conquest in 1189 like many others were.  Pastor Drew was not feeling well this day so Aaron read John 5:1-9.  We entered the basilica to the sound of beautiful music being sung by a group.  We all sat down and when the space was clear, we “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “It Is Well With My Soul”.  It was beautiful.  The Church of St. Anne is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and reverberating echoes.

Next stop-Garden of Gethsemane & Church of All Nations

Aaron read Matt. 26:36-46 and then had prayer outside the church.  The Church of All Nations is built over the rock on which Jesus is believed to have prayed in agony the night before He was crucified.  The church is also known as “The Basilica of the Agony”.

The architect, Antonio Barluzzi, evoked the night-time of the Agony by leaving the interior in semi-darkness, relieved only by light filtered through violet-blue alabaster windows.

The basilica is called The Church of All Nations because many countries contributed to the cost of construction.  National Symbols of 12 donors, including the United States, are inside the ceiling domes.

Outside we see the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane comes from the Hebrew & Aramaic meaning “oil press”).  There are eight ancient & gnarled olive trees in the garden that are over 1000 years old; oil is still pressed from the fruit of these trees today.  It is thought that maybe the garden belonged to someone close to or in the family of Jesus (Anne & Joachim or Joseph of Arimathea) since Jesus would often spend time there.

The Grotto of Gethsemane is believed to be the place the disciples slept while Jesus prayed.  Near the Grotto, is the Tomb of Mary, where a Christian tradition holds that the Mother of Jesus was buried after she “fell asleep” in death.  From the garden we could also see the Eastern Gate (Golden Gate) which is now blocked up to prevent Christ’s return.  It was closed by Muslim conquerors and they also placed a cemetery in front of it to further prevent His return.  (Of course we all know this will not prevent Christ returning!)

Next stop-The Garden Tomb & Resurrection Garden

We see the “Place of the Skull” first, it was discovered in 1842.  This is one of two places believed to be the site of Christ’s crucifixion.  In 1883 a British soldier and Bible student General Charles Gordon spent six months in the Old City.  Looking from a friend’s house on the city wall, he recognized the skull-like rock and said “this is the place where my Savior died”.

The location of this place is important, it relates to information given in the Bible.  It is just outside the city gate (Heb. 13:12) and near the city (John 19:20).  Crucifixions were normally displayed on the sides of major crowded highways, not on hills.  They did this so people would see them and know the reason they had been punished by hanging signs above their heads, it also served as a warning to others.  This busy place is located near 2 busy roadways, the road to Jericho and the road to Damascus.

Next we see The Resurrection Garden (John 19:41)

It’s obvious this place has long been a garden and possibly is the one mentioned in John 19 where Joseph of Arimathea had prepared his family tomb prior to Jesus’ death.  In 1904 they discovered a large cistern (3^rd largest in the city) that held 264,000 gallons of water.  There is also a wine press in the garden, suggesting a vineyard was here also.

Then we go to The Empty Tomb

In 1867 the tomb was found, a church was found in front of it but was destroyed during the Muslim invasion.

On the outside looking to the left of the entrance you can make out a carving in the rock of an anchor & cross.  These were very early Christian symbols.  Inside, the tomb had two chambers, the first was the mourning/preparation chamber, and the second was the burial chamber.  On the rock wall you see the crosses in red with Greek lettering/symbols these represent Jesus Christ & Alpha & Omega.  We all got to walk inside the tomb and see it but we all realized we were really in that place to celebrate it being empty!  HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN!!!

After this we all gathered back at the Resurrection Garden to celebrate Communion and to Worship.  We sang “In Christ Alone” & “Victory in Jesus”.  Pastor Drew led us in prayer and had a short message.  We then partook of the Lord’s Supper.  Mark & David passed the bread, Pastor Drew read Matt. 26:26, prayed and we ate.  They passed the cups, Pastor Drew read Matt. 26:27-29, prayed and we drank.  We closed in song with “Jesus Paid it All” and “Forever”.  Wonderful worship experience.

After leaving this place we had a special stop-The Jerusalem Prayer Center

It opened in 2009 and is located in a historic 120 year old building that was once part of the American Colony of Jerusalem.  Baptists have owned the building since 1969.  It is positioned on the dividing line between Arab East Jerusalem and Jewish West Jerusalem.  This location places it on a strategic site to facilitate prayer of ALL peoples of the Holy Land and beyond.  The central feature is The Upper Room, an interactive prayer room designed for meeting with God on a personal level.  The 3 sections of the room-Praise, Confession, and Intercession are hung with banners in Arabic, Hebrew, and English all designed to call you to meet with God.

Downstairs the “Harvest” mural features the “Seven Species” of Deuteronomy 8:8 and the words of Jesus in Matt. 9:37-38, “The Harvest is Plentiful but the Workers Are Few”.  The mural was done by Pam Suran.

This is one of the ministries of the IMB.  When we give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering this is one of the places we support, how awesome is that!  We actually met our 4 missionaries; Dale & Anita Thorne who run the center and Suzanne (don’t know her last name or the other gentleman’s name who is working there also).  We gathered together and Dale gave us some history of the home, Bertha Spafford actually lived in this home.  She is the daughter of Horatio & Elizabeth Spafford.  Horatio Spafford wrote the gospel hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” after the tragic loss of his 4 daughters on an ocean voyage.  We sang this hymn (accompanied by Suzanne), sitting in this home with our international missionaries!  What a very emotional and absolutely moving experience this was!

AWESOME way to end our Pilgrimage in Israel!!!!!