Following the Footsteps of the Lord (4)
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April 21, 2019 |
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"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Matthew 23:37
'Jerusalem' means city of peace. Half way down the western slope of Mt. of Olives is the Dominus Flevit Church, commemorating Jesus's lamenting and shedding of tears during His entrance into the city of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem
There are not many cities that have suffered as many wars as Jerusalem. David conquered the Jebusites and made Jerusalem the capital around 1,000 BC. Later Solomon built the Temple on Mt. Moriah but it was destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC.
Zerubbabel came back to Jerusalem from the exile and rebuilt the Temple in 515 BC, but it was rather shabby compared to the Solomon's Temple. Herod the king of Judea under the rule of the Roman Empire extended the Temple as a part of appeasement policy, and it is called 'Herod's Temple'.
However, as the Roman army conquered Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Temple was completely destroyed. A part of the western embankment of the Temple remains to this day, which is known as the Wailing Wall.
After the fall of Israel the Jews had prayed with tears, longing to come back to Jerusalem. Since the re-establishment of Israel in 1948, they are still praying at the Wailing Wall for the reconstruction of the Temple.
Jerusalem: Holy Place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims
Today, downtown Jerusalem has Jewish synagogues, Roman Catholic churches, and mosques. The northwestern part is the Christian area; the east is Islamic; southeastern part Jewish, and southwestern part Armenian. Jews, Christians, and Muslims coexist.
On top of the Wailing Wall is the Dome of the Rock. Arabs conquered Israel in 7th century and built it where Solomon's Temple used to be. To this day it is the symbol and the seed of conflict between the Jews and Arab Muslims.
Some believe that in the Solomon's Temple at the time was a big rock, which was the altar that Abraham used in offering his son Isaac as a burnt offering. The Muslims believe God commanded Abraham to offer Ishmael, and they consider Jerusalem the 3rd most important of holy places next to Mecca and Medina.
For the Christians Jerusalem is where Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, took the cross, and resurrected on the 3rd day. The Mt. of Olives on the east side of Jerusalem is believed to be where Jesus ascended into heaven.
Gethsemane
The pilgrims went up to Gethsemane the day after they arrived in Jerusalem.
Gethsemane is also called the Garden of Gethsemane. The Mt. of Olives has four small peaks and the highest stands 800 meters above sea level. Jesus taught at the Temple during the day and took rest and prayed at Mt. of Olives at night (Luke 21:37, 22:39-41).
The Garden of Gethsemane is the place where Jesus was arrested in the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. Jesus was praying as usual at the Garden of Gethsemane, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44).
A church was built at this place. A big rock in a natural state is placed. They say it was the rock on which Jesus prayed. In the garden are very old olive trees, too.
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