Israel Day 10, 13July

This is my final post from the Israel Trip, 2018! Yes, took me nearly five months after the trip before I posted everything.

Went to Jaffa. This is where Peter had a vision, that all people, not just the Jews, follow Jesus (Acts 9:43-10:23 vision of a large sheet filled with animals being lowered from heaven).

Jaffa sea shore.

St Peter’s church: which is said to be the site where the large sheet filled with animals was lowered, and has a bell tower that points to Rome.

The house of Simon the Tanner: the place where Peter stayed when he was in Jaffa

Jaffa port.

A big Jonah fish statue.

Currently, there’s this “Back to Jerusalem” (BTJ) hype going around in the Chinese churches, which calls for Chinese missionaries to take the Gospel back to Jerusalem. Personally, I don’t care who brings the gospel back to Jerusalem: some people have a calling to serve Israel, but who says it has to be the Chinese? Furthermore, all people from all nations need the gospel, not just the Israelites. Eventually people from all nations will praise and worship God (Revelations 7:9-11). If God says it’s going to happen, then it will happen. Personally though, I do have a strong burden for Israel and long to see revival in Israel one day.

For those interested in the BTJ movement, there’s an interesting article about it:

https://theglobalchurchproject.com/middlekingdom

As an aside: On 21Nov, 2018, approximately four months after our trip, our tour guide and archaeologist Eli made another discovery and got interviewed on TV again! This time, he dug up a Beka Weight from the First temple period!

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/first-temple-beka-weight-unearthed-in-jerusalem-sifting-project/2018/11/21/

Israel Day 9, 12July

First stop was the Chosen People Ministries (CPM) Jerusalem Messianic Centre. CPM was founded in 1894 by Rabbi Leopold Cohn, a Jew who became orphaned at the age of 7 and recognised Jesus as Messiah when he moved to New York City as an adult.

https://chosenpeople.com

https://events.chosenpeople.com/israels-70th-birthday-tour/

Next was the Israel Museum: Also called the Dead Sea Scrolls Museum. It’s got an unique architecture called the “Shrine of the Book.” Our tour guide Eli kept emphasising that in 2Samuel 11, David saw Bathsheba having a footbath, not a bath.

Markets: Walked around the crowded market. Ate some nuts, drank a cup of coffee (8 shekels), saw some nice spices, saw more shofars!

Yemin Moshe: Yemin Moshe was established in 1892–1894 by the Montefiore Welfare Fund. Located outside Jerusalem's Old City, it was conceived as a solution to the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions inside the walls. The Fund was continuing the work done by British Jewish banker Moses Montefiore and the new project was meant to mark the seventh year after the philanthropist's death. The name commemorates Montefiore's first name and Isaiah 63:11–12.

Talpiot Promenade: From the heights of these landscaped walkways and parks, you can enjoy the full splendour of the city of Jerusalem spread out at your feet. According to Jewish legend, it was from the location of today's promenade that God showed Abraham where one day his descendants would build their holy city, but the old nomad even in his wildest visions could not have foreseen the view that greets travellers today.

Then, drove past the American embassy in Jerusalem.

“Graduation” ceremony: This is the day when we received our pilgrimage certificates! People were all asking for a photo with our tour guide Eli’s hand, because as an archaeologist, he is really good at digging treasures, especially things from the second temple period.