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.

Rebuilding the Temple

Dr Randall Price

Southern Baptist: Theologian, archaeologist (eg. Qumran caves), author (30 books), professor, director of Judaic studies, etc.

Rebuilding the Temple: Prophecy, Politics and the Future of Jerusalem

Why hasn’t the 3^rd temple happened?

The crocodile and the scorpion story to illustrate: Croc on the banks of the Nile, out of the desert came a scorpion. Scorpion said, “Friend croc, why don’t you let me on your back and we swim across the Nile?”

Croc said, “What if you sting me on the way?”

Scorpion said, “No, if I sting you we’d both die!”

Then in the middle of the river, the scorpion got very agitated and stung the croc.

The croc asked, “Why?”

The scorpion replied, “Because this is the Middle East!”

God’s presence was in the garden of Eden. There was the tree of life, and cherubim stood at the east to guard the holy entrance. The direction away from God was to the east. The direction towards God is west (atonement). Adam and Eve exiled.

Mt Sinai: God’s presence returned. The temple: bringing a bit of heaven onto earth. There was no holy place on earth left. The tabernacle mimics what’s in the garden. A mediator is needed though.

Shekinah: God’s presence, God tabernacled amongst us.

God had to take the form of man temporarily. Abraham had some sense of that when he was called. He used male sheep which represents the Messiah who was about to come.

The Lord has chosen Zion. He wants to come and dwell with us.

Current situation: Spiritual temple, body of Christ. When the third temple is rebuilt, there will be the 7 year tribulation, and Messiah’s second coming.

1 Kings 9:3. “I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Exodus 25:22. “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” Another words, “You come, I’ll speak, and you will continue to live.” However, Israel failed, and God held its leaders accountable, and first temple destroyed.

Isaiah 58:12. “…you will rebuild the ancient ruins”. The temple is to be built where it was built.

2^nd temple missing the ark.

9^th of Av: 1^st and 2^nd temple destroyed. Further discipline for the Jewish nation. Until they say “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

This is still the time of the Gentiles. The Temple Mount: Islamic (Gentiles) hold authority over that site. God’s presence isn’t there yet, as the national hasn’t changed yet, because it hasn’t had that relationship with God yet.

Dung gate: Where the people carry dung in the past. Dung Gate is a main passage for vehicles coming out of the Old City and for buses headed to the Western Wall.

The debate about the site of ascension of Mohammad: The Al-Aqsa Mosque. There was no mosque in Jerusalem, The Muslims only arrived 500 years after Mohammad’s ascension. Strangely the Temple Mount becomes the place: mostly due to political reasons. In their prayer, Muslims turn towards Mecca, not the Dome of the Rock! Different from the Jews who pray towards the temple.

Excavations: to prove Jewish connection, that the first and second temples were under Temple Mount. The world is in “Temple Denial.” Let the stones speak for themselves!

1948, 1967: Politics that made people go into “Temple Denial.”

Isaiah 2:2-3. Nations will stream towards Jerusalem to worship.

Isaiah 27:13. Even the enemies/Gentiles will worship the Lord.

Ezekiel 47:8. The water coming out of the temple will turn the dead sea fresh!

This motivated the Orthodox Jews. Temple Institute. People performing the temple ceremonies now.

Zechariah 14:2. “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.”

Adonai Shema: “and the name of the city [of Jerusalem] from that day shall be, ‘The Lord is there.”

Jeremiah 9:11. Desolation and restoration. Desolation always comes with restoration.

The divine purpose will have come to a full circle.

For all the slides of that evening:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nktHqEqWgkzDv9gb8