Posted by
Bob Siegel on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 10:46:34 AM
Diary of My Trip to Israel: Part 18
NOTE: These do not need to be read in order.
One of the most awesome moments of my journey took place on top of the Mount of
Olives, where I stood, looking down at Jerusalem. This
happened early on the tour and almost every day afterwards, I was also gazing
up from Jerusalem toward the Mount of
Olives. So strange, to see a landmark I had read about and
taught about for years, blending into the background as a natural, everyday
sight to the residents of an ancient city, a city that stands like a time warp
in the 21st century.
At the summit of this small mount, the resurrected Jesus spoke with his
disciples for the last time after appearing to them and some 500 others for 40
days. From this memorable spot (already important to ancient Jewish prophecy)
Jesus “blasted off” back into heaven:
Acts 1:6-12
So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this
time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
“He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the
Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and to
the ends of the earth."
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud
hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly
two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they
said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who
has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have
seen him go into heaven."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the
hill called the Mount of Olives…”
Of course the apostles did not obey Jesus. (What else is new?) They were
content to hang around Jerusalem,
limiting their teaching/preaching to the holy city alone. Early followers of
the apostles did the same. This all changed when persecution broke out against
the church and many Christians were forced to flee their homes. Where did they end up? The very places Jesus
had commanded them to go anyway!
Acts 8:1-2
“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all
except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”
Whether ideally (our obedience) or creatively, with God standing back and
moving the chess pieces according to His sovereign will, providence sooner or
later forces God’s people to carry out His mission one way or the other.
But this is only the beginning of my discussion of the
Mount of Olives. After all, it is not only the place
where Christians expect the second coming of the Messiah; it is the place where
Jews expect the first coming of the
Messiah. The expectation has been heightened in Israel today
and I have some mind blowing experiences to share in the diary entries ahead.
Diary of My Trip to Israel: Part 19:
A Messiah By Any Other Name Is Just As Sweet.
Scripture
taken from THE HOLY BIBLE
New
International Version NIV
Copyright 1973, 1979, 1984 by International Bible
Society
Used
by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
All
rights reserved.