Israel, the land of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the land that Moses longed to see, the apple of God's eye. The land where Jesus was born, ministered and died, and rose from the grave. A land of miracles, where anything can happen, and the impossible becomes the possible.
I had the opportunity to go to Israel in April of 2000, and the following slide show pictures are from my trip there. We had the opportunity to go to some unusual places, where many people... even the people that live there do not go. I hope that you will enjoy my little presentation.
My slide show will begin with Jerusalem, Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. Jerusalem, how precious you are... The longed for, fought for and contested city. Jesus wept when he saw you... And when he returns, his feet will be placed on the Mount of Olives overlooking this city.
We went into the Dome of the Rock, and prayed quietly as we walked around the circle. Inside of the Dome, there is a wall around the rock. The Muslims have a tradition that their prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven from there. The Jewish tradition says that this is the same rock that Abraham sacrificed Isaac on, and the same rock that David bought for the Temple, the Jebusite Threshing floor. This was the spot that the Ark of the Covenant rested upon in the Temple... in the Holy of Holies. Even farther back in time, the Jewish tradition says that it is also the rock that Adam was created upon. They call it the "Foundation Stone". Is it any wonder that it is contested so highly?
The largest Jewish graveyard in the world is on the Mount of Olives, because they know that the Messiah will come there, and that the graves will be opened, and the dead will rise. So the Jewish people long to be buried there, so that they will be the first ones raised from the dead. I have one picture of that graveyard. One thing that I thought was interesting about the graves... have you ever wondered where they get the term "laid to rest"? As you look at the graves, they look like beds. So as they are laid in the graves, they are "laid to rest", just as when you go to bed and go to sleep. But as when you lay down to sleep, you expect to get up again in the morning. and those who sleep in the graves will "get up" again when the Messiah returns!
Another thing to note about the graves. The Jewish people do not place flowers on their loved one's graves. They place stones on the graves as a memorial. Notice all of the rocks all over the graves!
The following pages will take you to places like Elone Moreh, the place where God told Abraham that everywhere as far as he could see, the land was his. and the hills of Samaria and Shiloh, and the Sea of Galilea and the Dead Sea. Cesarea and Capernaum, the Mount of the Beatitudes, and the Vally of Jezreel where the final battle will be fought.
