The Temple Mount Institute

Since all the tours were full at the Western Wall Heritage Foundation (The Rabbi's Tunnel) we headed over to the Temple Mount Institute. What a wonderful experience!

We met a young lady working there who was 19 years of age, and moved to Israel 8 years ago from Long Beach, New York. Instead of doing the required 2 years of military service she is working here in the Temple Mount Institute. Israel recognizes this as a national project and Orthodox Jews can opt for national service since they do not serve in the armed forces.

She was born in Long Beach. Her grandparents migrated from Poland. They went through the Holucaust. Her father was actually born in a concentration camp! They moved to Israel because they believe all Jews ought to be part of the Jewish State- Israel. I asked her if she liked working in the Institute and she exclaimed, "I love it!"

As we viewed the vessels and garments of the priest on display I could not help but wonder if these were models or genuine vessels. The answer to this question about these things being used should a new Temple be built was, "Of course!!!" We are living in such momentous times!

More about the Temple Mount Institute in my next post. If you want to delve into this wonder there is a website the Institute has with pictures and all.

The LORD's Day, June 12, 1994, Jerusalem

I am at the point in the trip where the familiar surroundings for the time being are here in Jerusalem rather than New York. Jerusalem is so intense- difficult to describe on paper or words. It must be experienced. I will attempt to describe.

Micha Ashkenazi had breakfast with us this morning. He is an Archaeologist turned tour guide. What a description he gave us of the Temple Mount, where the Holy of Holies was located and how the new Temple could be built on the present site.

After breakfast we had a trouble getting going- trying to meet times of the English showing of the Temple Institute's video at 11:40am, the tour through the Rabbi's Tunnel at noon and the Models of the Temple (along with the Third Temple), as well as getting up on the Temple Mount.

The Temple Institute is beyond description. They have vessels on display there which are exactly to the specifications in Exodus and Leviticus. It is like a dream being in it. More about this and more in my next post.

Sabbath Evening

We got back on the walls again and walked around to the place of King David's Tomb and the Upper Room. We met two young Jewish men who are Yeshiva students, we talked for over an hour on the wall. It was interesting to hear their views on different things. They believe that the Messiah will be a man and the correct all of Israel's spiritual and other problems, that the territories belong to Israel, that Israel is making a mistake to be involved in a peace negotiation with PLO.

Paul's words to the Romans in action: Romans 11.25 I don't want you- to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited; Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in."

What an opportunity, in learn about God's people in the land He has given them! (Click on the picture to get the full view)

After we came off the walls we went to the Western Wall. I knew Rabbi Koslvsky had a dinner on Shabbath for the needy. I waited for him to arrive. The dinner was held in the first floor of the Temple Mount Police Station. He spoke with me and told me a little of his story. He went to Rabbi Getz, who is the Rabbi of the Kotel (The Western Wall) to see what he thought about him beginning Abraham's Tent. He was in favor of it. Rabbi Kosvolsky then invited me to dinner. More about the dinner and the Messiah and what happened after the dinner in my next post.

Around Jerusalem

Saturday, June 11, 1994
Jerusalem

There is no way I can describe today's events in words that would do justice to them.

Following breakfast in the YMCA dining room we left for the Garden Tomb.
Breakfast in Israel is incredible as I wrote when we were in Tel Aviv. It is like a smorgasbord of sorts. Fish, salads, fresh fruit, fresh yogurts, vegetables, cheeses, eggs, humus and more.

We took a cab to the Garden Tomb. Our driver was Elias. He is a Palestinian Christian who is a member of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He dropped us off and today's adventure began. We walked through the Garden to the Tomb. A few of the workers there named Daphne and Jean told us it would be perfectly safe to walk through the Damascus Gate to get back into the Old City. The Damascus Gate is the one Jesus walked out of to be crucified on Golgotha. Jean is a member of Overseas Missionary Fellowship which originally was the China Inland Mission.

I had heard that there is a way to walk on the walls of Jerusalem, This would be too strenuous for older people who are many times on a tour so I had not done it on previous trips. You can walk all the way from the Damascus Gate to the Dung Gate on the other side of the city. What a view from above!!!

We walked to the Jaffa Gate and came down to visit the Armenian Quarter of the city. In between those gates we saw all kinds of sights. Women feeding chickens, clothes on lines, vegetable gardens, fruit trees. In the Armenian Quarter is Christ's Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East.

The second half of our walk on the walls in the next post.

Sabbath Peace in Jerusalem

My friend John and I were coming down the stairs to go to the Wall when Rabbi Yechiel Koslovsky, Director of Abraham's Hospitality Tent, 7 Western Wall Road, asked us to help in carrying up food in boxes from his car. He said, "Young men, could you help carry these above? It is food for the needy." His story is so interesting. He gave us his card. Right next to his building is a sign which in Hebrew says, "Get Ready! Messiah is coming!" His dear wife gave us a cold drink after we finished helping him.

We wandered around waiting for the Sabbath to officially begin (sundown on the Western Wall. That is me in the picture as the shadows come upon the wall. We saw the Temple Institute, Treasure of the Temple then we went back to the Wall. As the Sabbath began we saw the Yeshiva students lining up. Dressed in white shirts and black pants they came down the hill singing and dancing all the way to the Wall. The sight and sound was so moving. I will never forget it.

In Jerusalem!

Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

We were 2 1/2 hours late in returning the car. We would have been much later if we did not have Yarom with us! El Dan Rentals was already closed when we got there. They were getting ready to close for the Sabbath. We would have had to turn it in on the third day since it was due back by 1pm, Friday. Saturday they are closed and then they would have opened on Sunday. We knocked on the windows and they opened the doors. They made an exception and did not charge us for being late. As we left they wished us a "Shabbath Shalom", which means, Sabbath Peace.

The "Y" was right next door.

We went got into our room, unpacked (we will be here for a week) and went down to the outside courtyard in the front for an early dinner. We wanted to be at the Western Wall as the sun went down and the Sabbath began.

We walked to the Jaffa Gate down David Street to the Wall. What an awesome view of the only remaining wall around the temple from Jesus' time. They had to rebuild because as He said, "Not one stone would be left standing on another."

It is impossible for me to convey the emotions that run through your heart and mind when arriving in Jerusalem. Even though I had been here before it happened all over again. This city holds the key to ancient prophecy. This is where Jesus died, rose again and ascended back into heaven. This city is where He will return to and rule from one day. Here David and Solomon ruled. Here Abraham offered up Issac. Here Melchizedek lived. The tensions with the three largest religions of the world based here, all with their holy places make the feelings even more intense if that is possible.

Next post- The Sabbath begins!

Continuing Up To Jerusalem

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill,

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you,

if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. Psalm 137.5-6

We spoke about the Old Testament with Yarom. His favorite character was the same as mine, David. We spoke of David's life and work.

We spoke of the peace process. He said that there are too many factions to forge a lasting peace. Yarom has been involved in serving his country in the Golan, against the Lebanese, in Gaza and in Hebron following the massacre there a few months ago.

I asked him if a person came and was able to forge a peace would people look to him as Messiah. He said, "Yes." I also asked if a person came and worked it out for the Jews to rebuild their temple- his response was the same. I then asked him if he were able to do both- would they look to Him as the Messiah. He said, "Of course! But this is impossible." I said, "Everything is possible with God." He said, "That's true."

We came to the outskirts of Jericho. There was a roadblock with soldiers. There have been a number of these on this road and would also be on the road to Jerusalem. He spoke Hebrew to the other soldier at the roadblock/checkpoint. He said, "We must go around. They have closed the city. Obviously they had problems. He didn't it advisable for you as tourists to go in (even with him in the car)." The by-pass made us really late. We rode right up against the Israeli-Jordanian border. All long the way there were Jeeps with guns ready. It was an awesome sight. It was really a "God-send" to have Yarom with us. What a fine young man!

Once again the ascent to Jerusalem was wonderful! He showed us the way to our hotel- the Jerusalem International YMCA Hotel. It was a little confusing and would have been very difficult without Yarom.