The Temple

Today on our fifth excursion, we ventured throughout even more of Jerusalem. We started out the day learning about the original city of David and how David took the city from the Jebusites. Then we took a fun journey through Hezakaihas tunnel, a water system starting at the Spring of Gihone and then traveling underneath the City of David down to the Pool of Saloem.

It was a very claustrophobic/wet 30 minute walk and we were so glad that we all had our flashlights in the pitch darkness of the tunnel. Then we went into the temple and we learned a lot about construction and design of the second temple. King Herod was the designer of the second temple and like all things he did or built, he spared no expense. We were all amazed with how large and precisely cut the stone blocks were cut and fit to make an impressive house (or Hebrew “byit”) for God to dwell. One of the stones that was discovered was 45 ft. in length, 11 ½ ft. tall, and 15 ft. thick weighing 570 tons! Another cool feature of the temple are the south steps entrance but Michael will tell more about that later.

Then we took a little walk and visited Ben & Stacie’s school (Jerusalem University College) that they went to where they met and studied the bible for two years. The last stop we made was tonight visiting the Wailing Wall where the Jews believe Gods presence is most powerful in the entire temple. It was a crazy party like scene because they were all celebrating Shabbat, which is like our Sabbath day of rest. There were prayers, dancing, chants, and overall an unbelievable experience and a great way to end the night.
- Eric Drew

Today we visited the Jerusalem Archeological Park, which had many aspects of the second temple to see in person, to touch and feel. We saw the western foundation showing the detail put into the construction, the Robinson Arch, and the southern steps. For many of us the southern steps was overwhelming. The southern steps were the main entrance to the temple where people would go to enter the first area of the temple. We learned that in the process of preparation for bringing their sacrifice to the temple they would have to perform a ritual cleansing called a Mikveh. They would enter a bath of Mayim Chayim (Living Water) and leave ritually clean. There are many of these baths around the southern stairs. This set the stage.

On the southern steps I recited my scripture I had memorized, Acts 2:1-24. I also read Acts 2:37-47. With all the time I had spent working on these verses I was excited and filled with passion in being able to recite them for the group but I did not expect how it was delivered, how it came out and the setting in which I got to speak. The verses cover the apostles receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and the initial 3,000 Jews that converted, repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Awesome stuff in itself right? Then our mind was blown.

They are all together in one place, a house. All Jews at 9am on Pentecost would be at the Temple, God’s House. The setting for the sound from heaven, the tongues of fire, the filling with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, the crowd gathering, Peter’s message, and the mass of repentance and baptisms that set the start to the Church would have taken place at the temple and in the Mikveh baths around the southern steps. We were there! We were at the place that it happened! The realization at the importance of this spot was overwhelming! God gave the apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit in a place, at a time, to allow them to reach Jews from every nation under heaven, at the Temple on Pentecost. Talk about timing.
- Michael Brockette