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Israel In Depth - Legacy Path Experience
December 1-12, 2019
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Journey to Jerusalem
Going “up” to Jerusalem today, but first we crossed the Sea of Galilee by boat, the Almgor. So exciting to experience a voyage where Jesus rebuked the wind & waves & walked on water! We could feel His hand on us as we were surrounded by storm clouds, but we were safe under His wings and no rain fell on our sail.
On our bus journey, we passed through Canaan, where Jesus performed His first miracle & saw the home of the wedding. We learned from Ronen our guide that 80% of the people in Israel are Jewish, 17% are Muslim, 1% are other, while only 2% are Christian.
We stopped at an overlook called Mt Precipice in Nazareth, a town of a few hundred when Jesus lived there & now a city of 75,000 people, where 60,000 are Muslim. There we read Luke 4, the story of Jesus in Nazareth at synagogue reading from Isaiah 61 & then proclaiming the scripture fulfilled that day, thus claiming to be the Christ.
Next site was Megiddo, a tel that dates back to 5000 BCE, with 25 layers of civilization, the last being built in 5 BCE. King Solomon, David’s son & arguably the wisest king, had one of his palaces & stables there where he kept many of his 40,000 horses. This valley will be the location of the final battle called Armageddon, where Jesus will come with His army to bring sin to an end. Blood will run over waist deep in this valley; Satan & sin will be defeated, and Satan & his minions will be cast into the lake of fire.
Megiddo
From the earliest times (EB) to the earliest historical records of the area (Thutmose III) to the future (Revelation 16), Megiddo assumes a prominent role. This is largely owing to its strategic location astride the Megiddo Pass (Wadi Ara) and inside the busy Jezreel Valley.
We then traveled to Mount Carmel where the prophet Elijah prayed for rain to be withheld for 3 1/2 years. He challenged King Ahab, Jezebel, the 450 prophets of Baal, 400 prophets of Asherah & all their followers to choose whom they would follow & to prove who the real God was by starting fire for their sacrifice. Baal’s prophets failed, but Elijah had the altar doused with water 3 times, then prayed to God & fire from heaven consumed all of his sacrifice. Elijah’s faith to stop rain & call fire from heaven were proof of his faith. Is your faith that strong?
Mt. Carmel
Biblically, Mt. Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Solomon praised his beloved: “your head crowns you like Mount Carmel” (Song 7:5). But for Carmel to wither was a sign of devastating judgment (Nahum 1:4).
Last stop before we reached Jerusalem was Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean Sea. We were amazed at Herod’s palace, theater, Hippodrome, aqueducts & more. Opulence to the max for King Herod!
Caesarea Maritima
The city and harbor were built under Herod the Great during c. 22–10 BC near the site of a former Phoenician naval station known as Stratonos pyrgos (Στράτωνος πύργος).[2] It later became the provincial capital of Roman Judea, Roman Syria Palaestina and Byzantine Palaestina Prima provinces. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries CE and became an important early center of Christianity during the Byzantine period, but was mostly abandoned following the Muslim conquest of 640. It was re-fortified by the Crusaders, and finally slighted by the Mamluks in 1265.
On our final leg to Jerusalem, we read the Psalms of Assent, 120-134. Traffic here reminds us of Houston. We have a little rain, but we have an ace bus driver in Miere. Our spirits are high & we are expecting a move of God as we travel the streets of Jerusalem & surrounding areas tomorrow.
Thank you for your prayers for those among us who are ill. A doctor saw 2 of our ladies this evening and confirmed bronchitis. We are 44.
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