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Israel Study Tour - The Forge (Pine Cove)
March 1-13, 2020
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The Passion week of Christ.
We began our day today on the Mount of Olives looking at the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Jesus expresses his soveringty over even the animals and fulfills two passages in Ezekiel. Coming into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and riding the colt of a donkey. They praised Him with palm leaves fully understanding and believing He is the Messiah. This is also where Jesus assended into heaven 40 days after His resurrection.
Mount of Olives
Separated from the Eastern Hill (the Temple Mount and the City of David) by the Kidron Valley, the Mt. of Olives has always been an important feature in Jerusalem’s landscape. From the 3rd millennium B.C. until the present, this 2900-foot hill has served as one of the main burial grounds for the city. The two-mile long ridge has three summits each of which has a tower built on it.
We then made our way over to the garden of Gethsemane. Not far from the Mount of Olives. This was a pretty common place for Jesus to go with his disciples, it is also where He was betrayed. On the night of Passover He was there praying while the disciples were having a tough time staying awake. Judas had already betrayed Him and, in the middle of the night, they conspired against Him to crucify Him. He was arrested when none of the people who were previously praising Him were awake. Throughout the night He saw six trials for His suggested crimes, and by 9:00 A.M. He was on the cross.
We didn't realize it at first, but we then walked the via dolorosa which led us to where many believe Golgatha is. This is where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands today. Here we recognize the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The procession of Christ is one of heavy Roman influence, in fact, it was inadvertently used to prove Jesus is God and Caesar isn't. Christ's death makes our resurrection possible.
Finally we ended our day, and our tour, on the southern steps. This is where Peter preached his first sermon in Acts 2. For all intensive purposes this is where the Church began. The first sermon preached 10 days after Jesus ascended where 3,000 people were baptized in hundreds of Mikveh's around the original city gate. It was then when we became a physical representation of Christ on Earth. It is as if He never left, the old temple is gone and the new temple is in us. The Spirit dwells in us just a as it did the disciples like a dove, and we now represent Christ to the world.
Southern Steps
An enormous flight of steps leads to the Southern Wall from the south. They were excavated after 1967 by archaeologist Benjamin Mazar and are the northernmost extension of the Jerusalem pilgrim road leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount via the Double Gate and the Triple Gate, collectively called the Huldah Gates. These are the steps that Jesus of Nazareth[2][3] and other Jews of his era walked up to approach the Temple, especially on the great pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. [2] The stairs that lead to the double gate are intact and "well-preserved."[4] The steps that lead to the triple gate were mostly destroyed.[4] / The risers are low, a mere 7 to 10 inches high, and each step is 12 to 35 inches deep, forcing the ascending pilgrims to walk with a stately, deliberate tread.[2] The pilgrims entered the temple precincts through the double and triple gates still visible in the Southern Wall.[5][2] Together, the double and triple gates are known as the Hulda Gates, after the prophetess Huldah.[2]
1 Peter 2:9-10
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation that you may proclaim the exelencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
It's no coincidence that we got to experience this trip. Even with all the things going on in the world, God still allowed us to visit His promised land and become one of the few who have new eyes when reading scripture. We are not worthy of His grace, we are not worthy of walking where He did, yet He freely died for us leaving an example that we may grow to look like Him. It is our hope, now, that we can lead, create disciples, and follow Christ always for His glory. Thanks for reading, it's been our pleasure to write for you guys. Hopefully the stories we shared give you a glimpse into our trip, and
we can't wait to share more with you soon!
-Harrison Hilburn
-Forge Class 2020
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