An early start and a later than usual night for us yesterday.
Roll call on the bus by 7am, then off to the security gate lines at the Temple Mount. They told us it is always touch and go as to whether we will be allowed on the sight, yesterday we walked in like we had an appointment.
The shrine built on top of the rock Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac on was a beautiful piece of architecture. Its roof is gold and on such a gorgeous day, it glimmered.
Of course our tour of that area was limited only to the outside, but we were there, none the less.
We saw the approximate line on the Temple grounds that would have kept us Gentiles from approaching God--because of Jesus, that line is no longer there!
Then on to the Rabbinical Tunnels. We were able to walk in excavated tunnels that went under the Temple. We approached a place in the tunnel where they told us we were closer to the Holy of Holies than ever. Alot of us, including myself, left little papers with requests on them, like they do at the Western (Wailing) Wall but not exposed to the elements. Quite a moving experience.
We exited the tunnels in the Muslim Quarter and had to have bodyguards escort us thru and to the Jewish Quarter. Never once felt unsafe!
We went to the Western (Wailing) Wall. It looked just like it does on TV, but there was a sense that you and the many others were there for much more, much, much more than just to look at some masoned rocks. This too is the place where the praying Jews, and us Gentiles, go as it is the closest we can get to where the Holy of Holies would have been honored.
We took a tour of the Temple Institute, the organization that is preparing for the re-building of the third Temple. All things are in place, just waiting on God to say, `Go`.
We ate in some little street markets for lunch. I had a lamb burger. Quite tasty.
We did some shopping and then walked through a maze of city streets towards the Southern Wall of the Temple.
We walked on, looked at and considered how amazing it was that we were standing on the same steps Jesus would have walked on. No way around it, He had been there. I looked up the first reference as to His entering Jerusalem...
`And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord.` Luke 2:22 KJV
At first I thought, an eight day old baby would have no clue as to the importance of His first trip into His city--and yet, this was no ordinary baby, was it? Did He squint as the white of the walls blinded His eyes? Did He squirm as He was growing tired of the travel? Did the little guy sneeze as the dust was stirred by all the other pilgrims? Did He think of me as He entered the gates?
Our day ended a little earlier than the others. We were back at the hotel by around 4:00, met to do a live feed to our church during their service, ate supper and then gathered in one of the conference rooms with another church for a worship service.
It was a very moving service, especially a song sung by a young lady that was very heartfelt.
Today`s itinerary: the Holocaust Museum, the Israel Museum and a visit to the Shepherds` Fields outside Bethlehem.
I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us.