Hope for Bethlehem, Israel, and the Ends of the Earth

God’s Peace!  Do you believe in this peace?  Do I believe?  How do we envision this to take place?  Is it the hope of the many or desire of the few?  Or simply the desire of one?  

When I first visited Bethlehem in the summer of 2018, it was from a distant edge of the city, just inside the wall.  After taking pictures in and around The Walled off Hotel on Caritas Street, I made my way to a slope that overlooked downtown Bethlehem.   The first thing that occurred to me was I had just passed through an elaborate fenced off passage way that guided me through the Western Wall into the West Bank.  Later I thought about the significance and relationship of Bethlehem with Christmas.  Throughout the world many of us celebrate Christmas knowing that there is a link with Bethlehem.  We celebrate the birth of Christ, Mary and hear the words of peace, joy, and love.  However, when I was standing in Bethlehem, I saw the relationship from a different perspective.  How can we celebrate fully the joys of Christmas without there being godly peace in Jerusalem and Bethlehem?  What if the hope of heavenly peace was born anew in the land and in our hearts?  That is my new hope for Christmas.  Not a secular peace, nor a divided sense of peace.  Rather, a godly peace that is both human and divine that transcends our sense of time.  The market may crash and the dollar may fall, but let the hope of peace and justice like the cedars stand tall. 

Downtown Bethlehem in the Distance

The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, Westbank 

Closeup of the Western Wall near The Walled Off Hotel

Closeup of the Western Wall near The Walled Off Hotel

O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,

who are one of the little clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to rule in Israel,

whose origin is from of old,

from ancient days….

                

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth;             

and he shall be the one of peace (Mich 4:4-5).

Christians in Gaza

There are approximately 1000-3000 Christians living in Gaza.  Although many Christians around the world are allowed freedom to worship during Christmas, there are others who are not.  Such is the case for Christians in Gaza.   The Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades recently posted flyers warning residence of Gaza (both Christians and Moslems) that it is forbidden to celebrate Christmas.  However, Israel has worked to accommodate Palestinian Christians, including those who live in Gaza, in order to help them celebrate the holy day by allowing them to visit family members in the West Bank and to travel by air through Ben Gurion Airport.    

President Trump, James Mattis, Syria, and Israel

I have to admit that I did not vote for Donald Trump.  I am not a democrat, nor did I vote for Hilary.  One of the things that I hoped for after his election was that President Trump would surround himself with wise counsel.   Then after his cabinet was established, I thought that on the day which John Francis Kelly and James Mattis resign (or were fired) would not be a good sign.  Earlier this month Kelly announced his resignation and Mattis made public his departure this past Thursday. 

President Trump announced earlier this week that he will withdrawal US troops from Syria.  Although many are surprised at the decision, previously Trump had expressed his intentions.   Turkey welcomed the move.  Others have suggested that Russia and Iran would look favorably on the decision too.  However, others are concerned.  There is evidence that some in Israel see the decision by Trump as a betrayal.  The Kurds were also disappointed by Trump’s decision.  Not surprisingly, the resignation of James Mattis seems to have been in part a response to Trump’s decision.  Mattis has also canceled a trip to Israel next week during which he had planned to talk with Israel on Iran and Syria.  

James Mattis (REUTERS) 

New altar dedicated outside city walls of Old Jerusalem on last day of Hanukkah.

On the last day of Hanukkah, a group of Temple activists displayed and dedicated a new altar outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.  A sheep was slaughtered earlier in the week in an abattoir (slaughterhouse) and one of its legs was later burned on the altar along with olive oil, wine, and grain.  The dedication of the new altar was the idea of Professor Hillel Weiss and had the support of the Joint Committee of Temple Organizations.  

A new altar was dedicated outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, December 10, 2018 (CREDIT: THE TEMPLE IN ZION).

Arise O Jerusalem

Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem,

and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.

      Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;

put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;

      for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.

      For God will give you evermore the name,

“Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.”

      

Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;

look toward the east,

and see your children gathered from west and east

at the word of the Holy One,

rejoicing that God has remembered them….

The woods and every fragrant tree

have shaded Israel at God’s command.

      For God will lead Israel with joy,

in the light of his glory,

with the mercy and righteousness that come from

him (Baruch 5).

Replica of Temple Menorah in Jerusalem - Israel Trip 2018

Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem - Israel Trip 2018

Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem - Israel Trip 2018

Image of Madaba Map of Byzantine Jerusalem

Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem - Israel Trip 2018

Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem - Israel Trip 2018

Artistic Representation of Menorah - Israel Trip 2018

Pope Francis to Visit the UAE in February 2019

In February 2019, Pope Francis will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  Francis will be the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula.  While in the UAE, he will attend an international “interfaith” meeting from February 3 – 5.  Unlike Saudi Arabia, which does not allow Catholics to worship openly, the UAE is home to a growing number of Catholics from southern Asia.    

The pope was invited by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Catholic Church in UAE.  The theme for the gathering is from Saint Francis of Assisi: “Make me a channel of your peace!”  Bishop Paul Hinder, the Apostolic Vicar of the UAE, Oman, and Yemen, expressed his desire for the visit to be a first step in dialogue between Muslims and Christians that will help contribute understanding and peace in the Middle East.     

Pope Francis on Dialogue (Evangelii Gaudium): Part III

Non-Christians, by God’s gracious initiative, when they are faithful to their own consciences, can live “justified by the grace of God”, and thus be “associated to the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ”….God’s working in them tends to produce signs and rites, sacred expressions which in turn bring others to a communitarian experience of journeying towards God. While these lack the meaning and efficacy of the sacraments instituted by Christ, they can be channels which the Holy Spirit raises up in order to liberate non-Christians….The same Spirit everywhere brings forth various forms of practical wisdom which help people to bear suffering and to live in greater peace and harmony. As Christians, we can…benefit from these treasures built up over many centuries, which can help us better to live our own beliefs.

Pope Francis on Dialogue with Islam (Evangelii Gaudium): Part II

In order to sustain dialogue with Islam, suitable training is essential for all involved, not only so that they can be solidly and joyfully grounded in their own identity, but so that they can also acknowledge the values of others, appreciate the concerns underlying their demands and shed light on shared beliefs….Christians should embrace with affection…Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition. I ask…those countries to grant Christians freedom to worship and to practice their faith, in light of the freedom which followers of Islam enjoy in Western countries!  Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalisations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.

Pope Francis on Dialogue with Islam (Evangelii Gaudium): Part I

Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they can freely worship and become…part of society. We must never forget that they “profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day”. The sacred writings of Islam have retained some Christian teachings; Jesus and Mary receive profound veneration and it is admirable to see how Muslims both young and old, men and women, make time for daily prayer and faithfully take part in religious services. Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life … is from God and for God. They … acknowledge the need to respond to God with an ethical commitment and with mercy towards those most in need.

Pope Francis on Relationship between Catholic Church and Judaism

Menorah at Tomb of King David, Mount Zion, Jerusalem

We hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked….The Church, which shares with Jews an important part of the sacred Scriptures, looks upon the people of the covenant and their faith as one of the sacred roots of her own Christian identity….With them, we believe in the one God who acts in history….God continues to work among the people of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom which flow from their encounter with his word….While it is true that certain Christian beliefs are unacceptable to Judaism, and that the Church cannot refrain from proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Messiah, there exists as well a rich complementarity which allows us to read the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures together and to help one another to mine the riches of God’s word (Evangelii Gaudium 247-249).

Authority over the Temple Mount

I recently read that Arabs are the owners of the Temple Mount and that Jews merely visitors.   I cannot claim the veracity of the claim, but the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, which is an Islamic religious organization, oversees and manages the civil dimensions of the Temple Mount.  Following the 1948 War, Jordan gained control of the area.  In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel took possession of the mount, but allowed the Waqf to have control over the area, which presently has the financial support of Jordan.  The Jerusalem Grand Mufti oversees religious dimensions matters and Israeli police protect the mount. 

This area has been under the control of various peoples, nations, and kings: 1) Canaanite, Israeli, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottoman, British, and Jordanian.  

That leaves open the door of possibility: the authority of the Temple Mount can change hands. 

Picture from 2017 Israel Trip

What has Oman to do with Israel?

Oman's Foreign Affairs Secretary General, Sayyid al-Busaidi, said Arab states need to accept the fact that Israel is a reality in the region.  Speaking this weekend at the 4th Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome, he said,

We are all part of one region and we have to come to terms with that reality. The only way to really reach a situation of a sustainable degree of stability is that we have to reach one another and talk and translate that talk into concrete action….It is good to turn an enemy into a friend. *

If Oman established diplomatic relations with Israel, they will join a growing number of other Arab states that have shown an openness to Israel, nations such as Saudi Arabia and Chad.  Several Islamic nations already acknowledge the state of Israel such as Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.  However, a number of Arab nations do not presently accept Israel such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, though Iran, Qatar, and even Oman at one time did endorse Israel.  For more information see Israel International Relations: International Recognition of Israel.     

Buena Vista Images/Getty Images

What has Rome and Tehran to do with Jerusalem?

On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is to have called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that was established by Western countries after World War II.  Although Iranian leaders have condemned Israel in the past, and even called for her destruction, Rouhani rarely uses such strong rhetoric.  However, at the 32^nd Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Rouhani called upon Muslins throughout the world to unite and stand against the United States and Israel.   The theme of the conference was “Quds, Axis of Unity among Ummah” or Jerusalem: Center of Unity among Community.  A video of Rouhani speech can be found here.      

Now compare Tehran with Rome.  In 2000, Pope John Paul II prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and asked forgiveness for the sufferings of Jews caused by Christians over the centuries.  

God of our fathers,
you chose Abraham and his descendants
to bring your name to the nations
we are deeply saddened
by the behaviour of those
who in the course of history
have caused these children of yours
to suffer,
and asking your forgiveness
we wish to commit ourselves
to genuine brotherhood
with the people of the covenant.

On 2009, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged Jerusalem as the spiritual home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.   He prayed,

God of all the ages, on my visit to Jerusalem, the 'City of Peace', spiritual home to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, I bring before you the joys, the hopes and the aspirations, the trials, the suffering and the pain of all your people throughout the world. 

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hear the cry of the afflicted, the fearful, the bereft; send your peace upon this Holy Land, upon the Middle East, upon the entire human family; stir the hearts of all who call upon your name, to walk humbly in the path of justice and compassion.

In 2014, Pope Francis prayed the Our Father at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Pope Francis praying the Our Father at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Pope John Paul II's prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem 

Recent discovery likely supports existance of First Jewish Temple

A recent discovery near the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem provides yet another piece of evidence that the mount is the location of the ancient Jewish temples.  The artifact identified with ancient Hebrew letters that spell the word  “beka” is believed to be a counter weight used to measure the half-shekel tax (EX 38:26).  A video featuring Archaeologist Eli Shukron can be found here.  These types of discoveries add to the growing amount of evidence that argues for the Temple Mount as being the location of the first and second Jewish temples.  The importance of the Temple Mount and its relationship with the Jewish temples is becoming more popular as can be seen in a coming convention to be held at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem on Dec. 5, 2018.  

See Temple Mount 18 Jerusalem Convention for more details.  

The Beka weight which was found in soil from the Western Wall foundations. (Ir David Foundation) 

Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, Israel

Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, Israel

November 1, 2018 -- Snake exits the Western Wall

On November 1, 2018, a snake emerged from the Western Wall of the Temple Mount near the women's prayer area.  It was removed safely.  It was a coin-marked snake, which is common in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southern Europe.  Its appearance startled a pigeon, which then flew away, and surprised a number of individuals near the wall.  As is the case of other natural occurrences at the Temple Mount, this unusual event led some to speculate as to its meaning.  For a cautious response to one interpretation that attempts to link the event with biblical prophecy, see Ben Witherington blog entitled Why Some Folks Think Evangelicals are Nuts.    

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Snake Emerges from Western Wall

There are a number of videos online that captured the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLXUCcYtEwo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VklAwVwTdpI

https://www.timesofisrael.com/snake-emerges-from-western-wall-cracks-halting-prayers/

The harvest of righteousness and peace are sown in peace by those who seek peace.

Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Alissa, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, has called for a meeting of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish leaders in Jerusalem as a stride towards peace in the region.  As representatives of the three Abrahamic religions, they would meet, visit the various holy sites, and find common ground and prepare fertile ground for peace.  Alissa is an ally of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salam, who has brought about reforms in Saudi Arabia moving the country toward a more moderate Islam.  Mohammed has also shown openness towards Israel arguing that they have a right to exist.

Traces of the Trinity in Jerusalem

Traces of the Trinity at the National Park "Jerusalem Garden"

Feast of Tabernacles 2018

Feast of Tabernacles 2018

The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated in Jerusalem (September 23-30).  On Sunday the 30th, a group of Jews was praying at sunrise on the Mount of Olives facing the Temple Mount.  A resident of the Mount of Olives, Josh Wander, was recording the event while also panning toward the location of the mount.  The video shows what looks like smoke or mist/dew gently moving/hovering across an area on the Temple Mount slightly south east of the Dome of the Rock in an area with olive trees on the west and on the east not far from the eastern wall of the temple mount and close to the eastern gate. 

Strange Mist Covers Temple Mount

Russian President Putin and the Temple Mount

Russian President Putin has visited Israel on a number of occasions.  In 2012, he visited the Western Wall while being accompanied by Israeli and Russian security personal.  Before departing the area, Putin stopped to converse with an ultra-Orthodox Jewish immigrant who had shouted out to the president earlier, “Welcome President Putin.”  The two men talked about the Wall and the Temple build by King Solomon.  Before departing, Putin is to have said, “That is why I came here to pray that the Temple will be rebuilt.”  They shook hands and Putin said good-bye.  I found a video of the conversation.  It is in Russian and would love it if someone could verify that that is what President Putin said.     

What if Ishmael and Isaac were alive today, would they celebrate the Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)?

What if Ishmael and Isaac were alive today, would they celebrate the Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) together on the Temple Mount?  If their descendants are any indication, the answer is problematic.  As it now stands, the Jews are not allowed on the Temple Mount during the festival.  This year as in the past the Temple Mount will be closed to Jews and visitors from August 21-23 to prevent any conflict.  In fact, Jews are not even allowed to pray on the mount. 

The Festival of Sacrifice is the Islamic holiday that commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son.  An account of Abraham offering up his son is described in the Quran (Surah 37:101-112).  The son is not named in verses 101-111, though Isaac is referred to later in verses 112-113.  This has not prevented Moslem interpretations to identify the son as Ishmael.  In contrast, the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures identify the son whom Abraham was commanded to sacrifice as Isaac (Gen 22:1-19; Heb 11:17-19).  There have been attempts to reconcile the two accounts.  For example, Reuven Firestone’s comparative study looks at Genesis 22 in light of Sura 37 and attempts to discover a possible ancient oral tradition that might have existed before the written texts of Genesis and Quran.   Rabbi Shlomo Riskin wrestles with the two accounts and argues that Abraham’s poor treatment of Ishmael, or what he calls the “sacrifice of Ishmael,” led to God’s testing of Abraham calling upon him to offer up the “sacrifice of Isaac.”  In the end both the death of Ishmael and Isaac were averted through the intervention of an angel and both sons were given blessings (Gen 21:8-21; 22:9-19). 

Although the Quran does not give the location of the event, Genesis identifies it with the land of Moriah (22:2).  Mount Moriah would later become the location were Solomon built the First Temple; it was the location of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite where David bought the site and built an altar calling upon the LORD who answered with fire from heaven (2 Chron 3:1; 1 Chron 21:18-27).  Mount Moriah was the location of the Second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.  Presently, the Dome of the Rock is believed to be located over the place were Abraham offered his son and thus on the location were the Jewish temples once stood.

The Festival of Sacrifice is celebrated throughout the world.  It usually involves sacrificing an animal and dividing it in three parts with one part given to the poor and needy, another portion given to friends, neighbors, and relatives, and the third part shared with the family.  An animal is sacrificed in public in many locations allowing blood to flow in the open streets.  In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Muslim community celebrated the Festival of Sacrifice at U.S. Bank Stadium, which included speeches and prayers, but undertook no sacrificing of animals. 

Israeli Supreme Court to Consider Jewish Right to Pray on Temple Mount

Civil rights group demands end to restrictions aimed at Jewish visitors to Temple Mount. Court gives state 60 days to respond.

General Allenby

It is very evident that already God is overruling events with a view to this restoration. The marvelous deliverance of Jerusalem in December, 1917, when the Turkish flag was hauled down after practically 1260 years of misrule and oppression, and the banners of the Entente Allies raised in its place, was preparing the way for this very thing. It was indeed a most important event, fraught with greater meaning than millions dreamed of, when General Allenby received from the Turkish Governor of Jerusalem the surrender of the Holy City. And may I draw your attention to something that is not generally known, but which, I think, adds importance to the providential character of this surrender? General Allenby, to whom God would give the victory over the Turkish Army, is himself a firm believer in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; and this event, may we not say, was in view of the restoration of Israel to the land, and the land to Israel, of which we have been speaking. How striking it was for such an one to enter the city and take possession of it, not only in the name of the Allied Powers, but verily in the name of the Lord Himself! On the night before Jerusalem’s surrender, a prayer-meeting was held, I have been told, in General Allenby’s own marquee, and the burden of his petition was that on the following day the city might be taken without a bombardment, as he shrank from being obliged to destroy things and places so sacred both to Christian and to Jew. To him it would have seemed a most unhappy necessity to bombard at all the city where Jesus lived and died. And his prayer was answered, for Jerusalem was surrendered the next day without firing a shot; and as this Christian officer entered the city on foot, bareheaded, followed by his staff in like manner, Arab, Jew and Christian alike recognized that the hour had struck when God was opening the way for the fulfilment of many prophecies of His own Word.

H.A. Ironside

The Monolith and the Temple Mount

This last summer when I visited Jerusalem, I explored for the first time the Western Wall Tunnel.  Although most people are familiar with the portion of the wall where Jews presently pray, the largest portion of the wall is now underground.  I took a tour of the tunnel and discovered several surprises: 1) there is a huge monolith stone, sometimes called the Western Stone, which is nearly twice the height of a person and wider than a two car garage; it is over 500 tons and is the largest stone discovered in the Temple Mount.  The upper section has what looks like a section broken off, which might have been a result of stones being thrown off of the Temple Mount when the Romans destroyed the area in 70 CE; 2) some of the stones in plain view have been cut and dressed in a way that they fit together nearly perfectly; 3) there are sections of the wall where women are allowed to pray; 4) there is a quarry nearby where stones were honed out  for the Temple Mount and it looks as though the stones where being carved out even until the area was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE; and 5) there are sections of the tunnel that were simply amazing to walk through and there were areas that were confined.   

The Monolith or Western Stone

Closeup: the stones above the broken section of the Monolith were added later by the Muslims around 1400 CE.

Closeup of precision joints of the stones

Women praying at the Western Wall near the Monolith

Women praying at another section of the Western Wall

A quarry near the Western Wall

A majestic section of the tunnel of the Western Wall

Another section of the Western Wall Tunnel