Israel Trip Journal- Day 3 pt. 1: Mount of Olives
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Ancient Olive Tree- Garden of Gethsemane |
Mount of Olives
After breakfast, we rode to the Garden of Gethsemane. The Garden of Gethsemane is at the foot of the Mount of Olives and looks west toward the Eastern Gate of the Old City–also called the Golden Gate–across the Kidron Valley. This fact is mentioned in John 18:1: “When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it.”
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Inside Basilica of All Nations- Jesus’ Agony in the Garden |
When you stand at the front entrance to the Church of All Nations, you are facing the Old City, and here, just as in the Garden, you can see the Eastern Gate. The Eastern Gate, one of eleven gates to the Holy City, was shut up in the 16th century AD, during the rule of Sulieman. It is believed that the Muslim conquerors (the Ottoman Turks) shut it to prevent fulfillment of prophecy. Further, there is a Muslim cemetery planted right in front of the gate. Muslims believe that Jesus would not defile himself by passing through a graveyard. They were aware of the prophecy in Ezekiel 44: 1-3 (which he pronounced around 600 B.C.). The Jews are aware of this prophecy as well—there are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount of Olives (south of the Church of all Nations), many famous Jews have been buried here, including Zechariah himself (who prophesied Jesus’ return to this spot). These Jews hope to have a ‘front seat’ during the end time events when Jesus returns to the Mount, and triumphantly enters through the Eastern Gate (Zechariah 14:4).*
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Jewish cemetary on Mt. Olivet |
(Matthew 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:1-38).
2. Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives
(Acts 1:10-12).
4. David left via the Mount of Olives on his way out of Jerusalem when Absalom tried to depose him
(2 Samuel 15:30).*There has been a discovery of the original Eastern Gate buried beneath the present one.Since this day is such a long one, I’ve decided to break it up. This concludes part 1 of Day 3’s journal entry.Next post: Day 3 pt. 2 : City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Pool of Siloam, Temple Mount
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