Hosanna!

I have been struggling to put into words all that we have seen and experienced during our recent trip to Israel. There are no words great enough, wonderful enough, big enough to convey all that I learned or felt during this week. It was life changing ... for all three of us.

I am actually starting with our last full day in Jerusalem. I will admit that it wasn't our favorite day and we came home and said we wouldn't go to this spot next time, (oh, yes, there will be a next time!) but today in church, Pastor Gregg preached about this spot and made all that happened here all the more amazing. We just might have to go back again after all!

We began our day on Mount Scopus. It was here that the Israeli army parachuted in troops to begin the 6 Day War in 1967. It was this war that gave Jerusalem back to Israel. We stopped here by accident ... we were on our way to the Mount of Olives. From this vantage point you could see all the way to the Dead Sea. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

From the top of the Mount of Olives. The Old City of Jerusalem is behind us ... you can't miss the Dome of the Rock. I'm pretty sure there is a picture of my family taken from this exact spot 22 years ago.  

Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock was built on the spot of the temple ... which is why it is also called The Temple Mount. In the middle of the picture is the Eastern Gate ... bricked up in front of a cemetary. The muslims knew that the Messiah would be a prophet, priest and king ... they put a cemetary there because no prophet, priest or king would defile Himself by going through a cemetary. And, just in case, surely the bricks will keep Him out. Makes you want to giggle.

Oh, and the Eastern Gate and the Dome of the Rock do NOT line up ... which makes you question if the Dome of the Rock was built on the actual site of the Temple. More on that later.

We then walked down the Mount of Olives, taking the same path Jesus went on Palm Sunday and again on the day He was crucified. Five days. Same road.  Two different journeys. Loving crowd. Angry mob. Oh, how He loves.

The above was taken from inside Dominus Flavius which was the church built over the site where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Love this picture with the cross in the window overlooking the city of Jerusalem ... easy to think that it was in a spot near to here where He did weep over the city and people He so loved.

Dean and Torrey just outside Dominus Flavius. The Eastern Gate is right behind them.

And, finally the Eastern Gate. Let me just say, God's plan is perfect. Perfect.  On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus went through this gate, with a loving crowd singing "Hosanna!" He went through the Eastern Gate, which was also called "The Sheep Gate."  He went through the Sheep Gate on the day that the lambs were brought to be set apart for Passover. And, He went through the gate on day 173,880 after Danel had prophesied and Nehemiah had decreed that the Annointed One would come. The exact day of the sixty-nine 'sevens' (Daniel 9:24-27) the Lamb of God went through the Sheep Gate on the day the lambs were set aside for Passover sacrifice.

Life changing week indeed.