| by Samuel S. Martin (Israel) |
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| When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, at that time, God dwelled among the Israelites in a moveable tent which was called “the Tabernacle.” Moses constructed this tent according to a pattern that the LORD had shown him when he was on Mount Sinai. “And have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them. In accordance with all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:8,9 NRSV) This tabernacle existed for almost 500 years because from the Exodus from Egypt until the time the Temple of God was built was 480 years. (I Kings 6:1) When the children of Israel entered the promised land, it was described like this: “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.” (Deuteronomy 8:7-10 NRSV) This is a very general description but let us look at a map and a more scholarly examination of this holy land.  When we look at this map there are some things that we must understand about the land in question. Note the following quotation: “The geographical position of Palestine is peculiar. It is central, and yet almost completely isolated.” This is such an important observation. It is one of the most centrally located of lands, with the primary focus of the land being Jerusalem: “Thus saith the Lord God, This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.” (Ezekiel 5:5) But, nonetheless, it is indeed isolated and this is something that the LORD wanted. “Palestine is, by its peculiar situation, almost isolated. Connected physically with the great body the Asiatic continent, it is yet separated from the habitable parts of it by the arid desert of Arabia.” (ibid.) This is an important point. When one looks at the previously referenced map of the country, when you look at Jerusalem, starting on the top of the Mount of Olives and heading east, from that point on the zone changes from Mediterranean Zone to a Desert Zone. Standing on the top of the Mount of Olives, if one looks to the west, the topography is much greener whereas looking east, it is much drier. Building the House of the LORD in Jerusalem Later on, in the time of Solomon, he built a Temple (or a holy house for the LORD) in Jerusalem. (I Kings 6:1) This house lasted for about 400 years before it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BC. (Jeremiah 52:13) A new Temple was built in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, and it was this Temple that our Lord Jesus spoke about saying: “As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:1-3 NRSV) The Temple was located on a mountain just to the west of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. What we want to now look at is the wider question of the place that the LORD selected for His house to be built. This information is very important because the LORD did not just haphazardly choose Jerusalem for His house. He chose this city for a number of reasons which we are going to examine. What we have to realize is that the region where the LORD selected to build His house has profound and important teachings associated with it. Only those who really seriously study the holy land and the city of Jerusalem itself can really comprehend this matter in the right way. What does the LORD’s selection of Jerusalem as the city to build His House tell us about Him? The city of Jerusalem is a very important one to the three monotheistic faiths. Having said that, many who study the Bible or even those who have visited Jerusalem really understand in depth what the selection of this city meant to the LORD and what we can learn from His selection of this city for His house from which His divine teachings were to be given to the world. Let us look at a number of points about Jerusalem which can help us better understand the mind of the LORD regarding His selection of this city. Jerusalem is a city which is at a higher elevation in the land of Israel The first thing that we have to understand about Jerusalem is its elevation. Many people who study the Bible might not realize this matter or think it important, but not recognizing this geographical fact would be a missed opportunity for learning. According to accurate measurements, the highest elevation in the Jerusalem area is a point called Nabi Samuel, which is 908 meters (2,979 feet) above sea level. Most of the city is located about 750 meters (2,460 feet) above sea level. The LORD chose this city at a higher elevation. It is not mountainous but still it is at a higher elevation than the sea and this has a number of implications. What we can see from this outline map looking at the natural features of the holy land, we can see on the left, Jaffa, which is on the sea and in the middle, we are seeing Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which are on the western mountain ridge. Then, heading east, we can see how steep the down slope is to the Dead Sea and then heading further east up again to the mountains of the country of Moab, which is modern day Jordan.  |
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