Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Apr 27, 2013 21:12:48 GMT -5
He is not here; He is risen!
by Sarah George
“Walk around Zion, circle it: count its towers, take note of its ramparts, go through its citadels, that you may recount it to a future age.”
- Psalm 48:12
This is one city about which so much has been written. I decided that it was not necessary for my thoughts to take up valuable cyberspace but I could not resist the temptation to share my thoughts after visiting Jerusalem and other places in Israel early this year! Jerusalem or Zion, is a symbol, an inspiration, a pilgrimage site for 3 major world religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The glorious past and the turbulent and equally fascinating present meet here creating a unique atmosphere, a forsaken wilderness has been turned into a paradise on earth. A wandering people, with the blood of King David flowing through their veins, transformed a desolate land into everything promised by the prophet Isaiah. See the intense beauty of the land and the indomitable spirit of the people. The interminable wait for a homeland and the resulting accomplishments of Jewish sweat, blood, tears and genius transformed what was desert into a flourishing land of milk and honey.
During World War 1, when the prospect of an Allied victory was dim, the British navy ran short of gunpowder. Sir Winston Churchill, then the First Lord of the Admiralty, got in touch with a brilliant Jewish Chemist, Chaim Weizmann. He asked him to produce 30,000 tons of synthetic acetone so that the British could manufacture cordite gunpowder. The accomplishment led to victory for Britain on the high seas. When asked what he wanted for his services, he replied that all he ever wanted was a national homeland for his people, the Jews. On November 17, 1917, Arthur J. Balfour issued the Balfour Declaration, promising the Jews a homeland. In 1948, Weizmann became the first president of Israel.
When the Axis powers plunged the world into World war II, again it was a Jew to whom God chose to reveal the secrets of the universe. He gave the world the formula E=mc2. Albert Einstein, an American theoretical physicist was born a German Jew, Though as an ardent pacifist, he was opposed to the use of the atomic bomb, it was as a result of his work that the A – bomb was used to bring a halt to the devastating war. ‘’Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you’’ - Psalm 122:6. God clearly promises to bless the man, the church or nation that supports the State of Israel, the Jewish people. From the time of Joseph in Egypt to Einstein in America, God has placed the Jewish people to bless the world.
The Jews, exiled many times from their native land, never forgot this city. Wherever they were in the world, they prayed in a direction facing the city. When the nation of Israel was created in 1948, Jerusalem was declared the capital. It was a divided city between 1948 and 1967, when the Six Day war was fought. During that time, the eastern part of the city was under Jordanian control.
The best way to explore this magnificent city is to walk around it by foot, as the psalmist says. One particular site is the Garden Tomb. The awesome beauty and serenity of the gardens of The Garden Tomb in the old city of Jerusalem, is according to Protestant belief, the location of Jesus’ grave.
The garden, a beautiful two-acre property, was acquired by British Christians 125 years ago. Flowers make a riotous display of colour here. It is a haven of exotic plants and flowers and is located on the north side of Jerusalem just outside the Damascus gate. It has a strong resemblance to the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid as described in the Gospels. Excavations confirmed the belief that the area had been a garden during the time of Jesus. It contains one of the oldest (2000 years) and largest cisterns in Jerusalem and holds 200,000 gallons of water.
A quiet place maintained exclusively for worship and reflection, this could most likely be the garden and sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea. Located outside the city walls and close to the Damascus gate, it contains a rock-cut tomb typical of a first century Jewish rolling stone tomb, carved out of solid rock. The channel that can be seen in front of the tomb entrance is where the stone would have sat that would have been rolled to seal the tomb. The tomb had a weeping chamber, a burial chamber, was sealed with a rolling stone and had a traditionally low doorway through which the disciples would have had to stoop to enter:
It would be interesting to go back in time and examine the events that occurred after the burial of Jesus in the Garden Tomb.
‘Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. (Matthew 28:1).
The day before Jesus rose from the grave was the last divinely ordained Sabbath for His people, because on the following day the New Covenant in Jesus Christ came into place. That Sunday was the dawning of a new era in history. At that predawn hour the women had come to look at the grave where they expected His Body to still be lying.
‘And behold a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven…And the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.’ (Matt 28:2-6).
The angel gently reminded the women that Jesus’ resurrection should not surprise them, because it happened just as He said (Matt 28:6a). Luke records that they then ‘remembered His words’ (Luke 24:8).
The angel invited the women to come, see the place where He was lying (Matt 28:6b) The angel joined them in the tomb and repeated the message ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He is risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. (Mark 16:6).
While the women were in the tomb, another angel joined the first, ‘one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.’ (John 20:12). Their positions correspond to the two golden cherubim who were on either side of the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18). The two angels in the garden were posted at either end of the tomb of Jesus, who by sacrificing His life, became the true and eternal Mercy seat for mankind.
The two angels reminded the women again ‘Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of the sinful men and be crucified, and on the third day rise again’(Luke 24:5-7)
One of the angels then said, ‘Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead.’ (Matt.28:7)
The women did not have time to revel in the marvellous reality of the good news but were to go immediately and announce it to the disciples, who were still hiding from the authorities in Jerusalem. These disciples had refused to believe that Jesus would die and be raised from death, although He had told them of His death and resurrection many times. But God in His gracious mercy had sent the women to tell the disciples as soon as possible, so that they would not have to experience another moment of grief, misery and fear. There was no rebuke for their lack of faith or cowardice. Instead, messengers were sent with gracious words of hope and comfort.
Have you ever wondered why God chose to reveal the great truth of the resurrection to these women first rather than to the other disciples? It is obvious that the women were the first to hear the angelic announcement of the resurrection simply because they were there. So, the closer a believer clings to the Lord and to His work, the more he is going to witness and experience the Lord’s power.
Those who are there when the Lord’s people gather for worship and prayer, who are there when His Word is being taught, when the lost are being won to Christ, when others are being served in His name, who are regular for private prayer – those are the ones who will most experience first-hand the work of God.
The resurrection gives evidence that the Word of God is completely true and reliable. Jesus rose from the dead precisely when and in the way he had predicted. Second, the resurrection means that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as he claimed to be, and that he has power over life and death. Third, the resurrection proves that salvation is complete – at Calvary Christ conquered sin, death and hell and rose victorious! Fourth, the resurrection proves that the church has been established. Jesus said, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.’ (Matt. 16:18). ‘The gates of Hades’ is a Jewish colloquialism for death. Fifth, the resurrection proves that judgement is coming. Jesus said that ‘the Father has given all judgement to the Son’ (John 5:22), and now that the Son is risen, we are awaiting His judgement. Sixth, the resurrection of Christ proves that heaven is waiting. Jesus promised, ‘In my house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you’ (John 14:2).
The Qumran Caves
60 odd years ago, the shattering of ancient pottery turned the attention of the world to a discovery that scholars would label ‘an absolutely incredible find!’ Little did Mohammed edh-Dhib realise that his trying to retrieve a stubborn stray goat from a cave near the Dead Sea would be one of the greatest deeds ever performed. One spring day in 1947, he tossed a stone into the entrance of a cave. What happened after that is history! Instead of a terrified goat racing out at top speed, what he heard was the sound of pottery breaking into pieces. The young lad thought he had stumbled upon a treasure trove when he found a few clay jars. He was frightened and it was too dark to make out the contents so he fled home and narrated the whole episode to his uncle. The next morning Mohammed and his uncle crawled into the cave. The discovered twelve jars, one of which contained what resembled a leather scroll, wrapped in time worn linen. The took their find to an antique dealer in Bethlehem who gave them a few dollars! The man was sensible enough to hand over the find to experts who could determine their identity. After being in the possession of St Mark’s Monastery in Jerusalem, the objects were taken to the acting director of the American Schools of Oriental Research. The scroll measured 28 feet in length. Professor John Trevor photographed the ancient scroll, finding to his delight that it was a copy of the entire book of Isaiah! Imagine the excitement in Biblical and other historical circles! Subsequent evacuations at the caves in the vicinity of Qumran yielded more than two hundred scrolls and manuscript fragments. Every Old testament book, with the exception of Esther, was represented in the collection, including numerous other writings and commentaries. Archaeologists agreed that the site dated to the second century B.C. The ancient manuscripts had been preserved intact for more than 2000 years due to the extreme dry climate of the region. Until the Qumran findings, the oldest known manuscripts of Isaiah were from the 9th century A.D.
Modernists and liberal scholars who do not believe in the authenticity and inerrancy of the Scriptures have declared for many years that Isaiah could not have written the complete book attributed to him. He lived in the 7th century B.C. and prophesied events that took place more than a hundred years later, even identifying Cyrus by name! This king would play a significant role in God’s dealings with Israel.
Jesus is alive and believers have the assurance that He is now awaiting them in their heavenly dwelling!
© Sarah George
by Sarah George
“Walk around Zion, circle it: count its towers, take note of its ramparts, go through its citadels, that you may recount it to a future age.”
- Psalm 48:12
This is one city about which so much has been written. I decided that it was not necessary for my thoughts to take up valuable cyberspace but I could not resist the temptation to share my thoughts after visiting Jerusalem and other places in Israel early this year! Jerusalem or Zion, is a symbol, an inspiration, a pilgrimage site for 3 major world religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The glorious past and the turbulent and equally fascinating present meet here creating a unique atmosphere, a forsaken wilderness has been turned into a paradise on earth. A wandering people, with the blood of King David flowing through their veins, transformed a desolate land into everything promised by the prophet Isaiah. See the intense beauty of the land and the indomitable spirit of the people. The interminable wait for a homeland and the resulting accomplishments of Jewish sweat, blood, tears and genius transformed what was desert into a flourishing land of milk and honey.
During World War 1, when the prospect of an Allied victory was dim, the British navy ran short of gunpowder. Sir Winston Churchill, then the First Lord of the Admiralty, got in touch with a brilliant Jewish Chemist, Chaim Weizmann. He asked him to produce 30,000 tons of synthetic acetone so that the British could manufacture cordite gunpowder. The accomplishment led to victory for Britain on the high seas. When asked what he wanted for his services, he replied that all he ever wanted was a national homeland for his people, the Jews. On November 17, 1917, Arthur J. Balfour issued the Balfour Declaration, promising the Jews a homeland. In 1948, Weizmann became the first president of Israel.
When the Axis powers plunged the world into World war II, again it was a Jew to whom God chose to reveal the secrets of the universe. He gave the world the formula E=mc2. Albert Einstein, an American theoretical physicist was born a German Jew, Though as an ardent pacifist, he was opposed to the use of the atomic bomb, it was as a result of his work that the A – bomb was used to bring a halt to the devastating war. ‘’Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you’’ - Psalm 122:6. God clearly promises to bless the man, the church or nation that supports the State of Israel, the Jewish people. From the time of Joseph in Egypt to Einstein in America, God has placed the Jewish people to bless the world.
The Jews, exiled many times from their native land, never forgot this city. Wherever they were in the world, they prayed in a direction facing the city. When the nation of Israel was created in 1948, Jerusalem was declared the capital. It was a divided city between 1948 and 1967, when the Six Day war was fought. During that time, the eastern part of the city was under Jordanian control.
The best way to explore this magnificent city is to walk around it by foot, as the psalmist says. One particular site is the Garden Tomb. The awesome beauty and serenity of the gardens of The Garden Tomb in the old city of Jerusalem, is according to Protestant belief, the location of Jesus’ grave.
The garden, a beautiful two-acre property, was acquired by British Christians 125 years ago. Flowers make a riotous display of colour here. It is a haven of exotic plants and flowers and is located on the north side of Jerusalem just outside the Damascus gate. It has a strong resemblance to the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid as described in the Gospels. Excavations confirmed the belief that the area had been a garden during the time of Jesus. It contains one of the oldest (2000 years) and largest cisterns in Jerusalem and holds 200,000 gallons of water.
A quiet place maintained exclusively for worship and reflection, this could most likely be the garden and sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea. Located outside the city walls and close to the Damascus gate, it contains a rock-cut tomb typical of a first century Jewish rolling stone tomb, carved out of solid rock. The channel that can be seen in front of the tomb entrance is where the stone would have sat that would have been rolled to seal the tomb. The tomb had a weeping chamber, a burial chamber, was sealed with a rolling stone and had a traditionally low doorway through which the disciples would have had to stoop to enter:
It would be interesting to go back in time and examine the events that occurred after the burial of Jesus in the Garden Tomb.
‘Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. (Matthew 28:1).
The day before Jesus rose from the grave was the last divinely ordained Sabbath for His people, because on the following day the New Covenant in Jesus Christ came into place. That Sunday was the dawning of a new era in history. At that predawn hour the women had come to look at the grave where they expected His Body to still be lying.
‘And behold a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven…And the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.’ (Matt 28:2-6).
The angel gently reminded the women that Jesus’ resurrection should not surprise them, because it happened just as He said (Matt 28:6a). Luke records that they then ‘remembered His words’ (Luke 24:8).
The angel invited the women to come, see the place where He was lying (Matt 28:6b) The angel joined them in the tomb and repeated the message ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He is risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. (Mark 16:6).
While the women were in the tomb, another angel joined the first, ‘one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.’ (John 20:12). Their positions correspond to the two golden cherubim who were on either side of the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18). The two angels in the garden were posted at either end of the tomb of Jesus, who by sacrificing His life, became the true and eternal Mercy seat for mankind.
The two angels reminded the women again ‘Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of the sinful men and be crucified, and on the third day rise again’(Luke 24:5-7)
One of the angels then said, ‘Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead.’ (Matt.28:7)
The women did not have time to revel in the marvellous reality of the good news but were to go immediately and announce it to the disciples, who were still hiding from the authorities in Jerusalem. These disciples had refused to believe that Jesus would die and be raised from death, although He had told them of His death and resurrection many times. But God in His gracious mercy had sent the women to tell the disciples as soon as possible, so that they would not have to experience another moment of grief, misery and fear. There was no rebuke for their lack of faith or cowardice. Instead, messengers were sent with gracious words of hope and comfort.
Have you ever wondered why God chose to reveal the great truth of the resurrection to these women first rather than to the other disciples? It is obvious that the women were the first to hear the angelic announcement of the resurrection simply because they were there. So, the closer a believer clings to the Lord and to His work, the more he is going to witness and experience the Lord’s power.
Those who are there when the Lord’s people gather for worship and prayer, who are there when His Word is being taught, when the lost are being won to Christ, when others are being served in His name, who are regular for private prayer – those are the ones who will most experience first-hand the work of God.
The resurrection gives evidence that the Word of God is completely true and reliable. Jesus rose from the dead precisely when and in the way he had predicted. Second, the resurrection means that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as he claimed to be, and that he has power over life and death. Third, the resurrection proves that salvation is complete – at Calvary Christ conquered sin, death and hell and rose victorious! Fourth, the resurrection proves that the church has been established. Jesus said, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.’ (Matt. 16:18). ‘The gates of Hades’ is a Jewish colloquialism for death. Fifth, the resurrection proves that judgement is coming. Jesus said that ‘the Father has given all judgement to the Son’ (John 5:22), and now that the Son is risen, we are awaiting His judgement. Sixth, the resurrection of Christ proves that heaven is waiting. Jesus promised, ‘In my house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you’ (John 14:2).
The Qumran Caves
60 odd years ago, the shattering of ancient pottery turned the attention of the world to a discovery that scholars would label ‘an absolutely incredible find!’ Little did Mohammed edh-Dhib realise that his trying to retrieve a stubborn stray goat from a cave near the Dead Sea would be one of the greatest deeds ever performed. One spring day in 1947, he tossed a stone into the entrance of a cave. What happened after that is history! Instead of a terrified goat racing out at top speed, what he heard was the sound of pottery breaking into pieces. The young lad thought he had stumbled upon a treasure trove when he found a few clay jars. He was frightened and it was too dark to make out the contents so he fled home and narrated the whole episode to his uncle. The next morning Mohammed and his uncle crawled into the cave. The discovered twelve jars, one of which contained what resembled a leather scroll, wrapped in time worn linen. The took their find to an antique dealer in Bethlehem who gave them a few dollars! The man was sensible enough to hand over the find to experts who could determine their identity. After being in the possession of St Mark’s Monastery in Jerusalem, the objects were taken to the acting director of the American Schools of Oriental Research. The scroll measured 28 feet in length. Professor John Trevor photographed the ancient scroll, finding to his delight that it was a copy of the entire book of Isaiah! Imagine the excitement in Biblical and other historical circles! Subsequent evacuations at the caves in the vicinity of Qumran yielded more than two hundred scrolls and manuscript fragments. Every Old testament book, with the exception of Esther, was represented in the collection, including numerous other writings and commentaries. Archaeologists agreed that the site dated to the second century B.C. The ancient manuscripts had been preserved intact for more than 2000 years due to the extreme dry climate of the region. Until the Qumran findings, the oldest known manuscripts of Isaiah were from the 9th century A.D.
Modernists and liberal scholars who do not believe in the authenticity and inerrancy of the Scriptures have declared for many years that Isaiah could not have written the complete book attributed to him. He lived in the 7th century B.C. and prophesied events that took place more than a hundred years later, even identifying Cyrus by name! This king would play a significant role in God’s dealings with Israel.
Jesus is alive and believers have the assurance that He is now awaiting them in their heavenly dwelling!
© Sarah George