The security guard opens the door at precisely 7:30am and warmly greets our friend, Rabbi Yehudah Glick, in the beautiful language of heaven known to us as Hebrew. They both laugh and Yehudah translates their conversation to us by saying, "Don't worry men! I told him you were from Iran." Classic humor that I have come to love so very much. We are joined by an influential Spanish speaking pastor and his team from California along with a friend of mine and his two boys from perhaps the greatest Christian volunteer ministry in all of Israel, HaYovel (ServeIsrael.com). We enter security with no problems as usual, and Yehudah begins teaching us about the Temple of God on Mount Zion.
We are now walking up the long wooden platform making our way to the only entrance onto the Temple Mount that Jews and Christians can access. The Kotel (Western Wall) is down below us to our left, and many men and women are praying to the one true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yehudah is leading us up to Zion, the eternal dwelling place of God.
"For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: "This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it." Psalm 132:13-14 (ESV)
Yehudah stops directly above the Western Wall and begins to sing aloud a familiar song to us Christians, "This is the day. This is the day." Raising his hands beckoning us to join him, "That Hashem has made. That Hashem has made." We are not great singers, but he is so enthusiastic we cannot help but join him, so we mutter along with him, "This is the day. This is the day. That the Lord has made. That the Lord has made." He grows louder and louder with a smile as big as Texas, and with his hands he is motioning us to sing, "THIS IS THE DAY. THIS IS THE DAY. THAT HASHEM HAS MADE. THAT HASHEM HAS MADE." We are invested now, so we come alive and sing, "This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
But we are now holding up a large tour group behind us, and we don't know if we should let them pass or keep joyfully singing, but then Yehudah exclaims, "Indonesia! Baruch Hashem! Do you know this song? Sing it for us in Indonesian." Immediately, their entire group sings this song in their native language while Yehudah claps for joy! At that moment, tears start filling my eyes as God shows up to hear his children, both Jews and us from the nations, sing His praises. We are at the doorstep of Zion now, and Scripture is being fulfilled in our midst.
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isaiah 51:11 (ESV)
We enter Zion where God's Temple once stood and where it will stand again in the future. All the nations will come, and it will truly be a house of prayer for all nations. It is peaceful, and it is right for us to be there. Yehudah teaches and reads many of the Psalms (Especially Psalm 24). He walks us to a tucked in area surrounded by olive trees to our front and the Eastern wall of the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives behind us. We are not far from the Golden Gate where the Messiah will prophetically enter Zion. We find a small group of Jewish worshipers gathered there, eying us as we draw closer. They are under close watch by heavily armed Israeli guards. We are in a quiet place of worship. Yehudah whispers to us, "We are now permitted to worship here on the Temple Mount in a way that we have never been able to do so in my lifetime. Join me if you would like." He lays facedown with his arms stretched out prostrating himself toward the Temple area. Our small group of Christians follow the example set by this Jewish Rabbi, Yehudah. That same feeling of God showing up in our midst comes over me again as He did during our singing. This time, as I lay prostrate, I sense the enormity of God and the frailty of myself. I do my best to confidently come before the throne of grace to receive God's mercy. It is something new that I have never done at home, and I never imagined I would do it so openly on the Temple Mount since all forms of worship and public prayer have not be allowed to Jews and Christians up until now.
We finished our time with God on His Holy Mountain, and we are changed, forever. There are many experiences we forget through life, but this is one that I will tell to my children's children's children, Hashem willing!
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord..." Isaiah 2:3 (ESV)
A special "Thank You and Bless You" to Yehudah Glick, who has become a dear friend that I love, admire and respect. Read more about his and his wife's ministry to orphans and widows in Israel. (Amitsim.com)
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