My eyes opened at 5:45. Perfect I have to be up by 6 anyway. I felt wide awake and ready to start my day. I almost did until I realized that it was only 1am in the morning in Israel and the 5:45 on my phone was PM, echoing Eastern Standard Time. To say the least I couldn’t fall back asleep. That’s when a rooster began to crow. Crowing is an understatement. You would think this bird was howling at the moon. However it brought life to the story of when the cock crowed three times after Peter denied his Lord. “Wow, this is crazy” I thought to myself. Israel, Jerusalem, Jet Lack, and Crowing roosters early in the morning. I thought it didn’t get better than this until I heard Muslim prayers and chants bellowing outside my window several hours later. With the atmosphere filled with dark chants of hopelessness my heart began to conceive a cry for the city of Jerusalem.
After a helping of some incredible cheerios we began our journey to the Old City of Jerusalem. Passing through the Damascus gate we made our way to the Wailing Wall. We were going to have to revisit this monumental place seeing that we only had a short window of time to make it through security. Passing through security was more intimidating than customs at the airport. It’s not every day when you observe Israeli and Palestine soldiers caring around machine guns as if they were some type of accessory. This nation is truly in war, I thought to myself. And we were about to ascend to the most fought after piece of land on the face of planet Earth. Our minds can only fathom the spiritual war engaged over this land. Who will occupy the high place? Principalities and spiritual hosts of wickedness or myriads of angels.
Psalm 24 began to resonate in my Spirit. “The Earth is the Lords and the fullness there in. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord, and who may stand in His holy place. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, which has not lift up his soul to an idol.” As we made our ascent sobriety entered my mind. How could it be that the very place that once radiated the glory of God through His temple was now the location of a gold Muslim dome? Even though the dome of the rock was an impressive sight the cry in my heart toward the city of Jerusalem began to grow. The sights, the smells, the views were astonishing on the temple mount. There is much to be said pertaining to the Eastern Gate, the Mt. of Olives and the Kendron Valley but words do such an injustice when God gave us five senses to take in the beauty of what was created. Besides we were on our way now to the City of David.
The city of David was astonishing. Seeing the foundations of David’s palace and being near the ground of where his tabernacle was erected for 33 years was very intriguing. As much as I would have longed to be part of the community of David’s Tabernacle years ago, I looked around and presently saw myself part of an even more glorious company of people. A people living in a better covenant, built upon better promises, experiencing a better out pouring. Oh how the later rains are greater than the former and we were about to experience some of that glory rain as we entered into a House of Prayer that is the closest prayer room to where the original Tabernacle of David was erected. Come On!!! It doesn’t get better than this. I would love to continue to write more, but I feel sleep deprived and once again heaven is waiting for our partnership tomorrow morning.
- Brandon J
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