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The Temple Mount: Hottest Property On Earth (Part One)

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by Chava Docks

Wherever you look in the news it seems as if the world is going to implode due to hate and violence. It appears as if mankind has reverted back to primitive behavior, while at the same time reaching an all time high in technology and the sciences. How can this be? What is humanity missing that is driving it to such base behavior? For what is man searching? There is renewed interest in different forms of spirituality with almost a sense of desperation. At times, it appears that there is a well defined line of demarcation between good and evil, right and wrong, but other times, the line is blurred and barely visible. Humanity is lost and confused. Why?

The Temple Mount: The heart of the world. What happens when your physical heart is ill? The rest of your body suffers. It is extremely difficult to function normally performing daily activities if your heart is not functioning properly. The same applies to the spiritual soul of humanity. Where is our spiritual heart? The Temple Mount on Mount Moriah.

What is the significance of Mount Moriah?

  • Adam brought the first sacrifice to Gd on Mount Moriah.
  • Cain and Able presented their sacrifices to Gd on Mount Moriah.
  • Noah offered a sacrifice after leaving the ark on Mount Moriah.
  • Abraham and Isaac journeyed together up to Mount Moriah.
  • Isaac offered a prayer on Mount Moriah.
  • Jacob had his famous dream on Mount Moriah.
  • King David and the Prophet Samuel established a permanent altar and declared the site of the First Temple on Mount Moriah.
  • King Solomon finished King David's plans and built the First Temple on Mount Moriah.
  • The Holy of Holies, the gateway between heaven and earth, is on Mount Moriah.
  • The Second Temple was on Mount Moriah.
  • The Third Temple will be built which will bring peace and the Final Redemption to the entire world from Mount Moriah.

About two thousand years ago, 70 CE our Second Temple was destroyed by Gd via the hands of the Romans because of various causes: corruption and baseless hatred to name just two reasons. The Jewish people were murdered and driven into the longest exile of our history.

Silence.

The Middle East gave witness to the creation of the new religion of Islam between the years of 610 - 622 CE.

In the year 691 CE the Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on Mount Moriah, the very site of the Jewish first two Holy Temples. According to the Islamic tradition, it was on this site that Mohammed ascended into heaven, however Mecca, the birthplace of Islam is the holiest site in Islam.

Exile, wars, pogroms, persecutions, Holocaust.

Rebirth: May 14, 1948 after the deadliest genocide in Jewish history, the land of Israel was resurrected. One miracle after another occurred. The geula (the final redeption of the Jewish people) had begun.

Sixty-seven years later, many are trying to hasten the final stage of the geula by the rebuilding of the Third and final Beit HaMikdash. But, rebuilding isn't as easy as it sounds. Just ascending the Temple Mount is fraught with peril on all sides; the government, the police, the Jordanian Waqf, and the local Muslims.

In the early morning hours, Jews from all over Israel assemble and quietly wait in line (their side of the line, because the tourists have their own line) to hand in their Israeli identification cards and wait to be called. The non-Jewish tourists are quickly ushered in and are free to go where they please on the Temple Mount. The police begin calling each Jew one by one, returning their ID cards and passing them through metal detectors and scanners. Each Jew is questioned, their possessions inspected to make sure there is no food, or any religious items. All the Jews are then gathered together and given a stern lecture by the head of the police on how to act, what to do and what not to do. The Jews are warned that if they do anything that is not allowed (ie: closing their eyes, mumbling any sort of prayer, etc.), they will be arrested.

We are home, but not at home.

We are still in exile in our own land, on our own Mount Moriah. What would Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David and King Solomon say?

Why should we care? Isn't this all ancient history? It's over. The temples are destroyed and the Muslims have taken over. So, just let them have it. Won't our going up to the Temple Mount just anger the Muslims and make them attack us? Just forget it all. We can bring peace to the world in other ways, right?

Or can we?

To be continued.......


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