The Mount of Olives

HIS FEET SHALL STAND IN THAT DAY UPON

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

January 11, 2009

The title for this study came from where Zechariah prophesied: “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.”  Zechariah 14:4-a

Yea, JESUS standing on the Mount of Olives was one of the many signs GOD gave Israel to confirm that JESUS was indeed their Messiah.   Many were the times JESUS’ feet trod upon the Mount of Olives.  Luke said:  “In the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.” 

Luke 21:37-38

And JESUS said of Himself: “The Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”  Luke 9:58   Now that is most humbling, to say the least, especially since Luke said:  At night, JESUS went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives.    Taking into consideration what Luke said, of necessity, His feet trod the Mount of Olives hundreds of times.

No, it didn’t register with Israel in general nor does it score with the modern day scholars.

Yea, numerous times JESUS’ feet stood on “The Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the east.”  His disciples often met with Him on the Mount of Olives to receive their orders for that day.   Matthew said : “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, [2] Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. [3] And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.” Matthew 21:1-2    Then they brought JESUS the colt and His disciples sat Him upon it.   Luke said: “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;” Luke 19:37

Mark said after JESUS had prophesied many things concerning the fate of Jerusalem and the end of the world.   He wrote: “And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceives you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;” Mark 13:3-6

After that concourse, JESUS and His disciple’s came together to eat the Lord’s Passover.

Mark said: “And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.   And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.” 
Mark 14:22-26 

After that event JESUS took His disciples into the Mount of Olives.” As they proceeded they came to a garden, the garden of Gethsemane. (Gethsemane was a garden within the Mount of Olives complex.)   John said it was in that garden that JESUS prayed until His sweat become as great drops of blood.  Luke 22:44 

“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.   There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.”   John 19:41-42

Then John said: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” John 20:1

Yea, the Angel told Mary Magdalene: “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.   And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.   And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.” Matthew 28:6-9  

When it was time for JESUS to ascend back to Heaven, the author said:

“And, being assembled together with His disciples, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”  Acts 1:4

Then He told them: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 

Acts 1:8

Luke continued: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9

“Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.”  Acts 1:12 

May GOD richly bless His Church.    Amen!

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES SHALL CLAVE

IN THE MIDST THEREOF

February 2, 2009

In the previous study we dealt with were Zechariah said: “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.” Zechariah 14:4-a

But now let’s consider part b of verse four where Zechariah said: “And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

Zechariah 14:4-b

Yea, in the previous document we found that the feet of JESUS standing on the Mount of Olives to be status-quo.   While on the other hand: “The mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst,” was anything but, for it is Supernatural and for the most part it is understood through a symbolic language.

Such was the case where Jeremiah told Israel: “The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.”  Jeremiah 11:16

That goodly fruit, as it were, was the people of Israel thus they were the Mount of Olives that clave in the midst.

Then Isaiah made use of the Olive Tree to portray what should befall the beloved Israel in the latter days. He wrote: “When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree.”  Isaiah 24:13-a

Then holding true to form, the Great Apostle Paul told the Gentiles: “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”

Romans 11:24  

Yea, we’ve found Israel to be depicted as an olive tree and its fruit as her members.

But now to determine what it was that portrayed the feet that caused the cleavage that clave Israel in the midst and caused them to scatter in all directions.

When JESUS sent His apostles out to preach the Gospel, He told them: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Luke 10:19

(Such treading was done through the Word they preached.)

In reference to His Testimonial, the Psalmist said: “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.”   Psalm 91:13

And he prophesied: “Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 108:13

Thus, after JESUS begins to minister, He and His ministry caused great divisions among the people it was to the fulfillment of where Zechariah called: “A very great valley.   JESUS did cause division, or cleavage among the people.  While at Jerusalem He warned them: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.   For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” 

Matthew 10:34-35

John said of some: “And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.” John 7:12 

“Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?” John 7:41 

And even until this very day division exists among the descendants of Abraham.

The radio series “Unshackled” has dramatized many a story that suggests that when one of a Jewish family that  becomes a Christian the remaining members of that clan writes  him/her off as dead.

Therefore in our allegory Israel was an Olive tree and each of her members was counted as olives.  And therefore since they numbered as the sand of the sea, they were prefigured as a Mountain of Olives.

Yea, after JESUS began to minister, He and His ministry caused humongous division among the people and such division Zechariah called: “A very great valley.”