Day 4, Going to the Mount of Olives...

Jesus on the Mount of Olives

Monday 10th of Nisan [Saturday the 08th April 2006].

Arthur Action Reporting. [Day 4]

Monday morning, the Christ sets out for Jerusalem from Bethany with His disciples.
Mt21.1. Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives.
On the eastern declivity [A place that slopes downwards] of the mountain were the villages of Bethphage and Bethany. Mark and Luke say that he came near to both those places.

He appears to have come first from Bethany, where he lodged for the night (John 12:1,9-11), and in the morning sent two disciples over to the adjacent village of Bethphage to get the donkey. As soon as Christ sat upon the colt the disciples got caught up in the mood of this event, shouting praises and quoting the words from their ancient scriptures.

The Mount of Olives is about a mile in length and about 700 feet in height, and overlooks Jerusalem, so that from its summit almost every part of the city can be seen. The mountain is composed of three peaks or summits. The middle peak being the highest, it is of no great elevation in itself, it stands nearly four thousand feet above the Dead Sea, from which it’s distance is some thirteen miles away.
There is some discrepancy whether it was a donkey or a colt that Christ rode on. The donkey was a female and the young of the female are called colts. Jesus rode on a colt.

Jn12.12. The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Mt.21.1-6. Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, Then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
Zech9.9."Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'" So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
Lk 19 32-35. So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?" And they said, "The Lord has need of him." Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.

At the base of Mount Olives on the west side, there is a valley called Kedron or Kidron and there runs a small stream called the brook Kidron, or Cedron. It is dry in the hot seasons of the year but swells to a considerable size in time of heavy rains.

Across this stream is a bridge called the bridge of the “Red Heifer”. As we approach the bridge, before us is an awesome sight of the Temple & Fort Antonia complex. From the top of Mount Olives it is possible to see the inside of the complex and all of Jerusalem, but up close as we approached the bridge, the power and magnificence of the Temple tower is like a like a 40 story building. It is 600 feet by 600 feet square and the southeastern corner of the temple tower rises from bottom of the Kedron valley up to height of 400 feet from the valley floor. This tower provides a platform for the Temple to rest upon and to the north of the top of the temple tower there is an open courtyard which ends 600 feet away with the south wall of Fort Antonia, which is the garrison for the Roman10th legion.

Lk19.37-38. Then, as He was now drawing near 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 they had seen,
saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Mk.11.8-10. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Lk.19.39-40. And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."
Lk19.41-44. Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Mt21.10-11. And when He had come into Jerusalem, the entire city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."
Jn12.19. The Pharisees therefore said among them selves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"
Mk11.11. And Jesus went into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The rent prices are out of this world here in Jerusalem as many Jew have traveled from different parts of the Roman Empire to attend these 1st Holy Days of the year.
I was lucky enough to get lodgings in Bethany, which is really handy, because Christ has set up his base at the house of his good friend Lazarus. This is where he stays for the night and then goes into Jerusalem and the Temples to teach and preach.
I understand that Jesus will be going back into Jerusalem and the Temple tomorrow. Who knows what he may get up to! What he will do is always unpredictable; there never is a dull moment when you follow the Christ.