Scenes From the Promised Land

Jerusalem​—Center of Biblical Events

WHILE most nations have a capital, a major city housing the seat of government, Bible students might think of Jerusalem as a capital for humanity. This is so because the momentous things that happened there are important to all of us.

Above, you can see the view you would have if you stood on elevated ground south of Jerusalem.a Two valleys meet about where the patch of dark-green trees is. The Kidron Valley comes down from the right; on the west, or left, side is the Hinnom Valley, which gave rise to the Biblical name Gehenna. (Matthew 10:28; 23:33) In between (visible in the sunlit patch in front of the existing walls) is where the ancient City of David was built. Inside the walls are two distinctive Muslim buildings in a historic location. Nearest the wall is the silver-blue dome of a mosque, and behind is the larger golden cupola of the Dome of the Rock.

But why should Jerusalem, and particularly the leveled area where the two domed buildings now stand, be significant to you? Well, what Biblical account does the picture of a ram entangled in a tree bring to your mind? Probably that of Abraham. Yes, it was he that traveled with his son Isaac to Mount Moriah, which evidently was at or near the rocky eminence where you see the two domes. In faith, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son, but an angel stayed his hand. Then Abraham found “a ram caught by its horns in a thicket” and sacrificed this “in place of his son.” So viewing Jerusalem may bring to mind this dramatic event.​—Genesis 22:1-13.

Other sacrifices came to the fore later when Solomon built a magnificent temple to Jehovah on a leveled site about where the domed buildings now are. (2 Chronicles 3:1) Try to imagine Israelites coming here from all parts of the land with their animal sacrifices for the annual festivals. The most solemn of these was the Day of Atonement. On that day, one goat was selected and sent “away for Azazel into the wilderness,” possibly down into the Kidron Valley and then southeast into the wilderness of Judea. Another goat and a bull were slaughtered and their blood used in sacrifice to make atonement for the priests and the people. Some blood was even taken beyond the curtain into the Most Holy of the temple. So you can look at the picture of the city with that in mind.​—Leviticus 16:1-34.

All these sacrifices in Jerusalem pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. On his final night on earth, which was about the time of a full moon, Jesus assembled with his apostles to celebrate the last valid Passover. This was in an upper room that is thought to have been in the higher part of the city to the left (west) of the temple area. After Jesus instituted the Lord’s Evening Meal, he took the apostles to the Mount of Olives, which is across the Kidron Valley, to the east (right) of the temple.​—Luke 22:14-39.

As an aid in visualizing this, look at the photograph below, which was taken looking eastward from within Jerusalem, possibly from the area where Jesus held the Lord’s Evening Meal. From this perspective, you see in the lower left the dome (bluish in the moonlight) of the mosque on the temple-mount area. Farther east is the Kidron Valley (below the line of vision) and then trees of the Garden of Gethsemane. Higher up to the right is the Mount of Olives.

The moon will also be about full on March 22, 1989, when congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the globe will meet (after sunset) for the Lord’s Evening Meal, commemorating Jesus’ sacrificial death.b Please plan to be there. On that day, you may also want to meditate on some of the past events centering in Jerusalem and around it in connection with Jesus’ pouring out his soul in death. Thus Jesus vindicated Jehovah’s righteousness and ransomed believing mankind from sin and death.​—1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Hebrews 9:11-28.

[Footnotes]

[Picture Credit Lines on page 16]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.