A Land of Milk & Honey

The land of Milk & Honey was promised to the Hebrew people by God.  As descendants of Abraham they would inherit the land so long as they worshipped Him and kept His laws.  After Moses led them out of slavery in Egypt they were to inherit the land in Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.  Exodus 13:5  Forty years after wondering in the desert because of their disobedience, they did conquer the land and prospered there for hundreds of years.  They lived in a beautiful, garden like country with everything they needed.  It truly was a land of milk and honey envied by all,  but their hearts became hard, and they were not living for and worshipping God.  As Jesus and prophecy predicted the Temple was conquered and the people were scattered.
















People of Israel will be exiled
Deut. 28:64  Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other.

Israel will become a wasteland
Deut. 29:23  The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur - nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it.  It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah...

Jesus foretells the temple destruction
Matthew 24:1-2  Jesus left the temple and was walking away when him disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. (the temple bldgs.) "Do you see all these things?" he asked.  "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another: each one will be thrown down."

Jesus speaks of the fall of Israel
Luke 21:24   "They (the Hebrew nation) will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations.  Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD the people fled the land because of persecution.  While they could flee the land, they could not flee persecution.  Since being expelled from their land they have been hated, cursed, and even persecuted by the world like no other nation has ever received.  The worst being at the hand of the Nazi regime.  The land that was once a land of milk and honey became a wasteland of desert and swamps.  The temple was burned and destroyed.

Mark Twain while writing Innocence Abroad, and touring Israel in 1869 commented on the land.
Some of his remarks about Israel:
        - a blistering naked, treeless land
        -In Galilee, there was not a single village, just clusters of Bedouin tents
        -I rode 10 miles and saw nothing

Prophecy from the Old & New Testament was fulfilled!!!  But wait!  That's not the end of the story.  I was able to witness for myself the fulfillment of more prophecy.  When I visited Israel, it was NOT in any way, shape, or form, a naked, treeless wasteland.  In fact what I saw was incredible growth and beauty.  A land once again of Milk and Honey. 

Today Israel is the most agriculturally productive area in the world (per acre, per square foot)
Remember, this entire country is no larger than the state of New Jersey.

In the winter months Israel exports 5 million flower per DAY!  1.5 Billion flowers a year.

Israel is the only place in the world where apples and oranges grow in the same orchards, and warm weather tropical crops like pineapples and bananas grow alongside cold weather crops such as strawberries.

Annually Israel exports over 150,000 tons of fruits and vegetables.

But how could this be?  What happened to the desert wasteland?  Read these next prophecies taken from Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Israel would be rebuilt, the land would become fruitful once again.
Isaiah 27:6  In the days to come Jacob will take root.  Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.

Isaiah 35:1-2  The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.  Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom:

Isaiah 41:18-20  I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.  I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.  I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Ezekiel 36:35-36  They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the Garden of Eden: the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited."  Then the nations that remain around you will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate.  I the Lord have spoken and will do it.

To me this is the most INCREDIBLE prophecy ever fulfilled because own generation has seen it with our own eyes!!!!  What was once a wasteland of desert less than 100 years ago is now a lush land of trees and crops.  Rainfall has increased 450% since 1950.  Today Israel supplies Europe with 95% of their fruit!  How can people say there is no God?  How can scientists explain this one?  Look at the photos below.  Does this look like desert to you? 


Overlooking the valley of Armageddon.  The valley where countless battles have been fought and where the final battle between Christ and satan will take place.

 

 

 

Doesn't look like a desert to me!!!
 

Fresh fruit and veggies were so abundant and I couldn't get enough of them.  So yummy and full of flavor.

Just a few of the flowers we saw.  Fresh flowers were everywhere.

I never realized how many different types of olives there were.

The City of Jesus

Capharnaum 

Capharnaum also spelled Capernaum is located on the North Shore of the Sea of Galilee.  It is known as the town of Jesus because he selected it as the center of His public ministry.  This is where He found his apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, while they were fishing, as well as Matthew the tax collector. 

  

 

You can find many stories in the Bible that took place in Capernaum. 

 

Mark1:21-26  Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath when a man possessed by an evil spirit calls out to Him and asks Jesus if He has come to destroy them?  Jesus tells the spirit to come out of the man and he was healed.

 

Mark 1:30-31  Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law of a fever

 

Mark 1:32-34  After sunset the whole town gathers at the door & Jesus spends the night healing many more of disease and demon possession.

 

Mark 2: 1-5  A paralytic man is lowered through the roof for Jesus to heal and seeing the man's faith, Jesus tells him, "Son, your sins are forgiven"

 

Luke 7:1-10  Jesus enters Capernaum and heals the centurion's servant who was sick and about to die

 

 

As I walked along the ruins of the city I can imagine seeing Jesus walking among the people.  Teaching and healing so many of them.  The town was not that large, and the people who lived there must have been witness to so many miracles.  You would think they would have been some of the best followers and servants of His words and mission and yet Jesus ends up cursing them. 

 

Matthew 11:23  And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies?  No, you will go down to the depths.  If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.  But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.

 

Jesus pretty much tells them even though they are Jews and worship in a synagogue with high priests and Pharisees that they are worse than Sodom!  What a blow to their egos.  No wonder they wanted Him gone.  But Jesus knew their hearts.  



What remains of the original city.  You can see how small the rooms and homes were made.  In the far distant background is the Sea of Galilee where they fished.

An ancient olive wheel press.

 



The synagogue of Capernaum

 

Capernaum was the hometown of the apostle Peter.  In the background is the Sea of Galilee where he fished.  This is a statue that was set up in his honor after the excavations of this site was opened to the public. 

Caesarea Philippi

 

Me & Mike standing in front of the "Gates of Hades"

The Gates of Hades

 

Caesarea Philippi is an archaeological site in the Golan Heights.  It was an ancient city located at the base of Mt. Hermon.  In 20 BC the area was annexed to the Kingdom of Herod the Great.  It was named Caesarea by Phillip II in honor of Caesar Augustus, but not to confuse it with Caesarea by the sea (Maritime) he added Philippi after himself, thus it became Caesarea Philippi. 

A temple was built honoring the many Greek gods against a large cliff referred to as the "Rock of Gods" in reference to its many shrines built in the side.  A great spring poured out of the mouth of the cave, called the Gates of Hades.  During the Hellenistic period it was the center of pagan activity and the worship of many gods, especially Pan (the half man, half goat, god of fertility)  Sacrifices were thrown into the deep chasm of water.  If the springs below flowed with blood the god had rejected the sacrifice, if the water ran clear, he had accepted it and all would be well.

 

Artist rendition of how the temple may have appeared.

The grotto's where statues of pagan gods were placed.

 

Sam leading our group in study and devotions.  There were 20 of us altogether.

 



Mark 8:27 

And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, "Who do men say that I am?" 

 

 

I wondered to myself, why would Jesus take them to Caesarea Philippi?  This city was reviled by the orthodox rabbis, and it was taught that no good Jew would ever visit there.  A city of pagans, sin city, the Las Vegas of ancient days, and Jesus takes them there of all places.  Reading further in Mark...

 

Mark 8:34-35

And he called out to the multitude with his disciples, and said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it."

 

He called out (the Greek meaning, literally shouting at the top of his voice) to the crowd and His disciples.  And in Matthew's version...

 

Matthew 16:17-18

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

 

I wonder if they were standing at the "Gates of Hades" when He spoke those words.  I can picture Him there, right where Mike and I stood,  with a crowd of sinners and adulterers, and pagan worshippers.  Shouting to be heard, the disciples feeling a little foolish to be standing there with him.

Wondering if they would be laughed or stoned out of town.  I believe Jesus had a very significant reason to take them to this city filled with lust and godlessness.  He was telling the disciples this is where I want you to go forth to build my church.  My love is for everyone.  I have come to save the lost and the forsaken.  We don't need to preach to the ones we know, those who already know and seek God.  We need to reach out our arms to the undesirables of the world.  Like Jesus and the disciples did 2,000 years ago, it is our responsibility as believers to spread the good news, build the church of Jesus, and bring others to know, love, serve, and share God, Yahweh, the one and only true God of all creation.

 

 

Actual stones, floors  & pillars of the ancient temple

 

 

 





The Truth

Why does the American government want Israel to stop the attacks?  Is it just "peace" that our officials seek or is there an underlying cause?  I don't know the facts so I can only hypothesize.

Palestine is not a country how can they be freed?

What I do know and can report for sure is the following: As a tourist in Israel I know for a FACT that I saw hatred amongst the Arab muslims that are allowed by the Israeli Jews to continue to live peacefully in Israel.  I saw for a FACT the hatred by the muslims against Christians.  I heard the FACTS every day about 3 young Jewish men who were kidnapped, yet American media reported nothing until weeks later after they were discovered dead in a shallow grave.  I heard the FACTS daily about missles being launched from the Gaza strip into Israeli territory.  Did anyone hear those reports back in the states?  No.  I have to wonder why?  Does it have anything to do with our continued relationships with the Arab nations and our guzzling desire for oil?  Maybe.  Like I said before, I don't have the answers, but I do have a lot of questions and so should the people of the U.S.A.  Just remember, there is MORE to the story than our Country's leaders want you to know and they ARE controlling what you see and hear in the media. 

Another big lie used by the Arab nations as propaganda is that of a Palestinian nation.  There has NEVER been a nation known as Palestine, NOR has there ever been a Palestinian state governed by Arab Palestinians.  This lie has been perpetuated by the media.  Palestine is a geographical location and has been inhabited by many peoples, but it has never been a state or nation governed by anyone.  Period!  I dare you to prove otherwise.  I could go into a lot more details but that would take a lot of space.  If you want to learn more go to:      http://www.newswithviews.com/israel/israel14.htm

A sign we saw in the city of Tiberias

 

 

 



 

Masada Fortress

The Masada Fortress was conquered by Herod the Great on top of an isolated rock plateau.  It was incredible to see the ruins and imagine the difficulty in building such a structure in the middle of the dessert.  Standing on top you can easily see why Herod choose to live here.  Besides the beautiful view of the Dead Sea, and the protection that the plateau provided from enemies, it would have been quite pleasant because of the strong breeze that sweeps up the sides of the mountain. 

Standing on top of the Masada Fortress looking out over the valley with the Dead Sea in the background.

Mike & I at the foot of Masada



Historians believe these might have been large rooms used for

storing food, supplies, & weapons

 

 

 



Smaller rooms would be dwelling places for the citizens

Below is an artist's drawing of the inside of the temple





 

Inside the actual temple. To the right of the umbrella is a little room where scribes take turns writing the Torah by hand.  They write from the front and back of the scroll and must end exactly in the middle with no mistakes!  If a mistake is found they must destroy the scroll and start over.



A Jewish scribe copying the Torah by hand as it was done 2,000 years ago. 

 

 

The following is information from Wikipedia

 



Almost all historical information about Masada comes from the 1st-century Jewish Roman historian Josephus. The site was first fortified by Alexander Jannaeus in the first century BCE.^[3] Herod the Great captured it in the power-struggle that followed the death of his father Antipater.^[3] It survived the siege of the last Hasmonean king Antigonus II Mattathias, who ruled with Parthian support.^[3] In 66 CE, a group of Jewish rebels, the Sicarii, overcame the Roman garrison of Masada with the aid of a ruse.^[3] After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, additional members of the Sicarii fled Jerusalem and settled on the mountaintop.^[3]
In 73 CE, the Roman governor of Iudaea Lucius Flavius Silva headed the Roman legion X Fretensis and laid siege to Masada.^[3] The Roman legion surrounded Masada, and built a circumvallation wall and then a siege ramp against the western face of the plateau.^[3]
According to Dan Gill,^[4] geological investigations in the early 1990s confirmed earlier observations that the 375-foot (114 m) high assault ramp consisted mostly of a natural spur of bedrock. The ramp was complete in the spring of 73, after probably two to three months of siege, allowing the Romans to finally breach the wall of the fortress with a battering ram on April 16.^[5] Romans took the X Legion and a number of auxiliary units and Jewish prisoners of war, totaling some 15,000 troops in order to crush Jewish resistance at Masada. A giant siege tower with a battering ram was constructed and moved laboriously up the completed ramp. Originally, Jewish rebels on top of Masada threw stones at those building and constructing the ramp. When this plan was realized, the Romans put captured Jewish prisoners from previously conquered towns to work the ramp. The Jewish people on top of Masada stopped killing those who built the ramp, choosing not to kill their fellow Jews, even though they understood this might result in the Romans penetrating the fortress.^{[citation needed]} The walls of the fortress were breached in 73 CE.^[6] According to Josephus, when Roman troops entered the fortress, they discovered that its 960 inhabitants had set all the buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and committed mass suicide or killed each other. Josephus wrote of two stirring speeches that the Sicari leader had made to convince his fellows to kill themselves.^[3] Only two women and five children were found alive.^[3] Josephus presumably based his narration upon the field commentaries of the Roman commanders that were accessible to him.^[7][8]


For a good read check out The Dove Keepers  by Alice Hoffman

 

It is a fiction tale of 4 women who lived on Masada during the 3-4 years the Romans were laying siege to the fortress and their story of survival.  Although it is fiction the historical connections were remarkably well kept. 



 

 

 



 

 



         

 



 





Joppa

Joppa, also spelled Jaffa, is the southern most and oldest part of Tel Aviv.  It was a fortified port city for over 4,000 years.  King David & his son, Soloman conquered and ruled it.  It was here that Soloman received the cedars cut in Tyre and shipped to the port of Jaffa, to be used in constructing the first temple in Jerusalem.   2 Chronicles 2:16

Joppa is also the city where Jonah hitched a ride on a boat in an attempt to flee God.  As a storm threatened the lives of the men on board, Jonah told them it was his fault for being disobedient to God, and told them to throw him to sea.  He was swallowed by a giant fish who puked him up onshore 3 days later.  Book of Jonah 
This story also appears in the Qur'an where Jonah's name is spoken with praise by Muhammad.

 
 

No one really knows where the true house of
Simon the tanner is located but everyone likes to
 tout their house as being the original.

 
 
 

In Acts 10 we read about Peter's vision on the rooftop of Simon the tanners house located in Joppa, a city by the sea.  This leads him to Cornelius the Centurion, and the realization that God wants him to share the message with Gentiles as well as Jews.