Transcript

An archaeologist boarded a flight to see some ancient Norse ruins. He sat down and turned to the man next to him and said, “Hi, my name is Doug. I’m an archaeologist. You wouldn’t believe all that has happened to me today.

“Right as I left my house, I got mugged. Someone then stole my cab. My girlfriend called me on the way and broke up with me. There was an accident on the way to the airport and we got stuck in traffic. When I finally made it to the airport, I was selected for additional screening, so I missed my first flight.”

The man didn’t respond. There was a short pause, then the archaeologist said, “Man, it seems like everything’s against me today.” The man, finally able to get a word in edgewise, said, “Well, what do you expect, your life is in ruins!”

There are many ruins in Israel that show us that we can trust the Bible. We’ll continue our walk through the archaeological finds and biblical locations in Israel to see their significance and which demonstrate the trustworthiness of the Scriptures.

Mark 1:21: “And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.”

Capernaum is on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Lord spent a lot of time in Capernaum, so much so that Matthew calls it “His own city” (Matt. 9:1). The Lord taught in the synagogue and performed many miracles there.

It’s been said that “if you had walked around the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in the early 1800s, you might have wondered if there really ever was a city with a synagogue there. The ruins of Capernaum had completely grown over.”

But “Since [1866], archaeologists have located and unearthed the ruins of some of the town and the synagogue spoken about in the Gospels.”

Ruins in Capernaum from the time of Christ are now plentiful. And you can see and walk through the synagogue where Christ taught, cast out an unclean spirit, and where He healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-5).

The synagogue’s white limestone walls and columns are the remains of the fourth-century synagogue that was built on the foundation of the one Christ preached in.

The darker stone foundation is the remains of the synagogue of the first-century and the time of Christ.

The Lord also healed a centurion’s servant and Peter’s mother-in-law in Capernaum. And one of my favorite accounts in the Gospels took place in Capernaum, when four men brought “one sick of the palsy” to the house of Peter and Andrew.

Seeing the great crowd at the house, and desiring to do whatever it took to get their friend before the Lord so he might be healed, they went up on the roof, uncovered and broke it up, and then let the stretcher down into the house.

Peter and Andrew had some roof repairs to perform after that day! But those 4 men were true and faithful friends to this man in doing whatever it took to get him before the Lord.

Matthew 11:20-22: “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

“Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.”

Chorazin is very near Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee. There were many ruins to see in this ancient city, including a synagogue.

This synagogue in Galilee again reminded me of Matthew 4:23 and how “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom….”

We know the Lord ministered in Chorazin, teaching in its synagogue and performing “mighty works,” or undeniable miracles.

The people of Korazim in the time of Christ, however, did not respond in faith and repentance toward Him to believe that He is the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah. As a result, our Lord pronounced judgment on Korazim.

I saw another stone manger when I was in Korazim, which again reminded me of the type of manger our Lord was laid in after His birth.

And in the ruins of the synagogue, a decorated stone chair was found, which was the Seat of Moses. On Moses’s seat, and from a seated position, the leaders of the synagogue, the rabbis, scribes, Pharisees would teach the law in the time of Christ.

And living and ministering under the law, the Lord taught in Matthew 23, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit IN MOSES’ SEAT: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”

1 Samuel 24:1-4: “And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.

“Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

“And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

“And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.”

En Gedi is an oasis in the desert with a large waterfall. It is a rugged place full of rocks, cliffs, and caves. It was here that David once hid from King Saul, who was trying to find and kill David.

En Gedi means “fountain of the wild goat.” And verse 2 says that Saul “went to seek David…upon the rocks of the wild goats.”

And, just like the Bible says, wild goats inhabited this area, and they still do. They can be seen walking around the area, making their way along the steep ledges, or resting at cave entrances.

After King Saul received word about David hiding in En Gedi, he gathered 3000 men to go with him to capture David.

While there, the king entered one of the caves for a rest. The cave he chose, however, was not empty. Farther back in that cave was the man he was hunting, and his men were urging David to take Saul’s life.

But David refused to do so. Instead, as Saul was taking a nap in the cave, David quietly sneaked over and cut off the skirt of King Saul’s robe.

As you walk the path at En Gedi toward the waterfall, the picture of David hiding from King Saul comes alive as you view many cliff-side caves.

And in one of those caves, this episode from the Bible, of David cutting off a piece of Saul’s robe, took place.

Speaking King Saul, here are a couple of other sites that pertain to his death. This is Mount Gilboa where the Bible tells us that Saul and his 3 sons died in battle against the Philistines. This included David’s best friend Jonathan.

1 Samuel 31:8 states, “And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.”

Following this, the Scriptures teach that “they fastened his [Saul’s] body to the wall of Bethshan.” Saul’s body, along with the bodies of his three sons, were all hung on the city walls of Beth-shan. And this is a picture of Bethshan where this took place.

1 Kings 12:26-29: “And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.”

When the nation split in the 10th century BC, Israel was divided into northern and southern kingdoms, and Jeroboam was made king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Following this division of the kingdom, Jeroboam established idol worship at Dan.

Jeroboam feared that the people of Israel would return to Jerusalem to worship at the temple on the feast days and then transfer their loyalty back to Rehoboam, the king of Judah. And as a result of this, he was afraid that he would be killed.

Thus, Jeroboam set up his own false worship and religion. He established Dan on the northern border, and Bethel on the southern border of his kingdom, as the new centers of Israel’s worship. He set up a golden calf in each place and declared these idols to be the gods which had delivered Israel from their bondage in Egypt.

Jeroboam also established a new priesthood among the people, and set up a new religious calendar.

On the north side of the city of Dan, the remains of the high place were found. The place where sacrifices were offered was discovered. In the photograph, a frame outlines an altar that would have been located in the same place as Jeroboam’s.

Next to it, steps to a raised platform were excavated, which was from the time of Jeroboam, and it is likely that on top of this platform was where Jeroboam’s golden calf once stood. Just like the Bible says, Dan was clearly a place of idol worship.

Dan is also the location where the first extra-Biblical evidence of King David was discovered.

In 1993, archaeologists were excavating part of a wall in Dan, when they discovered a broken stone, with an Aramaic inscription on it. The next year, two more fragments of it were unearthed. It dates to the 9th century BC.

It turned out to be a victory stele which recorded the victory of a King of Aram, most likely King Hazael, over the King of Israel and over the king of the “House of David.”

It was the phrase, “House of David” that was significant because many unbelieving critics of the Bible in the past had made the accusation that King David was only a myth.

One archaeologist explained the importance of the “House of David” inscription: “‘House of David’ means ‘dynasty of David’. So now we know that there was a guy called David and he had a dynasty…[it] is absolutely clear that David is not a mythological figure. So the mythological paradigm collapsed in one moment.”

This stone is considered to be the first reference to “David” discovered outside the Bible.

Of course, we, who believe the Bible, know that David was not a mythological figure, and it is simply an encouragement to know that this artifact was found. We don’t need it to know that David was a real person, but it is something that can strengthen our faith.

Mark 1:9-11: “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

“And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jordan means coming down from Dan. The city of Dan is in the extreme north of Israel, situated at the base of the snow-capped Mount Hermon on the headwaters of the Jordan. The Jordan River flows down from Dan.

I learned this while in Israel, and after graduating from Bible school, being a pastor, and studying my Bible for many years, I wanted to act like I knew that, but I had no idea! All of us are always learning when it comes to God’s Word.

The Jordan River is a real river, mentioned throughout the Scriptures. This is the Jordan River across from Jericho. Three significant events took place in this area of the Jordan.

First, the Israelites crossed the Jordan here to enter the promised land after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. As soon as the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stepped into the water, the river parted and stood, the water from the upstream stood as a heap as the Israelites crossed on dry ground (Josh. 3:15-17).

Second, near Jericho is the area where Elijah and Elisha crossed over the Jordan (2 Kings 2:4-14). I like how Elijah crossed it. 2 Kings 2:8 reads, “And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.”

He hit the river with his mantle, and the waters split, and both Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground.

When Elijah was taken to paradise in the whirlwind, his mantle fell from him. On the return trip, Elisha stood on the river bank, and he smote the river with Elijah’s mantle, and again the waters split and Elisha passed over.

This confirmed God’s calling on Elisha’s life as the prophetic successor to Elijah, and that God would demonstrate His power through Elisha as He had done with Elijah.

Third, this is also the area where our Lord was water baptized by John the Baptist. The entire Godhead was involved in Christ’s baptism.

When Christ, God the Son, was baptized, He saw God the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and God the Father spoke “from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17).

One of the pastors on our tour jokingly said that he put his foot in the Jordan River, and he saved his sole. That’s my kind of humor!

Matthew 20:17-19: “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,

“And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem…” the Lord said. Often in Scripture, we read verses about going “up” to Jerusalem. I have a whole new appreciation for that now having been there.

Geographically, Jerusalem is on a plateau in the Judaean mountains. Its elevation is 2575 feet. We came from the area of the Dead Sea, which is about 1400 feet below sea level. Making that climb “up” to Jerusalem from the desert, our tour bus was grinding and whining most of the way.

Even “going up to Jerusalem” is something that verifies the truth of the Bible. And the very existence of the city is also a reason for why you can trust the Bible.

Jerusalem has been and will be significant in the plans and purposes of God! This is a view of the old city from the top of the Mount of Olives.

The Mount of Olives affords a magnificent view of the Temple Mount and the old city.

First, one can’t help but notice the Dome of the Rock. It is the third holiest site for Muslims, after the Kaaba in Mecca and the “Mosque of the Prophet” in Medina.

When I looked at the dome, I saw it as God’s way of keeping the temple from being built under grace. A war would start if anyone so much as touched that building.

But today we are not under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). We don’t need the temple today in the plans and purposes of God, because each believer in Christ is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19)!

But this was where Solomon’s Temple once stood and where the glory of God filled that temple, and God’s presence dwelt in a physical location on the earth.

Looking at the walls around the Old City from the Mount of Olives, I realized that I was looking at the Eastern Gate.

This made me think of Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of the Lord departing from Solomon’s Temple because of the idolatry taking place within it.

The glory of the Lord went out of the “east gate of the LORD’S house” (Ezek. 10:19), and then “stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezek. 11:23), right where I was standing on the Mount of Olives, and then was gone.

And on the Mount of Olives was where the Lord Jesus Christ was caught up to heaven at His ascension “and a cloud received him out of their sight,” Acts 1:9 says.

The Mount of Olives is also where the Lord will return one day at His Second Coming to Israel at the end of the Tribulation. Zechariah 14:4 states, “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.”

And the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah, will enter through the Eastern Gate when He comes to establish His kingdom on the earth (Ezek. 43:1-8).

The glory of the God of Israel will return in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes to reign, and He will rule over the earth from Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 43:1-8 reads, “Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east (the Mount of Olives]…And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

“And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever.”

Standing there made me realize that this was the view the Lord had on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem when He came riding into the city on the colt, the foal of a donkey:

“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… Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord…” (Luke 19:37-38).

Then I thought of how much the Lord loved Jerusalem and its people, and wept openly as He rode into the city: “And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes” (Luke 19:41-42).

As a side note, in 1931, an archaeological find, known as the Uzziah Tablet was discovered on the grounds of a Russian Orthodox monastery on the Mount of Olives. The inscription on it bears the name of King Uzziah.

It reads: “Here, the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah, were brought. Do not open.”

King Uzziah ruled Judah during the days of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah. Isaiah saw his vision of the Lord in all His glory after Uzziah had died.

Isaiah 6:1 reads: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”

Following his death from leprosy, 2 Chronicles 26:23 says, “they buried [Uzziah] with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings.”

The dating of the stone and its inscription shows that this was a reburial marker, but it confirms that King Uzziah was a real, historical person.

It is also a valuable reference to the existence of a king in David’s line. Once again, archaeology shows you can trust the Bible.

It’s been said well that “The Bible is accurate archeologically, geographically, historically, systematically, scientifically, prophetically, and it is miraculous in that it is life changing.”

At the base of the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane, where our Lord fervently prayed in the hours before He was crucified.

The valley below, between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem, is the Kidron Valley. The Lord crossed that valley many times when He stayed in Jerusalem overnight on the Mount of Olives (John 8:1-2).

I believe this is the Valley of Decision, the Valley of Jehoshaphat mentioned in Joel 3. There is no place in Israel known as the Valley of Jehosphaphat but the name Jehoshaphat means, “The Lord Judges.” It describes God’s place of judgment.

But when Christ returns at His Second Coming, His feet will stand on the mount of Olives, and the valley before Him will be the Kidron Valley. And not only that, when Christ stands on the mount of Olives, it will split east and west and north and south, and Zechariah 14:4 says “and there shall be a very great valley.”

Here is where the Anti-Christ, the False Prophet, and the multitudes from the army of the Anti-Christ will be gathered for the Battle of Armageddon, and the Lord will judge them.

That battle will extend for 200 miles (Rev. 14:20), from Mount Megiddo in the north to Edom in the south. But Jerusalem, the Kidron Valley, and the Mount of Olives will be the center of the action when Christ returns at His Second Coming.

Looking at the Old City of Jerusalem, it also came to mind that I was looking at the area where Abraham was going to offer his son, Isaac, on the altar on Mount Moriah (Gen. 22:2-18), which typified the Cross of Christ.

And it was here that our Savior, God’s own Son, walked, taught, and died for the sins of the world and rose again! This is where Christ will return, establish His millennial kingdom, build His temple, and rule as King over all the earth.

God is faithful to Israel regarding her earthly hope, and God is faithful to us, the Church, the Body of Christ, regarding our heavenly hope. The Bible is true and its promises can be trusted in every way.

Join us next time, when we’ll go throughout the city of Jerusalem to look at the many sites that verify the teaching of Scripture.