Life Changing Spiritual Ascent to Jerusalem (Zion)
Pictured above: Screen shot from the video, “The Children are Ready”, The Temple Institute
by Laura Densmore
I recently attended the Nations’ 9th of Av in Jerusalem for the week of August 10 through 16. It was a truly a life-changing experience for me!
Our core planning team, (including Steve Wearp, Bob O’Dell and myself) had been preparing for this week-long event for over 8 months. After all the months of planning we saw a tremendous response to this event.
The event had a three pronged approached:
* Jerusalem attendees: Christians who came from the nations to Jerusalem to attend the Nations’ 9th of Av event (August 10-16).
* Live prayer events in the nations: Prayer leaders who signed up to host a 9av prayer event in their local congregation.
* 26 hour phone conference call beginning on Saturday, August 10 at 5pm (EST) through Sunday, August 11 at 8pm (EST)
On the phone conference call, we had a total of 228 attendees call in over that period, with a combined total number of minutes spent on the phone of 18,316 minutes. This translates to an average time spent on the phone line of 80 minutes per person!
For our LIVE events in the nations, we had a total of 33 events in the Nations with prayer leaders who participated with us from the USA, the UK, Bulgaria, India, Argentina, Canada, South Africa, Austria and Sweden.
These statistics say a lot, but now let me get personal and tell my own story. It begins with me having coffee a couple of days in advance of the event with AnaRina Heymann. AnaRina is an Orthodox Jew and is founder of the project, AlignwithZion.com
Pictured above: AnaRina Heymann and Laura Densmore. Photo: Laura Densmore
She asked my friend, Janna Anthony and I, “Have you been to see the City of David?” I answered, “No, I have not.” She replied, “If you have not been to the City of David you have not yet seen the real Jerusalem.”
That comment sparked Janna and I to go on a tour of the City of David in advance of the Nations’ 9th of av conference. I will come back to that.
On Sunday morning, August 11, on the 9th of Av, about 100 of us gathered at the Davidson Archeological Center.
We began with a short instruction time from AnaRina. While she was speaking, the quietness of the Davidson Archeological Center was shattered as we heard the sound of loud tear gas bombs going off. Thousands of Muslims had gathered up on Temple to keep the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha and were blocking the entrance up to Temple Mount for Jews who wished to ascend Temple Mount in observance of Tisha B’av (9th of Av) which fell on the same day.
You could feel the spiritual clash and tension in the air as this conflict rolled out in real time before us. Many people silently prayed in their hearts that the conflict would be resolved and that the Jews would be allowed to ascend the Temple Mount.
Pictured above: Davidson Center gathering on 9th of Av, August 11, 2019. Photo: Laura Densmore
Pictured above: AnaRina Heymann giving teaching to those gathered on 9th of Av at Davidson Center. Photo: Laura Densmore
Soon, the conflict was over, Jews were allowed to ascend, and a stilled quietness fell upon the Davidson Center. After AnaRina finished her talk with us, we broke up into many small groups to pray prayers of repentance for the many atrocities and persecutions perpetrated against the Jews by our church forefathers….committed in the name of Christ.
Our small group prayed into events of the Holocaust era and there were heart-renching tears and prayers lifted up over that very dark period. Next, we prayed into current events and our prayers turned to 13 yr old Hallal Ariel of the Shomron town of Kiryat Arba, who was brutally stabbed to death in her bed on June 30, 2016. Her mother, Rina Ariel, made an impassioned plea with Netanyahu asking for permission to hold a Memorial Service up on Temple Mount. She was granted permission, and many joined her in ascending to the Temple Mount. The gate up to the Temple Mount has been unofficially renamed “Hallel Ariel Gate” in her honor.
Rina Ariel stated at the time that “it is only from there that all deficits can be filled, it is only from there that we will receive any sense of solace.” Urging her community to join her for the visit to the holy site, she said, “The terrorist butchered our daughter in her heart, and our heart is in the Temple Mount.”
The rabbis teach that the temple was destroyed by “baseless hatred”. When I asked a museum curator at the Shrine of the Book what his thoughts were on the rebuilding of the Temple he wisely said: “It will be rebuilt with hands and hearts of LOVE.”
What is so important about the Temple that once stood on the Temple Mount? Why do the Jews mourn the destruction of the first and the second Temple on the 9th of av? Allow me to share some wise one-liners that I heard throughout this week long trip:
The Temple is not just a building: it represents a relationship. Jeremy Gimpel
What is so important about the Temple? It was a gathering place. Samuel Wearp
…Our heart is in the Temple. Rina Ariel
The Temple is the touch-point of G-d’s full manifested Presence in the world. It is the nucleus of the meeting point when Am Yisrael, the chosen people, come together at chosen times, to the chosen place. AnaRina Heymann
As I began to connect each one of these dots, I began to see that:
The Temple represents the heart of the nation of Israel.
The Temple represents the heart of Jerusalem.
The Temple represents the people of Israel.
The Temple represents the heart of the God of Israel.
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