Jerusalem“‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’”Zechariah 2:4-5 (NIV) “Yerushalayim shel zahav” renders the popular song by Naomi Shemer: “Jerusalem of gold”. In spite of the many centuries of battles and bloodshed, Jerusalem today literally shines in the sunlight, from vantage points from the Old City, to Mount Herzl, to the Mount of Olives. For many of us, Jerusalem is our favourite city. This makes no sense logically, considering that there are far more dazzling and romantic cities in the world. But no other city claims its position in the naval of the planet (see Ezekiel 5:5) and as the centre of the three monotheistic religions of the world. Has it ever occurred to you, that while there are kings and queens of countries, there is only one city which has ever had a king so strongly associated with it? The ancient City of David, now wonderfully undergoing excavations, was mapped out specifically (Nehemiah 2: 11-17) to become the seat of the Davidic kingdom, with the Temple of the God of Israel at its highest point, Mount Moriah. And so Jerusalem was destined to always have a king, an eternal throne (II Samuel 7:16). When you walk her streets in the knowledge that she still has a King, the eternal Davidic Messiah, she shines even brighter as the ‘City of the Great King’ (Psalm 48:2; Matthew 5:35). Special places off the beaten track Of course there are often crowds in the Old City shuk (market streets) or at the Kotel (Western Wall). So you might just want to find some peaceful nooks and crannies in the King’s City, next time you’re here. Here are just a few: Prayer Garden, Christ Church: At the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East, Christchurch, Jaffa Gate, there is a beautiful little oasis behind the building, a rose garden with an almond tree and a lemon tree, a vine-covered seating area for picnics, and sometimes the sound of singing from the church. Abu Tor Viewpoint: Inside the Abu Tor neighbourhood there is a park called the Elie Sebag Garden. If you take Avigayil Street and turn left before Oved Street, you come to a little synagogue and a patch of ground now named ‘Yeshurun’. Previously untouched, it is now becoming a community garden, but there is still ample peace and quiet and a stunning view of the Old City and the Temple Mount. Mount Zion (Psalm 74:2): There are several sites to see on Mount Zion, including the traditional room of the Last Supper; the possible Upper Room where Yeshua appeared after His resurrection; the Tomb of King David; and the Dormition Abbey: all very touristy. But if you keep walking up the steps to the roof of the tomb/Upper Room/Last Supper room, you arrive at a special open-air viewpoint where you can see the tiny ‘President’s Room’, which is open on certain Monday mornings. At this site, Jewish people used to gather to pray, while Jordan was occupying their holy sites, from 1948 to 1967, and they could not access the Western Wall of the Temple. Israel’s second president, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, had a special place of solitude and study here, and invited Jewish pilgrims to join him during Jewish holidays.
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