The Lord God gave them the terms of the covenant in the ten commandments. You shall nots were the conditions of the covenant between them and God; their part was to obey the demands of the Law God was sealing the covenant with. The location of Mount Sinai was in Saudi Arabia, according to Paul writing to the Galatians: Now, Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and she corresponds in and belongs in the same category with the present Jerusalem, for she is in bondage together with her children (Gal. 4:25). However, not long after God had covenanted with Israel, as a matter of fact, in the matter of days, they broke the covenant with God by practicing idolatry against the first commandment in the covenant, while Moses was in the presence of God forty days and forty nights receiving the tablets which had the covenant in writing by the hand of God Himself. They hadn’t gone anywhere far when that happened. Mount Sinai not only experienced the powerful manifestation of the holiness of God, but also it witnessed the rebellious and indifferent attitude of the people of Israel against the covenant. It also witnessed the event of the burning bush, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; Moses looked and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed. God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses, Do not come near; put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground (Ex. 3). That was the time when God called Moses to free his people from slavery in the land of Egypt. It was also in this mount that the Prophet Elijah had an encounter with God, before he was taken up to heaven. So, Horeb, where God descended to covenant with His people, is called the Mount of God, a holy ground.
Mount Moriah, a hill outside the walls of the old city, the highest point in Jerusalem, has a history that will never fade away, because it was there that God told Abraham to sacrifice his son- his only son Isaac in a most significant event, pointing at the time when many years later, God’s Son would be sacrificed as the Lamb of God to atone for the sins of mankind. Mount Moriah constitutes a place of reconciliation between God and men. From there, YAHSHUA’S voice of suffering was heard, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Echoing throughout the world; forgiveness being expressed, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing” continuously echoing from eternity to eternity. This highest point in Jerusalem is to me the most significant piece of real estate in the world. It marks where it all started. It was where our parents first sinned and it was there that the covenant of blood was established to all peoples- Jews included. This mount will always shine God’s mercy and love to mankind. It was there also where the temple was built, as it was revealed to King David in a vision.
The Mount of Olives situated in east Jerusalem was the place where our Lord YAHSHUA went to with His disciples to pray in His final hours, before His trials. There, He deeply agonized what was to come in a few hours, as He shared with the disciples saying, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me. Then He prayed, Father, if You are willing remove this cup from Me; yet, not my will, but Yours be done; and there appeared to Him am angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit. And being in agony He prayed [all the] more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground (Luke 22:41-44). Satan, taking the opportunity in YAHSHUA’S trial moments of weakness, as He suffered as a man, not as God, tried to destroy God’s plan of salvation for humankind. But the words of victory resounded throughout Gethsemane Garden “Not My will, but Your will be done.” In that battle for our souls, there is a prophetic hope of salvation for Israel, in that YAHSHUA’S feet will touch the Mount of Olives when He comes to fight for them. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle; and his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south (Zech. 14:4). As He ascended to heaven, so will He return. The Bible says, And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold, two men in white robes suddenly stood beside them, saying, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same YAHSHUA, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven, will return in the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven (Acts1:10-11).
Until the Lord’s feet touches Mount of Olives to battle for His people, it holds unto its past, pointing out to a future of hope. It has been two thousand years since our Lord and Savior left the earth, but the hope of His return has not died away, for it is a hope that stands firmly in heaven for all those who believe in His words. He said, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Matt. 24:35). Since we long for the fulfillment of His promises, let’s hold fast unto faith and hope with joy; for He Who promises is faithful.
Light from the Word 