Pesach Sacrifice
This year the Pesach sacrifice was again not performed on the Temple Mount but on the Hill of Hananiah overlooking the Temple Mount and the Holy of Holies. The efforts of The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement and others to perform the sacrifice on the Temple Mount faced the opposition of the Israeli authorities who were scared of the Arab reaction. They were afraid that the Arabs would create a riot and they preferred to close the gates of the Temple Mount despite the fact that so many Israelis have a deep desire to see it performed on the Temple Mount which will open a new page in the era of redemption through which Israel is now passing.
In any case we decide to continue with the sacrifice on the Hill of Hananiah and in this way to fulfil the commandments of the G d of Israel at a time when He expects Israel to behave according to the prophetic Scriptures which called on Israel in the redemptional end-times to renew their life as it was in the Biblical times and to know that we are the continuance of the Biblical Israel and the heritage of our forefathers. At the same time the purpose was to awaken Israel and its leadership to understand the significance of the special time in which we are now living in Israel and that Israel cannot merely be another materialistic regular nation in the world but to be what G d dedicated her to be: a holy nation, a kingdom of priests and an example and treasure for all the nations. (Ex19:5-6) We decided to perform the sacrifice as a symbolic godly event that, despite the fact that we could not perform it on the Temple Mount because of the weak and negative decision of the authorities, we would direct the eyes of all the Israelis and everyone in the world to the right place, the hill of G-d on the Temple Mount. To also bring to their attention the deep need to rebuild the house of G-d on the Temple Mount and bring the G-d of Israel and the Universe into the life of Israel and all mankind and to make the desires and the end-time commandments of G-d a reality in our lifetime. "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the L-rd's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the house of the G-d of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall decide for many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of the L-rd." (Isaiah 2:1-5) This great godly vision will completely change the life of Israel and all the nations at a terrible materialistic and ungodly time when most of mankind puts our great and righteous G-d and His important and wonderful principles and laws in the corner. It was this vision that was the basis and main goal of our activities this Pesach on the Temple Mount and in Jerusalem.
On the 19th April at 9:30 AM, a young goat was brought from Judea and was sacrificed exactly according to the Word of G-d in the Torah except that it was not performed on an altar because it can only be performed on an altar on the Temple Mount. (Please read Exodus 12). Everyone who participated in this special event could feel the great significance of this moment and the presence of G-d and the wind of history at this special moment. Many redemptional events are being performed by G-d at this special redemption time in Israel but this was one of the most exciting events that one day. When the history of this time is written, the historians will appreciate and understand its deep meaning for all the coming generations. The sacrifice was performed by a priest with special prayers. The Word of G-d to Moses, Aaron and Israel was heard again in the city of G-d, Jerusalem. The eyes and hearts of everyone were lifted and directed towards one place -- the hill of G-d, the Temple Mount -- which we could see so clearly, so close and so dear to our hearts. Friends from outside Israel, Zionist lovers of the G-d and people of Israel, participated in this exciting event. We could see the deep excitement on their faces. They were messengers of so many others all over the world who had decided to stand together with Israel and to give their love to the people of G-d at a time when it is so needed and to make the prophetic Word of G-d a reality in their own lives (Isaiah 49). To all of them we say that we deeply appreciate and love them as brothers and sisters.
At the end of the ceremony everyone took a piece of the sacrifice to eat at their Pesach Seders in the evening. The sacrifice had to be eaten together with their families before midnight according to the Word of G-d (Exodus 12) exactly as our forefathers did in the Temple times.
Many TV, radio and other journalist who participated in this special event, shared it with everyone in Israel and all over the world.
We shall continue our historical campaign until the moment that the Temple is rebuilt and the vision of the prophet Isaiah becomes a reality in the lifetime of all of us. We shall do everything in the legal ways which G-d gave us to accomplish this.
Pesach Pilgrimage
The Pesach pilgrimage was held at a very critical time in the life of Israel and very close to the time that all of us feel when the redemption of Israel will be accomplished. The special significance of this time had a strong impact on the events which took place in our pilgrimage and march to the Temple Mount.
On the morning of 21st April, the members of The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement drove to the fields of Israel to cut the omer of the harvest which had to be brought as an offering to G-d on the Temple Mount. This special event, which again renewed the Word of G-d in the life of Israel, was done in the beautiful Spring season in Israel when the view over all the fields of the holy land of Israel was holy, beautiful and exciting. We felt that we were in the same place where our forefathers in Biblical time did the same. We cut the harvest and at the same time prayed and read the Word of G-d from Leviticus 23:4-14. The presence of the G-d of Israel, history and the special significance of this moment was in our midst. The songs from the Psalms were heard in the fresh fields. We felt privileged to do it in such a unique time in the life of Israel and the nations. One of our friends from the United States who was with us had decided to see with his own eyes what exciting events G-d is performing in Israel at this special time of redemption and to share it with his friends. He could not contain his excitement and continually said how privileged he felt to be a part of such a godly event.
On the morning of Sunday 23rd April, The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement and many Israelis and guests from abroad made the pilgrimage and march to the Temple Mount. The omer were carried by Israelis who gave it to the priests and carried to the western gate of the Temple Mount. Some of the pilgrims entered the Temple Mount in very small groups because of the pressure of the Arabs on the Israeli authorities not to allow their entry. The main event was held near the western gate and everyone knew that perhaps they could temporarily physically block the people of G-d from making a full pilgrimage but they could not stop our sprits and hearts which were together with G-d on the Temple Mount. We felt the presence of G-d in our hearts and spirits saying that the enemy will not continue to desecrate His and our holy mountain and all the land of Israel for much longer. Soon all His prophetic promises will be fulfilled.
Close to the western gate of the Temple Mount, exactly as our forefathers did when the Temple Mount and Jerusalem was robbed from them, we swore eternal faithfulness to the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy." (Psalm 137:5-6) This was after hundreds of priests at the Western Wall had blessed the people: "And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, On this wise you shall bless the people of Israel, saying to them, The L-rd bless you, and keep you; The L-rd make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The L-rd lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. And they shall put my name upon the people of Israel; and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:22-27)
Then close to this holy gate we prayed from the Psalm of the gates of Jerusalem: "A Song of Maalot of David. I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the L-rd. Our feet shall stand inside your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city which is bound firmly together; There the tribes go up, the tribes of the L-rd, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the L-rd. For thrones of judgment were set there, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; those who love you shall prosper. Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces. For my brothers and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within you. Because of the house of the L-rd our G-d I will seek your good." (Psalm 122) and we felt the presence of the spirit of the greatest king and messiah of Israel who consecrated Mt. Moriah to be the site of the house of G-d.
This unique event came to its climax when, in a special ceremony, we renewed the eternal covenant between the G- d of Israel, the people of Israel and the land of Israel. "In the same day the L-rd made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates;" (Gen15:18) "And the L-rd said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are to the north, and to the south, and to the east, and to the west; For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then shall your seed also be counted. Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth; for I will give it to you." (Gen13:15-18) In front of the G-d and people of Israel we swore and promised faithfulness to this eternal covenant, to the G-d of Israel, to the Temple Mount, to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel, to all the land in the same boundaries G-d defined in this covenant which appears in the land of the Faithful Movement, and to the eternal Word of G-d in the Tanach. People had tears in their eyes at this stage of the event and we felt like Abraham himself was together with us at that moment on the place where G-d made the covenant with him and promised him: "That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice." (Gen 22:17-18)
Later the pilgrims and many Israelis who joined them started the march in the Old City and circled the Temple Mount and marched to all of its gates. Along the way, and especially near the gates, we blew the shofars exactly as Joshua ben Nun did at Jericho when he destroyed the walls of the enemies of Israel at Jericho. Before the gates, we prayed the Pesach prayers and the Hallel Psalms. Near all the gates we placed parts of the omer. The Israeli flags in our hands and the songs of the Levites with their musical instruments were seen and heard again in the Old City of King David and on the Temple Mount.
A very special moment was in front of the Eastern Gate which is also called the Mercy Gate or Golden Gate. This is the gate through which, according to our Biblical heritage, Mashiach ben David will enter the Temple to redeem Israel. Near this gate everyone felt the presence of the Shekinah so strongly. This beautiful gate was closed by the Moslems many years ago because they knew this Jewish heritage and they believed that in this way they could stop Mashiach ben David from coming through this gate to the Temple Mount and redeeming Israel from the long foreign occupation and desecration of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and the land of Israel. For this reason they even located a Moslem cemetery in front of the gate to prevent Mashiach ben David from walking through it to the gate because he is holy. Such a stupid illusion! They never learned from their own history -- especially over the last hundred years -- that they can never stop the G-d of Israel and Mashiach ben David or block the prophetic plans of the G-d of Israel to redeem Israel, the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and the land of Israel from their long negative imperialistic occupation and from the desecration of His holy site.
It was so exciting when we placed a part of the omer in front of the gate and prayed from the 13th of Maimonides' 13 principles of Judaism: "I believe with perfect faith in the Messiah and even if he tarries, I will daily wait for his coming." On the gate we found the message of one of the Israeli soldiers who liberated the Temple Mount in the Six-Day War of 1967. He wrote: "Mashiach ben David will definitely come!" Before leaving this gate to complete our circular march around the Temple Mount, we prayed Psalm 126: "A Song of Maalot. When the L-rd brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like men who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then they said among the nations, The L-rd has done great things for them. The L-rd has done great things for us; we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O L-rd, like the streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come back with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."
All the participants in the march moved back to the western gate of the Temple Mount with great excitement and tears in their eyes that G-d had given them the privilege of being a part of such a special moment in the life of Israel. Near the western gate all of us sang the national anthem of Israel - Ha Tikvah [The Hope] - and promised everyone in Israel to come back again soon to this place and especially to a great event on the day of the liberation of Jerusalem which will be on the 1st June, 2000 and to continue this historical godly Israeli campaign until the moment that we see the liberation of the Temple Mount and every part of the land which G-d gave to Israel and the rebuilding of the house of G-d on the Temple Mount which we shall sacrifice everything in our lives to make it a soon reality in the life of this generation.
In G-d we trust and He will be with us.
