PTNews
June – July 2018
Published 10 times annually
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006
The Mountain of the Lord
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above all the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Isaiah 2:2
By Mike Wingfield
There are many mountains mentioned in the Bible. On Mount Sinai, God gave the law to Moses and the children of Israel. On the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus was transfigured before His disciples. The Mount of Olives is also very significant. It was from this mountain that Jesus ascended back to heaven, and it will be the place to which He will return at His revelation at the end of this age. However, only one holy mountain has been selected and designated by the Lord of creation as “the mountain of the Lord.” While looking at the larger context of Scripture, the Bible student is forced to conclude that there is no other place on earth that is more central and important to the eternal plans of God than this mountain. God considers this mountain to be holy ground. Both in Biblical history and Biblical prophecy this mountain is central to the eternal story of God’s redemptive plan and revelation to man. When Jesus Christ returns to reign in His earthly kingdom, this holy mountain will be the center of His global administration. Isaiah, the ancient prophet of Israel, wrote: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isaiah 2:2) Therefore, it should not be a surprise that this mountain is at the epicenter of the ongoing war in the spiritual realm. In essence, it is where heaven and hell meet to do battle on earth. Now, let us turn our attention to the Scriptures to discover why all of this is true. Let us look at 7 considerations of this mountain.
The Names of this Mountain
In the first book of the Bible we are introduced to “the mount of the Lord.” (Genesis 22:14) This is the same mountain that is called Mount Moriah. (Genesis 22:2) This was the mountain to which God directed Abraham for the sacrificial test of offering his son Isaac on an altar on the top of the mountain. As a result of God providing a substitute for Isaac at the last moment, Abraham named the mountain “Jehovah-jireh,” which means “the Lord provides.” Writing about 600 years later, Moses wrote that from Abraham’s time until his day, this location was known as “the mount of the LORD.” (Genesis 22:14) Throughout the Bible, this mountain is also known as Mount Zion and “the mountain of the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 8:3)
In modern times, the Jewish people refer to this mountain as “Har Habayit,” which is Hebrew for “the Temple Mount.” As we shall see later in this newsletter, this mountain was the location of the Jewish temples in ancient Biblical Israel. The Arab Muslims call this mountain “Haram el Sharif,” which means “The Noble Enclosure.” The Arabs have given this name to this location because according to their tradition, this is where Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael. And, according to Muslim tradition, this was the location of Muhammad’s night journey to heaven on his white horse, Barak.
The Geographical Location of this Mountain
According to Ezekiel 5:5, this mountain is at the geographical center of the earth. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries round about her.” The Hebrew word that is translated “midst,” means “navel.” From God’s perspective, this is very fitting because Jerusalem is the spiritual navel of the earth.
The 35-acre compound known as the Temple Mount is today enclosed by massive walls that were originally built by King Herod the Great, beginning this project 20 years before the birth of Christ. King Herod wanted to build a massive temple on Mount Moriah, the location of the first temple built by King Solomon. He wanted this temple to be surrounded by a large plateau upon which 
thousands of worshipers could gather around the temple during the high and holy Jewish feast days. To accomplish this amazing feat, he constructed retaining walls on the east, north, west, and south parts of this mountain. See the model. He then filled in the inside of these massive walls up to the level of the Temple built on the crown of the mountain.
These massive retaining walls, along with the temple structure, were dismantled by the Romans in 70 A.D., leaving only a few courses of the foundation part of the retaining walls in place. The Romans also left a small section of the western retaining wall intact to demonstrate to the world their incredible feat in the destruction of the Jewish temple. This small section of the western retaining wall is the same as the “Wailing Wall,” which is considered to be the most holy site to the Jewish people. About 500 years ago, the Ottoman Turks rebuilt the present wall, constructing the wall upon the remaining stones from the first century.
The Temple Mount is north of the ancient city of David, and east of the present Old City of Jerusalem. It is west of the Mount of Olives and adjacent to the Kidron Valley. Today, you can stand near the top of the Mount of Olives and look westward at the Temple Mount.
Like Jerusalem as a whole, the Temple Mount is located at the top of the mountains of Judea. In the Bible, whenever the pilgrim was making his way to the temple in Jerusalem he would need to go up. From any location in Israel, if you travel to Jerusalem, you must go up in elevation to the top of the mountains to reach the mountain of the Lord. The physical elevation of the mountain of the Lord was a reminder to the people that when you look to God, you must look up. In Psalm 121:1-2, the worshiping psalmist said: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” Therefore, since the mountain of the Lord symbolically represented the manifestation of the omnipresent God, it is only fitting that God chose this mountain as the gathering place of worship for His chosen people.
The Significant History of this Mountain
When the Bible student studies the Bible he should note that Jerusalem is the most significant place in God’s redemptive story in the past, present, and future. Think about the following significant events that happened on this mountain:
-2000 B.C.- Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac- Genesis 22:1-14
– 990 B.C.- King David purchased the mountain- 2 Samuel 24:18-25
– 960 B.C.- King Solomon built the first temple- 1 Kings 6-8
– 586 B.C.- Temple destroyed by Babylonians- 2 Chronicles 36:17-21
– 538 B.C.- Temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel- Ezra 3-6
– 20 B.C.- King Herod began to refurbish the temple- John 2:20
– 70 A.D.- Temple destroyed by Romans as prophesied by Jesus
– 691 A.D.- Muslims construct The Dome of the Rock
– 1967 A.D.- Temple Mount is captured by Israel in the 6-day War
The Heavenly Perspective of this Mountain
The overwhelming teaching of the Bible confirms that God is omnipresent. This means that God is infinite and is not bound by space, like the rest of His physical creation. God is infinitely present throughout all of His creation all at the same time. As finite creatures this is very difficult for us to mentally grasp. While speaking about God’s omnipresence, the psalmist exclaimed: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” (Psalm 139:6)
When God speaks to His finite creatures, He declares that He dwells in the heavens. In Isaiah 66:1, God declares: “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” In the great chapter on the greatness of God, Isaiah 40, the prophet Isaiah points to God and declares: “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.” (Isaiah 40:22) The message of the Bible is that God is infinite and that even the finite heavens are only a comparative manifestation of the dwelling place of God, who is Spirit and does not need a specific dwelling place.
The godly Jewish people believed this. When King Solomon dedicated the first temple on the mountain of the Lord, he reminded the people of God’s infinite presence as he prayed on this historic occasion. He asked: “But, will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Kings 8:27) According to divine revelation, the temple in Jerusalem standing on the divinely appointed mountain of the Lord was to be considered a visible manifestation of the presence and glory of God. In the days preceding the temple, God had manifested Himself to Moses in the burning bush and later to the entire nation of Israel in the Shekinah Glory for 40 years in the wilderness. These were real finite visible manifestations of the presence and glory of God.
In light of this, the Scriptures repeatedly speak of this mountain as being the divinely chosen place on earth for the visible manifestation of God. Psalm 68:16 declares: “this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in: yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.” This mountain was set apart by the Lord (Deuteronomy 12:9-14) and is viewed as being “holy” unto the Lord. (Isaiah 11:9; Zechariah 1-3) This mountain is called God’s “holy habitation” (Exodus 15:13) and “the mountain of thine inheritance.” (Exodus 15:17)
Some may think that these references only have application during the times of ancient Israel. They may conclude that Jerusalem is of no special significance during the Church Age. However, please note that Jerusalem is still destined to be the place of God’s manifested presence in the Tribulation Period and during the Millennial Kingdom. Even when Jesus the Messiah is present on His throne in Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord will still be symbolic of the manifestation of the infinite presence of the triune God.
The Prophetic Relevance of this Mountain
The most glorious and significant days for Jerusalem and the Mountain of the Lord will take place during the last days. At the beginning of the final seven years at the end of this age, two Jewish witnesses (Moses and Elijah) will appear in Jerusalem. (Revelation 11:3-11) These two witnesses will proclaim God’s Word and perform miracles before the nation of Israel. They will be divinely protected so than no man can harm them. Through the impact of their message, 144,000 young Jewish men will be saved, sealed, and trained to go out from Jerusalem with the gospel message to all the nations. (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5) Similar to the Jewish Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago (see Acts 2), God will once again pour out His Spirit upon the Jewish people and the Word of Lord will go forth from Jerusalem. (Joel 2:27-32) The temple in Jerusalem will be built and temple worship will be restored during the first half of the Tribulation Period. (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15, 26; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11:1-2)
Today, several groups in Israel are actively making preparations for temple worship. Through DNA analysis, some men have been identified as belonging to the priestly tribe of Levi and are being trained in temple worship. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has constructed more than 90 of 120 items that are necessary for worship in the temple as described in the Bible. It remains to be seen if these preparations will be acceptable to the Lord, or if the two witnesses, Moses and Elijah, will set forth a more divinely acceptable pattern when they appear at the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
During the Millennial Kingdom, the mountain of the Lord will be the center of the Messiah’s rule over all the nations. It will become the spiritual, political, judicial, educational, and geographical hub of the world. (Isaiah 2:1-4; Ezekiel 5:5) All nations will be required to annually go up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16-21) Finally, Mount Zion will shine forth with righteousness “and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.” (Isaiah 62:1) For the glory of God, the Lord will establish Jerusalem, making it “a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:7) The nations of the world will honor Jerusalem and call it “The City of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 60:14)
The Jewish Attachment to this Mountain
Because of the historical, heavenly, and prophetic significance of this mountain, there is a high value placed upon the city of Jerusalem and this mountain by the global Jewish community. “According to Biblical law and understanding, the holiness of the Temple Mount is unlike that of any other physical location on earth. For the Jewish people, there simply is no other holy site. Nothing else, no synagogue, house of study – even the [Wailing] Wall – could be compared to this level of sanctity.” (www.templeinstitute.org) The world needs to come to grips with the reality that the Temple Mount belongs to the Jewish people and it is the heart and soul of the Jewish people.
When Jewish people go to Israel they immediately travel to Jerusalem to visit the Western Wall (same as the Wailing Wall). This is the only standing monument to the remains of the temple complex of the first century. It is important to remember that the Western Wall was not a part of the temple, but only a part of a retaining wall that was a part of the 35- acre temple complex. Here they reverently approach this wall, pray, and many times weep or rejoice with others in singing and dancing. For them, this is a special place of reverence, awe, and worship. For Jews, this is the most holy site in the world. From their perspective, the mountain of the Lord is viewed as the heart of their faith for 3,000 years. To forsake the mountain of the Lord is the equivalent of forsaking the Lord! Isaiah 65:11 says: “But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain …”
Jewish people want to visit, pray, and worship here. According to the law, they must never lose their passion or focus for this mountain. They remember these words: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.” (Psalm 137:5-6) This simply means that the mountain of the Lord is more important to them that their ability to use their dominant right hand or to have water when they are desperately thirsty. This place of worship is to be their greatest joy.
The world really does not understand that this mountain (the Temple Mount) is vital to the nation of Israel. It represents their history, hope, and future. Without this mountain, the nation has no soul or purpose. For 2,000 years Jews were separated from this mountain. The capture of this mountain and the Old City from the Arabs during the Six-Day war in 1967 has become one of the most defining moments in the miraculous history of the modern state of Israel. In their minds, the hope for the reconstruction of the Jewish temple and the restoration of temple worship are directly connected to the divine blessings and spiritual restoration of the nation to the Holy One of Israel. Not until this is accomplished can the Jewish nation fulfill its eternal destiny of becoming a light unto the Gentile nations. So, this mountain represents hope, salvation, blessings, and power in the presence of the mighty God of Israel. All that they are and ever hope to be are symbolically attached to the symbolic presence of the God of Jacob on this mountain.
All of this has been at the heart of the prayers of the Jewish Orthodox community for 2,000 years. They have been faithfully praying three times a day for the following five things: First, they pray for the return of the land of Israel to the Jewish people. This is becoming a reality in our time. Second, they pray for the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. Almost 45 percent of the global Jewish population now calls Israel their home. The third item on their prayer list is the rebuilding and reuniting of all Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Six-Day war of 1967, helped to make this become a reality. In 1980, Israel annexed East Jerusalem and reunited Jerusalem, considering it to be their capital. The next passion on their prayer list is the restoration of divine temple worship. And, finally, the ultimate climax of their heart’s desire is the rebuilding of the temple on the Temple Mount.
The Spiritual Warfare over this Mountain
As a result of the previous considerations, it is no wonder that this unique holy mountain has become the center of attention in the tug of war between God and Satan. Satan knows the divine significance of this mountain. Thousands of years ago, the Lord revealed to His prophets that His messiah would sit upon His throne on this mountain. In Psalm 2:6, God boldly declared: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”
While speaking to Lucifer in the days of Isaiah, the Lord said to him: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God [symbolic reference to God’s angels]: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north [the Mountain of the Lord].” (Isaiah 14:13) Here, the Lord clearly revealed Satan’s strategy in his great war against God. Satan desires to control the very mountain that God has chosen to represent His presence and power in His redemptive plan on earth. From Satan’s perspective, he must do everything in his power to stop, hinder, or delay God’s ultimate plan to have the Messiah rule over the world from this mountain for 1,000 years while Satan and his demons are imprisoned in the bottomless pit. (Revelation 20:1-3)
It is not an accident that Islam has controlled this mountain since 691 A.D. There are two Islamic mosques on this mountain that is considered to be the third most holy site within Islam. In recent decades, the Islamic world has rallied around the Palestinians who want to control this mountain as a holy site dedicated to the religious traditions of Islam. As mentioned in many prophetic passages, the international community supports the Islamic control of the Temple Mount. The world adamantly opposes Israeli sovereignty over this mountain. It has been holy ground for Jews for almost 3,000 years – 1,600 years before it was supposedly adopted as a holy place by Islam.
Those who study the prophetic Scriptures know that the control and occupation of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount will be at the center of the global conflict that will bring the armies of the world against Israel at the battle of Armageddon. As a matter of fact, this will be the Antichrist’s purpose behind his final assault against the nation of Israel. To those nations who fight against Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, God has given the following warning: “Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people… And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)
The entire Islamic world is passionately determined to force the Jews out of the Holy Land and the holy city of Jerusalem. They are equally passionate about maintaining control over the mountain of the Lord. Furthermore, the United Nations and the sentiment of the nations support this Islamic agenda. However, they are no match for the Holy One of Israel.
The showdown over the mountain of the Lord is set. The players that will act out this final drama are all taking their places. It is only a matter of time before the final curtain will open and the concluding conflict over this mountain will take place.
There is no power on earth that will be able to oppose the God of heaven. “All the nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity. … and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers…” (Isaiah 40:17, 22) As the kings of the earth make their threats and plan their attack upon God’s mountain and His Messiah, God is laughing at them. (Psalm 2:1-4)
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Sleeping in the Light
Friends, as I look out over the spiritual and political landscape of our world, it is obvious to me that we are living in the last of the last days. We are living at the greatest hour of the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy in the entire church age. One would think that there would be an air of excitement and a sense of urgency about our spiritual mission in the closing hours of the church age. However, this is sadly not the case.
I am bewildered at the apathy of the church, especially the leadership within the church. The church in America is spiritually asleep. We have lost our spiritual compass. There is little talk of heaven or the rapture. There is no sense of awe that we are approaching the final days that are leading up to the final events of the end of this age.
The words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica seem to be very appropriate at this time: “But ye brethren, are not in [spiritual] darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of [spiritual] darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6)
With similar words, Paul wrote to the church at Rome: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11)
I am often haunted by the rhetorical question of our Lord in Luke 18:8: “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find [the] faith on the earth?” This verse and its context in the New Testament, give testimony to the reality that when Jesus comes for His bride, the church, only a very small remnant will be watching for Him.
Too many professing Christians are only interested in the things of this world. Their number one goal is to remain comfortable in this world. There is little time to worship or serve the Lord.
As I travel across America and preach, I am greatly burdened with the spiritual apathy in our conservative evangelical churches. I often wonder how many church members are really saved. Their lives are no different from those who are lost or not attending church. Several decades ago, the late Dr. Billy Graham, while speaking before a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, said he estimated that 80 percent of American church members are not saved. I personally wonder if the percentage might even be higher now!
This has caused me to prayerfully write the following 52- page booklet. I really believe that every professing believer needs to read this booklet and allow the Holy Spirit to examine their heart concerning this most important matter – where will you spend eternity?
Help- We Need to Replace Our Van
The time has come for our ministry to replace our current 11-year old van. Mike uses this van for transportation to his conferences and to transport newsletters from our processing location to the post office. It is not uncommon for Mike to travel more than 1,000 round-trip miles in his ministry travels. Hence, it is imperative that we purchase a reliable van that will give us good service.
We would like to ask you to prayerfully consider sending us a special donation to help with the purchase of this van. Your donation would be a great investment in Mike’s ability to travel and speak as he proclaims the prophetic Word of God. Mark your donation on page 8. Thanks.