The tension in East Jerusalem has to do with the issue of sovereignty over the Temple Mount. With the escalating violence and tensions in Jerusalem recently, the Temple Mount has become a major item on the social, religious and political agenda. The international community, including Israel, keep repeating the mantra “to maintain the status quo** there.” which states that the Muslim Waqf* manages the Temple Mount, as they have since the Muslim re-conquest of Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187.
This one-sided status quo ignores and denies the divine heritage of the Jews, their return to their land and the establishment of the State of Israel against all odds. To the Jews, it is the most sacred ground on earth. It’s the only Holy Mountain in the world because the Holy God of Israel says it’s His mountain.
In fear of Muslim reaction and threat of an Islamic Arab riot, as well as world criticism, most of Israel’s leaders are reluctant to take a stand for the spiritual right of the Jewish people to “worship the God of Israel on His Holy Mountain, the place He chose for His dwelling place”.
- Israel is told in Psalm 9:11: “Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people.”
- Isa. 60:14 “and they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
- Joel 3:21: “for the LORD dwells in Zion.”
- Ps. 132:13-14: “For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.’”
- Ps. 87:1-3: “His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah.”
- Also see: Psalm 48; Ps. 87:5; Ps 149:2; Song 3:11; Isa. 33:14; Isa. 33:20; Jer. 9:19; Jer. 30:17; Zech.9:13; Isa. 59:2
History
According to the Hebrew Bible Solomon’s Temple was built atop what is known as the Temple Mount in the 10th century BCE. Solomons’ Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and the Second Temple was built by the Jews, completed and dedicated in 516 BC.
Around 19 BCE Herod the Great began a massive expansion project on the Temple Mount. In addition to fully rebuilding and enlarging the Temple. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.
According to Wikipedia history encyclopedia, the history of the Temple Mount starts and ends with Israel.
Israelite period – Jerusalem was a Canaanite city called Jebus, established around 1850 BCE in the vicinity of the Temple Mount. The Jewish King David bought the area for fifty pieces of silver from the Jebusite Araunah who owned the area and used it as a threshing-floor (2Sam. 24:24). David wanted to build a sanctuary to the Lord, God of Israel, but the Lord said that David’s son would be the one to build Him the Temple. King Solomon, David’s son built the first Holy Temple on the site, outside Jerusalem’s wall on the northern edge of the hill.
Persian and Herodian periods – Solomon’s temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II king of Babylon in 586 BCE and was rebuilt by the Jews under Persian rule around 516 BCE. Herod the Great expanded the Mount and renovated the temple. The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans.
Roman and Byzantine periods – Roman emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem and changed the name of the city to Aelia Capitolina and built a temple to Jupiter on the site of the former second Jewish temple on the Temple Mount. All Jews were forbidden to enter the city or the surrounding territory around the city.
In 325 CE, Emperor Constantine I, who promoted Christianity, destroyed the Jupiter shrine on the Temple Mount. Jews were allowed to come to Jerusalem once a year, on Tisha b’Av (9th of the Jewish month of Av) to mourn the destruction of 2 temples.
In 534 CE Emperor Justinian built a huge substructure as a foundation for the new Church of St. Mary over the site of Solomon’s temple. Other than that, the Temple Mount was neglected by the Romans.
Byzantine period – The Byzantines built elaborate church buildings, monasteries and other public buildings on the Temple Mount.
Muslim period – In 637 CE Muslim Arabs conquered Jerusalem from the Byzantine Empire. Caliph Umar found the Temple Mount covered with rubbish. He built a mosque to the south of the rock over some ruins, known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt several times, the last one in 1035 CE is the one that still stands today.
In 691 CE Caliph Abd al-Malik built around the rock the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat as-Sakhra). The dome was covered in gold in 1920 [with textual and architectural narratives reinforced one another] ??.
For Muslims, the importance of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque makes Jerusalem the third-holiest city, after Mecca and Medina. The Dome of the Rock is located close to the area where the Holy Temple of Israel previously stood. The mosque and shrine are currently administered by a Waqf* (an Islamic trust).
The Crusaders – In 1099 the First Crusaders captured Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock was converted into a church called Templum Domini (the Temple of the Lord) and al-Aksa became a church called Templum Solomonis (Solomon’s Temple.)
Back to Muslim rule – In 1187 Jerusalem was re-conquered by Saladin, and The Dome of the Rock and al-Aksa were changed back into Muslim houses of worship, and have remained so ever since.
The Ottoman Empire – with the expansion of the Turkish Ottoman Muslim Empire, Palestine was included in their conquests in 1516. They prohibited non-Muslims from setting foot on the Temple Mount until the early 19th century, when non-Muslims were again permitted to visit the site.
British Mandate – After WWI, the entire area, including Palestine (today the land of Israel) and Trans-Jordan (today Jordan), was given to the British Mandate, including the Old City of Jerusalem. It maintained the Muslim status quo of the Temple Mount sites. Later, when Jordan became an independent state, it established the current Waqf (religious Muslim Council of the holy places on the Temple Mount.)
After 1948
The State of Israel was established in 1948 after winning the war of independence against its five neighboring Arab nations. East Jerusalem and the West Bank remained in Jordanian hands. Under Jordanian control, Jews were completely expelled from the Old City including the Jewish quarter, and Jews were barred from entering the Old City for 19 years, effectively banning Jewish prayer at the site of the Western Wall.
Israel period – On June 7, 1967, Israel won the Six Day War against the armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. In the fighting against Jordan, Israel gained control of The West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount.
The Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) passed the Preservation of the Holy Places Law, ensuring the protection of the Holy Places against desecration, as well as freedom of access thereto. The site remains within the area controlled by the State of Israel, with the religious administration of the site remaining in the hands of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. Arabs can enter the Temple Mount through one of ten different Muslim-only gates from various sites in the Old City. Tourists and Jews are only allowed access to the site through the Mugrabim Gate (via the Mugrabim Bridge) which is located just above and to the left of the Kotel, (Western Wall) plaza. Non-Muslims are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount.
Insight
As we see, God has fulfilled His promises and closed the cycle. Now that Israel has come back to the Land, the Temple Mount is in Israel’s hands. For now, God allows it to be religiously administered under Muslim control. If Israel had taken control of the Temple Mount religiously, the Jewish religious leaders would have started building the third Temple, and it is not God’s time, it’s not His purpose yet for Israel. Mean through the Muslim Arabs, the enemy is doing everything he can to cause Israel to completely lose sovereignty over the Temple Mount.
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