Auditorium at Caesarea

Auditorium at Caesarea

This is the Now time
You have saved the best wine
Until now
You have the best for me now

The Clouds of Your Presence

The Clouds of Your
Presence

Smoke coming on the breeze
A mighty wind blowing across
Jerusalem

The cloud of Your glory
Releasing the Heavenly Hosts
Covering the Temple Mount with Your Presence

Called to pray for the unborn children
For the Devastated Generation

Overturn the unrighteous judgements
Release Justice and Righteousness
Over the leaders of this nation

Give them wisdom and compassion
Dreams and visions
To overturn

Raise up a strong voice
To defend the defenceless innocent ones.

Massada

Massada

We are a Frontier People
Zealous for our God
For His Kingdom to come

We stand against the plans of the enemy
With our face towards
Jesus our Saviour

Aqueduct at the Temple

Aqueduct at the Temple

Water washes
Cleansing blood
From springs and rains
Collected in cisterns

Alongside the Western Wall
Past the Holy of Holies?
“No digging here
or we shall war against you
and bring the might of nations
against you”

Is the Ark of the Covenant within?
Hastily buried among the walls?
Covered by debris and blocked off?

Today inaccessible
God will reveal
Everything in its time
Patience

Temple upon temple
The miracle of moving stones
Larger than the Pyramid’s

The depths below
Are revealed hollow
Supported by arches above

Into the aqueduct
Where water once ran freely
To the pools of clear water
Baptise, baptise the people

Into Jesus.

Holocaust Museum

Childrens’ Monument

A city of lights
Lamps that were snuffed out

Stars of a generation
That were never allowed to fully shine

Remembered, every one,
As stars shining in the darkness

A lost generation
Removal of God’s children
From the land

Western Wall

Western Wall

The height and the depth
The width and the breadth of it
A fragment of what remains of a distant memory
The cries for help,
Restoration and a redeemer
From the enemies that surround us.

Such love
Such devotion
Such passion
To touch the heart of the One who
Loves Israel and Jerusalem

The temple is destroyed
Not a stone left standing
Yet among them are
Living stones
Built together to form a temple
For the display of Your glory

My heart contains the Living God
He dwells within me
Your Kingdom come

Crucified in a Car Park

Crucified in a Car Park

Crosses by the busy road
Face to face
Not very high
You could have looked Him in the eye

The Jewish execution site
Within the stone quarry
Jews would stone the sinners here
Now in Roman occupation
The Roman way was crucifixion

Golgotha,
Place of the skull
Outside the city gates and walls
He hung there from twelve til three
The sixth hour til the ninth hour
While Father covered Him in darkness
And mercy kept Him there for me

Lambs were always killed upon
The north side of the altar
As He hung there the
Passover lambs
Were being slaughtered

Until
“It is finished!”
His triumphal cry
The earth split open
Sin and sickness came to death
In His body as He died

Where his blood
Fell to the ground
Bus and coaches are the sound
From off the streets
The men remain
Not noticing the scandalous claim
He is Messiah to all that come
And bow the knee

Before His throne

Antonia Fortress

Antonia Fortress

Crown of Thorns
A heap of thorns
Spiked into His head
Thorns used as kindling by soldiers
To light their fires
Blood flowed from His brow

He was scourged in the open air
In the streets where He walked
The drains received His blood
Our lovely Tender Shoot
Was crushed for me

Limestone pavements of Jerusalem

Limestone pavements of Jerusalem

In from the North
The Lion Gate
South to Jaffa Gate

All is small

One hour to walk

East to West

North to South

The Cardo
Remains of the arcade
Shopping centre of 2000 years ago
Through the covered street
Sellers of fabric, metal, fruits and spices

Homes behind doors
Off the streets
Family life

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Above the church
Over the grave of Jesus
Above when all is below

Catholic devotion
Gold and silver overlays the life within

Franciscan monks
Give their lives to live here
Above the church

Steps, steps down
The hill is clothed in stone
Overlaid with silver and gold

Three chapels
Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian
Down, down, down
To the tomb where He lay
Perhaps

Up, Up, Up
The incense rises as a smoking cloud
Dark and heavy
A peak into the darkness
Of a first century tomb
Death remains
Jesus is alive
He is not here

Kosher

Kosher

Kosher is when we have performed the ritual
External clean and clean inside
Passover lambs made pure
Within and without
Made Kosher with a whip on the back
By Jewish priests
Ropes spread Him to be
Broken and beaten
Jesus was made Kosher for us
By the Passover stripes
We are healed


Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing
Luke 23:34

Caiphus' House

The Dungeon

Place of the alter
This is the place of the sinner
The priestly house
Place of punishment
The dark place
The house in the rock

The old cistern is the prison
Jesus was lowered here
Down into the dungeon
Bleeding in the dark place
His last night
In darkness

But the Lord is my Shepherd
I will fear no evil
You are with me

Gethsemene - The Olive Press

The Olive Press

City oil was pressed here
Jesus slept in a cave here
He had access to this garden

Heart of an olive needs to be crushed
To make oil

He sweat blood
His heart was broken
He set His face like flint
For the joy set before Him

The Joy of the Lord is my strength

Gethsemane
Peter, James and John
Were with Him in the garden
Watch and pray
Sleeping
Temptation
The hour has come

Peter the Zealot
Had a knife
Assassin
Narrow stiletto knife
Not yet totally reformed
When challenged
Showed himself

Jesus set his face like flint

Passover

Passover

The day of preparation
Cleaning the house
Of yeast

Jesus cleaned the temple
On Palm Sunday
They waved myrtle, olive and willow
Remembering Tabernacles
Hosanna
Save us now

Jesus celebrated Passover ahead of time
In the Essene community
“Follow the man with the water jug”
Only women carried water
Essene men were celibate

Bethlehem

Bethlehem

Shepherds were Temple shepherds.
Bred sheep for slaughter here.
Lambs for the sacrifice
Jesus, Lamb that was slain


Jesus
Firstborn son
Opened the womb

He was laid in a limestone trough

Wrapped in linen and laid in a manger

Family celebrate the new born
On the first Sabbath after birth
No relatives here for Mary and Joseph
No family to gather and pray

God sent Wise Men
On Sabbath day after Jesus’ birth.
Gold for prosperity
Frankincense for purity and cleansing
Myrrh a healing balm

Jesus
Ram of God

Sunday

Arrival

Come
Let us go up to Jerusalem
Through the narrow pass
Made wide by modern roads

To the right
The House of Nations
With every flag displayed
Hanging limp in the midnight air

The old city behind the walls
Inviting
Beckoning
New city in front
Built by swinging cranes
In Jerusalem stone
Warm limestone
Cool to the touch

Awake, O Jerusalem
Arise and shine
For your Light has come
And the Glory of the Lord Jesus
Shines upon You

O clouds in the sky
Rain down blessings
On Jerusalem today