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The Mount of Olives in YEHOVAH God’s Plan 3

The Mount of Olives in YEHOVAH

God’s Plan

For some strange reason the Christian Church of the first few
centuries after the Messiah held a location on the Mount of
Olives in special regard. Christians visiting Jerusalem al-
ways gravitated to this site. Also, when the Jewish authorities
of the early Islamic period returned to Jerusalem, they went
directly to the Mount of Olives. What was it that drew these
diverse peoples to this spot? What about the strange tradition
of Adam’s skull being associated with this mountain to the
east of Jerusalem?

John D. Keyser

A both the Old and New Testaments. From the time of our first ancestor Adam, the summit of
study of the Bible will quickly reveal that the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem is a key site in
this mount to the east of the old city was ordained as a place of worship of the Most High God
YEHOVAH. While the Israelites themselves desecrated this holy place with idols of false gods
down through their history, YEHOVAH never forgot His promise of a Messiah. And, as we shall
see, the Mount of Olives is the FOCAL POINT in the fulfillment of YEHOVAH’s redemptive plan
for all humankind.

The First Sacrificial Altar

According to The Torah Anthology, translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Adam constructed
the first sacrificial altar to YEHOVAH God. Following this, the same altar was successively rebuilt
by Abel, Noah and Abraham (ibid., Vol. 1, pp. 287, 375; Vol 2, p. 332). In the passages in Genesis
(4:4; 8:20; 22:9) that deal with this subject, the Hebrew word, banah, has been translated “built” in
most of the English versions of the Bible. However, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
of the Bible (#1129) indicates that this word may also be translated as “rebuilt” or “restored” --
which, in fact, more accurately describes what really took place.

Now WHERE was this sacrificial altar located and WHY was it so important to YEHOVAH
that it be maintained as the site of sin sacrifice? It’s only when we understand the significance of
this altar in regard to YEHOVAH’s Master Plan that we can hope to answer these questions. This
understanding will also help lead us to an even DEEPER knowledge and appreciation for the ex-
traordinary precision and beauty of YEHOVAH’s redemptive plan for each and every one of us.

The majority of Jewish scholars believe that this particular altar was situated on Mount
Moriah from the time of Adam down to Abraham. However, it is quite apparent that TWO

The Berean Voice March-April 2003