Being in the Promised Land gives insights arising from seeing what Jesus saw. (For example, see my blog “The Immense, Towering Rock Overcomes the Gates of Hell”.)

We’ve all heard many times the words of Jesus: “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ . . . it will be done for them.” (Mark 11:23).

This is why we talk about faith and prayers that can “move mountains”. (Mark 11:22-25; Matthew 17:20).

We frequently use this illustration to teach about the power of faith and prayer. We don’t expect to move mountains literally and physically.

The tour guide on my recent pilgrimage to the Promised Land shared an insight that I had never heard before.

He noted that, in the Gospel of Mark, the mountain that could be moved by faith and prayer was the Temple Mount.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus made his statement about moving mountains when he and his disciples were walking from the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. The Temple Mount with its magnificent Temple towered above them—an awe-inspiring sight.

The previous day Jesus had cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit. Later that day, Jesus had cursed the Temple for not bearing righteous fruit:

Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. As he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’” (quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11) (Mark 11:15-17).

Indeed, Jesus disrupted the Temple so dramatically that the “chief priests and the teachers of the law . . . began looking for a way to kill him . . .” (Mark 11:18).

By the very next day, the cursed fig tree had already withered. (Mark 11:20-21).

The parallel with the cursed den of thieves at the Temple withering would immediately have come to mind.

And, therefore, when Jesus spoke about moving a mountain through faith and prayer, it would have prompted thoughts about “moving the Temple Mount” by destroying the den of thieves at the Temple and resurrecting the Temple as a house of prayer for all nations (Mark 14:57-58).

As we now know, the den of thieves at the Temple was indeed destroyed as Jesus foresaw.

Forty years later, the Romans moved the Temple Mount! As Jesus foresaw, the Romans destroyed the Temple so thoroughly that no stone was left on top of another. (Mark 13:1-2).

In contrast, the “Temple” established by Jesus—the Church—became a house of prayer for all nations. (Acts 2:5-11; 10:44-48; 15:23-29; 28:28; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16; 1 Peter 2:4-6).

The “Temple” established by Jesus—the Church—became every place and circumstance where people worship in Spirit and in truth, instead of being limited to one physical place of worship such as the Temple Mount (Jews), Mount Moriah (Muslims), or Mount Gerizim (Samaritans). (John 4:19-24).

And so, in this sense—as in so many other ways—we can see the power of faith and prayer to move mountains, including the Temple Mount.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

Why did Jesus drive merchants and money changers out of the Temple?

In what ways do people today make money from people trying to worship in Spirit and in truth in the Church Universal?

In what ways can prayer and faith “move the mountains” of the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World so that people of all nations can pray and worship in Spirit and in truth?

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For my thoughts about praying for the Peace of Jerusalem at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, please read my blog “Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem” and “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”.

For related thoughts arising from places where we worship the LORD, please read my blogs “Places of Worship—Rainbows”, “Places of Worship—Stone Pillows”, “Places of Worship—Crossing Streams”, “Places of Worship—Burning Bushes”, “Places of Worship—Seeing and Hearing”, “Places of Worship—Following the Way of Jesus”, “Places of Worship—Spirit and Truth”, “Places of Worship—Wanting To Get Well”, “Places of Worship—Praying and Singing Hymns in ‘Prisons’”, and “Places  of Worship: Earthquakes”.

To learn more about building the Temple, please read my blogs “Building the Temple—Moses”, “Building the Temple—David”, “Building the Temple—Isaiah”, “Building the Temple—Herod the Great”, “Building the Temple—Jesus”, “Building the Temple—Paul”, “Building the Temple—Peter”, and “Building the Temple: The Word”.