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The Amish Voice 12
Question: "What happened on the
Mount of Olives?"
Answer:
The
Mount of Olives
,
sometimes referred to as “Olivet” in the
KJV (2 Samuel 15:30; Acts 1:12) or “the
mount facing Jerusalem” (1 Kings 11:7),
is a ridge running along the east side of
Jerusalem, separated from the city walls
by a ravine and the Brook Kidron. The
Mount of Olives
was the site of many
events in the Bible and will be the site of a
yet-future fulfillment of prophecy.
In the Old Testament, the
Mount of
Olives
is mentioned once in relation to
King David. When David’s son Absalom
wrested control of Jerusalem, David and
his loyal followers fled the city via an
eastern route: “David continued up the
Mount of Olives
, weeping as he went; his
head was covered and he was barefoot.
All the people with him covered their
heads too and were weeping as they went
up” (2Sam. 15:30). Later, King Solomon
used the
Mount of Olives
for idol
worship: “On a hill east of Jerusalem,
Solomon built a high place for Chemosh
the detestable god of Moab, and for
Molek the detestable god of the
Ammonites” (1 Kings 11:7). In one of
Ezekiel’s visions, the prophet sees the
glory of the Lord depart from Jerusalem
and come to rest “above the mountain east
of it” (Ezekiel 11:23).
Jesus made many visits to the
Mount of
Olives
(Luke 21:37). In fact, it was
“usual” for Him to go there when in the
vicinity of Jerusalem (Luke 22:39). Every
time Jesus visited Lazarus and Mary and
Martha, He was on the
Mount of Olives
,
for their village of Bethany was situated
on the eastern slope. The road from
Bethany to Jerusalem lay over Olivet.
The Bible records Jesus’ visiting the
Mount of Olives
three times in the last
week of His earthly life, and each time
something of significance happened. The
first visit was to deliver what has come to
be known as the Olivet Discourse,
recorded in Matthew 24:1—25:46.
Parallel passages are found in Mark 13:1–
37 and Luke 21:5–36. The content of the
Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ response to His
disciples’ question “When will these
things be, and what will be the sign of
your coming and of the close of the
age?" (Matthew 24:3). Jesus’ teaching in
Matthew 24—25 primarily concerns the
future tribulation period and the second
coming of Christ at the end of the
tribulation. The Discourse includes
parables about those who wait for the
Master’s coming—the wise and faithful
servant (Matthew 24:45–51), the five wise
virgins (Matthew 25:1–13), and the good
servant who uses his resources wisely
(Matthew 25:14–30).
Jesus’ second visit is what we call the
triumphal entry. The donkey Jesus rode
that day was found in the area of Bethany
and Bethphage, on the east side of the
Mount of Olives
(Luke 19:29–30). Then,
“when he came near the place where the
road goes down the
Mount of Olives
, the
whole crowd of disciples began joyfully
to praise God in loud voices for all the
miracles they had seen” (verse 37). While
still on the
Mount of Olives
, Jesus looked
at the vista in front of Him, wept over the
city, and pronounced a judgment against it
(verses 41–44).
Jesus’ third visit during the week of His
passion was on the night He was betrayed.
That evening began with the Last Supper
in Jerusalem and ended in the Garden of
Gethsemane on the
Mount of Olives
.
During that last Passover meal, Jesus
washed His disciples’ feet and then
revealed Judas as the betrayer (John 13:1–
30). At the conclusion of the meal, Jesus
established the New Covenant and
instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew
26:26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Then
He took His disciples to the Garden of
Gethsemane (literally, “Garden of the Oil-
press”) located on the western slope of the
Mount of Olives
. There Jesus prayed in
agony as He contemplated the day to
come. So overcome by the horror of what
He was to experience in the crucifixion
the following day that His sweat was “like
drops of blood” (Luke 22:44) and God
sent an angel from heaven to strengthen
Him (Luke 22:43).
After Jesus prayed, Judas Iscariot arrived
with a multitude of soldiers, high priests,
Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus.
Judas identified Jesus by the prearranged
signal of a kiss, which he gave to Jesus.
Trying to protect Jesus, Peter drew a
sword and attacked a man named
Malchus, the servant of the high priest,
cutting off his ear. Jesus rebuked Peter
and healed the man’s ear, displaying the
miraculous power of God (Luke 22:51).
Nevertheless, the mob arrested Jesus and
took Him to face trial, while the disciples
scattered in fear for their lives.
After the trials, crucifixion, and
resurrection, Jesus once again stood on
the
Mount of Olives
. During His final
post-resurrection appearance, Jesus led
His disciples “out to the vicinity of
Bethany, [and] he lifted up his hands and
blessed them. While he was blessing
them, he left them and was taken up into
heaven. Then they worshiped him and
returned to Jerusalem with great
joy” (Luke 22:50–52). Acts 1:12 specifies
that “the vicinity of Bethany” was indeed
the
Mount of Olives
. Immediately
following Jesus’ ascension, two angels
told the disciples on the
Mount of Olives
that “this same Jesus, who has been taken
from you into heaven, will come back in
the same way you have seen him go into
heaven” (Acts 1:11). According to the
The Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
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