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4 The Mount of Olives in YEHOVAH God’s Plan

SEPARATE ALTARS existed and must be clearly differentiated. One altar is mentioned in Gene-
sis 12 –

And he [Abram] moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent
with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there HE BUILT AN ALTAR to the LORD
[YEHOVAH] and called on the name of YEHOVAH (verse 8).

In order to accurately determine the location of these two altars, we must first locate the
“Bethel” mentioned in this passage. Complicating the issue is the fact that the name “Bethel” was
attached to two separate sites mentioned in the Bible. The later Bethel -- 12 miles north of Jerusalem
-- was the site of a rival sanctuary established at time of the divided kingdom -- see I Kings
12:27-29. However, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, by Ellen Frankel and Betty Teutsch,
shows that the original Bethel should be identified with Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.

Mount Moriah is profoundly significant in YEHOVAH’s plan. Here, YEHOVAH God’s
Shekinah Glory fellowshipped with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Here, too, the Temple
was built that housed YEHOVAH’s Shekinah Glory in the Holy of Holies. Without a doubt, Mount
Moriah is of primary importance in YEHOVAH’s prophetic work.

And, as we shall see, the Mount of Olives is equally important. From the scripture just men-
tioned, it can be seen that Abram built an altar EAST OF MOUNT MORIAH (Bethel). The moun-
tain opposite Moriah is the Mount of Olives -- and it was here that Adam built an altar of sin
sacrifice. This line of reasoning is consistent with the fact that the Mount of Olives became the per-
manent site for the burning of all sin sacrifices and the spot where the most holy sin sacrifice of all,
the RED HEIFER, was offered up. And here, too, the Messiah will be a king and priest to his Father
YEHOVAH God during the Millennial Kingdom!

It also fits the pattern of the Garden of Eden in that the Tree of Life was on Mount Moriah
and Adam was expelled EAST of the garden. Therefore, the sacrificial altar must have been con-
structed on the Mount of Olives. The Torah Anthology confirms that the altar of sin sacrifice was
located in Jerusalem opposite the “Throne of Glory” (Vol. 2, p. 332). The “Throne of Glory,” of
course, refers to the Holy of Holies in the Temple where YEHOVAH’s Shekinah Glory resided.
Since the Temple entrance was located on its EASTERN SIDE, “opposite the Holy of Holies,” this
clearly indicates the Mount of Olives. Mark 13:3 also shows this -- “Now as He [the Messiah] sat on
the Mount of Olives OPPOSITE THE TEMPLE....”

The Two Altar Sites

In I Chronicles and II Samuel we find evidence to support the idea that there was two sepa-
rate and distinct -- yet closely associated -- altars. Notice I Chronicles 21, where David is instructed
by “the angel of YEHOVAH” to build an altar to YEHOVAH on the threshing floor of Ornan the
Jebusite –

Then the angel of YEHOVAH commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and
erect an ALTAR to YEHOVAH on the THRESHING FLOOR OF ORNAN THE
JEBUSITE....(Verse 18)

The Berean Voice March-April 2003