By The Sea

We went from Jaffa north to Caesarea Maritima which
means "by the sea." We saw a Fig tree, which represents
Israel, standing full of dead looking limbs with little
knobs. Those knobs are tiny figs and those figs will
mature when the leaves come out and cover the figs.
Jesus, therefore, expected to find mature figs when He
saw the leaves, but He didn't because the tree was
"faking it." Matt 21:18,19

Caesarea is so close to the Sea that it will flood in the
winter storms and sure enough we saw sea shells piled
up. Herod built things he enjoyed such as chariot races--
the Hippodrome was two foot ball fields in length--. He
even fixed up a swimming area for his pleasure! Herod
also set up a theater for plays which was also used for
judgement. It is thought that Paul may have been
brought to the stage area below the box set aside for the
dignitaries when he spoke to King Agrippa. Acts 25:1-13.
It could be representative of the Bema Seat where Christ-
ians will be rewarded.

From the sea we went up to Mt. Carmel which overlooks
the Jezreel Valley known as Megido or Armageddon.
About 3,000 years ago Elijah defeated the prophets of
Baal at the top of this mountain. (1Kings18) When we
looked over the valley we could see Mt Tabor, Nazareth,
and much of the Galilee spread out at our feet. Everything
was various shades of green and brown in the bright sun-
shine. Mt Carmel is a good place to ponder the past and
the future where the 'Battle of Armageddon' will be fought
at the end of the tribulation.

Reader, I see so much as I write this summary and I hope
that it will give you a taste of the past, the present and the
future!

(hopefully the pictures will land close to the blog!)