Tag Archives: Bethlehem

Zion – An Israel Experience

Spirituality, , ,

I testify that Jesus walked, taught, and worked the miracles described in the gospels. And He worked out the perfect and infinite atonement in Jerusalem (this holy and sacred place). In one of the many grand ironies of the Lord, Jerusalem means the city of peace.

Yet, it has been fought over more than almost any other city. But in His grand plan, it will become so. It will be a ZION society of the pure in heart, who are of one mind and one heart with the Lord. My wife and I have been to Israel four times, and here I share some of our ZION experiences.

Now, with all the conflict in Israel, it is hard to imagine a “pure in heart” people being of “one mind and one heart with God.” But we had a taste of it while there, and it surely shall come to pass.

President Spencer Kimball went to Israel during the energy crises. He was greatly impressed and when he wrote an article about his trip in the Church’s ENSIGN magazine, he said if you have a chance to go; do it. I thought this an unusual thing for him to share when travel was discouraged. I never thought I would have the chance. But in 1986, I was invited to give some lectures, and then later to help with Israel’s official atomic clock timekeeping system.

In 1986, I was then serving as Stake President of the Boulder Stake in Colorado. I knew I would be released the next year—after ten years of service, as President. In preparation for the trip the next year, I read the four gospels again and paid attention to where the miracles took place in detail as part of my preparations for what I thought would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Dr. Avinoam Shinhar, the director of the National Physical Laboratory for Israel, asked me to spend our first week at NPLI in Jerusalem working with their chief scientist, Dr. Alex Lepek. My wife and I ended up going to Israel four times to help them over a five-year span. Our collaborative efforts were very successful, as we tied their timing system to Universal Time (UTC) the world time standard.

While I was helping at NPLI, they had a professor who prided himself in knowing all the significant historical places both for Hebrew and Christian. At the close of each day’s work, he kindly would take us to one of these sights.

Seeking Bethany

I asked him if he would take us to Bethany. I had him stumped; he didn’t know where Bethany was. I knew about where it was from the New Testament account. So, on Friday, he said, “Let’s go find Bethany.” We went to a monastery on the south end of the Mt. Olives, and he asked a nun for directions. She directed us on the Road to Jericho to the “Bethany Souvenir Shop,” which is all that remains of Bethany. The reason he did not know where Bethany was because the name had changed.

Lazarus – Come Forth

The Savior’s raising Lazarus from the grave changed the name of the town.  The name of the town went from Bethany to the Town of Lazarus.  In Arabic, it is called al-Azariya–meaning the place where Lazarus lived. I have a blog article about this insightful experience: SACRED BETHEL, BETHANY, & BETHLEHEM.  (itsabouttimebook.com). This reveals direct evidence of the Savior’s ministry to the world. Else, why would they change the name of the town to reflect the significance of the Savior raising Lazarus from the dead?

“Lazarus, Come forth!

BYU Israel Campus

The BYU-Israel campus in Jerusalem is unique. The chapel has glass windows on three sides: looking south to the Mt. of Olives, west to the Dome of the Rock, near where the temple was, and to the northwest to the place of crucifixion and the Garden tomb. After one of our trips to Israel, I was sitting in the chapel in our Stake Center. During the sacrament, I was envisioning in my mind’s eye this setting in Jerusalem. I started weeping in deep gratitude for the infinite atonement. I blew my nose so hard that I damaged the hearing in my left ear. Now I have a constant reminder of that experience for which I am deeply grateful.

BYU-Jerusalem Center is the multiple arched building to the upper left.

The Orson Hyde Memorial Park is directly south of BYU-JC. It has his dedicatory prayer inscribed and is the biggest park in Jerusalem. In the prayer he shared the prophesy that Jerusalem would become the Capitol City of Israel. President Trump helped make that happen during his term of office.

After the week in Jerusalem, I gave my lectures in Tel Aviv the next week. Then I had arranged with Dan Rona to go on his tour during our last week in Israel. Dan was born in Haifa and is a Jewish convert. He knows the Hebrew traditions and history and has the glorious restoration of the fullness of the gospel perspective. His scriptures were well-worn! And he used them extensively as we went to several places in Israel—all of great significance.

Dan took us to the tomb where the Savior’s body laid for three days before His glorious resurrection. We walked into and observed that the tomb was empty. During those three days, His Spirit was in Paradise, opening up missionary work for all those in the spirit world. (1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6)

Sermon On the Mount

Dan took us to where he believes the Sermon on the Mount was delivered overlooking the Sea of Galilee. After reading from some of those chapters in the Book of Mathew, Dan gave us time to meditate about what he had shared and the feelings associated with this beautiful spot.

There was a boat out on the Sea of Galilee about a mile away, and we could hear them talking. There were some sheep on an adjacent hillside, and it was as if they were next to us. Evidence of an acoustic miracle witness that the Savior shared this paramount sermon so that all the masses gathered could clearly hear.

As I sat pondering and meditating—looking out over the Sea of Galilee, a beautiful Spirit of the Lord washed over my whole body testifying that all those miracles I had studied about in preparation for this trip happened here in Galilee as described in the gospels.

It was this sermon with important additions that brought the Nephites in North America to become a ZION people, as described in Third Nephi 12-19. Their ideal ZION society is described in Fourth Nephi. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 186) Elder Jeffrey Holland profoundly testifies of the same in our last LDS General Conference.

My Favorite Place

Because I have traveled a lot with the atomic clock community, I am often asked, “What is your favorite place in the world?” I always answer, “ISRAEL!” We cannot comprehend the magnitude of the infinite good Christ accomplished there for all of Father’s children—perfecting Heavenly Father’s perfect plan of happiness. I am a witness. Now you know why this was our most favorite trip! My Sweetheart (my wife Edna) shares the same witness and feelings as I do. The wonderful thought now is that we can be part of the coming ideal ZION society, which is coming for sure here in America as well as in Israel. (See Isaiah 2:2-3) The goal is to be pure in heart and to be of one mind and one heart with the Lord (D&C 38:27). The ten heavenly principles shared in Vinney Tolman’s book, THE LIGHT AFTER DEATH, has helped me in my preparations for our coming ZION society. Like the scriptures, it is a life changing book.

David W. Allan (15 August 2024)

Photo: Carl Bloch, 1890 – Free Christ Images

 

SACRED BETHEL, BETHANY, & BETHLEHEM

Spirituality, ,

Sacred events occurred in these three places. “Beth” means house in Hebrew. Bethel means “The House of God.” Bethany means “The House of the Poor.” Bethlehem means “The House of Bread,” which is most appropriate, as the birthplace of Jesus Christ–the bread of life. We will see the great importance of Bethel, Bethany, and Bethlehem as we find these key town names in the Bible.

There are many other occurrences of “Beth” in the scriptures with great and often sacred significance. Family being the most important unit in time and in eternity, the home Beth of a family is very important to the Lord. Relatively recent research has found BethLehi, where Lehi and his family lived before leaving for America—their new “Promised Land.”

When I was helping the Israelis improve their atomic clock system, we stayed in Bethbelgium, adjoining the laboratory, where we worked. Some of the Jews in Belgium had donated this nice facility to the laboratory.

Bethel and Bethany

The home of Lazarus was in the town of Bethany, where Mary anointed Jesus with very expensive ointment in preparation for His crucifixion and burial. This sacred ordinance performed by Mary on our Savior makes Bethany a sacred place.

Apocryphal literature indicates that the family of Lazarus were relatives of Jesus. Jesus clearly loved going there and lodging there. Bethany is about two miles east of Jerusalem, just over the Mt. of Olives. And it is next to the road going to Jericho from Jerusalem. Jesus and His disciples often frequented the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.
Simon the Leper also lived in Bethany, and Jesus had healed him. Simon held a feast for Jesus, and Lazarus attended.

Bethany is mentioned eleven times in the New Testament, but not at all in the Old Testament. In contrast, Bethel is mentioned prominently in the Old Testament, but not at all in the New Testament. The Ark of the Covenant was in Bethel in the days of the Judges—making Behtel a sacred place. (Judges 20:26-27)

My Bethany Israel Experience

In 1987, I was invited by the Israelis to help them improve their official atomic clock timekeeping system for the State of Israel, (UTC(INPL)). We spent a week in Jerusalem at their standards laboratory. We ended up publishing some interesting papers together over the five years I worked with my colleagues there.

After this first trip, I went back three more times to help them. I took a special GPS timing receiver that we had developed and made to tie their timing laboratory more accurately with the rest of the world’s atomic-clock timing community. My wife was able to be with me for all four trips and five of our children were able to go to Israel as well. Being where the Savior walked and taught and worked out His infinite atonement is a life-changing experience.

During our first week in Jerusalem, a professor prided himself in knowing all of the interesting historic places both for the Jews and Christians.  Every afternoon he would take us to some fascinating place in Biblical history. I asked him if he would take us to Bethany. He was puzzled.  He had not heard of Bethany and clearly did not know where the town of Bethany was.

Where Did Bethany Go?

On Friday of that week, he said, “We are going to find Bethany.”  I knew about where it was because of the New Testament description. We got into his van and drove to a monastery on the south end of the Mt. of Olives, where he received directions. He then drove us to the “Bethany Souvenir Shop” which is all that is left of the town of Bethany.  Since Bethany was the place of the tomb of Lazarus, it simply did not make sense to us that the town of Bethany didn’t exist.

Two weeks later we went on a tour with Dan Rona, who was born in Haifa and is a convert to our church.  He is a dear friend, and he took us to the place where it is believed that Lazarus was raised from the dead.  Dan shared that because of this miracle, the name of the town went from Bethany to the Town of Lazarus.  In Arabic, it is called al-Azariya–meaning the place where Lazarus lived.

Christ’s Planned Miracle

It is interesting that the Jews had a tradition that the spirit of a dead person lingered around the body for three days.  The Savior purposely waited four days to raise Lazarus to demonstrate the “glory of God” to the world. “Jesus saith unto her (Martha), Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou should see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)

Jesus knew that raising Lazarus from the dead would bring the Pharisees to plan His death.  However, He also knew that the outcome would be for the “glory of God”.  He yielded and performed the perfect and infinite atonement. This action would give the world the greatest gift and miracle ever witnessed–the full blessings of the infinite atonement. The miracle at Bethany was the trigger.

Christ’s incomprehensible gift would save the world from sin and death.  His suffering, death and resurrection would overcome spiritual and physical death brought about by the fall of Adam and Eve and cover or sins and sufferings, as we come unto Him.  Everyone who “believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) with a glorious resurrected body. Without the resurrection one cannot have a fullness of JOY. (D&C 93:33-34) Jesus’ resurrection set on fire the Christian movement.

The now-changed name, al-Azariya, “Town of Lazarus” bears record of that amazing miracle, which gave rise to the greatest miracle of all. The resurrection of our Lord is the best documented and most important miracle in the history of the entire earth. Even though it occurred over two thousand years ago, Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection changed the world far better than we can comprehend.

Bethlehem and Bethany

Bethlehem being the birthplace of our Savior, slept there his first night on earth. Bethany is the last place He slept here on earth—giving it that sacred significance.

In Hebrew tradition, Rabbis needed to be married. The celibate monks and other transcribers, because of their religious paradigms removed the information about Jesus, as a Rabbi, being married to Mary Magdalene.

The Bride and Bridegroom ceremony is very important in Hebrew tradition. Where did this take place for Jesus and Mary Magdalene? Was it in Bethany? There is a mural in Glastonbury, England of our Resurrected Lord standing by the side of Mary Magdalene—holding her hand—and she is pregnant.

Our wonderful daughter, McKaylee, is our genealogy researcher, and she has traced my wife’s lineage back to Sarah, daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

Let BethZion be our Home

How blessed we are to live in the day and time when the “Lord will bring again ZION.” How exciting it is to know we can be part of BETHZION. In Zion, motivated by the pure love of Christ, we will have the ideal celestial society. I hope and pray that our homes may be so. May we all live and share the Lord’s “Message of Gladness”—the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therein is the promise of a FULLNESS OF JOY and our participation in BETHZION!

Then there will be the most sacred cities of all: The New Jerusalem and the restored Jerusalem of old. Jerusalem, the most fought over city in world history will come be what the name means: The City of Peace! (Ether 13:1-12)

David W Allan

Photo:  CC Pixabay