The Wall is Truly a troublesome place, for a couple of reasons. First it does not face the Place The LORD placed HIS NAME.
The Second trouble: Why would so many religious leaders, point their followers away from HIS NAME? I will continue this one later. Back to The Wall!
This is a picture I took 20150730, of The Wall. It is a standard first picture of the wall. What we a looking at is the western retaining wall of the Second Temple grounds. Not only is this not an original retaining wall for the Temple King Solomon built for the NAME, it is the southern section of the wall, not even close to the Place of the NAME.
2 Chronicles Chapter 6 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים בVerses 19 .. 33– Paraphrased(King Solomon dedicated the temple which he built for The LORD. Asking that HE place HIS NAME in this place, and that when ever someone faces this place and prays the LORD WILL HEAR.
Response from THE LORD 2 Chronicles Chapter 7 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ב Verses 12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him: ‘I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; 14 if My people, upon whom My name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now have I chosen and hallowed this house, that My name may be there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt25b07.htm]
On the Witness of Two or more are we to know the truth, so: 1 Kings Chapter 8 מְלָכִים א for the dedication and the prayer for King Solomon. 1 Kings Chapter 9 מְלָכִים א 3 And the LORD said unto him: ‘I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09a09.htm]
So there is the request and the Promise by THE LORD. Why is it so important that I know where GOD PLACE HIS NAME?
In Leviticus, Deuteronomy and the Prophets speaking in the LORD’S NAME in the Tanakh, we are told that we will be so bad that the LORD will not hear our prays. King Solomon, in the dedication of the HOUSE OF WORSHIP he built for the LORD, did get a commitment from the LORD to HEAR our prayers placed toward the place HE PLACED HIS NAME(Perpetually-without end). {I believe this to be the most important and wises thing King Solomon ever did.}
The next question must be: Where exactly is this place? 31° 46′ 40.8″ N, 35° 14′ 7.44″ E Funny, okay why this particular place?
1 Chronicles Chapter 21 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים א This is the Story of King David, causing a count of the Children of Israel, and THE LORD’S anger and the deal. The deal for the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, where the Angel of the LORD has his sword drawn against Jerusalem. King David is to build an Alter to The LORD and sacrifice the unto The LORD. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight, and did as he was instructed by the Angel of The LORD via the prophet Gad. [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt25a21.htm]
2 Chronicles Chapter 3 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ב :1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where [the LORD] appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt25b03.htm]
Mount Moriah, Temple Mount and dome of the rock are all the same location, the place where GOD PLACED HIS NAME, as shown above.So? What has that to do with the Wall?
My question is this for you: If you what the LORD to hear your prayer, and to know that HE will hear you, to where do you face? Answer: The place HE placed HIS NAME! Mt Moriah, Temple Mount, the place King David built an alter to GOD, to stop the destruction of Jerusalem by the Angel of The LORD. Only there is the promise by GOD to Hear.
The wall is facing south of the Temple Mount not to the place of HIS NAME.
Return to The Second trouble: Why would so many religious leaders, point their followers away from HIS NAME? Why do we find it so difficult to even consider keeping the Covenant THE LORD has made with our fathers and with us?
For myself, I will go again today to the Wall, and pray not toward the wall but to The PLACE HE PLACED HIS NAME. There is only ONE Source of deliverance and help, from now on, The LORD the GOD OF Abraham, GOD of Isaac, GOD of Jacob, My GOD is the only salvation and only hope there is.
Please, to quote Moses: “Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil,” Choose the LORD that you may be heard, and return to the GOOD that you may live.
Yaakov
Addendum: 20150823, I was again at a place that affords an over site of the Kotel. Yes I am still coming to this place. I have never considered the Gold Dome which sits atop the Place of the NAME OF GOD as a good thing. More of a monstrosity and an insult to THE LORD, . . . . Until NOW. The LORD left and destroyed the First because of our actions. HE was never in the second one, and destroyed it anyway, possibly for the same reasons. So the most important place on this planet, possible the universe has a one of a kind memento sitting on top of it that the Whole World can see. It was built by Islam, with a Gold Dome, for which no other place holy to them has. And this is not even that holy to them. So why a Gold Dome? Why go to such trouble for what is not the most important place to them? Why something that could be seen from space, due to its reflective brightness? PLACE OF HIS NAME SHINES BRIGHTLY. Is it possible the THE LORD caused it to be built as a beacon to HIS NAME? Address: 31° 46′ 40.8″ N, 35° 14′ 7.44″ E, I have not found its equal in size and brilliance.
I took this photograph 20150730, showing the relationship between the PLACE OF THE NAME and The WALL.
Today I see the GOLD DOME as something more than what I saw before. The place of THE NAME is the STONE under the Gold Dome, but is that not quite a marker? One that Islam, Judaism and Christianity will not destroy. Amazing what the LORD does.
Yaakov