The Mount of Olives

2 Samuel 15:30

“And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.”

The Mount of Olives overlooks Jerusalem from the east. This first reference to it notes the sad occasion when King David had to flee Jerusalem for his life, escaping the conspiracy of his estranged son Absalom.

Just as David wept over Jerusalem as he left it, so would his greater son, Jesus, a thousand years later, weep over the city as He entered it from MountOlivet

Luke 19:37, 41

When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.

It was there that He gave the great prophecy of His second coming

Matthew 24:3

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?[a]"

It was also there He went with His disciples after the last supper, and there He agonized in prayer, alone, in the Garden of Gethsemane

Mark 14:26, 32

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives..They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray."

Finally, after His death and resurrection, it was from the Mount of Olives that He ascended back into heaven

Acts 1:10-12

As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!" Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.( Greek a Sabbath day's journey.)

This is far from the end of the story, however. The Mount of Olives has an amazing role yet to play in the world’s future, according to a prophecy given long ago.

Zechariah 14:1, 4

Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you!……….. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.

Instead of a mountain there will be a valley,

Zechariah 14:8

On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, ( Hebrew half toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea.) flowing continuously in both summer and winter.

Instead of a mountain for weeping there will be a stream of rejoicing,

Zechariah 14:9

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord-his name alone will be worshiped.

“What happened on the Mount of Olives?”……Jesus made two visits to the Mount of Olives that are recorded in the Bible, both in the last week of His life. The first visit was to deliver what has come to be known as the Olivet discord (See study on Olivet discourse) recorded in Matthew 24:1├ö├ç├┤25:46. Parallel passages are found in Mark 13:1-37 and Luke 21:5-36. The second visit was on the night He was betrayed. That evening began with the Last Supper and ended in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.……The content of the Olivet Discourse is Jesus' response to His disciples' question "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). The content of what Jesus taught in Matthew 24├ö├ç├┤25 primarily refers to 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 "talents" (money) wisely as he waits for the Master's return (Matthew 25:14-30).……Jesus' second visit to the Mount of Olives followed His last Passover meal with His disciples, in which He established the New Covenant and then revealed Judas as the one who would betray His master (John 13:1-30). At the conclusion of the meal, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-291 Corinthians 11:23-26). After the meal, He took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, literally "oil-press," located on a slope of the Mount of Olives just across the KidronValley from Jerusalem. 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 God sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43).……After this, Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, arrived with a "multitude" of soldiers, high priests, Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus. Judas identified Him by the prearranged signal of a kiss which he gave to Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter took a sword and attacked a man named Malthus, 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. Nevertheless, they arrested Him and took Him to Pontius Pilate, while the disciples scattered in fear for their lives.……The Mount of Olives is also mentioned in the Book of Zechariah. In a prophecy related to the end times, the Prophet Zechariah declared, “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south” (Zechariah 14:4). This prophecy, related to the triumphant coming of the Messiah, connects to both of the above Mount of Olives passages. It connects with the Olivet Discourse in that both passages refer to the end times. It connects with the Garden of Gethsemane in that the very location where Jesus was betrayed and rejected will be the same location where Jesus returns triumphantly.