And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hand, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven... And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, " Ye Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go up into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey." (Luke 24:49-51; Acts 1:10-12)

From the very day that these events took place on the Mount of Olives, the return of Jesus Christ has been the blessed hope of His Church. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

Over 30 years ago, one of the members of Jerusalem Connection was meditating on these scriptures at his breakfast table, and there appeared on the wall before him a vision of two men in white apparel walking down a narrow street. They carried a banner upon which was written the words: "JESUS IS THE KING OF ISRAEL AND HE IS COMING BACK SOON." The sentence was written in English, Arabic, and Hebrew; all the letters were written in red. As the two men proceeded down the narrow street there was a mixed reaction to their presence. Some were applauding their message, but most of the people were angry and most were throwing stones at them. Somehow, the stones were deflected before they reached the two men which caused the crowd to become even angrier. The scene before him zoomed in, as if a close-up view was being given him by a projector, and he saw the backs of the heads of the two men and the shape of their bodies. A voice then asked him if he understood what this represented, and he replied in his inner man that he did not understand. He was then told that these events would precede the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives. There arose in his heart a great desire to be there when these event occurred and he asked if he would be there at that time. He was then told that as his faith was, so it would be. When the vision disappeared, he was shaken in mind and troubled about what he had seen.

It had only been about two years previously that he had been introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Holy One of Israel, the promised seed of Abraham who would one day rule the nations of the earth with a rod of iron. He boarded an airplane in Dallas, Texas en route to New Orleans. While on the plane he began to read from a book which he had mistakenly purchased (thinking it to be another kind of book), and while reading that book, which was a commentary on the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he was confronted with the thought that Jesus Christ is alive. He had been born as the son of a Jewish mother and a Christian father and had always had doubt about the resurrection of the dead. However, on that day, in the bathroom of that Delta airplane, he asked the Risen Jesus Christ to reveal Himself and to forgive him of his sins, fill him with His Spirit, and make his life productive in His Kingdom. Christ Jesus immediately entered into his heart by His Spirit and the change began instantly. He quit his job practicing law and was studying his Bible full time when the vision appeared on the wall of his apartment. He had almost exhausted his savings and the thought of going to Israel was overwhelming. At the time he thought that he should proceed immediately to the Mount of Olives. It turned out that the vision was for a time of the Lord's choosing.

It has been over 30 years and he still has not seen the fulfillment of the vision. However, since that day his thought and purpose has remained fixed on the return of the Lord Jesus to the same place and spot from which He ascended, in the same manner in which he was taken away.

In September of 1985, his birthday happened to fall on Rosh Hashanna. It also happened to be a night on which he was to share from the Word concerning the Blowing of Trumpets which begins on Rosh Hashanna. During the meeting we received from the Lord that we should go up to Jerusalem. We were further told that we would meet a man who would be sitting on a wall and that man would lead us to the place where we should go. Without giving the full details of what occurred thereafter we must tell you that we did meet that man and he did lead us to his house which is located less than 50 yards from the place where Jesus started his donkey ride on what is commonly referred to as the Palm Sunday road. With the help of the father of that house and two brethren we pitched a small tent on the slope of the Mount of Olives where we believe that the Lord ascended into heaven. While praising the Lord in that tent, during the eight days of Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles), we met brothers and sisters from over 50 nations who had inquired concerning the tent. It was as a result of these experiences that we discovered that all over the world, there are like-minded brethren who have received from the Lord the same anticipation concerning His return. The tent was very small and was not able to accommodate all the people who wanted to praise the Lord. It was then that there arose in our heart a desire to find a place on the Mount of Olives which would be available to anyone and everyone to praise and worship the Lord of all creation and to await His return.

Sometime later, while in the Negev Desert visiting a Jewish believer, he met a man who inquired about his purpose in visiting the land of Israel. It was then that the man related to him the story of the tent and his desire to find a place on the Mount of Olives. The man replied that he knew of a place on the Mount of Olives which was possibly available for that purpose. Immediately he knew that the man was talking about the slope on which we believe that the Lord Jesus ascended. He told him in faith that he knew the place. He was certain that the man doubted that he could possibly know the location of the property. However, on the following Friday morning, they met in Jerusalem and by the grace of God he led the man to the spot on the Mount of Olives that was available for use. As they sat in the van on the slope of that Holy Place, they began to make plans to follow the Lord's leading. If indeed that place was to be used for a place of praise and worship in anticipation of the Lord's return, then the Lord would make it available.

Since that time we have met people from all over the world who share in a desire to spend time praising the Lord on the Mount of Olives. It is our hope that we will together provide such a place.

When the idea of THE JERUSALEM CONNECTION first arose in the hearts of our brethren, it was only to join together those of us who share in a God-given desire to see the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ return to the earth and establish His Kingdom of Righteousness. Our only hope is in Him who died and rose again, never to die again!

We are in the last days! The nations of the earth are gathered together against Jerusalem, and Jerusalem has become a cup of trembling to all nations that lie round about. (Zechariah 12, Zechariah 14)

Since the time of the vision at the breakfast table in his apartment he has entered his seventy-seventh year on this earth. His body is not as strong as it once was, but his inner man is zealous for the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If you share that zeal, regardless of your doctrinal or denominational persuasion, we want to unite with you in that common desire for His soon return to this earth. If you have a desire to participate in this ministry of praise and worship of the Lord on the Mount of Olives, please allow us to enter into prayer with you that the Lord would make a way for you.

In the Blessed Name of Our Lord and Saviour and Soon Returning King, Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel. Even so, Come quickly Lord Jesus!