Mount Hermon 

When Jesus was a boy in Nazareth, he used to go for walks with his father, Joseph, on Sabbath afternoons. One of their favorite jaunts was to climb the high hill near their home, from which they could obtain a panoramic view of all Galilee.

To the northwest, on clear days, they could see the long ridge of Mount Carmel running down to the sea. To the north Mount Hermon raised its snowy peak in majestic splendor and monopolized the skyline, almost 3,000 feet of the upper slopes glistening white with perpetual snow. Far to the east they could discern the Jordan valley and, far beyond, the rocky hills of Moab.

When Jesus was almost 31 years old, following the year of solitary wanderings through Palestine and Syria, he made a visit to Mount Hermon, first securing a beast of burden and a lad named Tiglath at Caesarea-Philippi. He proceeded along the Damascus Road to a village sometimes known as Beit Jenn in the foothills of Mount Hermon, and there made his headquarters near the middle of August, 25 CE.

Leaving his supplies in the custody of Tiglath, Jesus ascended the lonely slopes of the mountain. Tiglath accompanied Jesus this first day up the mountain to a designated point about 6,000 feet above sea level, where they built a stone container in which Tiglath was to deposit food twice a week. The first day, after he had left Tiglath, Jesus had ascended the mountain only a short way when he paused to pray. He ate frugally while on the mountain; he abstained from all food only a day or two at a time.

The superhuman beings who confronted him on this mountain, and with whom he wrestled in spirit, and whom he defeated in power, were real; they were his archenemies.

Jesus spent the last three weeks of August and the first three weeks of September on Mount Hermon. After more than five weeks of unbroken communion with his Paradise Father, Jesus became absolutely assured of his nature and of the certainty of his triumph over the Lucifer Rebellion.

Near the end of the mountain sojourn Jesus asked his Father if he might be permitted to hold conference with his Satania enemies as the Son of Man. This request was granted.

During the last week on Mount Hermon the "great temptation", the universe trial, occurred. Satan (representing Lucifer) and the rebellious Planetary Prince Caligastia, were present with Jesus and were made fully visible to him. To the many proposals and counterproposals of the emissaries of Lucifer, Jesus only replied: "May the will of my Paradise Father prevail, and you, my rebellious son, may the Ancients of Days judge you divinely. I am your Creator-father; I can hardly judge you justly, and my mercy you have already spurned. I commit you to the adjudication of the Judges of a greater universe."

When Jesus came down from his sojourn on Mount Hermon, the Lucifer rebellion in Satania and the Caligastia secession on earth were virtually settled.

At the end of this sojourn on the mountain, as Jesus was making his descent, he met Tiglath coming up to the rendezvous with food. Turning him back, he said only: "The period of rest is over; I must return to my Father’s business."

Jesus returned to Mount Hermon with his Twelve Apostles on August 12, 29 CE. Here they sojourned for two days in spiritual preparation for the events so soon to follow.

Jesus decided to take only three apostles with him up the mountain (since none were spiritually qualified or truly ready for the experience), those who were in the habit of accompanying him on such special vigils. Accordingly, only Peter, James and John shared even a part of this unique experience with the Master.

Early on Monday, August 15, Jesus and the three apostles began the ascent of Mount Hermon. They reached their destination, about halfway up the mountain, shortly before noon, and while eating lunch, Jesus shared with the three apostles some of his experiences in the hills east of Jordan. He also shared additional details about his previous visit to this solitary retreat, including his experience on Mount Hermon.

It was about three o’clock on this beautiful afternoon that Jesus took leave of the three apostles, saying: "I go apart by myself for a season to commune with the Father and his messengers; I bid you tarry here and, while awaiting my return, pray that the Father’s will may be done in all your experience in connection with the further bestowal mission of the Son of Man." And after saying this to them, Jesus withdrew for a long conference with Gabriel and Father Melchizedek, not returning until about six o’clock.

Jesus and the three partook of a meager evening meal and talked over the affairs of the Lucifer rebellion while seated about the glowing embers of their fire until darkness drew on. When the three had been fast asleep for about half an hour, they were suddenly awakened by a nearby crackling sound, and much to their amazement and consternation, on looking about them, they beheld Jesus in intimate converse with two brilliant beings clothed in the habiliments of the light of the celestial world. These three conversed in a strange language, but from certain things said, Peter erroneously conjectured that the beings with Jesus were Moses and Elijah; in reality, they were Gabriel and Father Melchizedek.

Peter, who was first to recover himself, said, as the dazzling vision faded from before them and they observed Jesus standing alone, "Jesus, Master, it is good to have been here. We rejoice to see this glory. We are loath to go back down to the inglorious world. If you are willing, let us abide here, and we will erect three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While Peter was yet speaking, a silvery cloud drew near and overshadowed the four of them. The apostles now became greatly frightened, and as they fell down on their faces to worship, they heard a voice, the same that had spoken on the occasion of Jesus’ baptism, say: "This is my beloved Son; give heed to him." And when the cloud vanished, again was Jesus alone with the three, and he reached down and touched them, saying: "Arise and be not afraid; you shall see greater things than this."

Mount Hermon, at the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, is a significant geographic and historical location. Straddling the border between Syria and Lebanon, its peak at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet) is Syria's highest point. Notably, it hosts the world's highest permanently manned UN position, the "Hermon Hotel," situated in the United Nations buffer zone between Syria and Israel.