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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001131A
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00:24 Adventurer and Geologist Karl Mauch
00:27 could hardly believe his eyes as he and his party 00:30 exploring in the heart of Southern Africa stepped out of 00:34 the bush one day in 1871. Before him was one of the most stunning 00:40 ancient stone monuments in the world. 00:43 Scattered across the hill and valley in front of him was a 00:48 network of mysterious ruins, buildings, towers, and walls 00:52 all expertly worked in stone, they seemed hauntingly 00:58 out of place in a landscape who's only other architecture 01:02 was the simple timeless mud hut. 01:05 Mauch had stumbled upon the great Zimbabwe along abandoned 01:12 city of stone. It's the largest collection of ruins in Africa 01:17 south of the Sahara and testament to a culture 01:21 of immense wealth and great architectural skill. 01:24 All the towers and structures were built out of millions 01:29 of stones balanced perfectly on top of one another 01:33 without the aid of mortar. Great Zimbabwe is a masterpiece 01:38 of stone craftsmanship, but who built this mysterious 01:42 stone city? When was it built? Any why? 01:46 As Mauch wandered through the abandoned city and examined the 01:51 stone buildings, he was convinced, he had discovered 01:52 at last the legendry gold mines of King Solomon. 01:59 Join me on a journey into the heart of Southern Africa 02:02 as we explore this amazing kingdom of stone and discover 02:07 its secrets and you may be surprised at just 02:11 what we discover because we will uncover ancient messages 02:15 in stone that is relevant to us today. 02:18 It's a message that could bring you peace and change your life 02:24 forever. 02:40 The legend of King Solomon's gold mines has long haunted 02:47 the minds of Arabs and Europeans alike. 02:50 According to the Bible, King Solomon, the wise son of David 02:55 ruled in Jerusalem from 970 to 930 B.C., he was Israel's 03:02 third king and ruled during the nation's golden age, 03:05 Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and riches. 03:11 The crowning achievement of Solomon's illustrious reign 03:14 was the erection of a magnificent temple on 03:18 Temple Mount in Jerusalem, it was a monument to God 03:22 and a permanent home for the Sacred Ark of the Covenant. 03:26 Solomon spared no expense on this building. 03:30 In fact, Solomon's Temple was the most beautiful building 03:37 this world has ever seen, every- thing inside was gold 03:43 the dishes, bowls, lamps, lamp- stands and 500 shields 03:48 were all made of solid gold. 03:51 But that wasn't all, notice what the Bible says in 03:55 I Kings 6: 20- 30. 04:15 A golden temple, walk inside and all you would see was gold. 04:21 All the furniture was solid gold then the walls, the ceiling, 04:25 and even the floors were all covered with pure gold. 04:30 No wonder why many people believe Solomon's temple 04:33 was the most magnificent edifice ever built, a golden temple, 04:39 the idea is breathtaking. 04:41 King Solomon's Temple was a glory of gold. 04:46 By the end of his reign, it's estimated that Solomon had 04:50 accumulated over 500 tons of gold, today it would be worth 04:56 not billions, but trillions of dollars. 05:08 Well, the Bible provides a clue in I Kings 10 where it 05:13 tells of the Queen of Sheba's royal visit to Jerusalem 05:16 to meet King Solomon. Now not only was Solomon renowned for his 05:21 wisdom and riches but it was also a man of charm and romance. 05:27 The Queen of Sheba heard reports of Solomon's great wisdom 05:31 and went to investigate. He surpassed her every expectation, 05:36 she gave him a large quantity of gold as well as precious 05:41 stones and spices. The gift of gold amounted to 120 talents 05:47 roughly 20 tons, Solomon was also captivated by the 05:52 Queen's visit and gave her all that she desired, whatever 05:56 she asked for and the two ended into trade agreements 06:00 between their two countries. 06:02 As a result, Solomon's Navy, his ships brought gold 06:07 from the land of Ophir. 06:09 Notice what the Bible says in I Kings chapter 10. 06:36 So we're told that all this gold came from the land of Ophir 06:41 but that's where the clues stop and the trail goes cold. 06:45 Out of this mystery grew the legend that was to obsess 06:49 that adventurers, explorers, and treasure hunters 06:52 for centuries and drive the search for King Solomon's 06:57 fable gold mines. 06:59 The Dutch, the Portuguese, and Arab traders conducted 07:04 unsuccessful expeditions to find the legendary gold mines 07:08 of Ophir. Finally in 1871 a young German Adventurer and 07:14 Geologist called Karl Mauch, set off into the interior 07:18 of Africa in search of the mysterious gold mines 07:22 of King Solomon. His search led him here to the great Zimbabwe. 07:27 Scattered across the hill and valley in front of him 07:31 was a network of stone ruins, these edifices were expertly 07:37 constructed in stone and seem so out of place in a land where 07:42 mud huts were the norm. He realized that he had stumbled 07:47 upon something amazing, the mystery of the place was almost 07:51 palpable, an eerie silence brooded over the stone wonder 07:58 before him. Beneath that wall of silence and here at the 08:02 heart of the ruins Mauch found a huge enclosure with 08:06 granite walls 11 meters high and 7 meters thick in places. 08:11 This stone enclosure was known to the local natives as 08:16 Mumba-Hulu, or "the house of the great woman," 08:21 and it didn't take Mauch long to succumb to his own 08:25 wishful thinking and jump to the conclusion that the 08:28 great woman must be the legendary Queen of Sheba. 08:33 Then of course great Zimbabwe by the same stretch of the 08:38 imagination must have been the capitol of the Kingdom of Ophir 08:42 and the site of the fabled gold mines of Israel's King Solomon. 08:48 But Mauch was wrong, as were a host of other later explorers 08:55 and historians who believed that black Africans could never 08:59 could have constructed as elaborate as the Great Zimbabwe. 09:03 However, the truth is that great Zimbabwe had once been the 09:09 trading and religious capitol of a great black African empire. 09:13 In fact, parts of it were built as early as the second or third 09:18 century A.D. by the ancestors of the very natives who first led 09:23 Karl Mauch to the site. 09:25 Over a period of more than a thousand years, great Zimbabwe 09:29 grew and developed into the magnificent capital on an 09:34 African kingdom, it consisted of ceremonial shrines, 09:38 royal palaces, passageways, granaries and forts. 09:43 During the Medieval period, the central ruins and surrounding 09:46 valley would have supported a population upwards to 20,000 09:51 and was one of the most signifigant civilizations 09:54 in the world with trading links stretching as far away as 09:58 India, Persia, and China. 10:03 No way in this great stone complex was there a straight 10:08 wall or a right angle and nowhere was any mortar used 10:13 to bind the granite rocks together or the towers and 10:16 structures were built out of millions of stones balanced 10:21 perfectly on top of one another with out the aid of mortar. 10:25 Great Zimbabwe is a masterpiece of stone craftmanship, 10:29 the ruins of the complex are divided into three main sections 10:33 the Great Enclosure, the Valley Ruins, and the Hill Fortress. 10:37 The Great Enclosure, a massive oval shape structure 10:43 is the heart of the complex. 10:46 This apparently was the palace of the Great Chief 10:50 who ruled this kingdom of stone. The Great Enclosure is the 10:55 largest single ancient structure in Africa south of the 10:59 Sahara Desert. The outer wall is about 250 meters long 11:04 and in places it's 11 meters high and 7 meters wide. 11:08 Fifteen thousand tons of granite was used to construct the 11:13 great enclosure and again, no mortar was used 11:17 to hold any of the granite blocks together. 11:19 They were laid in brick-like courses and fitted together 11:23 with precision and sometimes capped with decorative 11:27 Chevron-shaped border designs. 11:30 The valley ruins consist of scattered stone efficacies 11:36 as well as a large number of mounds that are the remains of 11:40 earthen and brick structures that may have once have rivaled 11:44 the stone buildings in grandeur. 11:46 The valley complex is where the citizens lived and was possibly 11:47 the busiest part of the stone city. Beyond the valley ruins, 11:55 the Hill Fortress is located on top of a steep sided 12:00 100 meter high hill, it's the oldest section of the complex, 12:04 and in early times was a place of refuge and used as a 12:08 fortress. In times of danger and when under threat the citizens 12:13 would have found safety in the hill fortress 12:16 later, it developed into more of a ceremonial and 12:21 religious center. The Hilltop Fortress is reached by climbing 12:26 a narrow twisting stairway that squeezes between outcrops 12:30 of natural rock and allows only one person at a time to pass. 12:34 This would have made the fort easier for the inhabitants 12:38 to defend when attacked. 12:44 Near the summit, there is a wall with four towers 12:48 that give the appearance of a traditional fortification. 12:52 From here the inhabitants could look down into the valley 12:55 below and keep an eye on approaching danger. 13:03 On the summit of the hill, there are stone wall and towers 13:07 that creep from rock to rock and create a labyrinth 13:10 of enclosures. The defenders incorporated natural 13:14 granite boulders and rectangular blocks to form walls 13:18 up to six meters thick and 11 meters high. 13:21 Within the wall there are remains of urban structures 13:25 which may have been houses for soldiers or priests. 13:28 Because of the security provided by the hill fortress, 13:32 it was considered a royal city and was the residence of 13:36 successive chiefs. The kings kept many of their treasures 13:40 here including eight carved sandstone birds which were 13:44 discovered nearby. The Hilltop Fort's narrow partly covered 13:49 passageways and high walls provided safety in times 13:53 of danger and a secure place to store the royal treasures. 13:58 But this hilltop fortress couldn't save this kingdom 14:05 of stone, it's king and it's citizens. 14:09 This civilization disappeared and left no record of a 14:15 written language behind which makes great Zimbabwe 14:18 the "Kingdom of Stone," one of the truly lost civilizations 14:23 of the world. But it did leave a message behind, 14:27 "an important one." Yes, this hilltop fortress carved out of 14:32 stone carries an important message for us today 14:36 it's a reminder that down through history cities and 14:40 civilizations needed a place of safety. A place where citizens 14:45 could find refuge and safety in time of danger. 14:49 But it's not only ancient cities that need a fortress, 14:56 a place of refuge, we do too, yes, we need a fortress, 15:04 a place of refuge where we can find true peace and safety 15:09 in times of stress and danger. 15:11 We too need a fortress that is strong, reliable, and enduring. 15:17 Because let's face it, we all have our challenges, 15:20 it may be panic or stress over work deadlines, or bills 15:25 we are struggling to pay. It maybe relationship conflicts 15:29 or ill health, it may be the betrayal of a friend 15:32 or the loss of a job. It may be physical or spiritual battles. 15:37 When things like this happen, we need a refuge, 15:41 a place of safety and so we all have our own fortresses 15:46 that we run to when we have overwhelming circumstances. 15:50 These fortresses can take the shape of people or relationships, 15:54 they could also be material things in our lives that 15:58 we think will bring us happiness and take our minds off 16:02 our problems and difficulties. 16:03 But sadly, all too often these fortresses let us down 16:09 and fail us particularly when we need them most. 16:13 If you've had an experience like that or are looking for 16:18 a fortress that you can depend on, a fortress that will 16:21 always protect you and never let you down regardless of who 16:26 or what is attacking you, then I'd like to recommend 16:30 the one true fortress that will always protect you. 16:33 The fortress that will never let you down... 16:36 Notice what the Bible says in Psalm 91: 1, 2. 16:50 Yes, the Bible talks about a fortress too, it says that 16:54 God is like a fortress, He is strong and reliable, that's how 17:00 God is and because He is so strong, He can keep us safe. 17:04 Things can attack but the walls will howl. 17:08 God protects us and gives us a safe place to hide when we're 17:13 afraid, attacked or threatened. 17:15 When we trust in God, He becomes our safe place. 17:20 So, next time you are in trouble run to Fort God, 17:24 He will save you and protect you. 17:28 That's what Martin Luther did, he was a priest who lived in 17:31 Germany 500 years ago, back in the 16th century. 17:35 He began to read and study the Bible and he realized 17:39 that the Medieval Church had departed from the Bible 17:44 and the teachings of Jesus. The church had fallen away 17:48 from truths of the Bible, this really concerned Luther 17:52 and so he publicly disagreed with the corruption and 17:57 false teaching that had infiltrated the church. 17:59 Martin Luther then took a bold and dangerous step, 18:04 he nailed a paper to the door of the Cathedral where he lived 18:08 in Wittenberg, Germany. On the paper, he had written 18:12 ninety-five complaints against the corruptions and false 18:16 teachings of the church, it's known as the 95 Theses. 18:21 It went down in History as the beginning of the 18:25 Protestant Reformation. The protests that were written 18:28 that day for the public to see, began the most dramatic reform 18:33 within Christianity and it didn't take long after the 18:37 appearance of the 95 Theses these complaints for discontent 18:42 to grow into conflict. 18:46 Some Christians wanted to change and follow the Bible, 18:50 and some didn't. Some even said that Martin Luther should be 18:53 burned alive because he wanted to follow the teachings of the 18:57 Bible, he was declared a heretic and an outlaw to be captured 19:02 and killed on-site. He was in real danger, he faced years 19:07 of trials and persecution. Fearing for Martin Luther's 19:10 safety, a sympathetic friend led him into the protection 19:14 of his fort, his castle, and it was in this fortress that 19:19 Martin Luther reaffirmed the strength and comfort 19:22 of a mighty God. While hiding away, he continued reading 19:30 and studying his Bible and the words of Psalm 46 19:34 came alive and vibrant for him. Here's what it says in 19:36 Psalm 46: 1,2. 19:51 Those words inspired him to write one of the most famous 19:55 tunes of our time, "A Mighty Fortress is our God." 19:59 It was a bold affirmation of our powerful and loving God. 20:04 Listen to the words of the first verse. 20:30 The four verses form a single continuous hole that 20:35 progressively tells of the Christian journey 20:37 through this world. 20:39 It covers the full sweep of the Christian's life, 20:42 the song declares our absolute reliance on God 20:46 and His absolute power over the forces of darkness. 20:50 A Might Fortress became a rallying cry for the reformation 20:57 and a source of great strength for the common people. 21:00 It was sung in the streets, it was sung by poor Protestant 21:05 immigrants on their way into exile, and by martyr's at their 21:09 death. It's been translated into nearly every language 21:13 and 500 years later it's still a source of comfort for many 21:18 people today. A Might Fortress is our God gives us hope amidst 21:23 the struggles of life, the words still ring true today when 21:28 the storms of life blowing around us, we can find refuge 21:32 in the Mighty Fortress of our God. 21:36 The words of Martin Luther's hymn also remind us that we're 21:42 in the midst of a Great Controversy, 21:43 the universal wall between good and evil. 21:46 We're reminded that our ancient foe, the Devil constantly 21:51 strives to bring us down and haven't we all experienced 21:55 the harshness of Satan's attacks? 21:58 He often strikes at our weakest point telling us lies and 22:02 tempting us to give in to despair and sin, 22:05 he's a formidable enemy. 22:08 But here's the good news, he's also a defeated enemy, 22:12 he's doomed and in the words of a Mighty Fortress, 22:16 we find assurance that Satan won't triumph. Let's remember 22:22 we're on the right side in this great conflict, 22:24 we will WIN the battle, but not because our own strength, 22:29 as the hymn so eloquently says, our striving would be losing 22:34 NO, the victory is ours only when we take refuge in our 22:40 Might Fortress Jesus Christ. 22:43 So the next time you are surrounded by life's stormy 22:47 weather, when you feel under attack, when you feel fear 22:51 or pain, or disappointment, when your circumstances seem 22:56 about to overwhelm you, remember, there is a safe place, a shelter 23:02 from harm. God is your fortress, a safe place above the dangers 23:08 of life, high above your enemies, God know all about the 23:12 challenges you are facing, He has a safe place for you 23:16 and His protection is limitless. 23:19 Notice what the Bible says in Nahum 1:7. 23:34 Yes, God knows all about you and wants to protect you 23:38 so if you feel like you are fighting every battle alone, 23:42 and need a place of refuge. Remember God is your protection 23:47 and strength in your time of need. And remember the words 23:51 of our hymn instead of trying to win the battle with your 23:56 own feeble efforts, turn instead to the mighty fortress. 24:00 When you put your struggles in the hands of God, 24:03 you can be confident that you'll survive the battle. 24:07 Why not decide to call on Him, the mighty fortress today 24:13 as we pray. 24:14 Our Dear Heavenly Father, You are our savior and deliverer, 24:21 You are our refuge and our place of safety. 24:25 We are so grateful that you are a powerful God, a mighty fortress 24:30 and that in our times of trouble and during the storms of life, 24:35 we can find safety and refuge in you. 24:38 You are bigger than anything that comes against us 24:42 or anything that rages within us. we commit our lives to You 24:47 and pray for Your continued blessing and guidance in 24:50 our lives, and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen. 25:00 The great Zimbabwe is one of the most stunning ancient 25:05 monuments in the world, it's the largest collection of ruins 25:09 in Africa, south of Sahara. 25:11 All the towers and structures were build out of millions 25:15 of stones balanced perfectly on top of one another 25:19 without the aid of mortar. 25:21 The Great Zimbabwe uncovers an ancient message in stone that's 25:26 relevant to us today. If you're battling the challenges of life, 25:30 and are looking for a fortress that you can depend on, 25:34 a fortress that will always protect you and never 25:37 let you down, then I'd like to recommend a FREE gift we have 25:41 for all our viewers today. 25:43 It's the book "Utopia," this book is our gift to you 25:48 and it's absolutely free, there are no costs or obligations 25:52 whatsoever. Thousands have been blessed and inspired by this 25:57 book "Utopia", so please don't miss this wonderful opportunity 26:01 to receive the gift we have for you today. 26:04 Here's the information you need. 26:07 Phone or text us at 0436.333.555 or visit our website 26:15 at www.tij.tv to request today's free offer 26:21 and we'll send to you totally free of charge and with 26:24 no obligation. So don't delay call or text 0436.333.555 26:32 in Australia, or 020.422.2042 New Zealand, or visit our 26:40 website www.tij.tv to request today's offer. 26:47 Write to us at PO Box 5101, Dora Creek 2264 NSW, Australia. 26:57 Or PO Box 76673 Manukau, Auckland 2241 New Zealand. 27:05 Don't delay, call or text us now. 27:09 If you've enjoyed today's journey to the Great Zimbabwe, 27:16 and our reflections on the Mighty Fortress, 27:19 be sure to join us again next week when we will share another 27:23 of life's journeys together and experience another new 27:27 and thought provoking perspective on the peace inside 27:31 understanding and hope that only the Bible can give us. 27:34 The Incredible journey is truly television that changes lives. 27:39 Until next week, remember the ultimate destination of 27:44 life's journey. 27:45 Now I saw an new heaven and a new earth and God will 27:49 wipe away every tear from their eyes. 27:51 There shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying 27:54 there shall be no more pain for the former things 27:58 have passed away. |
Revised 2021-05-25