John Buckner
Articles by John Buckner
Hierapolis in the Bible
Hierapolis in the Bible “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.” Colossians 4:12-13 Hierapolis and Paganism Hierapolis was well-known in antiquity for its temple built over “the gate to the underworld.” The…
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What is the Significance of Almonds in the Bible?
“Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:11-12 When the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, it came in the form of word play. The Hebrew word for almond is shaked, and the word for hasten is shoked. The word shoked, to hasten, is also…
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God in Egypt
“And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt;…
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The Rainbow in Scripture
“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant,…
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Ancient Slings
“And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand:…
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Why the Story of Nathanael Sitting Under the Fig Tree Matters
Sitting Under Your Fig Tree “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” (John 1:47-48) Nathanael’s choice of where to sit was not random. Instead, it gives us a glimpse into his faith in Israel’s Messiah. Jesus saw his faith…
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Ebenezer
“And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until…
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Flowers of the Field
Flowers of the Field “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:6-8 In Isaiah 40, God speaks peace to His city, Jerusalem. He speaks of…
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The Massacre in Bethlehem
The Massacre in Bethlehem “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and…
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Hope in Jericho
“And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou…
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Pray for the Lands of the Bible
Pray for the Lands of the Bible “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). I love to travel to any place mentioned in the Bible, no matter how obscure. I have been blessed to visit famous Bible places, such as Athens and Jerusalem, and many lesser-known places like…
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Zedekiah’s Cave
“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:…
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Mustard Seeds and Mulberries
Mustard Seeds and Mulberries “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree,…
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Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel in the Bible “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal,…
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Abraham Lies in Gerar
“And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.” (Genesis 20:1-3). Abraham Lies in Gerar If…
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Santorini and the Bible
Santorini and the Philistines “Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the Lord will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.” Jeremiah 47:4 Most visitors to the idyllic island of Santorini in the Greek Cyclades come for the spectacular views, donkey rides up the mountain from the port, and romantic sunsets. Most do not know the island’s connection to the Bible’s…
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The King’s Game
The King’s Game “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the…
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Jerusalem in Scripture
Jerusalem “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.” (Psalm 122:6-9) “I know exactly why you came to Jerusalem.” Visitors to Rabbi Gershon’s bookshop in the Jewish Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem are always taken aback by his eccentric…
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Samson and The Sorek Valley
Up and Down in the Sorek Valley “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” Judges 16:4 The two most well-known inhabitants of the Sorek Valley in the Bible were Samson and Delilah. Before he was born, an angel told Samson’s parents that he would deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines. He was chosen by God to dwell in the hilly border area of the Sorek and…
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God’s Work Is Worldwide
God’s Work Is Worldwide “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” Revelation 7:9 It is good to be reminded sometimes that Bible believers who came before us have followed Christ’s commission to take the Gospel into all the world. I have been blessed to travel to many…
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Illyricum
“Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand” (Romans 15:19-21). Illyricum in Bible…
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The Stoning of Stephen
The Stoning of Stephen “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” – Acts 7:58-60 The book of Acts tells us,…
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Salamis
Salamis “So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister” (Acts 13:4-5). The Biblical Significance of Salamis Salamis was the first stop for the evangelists Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey. This was a journey that would take them across modern Cyprus…
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Jezreel in the Bible
Jezreel in the Bible “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will…
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Bethel
Bethel “And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother” (Genesis 35:1). “Don’t go to Bethel!” That was the advice that I received when I brought up the subject. Most modern travelers go to the Israeli settlement named Bethel, which is located near the biblical site. From the observation tower, you can see biblical Bethel…
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