Israel

The altar of sacrifice in front of the holy of holies in Arad. Even though it is a smaller imitation, the temple here gives the visitor an idea of how the Temple in Jerusalem appeared. Photo by John Buckner

Mixed Worship at Arad 

April 24, 2024
“And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some...
Arched Milky Way over the mountain dirt road in summer. Beautiful night landscape with starry sky, milky way arch, trail in mountain village, hills, green grass and purple flowers. Space and galaxy

Everybody Loves a Good Story!

April 12, 2024
Life is a story. Moses said, "We spend our years as a tale that is told." Perhaps that is why people around the world love to hear a good story...
The hillside to the left in the biblical Valley of Achor shows many examples of magal. These paths are often used by ibex and antelope as well as sheep. In such areas the sparse rain that falls in the winter is not enough to erase the paths. Photo by John Buckner

Paths of Righteousness  

April 3, 2024
“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake” (Psalm 23:3). As a shepherd from the wilderness south of Bethlehem, David wrote about...
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Update On Our Israel Tour!

March 30, 2024
The nation of Israel has been front and center in news broadcasts over the last few months. It has also been at the heart of endless conversations about prophecy being...
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Jonah and Peter in Joppa

March 13, 2024
“And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he...
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The Brass Serpent

February 7, 2024
“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the...
The Tombs of the Prophets “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” Zechariah 14:4 One of the most overlooked gems in Jerusalem is the Tombs of the Prophets on the Mount of Olives. Every day, thousands of pilgrims on their way up or down the mountain troop past the weatherbeaten sign pointing toward the tombs. Only a few turn in to see it. Photos by John Buckner The tombs are believed to belong to Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and their disciples. They are located in an enormous man-made cavern in the side of the Mount of Olives. The ancients carved this place near the summit of the Mount of Olives to bury the prophets because of Zechariah’s prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. Once you descend the stairs into the cavern, there is no electricity or signs of modernity. A little light leaks in from the entrance and illuminates the cathedral-like antechamber where the guard will light a candle, hand it to you, and then show you the map of the tombs. He will smile and exhort you to sing, preach, or pray if you feel like it. Believe me, you will! From there you can wander carefully by candlelight through the corridors and tunnels until you come to the tombs of the great men deep in the mountain. You can find their tombs by the feeble light from a single candle that always burns in front of each of the the three prophet’s graves. A local custom full of symbolism is to kneel, blow out your candle, then relight it from one of theirs. Photos from December, 2020. John Buckner Scholars are not certain if they are the tombs that Jesus mentioned, or if those tombs were elsewhere. Personally, I imagine Him pointing across the Kidron Valley to the tombs, since the entrance to the tombs was visible from the Temple Mount where He was teaching when He said: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,” Matthew 23:29 What is known is that the cavern was built by ancient people to honor some great prophets of the Bible. The Tombs of the Prophets have amazing acoustics. I recommend standing somewhere in the dark, and when your meditations on the prophets, and on Jesus’ teachings, ascension, and second coming overcome you, burst into song! It is overwhelming to be near where Jesus will soon return and sing to Him. Whenever I descend the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem, I always stop and glance back to see if He is there. Every time, I remember that right up there is where He said to “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.” When you go to Jerusalem, and I hope you do, please schedule an hour or two to visit this beautiful memorial to the prophets. Then go forth carrying the light that they preached to a dark world. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;” Malachi 4:2 “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:6-7

The Tombs of the Prophets

January 17, 2024
“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst...
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Our Next Enjoying the Journey Tour!

May 23, 2023
Last year a wonderful group of friends traveled with us to Israel, and the Lord gave us such a precious time studying the Word together in the Holy Land. We...
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Travel with Us through the Land of the Bible

November 29, 2022
This week we will walk where Jesus walked. My first immersion into Bible geography came during a three day stop in Egypt soon after I graduated from college. Standing at...
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The Sounds of Calvary

May 21, 2022
Have you ever stood in your mind at Calvary on the day that Jesus died? Use your sanctified imagination and stand quietly with Mary and John on that sad hill....
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An Update On Our Israel Tour

August 26, 2021
Tammy and I have been looking forward to traveling through Israel and studying God’s Word with a group of friends. As you may know, this trip was originally planned for...
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When We Are Blessed…

February 11, 2021
Blessed people often become the most rebellious. If you don't believe me, look at God's chosen people, the nation of Israel. When we are full of good things it is...
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Change of Plans!

December 2, 2020
Change of plans - we have all heard those words a lot this year! On this day we had planned to be touring the land of the Bible. God knew...
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Special Announcement About Our Trip to Israel

September 3, 2020
As most of you know we are looking forward to taking a group of friends to the land of the Bible. We have a great group of folks planning to...
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Early Bird Discount!

February 13, 2020
Several of you are planning to study God's Word with us as we tour Israel at the end of this year. We are excited about touring the land of the...
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Come, Go With Us!

November 18, 2019
In just over a year we will be hosting a special Bible study tour in the land of the Bible. If you have ever wanted to go to Israel, this...
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Journey To The Land Of The Bible With Us!

May 14, 2019
Have you ever thought you would like to study the Bible in the very places where it all happened? Just this week I read devotionally the account of Moses looking...
Arched Milky Way over the mountain dirt road in summer. Beautiful night landscape with starry sky, milky way arch, trail in mountain village, hills, green grass and purple flowers. Space and galaxy

Missing Messiah

December 22, 2016
While preaching recently in the beautiful state of Connecticut I was driven through several old cemeteries. Very old. It was fascinating to see markers going back to the 1600's!  It...