Travel To Israel in 2018

Trips to Israel are always filled with interesting experiences and learning. The picture below is one of my favorites. It shows the rabbinic interest in education. We observed this “school group” from the Western Wall.

School Group at the Western Wall, Jerusalem

During trips to Israel, I have been able to learn from some great teachers. Our first trip, led by John Delancey, introduced me to Shlomo ben Asher. John is a great Bible teacher and Shlomo, a native of Israel, has an intense interest in architecture. This year, my daughters and I enjoyed touring with Dr. David Ilan, director of the school of Archeology at Hebrew Union in Jerusalem. Sarah shared what she learned from archaeologists she met while on a trip with her school. My family has toured at locations with various guides; a notable one was at the Underground wall tour.

Precipice at Nazareth. Jezreel Valley behind.

A tour of Israel with great leaders will benefit every Bible teacher and every Christian. For one thing, many stories in the Bible are tied to features of the land. As one becomes acquainted with the Sea of Galilee, Jezreel Valley, Mt. Carmel with its three passes, the central mountain highlands, the valleys of the Shephelah, the wilderness of Judea, the Negev, the plains of Moab and the great rift valley, a new dimension is added to the Biblical narrative. By walking the land of Israel one is able to visualize where many stories took place.

Great name for a boat!!

A tour of Israel will enable the traveler to see where people of the Bible lived. Most tours will include a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. At Katzrin, travelers are able to enter and see the typical Jewish home. At Magdala and Gamala, tours include synagogues which were visited by Jesus. A great tour of Israel includes visits to the tops of mountains, visiting water sources, and experiencing the commotion and commerce of large cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Learn how about how Israel gained Independence

On my next tour of Israel, in addition to the Biblical sites, I would like to take people to the Palmach museum and Israel’s Independence Hall in order to discover the heart of the people of the land and further enrich the experience - bringing together ancient history with modern, and gaining an understanding that spans history.

You can join us on the tour

I want to invite you to join my family and me on a trip in June 2018. While that seems to be a long way off, time will pass faster than we think. Before the trip, I need your help to identify any locations in Israel you would like to see. I also need to know how many days we should be in Israel (most trips last from 10-14 days). I also need to know if a trip in June would keep any from joining us on this trip.

I would like to know if people are interested, and stay in touch with you. No deposit is needed, and there is no obligation. I would like to travel with about 50 people, filling one bus. This is the ideal experience, as each person will get to know our guides and ask questions. (This does not happen in large organizational tours).

If you are interested or have comments, please e-mail me. If you have an interest in one of the greatest educational opportunities of a lifetime, please mark June 2018 on your calendar, and begin to save money (about $5,000 per person) to cover the trip. (This amount will pay for airfare to Israel, transportation in Israel, lodging, 2 meals a day, tour guides, admissions, tips and other things.)

Autumn on the Calendar

One look outside will tell us our world is changing. We have proceeded from the lush green world of spring through the productive days of summer into a time of drying out. Fall with its cooler temperatures, pumpkin harvest and leaf coloration is getting close.

Pumpkin Days are almost here

Days are getting noticeably shorter with the sun rising later and later each morning. Older people are asking when the time change occurs [and are suddenly interested in yard work … although they have only rarely performed a horticultural task during the course of their 85-90 years of life]. The procession of the autumn equinox, which is when the Sun crosses the Equator, occurs Thursday.

Man has for thousands of years taken note of the seasons out of interest and necessity. In the year when Cain planted his first crop it became necessary to know when spring would occur. For those with tomato plants it is important to know the timing of the first and final frosts. In the prehistoric times man first began to count days, and in time he wrote the counting of days down on a calendar.

The Gezer Calendar

The world’s oldest calendar is found at Gezer in Israel. It counts the days in this way: “Two months of harvest, Two months of sowing, Two months of late planting, One month of hoeing flax, One month of barley harvest, One month of harvest and measuring, two months of vine pruning, One month of summer.” The calendar is important so the farmer gets his timing correct.

Gezer Calendar Explained

The calendar of the Bible is based on agriculture, just as the calendar of Gezer. The Biblical calendar is a twelve month lunar calendar, adjusted with a leap month by the Mesopotamian astronomers to maintain a proper planting season. The months are named “Aviv” for spring, “Iyar” for blossom, “Sivan” for season, “Elul” for harvest, “Tishri” for beginning, “Ethanim” and “Bul” meaning brooks and rain. The Hebrew calendar looks to God as the provider.

The major events of the Hebrew people are agricultural. Passover is celebrated at the time of the first spring harvest. Shavuot or Pentecost is when the first fruits of the summer crop are given to God. The festivals of the seventh month are connected to the autumn ingathering. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur involve cultivation and care for the soul. Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles) thanks God at the time the final harvest. Simchat Torah represents the beginning of a new cycle.

Calendar Comparison

Our current calendar when placed alongside the Biblical calendar will show some glaring, unthought-of differences. Under our current calendar and culture our holidays are civil and not agricultural. We think of people and not God. The names of the months (and even the days) honor Roman gods who’s sole ambition in life was to serve themselves, often at the expense of others.

In any study of the Bible it is important rise above our cultural biases in order to learn about the people of the book and the desires of the Lord God, the creator of all things.

Revelation Class

Between eight and ten years ago I finally threw in the towel and accepted the challenge … My senior adult group asked me, and then pushed me to teach the book of Revelation. I had never taught this book as a class other than under the protective resource of a Sunday school quarterly.

I know there are many who can identify with me. The teaching of the book of Revelation opens doors of conflict. People have their pre-millennial, a-millennial, tribulation, spiritual, historic and other opinions. They love to draw the teacher into arguments about things they do not understand themselves.

It is not that I have not studied the book of Revelation. I have taken courses under some of the best teachers in college and seminary. I have read many books, and tried to find out which camp I belonged to through self-study. I am not alone in this opinion. Many other pastors and teachers fear to teach this book. The great John Calvin, who wrote commentaries on most other books of the Bible, refused to write a book on Revelation.

But members of my church kept pushing me to teach the book. So I forged a compromise. I would tech topics from Revelation which related to worship and prayer. I would teach the book on Sunday night and then use the topic as a springboard for prayer on Wednesdays.

The classes soon became a game as members peppered me with questions on eschatology. I tried to avoid these traps, but found myself preparing so as not to be caught off-guard.

And then I came to Revelation 12. I googled “seven heads, ten horns.” Many of the finds I trashed (they were too sensational), but two results grabbed me. The first contained archaeological finds from Tel Asmar dating back to 2400 BC. Among the findings were two clay seals with images of a seven headed beast and a myth to go along with the pictures. These stories would have been known to Abraham of our Bible.

The other article I read related to Mucalinda, a seven headed snake who coiled around Gautama Buddha so he would not be distracted during his “vision” under the Bo tree. (Yes, the snake which slithered out of the tree to protect Buddha from the elements reminded me of another serpent, which came while Eve stood under the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.)

I discovered the Book of Revelation is much more than a crystal ball timeline to predict the future (and the second coming of Christ). I saw this book as rooted deep into the past of God’s people. I saw the Apostle John as a scholar who understood these teachings and had a message of importance which needed to be shared.

The bug bit, and I was drawn to this book, digging deeper every time.

And then the strangest thing happened. The book made sense. No, not in any of the classic interpretations, but I now understood Revelation in a new and different way. I saw the book against the backdrop of first century Judaism. I found John speaking of things he knew and experienced (some good and some very horrible). I found John appealing to friends, family and people of his faith, “Worthy is the Lamb,” and telling to receive Him as your atonement.

The book of Revelation fit the rest of the New Testament. The book was unveiled. (That is what the word Apocalypse means, to uncover so the mystery can be revealed!) The story line of the book is well known. The symbols were understood by most first century Jews. The literary methods are totally consistent with a mirror (or chiastic pattern) built in to confirm correct interpretation. And the book contains succinct teaching drawn from Tanach lessons and actual history.

Teaching of God

In my last blog I shared my passion for teaching children about God. This passion in my life was not a passing phase or a job-related necessity. I truly believe we must put time, effort, energy, creativity, substance and finances into preparing our children to receive the torch of life from us and sprint into the future.

One way I followed my heart was to teach children the true meaning of Christmas. (it is not too early to prepare or to tell. The Christmas season will consume us with activity and meaningless tradition unless we prepare ahead!)  While in ministry I would begin planning for the Christmas season as soon as fall activities were functioning, generally toward the end of September.

The activities I planned for the Christmas season were personal for my family, and were shared with others. The plans made revolved around the idea that time given to my children is the best gift of the season, and that the time is only worthwhile if it furthers their faith in God. The object of the plan was to provide, lead, and/or join my children in at least one activity each day to enhance the Biblical story.

Our activities included eating birthday cake (for Jesus’ birthday), going on trips, making and sending Christmas cards (they announce our faith in Jesus, just as the angels announced His coming), eating at Burger King (and wearing crowns like the magi), visiting sheep farms and serving our neighbors and other community members in service. Each day of Christmas was carefully planned around a theme and given a scripture to set context. Many of these ideas can be found under the Advent Tab on www.KosherCopy.com. My best ideas for daily activities are on my website.

I also published a devotional entitled “Advent Journeys”, a book containing six weeks of devotionals. The devotionals are written like short diary entries and spoken by the people of our Biblical story. The diaries help the people of the Bible stories, who can at times seem two-dimensional, become three-dimensional as the reader gets a look into what their daily lives were like. Each diary entry links to the ideas found under the Advent tab on www.KosherCopy.com.

Readers of Advent Journeys remark that the diaries make the Bible come alive. The favorite chapter seems to be the first week’s journal about Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) at the Temple; the chapter has even been awarded. When a reader embarks on, and finishes the week’s journey with Zechariah, he will experience with Zechariah what it is like to serve in the Temple and tend the altar of incense in the Holy Place. The reader will see the pure joy Zechariah and Elizabeth experience when they find out about their baby.

On the second week, the reader will meet Joseph and Mary and walk alongside them on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. During the third week the reader will join the shepherds in the fields tending sheep. He will find himself there the moment the Angel announces Christ’s birth. In the fourth week the reader will experience the anticipation and adventure of the Magi as they travel across the desert and through the throne room of King Herod in search of the newborn king.. The book, Advent Journeys, also contains a week of devotions for Chanukah. The book is meant to be read by either individuals, groups, or families: your family will enjoy reading the book together each day.

Last year I did a giveaway for a short time on Kindle. This year I am asking people who read the book to share the experience by giving Advent Journeys as an Advent gift (before Thanksgiving) or a Christmas gift. My goal is for children and their families, at least for a moment, to leave the schedule and demands of the Christmas season and escape into the world of the Bible in order to seize the wonder of the first Christmas.