I remember this week what a wise reader of this column said to me a few years ago: Sometimes, it’s good to write about good things, not just the challenges as it relates to Israel.
Thank you for that wisdom! So today, I want to write something good about Israel, not just the negative, day-to-day terrorism the country faces.
The topic that comes to mind is if you’re considering taking a trip to Israel. I want to recommend some things to you, including that YOU SHOULD GO.
I’ve been 10 times and have never once felt unsafe. In fact, the opposite. First, God keeps me safe and peaceful. Next, the IDF is the best at security. I have often said that I am safer flying to Israel and staying for 10 days than I am crossing the road to get my mail. It’s true.
Take it from someone who knows: do not let people put fear in you about going to Israel. I know what I’m talking about. And I went during the Second Intifada and again in 2023, just ahead of Oct. 7, when Hamas sent thousands of rockets into Israel. In fact, I watched them day and night from my hotel balcony. I would read the fearful reports from home—including many from Christians—and know I was experiencing peace and calm…from the “war zone.”
Look, if you are worried about dying in Israel, you are far, far more likely to die from a bus falling out of the sky. It’s just really a non-issue. I would not hesitate to go unless the State Department forbids it.
Let me make another recommendation: my good friend Chris Quintana is taking a tour group over there again next spring. If I can get away, I will go, no question. After reading this, if you want to get in touch with him, you can. Chris is one of the very best Bible teachers in the U.S., having been trained in the Calvary Chapel tradition. His Old Path Ministries group is deluxe. Reach him there if you’d like to go.
From north to south and east to west, Israel is extraordinary. The Galilee and the Golan Heights are breathtaking. There, Israel raises cattle and produces world-class wine. The Sea of Galilee! There you can take a boat ride in the very same place Jesus extended his hand to Peter in the waves. The “Jesus Boat” in the museum on the shore is incredible to see. It is a first-century boat found in the mud and is the type that the apostles fished from.
Last time I was there, I rented a car in Tel Aviv and drove north to Mount Carmel, where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal. It was sublime, to be in the place where God sent fire raining down on a water-soaked altar.
Next, in Tel Aviv, or really, just south of there, you can see Jaffa, with its ancient seaport, from which Jonah sailed. It is the oldest continually used seaport in the world. I have watched fishermen stand there, and boats sail away north and south. Peter’s home is there and you can get a superb fish dinner downtown.
And, in Tel Aviv itself, make sure you see something most tour groups don’t go to: Independence Hall. At 16 Rothschild Blvd. (please, spare me the Rothschild conspiracy trash), the nondescript building is where the modern state of Israel was announced on the afternoon of May 14, 1948. It is as it was then. This is a must-see!
The south of the country of course is also a must see. You can float in the Dead Sea and also see whole groves of palm trees on the shore: the country is being reclaimed from the desert, just as Scripture foretold. Masada is across the highway, go!
And then there is Jerusalem itself. The sprawling new city to the west is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. You can see cranes building new buildings, see Zechariah 2. From the Old City, particularly Jaffa Gate, you can see the Montefiore neighborhood, with its windmill. This is the major prophecy fulfilled in the 1860s, again from Zechariah 2. My new book (available at the end of this article) is all about this amazing place. It is a prophecy I haven’t heard anyone else address, addicted as we are to “Mark of the Beast” and “Antichrist” talk. You can also stroll over to the famous King David Hotel. I’ve stayed there and while expensive, it is a bucket list item.
Plan to spend as much time as possible in Jerusalem.
You can visit the City of David archaeological dig, just outside the Old City walls. Here you can look down the mountain at the same area where David watched Bathsheeba. Across the street is the equally amazing Acra—a fortress built by Antiochus Epiphanes. It was considered legendary until recent years, when it was located under a parking lot.
And for me, the biggest site is the Temple Mount. It is much easier to get up there these days. And you can stay as long as you like. I spend hours up there, in the same spot our Lord will return to, soon and very soon.
Chris will give you a tour you will never forget, even for a day. He is safe, smart, and wise. The information you will hear at each location is frankly as good as it gets.
I hope you will consider going.
See you there!
(My two new books are unlike any Bible prophecy books you have read. They are perfect for even seasoned believers but written especially for your unsaved friends and family. Short but information-packed, they are also illustrated with photos I took myself. With Christmas coming, make sure you get your copies from Amazon!)
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