From the Editor May/Jun 2024
Ever since God promised the land of Israel to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob nearly 4,000 years ago, a yearning to live in this Holy Land…
ISRAEL'S HISTORY
Inside View May/Jun 2024
Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel last October and the subsequent war exposed the current global rise of antisemitism. Protesters justified Hamas’s massacre…
The Fight to Survive
From Egypt’s Pharaoh to Persia’s Haman to Germany’s Hitler, many a world leader has attempted to destroy the Jewish people, defying God’s declaration…
The Forgotten Ones
As of June 2023, according to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees, the world has 108.4 million displaced people…
Israel’s Never-Ending Struggle
The Arab-Israeli conflict is often perceived as a highly intricate issue involving a multitude of historical, political, and social elements…
Bordering on Normal
Israel is bordered by Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan in the east, the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and Egypt in the south. No map, however, conveys the…
Is the Book of Judges Really History? (Conclusion)
The book of Judges’ historicity is crucial in determining the validity of Israel’s…
One Step Closer to Freedom
Following Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets…
Is the Book of Judges Really History? (Part 2)
The reluctant judge Gideon is one of the Bible’s most well-known and colorful characters…
The Many Faces of David
How do you encapsulate the biblical hero David? The “man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22) was a…
A Boy Named David
My first encounter with King David came in a Sunday-school kindergarten class. We learned a peppy little song called “Only a Boy Named David”…
The Warrior King
The acronym SERE refers to military training for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. It prepares U.S. combatants for wilderness survival, enemy evasion, and…
A King After God’s Own Heart
It’s easy to imagine the men who became America’s Founding Fathers in 1776 hard at work in the small east room…
David and Goliath
Hollywood often makes a mess of things when it takes on the Bible. Its multiple renditions of David’s battle with Goliath are frustrating…
The Jewish Temple Mount Deed
The most contested piece of real estate on Earth is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Today, its 36 acres house a…
Is the Book of Judges Really History? (Part 1)
he book of Judges spans approximately 300 years (ca. 1365–1065 BC) and opens with the Israelites, settled in Canaan…
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh
I’m sure he meant well, but the president of the United States was not supposed to kiss the Queen Mother of the United Kingdom…
Bridging the Gaping Chasm
What an experience it must have been. For 400 years, the Israelites lived in Egypt, a land whose gods were as numerous as the…
Discovering the Danite Migration
Apostasy ran rampant within Israel during the difficult days of the judges when “there was no king in Israel…
Jewish World Update Nov/Dec 2023
Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli recently objected to the German government allowing comparisons between the…
Israel’s ‘Pearl Harbor’
Spies warned that conflict was imminent. Enemy troops were visibly massing. Yet, when the attack came on October 6, 1973—Yom Kippur…
Judging the Book of Judges
The book of Judges chronicles cycles of Israel’s discipline and deliverance as the Israelites settled in the land of Canaan…
Jewish World Update Sep/Oct 2023
The New York Times Jerusalem bureau chiefs and columnists have long referred to Israeli “occupied territory…”
Inside View Jul/Aug 2023
The Jewish people are returning to Israel! Since the persecution of Jewish people in Eastern Europe in the late 19th century, many Jewish immigrants have…
When Joshua Conquered Hazor
Joshua conquered the Canaanite city of Hazor during his northern campaign (Josh. 11:10–11)…
Jewish World Update Jul/Aug 2023
The war in Ukraine helped to resolve a bitter diplomatic crisis between Israel and Poland over the Holocaust…
Inside View May/Jun 2023
On our tours to the Holy Land, I teach each group about modern Israel. Many Christians don’t realize what it took to bring a country into existence…
Bethlehem
A short bus ride from Jerusalem lies the city of Bethlehem. It is located a mere six miles south of Israel’s capital in what traditionally was Judea and today is called…
Joppa
On the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, in an ancient section of what is now Tel Aviv, lies one of the oldest cities in the world: Joppa (also called Jaffa and Yafo)…
Masada
Spectacular. Mighty. Imposing. Remarkable. All these words aptly describe this desert plateau that rises more than 1,400 feet above the shores of…
En Gedi
The landscape surrounding the Dead Sea looks like something from another world. Barren mountains of rock, crystalized salt formations, and sinkholes…
Happy Birthday, Israel!
In a small room in faraway British Mandate Palestine, Jewish statesman David Ben-Gurion rose to his feet before an assembly of Jewish dignitaries…
The Witness of Joshua’s Altar
Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal as a place of worship and witness (Josh. 8:30–31). He constructed…
Jewish World Update May/Jun 2023
The concepts of “Palestinians” and “Palestine” are political tools used to subvert, demonize, and destroy the Jews’…
Archaeology and Jericho (Conclusion)
Previously, we looked at two of four issues (the ban and morality) that clarify God’s controversial actions in the…
Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2023
It is written in Jeremiah 6:14, “‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.” It is also written, “I will give you assured peace in this place” (14:13)…
Archaeology and Jericho (Part 3)
God commanded Joshua to destroy the Canaanites and conquer Jericho. This account has sparked ethical debates…
Archaeology and Jericho (Part 2)
One of the best-known accounts from Scripture is the miracle of the walls that came tumbling down…
The Unlikely King
It was a scandal many find hard to stomach even today. The king God chose to govern His people committed adultery with another man’s wife…
The Richest Man on Earth
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” These words of wisdom, falsely attributed to…
Solomon’s Temple
King Solomon’s reign has been called Israel’s Golden Age. Under him, the Israelites possessed almost all of the land God promised them…
When Everything Went Wrong
When people think of King Solomon, they usually recall his great wisdom and the magnificent Jewish Temple he built…
The Beginning of the End
God is not to be trifled with. He warned Israel’s kings not to worship other gods, and He meant it. Because He knows the end…
A Taste of Tomorrow
On October 25, 2021, shares of Tesla spiked almost 13 percent, surpassing the $1 trillion market cap and making the electric car company’s CEO…
The Curse
God made many promises that are now fulfilled and others yet to be fulfilled. But He always gets around to fulfilling them, no matter how long it takes…
Archaeology and Jericho (Part 1)
Bible critics love to attack the conquest of Jericho. Disproving or questioning its historicity undermines Israel…
Jewish World Update Sep/Oct 2022
A Boston BDS group is promoting a “Mapping Project” that places a target on American Jews. It declares…
The Woman Clothed With the Sun
As you study the book of Revelation, you might not notice Israel’s presence much. In fact, a number of commentators say…
Jewish World Update Jul/Aug 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pressuring Israel to stop sharing its concerns about the adverse impact U.S. policy…
Standing on the Lord’s Side
It was a dark time in the history of God’s ancient people, the Jews. Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty king of the Babylonian…
Israel: Trip of a Lifetime
Pick up a tour brochure touting journeys to places far or near and you’ll likely see the claim, “The trip of a lifetime!” A promise…
From the River to the Sea
Throughout history, hatred of the Jewish people has surged and subsided but never disappeared. In the late 1800s..
Coming Home
For millennia, the Jewish people have held a hope in their hearts, a dream embodied in the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah.” That dream is “to be a free nation…
Let’s Make a Deal
In 1963 the American television game show Let’s Make a Deal came on the air. It became famous for awarding prizes based on choices the contestants made…
The Truth about Eutychus
It is common to hear people mention the Eutychus incident in Acts 20:6–12 to hint that some men preach too long…
From Snake to Savior
One of the most dramatic events in the Israelites’ wilderness wandering involved the fiery serpents in Numbers 21. The difficult journey bypassing…
An Ancient Witness to the Messiah
Many people wonder what the ancient Hebrews thought about the coming of the Messiah. Some see the…
From the Root of Jesse
When my friend and colleague Steve Herzig lived in Chicago many years ago, he issued a challenge to some of his friends. The challenge seemed simple enough, but…
Balaam: Fact or Fiction?
As Moses and the Israelites camped on the Plains of Moab, Moabite King Balak devised a plan to defeat them. Knowing he could…
The Seven Biblical Feasts
Of all the holidays celebrated throughout history, only these seven were given by God to His people Israel…
Behold the Lamb!
Many non-Jews think Hanukkah is every Jewish person’s favorite holiday. But they would be wrong. Hanukkah is not the Jewish equivalent of Christmas…
The Four Faces of Shavuot
Have you ever gone to the grocery store and found the shelves empty? Until the recent pandemic, that would have been…
Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah
Growing up, I had an annual August ritual of asking my parents two questions: When is the first day of school? Are the…
Holiday Under the Stars
Many years ago, a pastor and I visited a friend who is a rabbi at a local synagogue. Sukkot was approaching, and Rabbi offered to…
‘Remember the Sabbath’
When my wife and I lived in Minnesota, we enjoyed visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art where more than 90,000 beautiful…
Inside View Jul/Aug 2021
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Israel 28 times since my first trip in 2003, most often to lead tours. It has been a rich blessing to see the land of the Bible…
The Real Friend of Israel
Many Americans are still reeling from the results of the 2020 presidential election. According to two surveys, between 76 and…
One of the Oldest Blessings in the Bible
In Numbers 6:22–27 the Lord told the high priest how to bless national Israel: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make…
Inside View May/Jun 2021
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry is devoted to sharing the gospel. Gospel is part of our name; and since our inception in 1938, we have lived…
Q: What Does ‘Crucified With Christ’ Mean?
Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live…
The Strange Story of the Scapegoat
A strange ceremony is recorded in Leviticus 16:7–10 as part of the observance of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)…
‘Do This in Remembrance of Me’
At sundown on March 27, Jewish families the world over will gather in homes as they have for thousands of years to instill…
Are God’s People Really Distinct?
When I was a child, the most memorable instruction my father gave me was “Don’t do as I do; do as I say do!” After I became…
Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2021
In the spring we celebrate Purim here in Israel. Not everyone knows the meaning of this great day. Many think it is merely a festival of joy…
Goodbye, Year of the Virus
People the world over are probably relieved to say, “Happy New Year!” There is sheer jubilee in knowing the books on 2020 are…
Meditating on God
Health experts agree that walking 10,000 steps a day is a good thing. So I do this “good thing” regularly, and I can tell you that my Oy veys grow louder every time I start walking. But I can also tell you that…
The Father Knows Best
In 1949, a show called Father Knows Best debuted on the radio. It made the transition to television in 1954, starring Robert Young, who played Jim Anderson, the father of three children…
The Future-Teller
A peculiar industry has been growing in America. It generates $2 billion in revenue a year and employs roughly 85,000 people who are primarily mediums, astrologers, palm readers, and fortune-tellers…
Cyrus, ‘My Shepherd’
Bible scholar Harold Willmington once wrote, “Bible prophecy is simply history written in advance!” In the case of Cyrus, king of ancient Medo-Persia, God wrote the…
Why Animal Sacrifice?
In our modern world, many condemn animal sacrifice. In Florida, a religious group was sued for practicing it. The plaintiff defined sacrifice as “to unnecessarily kill…
The Shekinah Glory
As I look at the world and the terrible things people do, I will never understand why God loves us and wants to dwell among us. The fact that a Jewish virgin bore the divine…
The Priests: Keeping Israel Holy
Ancient Israel’s three great offices were prophet, priest, and king. Of these, the most enigmatic to people today is that of priest…
From Moses to Jesus
Eclectic is how I would describe my mother’s taste in furniture. Nothing really matched when I was growing up. Furniture was not her thing…
The Sanctuary’s Sweet Cover-up
Many people today use diffusers to disperse essential oils into the air to promote physical health and freshen a room…
Israel’s Will to Remember
I am more of a doer than a thinker. It takes discipline for me to think before I act. Spending two weeks in Israel…
Q: What Are the ‘Times of the Gentiles’?
The phrase times of the Gentiles is unique to the Gospel of Luke. Jesus said, “And they [the Jewish people] will fall by the…
The Altar of Sacrifice
Most people today are familiar with the concept of blessing. But they know little about the idea of sacrifice, particularly on an altar…
From the Editor May/Jun 2020
As I write this column, I’m looking at two miniature Israeli flags on the windowsill of my office. When the degenerate empire of Nazi Germany surrendered May 8, 1945…
Relentless
“I felt so alone,” my Israeli friend said with tears in her eyes. We had just finished a delicious Shabbat meal in her home with her family when…
Q: Are the 10 Tribes of Israel Lost?
One of the most asked questions concerns the status of the 10 northern tribes of Israel. These tribes of the…
The Lamp of the Lord
The menorah was an important component of the Tabernacle. It had two purposes: to furnish light and to remind all Israel that God is light…
From the Editor Mar/Apr 2020
Do you believe in miracles? It’s a simple question, but the answer has far-reaching implications. Two people groups we’d expect to believe in miracles are…
Elisha: God’s Miracle Man
Elijah and Elisha were among Israel’s most important prophets. Some people confuse them, but they were extremely different men…
Important Events & Miracles
God performed 28 miracles through Elisha that affected people, prophecy, and politics and are recorded in the book of 2 Kings…
Q: Why Did Elisha Curse Youths for Mocking Him?
After performing a miracle in Jericho, the prophet Elisha went to Bethel…
A Great Woman, A Great Miracle
Some people spend a lifetime trying to acquire a great name or leave a great legacy. There is a special woman in the Bible…
Portrait of Grace
She was merely a little Jewish girl. Yet God in His sovereignty positioned her where her faith and grace would touch the highest echelons of military power…
Chariots of Fire
WAR. The very word conjures up horrific images of mass destruction, fleeing innocents, pain, and suffering. But another dimension of warfare exists…