Glimpses of the Holy Land

If you haven’t visited Glimpses of the Holy Land on the Crimson Ministries website, I encourage you to take an armchair visit of Israel. There are now eight lessons with pictures my wife and I took this year. Current locations are listed below:

• A True Temple, Tel Dan and Laish

• Magdala

• The Valley of Elah

• Capernaum

• The Dead Sea - Masada and Qumran

• Caesarea by the Sea

• Shiloh

• The Mount of Beatitudes and Kursi

• The Valley of Jezreel

It is hoped that greater knowledge of the Holy Land will enhance your appreciation for our heritage as followers of Jesus Christ. Join the tour at www.crimsonministries.org under the Glimpses of the Holy Land tab.

Glimpses of the Holy Land

My wife and I just returned last month, from a tour of Israel with members of our church. It was life-changing. Walking where Jesus walked, seeing where miracles of the Bible actually happened, such a time is hard to describe without tears of joy. We learned much and hope to share those insights with you.

Glimpses of the Holy Land is a new tab on this Crimson Ministries website. It is hoped that through weekly lessons on the biblical history of Israel, tied to its geography with current pictures, you will gain a greater appreciation for our heritage as followers of Jesus Christ.

An introduction and the first three lessons are already published, True Temple Steps, Tel Dan and Laish, Magdala, and The Valley of Elah. The plan is to provide a new lesson each week, alternating between Old and New Testament sites. I hope you will click the tab now. This site is free but the trip is priceless.

The Temple and the Two Witnesses: Revelation 11:1-6

Revelation 11 is considered by most Bible scholars to be the most difficult passage in The Revelation to John. Please take a moment to read verses 1-7, this week’s lesson located under the Books of the Bible tab, then Revelation.

1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.”

There are a number of questions to be answered in this important passage of Scripture. Issues include the measuring of the temple of God (what temple?), the altar (what altar?), and worshipers. Why is there is one exclusion to that command. Also, there is the question as to the two witnesses. Are they Old Testament prophets or contemporary messengers of God? What is their purpose and when do they appear on earth?

I hope you will examine the lesson and dig deep into the study of the end times. May God richly bless you as you look in God’s Word for truth for now and for eternity.