chuck swindoll holy land tour

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Conferences and Tours 2020 Israel Tour

• Israel 2020 /

12-Day Tour Itinerary

Stepping through modern cities and windswept ruins, travelers can see a world of cultures and customs in a mosaic of peoples and places. Time in Israel is more than a vacation; it is a life-changing spiritual and emotional journey. Experience a whole new world while visiting the ancient world of the Bible.

Depart for Israel

March 1, 2020, arrive in tel aviv, central coast & jezreel valley.

Worship and bond with your group as you get to know this lush valley, which produces much of the fresh fruit and vegetables you’ll enjoy every day of your tour. Visit Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth . Encounter God on Mount Carmel , where Elijah called down fire from heaven. And look out over the Valley of Armageddon (Megiddo), as you gain new insights into biblical prophecy.

Sites you'll see include:

• Caesarea by the Sea
• Mount Carmel
• Nazareth Village
• Mount Precipice/Nazareth Overlook

The Galilee, Golan Heights & Northern Boundary

Wake up to a sunrise on the Sea of Galilee , where Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. Then sail these same waters in a first century replica boat. Gather on the Mount of Beatitudes to hear a message preached by Chuck Swindoll, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, millennia ago. And rededicate your faith while being baptized in the waters of the Jordan as your entire group worships and praises God.

• Mount of Beatitudes
• St. Peter's Primacy
• Caesarea Philippi
• Nof Ginosar (Jesus Boat Museum)
• Baptism in the waters of the Jordan
• Boat Ride in the Sea of Galilee
• Mount Bental

Lower Jordan River Valley

Tour the ancient Roman ruins of this desert oasis as you learn little-known facts about its fortresses and walled cities, like Bet She’an . Then, laugh, share and enjoy fellowship in unique settings like Jericho , the world’s oldest city. You’ll never forget the moment you enter Jerusalem and its iconic skyline comes into view. After your group shares this pinnacle experience, wrap up your evening with heartfelt worship and a timely message.

• Jericho Tel
• Israel Museum: Model City and Dead Sea Scrolls
• Haas Promenade

Jerusalem & Old City

Walk the gold stone streets of Old City Jerusalem and meet Israelis shopping with you in the marketplace. Leave your own prayer at the Western Wall as you stand beside God’s chosen people at the holiest site in Judaism. Behold the famous Temple Mount ; pray in the Garden of Gethsemane ; sing in the Upper Room . Stand on the Mount of Olives and gaze at the gate Jesus will walk through when He returns. Enjoy another delicious Mediterranean dinner recounting the day’s adventures with new friends.

• Southern Steps
• Davidson Center
• Western Wall & Plaza
• Jewish Quarter & Cardo
• Arab Quarter
• Christian Quarter
• Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Via Dolorosa
• Sisters of Zion
• Saint Anne’s Church
• Pool of Bethesda
• Armenian Quarter
• Saint Peter’s in Gallicantu
• City of David
• Mount of Olives
• Temple Mount View
• Palm Sunday Road
• Dominus Flevit
• Garden of Gethsemane & Church of All Nations
• Garden Tomb
• Friends of Zion Heritage Center
• Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum)

Judaea Wilderness & Dead Sea Regions

March 10-11.

Journey into the wilderness of Ein Gedi , the rocky refuge where David penned the psalms. Open your Bible as your group takes turns sharing their favorites. Get a bird’s eye view from the famous fortress of Masada . Then, enjoy the beautiful descent down to the lowest point on Earth: the Dead Sea . Conclude your tour with new friends by relaxing in these mineral-rich waters. Then celebrate what God has done during your tour with a time of testimony and praise.

• Qasr al-Yahud (Jesus Baptismal Site)
• Dead Sea & Swim

Night Departure

Actual departure time based on airline schedule.

Arrive Home

March 12, 2018.

All dates and locations subject to change.

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2018 israel tour.

Daily photos, experiences and updates from the 2018 Israel tour shared by tour members as well as by Bible teachers.

Testimonials from Recent Attendees

Insight for Living puts on a great tour. Everything goes smoothly and everyone knows what they are doing, and I would recommend if you can come, come . . .

—G.T. from Missouri

Your Life Will Change

How can traveling boost your spiritual journey.

Read about one woman who traveled to Israel and the surprising experience she had from walking in the Land.

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ISRAEL REOPENS TO CHRISTIAN TOURISM: Max Lucado, David Jeremiah, Skip Heitzig, Chuck Swindoll among major Evangelical leaders planning tours to the Holy Land in 2022, 2023

Here’s everything a christian tourist needs to know about coming back to the land of jesus, the apostles and prophets.

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Israel has remained opened to tourists since earlier this month and, with Christians starting to return to the land of the Bible, the forecast here has turned to cautious optimism.

“There are not droves of people – it’s not like you opened the faucet and people are pouring in,” Uri Steinberg told us. “There is still some hesitancy, but it is like we are opening the tap and we definitely feel the first drops.”

Where the tourism industry was plagued by closures and tough restrictions since March 2020, many feel the tide is turning and a sense of hope has been renewed. The borders reopened on Jan. 9 and since then a steady trickle of tourists have braved the requirements and have come to Israel.


Major Evangelical leaders are leading the way. Inspiration Cruises and Tours alone lists a line-up of major leaders including Max Lucado, David Jeremiah, Skip Heitzig, Lysa TerKeurst, Sebastian Gorka and Chuck Swindoll scheduled over the next year.

Israel-based Yaffa Tours has a trip planned for Bridges for Peace Canada and Randy Caldwell later this year. And Michal Gal-Oz, owner of the company, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS that she has a group of Christian Evangelicals in the country right now.

Keshet Journeys and Sar-El – tour operators that specialize in Christian travel to Israel – both welcomed groups right after the borders reopened as well.

“If things keep going in the same way – meaning no new restrictions and things keep moving at the pace they are moving right now – we are going to be moving in a positive direction in the weeks to come,” said Steinberg, who runs Uri Steinberg Consulting and is on the Advisory Board of ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

“The encouraging thing is people are coming – groups are really coming back,” he said. “As one would expect, people are still very hesitant. But some aspects are giving a new wave of positivity that have come into play, such as the declaration from the European Union that the forecast is that this is potentially the last big wave of COVID. So by March, this pandemic really could be over.”

Steinberg warned – getting into Israel is still not as easy as it used to be with requirements for testing, proof of vaccination and special permission required in advance. But now there is clarity regarding the rules.

He also said now is the time for the Ministry of Tourism to market Israel as a safe destination. Steinberg said Israel has managed the pandemic extremely well and the Holy Land is one of the most secure places a tourist could visit.

Israel has a website dedicated to helping tourists navigate their trip with a checklist of restrictions at Israel Safe . Here are some of the major requirements, but check Israel Safe for details:

Tourists must have proof of COVID vaccination, valid within 180 days of travel and from a selected list of vaccines ( see list here )

People who have recovered from COVID in the last 180 days may also come to Israel with a digital certificate known as NAAT – though confusion persists over whether this applies to anyone outside of the European Union ( more info here )

PCR tests are required before travel and upon arrival

Steinberg said even with the vaccine requirement, “there is a lot of demand in the pipeline despite the numbers not getting vaccinated.”

“I feel that by April the industry will be in a place where we really can assess if 2022 is a year we are bouncing back,” Steinberg said adding that hopefully 2024 will be a year of catching up with old records.

Israel had a banner tourism year in 2019.

“If there are no new variants, there is light at the end of tunnel,” he said.

Gal-Oz said though her group scheduled for this week was originally supposed to be 38 people, 10 brave souls braved the odds and uncertainty and did not cancel their trip.

“They just said they are coming and I did everything in a week to plan their trip,” she told us. “A lot of places are not working – they don’t have the staff or facilities. So until this group landed I couldn’t believe they were actually coming.”

She breathed easier when the group arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport.

With all the requirements, Gal-Oz said “its not going to be so quickly that they come back.”

“A lot of my people in Canada and the U.S. said they are waiting to see what happens,” she said.

But the bottom line is, hope is in the air – and tourists are on the ground.

Nicole Jansezian

Nicole Jansezian was the news editor and senior correspondent for ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

All Israel News newsletter subscription

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Swindoll Study Bible

The Swindoll Study Bible user's guide

Features of the swindoll study bible.

Every page of The Swindoll Study Bible is filled with content that is designed to help you grow closer to Jesus as you engage with God’s Word. It all starts with the clear and accurate New Living Translation, which communicates the message of Scripture powerfully in contemporary English. The text of Scripture itself should always be the primary feature of any edition of the Bible. In The Swindoll Study Bible, you will also find several different ways that Chuck Swindoll will come alongside you to help you understand and apply the message of the Bible.

Book Introductions will help you understand what each individual book of the Bible is all about. These introductions follow the format of answering five key questions: Who Wrote the Book? gives you insight into the person or people God used to record this book of Scripture. Where Are We? addresses the key details about the book’s setting, such as the date of writing and the political or social situation the author and audience were facing. Why Is This Book So Important? covers the unique contribution each book makes to the Bible. What’s the Big Idea? highlights one or more big themes that the book covers, giving you an idea of what to look for as you read. How Do I Apply This? brings the message of the book right home to you, reminding you that the Bible is always about life change. Each book introduction also includes a chart showing the book’s structure and highlighting important verses, themes, and events that will help you see how the book holds together. Most books also include a map to help orient you to the real-world places where the events of the book took place.

Application articles are full-page articles where Chuck explains important passages in his winsome and engaging style. These articles have all the wit, charm, personal stories, and clear biblical wisdom that you have come to expect from listening to Chuck’s sermons on the radio, each complete with a few main points from the passage for you to take away and apply directly to your life.

People profiles highlight key figures in the biblical story with an eye to the lessons from their lives that will hit home for Christians today. Each of these full-page features also contains a section highlighting key facts about the person’s family and setting, the key lessons you can take away from their life, and guidance on where in the Bible you can learn more about them.

Holy Land Tour will take you on a journey through the lands of the Bible. This tour visits many major archeological and geographical sites that relate to the Bible in some way, and each tour stop explains why a site is important in the Scriptures and includes a photo of the site or an artifact related to that place. It is almost like being on a bus tour of the Holy Land with Chuck and his team! You will find six unique guided tours that will walk you through several tour stops arranged around a theme. Check out the Holy Land Tour Itineraries beginning on page 1955.

Note on the maps in the Holy Land Tour: The borders of Israel have expanded and contracted over the centuries and continue to be a point of contention even today. The tour maps in this Bible represent the modern State of Israel, and the dotted lines denote the cease-fire line—which once enclosed what was called the West Bank— that came as a result of the armistice following the 1948 War of Independence. There is an expectation that final borders still need to be negotiated. Amazingly, in the future Kingdom of God, the borders of Israel will reach “all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River” (Gen. 15:18).

Prayer moments are brief prayers adapted from the ones Chuck delivers at the end of each of his sermons. These prayers apply the message of the Scriptures, asking God for help in living out the truth He is teaching His people.

Living insights are found on almost every page of this Bible. Drawn from Chuck’s sermons during his ministry of fifty-plus years, these brief notes highlight important teachings from the Scriptures. It is like having Chuck sit right alongside you as you read Scripture, pointing out the things he’d like to pass along to you.

Phone app Your purchase of this Bible entitles you to download a complete digital edition of The Swindoll Study Bible that includes all text, notes, and features. Additional app-only features include searching, note taking, bookmarking, social media sharing, and much more. The Swindoll Study Bible app is available for both Android and iOS. Your individual code is located on the pages immediately following the color maps at the back of the Bible. Secure your copy today by visiting SwindollStudyBible.com/App and entering your unique code.

More Features

Charts and maps Charts provide concise and helpful information including the structure and major themes of the book. Maps are included in almost every book. They show valuable geographic information to help readers sense and understand the setting of the book.

Searching the scriptures This article is an excerpt from Chuck’s book of the same name that helps you go deeper into Scripture using Chuck’s approach to Bible study.

Additional features (map of Paul's missionary journeys) These include Bible reading plans, indexes, a dictionary/concordance, and full-color maps.

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