Thousands of Christians traveled to Israel from around the world last week to celebrate the annual Jewish holiday, the Feast of Tabernacles.
According to CBN News, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) hosted a gathering in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, which is also known as "Sukkot" in Hebrews.
The ICEJ, which was founded in 1980, has celebrated the feast for over 40 years.
"The Feast of Tabernacles is a fall harvest feast on the biblical calendar that also has a prophetic purpose hidden within it, and that is the second coming of the Lord. So, we are here celebrating every year in anticipation of the coming of Jesus here to Jerusalem, and it's always this glorious celebration of Christians, the Body of Christ from all over the world," David Parsons, the ICEJ VP, explained.
Sharren Haskel, a member of Israel's parliament, welcomed more than 2,000 Christians who traveled from across the world for the event and explained why their presence matters.
"The Jewish people throughout history didn't have many friends. They had a few, but not many. And to see thousands of people, Christian leaders and believers that are coming here to celebrate with us – people who are advocating for Israel – who are bringing that message that Israel is a light in the Middle East," Haskel said. "How we bring those shared Judeo-Christian values of freedom and liberty and equality. And it's important to me to show them that it's not taken for granted."
In a message to the pilgrims, Haske noted that their gathering in Jerusalem represents prophetic fulfillment.
"The prophet Zechariah spoke of a future time when all the nations would come to Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot," she said. "Look around you now. We are the living proof of the accuracy of the Bible and the truth of the Word of God."
"The prophecy speaks about bringing people from all around countries, all around the globe from different nations, from different religions and celebrate here in Jerusalem," she added. "You can feel it in the air. You can see those people, how important it is for them, and how important it is for us to fulfill it, to celebrate it."
Christians who celebrated the feast last week got to partake in the annual Jerusalem March alongside Israelis.
"Who else missed marching through the streets of Jerusalem with the rest of the world?! That's right! Thousands of pilgrims from across the globe marched in solidarity with the nation of Israel on this special day of Sukkot," the ICEJ posted on Facebook.
Several pilgrims told CBN News that they were blessed to celebrate the feast in Jerusalem.
"It's the Promised Land. I'm so happy to be here," Andrea from Bolivia said.
"It's hard to describe. It's really something you have to experience, and to be here in person in the eternal capital of the nation is just profound," Ashely from Zimbabwe added.
The feast wrapped up on Sunday as the ICEJ traveled to the Negev Desert in Southern Israel "and met friends who represented the local communities affected mostly by the conflict in the region.
"It was such a heartwarming ceremony recognising aid work that the ICEJ does and how the global church can be a part of it," the group said.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Nick Brundle Photography
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
