Pilgrims gather for Feast of Tabernacles

Thousands of Evangelical Christians have arrived in Israel from all over the world for the 32 annual Succot celebrations.

By JEREMY SHARON
32 annual Feast of Tabernacles Succot celebrations (photo credit: Itzhak Rabihhiya/Rav Tikshoret)
32 annual Feast of Tabernacles Succot celebrations
(photo credit: Itzhak Rabihhiya/Rav Tikshoret)
Thousands of Evangelical Christians have arrived in Israel from all over the world for the 32 annual Feast of Tabernacles Succot celebrations.
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has brought over more than 6,000 Christian pilgrims from over 80 countries and five continents – including Brazil, China, Finland, Gabon and the US, and will be in the country for six days of festivities and touring activities.
In addition to the ICEJ pilgrimage, a separate mission of another 3,000 Christians were brought to Israel from a dozen countries by the Manmin Central Church of South Korea.
The pilgrims gathered in Haifa on Saturday for a prayer rally where they prayed for peace and the safe return of Gilad Schalit. Also in attendance were 3,000 Messianic Jews from around Israel.
“We welcome all our national delegates from across the globe to the City of the Great King, the city of Messiah,” said ICEJ Executive Director Dr.
Juergen Buehler at the opening of the ICEJ celebrations on Thursday night at Jerusalem’s Binyanei Ha’uma conference center. “We also welcome the rich presence of God in our midst, as this is indeed ‘the Feast of the Lord.’”
“This year’s gathering is again underlining our message that Israel is not isolated, but has millions of Christian advocates and admirers worldwide… and we all look forward to celebrating the joyous festival of Succot with our Jewish friends,” Buehler added.
The festival of Succot has become a notable date in the evangelical calendar “because of the universalism inherent in the holiday,” explains the organization’s Spokesman David Parsons. “In King Soloman’s Temple, 70 sacrifices were made during Succot on behalf of the 70 nations of the world and gentiles were welcomed to come to the Temple to pray to God.
“It says at the end of the book of Zecharia that in the Messianic age, all the nations will go to Jerusalem to worship here and we see ourselves as forerunners of that movement,” said Parsons.
The opening gala event was held on Thursday night at Jerusalem’s Binyanei Ha’uma conference center, and the pilgrims spent Saturday at the Dead Sea.