The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) was established in 1980 in recognition of the biblical significance of Jerusalem and its unique connection to the Jewish people.
This October, the ICEJ had its 35th Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebration in Jerusalem. We caught up with David Parsons, Media Director to learn more about their organization's perspective on the Biblical holiday.
Why Does the ICEJ Celebrate The Feast of Tabernacles?
Of the three great pilgrimage feasts that God gave to Israel, Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles is the one where the nations (gentiles) were invited to come up to worship the God of Israel in Jerusalem. In ancient times, King Solomon dedicated the temple on Sukkot and he prayed to God that when the stranger comes to this place and prays to Him, that God hear his prayer. There was this ancient tradition of Gentiles coming up to celebrate Sukkot in Jerusalem.
Sukkot has a futuristic aspect as well. The rabbis cite Zechariah 14:16 which states that someday in the future all the nations will celebrate the festival again. So we are sort of anticipating that day. It is a festival of joy and remembering the provision of God in the wilderness. It is something a Christian can and should celebrate.
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PROFILE: ICEJ
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