Thousands of Christians travelled to Israel from around the world last week to celebrate the annual Jewish holiday, the Feast of Tabernacles.

The event, which is said to be both the largest Christian gathering and largest solidarity mission to Israel this year, was sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).

The event also highlights the anticipated return of Christian tourism to the Jewish state after two years of travel bans to the country as a result of the pandemic.

David Parsons, the ICEJ VP, explained, “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.”

Sharren Haskel, a member of Israel’s parliament, in a message to the pilgrims,  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.”

The week-long festivities, from October 9-16, coincided with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

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