By Marney Blom
They are everywhere.
On busy streets, in backyards, at hotels and even on the rooftops of high-rise buildings, one can spot a tent-like structure, known in Hebrew as a sukkah, throughout the nation of Israel.
Hineni Jerusalem chairman Benjamin Philip said that during the Biblical exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, Jewish people went through the desert and God led them out of Egypt and performed all sorts of miracles.
“Every year we celebrate by sitting in huts which we rebuild. Huts which are not always comfortable but (give) us the sense of how it must have been in those days.”
Constructing a sukkah is not only a tradition; some see it as a Biblical command.
“We are supposed to dwell in it,” said Philip. “Dwelling is a broad concept. People sit in it, they eat in it, they read in it … and some people even sleep in it.”
Along with the appearance of the sukkah, the Jewish holiday is also marked in Jerusalem by thousands of Christian visitors from around the globe. Distinctive regalia accompanied by the flags of the nations were evidence that once again the nations were in town this year, en masse.
International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem national director of Hong Kong office Colin Chow said the Bible taught that Christians were to love the Jewish people and to love Israel. “It is a special nation that God has chosen. For this reason we felt a special calling to come to Israel and … to tell them that, “we are here to support you (Israel)”.”
Jim White, dressed in the national personification of the United States known as Uncle Sam, is a regular attendee at the Jerusalem march. “We come up here to stand with the Israeli people … to let them know that they are not alone (and) that we love ‘em.”
Despite current global economic uncertainties, the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem reported a record number of 8000 international Christian participants at its annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration.
According to the book of Zechariah, the nations represented in this vivid display of solidarity will be blessed by going up to Jerusalem to celebrate this particular feast. Participants and on-lookers were already sharing in the joy of the occasion.
Yael, a first generation Israeli and child of holocaust survivors was encouraged by the enthusiasm of the foreign participants at the Jerusalem March. “It gives you a good feeling because a lot of people like Israel and we have friends in the whole world. It is not just that we have enemies, we have people that like us.”
Faydra Shapiro, a new immigrant to Israel, shared in the delight of the experience. “We moved to Israel two months ago from Canada. It’s my first time at the feast as an Israeli so it’s exciting.”
International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem executive director Malcolm Hedding said the underlying motivation behind the yearly pilgrimage of thousands of Christians was that Jerusalem was the cradle of their belief system.
“Secondly they have come here to extend an arm and a hand and a voice of appreciation to the nation of Israel for all that they have received as Christians because of the Bible and their belief in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. Thirdly these people understand the significance of Israel’s restoration today and they have come to express solidarity with the Jewish State in these very urgent and dangerous times.”
Jerusalem resident and observant Jew, Benjamin Philip said the feast of Sukkot was also a very prophetic time. “In (the time of the Biblical prophets) it says that during this time … peace will come all over the world and Jews and Gentiles will actually go up Mount Moriah where the temple was, in order to give honour to HaShem, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. So it is not only a feast that represents the past but it also represents what will happen in the future.”
Copyright © Acts News Network, Inc.