By ICEJ Staff Writers

The ICEJ’s Feast of Tabernacles celebration began nearing its end on Thursday when some 700 Christians journeyed to the western Negev for a Solidarity Gathering with local Israeli communities living under constant rocket threat from the nearby Gaza Strip.

Ofir Libshtein, mayor of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, warmly welcomed the Christian visitors and thanked them for their support. Feast pilgrims also were greeted by Ronnie Vinnikov and Elisha Mizrahi of the Jewish National Fund, which is partnering with the ICEJ to replant burned forest areas along the Gaza border. The Christian guests also received an informative security briefing from IDF (Res.) Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, who held several key positions in the Israeli army during his more than three decades of military service and today is a prominent voice on Israel’s national security needs.

“This is a very strong message as to how important it is to keep Israel safe and to fight for its security for generations to come. Because there will always be enemies who want to destroy this jewel called the Land of Israel. As God says, it’s not by strength and not by might, it’s by my Spirit,” said Brig. Gen. Avivi.

During the solidarity gathering, the Jewish-Christian audience also enjoyed a delightful mix of musical performances by singing groups, classical musicians, and dance troupes from Fiji, Finland, and the Philippines, along with an Iranian-born singer now living in North America.

Later on Thursday, a special ceremony was held to dedicate the new Christian Embassy Nature Park near the Anzac Monument in the Be’eri Forest, further south along the Gaza border. Sections of the Be’eri Forest have been severely damaged by fire kite balloons over recent years and the ICEJ has committed to helping replant and restore this burnt area, which has now been renamed the “Christian Embassy Nature Park”.

Upon returning to Jerusalem, Feast pilgrims were invited to attend a Healing Service on Thursday evening led by Pastor Stephen Mirpuri, the ICEJ-Philippines national director and a veteran pastor who has seen many miracles in his life and ministry. He and his wife Rose have a powerful testimony as a childless couple who experienced the miraculous birth of their first child after praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Philippines is currently experiencing a powerful revival that Pastor Mirpuri credits to the growing prayer movement in the island nation.

On Friday, the Feast started drawing to a close with a Day of Prayer in the Pavilion in downtown Jerusalem. Pilgrims from various nations took turns offering prayers for their countries and for the nation of Israel. Throughout the Feast, Christians also had the opportunity to join the online Prayer Succah to pray with fellow pilgrims, and many were encouraged during these times of intercession.

The Feast of Tabernacles 2023 concludes Friday evening with a special concert featuring the Israeli worship group SOLU, led by Shilo Ben Hod.

Remember to catch up on the Feast by viewing the latest photos and daily highlight videos posted on our Feast Photo Gallery site at:  feastgallery.icej.org

Finally, if you have not registered yet for the Online Feast, please do so today! You can enjoy all the Feast events and other related content on our special streaming platform for the next three months. Sign up at:  feast.icej.org