Christians join Sukkot celebrations worldwide

By: David Parsons, ICEJ VP & Senior Spokesman

Although Christians could not come to Jerusalem in person for our annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in early October, the ICEJ’s innovative online Global Feast reached its largest audience ever, with many attending hundreds of Sukkot gatherings and watch parties in dozens of countries worldwide. The testimonies we have received from Feast viewers around the world indicate the online gathering truly had a global impact, as many were touched and even healed by the Lord, strengthened by the worship and preaching of the Word, and inspired to stand with Israel.

The ICEJ’s online Feast in early October featured seven daily live programs from Jerusalem, which were broadcast to large audiences on GOD TV, Daystar, Vision Norway and other Christian TV networks worldwide. Plus another 7,500 Christians from 109 nations accessed the Feast through our online platform. Finally, hundreds of churches also hosted Sukkot celebrations and watch parties linked to our live daily Feast broadcasts from Jerusalem. These Sukkot gatherings drew crowds ranging from small groups in underground churches in China and Iraq to several thousand in large churches in Bolivia and the Ivory Coast. This all means the total audience for this year’s online Global Feast was in the hundreds of thousands – the largest we have ever reached.

In many of these places, the organizers not only screened the daily Feast broadcasts for their local attendees, they also built and decorated sukkah booths, waved palm branches, blew shofars, invited their own speakers and worship leaders for extended services, prayed, sang Hatikvah, and took up offerings for ICEJ projects in Israel.

Two of of the largest Feast celebrations drew several thousand believers each in Bolivia and Ivory Coast, and they quickly became gatherings to pray and intercede for Israel and their own countries.

In China, one small congregation sent us video clips of 30 believers who had joined together for a Sukkot service and to watch the Feast on cell phones. It was very touching given the monitoring of church activities in China and the hurdles they needed to overcome to be able to watch religious programming from abroad.

A prayer group in Iraq also held a Sukkot gathering, and when we recognized their national flag for attending the Feast, ten Iraqi believers were so thrilled they immediately registered as individuals for the online Feast.

In India, a number of churches and ministries held daily Feast watch parties, including a large fellowship in Chennai. ICEJ-India national director Pastor Danny (Meka Padmo Rhea) reports that many were inspired for the first time to stand with Israel, and that many people received healings.

In the Philippines, a Feast daily watch party was hosted at the Mt Moriah Prayer Mountain which drew around two hundred people each day over the course of the week. This included dozens of local pastors with little prior interest in Israel. After watching the opening live show from Jerusalem on the first day of the Feast, the gathering quickly was transformed by the Holy Spirit into an unplanned, round-the-clock seven-day prayer vigil for their nation and for Israel. The prayer vigil was notable for the number of pastors who came to join in after hearing of what God was doing and the unity among them for reaching their region and country for the Lord. Healings were also reported at the meetings.

“Praise God for the work of the Holy Spirit,” wrote ICEJ-Philippines national director Pastor Steve Mirpuri. “God is indeed boosting the ministry of the ICEJ.”

Aaron Wright of ICEJ-Liberia sent photos of a large, enthusiastic Sukkot gathering in Monrovia which also staged a march through the streets of the capital to express love and support for Israel.

In Singapore, ICEJ national director Jehu Chan reported that the daily watch parties introduced the Feast of Tabernacles to many new people, and he could sense the gatherings had expanded the reach of our ministry in their nation.

ICEJ-Portugal national directors Antonio and Carla Melo delivered a glowing praise report on behalf of several Portuguese-speaking countries, saying: “We still cannot find enough words to thank and congratulate all that made this so unique and outstanding Feast happen, invading nations, cities, congregations, families and hearts with the Word of the Living God, [and] the vision of Zion.”

In Denmark, a Christian youth group took part in a large Feast watch party and were introduced to the ICEJ and the biblical reasons for supporting Israel for the first time.

In Papua New Guinea, ICEJ representative Peter Harut sent a report and photos of dozens of Christians attending the daily watch parties arranged by his branch and giving to the work of our ministry.

In Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Elizabeth Hynde shared that several Feast watch parties drew fifty people or more. “The opening desert experience was out shone by the Parade of Nations, and praying for the nations (from the Southern Steps to the Temple) was superb,” she said.

In South Africa, ICEJ branch leaders Vivienne and Marc Myburg and other supporters arranged well-attended daily watch parties all across the country, including in East London, George, Paarl and Vanderbijlpark. They were especially thrilled by the Feast worship sessions of native South African singer Trevor Sampson and the teachings by evangelist Angus Buchan.

We also received photos, videos and reports from Feast celebrations and watch parties in many other places, such as Albania, Brazil, Canada, Central African Republic, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Macedonia, Mexico, Norway, Samoa, Taiwan, United Kingdom, the USA, and many, many more. See more photos here.

YOU CAN STILL ENJOY THE FEAST
All the Feast content – including the seven live shows, 100+ seminars, 25 virtual tours, the worship afterglows, Garden Tomb Communion service and more – will remain available on our conferencing platform well into next year. Our $99 and $149 premium Feast packages are still available for purchase, giving you full access until next October 2021, plus special gifts from our online shop. See more at: on.icej.org/FOT2020