By: David Parsons

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain…” (Zechariah 14:16-18a)

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has been hosting a Christian celebration of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles for 40 years now. I have been privileged to take part in 25 of those Feasts and can attest there is something very prophetic in operation over this annual event. Every year, pilgrims tell us the Feast just seems to get better and better, and that is because each year we are getting closer and closer to the return of Jesus. In fact, the Feast of Tabernacles is all about the Second Coming of the Lord.

The prophetic uniqueness of the Feast of Tabernacles – or Sukkot – was impressed upon us in a fresh new way at Feast 2019 last October. Here at the ICEJ head offices, we had been praying for several years for more Arab believers from throughout the region to come to our Feast gathering in Jerusalem, and especially from Egypt – since they are specifically mentioned by name in Zechariah 14:16-18. Then it happened! Last fall, a group of 17 born-again Christians from across Egypt came to the Feast and testified that it was the words and vision of Zechariah which had drawn them up to Jerusalem at this special time. They were eager to fellowship with the Body of Christ from around the world, but they also wanted to make sure their dry desert had rain this year.

As these Egyptian pilgrims came onto the stage during the traditional Parade of Nations, one Egyptian brother received a text message from back home: It had just started raining in Cairo. God was affirming His word and gave rain to their nation three months earlier than normal. Then, as the pilgrims flew back to Egypt the next week, they landed amidst the heaviest rainstorm in Egypt’s modern history. The streets of Cairo were flooded, and all the schools and shops had to close.

This powerful sign has renewed our belief and expectancy that rains of revival will also fall on those nations attending the Feast, and upon Israel as well. It was on the last “great day of the Feast” of Tabernacles that Jesus stood in the Temple courts and proclaimed: “’If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit…” (John 7:37-39a)

So we are approaching Feast 2020 with greater faith and anticipation than ever for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our gathering in October this year.

After all, when Zechariah saw all nations coming up to Jerusalem to “worship the King, the Lord of hosts”, he did not see them coming at Passover or Pentecost. These were, are and always will be incredibly significant holy festivals. But Zechariah saw the nations coming up to “keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” Those earlier feasts are all about the first coming of Jesus, but Tabernacles is about His Second Coming! And that is reason enough for Christians everywhere to come experience the joy and presence of the Lord at Sukkot in the very city where he will rule and reign one day very, very soon.

Make plans now to be with us at the Feast of Tabernacles, 2-7 October 2020, here in Jerusalem!