This is the time of year that always gets Susan Michael, USA Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), excited. Why? Because it’s a time when believers can join their Jewish neighbors in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, something she says every church should encourage.
ICEJ, which began as a prayer group in the 1970s, has been observing and teaching about the significance of Sukkot, a weeklong celebration, for more than 40 years. This year, Sukkot begins on Friday, Oct. 2, and ends on the evening of Friday, Oct. 9.
“We’ve been bringing the awareness (of Sukkot) to the church around the world,” Michael told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “It’s exciting to see churches around the world celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
“We read about this in Zechariah 14, and it’s talking about a future time and after a time of a war, actually a time of judgment on the nations,” Michael said. “And it says that those who remain will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. And so, the rabbinic community, the religious Jewish community, knows the Scriptures very well. I know it’s prophesied that in the end times, there will be this celebration of the Feasts by the Gentiles. We were very clear that we’re not a fulfillment of Zechariah 14, but we’re practicing for it.
“And we’re getting the nations ready for it by bringing an awareness of the Feasts to the church. … Why is it important?” Michael asked. “It helps us to understand God’s calling on the Jewish people and the roots of Christianity, which are Jewish, and the reach, meaning that we can draw out of all of these Feasts and observances that God gave his people Israel. So, there’s great richness, of celebrating God’s provision and celebrating the coming kingdom of God on earth and that final wave of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. So it’s got tremendous meaning.”
For more about the importance of the Feast of Tabernacles with Susan Michael, listen to the entire podcast.
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