Feast of Tabernacles Review: Why Being Present Was Important

By Karen Engle, ICEJ USA Managing Editor

After a long and fortunately uneventful flight from the West Coast of the United States to Tel Aviv in mid-October, I approached the checkpoint for those with foreign passports to enter Israel. The agent asked me several questions before returning my documents, but before letting me go said, “I have to ask a personal question. Why are you here? You know what’s going on right now, don’t you?”

Yes, I said to myself. Israel is surrounded by enemies on seven fronts who want her wiped from the face of the earth, and the head of the snake, Iran, fired hundreds of missiles toward the heart of the country just a few weeks ago.

But I answered her, “I’m here representing millions of Christians in the United States who can’t be here to tell you and the people of Israel you are not alone. We are praying for you and standing with you.” The agent had no words but only smiled and nodded, then tilted her head toward the exit to move me along.

Feast of Tabernacles 2024

I was just one of 500 other Christians from 55 nations also making their way to Israel—some rescheduling multiple canceled flights—to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles 2024 (Sukkot in Hebrew). Twenty other Americans also responded to God’s still small voice to be in the land “for such a time as this.” He had called each of us from our respective states to stand with Israel in her darkest hour, during this year’s Feast, to be living examples of Isaiah 40:1, which exhorts us to comfort God’s people. 

The comfort we brought often happened unexpectedly and without words while we participated in the Feast of Tabernacles events organized by the ICEJ. We traveled to a village in Israel’s south, where we heard from a young Israeli woman named Nicole who described how she was on the phone with her mother in Kibbutz Be’eri as it was being overrun by terrorists. Tragically, her mother was killed moments later, but her 85-year-old father, Alex, present in the audience, somehow survived. Nicole was visibly moved by our presence there, which affirmed to her and her father they are not alone.

We visited the Nova festival site and walked among the memorials, silently praying for each grieving family member and friend connected to the lives lost in the pictures. While taking in the extent of what happened there, we interacted with Israelis also visiting the site who saw our flags and asked why we were there: “You are not alone,” we replied.

We marched through Sacher Park in Jerusalem, packed for the Sukkot holiday, waving our American flags alongside 500 others with their nations’ respective flags, hugging Israelis along the way. Many onlookers were sobbing at the sight the hundreds of people who had come from the nations despite the war to speak love and comfort to them when they feel hated by the whole world.

And at this year’s unique Israeli Guest Night at the brightly lit Tower of David Pavillion, we stood shoulder to shoulder with 700 Jews and Christians and watched the Roll Call of the Nations. This moving and colorful flag procession that included representatives from more than 50 countries—including the Iranian flag, carried boldly by American Iranian Farnoosh Mazarei—was a powerful statement of solidarity to all the Israelis watching.

But the best part of my recent time in Israel was interacting with the Jewish people as we wandered through shops, ordered at restaurants, or relaxed at the hotel in the evening. One night, as a group of us from several different nations walked through the bustling and brightly lit Mamilla Mall with our respective nations’ flags in hand, several people called out, “America! We love you!” to which we responded, “Israel! We love you! You are not alone!” Most times a conversation ensued. Sometimes the response was a solemn “Thank you.” And sometimes the response was a silent hug.

Before I left for Israel, friends and family asked why I would risk going there during such a volatile time. My answer is the same as before I stepped off the plane in Tel Aviv, but now it contains even more conviction. I came to Israel to speak God’s love and comfort to a grieving nation, but along the way, I learned a powerful lesson.

Sometimes God calls us to verbalize His love. But sometimes a person’s presence speaks more powerfully than words ever could.

Read Feast highlights or watch on-demand at the link below until January 31, 2024.

Related Articles

ICEJ Hosts Hundreds of Christians at Feast of Tabernacles 2024 

What Is the Feast of Tabernacles?

Feast of Tabernacles in the Bible: Why Christians Should “Keep” It