Amir Tsarfati: Feast of Tabernacles

Shalom! With all the bad news we’ve been reading about over these past months, I thought I’d begin this newsletter with a few joyful words – Chag Sukkot Sameach!

Last night began the week of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles. The feasts that the Lord instituted in the Pentateuch were established as symbols of God’s covenant of salvation with Israel and all humanity. Within each remembrance or celebration we find both a reminder of Israel’s bondage and slavery, but also a hope for a promised land.

The Feast of Tabernacles is the last of the seven feasts listed in Leviticus 23. Thus, it is no surprise that it is a celebration. When you are a true follower of God, there is always a happy ending. The Lord told Moses to commemorate Sukkot with sacrifices and to bookend the week with a Sabbath rest. The most unusual part of the celebration, however, was to be the people’s living accommodations.

Leviticus 23:42-43
“You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

This was to be an experiential remembrance of God’s faithfulness. “Dad, why are we sleeping out in this tent when we’ve got a perfectly good house?” “Because many years ago, God brought our ancestors out of slavery in Egypt. Then He took care of them day-by-day out in the wilderness for more than 40 years – giving them food to eat, and water to drink. A God like that is One we can trust for anything.”

But even more than Sukkot being a picture of God’s care for His people is its foreshadowing of God’s redemptive plan. Of all the feasts observed by Israel, this is the only one that is talked about as being observed by all nations. The prophet Zechariah states, “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” (Zechariah 14:16).  All nations coming to Jerusalem for an annual Jewish celebration? Honestly, that sounds a little surprising.

Like all the feasts, and many prophecies, there is both a near shadow and a future fulfillment to the Feast of Tabernacles. In the near, Sukkot is a reminder of God faithfully providing for and protecting His people until they reached the promised land. In the future, it will be a reminder of how God provided the means and the protection to get His people to His kingdom. His people are those who have given their lives to the Savior. The means is grace by faith in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The protection is found in death for those who have gone before, the rapture for those of the church who are alive when God is about to launch His seven-year cleanse of the earth, and the resurrected bodies for all who have united with Jesus either before, during, or immediately following the tribulation.

When the tribulation is complete, the church has returned, and all Israel has individually repented and been saved, that’s when we will enter the new promised land. It will be a thousand-year kingdom which Jesus Himself will rule from His throne in Jerusalem. This will also be a time when everyone from all nations will come to Jerusalem to remember what it was like when we struggled in the temporary dwellings of our bodies. We’ll look back at how God was always there for us and carried us through. And we’ll joyously praise His name as we celebrate the eternal life that He gave to us through the sacrifice of the Messiah.

So, Chag Sukkot Sameach! Happy Feast of Tabernacles! In the midst of this world’s darkness, it’s so good to remember that there is a shining light!

The Middle East

Lebanon
For those who think that Israel simply figured that since they were on a roll in Gaza, they’d take the opportunity to attack a neutral Lebanon, let me give you a few statistics. In the year since the war in Gaza started, 13,400 missiles and drones have been fired at Israel from Lebanon. That’s compared with 13,200 missiles from Gaza, 400 missiles and drones from Iran, 180 missiles and drones from Yemen, and 60 missiles from Syria. Hezbollah in Lebanon fired at Israel first, and they have since continued firing quite often. They grabbed the bull; now they’re getting the horns.

Those horns are coming in the shape of airstrikes that are destroying headquarters, missile launchers, and weapons caches. Terrorist leaders are being targeted and eliminated. On the ground, the IDF is eradicating Hezbollah’s Radwan forces and blasting out their tunnel system. Throughout villages in southern Lebanon, Israeli flags are being hoisted as the ground forces move through the countryside. Thus far, it has been a rout. But there is much more to be done.

The arduous task of eliminating the threat of Hezbollah is made even more evident by the contents that are found in the weapons caches. It is obvious that Hezbollah was preparing for a long war. We found weapons from Iran and Russia, but also a significant number of American and Israeli weapons. Israel thought they had done a decent job at slowing the smuggling, but now it appears that they only managed to thwart about 30 percent of the weapons that were coming in. To no one’s surprise, all this smuggling was taking place under the nose of the United Nations. As you’ll read in the UN section below, the international body has become so antisemitic that when it comes to Israel, it operates like a large and well-funded terrorist organization.

Sadly, Hezbollah has had its successes. On Sunday, a Hezbollah drone managed to cross the border undetected and reach the Binyamina IDF base. It crashed through the roof of the dining hall, detonating 3-4 kilograms of shrapnel-laden explosives. Four 19-year-old infantry trainees were killed by the blast, while another 58 were injured. We mourn the loss of those young men who were just beginning their lives.

Gaza
BREAKING NEWS FROM THIS MORNING: YAHYA SINWAR IS DEAD
After all the tracking of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, and all the targeted attempts on his life that had to be aborted due to him surrounding himself with our hostages, it took a Rafah-based soldier firing a mortar shell at three random targets to kill this murderer. The cadet saw the three terrorists and sent a deadly round their way. When the soldiers went to identify the bodies, they were shocked to see Sinwar. An identification process was begun, which has now confirmed to a 99 percent level that the DNA of one of the terrorists belonged to the mass murderer. I must admit, I was quite skeptical when I first heard the report. But, now it seems by all evidence that the news is true. It reminds me of the death of King Ahab with the random shot of a bow. This is truly God’s work! For more information, watch my brief Breaking News Update.

Israel is continuing its clearing of Hamas in northern Gaza. The terrorist network has never ceased its entrenchment, and Israel needs a buffer zone so that people who live in the south of the country can do so without fear of Hamas pouring over the border once again. Seems like a logical response to a massacre. At least it would be if we were not Jews.

The United States has now officially threatened an arms embargo if Israel doesn’t up its humanitarian game toward the Gazan citizens. Israel pushed back, and I’m guessing the conversation went something like:
Israel: “You realize that Hamas steals all the humanitarian aid, then sells the little they don’t use themselves to the people.”
Washington: “Not our problem.”
Israel: “The only reason people are at risk is that Hamas uses their own people as human shields.”
Washington: “Not our problem.”
Israel: “Besides, there shouldn’t be any civilians there anyway. We’ve warned them over and over to get out of there because we have to come in to reach Hamas.”
Washington: “Interesting. Not our problem.”

Kamala Harris posted on X that Israel “must do more to facilitate the flow of aid….” When in history has an army ever been pressured to supply its enemy with food and clothing? Should we send them ammunition and rockets while we’re at it? “Hey, anything you guys in Hamas want, just fill out a requisition form and we’ll have it to you lickety-split!” It’s ridiculous. It’s foolish. Why is the U.S. not pressuring Hamas to give the citizens the humanitarian aid that they’ve stolen? There’s plenty of food there. It’s a ridiculous situation and the only reason we are being pressured to feed our enemies is because we are the Jews, and the Jews are supposed to do what they are told. No one is telling Putin to airlift aid to Ukraine. Saudi Arabia isn’t getting pressured to feed the Houthis in Yemen. Maybe the U.S. can talk the Iranians into sending some relief to the Kurds. It’ll never happen, because in any context other than Israel it would be considered absolutely asinine.

West Bank
A terrorist entered Israel from the West Bank on Tuesday and began walking along the Route 4 highway north of Ashdod. He was spotted by a police vehicle and waved over for a security check. As he approached, he opened fire, killing 33-year-old policeman, Adir Kadosh. He then shot at other vehicles wounding four more. A volunteer with an ambulance service returned fire, killing the murderer. Just one more terror attack filtering in from the West Bank.

United Nations (UNIFIL)
In a surprise to no one, the United Nations is actively working against Israel again in a war zone. In Gaza, it was in the guise of UNRWA, a “humanitarian” branch of the UN which was forced to admit that some of its members helped Hamas during and after the October 7 massacre. Now, in Lebanon it’s the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) who are actively helping Hezbollah by allowing themselves to serve as human shields. Prime Minister Netanyahu has pleaded with UNIFIL to move positions, so that Israel can reach the terrorists. But UNIFIL has refused, saying, “We are in the south of Lebanon under a security council mandate, so it’s important to keep an international presence and to keep the UN flag in the area.” Understand that UNIFIL has been in Lebanon since 1978. Therefore, the United Nations has witnessed the caching of thousands of rockets, the building of kilometers of tunnels, and the training and preparations of a large army for an invasion into Israel. Yet, they did nothing to stop it, nor did they sound an alarm. But why would they? If the target is Israel, then everything is kosher.

Iran
Hey, did you hear the one about the Iranian border guards who opened fire on 300 Afghani refugees killing all but 60? Of course you didn’t, despite it happening just this past Sunday at the Kalagan border. No Jews, no news.

Pressure continues to build from Washington for Israel to temper its retaliation against Iran for the Islamic regime’s 200 strong missile attack on October 1. Now it seems that Netanyahu is ready to agree to stay his hand, indicating that the response will focus on military targets and not nuclear or oil ones. This is certainly a modest response for the strength of Iran’s actions. However, it appears to me that Netanyahu is biding his time, hoping for a new U.S. administration. If the White House changes parties, then it is likely he’ll be given a green light to deal with Iran’s nuclear program in a permanent manner.

Ministry
What was it like to be fleeing in southern Israel on October 7 as you heard the gunfire of the terrorists getting ever closer? That is how The Sick Man’s Rage begins. It is a must-read for all who love Israel and who are seeking a better understanding of what the nation has gone through both on October 7 and in the months since. Preorder your copy today to help us get The Sick Man’s Rage into the big box stores so that we can ensure that people from all walks of life never forget the reality of what took place that day.

If you have not signed up for my Telegram channel, please do so today. It is a guaranteed source of accurate news seen through a lens of biblical prophecy. Also, if you missed my “Special Q & A Live: Israel at War”, I’d encourage you to take a look. It is a solid hour of taking viewers questions solely about Israel’s war. Finally, I had a great time with Jan Markel, Pastor Barry Stagner, and Steve Yohn as we virtually sat around the CONNECT Round Table and talked about “Why the Rapture Matters”. The topic is so essential and brings an incredible amount of hope to the believer. It’s well-worth your time.

This coming Wednesday is the inaugural edition of “CONNECT: Authors’ Corner”. Join my writing partner, Steve Yohn, and me as we discuss what went into making The Sick Man’s Rage, a book I believe to be our best and most influential novel ever. We talk through October 7 and how we were able to keep our portrayal powerful but respectful. Then we look at the rest of the book and how its primary subject, Turkey, fits into the prophetic timeline that we’ve been laying out through the series. Again, it’s coming this Wednesday, October 23, at 10:00 AM, PDT.

How did we get our modern English translations of the Bible? Join Dr. Rick Yohn and me on Monday, October 21, at 10:00 AM, PDT for “Explore the Bible: How We Got the English Bible” as we look at the steps that took us from Wycliffe all the way to the King James Bible. Then, on our next broadcast, we’ll examine how we continued on from King James to the modern translations. It’s a fascinating journey that you won’t want to miss.

As we close, I just want to remind you that Bible prophecy is not primarily concerned with nations and their political or military affairs with one another. Instead, it has to do with those countries’ relationship to Israel. The nation of Israel holds a central role in God’s prophetic plan, and the events of world history are significant only in how they interact with or affect the Jewish nation. God’s dealings with empires and nations throughout time were orchestrated in relation to His covenant with His people. Therefore, prophetic events and the future culmination of God’s plan revolve around Israel’s role in His divine purposes.

Understanding biblical prophecy means recognizing that nations are judged or blessed based on their treatment of Israel, with the end times focusing on Israel’s restoration and role in God’s kingdom. This perspective places Israel at the center of prophecy, making the affairs of nations secondary to their involvement with God’s chosen people.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your faithful support of Behold Israel. As God continues to carry out His prophetic plan, we are assured that His day is soon approaching.

Awaiting His Return,

Amir Tsarfati

Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.

Photo credit: By ארכיון הצילומים קקל, הצלם יעקב שיין, CC BY 2.5, link