Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Worship (corporate) (10/04/07)
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TITLE: BLOW A TRUMPET IN ZION! | Previous Challenge Entry
By William van der Zande
10/10/07 -
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Speaking about corporate worship! This will be it, don’t you think?
Though this event is still part of our future, something is happening already in Jerusalem - a celebration of worship from many nations in which you can see a foreshadowing of nations coming to worship the King.
How came that about?
In the year 1980 the government of Israel made a statement that Jerusalem is the one and only, undivided capital of the State of Israel! This got all the Arab nations surrounding Israel up in arms, and they declared an oil boycott to all the nations who had an Embassy in Jerusalem.
All the Embassies left Jerusalem one after the other and reestablished themselves in Tel Aviv and surrounding cities. Only a few minor countries stayed in Jerusalem with their Embassies.
This happened around the Feast of Tabernacles (September/October) and a handful of Christians were so disappointed over this cowardly move that they decided to open a Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, in order to represent the Christians around the world.
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem got off to a flying start and from year to year they called up the Christians from the nations to come to Jerusalem and worship the King of kings together.
I just remembered my first Feast, when I still had a chance to sit a whole evening in the Auditorium. I was blessed beyond measure by the song and music of “Commune with Me” because that particular afternoon I had been meditating along the same theme.
Since 1989, my wife and I are involved with the ICEJ and have eye witnessed over these past 18 years that a wonderful time of praise and worship is possible, when thousands of believers from all denominations come together with a joyful heart and unite in worshipping the King.
This does not happen overnight. Every Feast is being faithfully and prayerfully prepared to receive all the pilgrims from the nations in the largest Congress Center of Jerusalem. Sometimes over a hundred nations are represented.
In order to have a royal standard of worship, we have a choir, an orchestra and dancers from all the different corners of the world. The songs and music, clothing and banners and stage decoration are carefully selected around a theme which is chosen for each year.
This year’s theme was: Blow a trumpet in Zion!
Next year’s theme will be: The Lion of Judah.
During the evening, much time is spent on worshipping the King, and many a time there is a great response from the 2800 pilgrims in the main auditorium. There’s singing, dancing, kneeling, standing in awe or dancing around the isles and the words: “Praise the LORD” and the “Hallelujah’s” often fill the air, while hearts and arms are directed towards heaven.
Even when the evening is over, people often find it difficult to leave the auditorium - the afterglow of the meeting continues.
I can hardly wait for the real Feast of Tabernacles, when we meet each other near the King of kings in Jerusalem.
In the meantime, we invite you to come up and celebrate with us in Jerusalem and worship together the Lion of Judah.
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