In 1985 we were privileged to participate in the annual celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles as conducted by the International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem. While we were there we were interviewed by a radio station. According to our recollection, questions similar to the following were raised during the interview:

In what way are you (Christians) celebrating the feast of Tabernacles?

Will the way you celebrate the feast of Tabernacles replace the traditions of Judaism?

Will Christianity replace Judaism?

Some convictions that had been growing in our mind previously are as follows:

The Christian Church and the people and land of Israel are on a converging course. They will become one when Christ is crowned King on the Throne of David in Jerusalem.

The people of Israel are not to become Gentiles; rather, the Christians are to become members of Israel, not by naturalization procedures but in the Spirit of God.

Christianity is not a religion separate from Judaism. In the Lord Jesus Christ, eternal life and substance are given to the forms and hopes of Israel.

Because of these convictions we were able to give what may have been a more satisfactory answer to these difficult and significant questions than otherwise would have been the case.

As we continued to ponder the issues that had been raised, the three original questions increased to eight:

1. In what manner did we Christians keep the feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem during the 1985 celebration?

2. Will the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles replace the Jewish traditions?

3. Why can we say that Christianity is not a religion separate from Judaism but that in the Lord Jesus, eternal life and substance are given to the forms and hopes of Israel?

4. In what way are the Christians to become members of Israel?

5. At what point and in what manner will the Christian Church and the land and people of Israel converge?

6. In what way will the nations of the earth come up to Jerusalem and keep the feast of Tabernacles? Will the Egyptians, the English, and the Chinese come up to Jerusalem each year and dwell in booths for a week, meditating on the God of Israel?

7. What does the feast of Tabernacles have to do with establishing Christ on the Throne of David in Jerusalem?

8. Precisely what is the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles? The feast of Tabernacles is one of the types and shadows of the Old Testament. What is the substance of this important symbolic observance?

The answer to these eight questions (and to every other question we can think of) lies in the one new Man.

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:11-15)

To be continued.