Bet Midrash

Tag: End Times

  • Sukkot and the Nations

    Sukkot and the Nations

    Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is a Jewish festival with a future fulfillment anticipated in biblical prophecy. A key passage in Zechariah 14:16–19 describes a time after the Messiah’s coming when survivors from all nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The text warns that nations failing to participate will receive no rain, a severe consequence given the devastating impact of drought. Rain, in this context, symbolizes God’s blessing.

    Zechariah 14:16–19 (NIV) “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.”

    This prophecy also resonates with contemporary events, as Israel frequently dominates global news and political discourse. For example, between 2015 and 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted 154 resolutions against Israel, compared to 71 against all other countries combined, reflecting a persistent bias against the nation.

    Ushpizin: A Tradition of Inclusion A cherished Sukkot tradition called Ushpizin involves Jewish families inviting non-Jews to join them in their sukkah (temporary booth) to share a meal and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This practice aligns with Zechariah’s vision of nations coming together to honor the festival. Additionally, the sacrifices offered during the seven-day feast symbolically include the nations of the world.

    During the festival, the number of bulls sacrificed each day decreases by one, starting with 13 on the first day:

    • Day 1: 13 bulls
    • Day 2: 12 bulls
    • Day 3: 11 bulls
    • Day 4: 10 bulls
    • Day 5: 9 bulls
    • Day 6: 8 bulls
    • Day 7: 7 bulls

    This totals 70 bulls. According to Genesis 10, the 70 nations of the world descended from Noah’s sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sacrifice of 70 bulls during Sukkot is understood to represent these nations, offered by the Israelites to pray for their well-being and to ensure sufficient rainfall for the coming winter. This reflects God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:18: “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.”

    When the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 CE, they unknowingly halted these annual sacrificial offerings for the nations’ welfare. Today, the Feast of Tabernacles continues to draw thousands of Christians from around the world to Jerusalem, where they join in celebrating this significant festival, demonstrating the gathering of the nations at Sukkot as foretold in the scriptures.

    © 2025 B Arnold Stein

  • Charlie Kirk’s Assassination and the Next Generation

    Charlie Kirk’s Assassination and the Next Generation

    The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk is more than the loss of a leader—it reveals the spiritual battle raging in today’s younger generation. The young man who killed him grew up in a Christian family, yet within just a year of college, he was radicalized to the point of deadly violence. That a life could turn so drastically so quickly is a sobering picture of the evil at work in our times.

    Scripture tells us that the end of time is a season of harvest, when fruit—good or evil—comes to full maturity. Revelation 22:11 (NIV) says: “Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” A clearer sense of the verse is: “Let the wicked grow more wicked still, and let the righteous become more righteous still.”

    This points to a growing polarization as history moves toward its conclusion. As Proverbs 4:18 (NIV) reminds us: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” At the same time, the path of the wicked grows ever darker.

    Charlie Kirk was a spearhead for righteousness in his generation. He engaged those who opposed him with conviction and love. In his death, we see how fiercely some in this generation despised what he stood for. His murder is not just a personal tragedy—it is a glimpse of the larger cultural and spiritual warfare shaping young people today. Families are being torn apart, with adult children rejecting their parents because of this deep moral divide.

    And yet, Scripture also gives us a more hopeful vision of the end. The last verses of the Old Testament declare: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents” (Malachi 4:5–6, NIV).

    So how should we respond? The answer is the way Charlie himself lived: engage, reason, and pray. To those who even rejoice at his murder, we are called not to withdraw but to reach out—to speak truth, to pray for them, and to believe for reconciliation. Instead of only focusing on the polarization of Revelation 22, let us also look with hope to the promise of Malachi—that God can turn hearts back to one another, even in the most divided of times.


    © 2025 B Arnold Stein