Editor’s note: Founded in 1980, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) serves an evangelical response for healing Israel and the Jewish people, participating in the Aliyah movement that brings Jews back to their homeland, celebrating the Feast of Tabernacle, and building bomb shelters. In an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily, David Parsons, ICEJ’s vice president and senior spokesman, talked about their work, the relations between Judaism and Christianity, the October 7 attack, as well as the Holy Land tourism.
China Christian Daily: Please introduce yourself and ICEJ.
David Parsons: I'm David Parsons, vice president and senior spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. We've been based in Israel's capital, Jerusalem since 1980. ICEJ is considered as the world's largest pro-Israel Christian organization because we have branch offices and representatives in around 90 countries and a reach into probably 180 countries around the world.
We put on the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the largest Christian event in Israel every year. We help with the Aliyah movement that we’ve brought back around 185000 Jews to their ancient homeland. we do a lot of charitable work in the land, especially right now with Holocaust survivors and also relief aid during the crisis of the war.
China Christian Daily: What are some of the most successful or impactful education and aid projects conducted by ICEJ?
David Parsons: Starting in 1980, the Feast of Tabernacles is a project of the ICEJ. This educational feast draws Christians back to the Jewish roots of our faith. It's a biblical holiday, a Jewish holiday the churches around the world never really celebrated, but the prophet Zecharius has a vision that one day all the nations will celebrate this feast in Jerusalem. We believe that day is coming and start celebrating. There will be a full larger fulfillment of it once the Lord is here. That's been a very successful effort because now there are Christian celebrations of the Feast of tabernacles all over the world.
We've brought over 185,000 Jews back to the land. These people are now having families and raising children here. We've been consistent in helping with about 10% of all the Jews who moved to Israel every year. We're very proud of that, and it's been a big success.
Also, we are doing a lot to help with Holocaust survivors. They are getting old, and the last of them will probably pass away within the next decade, in their 80s and 90s now, some are over 100. So we’ve made a special project with a retirement home in Haifa where we take care of everything for around 65 Holocaust survivors. Christians can adopt survivors through us.
Another big project is helping Israel with bomb shelters and other things they need to protect themselves. We've donated over 200 bomb shelters and also renovated hundreds of existing shelters. During this Israel–Hamas war war, we've also donated four ambulances and medical equipment of helmets and protective vests for first responders to help them do their work in war zones.
China Christian Daily: Regards ICEJ's future plans, what do you consider the highest priority?
David Parsons: Our calling is to be a ministry of comfort to Israel, to stand at their side like Ruth did in the Bible with Naomi as she's coming back to the land with nothing and to keep our eyes on our redeemer presented as a picture of Boas the kinsman redeemer. Is it a prophetic picture of where we are today, that we represent a church that has a heart for Naomi, She is a picture of Israel coming back to her homeland with nothing and God restoring everything to her.
It's interesting that Naomi wanted her land back and Ruth a new husband, and they both got exactly what they wanted through one person, Boaz, who's a type of Messiah. So all things will be reconciled and restored in Jesus. We're just standing at Israel’s side, no matter what they go through, until they reach that destiny.
China Christian Daily: How do you understand the “Israel” and “new Israel” mentioned by Paul in Romans 9 to 11? What kind of friendship has ICEJ fostered between Christians and the Jewish people? Why should Christians help Israel?
David Parsons: Paul admits in Romans 9 that Israel is a bit of a mystery. Gentile believers in Christ are grafted into Israel through Christ, and we are adopted in as sons of Abraham. We are members of the spiritual Israel, the one household of the redeemed, which was birth by natural Israel. Natural Israel was always and will always have that calling on them with regards to birthing and nurturing spiritual Israel.
We still draw strength and faith from the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David and all the Israel patriarchs in the Bible. Eventually, Paul promises that all of natural Israel, the nation of Israel, or the Jewish people, will all become part of spiritual Israel, the one household of the redeemed. So we respect the enduring election over Israel even as we are confident in God's calling and election over our own lives as Christians.
Because the Jews had rejected Jesus, so many generations of Christians rejected the Jews. This teaching of contempt and hostility that Christians had towards Jews produced a lot of bad fruit right up to the Holocaust.
We are a ministry that wants to apologize for that sad legacy, try to heal those wounds inflicted in the name of Jesus, and do deeds that show our true repentance. We want to show them the true faith of Jesus. There is a worldwide movement of Christians today who have that heart and concern for Israel and the Jewish people, and we try to represent that global movement here in Jerusalem, including Christians in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the whole Chinese diaspora. Chinese Christians never did anything bad to the Jews, but many still want to do something about what others did in the name of Jesus to them. It's not out of guilt, but out of love and taking responsibility for the wrong someone did in the name of our Lord.
China Christian Daily: According to statistics, seven million Jews live in Israel. Could you describe the Jewish landscape and their general understanding of Christianity?
David Parsons: There's around 7.2 million Jews out of around 10 million people in Israel. Roughly, half of the Jews are religious orthodox or very traditional, and half are secular. But even among the secular, they still have the Passover Seder meal together and fast on Yom Kippur (or the Day of Atonement). Most of the Jews here still keep some of the Jewish traditions. They are not necessarily atheists, but just don't want religious leaders to control everything like divorce, marriage and other things that the ultra-Orthodox want to control. Even in the army, the soldiers from secular families pray before they go into battles. Most Israelis have a sense that that there is a sovereign hand that has brought them back to the land and is helping sustain them.
Regarding their understanding of Christianity, we have more in common with some religious Zionists, the Jews who believe God has restored the nation and they're trying to settle the whole land to bring Messiah. We have probably more understanding with them than some of the others, but a lot of the secular Jews are very open to Christian support. We find that among the older generations, they're still suspicious or fearful, but among the younger Israelis, there's a lot more acceptance and openness. It takes a long time to overcome the bad legacy that Christians left over the centuries.
China Christian Daily: It was expected that 250,000 Jews returned to Israel during the pandemic, so what is the actual situation? Can you also introduce the current impact of the Aliyah movement?
David Parsons: I don't think it was 250,000 in the two years of Covid, but it was surprising that when all the airlines in the world were shut down, Israel was still flying Jews home. Even in this war, when many flights were trying in the first week and many of our Feast pilgrims who were here trying to get back to their countries, we were all worried that Hezbollah would start firing from Lebanon onto all of Israel. Even the flights that were very crowded taking people out, they had even more people coming in. It was Israelis who worked, lived abroad and were coming home to help defend the country.
We've seen an increase in interests in Aliyah, the immigration to Israel, coming out of this war, because of anti-semitism that's sweeping around the globe. We are expecting a big wave of Jewish immigration over the coming months.
China Christian Daily: How do you think about the Back to Jerusalem Movement?
David Parsons: It's something that the Holy Spirit gave to these church leaders in China. The heart of the movement is to carry out the Great Commission on the road back to the holy land, mostly Muslim countries. It's an amazing vision and may we see it fulfilled in our daytime.
We've met some of the leaders, we've had them at our Feast speaking, prominent Chinese Christian leaders that helped birth the back to Jerusalem movement. It’s quite a vision and quite exciting for us.
For the Jewish people, it's one thing for white Christian from Europe to say we stand with Israel because we may feel guilt over the Holocaust or the expulsions from these countries, or because we might have prophetic teachings where Israel's a key part of the puzzle. But for Christians from China, India, or Africa, they didn't do anything wrong to the Jews. But God has given you a heart for Israel and the Jewish people. The only explanation is that it's a work of the Holy spirit, and you are a sign and a wonder to the Jewish people. They know that the Messiah will take teach the nations the law of God and help write it on our hearts. When they see Christians from all nations, including China, who know the Ten Commandments and the Bible better than most Jews, it makes them think there must be something to this Jesus. So keep coming.
China Christian Daily: What actually happened on October 7, 2023?
David Parsons: We have a special connection to the communities near the Gaza border that were hit the hardest on October 7, because we've been providing them with bomb shelters..
The war started on the last day of the feast of tabernacles, and two days before, we took 700 Christians down there from 50 nations, holding a solidarity rally, just 500 meters away from the border with Gaza, which was peaceful at the time. We planted trees there in a forest that had been burned by some of the fire kites sent over by arsonists in Gaza.
Two days later, this whole area was devastated by around 3,000 armed terrorists who busted through the border in about 80 places, and they attacked 25 towns and farming villages and eight army bases, killing over twelve hundred people. They raped, mutilated, and beheaded babies. They even cut a baby out of a pregnant mother's womb.
For most Israelis and Jews around the world, and even for us whom God has given a heart for them, what happened on October 7th touched the raw nerve of the Holocaust. It felt like that the Holocaust had come back for this day with all the people just being murdered. The Hamas terrorists who were doing this were laughing and happy about it, which hurt even more. So we feel Israel has been right in responding to it by trying to destroy Hamas in Gaza.
China Christian Daily: After Israel fought back, many civilians in Gaza were killed. What would you say to those Palestinians who were killed and also injured during the war?
David Parsons: I think it was a big mistake for the whole international community to insist that that the civilians in Gaza had to stay on the battlefield. With enemies like Hamas who wants to use them as human shields, you have to let the civilians get out of the way and go to safety.
Israel says they have killed around 14,000 Hamas terrorists, plus a thousand that were in Israel. If the Hamas figure number of 34,000 is true and 15,000 of them are armed combatants, then Israel has done remarkably well in in terms of fighting terror groups embedded among civilians in urban warfare. In a large and densely populated area, the number of civilians combatants killed in urban warfare is normally nine to one, and sometimes it’s twenty to one, the percentage in Gaza is almost one to one.
It's tragic that civilians are dying there, but Israel has done more than any other army to try and protect civilians. It was the international community insisted that they stay on the battlefield, bare responsibility for their civilian casualties. During a similar battle in Mariupol during Russian’s attack on Ukraine, the world worked daily to open a humanity corridor for civilians to escape and for medical aid to get in because the large city was surrounded. For me, the international community has committed a war crime against the people of Gaza.
China Christian Daily: Over the past 15 years, it has been observed that the majority of Chinese Christians visiting Jerusalem have traveled to the Holy Land.
David Parsons: Israel knows there's a growing number of born-again Christians in China who want to tour the Holy Land. For 20 years, they've been working to cooperate with tour companies from China. They put together tours, and especially to find Chinese speaking tour guides. They put ads in the papers and even offered scholarships that the Chinese could come and take the tour guides course to get license.
We've seen many Chinese groups coming and we want to see more. I'm excited about what's ahead for China, because I know there is a lot of interest among Chinese Christians to come to the holy land. It's not just seeing the historic sites connected with events in the Bible, but Chinese Christians want to see modern Israel. We want to connect all the Christians to see what God is doing in Israel today.
China Christian Daily: Do you have any words for Chinese Christians?
David Parsons: We are proud of the witness the Chinese Christians have given to the Chinese people in our generation of standing with Jesus and no matter what it costs. There is a movement that has moved into the big cities, among working class and even elite, so we pray that all the churches there would prosper in the knowledge and grace of the Lord, stand strong as a witness to others and draw many into the kingdom. Realize that Israel is central and critical when we will finally meet Jesus, who is coming back to Jerusalem that is back in Jewish hands and ready to receive Him here as our King. He's our King, and He's their King, too. One day, everyone will realize it.
编者按：耶路撒冷国际基督徒大使馆（ICEJ）成立于1980年，基于福音派基督徒的立场致力于安慰犹太百姓，激励基督徒为耶路撒冷和以色列求平安，参与让犹太人回归家园的阿利亚运动，推动住棚节等犹太节期的庆祝，促进犹太人、基督徒以及阿拉伯人之前的和睦等。在接受《China Christian Daily》（以下简称CCD）专访时，ICEJ副总裁兼高级发言人大卫·帕尔森谈及犹太教与基督教的关系、10月7日袭击事件以及福音传回耶路撒冷运动等很多基督徒关注的话题。
CCD：请您介绍一下自己和所在的机构ICEJ，可以吗？
大卫·帕尔森：我是ICEJ的副总裁兼高级发言人大卫·帕尔森（David Parsons）。自1980年以来，我们一直驻扎在以色列首都耶路撒冷。ICEJ被认为是世界上最大的支持以色列的基督教机构，我们在约90个国家设有分支机构和代表处，项目覆盖全球约180个国家。
我们举办住棚节，这是以色列每年最大的基督教活动。我们支持阿利亚运动（Aliyah），这让大约185000名犹太人重返他们古老的家园以色列。我们也在以色列做了很多慈善工作，尤其是现在为纳粹大屠杀的幸存者提供的帮助，并在战争危机期间提供紧急救援。
CCD：ICEJ开展的最成功或者影响最大的教育和援助项目有哪些？
大卫·帕尔森：ICEJ从1980年开始做住棚节项目。这个教育性的节日将基督徒带回我们信仰的犹太根源。这是一个圣经性的节日，一个世界各地的教会曾经都不庆祝的犹太节日，但先知撒迦利亚曾预言说，将来有一天所有国家的人都会在耶路撒冷庆祝这个节日。我们相信那一天即将到来，并开始了节期庆祝。一旦主再来，这个预言将更大的实现。这一直是一项非常成功的努力，因为现在世界各地的基督徒都在庆祝住棚节。
我们已将185000多名犹太人带回了这片土地。这些人现在在这里成家立业，养育子女。我们每年都在继续地提供帮助，让犹太人口中大约10%的人移居回以色列。这个项目是很成功的，我们对此感到非常自豪。
此外，我们还为纳粹大屠杀幸存者提供帮助。他们正在变老，其中最年轻的一位也可能在未来十年内去世，现在这个群体的幸存者年龄段是80多和90多，也有的幸存者已过百岁。因此，我们与海法（以色列第三大城市）的一家养老院合作开展了一个特殊项目，我们在那里供给大约65名纳粹大屠杀幸存者的所有需求。基督徒也可以通过ICEJ助养这些在纳粹大屠杀中幸存的犹太老人。
另一个大项目是帮助以色列建造防空洞和其他保护自己所需的设施。我们捐赠了200多个防空洞，还翻修了数百个已有的防空洞。在这次以色列与哈马斯的战争中，我们捐赠了四辆救护车及头盔、防护背心等医疗设备，供急救人员在战区开展工作。
CCD：对于ICEJ未来的规划，您认为最优先考虑的是什么？
大卫·帕尔森：我们的呼召是成为安慰以色列人的事工，效法圣书中路得在拿俄米一无所有地回到故土时所做的那样：站在她们身边，并仰望我们的救赎主——这就如赎回拿俄米家族土地的亲戚波阿斯的形象。这是否就是说明我们使命的一个具有先知性的图画呢——我们代表着一个对拿俄米怀有深切关怀的教会，她本是一无所有地回到故土以色列，但上帝将一切都恢复了。
有趣的是，拿俄米想要拿回她的土地，也想要给路得一个新丈夫，而她们都通过同一个人得到了各自想要的东西，这个人是波阿斯，他是弥赛亚的喻表之一。所以一切都会在耶稣里得到和解和恢复。我们要做的只是站在以色列身边，无论他们经历什么，直到他们成就神所命定的。
CCD：您如何理解保罗在罗马书9-11章中提到的“以色列”和“新以色列”？ICEJ在基督徒和犹太人民之间建立了怎样的友谊？基督徒为什么要帮助以色列？
大卫·帕尔森：保罗在罗马书第 9 章中承认以色列有点神秘。外邦基督徒通过基督被嫁接到以色列里，我们也被收养为亚伯拉罕的子孙。我们是属灵的以色列人，基督教是被救赎的一个大家庭，这个大家庭也是以色列所生的。以色列人过去和将来都一直肩负着这样的使命，即生育和培育属灵的以色列人。
我们仍然从亚伯拉罕、摩西、大卫和圣经中所有以色列族长的故事中汲取力量和信心。最终，保罗承诺的是，所有以色列人、以色列国或犹太人民都将在属灵的以色列人上有份，成为被救赎的一个大家庭。因此，作为基督徒，我们对上帝的呼召和拣选充满信心，但我们依然尊重以色列长久以来的选民身份。
因为犹太人拒绝了耶稣，所以一代又一代的基督徒也拒绝了犹太人。基督徒对犹太人的蔑视和敌视的教导产生了许多恶果，直到纳粹大屠杀。
我们是一个为这个悲惨的历史遗留问题而道歉的事工，我们试图以耶稣的名去治愈那些曾经的伤害，并用行动来表明我们的悔改。我们想向犹太人展示耶稣带来的真正信仰是什么。今天，全球范围内的基督徒运动都怀有这样的心和对以色列和犹太人的关心，我们试图在耶路撒冷代表这一全球运动，其中也包括中国大陆、台湾、香港和整个华人侨民的基督徒。华人基督徒从未对犹太人做过任何坏事，但许多人仍然想对犹太人做一些就其他人曾以耶稣的名义对犹太人做过的错事做些弥补。这不是出于内疚，而是出于爱，并承担起以我们主的名为一些人曾犯下的错负责。
CCD：据统计，以色列境内有七百万犹太人，您能介绍一下以色列的概况和犹太人对基督教的总体认识吗？
大卫·帕尔森：以色列的约1000万人口中，犹太人大约有720万。其中大约一半的犹太人是正统犹太教信徒或非常传统的犹太人，另一半是世俗派。但即使是世俗派，他们也会一起吃逾越节家宴，并在赎罪日禁食。这里的大多数犹太人仍然保留着一些犹太传统。他们不一定是无神论者，只是不希望宗教领袖控制一切，比如离婚、婚姻和极端正统派想要控制的其他事情。即使在军队中，也可以看到来自世俗派家庭的士兵也会在上战场前祷告。大多数以色列人都相信有一只主权之手把他们带回了这片土地，并帮助他们维持生计。
关于他们对基督教的理解，我们与一些犹太复国主义者有更多共同之处，这些犹太人相信上帝已经重建了国家，他们正试图在全地上定居，来迎接弥赛亚。我们可能比其他一些人更能理解他们，但很多世俗犹太人非常欢迎基督图群体的支持。我们发现，在老一辈中，他们仍然持怀疑或恐惧态度，但在年轻的以色列人中，他们更加接受和开放。克服基督徒几个世纪以来留下的不良遗留问题需要很长的时间。
CCD：疫情期间预计有25万犹太人返回以色列 ，实际情况如何？能否介绍一下目前阿利亚（Aliyah）回归运动的影响？
大卫·帕尔森：我不认为在两年多的新冠疫情期间有25万人被送回以色列，但令人惊讶的是，当时世界上所有的航空公司都关闭时，以色列仍在运送犹太人回家。在目前这场（哈以）战争中，当许多航班在第一周尝试起飞，许多来此参加节日朝圣的人试图返回他们的国家，因为我们都担心真主党会从黎巴嫩向整个以色列开火。即使当时的航班非常的拥挤，但还是有更多以色列人回来。那是一些在国外工作、生活的以色列人，返回以色列保卫自己的国家。
由于反犹太主义席卷全球，我们看到战争结束后人们对阿利亚运动的兴趣有所增加。我们预计未来几个月将出现一波犹太移民潮。
CCD：您如何看待“福音传回耶路撒冷运动”？
大卫·帕尔森：这是圣灵赋予中国教会领袖的一个异象。该运动的核心是在返回圣地的沿途践行大使命（主要是穆斯林国家）。这是一个惊人的愿景，希望我们在有生之年能看到它实现。
我们见了这个运动的一些带领者，他们在我们举办的盛宴上发表演讲，他们是曾发起福音传回耶路撒冷运动的杰出的华人基督徒领袖。这是一个相当宏大的异象，也非常令人兴奋。
对于犹太人来说，当欧洲的白人基督徒说“我们与以色列站在一起”是一回事，因为我们可能对这些国家发生过的纳粹大屠杀或驱逐感到内疚，或者因为我们可能有先知的教导，其中以色列是拼图的关键部分。但对于来自中国、印度或非洲的基督徒来说，他们没有对犹太人做任何错事。但上帝让你们心系以色列和犹太人。唯一的解释是，这是圣灵的工作，对犹太人来说你们就是圣灵的印记和奇迹。他们知道弥赛亚将教导各国上帝的律法，并帮助将其写在我们的心中。当他们看到来自包括中国在内的所有国家的基督徒比大多数犹太人更了解十诫和圣经时，他们就会认为这个耶稣一定有什么特别之处。我们期待福音继续被传回耶路撒冷。
CCD：2023年10月7日究竟发生了什么？
大卫·帕尔森：我们与 10 月 7 日受灾最严重的加沙边境附近的社区有着特殊的联系，因为我们一直在为他们提供防空洞。
战争是在住棚节的最后一天爆发的，在那两天前，我们带领来自50个国家的700名基督徒在那里举行了声援集会，距离当时还充满和平的加沙边境仅500米。我们在那里的一片森林中种了树，那里早前被加沙的纵火犯放出的带有燃烧弹药的风筝烧毁过。
两天后，整个地区遭到约3000名武装恐怖分子的蹂躏，他们从大约 80个地方越过边境，袭击了25个城镇和农村以及 8个军事基地，造成1200多人死亡。他们强奸、将人肢解，斩首婴儿。他们甚至从孕妇的子宫里剖出婴儿。
对于大多数以色列人和全世界的犹太人，甚至对我们这些被上帝赋予爱他们心的人来说，10月7日发生的事情触动了纳粹大屠杀的痛处。随着很多人被杀害，感觉就像纳粹大屠杀在这一天又回来了。做这件事的恐怖分子对此大笑不已并且很高兴，这更令人感到受伤。所以我们觉得当时以色列的回击是正确的。
CCD：以色列发动反击后，加沙地带大量平民丧生，您对在战争中丧生和受伤的巴勒斯坦人有什么话要说？
大卫·帕尔森：我认为整个国际社会坚持让加沙平民留在战场上是一个很大的错误。面对哈马斯这样的敌人，他们想把加沙平民当作人盾，那就必须让平民离开战场，去到安全的地方。
以色列称他们已经击毙了大约 14000 名哈马斯恐怖分子，以及1000名在以色列境内的恐怖分子。如果哈马斯的34000人数字属实，其中15000人是武装战斗人员，那么以色列在城市战中打击潜伏在平民中的恐怖组织方面表现得非常出色。
在人口密集地，在城市战中死亡的平民和战斗人员的比例通常是9比1，有时是20比1，而在加沙，这一比例几乎是1比1。平民在那里死亡，这很悲惨，但以色列为保护平民所做的努力比其他任何军队都要多。国际社会坚持要求加沙的平民留在战场上，那么要为平民的伤亡负责。在俄罗斯袭击乌克兰期间，在马里乌波尔发生了一场类似的战斗，由于大城市被包围，全世界每天都在努力开辟一条人道走廊，让平民逃生，让医疗援助进入。对我来说，国际社会已经对加沙人民犯下了战争罪。
CCD：据观察，过去15年中前往耶路撒冷的中国基督徒绝大多数是前往圣地旅游。
大卫·帕尔森：以色列知道，中国有越来越多重生的基督徒想要游览圣地。20年来，他们一直致力于与中国的旅游公司合作。他们组织旅行团，尤其是找会说中文的导游。他们在报纸上登广告，甚至提供奖学金，让中国人来参加导游课程，获得导游执照。
我们已经看到很多中国团体前来参观，我们希望看到更多。我对中国的未来感到兴奋，因为我知道中国基督徒对前往圣地很感兴趣。中国基督徒不仅想参观与圣经事件相关的历史遗迹，还想看看现代的以色列。我们希望让所有基督徒都参与进来，看看上帝今天在以色列所做的事。
CCD：您对中国的基督徒有什么话要说吗？
大卫·帕尔森：我们为中国基督徒在我们这一代与耶稣站在一起为中国人做出的见证感到自豪......我们为那里的所有教会都能在主的真理和恩典中兴盛，坚定地向他人活出见证，吸引更多人进入天国祷告。
当我们最终见到耶稣时，要意识到以色列是中心性和关键性的——祂将回到耶路撒冷，犹太人将高举祂，并准备好在这里迎接祂成为我们的王。耶稣是我们的王，也是犹太人的王。总有一天，每个人都会意识到这一点。
Editor’s note: Founded in 1980, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) serves an evangelical response for healing Israel and the Jewish people, participating in the Aliyah movement that brings Jews back to their homeland, celebrating the Feast of Tabernacle, and building bomb shelters. In an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily, David Parsons, ICEJ’s vice president and senior spokesman, talked about their work, the relations between Judaism and Christianity, the October 7 attack, as well as the Holy Land tourism.
China Christian Daily: Please introduce yourself and ICEJ.
David Parsons: I'm David Parsons, vice president and senior spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. We've been based in Israel's capital, Jerusalem since 1980. ICEJ is considered as the world's largest pro-Israel Christian organization because we have branch offices and representatives in around 90 countries and a reach into probably 180 countries around the world.
We put on the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the largest Christian event in Israel every year. We help with the Aliyah movement that we’ve brought back around 185000 Jews to their ancient homeland. we do a lot of charitable work in the land, especially right now with Holocaust survivors and also relief aid during the crisis of the war.
China Christian Daily: What are some of the most successful or impactful education and aid projects conducted by ICEJ?
David Parsons: Starting in 1980, the Feast of Tabernacles is a project of the ICEJ. This educational feast draws Christians back to the Jewish roots of our faith. It's a biblical holiday, a Jewish holiday the churches around the world never really celebrated, but the prophet Zecharius has a vision that one day all the nations will celebrate this feast in Jerusalem. We believe that day is coming and start celebrating. There will be a full larger fulfillment of it once the Lord is here. That's been a very successful effort because now there are Christian celebrations of the Feast of tabernacles all over the world.
We've brought over 185,000 Jews back to the land. These people are now having families and raising children here. We've been consistent in helping with about 10% of all the Jews who moved to Israel every year. We're very proud of that, and it's been a big success.
Also, we are doing a lot to help with Holocaust survivors. They are getting old, and the last of them will probably pass away within the next decade, in their 80s and 90s now, some are over 100. So we’ve made a special project with a retirement home in Haifa where we take care of everything for around 65 Holocaust survivors. Christians can adopt survivors through us.
Another big project is helping Israel with bomb shelters and other things they need to protect themselves. We've donated over 200 bomb shelters and also renovated hundreds of existing shelters. During this Israel–Hamas war war, we've also donated four ambulances and medical equipment of helmets and protective vests for first responders to help them do their work in war zones.
China Christian Daily: Regards ICEJ's future plans, what do you consider the highest priority?
David Parsons: Our calling is to be a ministry of comfort to Israel, to stand at their side like Ruth did in the Bible with Naomi as she's coming back to the land with nothing and to keep our eyes on our redeemer presented as a picture of Boas the kinsman redeemer. Is it a prophetic picture of where we are today, that we represent a church that has a heart for Naomi, She is a picture of Israel coming back to her homeland with nothing and God restoring everything to her.
It's interesting that Naomi wanted her land back and Ruth a new husband, and they both got exactly what they wanted through one person, Boaz, who's a type of Messiah. So all things will be reconciled and restored in Jesus. We're just standing at Israel’s side, no matter what they go through, until they reach that destiny.
China Christian Daily: How do you understand the “Israel” and “new Israel” mentioned by Paul in Romans 9 to 11? What kind of friendship has ICEJ fostered between Christians and the Jewish people? Why should Christians help Israel?
David Parsons: Paul admits in Romans 9 that Israel is a bit of a mystery. Gentile believers in Christ are grafted into Israel through Christ, and we are adopted in as sons of Abraham. We are members of the spiritual Israel, the one household of the redeemed, which was birth by natural Israel. Natural Israel was always and will always have that calling on them with regards to birthing and nurturing spiritual Israel.
We still draw strength and faith from the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David and all the Israel patriarchs in the Bible. Eventually, Paul promises that all of natural Israel, the nation of Israel, or the Jewish people, will all become part of spiritual Israel, the one household of the redeemed. So we respect the enduring election over Israel even as we are confident in God's calling and election over our own lives as Christians.
Because the Jews had rejected Jesus, so many generations of Christians rejected the Jews. This teaching of contempt and hostility that Christians had towards Jews produced a lot of bad fruit right up to the Holocaust.
We are a ministry that wants to apologize for that sad legacy, try to heal those wounds inflicted in the name of Jesus, and do deeds that show our true repentance. We want to show them the true faith of Jesus. There is a worldwide movement of Christians today who have that heart and concern for Israel and the Jewish people, and we try to represent that global movement here in Jerusalem, including Christians in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the whole Chinese diaspora. Chinese Christians never did anything bad to the Jews, but many still want to do something about what others did in the name of Jesus to them. It's not out of guilt, but out of love and taking responsibility for the wrong someone did in the name of our Lord.
China Christian Daily: According to statistics, seven million Jews live in Israel. Could you describe the Jewish landscape and their general understanding of Christianity?
David Parsons: There's around 7.2 million Jews out of around 10 million people in Israel. Roughly, half of the Jews are religious orthodox or very traditional, and half are secular. But even among the secular, they still have the Passover Seder meal together and fast on Yom Kippur (or the Day of Atonement). Most of the Jews here still keep some of the Jewish traditions. They are not necessarily atheists, but just don't want religious leaders to control everything like divorce, marriage and other things that the ultra-Orthodox want to control. Even in the army, the soldiers from secular families pray before they go into battles. Most Israelis have a sense that that there is a sovereign hand that has brought them back to the land and is helping sustain them.
Regarding their understanding of Christianity, we have more in common with some religious Zionists, the Jews who believe God has restored the nation and they're trying to settle the whole land to bring Messiah. We have probably more understanding with them than some of the others, but a lot of the secular Jews are very open to Christian support. We find that among the older generations, they're still suspicious or fearful, but among the younger Israelis, there's a lot more acceptance and openness. It takes a long time to overcome the bad legacy that Christians left over the centuries.
China Christian Daily: It was expected that 250,000 Jews returned to Israel during the pandemic, so what is the actual situation? Can you also introduce the current impact of the Aliyah movement?
David Parsons: I don't think it was 250,000 in the two years of Covid, but it was surprising that when all the airlines in the world were shut down, Israel was still flying Jews home. Even in this war, when many flights were trying in the first week and many of our Feast pilgrims who were here trying to get back to their countries, we were all worried that Hezbollah would start firing from Lebanon onto all of Israel. Even the flights that were very crowded taking people out, they had even more people coming in. It was Israelis who worked, lived abroad and were coming home to help defend the country.
We've seen an increase in interests in Aliyah, the immigration to Israel, coming out of this war, because of anti-semitism that's sweeping around the globe. We are expecting a big wave of Jewish immigration over the coming months.
China Christian Daily: How do you think about the Back to Jerusalem Movement?
David Parsons: It's something that the Holy Spirit gave to these church leaders in China. The heart of the movement is to carry out the Great Commission on the road back to the holy land, mostly Muslim countries. It's an amazing vision and may we see it fulfilled in our daytime.
We've met some of the leaders, we've had them at our Feast speaking, prominent Chinese Christian leaders that helped birth the back to Jerusalem movement. It’s quite a vision and quite exciting for us.
For the Jewish people, it's one thing for white Christian from Europe to say we stand with Israel because we may feel guilt over the Holocaust or the expulsions from these countries, or because we might have prophetic teachings where Israel's a key part of the puzzle. But for Christians from China, India, or Africa, they didn't do anything wrong to the Jews. But God has given you a heart for Israel and the Jewish people. The only explanation is that it's a work of the Holy spirit, and you are a sign and a wonder to the Jewish people. They know that the Messiah will take teach the nations the law of God and help write it on our hearts. When they see Christians from all nations, including China, who know the Ten Commandments and the Bible better than most Jews, it makes them think there must be something to this Jesus. So keep coming.
China Christian Daily: What actually happened on October 7, 2023?
David Parsons: We have a special connection to the communities near the Gaza border that were hit the hardest on October 7, because we've been providing them with bomb shelters..
The war started on the last day of the feast of tabernacles, and two days before, we took 700 Christians down there from 50 nations, holding a solidarity rally, just 500 meters away from the border with Gaza, which was peaceful at the time. We planted trees there in a forest that had been burned by some of the fire kites sent over by arsonists in Gaza.
Two days later, this whole area was devastated by around 3,000 armed terrorists who busted through the border in about 80 places, and they attacked 25 towns and farming villages and eight army bases, killing over twelve hundred people. They raped, mutilated, and beheaded babies. They even cut a baby out of a pregnant mother's womb.
For most Israelis and Jews around the world, and even for us whom God has given a heart for them, what happened on October 7th touched the raw nerve of the Holocaust. It felt like that the Holocaust had come back for this day with all the people just being murdered. The Hamas terrorists who were doing this were laughing and happy about it, which hurt even more. So we feel Israel has been right in responding to it by trying to destroy Hamas in Gaza.
China Christian Daily: After Israel fought back, many civilians in Gaza were killed. What would you say to those Palestinians who were killed and also injured during the war?
David Parsons: I think it was a big mistake for the whole international community to insist that that the civilians in Gaza had to stay on the battlefield. With enemies like Hamas who wants to use them as human shields, you have to let the civilians get out of the way and go to safety.
Israel says they have killed around 14,000 Hamas terrorists, plus a thousand that were in Israel. If the Hamas figure number of 34,000 is true and 15,000 of them are armed combatants, then Israel has done remarkably well in in terms of fighting terror groups embedded among civilians in urban warfare. In a large and densely populated area, the number of civilians combatants killed in urban warfare is normally nine to one, and sometimes it’s twenty to one, the percentage in Gaza is almost one to one.
It's tragic that civilians are dying there, but Israel has done more than any other army to try and protect civilians. It was the international community insisted that they stay on the battlefield, bare responsibility for their civilian casualties. During a similar battle in Mariupol during Russian’s attack on Ukraine, the world worked daily to open a humanity corridor for civilians to escape and for medical aid to get in because the large city was surrounded. For me, the international community has committed a war crime against the people of Gaza.
China Christian Daily: Over the past 15 years, it has been observed that the majority of Chinese Christians visiting Jerusalem have traveled to the Holy Land.
David Parsons: Israel knows there's a growing number of born-again Christians in China who want to tour the Holy Land. For 20 years, they've been working to cooperate with tour companies from China. They put together tours, and especially to find Chinese speaking tour guides. They put ads in the papers and even offered scholarships that the Chinese could come and take the tour guides course to get license.
We've seen many Chinese groups coming and we want to see more. I'm excited about what's ahead for China, because I know there is a lot of interest among Chinese Christians to come to the holy land. It's not just seeing the historic sites connected with events in the Bible, but Chinese Christians want to see modern Israel. We want to connect all the Christians to see what God is doing in Israel today.
China Christian Daily: Do you have any words for Chinese Christians?
David Parsons: We are proud of the witness the Chinese Christians have given to the Chinese people in our generation of standing with Jesus and no matter what it costs. There is a movement that has moved into the big cities, among working class and even elite, so we pray that all the churches there would prosper in the knowledge and grace of the Lord, stand strong as a witness to others and draw many into the kingdom. Realize that Israel is central and critical when we will finally meet Jesus, who is coming back to Jerusalem that is back in Jewish hands and ready to receive Him here as our King. He's our King, and He's their King, too. One day, everyone will realize it.
Interview With David Parsons of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem: Jesus Is the King of Christians and Jews
