Christian leaders gather in Jerusalem to mark Oct. 7

How many countries? The figures don't all match. Organisers first said the delegation would come from 117 countries, Israel365 News and the Jerusalem Post both used that number, and so did Israel's Special Envoy George Deek. By the day itself, Evans told ynet Global the number had grown to "more than 120 countries," and Fox News put it at 122.

And it's not just senior clergy. The Jerusalem Post reported that about 200 of the participants are Christians aged 18 to 29. Evans says that's deliberate. "We want these young leaders to see Israel for themselves, hear directly from those whose lives were changed forever on October 7, and return home with a deeper understanding of Israel and a commitment to standing with the Jewish people," he said, as quoted by Israel365 News.

Bishop Robert Stearns, founder and president of Eagles' Wings, brought a delegation of about 550 Christian leaders on his own. "Our solidarity must be more than words," Stearns said of the memorial, according to ynet Global. "We are here to stand with them, to listen to their stories and to carry those stories back to our communities around the world."

The memorial at the Southern Wall

So what actually happened on the day? In the morning, participants visited Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust remembrance centre. Then they joined the main event at the Southern Wall, at the Davidson Center beside the Temple Mount.

Four released hostages were there: Agam Berger, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Bar Kupershtein and Evyatar David. Kupershtein came with his grandfather, Michael Kupershtein, a Holocaust survivor. Bereaved families, wounded Israelis, ambassadors and diplomats filled out the crowd. Sylvan Adams, president of World Jewish Congress Israel, was a full partner in the event.

The evening was presented by actor Nathaniel Buzolic and Australian broadcaster Erin Molan. It was broadcast live on dozens of television networks, and it anchored a 24-hour global broadcast that ynet Global says linked Friends of Zion communities from Fiji, New Zealand and Austria through Africa, Asia and Europe and on to the Americas.

How many people prayed along at home? Estimates vary a lot, so take them as estimates. The Jerusalem Post reported that organisers were aiming for an audience of at least 100 million. Tom Hess of the Jerusalem House of Prayer for All Nations told CBN News, "They say 40 million people are involved, praying now from all around the world."

Evans told Fox News he had one message for Israelis. "Oct. 7 is the worst day in Israel's history, a day of hopelessness," he said. "What I'm sharing on Oct. 7 is this: 'You're wrong. The world is standing with you.'" He went on: "It's not political. It's for the Jewish people: You are not alone. We're with you. We love you."

A spiritual battle, fought on their knees

For many of the people in Jerusalem, this was first of all an act of prayer. Evans put it in plainly biblical terms when he spoke to CBN News. "This is a spiritual battle in a spiritual war," he said. "And it has to be fought on our knees."

He also drew a hard lesson from history. Evans said the Church mustn't repeat the apathy many churches showed in Nazi Germany. "This is our finest hour," he told CBN. "And we need to rise up. Rise and shine. For your light has come." That last line echoes Isaiah 60:1.

Some of the voices came from countries you might not expect. Hormuz Shariat of the ministry Iran Alive told CBN, "Do you know the Iranians right now? They love America. They love Israel. They love the Jews." A South African participant said, "We support, we love the people of Israel. We come here to pray for peace."

Evans says the support goes well past Jerusalem. He told ynet Global that he estimates there are about 750 million evangelicals worldwide, and he pointed to a solidarity gathering of more than 2,000 people in Pakistan as one example. He told Fox News that most Zionists worldwide are not Jewish but Bible-believing Christians.

Israel's Special Envoy to the Christian World, Ambassador George Deek, said the size of the group spoke for itself. "The arrival of more than 1,000 Christian leaders from 117 countries carries a powerful message: Israel does not stand alone," he said, as quoted by Israel365 News. Deek told Fox News the bond rests on three foundations: a shared biblical heritage, a commitment that Jews can live free from antisemitism and fear, and the right of Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere to live without intimidation.

From the Nova site to Shiloh

On Thursday 8 October the delegation travelled south to the site of the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, where more than 370 people were murdered. There they were due to meet three released hostages taken from the festival grounds: Romi Gonen, Noa Argamani and Elkana Bohbot. Israel365 News reported the three would receive the Friends of Zion "Here Am I" Award for the advocacy they and their families have carried out around the world.

That award name is straight out of Scripture. "Here am I" translates the Hebrew word hineni. It's what Abraham says when God calls him in Genesis 22, what Moses says at the burning bush, and what the boy Samuel answers in the night at Shiloh. Isaiah uses it too, answering "Here am I" and "send me."

Which brings the week to its last stop. Friday's programme takes the delegation to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for generations before the Temple was built in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Post and Fox News both list the prayer gathering there for Friday 9 October.

The summit also met Israel's leaders along the way. Israel365 News reported participants were scheduled to meet President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, with Sa'ar opening the summit on the Mount of Olives. Evans told Fox News that site matters to the delegation because of its link to Jesus and his ascension.

Carrying the stories home

The point of all this, organisers say, is what happens after everyone flies home. Miss Universe Israel 2025, Melanie Shiraz, joined the programme and said personal encounters change minds. "When people meet Israelis, hear our stories and experience this country for themselves, Israel stops being an abstract headline and becomes something deeply personal," she said, in remarks reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Influencer Oli London told Fox News he'd come back to pray and to visit the holy sites. "I'm visiting the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Olives, the Garden Tomb and other biblical sites to encourage Christians to return," he said.

It's also part of a busy season for Christian visitors to Israel. Israel365 News reported that more than 1,800 Christians from over 70 nations gathered in Jerusalem for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem's Feast of Tabernacles events at the start of the month.

Evans summed up his own reason for coming in one sentence to ynet Global. "This is a cause greater than myself," he said. For the 1,000-plus Christians standing at the foot of Jerusalem's Old City walls this week, the answer they gave Israel was the same one Samuel gave at Shiloh: here am I.