"Thus
says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth [month], The fast of the fifth,
The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness
and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'
Zecharaiah 8:19 NKJV
As
you might expect, recent events have certainly influenced the discussions to be
found on many, if not most of the websites, blogs, and social media devoted to
the subject of the end times. Of course,
the overwhelming question concerns where we are on God’s calendar, and what
should we expect to see next? Most Bible
scholars agree that the prophetic events revealed in the Word concerning
Israel’s future, in their order of occurrence are; the Isaiah 17 destruction of
Damascus, the Ezekiel 38,39 Gog Magog Conflict, the Confirmation of the
Covenant in Daniel 9:27a, the Abomination of Desolation also found in Daniel
9:27b, and the Battle of Armageddon followed by the Second Coming of Christ
found in Revelation 16:16, and 19:11-21.
So
it follows that the next major event that we are told to watch for is the
Destruction of Damascus. It also makes
sense that although this is the prophetic sign we should expect to see, there
will also be signs which will lead up to its occurrence. I have no doubt that this is what we are
witnessing today in the Middle East, especially if you consider the role
of instigator
that Persia/Iran is to play in these events as revealed by the Word. That said, the next question you would expect
to hear would be, do we know when this event might take place? Know? No.
Speculate? Why not?
Many
are familiar with the seven feast days appointed by God for the children of
Israel to observe, but not all are aware that He also created four days of
fasting to commemorate tragedies that occurred during Israel’s' history.
Zechariah goes on to say that when the Messiah comes, these fast days will
become days of celebration and feasting, but for now they are still days of
mourning. One of these fast days seems to stand out from the rest by virtue of
the number of tragedies that have occurred on this exact day throughout history.
In the passage from Zechariah, it is called the fast of the fifth month. Just in case you are not familiar with this particular
fast day in Israel, I thought I would talk a little about it today.
Called
Tisha B'Av, this day of mourning and fasting reminds Israel of the day that the
temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews taken back to Babylon in
captivity. This day has become, however, one of the most significant days in
Israel's history due to the astonishing "coincidence" of numerous
national disasters occurring on this exact day since its inception. These are:
...1312
BC... Spies return from 40 days in Israel with evil reports of the Land of Israel.
Jewish people cry in despair, give up hope of entering the Land of Israel.
...587
BC... Destruction of First Temple by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezar. About
100000 Jews killed during invasion. Exile of remaining tribes in southern kingdom
to Babylon and Persia.
...70
AD... Destruction of Second Temple by Romans, under Titus. Over 2,500,000 Jews
die as a result of war, famine and disease. Over 1,000,000 Jews exiled to all
parts of the Roman Empire. Over 100,000 Jews sold as slaves by Romans. Jews killed
and tortured in gladiatorial "games" and pagan celebrations.
...71
AD... Turnus Rufus plows site of Temple. Romans build pagan city of Aelia
Capitolina on site of Jerusalem.
...135
AD... Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Betar destroyed - over 100,000 killed.
...1095
AD... First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in first
month of Crusade. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews,
totally obliterate many communities in Rhineland and France.
...1290
AD... Expulsion of Jews from England, accompanied by pogroms and confiscation
of books and property.
...1492
AD... Inquisition in Spain and Portugal culminates in the expulsion of the Jews
from the Iberian Peninsula. King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion
decree, setting Tisha B'Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be
allowed to walk on Spanish soil. Families separated, many die by drowning,
massive loss of property. With funds provided by Ferdinand, Christopher
Columbus, a Messianic Jew, sets sail to locate the land which will become a
Jewish refuge.
...1914
AD... Britain and Russia declare war on Germany. First World War begins. First
World War issues unresolved, ultimately causing Second World War and Holocaust.
75% of all Jews in war zones. Jews in armies of all sides - 120,000 Jewish
casualties in armies. Over 400 pogroms immediately following war in Hungary,
Ukraine, Poland and Russia.
...1942
AD... Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp
begin.
...1989
AD... Iraq walks out of talks with Kuwait.
...1990
AD... The First Gulf War begins in and as a result Saddam Hussein launches
missiles into Israel
...1994
AD... The deadly bombing the building of the AMIA (the Jewish community center
in Buenos Aires, Argentina) which killed 86 people and wounded some 300 others.
Now
I would think that any reasonable person who looked at this list would conclude
that this is much more than just coincidence. It is obviously a day throughout
history where God in His infinite wisdom has chosen to send a message to the
nation of Israel. I also believe it is fair to say that considering the
prophecies in the Bible concerning Israel's future we could reasonably
speculate that there is more in store for Israel on this particular day at some
point in time. My question to you today though is does it appear that the
potential for another national tragedy seems to be increasing as we speak? Does it follow that the attack upon Israel we
find in Isaiah 17 could be considered a tragedy?
Somehow
I am of the opinion that those who choose to watch as Jesus commanded will not
be taken by surprise when the events of Isaiah 17 occur, unless of course, we are not here to witness them. By that I refer to an event called the rapture, and I will discuss that next week. I'm not in the prediction business, but I am
in the “watching” business. God has
revealed to us through the Bible what the future of Israel is, and we as His
followers should be watching for the signs He has told us to look for. As I
have said before, why would God tell us to watch and then not show us anything?
I believe the next few months are going to be a very interesting time in the
Middle East, and I for one will be watching closely to see what events
transpire there.
If
you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus
Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to
God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner, be willing to turn away from your sins,
believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in
and control your life through the Holy
Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;
Jesus I know I am a
sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the
cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive
your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and
follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. Psalms 122:6 NKJV
Keep
Watching
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkqYwl11g8
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkqYwl11g8
