By Myles Weiss
Today marks the 9th day of the month of Av, held in awe and with contemplative reverence by the Jewish people. It ends three weeks of introspective “teshuvah”(repentance) during which our jewish people remember dark times in our history. The unbelieving report of the ten spies in Numbers 13 marks the traditional inception of these dark times. Later in Jewish history, BOTH temples were destroyed on Tisha B’Av…in 586 BC and 70 AD. Persecutions, exiles, and martyrdom befell our people on the SAME date in history, including the onset of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492!
Unfathomable tragedies are tied to this date, and so we fast, sit low as if in mourning, drape the Torah in black, read the Book of Lamentations and pray for mercy in this season.
Yeshua knew the Temple would be destroyed again in 70 AD. That’s why He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) He was going to pay the price for our sin.
In spite of the loss (again!) of the physical temple, His sacrifice would change the spiritual landscape forever. Today, some of my people are preparing to rebuild that physical temple in Jerusalem. This heroic effort will provide the staging ground for many controversial end-time events…
So… what about for us, the believers around the world who are disciples of Yeshua?
What a grand opportunity!
Here are a few ways you can pray:
- pray for Israel’s well-being and freedom from war
- for the Jewish people to know Messiah, who is Sar Shalom ( Prince of Peace)
- for Muslims to be delivered from the darkness of their doctrines of death
- for our families to know the Lord
- for our own nations to become part of the solution, not the problem, by abandoning Anti-Semitic and Anti-Zionist policies
- and so on…as “prisoners of hope”…we can ask God for great things at this time…as great in their goodness as the Tisha B’Av events were historically tragic
May the God of Creation through Messiah Yeshua bless you during this season!
The 15th was Av 9? My calendar says the 18th will be Av 9. Is this descripancy due to the conjunction v sighted moon?
Can’t we go back to the day of the Temple destruction in 70 A.D. and see what the moon position was at that time and if so, wouldn’t that settle this argument once and for all?
Susan–
You are correct that this blog was posted on the incorrect date. However, according to JewFAQ.org July 16, 2013 is the 9th of Av, the day of observing Tisha b’Av, not the 18th as you calculate. July 15 was the eve of the observance. Brittni was nearly accurate and may have intended to reword the introductory statement to avoid confusion.
Just as there are programs to trace the orbital paths of planets, I’m sure one can trace past and future phases of the Earth’s moon. Let us know what you learn when you locate one.