Post by Tom Green on Feb 21, 2007 12:03:23 GMT -5
Decisions after the Ninth of Av
During the month of August last year, I was conducting a regional conference in Huntington, West Virginia. One afternoon I turned on the television to check out the news, only to see Jewish settlers who live in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip, preparing to stand against their own military forces. The Israeli military had been instructed by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to remove about 9,000 Jewish people from their homes.
In an attempt to make peace with the Palestinians in Gaza, Sharon had agreed to remove the settlers and dismantle their homes. As I watched Jewish settlers scream, cry and even curse the prime minister, I was suddenly aware of what day it was on the Hebrew calendar—the 9th of Av! This day—the 9th of Av—is recognized by Jews throughout the world as the worst day in their history. In fact, if something bad occurred to the Hebrew people and the Jewish nation, it will usually happened in or around the 9th of Av. According to Jewish history and tradition:
The 12 spies returned with an evil report on the 9th of Av.
The Exodus generation was condemned to die on the 9th of Av.
Nebuchadnezzar set fire to the first Temple on the 9th of Av.
The Romans destroyed the second Temple on the 9th of Av.
The Romans plowed up the Temple Mount to convert Jerusalem into a Roman colony on the 9th of Av.
The Last Jewish revolt, Bar Kokba, was squelched on the 9th of Av.
King Edward I expelled the Jews from England in A.D.1290, on the 9th of Av.
In 1891, Turkey banned the immigration of Russian Jews on the 9th of Av.
In 1941, the decree to expel Jews from parts of Hungary was issued on the 9th of Av.
Last year, in August, 2005, the Jewish families living in the Gaza area were forced from their homes and placed on buses. They were resettled to other parts of Israel, beginning on the 9th of Av. Several rabbis believed Mr. Sharon would encounter a terrible judgment, resulting from his decision to remove the people from their ancient homeland. The settlers were removed, their homes were demolished and their hopes to settle in the land of the ancient and Biblical prophets were shattered.
Twelve months have passed. Today Ariel Sharon is in a coma and has deteriorated in the past several weeks. The Palestinians in Gaza elected the terrorist party, Hamas, to head their government. Recently, Hamas kidnapped an Israeli soldier and began firing missiles into a community in the south of Israel. The peace promised in return for the Israeli pullout never occurred, and the former leader of Israel lies in limbo, with no knowledge of the crisis to the north in Lebanon and the deep south in Gaza.
It is interesting to note the timing of recent events and Israel’s response to the world’s opinion. The 9th of Av falls on August 4th this year. The three weeks leading up to the 9th of Av is known as Bain Ha Mitzraim, meaning “Between the Straights.” The Hebrew people seldom make any major decision during these three weeks, since history reveals that decisions made during this time in previous history, they turned out to be bad ones!
When the war in Lebanon broke out, I told someone that Israel would ignore the opinions of the United States and Europe until AFTER the 9th of Av. In the minds of religious people and those knowledgeable of Jewish history, the fact that Hezbollah struck Israel from the north several weeks prior to the 9th of Av was an indication that correct decisions must be made in order to ensure the right outcome.
The Jewish calendar has different names and time-frames than our English calendar.
Our Calendar The Jewish Calendar
Janurary Tevet
February Shvat
March Adar I
March Adar II
April Nisan
May Iyar
June Sivan
July Tamuz
August Av
September Elul
October Tishrei
November Cheshvan
December Kislev *
* A 13th month is added every 4 years (keep the feast in line with the moon cycles).
The month of Av continues for 29 days; then the month of Elul will begin. Elul 1 begins the season of Teshuvah. This season will be a time of reflection and repentance, seeking God to favor His people with heavenly decisions during the next 12 months.
Every believer should “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6), and ask the Lord to bring a good decision for His people in the coming year. We know we are living in prophetic times and certain events are pre-ordained by the Lord to unfold in order to fulfill His purpose in the earth. However, there are events changeable by prayer; and we should pray for peace, as instructed in God’s Word.
During the month of August last year, I was conducting a regional conference in Huntington, West Virginia. One afternoon I turned on the television to check out the news, only to see Jewish settlers who live in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip, preparing to stand against their own military forces. The Israeli military had been instructed by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to remove about 9,000 Jewish people from their homes.
In an attempt to make peace with the Palestinians in Gaza, Sharon had agreed to remove the settlers and dismantle their homes. As I watched Jewish settlers scream, cry and even curse the prime minister, I was suddenly aware of what day it was on the Hebrew calendar—the 9th of Av! This day—the 9th of Av—is recognized by Jews throughout the world as the worst day in their history. In fact, if something bad occurred to the Hebrew people and the Jewish nation, it will usually happened in or around the 9th of Av. According to Jewish history and tradition:
The 12 spies returned with an evil report on the 9th of Av.
The Exodus generation was condemned to die on the 9th of Av.
Nebuchadnezzar set fire to the first Temple on the 9th of Av.
The Romans destroyed the second Temple on the 9th of Av.
The Romans plowed up the Temple Mount to convert Jerusalem into a Roman colony on the 9th of Av.
The Last Jewish revolt, Bar Kokba, was squelched on the 9th of Av.
King Edward I expelled the Jews from England in A.D.1290, on the 9th of Av.
In 1891, Turkey banned the immigration of Russian Jews on the 9th of Av.
In 1941, the decree to expel Jews from parts of Hungary was issued on the 9th of Av.
Last year, in August, 2005, the Jewish families living in the Gaza area were forced from their homes and placed on buses. They were resettled to other parts of Israel, beginning on the 9th of Av. Several rabbis believed Mr. Sharon would encounter a terrible judgment, resulting from his decision to remove the people from their ancient homeland. The settlers were removed, their homes were demolished and their hopes to settle in the land of the ancient and Biblical prophets were shattered.
Twelve months have passed. Today Ariel Sharon is in a coma and has deteriorated in the past several weeks. The Palestinians in Gaza elected the terrorist party, Hamas, to head their government. Recently, Hamas kidnapped an Israeli soldier and began firing missiles into a community in the south of Israel. The peace promised in return for the Israeli pullout never occurred, and the former leader of Israel lies in limbo, with no knowledge of the crisis to the north in Lebanon and the deep south in Gaza.
It is interesting to note the timing of recent events and Israel’s response to the world’s opinion. The 9th of Av falls on August 4th this year. The three weeks leading up to the 9th of Av is known as Bain Ha Mitzraim, meaning “Between the Straights.” The Hebrew people seldom make any major decision during these three weeks, since history reveals that decisions made during this time in previous history, they turned out to be bad ones!
When the war in Lebanon broke out, I told someone that Israel would ignore the opinions of the United States and Europe until AFTER the 9th of Av. In the minds of religious people and those knowledgeable of Jewish history, the fact that Hezbollah struck Israel from the north several weeks prior to the 9th of Av was an indication that correct decisions must be made in order to ensure the right outcome.
The Jewish calendar has different names and time-frames than our English calendar.
Our Calendar The Jewish Calendar
Janurary Tevet
February Shvat
March Adar I
March Adar II
April Nisan
May Iyar
June Sivan
July Tamuz
August Av
September Elul
October Tishrei
November Cheshvan
December Kislev *
* A 13th month is added every 4 years (keep the feast in line with the moon cycles).
The month of Av continues for 29 days; then the month of Elul will begin. Elul 1 begins the season of Teshuvah. This season will be a time of reflection and repentance, seeking God to favor His people with heavenly decisions during the next 12 months.
Every believer should “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6), and ask the Lord to bring a good decision for His people in the coming year. We know we are living in prophetic times and certain events are pre-ordained by the Lord to unfold in order to fulfill His purpose in the earth. However, there are events changeable by prayer; and we should pray for peace, as instructed in God’s Word.