The seasons of Fasting
Greetings to all in
the name of Adonai. God is good all the
seasons Amen!! In this article I have elucidate about the seasons of Fasting. It’s
based on Zec 8:19. I hope this will help you to know the interesting facts behind
the traditional fasting of Jews. We are also going to see how the prophecy of
Zechariah was fulfilled in the New Testament. Let’s get in to article!!!
Zec 8:19, “This is what the LORD Almighty Says: The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love true and peace”
Zechariah
Before mediating this word, let’s look at something about Prophet
Zechariah. The Hebrew name for Zechariah is Zekar-Yah, it means ‘Yahweh Is
Remembered’. Zechariah, like Haggai and Malachi, was a prophet of the Persian
period. He prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile around 520BC,
when the Persian Empire was ruling the world. Each of these prophets encouraged
the Jews o continue the work of God and rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. The
prophet Zechariah begins his message reminding the Jews that the captivity had
been a result of their own disobedience, and God rebuked their fathers as well.
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed his plan for the
history and future of the world, showing that he is ultimately in control and
he will fulfil the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham. The
city of Jerusalem is seen as a city so wonderful and prosperous that it needed
to be enlarged in order to contain all the people (Zec 2). In the visions of
Joshua the high priest Zechariah saw him in filthy rags, which was no doubt the
nation of Israel repenting and receiving their messiah and being cleansed of their
Sins ( Zec 3) Other visions reveal the coming judgement of God and his victory
over Sin, and everything is about the Messiah and His coming. Zechariah
prophesied about the nations that oppressed Israel, there be a time of
destruction and later they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. The
prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets, except
the prophet Isaiah.
Chapter 8:
The chapter 8 is said to be as “The
promised blessings for Jerusalem”. God forgave their Sins and blessed them. Especially
this chapter records the fasting seasons of the Jews. Verse 19 Says,
‘This is What the LORD Almighty Says: The fasts of the fourth, fifth,
seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy
festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.
Usually a full day fast begins with
sunset in the evening and continues through darkness of the next day. A minor
fast day begins with the dawn and concludes at darkness. Personal fasts are
undertaken as a penance for sin. The Jewish bride and groom fast on their
wedding day in order to begin their marriage in a state of purity. And they
would often fasts on the anniversary of the death of their family members or
their teachers. Like this the Jews followed the fasts of the fourth, fifth,
seventh and tenth months.
The fast of the10th Month Tevet
The fast of the tenth month refers to
the fasts of the tenth on Tevet, the tenth month of the Jewish Year, which
memorialize the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem 2430 years ago.
The siege was the first stage of the war that ended with the destruction of the
first temple. The first of the tenth month, the tenth of Tevet, culminates and
include all the fast days that fall in the future, with the coming of the Messiah,
all of the days from the beginning until the tenth day of the month will become
one great festivals of Joy.
The fast of the 4th
Month 17th Tammuz
(June-July)
This fast begins 4:05Am End 9:05Pm.
The period of mourning known as the three weeks begins with the 17th
of Tammuz. 5 tragedies occurred on this day,
· The first set of tablets was shattered by Moses.
· The breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC II kings 25:1.
· The daily offering, was stopped.
· Apostumus burned the Torah during the Roman occupation in the era of the second temple.
· He erected an idol in the sanctuary.
The reasons for the
fast:
To awaken them not do to again. These things are to examine their
actions and to repent the evil ones. This should be done in three areas; (a)
Reconciliation with God. (b) Reconciliation with their friends (c) Exploring
ourselves.
These fasting days will be observed
for up to 21 days.
The fast of the 5th Month AV (July – Aug)
Tisha
B’Av which literally means the ninth day of the Hebrew month of AV is a 24-25
hour period of fasting in remembrance of the destruction of the first and
second temples in Jerusalem.
1) The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 585BC.
2) The second temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD.
In the democratic Jewish state of
Israel, It is a national day of mourning. At the beginning of the observance,
which begins at sunset on the prior evening, sirens are heard across on the
land. Restaurants, bars and discos by law are shut. Even in Tel Aviv, the only
establishment where one can Arab quarters. On this day normally orthodox Jews
sit on the floor, read Lamentations and fast. And of the end of the fast,
Orthodox women return from synagogue and start cleaning their homes diligently,
polishing it even painting the walls afresh.
Do you
know why?
Because in the face of destruction the nation is always looking for some
hope. And the women hope for the Coming of the Messiah. They clean their homes
in preparation for Him. There is even a Talmudic tradition on that speaks about
the Messiah being born on that day.
The fast of the 7th Month Tishrei Fast of Gedaliah (Sep-Oct)
The fast Gedaliah
is an annual fast day instituted by the Jewish sages to commemorate the
assassination of Gedaliah son of Achikam, the Governor of Israel during the
days of Nebuchadnetzar King of Babylonia Jer 41:1-3. After the Babylonians laid
waste to Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, they appointed Gedaliah as governor
over the small Jewish population that remained in Israel and had not been taken
captive into Babylon. The appointment of Gedaliah encouraged many Jews who had
fled to the surrounding lands of Ammon, Edom and Moab to return to the
returning Israelities joined those who remained in the land and under the
righteous leadership of Gedaliah began to successfully rebuild the ruins of
Jerusalem and the rest of land of Israel. But Gedaliah’s efforts were not
appreciated by everyone. Gedaliah’s was informed that a fellow Jewish man by
the name of Ishmael son of Nethaniah sought to take Gedaliah’s life. Ishmael
was jealous of Gedaliah’s successes and wanted the position for him. Gedaliah’s
men sought to take Ishmael’s life but Gedaliah rebuked them because he himself
did not believe the reports that Ishmael wanted to assassinate him, so Jewish
observed this fast of seventh month to remember Gedaliah’s dead.
Why did
the prophets and subsequently the sages set a fast on this date?
After all, the Temple was the heart of the ancient Jewish kingdom and
the heart was not destroyed until Tishah B’Av some 20 months later. The tenth
of Tevet marks an event unto itself, which is related to yet at the same time
independent of the final destruction of the Temple. To use a metaphor we can
say that the temple, as it was destroyed 20 months later was like a bird killed
same time after its wings had already been clipped. Though the temple was still
standing after the tenth of Tevet and the holy service continued, it was no
longer a Temple that was capable of serving some of the most imporatnat goals
for which it had been built in the first place. Its left wing was clpped on the
tenth of Tevet, with the beginning of the siege on Jerusalem; its right wing
was clipped on the seventeenth of Tamuz, when the enemy broke through the
fortifications and entered the Holy city. In Kabbalah ( Its nothing but the
ancient Jewish tradition of Mystical
interpretation of the Bible) the left wing symbolizes awe of God, and thus the
Temple’s ability to serve as the focus of the universal human covenant with God
, while the right wing symbolizes love of God, and thus the Temple’s role as
the focus of the Jewish people’s covenanat with God as His chosen, beloved
people(whose union with God is likened to the union of bride and groom, as
portayed in the song of songs). After all these destruction they lost their
relationship with God. The Jews expect the Messiah to reconcile them with God.
They believe that this will happen at the time of the coming of the Messiah and
the rebuilding of the temple. At that time they believe that all their
traditional fasting will become a feast. This is not only their hope but also
it’s a prophecy of Zechariah. Zec 8:19 – This prophecy fulfilled in the New
Testament period. Let’s see how it was accomplished.
1. The
compromiser has arrived:
The Epistles to Colossians chapter 1:19-21
Says Jesus as reconciler, a compromiser.
Verse 21 Says once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds
because of your evil behaviour.
19 For God was
pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
20 and through him to
reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in
heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were
alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your
evil behaviour.
Jews were once
alienated in Babylon because of their sins.
But Jesus came to reconcile us and God. Prophet Zechariah’s prophecy was
fulfilled at the birth of Christ Luke 2:10, 11.
10 But the angel said
to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great
joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town
of David a Savoir has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
The fast of
reconciliation is over. Now is the time to celebrate His relationship. Don’t
fast for reconciliation and forgiveness of your Sins. Jewish people who have
been fasting for more than 2500 years for reconciliation with God. Yes, some of
us do the same thing. But the truth is God forgave all our Sins on the cross.
So no more fast of mourning. He turned our fast of mourning into a feast of
celebration Amen!! Thank God and celebrate that your Sins are forgiven.
2. He
became as the New Covenant:
The Jewish people are fast and mourning to
remember the breaking of the old covenant. They are looking forward to the new
covenant. According to Zechariah 8:19 this was accomplished through Jews. Let’s
read Heb 8:8.
But God found fault
with the people and said: 'The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will
make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah
The days mentioned
here came through Jesus. Old covenant was broken by Moses in the Old Testament
t, but in the New Testament Jesus committed himself to establishing the new
covenant Luke 22:20.
In the same way,
after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you
He came to renew what was broken. Is your past
life was broken? Don’t worry God is going to renew your life. God has paid the
price for you to be rebuilt. So stop fasting and lamenting to be rebuilt and
start praising God for His victory. He is going to rebuild your business. He is
going to rebuild your life; your family; your financial status; your health
conditions Amen!! Do you know why I tell you not to fast for your past bitter
incident and for your future blessings? Let’s have a look in next session.
3. Breaker of Traditional fasting & Mourning:
Turn Bible to Matt
4:2
After
fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry
To have a look of
this verse let me tell you some interesting facts about the days of Traditional
fast. Deu 9:9 Says
When I went up on the mountain to receive
the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD had made with
you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and
drank no water.
Jesus broke the
traditional fast before coming to public service. Moses fasted 40 days to get
the Old Covenant. But it was violated. In the New Testament Jesus fasted 40days
to accomplish the prophecy of new covenant. He didn’t fast to get power of Holy
Spirit, or to purify before to get into ministry. He fasted for all our sufferings,
failures, Sins and gave us the result of fasting Amen!! Let me explain how
Jesus broke the traditional fast.
* The fast of the 10th month Tevet , observe for 9 days.
* The fast of 4th month 17th Tammuz observe for 21 days
* The fast of 5th month 9th AV observe for 9 days
* The fast of 7th month Tishrei observe for 1 day.
Zechariah’s prophecy was fulfilled through the
fasting of Jesus Zec 8:19 . The New Testament does not give fasting instead it
gives us celebration Amen!! God is saying right now all the fasting is over. I
am going to give you joyful and glad occasions. The New covenant is not about
fast and mourns. It’s about faith and celebration. You may have fasted for
40days or 21days to receive the blessings. You may have suppressed your body
because of fasting. No dear Sisters
& Brothers, Jesus was fasted for you and he suffered for you to make
you glad Isa 53:4 Says,
Surely
he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
If you would like to fast and spend
time with God that is different, I’m not telling about it. But observing fast
for your blessings is against the New Covenant. It’s foolishness. See Jewish
still observe traditional fasting without knowing the truth. To receive the
blessings of New Covenant you need faith not fasting. In Luk 5 Pharisees and
scribes asked Jesus why your disciples did not fast? (Here the Pharisees mentioned
about these 4 kinds of traditional fast) Jesus answered, "Can you
make the friends of the bridegroom
fast while he is with them?
Jesus
encouraged us not to fast, rather to be faith on Him and His words. Dear
Brothers/ Sisters keep praising Him for the victory He has won for you. Stick
to His word and enjoy his blessings. God bless you all. Thanks for reading. Shalom!!
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