Sabbath 25/11/36/120                                                                                                   

Dear Friends,

Today we will look at a text in the Bible that causes some people some concern as to what Judah was and is doing and whether the church will or should be doing that same thing.

The text is found at Zechariah 8:19 which states...
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, - the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the
seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness and cheerful feasts, therefore love the truth and peace.

Where and how is it applicable? Is the seventh month fast the Day of Atonement?

The answer as usual is that the Bible explains itself and these fasts will be removed and turned into joy and gladness as we are told here in Zechariah.  Where do we find them?

The fast of the Fourth Month was the 9th Tammuz (Jer. 52: 6,7). This was the day when the city was broken up and is often called the Fourth fast rather than the Fast of the Fourth Month. There were fasts before this in the Sacred Calendar.  The First fast was on 7 Abib for the Sanctification of the Simple and Erroneous. It is taken for granted that there would be two other fasts over the period in the build up to the first and second Passovers. Although like these fasts there is no compulsion in the Bible texts.

The Fast of the Fifth Month was the 10th of Ab when the Temple and the Houses were burnt (Jer. 52: 12-13).  This was always a day of sorrow in Judah.  It will be also turned into gladness and rejoicing.

The Fast of the Seventh month was the 3rd of Tishri when Gedaliah was slain by Ishmael the son of Nethaniah (Jer. 40:8; 41:1-3; 15-18).  Thus this fast is seven days before Atonement and two days after Trumpets.  It will also be removed.

The Fast of the Tenth Month of Tebeth was when the King of Babylon set his face against Jerusalem (Ezek. 24:1-2; see also The Talmud Rosh Hashanah fol. 18a).  Rosh Hashanah is a Babylonian feast on the Babylonian New Year of the Seventh Month using their intercalations and will be stamped out also with the Messiah.

These are fasts appointed by man and they will turned into occasions of feasting and joy through the love of the Truth and the faith.
 
Do not be taken in by these past punishments inflicted on Judah. They have nothing to do with us.

Wade Cox
Coordinator General.