Today, Saturday August 10th, beginning at sundown in Israel, is Tisha B’Av (9th of Av), the annual day of mourning in the Jewish calendar. Remember the Jewish calendar days start at sundown and goes to the next day at sundown, unlike our day which goes midnight to midnight. Every year I highlight this Day of Mourning for the Jewish people to remind us it was on this exact date in their calendar year (currently 5779, which they believe started with Adam and Eve and the Creation) that some of the most horrific events throughout Jewish history have occurred. Incredibly it was on the 9th of Av when BOTH of their 2 Holy Temples were totally destroyed IN ONE DAY, the first by the Babylonians in 586 BC and the second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. After both Temple destruction the Jewish people were enslaved by the Babylonians and later dispersed around the world by the Romans. In both examples, the Jews were taken out of their God Promised Land of Israel AFTER their Temples were destroyed. Throughout the rest of their history many more horrific events occurred, always ON THE 9TH OF AV. Coincidence? They were expelled from Israel (136 AD); from England (1290 AD); from France (1306 AD); and, from Spain (1492 AD). In 1941 AD Heinrich Himmler received approval from Hitler to eradicate the Jews in Europe with what became known as the Final Solution and which resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews, estimated to be one third of all Jews in the world! There are so many more examples that I encourage you to read my post 2018 UPDATE : The 9th of AV – History or Prophecy? It is obvious to me this date has implications and is symbolic of God’s attempt to get the Jews to return and believe in His Promises to them. By the way, this subject is my most widely read articles and if you Google “9th of Av prophecy” my post from Comfort One Another is the number 1 result listed

So, what significance does this date have for Jews and Christians alike? For Jews, it is their day of mourning for all the things which they have endured over their entire history. It requires them to fast for 25 hours in mourning. For Christians, very few know or have ever heard of the 9th of Av or its significance potentially in Bible prophecy. While I adamantly do not believe any of us know the exact date for fulfillment of most Bible prophecies, the 9th of Av resonates as a day on which we may sometime look backward in the future and say to ourselves, “Why didn’t I see that coming? It makes total sense that event happened on that date.”

Let me give you an example. Bible prophecy tells us the Third Holy Jewish Temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as part of the Peace Covenant between the anti-christ and the Jews. The Jews will then be able to renew animal sacrifices to God in their Holy Temple, a requirement of the Jewish faith. But, the anti-christ will break his peace covenant after 3 1/2 years. How do we know this?

“And he (the anti-christ) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years): and in the midst of the week (after 3 1/2 years) he shall cause the sacrifice (of animals) and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it (the 3rd Temple) desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

Daniel 9:27

This event, referred to in Bible prophecy, as the Abomination of Desolation (for more info read What is the Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Prophecy?) and this total desecration of their Holy Temple by the anti-christ, as well as causing the “…sacrifice and oblation to cease“, will be every bit as horrific event as the destruction of their first and second Holy Temples. The fact the first two were both destroyed on the 9th of Av would not surprise me if the anti-christ were to walk into the then rebuilt Holy Temple, desecrate it and cause the end of the Jewish rituals ON THE 9TH OF AV! And, like the two previous Temple destruction, after the Abomination of Desolation the Bible is very clear the Jews have been warned to immediately leave Israel!

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea (the West Bank) flee into the mountains.”

Matthew 24:15-16

Jesus warned all to immediately leave Judea when they saw the Abomination of Desolation occur. Why? Because Satan’s anger is about to be unleashed on the Jews and the whole world for 3 1/2 years, 42 months or 1,260 days (aka the Great Tribulation) and his focus will be on the Jews of Israel. In fact, Jesus tells them to NOT even stop to get anything but to depart immediately! Satan is attempting to thwart the Will and Promises of God! That is why I believe there is a high probability the Abomination of Desolation could very well occur on a future 9th of Av. Of course, we do not know when it will occur other than it will happen 3 1/2 years AFTER the Peace Covenant is signed. But…

As A Christian who prays for the safety and security of the Jewish people in Israel I obviously would not wish anything bad to happen to them on any day. But if yet another tragedy were to happen on their 9th of Av, I would sincerely hope and pray Jews and Christians alike would recognize the significance and prophetic implications of it and understand Jesus’s soon Second Coming is closer than you may think. With that said, since the Peace Covenant has not yet been signed, the Abomination of Desolation obviously WILL NOT occur today, especially since the Temple has not yet even  been rebuilt. But, if you believe God does work in miraculous and mysterious ways, I would ask you especially keep an eye out for future events on the 9th of Av. By using the Hebrew Calendar Converter you can determine what day the 9th of Av falls on the Gregorian calendar (the calendar most of us use) on any specific future year. Or, I can tell you below what day the 9th of Av falls on over the next 5 years:

•  2019 – August 10th
•  2020 – July 30th
•  2021 – July 18th
•  2022 – August 6th
•  2023 – July 27th

With the incredible rise in Antisemitism around the world (including the U.S.); with the United Nations condemning Israel for more human rights violations than EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD COMBINED; with Democratic members of the U.S. Congress repeatedly making anti-Jewish statements; with the BDS movement in full swing to hurt the economy of Israel; and with repeated threats by Iran, Turkey, the PLO, Hamas, Hezbollah, and many others calling for the total massacre of all Jews, I pray you join me in asking God to protect His Chosen people against any and all adversity. Knowing what the Bible says regarding the Jews place on earth and as part of Jesus’s Millennial reign on earth, I am comforted knowing no man, country or religion, not even Satan, can destroy God’s Ultimate Plan for the Jews. Please pray for them and make sure you “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” This includes your Jewish friends. Please share this message with them so they know besides God, Christians are praying for their safety!

May God Bless you AND the Jews!