Beth Elohenu Messianic Congregation
P.O. Box 335761
N. Las Vegas, NV 89033
Shalom. Our teaching this morning will be about the Jewish Holiday Tisha B’Av that came about from two events that happened 2,601 years ago and 1,945 years ago on the same day in Jerusalem.
Tonight from sundown to sundown tomorrow is the Jewish Holiday Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av in Hebrew means the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av.
Tisha B’Av is a day of mourning and fasting in Judaism in remembrance of the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Horrific disasters that took place 656 years apart. And the destruction of both Temples happened on the same day, Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av.
The first Temple that was built by Solomon in Jerusalem was burned and destroyed on Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av in 586 B.C.E. (B.C) by the Babylonians under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon is modern-day Iraq and Syria. One million Jewish people were killed along with the destruction of Solomon’s Temple. The wall of Jerusalem was torn down and the palaces were burned with fire. And the Jewish People were led away by Nebuchadnezzar into exile for seventy years. Daniel, the great Jewish Prophet was among the exiles.
But the Temple was rebuilt and restored by the Jewish exiles returning from Babylonian captivity 70 years after its destruction. And the newly rebuilt Temple was restored but with great opposition from the Arabs in neighboring countries and inside Israel.
But the Temple was completely restored and dedicated to The LORD in 516 B.C.E, (B.C.).
But more trouble came later. The Temple was looted and desecrated by the Syrian Antiochus Epiphames between 169 and 167 B.C.E. (B.C.) for the same reason The LORD caused the Solomon Temple to be destroyed 419 years earlier. Because of Jewish transgression against The LORD their GOD. Because of disobedience to His Torah, The Law Of Moses.
The Bible says, All The Officers of the Priests and The People committed many trespasses, following all the abominable practices of the nations, and polluted The House Of The Lord which He had Hallowed in Jerusalem. 2 CHRONICLES 36.14
But after a great Jewish victory over the Syrians with the mighty help of The LORD GOD Of ISRAEL, the Temple was rededicated to The LORD in 165 B.C.E.(B.C.) by Judah the Macabee. This is the event that brought about the eight day Jewish Holiday Hanukkah. Hanukkah in Hebrew means dedication.
Years later, King Herod rebuilt The Second Temple turning it into one of the most beautiful buildings in the Roman empire. Yes, Israel was under Roman rule for a time. Herod began the rebuilding in 19 B.C.E. (B.C.) and the Temple was completely restored in 64 C.E.(A.D). This is the Temple that The Messiah Yeshua walked in and taught the People.
But six years after the magnificent Temple was completely restored, following a four year battle, the Roman armies destroyed the Temple in 70 C.E . (AD).
The day of the destruction? Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av.
23,000 Jewish warriors fought against the mightiest army in the world, but could not prevail. And the Romans destroyed the Temple. They burned the Sanctuary and pulled down the Temple walls.
And the triumphal arch of Titus in Rome reveals carvings that show the Roman soldiers carrying away the furnishings of the Temple.
But before they burned and destroyed the Temple, the Roman soldiers brought their idols into the Sanctuary and offered sacrifices to their gods. And they killed every Jew they found.
When the flames finally died down, left standing was the retaining wall on the western side of the Temple mount. This is the western wall that still stands in Jerusalem where Jews over the centuries have gathered to pray.
The majority of the Jews in Israel were led away captive to the four corners of the earth, not to return until almost 2,000 years later from the Nazi death camps after World War 2.
The Romans had changed the name of the Jewish Homeland to Palestine in 135 C.E.(A.D.) The Jewish People correctly renamed their Country Israel when the U.N. declared that Israel was an independent state in 1948.
A declared independent state of Israel in 1948 is laughable since Israel has been the Jewish Homeland for more than 3,000 years. The Land given to the Jewish People by The GOD OF CREATION for an everlasting possession.
When The Second Temple was destroyed on Tisha B’Av in 70 C.E.(A.D.), that was the temporary end of the Priesthood, and the temporary end of the sacrifice. Most notably the animal sacrifice for atonement.
But GOD Himself, The GOD of Israel has made Himself The High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The GOD Of Israel is The Jewish Messiah Yeshua. And as a human being, Ha Shem, THE GOD OF ISRAEL made Himself our Sacrifice for Atonement some 37 years before the Romans destroyed the Second Temple on Tisha B’Av replacing the animal sacrifice. Ha Shem, GOD ALMIGHTY IS YESHUA THE MESSIAH. PSALM 110.4, GENESIS 14.18, ISAIAH 53.10, LEVITICUS 17.8-9, ISAIAH 9.5, Christian Bible ISAIAH 9.6, GENESIS 17.7-8
The Jewish Holiday Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of Av commemorates the destruction of both The First and Second Temples on that date in 586 B.C.E.(B.C.) and 70 C.E. (A.D.).
It is thought that the Jewish People were expelled from Spain on Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av in 1492.
The site of the Temple mount in Jerusalem has been occupied since 700 C.E.(A.D.) by the Muslim dome of the rock, also called the mosque of Omar.
Judaism observes Tisha B’Av by fasting and mourning. The Book of Lamentations is read in the Synagogues on Tisha B’Av. In some Sephardi Congregations, a black curtain is placed over the ark that contains The Torah(s). And in a number of Synagogues, the Congregants sit on the floor, or on low benches and read what is called Qinot, or sad poems by dim candle light as a sign of mourning. It is also customary to visit deceased relatives at the cemetery on Tisha B’Av. And all the places of entertainment in Israel are closed. Also, pilgrimages, or journeys are made to the western wall where the Temple stood.
And when the bridegroom stomps on the glass at a Jewish wedding, and everybody yells Mazel Tov, that is in commemoration of the destruction of the two Temples on Tisha B’Av.
But what most Jewish People don’t realize is that The First Temple was destroyed because of Jewish disobedience to The LORD their GOD, The Holy One of Israel. Disobedience to His Torah, The Law of Moses. Transgressing after all the abominations of the nations, The LORD GOD said.
And most probably The Second Temple was destroyed for the very same reason, Jewish disobedience to Torah. And the looting and desecration of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphames, the Syrian madman was brought about by Jewish disobedience to GOD.
Disobedience to GOD. That is to say, disobedience to His Laws that are written in The Law of Moses that are for both the Jewish People and Gentiles brings on troubles even curses. Persistent trespasses against The LORD THEIR GOD caused the LORD to bring Israel’s enemies against them to destroy the most sacred places in Israel, the two Temples, and the Land itself.
Troubles and curses for disobeying GOD, His Law of Moses is a promise of GOD.
But obedience to GOD and His Law of Moses brings on blessings. That also is a promise of GOD. 2 CHRONICLES 36.11-21, DANIEL 8.11-12, DEUTERONOMY 28.1-2, 15-68
The Bible says that because the people of the earth disobey GOD, The LORD will bring about the end of this world as we know it. He will destroy the earth and few will remain. Because they have transgressed The Law of Moses, changed GOD’S Ordinance and broken His Everlasting Covenant, The Word Of GOD. ISAIAH 24. 4-6
Tisha B’Av is an important lesson that we all should remember when the legion of Bible teachers in the church and in certain Messianic Congregations teach that the death of Christ on the cross eliminated The Law of Moses. Such a tragic lie.
Christ, that is The Messiah Yeshua is The Father (John 14.9, Isaiah 9.5 (6.) The Messiah is GOD ALMIGHTY Who gave His Laws to Moses Face to face for Israel and all mankind, never to change or end.
GOD chose the Jewish People to be His witnesses to reveal to the Jewish People and all nations what GOD requires of us. To obey every Word and every Law He speaks in The Bible. And to know and believe that there is only One GOD. And Yeshua The Messiah is that One GOD. The Bible from Genesis through Revelation is written by Jewish People that explains all we need to know about GOD.
The secret things belong to The LORD our GOD. But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we should do all the Words of this Law. Those Words are written in DEUTERONOMY 29.29.
Without the foundation of The Law of Moses that is written in the first five Books of The Bible, which is also the foundation of The Bible, without the foundation of The Law of Moses in our lives, salvation collapses. And we could experience our own Tisha B’Av. When The Law of Moses is not lived in our lives, Paul writes that person has believed in vain. 1 CORINTHIANS 15.1-2
(1 CORINTHIANS 15.1) The Gospel is The Word of GOD that contains The Law of Moses in the first five Books of The Bible. And The Word Of GOD speaks of The Gospel, The Good News of Yeshua The Messiah.
(1 CORINTHIANS 15.2) “By which you are saved IF you keep in memory that which I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain”. Yes, Paul was a Jewish man. He never converted to Christianity. He lived by the Law Of Moses and he taught and preached The Law of Moses to Jews and Gentiles wherever he went.
For example, ACTS 15.35-36 The Word of The LORD that Paul and Barnabas taught and preached included The Law of Moses.
ACTS 24.14 The Word believing in the Greek as in Paul believes all things that are written in The Law of Moses and The Prophets is PISTEUO meaning belief and obedience. Obedience to Torah, The Law of Moses.
As a point of information, the Greek word for NOT believing by NOT obeying The Law of Moses is APISTEUO. Believing, as in believing and obeying all things that are written in The Law and The Prophets is the Greek word PISTEUO. But Not believing and Not obeying is APISTEUO.
The point here is that believing in The Lord must include obedience to Torah, His Law Of Moses.
Look up both words in the Strongs Concordance. Numbers 4100 and 569 in the Greek.
ACTS 26.20 Paul taught Biblical repentance from the lips of GOD. Biblical repentance is turning from all your sins of breaking The Law of Moses that you have committed, and turning to GOD and keeping all His Statutes that are written in The Law of Moses. And GOD says, Do that which is lawful and right and you will surely live and not die. EZEKIEL 18.21, 1 JOHN 3.4, NUMBERS 5.5-6
ROMANS 1.18 Ungodliness and unrighteousness are Biblical words for disobedience to GOD and His Law of Moses. The ungodly and the unrighteous will receive GOD’S wrath, unless they repent. See above.
ROMANS 3.31 Paul teaches, Do we then make void The Law through faith? GOD forbid. Yea, we establish The Law.
GOD forbid, Paul teaches. Meaning we NEVER void The Law even through faith in Messiah Yeshua. Paul continues, yea, we establish The Law. Yea here means “just the opposite.” We don’t void the Law through faith in Messiah Yeshua. We establish The Law of Moses in our life.
ROMANS 6.4-6 Paul teaches that we should walk in newness of life. Our sins of breaking The Law of Moses have been forgiven in Messiah Yeshua. And walking in newness of life is walking in obedience to GOD and His Torah, His Law of Moses. Then we are in the likeness of The Messiah Yeshua. Our old man is crucified. We strive to live our life in obedience to GOD, not breaking His Law Of Moses. Not sinning. Like Messiah Yeshua.
And finally, King Solomon wrote The Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The Greek word for Ecclesiastes means, “The one of the assembly.” And in Ecclesiastes, Solomon reveals his studies of life and our labors during our lifetime. And he concludes that our labors are vanity of vanities. All is vanity, a pursuit of wind. In other words, the King says that just about every work in life is vanity, emptiness, futility, useless. It’s all air and breath. It’s transitory, not permanent, not eternal, and fleeting that fades away and vanishes, without substance. And that the works of life are a vexation of spirit, a pursuit of wind.
But Solomon sums up life this way. When all is said and done, Solomon writes, Fear GOD and keep His Commandments. Fear GOD and Obey His Law of Moses. For this is the whole duty of man.
That’s what is key in life over everything. Fear GOD and keep His Commandments, His Metsvote. In Hebrew, His Law of Moses. For that is the whole duty of man. ECCLESIASTES 1.1-3, 14, ECCLESIASTES 12.13
By the way, the Hebrew word ELOHIM is written in the Law of Moses thousands of times. WHEN SPEAKING OF THE GOD OF CREATION, ELOHIM IS GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE MESSIAH YESHUA. ISAIAH 9.5, Christian Bible Isaiah 9.6
That is why we teach with vigor here at Beth Elohenu Messianic Congregation, faith in Messiah Yeshua for Atonement, and obedience to Torah, His Law of Moses. That is the path to Salvation for everyone who believes correctly. To have right to the tree of life, and to enter in through the gates to Heaven to spend eternity in Paradise with The GOD OF CREATION, YESHUA THE MESSIAH
Shalom. Ira Weinstein, Congregational Leader
www.bethelohenu.org
bethelohenu@gmail.com