As you may have noticed , God does promise that this day , as well as the other three fast days , would one day be turned into joy . Well , when is that ? Tradition tells us that is when the Messiah comes ! Within the Messianic community one could argue to fast or celebrate . Each community will have to make that decision for themselves . One should keep in mind however of another tradition which states that on the darkest day — Tisha B ’ Av — the light of the world , the Messiah , would be born ( Midrash Eicha Rabbah 1:51 ). Whether this is true or not , the desire for redemption is obvious . On a day which seems cursed , who is the one who will break this curse ? On a day of such calamity , who will redeem us ? On a day of defeat , who will be our victorious judge ?
Many within the Jewish community continue to observe this day with practices similar to Yom Kippur : complete fasting , no bathing , no leather shoes , no marital relations , and special penitential prayers are recited . People read the book of Lamentations , the book written by the prophet Jeremiah , who foretold the coming destruction of Solomon ’ s temple . Some even visit the tomb of Rachel , the wife of our father , Jacob , as Jeremiah also envisioned her weeping for the destruction and exile of her children . ( see : Jeremiah 31:14 )
Whether your community fasts or not , it would behoove the Messianic community as a whole to pray and intercede for our people who have suffered much on this day . Yeshua ’ s desire is to gather Jerusalem like a hen gathers her chicks . We ought to beseech our Father in heaven to grant Yeshua this desire . We also ought to pray that our people would see the One who is greater than the Temple . Indeed , this is a dark day , but let us let the light of the world shine in the darkness , for the darkness cannot overpower it !
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