The somber occasion of Tisha b’Av (“9th day of the month of Av”) takes place this Saturday-Sunday, August 2-3. Tisha b’Av brings to a close the annual three week period of Bein HaMetzarim (“Between the Straits”). It commemorates historical calamities that recurrently befell the Jewish people on the 9th day of the month of Av, with the destruction of Israel’s First and Second Temples being the most notorious. 1/
Background
With so many tragedies taking place in Jewish history on day 9 of the fifth month of the year (see list below), can we realistically view those events as mere happenstance? Or is some supernatural pattern of time at work?
According to the Talmud, it was on the 9th of Av that ten of the twelve spies sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land returned and claimed the land was unconquerable. Lacking faith in God’s word, our ancestors rebelled against Moses and YHVH Himself. As a result, God determined that Av 9 would remain a day of Jewish mourning through history (Talmud, Ta’anit 4:6, 29a). In 2025, Tisha b’Av is still commemorated with sorrow, fasting, reading the book of Lamentations—and revisiting hopes for rebuilding the Temple.
The Talmud, along with other rabbinic writings, teaches the Second Temple was destroyed due to the pervasive existence of sinat chinam (“baseless hatred”). Besides cruel, interpersonal animosity among the Jewish people, there was heinous factionalism and viperous social discord within Israel. (More on the Talmud, and some cautions concerning it, a bit later in this article.)
In recent years, more than a few Israeli commentators, leaders and rabbis have cautioned about the dangers of sinat chinam among us once again. Beginning with angry demonstrations in 2020 to protest covid-19 policies, anti-government protests by Israelis have metastasized into a vitriolic and furiously hate-filled, anti-Netanyahu movement peppered with street fights and assassination threats. Evidence has shown the movement is funded and fueled in large part by globalist, marxist and woke-like interests outside of Israel.
Sadly, these same interests have influenced much of Israel’s mainstream and legacy media, including those in English. Formerly honest and trustworthy, conservative English platforms based in Israel have shifted to the left. So, much of what the world now reads from Israel is not necessarily accurate or truthful.
There’s still more about Tisha b’Av and sinat chinam that neither the rabbis nor Israeli media express.
The Talmud is correct in concluding that baseless hatred of Jews by Jews brought about the Second Temple’s destruction on Tisha b’Av. However, the Talmud is NOT correct in NOT stating that the specific baseless hatred was that of Jewish leaders against Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). Yeshua explains:
“As He [Yeshua] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you’.” (Luke 19:41-44)
Bear in mind the Talmud was compiled by rabbis who rejected the messiahship of Yeshua. Though sometimes insightful, it is not the inspired Word of God. For example, in historical reality, it may or may not have been precisely on the 9th of Av that the Israelites shrank back from entering the Promised Land. According to Scripture, the date is approximate, not certain and fixed.
Therefore, as a side point, Christians who embrace the Jewish roots of New Covenant faith should regard Talmudic teachings and traditions with a hefty dose of spiritual discernment. Talmudic and other rabbinic writings contain some wisdom and some truths — along with some mistruths, distortions and anti-Messiah perspectives.
In the case of Tisha b’Av, Zechariah 8:19 prophesies that God will redeem and transform this notorious day, described as “the fast of the fifth month,” into one of feasting and joy. The transformation will climax gloriously when Yeshua returns.
Meanwhile, is there a deeper meaning or call of Tisha b’Av for believers in 2025?
The Twofold, Deeper Call of Tisha b’Av for Believers
As two watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, we perceive a twofold call of the Spirit concerning Tisha b’Av. The first call is to prayer and Moses is our example.
Whether or not it was precisely on Tisha b’Av that our forebears grieved the Lord by lack of faith to enter the Promised Land, in response to their rebellion, He declared forthrightly to Moses, “I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” (Numbers 14:12)
Moses, however, fell on his face. He petitioned in bold humility: “If You put these people to death all at once, the nations who have heard this report about You will say, ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land He promised them on oath, so He slaughtered them in the desert… In accordance with Your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as You have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now’.” (Numbers 14:16,19)
The fervent intercession of one righteous man spared the nation.
Perhaps it has been the fervent intercession of a righteous remnant of God’s people, affirming and agreeing with His heart and promises to Israel, that has sustained the Jewish people through the millennia. YHVH’s sovereign covenant with the sons and daughters of Jacob is unconditional. But that does not mean He does not require — and therefore ensure — that a remnant agrees for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Those willing to engage with the passions of God’s covenant love for the children of Israel are uniquely cherished by Him. If you are among them in this era of escalating, raging anti-Semitism, be blessed by His face shining brightly upon you. Be refreshed by the light of His countenance and nearness of His presence. Please do not grow weary in doing well by His grace.
In 2025, as global and regional tensions swirl around Israel, God is looking for more of His ekklesia willing to stand in the gap for His Jewish people. He searches for Christians willing to identify with the desires of His heart for Israel expressed in His immutable Word.
Therefore, the second of Tisha b’Av’s call to us today is related to the first: standing firm in truth.
Israel is navigating a complex landscape of geopolitical, social, and security challenges that portentously echo the “narrow straits” of Bein HaMetzarim. High ranking officials have recently announced that further military operations may be necessary in the very near future to successfully contain Iran’s revamping of its nuclear program. Achievements in the 12 Day War were miraculous, for which we are thankful and praise the Lord. But the Iranian threat is far from eliminated, having been set back for a couple of years, at most.
To war weary Israelis, ongoing security concerns mirror some of the existential dangers faced during the sieges of Jerusalem millennia ago. Daily there are threats from Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis and others. Aside from ongoing terror, disingenuous lawfare against Israel in international venues is at an all-time high. Global insistence is increasing for the establishment and recognition of a Palestinian state. Daily, outrageous lies about Israeli actions in Gaza flood the media and policy forums of every nation.
Similar to how Nazi propaganda of the last century convinced whole populations that Jews were innately evil and posed a threat to the rest of humankind, today’s propaganda media has convinced much of the world of the same. Fake news and false, re-constructed facts about Israeli colonialism, oppression, genocide, induced famine, and much more, have replaced truth and reason. As a result, nations will not or cannot contain anti-Israelism/anti-Semitism.
The United States has long served as Israel’s most trusted ally (which is not to say the US has always been trustworthy). Yet, recent surveys indicate that a quarter of Americans now harbor classic anti-Semitic views. Even more Americans say they would find it acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas. 2/ If or when the US withdraws its general support of Israel, an attempted global genocide of Jews would seem inevitable. God guarantees such an attempt would fail. He does not, however, guarantee that millions of Jews would not, once again, be slaughtered—while most Christians do nothing to stop it.
Despite what you may hear about Israelis being remarkably resilient, there is widespread discouragement, hopelessness, trauma, and mounting suicide among soldiers and civilians. To be sure, some are turning to God, or traditional Judaism, or a mixture of both, An increasing trickle is open to Yeshua. The majority, however, are not yet seeking God’s face. That remains a work in progress by the Spirit.
Friends, this Tisha b’Av, we are at a crossroads. If the present trajectory continues, Israel could soon find itself desperate for any leader seemingly capable of instituting peace. The New Covenant describes a man of false peace under such circumstances as a consummate, end times anti-Christ. Perhaps we are closer to the time of his usurpious rule than we thought.
Could, however, another scenario prove possible?
Personally, we hope and pray for a grace period of genuine peace in the Middle East lasting at least several years. Here’s why.
I (Sandra) believe the time for Hamas to be forcibly evicted from Gaza has come, with Israel undertaking some form of annexation of that territory. As we’ve previously written, God allotted Gaza to the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:47. Zechariah 9:5-7 prophesies that foreign-occupied Gazans will lose their false king and become leaders in Judah. Perhaps the time is at hand.
Hypothetically, if, at God’s direction, Israel were to decide to annex Gaza, perhaps even at this season of Tisha b’Av, could He possibly begin to “redeem” the failure of our forebears millennia ago to enter the Promised Land?
Admittedly, I speculate. Such a course of events would be miraculous. But as the adage goes, “In Israel, to be a realist you have to believe in miracles.”
Speculating further, if God is directing Israel to annex Gaza in some manner, could He not grant us favor in doing so? Could He not limit the global outcry and pushback against such a move?
Perhaps then, with the war in Gaza over, more nations in the region might choose to align with the Jewish state, despite stronghold foundations of jihadist Islam. Perhaps the Iranian regime will topple. We have written about and prayed for such possibilities for many years.
Would not such a scenario reflect the character and heart of God for peace, justice and freedom for the sake of the Gospel in the Middle East?
Prayer could make the difference.
God is sovereign and does as He pleases. At the same time, He gives us the gift of free will. He allows history to play out in accordance with choices we freely make. We must remember that perhaps the most important way we can exercise free will is through prayer.
Scripture provides us with a broad strokes outline of end times events. Some believers say those events can be predicted to the day, based on elaborate mathematical calculations. Certainly, we are to discern and understand the times and seasons God has set. Ultimately, however, we want to focus on His character and nature, as did our forebears. To do otherwise is to take a rather fatalistic approach to our relationship with Him.
In intercession for Israel, recall that Moses “rested his case” on the character and nature of God.
“May the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as You have declared: ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished’… In accordance with Your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as You have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” (Numbers 14: 17-19)
Moses’s petition moved God’s heart and the course of history was changed.
“The Lord replied, ‘I have forgiven them as you asked’.” (verse 20)
To be sure, the Exodus generation suffered serious consequences for their unbelief. They were not allowed to enter the Promise Land. But they were forgiven. The nation was given a re-do.
God’s character is the same yesterday, today and forever.
This Tisha b’Av, we stand at a crossroads. The future not only of Israel and the Middle East is at stake, but of all biblically based civilizations. And so we appeal in faith to Father God’s heart of holy love, mercy and grace.
Endnotes
- Israel’s Holy Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC on Av 9. Not by mere happenstance, Israel’s Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans 516 years later in 70 AD, on the exact same day, in the exact same manner Yeshua foretold. Other tragic events befalling the Jews on Tisha b’Av include: the complete conquest of Israel by the Romans in 135; plowing over the Temple Mount by the Romans in 136; issuance of an edict by King Edward I expelling Jews from England in 1290; final expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492; start of the First Crusade that slaughtered whole Jewish communities in Europe and the Middle East in 1096; outbreak of World War I; approval to implement the Nazi “final solution” as systematic genocide of European Jews in 1941; deportation of Jews began from Poland for mass extermination in 1942; and the official scheduling of Israel’s relinquishment of Gaza to the Palestinian people in 2005 (eventually rescheduled for Av 10 to avoid association with Tisha b’Av). Lastly, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, some surmise that the Nova Festival of October 7, 2023 may have been scheduled on Av 9.
- “Poll finds nearly 1 in 4 Americans hold antisemitic views; highest in 60 years,” The Times of Israel, February 20, 2024; “Status Report: Antisemitism in America After Boulder,” Anti-Defamation League, July 11, 2025.