AUDREY DICKEY MINISTRIES
Glory International Center
"A Center for God's Presence"
This year the Ninth of Av (9th of Av) will take place on July 18, 2021 (Tisha B'Av) beginning on the eve of July 17th at sundown. We enter into Dire Straits three weeks prior, June 27, 2021 (Tammuz 17, 5781). It means between the narrow places and it requires choosing to believe by faith and receive the Grace of God to begin to go forth into the Promise you have from God or receive the opposite and miss it altogether. Continue reading for clarification.
Why are some Believers (whether Jew or Gentile) expecting to receive increase, blessings and multiplication of peace, joy, wisdom, finances and more as well as miracles during the 9th of Av? Why do we choose to believe it is a time of increase, blessings and multiplication and that it does not have to continue to be one of destruction as history has proven it to be the case for the Jewish people? We choose to receive the good report of God’s goodness, mercy and His original intent for this time and His glory!
We understand this is a month (between July and August on the Gregorian Calendar) that the curses, sent particularly in this time frame, can be broken off of a people, a person and a nation. God designated the month of Av to be a month to celebrate entering into your promise and God still desires Av be a month of blessings and celebration of His goodness. Therefore, Av is a month that presents us with a CHOICE.
We can choose to receive a curse or we can choose to break a curse. It is all about what you believe, expect and receive. In other words, you can use the faith that God gave you to break a curse, believe God’s Promise and then choose to enter God’s Blessing by His Grace! Remember, God can always deliver you, but you must choose to walk in that freedom once delivered!
As Believers (Jew or Gentile, those saved by the blood of Jesus/Yeshua) we believe that this is a time of multiplication and suddenlies that God’s prophets have announced and declared. Many of His people will experience His glory and manifestation of promises because we know who we are in Christ/Messiah and are a blessed people. We are not to receive or expect any destruction and decrease but instead resist it and expect blessings, clarity, instructions and direction during this season of opportunities, James 4:7. As in the book of Numbers 14:30, 36-38, the two spies who did not give nor receive an evil report did not receive the curse but went into the “Promise Land” at the appointed time.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven,” Ecc. 3:18. The Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of Av (the fifth month of the Hebraic calendar), is traditionally an annual day of fasting and repentance, and is often referred to as “the saddest day in Jewish history.” It was once said that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If people cannot remember history, they will repeat its terrors. We are all called to remember our history and understand its roots and to teach it to the next generation. We should remember the good that our forefathers who were sent by God did and build on the good they accomplished.
We should also remember when evil is used to interrupt God’s cycle to bring in terror especially to the chosen people and their nation as well as with those saved and the land of the free. Please note that repentance is a good place to start to not only break and destroy a curse but to also bring about restoration.
When we choose to repent, we acknowledge we fell short of the glory of God in a particular area. Whenever a people group is persecuted for whatever reason those that joined in or those that stood by and watched and did and said nothing, to those that would not even offer a prayer need to repent as well.
Repentance means to change your mind and it comes about once someone receives fresh revelation. Many times, one makes decisions based on the information and/or current revelation that may have been introduced to them by a wicked spirit using another person as a mouthpiece. Therefore, when God sends “Truth” through His vessels to impart new insight and revelation, now one has the opportunity and ability to change their mind and align it with their heavenly Father and the Kingdom of God; because they realize that true revelation can only come from God Himself. God’s revelations are His mysteries and secrets (His plans and will) in the knowledge of Him made known to man (Ephesians 1:17-19).
The 9th of Av was the day Israel chose to listen to the voice of unbelief when the spies returned from spying out the Promise Land that God had intended for them to celebrate entering into on this day (Read Numbers Chapters 13-14). Not mixing the promise with faith and choosing to come in agreement with unbelief caused a curse to be placed over this time frame, the 9th of Av and in that month either July or August, whichever month it fell in, it became a month of mourning and destruction instead of celebrating and receiving the promises of God. Because of the sin of unbelief which can include a religious spirit, they were not able to take the land which caused Israel to spend forty years in the wilderness. When one does not repent of past sins, it causes that door of destruction to remain open and Satan is free to bring the curse of that sin back around again.
When we are saved, we recognize that we are forgiven of past, present and future sins but we also recognize we still need to repent. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23). Therefore, the sin of unbelief is not beyond Christian and non-Christian people because all people have the same enemy, Satan, and have the possibility of entering into a curse because of a door that has been opened when they choose to sin and not repent.
But the good news is Yeshua/Jesus paid the price and conquered the wilderness test when He was led there by the Holy Spirit after He was baptized by John the Baptist (who represented the Spirit of Elijah). Jesus passed every test as He was tempted by Satan, (Luke 4:1-15; Mark 1:9-15; Matthew 3:13 - 4:17). As a result of His passing each test Hebrews 4:14-16 says “…Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].”
This is not 21st Century “feel good” doctrine but 1st Century “The Way” (Christianity) writings of the early or ancient assembly (church) and the Gospel which was comprised almost entirely of Jews. Jesus/Yeshua said “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it “overflows,” John 10:10). It is understandable and reasonable to remember others who were destroyed and suffered loss because of the curse that is in place but it is not alright to be prepared to live in a state of expectation that it will or should continue.
As Believers we have spiritual authority to use The Name that is above every name in order to reverse any curse when we operate in the will of God and believe that He has imparted that authority to us, (Luke 10:19, Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18 and Psalms 91:10-11).
In the meantime, those Jews who receive the Messiah as Lord and Savior and for all others grafted into the covenant of Abraham which is sealed by the blood of the Passover Lamb (Jesus the Messiah), (I Corinthians 5:7 AMP), still have a choice to receive the Blessing and destroy the curse related to the 9th of Av.
Therefore, let us decree and declare that the curse over this period of time is destroyed at the root and we release “The Blessing” as we celebrate receiving the Promises of God (our individual Promise Land) in the name of Jesus/Yeshua. In addition, the Believer can put on the whole full Armor of God for a hedge of protection daily, and walk in the authority we have as anointed vessels of God, (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Therefore, let us choose to believe that Av is a month to enter God’s blessings and the celebration of His goodness. We shall enter in with prayer, thanksgiving, worship and guarding our mouths and words in obedience to the Lord by not complaining, murmuring or vexing our angels who have been sent to assist us in moving forward.
This is a New Time, a New Season, a New Decade, and a New Church Age because we have entered into the last of the Last Days. This is not just another decade beginning but a New Era/Season of Restoration and New Beginnings for all those who believe, who are in their set place and are remaining in a state of worship to the One and True God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:4-6; Hebrews 11:8-12; Gal. 3:6-9)!
The Bible says in Mark 11:23-24 that if we do not doubt in our heart and believe what we say will happen, it will be done for us. Therefore, we are to be in a state of expectancy of miracles and suddenlies because our God has risen and He is alive! We are dead to sin but alive in Christ the Messiah. We realize that we will have what we say and have what we believe according to the will of God. We know, the Messiah, is able and willing to restore all by His love and majestic power. Unfortunately, nationally, most Jews have yet to recognize, Yeshua, therefore, many cannot see the hope that was born, died and resurrected several decades before the Romans destroyed the Second Temple.
It is time to forgive and receive. It is time to let go of the old and to receive the new.It is time to Love with an unconditional love for God and one another. It is time to represent in this earth the King of kings and Lord of lords as a people. He will return for those who are without spot or blemish, not perfect, but that are walking (living) in their full authority of His power and majesty.
It is time to have what He said we could have; to be what He said we could be; and do what He said we could do. IT IS TIME TO RECEIVE AND LIVE THE LIFE JESUS DIED TO GIVE US!
The three weeks that lead up to the 9th of Av includes the first nine days of the month of Av which are known as, “The Nine Days.” The 17th of Tammuz marks the beginning of this three-week period sometimes known as “the Dire Straits” or in Hebrew Bein haMetzarim – “between the narrow places.” During these three weeks, traditionally many Jewish people will mourn, read the Bible and remember the lives that were lost during this time over the past thousands of years of destruction and loss. The observant Jews follow mourning customs similar to the period following death (the shiva) or restrictions similar to those on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). An annual fast day (Tisha B’Av) in Judaism, named for the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av, usually lasts about 25 hours, beginning at sunset on the eve of Tisha B’Av and ending at nightfall the next day. Most secular Jews do not observe the day. The period ends on the 9th of Av when the First Temple was actually destroyed.
Traditionally, the 9th of Av is a time used to remember and mourn. And because of the destruction over the years many shall remember with fasting and mourning the loss of Jewish lives; the two Temples that were destroyed approximately 657 years apart but on the same biblical calendar date on the 9th of Av, one in 587 BC and the other in 70 AD. Also occurring on that very day, the 9th of Av were the expulsion of Jews from different countries: from England in 1290 AD, from Spain 1492 AD (the same year Christopher Columbus (an Italian Jew) arrived in America with a ship full of Jewish people) and the start of expulsion of the Jews from Gaza in 2005 AD, all happening in different years yet all occurring on the same day the 9th of Av. In addition, the final defeat of Jews by Rome in 135 AD; the First Crusade is launched which killed thousands of Jews in 1095 AD and they were deported from the Warsaw ghetto to the death camps on July 23, 1942 AD, again all on the 9th of Av.
Furthermore, many of the Israelite leaders repeated the sin of unbelief, this time in not recognizing the visitation of Yeshua/Jesus, the Anointed Messiah, Who came to impart Salvation to them first and then to the Gentiles, Romans 1:16. Because of the rejection of not receiving Him and their Salvation the curse continued on the 9th of Av. However, the Bible in Romans 11:25-26 declares that all Israel shall be saved (we take that to mean that when Israel as a nation can say that they believe in Yeshua as Messiah), the curse shall be broken. Therefore, all those who NOW believe in Messiah, Jew or Gentile, should no longer have to fear the 9th of Av.
The Lord has already begun to gather His people as prophesied because they are chosen and belong to Him. No group and no religion can or did ever replace the Jewish people. Several prophecies have already come to pass regarding what God said would happen with the Jewish people and some of them are: (1) They will re-gather to their homeland, this began in the 1890’s; (2) The re-establishment of their State happened on May 14, 1948; (3) The reclamation of their land once again would become like the Garden of Eden; (4) The revival of their Hebrew language which was the first language given by God; (5) The re-occupation of the City of Jerusalem occurred June 7, 1967 when they won the Six Day War; (6) The resurgence of their military strength IDF (Israel Defense Force) even though one of the smallest in the world it is yet one of the strongest military powers and (7) The re-focusing of world politics upon them. What God has declared He is able to make happen! The month of Av is a month to hear and understand. If you can “hear” you can receive instructions, clarity, direction, peace, and all you need as you discern the voice of Almighty God.
Compiled by Audrey L. Dickey, Ph.D.
Christian Love Fellowship Church, Inc.
9th of AV, A TIME OF MULTIPLICATION OR DESTRUCTION; BLESSINGS OR CURSES,
YOU CHOOSE!