Tisha B’Av means Ninth of Av.  Av is the fifth month of the Jewish sacred calendar, which begins with Nisan, the month in which Passover occurs.  The civil calendar begins with Tishri, which is the seventh month of the sacred calendar, in which the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles occur.

Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of both the first and second temples, as well as other events.  It is the second most solemn fast day in the modern Jewish calendar, after Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  It is considered to be the saddest day of the year, a day of misfortune and tragedy.

This is not a Biblical fast day in the sense that God instituted it; however, it is referenced in the Bible in the book of Zechariah as the “fast of the fifth” month.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”

Zechariah 8:19 NKJV

According to Zechariah 7:5, Tisha B’Av became an annual fast during the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity after the destruction of the First Temple.

Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me – for Me?”

Zechariah 7:5 NKJV

The Four Fasts

All four of the fasts mentioned in Zechariah 8:19 are associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple.  They also have associations with later tragedies which have befallen the Jewish people, especially the fast of the fifth month, Tisha B’Av.  Jeremiah 52 records major events in the destruction of Jerusalem happening in the tenth, fourth and fifth months.

4. Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. 5. So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6. By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 7. Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night… 12. Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13. He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. 14. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around.

Jeremiah 52:4-7a, 12-14 NKJV

Jeremiah 52:12 records the destruction of the temple as happening on the tenth day of the fifth month.  In 2 Kings 25:8, which is part of a parallel passage, it is recorded as happening on the seventh day of the month.  One explanation for this discrepancy is that the destruction began on the seventh day and was completed on the tenth.  However, Jewish tradition states that the destruction began on the ninth day (Tisha B’Av) and continued through the tenth.

The “fast of the fourth month” is now observed as the Seventeenth of Tammuz, but was originally observed on the ninth of Tammuz.  This fast commemorates:

• the destruction of the original tablets of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 32:19), which is deduced to have taken place on 17^th Tammuz.  Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for 40 days (Exodus 24:18) and 17^th Tammuz is 40 days after Shavuot (Pentecost), which is the day Moses is traditionally said to have ascended Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments.
• the day (9^th Tammuz) upon which Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the First Temple (Jeremiah 52:6-7, quoted above).
• the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple, which took place on 17^th Tammuz in AD 70.

This fast begins a three-week period known as “The Three Weeks” or “Dire Straits”, a time of mourning which culminates with Tisha B’Av.

The “fast of the seventh” month is the Fast of Gedaliah, which generally takes place on 3^rd Tishri, after Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets/Jewish civil New Year).  It is thus part of the “Ten Days of Awe” which culminate with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  This fast commemorates the death of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1-2), who Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had appointed governor over the remnant of the Jews left in Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 40:11-12).  This death was a great tragedy which caused the final dispersion of the remaining Jews from the Land, who largely went to Egypt, including Jeremiah (Jeremiah 43:5-7).

The “fast of the tenth” month is the Tenth of Tevet.  This fast commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 52:4, quoted above).  There are also other events traditionally said to have taken place on or near this date.

Tisha B’Av History and Tradition

Some of the events which have happened on (or close to) Tisha B’Av include:

• (according to Jewish tradition) the weeping of the children of Israel (Numbers 14) after the spies returned from spying out the Promised Land and brought a bad report (Numbers 13).  This event caused the wanderings in the wilderness for 40 years, and for all of that generation to die without seeing the Promised Land.
• the destruction of the First Temple and the Jewish captivity.
• the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, beginning a worldwide Jewish dispersion, which continued until Israel’s reestablishment as a nation in AD 1948.
• the fall of the fortress of Betar during the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Revolt against Roman rule, and the massacre of more than half a million Jews, in AD 135.
• the start of the First Crusade in AD 1096, which led to the deaths of more than 1 million Jews.
• the expulsion of Jews from England in AD 1290.
• the expulsion of Jews from France in AD 1306 (10^th Av).
• the expulsion of Jews from Spain in AD 1492 (7^th Av).
• Germany declaring war on Russia and entering World War I in AD 1914.
• SS commander Heinrich Himmler formally receiving approval from the Nazi Party for “The Final Solution” in AD 1941, beginning the Holocaust.
• the beginning of the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka extermination camp in AD 1942.
• the AMIA bombing of the Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, killing 85 and injuring 300, in AD 1994 (10^th Av).
• Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in AD 2005 (10^th Av).

Observant Jews commemorate Tisha B’Av by fasting between sunset on the eve of the day and nightfall the following day, about 25 hours.  There are other prohibitions, including:

• No eating or drinking.
• No washing or bathing.
• No application of creams or oils.
• No wearing of leather shoes.
• No marital relations.
• No sending gifts, or even greeting one another with “hello”.
• No outings, trips or similar pleasurable activities.
• No wearing of fine festive clothing.
• Torah study is forbidden except for “distressing” texts such as Lamentations and Job, which are often read in synagogue services.

There are exceptions to these rules; for example, you can wash your hands after going to the bathroom, combat soldiers don’t have to fast, and so forth.

Tisha B’Av and the Messiah

3. … “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?” 4. Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5. “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me – for Me? 6. When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?’ ”

Zechariah 7:3b-6 NKJV

As the main focus of the day [Tisha B’Av] recalls the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem and the subsequent Jewish diaspora, the modern day re-establishment of a Jewish state in the Holy Land has raised various attitudes within Judaism about the appropriateness of fasting and other mourning customs associated with the day. Some observant Jews outside of Orthodoxy curtail some of the mourning customs in recognition of the miracle of the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty after nearly two thousand years.

“Tisha B’Av”, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisha_B%27Av) (Retrieved 13 July 2021)

The Jews are indeed asking, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast..?”

As long as the Jews do not know their Messiah, they do, in a sense, observe Tisha B’Av only for themselves, not for God.  However, according to Zechariah 8:19 (quoted above), these mournful fast days will not continue as such – they will become cheerful feast days! Fasting will turn into feasting!  But this will only happen when the Jews have recognised and embraced their true Messiah.

The following two quotations illustrate how some people in modern Judaism associate Tisha B’Av with the Messiah.

Following the Six-Day War, the national religious community viewed Israel’s territorial conquests with almost messianic overtones. The conquest of geographical areas with immense religious significance, including Jerusalem, the Western Wall, and the Temple Mount, was seen as portentous; however, only the full rebuilding of the Temple would engender enough reason to cease observing the day as one of mourning and transform it into a day of joy instead. …

Classical Jewish sources maintain that the Jewish Messiah will be born on Tisha B’Av, though many explain this idea metaphorically, as the hope for the Jewish Messiah was born on Tisha B’Av with the destruction of the Temple.

“Tisha B’Av”, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisha_B%27Av) (Retrieved 13 July 2021)

The Jews thus associate the destructions of the First and Second Temples, both occurring on Tisha B’Av, with the coming of their Messiah.  Jesus Himself predicted the destruction of the Second Temple (Matthew 24:2).  Many Jews believe the temple should be rebuilt once again.  However, since the Messiah has indeed come, there is now no need for a physical temple.  With the sacrifice of Himself, Jesus abolished the need for other sacrifices, and we ourselves are now the temple of the Holy Spirit; God dwells within us.  We have no need to mourn the destruction of the physical temple!  We do not need to weep or fast in the fifth month!  Our fasting is turned into feasting!

Jesus came:

To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Isaiah 61:3a NKJV

It is our prayer that the Jewish people will also come into this revelation; that, indeed, they no longer need to “weep in the fifth month and fast as [they] have done for so many years” (Zechariah 7:3b NKJV), but that, instead, through knowing their Messiah, “The fast… shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah…” (Zechariah 8:19 NKJV).

Replacement Theology, which is also called Supersessionism, has been common throughout most of Church history and still exists today.  It is the false supposition that the Church has replaced or superseded Israel and the Jews in God’s purposes.  According to this theology, when the Church began, God forsook the Jews, because they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah and because they had a part in His death.

Under this doctrine, all of God’s promises, prophecies and blessings in the Old Testament now apply exclusively to the Church and no longer apply literally to Israel or the Jews.  Where the word “Israel” occurs in the Bible, it really means the Church, which is the true, spiritual Israel.  Consequently, all the verses referring to Israel returning to their land and dwelling there are seen as spiritual allegories for the blessings of the Church, and not as something to be literally fulfilled by the Jews and the nation of Israel.  However, the curses and distresses in the Bible (e.g. Deuteronomy 28:15-68) still do apply literally to the Jews, due to their role in the death of Christ.

Thus, according to this theology, the Jews are no longer the elect of God.  On the contrary, they have been given over to God’s judgement and wrath.  Many even claim that the Jews cannot be saved, due to their rejection and killing of Christ.  God punished the Jews by having the Romans destroy the temple and expel them from their country, and they are cursed to wander forever, with no right to return to their national homeland.

Replacement Theology began to pervade the Church only two or three hundred years after Christ.  The Gentile Church was influenced by the secular thinking of the time (Greek and Roman) and became anti-Jewish.  The Church calendar was deliberately changed so that the dates for Christian celebrations (such as Jesus’ death and resurrection and Pentecost) were no longer directly linked to the Jewish feasts (such as Passover and the Feast of Weeks).  This is still the case today.

At the same time, Church members were forbidden from having anything to do with Jewish practices, which the Church leaders said were ungodly.  Jews themselves were labelled “God-killers” and were considered to be abandoned by God and wholly outside of His purposes.  The Gentile Church had now replaced the Jews as God’s special, chosen people.

Scriptural justification for Replacement Theology

Replacement Theology has little basis in Scripture and is mainly supported by interpreting promises and prophecies about Israel and the Jews in an allegorical or metaphorical way, rather than literal.  However, there are some verses which have been used to justify this doctrine.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 NKJV

This passage appears to imply that God’s wrath has fallen upon all Jews due to them killing Jesus.  However, to interpret this passage as meaning that all Jews are responsible for Jesus’ death is to take it out of context.  It refers to the churches of God in Judea who were suffering persecution from the Jews.  These churches were themselves Jewish! – even as the Gentile church Paul was addressing was suffering persecution from their own countrymen, so the Judean churches were suffering from their own countrymen, the Jews.  If the Jews are replaced by the Gentiles and cannot be saved, how can there be Jewish churches?  The Jews referred to here (and Paul is probably meaning the leaders of the Jews rather than the general populace) are not pleasing to God because they have not repented of their part in Jesus’ death and are trying to stop the spread of the Gospel, and so God’s wrath has come upon them; but that does not mean that all Jews have been forsaken by God forever.

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. … Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” … When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

Matthew 27:20, 22, 24-25 NKJV

Here, egged on by the leaders of the Jews, the multitude take Jesus’ blood on themselves and their children, with the implication of this being for all future generations.  This has been used to justify the claim that all Jews, even to the present day, are responsible for the death of Jesus.  In practice, the Jews have suffered as though this is true.  However, there is nothing here which implies God no longer has a plan for the Jews.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Acts 2:36 NKJV

Here Peter addresses the Jewish crowd on the day of Pentecost and says that they crucified Jesus.  The implication is that all those present had a part to play in this, even though that is unlikely.  This is again used as a justification for blaming all Jews for Jesus’ death.  However, we need to read on and see this verse in context.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 2:37-39 NKJV

Given the Jews were cut to the heart by Peter’s words, there is a clear implication that at least some of those present who had been part of the multitude calling for Jesus’ crucifixion now recognised what they had done, repented and were saved!  Thus even those who had a direct part in Jesus’ death could be forgiven for it.  So there are no grounds to eternally blame all Jews for Christ’s death.  Also, Peter makes a point of saying the promise is to their children, which likewise brings redemption to the children on whom they had previously put the blood of Jesus.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10 NKJV

Peter is here addressing the Church and using terms which the Old Testament uses for Israel – chosen, priesthood, holy nation.  This has been used to claim that the Church is now chosen and it is now God’s special nation, instead of Israel.  However, Peter (who is himself a Jew) does not say anything about the Jews no longer being chosen, just that the Church is chosen.  The context makes it clear that the Church is all these things through Jesus, without the slightest implication that it has replaced the Jews.

In other words, through Christ, Gentiles who “once were not a people” have now come into God’s blessings and promises which had previously been reserved only for Israel; but there is nothing here stating that the Jews as a people have consequently been abandoned by God.  The important thing is to differentiate between the blessings for both Gentiles and Jews through knowing Christ, and God’s purposes for the Jews who are outside of Christ, who, despite rejecting Christ, are still a special people to Him.  Both the Church and the Jews are God’s special people, though for different reasons!

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28 NKJV

This verse has been used to claim that the Jews no longer have a special purpose in God or a national destiny which is different from other people, since everyone is the same in Christ.  The claim is that there is no difference between what God has planned for the Jews versus what He has planned for the Gentiles.  However, this verse likewise says that there is neither male nor female.  This is true when it comes to our standing in Christ, but it is certainly not true in other respects.  Likewise, salvation for Jew and Gentile is the same, but that does not mean there are not different roles for each, or that God no longer has a particular purpose for the Jewish people who are currently outside of Christ.

Consequences of Replacement Theology

Replacement Theology, and particularly the belief that God has cursed the Jews due to their role in crucifying Christ, has led to incredible acts of anti-Semitism throughout history.  The majority of the persecution of the Jews over the centuries has been by people who call themselves Christians, doing it in the name of Christ, under the perception that the Jews are evil Christ-killers.  Jews have been accused of causing plagues (including COVID-19!), poisoning wells and other horrible acts.  Persecution against Jews in the name of Christ include the Inquisitions, the Crusades and even the Holocaust, which was largely founded on historical Christian anti-Semitism, including the teachings of Martin Luther.

Replacement Theology is also a major source of opposition from Christians to the nation of Israel.  If you don’t believe God has a purpose for the Jewish people in our time, then there is no basis (from a Christian perspective) for supporting the existence of the country of Israel or for understanding why the Jews need to be in their land.  This is why some Christians support the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement and other anti-Israel measures, and also support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian situation, despite God’s Word clearly giving all the Land to the Jews.

Christians and churches which hold to Replacement Theology often support the Palestinians against Israel, believe that the Israelis are oppressing the Palestinians and even support labelling Israel as an “apartheid state” (which is quite false).  Some even think the Land should belong wholly to the Palestinians and the Jews have no right to be there at all.

As a consequence of so much persecution towards Jews coming from a Christian source over the centuries, many Jews today are wary towards Christians.  However, thanks to many Christian organisations which have reached out to Israel and the Jews over the last few decades, both the attitude of Christians towards Jews and the perception of Christians by Jews have been slowly changing, such that now there is greater support for Israel among Christians than ever before in the history of the Church.

Reasons why Replacement Theology is wrong

• The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that Jews can be saved.  All people can be saved through Christ, whether Jew or Gentile – in fact, according to Romans 1:16, the Jews should be first in salvation.

• The New Testament, and especially Paul’s teaching in Romans 9-11, also makes it clear that God has not abandoned the Jews (e.g. Romans 11:1-2a) and that there will be a national salvation for “all Israel”  (Romans 11:25-27).  They are still His elect and “beloved for the sake of the fathers.  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:28-29 NKJV).

• Old Testament prophecies regarding Israel have been coming literally true in a miraculous way over the last hundred years, such as the rebirth of the nation of Israel and the return of the Jews to the Land.  This would not have happened if these prophecies now only apply to the Church.  The very existence of the country of Israel today demonstrates that God still has a purpose for the Jews.

• The very survival of the Jewish people through all the attempts to destroy them over the last two thousand years is a testament that God’s hand is still on them and that He still has a plan for them.

• As discussed earlier, the scriptures that Replacement Theology uses have been taken out of context or otherwise misinterpreted.  There are also a number of Old Testament verses which are difficult to interpret in any “spiritual” way or any way other than as literally applying to Israel.

Keeping a balanced view

In rejecting Replacement Theology, some Christians who love Israel and the Jews have gravitated to other extremes and fallen into different doctrinal errors.  These include reacting to the accusation of “God-killers” and the horrors brought on the Jews over the centuries by claiming the Jews did not kill Christ at all.  Some also say that many Old Testament verses should only be read as literally applying to Israel and not to the Church, that Christians are one with all Jews regardless of whether the Jews know Jesus, that Christians should live like Jews, and so forth.  Some even claim that the Jews can be saved outside of Christ, which is certainly not what the New Testament teaches.

Ephesians 2:11-20 speaks of the Gentiles once “being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel” but now, through Jesus, being “fellow citizens with the saints”, i.e. with those Jews who have accepted Christ.  The Church is indeed a spiritual Israel.  But this does not alter the purpose God has for the Jews.  The fact is that the Jews and the country of Israel are not truly following God.  They are outside of Christ, many of the tenets of their religion are quite unscriptural, and large numbers of them today are actually very secular.  However, at the same time, they are still God’s chosen people.  He still loves them and still intends to fulfil all the scriptures concerning them in both the Old and New Testaments.

Did the Jews kill Jesus?  Yes! – the Jewish leaders were instrumental in causing Jesus to be arrested and crucified, and the multitude joined in with them.  Are all Jews therefore responsible for Jesus’ death?  No! – of course not!  And, as discussed above, even some of the Jews who played a direct part in Jesus’ death got saved on the day of Pentecost!  Both the extremes of denying that the Jews had a part in the crucifixion of Christ and accusing all Jews of being Christ-killers contradict the Bible, and both also fail to understand that God could forgive the sin of killing Jesus, as all sins are forgiven through Christ, even as Jesus Himself prayed while on the cross:  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34 NKJV).

Can the promises in the Old Testament which refer to Israel be spiritually claimed by and applied to the Church?  Yes!  Can they also be literally applied to Israel?  Yes!  That is the wonder of God’s Word!  We have been saved by a Jewish Messiah and the promises and blessings given to Israel can be appropriated by the Church and by us as individual Christians – and at the same time still apply to literal Israel and the Jews as well!

Was the Jews’ expulsion from their land by the Romans a result of God’s judgement on them?  Yes! – the Old Testament prophesied this (e.g. Deuteronomy 28:63-64).  The majority of Jews did in fact reject Jesus, failing to recognise Him as their Messiah, and just as God had them taken into captivity several centuries earlier, it seems reasonable to believe that He removed them from the Land once again, in fulfilment of Scripture.  Does this mean God has no plan for them to return to Israel?  Of course not! – the scriptures make it very clear that God does want them to return to the Land, and this is happening right now!

Has the Gentile Church replaced Israel in God’s plan?  No!  But are we part of a spiritual Israel?  Yes! – along with all who are saved, both Jew and Gentile.  Are we one with Jews who don’t know Christ?  No! – Ephesians 2:14-16 makes it clear that we are “one new man” only through Jesus.  But does this mean God no longer has a plan for the Jews as a people?  Of course not! – God still has a plan for the Jews and for Israel as a nation, and ultimately that plan is for them to be saved.

Introduction:  2021 Israeli election

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Romans 13:1 NKJV

Israel held elections on 23^rd March 2021.  This was the fourth election in two years, and only a year after the last election.

Likud, which is the right-wing party of the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, won 30 seats, nearly twice as many as any other party.  However, they are still a long way short of the 61 seats needed to form a majority government in the 120 seat Knesset (Israeli Parliament).

The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, has given Benjamin Netanyahu a mandate to form government, which he must do by Tuesday 4^th May.  However, so far he has been unable to persuade enough of the minor parties to enter into a coalition with him in order to be able to form a government.  This is a repeat of the pattern of the first two of the last three elections, where no government was able to be formed and another election had to take place.

In the meantime, Yair Lapid, the leader of Yesh Atid, which is the main left-wing party, has claimed he will be able to form a government coalition.  He has to wait until Netanyahu’s time expires, at which point the President is expected to give Yair Lapid the mandate to form a government.

There is also a dark horse, Naftali Bennett, the leader of Yamina, which is a right-wing party.  He only gained seven seats in the election but has put his own name forward to be Prime Minister and so far has not supported anyone else.  There is an outside chance that he may be given a mandate to form a government.  The media have also been calling him a potential “king-maker”, as his party is likely to be needed by the other more major parties in order to form a government, which potentially gives him the power to choose who he wants to be the next Prime Minister.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 NKJV

We need to pray that the right government is formed, that it will be a stable government which will lead Israel in the direction God wants her to go in, and that there will not be any need for any more elections in the short term.

Israeli electoral system

Israel uses what is called a “closed list proportional representation” system for its elections.  This means that voters vote only for a party, not for individual candidates, and the seats won by the parties are proportional to the total number of votes cast.  So, for example, if 30% of the people voted for a particular party and 15% voted for another party, the first party should get around 30% of the total number of seats and the second party around 15% of the seats.  This system favours minor parties, as the minimum percentage of votes needed to be elected is 3.25%, so there are a lot of parties which get elected to the Knesset, mostly small ones.

There are no electorates and the candidates do not represent people in a particular geographical location in the way that members of the House of Representatives do in Australia (though they can often represent minority groups such as Ultra-Orthodox Jews or Arabs).  The parties choose the order of candidates on the party lists and thus determine who is most likely to get a seat, similar to what they do for Upper House elections in Australia, except the Israeli voter has no chance to give their first vote to a candidate who is low on the list as we can here.

Voting is not compulsory and there are no preferences.  Voting is very simple:  you just choose the ballot slip of the particular party you favour, put it in an envelope, then put that into the ballot box.  Voting day is a public holiday.  You have to go to your nominated polling booth near where you live.  There are no absentee votes except for people in hospital, police, armed forces and so forth.

It is not possible to vote if you are overseas at the time of the election, except for staff of embassies and similar diplomatic positions.  This created issues prior to this year’s election as many Israelis were stuck overseas with Israel not allowing flights into the country.  However, the ban on flights was lifted shortly before the elections to help Israelis come home to vote if they wished to.

Types of government in historical Israel

Theocracy

When Abraham first settled in Israel (then called Canaan), he was a nomad, and did not appear to be subject any particular authority.  In Canaan in those days, rule was over individual towns (and the agricultural land surrounding them), called “city-states”, or over a group of towns which were close to one another, rather than over the whole geographical area (for example, Melchizedek was king of Salem which later became Jerusalem, Genesis 14:18).

It was not until the children of Israel came out of Egypt that there was any formal leadership over them as a nation.  The first leader was Moses.  He listened to God’s voice and conveyed His laws and instructions to the people.  In this type of government, God was the ruler over the people and Moses was His vessel, His spokesman to the people.  This is called a theocracy, from the Greek for “the rule of God”.  This term was coined by the Jewish historian Josephus, specifically to describe this Biblical form of government.

Nevertheless, quite early on we see Moses, at the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro, delegating authority to different tiers of leaders in order to deal with day-to-day business; thus he did not have exclusive authority under God.

So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

Exodus 18:24-26 NKJV

Kritarchy

Joshua succeeded Moses as leader over the people.  After him came the Judges.

The specific term for the type of government under the judges of Israel is kritarchy or kritocracy, literally meaning (Greek) “rule by a judge”.  The judges were natural successors to Moses and Joshua in that they did not administer government in their own name but in God’s name, and God was still considered the real ruler of Israel; consequently this form of government was still a theocracy.  However, many people during this time did not follow God’s rule.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 17:6 NKJV

Monarchy

Eventually the people came to Samuel and demanded that he give them a king.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

1 Samuel 8:4-7 NKJV

So Samuel anointed Saul to be king over Israel.  This was the beginning of the monarchy, where the king was the ruler over Israel rather than God.  David succeeded Saul, then Solomon, and then the country was divided into two, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, both of them continuing to be a monarchy.  Some of the kings looked to God and still acknowledged Him as the true ruler, but most did not.

Foreign rule

Following this, the kingdoms were each conquered by foreign kings and the people taken into captivity or otherwise put under their rule.  Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem as governor, but he was not the outright ruler but was still subject to the foreign (Persian) king.

Eventually, Israel was conquered by Alexander the Great and came under Greek rule.  The Maccabees rebelled against this rule and regained independent government for a few decades; but then the Romans conquered, and in Jesus’ time, Israel was under Roman rule.

Democracy

The Jews did not again have full control and government over their own land until 14^th May, 1948, when, following World War II and the Holocaust, the State of Israel was declared.

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once?

Isaiah 66:8a NKJV

In our calendar, the 73^rd anniversary of Israel’s independence is 14th May 2021, but the State of Israel celebrates it according to the date in the Jewish calendar, which is lunar, so their Independence Day holiday was actually celebrated on 15^th April 2021.

The new government was, and is, a secular democracy.  Some members of the Knesset are religious, and Jewish religious needs are taken into account in the laws of Israel, but nevertheless the government does not openly acknowledge God as the ruler over Israel.

Messiah’s everlasting rule

“Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house. And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

1 Chronicles 17:7-14 NKJV

Although this prophecy about David’s son was referring to Solomon, who built God’s temple in Jerusalem, it is simultaneously referring to a future son of David, Jesus the Messiah, who is building God a spiritual house, i.e. the Church, and whose throne will be established forever!  It is God’s plan that Jesus should be the ruler over modern Israel as He was over ancient Israel.  According to these verses, this will happen when God has planted them in “a place of their own” from which they will “move no more” – something which happened only 73 years ago.  So we are anticipating a revival which will soon sweep through Israel!

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!

Revelation 11:15b NKJV

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”  …  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.  When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.”

When we celebrate communion, we are remembering what is called the Last Supper, the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His death.  As we can see from this passage in Luke, the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal.  The Passover is a significant feast which has been celebrated by the Jews for many, many centuries, down to this present day.  It is very much a family meal, and the children are important participants in the celebration.

Passover commemorates the time God redeemed the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt.  When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and God was preparing to kill the firstborn of the Egyptians as the last of the ten plagues, He commanded the Israelites to kill a lamb and put its blood on the posts and lintels of their doors.  Then, when the angel of death came to kill the firstborn, it would “pass over” them and they would be safe.  They were, in effect, redeemed by the death of that lamb.  They ate the lamb, which was the first Passover meal, and then afterwards they were able to leave Egypt.

We Christians understand that the Passover Lamb is symbolic of Jesus, who came as the Lamb of God to die for us, so that His blood might cover the doors of our lives and so redeem us.  Through our own Lamb, the Lamb of God, we have “passed over” from death into life.  However, when the Jews celebrate Passover, they are unaware of its fulfilment in Jesus.  They are also unaware that many of the rituals they customarily follow while celebrating this traditional feast are also symbols which actually point to Jesus and salvation through Him.

One example is the matza bread which is eaten at Passover.  As you can see from the picture, it’s effectively just a big cracker (roughly 20cm each side).  Jesus said that the Passover bread represented His body, and we can see that in several ways.

Firstly, the bread is unleavened; that is, it has no yeast in it.  The original reason for this is found in Exodus 12:39, where it explains that the Israelites could not wait for their bread to rise as they journeyed out of Egypt, so they quickly baked unleavened bread instead.  However, leaven is used in the Bible as a symbol for sin, and likewise, unleavened bread symbolises sinlessness.  More specifically, it symbolises the sinless Jesus Christ, Who was the only man to live without sin.

The matza is pierced with many holes  This is to prevent any fermentation or rising during preparation and baking.  But Isaiah 53:5, referring to Jesus, says (NIV), “He was pierced for our transgressions.”  Zechariah 12:10 says, “They will look on Me whom they pierced.”

The matza also has markings on it, where it has browned during baking.  These marks look not unlike bruises.  Isaiah 53:5 goes on to say (NKJV), “He was bruised for our iniquities.”  The holes in the matza form stripes.  Isaiah 53:5 also says (NKJV), “By His stripes we are healed.”

There are three special pieces of matza bread which are set aside at the Passover celebration.  They are put together in a special pouch with three compartments, one on top of the other, thus in effect the three becoming one.  The Jews see these three pieces as representing the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Abraham is called Father Abraham and Isaac is his son who he was told to sacrifice.  So to Christians these three pieces can also represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – the Three in One.

During the Passover celebration, the middle matza, which represents the Son, is taken out, that is, removed from the others – so Jesus left His special place with the Father and the Holy Spirit when He came to earth as a man.  This matza is broken in two – so Jesus’ body was broken for us.  One half is then wrapped in a napkin – so Jesus was wrapped in the grave cloths.  This is hidden somewhere in the room, usually under a cushion – so Jesus was hidden in the tomb.

After the main meal is finished, the children will go and hunt for the hidden piece of matza, and bring it out from its hiding place.  This symbolises Jesus coming out of the tomb when He was resurrected.  This matza is then broken into pieces and distributed among all present, for everyone to eat a piece.  This is just like what Jesus was doing when He broke the bread and distributed it to the disciples, calling it His body.

This piece of matza is the last thing eaten at the meal.  These days, the Passover Lamb is no longer eaten, because it cannot be ritually slaughtered at the Temple, since the Temple no longer exists.  Instead, this last piece of matza represents the Passover Lamb for Jews today.  They therefore see it as a symbol of salvation, although they don’t understand that it represents Jesus who saves us.

During the Passover celebration, four cups of wine are drunk.  This is always red wine, which symbolises the blood of Jesus.  In Luke 22:17-18, when Jesus and His disciples first sat down to the Passover, Jesus took a cup and said, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  This is the first cup of the Passover, which is called the Cup of Sanctification, which refers to the blessing which is spoken at the beginning of the meal.  “To sanctify” means “to set apart” or “to make holy”.  Jesus was already holy and sinless, but by drinking this cup and declaring that He will drink it no more, He is setting Himself apart for the task that God has for Him to do, namely, dying on the cross for our sins.  We are grateful that through His death, we are sanctified.  We are made holy, cleansed from our sin by Jesus’ blood, and we are also set apart for the task that God has for us.

Luke 22:20 records that Jesus “took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’ ”  This is the third cup of the Passover, which is drunk after the meal and after the hidden matza has been eaten, and it is called the Cup of Redemption.  Jesus is telling the disciples that the shedding of His blood fulfils the redemption God began at that first Passover when He redeemed the Israelites out of Egypt through the blood of the original Passover Lamb.  We are grateful that we are saved and redeemed through the shed blood of God’s own Passover Lamb.

When the Jews today eat the matza and drink the cups of wine, they do not understand Who these symbols represent.  But when we take communion, we understand that the bread we eat symbolises the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the cup we drink represents His blood which was shed for us.  So we eat and drink these emblems in full knowledge of the salvation and redemption which are ours in Him.