Daily Bible Reading - August 21, 2018

Today's Reading:

John 5:1-18

1 Chronicles 18-19

Zechariah 7

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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading   

In Zechariah 7, there is an interesting reference to a set time of fasting, which is a bit mysterious, at first. It refers to fasting in the fifth Biblical month. The fifth month of the Biblical year was called the month of Av. According to Zechariah 7:3-5, the practice of fasting during the Biblical month of Ab had continued among the Children of Israel for seventy years!

Zechariah 7:3-5 "And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"

From the context in Zechariah 7, we can quickly discern that this period of fasting had become nothing more than a meaningless formality to the people. Thus, it lost its spiritual value and potency. But, the question which really fascinated me was: how did the habit of fasting in the fifth Biblical month get started? In Leviticus 23, where all the holy days, both weekly and annual, are listed, there is no mention of a set time for fasting in the fifth month.


Leviticus 23 doesn’t list any Feasts in the Fifth Month, But it is still a spiritually significant Biblical Month. Notably, there are significant events to support the connection between the month of Av and God’s Judgments. Here are a few events, which fell within the sobering month of Av:

• The faithless report of the Ten Spies took place in the month of Av, resulting in Israel being sent back to wander in the Wilderness for many more years.

• The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians (587 BC) in the month of Av.

• The second temple was destroyed in Av by the Romans (70 AD).

Because of the repeating pattern of Divine Judgments and enemy attacks which fell, notably, in the fifth month, it became a biblically noted time of fasting by the Hebrew people. They fasted at this time every year, even though God had not commanded them to do so.  The prophet Zechariah refers to God’s people fasting in the solemn month of Av, as is recorded in Zechariah 7:5. 

So commonly did Divine Judgments fall within the month of Av in Bible times, that Israel actually established an extra time of fasting and prayer during Av, as is recorded in Zechariah 7:5. This practice was carried on for so long that it eventually became a meaningless ritual, as was the case in Zechariah:

Zechariah 7:5 "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month(s), even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even to Me?"  

Notably, on the first of Av in 2008, 2009, and 2010, there were total solar eclipses, three years in a row! And just last year, on August 21, 2017—the last day of Av—there was another total solar eclipse in that same Biblical month.

Not only did the fifth biblical month (Av) stand out as a time of Judgment, in Bible times, the pattern has continued into modern times as well. For example:

• King Edward I of England signed an edict expelling all Jews from England in the month of Av (1290 AD).

• Jews were expelled from Spain (1492 AD) resulting in the famed voyage of Columbus, in this month.

World War I began in the month of Av (corresponding to August 1st that year) – 1914.

• Notably also, there was solar eclipse on August 21st of 1914, which served as a sky-omen portending the doom of war. This solar eclipse took place on the very same day as the soon-coming eclipse in 2017.

On the right, you can see an ominous depiction of the path of

totality from a newspaper of the day, provided from a private collection.
It is notable that the graphic depicts Europe in flames and adds in the foreboding description of omen faustum, a telling title which shows that even the newsmen of the  day considered the possibility that the eclipse was an “auspicious omen…”—a heavenly sign with prophetic significance!


The caption on the above image, which appeared in a U.S. paper on August 21, 1914, read as follows: “...At the very moment, when all Europe is joined in the clash of battle, the world will witness Nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomenon—which in olden times when men were ‘dismayed at the signs of heaven’—struck terror into all hearts. Today (Friday) there will be a total eclipse of the sun... the greatest phase occuring at 11 minutes after noon. The portion of the earth upon which the penumbra will fall includes the area involved in the Great War. In Germany and Austria (omen faustum?) the eclipse will be nearly total.

Then, what really caught my attention, is that this event was repeated on the very same day, in 2017!

Not only is the timing significant, bearing a warning of divine Judgment, the location among the constellations is significant. The August 21st eclipse actually took place in conjunction with one of the stars in Aryeh (the lion constellation, which is called Leo today). Aryeh is the constellation associated with the tribe of Judah. 

This constellation and its decans (the three supporting constellations which are part of its star “family”) tell the story of final Judgment and the end of sin. 

Furthermore, this entire sky event, and the lion constellation in which it took place, was one which Jacob foretold would herald the coming of “Shiloh”—our returning King!  

The star that was conjuncted during the eclipse is between the lion’s feet (Regulus, the king star). According to Jacob’s prophecy, this star would shine steadily “until Shiloh come...”. In other words, a sky-event which causes Regulus to become invisible, such as the coming solar eclipse, is what Jacob foretold would herald the soon-coming of Shiloh—a title for Yahshua!

The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 conjuncted with Regulus, the “scepter” or “king” star, causing it to visually depart from between the lion’s paws, fulfilling Jacob’s prophecy of Genesis 49:10:

"The sceptre (the Hebrew name of the star now called Regulus) shall not depart from Judah (the Lion of the tribe of Judah, called Aryeh), nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."

It is quite clear that the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 was not only a portent of the King’s Return, but also a warning of soon-coming Judgment. And a year later, the heavenly message is still worth mentioning - still worthy of attention.