Tammuz 5785

Tammuz 5785: Warriors of Shalom

Tammuz promises a month of heightened times of warfare in the natural and the Spirit, but with a great promise of reward and victory with the right heavenly outlook. Biblically a time of horrors for Israel, but also a time of great revival for the first believers in Yeshua as Messiah after Shavuot (Pentecost), Tammuz can be a roller coaster if we allow to be or a time amidst the storm when we get to be like Yeshua on the boat on the Sea of Galilee, able live out in unwavering faith, “Be still and know that I Am God” (Psalm 46:10). From July 7th to August 5th the blueprint of God is being laid out and played out and we are be called out to answer whether we will brave the wind and the waves, confident in God’s plan for us during these days or jump ship having little faith. The ball is our court as we start this Tammuz, and it’s time to choose whether we will be warriors of Shalom or feeling anxious and alone.

Don’t Be Fooled, Be Free

As we prayed and entered into a time of worship in Spirit and truth regarding this new month of Tammuz, the Holy Spirit began to show in a vision the body of Yeshua like a school of fish, and as we swam together, suddenly fishing lures with hooks and bait began to be dropped in the water above us. They were shining and beautiful and looked like just what we needed, such an easy catch for our food of the day. At the same time a school of smaller fish, the real food, was swimming in deeper waters below us and moving faster than the hooks with bait above us. Some of us took the bait, the shinier easier food, only to be taken away and devoured. Others were indecisive not knowing which way to go and went hungry, and lastly, the others not being deceived by the bait above dove deeper recognizing the living prey that would give the greatest benefit, growth and life. Some took the shortcut and paid the price, others went hungry even though there was abundance of blessing and others chose to go deeper making this a season of growth and plenty. This is the month of Tammuz and we are being called to choose. Will we possess the promises of the kingdom of God for this Biblical month, will we hunger but not be willing to give chase, or even worse eat of the low lying and deceptive fruit? Looks good, tastes good, but doesn’t feel so good.

This vision correlates with precisely what has happened during this month in the Biblical timeline. The bait and fish hooks represent idol worship and seeking blessings that are not from God which led to Israel’s exile twice. The 17th of Tammuz (July 23rd) to the 9th of Av (August 13th) was the period time from when Jerusalem was besieged that the temple offering was halted until the day in which both the 1st and second temples were destroyed in Jerusalem due to Israel’s idolatry. Tammuz 17 is the same day that Moses came down from Mount Sinai to see Israel worshipping the golden calf resulting in 3,000 people being killed by the sword. Instead of God’s provision and blessings, the people sought the fake and shiny, paying a high price on all accounts. Now is not the time to replace the truth with a multitude of lies and expect a blessing. The enemy is prowling around like a roaring Lion this Tammuz and we must be on high alert so as not to be deceived.

Those fish who went neither here nor there are like the exiles of Israel and Jerusalem, whom even after seeing and experiencing the death and destruction of God’s judgement due to their idolatry and turning away from God, continued to worship idols and false religions. They saw their fellow fish taken away devoured before their eyes, but still refused to be moved toward repentance and back to God. Their sorrow persisted and their hunger was not satiated.

Finally, there were those like the Levites who refused to bow their heads to false Gods and be complacent like those who stood by and let it happen. After the Levites came to the call of God, killing 3000 of those who worshipped the golden calf, they were rewarded by God to be the priesthood of YHWH (Exodus 32:25-29). And like the Levites, in the same month of Tammuz after Yeshua descended to be with the Father, in the midst of great and deadly persecution after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the explosive growth of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the nations began.

God is calling us to be the third type of fish, who answer the call, go deeper in Relationship with Him knowing that the greater pressure and depth is worth it to grow into the sons and daughters of God who will be used mightily in this season of growth and acceleration. Time to move together into deeper waters where the treasures of the kingdom reside. “Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song will be with me, a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:7-8).

Seed Sewing Time

“God makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]” (Matthew 5:45). However, the seed we put in the soil can make all the difference. Are we planting the wheat of Joseph for the highest yield and resistance to the spiritual sickness and disease that threatens to plague the harvest of this month? Are we praying as true watchmen on the walls or being lazy regarding the times and seasons and what to do? Or is the seed we are sewing a hybrid seed, a mixture of the plans of man and the plans of God that is on the fence and easily swayed by the slightest change of the wind and the weather? This goes for each of us individually in our closeness with God in order to be firmly rooted and unshakable regardless of the storms that are coming our way, but also in the case of Israel this month. The seed that is being sewn right now is one for the history books. Tammuz is a warning time to heed seriously, unlike Israel did in the times of Ezekiel. And could it be that the times of the past are about to be repeated once again? Israel will mourn during what is called the Three Weeks of Sorrow from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av commemorating the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple as Israel’s enemies currently bare down from all sides as we speak. At the same time the clock is ticking for the sacrifice of the Red Heifer as the last possible date to do so is October 3rd, which would be the first step in the re-building of the third temple in Jerusalem

Could it be that in the time of mourning Israel will decide the rebuilding of the third temple is now? We know the enemies of Israel know this and that it was even the pretext for the October 7th attacks for fear that Israel will indeed begin the process. Our prayers must be seeds of life for Israel in this season as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem like never before and Israel’s salvation. The urgency of prayer is real, because what happens in Israel effects the world. Just as Ezekiel received the call to become a watchmen on the walls for Israel (Ezekiel 1-3), so too are we this Tammuz. Israel is the seed from which God’s Biblical clock ticks and now is the time to sew a good seed for our lives, families, etc. and for Israel as Biblical prophecy plays out before our very eyes. May the soil of your heart be ready to receive that which is God’s will this Tammuz, and may the seeds you sew in prayer and in deed be of the highest quality for the glory of God. It’s time to plant in the organic soil of heaven and put away the chemical fertilizers of the world. Tammuz is your month of redemption and the enemy is working overtime to bring condemnation and fear to keep you from seeing the blessings that are at hand. Speak it out loud, don’t let the enemy keep you silent. Declare it by faith and be free of the lies of oppression of the fallen kingdom of darkness in the mighty name of Yeshua.

Count Your Lucky Stars

The constellation over Israel this month is Cancer or in Hebrew, Sartan. The Bible tells us crab is unclean to eat in Leviticus 9:12, but even we ourselves are unclean without the Blood of the Lamb. Our reality now is that we are forgiven and made clean, we are no longer defined by what was, but instead refined by what we have done and gone through. We are kosher crabs now, and like the crab, we are called to live in the deep places of God, the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Most High that is always certain and without doubt, always comforting and without worry, always hopeful and without fear. Just like the crab with its natural armor, this month we must never forget the full armor of God that protects us from the lies of the principalities, powers, and the dark forces of this world, and putting our heavenly arsenal into proper use to destroy the enemy at every turn. We will not lose faith at the last minute as the Hebrews did at Mount Sinai with the golden calf, reverting back to old ways. We as Believers, the light of the World, are not, and refuse to be, quitters. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that Adonai has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

This is your month of breakthrough, a time to shine in the darkness as a witness and messenger of the King of kings, not only for people to see but for people to receive for free which was given freely to us. Miracles in family relationships, finances, living situations, complete healing of the body, mind, and soul. Eye to eye with Yeshua’s eyes that are like blazing torches, away from the noise of the world and in the presence of perfect love. What is He seeing for you that He wants you to see? Like the deep dwelling crabs of the ocean who have 360 degree eyesight, we are being called to develop that for ourselves in both the natural and the Spirit, but this is only possible when our eyes are on His. Our ears are for His promises alone, deaf to what is happening above the water, sunken deep to the bottom of the ocean of His love. His living waters is where our treasures lie. Be undisturbed by the winds and waves, but comforted by the warm embrace of YHWH Who has said to you, “You are Mine” is where he wants us to spend time. Your blessings from God are as numerous as the stars in the night sky.

Inheritance Redeemed

The firstborn son of Jacob, Reuben the namesake of the tribe represented during Tammuz is a misunderstood and often forgotten person that had a life full of compassion, terrible mistakes, and redemption. He was the brother who saved Joseph’s life by telling his brothers to put him in the pit instead of killing him, thinking he would come back later to release him. He was the only brother grieved that Joseph had been taken into slavery. He then makes the infamous decision to sleep with Jacob’s concubine, essentially causing him to lose his inheritance (Genesis 35:21-22). But we then see him once again at the time of unknowingly re-uniting with Joseph in Egypt telling Jacob that on the lives of his two sons he will bring back Benjamin whom they had left as collateral in Egypt (Genesis 42:37). Reuben, though not perfect, did not let his mistakes make him waver in his calling, and because of this, when Israel finally crossed the river Jordan into the promised land, Reuben was granted his inheritance in the promised land. Reuben learned from the mistakes of the past, and just like Reuben, this month is crucial for all of us to put our bad habits and former mistakes behind us, instead, focusing on the promises that lie ahead of us confident in our redemption with past behind us and the future like ripe fruit before us ready for the picking. Just like Israel’s fall and redemption at Sinai, it’s idolatry that led to exile, and redemption through Yeshua bringing salvation to the world, we too now walk in the redemption of our inheritance. Now the call is to cross the proverbial Jordan River this Tammuz and possess it!

Conclusion

For Israel and the Jewish people, we see Tammuz as the month of the greatest calamities, but as believers in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach that time of mourning has passed. Although these things are a real warning, the time for mourning is over, and the time for the joy of the Lord is here at last. We learn from the past and stand firm as watchmen on the walls this month as Ezekiels of the present seeing the time and season for each of our nations and for Israel knowing how to pray according to God’s perfect will. Throughout the world this Tammuz, idolatry and witchcraft are at its height, but so too are we called to burn all the brighter as the light of world. This month we are being called to choose the type of fish we will be, deceived and devoured, hungry and missing out, or going deeper and satisfied in fullness of God’s blessings. As sewers of the seeds of the Kingdom, what quality of seeds will we bless the soil of our hearts, families, businesses, congregations and nations with? What soil will we nurture them in as God provides the sunshine and rain? We must choose and then move accordingly. As we do this with our eyes alert and focused seeing as Yeshua sees, a full 360 degrees in the natural and the Spirit, fully encased and equipped with our heavenly armor and mighty weapons of warfare, we do so seated in the depths of the waters of the victory and perfect love of Father as “He liberally supplies (fills until full) our every need according to His riches in glory in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:19-20). God’s speed this Tammuz, and Adonai bless you and keep you warriors of Shalom!