"The roads of Zion are mourning because no one comes to the appointed feasts" (Lam.1:4a, NASB).
One of the signs of apostacy in the Body of Messiah is a cessation of the appointed feasts or moedim of Yahweh. And because nature abhors a vacuum, men have a tendency to replace what they have lost with their own man-made observances. Indeed it would be a strange thing were all believers observing the festivals and even odder if they were not observing pagan customs in their place like Christmas and the one coming around the corner: Easter.
In our passage today there is lamentation because "no one comes to the appointed feasts". In the historical context this was physically denied the people of Israel because they had been taken captive by Assyria and Babylon and had no possibility of going to Jerusalem or even assembling locally, because such gatherings were forbidden to slaves.
Today, though, for the most part we have the opportunity to gather if we will choose to do so instead of imitating the pagan customs of Christainity and Judaism. So what stops people from assembling, aside from blindness to the emet (truth) or fear to break with tradition or fear to displease our brethren and families? Sometimes it can be Yahweh Himself:
"Now I will uncover [Zion's] lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall deliver her from My hand. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her New Moons, her Sabbaths -- all her moedim (appointed feasts)" (Hos 2:10-11, NKJV).
"Lewedness" is Yahweh's figurative way of describing Israel's and Judah's idolatry or spiritual adultery. Unless this ends He won't even permit His people the privilege and honour of observing the moedim. Have you even considered that?
'But what of all the Jews and Messianics who observe the feasts? The former still hate and reject Messiah! Why then are they being permitted to observe them? Have they ceased being lewd?'
Until recently we, like the majority of Torah-keepers - both those who believe in Yah'shua (Jesus) and those who don't - were observing the festivals with all kinds of pagan additions along with some unauthorised ones too (like Hanukkah). Until last year we, like the majority of Torah-keepers - both those who believe in Yah'shua (Jesus) and those who don't - were following the wrong calendar - a bastard combination of the Roman Gregorian Calendar and the biblical one, instead of the Creation Calendar and so we were observing the sabbaths, new moons and festivals at the incorrect times. And until this (biblical) year we were only partly observing them on the right days because we were following the old Bablyonian sunset-to-sunset system instead of sunrise-to-sunrise. So whilst we were 'observing' the festivals as we supposed, we weren't! We were still being spiritually "lewd". We were still (albeit in ignorance) stealing time that belonged to Yahweh for our own entertainment. We were being prevented by our ignorance from doing Yahweh's will properly, some of it willfully on our part.
This is a critical year for everyone and the elect are still making last minute teshuvah (repentance) though I do have to underline forcefully that time is SHORT. The decline and fall of Western Civilisation is going to accelerate at a frightening speed over the months to come, just as Rome's did and all empires and civilisations before. This is not, as I have said so many times now (but which I must repeat for the benefit of our new readers) the 'end of the world' or the imminence of the Second Coming or 'Armageddon' (even though it will seem like that), nor is there about to be any so-called 'rapture' but it very definitely is going to be the end of life as we have known it and the beginning of something else - some good but mostly bad.
The festivals of Yahweh, and our faithful observance of them in pure emet (faith) and ahavah (love), is an important part of our spiritual covering. The attacks on Yahweh's people are again escalating but those who are submitted to Him in all things, like a good wife, are also simultaneously being equipped to resist and overcome. Extensive spraying of our skies with chemtrails (which I carefully document) began on New Year's Day here and a couple of days afterwards and as is so often the case, illnesses like influenza and gastrointestinal infections tend to follow. This is sometimes accompanied by UFO activity which I have observed laying something in the atmosphere too, also documented - see our UFO website, and especially the most recent articles.
Let us cause the "roads of Zion" to rejoice this year, at least spiritually, as we demonstrate our faithfulness to Yahweh and obey His commandment to assemble at the appointed times to worship and receive His prophetic Davar (Word) as a community. I can testify that 'things are on the move' and that we are going to see a lot in the weeks ahead. Be strong and of good cheer for our Messiah reigns!