Yes, I know these two summer months include Tammuz 17–Av 9 (July 23-August 13), known as the “Dire Straits.” But the Lord wants us to have victory. One way we know this is because God’s sign to us from the heavens is the constellation of the Lion. He wants us to know that the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Lion of Judah, broke every curse and the power of sin. It was Tammuz 17 when Moses descended from the mount of God to find the people had foolishly abandoned their covenant with God and indulged in idolatry—that which pleased them. But know the Lord is roaring for you and has already won the victory over sin and every foolish thing that would draw/entice you away from Him. Expect victory!
Also, expect God to birth new and wonderful things for you. Point 6 below is about the womb and that the struggles of this month can be like birth pangs. Every mother knows the pain of birth pangs which are soon forgotten for the joy of the new birth. God wants something new birthed in our lives. Rejoice!
1. It’s the month of the constellation of the lion, and therefore also the month the lion roars. The Lord, the Lion of Judah, is roaring for us (Joel 3:16) [1]. We are still in the “dire straits” (Tammuz 17–Av 9 [July 23–August 13]), but we must shine brighter and brighter. Notice the Lion of Judah is roaring. It is symbolic of declaration of ruling and even attacking and conquering the enemy. Paul said that in all these tribulations, we are “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37), and Daniel prophesied that we would shine as the end approaches (see Dan. 12:3). If the Lord is roaring, then so should we. Let the roar—the shout of victory—rise up in you.
2. The month of Simeon, which means “to hear; to be concerned.” We want to be concerned that we will be able to continue moving ahead. Simeon messed up, just like Reuben (the previous month), who was unstable. Simeon was called an “instrument of cruelty” (Gen. 49:5). Also, there seemed to be instability, perhaps from his mother, Leah, who felt that bearing him would earn her husband’s love (see Gen. 29:31–33) [2]. We are grafted into the great inheritance God has for us. However, when there is instability in our bloodline (as was the case with Simeon—and as is the case with most of us), we need to develop spiritual discipline, as demons will try to convince you to align and agree with them. Therefore, 1) roar, 2) keep testifying whenever God does something for you, 3) and keep remembering we are in covenant with Him.
3. The month that you decide on what you have heard. You need to make a decision. “Will I just hear what God has told me, or will I actually do it?” He is saying, “Let the Lion rise up in you.” Do that by calling on the warrior/overcomer anointing. One of the best methods of meditating is to declare what God has said. Keep declaring that you are a warrior and a conqueror in all things. And yes, keep declaring and testifying the wonderful things God is doing for you. Verbalize them.
4. Av is called the “low-point month.” Historically, bad things have happened to Israel on the 9th of Av. A few examples follow. First, Av 9 (August 13) is when the Israelites agreed with the negative report of the ten spies and declared they wouldn’t enter the Promised Land. Second, the first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians on Av 9 in 423 B.C. Third, the Romans destroyed the second temple on Av 9 in 69 A.D. Fourth, the Jews were ordered out of England on this date in 1290. Fifth, the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 on this same day. Sixth, even the Holocaust is connected in that the stage and conditions for WW2 were set in motion by WW1, which started when Germany declared war on Russia in 1914 on the 9th of Av.
The point isn’t to be fearful, but to be aware of the disaster that can happen when we abandon covenant with God and refuse to believe His promises. I believe this is the best context for 1 Peter 5:8, which states, “Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” In other words, we’re not to fear, but are to have a sober understanding that our hope must always be in God and the covenant He made with us.
5. Av is also known as the “high-point month” because of Av 15 (August 19), the day the last Israelite of the old generation died in the wilderness. Thus, Israel was once again poised to enter the Promised Land. Be of good cheer. God always restores and gives us another chance.
6. The month of the Hebrew letter tet [ט], which resembles a womb. The struggles during Tammuz and Av are like birth pangs. They are not something to be merely endured, but know that God wants to birth something. Tribulations are preparation for more blessing. Paul writes, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).
7. The month where God destroys so that He can reconstruct. The forty years in the wilderness can also be viewed as a destroying of old, wrong foundations of mistrust and unbelief. So for us, the more we choose to shine, the more we can trust God is destroying old hindrances.
8. The month where the earth begins to contract. Watch for earthquakes. The secret of the pregnancy begins to move into the earth realm. When you hear of earthquakes, know that God is getting ready to birth something.
9. The month that also means “there is an iniquity.” However, we don’t need to let it continue. You must change for the better, or you will gradually get worse. Pray, “Lord, show me my iniquities so they can be uprooted.” Choosing to shine in praise and worship, and choosing to declare you are His warrior will do much to uproot iniquitous patterns.
10. The month where the kingdom advances through partnership and connections. Be very aware of your partnerships. If we’ve been responding with more praise and worship, and if we’ve been faithful in making declarations, then we can expect the Lord will have birthed new connections for advance. Watch for them to come now.
11. The month of the left kidney. Develop a new level of discernment, or you will unwittingly oppose God’s counsel and advice. Note Psalm 32. He takes hold of the reins (of our kidneys). Don’t resist the leading of the Holy Spirit. Again, I recommend meditating on what God has spoken or shown. As we do so, we’ll see an increase of His wisdom in us, as well as an increase in discernment.
(This material comes from my 2006 notes taken from a series of lectures [on CD] given by Chuck Pierce [Glory of Zion]. I highly recommend his website for more materials and more in-depth explanations. —Ron Sawka)
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References
[1] “The Lord roars from Zion” (Joel 3:16).
[2] “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, ‘The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now.’ She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, ‘Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, he gave me this one too.’ So she named him Simeon” (Gen. 29:31–33).
[3] “Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days” (Col. 2:16).
[4] “I post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night. You who pray to the Lord, don’t be silent!” (Isa. 62:6).
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