Shabbat Nachamu (“Sabbath of comfort/ing) takes its name from the haftarah from Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah 40:1-26 that speaks of “comforting” the Jewish people for their suffering.

Hope … Always Hope … in God!

The first Shabbat (Sabbath) after Tisha B’Av is called Shabbat Nachamu, which means “comfort”. It is so-called because after the day of mourning, we begin reading from Isaiah 40:1-3, beginning with the word “Nachamu”: “(Nachamu) Comfort, yes, comfort my people! says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her… For she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” It is the first of seven haftarahs of consolation leading up to the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Our hope abides in the Messiah’s redemptive atonement (2 Thessalonians 2:16). The callings of God on the Jewish people are irrevocable (Romans 11: 28-30). His promises are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).

One of those promises, and the hope of the Jewish people for nearly two thousand years, was returning to their Promised Land. This in no way can ever justify, explain, or God forbid, excuse what occurred during the holocaust, or any other tragedy at the hands of mankind. However, the prayer of 2000 years of Jewish generations was at last answered, even as God had promised through the prophet of Isaiah (Isaiah. 66:8):

“Who has ever heard of such a thing?

Who has ever seen such things?

Can a country be born in a day

or a nation be brought forth in a moment?

Yet no sooner is Zion in labor

than she gives birth to her children.”

Although the Temple has twice been destroyed, and the Jewish people twice exiled, the Scriptures and the Gospel of Messiah was spread to the whole world, because He restored His Temple in us!

It is truly amazing that today, in our very own time, the nation of Israel is being restored both physically and spiritually, and the revival of Jewish people around the world is a reality—more and more are giving their lives to Yeshua (Jesus).

Let us remember that soon, the whole world will see the sign of the Son of God, returning with the armies of heaven, to place His throne within Jerusalem forever!