Lessons
Fellow Laborers
Community-Wide Fast for the Fourth Month
Remembering the Breach of Jerusalem and Returning to The Most High
June 24 at sundown — June 25 at sundown
Observed from even to even according to the Israel Ministries calendar
Community-Wide Fast for the Fourth Month
A solemn fast remembering the breach of Jerusalem, the judgment that came upon Judah, and the call for Israel to return to The Most High.
June 24 at Sundown — June 25 at Sundown
Israel Ministries invites every household, every family, and every sincere believer to join in this sacred community-wide fast. We remember together. We mourn together. We return together.
Join Our Community Bible Class
Continue your spiritual journey with Israel Ministries. This class offers an opportunity to explore the scriptures, deepen your faith, and connect with fellow believers.
Wednesday, June 24th 2026 8:00 PM CST
Fast begins at sundown!!
Meeting ID: 971 2161 071
Scroll For More Info!!!
Section 1
What Is the Fast of the Fourth Month?
The Fast of the Fourth Month is one of the appointed fasts named explicitly in the prophetic writings of Zechariah. It is a solemn observance rooted in the ancient history of Israel — a day set apart for mourning, remembrance, and the deep work of repentance before The Most High.
This fast is not a tradition of men. It is drawn from the word of the prophets and confirmed by the historical record of what occurred to Jerusalem and the covenant people during the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar. It speaks of a real city, a real breach, and a real consequence of covenant-breaking that echoes into every generation.
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace."
— Zechariah 8:19 (KJV)
Section 2
Why Are We Fasting?
The fourth month holds a weight in Israel's history that cannot be overlooked. It was in this month that the walls of Jerusalem were broken through during the Babylonian siege — a catastrophic moment signifying not merely the fall of a city, but the culmination of generations of covenant rebellion, idolatry, and disobedience against The Most High.
2 Kings 25:3–4 (KJV)
"And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city... And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled."
Jeremiah 39:2 (KJV)
"And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up."
Jeremiah 52:6–7 (KJV)
"And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city... Then the city was broken up."
Section 3
Biblical Foundation
Three witnesses confirm the weight of this moment. The scriptures do not speak of the fourth-month breach once — they speak of it repeatedly, across multiple books, through multiple prophets. This is how The Most High marks a significant event: by confirming it in the mouths of many witnesses.
The City Was Besieged
2 Kings 25:1–3 — Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his full army. The siege lasted through the ninth, tenth, and eleventh years of Zedekiah's reign. Famine pressed upon the people until there was no bread left in the city. The weight of judgment descended slowly and relentlessly upon a people who had forsaken their covenant.
The City Was Broken Up
2 Kings 25:4 — In the fourth month, the wall was broken. The defenders fled under cover of night through the king's garden gate. The breach in Jerusalem's wall was not simply a military defeat — it was the physical manifestation of a broken covenant. The city that once stood in the glory of The Most High lay open and exposed before its enemies.
The Prophets Remembered It
Jeremiah 39:2 and Jeremiah 52:6–7 — The prophet Jeremiah records the same event in two separate passages. This is not repetition for its own sake. The Most High repeats the testimony so that no generation can claim ignorance. The fourth-month breach is confirmed by multiple prophetic witnesses, and it is to be remembered, mourned, and lamented before Him.
Section 4
How to Keep the Fast
Biblical Rules for Fasting: Keep Your Mouth Closed
The Practice of the Fast
From sundown on June 24 to sundown on June 25, abstain completely from all food and drink. Nothing passes your lips during the fast. This is the ancient practice — a total fast observed in remembrance and solemn mourning before The Most High.
Use every hour of the fast purposefully: in prayer, in repentance, in scripture reading, in meditation, and in deep personal reflection before The Most High. Let silence replace idle speech, and let hunger remind you of what Jerusalem endured and why.
What This Fast Is Not
This is a solemn remembrance fast. It is not a casual diet. It is not a wellness cleanse. It is not a personal health challenge. It is not a time for social media sharing or spiritual performance before others.
This fast is a sacred covenant act — an acknowledgment before The Most High that we remember what was lost, we grieve what was broken, and we desire His restoration. Approach it with reverence, with humility, and with sincerity of heart.
Section 5
Preparing Before Sundown
The fast begins at sundown on June 24. What you do in the hours before sundown matters greatly. Preparation is not merely physical — it is spiritual, mental, and relational. Enter this fast ready, not rushing.
Eat Before Sundown
Take a nourishing meal before the fast begins. Do not begin hungry. Prepare your body to sustain the full fast from even to even.
Hydrate Before Sundown
Drink water throughout the day before the fast. Your body needs to be well-hydrated to endure a full sundown-to-sundown fast safely.
Complete Personal Hygiene
Finish brushing teeth and all personal hygiene before the fast begins. Once the fast has started, keep your mouth closed.
Prepare Your Scriptures
Select and arrange the scriptures you will read during the fast before sundown. Have them ready so that when the fast begins, you can go directly to the Word.
Remove Distractions
Put away entertainment, social media, and idle distractions. The fast is a sacred window of time — guard it from anything that would fill the space that belongs to The Most High.
Make Peace Where Possible
Resolve conflicts and extend forgiveness before the fast begins. Enter the fast with a heart at peace with those around you, so that your prayers may ascend unhindered.
Set Your Heart on Return
Enter the fast with deliberate intention. Set your heart on repentance, renewal, and returning to the covenant of The Most High. This is the purpose of every hour you will fast.
Section 6
What to Do During the Fast
The hours of a solemn fast are not empty hours. They are hours given back to The Most High — filled with the work of the spirit, the examination of the soul, and the sincere seeking of His face. Here is how to steward the time of the fast.
Prayer
Seek The Most High with full sincerity. Lay your petitions before Him. Pray for yourself, your household, the scattered nation of Israel, and the fulfillment of His promises. Do not let the hours of the fast pass in silence before men — let them be full of speech before The Most High.
Repentance
Examine yourself honestly and humbly. Where have you, your family, and the nation departed from the commandments? Name the specific breaches. Confess them plainly. Repentance is not a feeling — it is a turning. Let the fast produce a genuine turning back toward the covenant.
Scripture
Read the historical accounts of Jerusalem's fall. Read the lamentations of Jeremiah. Read the prophetic promises of restoration in Zechariah. Let the Word of The Most High fill your mind and instruct your heart. Scripture is the lamp that guides the fast.
Reflection
Sit with the hard questions. What breaches need to be repaired in your personal life? In your household? In your community? Ask The Most High to show you where the walls have been broken, and begin the inner work of restoration that precedes the outward one.
Section 7
Scriptures to Read During the Fast
These scriptures form the foundation of the Fast of the Fourth Month. They are the historical record, the lament, the prayer, and the prophetic promise — all woven together in the testimony of The Most High. Read them slowly, prayerfully, and with full attention.
1
History
2 Kings 25
Jeremiah 39
Jeremiah 52
2
Lament
Lamentations 1
Lamentations 3
Psalm 137
3
Prayer
Daniel 9
Deuteronomy 28
4
Prophecy
Zechariah 7
Zechariah 8
Begin With the Historical Record
Open with 2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 39, and Jeremiah 52 — the eyewitness accounts of the breach of Jerusalem. Read them carefully and let the weight of what happened press upon your spirit. This is not ancient mythology. This is the record of what befell a covenant people when they departed from The Most High.
Close With the Prophetic Hope
End with Zechariah 7 and 8. Read the rebuke, the call to return, and the extraordinary promise of restoration. Let the fast close not in despair but in the firm hope of what The Most High has promised to do for His people when they return to truth and peace.
Section 8
Health Considerations
The Israel Ministries community is made up of people with varying physical conditions and health needs. We honor both the call to fast and the call to care for the bodies The Most High has given us. Wisdom is required.
Those who cannot safely abstain from all food and water are not excluded from the fast in spirit. You can still participate fully through concentrated prayer, sincere repentance, dedicated scripture study, and solemn reflection during the hours of the fast. The posture of the heart before The Most High is not diminished by physical limitation.
Section 9
Breaking the Fast at Sundown — June 25
When the sun sets on June 25, the fast comes to its appointed close. The moment of breaking the fast is itself a sacred moment — not a return to ordinary life, but a transition from mourning to measured gratitude. Do not rush it. Do not treat it carelessly.
Begin With Water
Break the fast gently with water before anything else. Give your body time to receive it before introducing food. Haste here is neither necessary nor wise.
Eat Lightly First
Begin with light, gentle food. Do not rush back into heavy eating. Your body has been consecrated through the fast — honor it in how you return to nourishment.
Pray With Gratitude
End the fast with prayer and thanksgiving. Express gratitude to The Most High for sustaining you through the fast and for receiving your observance in sincerity.
Renew Your Commitment
Let the fast close with a renewed commitment to the covenant. The purpose of the fast was not merely to endure hunger — it was to return. Let the breaking of the fast mark a genuine beginning of that return.
Section 10
The Prophetic Hope
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace."
— Zechariah 8:19 (KJV)
The fasts of mourning are not the end of the story. The Most High does not leave His people in perpetual grief. He is a covenant-keeping God, and the same mouth that commanded the fast has promised its transformation. The day is coming — promised, certain, and unalterable — when the Fast of the Fourth Month will no longer be a day of weeping, but a day of joy, gladness, and cheerful feasting for the house of Judah.
The Promise Stands
These fasts were ordained in mourning because of the breach. They will be transformed into feasts when the breach is repaired. The Most High Himself will make that transformation — but only when His people have returned to Him in truth, in sincerity, and in covenant faithfulness.
The Condition Remains
The promise of joy is inseparable from the command that accompanies it: "therefore love the truth and peace." The transformation of mourning into gladness is tied not to the passing of time, but to the character of the people. Love truth. Love peace. Return to the covenant. That is the path from the fast of mourning to the feast of joy.
Closing Encouragement
Return to the Covenant
Remember the Breach
Do not let the fourth month pass in silence. Remember what happened to Jerusalem. Remember why it happened. Let the memory produce in you a holy sobriety.
Repent for the Breach
The breach in the wall was a breach of covenant. Repent personally and corporately for every way the covenant has been broken in your life, your household, and your community.
Return to the Covenant
Repentance without return is incomplete. Commit to keeping the commandments, to walking in truth, and to building again what has been broken down.
Prepare for Restoration
The prophets have promised restoration. It is not a question of whether — it is a question of when, and whether we will be among those who are ready when it comes.
May The Most High receive our fast, hear our prayers, restore the breach, and turn the mourning of His people into joy.
This is our prayer. This is our hope. This is our covenant.
Israel Ministries
Observed from even to even · Community-Wide Fast for the Fourth Month · June 24 at sundown — June 25 at sundown