Fasting

How does fasting relate spiritually to the great tribulation and revelation of Christ? Let's examine.

FASTING: TO AFFLICT THE SOUL (MOURN) IN TRIBULATION?

Mt 9:14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

Mt 9:15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Lu 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

Mt 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Lu 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh! for ye shall mourn and weep.

Re 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Lu 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Mt 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mt 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint^218 thine head, and wash thy face;

Mt 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward^591 thee openly^1722.

Mr 6:13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

Mt 21:41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render^591 him the fruits in^1722 their seasons.

Mt 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in^1722 the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward^591 every man according to his works.

2Sa 1:12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

Da 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Es 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

Joe 1:14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

Da 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

Re 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Zep 3:9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Re 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

Re 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Ac 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, (his prayer was heard and Peter was sent to witness to him)

Ac 27:33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

1Co 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

UNSAVED BODY DOES NOT MOURN: IT FASTS FOR STRIFE AND DEBATE

Jer 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

Zec 7:5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

Isa 58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted^06031 our soul^05315, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

Isa 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

Ps 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled^06031 my soul^05315 with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

Ps 55:9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Ps 31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

SALVATION: GOD’S PREFERRED FAST - EVERLASTING GOSPEL - REDEMPTION

Isa 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict^06031 his soul^05315? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Isa 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted^06031 soul^05315; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

Le 23:29 For whatsoever soul^05315 it be that shall not be afflicted^06031 in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

Le 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict^06031 your souls^05315, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Le 16:31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict^06031 your souls^05315, by a statute for ever.

Mt 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Mt 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. (they had to eat first 7 loaves and a few fishes)

SUMMARY CONCLUSION

The Bible appears to be equating fasting to the great tribulation and redemption of the body. Elect first afflict theirs souls (fast) in tribulation as they abstain from food (no revelation). They mourn and call on the name of the LORD and He hears them. Because they fast unto God, He then calls for another fast; one associated with redemption and sharing the gospel. The unsaved body fasts for strive and debate and with the fist of wickedness putting to death the two witnesses. God does not hear their prayers and they end up under judgment.