Yeshua, our Savior, even under any other name or assigned Christian made up title such as the Catholic title of “Christ” or the KJV “Jesus” was never in Christmas or Easter, so why worry about it or try to shove him and his Holy Fall Feast of Tabernacles birth [not December 25th] into a sungod, heathen holiday or tie him and His Spring Resurrection to a bare breasted sungoddess spring festival? It makes no sense at all and it is nonsense for Christians to mix the Holy things of YHWH God with pagan things dedicated to Satan’s kingdom and then to celebrate the mixture as ‘harmless’ or Christianized. Celebrate the secular midwinter solstice holiday and Easter if you wish, but do not tie them to Almighty God or to Yeshua/Jesus. That is wrong and it denigrates the Bible, God’s Word. Do not say, “That is not what it means to me”. It does not matter to Yeshua or YHWH God what it means to you if you use that tired excuse for disobedience to the Word of God. Your worldview must line up with scripture if you are to follow the Savior at all. “This is the Way, walk ye in it”, says the Almighty. See my article on Yeshua/Jesus real birthday at the Feast of Tabernacles on my WordPress website.
Deuteronomy 12:28-32 says:
“Shomer [Obey] and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you le-olam-va-ed [forever], when you do that which is tov [good] and right in the sight of Yahweh your Elohim. When Yahweh your Elohim shall cut off the nations from before you, that you are going to possess, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land; Guard yourself that you are not ensnared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their elohim, saying, how did these nations serve their elohim? Even so will I do too. You shall not do so to Yahweh your Elohim: for every abomination to Yahweh, that He hates, have they done to their elohim; for even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their [prosperity] elohim. Whatever I am commanding you, shomer [take care] to do it: you shall not add to it, nor take away from it [the Word].”
First of all, this examination of the Biblical Hebraic Roots of Christianityand its applicability to today’s Church systems is not an attack on either true Christianity or Christians in this 21stCentury of the “Christian era”, but it is a course correction out of the shipwrecking rocks and shoals of error and illusions. Those who would take offense without consideration of the teachings given here should not fall into the same snare that Judah fell into when confronted with Jeremiahs proclaiming what YHWH told him to say to the people chosen by Yahweh to bear His Name. That snare which is called by Yahweh, “Lashan Hara” or the evil tongue; speaking slander and vilification against the messenger rather than considering the message that YHWH wanted the Prophet to convey to them.
This is an examination of the Pagan, Roman Catholic Gregorian Calendar used universally by Protestant Christianity today in place of Yahweh’s Calendar from the Bible. Some may consider that I am being cruel to fellow believers in Jesus/Yeshua, but I am really not writing this from any animosity whatsoever. I, exhorting as a Bar-Naba, hate lies and deception. I desire above all else to free my brothers and sisters from the “traditions of men, which put the things of the Almighty God to naught” in the minds of his children. The Scripture is true in its entirety and provides our only light. The lies of the clerics provide only darkness and have always done so.
2 Kefa (Peter), chapter 3:
“And consider the long patience of our Master as salvation; even as our beloved brother Sha’ul (Paul) also according to the chochmah (wisdom) given to him has written to you; As also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things; in which some things are hard to understand, which they that are unlearned and unstable twist, as they do also the other Keetvay HaKodesh (Holy Scriptures), to their own destruction (and their students confusion). You then, beloved ones, seeing you know these things beforehand (from your youth), beware lest you also, being led away with the delusion of Torah-less-ness (lawlessness), fall from your ownsteadfastness. But grow in favor and in the da’at (grace) of our Master and Savior Yeshua ha Moshiach. To Him be tifereth (glory) both now and le-olam-va-ed (forever). Omein.”
In my reading and studying of the Hebrew Scriptures, I have yet to find one place that requires us to submit to any authority of those that:
1) Add to, delete from or change the teachings of Yahweh’s written Torahand:
2) Refer to the Law given to Moshe (Moses), not as an authoritative code of instruction and teaching of believers; but as a mere “source of law” for the purpose of deriving and enacting new laws such as Ecclesiastical orRabbinical Oral Enactments, Takanot and Ma’asim.
Furthermore, I have yet to find one written Scriptural source (written Torah/Tanach and the written Gospels/Renewed Covenant) that says that we can only receive the Spirit of Elohim (Holy Spirit) on condition that we live according to the exacting standards of Pharisaic or Denominational Takanot and Geserot(decrees, regulations, doctrines and prohibitions added to Moses written words) and Ma’asim (Precedents of the Rabbis and Church Denominations).
The Pagan Calendar in use on the Roman Catholic continent of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea lands during the “Dark Ages” was called the Julian calendar and was created by that famous pagan, sun worshiping Roman dictator, Julius Caesar; a devotee of Sol Invicta Mithras and also Jupiter, the Roman Solar deities. This calendar received the blessings of all the Roman Catholic Popes and their pagan church until it was mathematically “corrected” during the reign of Pope Gregory in 1585. The changes were mathematical and minimal in scope and encompassed the additional “changing of days and seasons” in defiance of scripture. The Pagan prosperity sungod names that Julius Caesar gave to days, weeks and months remained intact by Pope Gregory and will be discussed later in this article. These calendars worked well for the Anti-Israel and Anti-nomian, sun worshiping Babylonian Papal system, which had successfully divorced the Christian church from its Hebrew roots and created a new man made religion called Catholicism [Universal, they hoped]. This religion followed Babylon and is correctly named, “The Second Babylon”. Read Alexander Hyslop’s book of the same name, published in the 1850’s. It is excellent and correctly describes Christianity’s descent into Entropy and semi-paganism.
Yahweh God gave Moses in the Torah books, a perfect, Heavenly based calendar spelled out in detail in the Holy Torah as the eternal pattern written with the finger of Yahweh Elohim on Mount Horev; the true mountain of the Testimony. The New Year began at the new moon of the month of Aviv and the spring “Aviv Barley” in Israel before the spring equinox and was delineated in minute detail with many examples throughout Scripture. You, if you do not understand the Calendar of YHWH God, you will also never understand the Bible, and will never understand Bible Prophecy or the Gospel correctly. The Almighty does not like, nor does he comply with Pagan Calendars; but only his own Holy Calendar that began at Creation in Genesis 1:1!
Exodus 12: 2: “This month [Aviv] shall be for you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year for you.”
For 3500 plus years or so after the Holy Mountain of YHWH God experience, the true descendants of Avraham, called Israel and not “Jews”, began their scriptural year at the new moon in accordance with scripture, starting at the spring Month of Aviv that is ordained by Yahweh God and then followed it by the great feast of Pesach [Passover] on the 14th of Aviv as indicated in Leviticus chapter 23, which is the listing of Yahweh’s annual, Memorial times and seasons. It is worth noting here that these are Yahweh’s eternal feasts; and not “Jewish” feasts from Judaism’s modern calculated Calendar of the 2nd Century CE. They are not even the “times and seasons of Moses law”, but they are Yahweh God’s Holy, everlasting Commandments ordained within the scope of HIS Eternal CALENDAR!
The true descendants of the two houses of Israel still obey these Holy Commands and the Holy types and patterns leading unto Yeshua, our Messiah, that they represent.
Papal, Catholic, pagan Rome adopted the pagan sungod calendar of her predecessor and mentor, Caesar’s Imperial Rome. Julius Caesar got his calendar from the pagan religions of both the Eastern and Western sun worshiping religions of his ancestors. Roman Catholicism viciously attacked all who kept the Scriptural calendar and slaughtered millions of Jews and true Christians who followed Yahweh’s ancient ways. She insisted on controlling the calendar and ordered all to adopt her corrupt computations. The results were predictable. By the year 1582 the Julian calendar was off by 11 days and began to be embarrassing to the “fisherman, lord god, the pope”. Pope Gregory XIII then called on his own church version of the “Gestapo”, the Jesuits for a fix. They then provided a Jesuit, Christopher Clavius, S.J, who became the architect of the Gregorian calendar! This heathen was a German Jesuit mathematician and “pseudo astronomer” and became the main engine of the modern Gregorian calendar used by Christianity today. With this Jesuit calendar, came also the Jesuit astronomy or, as is known today, the “heliocentric universe”. With his introduction of the new Catholic calendar, Pope Gregory XIII demonstrated to the world that the changing of “times and seasons” is centered in Rome, and not on Scripture and certainly not centered on the Holy One of Israel. This was an interesting “trick” and was probably related to countering the Protestant reformation, which was going on in Europe at the time. The protestors failed to protest or counter this change and the Christian Church remains ignorant of it to this present day! As most of the other calendars in the world attest, the Popes usually adjust the calendar to the particular god of each nation/religion. Pope Gregory has clearly demonstrated that his god was and is the Catholic sungod in the sky, and it is not centered on Yeshua, the Son of Yahweh, and Savior of mankind.
The idea that Christians chose to celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December because this was the date of an already existing festival of Sol Invictus Mithra was expressed in an annotation to a manuscript of a work by 12th-century Syrian bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi. The scribe who added it wrote: “It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day.”
The Gregorian calendar was accepted in England and her colonies by an act of Parliament in 1752! Russia would not accept this Roman calendar until the Communist revolution in the early 20th century.
Protestants in early America used to recognize that Solar phenomena have no particular bearing on standard Christian practice, but now have fallen to the point that, on Easter morning [a pagan goddess, Ishtar/Semiramis, festival]; they go to the cemetery and face the rising sun in worship, not recognizing that they are following the ancient heathen worship of Semiramis/Mary, the “queen of heaven”! It is easy to deceive the unlearned or mistaught as Yahweh showed Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
The Gregorian calendar is named for an infamous persecutor and killer of Protestant Christians and Jews, most notably, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572; Pope Gregory XIII.
The Holy One of Israel gave a name ONLY to the 7th day of the week, which He called Shabbat [Sabbath];the only day of the seven-day week that He designated as a Holy day of rest. The other 6 days, He numbered 1 through 6, [Exodus 20:11, Deuteronomy 5:12-14; etc]. He also designated as His Appointed Times, the seven Annual Feasts of YHWH and no other feast, to be observed in perpetuity by all of his people, Israel and including those grafted into Israel. Read Romans 9, 10 and 11 to get a glimmer of how you are seen by Yeshua.
Rebellious pagan Men gave names to all 7 days of the week and the months of the year, which they named after PAGAN deities. The deities of the week are symbols equivalent to the sun, moon and 5 major planets. The months of the year are named after the PAGAN Sungods of Rome, Greece, Ireland, Scandinavia and other European Nations, including Germany. Roman numbers designates some months for the months 7,8,9 and 10, September, October, November and December.
The word PAGAN [a Gentile] means a heathen; one who is not a Hebrew, Nazarene or even a true Christian. One cannot be “A Gentile saved by faith” This is FALSE and ignorant at best! You can only be one or the other, and you cannot be both, that is; you are a FORMER Gentile.
The terms Pagan, Gentile and heathen specifically refer to one or all of the ancient polytheistic peoples, especially the Greeks, Romans and the Muslim descendants of Edom in particular. Heathen is applicable to all idolaters and worshipers of false, twisted gods.
The Biblical day always begins at sunset as defined at creation in Genesis, while the Gregorian Catholic day begins at midnight, which figures because that hour is called in history as the “witching hour”. Go figure!
The following descriptives contain some mind-blowing facts that you never knew before and that may be damaging to your former complacency on these matters!
Now we will define each day of the week:
1] Day 1 is called as such by Yahweh. It is called by pagans as SUN-DAY; so named for the “day of the venerable sun”. The sungod, “Sol Invicta” is called Nimrod, Tammuz, Ra, Osiris, Helios, Apollo, Ogmios, Mithra, Zeus, Jupiter, St. Elias and many more, but you get the idea. Christians worship on this sun-day, thus obeying the edict of the first Pope, Emperor Constantine Ist,given in 321 C.E., which changed the scriptural Sabbath from the 7th day to the 1st day of the week, SUBDAY. No Scripture exists requiring this change, but Scripture is twisted unmercifully to try to justify this pagan practice. The Sunday symbol is the solar disc or the solar disc in the center of the cross of Mithra, which is the symbol of the Roman Legions sungod, Mithras. Rome murdered millions of true, Messianic believers and Jews on this Roman sungod cross. The Medieval horizontal “Rack” of the Catholic Inquisition was a variation on the Cross of Crucifixion adopted by Rome to kill freedom lovers and Jews. Roman Catholicism, along with Islam, together, is the longest-lived murder cults on planet Earth!
2] Day2 is called as such by Yahweh. Pagans call it MON-DAY in honor of the Moon goddess, personified as Selene, Semiramis, Luna and Mani among others. The symbol is the crescent Moon. Islam worships this god as Allah, the Moongod of Islam and the Curse [Strongs H#421-423] of everyone else.
3] Day 3 is called as such by Yahweh. Pagans call it TUES-DAY in honor of the demonic force [the Force] of power, energy and endurance personified as Ares, Tiwas, Tiw, Tuisco and Tyr among others. The symbol of this wargod is the red planet Mars.
4] Day 4 is called as such by Yahweh. Pagans call it WEDNES-DAY in honor of the demonic spirit of Gnostic knowledge and wisdom, personified as Woden, Odin and Hermes. The symbol of this false oracle is the planet Mercury.
5] Day 5 is called as such by Yahweh. Pagans call it THURS-DAY in honor of the idol of Thunder, personified as Thunor [Thor]. Other names for him are Zeus, Taranis, Perun, Perkunis and St. Olaf among others. The symbol of this sungod is the planet Jupiter.
6] Day 6 is called as such by Yahweh. Pagans call it FRI-DAY worshiping the goddess of sexual love, Frigga. The symbol is Venus. Muslims worship this day as their sabbath but do not exhibit love as westerners know it, but only love death which is dedicated to their idol, Allah; which means “the CURSE” in Hebrew, [Strongs concordance #H421-423].
7] THE Holy and Eternal 7th Day SABBATH is called by YHWH God the SHABBAT, and it is called by men as Saturday, the day of Saturnalia after the worship of the sungod Saturn and it is designated by pig/pork eating as worship, pagan feasting on forbidden garbage eating animal foods and the committing of sexual sins, including Homosexuality, bisexuality, animal sex, pedophilia, rape and the worship of Nimrods penis in all of its pagan forms. Obelisques are towers representing Nimrods erect, uncircumcised penis, including the one centered in Washington, DC. It is dedicated to George Washington, a 33rd Degree Mason and worshiper of the Masonic Temple’s many sungod’s. Groves, Wiccan Circles, prostitute temples worldwide, pornography, Homosexual baths, massage parlors, gentlemen’s clubs, drinking and drugs are but a few of the rotten fruits of this pagan and rebellious substitute day. Christians shop, work, drink, eat Biblically forbidden foods and watch pagan games and Hollywood “R” rated entertainments on YHWH God’s Holy Day. They condemn themselves to the lake of fire for doing such defiant abominations.
The months of the pagan year in the Gregorian calendar; when they are set against the Scriptural months, in this list beginning roughly with the Bibles first month of AVIV in the spring; read as follows with their deities defined:
4] April = Aphrodite. A pagan Greek sexual fertility spring goddess, who is also called the Roman goddess, Venus. The Anglo-Saxon name for this month is Eastermonath, the month of the goddess EOSTRE/Ishtar whose name is the origin of the word EASTER. April is named in honor of her. Even Christians celebrate Easter instead of Passover and they are ignorantly worshiping Semiramis or Ishtar, a satanic goddess idol!
5] May = Maia, the Greek goddess of spring, identified with the goddess of fertility, Bona-Dea. She is included with April as a spring goddess of fertility to cover all Passover eventualities with pagan festivities. Mayday is the day of little schoolgirls worshiping Nimrods penis by dancing around the “Maypole” of Nimrod and garlanding it with flowers as a preparation for later demonically led sexual activity. I saw this display of American schoolteacher ignorance as an ignorant young gradeschool boy on school playground equipment poles. IT IS SICK!
6] June = Juno; another goddess and wife of Jupiter; this time it is a Roman demon who is also known as the Greek goddess, Hera. Her chief claim to fame is as another “queen of heaven” and as a divine “watcher” over the female sex. This ties in with the month of June as being the most auspicious time for marriage in America.
7] July = Julius. Julius Caesar; the Emperor of Rome and self-proclaimed sungod; the creator of the Julian calendar who proclaimed his own deity prior to being ventilated by many knives by some disgruntled senators. So much for proclaiming, “man is god”.
8] August = Augustus. Named after the [guess who], the Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar; another ultimate politician and Obamanation.
9] September, the 7th month of the Biblical year [Sept] = Pomona;Named after the Roman goddess of fruit and fruit bearing trees. Wine, anyone?
10] October, the 8th month of the Biblical year [Oct] = Astraea, a Greek goddess. The Latin word Octber means eighth, so how did eighth become tenth? The Middle English word is Octobre, meaning a time to brew English/German Ale, called “Oktoberfest”.
11] November, the 9th month of the Biblical year [Nov] = Samhain. The name comes from the Catholic “All Saints day”, but the festival is really a Samhain [Satan] festival; known as Halloween, a celebration of devils.
12] December, the 10th month of the Biblical year [Dec] = Decima/Vesta. This is the middle goddess of the three fates and the Middle English spelling is Decembre. The Latin word is from decem meaning 10th. So why is the Catholic Calendar calling it the 12thmonth? Well, my confused American Christian friend, it is to sneak in “Christmas” with its lies so you will celebrate the Winter Solstice with the Wiccans and other pagans, who laugh at your naivete.
1] January = Janus, the two faced demonic god of endings, doors, theater and beginnings. The pagan new year is celebrated in January. The only “door” [dalet] that I recognize is the Holy One of Israel, Yeshua Ha Moshiach!
2] February = Februa, the Roman goddess of passion, death, purification and sex. Her orgiastic rites are celebrated on the 14th of February, St. Valentine’s Day. Send someone a valentine and participate in this feast of Wiccan, pagan lust. In the middle ages, one sent a Valentine such that a demon of lust would inhabit the recipient person you wished to have sex with. The demon is still present, but Americans are mostly ignorant of this evil intentioned root. Or are they?
3] March = Mars, the Roman god of war, known in Greece as Ares and by the Nordic Vikings as Odin. This month in early spring was considered a good time to start a war. Check your history on this one. For instance, when a squad leader wishes his troops to move out, what word does he use to get them going? Yes, you guessed it. MARCH!
The modern Protestant Christian Churches; in their zeal to accept and incorporate these pagan deities into their doctrines, holy days, holidays and ecclesiastical dogma, throw out and dispense with entire books of the Bible, notably the first 5 books of the Torah {Pentateuch] of YHWH God, to their eternal shame. It is little wonder that the new Babylonian system of Roman Catholicism calls the Protestant Denominations “wayward daughters, soon to return to the fold”. I am still waiting for the Protestants to complete the Reformation and cast aside their pagan doctrines. I do not think it will happen soon without church persecution and mass repentance on the part of the many Denominations naming the 400 year old name of “Jesus”, an English title which means nothing in the languages of Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. His Grace is sufficient, however, to cover that little bit of ignorance, so Yeshua allows His Western children to call him by that name anyway. His mercy endures forever and he allows a multitude of errors in Christians as a good Savior does. He does not expect a believing toddler to do everything that a teenager or a mature grownup would be expected to do.
Sha’ul (Paul) told the Thessalonians that before the Messiah returned, there would be a “falling away” (apostasy, a “departure from truth”). This departure from the truth would then open the door for something evil called “the man of lawlessness” to come forth. This “coming of the lawless one” would be accompanied by “all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” which would “deceive those who are perishing.”
“They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved,” Paul writes. “For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” In preparation for the return of the Messiah, God is also sending powerful revelation to graciously expose the ancient lie, so that those who love the truth can depart from error and be freed from the bewitching influence of the spirit of lawlessness.
The Roman Pope has taken upon himself the role of a type of Ante [in place of] -“Christ” and as it is documented in encyclicals and edicts, his supposed right to “change times and seasons” in direct defiance of scripture. The many denominational Christian Churches have not only kept silent, but have slavishly followed the Roman Catholic calendars pathwayto destruction and divine judgment. Take note of the many goddesses named in the calendar, which universally represent the concept of a “queen of heaven”. Roman Popes have also placed Miriam [Mary] in this same category with the “Queen of heaven’s” named witchcraft pagan attributes, again, in defiance of Scriptural truth. After all, the Popes are all called “Lord God, the Pope” by the followers of this form of the Babylonian religion.
There is an excellent article outlining the “ABCs of the Biblical Calendar” on the website http://www/yrm.org/abccalendar.htmthat describes the Scriptural remedy to this sad state of affairs. Many will read this article and others of similar warning, but I think that few Christians will ACT upon what they read. The Bible is very clear on Yahweh’s position and instructions on His appointed times and seasons and His Calendar is very easy to understand, but, sadly, the majority will place the “traditions of men/ elders/ leaders/ pastors and Rabbis” foremost in their minds above the clear, Holy, Torah instructions and teachings of Yahweh God in His written word.
Much has been written and posted on the Internet on this subject and I add my humble observations to the lot and hope that someone’s mind and heart may be stirred to study to show themselves approved to YHWH God and then apply these teachings to their lives.
In 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced his Gregorian calendar, Europe adhered to the Julian calendar, first implemented by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. Since the Roman emperor's system miscalculated the length of the solar year by 11 minutes, the calendar had since fallen out of sync with the seasons.
Which calendar should society follow, Pope Gregory XIII Gregorian calendar or God’s Calendar? Everything we do should start with God! Our conscious tells us that we should follow God’s truth and not man’s truth. The amazing thing about the human conscious is this...even if you don't believe what I am saying, you believe what I am saying. Even if you reject the truth of what I am saying, there is rooted deep inside you a conviction which you can suppress with the years that is which is nonetheless telling you these things are so. And this truth is the truth that the scripture won't let you forget. - Stuart Loy.
First, we must seek to understand God’s truth and apply His truth in our daily lives. God’s calendar has “appointed festivals or holidays” that He commands we follow and worship. God’s calendar, nor the Bible identify the Pagan festivals or holidays (Gregorian calendar) that has been passed down from century to century as biblical holidays. Pagan’s have mixed truth with what is false, and changed God’s appointed festivals in His Luni-Solar calendar to fit their Gregorian calendar.
Roman Emperor Julius Caesar started a 10-month calendar called the Julian Calendar, but Pope Gregory XIII introduced a better one, the Gregorian Calendar, in 1582 to correct the problem of the previous one which gained about three unwanted days every four centuries. Additionally, the 10-month calendar was throwing the farmers off schedule. Here in the West, we still use the Gregorian Calendar. Both of these calendars introduced to us by the Roman Empire came with many differences from the Biblical one to include different names for days, weeks, and months, and the replacement of many biblical holidays with other holidays. They even came with a different New Year's Day. The Prophet Daniel warned of an evil king who would “think to change times and laws” as recorded in Daniel 7:24-25 [KJV]. The Gregorian Calendar is a Pagan Calendar which is contaminated with the names of Pagan Gods, as follows:
D A Y S O F T H E W E E K -
1-Sunday Sun (Sol) God, under names such as Helios, Apollo, Star = SUN
Ogmios, Mithras, and St. Elias.
2-Monday Moon Goddess, under names such as Selene, Planet = MOON
Luna, and Mani.
3-Tuesday Norse God of War, under names Planet = MARS
Tiwas, and Tyr. The Latin translation is Mars.
4-Wednesday God of knowledge & wisdom, under names Planet = MERCURY
such as Woden, Odin, and Hermes.
5-Thursday God of Thunder, under the name of Thunor (Thor), Planet = JUPITER
Taranis, Perun, Perkunas, and St. Olaf.
6-Friday Goddess of love, under the name of Frigg. Planet = VENUS
7-Saturday God of Saturn, under the name of Seatere, or Seater. Planet = SATURN
M O NT H S O F T H E Y E A R -
January Janus Roman two-faced God of endings & beginnings
February Februa Roman Goddess of Passion and Love
March Mars Roman God of War Planet = Mars
April Afrodite Greek Goddess (& Roman Venus) Planet = Venus
May Maia Greek Goddess of Spring
June Juno Roman Goddess (Queen of Heaven)
July Julius Named after Emperor Julius Caesar
August Augustus Named after Emperor Augustus Caesar
September From Latin word "septem" meaning seven
October From Latin word "octo" meaning eight
November Front Latin word "Novem" meaning nine
December From Latin word "Decemi" meaning ten
The names of the last four months of the Gregorian Calendar are numerical titles which used to show their position in the older Julian Calendar. These four numerical months got out of order when the new months of January and February were added to the beginning of the 10-month Julian Calendar, to create the 12-month Gregorian Calendar. This forced the four months with numerical names further to the back of the calendar so that their names no longer matched their position in the calendar.
THE CREATOR'S CALENDAR:
The Creator, Yahweh our Elohim (God) has his own calendar which is quite different from our calendar and he is still running the world by it. It is our loss if we are ignorant of his time keeping system. If we want to flow along with him, we need to coordinate with his calendar so that we are not out of step with him. We don’t want to find ourselves zigging in one direction when he is zagging in an opposite direction. We will never be able to come close to understanding future prophetic events correctly without adopting his method of keeping time in our religious practices.
Not to confuse you, but sadly I have to report that there are at least four different versions of the Hebrew Calendar which is very frustrating because how can we celebrate them together as a Convocation (assembly) as we are commanded to do in Leviticus Chapter 23 if everyone is using different calendars from each other which often have a separate date set for each feast? Though these competing dates for the same holidays often fall within one to three days of each other, it still does not help us all celebrate these appointed times together as a unified people. Here are the four main versions of Hebrew or Biblical Calendars:
I. Hillel II fixed mathematical Calendar: This is the most used, and was made by
Hillel II who was the last head of the Sanhedrin Council just before the 2nd Temple
in Jerusalem was destroyed. This was probably the right thing to do since the Jews
were getting kicked out of Israel and would no longer be able to check the moon
and barley from there. Plus, since the Jews were being scattered throughout the
Roman Empire, they needed some way to celebrate the feasts simultaneously as a
group. Almost all Orthodox Jews, as well as a probably 70% of Messianic Believers
in Yeshua also keep this calendar. We used to do the Aviv Moon Calendar but have
since retreated to the use of this one created by Hillel because it is easier to plan
ahead with this one.
II. Aviv Moon Calendar: This is the most biblical one and seeks to match the barley
harvest on the temple mount in Israel, with the first sliver of the moon, and allows
for a 13-month year when needed if the barley hasn't yet progressed to the state of
Aviv in time. Karaite Jews and probably 20% of Messianic believers use this method.
Michael Rood and Nehemiah Gordon are strong advocates of this method. It appears
that the “Sighted Moon Calendar” is the same calendar or is at least calculated the
same way. The barley harvest only applies to establishing the first month of the
year. After the first month has been declared, all that is needed to declare a new
month is sighting of the first sliver of the moon.
III. The Sited Moon Calendar: This calendar sets the first day of the year by the sighting
of the first sliver of the moon in Jerusalem. Then after counting off 10 days, people
can go out and pick out a Passover lamb, and on the 14th day of the new year
Passover commences to get the feasts going for the year. This method seems to skip or overlook the need to incorporate the barely harvest in the calculations. After the first month has been declared, all that is needed to declare a new month for the remaining months of the year, is sighting of the first sliver of the moon.
IV. The Lunar Calendar: Although all Hebraic Calendars are based in part upon the
moon, this is the one that got coined with the name "Lunar" and is probably followed by about 12% of Messianic believers. This is a confusing concept that would encourage a lot of confusion and frustration in your life. Supposedly the 7th day Sabbath is set for the month by whatever day the first sliver of the moon falls on. Then that same day is the Sabbath day for the remainder of the month. Each succeeding month will name its own weekly Sabbath day in the same manner so that very rarely will it fall on Saturday. This method of calculating the calendar has been soundly renounced in most congregations of both Messianic Judaism, Messianic Ephriamites, and/or Messianic Believers.
V. The Conjunction of the Moon Calendar: This method seeks to declare the period from
1-3 years of non-lighted dark moon between old and new moon cycles as the official new moon. This occurs at the end of the month just before light begins to shine on the moon again. This method is probably followed by about 3% of all Messianic believers. They have their reasons but it is just too confusing for me. I struggled through watching a video clip of it that lasted 2 hours and 48 minutes, two and a half times, and I still didn’t understand it. Aside from many scriptures and definitions to the contrary, I can't believe that our Heavenly Father would require us to follow something that is this hard to learn and understand. So I vote no!
VI. The Enochian Calendar: An ancient calendar described in the pseudepigraphical
(i.e.-falsely authored) book Enoch. It divided the year into four seasons of exactly
13 weeks each. Each such season consisted of two 30-day months followed by one
31-day month, and the 31st day ended the season, so that Enoch's Year consisted
of exactly 364 days. Since the Bible already advises that the first month of the year
is in the month of Aviv/Abib/Nissan, and biblical dates like Passover and such
are already figured on a counting basis off of the first day of the year, this method
runs afoul of the Bible. Plus, Pagan holidays like Christmas and Easter are built upon
the four seasons being cut in quarters by the Winter and Summer Solstices, and the
Spring and Fall Equinoxes. This method is definitely not Yahweh's method.
THE CREATOR'S NEW YEARS DAY:
A Biblical or Hebrew day starts in the evening when the sun first goes down. Each new day starts in the nighttime as soon as it first gets dark, but the daylight occurs in the second or last part of the day. It can be kind of hard to adjust our minds to this method of calculation when considering Biblical hours and days, because in our Western culture our new days technically begin at midnight, but we don't really call it the next day until daybreak arrives when the sun starts shining on the earth again. In contrast, the calculation of Biblical days is somewhat reversed because they start as soon as darkness appears wherever we currently happen to be located on earth. A well-known Rabbi once declared that it is not officially a new day marked by sundown, until there are at least three stars visible in the sky. To make it easy, a good rule of thumb is to say that "Hebraic days last from sunset to sunset". This definition of what a day consists of, to include when it starts, how it is calculated, and when it ends, is derived from the book of Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 1-5 [KJV] where we find that darkness existed on earth before there was light and specifically in verse 5 where it reads that "... the evening and the morning were the first day." [KJV]
Our Creator's New Year’s Day falls on the first day of the Hebrew Month of Abib or Aviv (also known as Nisan) which falls somewhere in our month of March or April. It varies between these two Gregorian months from year to year because the Gregorian Calendar of our Western Civilization is figured differently than the Hebraic one, and these two calendars almost never line up with each other the same way each year. (The King James Bible spells this month as "Abib" with "b"s but the letters "v" and "b" seem to be interchangeable when these words are transliterated into English.) The country of Israel and modern Jews have wrongfully renamed the month of Abib with the Babylonian name of Nisan during their days as captives under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and have also renamed Yom Teruah (i.e.-The Feast of Trumpets) which falls on the first day of the 7th month as Rosh Hashanah (i.e-Head of the Year). They had no authority to make this change since the scriptures already said that the head of the year was called Abib and that it was to occur seven months earlier. No one is allowed to alter YHWH's commandments because it is written that we should not add to or diminish from YHWH's commandments as declared in Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32 [KJV].
The following passages contain commandments for every man to pick out an unblemished lamb on the 10th day of the year for his house and to later kill that same sacrifice on the 14th day of the same year on Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. I only mention these verses for the sake of showing how to detect the first day of the year, because we are no longer required to kill a lamb according to the priest's specifications since Yeshua has died to become our eternal Passover Lamb and Atonement. The declaration of the first day of the year, selection of the lamb, its sacrifice, and the week of unleavened bread are supposed to happen in the first month of the year, which is called the month of Abib: Exodus 12:1-20; 13:3-10; 23:14 & 15; 34:18; and Deuteronomy 16:1-3 [KJV] . The following six verses taken out of the aforementioned passages pinpoint that Abib has been selected to be the first month of the year:
+ Exodus 12:2 - "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be thefirst month of the year to you." 3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying,
In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according
to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: [KJV]
+ Exodus 13: 4 - " This day came ye out in the month Abib." [KJV]
+ Exodus 13: 4 - " This day came ye out in the month Abib." [KJV]
+ Exodus 23:15 - " Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat
unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the
month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before
me empty:)" [KJV]
+ Exodus 34:18 - "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou
shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for
in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt." [KJV]Deuteronomy 16:1 - "Observe
the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month
of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." [KJV]
Their new year begins on the 1st day of the Month of Abib because it's the exact same month they left Egypt. Abib is a word used to describe the condition of the barley standing in the field which is almost ready to harvest because it's brittle enough to be damaged by a hail storm even though it still looks green (like what happened in one of the plagues).
THE CREATOR'S NEW MONTHS:
Hebraic months start at the sighting of the first sliver of sunlight reflecting off of the moon after it has been totally dark and out of direct sunlight. Thus, it is a lunar calendar. As soon as the first sliver of white appears from the moon's reflection of the sun, a new (or renewed) moon can be declared. On the other hand, the Gregorian Calendar is a solar calendar, and is only slightly coordinated with the changes of the moon.
THE CREATOR’S HOLIDAYS:
These are called the Feasts, Festivals, Appointments, or Appointed Times of the Lord. The Hebrew word used here is "Moed" for singular use, and "Moedim" (Moe-ed- eem) for plural use, meaning appointment, appointed time, feast or festival. The Feasts of the Lord are eternal and are to be celebrated forever by Israel and her descendants throughout all generations. We are also Israel if we have been grafted into the tree of Israel according to Romans Chapter 11 [KJV] and are a part of the commonwealth of Israel according to Ephesians Chapter 2 [KJV]. These are not the Feasts of “The Jews.” Though Jews usually do keep these feasts, they represent only one of the twelve tribes of Israel and part of the original Kingdom of Israel who were commanded to keep them. We are not trying to replace the Jews; we are simply accepting our invitation to be included with them and be annexed into Israel as a graft into their tree according to Romans Chapter 11 [KJV] and as a part of the commonwealth of Israel according to Ephesians Chapter 2 [KJV]. SO, WHOSE FEASTS ARE THESE ANYWAY? YAHWEH DECLARES OWNERSHIP in .... by declaring, "These are MY feasts" in Leviticus 23:2 [KJV].
THE FEASTS (a/k/a APPOINTED TIMES) OF YAHWEH:
People usually say there are only 7 Feasts of the Lord commanded for us to keep in the Bible. However, the weekly 7th day Sabbath is also described as an Appointed Time or Feast Day in Leviticus Chapter 23 [KJV]. So, in reality YHWH has eight commanded feast days as follows: One is weekly, and the other seven are annual. All these feasts of the Lord are listed in Chapter 23 of the book of Leviticus [KJV].
THE WEEKLY FEAST (a/k/a APPOINTED TIME) OF YAHWEH:
THE 7TH DAY WEEKLY SABBATH MEETING
************** ************************************************************************
THE SEVEN (ANNUAL) APPOINTED TIMES OR FEASTS:
S P R I N G F E A S T S -
1) Pesach (Passover). The Greek rendering is Paska.
2) Chag Hamatzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread) - An Annual High Sabbath Day.
MANDATORY TO CONGREGATE
(Week of Unleavened Bread)—continues on for 6 more days totaling 7 in all.
3) Bikkurim (First Fruits of Barley) & begin the omer counting.
4) Shavuot a/k/a Feast of weeks (Pentecost a/k/a First Fruits of Wheat)
MANDATORY TO CONGREGATE
NOTE: When dealing with the Spring Feasts it is important to realize that feasts #1, #3, & #4 overlap or coordinate with #2. So, there is no real situation where there is a break where one feast completely stops before another feast starts except for the case of “Passover” which depicts the act of killing the Lamb for sacrifice on its own appointed day. That slaughtered lamb is later eaten the next day on the first day of the week of unleavened bread, but Jewish tradition often labels that meal as the “Passover” meal instead of “the first unleavened bread meal”. Technically the Lamb is slaughtered on a different day that it is eaten, but the slaughtering and eating both usually happen within 6 to 12 hours because of the way that biblical days are calculated. Biblical days do not start in the dawn of daylight, nor during the darkness at midnight. 24-hour days in the bible run from Sunset to Sunset so if you slaughter a lamb in the afternoon just before the sun goes down, and then cook it, it will be ready to eat the next day which will occur as soon as it is dark after sundown. Since our western time system and calendar is so different from the biblical one, we would consider the whole affair of slaughtering, cooking, and eating the lamb to have happened within the last 6 hours of the same 24-hour day.
F A L L F E A S T S -
5) Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets) & wrongfully known as Rosh Hashanah (Head of the
Year)
6) Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonements), not spelled “Yom Kippur” or “Day of Atonement”
because it is plural
7) Sukkot (Tabernacles)
MANDATORY TO CONGREGATE
The last Great Day - an added 8th day to the Feast of Sukkot.
NOTE:
There are three travelling feasts each year where all males are supposed to travel to a place Yahweh has placed his name (Jerusalem is preferred) to celebrate them there, but there are some verses which indicate that we should also bring other people to these events such as our relatives, and strangers who also believe. So really it should be attended by all believers who worship Yahweh, but only the males would be sinning if they ignored them. These three feasts are the Chag Hamatzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles—which is 8 days in a row when “the last great day” is added to at the end as it always is). In the list above we have written “MANDATORY TO CONGREGATE” in green ink after each of the three feasts that all of the males may not be absent from according to Deuteronomy 16:16. They can be called “Mandatory Travelling Feasts” because all males are required to leave their house to travel to a place that Yahweh has selected for people to congregate at to celebrate these feasts. Usually that place would be Israel but since most of us are living outside of the land of Israel in exile, and cannot afford to travel to there for these feasts 3 times in each and every year, most of us search for a local congregation of people where we can attend so that we can celebrate these feasts with them. It is quite fine for us all to stay home alone or with our families to keep the rest of the feasts so long as we keep them on the appointed calendar dates, and try to be true to what the scriptures require of us. However, if you can find a congregation to assemble with on these other less mandatory travelling dates, then why not fellowship with them and enjoy their company?
**************************************************************************************
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPRING FEASTS AND FALL FEASTS
Among Feast Keepers who are both Torah observant and also submit to Yahshua of Nazareth as Master, Savior, and Messiah, it is commonly taught and believed that Yahshua has already fulfilled the Spring Feasts during his first coming to the earth and has yet to fulfill the Fall Feasts which will take place in the future at his second coming. The idea is as follows — He fulfilled each Spring Feast during his life on the date of each feast, and will fulfill each Fall Feast on each of those dates as well:
Y E S H U A F U L F I L L E D :
PASSOVER, when he gave his life as the required lamb for our sins;
WEEK OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, by cleaning sin out of our life which is represented by
leaven-free bread;
FIRST FRUITS OF BARLEY, when he rose from the dead and was presented to the Father as the firstborn of many others. (1st Colossians 1:18, and Romans 8:29);
PENTECOST, where the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh who are following him, to help write the Torah on our hearts.
Y E S H U A W I L L F U L F I L L :
TRUMPETS, when he returns to catch us away into the air at the sound of a trumpet when he is to be crowned as King of Kings;
ATONEMENTS, when his followers repent and his blood is applied to forgive us in the group we belong to, and other groups;
NOTE:
At this point between the Feast of Atonements and the Feast of Tabernacles, is a 5-day period and is probably when he pours out his vials or bowels of destructive judgment on the world which appears in the book of Revelation, after he is sure that his body of covenant partners have been fully cleansed, forgiven, and protected.
TABERNACLES, when he and all of his saints who have been raptured return to the land of Israel to tabernacle together in one huge 8-day party in tents or temporary booths. It is here on earth where we will marry the Lamb of God at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (Revelations 19:9).
NOTE:
I want to clarify that even though Messiah did fulfill the Spring Feasts to a certain degree, and at least partially fulfilled the Fall Feast of Atonements by shedding his blood for it to be applied at the Annual Atonements which will occur just before the vials of Judgments are poured out in the book of Revelations, when he fulfilled some the first time, and will still fulfill others even more in other ways, in the future. We know that all of the Annual Feasts or Appointments point to more future fulfillment since the Apostle Shaul (Paul) said that they are shadows of things to come as recorded in Colossians 2:16 & 17 & Hebrews 10:1 [KJV]. Even the prophet Jeremiah revealed in Jeremiah 16:14-16, & 23:3-8 that YHWH has a sort of Second Exodus planned for all of this people where he will bring them all back home to Israel from the North and all the other places on earth where they have been scattered to. He will reclaim such a great multitude of people back to himself and the land of Israel that people will no longer be talking about the first exodus where Israel was delivered from Pharaoh because that will seem like small potatoes to everyone. The first exodus happened at Passover when the death angel came through, and afterwards they lived together with YHWH in a camp full of tents or booths far from the persecution of Pharaoh. According to God, it will all happen again but on a much greater scale. This sort of “Second Exodus” will probably begin at Passover and end at Tabernacles. Also, it will be MANDATORY for all of the entire world to come to the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) after YHWH returns to earth and lands his feet on the Mount of Olives at the start of the Millennial Reign as recorded in Zechariah Chapter 14:14-16, & 23:3-8. This feast was required for all of God’s children in the Tanach (Old Testament), and like all of the feasts they were practiced in the Brit Chadasha (New Testament), and this feast will be practiced again in the Millennium. Why, then, have we quit in this current church age, and by whose authority?
SOME MESSIANICS & MOST JEWS CELEBRATE 2 EXTRA ANNUAL FEASTS FOR A TOTAL OF 9 FEASTS:
These two extra feasts fall in the winter after the fall feasts and are not commanded in the scriptures. They seem to only apply to the Southern Kingdom of Israel, known as Judah, because they commemorate significant past historical events which happened to the kingdom of Judah after the ten tribes of the Northern House of Israel had already been conquered and scattered among the Gentile nations of the world. In my opinion they are optional. The extra feasts are:
1. HANUKKAH or CHANUKKAH known as THE FEAST OF DEDICATION (of the temple).
Yahshua attended one of these celebrations according to John 10:22 & 23 [KJV], and because he did, many people are choosing to celebrate this feast also. Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem back to Yahweh, after it had been taken over by the Greeks, and polluted by the worship of a false God whose statue as an Idol had been erected on its grounds
2. PURIM known as THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS (Esther’s triumph over Haman).
FINDING A GOOD HEBREW CALENDAR:
If you go to a conservative Jewish website for calendar dates, they usually omit the Feast of Bikkurim for some reason, and add in Chanukah, Purim and a whole bunch of extra feasts most Westerner's have never heard of, including but not limited to, National holidays in the state of Israel. A Karaite (scripturalist) Jewish website will not even list Chanukah or Purim since you can't find them written in the Tanach (our Old Testament). I have resorted to getting my Hillel II fixed calendar in pdf format from Monte Judah’s website at www.lionlamb.net . So far his calendars are free and include all the important dates for Messianic worshippers without adding in dates that we would not be interested in. Other good sources for a Messianic calendar might be www.elshaddaiministries.us , or www.messianiccovenant.com
RE-CAP & OTHER RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE FEASTS:
A) Each feast is called MOED in Hebrew meaning: A feast, appointed time, or appointment. Plural
of moed is MOEDIM moe-ed-deem.
B) Each feast is also called a MIQRA or MIKRA mik-raw meaning: A convocation, assembly, public
meeting, or rehearsal. The idea of an Assembly lets us know that people should not stay home and celebrate all alone on any of these feasts but should seek out a congregation. Surely Passover and Unleavened bread will happen again as our Messiah Yeshua returns for us during the rapture, so these are rehearsals or practices to get ready and stay ready for his return.
C) Just as the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) will "show us things to come" as recorded in John 16:13
[KJV], The Law, Holy Feast Days, New Moons and the Sabbath are "shadows" which also "Show us things to come" as revealed in Colossians 2:16 & 17 [KJV]. Hebrews 10:1 [KJV] has a better description calling them "Goodthings to come". You can't learn anything from these Feasts if you are ignorant about them, think they have passed away, don't practice them, or don't know the dates they fall on. While considering these appointed times of YHWH we should avoid making faulty conclusions about them when we focus on some of Shaul’s writings such as Chapter 2 of the book of Colossians, in verse 14 which seems to advise us NOT to keep “holydays, the new moon, or the Sabbath” of YHWH, and in verse 18 goes on to include “worshipping of angels” in this list of things NOT to do. However, as the chapter continues, it begins to describe these evil things as “rudiments of the world, “ordinances” of the world “as though living in the world”, which are after the commandments and doctrines of men?” in verses 20-22. Solving this dilemma is easy after we ask ourselves, when were YHWH’s holy days, new moon, or Sabbath which are listed in Leviticus Chapter 23, ever considered to be RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD, or COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MEN? The truth is that the commandments of God which came from YHWH’s own mouth to Moses and to the Hebrews after they left Egypt and before the returned to the land of Caanan were not originally invented, designed, or derived from the world or the men in it, nor from men’s commandments or doctrines. At this juncture let me point out that the world and pagan religions also have their own holidays or holy days. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Pagan witches still have their own annual holidays, and the Roman Empire at the time that this book of Colossians was written was an empire steeped in Paganism with many Pagan gods whose chief Deity was Mithras, the Sun God. Have you ever heard Black Sabbath? This is another name for dates on a witchcraft calendar when witches meet together. Yes, they do have their own calendar which is partly calculated by the moon. Verse 23 of Colossians Chapter 2 goes on to list “neglecting the body” and not “satisfying” the flesh as another thing NOT to do which we all know happens in mainline churches in the 40-day season of Lent, just like the 40 days that worshippers of a false god named Tammuz practices. YHWH calls Sunrise Services to worship Tammuz one of many “Abominations” in Ezekiel 8:13-17. The king James version of Colossians 2:16 reads “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:” 17 “Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”. The word “is” in verse 17 appears in italicized font to indicate that it was not in the original text but was added by the translators to give it more clarity. But if you remove the word “is” which does not belong there, it reads BUT THE BODY OF CHRIST. Therefore the proper understanding of this part of the book of Colossians is that WE SHOULD NOT LET ANY PAGAN OR WORLDLY PERSON, JUDGE US ABOUT EATING OR DRINKING THE WAY THAT GOD WANTS US TO, OR ABOUT THE WAY WE KEEP ONE OF HIS HOLYDAYS, NEW MOONS, OR SABBATHS, BUT WE SHOULD LET PEOPLE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST JUDGE US ABOUT IT IF WE ARE FAILING TO DO IT ACCORDING TO YHWH’S COMMANDMENTS. Never let outsiders who keep a different set of holidays in honor to Pagan gods dictate policy to us, and don’t let them make you feel obligated to worship angels, or to deprive your body for some Pagan holiday or ritual that are outside of scriptural guidelines.
D) These yearly feasts are to be kept throughout all the generations of anyone wishing to become or
remain a part of Israel. We have already shown that the feasts are commanded to be kept and observed by every one of his people forever in Leviticus Chapter 23 [KJV]. For those of you who need proof that these feasts are for today's modern Christians because you think the Law is passed away, I would ask you to get a concordance and look up the word "Iniquity" and the word "Commandments" and you will find them listed quite a few times within the pages of the New Testament. There the word INIQUITY is often defined as lawlessness in the Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon and is presented as a bad thing. You will also find that the word COMMANDMENTS is also found several times in the New Testament and that it is a good thing to "Keep the commandments of God". You will notice that I did not say "the commandments of Yeshua (Jesus)" since some of you may not think God and Yeshua are in fact the same person. Commandments are the part of the law which have teeth in them and present direct requirements for all of us to comply with, and they make up the main part of the Law. I find it odd that we often call ourselves "Spiritual Israel", but we do it in a lop-sided fashion because we only accept their share of love, grace, and promises, from their covenant with YHWH, but reject most of their rules and instructions. However, when you get saved or born again after making Yeshua the Lord of your life, and he washes your sins away with his blood, you are no longer classified as a Gentile but have been merged together with Israel into "one new man" and are no longer separated as a stranger from "the commonwealth of Israel" and "the Covenants of Promise" according to Ephesians Chapter 2. You are grafted into the tree of Israel as a new branch according to Romans Chapter 11. This is important because the New (i.e.-Renewed Covenant) Covenant as foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-33, and was brought to us by Yeshua, does not apply to the House of Gentiles, but only applies to the House of Israel and the House of Judah. In order to get in on this covenant you have to allow yourself to be annexed to or grafted into Israel which can be described as YHWH's assembly of believers he has been collecting and adding to throughout several centuries. This annexation or grafting-in is what happens now in our engagement period and will be finalized when we, as the bride of Messiah, actually marry him at the marriage supper of the lamb - Revelations 19:7 [KJV]. The marriage makes us a part of his household, his nation, his covenants, his promises and his laws. This makes us Jewish in every possible way because he is also a Jew, especially in a legal sense. Since Judah is tribe of Israel, then we are part of Israel as well. No wonder Shaul calls us "joint-heirs with Messiah" in Romans 8:16 & 17 [KJV]. Anyone who has been baptized into Messiah or put on Messiah, are also one together in Messiah, and are therefore Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise - Galatians 3:27-29 [KJV].
E) These Annual Appointments with our creator are determined and managed by his calendar which he gave to Moses in Leviticus Chapter KJV] and are not connected to or related to the pagan holidays listed on the Gregorian Calendar, such as Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day, or Halloween. Not only is every name of the week and some of the months of the man-made Gregorian Calendar filled with the names of pagan gods, but it also causes us to say their names in defiance of Exodus 23:13 [KJV]. The pagan holidays crowd out and steal time and energy from YHWH's Feast Days.
F) Apostle Shaul (Paul) expected us to know and keep the feasts as we can deduct from reading 1st
Thessalonians 5:1-7 [KJV] which would protect us from danger during "The Day of The Lord" which is coming upon the whole world. Notice here that Shaul reminded them that the travail of the destructive day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, but that his readers in Thessaloníki should not have to be overtaken with it because they are not in darkness since they are children of the light. Herein Elohim (God) lets them know that they are part of a privileged group that has been informed ahead of time so that they can be prepared when it arrives. It is my opinion that Shaul said this because he knew that they were feast keepers just as he himself was, and just as all followers of Yeshua were in his day. Please observe the scripture reference verses below:
“1st Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need
that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.” [KJV]
One has to wonder why we have to "watch and be sober" like Shaul demands in verse 6. If we are totally saved in every single way, shape and form from the very moment after accepting Yeshua as Master and Savior, how is watching and being sober even relevant to us?
Notice the two words "TIMES" and "SEASONS" above in verse 1 [KJV]. These refer to the "SIGNS" and "SEASONS" listed in Genesis 1:14 which reads "And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years" [KJV]:
● That word SIGN is Strong's # H226 representing the Hebrew word אות “oth”
meaning: A Signal, Mark, or Sign.
● That word SEASONS is Strong's # H4150 representing the Hebrew word מועד “moed”
meaning: An annual Congregational Appointment. Adding the letters "im" at the end
would extend the word to read "Moedim" making it plural as in "Appointments".
Ever since the time of Moses, practicing Jews along with all Feast Keepers, the Signs and Seasons or Times and Seasons are the way that certain things are always calculated such as the Yearly Calendar, days, nights, Annual Feasts, and the Sabbath Day. Likewise, these Times and Seasons are referred to in 1st Thessalonians 5:1-7 [KJV] and they are one and the same thing as the Signs and Seasons recorded in Genesis 1:14 [KJV]. They are to be used as signals to calculate Seasonal Appointments, Days and Years like the 7 Feasts of YHWH which we have been commanded to keep forever. If we are doing what we were commanded to do in Leviticus 23 [KJV], then we will not be caught like a thief in the night when The Day of The Lord finally comes. Anyone wondering how we can prove that the disciples of Yahshua and his followers in the New Testament Scriptures were in fact still keeping the Torah, weekly Sabbath and the Annual Feast Dates, I refer you to a CD series by Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministries which he recorded in about 1983 entitled "The Church in the Book of Acts. He makes a pretty good case for it in this CD series.
There are lots of trumpets sounding off each year during each local celebration of the Feast of Trumpets. The Rapture and 2nd coming of our Messiah Yahshua are paired together with various trumpet blasts in the pages of the New Testament. Mark Biltz has a lengthy DVD series on "The Feast of The Lord" in which he claims that there are traditionally 100 trumpet blasts during this feast and the last one is known as "The Last Trump". However, a certain number like "100 trumpet blasts" cannot be verified by scriptures and I suppose it is found in the Talmud which is usually reliable for things like this, but not reliable when it comes to anything about Yeshua whom it usually refers to in a despicable manner as "Yeshu" (i.e.-let his name be blotted out). Because most of us believe that the rapture will occur on The Feast of Trumpets in some future year, we always try to stay ready to meet him in the air every year during the duration of this feast.
The Pagan roots of the Gregorian calendar
As opposed to the Hebrew calendar which is rooted in the Bible and is lunisolar, the Gregorian calendar, currently the world’s most widely used civil calendar, actually has Pagan roots and is based on the solar cycle.
The Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar which was preceded by the Roman calendar. The Roman calendar observed an eight-day week called the nundinal cycle. That put it directly at odds with the seven-day week described in the Bible and embedded in the creation of the world. And the Sabbath was moved from the seventh day to the first day, Sunday, named for the pagan sun god.
The Julian calendar was enacted by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE to reform the Roman calendar. It was later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, which was decreed in 1582 by papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII. The initial decree was not recognized outside of the Catholic Church, so the days on which Easter and related holidays were celebrated by different Christian churches diverged.
Currently the world’s most widely used civil calendar, the Gregorian calendar was adopted in stages with some countries incorporating the system in the late 16th century, while others joined in as late as the 20th century.
Despite the papal decree, many Catholics were quite aware of the pagan roots of their calendar. Many of the names of the months and days of the week, for example, have their roots in paganism:
- January – named for the god Janus. It was originally the 11th month.
- February – named for the pagan Roman festival of purification. It was originally the 12th month.
- March – named for the god Mars, the Roman god of war. This was originally the first month.
- April – named for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. The latin aprilis indicates a time of fertility.
- May – this month is named for the Roman goddess Maia, a deity of growth and increase.
- June – named for the goddess Juno, the wife of Jupiter, also known as the Queen of Heaven.
- Sunday – this day is in honor of the sun god.
- Monday – this day is in honor of the moon goddess.
- Tuesday – this day is in honor of the Norse god of war, Tiu, or Tyr, the son of Odin, or Woden.
- Wednesday – this day is in honor of the chief Norse god Odin, or Woden.
- Thursday – this day is in honor of the Norse god of thunder, Thor, who is the oldest son of Odin.
- Friday – this day is in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg, She is the goddess of darkness, goddess of the sky, and goddess of love. She is the wife of Odin.
- Saturday – this day is in honor of the Roman god Saturn.
THE CHRISTIAN NEW YEAR AND ANTI-SEMITISM
The tradition of beginning the new year on January 1st was based on the Roman calendar and remained in place in the Julian Calendar though, by the Middle Ages, some countries began the new year on December 25. It is believed that this mid-winter new year was based on its proximity to the solstice, a pagan celebration of the sun god’s rebirth. Naming the first month after the pagan god Janus was appropriate, since he was depicted as having two faces: one looking forward and the other looking back. Scholars have suggested that the drunken parties that characterize New Year’s celebrations have their roots in orgies meant as a form of service to the pagan gods.
Christianity, perhaps inaccurately, adopted December 25th as the birthday of Jesus and January 1st as the seventh day after his birth (the day of his circumcision). The Council of Nicaea in 325 CE formally ratified that day as symbolizing the supersession of the Church over the Jews as God’s chosen people.
At the same time, Pope Sylvester, whose sainthood day and the day he was buried is commemorated on December 31, convinced Roman Emperor Constantine to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem. At the Council of Nicaea, too, Sylvester promulgated a host of new anti-Semitic legislation. It is for this reason that January first was frequently marked throughout history by the burning of synagogues, Jewish books, and other acts of Jew-hatred. Ironically, New Year’s day is known in Israel as Sylvester.
One such anti-Semitic New Year’s Day event took place in 1577 when Pope Gregory XIII, who established the Gregorian calendar, decreed that all Roman Jews had to attend a Catholic conversion sermon given in Roman synagogues after Friday night services. The penalty for not doing so was death. Then, on New Year’s Day of the next year, the Pope signed a law forcing Jews to pay for a “House of Conversion” whose purpose was to convert Jews to Christianity. Three years later on New Year’s day, he ordered the confiscation of all the Roman Jewish community’s Hebrew scrolls and books.
In contrast to the partying that often accompanies New Year’s celebrations on January 1st, the Jewish new year is a day of reflection, repentance and prayer. And while many Jews do get caught up in the excitement and revelry of December 31st/January 1st, others question whether or not they should be celebrating a holiday whose origin is Pagan, and was often used as an excuse to persecute and murder their people.
January
The Roman name was Ianuarius. The Saxon term was Wulf-monath meaning wolf-month. Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne called this month Wintermanoth or winter/ cold month. January became the first month of the year in 153 B.C.
January is named for the Roman god Janus. Janus is the god of beginnings, transitions, time, doorways, passages, and endings. He is depicted as having two heads, one facing the past and one head facing the future. The month of January symbolizes the transition of one year to the next in the Gregorian calendar and the Roman god Janus is the depiction of this change (Wikipedia “January“, “Janus“).
February
The Roman name for this month was Februarius, named for the Latin term februum which means “purification”. In this month the ancient Romans held a purification festival called Februa on the full moon of the month – February 15th (Wikipedia “February“).
In the Catholic religion, the month of February is observed as a month of Purification for the virgin Mary (Wikipedia “February Observances“).
March
March was originally the first month of the Roman calendar. Its Latin name was Martius which was named for Mars, the Roman god of war and the ancestor of the Roman people. This month marked the beginning of the season of warfare, and there were many festivals held in his honor throughout the month (Wikipedia “March“).
April
The Roman name April came from the Latin Aprilis. This name comes from the verb aperire meaning ”to open”. It was believed that April was the time when nature began to open up and flower for spring. April was named in honor of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and sexuality. Veneralia, was a festival that was held in her honor every year on the first of the month (Wikipedia “April“).
May
The month of May or Maius was named for the Greek goddess Maia (name meaning greater or larger). Her Roman equivalent is the Roman goddess Bona Dea, the goddess of fertility. The festival of Bona Dea was held on the 1st of May in her honor by the ancient Romans (Wikipedia “May“).
June
The Latin name for June is Junius. The month of June was named after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage and the wife of Jupiter. Jupiter was the god of the sky and thunder and was the king of the ancient Roman gods (Wikipedia “June“).
July
July was named for Julius Caesar. Prior to this, July was called Quintilis, meaning “the fifth month”, since it was the fifth month of the previous 10-month Roman calendar (Wikipedia “July“).
Ludi Apollinaris were solemn games held on July 13th in honor of Apollo, the Greek god of music and divination (Britannica “Apollo“).
In the Catholic tradition, July is the month to celebrate the blood of Jesus (Wikipedia “July Observances“).
August
August was originally named Sextilis in Latin, meaning “six”. This month was named for Gaius Octavius Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, in honor of his battle triumphs that occurred in this month (Wikipedia “August“).
September
September was originally named Septem in Latin, meaning “seven”. Emperor Charlemagne called this month “Harvest month”. September was also called Gerstmonath or barley month by the Anglo-Saxons (Wikipedia “September“).
October
October or Octo, means “eight” signaling its position in the original Roman calendar. Halloween and many other Roman festivals were celebrated in the month of October (Wikipedia “October“).
November
November was named for its position in the original Roman calendar, novemmeaning “nine” (Wikipedia “November“).
December
The last month of the Julian/ Gregorian calendar was December or decem in Latin, meaning “ten”. The Ango-Saxons referred to this month as “Yule month”.
The ancient Romans celebrated four Agonalia, which were religious observances held in honor of various deities. In addition to the many celebrations of the ancient Romans, the Saturnalia festival was held in the month of December. The Saturnalia festival was held in honor of Saturn, the Roman god of plenty, wealth, and agriculture. This festival is thought to be the origin of the modern celebration of Christmas (Wikipedia “December“, Wikipedia “Saturn“, History.com “Saturnalia“).
It is interesting to see how many of the months of the Gregorian calendar are either named for a false deity or hold some sort of pagan festival celebration.
Biblical Calendar and Biblical Events
Now let’s look at the Biblical calendar. The Hebrew calendar starts in the springtime, which is in contrast to the Gregorian calendar which begins in the winter.
Many of the names of the Hebrew calendar that are used today, are not the original Biblical names but were adopted during the Babylonian Captivity of the Hebrews.
Throughout the Bible we see significant events occurring on specific days. By knowing the Hebrew calendar we can better understand when these events took place.
Nisan
Nisan, also known as Abib or Aviv is the first month of the Hebrew calendar. This month has 30 days and it corresponds to March or April of the Gregorian calendar. This month was named Abib or Aviv in the Bible and was called the “beginning of months”by God.
Shemoth (Exodus) 12:2: “This month to you the beginning of months: it is the first to you among the months of the year.”
Shemoth (Exodus) 23:15: “Take heed to keep the feast of unleavened bread: as I charged thee at the season of the month of new [abib], for in it thou camest out of Egypt: thou shalt not appear before me empty.”
The name Nisan is Sumerian and it means “first fruits”. In the Babylonian calendar, this month was named “Arah Nisanu” meaning the month of beginning (Wikipedia “Nisan“).
The first three spring High Holidays are celebrated in the month of Nisan – Passover, Unleavened Bread, andFirst Fruits.
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 1 Nisan – The floodwaters subsided from off the earth (Genesis 8: 13)
- 14 Nisan – the Passover is celebrated (Leviticus 23:5)
- 15 Nisan – Exodus from Egypt and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is celebrated (Exodus 12: 16 – 17, Leviticus 23: 6)
- First Fruits is celebrated (Leviticus 23: 9 – 16)
- Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, dies (Numbers 20: 1)
- Nehemiah talked to King Artaxerxes about returning to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem, (Nehemiah 2: 1 – 2
Iyar
Iyar is the second month of the Hebrew calendar and its name means ”rosette” or “blossom”. It has 29 days and corresponds to April or May. Before the Babylonian captivity, this month was called Ziv, a Hebrew name meaning “light” or “glow” (1 Kings 6:1; 6:37 KJV, Wikipedia “Iyar“).
The Second Passover is celebrated during this month. This is a day for people to celebrate the Passover who were either unclean or out on a journey during the first Passover observance in the month of Nisan (Numbers 9: 4 – 14).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 14 Iyar – Second Passover is celebrated (Numbers 9: 4 – 14)
- 27 Iyar – The rain started for the floodwaters (Genesis 7: 11)
- 27 Iyar – The earth was dry from the floodwaters and Noah and his family left the ark (Genesis 8: 14)
Sivan
Sivan is the third month of the year, it has 30 days and occurs in May or June. The name Sivan means “season or time” was adopted during the Babylonian captivity. Lastly, the High Holiday of Shavuot occurs during this month (Wikipedia “Sivan“).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 6 / 7 Sivan – The High Holiday of Shavuot is celebrated commemorating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai (Leviticus 23: 15 – 22; Exodus 33 – 34)
Tammuz
Tammuz is the fourth month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 29 days, and occurs in June or July. The Babylonian name Tammuz is named after the Mesopotamian god Arah Dumuzid(Wikipedia “Tammuz“).
The Hebrews in Biblical times would fast four times in the year for significant events concerning the destruction of the first and second Temples and the destruction of Jerusalem. The first fast day occurs in the month of Tammuz. The 17th of Tammuz commemorates the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar. This day is referred to in the Bible as “the fast of the fourth month”.
The Prophet Zechariah prophesied that these fast days would turn from days of mourning and sadness to days of mirth and gladness.
Zechariah 8: 19: “ Thus saith the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Juda for joy and gladness, and for good feasts; and ye shall rejoice; and love ye the truth and peace.”
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 5 Tammuz – The prophet Ezekiel receives his chariot vision (Ezekiel 1)
- 9 Tammuz – The walls of Jerusalem were breached by Nebuchadnezzar II (Jeremiah 39: 2; 52: 6 – 7 KJV)
- 17 Tammuz – The golden calf was offered by the Hebrews following the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, and Moses smashing the first Ten Commandment tablets (Exodus 24; Exodus 32)
- 17 Tammuz – The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Roman Empire
Av
Av is the fifth month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 30 days and occurs in July or August.
The name Av means ‘father’ in Hebrew, however, this month was named ‘the month of Abu’ or ‘Abu” which also means father in Akkadian language spoken in Ancient Mesopotamia during the Babylonian captivity (Wikipedia “Av“).
During this month, the second of the mourning fast days of the Hebrews occurs. The 9th of Av is a fast day that remembers the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple. This day is referred to in the Bible as “the fast of the fifth month” (Zechariah 8: 19).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 1 Av – The death of Aaron the High Priest (Numbers 33: 38 – 39)
- 7 / 10 Av – Solomon’s Temple was burned down and walls the Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians (2 Kings 25: 8 – 10; Jeremiah 52: 12 – 14)
- 9 Av – The Fast of the Fifth Month. The fast day to commemorate the destruction of the first and second Temples
Elul
This is the sixth month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 29 days and occurs in August or September. The name Elul comes from the Akkadian word for “harvest” and was adopted during the Babylonian captivity (Wikipedia “Elul“).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 1 Elul – The Prophet Haggai commands the Hebrews to rebuild the Temple, following the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian captivity (Haggai 1: 1 – 11)
- 24 Elul – The Lord stirred up the spirits of Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and the remnant of the people to work on rebuilding the Temple (Haggai 1: 14 – 15)
Tishrei
Tishrei is the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, it has 30 days and occurs in September or October. Its name comes from the Mesopotamian language Akkadian and it means “beginning or to begin”. The original Biblical name for this month was Ethanim or Athanin (1 Kings 8: 1 – 2).
Rosh HaShanah (the new year) was celebrated in the past during the month of Tishrei, however, this is not the Biblical new year that occurs in the month of Nisan in the spring (Wikipedia “Tishrei“).
The month of Ethanim or Tishrei holds the third fast day that the Hebrews observed during Biblical times. The fast of Gedaliah – honors the death of the righteous man Gedaliah, the governor placed by King Nebuchazzar over the people left in Israel following the destruction of Jerusalem. This day is called “the fast of the seventh month” (Zechariah 8: 19).
Tishrei also has the last three High Holidays – Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 1 Tishrei – Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23: 23 – 25)
- 10 Tishrei – Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23: 26 – 32)
- 15 – 22 Tishrei – Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23: 33 – 44)
- 15 – 22 Tishrei – King Solomon dedicated the Temple and celebrated Sukkot (2 Chronicles 5:1 -3; 7:1 – 11)
- 21 Tishrei – The Lord tells Haggai to encourage the people who were sad because the Second Temple wasn’t as glorious as the First (Haggai 2: 1 – 10)
- 27 Tishrei – Noah’s Ark rested on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8: 3)
Cheshvan
Cheshvan or Marcheshvan is the eighth month of the Hebrew calendar, its name means “eighth month” in Akkadian. The original Biblical name for this month was Bul (1 Kings 6: 38 KJV). This month is between 29 – 30 days long and occurs in October or November (Wikipedia “Cheshvan“).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 15 Cheshvan – King Jeroboam in an attempt to keep his kingdom appointed an alternative feast to Sukkot which was celebrated on the 15th of the eighth month (1 Kings 12: 32 – 33)
Kislev
Kislev is the ninth month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 29 – 30 days, and it occurs in November or December. The name of the month is from the Akkadian word “kislimu” (Wikipedia “Kislev“). In the Bible this month is referred to as Chaseleu (Zechariah 7: 1).
The Hebrew festival of Hanukkah occurs during this month on the 25th. This festival commemorates the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled by the Greeks during the Maccabean period. This is not a commanded High Holiday by God, but it is a wonderful time of celebration to remember this day in our history.
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 4 Kislev – The Lord spoke to the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 7: 1 – 3)
- 15 Kislev – The Greeks set up the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple (1 Maccabees 1: 54)
- 24 Kislev – Lord spoke to Haggai to tell the people that they were defiled and calls them to live holy (Haggai 2: 11 – 24)
- 25 Kislev – The Greeks desolate the Temple by offering pagan sacrifices (1 Maccabees 1:59; 2 Maccabees 10: 5)
- 25 Kislev – 3 Tevet – The Temple is rededicated to the Lord and Hanukkah is celebrated (2 Maccabees 10: 1 – 9)
- Nehemiah was in distress at the state of Jerusalem before the Babylonian Captivity returned (Nehemiah 1: 1 – 4)
Tevet
Tevet is the tenth month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 29 days and occurs in December or January. The month of Tevet in the Babylonian calendar was called Tebetum meaning the “muddy month” (Wikipedia “Tevet“).
Hanukkah celebrations continue into the month of Tevet. Tevet also holds the last fast day of the Hebrews in Biblical times. The Tenth of Tevet or “the fast of the tenth month” observes the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar (Zechariah 8: 19; 2 Kings 25: 1).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 1 Tevet – The heads of the mountains were seen as the floodwaters subsided (Genesis 8: 5)
- 25 Kislev – 3 Tevet – Hanukkah celebrations continue (2 Maccabees 10: 1 – 9)
- 10 Tevet – the Tenth of Tevet, a fast day to remember the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25: 1)
Shevat
Shevat is the eleventh month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 30 days and occurs in January or February. The name of this month is derived from the Hebrew name Sabat (Zechariah 1: 7, Wikipedia “Shevat“).
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- 1 Shevat – Moses repeats the Torah to the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 1: 3)
- 24 Shevat – The prophet Zechariah receives a prophecy from the Lord (Zechariah 1: 7)
Adar
Adar is the twelfth and final month of the Hebrew Calendar, it has 29 days and occurs in February or March. The name of this month was adopted during the Babylonian Captivity from the name “addaru or Adar”.
A leap month is sometimes added to the Hebrew Calendar. Adar I is the added leap month and Adar II is the original Adar. During leap years, the festival of Purim is celebrated in Adar II (Wikipedia “Adar“).
Purim or the Festival of Lotscommemorates the time when the Hebrews were almost destroyed by Haman by the command of the Persian King Artaxerxes, but the Lord delivered us. This holiday is not commanded by God, but it is a wonderful time to remember our deliverance.
Things that happened in this month in Biblical History
- Esther becomes the queen in the month of Adar (Esther 2: 16 – 18)
- 14 – 15 Adar – Purim or the Festival of Lots is observed (Esther 9: 19 – 22)
Days of Remembrance
In contrast to the clear pagan influences of the Gregorian calendar, the names of the Hebrew months are either Biblical names or were adopted during the Babylon Captivity.
The Bible records the dates to many important events – the dates for the High Holidays, the dates of the siege and destruction of the Temples, the days when God spoke to His prophets, etc.
We also see dates of seemingly lesser importance such as the day when Aaron died, when the floodwaters started, when the ark rested on Ararat when the ground was dry from the flood water; when Nehemiah was upset about the rebuilding of the Temple, and more.
These dates seem unnecessary, but I believe all these dates are important. God didn’t have to tell us when the date of Biblical events but He did. I believe knowing these days helps us to be more connected to the events of the past and to His calendar. I love to write down the dates of the Hebrew calendar in my journal each day because it helps me to be closer aligned to God’s calendar and to know when certain events happened.
Throughout the Bible, God wanted his people to set up markers or to do things in remembrance of something he did for us. A few examples of this would be: wearing tzitzits(Deuteronomy 22: 12; Numbers 15: 37 – 41) – to remind us of God’s laws and commandments, having scripture on our walls and doorposts to remind us of his commandments (Deuteronomy 6: 6 – 9), and the setting up of the rock altar in the Jordan river to remember the crossing (Joshua 4: 1 – 11).
The Appointed Times of YHVH are these: Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks, Day of Blowing, Day of Atonements, Feast of Tabernacles Lev23. These Appointed Times are the ‘cycles’ of God. Each year we have the opportunity to enter into these ‘cycles’ of God’s Appointed Times. This year, enter into the worship that’s going on in heaven and celebrate with Him! “He leads me in paths (‘cycles’) of righteousness for His name’s sake” Psalm 23:3.
God wants His people to declare Him as He is and give a correct estimate of His character and works. God sent His Son to be born at the Appointed Time of Feast of Tabernacles; He was crucified on the exact day of Passover, in the grave 3 days & 3 nights during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and raised on Firstfruits. The Holy Spirit was given at the exact time of Feast of Weeks.
God wants to restore His Biblical Calendar to give a correct representation of Himself and His ways, to testify and witness of His sovereignty in this age and the age to come. Some Gentile believers may think celebrating the Feasts do not relate to today. But these Appointed Times all speak of things that are to come. “Therefore …in respect to a festival or a new moon or Sabbath day – things which are a shadow of what is to come” Col 2:16-17. This passage of Scripture was written after the Messiah had already been raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. The Appointed Times are “shadow picture of things to come”. The Appointed Times are ‘clues from heaven’ that God gave for each generation to know about the first and second coming of Messiah.
God’s Biblical Calendar
is cyclical. Three times a year,
God declares Feasting times.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
is one of these Feasts. Passover
and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
are always in the first month of
God’s Biblical Calendar.
All these dates, times and seasons
are important because they all point to the Messiah.
God decided the first month of the year would be in the spring, when the barley is ripe. Barley is the grain that is ripe during the Passover season. We can always know when the first month of God’s Biblical Calendar is by the barley crop. If the barley crop is almost ripe, then the first month of God’s Biblical Calendar is approaching, the month of Passover. If the barley crop is not ripe, an extra month, an extra Adar, is added in God’s Biblical Calendar so that Passover & the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits will be in the month when the barley is ripe at God’s Appointed Time. Let’s look at the 1st month of God’s Biblical Calendar in the year Messiah died.
The 1st month of God’s Biblical Calendar
– zooming in on the year Messiah died –
10th day = the day a “spotless” Passover lamb, without blemish, was selected. This was the very day Yeshua rode in Jerusalem on a young colt. God selected Him as the Passover Lamb & the people shouted, “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF YHVH” (John 12:12-15).
14th day = Passover *- It is the day the Passover lamb is prepared and sacrificed. “In the 1st month, on the 14th day… is YHVH’s Passover ” (Lev.23:5). This day is also referred to as ‘Preparation Day’ in the New Testament. “Now it was the day of preparation… so they cried, ‘Crucify Him!” (John 19:14-16). “It was the day of preparation… so the soldiers came…and pierced His side… because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Yeshua there” (John19:31,34,42).
15th day = Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on15th day of 1st month. Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts seven days (Lev.23:6).The first day of Unleavened Bread is a holy convocation “on first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no work” (Lev.23:7). The New Testament refers to it as a ‘Holy Sabbath’ or a ‘High Day’. That’s the reason there was such a rush to get Yeshua’s body in the grave before sunset – before the15th day began, the first day of Unleavened Bread “so the bodies wouldn’t remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day)” (John 19:31).
16th day = Yeshua, the Bread of Life, was without leaven and lived a sinless life. He was in the grave during the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread without decay or corruption.
17th day = Yeshua was in the grave three days & three nights (15th,16th,17th). This 17th day was the day of the weekly Sabbath (Friday night & Saturday) in the year Yeshua died. Remember Yeshua said, “No sign will be given to this generation but the sign of Jonah the prophet: for just as Jonah was three days & three nights in the belly of the fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-49).
Firstfruits = the day the priest waves the firstfruits of the barley harvest as an offering to YHVH. “Firstfruits …on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Lev.23:10-11). Firstfruits is the day after the weekly Sabbath after Passover. Firstfruits is always on Sunday, the first day of the week. Firstfruits was on the18th day of the month in the year Yeshua died. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb”(John 20:1).HalleluYah! God raised Yeshua from the dead! Yeshua is the firstfruits offering. He is the firstborn from among the dead (Col. 1:18). “Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits” (1 Cor.15:20)
* Passover is on the 14th day of the 1st month of the Biblical Calendar. The Gregorian Calendar has the first month as January, but the first month of the Biblical Calendar is in the spring (March/April ) when the barley is ripe. “YHVH said this …is to be the first month of the year ” (Exd12:1). The Biblical Calendar begins at the first sighting of the sliver of the new moon. As you observe the Biblical Calendar, you’ll find Passover falls on different days of the week each year (it may be Mon, Tues, Wed, Friday, etc.). The year Messiah was crucified; Passover was on Wednesday and was a high sabbath (could only be on Monday, Wednesday or Sabbath), in the middle of the week. Yeshua was crucified on thursday –(9am-12pm; 12pm-3m)and put in the grave before sunset- before Feast of Unleavened Bread began. He was in the grave 3 nights and 3 days, arose, and then became the Firstfruits offering. “Now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corth.15:20,23).
The Biblical Day
♦ The Biblical day was divided into 12 Hours/Parts of Daytime (John 11:9) and presumably 12 Hours/Parts of Night (Mat 20:6)
♦ The Biblical day starts at Sundown
→ God’s Prophetic Appointments were to be from evening to evening [Sundown to Sundown] (Exo 12:18, Lev 23:32).
→ Nehemiah orders the Gates of Jerusalem to be closed when it was getting dark, denoting the sabbath started at evening (Neh 13:19)
→ The laws of uncleanness denotes that a person who becomes unclean because of a reason such as coming to contact with a carcass will be unclean till evening. If the person becomes unclean at night, he/she is unclean till the next evening (Lev 11:24,25, Deut 11:23)
→ A person who is put to death was supposed to be buried before the evening (Deut 21:22,23, Jos 8:28, 10:26,27)
→ Samson asks a riddle that needed to be answered within 7 days. The philistines answer him before the eve of the seventh day, denoting the end of the day was at sunset (Judg 14:12,18)
→ The sabbath was about to start when Yeshua was taken down from the cross in the eve (Luk 23:54, Joh 19:31)
————————————————– WEEK —————————————————
Differences/Similarities between the Gregorian Week/Biblical Week
Both the Gregorian and Biblical Calendar weeks consists of 7 days. In ancient times, some cultures have had weeks which contained differing number of days and some cultures still use these today. Even though the number of days in a week, is equal in both Calendars, the day numbers vary. (Eg: Most European countries consider Monday as the first day of the week, while many Middle-East countries consider Saturday as the first day)
The Biblical Week
♦ The Biblical Week has seven days
→ God’s creation took 6 days and a 7th day of rest, so that the week contains 7 days (Exo 20:9-11)
→ The feast of Weeks (Pentecost – which means 50 days) was to be celebrated by counting 7 weeks (Lev23:15,16, Deut 16:9,10)
→ The number seven is connected to the word “week” in the Scriptures (Gen29:27)
♦ The days in the Biblical week did not have names such as “Monday, Tuesday, etc.” The days in the Biblical week were numbered as 1st Day, 2nd Day, 3rd Day, 4th Day, 5th Day, 6th Day & the 7th Day which was known as the Sabbath. (Exo 16:5,22, Exo 20:11, Joh 2:1)
♦ The 7th Day in the Biblical Calendar is the day corresponding with Friday Eve/Sunset to Saturday Eve/Sunset in the Gregorian Calendar.
→ The Greek word used for the “Sabbath” in the Original Manuscripts of the New Testament “sabbato” is the same name used for Saturday in Greek even today! In other words ; In Greece, the day which is called “Saturday” is still called “Sabbato” – the same word which is in the Original Greek New Testament Manuscripts which is translated as “Sabbath” in English.
→ Look at the similarities in the names used for Saturday in other Languages and “Sabbath” – Arabic: Sabet, Armenian: Shabat, Bosnian: Subota, Bulgarian: Sabota, Corsican: Sàbatu, Croatian: Subota, Czech: Sobota, Greek: Sabbato, Indonesian: Sabtu, Italian: Sabato, Latin: Sabbatum, Polish: Sobota, Portuguese: Sábado, Russian: Subbota, Serbian: Subota, Slovak: Sobota, Slovene: Sobota, Somali: Sabti, Spanish: Sabado, Sudanese: Saptu, Ukrainian: Subota
→ The Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. vol. 4, p. 988, tells us: The week is a period of seven days, having no reference whatever to the celestial motions — a circumstance to which it owes its unalterable uniformity… It has been employed from time immemorial in almost all eastern countries. The Hebrew people spoke of the days of the week by number rather than by name. The only day that had a name was the seventh day which was called Shabat, the Sabbath, or the rest day. In at least 108 different languages the name for the seventh day, corresponding to our “Saturday”, is a word meaning “rest day.”
→ Some point out the Calendar changes in history makes it impossible to know the actual day of the Sabbath. This theory is inaccurate. The change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian Calendar, has had no effect whatsoever upon the order of the days of the week. (click here for details on this calendar change). Because of this, the Calendar changes has had no effect towards Saturday which is still the same day Yeshua celebrated the Sabbath on.
————————————————– MONTH —————————————————
Differences/Similarities between the Gregorian Month/Biblical Month
The Gregorian Calendar system has no reason for a Month to be 28,29,30 or 31 days. This system was a main characteristic of the Gregorian Calendar, and was done so that the days of the year would equal to 365 days. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Biblical Calendar depends on the Moon to calculate the beginning of the month. A complete revolution of the Moon is considered a Month in the Biblical Calendar. Science determines that a Moon revolution lasts roughly about 29.5 days, and because of this reason, a Biblical Month lasts 29 or 30 days.
The Biblical Month
♦ The Biblical Month is connected to the Moon in Scripture
→ 1Ki 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month(H3391-ירח- yerach-month)Ethanim, which is the seventh month(H2320-חדשׁ-chôdesh-new moon). The 2 Hebrew words translated as Month in our English Versions are “Yerah” and “Kodesh”. “Yerah” means Month, while “Kodesh” means New Moon. See 1Kin 6:38 as well.
→ Gen 29:14 & Num 11:20,21 contains “space of” or “whole” month, using the Hebrew word “Khodesh” while 2Kin 15:13 & Deut 21:13 contains “full” month, using the Hebrew word “Yerah”. Both these words are clearly connected, showing the relation of Moon to Month, Biblically.
♦ The New Month, or the first day of the Month is proclaimed when there is a New Moon which is identified by the first visible sliver of the Moon.
→ The New Moon(Kodesh) is mentioned as a “particular day” in 1Sam 20:5,18, 2Kin 4:23, Eze 46:1,6 indicating that it was a day which was proclaimed in some way.
→ The word Hodesh originates from a Hebrew word called H2318-חדשׁ-châdash which means “new”, “to make new” or “renew”. The moon itself is not renewed, but with the Lunar cycle, the light of the Moon increases, becomes full, decreases and goes dark. And it is again renewed, and the cycle continues. In this way, when the first sliver of light is seen on the Moon, the beginning of the month is proclaimed.
→ Some hold to the belief that the Conjunction (Full dark Moon) is the New Moon as per Modern Astronomy. This is hard to believe, as the people in ancient times would not have been able to accurately know the day of Conjunction as the Moon can stay dark for more than 2 days
♦ Much like the sun indicates the beginning of a day, the Moon indicates the beginning of the Biblical Month.Even an uneducated person could have understood when the New Month begins, just by looking up at the sky, with this sign that God created in the Heavens.
————————————————– YEAR —————————————————
Differences/Similarities between the Gregorian Year/Biblical Year
The Gregorian Calendar system calculates a year by counting 365 days (366 days in a leap year) which is the time it takes for the earth to finish a revolution around the Sun, hence it is known as a Solar Calendar. The Biblical Calendar on the other hand, depends on the Sun and Moon both to calculate the beginning of the Year, hence being known as a Luni-Solar Calendar. Even though January 1st is regarded the day of the New Year in the Gregorian Calendar (Roman Consuls in the time of the Roman Empire, as far back as 153BC, first entered office on January 1st), The Biblical Calendar is determined completely differently.
The Biblical Year
♦ The Biblical Year began with the New Moon when the Barley Harvest was in the stage of ripening which was called “Abib” in the Scriptures. The period between Biblical New Years have 12 or 13 months or New Moons.
→ The month of the Abib is called the first month in Scripture (Exo 12:2, 13:4, 34:18)
→ Abib is a state of ripening in Grains.Exo 9:31,32 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear(Abib), and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up. (H24 – אביב – aw-beeb’ – A state of ripening)
→ Abib is the state which is, in between the stage of green colour ripening grain and completely ripe golden streaks of grain. It is the stage when the grain is a light yellowish colour.
→ The Month of Abib is also known as Nisan in the Scriptures (Est 3:7, Neh 2:1)
→ The Month of Abib is usually the month that the Spring/Vernal Equinox happens
♦ To this day, the Karaite Jews in Israel engage themselves in an exercise called the Abib Search to ascertain whether the First Month can be proclaimed. This way, when the Grain is Abib and the Sliver of the New Moon appears in the Sky, the First Biblical Month is proclaimed.
Conclusion
One could ask whether knowing the “Biblically Accurate” dates, really matter? Or whether there is any value in understanding and studying these things and knowing both the similarities and differences in our Standard Calendar and the Biblical Calendar?When God says 7th Day, He means the 7th Day and no other Day. When He says the 1st Month, He means the 1st Month and no other month. Jeroboam the 1st King of the Divided Kingdom of Israel, did just this. He instituted a Feast on the 8th Month, which was like God’s Feast, when God had specifically told people to celebrate the Feast on the 7th Month (1Kin 12:32,33).
As Messiah Yeshua quoted from the Book of Isaiah, saying “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men (Isa 29:13/Mat 15:8,9). It is my belief that it is better to follow God, than man. It is better to follow God’s Word, than any man’s word. And it is better to follow God’s Calendar, than any man made calendar.
I am in no way saying, that we should throw the Gregorian Calendar away, as it is recognized as the standard amongst the whole world. But I am saying that all of us need to learn God’s Calendar and use His days and His ways to worship, honor and draw close to Him. The lack of knowledge of His calendar has led to so many misunderstandings and mistakes in our walk with Him. His Appointed Times/Feast all depend on His Calendar. This is the same Prophetic Calendar which Yeshua used and fulfilled by His Death(Passover), His Resurrection(Firstfruits) and Giving of the Holy Spirit(Pentecost). It is time to mend our ways and come back to Him. Are we really too technologically advanced to adhere to His Calendar by lifting up our eyes to the Sun and the Moon that He created?
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment