THE BIBLICAL CALENDAR AND THE BIBLICAL FEASTS
People have invented many calendars, but there is only one calendar of God. This is described in detail in the Bible. The sun, moon and stars were not only created to give us light, but also to be able to correctly determine the time and the feast days of God. Many people think it's all complicated, but God's calendar is very simple to understand. In short: Each month begins with the first visible crescent moon, known as the "new light". The full moon is always in the middle of the month and when there is no more moonlight to be seen, the month is over. In this way, the 7 feast days of the year (the high annual Sabbaths) can be clearly determined. God's calendar is sensational because it links the heavenly bodies with nature and time. In concrete terms, this means that when we see the state of the moon and nature (state of development of vegetation), we always know which day of the year we are on. The constellation of the stars in the course of the year gives us additional information, because it allows us to orient ourselves not only temporally, but also regionally (geographically). Only the Bible has such an excellent calendar (download the festive calendar 2024 as PDF: see the end of this website).
The illustration above shows the first three biblical feast days (High annual Sabbaths) according to the astronomical and biblical calendar of God 2024, in which each month begins with the first visible crescent moon (new light) over Jerusalem. The dates are identical to the often quoted TorahCalendar. In 2020 and 2023, the Passover feast days fell on the same days in both calendars and correspond exactly in sequence to the year in which Jesus was crucified. In many years (such as 2024), however, there is no correspondence, but there may be a difference of 1-3 days between the two calendars. In some years (such as 2024), the difference can even be one month if the leap years are calculated incorrectly. It is very important to know the difference between the two calendars, because it is a matter of life and death: this has great significance for Yom Kippur, because if the priest entered the Holy of Holies on the wrong day, he had to die. That is why it is necessary to know God's calendar and His time calculation, because all festivals are times of assembly with God, but whoever comes at the wrong time is celebrating with himself or with another god, but not with the God of the Bible.
Explanation: The illustration above shows the date of the first biblical feast days in 2024. The blue numbers correspond to the date in God's biblical calendar and the red letters and numbers show today's date in the Gregorian (=Catholic) calendar. However, there are differences between the "Calendar of God" mentioned in the Bible and today's "Jewish calendar". The new Jewish calendar was created centuries after the destruction of Jerusalem(70 A.D.), since Jews scattered around the world could no longer see the first crescent of the moon (the "new light") over Jerusalem to determine the beginning of the year and month and thus also all holy days. The Jewish calendar was established by Patriarch Hillel II in the year 359 A.D. (see Wikipedia). On the basis of this calendar now everyone knew in advance which month has 29 and which 30 days and when the respective holidays or feasts are (Passover, Shavuot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot...). This made it possible for the first time that all Jews scattered all over the world had the same feast days and could even calculate them long in advance. Thus this calendar has several errors, but we must not criticize the Jews for this, because so far nobody could show a better alternative for calculation when the crescent moon cannot be seen. And at that time there were no moon phase dates from the NASA. The Jews have kept this calendar of Hillel until today and do not orientate themselves according to the astronomical and biblical calendar of God (with the first crescent moon), therefore there are inaccuracies in some years. Consequently, it is not the same calendar that the Israelites had at the time of Jesus, as will be explained in more detail in the following text. During the almost 2,000-year period of the dispersion of the people of Israel among all nations, the calendar of Hillel made sense; but at the latest since the return of the Jews to Israel (1948) and Jerusalem (1967), there is nothing to be said against using God's calendar again, especially since the laws of nature (astronomy) about moonlight have never changed. We should rather use the same calendar that God introduced and that was also used by Jesus Christ (Yeshua ha Mashiach) and the first Christian church. See also The Differences Between the Jewish and Biblical Calendars.
The calendar of God is a LUNISOLAR calendar, that is, it is bound to the moon (lat. luna) and the sun (lat. sol). The Islamic LUNAR calendar (with which the holidays wander through all months, since 12 lunar months result in only 354 and not 365 days of the solar year) and the Gregorian (Roman or Catholic) SOLAR calendar (with which the "new light" of the moon can arrive on all days in the course of the month) are to be distinguished from this.
The biblical calendar of God is an exact and purely astronomical calendar in which every month (and thus every year) begins with the first visible crescent of the moon (the so-called "new light"). In Israel, at least two witnesses had to see the first light (new light) of the moon to communicate the beginning of the month and year to all the people. The Jewish calendar, on the other hand, is a mathematical calendar in which the beginning of the month is not always determined by the visibility of the first crescent moon. Instead, astronomical averages were observed, but not the real astronomical data. Some Christians invent new calculations every year with a "true Passover", "true Pentecost" or "true Yom Teruah", they create a real chaos and lead the church (the Bride of Christ) to the wrong feast days. Do these people really think that the Israelites were supposedly incapable of determining their own feast days themselves according to Leviticus 23 and needed new and contradictory revelations from Christians all the time to do so? No, certainly not; the Israelites have been calculating the feast days correctly for thousands of years. The only difference with God's calendar is that the current Jewish calendar used in Israel to this day dates back to the 4th century AD, when the Jews, who were expelled from Israel in 70 AD, could no longer see the first crescent moonover Jerusalem. For this reason, Patriarch Hillel invented a mathematical calendar that is based on statistical averages and only assumes the first crescent moon. It is therefore possible that the Jewish month begins one or more days too early or too late, so that the two calendars can differ by 1-3 days. Because of this inaccuracy, the Jews celebrate the annual Sabbaths (festivals) on two consecutive days to be on the safe side. However, this does not apply to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as it is a fast day and two days without food would be unreasonable and was never commanded by God.
Since the first sheaf (the first ripe ears of early grain) always had to be harvested at Passover and offered as a wave offering in the temple, the state of ripeness of the barley was always observed in Israel in order to be able to determine the first month of the year with certainty. If the grain was still too unripe, a leap year (about every third year) with an additional month was introduced to align the calendar with nature. In concrete terms, this means that the first new light of the moon in the area of the equinox (see Table) was taken as beginning of the month and the year. However, there is disagreement here, because some calculate the first month of the year not AFTER the equinox, but so that the 15th of Nisan (the first High Sabbath of the year) is on or after the equinox, but not the first day of the month. This dispute can be very easily settled if the state of nature is considered, for the decisive criterion is always the ripeness of the grain. After all, if the early grain was still too unripe at the beginning of the year, then of course there could have been no first sheaf and therefore no barley harvest at the time of Passover.
The TorahCalendar website calculates the first day of the year so that the equinox (= March 19/20/21) is on or after Nisan 15 (middle of the month). This is also how other scholars calculate. This would allow the harvest of the firstfruits sheaf, because if the first month of Aviv/Nisan were to begin one month too late (as some Christians erroneously calculate), then the ripe barley grains would fall to the ground and the harvest of the firstfruits sheaf would no longer be possible (see Barley amd Wheat Harvest Times in Israel). In addition, the fall feast days would also begin a month too late and the priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple on a false Yom Kippur and thus would have to die.
If the farmers said in spring that it would not be possible to cut the first stalks of barley after 15 days, the priests had to check this in the fields and add a leap month so that the Israelites always had the feasts on the exact days that God had determined. In this way, they could offer the wave offering of the first ears of barley that had just ripened (the sheaf of firstfruits) on the 16th of Nisan (see Omer count). God's calendar was thus always in harmony with nature. Christians who do not know God's calendar have invented the unbiblical teaching that the first day of Aviv/Nisan must supposedly always begin after the equinox. This is wrong because then harvesting the first sheaf would be totally impossible in some years. So this alleged "true Passover" is actually a "false Passover" and thus even after 50 days there is no "true Pentecost" but a "false Pentecost" of spirits who want to lead the Bride of Christ (the church) away from the feasts of God. See harvest times in Israel.
In the Jewish calendar, on the other hand, which does not take into account the ripeness of the grain, the beginning of the year can start well before or after the equinox. This means that the biblical calendar (= God's calendar) and the Jewish calendar of Hillel even differ by a whole month in some years, such as 2024. Of course then also the holidays (the 7 High Sabbaths) fall on completely different days.
If Christians now expect the Rapture, the coming of the Lord or certain events on a specific biblical feast day of the year, they must therefore be guided by the calendar of God and not the calendar of the Jews, although the feast days often fall on the same days in many years (e.g. Passover 2020, Passover 2023). In theory the calculation is simple, because we have exact astronomical data of the new light of the moon, which e.g. NASA supplies, and thus all calendar dates can date ahead and even centuries back. In practice, however, it is not easy for the layman, since there can be several months in which it cannot be determined with certainty whether the new light can (or could) be seen over Jerusalem or not. In addition it must be considered with astronomical data that a Roman or Gregorian (=Catholic) calendar dayhas portions in 2 nights, since it begins and ends at midnight. Thus the new light of the moon can be seen either in the night at the beginning or at the end of a Roman or Gregorian (Catholic) day. But a biblical day (or Jewish day) contains only one night. And all biblical days do not begin at midnight, but already after sunset. Therefore not only the date of the calendar day must always be considered, but also the respective time (hour) in which the new light (the first visible crescent of the moon) can be seen. Otherwise people would determine a false biblical feast day. The sunrise in the morning is always the middle of a biblical day and Jewish calendar day (see defintion of the biblical day).
There are some Christian churches (e.g., the splinter groups of the Church of God in the USA) that teach that the sacrifice (and grace) of Jesus Christ is not enough to give us eternal life, and that it is also necessary for Christians to keep the weekly Sabbath and all the 7 biblical feasts (High Sabbaths) of the year. They teach that Christians must live like Jews and that working on the Sabbath and on the seven annual holidays (high Sabbaths) is a rebellion against God and can lead to the loss of eternal life. But these Christians overlook the fact that they themselves often sin against God and yet are not as righteous as they think. Because in most years they celebrate the high Sabbaths on completely wrong days (sometimes even in the wrong month), because they orient themselves by themathematical Jewish calendar (Invented by church scholars), but not by the astronomical and biblical calendar of God, where only the first visible crescent moon (the new light) determines the beginning of the month and thus also the respective fixed date. These churches also calculate the feast of Pentecost incorrectly in most years, i.e. according to the Jewish calendar of Hillel from the 4th century and not according to the calendar that Moses received from God and that the Jews used at the time of Jesus. The apostle Paul has repeatedly pointed out in his letters that we were saved by grace and not by works of the law. The Sabbath and the feast days are a shadow for the future in God's plan, as will be explained below. Whoever wants to keep the weekly Sabbath and the 7 annual High Sabbaths according to his conscience is welcome to do so, no one may judge him for it, but he may not change the calculation of the feast days, because otherwise he will rest on the wrong days and thus disobey God. However, God has determined the moon for the definition of time (not the mathematical calendar which the Jews invented in the 4th century A.D.):
Genesis 1:14-16: And God said, „Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons[Hebrew moed, Strong 4150: appointed time, place, or meeting, festival times; literally: agreed time, gathering time], and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars.“
Psalm 104:19: „He [God] made the moon to mark the seasons [Hebrew moed, Strong 4150: appointed time, place, or meeting, festival times; literally: agreed time, gathering time]; the sun knows its time for setting.“
Psalm 81:3: „Blow the trumpet at the new moon [literally: newness; i.e. new moon or month], at the full moon [for example on Nisan 15], on our feast day.“
Many pastors want to avoid problems with the calendar of God and prefer to orientate the calculation of the feast days to the Catholic calendar, which is called "Gregorian calendar"in honor of one person, Pope Gregory XIII(*1502; †1585), until today and is in clear contradiction and opposition to the "calendar of God", "calendar of Jesus" and "calendar of the Bible". The Pope simply dared to change the calendar of God and also the whole schedule of weekly and annual feast days. Many lukewarm pastors don't want to lose their jobs, support this approach and therefore simply claim: „It doesn't matter on which days we celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus, the main thing is that we celebrate something.“ With their argumentation they do not support Jesus, but the pope, who also says it does not matter at all on which days we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but the main thing is just not according to God's calendar, but on pagan feast days, i.e. at the wrong time.
The Pope has structured his calendar in such a way that his own "new Christian feasts" can never (or extremely rarely) fall on the biblical feast days of God because they have been classified as "too Jewish". Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday after Passover (Nisan 15), while the Bible reports the "first Sabbath" after Passover (Mark 16:9). The Pope has degraded the biblical Sabbath day of rest to a working day (preparation day) and, as with the Romans, there are only Sundays to celebrate each year: [1st] weekly feast day Sunday; then the annual Sundays: [2nd] Palm Sabbath, [3rd] Easter Sunday (First Fruits Sunday), [4th] Pentecost Sunday, [5th] Advent Sundays and finally Christmas on the birthday of the sun god Sol Invictus according to the Roman Julian calendar (December 25).
Most Christians are unaware of the trap they have fallen into and that they have in fact adopted the holidays of the pagans (i.e. those who crucified our Lord Jesus Christ). When Christians gather on these new days, they are gathering with themselves or with the Jews or with the Pope or with other deities, but not with the God of the Bible, for He has ordained that He is only gathered with His people on His own 7 feasts. Those who come too early or too late do not gather with God.
Anyone can easily prove that this is the case, because on the wrong Yom Kippur the priest would always die if he entered the Holy of Holies in the temple. This is how the high priest of the current Jews and various Christian groups (who have adopted the Catholic or Jewish Catholic calendar; e.g. Church of God) would always die. Disobedience and a different gospel results in death.
The Pope's calendar with its festivals will pass away, but God's calendar will remain eternal and will also be used by people in the Millennium. Yes, as soon as Jesus returns to earth (after the 7 years of tribulation), there will be no more Catholic or Jewish (according to Hillel) calendar in all eternity, because then only the calendar of the Bible (= the calendar of God) is valid, which has always been and is the calendar of our Lord Jesus Christ. And there is something unbelievable, because some pastors openly call the pope the "false prophet" or the "Antichrist" in their videos on You Tube; but on the other hand they want to celebrate the Catholic feast days of this very "Antichrist" (as they say), defend his Catholic calendar (Gregorian calendar) and at the same time hide the calendar of God from the church? Here we can see how absurd and illogical all this is.
The uncomfortable important info is: All feasts of God are gatherings with God. He set the time, not the pope. And if people do not recognize God's calendar and do not want to listen to God, then they come either too early or too late to the assembly and thus celebrate only with themselves, but not together with the God of the Bible.
The Word of God is the most precious gift we have. And God's love does not want the children of God to be seduced into a false calendar and false feast days that the Bible never knew. We prefer the same calendar that Jesus Christ had. We prefer the same calendar that Jesus Christ had and do not teach a different gospel.
The Criteria with which God Defines the Time Calculation and His Calendar
As has already been shown, the biblical calendar of God mentioned in Leviticus 23 is a purely astronomical luni-solar calendar. This means that the sun, moon and stars are not only lights, but also determine the time, the calendar and thus the feast days (gatherings with God). The calendar of God is ingenious because it combines nature and time into a harmonious unity. It is defined by 7 points:
1. Sun & Day: Each day begins and ends after sunset. Thus, the sunrise in the morning is in the middle of a whole calendar day and ends at the beginning of darkness (see Day).
2. Week: A week consists of 7 days and the 7th day is called "Sabbath" (= ceasing, resting; see Sabbath and week).
3. Moon & Month: Each month begins with the first visible crescent moon over Jerusalem, which is called "new light". In the middle of each month there is a full moon. In addition to the weekly Sabbaths, there are also 7 annual Sabbaths ("High Sabbaths") that fall on different days of the week from year to year, depending on which day of the week the first crescent moon can be seen first in the 1st and 7th months.
4. Month & Days: Each month has 29 or 30 days.
5. Year & Months: A year normally has 12 months. However, since the lunar year is about 10,87 days shorter than the solar year, there is a leap year about every third year with an additional month to bring the calendar in line with nature (phenology). Thus, the spring festival of Passover (Nisan 15) and the autumn festival of Sukkot (Tishrei 15) always fall near the equinox. All 7 feast days of God are therefore always in the right season. Since Passover is a spring festival, it may not be celebrated in winter; therefore, the first high Sabbath of the year (Nisan 15) is always either on (e.g., 2011) or usually after the day of the spring equinox but never before. The leap year also prevents the feast days from moving throughout the year, as is the case with the lunar calendar. The leap year also prevents the feast days from wandering throughout the year, as is the case with the lunar calendar.
6. Nature: The first month of the year is determined by observing nature, especially the ripeness of the early grain (barley), more precisely according to the state of maturity called "abib" (fresh young barley ears, Strong No. 24), which occurs only once a year. These are the young ears of barley, full-sized and already starchy, which are not yet fully cured but can already be harvested, roasted and eaten. At the end of the year, when the farmers and priests saw that the barley was still too unripe to be cut in the middle of the month, an extra month was added by the high priest. This way, the first month of the year could always be defined without dispute, and the first ears of barley (first-fruits sheaf, Omer) could always be presented as a wave offering in the temple at Passover. Thus, all 7 feast days were always within the range of the harvest seasons in Israel, which also indicates their symbolic spiritual significance in God's plan with humankind.
See Barley and Wheat Harvest in Israel.
7. Stars: The specific star constellations in the night sky in the respective months indicate apart from the season also the exact geographical position; thus each humans can orient themselves on earth on the basis of sun, moon and stars exactly in time and space. God's calendar is thus an astronomical, agricultural, and geographical calendar (3-dimensional)that combines nature and time into a perfect harmonious unity. No other calendar in the world offers this accuracy, so only this calendar of God will last forever.
The Jewish calendar used in Israel today from the 4th century CE is complicated and illogical, but the biblical astronomical calendar of God is very simple to understand and every Hebrew child in biblical times knew it. Based on the state of the moon and the degree of development of plants, we not only know what month of the year we are in, but we can even determine the day quite accurately (see the video with the phases of the moon) and based on the star constellations we know where we are located geographically on earth. No other calendar in the world is so accurate and offers this perfect connection between time and nature.
In many years, including 2020 and 2023, the Jewish calendar fell on the same spring feast days as God's biblical calendar. But in many years, the Jews and some Christian groups celebrate the wrong feast days because they are not guided by the Bible, but by the human traditions of ancient rabbis.
See: The differences between the biblical and Jewish calendars.
What made these 7 days Great/High Feasts/Sabbaths?
It was not the day of the week, but the date appointed by God that determined a feast day. What made these days particularly Holy/High Sabbaths? It was the presence of God that made these 7 days so unique. All 7 feasts were meetings/assemblies (moedim) with God. These 7 days were special because the holy presence of God made them holy and great days/Sabbaths. They were not Christmas or Easter, but the 7 High Sabbaths/Feasts of the Bible. The priests therefore took great care to ensure that they calculated the dates of the feast days correctly each year, because those who came too early or too late did not meet with the God of the Bible, but with themselves or with the demonic gods of the pagans.
The 7 High Sabbaths and the Harvest
God loves celebrations, that is why He has set holidays for people so that they may have joy in life and not just work. A week consists of 7days. The Sabbath is the 7th day of the week and time for rest and relaxation. It begins on Friday night and ends on Saturday night. It reminds of creation, our creation (we may live!!!) and the rich arrangement of the earth with plants and animals. In addition to the weekly Sabbaths, God has also determined 7annual Sabbaths (= feast days or high Sabbaths), which fall on different weekdays. On them special rest was ordered. If an annual Sabbath falls on a weekly Sabbath, then it is called "double Sabbath". The high feast Sabbath of Passover (the 15th Nisan) was such a double Sabbath in 2019 and fell on April 20, 2019.
Three times a year the people should gather with God, namely in spring, summer and autumn. There are therefore two annual Sabbaths in spring (1st month, Nisan), one in summer (3rd month, Siwan) and four annual Sabbaths in autumn (7th month, Tishrei). On the 15th day of the month there was and is always full moon at night. The Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) was the only High Sabbath that was celebrated at new moon. The 7 (number of completeness) High Sabbaths of God are:
Spring (feast of spring fruits: barley):
1) 1st month Nisan, 15th day: Passover 1, 1st day of unleavened bread (Pesach 1)
2) 1st month Nisan, 21st day: Passover 7, 7th day of unleavened bread (Pesach 7)
Summer (feast of summer fruits: wheat):
3) The 50th day after the first High Sabbath: Pentecost (Shavuot, Feast of Weeks)
Autumn (feast of late fruits: grapes and fruits):
4) 7th month Tishrei, 1st day: Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)
5) 7th month Tishrei, 10th day: Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
6) 7th month Tishrei, 15th day: Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, 15th-21st day)
7) 7th month Tishrei, 22nd day: Last Great Day of Assembly (Shemini Atzeret, 8th day of assembly, conclusion)
Some Christian pastors have thought up a further annual Sabbath, namely "Firstfruits", by which they mean the day of the resurrection of Jesus. They often refer to this as the alleged "resurrection Sunday" (Easter Sunday) according to the Catholic calendar of the Pope (Gregorian calendar). They can only come up with this wrong idea because they only partially accept the order of God's feast days described in the Old Testament (Lev 16; Lev 23 and Num 28-29) and reject the biblical resurrection of Jesus "after 3 days and 3 nights" (=the sign of the Messiah) (see Resurrection on Sabbath). The resurrection of Jesus is extremely important, but it is in the symbolic part of the entire seven-day Passover feast and must not be considered in isolation. To return to the seven yearly Sabbaths, the theologians simply erase the last important seventh annual Sabbath, namely the „Last Great Day of the Assembly“ (Schemini Atzeret). This is in any case wrong, because especially the seventh annual Sabbath has a very great significance in God's plan, as is described in detail below in the text.
All 7 biblical (High Sabbaths) feasts are bound to the state of the moonlight. All 7 High Sabbaths were meetings with God for the Israelites. And all 7 biblical feasts are related to the three agricultural harvest times of barley (spring), wheat (summer) and in autumn: grapes, olives, almonds, figs, pomegranates, citrus fruits and other fruits. They are also thanksgiving feasts, both physical (agricultural) and spiritual. At the spring feast days we thank Jesus for the firstling. In the summer (Pentecost) we thank for our calling and election as firstfruits through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and at the great autumn harvest we thank for the many who after hearing of Jesus will receive eternal life. The first (Passover) and the last annual feast (Festival of Tabernacles, Sukkot) each last 7 days. Three times a year the people of God should gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts together.
The harvest times have a connection with the feast days:
The barley harvest lasted from Passoverto Pentecost.
The wheat harvest lasted from Pentecostto Tu'B'Aw.
The grape harvest lasted from Tu'B'Aw to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
The first Thanksgiving feast of the spring was Passover, and it was for the first fruit Jesus. The second Thanksgiving is Pentecost in summer and it is for the firstfruits, the first called Christians from all countries and nations (the "Bride of Chirist"). The third Thanksgiving Day is the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall and it stands for the great spiritual harvest of the many people who did not belong to the Firstlings, but who will nevertheless receive eternal life.
The 7 High Sabbaths of the Year with Gregorian Date
The right figure shows the seven High Sabbaths (annual Sabbats, Feasts) according to the Jewish calendar of Hillel (4th century AD) with today's Gregorian dates.
We are especially interested in the years when the 14th Nisan (Preparation Day) fell on a Wednesday. This was also the case in the years in which the First (1918) and Second World Wars (1945) were ended.
Statistically, the 14th Nisan very often falls on a Wednesday, about every third year. This was also the case in the year when Jesus was crucified (see Resurrection Sabbath). Also, in the year the Isarelites left Egypt (Exodus), the preparation day of the 14th of Nisan fell on a Wednesday (for proof see Manna Week). Jesus died on the same day and at the exact same time as when the first Passover was instituted in the time of Moses. Thus Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the sacrificial lamb in a perfect way (at His last Passover) and made a further slaughter of the lambs superfluous, because these were only a reference to Jesus, the Redeemer.
The following table shows the 7 feast days according to the biblical astronomical calendar of God (e.g. TorahCalendar) and the inaccurate mathematical Jewish calendar (italics). In 2020, both calendars fell on the same days. In some years there are big differences because the leap years (red) with an additional 13th month are often not calculated correctly in the Jewish calendar (2021, 2024, 2027, 2030). In the Jewish calendar, leap years are determined mathematically (without regard to astronomy) and occur only seven times in a 19-year cycle (in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years). Thus the connection to the equinox is often lost, which is a big mistake. In God's calendar, the spring and fall feasts are always near the equinox (March 19-21 & Sept 22-24), but in the Jewish calendar often a month after, thus too late. God's calendar, described in Leviticus 23, is an astronomical and agricultural calendar in which the ripeness of the early grain (barley) determines the beginning of the first month of the year, so that the firstfruits sheaf (Omer) could always have been offered in the Temple in Jerusalem as a wave offering at Passover.
In 2022, the 7 biblical feast days (High Sabbaths) were celebrated one or two days too early in the Jewish calendar (red); the boldmarked data correspond to the calendar of God:
1.) Passover 1 (Nisan 15): Fri/Sat, April 15/16 [5782] - Sat/Sun, April 16/17 (this is also the catholic Easter Sunday)
2.) Passover 7 (Nisan 21): Thu/Fri, April 21/22, 2022 [5782] - Fri/Sat, April 22/23, 2022
[Second Passover (Iyar 14): Sat/Sun, May 14/15, 2022 [5782] - Sun/Mon, May 15/16]
3.) Pentecost (Sivan 6): Sat/Sun, 04/05 June, 2022 [5782] - Sun/Mon, 05/06 June, 2022
4.) Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah, Tishri 1): Sun/Mon, 25/26 Sept, 2022 [5783] -Tue/Wed, 27/28 Sept, 2022
5.) Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; Tishri 10): Tue/Wed, Oct 4/5, 2022 [5783] -Thu/Fri, Oct 6/7, 2022
6.) Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot; Tishri 15): Sun/Mon, Oct. 9/10, 2022 [5783] -Tue/Wed, Oct. 11/12, 2022
7.) Last Great Day (Shemini Atzeret; Tishri 22): Sun/Mon, Oct 16/17, 2022 [5783] -Tue/Wed, Oct 18/19, 2022
In 2023, the first 3 biblical feast days in spring/summer fall on the same feast days in both calendars (see calendar 2023). First the Jewish feasts of Israel are mentioned (red), the bold marked data correspond to the calendar of God. They are correct and independently confirmed by Christians worldwide (e.g. TorahCalendar.com):
1.) Passover 1 (Nisan 15): Wed/Thu, 05/06 April 2023 [5783] - Wed/Thu, 05/06 April 2023
2.) Passover 7 (Nisan 21): Tues/Wed, April 11/12 [5783] - Tues/Wed, April 11/12, 2023
[Second Passover (Iyar 14): Thu/Fri May 04/05 [ 5783] - Thu/Fri May 04/05]
3.) Pentecost (Sivan 6): Thu/Fri, May 25/26, 2023 [5783] - Thu/Fri, May 25/26, 2023
4.) Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah, Tishri 1): Fri/Sat, Sept 15/16, 2023 [5784] -Sat/Sun, Sept 16/17, 2023
5.) Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; Tishri 10): Sun/Mon, Sept. 24/25, 2023 [5784] -Mon/Thu, Sept. 25/26, 2023
6.) Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot; Tishri 15): Fri/Sat, Sept. 29/30, 2023 [5784] -Sat/Sun, Sept. 30/Oct. 1, 2023
7.) Last Great Day (Shemini Atzeret; Tishri 22): Fri/Sat, Oct 06/07, 2023 [5784] -Sat/Sun, Oct 07/08, 2023
In 2024, the first three biblical feast days (High Sabbaths) in spring do not fall on the same feast days in the biblical and Jewish calendars, as was the case in 2023, but there is almost a whole month in between. The biblical feasts in God's 2024 calendar are mentioned first. They are correct and independently confirmed by Christians worldwide (e.g. TorahCalendar). The following dates marked in red correspond to the inaccurate Jewish calendar from the 4th century AD, which is still used in the State of Israel today. Due to incorrect calculation of the leap year, the Jewish holidays in 2024 are celebrated almost a month late. The Jewish calendar certainly shows the wrong feast days in 2024, which is very easy to prove: for one thing, it would be impossible to harvest the first sheaf at Passover because the barley grains would already have fallen to the ground by the end of April (see Barley Wheat Harvest Israel). Secondly, the spring and autumn feast days of God are always in the area of the equinox (March 19/20 and September 21/22); but in the Jewish calendar 2024 it is a whole month later or too late.
The 7 biblical feast days 2024 (High Sabbaths, annual Sabbaths) according to the biblical calendar of God (marked in bold)and the imprecise Jewish calendar of Israel (marked in red):
1.) Passover 1 (Nisan 15): Mon/Tue, March 25/26, 2024 - Mon/Tue, April 22/23, 2024 [5784]
2.) Passover 7 (Nisan 21): Sun/Mon, March 31/April 1, 2024 - Sun/Mon, April 28/29, 2024 [5784]
[Second Passover (Pesach Sheeni, 14th Iyar): Mon/Tue, April 22/23 - Tue/Wed, May 21/22]
3.) Pentecost (6th Iyar): Tue/Wed, May 14/15, 2024 - Tue/Wed, June 11/12, 2024 [5784]
4.) Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah; Tishri 1): Wed/Thu, Sept 4/5, 2024 - Wed/Thu, Oct 2/3, 2024 [5785]
5.) Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; Tishri 10): Fri/Sat, Sept 13/14, 2024 - Fri/Sat, Oct 11/12, 2024 [5785]
6.) Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot; Tishri 15): Wed/Thu, Sept 18/19, 2024 - Wed/Thu, Oct 16/17, 2024 [5785]
7.) Last Great Day (Shemini Azeret; Tishri 22): Wed/Thu, Sept 25/26, 2024 - Wed/Thu, Oct 23/24, 2024 [5785]
Important: In 2022, 2023 and 2024, the High Priest would die if he entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). He would have arrived either a day early or even a month late because he was following the man-made Jewish calendar and not God's biblical and astronomical calendar. Disobedience to God's calendar means death. Easter also has nothing to do with the biblical Passover and God's timetable, but follows the rules in the Catholic (Gregorian) calendar devised by Roman Catholic rulers and priests.
The Catholic and Islamic Feasts of 2024
For comparison, Catholic Easter 2024 is for the 1.34 billion Catholics on:
Good Friday: March 29, 2024; Easter Sunday: March 31, 2024; Easter Monday: April 1, 2024. This date is also followed by many Protestants, evangelicals and free churches, although these feast days have no relation to the biblical calendar and were only invented centuries after the death of Jesus by the Pope and secular rulers.
The Islamic Ramadan 2024 for the 1.9 billion Muslims begins on the evening of March 11, 2024 (the first day of fasting is March 12) and ends on the evening of April 10, 2024. Ramadan therefore begins on the first day of the first biblical month Nisan, i.e. on the biblical New Year according to God's calendar.
The Jewish feasts start a whole month too late in 2024
In 2020 and 2023, the first 3 feast days (High Sabbaths; annual Sabbaths) fell on the same days of the week in both calendars; so the counting of the 50 days to Pentecost can be easily viewed in any Jewish online calendar in 2020 and 2023. But in 2024, the Jewish calendar has added an extra 13th month as a leap month at the wrong time, so all the feast days (which are supposed to be times of gathering with God) are celebrated a month too late. The Israelites therefore do not gather with the God of the Bible, but with themselves or with another god. Starting the year and the feast days so late is completely wrong from a biblical point of view, as can be easily proven by 3 facts:
1. The firstfruits sheaf is not there: the firstfruits sheaf of the early grain barley could not have been offered as a wave offering in the Jerusalem temple on Nisan 16 (in the first month of the year) because the overripe barley grains would have already fallen to the ground at the end of April. The firstfruits sheaf has great symbolic significance, as it represents the firstfruits of Jesus Christ. Only after the wave offering (symbolizing the resurrection and rapture of Jesus) had been solemnly offered in the temple was the barley harvest allowed to begin on Passover. But please look at the land of Israel, on April 24, 2024 (16th Nisan in the Jewish calendar) there will be no more barley in the fields, clear proof that the Jewish calendar has major errors. See Barley and Wheat Harvest Times in Israel.
2. There is no connection to the equinox: The biblical spring and autumn feast days are always in the area of the spring equinox (March 19-21) and autumn equinox (September 22-24). But in the Jewish calendar, the festivals in 2024 begin a whole month later. This means that all 7 feast days (all 7 High Sabbaths) are celebrated far too late and that the connection to nature and the harvest times is lost not only at the time of barley (first sheaf), but throughout the year. As a result, the symbolic meaning between the harvest of fruit and the spiritual harvest of people in God's plan at the time of the biblical feast days of Pentecost (summer, wheat) and the Feast of Tabernacles (autumn fruit) would be completely lost.
3. Dead high priest: Of course, the high priest would die if he entered the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple a month late on a false Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). God Himself ordained that the first day of the month always begins when the first crescent moon is visible over Jerusalem, and God established the ripeness of the early barley grain as the criterion for determining the first month of the year. This meant that the Israelites could celebrate all 7 annual High Sabbaths (feasts), which fall on different days of the week, at the right time every year and not have any disputes. But in the 2024 Jewish calendar, all 7 High Sabbaths are in the wrong month. The death of the high priest would have made their disobedience clear to the Israelites, as well as to all Christians who do not follow God's calendar but the man-made Jewish calendar.
The 7 feast days of God in the Menorah illustration
The following illustrations show the 7 Holy Days of God in the Menorah form. They are the seven original feast days of the Bible and not the later falsified order by Christians, where a new feast day "Firstfruits" ("Easter Sunday") was invented and thereby the seventh high Sabbath, the "Last Great Day of the Assembly" (Shemini Atzeret) was erased. In the original order of God (Lev 23), the Day of Trumpets is always in the middle of the series of seven holy days of the year, because the return of Jesus is in the center. In contrast, in the representations invented by theologians, Pentecost is usually in the middle because they put themselves and the church in the center instead of Jesus:
Lev 23:1-2: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts:"
For the source of the illustration with the golden Menorah (without text and flame) see historic menorahs.
1-2) The First Two High Sabbaths of the Year: Passover (Spring)
The first two feasts (High Sabbaths) of God are in spring, at the time of the harvest of the early grain (barley), which in Israel could always be harvested from the middle of the first month. The first biblical month of the year was called Aviv (Abib), because the first ears of early grain could be harvested from it (Hebrew Aviv means "green almost ripe ear"). It was therefore the month of the ears of corn. "Aviv" means spring in modern Hebrew. Since the Babylonian exile this month has also been called Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esther 3:7), whose name can still be found in the Jewish Calendar today. Aviv and Nisan mean the same month.
"You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt" (Ex 34:18).
The first two High Sabbaths of the year are exactly in the middle of the first month, more precisely on the 15th and 21st Nisan (=Aviv). It is the 7-day Passover festival. On the 14thNisan the Passover lamb was slaughtered (after it was sorted out on the 10th Nisan). Our Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10thNisan and died 4 days later on the 14th Nisan. He died at exactly the same time as the Passover lambs were slaughtered (9th hour = 3pm). Thus he fulfilled the law and symbolism of the lamb sacrifice in a perfect way, on the same day and eve at the same time (hour). In other words, God has no interest in sacrificing animals. His laws in the Old Testament served only to make it clear to people that sin entails death and that an innocent victim must take the death penalty. Only Jesus was without sin. Therefore, only He was entitled to pay the death penalty for us. This strengthens our connection to Jesus for all eternity, for without Him there could not have been any life for us. Through His death for our sins, Jesus ended another lamb slaughter on Nisan 14 forever and declared it obsolete. In the year 70 A.D. the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Since that time, slaughtering the lambs has been impossible even for those Jews who rejected Jesus' sacrifice. The seven-armed lampstand, the menorah (cf. structure of the menorah), was stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans, for the Jews rejected the true light of the world, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-14; 8:12). On the Passover the Hebrews were allowed to work on working days, but no leavened bread was allowed to be eaten during the whole feast. This is a spiritual symbol that we should stay away from spiritual leaven (sin and false doctrines). We should follow Jesus instead.
The night from the 14th to the 15th Nisan (Passover festival) has a special meaning. It is a symbol of the time of the exodus from Egypt, when the first birth of the Israelites was saved from death at midnight and the people were liberated at full moon. The blood of the Lamb saved the people from death. This night also reminds of the parable of the 10 virgins and of the salvation of the 5 righteous "in the midst of the night" (Mt 25:1-13). True Christians are the firstfruits in God's plan and they were saved from the eternal death penalty by the blood of Jesus Christ, because they follow Jesus in everything and have what other people do not have, namely true LOVE. The righteous deceased will therefore rise again. Those who are still alive hope to be picked up by Jesus (the so-called "Rapture" or "Robbery") shortly before the time of the great tribulation that will come upon the whole earth. To avoid misunderstandings from the beginning: Jesus himself will pick up his followers (his spiritual "bride") and not aliens (extraterrestrials, demons; see proof), as some will claim, who do not believe in God and the Bible and therefore want to hide the truth with silly excuses. Jesus will come unexpectedly for the world, "like a thief in the night" (1Thess 5:1-5; Mt 24:43-44; Mt 25:1-13; Lk 12:39-40; 2Peter 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15). But there is a big difference: Jesus comes unexpectedly for the world like a thief, but he is not a thief, because a thief takes what does not belong to him, but Jesus will only take those who belong to him and want to be with him. No one knows exactly in which year and on which day it will be, but those who take the Word of God seriously will not be surprised. This could be in the month of Nisan (Passover) or a month later in the second Passover of the year (or even at Yom Teruah or Yom Kippur).
Note: In the few years when the 14th of Nisanfell on a Sabbath (Saturday) (cf. also 2022 according to God's calendar), the slaughter was not postponed but had to be done on the Sabbath as well, because the symbolism and law for the High Sabbath on the 15th of Nisanwas far above the regulations for a small weekly Sabbath. The difference of the 4 days of the separation of the Lamb from the 10th to the 14th of Nisan was never to be shortened, and the night of the Exodus on the 14th/15thof Nisan always had to be remembered, not the 13th/15th or even the 12th/15th of Nisan. There were always only 3 hours between the slaughter of the lambs from 3 p.m. and the beginning of the High Sabbath from sunset at about 6 p.m.. Everything had to be done in a hurry to celebrate the symbolism the sudden exodus from Egypt every year. For more info see the chapter on "The Slaughter of the Lambs on the Sabbath, the 14th of Nisan").
The 21st Nisan and its meaning: The 21stNisan is the conclusion of the 7-day festival of the Unleavened Breads. Already on the 14thof Nisan all leaven had to be removed from the houses. Work was allowed and even required on all days of the festival, except for the two annual High Sabbaths (15th and 21st Nisan) and the one small weekly Sabbath in between. The first day of the Unleavened Bread (15th Nisan) was always a yearly Sabbath (high Sabbath), regardless of which weekday it fell on. Therefore also the second annual Sabbath (21st Nisan) had to fall from year to year on different weekdays. But what only few Christians are aware of: Before the second yearly Sabbath (21st Nisan) there was still a weekly Sabbath, which was also called „intermediate (inbetween) Sabbath“. This little (or ordinary) Sabbath between the two High Sabbaths was called „the one of the Sabbaths“ or „the first of the Sabbaths“ or „the first Sabbath“ because it was the "one" particular Sabbath or the „first Sabbath“ of a series of seven weekly Sabbaths counted between Passover (Nisan 15) and Pentecost (50th day) for 3,500 years to the present (see figure Counting the Omer). God commanded for the calculation of the Pentecost: „seven whole/ordinary Sabbaths you shall count... until the day after the seventh Sabbath“ (Lev 23:15-16, see Omer). If the Israelites should count seven Sabbaths and if there is a "seventh Sabbath", then of course there is also a „first Sabbath“ and „second Sabbath“ and „third Sabbath“..., but only once a year. Just as there is the Catholic „first Sunday of Advent" only once a year, there has been this „first Sabbath“ of the seven weekly Sabbaths only once a year, and not only the Jews, but also every child of the first Christian church understood this expression, which the evangelists mentioned 7times in the NT:
Mt 28:1 (2x); Mk 16:2; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1; Joh 20:1; Joh 20:19.
The following illustration shows the sequence of days on Passover in Jesus' time. The first high Sabbath (15th Nisan) fell on a Thursday and the intermediate Sabbath or the „firstSabbath“ fell on the 17th Nisan. And exactly the same sequence of days is very frequent in the Jewish calendar, namely about every third year, as also in the years 2020, 2023, 2026, 2027, 2030... (according to the calculation that can be seen in every Jewish calendar):
The Jews know that in the year of the Exodus, the 10th of Nisan fell on a Sabbath (Shabbat ha-Gadol), the 14th of Nisan on a Wednesday and the 15th of Nisan on a Thursday. This was also the case in the year in which our Lord was crucified. He thus fulfilled the law in an absolutely perfect way and abolished all animal sacrifices forever. He was set apart and brought to the people on the same day (10th Nisan), died on the same calendar day (14th Nisan), on the same day of the week (Wednesday) and at the same time (3 pm) as the first lamb shed its blood. Jesus was therefore the last lamb. He fulfilled the law perfectly. He fulfilled the sign of the Messiah and legitimized himself as the only Messiah (anointed by God). Through his resurrection on a Sabbath, He became our eternal Sabbath rest.
The Passion Week must be seen in its overall context between the 10th of Nisan (setting apart of the lamb) and the 21st of Nisan (end of the Passover feast): As with the first Passover lamb, redemption again took place at the full moon, exactly in the middle of this 12-day period:
The symbolic meaning of the feast is a joyful remembrance of our salvation through the firstling Jesus, the first risen from the dead, the Firstfruit (1Cor 15:20). The seven-day abstention from leaven (7 is the number of perfection) is an indication that we should live the rest of our lives without sin until our death or the coming of Jesus on just before the beginning of the 7th millennium of the history of mankind. We will then be lifted up (Rapture) to Jesus as the firstfruits. Only Jesus opened the door to the Holy Spirit and to the eternal life through His blood. Thus our name could be inscribed in the Book of Life. Through the fulfilled meaning of the Passover it was clear to all believers that the feast season can continue and that the coming spiritual harvest can be brought in on the coming feast Sabbath (Pentecost). If Jesus had not redeemed us before the second death, then there could not have been any fulfillment of the following 5 feast (or high) Sabbaths. Jesus was without sin and His followers should also live without sin and be a light for the world. And not only during the festive season, but throughout life, for which the symbolic number 7 stands, the number of perfection. It was strictly forbidden to have leaven in his house during the Passover. Therefore, only the flat bread cakes (matzos) were eaten. Thus it was symbolically clear to all people: "Abstain as the people of God from sin and from false doctrines of faith". Jesus warned his disciples: "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Mt 16:6) and "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Lk 12:1). The feast also recalls the exodus from Egypt, when God delivered the people and provided them with bread (Gen 12:17; 13:3; Dt 16:3). Paul also writes:
1 Cor 5:6-8: "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
We must never make compromises with sin or trivialize it, because "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (Gal 5:9).
The historical background to the 21st Nisan: After the Exodus from Egypt (full moon night at the beginning of the 15th Nisan, the first High Sabbath) the Red Sea miraculously parted after exactly seven days (on the 21st Nisan, the second High Sabbath; it was around the time of the crescent moon) and the Jewish people passed through on dry land. Suddenly the sea then closed again and the godless Egyptians were judged and went to their destruction. To this day, the last day of Passover is a special holiday that remembers the parting of the sea and the deliverance of God's people. On this day the people were gathered with God. The 21st of Nisan is the conclusion of the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, regardless of which day of the week it fell on.
Exodus 14:30-31: "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day [Nisan 21] from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses."
According to the Jewish calendar, the 21st of Nisan (High Sabbath) in 2021 fell on Saturday, April 3 (began in the evening of Friday, April 2). But according to God's calendar, the annual High Sabbath of the 21st Nisan fell on the Catholic Easter Sunday, April 4 (began after sunset on Saturday, April 3): after the small weekly Sabbath came the annual High Sabbath. The 21st of Nisan is the conclusion of the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, regardless of which day of the week it fell on. On this day there was always a holy convocation (meeting) with God. In the year 2022, the 21st of Nisan fell on Friday, April 22, in the Jewish calendar, and one day later on Saturday, April 23, in God's calendar. It was a double Sabbath because the annual High Sabbath and the weekly Little Sabbath fell on the same day. In 2023, the 21st of Nisan falls on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in both calendars.
The year 2020 has the same sequence of weekdays at Passover as at the time of the Exodus
As has already been shown, God's biblical calendar and the Jewish calendar fell on the same feast days in 2020.
The year 2020 is also interesting because the sequence of weekdays at the Passover was exactly the same as in the year when the first Passover was instituted in Egypt and as in the year when Jesus died. Specifically, this means that the 10th of Nisan fell on a Sabbath, as it did at the time of the Exodus, when the first Passover lamb was set apart. The Israelites therefore call it the "great Sabbath" (Shabbat ha-Gadol), because from that day on the salvation of the people was officially established and great miracles took place. After that, on the 14th of Nisan (Wednesday)the first Passover lamb was slaughtered and on the 15th of Nisan (Thursday) the Exodus from Egypt took place. This is confirmed by many old and new Jewish sources. See the chapter Shabbat ha-Gadol on Nisan 10. Thus, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover lamb, dying according to God's calendar on the same day and even at the same time that the Passover lambs had to be slaughtered. Therefore, Jesus abolished any further slaughter of the lambs in the temple, because the entire sacrificial ceremony was a symbol on Him and His saving act for us, which has now been fulfilled to the fullest extent. Important prophetic predictions and symbolisms are fulfilled only on certain days according to God's calendar, but not on days that people make up because they do not accept God's time calculation.
In 2023, the 14th of Nisan fell on a Wednesday and the "first Sabbath" fell on the 17th of Nisan
Not only in 2020, but also in the current years 2023, 2026, 2027 and 2030, the 10th of Nisan fills in on Shabbat Ha-Gadol, the 14th of Nisan (Crucifixion Day) fills in on a Wednesday, the 15th of Nisan (Festival Day) falls in on a Thursday and the „first Sabbath“ falls in on the 17th of Nisan, as in the year Jesus was crucified. Here is an example from the TorahCalendar, but the same sequence of days can be confirmed in any online Jewish calendar 2023. Marked in green are the „firstSabbath“ (Mark 16:9) and the „second Sabbath“ (April 14/15, 2023) in God's prescribed annual count of the 7 weekly Sabbaths until Pentecost:
The Second Passover Festival
Exactly one month later, after the first Passover festival (14+15-21 of Nisan), the second Passover festival (14+15-21 Iyar) is celebrated every year. It is called "Pesach Sheni" (Second Passover) and begins on the 14th day of the second month of Iyar (or Iyyar). But this applies only to those who could not hold the first Passover for certain reasons (e.g. because of impurity, illness or travel problems; Ex 12; Lev 9:6-13). The repetition of the feast makes it clear that it has always been very important for God that people should become aware of the sacrifice for sins, and that it affects all people without exception. The second month has a reference to the Flood. Noah was to go into the ark from the 10th day of the 2nd month and after the 7-day warning on the 17th day of the month he was freed from the floods and lifted up above the waters (Gen 7:4-12). The many waters (floods) are also a symbol for mankind, peoples and nations (Rev 17:1-15; Dan 9:26; Isa 8:7; Jer 47:2). Noah was 600 years old when he went into the ark and we are currently living about the year 6,000 after Adam, just before the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the subsequent Millennial Kingdom, the Sabbath Millennium. This was foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 11; 65:17-25). Then 120 jubilee years have passed (120 x 50 = 6,000) and there are 6,000 + 1,000 = 7,000 years in God's plan over the earth. There are several prophetic parallels between Noah and Jesus. Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th day of the month and 7 days later he rose from the dead on the 17th Nisan and ascended to his father. The number 17 contains the numbers 10 (=law) and 7 (=completion, completeness) in itself. The second Passover is also reminiscent of the Manna Week (although the second Passover was introduced later), because from the 16th of the second month the people received the Bread of Heaven (Gen 16). In the New Testament Jesus Christ refers to manna as the "bread of life" (John 6:30-35).
The second Passover of the year 2022: From the 10th Iyar (=12th of May 2022 according to God's calendar), the day when Noah entered the ark about 4,500 years ago, to the 17th Iyar (=19th May 2022) there are exactly 7 days, the number of completeness. From nightfall on May 18, 2022, is the 17th day of the 2nd month, the memorial day on which the Flood began. It is the day Noah was saved from the waters and the day Jesus ascended to the Father a month earlier (17th Nisan)after entering Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan. Thus, there is a symbolic temporal connection between Noah and Jesus. The year 2022 offers a special feature because on the second Passover (14th Iyar, Pesach Sheni) on the night of May 15-16, 2022 (4:12 a.m. Universal Time, 5:12 a.m. Central European Time and 12:12 a.m. [24:12] in New York), the Blood Moon (lunar eclipse) can be seen over America. According to the inaccurate Jewish calendar it is already the night of the 15th Iyar. In 2023, the 14th Iyar falls on Friday, May 5, 2023, followed by a double Sabbath (the 15th day falls on a weekly Sabbath) on May 6, 2023.
3) The 3rd High Sabbath of the Year: Shavuot = Pentecost (Summer)
From the day after the first yearly Sabbath (15th Nisan; and not after the first weekly Sabbath, as some mistakenly think, see Omer) there is a series of 7 weekly Sabbaths (7x7=49 days) counted until the summer feast day (Pentecost; 50th day) (see image above). Therefore, this third annual Sabbath is also called "Feast of Weeks" (Hebrew: Shavuot). Literally translated it is the "Feast of the Sevens" (Hebrew שבועות means Sevens, i.e. Weeks, Plural). The English name "Pentecost" was derived from the Greek "pentekoste hemera", which means "50th day". In Israel lies Pentecost at the time of the wheat and early fig harvest and was a festival of thanksgiving for the harvesting of summer grain (wheat). It was therefore also called "the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field" (Ex 23:16) or "Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest" (Ex 34:22) or "the day of the firstfruits" (Num 28:26). Every 7 weekly Sabbaths to Pentecost had a name. After the first feast (or high) Sabbath of the year (15th Nisan) followed 7 weekly Sabbaths, thus the "1st Sabbath", then the "2nd Sabbath", then the "3rd Sabbath" etc., and after the "7th Sabbath" there was the Pentecost on the 50th day. So when someone said, "We meet on the first Sabbath," everyone knew it was the first of the 7 weekly Sabbaths until Pentecost. The "first Sabbath" (17th Nisan; Mk 16:9) was the day on which Jesus rose from the dead (more info).
For the Jews, Shavuot is very important because it is the day when the people of Israel (after leaving Egypt) received the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai (Gen 20). As mentioned above, in the Greek language this feast was not called in the long form "Feast of Weeks", but in the short form Pentecoste (=the 50th; cf. Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1Cor 16:8). The number 49 (7x7) also plays an important role in the structure of the Bible, because the Bible was written on 49 scrolls (more info), but the 50th book (49+1) is the so-called Book of Life, in which only the names of the righteous are written, who will receive eternal life. The third Sabbath (or high Sabbath) of the year is dedicated to the small group of true Christians who follow Jesus in everything. It is symbolically about the spiritual harvest of the firstlings, the summer harvest, even before the great autumn harvest, which is symbolized by the feasts in the 7th month (see also barley and wheat harvest time in Israel).
In the Jewish calendar of Hillel the 50th day always falls on the 6th Sivan (6th day of the 3rd month), but in the calendar of God it falls on different days, namely on the 5th, 6th or 7th Sivan. This is also confirmed by literature (Talmud) from the first century before and after Christ. That is why counting the "50th day" is necessary, otherwise God would have spoken of the 6th Sivan, which He did not do.
In both the Jewish and the biblical calendar, the counting of the 50 days always begins on the 16th of Nisan, because on this day the First Fruits were waved in the temple. To this day, in the Jewish calendar the counting of theOmer always starts from the 16th of Nisan, but not from a Sunday, as many Christian groups wish, because they want to celebrate Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday every year, according to the Pope's calendar (see First Fruits Sunday).
The following table shows the counting of the 50 days with the 7 weekly Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost according to the Jewish calendar. These are the years in which the 10th Nisan falls on a Sabbath (Shabbat ha-Gadol; Palm-Sabbath), the 14th Nisan (Preparation Day) on a Wednesday, the 15th Nisan (High Sabbath) on a Thursday and the 17th Nisan on the "first Sabbath". All dates correspond to the Jewish calendar, which deviates from God's calendar in some years (see differences).
The following table shows all years from 2000 to 2030, not just those in which the 14th of Nisan falls on a Wednesday. However, it should be noted that this is not God's calendar, but the inaccurate Jewish calendar displayed on many websites:
After the blood of the Passover Lamb (Jesus) was poured out, which saved the people of Israel (the people of God) from (eternal) death, the people of Israel (and later the Christians) were to leave Egypt (symbolic: to leave sin) for a new and different life in holiness. This is what the 49 (7x7) days stand for. Since people do not know what good and evil is, God gave them the 10 commandments and further rules during the exodus through the desert (symbolic: the life in this spiritually hostile and godless world that surrounds us), so that people could live together in love. Love is the central theme of all God's commandments. The 7 times 7 days (49 days, number of perfection) after the feast of Passover symbolically represent the entire life of Christians over the centuries (cf. the 7 churches in Revelation; Rev 2-3). During the exodus the Israelites saw the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, which means that Jesus personally is with us day and night and watches over us, even if the people in the unchristian environment (desert) make life difficult for us by day and night. It is no coincidence that in the same year in which Jesus was crucified, just after these 49 days (i.e. on the 50th day), the Holy Spirit was poured out on the first Christians at the new beginning of Pentecost. This happened on the day of Pentecost of the biblical calendar and not of the Catholic (Gregorian) calendar. Just as God made a covenant with the people of Israel at the proclamation of the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai (Ex 20), God also made an eternal covenant with us by pouring out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost with the first Christian congregation. It is the "New Covenant" with the spiritual law of love. This gives us direct access to God and protects us from the power of evil spirits, which are often mentioned in the Bible. While we as Christians must continue to suffer in this evil world because the evil world cannot love us, victory is 100% ours. No one, not even a spiritual power, can separate us from God anymore. Jesus was the firstfruit (symbolic: the Omer at the Passover feast) of the risen dead. But through the preservation of the Holy Spirit, the called believers have also become children of God and thus, as firstfruits, have a share in eternal life even before the many other people who have not yet been called. This gift of eternal life will be given to Christians who have died in Christ and to Christians still alive at the time of the Rapture. This is what the coming feast Sabbaths stands for (Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot), which in contrast to the previous feast days have not yet been fulfilled. Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit and it symbolizes the spiritual first-fruit harvest of converted Christians (who follow Jesus), which is still rehearsed today, until the second coming of Jesus Christ. But the world does not see it because it rejects Jesus and His way of love.
The spiritual significance of Pentecost is well known to most Christians. It is about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the firstfruits, as described in Acts 2. In concrete terms, this means that the Holy Spirit has not yet been poured out to large crowds, but only to a small group of people who follow Jesus Christ in everything and go the way of forgiveness and love. These Christians have been and are persecuted all over the world (even in their own families) because the dark and evil world cannot bear the light. Jesus was a Jew and the salvation of the world took place through a Jew. This is the fulfillment of the Passover feast described above. But his own people rejected him, as John describes:
"He [Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:11-13).
This is the symbolic meaning of Pentecost:Passover is "the feast of the one firstfruit" (Jesus) who delivered us from the death penalty; but Pentecost is "the feast of the firstfruits" (the Bride of Christ), the people who follow Him in His agape love. According to the Talmudic tradition, Pentecost (Shavuot) is the time of the proclamation of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The first converted Christians all came from Judaism. However, since most Jews have rejected Jesus to this day, God has also called people from all nations. They now belong to His spiritual church. The only distinguishing feature of a true Christian is not belonging to a particular church, but only love. He who does not have love is not a Christian, but a "false Christian" who denies the name of Jesus Christ. Love is poured out by the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit is able to love even the enemies and to do good, even when others do evil. Only love makes the difference. The Bible makes it very clear once and for all: "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him" (Romans 8:9). Therefore the Jews in World War II (and before and after) were not persecuted and killed by true "Christians", but by false Christians who used the name of Jesus but rejected Him and hated the followers of Jesus. Many true Christians died in the same concentration camps where Jews were killed. They died side by side. But unfortunately nobody mentions them anymore. The true Christians are a "little flock" (Luke 12:32) and only a few find their way to God:
- "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" (1Cor 1,26-29).
- "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Mt 7:13-14).
- "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 Not everyone who says to me [Jesus], ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 7:19-21).
Jesus Christ was the "firstfruits" (1Cor 15:20) and the true Christians are the firstfruits (1Cor 15:23). They will be raptured according to the Bible before the 7-year tribulation comes over the earth (1Th 4:13-18; 1Cor 15:20-24). The other so-called "Christians", who do not take the following of Jesus seriously, are left behind until they convert to Jesus and accept His way of love.
The liberation and the wave sacrifice: The number 50 (7x7+1) symbolizes not only the conclusion, but also the liberation and cancellation of debts, which in the proclamation of the Jubilees corresponds to every 50 years. Is Pentecost the feast on which the Rapture will take place or will it rather be on the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) or an other day? We do not know exactly. However, one thing is interesting: the first sheaf of the wave offering was brought at the Passover (see Omer counting), which symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus. But many Christians do not know that at Pentecost, too, a wave offering was made (Lev 23:15-17; literally: "of wave"), which could symbolize the resurrection of the firstfruitswho died in Christ and who are still living in Christ. It is very important not to destroy these 50 days between the „day after the High Sabbath“ (Passover, 15th Nisan; mentioned in Lev 23) and Pentecost, because it is only here that there is a symbolic connection between the physical exodus of the people of Israel at Passover and the spiritual exodus of the Bride of Christ at Pentecost. And at the same time there is not only a reference to the people of Israel, but also a special spiritual connection between the first sacrifice (Jesus, Passover) and the second sacrifice (Bride of Christ, Pentecost).
Lev 23:15-17: "You shall count seven full weeks [literally: seven Sabbaths] from the day after the Sabbath [15th Nisan, Passover], from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord."
The two loaves could symbolize the righteous from the Old and New Covenant (or Israel and the Church, but Israel will not be raptured, only the converts from Israel). In contrast to the first wave sacrifice during the Days of Unleavened Bread, leavened bread could be used for the second wave offering. This shows the difference between the sinless Jesus (firstfruits, Passover) and the church (firstfruits, Pentecost), which has sinned, but has become pure through the sacrifice of Jesus and through His grace (mercy). The second wave offering could be an indication of the Rapture of the church (firstfruits) during Pentecost (see Rapture Pentecost 2021).
It is interesting that the loaves of bread are to be taken out of the houses, which in a way reminds us of the current quarantine period, when the Church of God is in the apartments waiting to be taken away (raptured). This also reminds us of the waiting of the Israelites in the houses at the time of Moses at the introduction of the first Passover and the exodus from the land of sin (Egypt).
Some Christians think that the wave offering must indicate the exact time when Jesus (Passover, barley) and the church (Pentecost, wheat) will be raptured. This is not true, of the wave offerings were always offered at 9 a.m. in the temple. They were not a symbol of the resurrection and ascension (rapture) to take place right now, but they indicate that the resurrection and rapture are imminent. This is a big difference. It was a spiritual preparation. It meant purify yourselves and get ready, because it is going up soon. It was the same at the time of Jesus, when after the High Sabbath, that is, on the 16th of Nisan, the first sheaf of the first barley harvest was swung at 9 o'clock, and only a few hours later Jesus rose from the dead. In the same way, the wave offering on Pentecost is also symbolic of the imminent Rapture of those who have fallen asleep and the righteous who are still alive (hence the two loaves). However, the Rapturecan occur on either the first day (50th day after Passover, Pentecost) or the last day of the Pentecost season, i.e., Tu B'Av, the last day of the harvest of the firstfruits (wheat). We are not aware of any source so far that describes a later date for the end of the wheat harvest, because from Tu B'Av the first grapes were ripe and there was no more wheat in the fields, not even in the higher regions.
At Pentecost the Book of Ruth was always read out (see structure of the Bible, Link). It symbolizes the marriage at the time of the summer harvest between the woman from the Gentile who converted to the true faith and married a man from the people of God. It is a wonderful image of the Bride of Christ (the Church of God from all peoples and nations) and the Bridegroom Jesus Christ.
The so-called "Christian Pentecost" celebrated in many churches today has nothing to do with the biblical Pentecost or weekly festival, since it is not oriented to the biblical calendar and is therefore always celebrated on the wrong day. There are indeed a few years in which both days coincide; but even then it is not about the same day, because the biblical day of Pentecost begins at sunset, but the Catholic (or Roman) day of Pentecost begins at the deepest night (at midnight). So even then it is two different days. When the Holy Spirit was poured out at the first Christian Pentecost, the day was calculated according to the biblical calendar. As it became clear, the spiritual meaning of the first two yearly Sabbaths (Passover) and the third annual Sabbath (Pentecost) was fulfilled in a perfect way. Only the fulfillment of the last 4 yearly Sabbaths, which are in the 7th month Tishrei, is still missing.
There are various Christian groups who constantly shift the date of Pentecost because they want the alleged Easter Sunday (First Fruits Resurrection Sunday) and thus start counting from the wrong day (see Omer counting). They portray the Israelites as people who allegedly themselves have not known for millennia how to calculate their own feasts and now of all times need new revelations from Laodicean Christians who also give new dates every year (see videos on You Tube). This is completely wrong, because in spiritual symbolism it is extremely important to understand that Pentecost must take place exactly after 7x7=49 days (number of sevenfold completeness) with exactly 7 Sabbaths, i.e. on the 50 day after the first feast day (High Sabbath). Just as the year of jubilee is proclaimed on the 50th year, the 50th dayafter the deliverance from the death penalty (through the blood of Jesus) was to be celebrated, the day on which the church was founded and delivered, because through the Holy Spirit we have a share in eternal life. It is impossible to count from the 17th of Nisan (Resurrection Day) or from the day after (18th of Nisan) because the days of the week in the astronomical biblical calendar change from year to year and thus the resurrection of Jesus would have to fall on different days of the week. This is impossible because many Christians simply think that the sequence of days in the biblical calendar is the same every year as in the year Jesus died. But the counting from the day after the first High Sabbath of the year (Nisan 15) is always simple and logical and is clearly confirmed not only by the Israelites but also by historians (e.g. Flavius Josephus, see Omer). There are 50 days (the Jubilee period) from the first Jubilee feast (Nisan 15) to Pentecost (Jubilee feast for the church). If the Rapture were to occur at Pentecost, it would be the exact period from the first Jubilee Feast (15th Nisan) to our Jubilee Feast, on the 50th day after the salvation of the Israelites from Egypt and our salvation through Jesus on the same day or in the same Pentecost season (see The Rapture), which ends on Tu B'Aw (the 15th day of the 5 month). It is very important not to change the symbolic Jubilee Feast of Pentecost, exactly 50 days after the first High Sabbath (15th of Nisan), i.e. after the physical and spiritual exodus. Only this perfectly shows the spiritual relationship of the preceding bridegroom to His bride (who follows him wherever He goes).
The Fig Tree Generation
The year 2019 has special characteristic: On the day before the Sabbath, Friday, May 14, 1948, the state of Israel was founded. That means: On Monday, May 14, 2018 was the 70th birthday and on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 the 71st year of Israel began. But according to the Jewish calendar the foundation day was the 5th Iyar 5708 (=Independence day, Jom haAtzma'ut). Thus the true 70th birthday of Israel was already before, namely on the 5th Iyar 5778, which corresponds to the 20th April 2018. The true 71st birthday of Israel is therefore already exactly 4 days before May 14, namely on May 10, 2019 (=5th Iyar 5779). Exactly on this day the 70th year of Israel ended. Although Israel's independence was declared on a Friday, the rabbis nevertheless decided not to celebrate Independence Day on Iyar 5 in a few years, but to postpone it by one day so as not to come into conflict with the Sabbath rest. Therefore the Jews celebrated Independence Day 2019 already on the 4th Iyar (Thursday) and not on the actual day before the Sabbath (Friday 5th Iyar, 5779). In 2020, Independence Day was on Wednesday April 29 (5th Iyar 5780). In 2021, Independence Day was on Thursday, April 15 (3rd Iyar 5781, because the 5th Iyar fell on a Sabbath). In 2022, Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut) is on Thursday, May 5 (4th Iyar 5782). In 2023, according to the Biblical and Jewish calendars, Independence Day was again on 5 Iyiar 5783, that is, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 (not on May 14, 2023 according to the Gregorian calendar). So from April 26, 2023 Israel's 75th year began, it was the 75th birthday of the State of Israel, which was specially celebrated in the press and Israel received congratulations from all over the world.
However, only the "Provisional Government of Israel" was established on 14th May 1948. It was a transitional cabinet that existed until the 10th March 1949 (9th Adar 5709). On 25 January 1949 (just under 9 months after the declaration of independence) the first parliamentary elections were held.
Exactly 9 months (cf. duration of a pregnancy) after the founding of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948), the Parliament of the State of Israel met for the first time on February 14, 1949 and two days later gave itself the name Knesset (lit. "gathering" or "assembly"). This date corresponds in the Jewish calendar to the 15th Shvat (15th day of the 11th month, 5709).That was on the feast day "Tu BiShvat", the "New Year of the Trees", as trees are traditionally planted on this day. On February 10, 2020 (=15th Shvat 5780) the 70th year ended and the 71st birthday of the Knesset was celebrated.
The "First Government of Israel" was formed by David Ben-Gurion on 8 March 1949 (7th Adar 5709), a month and a half after the elections for the first Knesset (Jan. 25, 1949) and there were 12 ministers. It is interesting to note that Moses died on the 7th of Adar. Some sources start counting the first official government not from the 8th, but from the 10th of March 1949 (9th Adar 5709). On the 7th Adar 5780 (March 3, 2020) the 70th year ended and the 71st birthday of the first official government was celebrated. According to the Gregorian calendar the 70th year of the first government ends on 8 March 2020 (12th Adar 5780).
Why is the 70th year of Israel important to us? Quite simply because Jesus himself spoke of this generation, because the fig tree in Mt 24:32-34 and Lk 21:29-31 is a symbol for Israel. The symbolic fig tree had been cut down for about 2,000 years since the year 70 A.D., because the Jews were spread all over the world. But with their return and with the foundation of the state on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708) the fig tree (=the state of Israel) began to grow again. Therefore the people born in this year correspond to the last generation in which the events of Mt 24 must take place. In Psalm 90:10, the normal lifetime of man is defined as 70 to 80 years. In concrete terms, this means that the generation born after 1948, according to Jesus' own words, should not pass away until everything is fulfilled (1948+80=2028). The 80th year ends in the Shmitta year 2028/2029. Until then, the terrible prophecies of the Last Days mentioned in Mt 24, in the Book of Daniel and in the Apocalypse will be fulfilled.
The example of the foundation of the state of Israel shows how important it is to differentiate between the Jewish and the biblical calendar, because otherwise important prophetically predicted events cannot be correctly classified in their symbolism. In the first mentioned calendar often the leap years and therefore also the feast days are calculated wrongly. The day of the birth of Israel on Friday, May 14, 1948 was in the Jewish calendar only the 5th Iyar (5th day of the 2nd month); but in the biblical calendar of God it was the 4th Sivan(4th day of the 3rd month), thus directly the day before the 7th Sabbath in the Omer-counting and even directly before the Pentecost (beginning from sunset on May 15, 1948; see TorahCalendar). This is symbolically of great significance, for thus the birth/founding of Israel (prophetically: the unfaithful bride) occurred at the time of Pentecost, just as the birth/founding of the New Testament Church (prophetically: the bride of Christ) occurred at Pentecost (Acts 2). So there was a great Pentecostal miracle not only in the year of Jesus' resurrection, but also in May 1948, the year of Israel's rebirth. Due to the fact that the Jews reject God's calendar, although it was the original calendar of their fathers, this important basic knowledge remains hidden from them and many are not aware of God's involvement in the foundation of the state, so that they do not thank Him. They do not know that the newspaper "The Palestine Post" pictured above proclaimed the birth of Israel to the entire world exactly on May 16 and that day was Pentecost! So the official and worldwide proclamation of the founding of the state of Israel took place on a Pentecost day, on Sunday, May 16, 1948. This also means: the beginning of the fig tree generation was officially announced on a Pentecost day to all Christians who are waiting for the coming of their Lord (see Rapture). Thus they have a clue how to reckon.
In other words, just as the New Testament Church (Bride of Christ) was founded/born at Pentecost 2,000 years ago, the foundation/birth of Israel (unfaithful Bride) also took place on May 14, 1948, at the time of Pentecost. But the birth of Israel did not take place on the day of Pentecost itself, because this day is reserved for the New Testament Church, marked by the wave offering of the two loaves (symbolizing the Rapture of the righteous of the OT and NT). The birth of Israel (fig tree) was thus officially communicated to the Bride of Christ precisely on her own founding day of Pentecost, so that the Bride of Christ could accurately identify the signs of the times and the beginning of the last generation before the Second Coming of the Lord. The Jews reject God's calendar to this day, so this knowledge and connection with Pentecost remains hidden from them (they miscalculated by one month); they will not be raptured, but left behind and have to go through the tribulation. Then they will realize their mistakes.
From the founding of the state on May 14, 1948 to the Preparation Day of Passover on Nisan 14 (April 16, 2022) are:
May 14, 1948 to April 16, 2022 = 27,000 days, without 1st date (73 years, 11 months, 2 days)
From the biblical Pentecost on May 16, 1948, to Passover (Nisan 15) on April 17, 2022, then to the second Passover (Pesah Sheni) on May 16, 2022 (with the blood moon), and then again to Pentecost on June 6, 2022, are:
May 16, 1948 to April 17, 2022 = 27,000days, inclusive 1st date (73 years, 11 months, 2 days)
May 16, 1948 to May 16, 2022 = 27,028 days, exclusive 1st date (=exactly 74 years)
May 16, 1948 to June 6, 2022 = 27,049days, exclusive 1st date (74 years, 21 days)
May 16, 1948 to June 6, 2022 = 27,050 days, inclusive 1st date (74 years, 22 days)
From the year 2022/2023 great events could shake the world and it is obvious that soon all the prophecies will come true. Those who cannot see the signs of the times now are like the foolish virgin (Mt 25:1-13). It is worthwhile to be vigilant during the 7 annual feast days of God, because everything has its deep meaning. But many will realize this only when it will already be too late.
The Time of the Rapture and the 7,000-Year Plan of God with Humankind
No Christian can determine the exact time for the Rapture of the Church. Every Christian must always be ready and alert. But it is possible that this could take place on one of the 7 biblical feasts (more information). The feast days of the Bible are closely related to God's 7,000-year plan with mankind. It begins with the Passover and the blood of Jesus (our salvation from the death penalty) and the foundation of the church after 49 days with the 7 Sabbaths on Pentecost (Shavuot) and the era of grace. The Rapture is the end of the Age of Grace. These were the first two harvests of the first fruits (Jesus and Bride of Christ), but in the fall the spiritual harvests of the late fruits continue: Jesus' return follows after 2,000 years (and after the 7-year Tribulation) on Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets), then comes the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) with our atonement and the capture of Satan (the root of all evil). After that comes the Millennium (Sukkot), where we will reign together with Jesus and finally the the final judgment and the Last Great Assembly Day (Shemini Atzeret). After that comes eternity in agape love and without suffering and tears, in a spiritual world together with God, our Papa. In God's plan, the meaning of life is revealed. Life here on earth was only a training for eternity so that we can learn the agape love and God can separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Those who have made themselves the most small and served others in agape love will be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. At the latest then everyone will realize that it was worthwhile to follow Jesus and to be different from the world:
4-7) The Last 4 High Sabbaths of the Year (Autumn)
The calendar of God has 7 great or high Sabbaths, which are also called annual or feast Sabbaths. After the two feast Sabbaths in spring (15th and 21st Nisan = Passover festival) in the first month and the one in summer (50th day, Pentecost, or weeks festival, Shavuot) there is after a longer break in autumn (in the 7th month) the last 4 high Sabbaths of the year, namely on the 1st, 10th, 15th and 22nd day of the 7th month. With the autumn holidays a new dimension in God's plan begins. Now it is symbolically about the time of the judgment and the time of the return of Jesus Christ, as well as about the life afterwards.
The 7th month of the biblical calendar (September/October) has the Hebrew name "Ethanim". The word is derived from "strong (water currents)" or "even rivers", which means that in this month the rivers begin to carry water permanently. It symbolizes the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit over the entire earth. Already before there was a small outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (on the 3rd annual Sabbath). However, this was intended only for the small group of the first called Christians. They are therefore called "firstfruits" who follow the firstfruits (Jesus Christ) in everything. The 7th month is mentioned several times in the Bible. Example:
"And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the 7th month" (1Kings 8:2)
In the post-exile epoch (i.e. after the Babylonian captivity) the Jews determined the 7th month to be the 1st month according to the new state Jewish calendar and gave it the Babylonian name "Tishrei", which means 'beginning' by its meaning. This name is still established in the Jewish calendar today. So it is the Jewish (but not the biblical) New Year's Day, because the biblical year begins with the month Aviv (or Nisan). Now it also becomes understandable why the Jews call the first day of the month "Rosh Hashanah" in their new calendar, which translates as "head" or "beginning of the year".
Note: On September 3/4, 2024 (1.7% illumination of the moon), the first crescent moon (the new light) cannot yet be seen over Jerusalem. Although the light of the moon will increase, it will not be visible until the following night. The biblical Day of Trumpets therefore begins on September 4/5, 2024 (5.1%). The biblical Day of Atonement is on September 13/14, 2024. In the Jewish calendar, the Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah; 1st Tishri) begins a whole month later, on October 2/3, 2024. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, 10th Tishri) is therefore also celebrated a month late; the priest would die if he entered the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple on this day.
4) The 4th High Sabbath: Yom Teruah = Day of Trumpets
The 1st day of the 7th month in Israel is called "Rosh Hashanah" (Hebrew "head / beginning of the year") because after the Babylonian exile it became New Year's Day in the new state Jewish calendar. The reason was that, according to Talmud, the creation of the world and Adam and Eve were assumed this month. "Rosh Hashanah" is a term invented by humans, which does not appear once in the whole Bible. However, the biblical name for the 4th yearly Sabbath and the first biblical autumn feast day is "Yom Teruah". The Hebrew teruah means literally "day of shouting or blasting", because especially on this day the Shofar horn had to be blown several times. Yom Teruah is thus the "day of noise blowing", the so-called "Feast or Day of Trumpets". It is a day of alarm and warning of the coming judgment and plagues. On the Day of Trumpets the shofar horn had to sound particularly loud and a meeting was to be held in memory (Lev 23:24; Num 29).
The symbolic meaning of the feast: The end of the harvest time in autumn symbolizes the beginning of the completion of God's plan for humanity. It is now a matter of the main spiritual harvest of those who were not among the first called (cf. Pentecost; firstfruits). The sound of the trumpet is a final warning for the world to repent, otherwise great tribulations will arise. But it also symbolizes the visible return of Jesus Christ to earth after the 7-year tribulation. But many Christians hope that this feast could have a double fulfillment and that on the day of the trumpets the Rapture of the church will also take place shortly before the Great Tribulation. Jesus' presence is at first intended only for his little church, but not yet for the whole world, since it will go through the tribulation. The wars in the Last Days make it clear for all eternity that man is not in a position to rule himself and to live in peace and harmony. Humanism cannot save the world, since human desire is selfish and evil (Gen 6:5-6; 8:21; Job 14:4; Ps 14:3; Mt 15:19; Rom 3:10-18,23). Only the law of God and his love can save the world permanently and protect it from suffering of all kinds. The first invisible coming of Jesus before the tribulation is the resurrection of the called Christians who have already died. At the same time the Rapture of the converted Christians still alive takes place (1Cor 15:51-53; 1Thess 4:13-18; Rev 4:1). The world did not expect this. Everything comes as a complete surprise, although the Rapture was even shown in some Hollywood films.
The day of Trumpets is the only feast Sabbath of the year that takes place on a new moon in the last month of the feast period, which stands for the last period in God's plan. The Day of Trumpets is therefore the only feast-day that begins in the darkness, at the new moon, which is difficult to determine. At least two witnesses had to wait 2 nights until they could finally see the appearance of the first crescent of the moon and thus proclaim the 7th month of the year. This indicates the sudden, unexpected and for the world completely surprising Rapture of the Bride of Christ. On the day of the trumpet the trumpet was blown 100 times and the last one was called "the last trumpet" and reminds of the words of Paul and the rapture of the church (see last trumpet and rapture).The parable of the 10 virgins and the unexpected coming of the Lord at midnight serve as a comparison (Mt 25; Lk 12:35-48). But despite this great miracle, most will not convert to Jesus because they will believe the lie that these people were allegedly kidnapped by aliens and that the Bible was supposedly an evil book. The 10 days until the next coming feast day (the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur) should be used for repentance to spiritually cleanse oneself. Those who do not allow themselves to be warned and do not purify themselves spiritually and do not end their sins will not participate in the first resurrection (cf. Mt 25).
The trumpet blowing is a hint to the 7 trumpets in the book of Revelation (Rev 8-11 and 16-19), which reach their climax with the visible return of Jesus to earth at the time of the last 7th trumpet. Jesus himself will return to the earth with all glory and will take over the government of the earth. Thus, as the king of all kings, he will establish the millennial kingdom of peace (the Sabbath Millennium) prophetically foretold long before. But Jesus does not come alone. He comes with the saints, the Christians who died in the Lord, who were lifted up to God 7 years before and will now reign over the earth together with Jesus as kings. The first feasts (Passover and Pentecost) were already fulfilled. The Day of Trumpets has not yet been fulfilled and will be fulfilled in a very short time, at the latest by 2028. This is proved by Jesus' words about the fig tree generation (see above).
5) The 5th High Sabbath: Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement
The Jewish Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, 10th Tishrei) is also celebrated a whole month late in the 2024 Jewish calendar, namely on October 11/12, 2024. The priest would die if he entered the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple on this day. The correct date is Friday/Saturday, September 13/14, 2024 in God's calendar.
The 10th day of the 7th month (10th Tishrei) is the Day of Atonement after the 10 Days of Repentance (from the 1st to the 10th Tishrei). The Hebrew words "Yom Kippur" literally mean "Day of Atonement". It was the only Sabbath of the year on which fasting was prescribed throughout Israel. It was not allowed to eat or drink.
"And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever" (Lev 16:29-31; Lev 16; see Lev 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11; Joel 2:12-17; Mk 2:20).
Whoever did not fast in Israel at the time of the Old Testament (the Old Covenant) had to die (Lev 23:29-32). On the day of fasting, people should remember their sins and their consequences for the family and the world. For many Jews, the Day of Atonement is the most important day of the year because it symbolizes access to God, since only on this one day in the year was the high priest allowed to enter the holy of holies of the temple before God. Here again it becomes very clear that Israel had to keep to God's biblical calendar, because if the priest appeared on the wrong day, he would have to die. Moreover, this day was so holy that on Yom Kippur (and not in the first month of Nisan) the Jubilee years (the 50th year) were proclaimed, in which there was a atonement (reconciliation) and all came to their rightful possession. Wikipedia describes the great importance of this feast day:
"According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into a book, the Book of Life, on Rosh Hashanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. During the Days of Awe, a Jew tries to amend their behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God (bein adam leMakom) and against other human beings (bein adam lechavero). The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one hopes that they have been forgiven by God" (Wikipedia).
"While the Temple in Jerusalem was standing (from Biblical times through 70 CE), the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) was mandated by the Torah to perform a complex set of special services and sacrifices for Yom Kippur to attain Divine atonement, the word "kippur" meaning "atone" in Hebrew. These services were considered to be the most important parts of Yom Kippur because through them the Kohen Gadol made atonement for all Jews and the world. During the service, the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies in the center of the Temple, the only time of the year that anyone went inside" (Wikipedia).
Symbolic meaning of the feast: The high priest stands symbolically for the spiritual bride of Christ. The bride may stand before God the Father under the loud trumpet on this day, because her sins have been forgiven and she is atoned with God on this day. This is the Day of Atonement of God with the Bride! If the bride (the priest stands for this) were to appear before God on the Feast of Trumpets (1st Tishrei), she would have to die because she had not yet atoned. Only from the Day of Atonement is the way to Jesus/God open and the bride can step directly before him. For the Jews, Yom Kippur prophetically means the return of Yahweh to Jerusalem, for on that very day he will be near them. But we have to distinguish between the plan for the bride on the one hand and the plan for the whole world on the other hand. The bride may be going ahead, but the other people will follow later: After the great tribulation, the rest of the Christians and Jews will also atoned with God. After the tribulation and after the visible return of Christ, all sins are brought to the sin-goat, Satan, and laid on his head. The scapegoat (Satan), "the deceiver of the whole world" (Rev 12:9), is taken to the wilderness (spiritual prison), where he can no longer lead anyone away from the way of God. It is a day of remembrance and deep repentance, for sins have brought much suffering and death into the world and they must not be played down. This capture of Satan, prophesied long in advance, takes place right at the beginning of the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:1-3). The world is reconciled, sins are forgiven and Satan (the causer of sin, destruction of the environment, suffering and death) is eliminated. It is a day of remembrance, but also a day of joy, because it symbolizes forgiveness, salvation and atonement, so that we may come before the Father as the pure bride of Jesus. Nothing more stands in the way of the wedding. The high priest was only allowed to step before God on the Day of Atonement, that is, only once a year. When Jesus was crucified, the curtain of the Most Holy was torn in two (Mt 27:51; Lk 23:45), so that we could speak (pray) with God personally from that moment on, but as spirit beings we will shortly and forever live together with Jesus and the Father, and always be in the protective presence of God. The Jews believe that the gates of heaven are open until the end of the Day of Atonement and are closed afterwards. This day also symbolizes the separation of the righteous from the wicked.
In the magazine "ISRAEL HEUTE" is written: "On Yom Kippur Day, according to Jewish tradition, the gates of heaven and the books close before God. The judgment of God over man is thus established. That's why one wishes oneself "a good entry" shortly before that. In the ten days of conversion after New Year's Rosh Hashana, the Shofar horn is blown in large numbers in order to inspire man to repentance and repentance, man researches his heart and asks God and man for forgiveness. In Israel the streets are empty on Yom Kippur Day, and one spends most of the time in the synagogues and recites the many prayers of imploration "Awinu Malkenu... (Our father, our king...)... More and more Messianic Jews are fasting today since Yeshua is the high priest and we his congregation, i.e. representatives, should also pray and fast for forgiveness of the sins of our people - like the high priest once a year when he entered the holy of holies. That is why many believers on this day also read the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament (especially chapters 5 to 7). For now that we have been cleansed by God's Lamb, His Son, we can pray and fast for the repentance and atonement of a people. But when we fast, then as our Lord made clear in the Sermon on the Mount: "When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to man as a faster, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. Matthew 6:16-18" (translated from the magazine "ISRAEL HEUTE" of September 21, 2007 (see link).
More information about the expulsion of the goat from the community of people on Yom Kippur: On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the priest had to put his two hands on the head of the goat, pronounce before him all the sins of the people, and then send him into the wilderness (see Leviticus 16). This has a deep spiritual meaning, because the goat is an ancient symbol of Satan. All the sins of the people are transferred to him, because he is the root or cause of all evil. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev 12:9).
"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit [abyss], and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the 1,000 years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season" (Rev 20:2-3).
The capture of Satan is the prerequisite for the beginning of the following feast day Sukkot(Feast of Tabernacles) in God's calendar, because there must be no more seduction and destruction in the Millennium.
There are many representations of Satan. Already from thousands of years he was represented in Egypt and Babylon as a goat's head. From this is derived the well-known image of Baphomet (another name for Satan, literally: "Bufihimat", which in the Arabic-Spanish language means "father of knowledge"). His image is widely used in occult and political circles and in secret lodges. Baphomet is the powerful demon of lust (sexual perversion), so he has male and female characteristics. His penis resembles the rod of Hermes, which is entwined by 2 snakes. Behind it is the so-called "arch of power", and above it are 2 large breasts. He has the head of a goat with two big horns symbolizing strength and danger. He has big ears and big eyes, which means he sees and hears everything. About him is the torch of light (which is supposed to mean the divine light), because he pretends to be the light (sun god) and the illuminated one, who is supposed to have the knowledge. He is located in the sphere area between the sun (below) and the moon (above). He has power over the world, therefore he sits above the planet Earth and his great flights show that he can fly anywhere. He has his legs crossed, over them the blanket of secrecy, with which he tries to hide the cross of Jesus and the true Christianity and to lead to other religious traditions and feasts, so that people follow him and don't know about the true Christianity and the following of Jesus in the agape love. Many people think it is great and cool to follow him because he can give power and wealth for a short time (see Mt 4:1-11), but everything is only temporal. His days are numbered and this is also symbolically described in the biblical festival Yom Kippur since thousands of years. Satan will never be able to hide true Christianity, because we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit and after the return of Jesus on Yom Teruah, Satan will be captured on Yom Kippur and brought in chains to the prison of the underworld (abyss). We need not be afraid of this being, for our God is infinitely stronger and has everything under control. We also have power over the demons in the name of Jesus Christ, (Mk 6:13; Acts 4:10-12; 19:1-20) therefore there must be the Rapture of the Bride of Christ before evil can unfold in all its violence and brutality in the 7-year Tribulation. People will see demons and think that they are aliens from other planets who want to save the world (see chapter Rapture, text in the lower part).
There are many advantages to knowing God's calendar, even though in the New Covenant we do not have to fulfill the OT law as the Jews did. For those who are humble and do not follow the catholic calendar and the holidays of the pope, God reveals many interesting details that are hidden for most Christians, because they think that they already have everything (Rev 3:14-21; church of Laodicea) by following the teachings of the pope and his religious feasts (Good Friday, Easter Sunday as the so called "Resurrection Sunday" instead of the biblical Resurrection Sabbath, Catholic Pentecost day, Christmas at the time when the pagans celebrated the birth of the Sun God...). Jesus' return will abolish all these religious feast days for all eternity, then only the feast days of the Bible and the Luni-Solar calendar of God, which connects the universe and nature in perfect harmony with time, will be valid. We are not afraid to describe this, for God says: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them" (Eph 5:11). But many pastors hide the calendar of God and the biblical feast days from the church, that's why many can't understand several statements in the NT correctly.
6) The 6th High Sabbath: Sukkot = Feast of Tabernacles
Five days after the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) begins on the 15th day (it is full moon again) of the 7thmonth (Hebrew Sukka means "Tabernacles"). It is after or still at the time of the main harvest of: grapes, olives, almonds, figs, dates, pomegranates, cactus fruits, citrus fruits and other fruits. It is the "feast of the harvest at the end of the year, when you have collected the harvest of your work from the field" (Gen 23:16) or "the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end" (Ex 34:22). The feast was accompanied by great joy, because the tenth saved before (the saved 10% of all income) could be spent. It was therefore a time of abundance and of physical and spiritual well-being. The Feast of Tabernacles lasts 7 days (15th to 21st Tishrei). The 7th day of the feast is known as Hoshana Rabba (Hebrew hoshana means "So help!"), but it is not a feast or high Sabbath. Sukkot is a Thanksgiving feast, a time to say "thank you" to God that we were able to live and bring such a great harvest (the blessing).
Symbolic meaning of the feast: It symbolizes first of all the great spiritual harvest of people who do not belong to the so-called first fruits (the first called, the firstlings). After the small harvest of the firstfruits (barley and wheat) there will be a third large harvest. This refers to all those people who did not belong to the firstlings (Rapture) and died without knowing about Jesus Christ. But their resurrection will not take place until the end of God's plan. This will affect the overwhelming majority of people who will also be reconciled with God in time after the firstlings and who will be accepted into the kingdom of God. This is the happy main harvest of men. If there were the rapture of the firstfruits on the Feast of Tabernacles, this would also be the end of the spiritual harvest of the firstfruits. It would be a symbolic prefulfillment of the feast, because after that the first great tribulation would come, and only after this would the Millennial Kingdom begin. After the atonement with God (Yom Kippur) the spiritual wedding feast is celebrated. A Jewish wedding lasts 7 days and the Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes this wedding celebration. The Feast of Tabernacles primarily symbolizes the Messianic Kingdom of Peace: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God" (Rev 21:3). In the millennial kingdom all nations will move to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech 14:16-19). The seven-day feast (7 is the number of perfection) stands for the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:1-6). After the 6,000 years (6 is the number of men) of the government of men over the earth, and the associated chaos (Rev 1-19), the world will be under the dominion of God in the seventh Sabbath millennium (7 is the number of God) (Rev 20:1-6). The believers who had died before in Christ were raised from the dead (and raptured to God). They will reign in a spiritual body together with Jesus, the king of kings, in the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:4-6). The 7th and last Sabbath millennium claims God for itself and its way, so that people can see the difference to the former life. It will be a time of great joy and exuberant wealth. It will be a time without hunger, without environmental destruction, without suffering and without disease. Not only that, God also changes nature's behavior to its original state, all predators on earth will be peaceful and will only feed on plants (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:17-25). It is about the restoration of paradise, which was destroyed by man and is now being built and protected by God and His saints (who were raptured 7 years earlier):
Isaiah 11:6-10: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse [with this our Lord Jesus is meant], who shall stand as a signal for the peoples - of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious."
Isaiah 65:17-25: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress... 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord."
The Feast of Tabernacles, which lasts 7 days and begins with the 6th annual Sabbath on Tishri 15, is described in Exodus 23 (Leviticus 23) and has a direct connection to the 7th annual Sabbath on Tishri 22:
Lev 23:33-36: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the 15th day of this 7th month and for 7 days is the Feast of Booths [Tabernacles] to the Lord. 35 On the 1st day [Tishri 15] shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 For 7 days [= from 15 to 21 Tischri] you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the 8th day [Tishri 22]you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
The Feast of Tabernacles lasts 7 days, but that is not the end of the fall feast season, because it includes the very important 8th day of assembly, which immediately follows the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles and is dealt with in the following text. Some Christians want to erase this 8th day as a feast and assembly day because they would rather have the day on which the sheaf of firstfruits was waved as the new feast of First Fruits (Easter Sunday), but still want to achieve the symbolic number of 7 feast days. This is a big mistake, as this website proves.
7) The 7th High Sabbath: Shemini Atzeret = Last Great Day of Assembly
Directly after the 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) follows on the 22nd day of the 7th month the so-called "last great day". This is called Shemini Azeret (Hebrew literally "eighth [day] of the assembly") or the closing feast. It is the 7th festival in the 7th month after 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles. He is mentioned several times: Lev 23:36, Num 29:35; also in the description of the dedication of the Solomon's temple in Jerusalem (2Chr 7:9-10) and in the celebration after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile (Neh 8:18).
Symbolic meaning of the feast: This special Sabbath is the seventh and therefore last annual High Sabbath and is symbolically comparable to the weekly Sabbath (7th day), because it is an indication of the final rest of all humanity from all work and toil, without suffering and sadness. After the millennial kingdom (see Sukkot above) Satan will be released from prison for a short time (Rev 20:7-10) to be captured for all eternity. So no more seduction will emanate from him for all eternity. This is followed by the resurrection of all who have not yet been raised (Rev 20:5) and the Final Judgment before the white throne (Rev 20:11-15; Rev 22) and thus the conclusion of God's complete plan. The judgment will also be a teaching in the laws of God. The unteachable people will be punished and will not receive eternal life, but the people converted to God and Jesus will receive eternal life as a gift and richly rewarded. Life here on earth is a spiritual training or education of people for eternity. The one who has chosen the way of love has been inscribed in the Book of Life. People who have learned suffering in their bodies and yet have confessed to God cannot and will not sin for all eternity. Shemini Atzeret is the eighth (8th) day of the gathering. The number 8 symbolizes the new beginning and eternity. It also means that from now on Jesus, whose name has the numerical value 888, has completed His plan and will reign forever ensuring stability. Eternal life follows as a spiritual being in love, peace and harmony under the protection of God. The last feast symbolizes the conclusion of God's plan, the assembly of all risen men before the throne of God and eternal life in joy afterwards. Therefore we can understand why Jesus spoke the famous words exactly on this last High Sabbath of the year:
John 7:37-39 (ESV): "Rivers of Living Water. 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day [lit.: in now the last day the great (day) of the feast], Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
We must always consider the context and sequence of the resurrections: The first to be raised from the dead was Jesus (the firstfruits, symbolised by the Passover). After that, the firstfruits will rise, the small group of the first called (the Bride of Christ, symbolised by the Passover). But only after the 1,000-year kingdom will there be the resurrection of those who were not among the firstfruits. Therefore, those who know God's calendar can understand what is meant by the "last day"that Jesus referred to in John 7:37-39. In John's Gospel, the last day is mentioned several times. The basic Greek text is easy to understand and really literally says "on the last day" (eschate hemera). The day of resurrection for the Bride of Christ is, of course, the day of the Rapture, it is the last day until which the spiritual harvest of the firstfruits (the Bride of Christ) has taken place. But the last day in God's plan (Shmini Azeret) refers to the period of resurrection AFTER the 1,000 years of the Millennium (which is symbolised by the Feast of Tabernacles, as shown above). We must also note that at the time Jesus lived, knowledge of the Rapture was not yet given, but only hinted at. That is why most people at that time thought that they would not be resurrected until "the last day", that is, until all the prophetic events of the Bible had been fulfilled, that is, temporally only at the end of the 7,000 years of God's plan. However, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a biblical day of Pentecost, the knowledge of the Rapture was revealed to the disciples, which Paul reports about in detail. His texts are of great importance to us because they show us that the firstfruits will be resurrected already before the tribulation and NOT only "on the last day" (after the 7,000 years), which is symbolised by the seventh High Sabbath Shmini Azeret.
Jn 6:39-40: "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Jn 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Jn 6:54: "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Jn 11:23-26 "Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
The "8th day" does not mean Sunday!
Some false teachers, including some Adventists, have set up the adventurous doctrine that the "eighth day" mentioned in Leviticus 23:36 would supposedly refer to Sunday (the supposed 8th day of the week) as the holiday on which the church is to assemble for worship. This is false, for the weekly day of assembly has always been the Sabbath and only the Sabbath. Leviticus 23:33-36 is about the annual (not weekly!) day of celebration or assembly (Sabbath) and no Jew has ever defined on this "8th day" as a Sunday. It is about an annual Sabbath! This "8th day" in reality does not refer to the "8th day of the week" but to the "8th day of the Feast of Tabernacles" and this rarely falls on a Sundayfrom year to year but much more often on different days of the week. This eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles is named Shemini Atzeret; it is the last High Sabbath (festival Sabbath) of the year and therefore falls on a different day of the week each year.
Just Lv 23:36 shows how brazenly some theologians twist the Bible, just to seduce the Christians to the holidays of the Gentiles and to make them revaluate Sunday (as the alleged resurrection day). They deliberately hide from the church the most important basics about God's calendar, because the "8th day" can also fall on a Tuesday, Wednesday or even on a Sabbath (!), as was the case in 2020 (in both calendars) or 2023 (in the Jewish calendar):
Examples (the first date refers to the Jewish calendar, the second to God's calendar(bold):
2020: the "8th day" is on: Fri/Sat Oct 9/10 (in both calendars).
2021: the "8th day" is on: Mon/Thu Sept 27/28and Wed/Thu Sept 29/30.
2022: the "8th day" is on: Sun/Wed Oct 16/17or on Tue/Wed Oct 18/19.
2023: the "8th day" is on: Fri/Sat Oct 6/7 or on Sat/Sun October 7/8.
2024: the "8th day" is on: Wed/Thu Sept 25/26or on Wed/Thu Oct 23/24
2025: the "8th day" is on: Mon/Thu Oct 13/14or Tue/Wed October 14/15.
A week consists of only 7 weekdays and there is no "8th weekday", because after the Sabbath (7th weekday) the 1st weekday begins again. And this one is Sundayaccording to the pagan (resp. Roman Catholic) calendar, but it starts from midnight and ends again at midnight, while all biblical and Jewish days always start and end with the sunset. Therefore, the pagan days of the week (likeSunday) have nothing to do with the Bible and do not appear once in the entire Word of God. Once again, the "8th day" mentioned in Leviticus 23 has the name Shemini Atzeret(see Wikipedia) and always refers to the last feast day after the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles and falls on different days of the week from year to year. It is the 7th and last High Festival or High Sabbath of the year and has great symbolic significance (see above) that has nothing to do with Sunday. And this is a warning from the mouth of our Lord JESUS CHRIST to all who want to lead the children of God away from the biblical calendar and instead to the holidays and habits of the pagans and their demons:
„And he [Jesus] said to his disciples, Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves!“ (Lk 17:1-3).
God's 7,000 Year Plan for Mankind and the 7 Feast Days
As already described above, God has a 7,000 year plan for mankind, which is also reflected in the symbolic of the feasts. After the 6,000 years of human rule, the 1,000 years of God's rule follow (the Millennium). 6,000 years means a period of 120 Jubilee years (120x50=6,000 years). The age of the Church (the new covenant) began at Passover (first feast) and Pentecost (Shavuot) 2,000 years ago. This is followed by the Rapture, the 7-year tribulation, then the return of Jesus (Day of Trumpets, Yom Teruah) and the 1000-year kingdom, which is symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles. It is the "World Sabbath," as this epoch of time is also called. After the Millennium there will be the Final Judgment (the last great High Sabbath, Shemini Atzeret) and then eternity. The seven High Sabbaths show in a wonderful way how God brings his spiritual harvest into the eternal kingdom of heaven.
ADDITIONAL FEAST DAYS 2023
In addition to the 7 annual or high feast Sabbaths, which were ordered by God as early as the time of Moses, there are other feast days in Israel that came into being over the following centuries as a result of special historical events. The most important are Tisha B'Av (Day of Great Mourning) on the 9th of Av in the 5th month of the biblical year, and Tu B'Av (Day of Joy, Feast of the Wedding) on the 15th of Av. On this night of the full moon (14/15th of Av), the virgins of Israel went to the vineyards to find a bridegroom while singing and dancing. It was the end of the wheat harvest and the end of the Pentecost season, because from that time the harvest of the autumn fruits (grape harvest) began. In 2023, the feast days in the 5th month of Av fall on the same days in both calendars, but in the Jewish calendar it is the 11th month. In winter the Hanukkah festival is celebrated, the lights of the candlesticks bring light to the dark time. The feast of Purim (Day of Joy, Feast of Lot, Feast of Salvation) is at the very end of a biblical year, i.e. in the 12th or 13th month (leap year) and in 2024 it even falls on different months in both calendars, because the Jewish calendar inserts a leap month. Therefore, the Jews celebrate the Passover in 2024 (April 24) too late, because the barley would have already fallen to the ground by that time and the firstfruits sheaf could not have been offered in the Jerusalem temple.
On these additional feast days in the 5th and 12th months, two books of the Festival Scroll (Megillot) are still read aloud to this day (see Structure of the Bible), namely the Lamentations of Jeremiah (9th Av) and the Book of Esther (Purim).
The 9th of Av - Tisha B'Av - The Day of Great Mourning
The worst day in the biblical (or Jewish) calendar is the 9th day in the 5th month Av (July-August). The name of the month comes from the calendar of the Chaldeans and was adopted by the Jews after the Babylonian exile. The 9th of Av (=Tisha B'Av) is a day of fasting and mourning, especially because exactly on this day the first and second Jerusalem Temple were destroyed and the Jews had to go into exile. The prophets foretold this because the sins of the people of Israel were so great that God temporarily withdrew His personal protection over the land. The light of God, the seven-armed menorah, was removed from the Temple (more info). The painting by Francesco Hayez (1867; Link) shows the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the robbery of the menorah on the 9th of Av in 70 AD by the Romans.
If the 9th of Av falls on a Sabbath, then the fasting is postponed to the 10th of Av. Every year at the feast the Lamentations of Jeremiah are read out. They are the third book of the five scrolls (Megillot) and belong in the Old Testament (Tanach) to the group of scriptures (Ketuvim, see Structure of the Bible). Since the 9th of Av fell on a Sabbath in the Jewish calendar in 2022, fasting and mourning were postponed to the following day (10th of Av; Sunday, August 7, 2022). In 2023, in the 5th month of Av, God's calendar and the Jewish calendar fall on the same days of the week.
The Jewish 9/11: The month of Av is indeed the 5th month in the biblical or religious calendar of God, but in the civil Jewish calendar it is the 11th month. Thus, the Jews have their own 9/11 on the 9th day of the 11th month, which also recalls the tragedy of the collapses of the Twin Towers in New York, the day of disaster.
It is astonishing, because besides the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple there are other events that are either clearly historically documented or, according to tradition, fall on this day of all days. Due to the many sins of the people of Israel, God allowed the first and second temples to bedestroyed and all the Jews to be expelled. It was therefore also a day of judgment for Israel. The 9th of Av is the Israeli day of disaster:
- Av 9 (Exodus): The terrible message of the spies and Israel's 40-year desert migration. "The people of Israel were told in the desert that they still had 40 years to go. The episode is reported in Genesis 4:13. There is no date given, but according to Jewish tradition the event happened on the 9th of Av "(Wikipedia, translated; Wiki-2). The historical background is as follows: When the people of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, scouts were sent to explore the land and its inhabitants. They saw that the land was very fertile, but also that the inhabitants were very strong, because giants also lived there. The people of Israel became afraid and panic of the inhabitants. They no longer trusted God, cried all night of the 9th of Av, complaining and murmuring against God, and wanted to go back to Egypt (Num 14:1-4). Therefore, God punished the people of Israel and the whole generation had to die in the desert and only their children were allowed to enter the promised land:
"According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, 40 days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity 40 years, and you shall know my displeasure 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die" (Num 14:34-35). - Av 9, 3175 = August 16, 586 B.C.: Destruction of the 1st Jerusalem Temple by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar when the city was plundered. The Jews were captured and exiled to Babylon.
- Av 9, 3830 = August 4, 70 AD: Destruction of the 2nd Jerusalem Temple by the Romans. The Jews were captured and expelled into exile to all parts of the world (Diaspora).
- Av 9, 3895 = August 5, 135: Killing of many Jews during the Bar Kokhba revolt. The Romans crushed the revolt and destroyed the city of Betar, killing about 580,000 Jewish civilians on August 4, 135 AD. In the following days the killing continued. Afterwards, in 135 AD, the Roman commander Turnus Rufus destroyed the site of the temple in Jerusalem and the surrounding area.
- Av 9, 5050 = July 18, 1290: Expulsion of the Jews from England. All Jews were expelled from England for nearly four centuries, their property was looted.
- Av 9, 5066 = July 21, 1306: Expulsion of the Jews from France on 22nd July 1306.
- Av 9, 5252 = August 2, 1492: Expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal, Inquisition. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand ordered the expulsion of all Jews from their country. The Hebrew date on which no Jew was allowed to remain in the country was the 9th of Av. (August 2, 1492). Many Jews fled to North Africa. For centuries afterwards, no open Jewish life was possible in Spain until modern times. On August 3 (the morning after the expulsion) Columbus sailed for America.
- Av 9, 5674 = August 1, 1914: Outbreak of the 1st World War. On August 1, 1914, the German Reich declared war on Russia, and on August 3, the declaration of war was made to France. Only a few days before that, on 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. There were 120,000 Jewish dead in the armies. In addition, the Jews were held responsible for the lost war, although the percentage of Jews fighting on the German side was very high.
Contrary to the often spread opinion, the 2nd World War did not begin on 9. Aw., because the invasion of Poland took place only on the 1st September 1939, thus more than one month after Tischa B'Aw. In the case of WW2, however, this was not the decisive factor, because in WW1 many Jews themselves were still actively involved and fought as officers or soldiers also on the German side. Much more important in connection with Israel was now that in each case at a Tisha B'Av the liquidation of the Jews was decided, as the following dates prove: - Av 9, 5698 = August 6, 1938: Concentration camp construction. By 1938 there were already several internment camps for political prisoners. But from the end of the 1930s onwards, the construction of extermination camps was started. The 9th Aw fell on a Sabbath. Therefore, from Monday, August 8, 1938, the construction of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria began. After that, numerous other extermination camps were built in Europe. On 27 April 1940 Himmler ordered the construction of the concentration camp in Auschwitz.
- Av 9, 5701 = August 2, 1941: The Final solution of the Jewish question is decided. "On August 2, 1941 (Av 9, AM 5701), SS commander Heinrich Himmler formally received approval from the Nazi Party for 'The Final Solution'. As a result, the Holocaust began during which almost one third of the world's Jewish population perished" (Wikipedia).
- Av 9, 5702 = July 23, 1942: Extermination of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto. The Warsaw Ghetto was gradually dissolved by a decisionon 22 July 1942 as part of the "Great Action". Most of the ghetto inhabitants were taken to the Treblinka extermination camp.
- Av 9, 5754 = July 17, 1994: The AMIA bombing, of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, killed 85 and injured 300 on July 18, 1994 (10 Av, AM 5754).
If Israel wants to prevent further future judgments on the 9th of Av (as happened with the destruction of the two temples), then it must turn to God and his laws and trust Him. God has promised to protect Israel in the last days, when all the nations of the earth will gather together in battle against Israel. God loves Israel, it is His people, so the nations that are against Israel will also be punished. Israel must not divide the land and give it to other nations, as the ancient prophets warned. Otherwise, this will not only bring punishment on Israel, but also on the nations that support it (USA).
At the moment, Israel has not yet recognized that many of the biblical feasts have a reference to Jesus Christ (such as Passover, Pentecost, Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles). Israel rejected Jesus and persecuted his disciples, even though He came from their own people (their own family). Jesus said: "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household" (Mk 6:4). The famous Rabbi Yitzhak Kadurihas given the people of Israel the name of the Messiah who will protect them and save them from destruction (more info on Kaduri's note).
The 15th of Av - Tu B'Av - The Day of Great Joy
Tu B'Av (translated "Fifteenth of the Aw") is a small Jewish holiday on the 15th of the Av (July/August), which is not mentioned in the Torah. It is not a state holiday, but a normal working day, even though there is much singing, celebrating and dancing at night. Some have made it a "half-holiday".
Since this holiday is in the middle of the month, there is always a full moon at night.
The 15th Av was first made a feast day in the Hebrew year 2,487 (1,274 BC). It was the day on which the people of Israel entered the Promised Land. The whole older generation of the Exodus had been condemned to death in the desert because of unbelief. But after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the mysterious passing away of the elderly ceased, and the younger generation was finally allowed to enter the Holy Land. This was a cause for celebration, for there was now a new beginning and an end to the strange death of the elderly family members.
In the territory of Israel, this day continued to be kept as a day of joy because it symbolized the beginning of the grape harvest, while Yom Kippur meant the end of the grape harvest. There is even biblical evidence of this, for it is recorded that 40 years ago the spies entered the Promised Land: "now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes" (Num 13:20); they "cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them" (Num 13:23). On the 9th of Av, the people grumbled against God and were punished by God for 40 years; however, after this punishment, the entry into the Promised Land did not take place on the 9th of Av (day of mourning), but on the 15th of Av (day of joy). Between the 9th of Av and the 15th of Av are the 7 days of preparationand transformation from sorrow to joy.
In the course of time a new custom developed. The special feature was that at the time of the second Jerusalem Temple (before the destruction in 70 AD) the virgins or unmarried girls of Jerusalem put on white robes on the 15th of Av and went dancing in the vineyards. They wanted to draw attention to themselves in order to find a potential husband. A man who did not yet have a wife also went into the vineyards outside the city to look for a bride. Often these white robes were only borrowed so that nobody could distinguish the poor from the rich women. Before that all the clothes were carefully cleaned. The women sang song lyrics like "do not turn your eye to beauty, but to the family and the being or God-fearing character of the woman". Here is a comparison from the Bible:
Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
So the Tu B'Av is about finding the groom, marriage and a new life in love and harmony. The 15th of Av is therefore one of the happiest days of the year and a contrast to the saddest day of the year, the day of mourning 9th of Av (see above), only a few days before in the same month.
Originally, this custom "Dance of the Virgins" originated in Shiloh (a place in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, today West Bank). In the pre-monarchical period, the Ark of the Covenant was located here for several years, which is why the people went on pilgrimage here for the feasts and sacrifices. Apparently, it was a regular custom there that the virgins of Shiloh gathered in the vineyards on the 15th of Av for a round dance. This went on for generations. The Benjaminites knew this and used this opportunity to kidnap the women and marry them. In the book of Judges this is reported:
Judges 21:19-23: "So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” 20 And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards 21 and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty." 23 And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them."
In the book of Jeremiah there is an indirect reference to the virgin of Israel and the dance, obviously in the vineyards:
Jer 31:2-6: "Thus says the Lord: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, 3 the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 5Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. 6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’"
The Talmud considers Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur to be the greatest festivals of the year. After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, this holiday was forgotten over the centuries, but has been reinstated in Israel in recent years. There is singing and dancing on the full moon night of Tu B'Av. In today's Israel it is called "the feast of love" and can be compared to Valentine's Day, when lovers give each other presents. It is said to be a suitable day for weddings. The commentary to the Talmud (see Wikipedia) also states that from this day on inter-tribal marriages were permitted, which in turn also points to the probable day of the wedding of Boaz and Ruth, because Ruth came from the Gentile nation and is a symbol for the Bride of Christ (the saints called from the Gentiles):
- „While the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, female orphans without brothers could only marry within their tribe to prevent their father's inherited territory in the Land of Israel from passing on to other tribes, following the incident of the Daughters of Zelophehad. After the conquest and division of Canaan under Joshua, this ban was lifted on the 15th of Av and inter-tribal marriage was allowed.
- That same year, the last of the generation of the sin of the spies, which had been forbidden to enter the Promised Land, found that they were not destined to die. For forty years, every Tisha B'Av night, the Jews made graves for themselves in which they slept on Tisha B'Av; every year a proportion of them died. In the 40th year, the fifteen thousand who had remained from the first generation went to sleep in the graves and woke up the next day to their surprise. Thinking they made a mistake with the date, they did this until they reached Tu B'Av and saw a full moon. Only then did they know they were going to enter the Land of Israel with the new generation.
- The Tribe of Benjamin was allowed to intermarry with the other tribes after the incident of the Concubine of Gibeah (see Judges chapters 19–21).
- Cutting of the wood for the main altar in the Temple was completed for the year.
- King Hoshea of the northern kingdom removed the sentries on the road leading to Jerusalem, allowing the ten tribes to once again have access to the Temple.
- The nights, traditionally the ideal time for Torah study, are lengthened again after the summer solstice, permitting more study.
- The Roman occupiers permitted burial of the victims of the massacre at Bethar during the Bar Kochba rebellion. Miraculously, the bodies had not decomposed, despite exposure to the elements for over a year.“
For many Jews and some Christians this is the presumed day when Ruth and Boaz got married. It is also a reference to the Raptureand the wedding between the Bride of Christ (the church) and the Bridegroom Jesus.
Hanukkah
In winter, another festival is celebrated in Israel, which is mentioned only once (Jn 10:22) in the entire Bible, because it was created in the period after the completion of the Old Testament and before the New Testament was written. On the 25th of Kislev (the 25th day of the 9th month, always in Nov/Dec) begins the 8-day Festival of Lights, which is also called the Temple Dedication Festival (Hebrew Hanukkah = dedication, consecration). It is a Jewish festival commemorating the re-dedication or renewal of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC (year 3597 in the Jewish calendar). This occurred after the successful Maccabean revolt of the Jews of Judea against Hellenized Jews and Macedonian Seleucids (Greeks). On 25 Kislev (167 BC), the Greeks offered pagan sacrifices in the temple (1Macc 1:57-64). On the same day, the Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after defeating the army of the Syrian-Greek king Antiochus IV. On the 25th of Kislev, the fighting ceased. The Altar of Zeus was removed from the Temple and Temple service was resumed.
The name Kislev comes from Akkadian (an extinct Semitic language) and means "thick" or "enriched," referring to the thick rain clouds of the onset of winter rains. Thus, there is some symbolic reference to Noah's Ark, as the feast also commemorates the onset of rain and the salvation of the righteous few who belong to God and are distinguished from the rest of the world by agape love. They are a light in this dark world, they are the bride of Christ. This recalls the parable of the 5 wise virgins whose lamps are filled with oil (symbolic of the Holy Spirit) and produce light (symbolic of justice and love).
The Bible does not report this, there are only some mentions in the 1st book of Maccabees, in the books of Flavius Josephus and in the Talmud. According to tradition, a miracle happened after the dedication of the temple: The menorah, the 7-branched candlestick in the temple, should never go out. According to later tradition, due to the battles with the Seleucids, only a jar of consecrated oil was left. This oil was enough for just one day. For the production of new consecrated oil 8 days are needed. By a miracle, however, the light burned for eight days until new consecrated oil was produced. The eight lights of the 8 or 9-armed candlestick Hanukkia remind us of this. Every day one more light is lit, until in the end all eight burn (Wikipedia; source of the painting, episode from 2 Maccabees 3:21-28: Link).
The feast takes place at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th biblical month (Kislev/Tevet, i.e. Nov/Dec), which means in the dark winter nights, around the time of the new moon. To commemorate the Hanukkah miracle, the Hanukkah menorah, also chanukiah or hanukkiah [the 9-branched candlestick] is lit after nightfall. The Hanukkah candlestick is often placed by the window to draw people's attention to the miracle of light.
There is only one mention of the Feast of Dedication, namely in the New Testament in the gospel of John. Jesus was in Jerusalem at that time and made it clear to the people that he was the Messiah and that he was one with the Father. But these statements of Jesus are still rejected by most Jews today:
John 10:22-30: "At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Over the centuries, some Hanukkah customs have been established that are not based on the Bible. Especially for this purpose a new 9-armed candlestick was invented, where one light is used to light the other 8 lamps. The Bible never mentions that the light of the 7-branched menorah should be replaced or supplemented by an 8- or even 9-armed candlestick. When the menorah was lit in the temple, all 7 lamps of the menorah burned together during these 8 days. The 7 is a holy number and symbolizes completeness. The number 9 on the other hand is not connected with the holy numbers of God. Christians should not change the seven-branched menorah ordered by God. The following website link shows over 1,000 historical menorah and Hanukkah lamps from all centuries: Menorah.
The Purim Feast - The Day of Great Joy
Since the inaccurate Jewish calendar added a leap month (13th month, Adar II) at the wrong time at the beginning of 2024, Purim 2024 was a whole month apart in both calendars (February 25/26, 2025 and March 24/25, 2024). However, because the biblical calendar 2025 has a 13th leap month, the two calendars are aligned again in 2025. The biblical Purim festival takes place on March 15/16, 2025; in the Jewish calendar, Purim begins one day earlier, i.e. on March 14/15, 2025.
The feast of Purim (= Feast of Lots; Hebrew purim means: the lot or fate or destiny) is the last feast of the biblical calendar (in the 12th month), but the first feast according to the Gregorian calendar (February/March). However, there is a special feature, because in a leap year there are two times the month of Adar. On the 14th day of the second month of Adar (that is, in the 13th month) Purim is celebrated. And on the 14th day of the first month of Adar, Purim Katan ("little Purim") is observed. It is called "little" because it is only for remembrance and to distinguish it from the real Purim, which begins four weeks later. The Feast of Purim fell on the exact same days in 2022 on both calendars. In 2024, however, there is a month between the two calendars because the Jewish calendar adds an additional 13th leap month in 2024, which is not consistent with the equinox and the evolution in nature.
This festival was introduced to commemorate the salvation of the people of Israel. The historical background: The Israelites were in captivity in the Persian Empire under King Xerxes I. (Ahasuerus; *around 519 B.C.; †465 B.C.), who ruled from 486 to 465 B.C. This is why the term "Persian Diaspora" is also used. The highest government official Haman sought to exterminate not only Mordecai (the adoptive father of Esther), but the entire people of Israel in a single day. He issued a corresponding decree to exterminate all Jews, which corresponds to genocide (Esther 3:1-15). The timing was determined by lot: They cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the 12th month, which is the month of Adar" (Esther 3:7). It was the 13th of the month of Adar (Esther 3:13). But through God's intervention it came to be quite different, because through fasting, prayer and the intercession of Queen Esther all Jews were saved, while the enemies of Israel were killed on the same day. Therefore, the two following days (14th-15th Adar) are feast days, because on these days the people came to rest, thanked God and joyfully celebrated their salvation.
Esther 9:20-28: "And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the 14th day of the month Adar, and the 15th day of the same, yearly, 22As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. 23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; 24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; 25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Wherefore they called these days Purim [Hebrew: pu-rim] after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, 27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; 28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed."
Queen Esther originally had the Hebrew name Hadassah (הדסה, translated "Myrtle"; Esther 2:7; Strong No. 1919) with the numerical value 74 (H*5 + D*4 + S*60 + H*5). The myrtle (Myrtus communis) is a symbol of life and immortality. It is mentioned several times in the Bible. Precious balm was made from it, which helped especially in case of respiratory diseases. In several cultures myrtle branches were used to decorate a virgin bride. Myrtle was also popular during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Isaiah 41:19-20: "I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, 20 that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it."
Isaiah 55:13: "Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
Nehemiah 8:14-15: "And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the 7th month [=Feast of Tabernacles], 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”
Thus Hadassah stands symbolically for the pure (virgin) bride, that is, for the church of God or "the bride of Christ". Her new name Esther (אסתר; Esther 2:7; Strong No 635) has a double meaning. "The three letter root of Esther in Hebrew is s-t-r (סתר), 'hide, conceal'. The passive infinitive is (להסתר), 'to be hidden'" (Wikipedia). The website Biblehubdefines this word "ster" (Strong No. 5641) as "to hide, conceal" and Wiktionary as "hideaway, hiding place, hiddenness, secrecy, mystery", which is a wonderful reference to the mystery of the Rapture, in which the church is hidden from the last 7 years of the tribulation. The second and far better known meaning of Esther's name is "star" or "the shining, the radiant", which is a reference to the condition of the saints after the Rapture in the kingdom of heaven (in the glorified body, as Paul calls it). Indirectly in the word Esthers there is the name of a star in several languages (cf. English: Star; Spanish: Estrella). The virgin Esther was indeed a light and symbolizes belonging to the 5 wise women in the parable of the 10 virgins (Mt 25). The name Esther has the numerical value 661 [(a)*1 + S*60 + T*400 + R*200]. According to some commentators, the 66 symbolizes completeness (3x22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet = 66; the 66 books of the Bible) and the 1 stands for God. Symbolically: the church (cf. 66 books of the Bible) goes to God (1).
On the feast of Purim the complete book of Esther is read out to this day, not a word may be missing. In the OT (Tanach) it belongs to the group of scriptures (Ketuvim) and is the fifth and thus last book of the five festival scrolls (Megillot). For more information see the structure of the Bible (Link). In leap years with an additional month, the Purim festival takes place in Adar II (13th month). If Purim falls on a Friday, the celebrations even last for three days.
Since the deliverance of the people took place at a time when there was a full moon over the land (end of the 14th Adar) and the people "came to rest", the feast of Purim is brought by some Christians in connection with a possible time of the Rapture. Christians should always be vigilant and await the coming of the Lord, but this applies all the more at the time of the biblical feast days. These are days of remembrance that were not thought up by human beings themselves, but are holidays that have been determined by God personally. The Purim festival in the middle of the 12th month of the year is the last festival of the year. It is only a few days before New Year's Day on 1st of Nisan. So Purim is the last feast Sabbath of the year.
The Bible does not specifically mention that the shofar horn (the trumpet) was blown on that day. But according to Esther 6, the righteous Mordecai was given a royal robe and it was publicly proclaimed before him (through the square of the city): "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor" (Esther 6:6-12). This is reminiscent of Mal 3:18: "Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him". The royal robe is a symbolic reminder of the new white garments in the Kingdom of God, which the saints will receive as a reward for their faithfulness to God (Rev 3:5; 7:13). They will reign with Jesus as kings (Psalm 2:8-9; 1Peter 2:9; Rev 2:26-28; 12:5; 19:14-16). According to tradition, trumpets were often used to announce a decree of the king. This can also be seen in the painting "The Triumph of Mordechai" by Pieter Lastman (1624) (source: Link). If the shofar horn (the trumpet) was blown to Purim, it would be the last festival trumpet of the year. Is this a reference to the "last trumpet," which Paul mentions in 1Cor 15:52? We do not know. For the most important trumpets of the year were blown on the New Year (1st Nisan), on Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) and on Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Over the centuries, various customs have been adopted from the pagan peoples, so that the Purim festival in Israel today is more reminiscent of a carnival or Halloween festival. This tradition has nothing to do with the Bible. The costume of the Jewish population was developed in Italy from the 13th century onwards. Some wear the clothes of the opposite gender, although God forbids it in the Bible: "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak [women's clothes], for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God" (Ex 22:5). Some even go so far as to wear symbols of death (skeletons, terrible blood-drenched masks, horror faces) that the Purim has been degraded to a kind of Halloween festival. God certainly does not like all this
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