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I
am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
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Psalm
52:8
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You Can Understand
God's Calendar!
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Part One: “The calendar.” These ordinary words can bring tension into an otherwise pleasant atmosphere. More and more, Christians are coming to question which is the correct calendar for God’s true Church. An exhausting assortment of opinion swirls around this topic, which has seemed overwhelmingly complex. Is God’s true calendar beyond the ability of the average Christian to discern? Is this truth of God understandable only to experts? Has God left you and I without sufficient means to evaluate the calendar? Does God intend for us to trust the authority of the Church blindly in this? Or is there a clear, distinct and straightforward path to this truth of God, apart from the confusing contradictions of human reasoning? Indeed, God has given us just such a path, and any journey toward discerning the true calendar, must begin upon this path. What is this path? Simply put, it is the path of searching the Bible to find the boundaries which God sets for the calendar. Using God’s Scriptural requirements as our tool for measuring, we can quickly discard many human misconceptions. What then, are these boundaries regarding the structure of the calendar, which God provides for us? What are God’s rules for the calendar? Logically, let’s begin at the beginning.
God made the heavenly lights for signs, for appointed times, for days, and for years: Then 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 and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. (Genesis 1:14-16) You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. (Psalm 104:19 NRSV) What is one reason that God gives us the sun and the moon? God says that He has given us the sun and the moon as “lights” – visible indicators of time segments. We will find as we continue, that these are foundational building blocks of God’s calendar. More specific renderings of verse 14 of Genesis 1, found in other translations, help us to gain a more complete picture: From the New Jerusalem Bible[1] : God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals, days and years. (Genesis 1:14) From the New American Bible[2] : Then God said: "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, (Genesis 1:14) Why do these two recent translations replace the English word “seasons,” with “festivals” or “fixed times”? The word which most versions translate as “seasons” in verse 14 is the Hebrew mo’ed. From the New American Standard Concordance, the entry below gives us an overview of how mo’ed is translated in various passages of Scripture: H4150. moed, moed, moadah, [417b]; from H3259; appointed time, place, or meeting:[translated in Scripture as] -- appointed(3), appointed feast(3), appointed feasts(11), appointed festival(2), appointed meeting place(1), appointed place(1), appointed sign(1), appointed time(21), appointed times(8), appointment(1), assemblies(1), assembly(2), definite time(1), feasts(2), festal(1), fixed festivals(3), meeting(147), meeting place(1), meeting places(1), season(4), seasons(3), set time(1), time(3), times(1), times appointed(1). [Emphasis is added.] [3] Scholars generally agree that the typical meaning of mo’ed is “appointed time, place, or meeting.” Vine's Hebrew Dictionary sums it up neatly: “The word mo'ed keeps its basic meaning of ‘appointed,’ but varies as to what is agreed upon or appointed according to the context: the time, the place, or the meeting itself.”[4] The authoritative Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon adds this note: “It is most probable that in Genesis 1:14 (Priest’s Code), … the reference is to the sacred seasons as fixed by the moon’s appearance; and so also … he made the moon for sacred seasons Psalm 104:19, although many Lexicons and Commentaries refer these to the seasons of the year.”[5] “Sacred season” is also termed “set feast or appointed season.”[6] What are these “sacred seasons”? In the Bible, the word mo’ed is often used of days which God has set apart for sacred observance.[7] Here below, are the usages of mo’ed in Chapter 23 of Leviticus, which lists the weekly Sabbath along with all of God’s annual Holy Days: "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times [mo’ed] which you shall proclaim as holy convocations – My appointed times [mo’ed] are these: (Leviticus 23:2) 'These are the appointed times [mo’ed] of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed [mo’ed] for them. (Leviticus 23:4) 'These are the appointed times [mo’ed] of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD--burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day's matter on its own day-- (Leviticus 23:37) So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times [mo’ed] of the LORD. (Leviticus 23:44) What have we learned thus far? We have discovered that the sun and moon are foundational building blocks of God’s calendar. We have also seen the unbreakable Scriptural link between the heavenly lights – the sun and the moon – and God’s “appointed times,” which include the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days. Now we are ready to look at the specific segments of time. First, let’s consider the smallest unit of time in the calendar, the day.
In our modern civilization, most of the human community ends each day in the middle of the night, at midnight. This is a calculated endpoint which has only a general and limited relationship to the sun or moon. According to our Creator, when does the day actually begin and end? God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. [8] God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. [13] There was evening and there was morning, a third day. [19] There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. [23] There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. [31] God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) What have we found here in the creation account? Each individual day consists of “evening and morning,” and in that order – first the “evening,” then the “morning.” Thus, it is clear that God designates evening as the beginning of the day. This fact is reinforced in Leviticus 23, where God explicitly bounds the sacred 10th day of the seventh month: "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement[s]; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. [32] “It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath." (Leviticus 23:27, 32) As is illustrated in the verses above, the 10th of the month begins at the precise point when the 9th of the month ends – “at evening.” The 10th of the month is reckoned “from evening until evening.” What is “evening”? What does “evening” have to do with the heavenly lights – the moon or sun? Brown-Driver-Briggs defines the Hebrew word 'ereb as “(sun)set, evening.”[8] The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament reports: “ 'ereb. Evening, night. This common masculine noun for ‘evening’ likely developed from the expression, ‘the setting of the sun, sunset.’ It is cognate to Akkadian erebu, a common verb of wide usage which includes ‘to enter, go down (of the sun).’ Akkadian erib Samsi means ‘sunset.’ “[9] In Scripture also, we find evening ['ereb] connected to sunset: He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua gave command and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate, and raised over it a great heap of stones that stands to this day. (Joshua 8:29) The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died. (2 Chronicles 18:34) We see this same association – sunset with evening – carrying forward into the New Testament. Notice how these three Gospel writers record this account, depicting events which occurred immediately at the close of a Sabbath: When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. (Matthew 8:16) When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was. (Mark 1:32-34) At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. (Luke 4:40, New American Bible) Equipped now with the understanding that the day in God’s calendar begins and ends with the setting of the sun, let’s move forward to the next segment of time, the week.
In the 21st century, we take for granted a seven-day week. However, in some ancient cultures, the length of the week differed. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: “Among primitive peoples, it was common to count moons (months) rather than days, but later a period shorter than the month was thought more convenient, and an interval between market days was adopted. In West Africa some tribes used a four-day interval; in central Asia five days was customary; the Assyrians adopted five days and the Egyptians, 10 days, whereas the Babylonians attached significance to the days of the lunation that were multiples of seven. In ancient Rome, markets were held at eight-day intervals; because of the Roman method of inclusive numeration, the market day was denoted nundinae (“ninth-day”) and the eight-day week, an inter nundium.” [10] Today, even among those who profess Christianity, the Biblical week is generally not well understood. Let’s take a closer look at the week, as God established it. We begin with the account of creation, recorded in Genesis: The First Day: Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:3-5) The Second Day: Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. And God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:6-8) The Third Day: Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them, on the earth"; and it was so. And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (Genesis 1:9-13) The Fourth Day: Then 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, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19) The Fifth Day: Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. (Genesis 1:20-23) The Sixth Day: Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:24-31) Summary: Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. (Genesis 2:1) Seventh Day: And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3) Here, along with the rest of creation, God – by His own example – created the seven-day week! God worked for six days and He rested on the seventh day. What else have we just read here? Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:3) Thus God instituted and sanctified the seventh day as His Holy Sabbath at creation – over two thousand years before the Old Covenant was adopted at Mount Sinai in the days of Moses. How does God expect us to conduct ourselves during the course of the seven days of the week? What are His instructions to us? "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:11) "Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor in order that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves. (Exodus 23:12) 'Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15) As we learn from the above passages, God expects us to emulate His example, which He demonstrated for us during creation. God commands us to work during the first six days of the week. He commands us to cease from all of our labors on the sanctified seventh day. Yet significantly, God doesn’t just tell us that we are to rest on His Holy Sabbath. God emphasizes repeatedly that we are to ensure that everyone who is under our care or governance, rests on the Sabbath. This command for rest includes our children, our servants, sojourners residing with us, and even our work animals. It is important for us to recognize this point. Evident from the beginnings of history and intrinsic to His Sabbath commands, we find God’s benevolence and His provision for those who are less privileged. Additionally, God commands that we convene on the Sabbath day. This commanded meeting is not a casual or haphazard occasion to be treated lightly. It is a commanded meeting, which is sacred and holy to Almighty God: The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times [mo’ed] which you shall proclaim [see passage below] as holy convocations--My appointed times [mo’ed] are these: 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. (Leviticus 23:1-3) "When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations … Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts [mo'ed], and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God." (Numbers 10:7-8, 10) As is evident from the above passages taken together, the weekly Sabbath (along with the other religious observances) was to be proclaimed and its assembly convened by the priesthood operating in the temple (or tabernacle), instituting a relationship between the Sabbath and the Holy Land. Before moving on, it is crucial that we note the one other day of the week, which God emphasizes in association with the Sabbath. It is the sixth day. We find this emphasis illustrated in the account of the manna, which God provided as the daily ration for the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness: Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. "And it will come about on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." [13] So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. "This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" And the sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. And Moses said to them, "Let no man leave any of it until morning." But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. And they gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt. Now it came about on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, "This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning." So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul, nor was there any worm in it. And Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none." And it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? "See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day. And the house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey. (Exodus 16:4-5; 13-31) Here we have seen that in addition to the miracle of the manna, God performed two miracles in connection with the preparatory function of the sixth day! The first miracle was that God doubled the ration of manna on the sixth day, so that there would be plenty to last through the Sabbath. The second miracle was equally remarkable – the normally perishable manna was miraculously preserved. On every other day, if the Israelites attempted to store the manna, it bred worms and stank. Only from the sixth day, the daily manna remained fresh through the following day! From history and from the Gospel accounts, we learn that over time, the sixth day, as well as any day which was immediately prior to an annual Holy Day, commonly came to be called “the preparation day” or “the day of preparation.” Recognizing the sixth day as a “preparation” for the weekly Sabbath, Caesar Augustus decreed on behalf of the Jews: “their sacred money be not touched, but be sent to Jerusalem, and that it be committed to the care of the receivers at Jerusalem; and that they be not obliged to go before any judge on the sabbath day, nor on the day of the preparation to it, after the ninth hour.”[11] All four of the Gospel accounts make use of similar terminology, with respect to preparing for an annual Holy Day. Here are two examples: And when evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. (Mark 15:42-43) Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour …. (John 19:14) Thus, we understand that God has established a week of seven days. The first six days are for the performance of all our labors. The sixth day has an added function – on the sixth day, we are to make advance preparations for the coming Sabbath. The seventh day of the week is God’s Sabbath, a day upon which we and our fellows are commanded to rest, and to participate in a sacred meeting. Now we have considered the day and the week. What unit of time comes next in the structure of God’s true calendar?
Next in the structure of the calendar, we come to the month. As we found to be true of the day, we will see that the month has a very direct relationship to one of the “heavenly lights.” However, with the month, the relationship is with the moon. The Hebrew word for “month” is chodesh (hodesh), which means “new moon,” or “month.” According to Harris’ Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament: “Although this word properly means ‘new moon,’ it is commonly used as an equivalent to our word ‘month’ because the month began when the thin crescent of the new moon was first visible at sunset. It was used along with the more rare yerah, from yareah meaning ‘moon.’ … In early Israel the first of each month, or new moon, was determined by observation and proclaimed officially by the blowing of trumpets … When hodesh refers only to the beginning of the month, it is naturally translated ‘new moon,’ which was a feast day. It is one of the ‘appointed feasts’ and is listed with the Sabbath and the pilgrim feasts as involving burnt offerings (II Chr 8:13 et al.), and is also characterized by the blowing of trumpets (Ps 81:3 [H 4]; Num 10:10). Since it was a feast, David's absence from Saul's table at the new moon was especially noticeable (I Sam 20:5f.).”[12] The beginning of each month was marked by special offerings: 'Then at the beginning of each of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect; and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for the one ram; and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering for each lamb, for a burnt offering of a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 'Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. 'And one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering. (Number 28:11-15) The Feast of Trumpets, the annual Holy Day which occurs on the first day of the seventh month, is marked by offerings “besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering.” The passage below clearly establishes the association of the “new moon” with the first day of the month: 'Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets. 'You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without defect; also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 'Offer one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. (Numbers 29:1-6) As mentioned by Harris above, the following verses show that the new moons were times of special offerings. In this way, the new moons are similar to the weekly Sabbath and to the annual Holy Days. and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD. (1 Chronicles 23:31) "Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the LORD our God, this being required forever in Israel. (2 Chronicles 2:4) and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts--the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. (2 Chronicles 8:13) He also appointed the king's portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixed festivals, as it is written in the law of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 31:3) Also, as can be seen of the Sabbath and Holy Days, the new moons link God's calendar with the Holy Land, being proclaimed and convened by the priesthood:
Along with the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, the new moons were recognized by the early apostolic Church. The apostle Paul wrote: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17, KJV) In the writings of Ezekiel, we find a Biblical prophecy of a future time when the new moons will be marked by worship at the temple of God: "The people of the land shall also worship at the doorway of that gate before the LORD on the sabbaths and on the new moons. (Ezekiel 46:3) "And it shall be the prince's part to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the libations, at the feasts, on the new moons, and on the sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts [mo’ed ] of the house of Israel; he shall provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel." (Ezekiel 45:17) Interestingly, in the verse above, we come back to the Hebrew word signifying “appointed time, place, or meeting” – mo’ed. In addition to its more common connection with the annual Holy Day feasts (and the weekly Sabbaths), here we see mo’ed – “appointed time” – associated in the future with the observance of the new moon. In this section, we have established that God’s true calendar is partitioned into lunar months, based upon the moon. These months begin with what Scripture calls the “new moon.” The new moons were observed as special days, both in ancient Israel and by the apostolic Church. The new moons will also be observed in the future Kingdom of God. Therefore, Christians should be observing the new moons as special days. However, with the exception of the seventh month Feast of Trumpets, the new moons are not designated as days upon which God precludes work. Therefore, normal labor is permitted on all new moons, except on the seventh month’s new moon day, unless the new moon occurs on the weekly Sabbath. When the new moon occurs on the weekly Sabbath, the Sabbath commands to rest remain in force. Important to mention at this point in our discussion of God’s Scriptural boundaries for His true calendar, is the fact that nowhere in the Bible, do we find a concise definition of exactly what astronomical event(s) constitutes the new moon. Has God then left us in the dark, without the means to conclusively determine what He considers to be the “new moon”? Not at all! We will search out this question in Part Two of this series, entitled “What is the Biblical New Moon?” Understanding God’s delineation of the day, the week, and the month, now we are ready to consider the Biblical year.
What is the Biblical year? When does it begin? How is it determined? First, we will mention in passing that Scripture does not dictate a particular number of months for the year. However, from examples which are given, it is clear that the typical year consists of twelve lunar months: And Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, who provided for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in the year. (1 Kings 4:7) However, twelve lunar months are equal to only about 354 days. That is 11 days less than the solar year. With only twelve lunar months, the months would gradually shift in relation to the growing seasons, such that if in one year the first month were in the spring, by sixteen years later, the first month would have shifted all the way to autumn. Therefore, a thirteenth (intercalary) month is added approximately every three years. The occasional thirteenth month is not mentioned directly in the Bible; but as we will see, God’s rules for the calendar do make it necessary to intercalate. Let’s proceed now to the new year, which we find affirmed in the account of the Exodus. A few weeks before the Israelites departed from Egypt, in the time of year that we would call, in general terms, “Springtime,” God spoke to Moses: Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month [or new moon] shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month [or new moon] of the year to you. (Exodus 12:1-2) If we were to read on in Exodus 12, we would see that it was in that same first month that the Passover was to be observed. What else do we find in Scripture regarding the first month of the year? "On this day in the month of [the] Abib, you are about to go forth. (Exodus 13:4)
Very important in the above, and we should take note of this point, is that the month of Abib ("the abib," according to the actual Hebrew) is the only month given any kind of name by God. "Observe the month of [the] Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of [the] Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. (Deuteronomy 16:1) Three questions immediately arise: What does it mean to “observe” the month; what, if anything, is “abib”; and moreover, how do we know precisely which lunar month begins a given year? Let’s address the first question first: What does it mean to “observe” the month? The word translated as “observe” in the above verse is the Hebrew shamar. According to the NASB concordance: H8104. shamar, [1036b]; a prim. root; to keep, watch, preserve: -- [translated in Scripture as] attend(4), being careful(1), beware(8), bodyguard*(1), careful(33), cares(1), charge(4), confine(1), confined(1), defending(1), did(m)(1), diligently keep(1), doorkeeper*(1), doorkeepers*(4), gatekeepers*(1), give heed(2), giving heed(1), guard(20), guarded(7), guards(4), guardsmen(1), have charge(1), heeds(1), hoarded(1), indignant(1), keep(159), keeper(8), keepers(2), keeping(10), keeps(18), kept(40), maintained(1), mark(2), observe(30), observed(6), observes(1), observing(1), officers(2), pay attention(1), perform(3), performed(1), performing(2), preserve(6), preserved(3), preserves(6), protect(3), protects(1), regard(3), regards(2), remains(1), reserved(1), secured(1), sentries(1), spare(1), spies(1), take care(1), take heed(6), take note(1), waiting(1), waits(1), watch(13), watched(1), watches(3), watching(3), watchman(4), watchmen(7).[13] Shamar is also used in reference to the annual Holy Days, which we will discuss later. Here are two examples, to help us gain a fuller understanding of the usage of this Hebrew word for “observe”: "You shall observe [shamar] the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time [mo’ed] in the month [of the] Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. (Exodus 23:15) "You shall observe [shamar] the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time [mo’ed] in the month of [the] Abib, for in the month of [the] Abib you came out of Egypt. (Exodus 34:18) Clearly the month of the abib is important to God; therefore, it must also be important to us. We are to observe, to guard, and to keep the month of the abib as a special month. However, here again, as with the new moons, the month of the abib is not designated as a time during which God precludes work. Therefore, normal labor is permitted during the month, except on those days which are weekly Sabbaths or annual Holy Days. (We will cover the Holy Days later in this article.) Yet what, if anything, is abib? “'abib. Barley. This noun refers to barley that is already ripe, but still soft, the grains of which are eaten either rubbed or roasted (KB). The ASV and RSV agree (but see Lev 2:14). The seventh plague brought ruinous hail upon Egypt's barley crop at least two weeks before it was fully ripened and ready for harvest (Ex 9:31) … According to Lev 2:14 the grain offering [of firstfruits] was to consist of the firstfruits of 'abib.”[14] H24. abib, [1b]; from an unused word; fresh, young ears, also Canaanite name for the first month of the Jewish calendar:-- [translated in Scripture as] Abib(6), ear(1), fresh heads(1), grain(1).[15] A modern Jewish source contributes the following additional insight: “The precise meaning of Abib must be reconstructed by going into the fields and studying the barley and cross-referencing this with the Biblical evidence. The Bible often speaks of ‘Abib parched in fire’. This refers to grain which is developed enough to be eaten after it has been parched … If it is too ‘soft and chewy’ the roasting will dry up the kernel leaving an empty husk.”[16] Thus, we see that the Biblical definition of Abib corresponds to what is called, in technical agricultural terms, the "hard dough" stage of kernel development. "Finally, as the kernel approaches maturity and begins losing water rapidly, its consistency becomes more solid, termed 'hard dough' [Zadoks stage 87]. [During the hard dough stage] is when the kernel also loses its green color."[17] Still, why is abib barley so important to God; hence, to us? Two reasons become immediately obvious: 1. The abib establishes an observable marker for determining which lunar month is the correct beginning of any given year. No month can properly be declared the “month of the abib” unless it coincides with the abib barley. 2. Freshly-cut barley is the ingredient of the commanded wave omer offering, required to begin the annual harvest. The wave omer (sheaf) was offered on the day after the Sabbath, traditionally during the annual Days of Unleavened Bread. (See Leviticus 23:9-14 and Deuteronomy 16:9.) Consequently, the new year could not be declared prematurely. For then, there would be no barley ready to be harvested for the commanded wave omer offering! This means that the first month – the beginning of the new year – cannot be legitimately declared until the barley in the environs of Jerusalem has reached a certain stage of ripeness. Typically, the barley in the Holy Land begins to be harvest ripe and ready for swathing during the period of (according to secular dates) late March to mid-April. (Modern direct combine harvest methods, however, require additional time for field drying before mechanical harvesting.[18]) Here then, is a significant reason why intercalation – the periodic addition of the thirteenth month – is a necessary component of God’s true calendar. God requires the calendar to remain consistent with the growing seasons. Then, is the barley the only marker which God gives us for the determination of the year? While the barley is the primary indicator, there is one additional marker. It too, is agricultural: "You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; (Deuteronomy 16:13) "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. (Leviticus 23:34) Thus, the declared year should provide for the seventh month to fall late enough to allow for the expected time of grape harvesting and processing in wine vats in the Holy Land prior to the annual Feast of Booths [“Tabernacles” KJV]. (This fall festival is also referred to in Scripture as the Feast of the Ingathering). We are informed by the largest consortium of vintners in Israel that the modern grape harvest in the Holy Land typically begins in August, continuing through the end of September, although it may vary by as much as two weeks either way from this schedule, according to weather conditions. Processing in vats by old methods would add another week. From our personal experience with the cultivation of table grapes, we have learned that if we harvest the grapes before their time, they are edible, but the sweetness and flavor are diminished. At a practical level, if the conditions relative to the abib barley are correctly addressed, it seems that the requirements for the grape harvest will also be met. As we see, the declaration of the new year should allow for the anticipated time of grape harvesting and processing. However, it should be understood from what we have already learned, that the grape harvest must be secondary to that of the abib barley. The month of the abib is the month that God calls “the beginning of months to you.” Once the year has already begun, it is impossible to adjust the timing of the seventh lunar month. Further, God promises that if His people are obedient to Him, He will provide the weather conditions necessary for the timely harvest of the grapes! "And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. (Deuteronomy 11:13-14) On the other hand, what if an individual grower, or the whole nation, is not obedient to God? What if one is not blessed with the appropriate weather conditions to bring about the timely ripening of the grapes? Then, as we will see in our discussion of the annual Holy Days, God’s commands to observe the Day of Atonements and the Feast of Tabernacles on their “exact” days stand. Thus, the declaration of the new year must provide for the 1st month to coincide with the abib barley and the 7th month to allow for grape harvesting and processing in the Holy Land. In this regard, it is very important at this juncture that we take stock of a very significant fact, which, if we think about it, is evident from what is common knowledge, in concert with what we have already learned. It is commonly known that the harvests in the southern hemisphere are essentially six months different from those of the northern hemisphere, where Jerusalem is situated. The barley, for example, ripens in the southern hemisphere when it is autumn in Jerusalem! Also, in either the extreme northerly or the extreme southerly latitudes of the world, it is impossible to raise barley or grapes. Even within the temperate northern latitudes, there are disparities measured in months for the ripening of barley and grapes. Significantly, the Biblical requirements for the declaration of the year inextricably tie God’s true calendar to the land of Palestine. In this regard, a crucial point should be resolved. Because there is no longer a temple in Jerusalem, and since Jerusalem is not now governed by the precepts of Christianity, some have argued that we should not let what is an unholy territory today “dictate” the calendar which we use. However, what specific location do we find recorded in Scripture, toward which the faithful prophet Daniel constantly prayed, while he was a captive in Babylon? We should remember that this was at a time when Jerusalem was in ruins and the Holy Land was overrun by various idolatrous peoples: Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (Daniel 6:10) Without regard to the threat of the lion’s den, Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem. What About the Equinoxes? Before we proceed to the next section, there is one additional question which needs to be addressed: Does the Bible set the autumnal equinox as a marker for the annual Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles/Booths)? "You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn [tequphah] of the year. (Exodus 34:22) By all accounts, tequphah is the word for equinox in post-Biblical Hebrew, including the Jewish Talmud -- which records rabbinic discussions of Exodus 34:22, in what appears to be an obvious connection with the autumnal equinox. However, in every language, just as in English, words change meaning over time, sometimes even within the course of just a few decades. That is one reason why scholars continually work to create and to update modern English translations of the Bible. Then, to the material question: Does tequphah mean “equinox” in the Bible? The New American Standard Concordance relates: H8622. tequphah, [880d]; from an unused word; a coming round, circuit:-- [translated in Scripture as] circuit(1), due(1), turn(2).[19] The above definition for the Biblical usage of tequphah is generally consistent among the various resources. Among scholars, it seems that there is little significant disagreement in regard to its Biblical meaning. One modern Jewish source adds: “Only in Post-Biblical Hebrew did Tekufah come to mean ‘equinox’ and to read this meaning into the Tanach would be an anachronism.”[20] Professor of Semitic Languages at the University of London, J. B. Segal, attests that "the equinox is not mentioned in the Bible - nor in Jewish documents before the time of Philo [a prominent Jewish contemporary of Jesus Christ]."[21] More significant, is what Philo says. Philo repeatedly lauds the coincidence of the equinoxes with the first and seventh Biblical months. He likewise lauds the proximity of the equinoxes to the spring and fall Biblical festivals. From his writings, it would be fair to say that Philo has an affection for the equinoxes. Nevertheless, despite his obvious fondness for the equinoxes, Philo concedes that: "Moses puts down the beginning of the vernal equinox as the first month of the year, attributing the chief honour, not as some persons do, to the periodical revolutions of the year in regard of time, but rather to the graces and beauties of nature which it has caused to shine upon men; for it is through the bounty of nature that the seeds which are sown to produce the necessary food of mankind are brought to perfection … Now wheat and barley are among the things which are very necessary…"[22] Here Philo acknowledges that the only Scriptural connection which can be made between the new year and the equinox, is through the maturity of the spring grain. Clearly, Philo, writing at the time of Jesus Christ, was unaware of any direct Scriptural tie between the equinoxes and determination of the Biblical year. Here are all of the places tequphah is used in Scripture: "You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn [tequphah] of the year. (Exodus 34:22) It came about in due [tequphah] time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD." (1 Samuel 1:20) Now it came about at the turn [tequphah] of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. (2 Chronicles 24:23) (A Psalm of David) The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit [tequphah] to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1-6) Nothing in these four verses provides any specific, definitive relationship between the equinox and the timing of the annual Holy Days. Further, on the face of it, the terms as used do not appear to define specific dates. Moreover, the context of the use of tequphah in Psalm 19 above is clearly in reference to the daily circuit of the sun, not to the sun's annual relationship with earth. Thus, by all appearances, we have a generalization for the fall season, with regard to the Feast of Ingathering. The equinoxes, on the other hand, are very specific dates in time. Consequently, from all of the currently available information, there is no conclusive reason to surmise that God intends to describe or to define any equinox in Scripture. In fact, the weight of the data leans to the contrary. There is not the concrete evidence to support teaching that there is any precise association between God’s true calendar and the equinoxes. Now that we have explored the day, the week, the month, and the year, what more could there be, inherent within the structure God’s true calendar? The next component of God’s true calendar consists of the annual Holy Days. Let’s take a brief glimpse into these commanded observances.
It is beyond the scope of this article to exhaustively delve into the many rich and fascinating elements of the annual Holy Days which God commands for us in Scripture. However, if we are to understand God’s rules for the calendar, it is imperative to take a brief overview. Having done so, we will emphasize a couple of significant, but often-overlooked aspects of these days. First, as we have seen of the Sabbath, the new moons and the new year, we should note that these appointed times [mo'ed] also serve to connect God's calendar with the Holy Land, being proclaimed and convened by the priesthood:
Next, what are these annual observances? In summary, they are these: The Passover – work is allowed: 'These are the appointed times [mo’ed] of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed [mo’ed] for them. 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. (Leviticus 23:4-5) The Feast of Unleavened Bread – no laborious work on the first and the seventh days): 'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 'But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.'" (Leviticus 23:6-8) The Wave Offering – work is allowed: Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 'Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. 'Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. 'Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (Leviticus 23:9-14) The Feast of Weeks (See Deuteronomy 16:9-10; it is called Pentecost [“fiftieth”] during the time of Christ, in Acts 2:1) – no laborious work is allowed: 'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. 'Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 'On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 'When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'" (Leviticus 23:15-22) Day of Trumpets – no laborious work is allowed: Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'" (Leviticus 23:23-25) Day of Atonements – no work at all: The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement[s]; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. "You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement[s], to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. "You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. "It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath." (Leviticus 23:26-32) Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) and Eighth Day – no laborious work on the first day and on the Eighth Day: Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. 'On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 'For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. 'These are the appointed times [mo’ed] of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD--burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day's matter on its own day-- besides those of the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. 'On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. 'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 'You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times [mo’ed] of the LORD. (Leviticus 23:33-44) Thus, |