THE SACRED CALENDAR
Rosh Chodesh and the Moadim
SIGNS IN THE SUN,
MOON & STARS: The sun, moon
and stars were originally created to draw universal attention
to the spectacular deeds ABBA YAHVEH planned to perform on the appointed Feast days,
seasons and sabbatical years in the sacred calendar. This astonishing fact is
mentioned in the very first chapter of the Scripture. Genesis 1:14 ”And YAHVEH
said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from
the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and
years:”
The sun and moon
were set in the heavens to signal the appointed sacred seasons, the set feasts,
when Yisrael was to gather in worship at the Creator's Tent of Meeting.
Before there were any calendar, watches, clocks, computer, there was only the sun, the moon and the stars to tell time by. The Sun would define the day and the Moon the month.
The first sighting of the moon was day one, the first half of the moon was the 7th day, the full moon was always on the 14th and the last half of the moon was the 21st day of the month.
Several Torah prophecies confirm the message of Genesis 1:14 by telling us that just before Yahushua HaMashiach returns to earth there will be 'signs in the sun and the moon.' (Joel 2:10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.;
Before there were any calendar, watches, clocks, computer, there was only the sun, the moon and the stars to tell time by. The Sun would define the day and the Moon the month.
The first sighting of the moon was day one, the first half of the moon was the 7th day, the full moon was always on the 14th and the last half of the moon was the 21st day of the month.
Several Torah prophecies confirm the message of Genesis 1:14 by telling us that just before Yahushua HaMashiach returns to earth there will be 'signs in the sun and the moon.' (Joel 2:10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.;
Joel 2:30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and
fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of YAHVEH;
Amos 8:9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says YAHVEH EL ELYON, “That I will make the sun go down at
noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight;
Matt 24:
29“Immediately
after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will
not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the
heavens will be shaken. 30“Then the
sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and then all the tribes of the
earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
the heavens with power and great glory;
Rev 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became
like blood. 13 And the stars of the heavens fell to the earth, as a fig
tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.;
Rev 8:12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a
third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were
darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.)
THE SACRED CALENDAR:
YAHVEH's main objective in designing the sacred calendar was to enable
HIS worshipers to identify and keep their spiritual appointments with HIM - on
the sacred days of His choosing. The Almighty would never do anything which
concerns the human race without first telling HIS servants the Prophets. (Amos
3:7)
The MOST HIGH not only reveals HIS plans to His
servants the prophets, but HIS plans are carried out on schedule - at the
appointed times. Those appointed
times are all linked to the sacred calendar, which has been in
existence since the creation of the world. The sacred calendar is in fact the
oldest calendar known to man; and, if we may put it this way, is the only one
that is linked to the Diary of YAHVEH of Yisrael.
THE DAY: In the sacred calendar a 24 hour day
is the period of time between one sunset and the next. According to the
Scriptures, the days begin and end at sunset and are divided into two parts, evening
and morning.
Evening: when the sun goes down. Mark 1:32: “And at even, when the sun did set…” For further proof that days start and end at evening, sunset, at
the going down of the sun, (see Joshua 8:29, Joshua 10:26-27, 1 Kings 22:35-36,
2 Chron. 18:34, 2 Samuel 3:35).
Morning: when the sun is up. In Genesis chapter 1 we
read how "the evening and the morning were the first day,"
"the evening and the morning were the second day," "the evening
and the morning were the third day" and so on. A day is a complete revolution of the earth.
THE MONTH: A
month in the sacred calendar begins with a first sighting of the new moon. The
new moon mentioned here is not the astronomical new moon (conjunction),
which is invisible; but the visible new moon as it is first sighted with the
naked eye. In ancient days, the months began when the new moon was first
seen with the naked eye. The ancients literally 'looked out'
for the new moon and when it was seen, they pronounced the start of the new
month.
However, Scripture tells us the following in Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
However, Scripture tells us the following in Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The follow is an up-to-date picture of the current moon phase, which determine the day of the month.
An 'astronomical new moon' (conjunction) occurs when the sun and moon are in a straight line with the center of the earth. The new moon is not visible to the naked eye at this time; but becomes visible between about 15 and 48 (or more) hours later. The moon orbits the earth in about 29.5 days. Months in the sacred calendar may, therefore, be either 29 or 30 days in length: they cannot be 28 or 31 days in length. Periodically a 13th month is added to keep the sacred Feasts ‘in their seasons’ (agricultural seasons).
THE YEAR: According to the Scriptures, the sacred
calendar begins in the spring with the Passover month of Abib, Yisrael's Exodus
from Egypt
Therefore, the beginning of the Scriptural year is
always determined by the New Moon immediately following the sighting of the
white wild barley in the environs around Jerusalem
LEAP YEAR: Most years in the sacred calendar consist of
12 months, each of 29.5 days. Therefore, assuming twelve months at 29.5 days, a
normal year would contain about 354 days. This figure is about 11.25 days short
of a 365.25 days solar year, which is the time the earth takes to complete one
orbit of the sun. In order to ensure that the Feasts of the Most High occur at
their appointed seasons (Passover in the Spring, Pentecost in the
summer and Tabernacles in the Autumn) it is necessary for this 11 day annual
loss to be made good every two or three years. This is done by adding an extra
month, after the twelfth month, to make the calendar harmonize with the solar
year, and the agricultural seasons.
In order to determine when the Leap Year occurs, it is important to check
the state of the barley crops at the end of the 12th month each year. If
the barley is Abib at this time, then the following New Moon is Chodesh Ha-Aviv
("New Moon of the Abib"). If the barley is still immature, we must
wait another month and then check the barley again at the end of the 13th
month. This extra month (Adar 2) results in a leap year - which has 13 months,
in 2011 it was a Torah leap year.
THE
WEEKLY SABBATH: The Sabbath is YAHVEH's holy day. In Exodus 20:8 - 11 we are
commanded to refrain from doing our own work on the seventh day of every week.
The Sabbath, however, is not to be a day of idleness. YAHVEH set it aside for
doing His work. Devoting the day to YAHVEH's work is translated by Yahushua as
doing good on the Sabbath day. (Matthew
12:12, Mark3:4) The weekly Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends
at sunset on Saturday evening. Leviticus
23:32 ……from evening to
evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.
The Sabbath does not determine any cycle of any heavenly body, it does however speak of seven complete revolution of our solar system through the Galaxy, which take 7,000 years.
THE FEAST DAYS (MOEDIM): These are the seven annual memorial Sabbaths of the Almighty; which all peoples, hebrew are commanded to observe. These days do not belong to any particular race or religion. They are not Jewish festivals. They are the Almighty's 'appointment times' and all nations are required to keep them. The Most High refers to them as 'My Feasts, My Sabbaths.' (Lev 23:1) There are seven holy convocations, six Feast days and one Fast day as follows:
THE FEAST DAYS (MOEDIM): These are the seven annual memorial Sabbaths of the Almighty; which all peoples, hebrew are commanded to observe. These days do not belong to any particular race or religion. They are not Jewish festivals. They are the Almighty's 'appointment times' and all nations are required to keep them. The Most High refers to them as 'My Feasts, My Sabbaths.' (Lev 23:1) There are seven holy convocations, six Feast days and one Fast day as follows:
- The First Day of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzot) which falls on the 15th day of Abib/Nisan, the first month in the sacred calendar.
- The Last Day of Unleavened Bread which falls on
21st day of Abib/Nisan.
- The Feast of Pentecost occurs 50 days after the
First Day of Unleavened Bread. (50 days are counted beginning on the 15th
Abib/Nisan as day 1). When the first fruit of the wheat is offered.
- The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) which falls
on the 1st Ethanim (the 7th month)
- The Fast of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which falls
on the 10th Ethanim.
- The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) which falls
on the 15th Ethanim. When the final first fruit is offered.
- The Last Great Day (8th day from
Sukkot) which falls on the 22nd Ethanim.
The
day of Passover, 14th Abib/Nisan, is the final Day of Preparation
before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It
is not a holy convocation. It was the
day that the lambs were slaughtered and the day of Yahushua’s crucifixion as
the Lamb of YAHVEH. It was on this day
that Yahushua’s body had to be taken down from the cross and buried before the
start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Passover Seder is eaten after sundown on the evening of the 14th
Abib/Nisan when Yahushua had the Last Supper with His Disciples.
On all of YAHVEH’s
Sabbaths and Feast Days we are not to do our own work but are to observe the
day by keeping it holy, separated unto YAHVEH. Isaiah 66: remain. 23 And it shall come to
pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All
flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says EL YAHVEH.
Although not specifically mandated in Scripture, believers may voluntarily wish to keep the New Moons and the Passover as sacred days as well. Obedience in keeping these special appointments with YAHVEH will be a profound blessing to the believer.
Although not specifically mandated in Scripture, believers may voluntarily wish to keep the New Moons and the Passover as sacred days as well. Obedience in keeping these special appointments with YAHVEH will be a profound blessing to the believer.
Wherever
YAHVEH’s true people are, wherever His Body is, His servants will have the
identifying sign of YAHVEH’s true Sabbaths, both weekly and annually. The
weekly Sabbath points to the true YAHVEH, the Creator while the annual Sabbaths
show us His marvelous plan of salvation.
The feasts of YAHVEH hold special
significance as they represent Yahushua and what He did for the believers. The
first three feasts occur in the spring (March-April):
1 – Passover
(Pesach): We believe that this feast is reminiscent of our initial
salvation, passing from death unto life. As this feast was being celebrated,
Yahushua (Jesus) was being slain on the Cross, (1 Cor.5: 7-8).
2 - Feast
of Unleavened Bread, Hag HaMatzah: We believe that this feast symbolizes
putting away worldly influence (Sin) from our lives, a picture of
sanctification, as Yahushua was being buried. He cleaned out all the old
leaven… Sin! (1 Cor. 5:7, 8; Gal. 5: 9).
3 - – Firstfruits,
Yom HaBikkurim: The second day of
Unleavened Bread. We believe that this day reflects Yahushua’s resurrection and
is symbolic of Him being the first of the First fruits (1 Cor.15:23).
4 – Pentecost,
Shavuot: (Harvest Offering) Fifty days after the High Sabbath of Unleavened
Bread, also known as the Feast of Weeks—We believe that Pentecost is re-mindful of the infilling of the Ruach HaKodesh in the believer’s life (Acts
2) and writing the Torah on our hearts. Two loaves of bread are offered up
which is a picture of the Old and New Covenants (Testaments).
The last
three feasts occur in the Fall in the 7th Biblical month, Tisrei
(September - October):
5 - Feast
of Trumpets Yom Teruah, begins The Ten Days of Awe, or
repentance. We believe this represents the first and second coming of Yahushua.
One of the two feast days are still to be fulfilled. It may not occur this year, yet we keep it in faith, so if it is fulfilled we are ready.
Matt.24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matt.24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1 Thess.4:16 For EL YAHVEH himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of YAHVEH: and the dead in Messiyah shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet Messiyah in the air: and so shall we ever be with Messiyah.
1 Cor.15:51 Behold, I shew
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.
6 – The Day
of Atonement, Yom Kippur ends The Ten Days of Awe, or repentance. (Rom.2:5-11;
Matt.25:31-46; Rev.20:11-15;
7 – Feast of
Tabernacles or Booths, Sukkot: Five days later, the last celebration: We
believe that this is a picture of the Millennium rule of the Messiyah Yahushua,
when He will rule this world for a thousand years; Matt.25:31-46; Rev.20:11-15;
Rom.2:5-11). This is still to be fulfilled.
8 – The Last
Great Day (the 8th day following Tabernacles) this represents a new
beginning; i.e. the “New Heavens and the New Earth” (Isa 65:17; Isa 66:22).
9 –
every seventh year in the year of release the Commandment that was place on the
outside of the Ark
:10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end
of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of
tabernacles, 11 When all Yisrael is come
to appear before YAHVEH thy EL in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt
read this law before all Yisrael in their hearing.
12 Gather the people together,
men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that
they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear YAHVEH your Elohim, and
observe to do all the words of this law:
This law is found in Deuteronomy 28.
There are two set of Law in Torah: One is place inside of the Ark, meaning we must internalize as Jeremiah 31:33 and Hebrew 8:10 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith YAHVEH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.
Exodus 21:10 And he took and put the
testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy
seat above upon the ark:
Deuteronomy 31:26 Take this Book of the Law, and put it
beside the ark of the covenant of YAHVEH
your Elohim, that it may be there as a witness against you; The law which is against
us contain the curse of the law, that will come against anyone who disobey the
Law that was place inside of the Ark.
All
these Feasts days are very important in keeping us watchful and on the alert.
We are not to think that these Feast days have been nailed to the Cross as so
many believers profess to believe.
Yahushua takes great pleasure in these days; but as Amos 5:21 states: I
hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not enjoy your solemn
assembly. Daniel also warns us that the
religious authority will think to change times and laws (Dan 7:25b). Therefore it is imperative that we know YAH’s
calendar and live our lives by it.
Leviticus
23:2 Speak unto the children of
Yisrael, and say unto them, Concerning
the feasts of YAHVEH, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even
these are My feasts.
Amos 5:21 I
hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn
assemblies. 22 Though ye offer me burnt
offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat
beasts. :23 Take thou away from me the
noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
El YAHVEH Feasts
are: Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Weeks, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpet, Day of
Atonement, Feast of Tabernacle.
Your (Man’s) Feast
days are: Sunday, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Years, Good Friday, Easter Sunday,
Valentine Day, Mothers day, fathers Day, Thanksgiving, Pentecost, Palm Sunday,
etc. All these days are when man does his celebrating.
Leviticus 23 gave us the specific days of the
month and during the year, when YAHVEH’s Feasts are to be held. That is why
Elohim YAHVEH as no pleasure in your praise and worship.
Isaiah 11:2-5 And
the spirit of YAHVEH shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of YAHVEH; And
shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of YAHVEH: and he shall not
judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his
ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor in spirit, and reprove
with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the
rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And
righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of
his reins.
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