The Jewish Calendar

March 25, 2004

The Jewish people have two calendars. One is a civil calendar and the other is a sacred calendar. Both are lunar calendars. I am presenting this informaiton in conjunction with the Festival thread in this same forum which will run concurrently. This particular thread is really more background info that will help put the Festivals in perspective.

The Two calendars are as follows:

Civil

1. Tishrei (Ethanim)

2. Cheshvan

3. Kislev

4. Tevet

5. Shevat

6. Adar

7. Nisan (Nisan)

8. Iyar

9. Sivan

10. tammuz

11. Av

12. Elul

Sacred

1. Nisan (Aviv)

2. Iyar

3. Sivan

4. Tammuz

5. Av

6. Elul

7. Tishrei (Ethanim)

8. Chesvan

9. Kislev

10. Tevet

11. Shevat

12. Adar

Now, the civil calendar begins in the Fall with the month of Tishrei. The Sacred Calendar begins on the first of Nisan (also known as Aviv). You will notice that I highlighted Nisan and Tishrei. Notice that those two are inverted. On the civil calendar Tishrei is the first month, but the seventh month in the Sacred calendar.

Nisan is the Seventh month in the civil calendar but the the first month in the sacred calendar.

Tishrei 1 is Rosh HaShannah and marks the civil New Year. Nisan 1 is the beginning of the sacred New Year.

The sacred calendar was instituted by God in Exodus 12. It marks the month that Children of Israel were released from bondage in Egypt.

Here is something I dont want you to miss: Just as the earth has two calendars so do you and I. I have a natural birthday, commemorating when I was physcially born into the world. I also have a sacred birthday marking the moment I recieved the Messiah. The world does not realize it, but everything his happening right now on the God's sacred calendar. It is the sacred Calendar which serves as God's prophetic time piece.

Now how does one use the two calendars in their Bible study?

OK, remember this: From Gen. 1:1 until Exodus 11:10 it is the civil calendar that is being referred to. From Exodus 12:1 until the last verse in Revelation, it is the sacred calendar that is being used. God never uses civil calendar again after Exodus 12:1. We see here a picture of redemption. God never goes back to your past. After you are saved, your past is forgotten. It is if nothing happened before that time. God has forgiven and forgotten your old sins. All that matters now is what you do from the moment of Redemption on.

So lets apply this calendar. Lets use Noah. Gen. 8:4 tells us that the Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 17th day of the 7th month. Well we know that it is the civil calendar in operation, so looking that civil calendar, we see that Nisan (aviv) is the seventh month, so The Ark came to rest on Arafat in the 17th of Aviv.

Now according to Exodus Nisan, becomes the first month and is the month of Passover. We are now using the sacred calendar and according to Scripture in Exodus 12, Passover falls on Nisan (Aviv) the 14th.

Now, this is interesting, because Yeshua was crucified on the 14 th of Aviv as a Levitical Passover Sacrifice. He was ressurrected on what day? The seventeenth of the month, three days later. Do you see any connection beteween the day the Ark rested on Ararat and the resurrection of Messiah? Is there a picture there?

Just so you know, Aviv 17th is also the day that that Esther exposed Haman's plot to the King. In 2Chronicles 29:2-20, Hezekiah is said to have entered the Temple to make a sacrifice after the Temple had been cleansed (from the 1st to the 16th) on the 17th day of the 1st month, or Aviv 17th. A lot happened on that day in history.

Also take a look at Tishrei - It is the first month and is the month of Rosh HaShannah. Rosh Hashannah falls on Tishrei one. The Rabbis believed that the Earth was finished being created on Tishrei 1. In fact, if you rearrange the letters (and this works in English and in Hebrew), Tishrei, becomes Reishit, which is the word for first or beginning. It is used in Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning" is "B'reishit" in Hebrew. That is just a little fun fact, I am not presenting that as something to build your life on. I dont go around rearranging letters to come up with secret "codes" or other such nonsense.

Tishrei is also called Ethanim in Scripture. It is referred to as such in 1 Kings 8:2. It says that Solomon and all the men of Israel assembled themsevles for a Festival in the month of Ethanim which is a reference to seventh month. On the sacred calendar the seventh month is Tishrei. Going down to verse 65 of chapter 8 of 1 Kings, we see that he celebrated the feast for 7 days. The only 7 day Festival in Tishrei is the Festival of Tabernacles. It was at the Festival of Tabernacles that Solomon dedicated the Temple. It is believed by many scholars and by the Rabbis as well that Messiah will establish His Temple in the month of Tishrei as well during the Festival of Tabernacles.

The Festival schedule looks like this:

Pesach -Passover (Aviv 14) Around April

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Hag Ha Matzah - Unleavened Bread (Aviv 15-21) April as well

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Bikurim - First Fruits of the Barley Harvest ( Day following Sabbath of Hag Ha Matzah)

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Shavuot - Pentecost 50 days after First fruits of the Barley Late May or early June

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Rosh HaShannah - Trumpets (Tishrei 1) Mid Sept.

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Yom Kippur/Atonement - (Tishrei 10) Later in Sept

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Sukkot/Tabernacles (Tishrei15-21) Early October

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The Gregorian dates are approximations only. The Jewish calendar is lunar, and the first of the month on the Jewish calendar usuall falls in between the 14th and 17th of the Gregorian calendar.

I would also like to add that in addition to the seven annual Festivals there is a monthly Festival called Rosh Chodesh or the New Moon. It is a day God set aside to honor him. We honor him on the first day of each month. Also we have the weekly festival God established as His Sabbath. The Sabbath is an awesome picture of Messiah as the ONLY way of salvation.

I dont know what to add or clarify until I get some questions. Please refer to the Festival thread as well since will be delving into the meanings more in depth over there.

angels4u · March 25, 2004

Do you mean they actually go by 2 calendars?

Is the sacred one used by the church?

And the other one for eveybody? (this is maybe a stupid question, but I don't know...)

The sacred calendar was instituted by God in Exodus 12. It marks the month that Children of Israel were released from bondage in Egypt.

This is interesting !

It is the sacred Calendar which serves as God's prophetic time piece.

I heard that before and can't wait for you to explain.......

The Sabbath is an awesome picture of Messiah as the ONLY way of salvation.

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Amen, I am resting in Jesus, and I can only do that because of the rest He gave me by taking away my sins on the cross.

Amen!

Thank you for mentioning it.

Is there connection with Rosh HaShannah - Trumpets (Tishrei 1) Mid Sept. and The Tribulation or Rapture? I forgot but remember hearing a sermon on this before.

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Shilo, this is very interesting and I will read it over again ..

Thanks God Bless,Angels

March 26, 2004

Do you mean they actually go by 2 calendars?

Well, actually Judaism proper primarily uses the civil calendar. That is the difference between Messianic Jewish books and books about the Festivals written by unbelieving Jewish people. Messianic Books tend to list Passover as the first Festival of the Year; standard Jewish books tend to list Rosh HaShannah as the first Festival.

Standard Judaism recognizes the sacred calendar, but they primarily operate within the civil calendar.

Is the sacred one used by the church?

Not really, the church does not primarily studies the calendar, but by in large, does not really do anything with it.

QUOTE

It is the sacred Calendar which serves as God's prophetic time piece.

I heard that before and can't wait for you to explain.......

The Festivals are prophecies about Christ from the Cross to the millenium. The spring festivals (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost) Teach us about Messiah's death, burial, ressurection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, respectively. The Fall Festivals are prophecies about Messiah's second coming and His Millenial Kingdom to come.

Amen, I am resting in Jesus, and I can only do that because of the rest He gave me by taking away my sins on the cross.
Amen!

I second that Amen!!!

Is there connection with Rosh HaShannah - Trumpets (Tishrei 1) Mid Sept. and The Tribulation or Rapture? I forgot but remember hearing a sermon on this before.

Some believe that Rosh HaShannah/Trumpets is a picture of the Rapture, others believe it signifies the Second Coming of Christ. I personally believe the latter.

wordsower · March 26, 2004

Thanks Shiloh!

Is Aviv the same as Abib in the English Bible? I did some study on the Abib, (harvest at the full moon--right?) I found it very interesting and felt it had some possible prophetic meanings. I found that the day of the Abib was not known since it relied upon which day the full moon fell and if it didn't fall on the right day the harvest would have to wait another lunar cycle. (No one knows the day or the hour??) If I'm making no sense let me know.

Also, is it true the Hebrew calendar has only 360 days?

March 27, 2004

Is Aviv the same as Abib in the English Bible?

wordsower · March 27, 2004

Thanks Shiloh,

Very interesting. I've heard people say that the rapture may come during the feast of Trumpets--because of the sound of the trumpet...not wanting to debate any rapture theories! I was studying this a couple of years ago and typed out the following and saved it. It may be way off, I sort of jot my thoughts down and keep them in my documents and refer back to them later. Let me know if you have any thoughts. I'm so interested in studying Hebrew roots but there is so much to study that I get a little overwhelmed.

Well, here are my notes:

Ex. 13:4 "This day you are going out in the month of the Abib."

Duet 16:1 "Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night." (Theif in the night?)

Exodus 23:15 "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days as I have commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty)

Again in Ex. 34:18 Same as 23:15

So, I'm reading Exodus and this word Abib keeps popping up and I'm wondering what is the Abib?? After some research I find this: Abib indicates a stage in the development of the barley crops.

Ex. 9:31,32 "And the flax and the barley were struck, because the barley was Abib and the flax was Giv'ol. And the wheat and the spelt were not struck because they are late crops"

The barley crops were destroyed by hail while the wheat and spelt were not damaged.

The month of the Abib is the month which commences after the barley has reached the stage of Abib. 2-3 weeks after the beginning of the month the barley has moved beyond a stage of Abib and is ready to be brought as the wave sheaf offering. The wave-sheaf offering is a sacrifice brought from the first stalks cut in the harvest and is brought on the Sunday which falls out during Passover. (see Lev 23:10,11)

From this it is clear that the barley, which was Abib at the beginning of the month, has become harvest-ready 15-21 days later (i.e. by the Sunday during Passover) Therefore, the month of the Abib can not begin unless the barley has reached a stage where it will be harvest-ready 2-3 weeks later.

That the barley must be harvest-ready 2-3 weeks into the month of the Abib is also clear from Duet. 16:8,9: "Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh-day there shall be a sacred assembly to the Lord your God. You shall do no work on it. You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain." (rapture?)

Where am I going with all of this?

The

Biblical year begins with the first New Moon after the barley in Israel reaches the stage of it's ripeness called Abib. The period between one year and the next is either 12 or 13 lunar months. Because of this, it is important to check the state of the Barley crops at the end of the 12th month. If the Barley is Abib at this time, then the following New Moon is the "New Moon of the Abib" or Hodesh Ha-Aviv. If the barley is still immature, we must wait another month and then check the barley again at the end of the 13th month. A 12 month year is referred to as a regular year, while a 13 month year is referred to as a LEAP YEAR. The biblical leap year involves the intercalcalation of an entire lunar month (13th month also known as "Adar Bet") In general, it can only be determined whether a year is a Leap Year a few DAYS before the end of the 12th month. This is why no one can predict the day or the hour.

According to my math, the Hebrew year 2000 would come during our 2004 LEAP YEAR.

Hmmmmmmmm

March 27, 2004

wordsower

OK, now I understand where you are coming from. Excellent notes, by the way. I have heard some of this before. Thanks for bringing it back to memory.

I was thrown a little by your original question because you actually mentioned the Aviv in connection with the full moon. Sometimes people get the new moon confused with the full moon.

What you have written is mostly correct, but I am not certain if the "thief in the night" reference fits with the Passover. I see that more with Rosh HaShannah,

myself.

To say the Barley is Aviv means that it was "in the ear" and the flax being "Givol" means that it was in bud. (Just in case anyone else is reading along.)

A 12 month year is referred to as a regular year, while a 13 month year is referred to as a LEAP YEAR.

True

The biblical leap year involves the intercalcalation of an entire lunar month (13th month also known as "Adar Bet") In general, it can only be determined whether a year is a Leap Year a few DAYS before the end of the 12th month. This is why no one can predict the day or the hour.

Not knowing the day or hour has to do with Messiah's Second coming. That is what the Fall Festivals speak to, I believe. The Aviv and Spring Festivals speak to his first coming. One could argue that the timing of His first coming was as mysterious 2,000 years ago, as his second coming is to us.

All in all, you have got some good stuff there wordsower. Have you got more? Please post it. I find this really interesting too.

wordsower · March 27, 2004

Sorry Shiloh, I don't have anything else. I had never even heard the Abib mentioned and when I was reading the OT it kept popping up and I just felt the Lord was trying to tell me something. I absolutely am not a date setter and I'm not predicting the second coming by any means but these verses are very interesting:

Ex. 13:4 "This day you are going out in the month of the Abib."

Is this month May?

Duet 16:1 "Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night."

Exodus 23:15 "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days as I have commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty)

I didn't know that the Abib was in the ear and the Givol in bud, that is very interesting......"Now learn this parable of the fig tree: when it's branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near." Matt. 24:32 Compare that to Song of Solomon 2:8-13

You have a lot more knowledge on these things than I do, are you seeing anything here?

March 27, 2004

The "bet" (pronounced B) and the "vet" (pronounced V) are the same letter in hebrew with the exception of a dot....which I think was added later in history. You just had to know the word to know the difference in pronunciation.

This might be why Abib and Aviv are interpreted this way?

March 27, 2004

Wordsower

Ex. 13:4 "This day you are going out in the month of the Abib."

Is this month May?

On the Gregorian calendar it falls April/May.

Yod

The "bet" (pronounced B) and the "vet" (pronounced V) are the same letter in hebrew with the exception of a dot....which I think was added later in history. You just had to know the word to know the difference in pronunciation.

This might be why Abib and Aviv are interpreted this way?