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Sighted Moon News Letter 5844-014
1st day of the Fourth month 5844 Years After Creation
July 5, 2008

Shabbat Shalom Family and Friends,
July Fourth was Independence Day yesterday for the Americans. July 3rd was the day Quebec was founded here in Canada 400 years ago. My ancestors come to this land 357 years ago. We who are Israelites have been out of Israel since 723 BC. A total of 2730 years.

I want to welcome those of you who are new to this News Letter. In this letter we are showing exactly how the Jubilee and Sabbatical years, as told to us by Yahweh are in effect in our lives today and that the curses for not keeping them are being applied to us by our Father as He disciplines His people once again.

Last week we showed you how the Sabbatical years and Jewish traditions show us when the two sticks as mentioned in Ezekiel will come together. That will be in 2030. This is when they will be brought back to the land.

This week we will show you why they are brought back to the land in 2030. The reason why is fascinating. But what you may not know is that they will again leave the land in 2030. Why? You’ll have to read on to find out.

We are also going to show you how the two witnesses play a major role in the return of the Israelites.

There are many past News Letters to be read to gain a greater understanding of the scriptures, which are mentioned in the links below. This News Letter is already long, so lets get to it.

Last weeks News Letter generated quite a lot of responses. Most of it was good. Once again this News Letter is challenging people to get out of the box they are in and to take a look at what scriptures say. Not any one persons opinion, but scriptures.

One of the most precious e-mails I received was the following. It just goes to show you how Yahweh is working with some. You do not know who He is going to call and begin to work with. Once again I encourage you all to send in your email addresses of those who do not keep the Holy Days and do not know what the Sabbath is. Some may check things out and others will write me a mean spirited response.

But if you do not plant the seed, then the watering can not begin. Who knows where it will go, but until you do your part nothing will happen. There are over 3600 subscribers each week who get this News Letter. We have received upwards of 15,000 hits per month and every month we have grown. We could easily be at 10,000 subscribers just by each of you, adding three new names to the readership. If you have been reading for any length of time you will know I am not charging a fee or asking for donations or seeking you money in exchange for the information that Yahweh has revealed to me over these years. No, it is all free. And no one is banging on your door to join the one and only true Church or Assembly.

On the contrary here it is all free and I encourage you all to take this information back to your own meeting place, which could get you in trouble with the leadership. But I do not seek to form my own congregation.

So what are my motives? I have been privileged to understand some truths. Was it for me only? No! Is it for you only? NO! Once a truth is revealed it is for all men. Do not hoard up the information Yahweh has revealed to you either, through this site or others. Share it. That is what I am asking you to do. Share those things you have learned here.

There is coming a time when you will not be able to read what is on this site or at other sites. Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord.

And when this time comes you will have to know what the scriptures say and prophecy in order to survive.

I do not teach some theory or analogy of this or that, or that the scriptures mean some allegorical pontifical phoney baloney religious course. I just show you what they mean in a literal take it or leave it fashion. That is it. And I ask you to do the same and share it with those who have never been taught any of these things before, like my sister of last week or this reader who wrote in and said the following. I also include my response.

Hello Joseph,
I have been reading the news letter for I think about a month. And this one the article about taking baby steps I can relate to. This is all new to me too. And I am the only one in my family that is reading so I have no one to bounce things off of to help me understand everything. I didn’t even know that Saturday was the Sabbath or to fast. Is there something else to read besides the bible that can help me with these baby steps. I don’t belong to any church, they are only catholic ones here.

The other question I have for you is, which bible are you using? There are so many.

One more question is JAH the same as Yahweh? sorry if this all seems silly, I just want to know and understand. Thank you for all the time that you spend writing so we can all learn.
Love and Blessings Always
S

Dear S, Shabbat Shalom,

I will always be able to take time to answer your questions, Yahweh willing. The only question that is stupid is the one you do not ask for fear of this or that. So please ask away. I was raised Catholic, baptized catholic, confirmed catholic, and married catholic. My Kids were also baptized catholic. My Aunts and Uncles are all catholic. I do understand where you are. I was there. So please feel free to bounce things off of me. I become more blunt when I have little or no time to respond. Keep that in mind.

I use the New King James Version. I want to be able to understand in my modern language what is being said. I also refer to other translations as some may say something on a particular scripture which brings out different thoughts.

Some teach that only the old Kings James is to be used because it is the purest of bibles. Baloney! If they want the purest of scriptures you must go to the Hebrew version. Most people do not speak Hebrew so I will say that any translation is good to get started with. The thing is to get started and to start to read the bible, no matter what version you have.

As your studies grow, you will then learn to use other sources and other bibles. And one will become the one you like the most to read.

Concerning Jah and Yahweh. The letter J was only invented in the late 1400’s or there abouts. There are articles online about the Name whether or not it was Jehovah or Yahweh or Yahhovah.

There are many different teachings on how to say the name of God or whether we are even allowed to mention His name. It can confuse even me.

On my web site is an article on What is the Name. You can read it at
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=119

For me this is a simple explanation. I like it and I use the Name of Yahweh when talking about the creator. My name Joseph, has the name of God in it. Joseph when you look it up means Yah shall add to.

Yah-seph, Yah God, seph add to. So does His name in the short form go to
Jah? You have to decide this. As for me it is Yah Weh.

To help with the baby steps? Other than reading the bible. Each group that
I recommend will have its own set of problems. None has all the truth. At least not as far as I have found.

Again on the web site are a number of groups on the right hand column at the bottom, that I do recommend. They have good teachings on many subjects and some not as good teachings on some subjects. I have tried to concentrate all my teachings around the Jubilee.

So I recommend that you go to any Sabbath Keeping group to start. But prove each and every thing they tell you from the scriptures. If you can not prove it using your bible then it is time to move on and find another group. Pray to Yahweh and ask Him to guide you to where He needs you at this time, to serve Him and be a witness to others.

http://yahspace.ning.com/ Is a Forum where many come to talk about many things. It could be of help to you.

http://www.eliyah.com/ Is another place that does the same thing.
http://www.lionlamb.net/v3/ Is a teaching ministry.
http://www.ucg.org/ Is another teaching group which I used to attend.
http://www.pcog.org/ Is another teaching group and agree with many of the prophetic messages I teach.

Each of these groups has many good teachings that will help all people.

There are some things that are questionable. You will have to sort through them. The main thing is to get started as you have already done or began to do.

Those things I am saying on this web site and in these News Letters are strong meat and can offend the typical christian. You have continued to read and want to grow. That speaks volumes about what Yahweh is already doing with you. Keep growing. Keep reading. Yahweh will finish the work He has begun with you.
Shabbat Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com

I also received another E-mail this week, amongst many others.

Brother Ditchdigger:

Your sister’s letter was so touching, Yahweh bless her. I had to write. To begin my baby steps, what I did, was focus on the calendar. I studied feast by feast. When everyone said Abib barley needed to be nearly ripe, and the crescent moon sighted, then would be the Passover, 14, days later, I read Messianic information about barley - everything connected with ripening barley, and the crescent moon. Nothing else. By Passover’s arrival I had a reasonable grasp on barley and the crescent moon, and how they fit in the calendar. I looked at dozens of Web sites, and several books, spent hours doing it, but it finally sunk in to my thick scull.

THEN, as Passover was about to arrive, I read everything I could about Passover. Spent hours on it at night, took notes, read more web sites, and again, some of it got through my thick scull. So to with Unleavened Bread,

I continued this through process through each of the feasts, as they arrived. It took me three years and I now have a good understanding of the calendar and Yahweh’s Feasts.

Then I discovered sighted moon dot com, the Land Sabbaths, and Jubilees, and my head really began to hurt. I took notes, read your writings, over, and over, compared what you wrote with the Scriptures, and finally began to understand about the things you were saying..I struggled through Qadesh La Yahweh and read about Hezekiah and again re read your stuff, finally getting a glimmer of how it all fit. Was it worth it? I believe so. At present, I, and no one else I know will be l keeping the land Sabbaths in - what is it, the spring of 2009 . But hopefully, by then I will have shared my knowledge with a few, who will also understand, and observe the Shemetta (spelling - sorry). Even the Jewish people don’t have the correct dates for Yahweh’s festivals, in many cases.

My wife I hope to convince of these things. She keeps the Sabbath and the passsover, that’s a start. You know how painful it is to ridiculed for observing the Feasts by your own family, and members of your church, and friends, but I persist, nevertheless.

Encourage your sister, let us all pry for her, that Yahweh’s word and understanding will be opened to her as she studies.

I know little, the Creator know s everything. Forgive me if ever I should sound arrogant, or think I know anything, But for the grace of our Father I even draw a breath..

Bless you Brother Joe, P. S. - Oregon

May Yahweh work with all those who are just learning and those who continue to grow in His Knowledge.

The New Moon has been sighted in Jerusalem.
Karaite Korner Newsletter #336

New Moon Report
July 2008
Fourth Biblical Month

On Friday July 4, 2008 the New Moon was sighted from Jerusalem. The
moon was first sighted from Jerusalem by Nehemia Gordon at 19:52 and
the over the next few minutes by five others. The moon was also
sighted from elsewhere in Jerusalem by Ferenc Illesy and from Tekoa by
Bruce Brill and Chen-El Brill.

Chodesh Sameach!
Happy New Moon!

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

Last week we looked at Shabbat Shuva and the very special meaning this day has. We then compared it to the Jubilee cycle and made the day of Shabbat Shuva into the year of Shuva.

This teaching last week showed us when the return of Israel was to occur, when they are to come back to the land of Canaan, Palestine. We learned that this year was on the Feast of Trumpets in 2030. I was wrong when I said that. I should have said that the announcement to return to the land would occur on the Feast of Trumpets the year before, but the actual return would be in the spring, as we shall see.

One response referred me to Daniels Time line. When I went to look at it I could see and so can many of those who have read this News Letter see, the mistakes made in the beginning of the authors work.

The URL is http://www.danielstimeline.com/ There are many good points that he brings forward. Some are very interesting. But he has based his teaching on human reasoning. And because many of you do the same thing and use his teaching to justify your position, I am taking the time to point out the faults. I am not attacking this brother for his work. But it is His Human reasoning that is in question.

Reasoning # 1 He assumes that when Israel was given the land by the UN charter in 1947 Nov 30, that this is when the declaration was sent out to rebuild the Temple, and he adds on 70 years to this date as it relates to the last generation of man. 70 + 1947 = 2017. He concludes that the Messiah shall return in 2017, and from this date extrapolates the tribulation and other dates, such as the 2013 as the 3 ½ year period.

Reasoning #2 He assumes that Israel was led away captive in 720 BC.

In fact she was led away captive in stages, starting in 745. Noted Chronologist Edwin R Thiele and others have proven that Israel fell for the last time in 723 BC.

This would make the 390 X 7 = 2730 of Ezekiel work out like this. 2730 - 723 = 2007 not 2010, as the end of the prophetic captivity. And what happened last year? I do not know of anything. He has also forgotten about the year zero which changes our year calculated from 2007 to 2006. What happened in 2006? I know of nothing at this time

Reasoning #3 He assumes the Jubilee to be 50 years long and then multiplies 50 X 120 to get 6000 years. The Jubilee cycle is 49. 49 X 50 = 5880

Reasoning #4 He has concluded some how that 1867, 1917, and 1967 were all Jubilee years. Upon this assumption he has drawn his conclusion, that in 50 more years in 2017 will be the next Jubilee.

Upon what basis does he conclude the Jubilee year to be 1867? I will quote him from http://www.danielstimeline.com/danielstimeline.html
The last three Jubilees were: 1867 (The final emancipation of the Jews in Austria and Hungry), 1917 (The 400 yr Ottoman rule ended - Balfour Declaration), and 1967 (The Six Day War - Jerusalem was re-united);

From this he has concluded that the Jubilee year must be 1867, 1917, and 1967 and the next one will be 2017. Using a multiple of 50.

I have clearly shown in the News Letters where Yahweh Himself has shown us that the 49th year and the 50th year Jubilee came in 701, and 700 BC as shown in 2 Kings 19:29 the year Sennacherib attacks Hezekiah. When this is worked out by multiples of 49 it works out that 1996 was the last Jubilee year.

We have spent much time showing you this in all these past News Letters. Not one has come forward to show it to be wrong. Some may disagree, but they can not prove it wrong with scriptures.

Again I am not attacking the author of Daniels Timeline. But I have been referred to it a number of times by those who do not do their homework and check. Do not just believe what someone tells you. Not even me. You must be able to prove it every which way possible. History and the Bible prove that the Jubilee year was 700 BC and the 49th year was 701 BC when Sennacherib attacks Hezekiah at Jerusalem.

Once this is known all those things we have taught you in these news letters can be proven.

Getting back to the point of this News Letter, we are to learn why they are returned to the land of Israel. Many right now will say they already know. But do they? Once again I am about to show you something you kind of already know but had not connected the dots to, but have assumed a teaching from one or other groups with out checking it out.

Please prove me wrong or prove me right, but prove what I say one way or the other by scriptures. Then when the famine of the word happens you will know for sure. Not because I said so, but because you were able to prove it in the scriptures of your own bible.

The question is why do the people of Israel come back to the land in 2030? Once again I ask you to go to http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=250 and click on file #1 and take it to the printer and make a colour copy of it for yourself for future reference.

In reviewing this chart you can see how I have matched up the Jubilee year with the Eighth Day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Then by counting backwards I arrive at the Feast of Trumpets taking place in the year of 2024.

As discussed in the preceding two News Letters, the Feast of Trumpets is the beginning of the Judgment on the world. The Days of Awe. This is 2024. Again looking at the chart you can see also that the captivity also started in 2024. Those years marked before this date would be those taken in battle before the war is finished.

We now count out the 7 years of this curse and come to 2030. Shabbat Shuva or the year of Shuva. This is the year captivity is to be over, but it is also 3 years before the Day of Atonement when Satan is to be locked away. This is what the Day of Atonement teaches us each year as we keep it. It is such a solemn day that on this day we fast. We do not eat or drink any thing from sundown the night before until sundown the day of. It is on the 10th day of the seventh month.

But for 3 ½ years before Satan is locked away, he is ruling this world from the Temple in Jerusalem.

Yahshua told us three times in the following verses that the ruler of this world is judged and is to be cast out. This is what the Day of Atonement pictures.

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
Joh 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
Joh 16:11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

And we are again told who the ruler of this world is in
1Jo 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
Re 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

When you look at the chart and follow the Sabbatical cycle of years you can also see that 2030 is also a Sabbatical year. It also just so happens to fall 3 years before the Year of Atonement is to occur. It strikes me as very interesting how all of this just happens to work out, without any great manipulation on my part to make things fit. They just do.

Once again lets review. The Day of Atonement takes place in 2033 in the fall on the day that the sins of the world are placed on the ruler of the world. Satan. Just like the ceremony that the High Priest performs on this day, when he places his hands on the goat and lays the sins of the world and Israel on the one responsible for causing the world to go astray. Satan the Azazel goat.

3 ½ years before the day of Atonement is the Passover in the year 2030.

I want to make sure you understand this so lets lay it out for you in detail.
Passover 2030 to Passover 2031 is one year.
Passover 2031 to Passover 2032 is two years.
Passover 2032 to Passover 2033 is three years.
Six months later is the Day of Atonement for a total of three and ½ years.

Chronologically we have said that the Israelites would be brought back to the land in the year of 2030. The year of Shuva. This is at the end of our deep repentance that we have gone through the preceding 7 years. On the Feast of trumpets the year before (2029) it is announced that all Israelites are to be brought back to the land of Israel.

As we said in last weeks News Letter when this happens those who do bring us back become our slaves. Isaiah 14:2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors.

But why? Why do they do this? What is going on here?

Keep in mind I am talking about the 12 tribes of Israel, not just the Jews as some assume.

Why does the ruler of this world, Satan, want all the Israelites back in the land of Canaan? Why do the Arabs help in this cause? What is Satan up to?

Most Messianics will think they are going home. Most will be very joyful. But those of you who are reading this will know and will have the obligation to warn the others. Warn them of what?
Once again the Messianic teachings teach that the Great Babylon is the USA. The Arabs call the USA the Great Satan. When the USA and England are destroyed as scriptures say Israel is to be destroyed and go into captivity, many of the Messianics will believe and teach that the country which does this, will be the empire or the Messiah.

They will be completely deceived by Satan at this time. As it says that in the last days even the elect may be deceived. Mat 24: Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
We have shown you in previous News letters that this empire that will defeat the USA and England is the United European nations, which will be led by the military might of Germany, and the spiritual teachings of Rome.

I have also told you on a number of occasions that the weakness of Europe is its energy supply. Just a few years ago Russia shut off the supply of gas to the Ukraine and in so doing also shut off the supply to Europe. The North Sea oil is dwindling. Once the USA is removed from the scene then the oil reserves of the Middle East come up for grabs.

This winter we studied the how the Beast power of Europe comes together with the Arab nations to form the eighth and final head of the Beast power for a very short time, different than all the rest. You should go back and reread this long study.

Also in the news recently are articles about how Israel and Europe are getting cozy to each other. Here we have an opportunity for Europe to come to the state of Israel’s rescue when the Arabs rise up to attack her. Keep this in mind as you watch the news.

Some how the Beast power comes to the Middle East and sets up head quarters in Jerusalem. But in Isaiah 19: 2 “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. 3 The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. 4 And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. 5 The waters will fail from the sea, And the river will be wasted and dried up. 6 The rivers will turn foul; The brooks of defense will be emptied and dried up; The reeds and rushes will wither. 7 The papyrus reeds by the River, by the mouth of the River, And everything sown by the River, Will wither, be driven away, and be no more. 8 The fishermen also will mourn; All those will lament who cast hooks into the River, And they will languish who spread nets on the waters. 9 Moreover those who work in fine flax And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed; 10 And its foundations will be broken. All who make wages will be troubled of soul.

This is an Egyptian civil war and the cruel master will be the Germans.

Once the Germans are there, then by Uniting with the Arabs, Europe gets its needed oil supply.

Do not forget what we are told in Psalm 83:1 A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! 2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5 For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.

Assyria as we have shown you are the German people. These other nations mentioned here are the many different Arab nations. They have formed a league to wipe out the name of Israel, and even those who are sheltered. Who are the shelterred ones. We will get to that in a moment. Again I ask you why do they do this? Keep asking why and look for a real modern day geopolitical answer.

Before Satan can allow them to be wiped out he has to have something happen for him. Satan needs the Temple rebuilt so he can be thought of as god.

2Th 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin (lawlessness) is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

In order for Satan to sit in the Temple of God and proclaim to be god, he needs to have the temple built. Can the Chinese build the Temple? What about the Russians or Africans? They can all help, but it is the Israelites who must build it. Once the corner stone is laid then the Altar can be established and then the sacrifice begun. And the rest of the temple can be built later. All that is needed is the altar.

Special note, in the above passage it says 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. I hope to come back to this very interesting subject next week.

But Israel is commanded to go up to Jerusalem three times a year.
Ex 23:14 Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year:
Ex 23:17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.
Ex 34:23 Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel.
Ex 34:24 For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

We are to be there for Passover and for Pentecost and for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Here is the other reason why the Israelites are brought back to Israel.

Keep all these things in mind as we are still talking about Shuva. During the preceding 3 ½ years there will be two witnesses as we are told in Rev 11: Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood,* saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

These Two witnesses are killed 3 ½ years, 1260 days is 3 ½ years, after they start their ministry which begins in the fall at the Feast of Trumpets. 3 ½ years later they are killed during Passover. Remember this is the year of shuva, when all Israel is to come to Jerusalem. What is going on?

For 3 and ½ years these two witnesses will wreak havoc on the world with their judgment of drought and turning water to blood and to strike the earth with plagues as often as they want. Many will die. They will be hated by all mankind. But the Israelites will know who they are. Or they should. These two witnesses will be asking that Israel be allowed to go up to Jerusalem to keep the Feasts of Yahweh!

After three and ½ years the world will allow all the Israelites to go free. And is encouraged to do what ever is needed to bring all the Israelites back to the land for Passover in the year 2030. The Year of Shuva. The year of return. The whole world will be sick and tired of all the things these two witnesses will do, that these two witnesses have caused so many bad things to happen.

Just like the first Exodus when Moses told Pharaoh to let my people go, so will the two witnesses tell the world to let the Israelites go back to the Land of Israel so they can keep the Passover. With each denial things get much worst for the people of the world, until finally they have had enough and quickly gather them all and send or bring them back to the land.

And we are brought back under chains and when we arrive, those who brought us will become our slaves. It will be a time of confusion and joy as we think we have made it. But wait there is much, much more that we have missed. More that we have forgotten.

We read in Ps 44:22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

And this is what Paul quotes in Rom 8:36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

What does this mean and why am I putting this in here?

We read again in Isaiah 53:7He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

And this too is quoted in Acts 8:32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

We are counted as sheep in the sheep fold of Yahshua. See
Mt 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
Lu 12:32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Ac 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Ac 20:29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

1Pe 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

1Pe 5:3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

Have you figured it out yet? We will be commanded to return to Jerusalem for the Passover season. All of the world will help us get there as shown to you in last weeks News Letter and Isaiah 14:2. Even the Arabs will help us to be there. An altar will be set up and the Temple worship will be ready to start. They will do this as just explained because of the two witnesses curse on the world.

But the Sheep Satan is going to sacrifice are going to be us who are alive. The Remnant of Israel. We are the sheep for the slaughter as it says in Psalms 44. It is at this time that the two witnesses are killed.

These two witnesses will have been causing all kinds of trouble all over the earth by their commands for the rains to stop waters to turn to blood and for plagues to come.

It is for this reason that we are told to eat the Passover in haste with our staff in one hand and our sandals on our feet. Ex 12:11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.

Have you ever wondered why you are to eat the Passover in haste? The exodus happened long ago, so why can’t we relax and enjoy the meal?

It is because we are preparing for this future exodus, this future escape. Each Holy Day is an annual rehearsal of those things that are to occur on that day both in the past and in the future. When we keep a Holy Day do we keep this on our mind during that day? Do we think about what is to happen in the future? It is a rehearsal of prophetic future events. Are you ready?

Now, I would like you to go back to the chart page and download the other chart. http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=250 and click on file #2

What I have done on this chart was an experiment to check some things and it shocked me as to what happens and at what time they occur.

In this chart I placed the seven Seals of Revelation along each of the years of the tribulation. I then also placed each of the seven trumpets plagues along each of the years of tribulation and I did the same for each one of the seven vials or seven bowls. Just see what would happen.

In the first year of the tribulation the two witnesses are doing what? Go back to Rev. 11: 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

Now we compare this to the each of those things on the chart.

The first seal is Rev 6:2 The white horse - And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
This is false religion and is what the beast will be doing spreading his agenda and propaganda.

The Two witnesses stand in his way. Also at this time is the first of the seven Trumpets Re 8:7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
When the two witnesses are shutting up the heavens this is a drought of biblical magnitudes. 1/3 of the trees will be burned up and all grass will be burned up.

Rev 16: 2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

This sounds similar to Exodus 9:8 So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

This first year of the tribulation and these plagues by the first seal and the first trumpet and the first bowl, do not prove such an alignment is correct. But as we go further things seem to match up more precisely.

Look at the 2nd year of the Tribulation. Rev 6:3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

The word peace here which is taken from the earth is that of the truth of the scriptures. Part of Strongs concordance says it means that of the Messiah’s peace, the way that leads to peace (salvation). To gain a good understanding of what peace means you should read the article http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=80 Blessed is the Peace Maker.

This red horse is the one taking the truth of the scriptures away. The righteousness of the law, which brings peace to those who keep it. Read the article. This will be when they claim Peace, Peace and there is no peace. Peace is not the absence of war, it is a way of living.

Ezekiel 13:10 Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace–and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar– 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ” 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.

Isa 48:22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
Isa 57:21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”
Isa 59:8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
Jer 6:14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
Jer 8:11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
Jer 14:19 Have You utterly rejected Judah? Has Your soul loathed Zion? Why have You stricken us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but there was no good; And for the time of healing, and there was trouble.

On the chart we can see that the second Trumpet plague is Rev 8:8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Now read the second bowl in Rev 16:3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

Now do you remember what the two witnesses were to do? And they have power over waters to turn them to blood.

When we look at the third seal we see the black horse Rev 6: 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, ( a days wages) and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

This goes in hand with the third Trumpet 10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

And when we look at the third bowl we see in Rev 16: 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” 7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Here again the waters are turned to blood. The fresh waters. This too is in line with the ministry of the Two witnesses.

Now we are entering the fourth year of the two witnesses. They are to do their work for 3 ½ years. This is in the fourth year or the first half of the fourth year.

Rev 6:7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

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. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Rev 16: 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

It is going to get hotter. It is going to get hotter in spite of the fact that the Sun will not give a third of its light nor the moon. This three and ½ years of no rain will cause now major food shortages around the world. Fighting breaks out and from all this 25% of the earth’s population is killed.

After all this of those who are left alive, the Israelites are brought to Jerusalem, where the false Messiah is setting up his ruler ship. The two witnesses have caused much death and destruction. They too are brought to Jerusalem. The whole world is helping in this cause. Arabs searching the Middle East and ships of Tarsish bring them back from around the world.

The answer to the question why is Israel being brought back to the land is because they plan on killing all of Israel in one swoop, and the two witnesses. Just as they said in PSalm 83.

This is where we read in Rev 6: 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Then in the fifth Trumpet we read that the bottomless pit is opened .Rev 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

When this happens we read of how the darkness prevails in Rev 16: 10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

When the fifth seal is about to begin, the two witnesses are killed and the rest of Israel is told to do something in Matt 24:15 Some will delay and they will be killed. Others will heed this warning and see those things coming and flee at Passover and will be ready.

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 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 heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You.* 6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day Which is known to the Lord– Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.

We are told to flee by this valley and go to where?

Isaiah 15: 5 “My heart will cry out for Moab; His fugitives shall flee to Zoar, Like a three-year-old heifer. For by the Ascent of Luhith They will go up with weeping; For in the way of Horonaim They will raise up a cry of destruction,
6 For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate, For the green grass has withered away; The grass fails, there is nothing green. 7 Therefore the abundance they have gained, And what they have laid up, They will carry away to the Brook of the Willows. 8 For the cry has gone all around the borders of Moab, Its wailing to Eglaim And its wailing to Beer Elim. 9 For the waters of Dimon will be full of blood; Because I will bring more upon Dimon, Lions upon him who escapes from Moab, And on the remnant of the land.”
Isaiah 16:3 “Take counsel, execute judgment; Make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day; Hide the outcasts, Do not betray him who escapes. 4 Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; Be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler. For the extortioner is at an end, Devastation ceases, The oppressors are consumed out of the land. 5 In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.”

Rev 12: 1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

We are commanded to flee through this valley to Moab and we will hide there for 3 ½ years.

The Jordanians are commanded to hide us the outcast as shadow in the night during the day. That is to make us invisible so we are not caught.

To quickly sum this up. The two witnesses cause the rains to stop. The rivers and seas and streams turn to blood. 25% of the population dies from these disasters. The world then brings the Israelites back to the land in 2030 before Passover. The two witnesses will have accomplished a mighty victory. Then they are killed and come back to life 3 ½ days later. The great martyrdom of the saints takes place at this time of Passover. Those who know, flee to Moab where they are hidden for 3 ½ years from Satan.

We are going to pause here before your brains cramp up. We are going to look at Michael and why he does as he does at this time, next week. Why are we to flee at this time? Then we will come back and finish this study, as we still have three and half more years to look at which Harold in other events.

So once again tell others and share this information.
May Yahweh bless our eyesight and our understanding of His plans and may we all be ready when they take place.
Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com

To write send e-mails to admin@sightedmoon.com

To read all past News Letters from last year go to http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=144

To read all News letters from this year go to http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=219
To view the DVD online for free go to Goggletube or Youtube or Yahspace and search for Jubilee Joseph F Dumond or go to http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=251

To order the DVD online from the Prophecy club go to http://www9.mailordercentral.com/tpcbookstore/products.asp?dept=10 and place your order there.

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Sighted Moon News Letter 5844-010
3rd day of the Third month 5844 Years After Creation
42nd day of the Counting of the Omer
June 3, 2008

Shabbat Shalom,
Greetings Brethren, Once again we have had our readership increase to over 3500 this week. We also had another record month of hits to the web site over 15,000 last month. I again thank you for studying these things on the Jubilee which I am putting forward to you all.

For the many new readers, this site is showing you how the Jubilee and the Sabbatical years tell us exactly where we are in biblical chronology of prophetic events. That means, that when you understand the Jubilee and when it began as explained in 2 Kings 19:29 and bring it up to our time now, you can understand why we have Terrorism on the Nightly News and the War on Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can also understand why we have Global Warming and droughts and this winter was news of world wide famines coming if not already started.

This News Letter and this web site, www.sightedmoon.com explains these things each week in this News Letter. We covered pestilence, in News Letter 5844-008 http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=246.

We prepared for this weeks News Letter last week in 5844-009 http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=248

This week we will be showing you the meaning of the Blood Moons and the Sword which are to come upon Israel, (the USA, and the UK and her dominion). We do this, keeping in mind that the Jubilee cycle shows us when these things are to happen.

So for all of you who are from a Church of God background, or a Seventh Day Adventist background or a Messianic background or a Jewish background or even what the world calls a christian background welcome. We will not hold these disadvantages that you bring to the table against you. We hope each of you will be blessed and learn from this web site and then teach it to your own congregations or groups.

In fact many of you are here as a result of someone caring enough to add your name to our list, or suggesting you get this News Letter. We are told in the Gospels to go into all the world. We, us, you and me.

We are like a kernel of corn. We are of no use when we stay all huddled up in our husk or congregation. It is when the husk is pulled away and the kernel is eaten that it is of benefit to others. Or when it falls to the ground and grows up into another stalk to produce more kernels.

So I urge each of you to add a brother or sister even those who are not reading the bible, to this News Letter list. Add brethren from your congregation. Why do I ask this repeatedly over and over. Because the scriptures say that very soon many will die from disease, famine and war. The Jubilee cycle shows us when these things are to happen. It is very soon and Drought and Terror have already been let loose since 1996.

When we see danger coming, we become responsible to warn those who are in harms way. You know the scripture in Ezekiel about the watchman. So once you have learned the things I am sharing with you, you then must worn you family and friends and brethren, even if it means they think you are nuts.

To help you ease them into this site, try showing them the articles on when I went to Noah’s Ark last year. Yes the real Noahs Ark. Or you can show them the article on the Garden of Eden (http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=26 ) where I show you exactly where it is today and where the rivers are. No hocus pocus, just biblical and archaeological and historical information, all given to you for free. NO stings, and no one will call on you. Here are links to the Noahs Ark articles;
News letters 5843-013 251 My trip to Noahs Ark from the beginning. http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=159

News letters 5843-014 308 Description of Noahs Ark and the Length and width. What is a cubit? The Golden section or Ratio http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=160

News letters 5843-015 402 Noahs Ark the Height Ziggurats and Volume http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=161

News letters 5843-016 The Location of Noahs Ark from all sources. Naxuan and Seron. Mt. Judi, Mt. Mashar http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=162

News letters 5843-017 417 What exactly is Gopher wood? Easter Eggs and Doves and the relationship to Noahs Ark http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=163

News letters 5843-018 473 Explanation of How Noah felt warning everyone and only His eight heeded his warning. http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=164

News letters 5843-019 480 Locating the Garden of Eden from scriptures and How it and the temple are related. http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=165

I share these with you so you can share them with others. So that you both might come back and learn about the Jubilee and the severe danger in front of mankind right now.

Before we get into this Weeks News Letter, the article I shared with you last week about the Days of Noah has been on my mind all week. In the article it says that one of the things that angered Yahweh was the fact that men were marrying men. And when society allows this or approves of this as has just happened in Colorado and Massachusetts, Canada and Holland and other Israelite countries, then we can bet the farm time is up.

Also this week I heard on the radio a sermon by Charles Stanley on taking this message into all the world. I thought it was excellent. I encourage you to take time to listen to it as well at http://www.intouch.org/site/c.dhKHIXPKIuE/b.2287423/

I want to acknowledge that this week some will be keeping Pentecost on Sunday June 8th and others on Tuesday or the Wednesday of this coming week known as Sivan 6 and still others on next Sunday June 15th. Which one is correct? Well, I am not going to answer that at this time, although I do encourage you again to read the article Pentecosts Hidden Meaning at http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=21

What I do want to say and have you consider, is how Pentecost or Shavuot is an annual reminder of the Jubilee cycle. The Jubilee and Pentecost are the same thing. One is counted by days and the other by years.

You never see any one arguing over the Jubilee year which follows the 49th sabbatical year. They are always one after the other. Yet some will go to extreme efforts to prove to you that Shavuot can fall on any day of the week, such as they say it does this year on a Tuesday or Wednesday. This is not how the Jubilee cycle is depicted. The fiftieth year comes after the 49th. Both are Holy Years. They are always back to back. The same thing for Pentecost. The fiftieth day will always follow the 49th day which scripture says is the weekly Sabbath.

Lev 23:11 The day after the Sabbath
Lev 23:15 from the day after the Sabbath
Lev 23:16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath.

Brethren, I just want to leave you with that to consider as you keep Shavuot this year.

On Pentecost Sunday June the 15th I will be presenting the Chronological order of Prophecies in the Jubilee online live. We have opening for 20 computer hook ups. Some of you have already contacted me and if others are interested in watching this and asking questions in real time then drop me a line.

We have been told of the following news about the Blood Moons as told to us by Pastor Mark Blitz of El Shaddai Ministries of Puyallup, Washington. He will be speaking on this subject this Coming June 11, 2008 - San Diego, CA
10752 Coastwood Road . San Diego, CA 92127

Pastor Ray Bentley, of Maranatha Chapel will be interviewing Pastor Mark about his
remarkable discovery regarding all lunar eclipses and solar eclipses that NASA posted
for a 5,000 year period. He will be talking about the four “blood moons” or lunar
eclipses scheduled to occur on the exact Jewish Feast days of Passover and Feast of
Tabernacles in the near future. This is extremely rare, and in fact will not occur again the rest of this century. It will be a fascinating discussion highlighting the prophetic
significance of these events and other relevant issues concerning the age in which we live!

I would suggest that those who can, go and listen to what he has to say. For the rest of us who are not close by, I will add my comments next.

I was told of this on May 9th 2008, by a brother who sent me the following link from world net daily.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=63076
This is another interesting read.

Pastor Mark Blitz who is a Messianic teacher as far as I can tell, has shown the following dates.

A total Lunar Eclipse on April 15, 2014 1st Day of Unleavened Bread
A total Lunar Eclipse on October 8, 2014 The Eve of Sukkot
A total Solar Eclipse on March 20, 2015 The Eve of the New Year
A total Lunar Eclipse on April 4, 2015 1st Day of Unleavened Bread
A total Partial Solar Eclipse on September 13, 2015 Eve of the Feast of Trumpets
A total Lunar Eclipse on September 15, 2015 The Start of Sukkot

Please make special note that all of these Holy Days as stated by Pastor Blitz are according to the Hebrew Calendar, and as readers who have been reading this News Letter are well aware of, we teach the calendar according to the Sighted moon method. So does this make any difference in the findings?

I do not think so.

Lets look at this rare celestial event from the point of view of the Jubilee and the Sabbatical years to see if we can’t glean something out of it. At the end of this article is the May report from Bob Wadsworth of Biblical Astonomy, where he deals with this subject and the speaker directly. I was able to speak to Bob on the phone and by emails to Mark about this subject this week.

From A Time For Judgment
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)

If the eclipses fall at regular intervals, how can we relate them to our behaviour and responsibilities? It would seem that they are just celestial events that are unrelated to our behaviour. So, how can we KNOW that they are related to our behaviour and that they are sent by Yahweh to speak a specific message to us?

The fact that they are a specific message from Yahweh can be learned from the Torah:
Genesis 1:14-15 And Yahweh 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: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

We know that these eclipse are related to our behaviour from the oral Torah,
Mechilta to _Parshat Bo_ (http://www.betemunah.org/annual.html) (second chapter) as well as in the _Talmud_ (http://www.betemunah.org/orallaw.html) :
Succah 29a Our Rabbis taught, When the sun is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for the whole world. This may be illustrated by a parable. To what can this be compared? To a human being who made a banquet for his servants and put up for them a lamp. When he became wroth with them he said to his servant, ‘Take away the lamp from them, and let them sit in the dark’. It was taught: R. Meir said, When ever the luminaries are in eclipse, it is a bad omen for _Israel_(http://www.betemunah.org/gen-jew.html) since they are inured to blows.

This may be compared to a school _teacher_ (http://www.betemunah.org/teacher.html) who comes to school with a strap in his hand. Who becomes apprehensive? He who is accustomed to be daily punished. Our Rabbis taught, when the sun is in eclipse it is a bad omen for idolaters; when the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel, since Israel reckons by the moon and idolaters by the sun. If it is in eclipse in the _east_ (http://www.betemunah.org/east.html) it is a bad omen for those who _dwell_
(http://www.betemunah.org/dwelling.html) in the east; if in the west, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; if in the midst of heaven it is bad omen for the whole world. If its face is red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth, the arrows of _famine_(http://www.betemunah.org/famine.html) are coming to the _world_(http://www.betemunah.org/worlds.html) ;if it resembles both, the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world. If the eclipse is at sunset calamity will tarry in its coming; if at dawn, it hastens on its way: but some say the order is to be reversed. And there is no nation which is smitten that its gods are not smitten together with it, as it is said, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.

But when _Israel_ (http://www.betemunah.org/gen-jew.html) fulfill the will of the Omnipresent, they need have no fear of all these [omens] as it is said, Thus saith the HaShem,’ Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the _signs_ (http://www.betemunah.org/signs.html) of _heaven (http://www.betemunah.org/heaven.html) , for the nations are dismayed at them, the
idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed

From A Time For Judgment
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)

Josephus tells of a lunar eclipse after Herod kills Matthias. It was an omen of his impending death. Antiquity of the Jews XVII Chapter 4

Isaiah 50:1-3 1 Thus says the Lord: “Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce, Whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, And for your transgressions your mother has been put away. 2 Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.”

Brethren do you not see what is going on? Have we not been showing you the Sabbatical cycle and the order of the curses? First comes terror, followed by Drought and it includes Famines. Famines are followed by epidemics and then a sword, which is what we have been explaining these past two weeks.

The Redemption spoken of in Isaiah is that which takes place at the end of the Jubilee, when all things are redeemed by Yahshua. Isaiah goes on to say that it is Yahweh’s rebuke that dries up the rivers. A drought, and the heavens are blackness, are lunar and solar eclipses.

Joel 3:1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. 3 They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.
Before Yahweh can bring us back from captivity we MUST FIRST GO INTO CAPTIVITY! This means we must go to war and loose that war.

Joel2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 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 the Lord. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

The Moon turned to blood occurs before the great and awesome day of the Yahshua. Before, but we are not told exactly how far before that day it occurs.

Joel 2: 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand: 2 A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. 3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. 7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8 They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. 9 They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. 11 The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him– A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
18 Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.

He will pity his people if they repent as the priest are told to do.
But read what Yahweh will do in Psalm 89:30 “If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments, 31 If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments, 32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.

Isaiah 10:1 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

It is Assyria that is the ROD with which Yahweh shall chastise Israel the ungodly nation, the people of His wrath. The USA and the UK. Assyria shall invade and destroy all of this land.

Ezekiel 20:33-44 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God. 37 “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

After all is said and done only a remnant shall remain. 10%

Lev 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.

These blood moons and eclipses are a sign for us to repent while we can. Before the rod is used on us to correct us. They are a warning of impending doom. A bad omen.

Ezekiel 22:23-31 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. 28 Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

Our pastors and priest and prophets have lied to us, hiding the truth of the Sabbath and the Holy Days, and the Sabbatical and Jubilee years from our understanding. It is time to repent of this now. You no longer have the luxury to hide your head in the sand. Time is UP!

We have shown you in a previous study the first curse of Lev 26: 14 ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, 15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

He is going to send Terror. I have explained this in article 5844-006 http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=226 but know that the Rod He uses in His wrath is Assyria and we have shown that Assyria is Germany and in the days of Nimrod Assyria was also known as Terror. See article News Letter 5843-051 http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=202 and take special note of where I discuss the Chatti and the Hittites and Hess. If you remember, they mean Terror. When Yahweh says He is going to send Terror who else could He mean?

But we have already looked at this. We are this week looking at Lev26: 23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

If we are not reformed by the first curse of Terror, or the second curse of drought and famine and the third curse of pestilence, then Yahweh is going to send the fourth curse. A sword.

To see this in a chart form go to http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=250 and study these charts. Look at the different pages to see my notes also. Follow this link to view the video and listen to the whole message of the Jubilee, go to this link http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=251

When we retreat into the cities we will have pestilences and we are to be taken into captivity. We are going to be so short on food that we will not be satisfied with the meagre rations we do get.

In his book the Star of Bethlehem the Star that changed the world, E. L. Maritn shows us how the planets announced the coming of the Messiah. To see a video of this event click on http://www.askelm.com/video/v020301.htm

We have also shown you how astronomy has shown us when the Messiah was born in the article titled Conjunction or Sighted which? http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=22

To see for yourself all the Solar and Lunar Eclipses go to http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

Luke 21:7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” 8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. 9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” 10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.

The movement of the planets can give us some indication of things that are happening. Are the blood moons of 2014 and 2015 the announcement of the return of Yahshua? No. But they are a warning of a sword that is about to come on the USA and UK.

Brethren we have shown you a number of times that the last Jubilee was 1996. This makes 1995 the 49th year in the Jubilee cycle. Counting by 7 we can see the following;
1995-1996=49th year
1996-1997=50th year The First curse of Terror is applied and goes to,
2002-2003=7th year and First Sabbatical year and the Second Curse of Drought is applied and goes to,
2009-2010=14th year and Second Sabbatical Year and the third Curse of Pestilence is Applied and goes to,
2016-2017=21st year and the Third Sabbatical year and the Fourth Curse of the Sword is applied and goes to
2023-2024=28th year and the fourth Sabbatical cycle which we shall show you next week.

In News Letter 5844-007 http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=229 I showed you many scriptures which said that Yahweh would send Famines, Pestilences, and sword on those who did not repent. In the news lately is mention of a silent world wide famine taking hold on the earth. Last week I told you of places selling storable food supplies.

Much of what I am showing you here in this weeks News Letter, I was not allowed to say on the DVD. Many groups and many people believe that the USA is Babylon. They believe that Babylon is going to fall as the scriptures say. In believing this they think the USA is about to fall and they are right, the USA is about to fall. But the USA is NOT Babylon. These people and these teachers are deceived by Satan. They think that Israel, The USA and the UK and the State of Israel, the Jews whom are all together known as Israel, to these people they are Babylon, but they are not Babylon. Babylon is the European nations and they will form a league with the Arabs for a short time.

When the USA and UK fall, they will do so at the hands of the EU. Many of the Messianic community will believe this to be an act of Yahshua. When Satan moves down to Jerusalem, these same people will think he is the Messiah. And they will worship him as such and be deceived by Satan.

If it were possible even the elect would be deceived.

I hope you are able to see this. And if not I hope to make it plain in the next few News Letters.
One last thing, in each of the News Letters about the curses I was able to show that history supports my position. Now take a look at this.

When we check things with history we can learn a lot. We already have learned that the year of 701 BC was the 49th year and the year we count forward from. But when we count backwards to the previous Jubilee look what is shown to us?

701 BC was the 49th year. This would make 750 BC the 49th year and 749 the Jubilee Year.
Lets do some math
750 - 7 = 743 BC This when the first curse of Terror is applied.
743 - 7 = 736 BC This is when the second curse of Drought is applied.
736 - 7 = 729 BC This is when the third curse of Pestilence is applied.
729 - 7 = 722 BC This is when the fourth curse of the sword is applied.

Guess what happened in 723 BC. Yes, Israel was finally defeated after a three year siege by Assyria and led away. 723 is the year that reknown Chronologist Edwin R. Thiele and others have determined to be the year that Samaria fell. So what? Does Yahweh apply His punishment is a haphazard manor or is He consistent in the way He punishes His people?

MAL 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not…

HEB 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Will His punishment change or the order of the sequence in which it is administered?

ARE WE ABOUT TO REPEAT THIS EVENT IN OUR TIME?

Something to think about. The Jubilee is important to Yahweh. Is it important to you yet?

One other thing to ponder in your studies. Not sure if this is prophetic or not. In Genesis 37:26 Judah sells Joseph to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver.

Then in 2 Kings 16:7 tells us how Ahaz king of Judah sent to Assyria for help in fighting off the Northern kingdom of Israel. This would eventually lead to the total destruction of Israel by the Assyrians.

We already know from the news that Judah, the state of Israel has gone to the EU for help. What will be the end of this, time will tell.

Prepare for the coming Famine. And prepare for the coming Pestilence. But how are you going to prepare for the coming war in your very own front yard?

We read in Ezekiel 14: 12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God. 15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate. 17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it, 18 even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered. 19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

They are only going to be saved by their righteousness. When ever I read something like this I want to know how do I get this righteousness. The Biblical definition is found in
Psalm 119:172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

All your commandments are righteousness.

We can read in Ezekiel 18:4 The Soul who sins shall die
In case you missed it, it is repeated in Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins shall die
Then for those who just read the new testament we can read in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death

This then begs the questions, What is Sin? To get the biblical answer we turn to 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

And what are the commandments we are talking about? They are the ten commandments as found in Exodus 20. By obeying these and only by obeying these will you be found to be righteous.

And even though you can stock up for a drought and for a famine and maybe put some drugs away for pestilence, how are you going to be protected during a war? Only by having the righteousness of Noah, Job and Daniel, by keeping the ten commandments, and having the protection of Yahweh.

Here is the report by Bob Wadsworth. Please note. Bob has calculated the 120th Jubilee to be in the year of 2047-2048. He has done his calculations by using a 50 year Jubilee and astronmy. I on the other hand have concluded that the 120th Jubilee is 2045-2046 and have done this based on the 701BC year as the year that Yahweh spoke to Hezekiah.

Also take special note of what Bob says concnerning the time period of 2030-2033. Please take special note of this as it will play into the prophetic events I am teaching in these NEws Letters. Which of us is right? You will have to stick around and see, won’t you?

Biblical Astronomy
May 2008

Editor – Robert Scott Wadsworth <> P.O. Box 2272, Oregon City, OR 97045
Phone (503) 655-7430 <> e-mail – starguy1@comcast.net <> Website – www.biblicalastronomy.com

NEW MOON REPORT

Nehemia Gordon from Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New Moon Reports for the months of April 2008 and May 2008 and the beginnings of the First Month and Second Month on the Biblical Calendar.

April – “On Monday April 7, 2008 the new moon was sighted from several locations around Israel. The moon was sighted: from Eilat by Eli El-Tanani and Shai El-Tanani at 19:13; from Ashdod by Neriah Haroeh and Nilit Masliach at 19:15; from Mitzpeh Ramon by Bart Vangronsvelt and Ganneke Kunst at about 19:15; from Beersheva by Simchon Firouz, Kobi El-Tanani and Ovadiah Firouz at about 19:30; from highway 6 by Chad and Barbara Peterson at 19:39.

On the previous evening, Sunday April 6, the moon had a lagtime of 33 minutes and illumination of 0.52%, which means it was not visible under any circumstance from Israel.

Shanah Toyah!

Happy New Year!”

May – “On Tuesday May 6, 2008 the new moon was sighted from Jerusalem by Nehemia Gordon at 19:34 and shortly thereafter by Devorah Gordon.”

The next new moon is expected to be visible from Jerusalem near sunset on June 4, 2008 when the moon will be 1.17% illuminated and 10.38o above the horizon at 5 minutes past sunset. In the event of thick atmospheric haze it will be visible the next evening, June 5, when it will be 5.13% illuminated and 22.46o above the horizon at 5 minutes past sunset.

The new moon will be clearly visible over the west-northwest horizon from areas with clear skies in the United States on June 4, 2008.

LUNAR ECLIPSES ON FEAST DAYS

Speaking of the moon, in late April I started to receive a number of e-mail inquiries concerning a video produced by J.R. Church featuring a presentation by Mark Biltz on certain upcoming lunar eclipses occurring on the feast days of Passover and Sukkoth in the years 2014 and 2015. Also mentioned were upcoming solar eclipses over the next three years and others in the years 2014 and 2015 starting with the total solar eclipse that is to occur on August 1, 2008. First of all, Mark Biltz gave a real good presentation on the upcoming events. However, since I have received so many inquiries on it, I am dedicating most of this newsletter to present more facts of the mentioned eclipses as well as on other such eclipses in the last century and in this century. The links below are to the video presentations that Mark Biltz did on J.R. Church’s program “Prophecy in the News.”

http://66.155.114.80/video/Dsl/5904-D.wmv

http://66.115.114.80/video/Dsl/5904-E.wmv

I also received e-mails that added false info to Mark’s presentation, such as all the eclipses will be visible from Jerusalem and this will be the last time for hundreds of years that such a series of eclipses will be seen. Mark did not say these things in the presentations that I watched and the added info is just not true. Mark did say that the four total eclipses in 2014 and 2015 would be the last time this century to occur on Passover and Sukkoth. This may be true if you just use the Jewish Talmudic calendar which has its share of problems. There will also be a tetrad of four total lunar eclipses in the years 2032 and 2033. The first will occur on April 25, which may be Passover on the Biblical calendar if the barley is late in ripening that year. We will not know for sure until that time comes. If that is the Passover, then the next total eclipse on October 18, 2032 will fall on Sukkot. The two total eclipses in 2033 will fall on Passover and Sukkot and there will also be two lunar eclipses on Passover (penumbral) and Sukkot (partial) in 2034. All six of these eclipses except for one, the total eclipse on October 8, 2033 (Sukkot), will be visible from Jerusalem and Israel.

There is another tetrad of four total eclipses that occur on Passover and Sukkot two years running in 2061 and 2062. This is according to the Hebrew calendar and most likely the Biblical caldendar as well, but not all by the Jewish Talmudic calendar. All of these eclipses except for the one on September 29, 2061 are visible from Jerusalem and Israel.

Then there is a series of four lunar eclipses in 2079 and 2080, three total and one partial, all on Passover and Sukkot according to the Jewish Talmudic calendar.

You can check these all out from the links to NASA’s eclipse web pages below. These are the web pages Mark speaks about in his presentation. I was unaware of these websites until I heard Mark’s presentation.

One website is for Lunar Eclipses and the other is for Solar Eclipses. I believe they are relatively new. I wish they had them up years ago. It would have saved me many weeks in researching eclipses using astronomy programs and calendar programs. All the info one would want on eclipses over thousands of years are on those websites. I confirmed the accuracy of the info by spot-checking various eclipses with my astronomy and calendar programs. Info is shown on whether the eclipses are total or partial for lunar or solar eclipses as well as annular for solar. Click on the eclipse date and a page will pop up with a map that you can click on and zoom in to see where the eclipses will be visible from. It even has the Sari (plural for Saros) of all the eclipses. I will get into the Saros in a bit. The two NASA links are below.

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/solar.html

For subscribers who do not have internet access, the summary of Mark’s presentation is concerning the total solar eclipse in August 2008 as a possible starting point of the last shabuah or seven years prior to Messiah returning at the end of that seven year period and the total lunar eclipse on Sukkoth 2015 as marking the end of that seven-year period. He also states that the years 2014 thru 2015 is a sabbatical year. This is true according to the Jewish Talmudic calendar. However, I disagree with that calendar. My calculations show that 1996/1997 was a sabbatical year and 1997/1998 was a Jubilee year (1947/1948 as well). My calculations also show that the year 2032/2033 is a sabbatical year, the years that other eclipses occur. I could be wrong. In any event, Mark believes that the signs of these eclipses should put us on a tribulation watch (not warning). Mark may be on to something and it would do no harm to watch. I am always watching anyway, especially during the Spring Feasts and Fall Feasts every year.

Mark Biltz’s presentation was focused on eclipses that occur on the feast days of Passover and Sukkot, especially those that occur in a string of four total lunar eclipses, which is called a tetrad. I do not know of any special significance in Biblical Astronomy of a tetrad over a string of four lunar eclipses with a mixture of total and partial eclipses. Though it is of course possible that there is certain significance to it. Of all the total lunar eclipses occurring in 2014 and 2015, only one is visible from Jerusalem, and that one is only partially visible from Jerusalem since it sets below the horizon shortly after it reaches totality. The solar eclipse on August 1 is also not visible from Jerusalem. It may be slightly but not noticeably visible from northern Lebanon. I do not know for sure if the eclipse needs to be visible from Jerusalem, but that is where Y’shua spoke the prophecy that “immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.” Also some key words here are “immediately after the tribulation of those days.” That could mean a total solar eclipse just before the Day of Trumpets and a total lunar eclipse on Sukkoth immediately after the Great Tribulation. There is a total lunar eclipse on or near Sukkoth in 2015 and a solar eclipse on the eve of Tishri 1, 2015, but that solar eclipse is only a partial eclipse and is only visible from southern Africa and the Antarctic; hardly a big sign.

Furthermore, I do not believe what the Lord is talking about in that prophecy are eclipses but rather supernatural events, and events so awesome that people (those who are not believers) will be awestruck and frightened by them. Believers are not to be dismayed with such signs (Jer. 10:2). This is not to say that certain solar and lunar eclipses are not signs of Messiah’s return, since they certainly may be, but the events Jesus speaks of in the Gospel of Matthew are most likely supernatural events.

In looking up information on when strings of eclipses will be occurring this century I remembered an article that I did for the December 1996 issue of Biblical Astronomy which included a list of such eclipses in the 20th century. Below is that article. If back page in the below article does not link you with that list, just go to www.biblicalastronomy.com and enter the site, then select newsletters and then scroll down and select 1996 newsletters and then December. You will be able to link to the list from there.

Lunar Eclipses On Holy Days

December 1996 - Currently, we are in the midst of a string of Lunar eclipses falling on or within one day of the Jewish holy days of Succoth, Passover, and, or, Purim. Such a string of eclipses falling on or near these holy days occurs about every ten years. This is because when such strings occur, the eclipses are six months apart, and Passover and Succoth are six months apart. The moon is always full during an eclipse and during Passover or Succoth. When such a string starts on or near Passover or Succoth, then the other eclipses will follow suit. Not all of such eclipses are seen from Israel. In the past century there was only one other string (other than 1996/1997) where all the eclipses could all be seen from Israel on the holy days. This occurred in 1949/1950. In two such strings (1949/1950 and 1967/1968) Israel was at war with her enemies. Most of the eclipses in 1967/68 were not seen from Israel. There was a series of six lunar eclipses falling on the Holy days between 1930 and 1932. Two of those were not seen from Israel. Of course, Israel had not yet become a nation at that time. Hitler came into power in 1932.

The most dramatic of such strings is now occurring. All are seen from Israel, three of the eclipses are total. The partial eclipse, coming up on March 24, will be near total, but only will be seen 1/3 eclipsed from Israel before it sets. At least two of the eclipses are accompanied by two bright comets; Hyakutake on the Passover of 96, and Hale-Bopp on the Passover or Purim of 97 (Passover on Hebrew calendar, Purim on Jewish Talmudic). The eclipse of September 27 (12 hours from Succoth) was in conjunction with Saturn, a rare event which hasn’t been seen from Israel since the year 611. It remains to be seen if there are any other celestial surprises to occur with the eclipse on September 16, 1997. The total eclipse that occurred on Passover, 1996 appeared blood red over Jerusalem. I do not know if any of the previous eclipses for this century appeared such a deep red color.

I have listed all of the lunar eclipses falling on or near Passover (Nisan 15), Succoth (Tishri 15), and Purim (Adar 14 or Adar II 14), for the 20th Century on the back page of this newsletter. Dates are given in both the Jewish Talmudic calendar and the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew calendar is more ancient and uses different factors in calculating when the extra month is added in certain years. It is much too complex to go into the details of the two calendar systems in this newsletter. I will spare you the perplexity that comes with it.

In December 1996 I did not have access to new moon reports or barley reports. Michael Rood and I were in conference many times over many months over the phone from early 1997 about the Biblical calendar and how it would be nice to have reports from Jerusalem on sightings of the first crescent moon each month as well as barley reports each spring. Michael made his first trip to Jerusalem in the autumn of 1997 and ran into Nehemia Gordon. The rest is history.

To continue with the upcoming eclipses, I found it interesting that all of the eclipses that fell and are to fall on Passover in 1996, 2014, and 2032 are all of the same Saros (Saros 122), and ancients would consider them all the same eclipse. There will be more on what a Saros is soon to follow.

Also, all the eclipses that fall on Sukkot for 1996, 2014, and 2032 are the same Saros (Saros 127). All the eclipses that fall on Passover in 1997, 2015, and 2033 are the same Saros (Saros 132). All the eclipses that fall on Sukkot 1997, 2015, and 2033 are the same Saros (Saros 137). Check it out on the NASA Lunar Eclipse webpage.

My calculations show that two of these series of eclipses fall in a Sabbatical year, 1996/1997 and 2032/2033. Seven years from 2033 brings us to the year 2040 when a very rare celestial event is to occur in Bethulah (Virgo) on the Day of Trumpets (September 8, 2040). The first crescent new moon will be in the midst of the five bright planets that will be in a Grand Massing (a one in twenty-six thousand to fifty-two thousand year event in Bethulah on the Day of Trumpets). My calculations show this date to be exactly 6,000 years from the creation of Adam and the beginning of the Biblical Year 6001 from the creation of Adam. I still believe that Messiah will return in the Fall Feasts of 2047, which is the next Jubilee and 6,000 years from the fall of Adam, but I could be wrong. At any rate if the events of the last of the last days do not unfold by 2040 or sooner, we still have 2047 to look forward to.

Below is an excerpt of an article from E.W. Bullinger’s The Witness of the Stars, pp. 177, 178 concerning Signs for Seasons and Sari.

“For Signs and For Seasons”

We have seen the great truths which are taught from the position, and forms, and names of the heavenly bodies. There are also truths to be learnt from their motions.

When God created them and set them in the firmament of heaven, He said, in Genesis 1:14– “Let them be for signs and for seasons.”

Here the word “signs” is othoth (plural of oth, from the root to come). Hence, a sign of something or some One to come. In Jeremiah 10:2 Jehovah says, “And be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens, for the heathen are dismayed at them.” The word “seasons” does not denote merely what we call the four seasons of the year, but cycles of time. It is appointed time (from the verb to point out, appoint). It occurs three more times in Genesis, each time in connection with the promised Seed–

Genesis 17:21, “At this set time in the next year”;

Genesis 18:14, “At the time appointed I will return”; and

Genesis 21:2, “At the set time of which God had spoken.”

Genesis 1:14 is therefore, “They (the sun, moon, and stars) shall be for signs (things to come) and for cycles (appointed times).”

Here, then, we have a distinct declaration from God, that the heavens contain not only a Revelation concerning things to come in the “Signs,” but also concerning appointed times in the wondrous movements of the sun, and moon, and stars.

The motions of the sun and moon are so arranged that at the end of a given interval of time they return into almost precisely the same position, with regard to each other and to the earth, as they held at the beginning of that interval. “Almost precisely,” but not quite precisely. There will be a slight outstanding difference, which will gradually increase in successive intervals, and finally destroy the possibility of the combination recurring, or else lead to combinations of a different character.

Thus the daily difference between the movement of the sun and of the stars leads the sun back very nearly to conjunction with the same star as it was twelve months earlier, and gives us the cycle of the year. The slight difference in the sun’s position relative to the stars at the end of the year, finally leads the sun back to the same star at the same time of the year, viz., at the spring equinox, and gives us the great precessional cycle of 25,800 years.

So, too, with eclipses. Since the circumstances of any given eclipse are reproduced almost exactly 18 years and 11 days later, this period is called an Eclipse Cycle, to which the ancient astronomers gave the name of Saros; * and eclipses separated from each other by an exact cycle, and, therefore, corresponding closely in their conditions, are spoken of as being one and the same eclipse. Each Saros contains, on the average, about 70 +/- eclipses. Of these, on the average, 42 +/- are solar and 28 +/- are lunar. Since the Saros is 11 days (or, more correctly, 10.96 days) longer than 18 years, the successive recurrences of each eclipse fall 11 days later in the year each time, and in 33 Sari will have traveled on through the year and come round very nearly to the original date.

But as the Saros does not reproduce the conditions of an eclipse with absolute exactness, and as the difference increases with every successive return, a time comes when the return of the Saros fails to bring about an eclipse at all. If the eclipse be a solar one before this takes place, a new eclipse begins to form a month later in the year than the old one, and becomes the first eclipse of a new series.

* General Vallancey spells Saros sin, ayin, resh, vav, tzadai, which amounts to 666 by Gematria! Viz., sin=300 + ayin=70 + resh=200 + vav=6 + tzadai=90 = 666.

As I wrote earlier, a series of eclipses do not necessarily need to be all total eclipses to be a sign. There was such a string of eclipses at the time of the captivity of the ten northern tribes of Israel, but they were not all total. It is most likely from these eclipses and what happened to Israel at that time that the sages got their understanding on what such lunar eclipses may mean. Those eclipses fell about a month before the feast days of Passover and Sukkot but occurred in the constellations Bethulah and Pisces. Bethulah (Virgo) represents the faithful of Israel and Pisces represents the nation of Israel, with one fish representing the ten northern tribes and the other the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Pisces portrays Israel going into bondage or coming out of bondage. At this current epoch of time, and because of the precessional cycle of the earth, when lunar eclipses occur on Passover or Sukkot they occur in the constellations Bethulah and Pisces.

The four eclipses around the time of the captivity occurred on March 19, 721 BC (Total Blood Red Moon Eclipse in Bethulah); September 12, 721 BC (Total Blood Red Moon Eclipse in Pisces); March 8, 720 BC (Partial Lunar Eclipse in Bethulah); September 28, 720 BC (Partial Lunar Eclipse in Pisces).

The above dates are Julian calendar dates. To calculate what day of the month they would fall on the corrected Gregorian calendar (the calendar we now use) subtract 9 days. Example: March 19, 721 BC on the proleptic Julian calendar is the same solar day as March 10 on the corrected Gregorian calendar. Also, if you look for these eclipses on the NASA webpage, -719 is 720 BC. There is no year 0, so 0 becomes 1 BC in calendar as well as astronomy programs. If you wish to look at the eclipses for 721 BC, look at the year –720 on the NASA webpage. You will also need to go to the 5,000 year catalog on the webpage to access info on these eclipses. If memory serves me right, all of those eclipses were visible from Israel.

Another interesting series of eclipses occurred on Passover and Sukkot at or around the time of the Exodus. I have the Exodus occurring in 1453 BC but in case of the very slight possibility that I am wrong, there was as series of four of eclipses beginning on April 26, 1449 BC and ending on October 9, 1448 BC which may have marked the event of the Exodus. I am writing of this here even though it is contrary to the date of the Exodus according to overwhelming calculations that puts it 5 years earlier, so you can have all the information for that time period and can have fun speculating.

I believe all of these eclipses were visible from Egypt and the rest of the Mideast. I know for certain that the main ones in 1448 BC were. For that time period you need to subtract 14 days from the proleptic Julian calendar which are the dates given below in order to get the same solar day as the corrected Gregorian calendar. For example: April 15, 1448 BC on the Julian calendar is the same day of the year as April 1 on today’s calendar.

The first lunar eclipse to occur in this series was a partial lunar eclipse on April 26, 1449 BC. The second was a partial lunar eclipse on October 29, 1449 BC. The third (and possibly the first Passover) was a total blood red eclipse on April 15, 1448 BC. The fourth was another total blood red eclipse on October 9, 1448 BC. If it is really a fact that the blood red eclipse that occurred on April 15, 1448 BC indeed was the first Passover, then the blood red moon would have represented the blood of the lamb that was put on the door posts and mantel of the homes of Israel to protect them from the “Angel of Death” and the curse that came on Egypt with the dying of all the firstborn. Of course, a blood red moon now represents the atoning blood of Y’shua Messiah, our Passover.

If you have ever watched the movie The Ten Commandments you may notice that on the evening of the Passover Joshua looks up at a crescent moon that is high in the sky. At first look, there is something really odd with that picture. A crescent moon can only be the new moon or a waning old moon and is never seen in mid-sky high above. The Passover moon is always a full moon. Cecil B. Demille and his crew of experts could not have made such a mistake. Many ancient historical records from such historians as Josephus and Philo as well as the Holy Scriptures were used in the making of the film. The only thing that I could think of, of why that scene had a thin crescent moon high in the sky on Passover was that they were most likely trying to show the moon going into an eclipse and it was not yet totally covered with the shadow of the earth as the cloud came from where the moon was seen and came down to the earth (the cloud represented the “angel of death” that came upon Egypt and passed over the children of Israel doing no harm to them). If this is not what the filmmakers had in mind, they appear to be a bunch of complete idiots. But I do not think that is the case.

Another interesting fact of the total eclipses of 1448 BC is that the second eclipse on Tabernacles went into eclipse as it came into conjunction with the planet Saturn. This is a very rare celestial event, especially for it to occur on Sukkot or even Passover. These two eclipses are almost identical to the eclipses that occurred on Passover and Sukkot in 1996. The blood red Passover eclipse of April 3/4, 1996 was followed by a total lunar eclipse as it went into conjunction with Saturn on September 27, 1996. Before that, the last time this was seen from Jerusalem was in the year 611 and that was not a feast date. There is a very high probability that the only times that there were blood red moons on the Passover followed by a total lunar eclipse on Sukkot as it went into conjunction with Saturn, only occurred in 1448 BC and 1996.

These are certainly exciting times.

THE NORTH STAR IS WINKING AT US

The following article is from a Sky & Telescope news bulletin posted by Alan MacRobert on April 28, 2008 concerning the North Polar Star Polaris. All the stars of the northern hemisphere revolve around this star.

Polaris’s Pulsations Pick Up

Polaris is important not just because it’s the North Star. It also happens to be the brightest and nearest Cepheid variable star, 430 light-years away. Cepheids, a special class of pulsating giants, have provided astronomers with a crucial link in the cosmic distance scale for almost a century. But Polaris isn’t just any Cepheid. It has been changing its period and especially the amplitude of its pulsations.

Polaris varies in brightness only slightly, by just a few percent across its 3.97-day cycle. Moreover, the pulsations steadily diminished for decades: from 0.12 magnitude per cycle a century ago — almost enough to see by eye — to a mere 0.02 magnitude per cycle in the mid-1990s. Astronomers wondered if Polaris was about to stop pulsing completely.

Apparently not. Four years ago Edward F. Guinan (Villanova University) and several colleagues reported that Polaris’s fluctuations bottomed out in the mid-1990s and had started increasing again, to 0.038 magnitude per cycle in 2004. Now an international team of nine astronomers finds the trend continuing. From 2003 to 2007, says the team, Polaris’s brightness pulsations increased by an additional one-third.

The group used instuments aboard satellites to monitor Polaris almost continuously for 4.5 years. Based in this very high-quality data, they suggest that Polaris is not evolving away from the “instability strip” due to long-term, one-way stellar evolution as astrophysicists thought, but instead is showing some kind of centuries-long, periodic behavior and no evolution at all.

So the mysteries of the North Star continue. The group’s paper will appear in the Astrophysical Journal.. You can read it as a preprint on the Astro-ph preprint server, which has been taking over from traditional journals as the main place where astronomy researchers share their news.

BIBLICAL ASTRONOMY SUBSCRIPTIONS

It is nearly that time of the year again to renew your subscriptions for the Biblical Astronomy newsletter. Next month’s issue will be the last issue for the July 2007 to June 2008 subscription year. If you subscribe to the online version of the newsletter, please wait until at least mid-June before you re-subscribe. I should have the new passwords for you in latter June. You will not need to use them until July. At the beginning of July all of the newsletters from July 2007 to June 2008 will go on the regular web page and will be free to view without a password. You will need a new password, however, to view the July 2008 to June 2009 newsletters online. If you are a postal subscriber, you can also view the newsletters online for no extra fee, but please write down your e-mail address so I can send you your password. The subscription fee for online subscribers is $12.00 for the July 2008/June 2009 subscription year.

The subscription fee for the July 2008/June 2009 subscription year for postal subscribers is $25.00 for domestic; $30.00 for Canada; and $35.00 for overseas. You can either order online via PayPal in the Biblical Astronomy Products Section or by check or money order for both online and postal subscriptions. Mail to the address in the header of this newsletter.

YHVH bless you richly through His Son Y’shua, Jesus Christ.
Bob Wadsworth

Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com
To write send e-mails to admin@sightedmoon.com

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To read all News letters from this year go to http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=219

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News Letter 5843-056
6th day of the 13th month 5843 years after creation
March 15, 2008

Shabbat Shalom Brethren,
With this New letter I am going to bring you up to date on the Barley not being Aviv, and the sighting of the moon and my recent speaking tour.

First here is the report from Nehemia Gordon on the Barley not being Aviv.
Karaite Korner Newsletter #323

Aviv Not Found, Thirteenth Month to Begin after Shabbat

On Tuesday March 4, Wednesday March 5, and Thursday March 6, 2008 an
international team crisscrossed the Land of Israel searching for Aviv
Barley. We examined barley from the Negev in the south all the way to
the border of Lebanon in the north and from the Jordan Valley in the
east to the Coastal Plain in the west. Most of the barley we found,
including the barley in the Northern Negev, was no further than the
“cotton” stage also referred to as the “flowering” stage. In the
Jordan Valley we found small amounts of barley in the “worm” stage,
also referred to as the “soft dough” stage. We did not find any barley
in the Aviv stage anywhere in Israel and therefore we must wait until
after the Thirteenth Month before beginning the new Biblical Year. The
Thirteenth Month will begin with the expected sighting of the New Moon
from Israel on Saturday night March 8, 2008. The holiday of Chag
HaMatzot will run from April 21 at sunset through April 28 at sunset.
For the dates of the other biblical appointed times please see:
http://www.karaite-korner.org?holiday_dates.shtml

This year’s Aviv Search was truly an international effort with
participants from Israel, the United States, England, and South
Africa. The Karaite searchers were joined by adherents of several
different faiths and persuasions including members of “Yahweh’s
Philadelphia Truth Congregation” and “Hoshana Rabbah Messianic
Discipleship Resources”.

Ruthanne Koch, a Certified Crop Advisor from Colorado participated
along with her husband Bernie, her brother Erich Draht, and his wife
Gloria. Other participants included Ferenc Illesy, Rivkah Michaeli,
Avi Ben Mordechai, Johan Schutte, Glen Cain, Tracey Cain, Frank King,
Eileen King, Sharon King, Nathan Lawrence, Sandi Lawrence, Linda
Lampkin, and Richard Bay. I want to thank American Karaites Yochanan
Labombarbe and Sean Reuland for making the trip over to Israel to do
the Aviv Search and Devorah Gordon for helping make the Aviv Search a
success. Finally, I want to thank everyone who supported the Aviv
Search both financially and in other ways.

I usually prefer to stick to the cold dry facts in the Aviv Report but
I cannot help but relate an incident that happened to our group during
the Search. As we were winding up our examination of the Northern
Negev we found ourselves on the road to Sederot, the Israeli town
which has come under such cruel bombardment by Palestinian rockets
over the past year. Recently the attacks have increased from a weekly
occurrence to a daily one. We decided we would stop in Sederot to show
our support for the citizens of this embattled town. As we entered the
city, Devorah noticed a sign pointing to the Sapir College where a
young man was killed last week by an Arab rocket while walking to his
car. Moments later we were driving into the very parking lot where the
man was killed when we saw several people running in one direction.
Then we heard a woman announce over a loud speaker in Hebrew “Code
Red, Code Red” which is the warning that the rockets are on their way.
Our caravan of cars quickly stopped and we ran after the locals who
were scurrying into a nearby bomb shelter. After a few minutes, the
rocket attack was over and everyone started to leave the cramped bomb
shelter. The young people continued about their usual activities
around the college as if nothing happened but we were still shaken
from the experience. It is one thing to hear about a rocket attack on
television but an entirely different matter to be in the midst of one.
When we finally left the shelter we walked about 50 feet to a small
crater formed when the rocket killed the young man last week. We were
all shocked to see a bloody glove in the crater dropped there the week
before by one of the paramedics. May Almighty Yehovah protect his
people from their enemies who seek to dispossess us from the land
which he created out of nothing and gave to our ancestors as part of
his eternal covenant!

(By the way, the last newsletter was supposed to be #322, not #321.)

Reporting from Jerusalem, Israel

Nehemia Gordon

The New Moon Report

Karaite Korner Newsletter #324

New Moon Report
March 2008
Thirteenth Biblical Month

On Saturday March 8, 2008 observers across Israel looked for the New
Moon but it was not sighted due to heavy cloud coverage. Had there
been no clouds the moon would have been visible and according to
potential visibility March 9 is New Moon Day.

Rosh Chodesh Sameach!
Happy New Moon!

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

Shalom, Nazarenes.
Many thanks to those alert individuals who brought the miscount on the New Moon Day to my attention. My post should have read that the New Moon Day begins at sundown on 3/9/08 (s-nday) and lasts through sundown on 3/10/08 (m-nday).
The New Moon was last visibly sighted from the Land of Israel on the evening of 2/8/08. According to the practice used in Scripture (”raw observation”) the month can be either 29 or 30 days long (and in rare cases, 28 days, but not 31 days).
If the first crescent sliver is not seen at the start of the 30th day, the month ‘times out’ at the end of the 30th day, and the new month begins the next evening. A full thirty days from the last sighting (at the start of 2/8/08) brings us to the close of 3/8/08, and therefore the New Moon Day begins (or began) at sundown 3/9/08 (s-nday).
Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience the miscount may have caused. May YHWH please forgive me. This brings out the importance of verifying everything personally, rather than taking anyone’s word for it.
Please be sure to gather together with friends, blow the shofar, and enjoy a festive meal in honor of our Messiah.
Rosh Chodesh Sameach~
Norman Willis

This means that Sunday Evening March 9 and Monday day March 10, was the first day of the 13th month

As you know I have been on the road for the past two weeks doing the Prophecy Club Speaking tour. Some of you I had the pleasure to meet and was pleased you came out. But I am now going to let you know how the tour went.

Feb 21,2008 I signed the contract to do the tour and to share this message of the Jubilee and the explanation of why we have Terrorism and Global warming. Five minutes after I had signed the contract I received a phone call to return to work. I have been without work since December. I needed the work but I also needed to get this message out. I worked hard on preparing the message in a power point presentation. Something I had never done. I had over 250 slides and was told to cut it back to 75- 150. I did but then had many notes. When I got to Stan Johnson, in Dallas, he said to get rid of the notes and add back in the slides.

We did two radio interviews on Feb 20. I was very pumped up for this. Knocking on doors for the past three years and it was finally being recognized as something important. We did two more interviews on the 21. But I had my wind taken out of my sails before the interviews and I was now just going through the motions. This had now become a job. And I now looked at it as such.

I went to work each day the next week and worked on the power point each night. I was overwhelmed. It had to be right and it had to be good.

Friday Feb 29 I left for the airport at 5 AM. It was -29 Celsius and we had 4 feet of snow. I arrived in Dallas Texas at noon and the man who was to pick me up did not arrive. He was at the wrong terminal and his phone was off. Stan came for me about two hours later and we were off to his house. Hillary Clinton was attending the funeral of one of the police officers who had died and all highways were plugged and moving very slow.

Worked on the presentation for a while then we went to have a Friday evening Shabbat service. Stan asked me if I would conduct it. He suggested I talk about the Holy Days as they were now starting to learn about them. So I opened the bible to Lev. 23 and began to teach them about how much the Holy Days teach us and how they are for every one and not just the Jews. After an hour and a half I had only gotten to the Wave sheaf offering. Every one there had never heard the things I was saying. I thought it was common knowledge. I answered questions and just talked to them. It was very good. Stan then asked them what they liked about my talk or what they did not like. Talk about being in the hot seat. I did not know what was coming.

Stan’s daughter said that she really liked the fact that I said right up front that these Holy Days are not Jewish and that they were for all men. I was surprised at the comment and asked her to say it again. She told me how others have come through here and talked down to them or had their noses in the air as if they were better than them for keeping these Holy Days and they were not as good because they did not understand them or keep them. But I had removed that stumbling block right in the beginning. I made this my opening statement for each and every presentation. That was a huge comment she made. And huge lesson for all of us. To remember when we did not know or understand anything about these Holy Days. How many of us have turned others away from understanding because of our self righteousness. How sad.

Stan then asked them if they would like me to come back and teach them each of the Holy days in a way that they could understand. I was a bit shocked. I had only been there for one and half hours.

That night we tore the presentation apart and put it back together again until late, and worked on it all day Shabbat. I had not even had time to go over it once before I presented it to the Dallas crowd. I was nervous and after presenting the message, they offered some good suggestions, which we then added to the presentation. Stan had many good suggestions to help me present it more professionaly. As I left I met a man and his wife who during the meeting, were very interested in the things I said. When he introduced himself I was shocked. I had corresponded with him many times recently and would be honored to sit at his feet and learn from him. I wished I had more time to visit. But we had to rework the power point presentation again which went to 2:30 AM and I was up at 6 to catch a flight to Baltimore and then to Milwaukee.

By the time I arrived I had only enough time to shower and get set up. I had two people who were laughing at the things I was presenting. When I asked them what was up at the first break, they said that Jesus full filled the law so they did not have to. There for every thing I said was not relevant. I did not have an answer. That night I prayed about it

Finished at midnight, and up at 3:30 AM to catch a 6 AM flight to Philadelphia where I changed planes to go to Detroit. Good crowd of people all who worked with their hands, and identified with me. There were many Lunar Sabbath keepers in this crowd and although they liked the message they could not agree with me. One big man came up and gave me a huge bear hug. He thank me for having the guts to say things straight up. No flattering lies. Again I stayed until about midnight answering questions.

Up at 6 and being driven to Lansing Michigan. I had the answer to the Jesus full filled the law escape clause and I added it to the presentation. Each night we are having about 30-40 people come out. I was nervous in Lansing for some reason. People are telling me how much they like the message and how strong it is. I am very confident now in presenting it and wish I could give it again in Dallas.

Up at 5 AM. Snow storm over night and my driver could only go 20 -40 miles an hour. No snow plows. Missed my flight. Got one at 11 to Nashville and then to Cleveland and to my hotel at midnight.

Met the folks in Cleveland the next day, Thursday. I am now getting complaints from Lansing about the presentation. They did not appreciate what the scriptures said and thought it would be wise if my tour was canceled. I had effectively taken away the escape clause they wanted to use. It turned out that some of the folks in Cleveland felt the same thing.

I was beginning to realize that these people whom I was told would be very knowledgeable about the bible, actually were not. Many held to the position that they had nothing to do and that after a life time of doing nothing they would go to heaven. Then I come along and bust their bubble. On the other hand many did know the bible and appreciated my frankness and honesty, and told me not to stop, not to remove any thing from the presentation. That is why I sent out the e-mail I did last Friday. This tour was in danger of being canceled. Those who obey the law loved the message and those who do not wanted it stopped.

Friday flew to Laurel Maryland. They too loved the message and then they realized something. They were conducting business on the Sabbath. They then thought that this might be why so many of the Messianic followers did not come out. This was good. They were getting what I was saying and thinking about it as it applied to themselves.

Drove to Harrisburg PA for the Saturday evening presentation. I had looked forward to this meeting the most from the beginning. I expected a strong crowd of Messianic followers. And they did come out. Many sat there with their beards and a tough look on their face as if to dare me to convince them. I felt so comfortable there. All of them came up and thanked me for standing strong and not diluting the message. Many times I have been asked for my e-mail or web site. I agreed with Stan not to promote myself and only the Prophesy Club. But one brother would yell out my web site each time someone asked. I was amongst brethren. And did not get to bed until 2 AM. Harrisburg was very good.

Up at 5 to catch flight. On the plane and then told flight canceled. Rushing around to get another flight. Many canceled due to the storm in Ohio. Raced back to Phili Airport and flew to Washington, changed planes to fly out to Kansas. Did not get there till midnight. Meeting in Topeka canceled. Had a great talk with the taxi driver who is going to look up my web site.

Next day I was driven up to Des Moines Iowa. Met a lady where we were to spend the night, who was very excited to hear what I was talking about. At the meeting I was dead tired. But one fella began to ask me some questions which led me to begin to ask him to think. He did and the light bulbs began to go off. Before long we had about ten people thinking about the scriptures and lights going off. It was a lot of fun and got me energized before I presented.

Next morning I heard our host up early checking the scriptures about the many things I had said. She said I was right. She had never known these things or thought about them. She just assumed, like so many others.

Drove from Iowa to Topeka Kansas, to do the video tapping. Only 4 people came out. I am after all an unknown speaker and the meeting was canceled two days earlier due to the flight delays. I was to say the least disappointed. I like to talk to an audience. We did the tapping in record time. Every night it took me about 2 ½ hour to 2 hours and 45 minutes. For the tapping, I was done in 2 hours flat. This was lowest point on the tour for me.

Next morning I was driven back to Kansas City Missouri to catch a flight to Oakland California and then up to Portland Oregon. Next to Harrisburg I had looked forward to Portland as I had hoped many of my friends would come out. They did not, but I did have a large crowd this night. After the meeting many joined us at a restaurant to ask more questions. We did not leave there until 1:30 AM. I was also interviewed by the local radio station which aired live, promoting the meeting that night.

Left Portland at 6AM and flew to Newark where I changed planes and flew to Toronto. I got home at 9 PM and my wife was glad to see me. Thank you for your prayers. I have been all day digging out the large amount of snow that came while I was away and getting things ready for work on Monday.

In almost all of the places I spoke at there were many who wanted to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days, and few who were able to teach them how to do this. There were many who think they are already saved and have no responsibility to do anything themselves. And there were a few who wanted to stop this message from going out.

There is still so much more to do. Many want to learn and there are few teachers. We need more to step up and teach the truth. One brother has sent me some money to help cover the cost of this trip. Prophecy Club has paid for everything, and I am not out of pocket anything. I did loose two weeks worth of work. Brethren it does cost money to fly to each town and for Hotels and food and the room in which we meet. I thank those of you who have supported this effort. Because of the generosity of one brother, I do plan on holding a meeting in Nashville for him, as he could not make it to any of the other cities. Please do keep the Prophecy Club in your prayers. I am very gratefull for the opportunity they gave me to present this message to you all.

As to the DVD, I am obliged to sell it at the same price as the prophecy club. All the information on the DVD is or well be on the web site in due course. It will be in written form over a period of weeks and as is all information on my web site it is free. Any money from the DVD will be used to take this message to other cities. I originally was not going to be involved in the sale of the DVD, but now see how it could help pay for travel and hotels in other cities where I could bring this message. One group continues to ask me to come to Kenya. We need funds to do so and as yet have none.

You are free to order your DVD from who ever you want. I am thank full to have met so many who do read this news letter and missed it when it was not sent out. I am also glad to have met so many others who want to learn the truth and have no one to teach them.

Next week I will get back to sharing those things I have learned with you all. Thank you for saying hello and your prayers these past few weeks.

Shabbat Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
admin@sightedmoon.com
www.sightedmoon.com

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Sighted Moon News Letter 5843-042 1383
26th day of the Ninth month 5843 After Creation
December 8, 2007

Shabbat Shalom Family,
As I said last week we are going to take a detour from our proofs of the Anglo-Saxon Celtic Ancestry.

But before we begin I want to welcome the many new readers to this News Letter. I was able to place an ad in one Messianic group and I have had very positive feed back from many in this group.

Having run the ad, I agreed to let the readers here know of a place to talk and meet new friends. It is called Yah Space and is done just like the web site my space. If you would like to meet many people of similar attitude give Yah Space a look. It is very new and is growing very quickly. Go to http://yahspace.ning.com/ Please continue to share with as many as you can this web site and this News Letter.

This week in the news there was an outbreak of Ebola in Africa. You can read more on this at the forum under the third Curse [http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15 ] . Again this week was more about the water shortage in the South East USA and another one about the water wars we could soon see. Both of these and others can be read at [http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24&start=45 ] There are many articles that are posted here. They are becoming to numerous to mention them all. So take a read and look over the four curses of Leviticus. As well there is this story on the world wide shortage of Barley. It is a Video news item and my computer is too slow to upload it. http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=5352142&ch=4226720&src=news

For those who are watching the Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, this article is of interest at http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=4351.0.99.0 Take special note of Zechariah 14:1-2: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

East Jerusalem’s captivity occurs just before the Messiah’s appearance on the Mount of Olives! That’s how close we are to the end of this age. Negotiations are in talking about giving away East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount to have Peace. When the Camp David negotiations broke down we had the Intifada. If these negotiations break down, I wonder what will happen then.

For those who are new. Concerning Bible Prophecy and Chronology, we are deep in the First Curse of Leviticus 26:14-17. We are also in the grips of the second curse of Leviticus 23:18-20. The third curse is to begin in 2010. It can be found in Leviticus 23:21-22. A detailed explanation of the Jubilee and Sabbatical Years can be found in the Article Times Up! No More Excuses! at http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=53 . A must read in order to know bible prophecy.

During this time of year many are preparing to celebrate the Birth of our Messiah. They call Him Jesus, where as I use His Hebrew name Yahshua. (Which means Yah- (God) save Us in Hebrew)

As in all the preceding News Letters, I have provided biblical and historical proof to the subject we are studying. I have done so as if in a court of law and you being the jury. The question then is, does the bible tell us exactly when Yahshua was born? I say yes. Down to with in 1 hour of His actual birth time. Yet many claim He was born December 25. The Eastern Orthodox say it was the first week of January. Many Messianic say with authority it was the week of Tabernacles in the Fall. Others say on the Feast of Trumpets. Which is correct? Which can be proven from scriptures?

If it is stated in the bible, why are there so many different dates put forward? All of the preceding dates are based on tradition and not on the bible except for one. We will look at just that one and let the various other traditions try to biblically prove themselves to you by them self.

Remember the slogan on the web site. Prove All Things. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
My Dad used to teach us that the cows and horses and sheep would bow down on Christmas Eve. And we believed him.
Jeremiah 16:19 O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
Amos 2:4 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised the law of the Lord, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed.
Then one day we moved on to a farm and Dad still told the same story about the animals Kneeling at midnight. Being to lazy to go down to the barn in the middle of the night when it was so cold and dark, we kept on believing this story. One year I did go down and sat there and watched. Guess what. The cows and horses never knelt down. They stood there and chewed the cud. I remember one cow turned around and stared at me for a long time as if to say are you that stupid to believe such a thing.

From that time on I needed proof when ever I was told something.

So when was Yahshua born. We covered this in News Letter 5843-026 August 26 2007. http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=15

We are told in Leviticus 23 all the Holy Days of Yahweh. These are His appointed times when something was going to happen in the future. One of these times was the Feast of Trumpets. The Jews do not know what this day means so they call it the New Year, which is not what the bible says is the New Year. This day is explained in detail in the New Testament, and this is why the Jews have difficulty with this Feast day. It represent the Day the Messiah is to return.

But are you aware that it also is the day of Yahshuas birth? My proof is in the article called Conjunction or Sighted Which? at http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=22 You will need to go to this article in order to see the diagram at the end of it. I can not reproduce it on these e-mails.

I hope you enjoy the article as it shows you exactly where in the bible it says when the Messiah was born and at what time.

The subject of when the new month is to start has been argued over for many years. With both sides presenting logical and convincing papers to prove the matter to their own cause. It is the Bible that both sides use and it is confusing to those who are not so adept at searching out the scriptures. In the end, the average follower of Messiah is forced to admit they just do not know. Or they say that when the Messiah returns then He will sort it all out and we will then do as He says.
I was one of these confused followers. I had no idea. And I had no idea how to find out. I wanted to know the truth and not to be misled. It took me months to come to any conclusion, and it was based on slim evidence. But it is the one I have followed now for just over a year. Was I right in my thinking? I am not so inclined to just assume I am always right. So I constantly look for reinforcement to back my position or to change my position when I see that I am wrong. To admit that you are wrong is very difficult for me and is almost always met with resistance-sometimes very strong resistance.
As many of you did in the past or are at present, we all followed the Hebrew Calendar. I was challenged on this over a year ago, 2004-2005. I came to my conclusion that I should be keeping the sighted new moon as the beginning of my month. I based this on the evidence that you cannot know when the Messiah is to return although we all believe He is to come back on the Feast of Trumpets. Matt. 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” See article on The Return of Yahshua.
Yet we have in our possession calendars that tell us exactly when the Feast of Trumpets is years and years in advance. So we do know, but Matt 24:36 say we can’t know. So from this I concluded that by using a new sighted moon, which can’t be known until it is actually seen in Jerusalem on the day it appears, that we must use the sighted moon method to determine the new month. It was simple and made sense to me. But I could not prove it correct by scriptures.
Then I discovered Nehemia Gordon and the Karaites, and Michael Rood and his calendar, and others who also agree now back me up. And then I find some of you to whom this paper is sent to, who also agree with this conclusion. I was vindicated, but when I am presented with the conjuncture moon argument I am left with a feeling of not being sure any more. I am uneasy until I am once again convinced I am doing things according to the Law. But the conjuncture moon people are also doing so according to the law. Are both right?
And I am just as sure that those who follow the conjuncture moon are just as unsettled as I am, when the subject is brought up and discussed. Who has the absolute proof positive? If we are honest with each other as we should be to brothers and sister, then we would always be uncomfortable talking about this, because we won’t have the ‘thus says the lord’, scripture to go too.
It is in this light of not being 100% positive that I kept two Feast this year in 2005. I also kept two Passovers. And two Pentecost. I was not sure. Not 100% sure which one was correct. Then after talking to Chiam Goldman of the Rood Awakening Crew, he suggested I keep both this year. It was hard but I figured I was safe. But having done it I feel as if I was a hypocrite. Not being true to my beliefs. I knew the postponements were an abomination, and wrong. This is what the Hebrew Calendar does in the fall. Moving the Feast of trumpets one or two days away from the actual day of the new moon whether it was conjuncture or sighted, made no difference. Just whether or not it was going to be two Holy days back to back. Like a Friday and Saturday. If it was two Holy Days back to back, then the Feast of Trumpets was moved one or two days later. This is not biblical at all, but a man made idea. There are other rules but I am not here to discuss them.
The purpose of this paper is to offer you the proof positive that will conclude which is the correct way to determine the new moon, and thus the beginning of the new year and having once done that then we will be able to determine when each of the Holy Days is to fall. It is important to keep the Sabbath on the 7th day. Saturday. It is also just as important to keep the other Holy Days, the High Holy Days on the day we are commanded to keep them. Not when ever we want to. It is not our choice as to when they should be. It is our Fathers choice. Our choice is to whether or not we will obey.

So what is this proof?
As many of you are now aware of I have been reading many of Dr. Ernest L. Martin’s books this past winter. And am blown away by the things I am finding. In his book The Star that Astonished the World Mr. Martin is showing us by Astronomy, exactly the day and even the hour that our Messiah was born. Something I felt was impossible until I read his book and how he came to the conclusions he has. You can get a copy at www.askelm.com . In the process of proving his points, he touches on the subject of the new moon, not to settle an argument as to when it was, whether conjuncture or sighted, but to show the truth behind a prophesy that we all know. In fact, we do all know the prophecies about the birth of the messiah.
So I will not tell you which New Moon is correct. You yourself must decide which method is the correct one. I will now show you what Mr. Martin showed me. Once I saw this all confusion as to whether it should be calculated conjuncture or sighted are put to rest.
The birth of the Messiah is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, and in Luke’s Gospel. Did you know it was also recorded in Revelation?
But first let me quote you what it says in E. Raymond Capts book The Glory of the Stars. Another good book to have in your library.
Psalms19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun
Genesis 1:14-19 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Job 38:31-33 “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion? 32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth (Zodiac) in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
Isaiah 40:25-26 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
Psalms 147:4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.
[ The Stars were put there by Yahweh, and each one named by Him. They have the same names in every language around the world. Although pronounced differently, they mean the same thing in each language. The constellations were named by Adam, Seth and Enoch and passed on down to us through Noah. They were given to them, by Yahweh as prophetic reminders each night of things to come. And can be read in any language around the world, today]
Chapter one- Constellation of Virgo [ the Virgin]
Virgo is pictured as a woman with a branch in her right hand and some ears of corn in her left hand. The name of this sign in Hebrew is “Bethulah”, which means ” a virgin”: In Arabic , “Adarah”, “the pure virgin”: in Greek ” Parthenos”, “the maid of virgin pureness”. All the traditions, names and mythologies, connected with this sign, recognize and emphasize the virginity of the women.
In the Zodiac of Denderah, in Egypt, Virgo is also represented with a branch in her hand. To the Egyptians the woman was represented as Isis, the wife of Osirus and was called “Aspolia”, which means “ears of corn” or “the seed”. The Greeks, like wise ignorant of the Divine origin and teaching of this sign , represented Virgo as “Ceres” with ears of Corn in her hand.
The corn and the branch denote a two-fold nature of the Coming Seed. The first coming as the incarnate fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” and as quoted in Matt 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
The bright star in the ear of corn in her left hand is called in Arabic, “Al Zimach”, meaning “the branch”. Zechariah writes of this branch in Zech 3:8 -For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. It is significant that Christ referred to Himself as the corn, or seed of wheat , which needed to fall and die on order to attain it’s proper fruitfulness. John 12:23-24.
One of the stars in the branch is called “Al Mureddin” which means , ” who shall come down” or ” who shall have dominion”.
Psalms 72:8 states “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea.” The star is also known by the Chaldee word, ” Vindermiatrix ” which means “the son” or “branch who cometh”. An emblem of Christ, much employed by the prophets, was the branch, root, bough or sprout of a plant. Thus we find Christ described as the Rod from the stem of Jesse and a Branch out of his roots ( Isaiah 11:1). He is the branch of Righteousness, the Branch of thee Lord, God’s servant the Branch (Jer. 23:5; Isaiah 4:2; Zech 3:8; 6:12 ).
It should be pointed out that Virgo, in a broader prophetic sense, represented “the Virgin , the daughter of Zion ( Isaiah 37:22) which is another name for the nation of Israel ( the whole 12 tribes) . Throughout the Old and New Testament, Israel is often spoken of as the figures of a woman, the “wife” of Yahveh; the “virgin” of Zion (Jeremiah 14:17; 18:13; Amos 5:2; 2 John 1:1)
Mr Capt goes on to show how the whole Zodiac in its correct form is a letter from our Creator to us and can be read each night if we would take the time to do so. It opens the door to a deeper understanding of what He has been saying all these years.
I have in the past always assumed the Zodiac was a pagan thing. I now realize that it was a message from Yahweh, and was perverted into a pagan worship. Yah’s message has not changed. But the way in which we look at that message has. It became perverted. Similar to the snake on the pole that Moses made. Yahweh told him to make it but it was the people in Hezekiah’s day who were worshiping the snake and pole and not Yahweh. So it was destroyed.
Now we can read in the book of Revelation how the Apostle John read these stars.
Rev 12:1-6 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
If we look in the Zodiac we will see that Virgo or the virgin is being spoken about. And another constellation of the serpent is also mentioned and it just so happens to have its head near the Virgin. Coincidence? No, prophetic! This is talking about the birth of the Messiah and how King Herod tried to have Him killed as soon as he was born.
So now we have a zodiac in Heaven with a moving Moon also mentioned. This is crucial to the whole understanding. So make a note of this. We are talking about the moon in the constellation Virgo, at a moment in time. That moment was the day the Messiah was born. That day was the Feast of Trumpets. That year was the purpose of the book Mr. Martin wrote. This moon in Virgo was how he determined the exact hour the messiah was born. And by doing so settle the argument as to how to decide which moon we should use to determine the beginning of the month. But he was not trying to prove any thing about the moon, but his whole book was about when the Messiah was born. I am not sure he even realized what he said when he did say it. But the proof is over whelming evidence of how we are to determine the new moon.
The Feast of Trumpets as we all know is on the First day of the Seventh month. And the beginning of Trumpets, or the first day of the Feast of Trumpets is determined by the New Moon. The argument is not whether or not to keep Trumpets but as to which new moon we use to determine the first day. A conjunctured New Moon or a Sighted New Moon Crescent.
I don’t want to mess this up so I am going to quote exactly what Mr. Martin says, starting on page 82 of his book and finishing on page 90. He says…….
The essential factor in interpreting the symbol of Revelation 12:1-5 is the identification of the woman. What is John signifying by mentioning her? This much is certain: The woman in the first three verses is featured as being in Heaven and both the Sun and the Moon are in association with her. After the dragon casts down a third of the stars of heaven (Revelation 12:4), the woman is then found on earth ( versus 6 and 14). But the important factor is the birth of the man-child and the woman’s relationship with the heavenly signs while she is symbolically in heaven ( the first three versus of Revelation 12 shows the Sun clothing her, and the Moon under her feet and the twelve stars on her head.)
The “birth” of the Messiah is associated with this heavenly spectacle. Since some noted heavenly bodies are a part of the picture, it could well be that John intended the woman to represent a constellation that the two primary luminaries transverse, and that she was a part of the zodiacal system which gives headship to the signs (the Twelve Stars were a “crown” upon her head). Recall that interpreting astronomical signs dominated the thinking of most people in the first century, whether the people were Jews or Gentiles. Indeed the word “sign” used by the author of the book of Revelation to describe this celestial display was the same one used by the ancients to denote zodiacal constellations. [Liddell and Scott., Lexicon, 1448.]
This is made clearer when one looks closely at the text. Since the Sun and Moon are amidst or in line with the body of this woman, she could be, in a symbolic way , a constellation located with in the normal paths of the Sun and Moon. The only sign of a woman which exists along the ecliptic ( the track of the Sun in its journey through the stars) is that of Virgo the Virgin. She occupies, in body form, a space of about 50 degrees along the ecliptic. The head of the woman actually bridges some 10 degrees into the previous sign of Leo and her feet overlap about 10 degrees into the following sign of Libra, the Scales. In the period of Jesus’ birth, the Sun entered in it’s annual course through the heavens into the head position of the woman about August 13, and exited from her feet about October 2. But the Apostle John saw the scene when the sun was “clothing” or “adorning” the woman. This surely indicates that the position of the Sun in the vision was located somewhere mid-bodied to the woman, between the neck and the knees. The Sun could hardly be said to clothe her if it were situated in her face or near her feet.
The only time in the year that the Sun could be in a position to ” clothe” the celestial woman called Virgo ( that is, to be mid-bodied to her, in the region where a pregnant woman carries a child) is when the Sun is located between about 150 and 170 degrees along the ecliptic. This “clothing” of the woman by the Sun occurs for a 20-day period each year. This 20-degree spread could indicate the general time when Jesus was born. In 3 BC., the Sun would have entered this celestial region about August 27 and exited from it about September 15. If John in the Book of Revelation is associating the birth of Jesus with the period when the Sun was mid-bodied to the woman called Virgo (and this is no doubt what he means), then Jesus would have to be born within that 20-day period. From the point of view of the Magi who were astrologers, this would have been the only logical sign under which the Jewish Messiah might have been born, especially if he were to be born of a virgin. Even today, astrologers recognize that the sign of Virgo is the one which has reference to a messianic world ruler to be born from a virgin. [Devore, Encyclopedia of Astrology, 366.]
This heavenly woman called Virgo is normally depicted as a virgin holding in her right hand a green branch and in her left hand a sprig of grain. In the Hebrew Zodiac, she at first (in the time of David) denoted Ruth who was gleaning in the fields of Boaz. She then later became the Virgin when the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 was given in the time of King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah. This virgin held in her left hand a sprig of grain. This was precisely where the bright star called Spica is found. Indeed, the chief star of the constellation Virgo is Spica. Bullinger, in his book “The Witness of the Star” (pp. 29-34), said that the word Spica has, through the Arabic, the meaning “the branch” and that it symbolically refers to Jesus who was prophetically called ” the Branch” in Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12. And Bullinger ( and Seiss in his book ” The Gospel of the Stars”) maintain that this sign of Virgo designates the heavenly witness for the birth of the Messiah (Jesus). They say that Virgo should actually begin the zodiacal signs that give the story of the Messiah. This may be. The Apostle John may have given the same indication as far as the first full sign of the zodiac is concerned. He depicted the woman of Revelation as having a crown of Twelve Stars on her head.
This could well show that the woman (Virgo) is the constellation of headship for all the twelve signs. The “head” position of Virgo is actually located with in the last ten degrees of Leo. It was in this very region where the story of the career of the Messiah would begin that Bullinger and Seis were referring to. Thus, the story of Jesus and His mission on earth, as related by these heavenly symbols, should logically begin with his birth from a virgin and conclude with him being crowned king in the final sign of Leo the Lion (with its chief star being Regulus-the King Star). This is no doubt what the apostle John was trying to show through the symbols found in Revelation Twelve.
The birth of this child in revelation Twelve ( whom John identified with Jesus) should have occurred while the Sun was ” clothing” the woman, when the Sun was mid-bodied to Virgo. This period of time in 3 BC covered 20 days (August 27 to September 15). If Jesus were born within that 20-day period, it would fit most remarkably with the testimony of Luke (relative to the birth of John the Baptist and the eighth course of Abijah). Indeed, the chronological indications associated with this priestly course of Abijah place Jesus’ birth exactly within this period. But there is a way to arrive at a much closer time for Jesus’ birth than a simple 20-day period. The position of the moon in John’s vision actually pinpoints the nativity to with in a day—- to with in a period of an hour and a half ( within 90 minutes) on that day. This may appear an absurd assessment on the surface, but it is quite possible.
(Bold and underline Emphasis mine)
The key is the Moon. The Apostle said it was located “under her feet”. What does the word “under” signify in this case? Does it mean the woman of the vision was standing on the Moon when John observed it or does it mean her feet were positioned slightly above the Moon? John does not tell us. This, however, is not of major consequence in using the location of the Moon to answer our question because it would only involve the difference of a degree or two. The Moon travels about 12 degrees a day in its course through the heavens. This motion of one or two degree by the Moon represents on earth only a period of two to four hours. This difference is no problem in determining the time of Jesus’ birth. What is vital, however is that this shows the Moon as a New Moon. (Emphasis Mine, Bold and Underline)
Now note this point. Since the feet of Virgo the Virgin represent the last 7 degrees of the constellation ( in the time of Jesus this would have been between about 180 and 187 degrees along the ecliptic), the Moon has to be positioned somewhere under that 7 degree arc to satisfy the description of Revelation Twelve. But the Moon also has to be in exact location when the Sun is mid-bodied to Virgo. In the year 3 BC., these two factors came to precise agreement for about an hour and a half, as observed from Palestine or Patmos, in the twilight period of September 11th . The relationship began about 6:15 p.m. ( sunset), and lasted until 7:45 p.m. (moonset). This is the only day in the whole year that the astronomical phenomenon described in the twelfth chapter of Revelation could take place.
This also shows one other important point. The Moon was in crescent phase. It was a New Moon day, the start of a new lunar month. (Emphasis Mine, Bold and Underline)
While ordinary people in modern times who are not professional astronomers have little knowledge of the solar, lunar, planetary and stellar motions, the people from the first century up to the Industrial Revolution were well accustomed to them. Even people of little education were generally knowledgeable of the main motions of the astronomical bodies—even more than most college educated people today. When anyone of early times read revelation 12:1-3, an astronomical relationship was realized at once. There was no doubt that a New Moon display was being shown to them. And when the woman of the sign was interpreted as Virgo the Virgin, and with the Sun mid-bodied to the Virgin, they clearly saw a New Moon day occurring sometime in late summer.
The Apostle John said this heavenly relationship occurred at the time of Jesus’ birth. And in 3 BC this exact combination of celestial factors happened just after sunset only on one day of the year. It was on September 11th. It could not have occurred at any other time of the year. Indeed, even one day before – on September 10 - the Moon would have been located above the virgins feet with the crescent not visible , while one day farther - September 12 - the Moon had moved too far beyond the feet of the virgin, at least 25 diameters of the Moon east of her feet. Thus only one day applies. That day was just after sunset on September 11th.
The Apostle John is actually presenting to his readers something of significance in a symbolic way. Revelation 12:1-3 certainly shows a New Moon day that could only be observed from earth just after sunset and the day was September 11th. This mater fits well with Luke’s description of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Recall that ” there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over the flocks by night…. And the angel said… unto you is born this day [ which began at sundown ] in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” ( Luke 2:8-11). Jesus was born in early evening, and Revelation 12 show it was a New Moon day.
What New Moon could this have been? The answer is most amazing. It is almost too amazing! September 11 3BC was Tishri One on the Jewish calendar. To Jewish people this would have been a very profound occasion indeed. Tishri One is none other than the Jewish New Year’s day ( Rosh ha-Shanah, or as the Bible calls it, The Day of Trumpets - Leviticus 23:23-26) . It was an important annual holy day of the Jews ( but not one of the three annual festivals that required all Palestinian Jews to be in Jerusalem).
What a significant day for the appearance of the Messiah to arrive on earth from the Jewish point of view. And remarkably, no other day of the year could astronomically fit Revelation 12:1-3. The Apostle John is certainly showing forth an astronomical sign which answers precisely with the Jewish New Year Day. John would have surely realized the significance of this astronomical scene that he was describing.
The preceding three and a half pages were taken from Pages 82-90 of the Star that Astonished the World by Ernest L. Martin.

[See Picture on original at the web site]

Other books on this subject, of interest to you will be
; The Gospel in the Stars by Joseph A Seiss
; The Witness of the Stars by E.W. Bullinger
; The Glory of the Stars by E. Raymond Capt
; Mazzaroth by Frances Rolleston written in1865. A rare book.
; 365 Starry Nights by Chet Raymo
; http://www.atlbible.org/astronomy/astronomy1.htm Home site of Bob Wadsworth Biblical Astronomer and researcher. With more videos and newsletter to keep you informed.

I contacted Mr. Wadsworth and he confirmed the findings of Mr. Martin. In fact many planetariums around the world have changed their Planetary shows based on the findings of Mr. Martin.

And to confirm this myself I also installed a computer program called Dance of the Stars, recommended and purchased from Mr. Wadsworth. And another soft ware program called Starry Nights, which you can get at www.starrynight.com . I too was able to show this same event on the same day. The Moon conjunction was September 9. September 10 was a 1% Moon which would have been difficult to see with the sun setting only moments before. September 11 was a 4% Visible Crescent Moon.

Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com
Write to admin@sightedmoon.com

Here is a list of past News Letters and the topics discussed for your reference.
Page one goes up to 5843-014 and is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=0

Page 2 is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
News letters 5843-001 Sighted Moon day unsure of and Daniel Prophesy Relationship
News letters 5843-002 Determining the possible day of Passover having not seen the moon since November
News letters 5843-003 Excitement of Not knowing. Testing of Faith
News letters 5843-003 New Moon Sighted and the Month is Aviv
News letters 5843-004 Passover message and counting the Omer
News letters 5843-005 The Years of Jubilee
News letters 5843-006 This year of 5843 or the Jewish year 5767 Why the difference? The missing Kings.
News letters 5843-007 The Day the Messiah died in relation to proving the Jubilee years are correct. The year Israel enters the promised land. The Millennial years as a prophetic week of Jubilee years.
News letters 5843-008 Wave sheaf offering, Thief on the cross and going to Heaven when you die, Pentecosts Hidden Meaning
News letters 5843-009 The Eighth Millenium and the Eighth Day Feast. Sunday and Satan. Eighth Day and Jubilee Year
News letters 5843-010 Land Rest Year and Jubilee Years. Does Yahweh consider them important? Where is Israel today.
News letters 5843-011 Conclusion of the counting of the omer and the Jubilee Messages. Now the curses are explained.
News letters 5843-012 The 50th day of Pentecost. How Noah knew the end was when his father died.
News letters 5843-013 My trip to Noahs Ark from the beginning.
News letters 5843-014 Description of Noahs Ark and the Length and width. What is a cubit? The Golden section or Ratio
Page 2 is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
News letters 5843-015 Noahs Ark the Height Ziggurats and Volume
News letters 5843-016 The Location of Noahs Ark from all sources. Naxuan and Seron. Mt. Judi, Mt. Mashar
News letters 5843-017 What exactly is Gopher wood? Easter Eggs and Doves and the relationship to Noahs Ark
News letters 5843-018 Explanation of How Noah felt warning everyone and only His eight heeded his warning.
News letters 5843-019 Locating the Garden of Eden from scriptures and How it and the temple are related.
News letters 5843-020 New Moon report 5th month
News letters 5843-021 The Serpent of the Garden of Eden and Witchcraft
News letters 5843-022 Ellen G White Kept the Feasts Of Yahweh
News letters 5843-023 The Iron Man Race, Coveting versus Giving Thanks, Encouragement and Endurance
News letters 5843-024 Jubilee Chart and the stock market, Men to remain pure, Calendars Why you need to Know
News letters 5843-025 Letter of Wisdom on Fasting and Prayers
News letters 5843-026 Groups under siege and why. Why you can’t know when Messiah returns and why you can. When He was born and which moon is the beginning of the month
News letters 5843-027 The Postponement Rules in Effect, and how they cause you to sin
News letters 5843-028 The Question of the Equinox
News Letter 5843-029 The Mark of the Beast and the Mark of Yahweh.
Page three is found at
http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=30
News letter 5843-030 The Feast of Trumpets Why Judah does not know the meaning of this day.
News Letter 5843-031 The Glory that is contained in the Stars
News Letter 5843-032 Pay it Forward at the Feast this year
News Letter 5843-033 Beit Midrash not enemies.
News Letter 5843-034 Zechariahs Prophecy Comes to Life
News Letter 5843-035 The Tallit Prayer Shawl
News Letter 5843-036 Lets Roll, Who will stand in the Gap?
News Letter 5843-037 The Statutes of the House of Omri
News Letter 5843-038 New Moon Update November 11,2007
News Letter 5843-039 The House of Omri written in stone.
News Letter 5843-040 The Gentiles Revealed, the Tribe of Manasseh and Ephraim
News Letter 5843-041 The Scots, The Dutch, The Irish Other Tribes. The Yanks
News Letter 5843-042 The Actual Birthday of Yahshua according to the bible

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Sighted Moon News Letter 5843-028 552

18th day of the sixth month 5843 after creation

September 1, 2007

Shabbat Shalom Brethren,

1] Chat room
2] Church group takes a stand against Homosexual
3] The Lunar Eclipse
4] The Equinox question
5] Time for you the jury to do your do diligence Please note the three testimonials from Herbert W. Armstrong and Hermon Hoeh, of the World Wide Church of God : Jim Franks, Burk McNair, Peter Nathan, Leon Walker, & Don Ward, Of the United Church of God International and Stephen Flurry and Mark Nash of the Philadelphia Church of God as well as many others and Jewish sources as well which can all be read at http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=77
6] Keep the Feast in Israel in 2008
7] Come Keep the Feast Days this year in the Greater Toronto Area. An invitation.
8] Food Prices on the rise as crops fail in North America and Australia and Fires in Greece and world water levels fall drastically. Read them all at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=259#259 This is getting very serious and the world just ignores it all. Well you?

1] For those of you seeking a chat room where you can talk to others about those things said on this site and other topics, a gentleman has offered to look after such a site. It is called meek and you can access it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meek/
This is a new site.
You can ask any question you want it is less formal than this News Letter.
I hope to see you there from time to time.

2] I received this in the in box this week and would like to remind every one that if you do not stand up for your rights then you can expect to have them taken from you.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081007dnmetgayfuneral.3617689.html

3] This past Tuesday August 28 2007 in North America it was very easy to watch the lunar eclipse in the early morning hours from 5 AM - 6 Am Eastern time. As I watched it, I was amazed to realize that three huge objects in the sky were interacting with each other. It was beautiful. The moon went from bright light to a yellow or Chinese lantern color. It then turn black, as sackcloth, before it went over the horizon and out of my view. As I watched it change colors I began to think on those scriptures which describe the moon as black as sackcloth. I am now wondering out loud if this description is one that tells us it will be at a full moon or possibly a full moon with an eclipse, such as the one we just saw. Just thinking out load. What do you think?

4]The following is taken from http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=125 and from Karaite Korner
Abib FAQ:
Vernal Equinox and Tekufah
Q: Is the equinox (Tekufah) mentioned in the Tanach (Hebrew Bible)?
The claim has been made by proponents of the equinox calendar theory that the word equinox actually appears in the Tanach. They are referring to the word Tekufah or Tequfah which appears in the Hebrew Bible four times. Tekufah is in fact the post-Biblical word for “equinox”, however, it never has the meaning of “equinox” in the Tanach. In Biblical Hebrew, Tekufah retains its literal meaning of “circuit”, that is something which returns to the same point in time or space [from the root Nun.Quf.Pe. meaning “to go around”]. To claim that Tekufah means equinox in the Tanach, just because it had this meaning in later Hebrew, is an anchronism. This would be like saying that there were handguns in ancient Israel because the word EKDACH, the post-Biblical Hebrew word for handgun, appears in Isaiah 54:12. Let us consider another example of this anachronistic use of language: Before the invention of the electronic computer during World War II, the word “computer” referred to a man who sat at a desk calculating (computing) mathematical equations. Imagine if we found an 18th century document mentioning “computers” and proclaimed to the world that there were really electronic computers in the 18th century. This is exactly what the equinox-followers are doing with the word Tekufah. To better understand this, let us consider the four appearances of Tekufah in the Tanach.
Tekufah in Exodus 34:22
The first appearance of Tekufah is in the list of Pilgrimage-Feasts (Hagim) in Ex 34:22 which refers to the agricultural character of the Feast of Booths (Sukkot):
“And the Feast of Ingathering at the circuit of the year (Tekufat HaShannah).”
Being mislead by the Post-Biblical Hebrew meaning of Tekufah, some have interpreted “circuit of the year” anachronistically to refer to the Autumnal Equinox (it is doubtful whether the ancient Israelites even knew of the equinox and they certainly had no way of calculating when it would be). This anachronistic reading leads to the suggestion of fixing the beginning of the year so that Sukkot (The Feast of Ingathering) falls out at the time of the Autumnal Equinox. However, a closer investigation shows that “circuit of the year” has nothing to do with the equinox. The list of Pilgrimage-Feasts also appears in a parallel passage in Ex 23:16 which describes Sukkot as follows:
“And the Feast of Ingathering at the going out of the year (Tzet HaShannah), when you have gathered in your work from the field.”
Exodus 34 is actually an almost verbatim paraphrase of Exodus 23 and it is important to compare and contrast these two passages; the differences are often very enlightening. Comparing Ex 34:22 and Ex 23:16 it is clear that the “going out of the year” and the “circuit of the year” refer to the same time. The “going out/ circuit” of the year is described in Ex 23:16 as “when you have gathered in your work from the field”. This agricultural ingathering is also described in Dt 16:13:
“You shall keep the Feast of Booths for seven days, when you have gathered in from your threshing floors and from your wine presses.”
The Feast of Booths/ Ingathering is described as the “going out of the year” because it takes place at the end of the yearly agricultural cycle of planting, harvest, threshing, and ingathering. At the same time, Sukkot is described as taking place at the “circuit of the year” because once the agricultural cycle ends it then immediately recommences (making a circuit, returning to the same point in time) with the planting of the fields after the first rains (sometimes during or shortly after Sukkot itself).
Tekufah in Psalms 19:7
The term Tekufah (circuit) appears in Psalm 19 in reference to the sun, but here too it has nothing to do with the equinox. Psalm 19 describes the heavens and sun, which from their unique vantage point are witness to all things in creation, and thus (metaphorically) testify to the incomparable glory of God. Verses 5-7 describes the sun:
“(5)… He [YHWH] placed a tent among them [the heavens] for the sun. (6) Which is as a bridegroom going out of his chamber, and which rejoices as a strong man running a race. (7) From the end of the heavens is its [the sun’s] going out and its circuit (Tekufato) is to their [the heavens] ends, and none is hidden from its heat”
Verse 6 describes the sun as a bridegroom that bursts forth out of his chamber and as a hero that runs along a path. Verse 7 then describes the “going out” of the sun at one end of the heavens and the “circuit” (Tekufato) of the sun at the other end. Clearly what is being described is the daily path of the sun which rises at one end of the heaven (its going out) and sets at the other end (its return), “and none is hidden from its heat” during the course of the day. What has confused some readers is that the going out or exiting of the sun refers to sunrise, but this unusual terminology is used throughout the Tanach. For example, we read in Judges 5:31:
“Thus shall all the enemies of YHWH be destroyed; and all those whom he loves shall be as the going out of the sun (KeTzet HaShemesh) in its might”. (Jud 5,31)
Those loyal to YHWH shall shine forth with glory as the “going out of the sun”, that is sunrise. It may seem strange that sunrise is referred to as the “going out” of the sun. After all, in Exodus we saw that the going out of the year was the end of the year, whereas the going out of the sun is the beginning of the day. However, this is consistent with Biblical usage and in fact the common Biblical way of saying sunset is the coming in or entering of the sun. This is related to the ancient Israelite conception of the sun which at night was thought of as metaphorically dwelling in a celestial chamber (Ps 19:5). At dawn the sun goes out of this metaphorical chamber and the earth is lit while at night the sun comes into the metaphorical chamber and it is dark. This is also the thought behind the comparison of sunrise to a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber. Ps 19:7 refers to the going out of the sun (sunrise) at one end of heaven and its circuit (return to the same place, to its nightly chamber) at the other end, that is sunset (for a similar thought see Ecc 1:5). We see that here too Tekufah (circuit) has nothing to do with the equinox.
Tekufah in 2Chronicles 24:23
As seen above the “Tekufah (circuit) of the year” in Exodus referred to events in the autumn (the time of the ingathering). The same expression (circuit of the year) is also used to refer to events which take place in late spring as we see in 2Chr 24:23:
“And it was at the circuit (Tekufah) of the year that the army of Aram went up and they came to Judah and Jerusalem…”
In this instance the “Circuit (Tekufah) of the year” comes in place of the common expression “Return (Teshuvah) of the year” which appears several times in the Tanach as “the time when kings go out [to war]” as in:
“And it was at the return (Teshuvah) of the year, and Ben-Haddad counted Aram and went up to Afek to war with Israel.” (1Ki 20:26).
“And it was at the return (Teshuvah) of the year, at the time the kings go out [to war] and David sent Yoav… and they smote the Amonites and besieged Rabbah…” (2Sam 11:1)
The time that the kings went out to war was the late spring before the oppresive heat of summer and after the winter rains which made the mud roads in the Land of Israel impassable. We see here that Tekufah (circuit) of the year is used interchangeably with the more common Teshuvah (return) of the year. Whenever this annual set time for kings to go out to war comes around it is a “circuit of the year”, returning to the same point in time as last year.
Tekufah in 1Samuel 1:20
The term Tekufah (circuit) also appears in 1Sam 1:20 which says:
“And it was at the circuits (Tekufot) of the days, and Hannah conceived and bore a son…”
Here the “circuits” of the days refers to “the same time the following year” [or possibly to the completion of the term of pregnancy?]. It is worth noting that Tekufah is plural in 1Sam 1:20 as tekufot “circuitS”. If we apply the anachronistic meaning of Tekufah as equinox then we get the absurd translation: “And it was at the equinoxes of the days, and Hanah concieved and bore a son…” This emphasizes how important it is to understand Scripture in its historical and linguistic context.
None of the four appearances of Tekufah in the Hebrew Scripture have anything to do with the equinox. Instead, this term is used in Biblical Hebrew in its primary sense of a “circuit”, that is a return to the same point in space or time. Only in Post-Biblical Hebrew did Tekufah come to mean “equinox” and to read this meaning into the Tanach creates an anachronism.
Copyright © 1998-2005 by
World Karaite Movement
All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated: Apr 07, 2006

5] We have now shown you in the past three News Letters 5843-024, 5843-026, 5843-027 and 5843-028, why you can’t know when the Messiah is to return {http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=20 } and at the same time know the day of His return on the Feast of Trumpets.

We have shown that Yahshua was born on the Feast of Trumpets in 3 BC {http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=22 } when the moon was a sighted moon.

We have shown you how the many different calendars fail to stand up to the word of Yahweh. {http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=126 }

We have also shown you how man has postponed the fall Holy Days which Yahweh never said to do. And in this news letter we have shown you how the equinox is a modern invention and was not used in biblical times.

As in many of the other News Letters I have shared with you, this one too, requires you, who are to judge angels, to be able to judge this matter of the right or wrong calendar. Is it the one called the Hebrew calendar or is it the one which uses the sighted moon and Aviv barley to determine the beginning of the month?

You now have a great deal of proof to decide. The question is well you decide. Then, will you act on that decision?

But before you do let me throw in what other leading men have said.
“The first day of the new year always begins with the day nearest the Spring equinox [11] when the new moon is first visible to the naked eye AT JERUSALEM (not in the United States).” (Herbert W. Armstrong, “WHEN, and How OFTEN, Should We Observe THE LORD’S SUPPER?,” second to last paragraph–emphasis HWA’s)

“Every month of God’s Calendar begins about the time of the new moon when the moon’s first faint crescent is visible at sunset in Jerusalem. According to the Roman calendar a new moon may occur at any time during the month. Most people today probably don’t even know when a new moon appears.” (Herman Hoeh, The Crucifixion Was Not On Friday, p.34)

“It is not the Molad which is all important, but rather it is the appearance of the crescent of the moon that really counts…We don’t know when the Jews began using a calculated calendar instead of simply relying on visual observation.
(United Church of God Committee Members: Jim Franks, Burk McNair, Peter Nathan, Leon Walker, & Don Ward, Doctrinal Statement Adopted by the Council of Elders on the “Hebrew Calendar” 1997)

“First, the precise time the new moon appears must be determined. Anciently, this was done by sight.” (Stephen Flurry and Mark Nash, The Philadelphia Trumpet, April 1996, p.23, article: God’s Sacred Calendar)

These men from the Churches of God are all well known and well respected. Consider the things they too have stated in your deliberations on this subject.

It is now time to decide!

I have been very much in your face on these past News Letters on the calendar. Next week I will share with you why, you need to decide.

6] Brethren, I have been in touch with some contacts in Israel, and will talk to them as soon as I get there this year.
Micha Askenazi has agreed to take those who sign up on a tour of Israel. Nehemia Gordon has said he is interested in giving a presenation. Yair Davidy has expressed interest in giving a presentaion and well also meet with me this year in Jeruslaem. Aviv Lipkin, a.k.a. Victor Mordicai, has also been contacted and he too, would be interested in giving a presentation to our group in 2008. I will also meet him when I am there.

Plans are to see the Red Sea crossing site in Nuweiba, see first hand the original Temple site, which is not where every one says it is. You will know just by reading the history and your own bible. We will see the dead sea scroll, the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Gomorrorah, and Sodom, Masada, Megiddo, Visit the true site of the crucifixion and burial, which no one goes to see. We will wonder around the old city and visit the Temple Institute and see the instruments that have been made for the third Temple, and much more.

Not including airfare, I am hoping that this cost to be around $1500 US or less. It includes the tour and housing and two meals each day. You may meet brethren from around the world, who will be friends for ever.

This tour will be done in conjunction with the sighted moon and Aviv barley calendar, so the exact date will not be known until the spring. If this is of interest to you and you think you might want to go let me know ASAP so I can make arrangements according to the size of the group. This does not lock you in but lets me know how many are interested so I can talk to Micha with some numbers.

E-mail me with names of each person in your group who would like to go. I will get a firm price later and you can then decide.

Ask others you know who might be interested and those at the Feast you attend at this year. Spread the word. Come Home to visit your Father at His house, back in the land of Israel. Our Home land.

7] FALL FEAST DAYS 2007

For those who will be staying around the Toronto Ontario area this Feast season you are welcome to come and join others who will be keeping the Feast according to the sighted moon, which we have been discussing in these past News Letters

You are invited to join us as we study and look forward to our Messiah’s
end-time ministry for us as depicted in the fall festivals of Israel. Our
home will be open and convocations will be held according to the following
schedule:

· Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets (annual sabbath) - Friday 9/14 - 11 AM +
fellowship dinner
· Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement (annual sabbath) - Sunday 9/23 - 11 AM +
supper after sunset
· Succot/Feast of Tabernacles (annual sabbath) - Friday 9/28 - 11 AM +
fellowship dinner + 7 PM
· Succot - Shabbat 9/29 - 4 PM
· Succot - Sunday 9/30 - 1 PM + fellowship dinner + 7 PM
· Succot - Monday 10/1 - 7 PM
· Succot - Tuesday 10/2 - 7 PM
· Succot - Wednesday 10/3 - 7 PM
· Succot - Thursday 10/4 - 7 PM
· Succot - Last Great Day (annual sabbath) - Friday 10/5 - 11 AM +
fellowship dinner + 7 PM

Steve Kraner from Chicago will be with us during Succot, and will be
presenting more of his enlightening studies. Other brethren and I will also
give various studies, and I will include an emphasis on certain critical
health issues. As well, several DVD presentations dealing with present truth
will be available during the feasts at different times.

As noted, fellowship dinners are included on the four festival sabbaths, and
those attendees who are able to do so are encouraged to bring vegan food
contributions for these meals. Please inform me if you plan to attend, so
that we can have some idea how much food to prepare.

The calendar we use to determine festival timing is based on simple
Scriptural principles, i.e. the month (or moon-th) begins with the sighting
of the new moon crescent at Jerusalem, and the year begins when barley has
reached the appropriate green ear stage of ripeness in the Land of Israel.
Those wishing to research this subject should go to www.karaite_korner.com
for more detailed studies.

Ron Buhler 905-729-1022

8] If you go to the forum area under the second curse you can read this weeks articles about the Fires in Greece and the latest news on the global crop failures due to the weather in North America and in Australia. As well you can also read the state of the worlds water supply. It is fast running out. Just as the Bible predicts it will. http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=257#257

Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com
Write to admin@sightedmoon.com

Here is a list of past News Letters and the topics discussed for your reference.
Page one goes up to 5843-014 and is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=0

Page 2 is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
News letters 5843-001 Sighted Moon day unsure of and Daniel Prophesy Relationship
News letters 5843-002 Determining the possible day of Passover having not seen the moon since November
News letters 5843-003 Excitement of Not knowing. Testing of Faith
News letters 5843-003 New Moon Sighted and the Month is Aviv
News letters 5843-004 Passover message and counting the Omer
News letters 5843-005 The Years of Jubilee
News letters 5843-006 This year of 5843 or the Jewish year 5767 Why the difference? The missing Kings.
News letters 5843-007 The Day the Messiah died in relation to proving the Jubilee years are correct. The year Israel enters the promised land. The Millennial years as a prophetic week of Jubilee years.
News letters 5843-008 Wave sheaf offering, Thief on the cross and going to Heaven when you die, Pentecosts Hidden Meaning
News letters 5843-009 The Eighth Millenium and the Eighth Day Feast. Sunday and Satan. Eighth Day and Jubilee Year
News letters 5843-010 Land Rest Year and Jubilee Years. Does Yahweh consider them important? Where is Israel today.
News letters 5843-011 Conclusion of the counting of the omer and the Jubilee Messages. Now the curses are explained.
News letters 5843-012 The 50th day of Pentecost. How Noah knew the end was when his father died.
News letters 5843-013 My trip to Noahs Ark from the beginning.
News letters 5843-014 Description of Noahs Ark and the Length and width. What is a cubit? The Golden section or Ratio
News letters 5843-015 Noahs Ark the Height Ziggurats and Volume
News letters 5843-016 The Location of Noahs Ark from all sources. Naxuan and Seron. Mt. Judi, Mt. Mashar
News letters 5843-017 What exactly is Gopher wood? Easter Eggs and Doves and the relationship to Noahs Ark
News letters 5843-018 Explanation of How Noah felt warning everyone and only His eight heeded his warning.
News letters 5843-019 Locating the Garden of Eden from scriptures and How it and the temple are related.
News letters 5843-020 New Moon report 5th month
News letters 5843-021 The Serpent of the Garden of Eden and Witchcraft
News letters 5843-022 Ellen G White Kept the Feasts Of Yahweh
News letters 5843-023 The Iron Man Race, Coveting versus Giving Thanks, Encouragement and Endurance
News letters 5843-024 Jubilee Chart and the stock market, Men to remain pure, Calendars Why you need to Know
News letters 5843-025 Letter of Wisdom on Fasting and Prayers
News letters 5843-026 Groups under siege and why. Why you can’t know when Messiah returns and why you can. When He was born and which moon is the beginning of the month
News letters 5843-027 The Postponement Rules in Effect, and how they cause you to sin
News letters 5843-028 The Question of the Equinox And Church of God Testaments (HWA) that agree with the sighted moon.

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Sighted Moon News Letter 5843-027 521

11th day of the sixth month 5843 after creation

August 25, 2007

Shalom Brethren and family and friends,
1] In Memory
2] Weather News this week
3] Satans subtle lies in action
4] Adding to the e-mail list
5] Postponing the Sabbath
6] Summary of all News Letters

1] One Year ago a friend encouraged me after I was asked to leave the organization I was with at that time. She also encouraged me after I had started this web site. This week that friend Sharon Craig has passed away. Her timely e-mails inspired me to keep going and not to forget that we are all members of the body of Yahshua, and not an organization. We the people are the ekklesia or church not the organization. She will be missed.

Sharon was an example of one who encouraged with out expectation. Each of you need to encourage and thank your brethren while you have the breath to do it. Don’t put it off. Thank you and Shalom Sharon Craig.

2] There has been so much to write about this week that I could have done a daily News Letter. I was going to point out the nightly news stories to you but a friend has sent me this and I will share it with you, to ponder in relation to those things said in Times Up and Leviticus 26

THE HEADLINES IN ONE DAY SAY IT ALL:

*Midwest Flooding Death Toll Reaches 26
*Arctic August: NYC Sets Record For Coldest Day
High Of 59 Degrees Ties Chilliest August High Set In 1911
*Eye of Category-5 Dean Slams Mexico’s Yucatan
*Thunderstorms Cause Massive Flooding in Parts of Midwest and Plains
*Wildfire Keeps Growing, Now Nearly 215,000 Acres
*Alaska Volcano Keeps Erupting
*Erupting Indonesian Volcano Threatens More Villages
*Erin Leads to Flooding, Power Outages in Oklahoma
*Authorities Fight Looting, Disease in Quake-Hit Peru
*Tennessee Records 13th Heat Wave-Related Death
*Flooding Blamed for 26 Deaths Across Central United States.
*Typhoon Drives Million Chinese From Homes
*Alaska Vulcanologists Keeping a Close Watch on Pavlof Volcano
*San Andreas Fault Likely Much More Destructive Than Current Models Predict
*Daily Tremors Shake Ground and People in
Corner of Chile
*Record Warmth In Western U.S. in July, Drought Severity Worsened, Global Temperature 7th Warmest for July
*Lake Superior May Hit Record Low Levels This Fall
*Nearly 400000 Affected by Philippines Floods
*Families Evacuated From Volcano Path
*Cause of 2 Hawaii Earthquakes a Mystery
Also people are telling me and I have not been able to confirm it. That there have been 10 black bear shootings just 2 hours north of Toronto. One man was said to be trapped in a phone booth. The bears are hungry and moving south looking for food. The berries have not done well due to the lack of rain. Also it is reported that Georgian bay which is off of Lake Huron is down by 9 feet. Boat house are renedered useless because of such low water levels. Ships on Lake Erie are not able to take full loads due to the low water level on this lake as well.

3] Tonight as I drove home from work I listened to Adrian Rogers on the radio. I am very leery of his teachings as they are in direct opposition to Yahweh. Tonights teachings particularly got me angered. It is an excellent example of how Satan takes the truth and mixes it with his lies and makes it all sound as though it comes directly from the bible. The tree of good and evil. If you go to http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Love_Worth_Finding/ and play Leaving a legacy. He has an excellent voice and many interesting little tid bits and down south humor as well as a good looking man. He speaks with great eloquence. But in the middle of teaching some truth, he then states categorically how those who keep the law of Yahweh are legalist and are bad guys for doing it. And that those who are liberated dont need to keep the law and are saved by grace and not works, or legalism. Any way I got very upset and just want to expose this lie he is promoting and would like to place him with the 450 other false teachers that Elijah remedied.

Are you able to listen to one of Satans emissaries and and know when he is lying about the law of Yahweh. If not you might want to try and listen to this and see how subtle it is.

Compare what he says to News letters 5843-021 The Serpent of the Garden of Eden and Witchcraft

OK so now I have had my rant for the day.

4] I have asked you before and do so again, that you add your family friends and brethren to the News Letter list, or send me their names and I will do it. Some of you have been so excited at those things said here that you have made copies and given them to family friends and brethren. This is great to see how Yahwehs spirit is being stirred up in so many people. Those who have had no teaching before are now being taught and learning and excited to know the truth.

This News Letter is hard hitting and I pull no punches nor take any prisoners and make no apologies. I hope you will share this one News Letter with all those who keep the Holy Days according to the Hebrew calendar. Especially them, but also all others who study the word of Yahweh.

5] This week I received a couple of E-mails and one referred me to the follow site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_holidays_2000-2050

I want bring to your attention what this article says, as it is one more bit of truth to add to that which I shared with you last week and again in this News Letter.

Wikipedia says the following - Because the Hebrew Calendar is governed by precise mathematical rules and no longer relies at all on observation, it is possible to state what day the holidays will fall on for any date in the foreseeable future.

Read it again. It states that the Hebrew Calendar no LONGER relies on Observation. That means it did at one time. It relied on sighting the moon as we have been showing you. And because they no longer rely on sighting they are able to state what day the holidays will fall on for any date in the foreseeable future.

This week I want you to see how the postponement rules work because they come into play this year for those who keep the Hebrew Calendar.

This year the Feast of Trumpets according to the Hebrew calendar is Sept. 13 but the conjunction is Sept. 11 at 3.44-3:52 PM This is when the moon is directly in line with the earth and the sun and is not visible. Making the 12 of Sept. the first day of the Feast of Trumpets beginning the evening before Right? If you follow the Conjunction rules. So why is the Hebrew calendar saying the First day is now the 13th and not the 12th.

Wait a minute. What did you say?

Look at your own wall calendar. It shows the New Moon as being on Sept. 11. This is a conjunction moon. My calendar then shows that Rosh Hashanah is Sept. 13. Why the difference?

Do you remember how upset you were when you learned Santa was not real. Do you remember how upset you were when you learned that christmas was a pagan event. How upset are you now when you see that the organization you now belong to continues to teach a lie about the Feast of Trumpets. How upset are you now, learning that these same groups are following after the Jews, who also teach this same lie. That the postponement rules are OK.

Leviticus 23:24 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

There it is straight out of Torah. The first day of the Seventh month.

If you use a conjunction moon then the first day of the seventh month is September 12, 2007, a Wednesday.

Here are the four Postponement rules, that those of the Hebrew Calendar use, and you may not be aware of them.

Taken from Church of God in Truth at http://home.flash.net/~cogit/id57.htm

Dehioth: The Rules of Postponements

Let us begin with some background on the Postponements and why some of the Jewish leaders felt it was necessary to postpone God’s Holy Days. The Holy Day arrangement for the year is determined by rules that are designed to prevent Yom Kippur (Atonement) from occurring either before or after the Sabbath. They changed God’s Holy Days to suit their own needs, in the society existent in that time in history.
There are seven rules to the Postponements but we are only going to explain the first four. The other three have to do with the benedictions. If you would like further information on the benedictions, you can find it in your local library.

THE FIRST RULE:

This rule explains that Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), the first day of the (Jewish) New Year, may not occur on Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday. If Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) were on Sunday, Hosha’na Rabbah (the 7th Day of the Feast of Tabernacles) would be on Saturday, and this must be avoided because it would prevent the proper celebration of the Festival of Willows . If Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) were on Wednesday, Atonement (Yom Kippur) would be on a Friday and this would cause undue hardship because, there would be two days in a row with severe restrictions. If Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) were on a Friday, Atonement (Yom Kippur) would be on a Sunday and, again, we would have two days in a row with severe restrictions. Therefore, if the new moon (molad) is on either Sunday, Wednesday or Friday, the first day of Tishri (7th month) is postponed to the following day.

THE SECOND RULE:

If the New Moon (molad) of Tishri (the 7th month) occurs at noon or later, New Moon (Rosh Hodesh) is declared to be the following day. Thus, if the molad (new moon) is Monday at noon or later, Tuesday is declared to be Rosh Hodesh (New Moon). The reason is that if the molad (new moon) is before noon, it is certain that the new crescent will be visible in some part of the world before sunset of the same day. If however, the new moon (molad) occurs after midday, the new crescent will not be visible before sunset of the same day. If the following day is Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday on which the first day of Tishri may not occur, it is further postponed to the next following day, so that the first of Tishri is the third day counting from, and including, the day of the molad (new moon).

THE THIRD RULE:

If the molad of Tishri in an ordinary year is on Tuesday at 3:204/1080 A.M. or later, the first of Tishri is postponed to Thursday. It cannot be on Tuesday because then the next year’s New Moon (molad) of Tishri would be on Saturday afternoon and new moon (Rosh Hodesh) would have to be postponed to Sunday. This would make the year in question 356 days long, which is more than the statutory limit of 355 days.

THE FOURTH RULE:

This occurs if the New Moon (molad) of Tishri, in a year succeeding a leap year, is on a Monday after 9:00 A.M. (ie. the fifteenth hour from the beginning of the night before) and 589/1080 parts. If this year were to begin on Monday, Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) of the preceding year would have fallen on Tuesday noon, and would have been postponed to Wednesday. This would make the current year 382 days in length, which is lower than the statutory limit of 383 days.

DAYS OF THE WEEK ON WHICH HOLY DAYS CANNOT OCCUR.

or “Forbidden Days”

According to the Postponement rules;
Passover can not fall on Monday, Wednesday or Friday
Trumpets can not fall on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday
Atonement can not fall on Sunday, Tuesday or Friday
Tabernacles can not fall on Sunday, Tuesday or Friday

The Holy Day arrangement for the year is determined by rules that aim to prevent Yom Kippur (Atonement) from occurring either before or after the Sabbath.
(From Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar by Arthur Spier, page 10 & 15, 1986 edition).
Not any of the above rules can be found in Scripture; either in word or principle!
Are You Going To Follow Man’s Rules or God’s Rules? The Choice Is Yours!

September the 12th is a Wednesday, therefor rule number one applies and The Feast of Trumpets is postponed one more day. Also the conjunction takes place at 3:44 - 3:52 PM. Now rule number two kicks in but is superceded by rule number one.

But I want you to take special note of rule number two. Read it again and again until you get it.

The reason for rule number two is so that the new crescent moon will not be seen some where in the world. [The reason is that if the molad (new moon) is before noon, it is certain that the new crescent will be visible in some part of the world before sunset of the same day. If however, the new moon (molad) occurs after midday, the new crescent will not be visible before sunset of the same day.]

If they are using the conjunction moon, what concern is it of theirs when the crescent would appear.

The answer is simple. The calendar months were determined by the sighting of the first visible crescent of the moon. It had to be seen by two witnesses after the sun had set. This second rule is so that the sun will be set all around the world before any one has a chance at spotting the new crescent moon any where on earth that same day.

Rule two was designed for the crescent moon. This also proves or is an additional proof that the crescent moon is the moon that should be used to determine the beginning of the new Month and not the conjunction.

Get off your butt and out of the pew and learn the truth. Stop being so lazy and letting other men tell you when the Holy Days are. When Yahweh Himself tells you how to know them. How even a child can look up and know when the Feast of Trumpets is. But you are smarter than a child and know better. And yet Yahshua tells you to become as a child. And just believe His simple truth. Prove these things that I am saying wrong, and if you can not, well that then is up to you.

Now that I have upset many of you, will you now take up the challenge and do the right thing? Do your due diligence. Search the scriptures and show me where the postponement rules are stated. Are they in Leviticus where Yahweh shows you how to count to the Seventh Month and count the First day? Surely they would be here where He say to Keep the First day of the Seventh month Holy and called it the Feast of Blowing.

Look again, it must be there. Yahweh must have said you are to postpone this First day if certain things happen, like a Holy Day being next to the weekly Sabbath, It must be there as the Jews all do it and we do it because the Jews do, and they should know how to obey Yahweh, right?
Right?…….. WRONG!!!!!!!

Read Jeremiah 3:6 The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. 7 And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. 9 So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord. 11 Then the Lord said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Yahweh said that Judah was worst than Israel. That Judah had become worst than Israel after they were kicked off the land. So now you want to follow them? You need to give your head a shake.

I have always wondered why the Jews if they were doing what Yahweh said, were always being persecuted. Why Yahweh did not bless and protect them through out all these centuries for obeying Him? After all, He has promised to do so, if we obeyed Him, so why have the Jews been so persecuted. Because they changed Yahwehs Holy Days and taught men to do like wise.

This is very important so read it again.

Yahweh has promised to bless those who obeyed Him. If we and the Jews are obeying Him, why have the Jews been so persecuted all these centuries. Because they changed Yahwehs Holy Days and taught men to do like wise.

Are you going to continue to not obey Yahweh and keep His Holy Days on other days He did not say to keep. Then why not also change the Sabbath to Sunday or Friday and be consistent at not obeying Him.

You are after all keeping the Holy Days according to the Hebrew Calendar because it is easy to get along with others in your group. So why not go all the way and keep the Sabbath on another day like Sunday and get along with the rest of the world.

If the world says it is wrong to kill ( the sixth commandment) but OK to break the 4th commandment of Keeping the Sabbath, what is the difference between you and them if you say we will keep the Sabbath but will not keep the Holy days as Yahweh said and will instead keep them or postpone keeping them until it suits us better. Whats the difference. You are both guilty of breaking the commandments of Yahweh. Of breaking the Law, of Breaking Torah.

And John says in 1 John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

If you break the least you are guilty of all.

Ezekiel 18:21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? 24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. 25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

Sighting is expected to be on the 13 in the evening making the 14th day the first day of the Feast of Trumpets. It could also be on the 14th at evening and make the 15th the first Day of the Feast of Trumpets. As explained in last weeks News Letter we can not know until the Moon is actually witnessed by two persons from Jerusalem.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

At what point in history was it necessary to change the first day of the Feast of Trumpets from being on a Sunday Wednesday or Friday as the postponement rules say to. Obviously Yahweh has changed, or has man changed what Yahweh has said.

In Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Again someone forgot to tell Yahshua that he is not the same on all days. Some times He postpones His return by a day or two just so we wont be inconvenienced by having a High Holy Day followed by a weekly Sabbath. How nice of Him.

You must have forgotten what Yahshua said in Mathew 5:17
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
If you postpone the Law have you not made it one full of hypocrisy, and in so doing you have destroyed those things Yahweh has commanded us to do.

I have shown you Leviticus 23 and where to find the Feast of Trumpets and the other Holy Days of Yahweh. Have you found where the Postponement rules are yet? Keep looking, they must be there somewhere other wise why would so many be postponing the Feast of Trumpets by a day or two and the day of Atonement like wise by a day or two, and the Feast of Tabernacles by a day or two and the Eighth day Feast by a day or two. Surely Yahweh would have known how hard it would be to have two Holy Days back to back, and He would have made provisions for it. He is after all the all Knowing. Right?

Did you check in the same place where the Sabbath was changed to Sunday? It might be there. It sounds similar to postponing the Sabbath one day. If you find it let me know.

I have shown you what the rules of postponement are and how they distort the true teachings of Yahweh. I have done this so that you know that you are sinning. You should at least know how you are sinning should you not?

Isaiah 58: :1
“Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

My people die for a lack of knowledge and because we reject that knowledge, He will reject us from being priest and OUR CHILDREN He will forget. Your children. Think about this. Do you want to see your children die? Think about it.

Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Now many will counter this presentation with the following. The Sanhedrin have been using this calendar and therefor until they change it we will follow with their rulings.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrin I collected the following;
During the period when it stood on the Temple Mount, the Sanhedrin achieved its quintessential position, legislating on all aspects of Jewish religious and political life within the parameters laid down by Biblical and Rabbinic tradition. After the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 CE, the Sanhedrin was re-established with reduced authority, although it was still recognized as the ultimate authority in religious matters. This authority was reinforced by the official sanction of the imperial Roman government and legislation.
The Sanhedrin was re-established in Yavneh (70-80 CE). From there, it was moved to Usha under the presidency of Gamaliel II (80-116 CE) ben Shimon ben Gamliel. Afterwards it was conveyed back to Yavneh, and again back to Usha. It was moved to Shefaram under the presidency of Shimon ben Gamliel (140-163 CE), and to Beth Shearim and Sephoris, under the presidency of Yehudah I [163-193 CE]. Finally it was moved to Tiberias, under the presidency of Gamaliel III (193-220 CE) ben Judah haNasi, where it became more of a consistory, but still retained, under the presidency of Judah II (220-270 CE) ben Gamliel III, the power of excommunication.
During the presidency of Gamaliel IV ben Judah II, due to persecution of an increasingly Christianized Rome, it dropped the name Sanhedrin, and its authoritative decisions were subsequently issued under the name of Beth HaMidrash. As a reaction to the emperor Julians pro-Jewish stance, Theodsius forbade the Sanhedrin to assemble and declared ordination illegal. (Roman law prescribed capital punishment for any Rabbi who received ordination and complete destruction of the town where the ordination occurred). Since the Jewish Calendar is based on witnesses testimony, and that had become far too dangerous to collect, Hillel II recommended a mathematical Calendar that was adopted at a clandestine, and maybe final, meeting [358 CE]. This marked the last universal decision made by that body. Gamaliel VI (400-425 CE) was the last president. With the death of this patriarch, who was executed by Theodosius II for erecting new synagogues contrary to the imperial decree, the title Nasi, the last remains of the ancient Sanhedrin, became illegal to be used after 425 CE.

How can all things be restored as Matt17:11 says if you continue to resist the spirit of Yahweh and hold on to the ways of that lying spirit of this world.

The calendar is one of those things that must be restored in order to worship Yahweh on the correct day and in the correct month.

This News Letter will no doubt upset many of the Church of God brethren and those who follow the Hebrew calendar. Don’t just disagree with me or agree with me because it makes sense. You need to know for yourself. 100 percent sure that those things said in the these News Letters are true or not. You need to prove all things. And just like christmas and easter, you have taken on a belief and assumed that those who were teaching you, those whom you held in authority over you, were telling you the truth.

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Is it at all possible that even now after all these years Satan has still deceived you on this one point? Is it at all possible?

The Feast of Trumpets begins the 10 days of AWE that lead up to the day of Atonement. These are the days of deep soul searching, of introspect, to remove those things that prevent us from obeying Yahweh. Removing our sins, our secret sins, those sins we stubbornly hang on to, even though we know we should not be dong it.

Ask Yahweh to reveal to you those things that are wrong, those secret sins that you may not know about or understand. Ask Him to open you eyes and heal you.

Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com
Write to admin@sightedmoon.com

6] Here is a list of past News Letters and the topics discussed for your reference.
Page one goes up to 5843-014 and is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=0

Page 2 is at http://www.sightedmoon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
News letters 5843-001 Sighted Moon day unsure of and Daniel Prophesy Relationship
News letters 5843-002 Determining the possible day of Passover having not seen the moon since November
News letters 5843-003 Excitement of Not knowing. Testing of Faith
News letters 5843-003 New Moon Sighted and the Month is Aviv
News letters 5843-004 Passover message and counting the Omer
News letters 5843-005 The Years of Jubilee
News letters 5843-006 This year of 5843 or the Jewish year 5767 Why the difference? The missing Kings.
News letters 5843-007 The Day the Messiah died in relation to proving the Jubilee years are correct. The year Israel enters the promised land. The Millennial years as a prophetic week of Jubilee years.
News letters 5843-008 Wave sheaf offering, Thief on the cross and going to Heaven when you die, Pentecosts Hidden Meaning
News letters 5843-009 The Eighth Millenium and the Eighth Day Feast. Sunday and Satan. Eighth Day and Jubilee Year
News letters 5843-010 Land Rest Year and Jubilee Years. Does Yahweh consider them important? Where is Israel today.
News letters 5843-011 Conclusion of the counting of the omer and the Jubilee Messages. Now the curses are explained.
News letters 5843-012 The 50th day of Pentecost. How Noah knew the end was when his father died.
News letters 5843-013 My trip to Noahs Ark from the beginning.
News letters 5843-014 Description of Noahs Ark and the Length and width. What is a cubit? The Golden section or Ratio
News letters 5843-015 Noahs Ark the Height Ziggurats and Volume
News letters 5843-016 The Location of Noahs Ark from all sources. Naxuan and Seron. Mt. Judi, Mt. Mashar
News letters 5843-017 What exactly is Gopher wood? Easter Eggs and Doves and the relationship to Noahs Ark
News letters 5843-018 Explanation of How Noah felt warning everyone and only His eight heeded his warning.
News letters 5843-019 Locating the Garden of Eden from scriptures and How it and the temple are related.
News letters 5843-020 New Moon report 5th month
News letters 5843-021 The Serpent of the Garden of Eden and Witchcraft
News letters 5843-022 Ellen G White Kept the Feasts Of Yahweh
News letters 5843-023 The Iron Man Race, Coveting versus Giving Thanks, Encouragement and Endurance
News letters 5843-024 Jubilee Chart and the stock market, Men to remain pure, Calendars Why you need to Know
News letters 5843-025 Letter of Wisdom on Fasting and Prayers
News letters 5843-026 Groups under siege and why. Why you can’t know when Messiah returns and why you can. When He was born and which moon is the beginning of the month
News letters 5843-027 The Postponement Rules in Effect, and how they cause you to sin
News letters 5843-028 The Question of the Equinox

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Sighted Moon News Letter 5843-026 506

4th day of the sixth month 5843 after creation

August 18, 2007

Shabbat Shalom Family and Brethren,

1) Troubles overtaken many now.
2) Drought conditions and weather disasters
3) This weeks News Letter. How to know which moon from the scriptures.

Following up on the News Letter on giving thanks and encouragement, I have this week also been e-mailed by yet another group and then yet another group on top of the other two, which have fallen into a state of name calling and back biting. Many of you may know of the groups to which I refer.

They all have taught me a number of things and have provided the missing clues I needed to come to an understanding on other issues.

I would like to point out brethren that it is now the pre-Feast Season. Having done this way of living now since 1983, it seems to me as it has already happened to me personally again this year, that Satan goes on the war path and does what ever it is, that he does, to cause disunity and plagues of problems to those who are trying to obey Yahweh and keep the Holy Days.

Sudden expenses and car break downs. Accidents and sicknesses, and you name it and it seems to be happening. Just so you will not go up to the Feast. My plans to go to Israel are in jeopardy, but I am still determined to go.

As Craig Peters said in News Letter 5843-025 we need to fast. We need to care for each other. We need to become humble in our attitude. We need to reach out to our family no matter where they are. We need to practice those things physically so that the spiritual things will be taken care of. Read his letter again. It gets better each time you read it.

Michael Rood and his organization are in turmoil. Nazarene Israel is also in turmoil. Servant News and his organization are also in the courts. I have shared last weekend with one brother how an unpaid ticket on my part has now gotten my license suspended and the potential for me to be arrested and locked up, and truck and backhoe impounded. A minor thing has turned into a huge potential problem. Potential disaster.

As well the unconverted mate syndrome has also come into play as we get closer to the Feast. As only those with a mate who does not believe can understand, it is a very sad and heart wrenching and trying time of the year.

Why is all this happening just as we plan to go away?

It is symbolic of the way things will be just before the Millenium when the Messiah returns. Which is what the Feast represents. Just before the return will be the time when Satan is wreaking havoc on the earth. Attacking those who follow Yahweh. What we are suffering now is nothing compared to then. It is just a sample of things to come.

So again, as Craig said so well. Fast and pray for the brethren of Nazarene Israel, Fast and pray for A Rood Awakening, Fast and Pray for Servant News, Fast and Pray for all the Churches of God, Fast and Pray for the Adventist groups, Fast and Pray for all the other Messianic groups, Fast and Pray for Israel as they again come to the Feast Season with a war with Syria, Hamas, Lebanon and Iran looking more and more immanent. Fast and Pray for your family, both immediate and extended and spiritual. And I would do it as soon as you can, and more often than only once a year at the Day of Atonement.

In John 16: 1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Also in John 15: 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Consider this when troubles over take you.

2) This week on the News I heard that this is the driest year ever for Toronto. Indeed. My garden which depends on Yahweh for the rain it needs, is toast. The corn is shriveled, and beets dried up. The apples on my trees are the size of chestnuts and drop to the ground where only the wasps and hornets eat them. The plums are invested with worms and have fallen early too, and tent caterpillars have invaded the other trees on the property. Potato bugs have eaten all the plants right down to the ground. The berry bushes dired up very quickly with not moisture. This is on my land. In the fields around I also see the potatoes welting in the from the heat and dryness. The Orangeville reservoir is down almost three feet.

When I dig the trenches at work the ground is as hard as iron all the way down. After digging it up it is all powder. There is not moisture in the ground.

I cut the grass two weeks ago having cut it last time, 10 weeks before that. I normally cut it once or twice each week. The only reason I took it out was to keep the Sumac and weeds from getting out of control.

On the National News last night I see that the southern US is enduring yet another day of 100 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures again. You can monitor the USA Drought conditions weekly at http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

On top of this Hurricane Dean is getting bigger the further west it comes. Category 4 and soon to be 5. With Texas already suffering from extreme flooding, they do not need more rain from a hurricane. But then again maybe the Texans where every thing is big do not yet get the message unless it is big. Maybe the whole USA is not getting the message. That message I keep repeating is found in the article Times Up! No More Excuse! http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=53 It is the number one read article down loaded from this site each day week in and week out. You do need to read it. You do need to understand why these weather plagues are coming upon the USA England, Australia, Canada, and others. You need to know why the weather disasters are tied into the Terrorism that is on the news all the time. You need to know why the ante is going to be increased 7 fold come 2009. That is animal attacks and disease epidemics. You need to know not for your sakes but for your childrens sake. I hope you all copy this article and share it with your family friends and brethren. Give it to your pastor. Tell every one to read it.

3) I gave you a lot to read and do last week, I do hope you all have done your home work and prospered at the things you have learned and have written down those questions that came to mind.

I had asked you to go out and physically view the new moon on the evening of the 14th of August. It was reported as being seen from Israel. That is from the head quarters or where the Temple will be.

As I said in News Letter 5843-025 if this contact in Israel is removed and we have no communications we must be able to do it ourselves.

I was unable to view the moon on either the 13th or the 14th due to clouds moving in just as the moon should have been visible.

Because the month which is another name for the moon, is either 29 or 30 days long and I did not see it then, if it were up to me then the month would be declared a 30 day month. But we still have Jerusalem telling us when they see it so we follow them.

Yahweh obscured my seeing the moon. That is His privilege. I am to observe and then obey.

Next.

What is the importance of the Feast of Trumpets? Why do we keep it?

The prophet Zephaniah speaks of the great “day of Yahweh” as a “day of the horn and alarm” (1:16). You should read all of Chapter 1 of Zephaniah.

Prophetic passages such as Isa. 27:13 and Zech 9:14 use the Shofar as the horn of choice in calling Yahweh’s people together to worship in the Holy mountain and to announce the appearing of Yahweh.

Yom Teruah is the Day of blowing (Numbers 29:1). This day is also called by some Rosh Hashanah. This means head of the year. It is not the head of the year as the torah says the month of Aviv is. So this is not a correct rendition of this day. It is the Feast of Trumpets. The blowing of trumpets.

1. Matthew 24:31 “And he will send his angles with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.” (This verse is speaking of the resurrection)

2. 1 Cor. 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, (imperishable), and we shall be changed.” (Again we are told of a resurrection that takes place on the day of Trumpets)

3. 1 Thess 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an arch-angel, and with the trumpet of Yahweh: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (The day of Trumpets is speaking towards the resurrection and second coming.)

4. John was in the spirit on the day of the Lord in Rev. 1:10 when he heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet which told him to write to the seven churches which are is Asia:… (their rewards and judgment).

5. John was in the spirit on the day of the Lord in Rev. 4:1 when the voice like that sound of a trumpet said, “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” (resurrection)

In doing some research for this weeks News Letter I came across The United Church of God web site. They are now posting their views on the calendar along with the dates for the Holy Days.

I suspect they are feeling the pressure as more and more are asking them about the calendar. You might want to be aware of the objections that some groups put up so I will include links to Uniteds point of view.

You can go to http://www.ucg.org/resources/calendar.htm and on the right hand side you will see four objections to observing Yahwehs calendar. You will also note that they as well as many other groups have all the Holy Days marked out for years to come. If the bible says the year is to begin in the month of Aviv. How can you know this until you actually see the barley in Aviv? That is the barley that is in green ears. They also do not recognize the importance of sighting the moon for the Feast of Trumpets.

This news Letter will show you exactly why this Feast of Trumpets is recognized as the day of Yahshuas coming and return. In so doing you will then see that it is this day which proves which phase of the moon is to be used to begin the month and to begin the Feast of Trumpets.

To learn why we believe this day to be the day of Yahshuas return please go to http://www.ucg.org/booklets/HD/pointinhistory.htm and read this short article. It shows from scriptures that Yahshua is to come back on the Feast of Trumpets.

This is interesting but how is it related to those facts we are seeking concerning the moon phase we are to look for?

Yahweh does nothing by chance. Each and every detail has been planned since the beginning. Each of the Holy Days are appointed times. It is on these Holy Days that certain events take place. We have Passover as a great example. It was on Passover that Israel practiced the killing of the lamb. When it happened in real life the Jews did not recognize the two events as related.

We have an appointment with Yahweh on these Holy Days. These appointed days, to watch Him do his mighty works. Such as the Exodus. The death of the first born. The giving of the law by Yahweh Himself from His own mouth, and the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit in the shape of fire.

We are told in Leviticus 23:24 that we are to keep the Feast of Blowing on the first day of the seventh month. On this first day of the seventh month Yahshua is to return. On this day He is to return in the year of Jubilee. The redemption of all things.

This is interesting because many christians claim that you can not know the day or the hour of His return. So it is a waste of time to try and figure this out. They are in fact quoting Mathew 24:36 where Yahshua says But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only

To me this would be a contradiction. Is it not? On one hand we are to celebrate the day of His return on the Feast of Trumpets and on the other hand we are told we can not know the day or the hour of His return.

With our modern western way of thinking we can not possibly understand this. It is not until we have all the pieces to the puzzle that we are able to make any sense of these two contradictory statements.

Having said this it would serve you best if you now read The Return of Yahshua at http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=20

It explains that the New Moon which marks the beginning of the Seventh Month and the Feast of Trumpets must be a sighted moon in order to not know the day or the hour. By understanding this fact, that it is a sighted moon, then we can understand how, at the same time that we do not know which day or hour the Messiah is to return, that we can also know the day the Feast of Trumpets is on, is the day of His return.

If this is sounding complicated read the article The Return of Yahshua. It is actually very, very simple.

This is also the reason I had you go out on the 13th and the 14th to look for the moon. It was possible to see the moon on the 13th immediately after the sun set. But due to the brightness of the sun you could not make out the moon. On the 14th you again should have been able to see the moon. But in My case clouds prevented it from being seen. Here we have three potential days of seeing the moon.

On other occasions when I have looked I saw nothing for some time, then suddenly in the same place I had been looking I saw the faint crescent reflecting the sun. I looked a couple of times to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks.

This is the Feast of Trumpets. We do not know which day the moon will be seen. If it comes on a clear night, then we do not know exactly what hour the moon will be seen because of the viewer himself or clouds or the moment the moon is in just the right place to reflect the suns light. Hence we know that this is the day of His return, but we do not know which day it is on or at which hour.

Some of you may not yet be convinced. Some of you are still under the impression that Yahshua was born at Christmas on December 25. If you can show me where it is written in the Scriptures that we are to celebrate Dec. 25, then I will send you a check for $10,000. If you want look in Leviticus 23, it might be there.

I am convince that no one can prove by scriptures or history that the Messiah came the first time on December 25.

Yahweh is the same today yesterday and for ever. Hebrew 13:8 Yahshua is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Again in Malachi 3: 6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

I believe these two statements to be true. He does not change. If Yahshua is to come in that great day as we have seen, which is the Day of Trumpets, then would He not have come on the same day when He was born? That is would He not have been born on the Feast of Trumpets?

This is clearly shown to you in the article Conjunction or Sighted Which? http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=22

This week as I listen to the many Religious shows I scan, I heard Chuck Misler talk about this very thing, and I got very excited. Was he going to say it? Was he? No. He came so close and missed it. You can listen to what he says and compare it to what I show you in the above article. His audio is here http://www.khouse.org/6640/currentbroadcast/

It is in this article that I present to you the two witnesses who will categorically and conclusively prove which day is the first day of the seventh month and the Feast of Trumpets. These two witnesses are the Prophet Isaiah and The Apostle John.

Some who keep the full moon as the first day of the month are in a quandary over these two witnesses. They know that this proof is over whelming. They choose to ignore it in order to hold to their own wrong doctrines. Yet they ask me for a specific scripture to prove my case, so they can attack it. Here now, read what these two say in Isaiah 7:14 and Revelation 12:1-5. And then tell me what this means. It is when you know the meaning that you understand. Which of the full moon theorist have understanding? Which of you possess wisdom?

To those of the you who uphold the Hebrew Calendar, I also say to you which one of you has Wisdom, and Knowledge enough to discern these two witnesses.

Yes I am challenging you all. What does it mean when these two talk of a virgin in the heavens giving birth to a man child?

Read the article http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=22

When I attended United we had hymns that I enjoyed singing. I truly miss this part of the service. One such hymn was the Battle Hymn of the Republic In verse three we sing
In the Beauty of the Autumn Christ (Yahshua) was born across the sea. We know when we sing this that we are referring to the Feast of Trumpets as being the birth of Yahshua. This is one of my favorites and is sung during this time of year on the Feast of Trumpets.

Another one I liked was the Heavens Gods Glory Do Declare from Psalm 19:1

If you only understood what these words mean. Each and every night the prophesies of Yahweh are seen around the world in the constellations. When we know the truth of what they are saying with out saying a word then we can understand. In every language around the world they mean the same thing.

The Heavens Gods glory do declare,
the skies His hand-i-works teach;
Day after day their speech pours forth,
and knowledge night after night.
There is no speech or spoken word;
their voice is never heard;
and yet their voice spreads to all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.

You are singing about the constellations. The same ones seen all around the world each night. The same ones which never say a word and yet have such deep and prophetic meaning. The very same ones that the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle John, whom Yahshua loved, spoke of and prophesied of the His birth

When you sing these two this year think on these things I have shown you. Think Brethren, think.

Now at this point you should know why The Feast of Trumpets represents the coming of the Messiah, both when He was born and when He returns.

You should also understand why we will not know the day or the hour but we will know that the Day of the Feast of Trumpets is the day of His return in the Year of Jubilee.

You should have learned in last weeks News Letter 5843-023 that the new Year begins when the Barley is Aviv. If it is not then the month is declared to be the 13th month. By waiting to see when the Barley is ready and not knowing whether this is the month of Aviv we again show that we can not know the day or the hour until these things are determined.

You should also know that the only way to understand all of this is to observe the Sighted Moon as the First day of the Feast of Trumpets.

I am presuming you know this, as I have also assumed you are going to judge angels and therefor you should be able to judge this matter.

For arguments sake lets now say the Conjunction of the moon is the one you conclude to be correct. It is predicted. It is written on every calendar years in advance. The Hebrew Calendar and the Churchs of God all plan events years in advance based on this knowledge. They all know exactly when the Feast of Trumpets is to be.

Take a look at the UCG web site at http://www.ucg.org/resources/calendar.htm In the year 2010 the Feast of Trumpets is on September 9th. By using the Hebrew Calendar and the conjunction moon they are able to calculate this date, three years from now.

It is interesting to me, to know, that although we can not know the day or the hour, as Yahshua Himself has said that this group and many like it claim to know other wise. They know the Barley is to be Aviv April 6 2008, and March 26 2009, and March 16 2010.

How can we know the Barley is Aviv if we have not yet looked at it.

If the Barley is not Aviv in March 16 of 2010 the an extra month will be added. This would make April 16 the 1st day of the New year. Then instead of September 9th being the Feast of Trumpets October 9 would be.

Again is it not interesting to know that although we are not to know the exact time of Yahshuas return all these groups again predict it to be on the 9 of September, having not checked the barely in the spring and now having not checked the moon.

By using the conjunction method as does the Hebrew calendar we make ourselves independent of Yahweh. We do not need Him. We can figure it out ourselves.

By using the Sighted Moon method as this web site does, we are then dependant on Yahweh to show us the beginning of the New year by making the Barley ready, which is needed for the Sacrifice in the temple. See the article Pentecosts Hidden Meaning at http://www.khouse.org/6640/currentbroadcast/

We wait on Yahweh to make the moon visible, as some times it may not be seen due to clouds and then an automatic 30 day month is proclaimed. This again would change the Feast of Trumpets by one day. And we wont know until that day happens whether or not it is one day or the another.

Lastly by using the Sighted Moon method, I believe that Daniel 12:11-12 makes total sense. It is during the last days, the last 3 and half years. We are to continue to keep the Holy Days at the appointed times. The problem is the Moon shall not give its light and the sun will be as dark as sackcloth. Daniel is telling us when an extra month is added and to keep the count accordingly. If we use the conjunction moon we do not need Daniels information.

For some of you this is all new and strange. For others you are continuing to fight those things we have proven here. May I suggest that you keep both Holy Days this year. One according to the Sighted Moon method and continue to keep the other according to the Hebrew Calendar. In Malachi Yahweh says to prove Him. I suggest you prove Him in this matter as well.

Once again I state I am not trying to gain a following after me. I do not want one nor seek one. I would much rather prefer that all the Sabbath keeping Groups kept the Holy Days according to the scriptures. I would hope that those of you who see these truths are going to bring them to the attention of your group. But if you persist you will be put out as I was. But fear not, the Apostles were also put out of the synagogues for teaching the truth about the scriptures and the Messiah. You’ll be in good company!

Whether or not you find truth in these things I have stated, you will want to read next weeks News Letter prior to the Feast of Trumpets. Especially those of you who still adhere to the Hebrew calendar.

Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com
Write to admin@sightedmoon.com

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Sighted Moon News Letter 5843-024 500

27th day of the fifth month 5843 after creation

August 11, 2007

Shabbat Shalom Family and Brethren,
1) Request to chat
2) The Stock market and the Land Rest years. Is there a connection?
3) Meteor Shower August 13
4) A request for all men to listen to this.
5) Calendars.

1) I have received a few request from brethren wishing to be able to contact each other. At one time the forum area was open to this, but it became too much for me to monitor. I would like to open it up again for those who would like to talk to like minded believers and to be able to ask questions. Right now I am able to screen out those unwanted things by having all e-mails sent to me first.

Here is the request and offer of a brother.
I happened to visit your Sighted Moon Forum today and you posted an e-mail from a fellow who mentioned that it would be nice to have a link to a group where we could share insights, and fellowship. I’ve been putting such a yahoo group together — the group name is meek . This yahoo group cannot be found by doing a group search for yahoo groups as I’ve set the group settings to have a private group. And was intending it to be a by invitation only group. Presently only Jim Hollands and myself are members of the meek group and there are only a few postings thus far. You might be interested in reading over some of the brief postings as I’ve been following your lead in including the links you’ve sighted in your newletters and had posed some questions and comments regarding your news letter. You can visit the yahoo meek group by clicking the link below. http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/meek/ This group is not closely moderated and intented to be self policing. Members are encouraged to freely post their comments and concerns but also encouraged to reference at least one bible verse, or ask a question, so that we can have a dialogue. Of course the one thing that will not be tolerated is as Paul had said - preaching that which has not been preached. For example pontificating that the Law is Done Away will not be tolerated. To visit the meek group I believe you just need a yahoo ID and password - which are free. Then just click on Join this Group and you can immediately review some of the brief posting - there aren’t to many of them presently. You also have the option of after checking out the messages to remove yourself from the group if you like but — but say it is’nt so !! :-)

My reply to my brother was as follows. If you have any recommendations or helpful suggestions I would welcome them.

Shalom Bill, I have not forgotten you and I am glad to hear from you,although I may not always have the time to respond.I also have not forgotten you request and your offer. And I have beenthinking on it. Here are my concerns.In a Yahoo group we all would be inundated with many e-mails from manypeople talking about a thousand and one things. I have done this in amessianic group. A month later some one who was away begins to respond tothings that were discussed last month rehashing all the same things again.It gets to be to much.Other groups I subscribe to are plagued by those who are selling sex andmedications and a host of other garbage e-mails. They are a constant drainof my time on this site. This is one of the reasons I shut down the forumarea for those wishing to chat. I had to police it constantly to keep itclean.Another problem that occurred was that some came there and began to preachtheir doctrines which again required constant time attention to addressthem and show them by scriptures where they erred. These then turned intoarguments and no longer used scriptures for our guide. It becamefrustrating.I can understand the need to want to be with like minded brethren but I amat a loss as to how to accommodate such a thing. I do not have the time orman power to police such a thing.I will post this letter from you and by me in the next news letter to seeif someone can help or solve the problem.Thank you for writing and your kind words.ShalomJoseph F Dumondwww.sightedmoon.com

2) U.S. stocks have had a couple of rough weeks. The S&P 500 lost 7.7% of its value from its peak in the middle of July through last Friday. That was its steepest three-week slide since 2003. Then again this Friday August 10 the markets took a severe dive.
Friday was an especially ominous day because the S&P 500 fell below its 200-day moving average. Many market watchers consider that a key technical level. Picture Wile E. Coyote running on thin air and you’ll get an idea of just what this break signifies!
This is why most of the smart market timers I know believe the market’s troubles are far from over, despite the bounce recently.
Whatever way you slice it, these are volatile times. So hopefully you have a solid strategy in place that gives you both peace of mind and protection against painful market drops.

Then again if you are not in the stock market it will still have an effect on your job and purchasing power. One of the things I have done is compared the stock market to the known Jubilee and Sabbath years. This comparison goes from the 1790s to 1985 on the chart.

I have highlighted the Sabbath years in Yellow. When two yellow high lights are together, that would indicate a year 49 followed by the Jubilee year. You can see the graph at http://www.sightedmoon.com:80/files/stockgraph.jpg

Click on view then click on Text size and then click on large to help enlarge the chart. The Chart is taken from The Wall Street Waltz by Kenneth L. Fisher and covers 190 years of economic activity. The Red line shows wholesale prices. The shaded area show a subjective economic perception of good times versus bad. The area above the center line show economic prosperity while the shaded area below the line show depressions and recessions.

3) On August 13 in the pre-dawn hours make time to step outside and look to the heavens. The Perseid Meteor shower should be at its peak. At an average of 60 meteors per hour. As they enter our atmosphere at 145,000 mile per hour you may be able to see a smoke trail left behind as they burn up. So get up at 3 or 4 am and watch the show.

4) Focus on the Family this week had an important two part series on Men remaining pure. By my own personal experience, and by that of those e-mails I have receive, I know that many men struggle daily with remaining pure in this sexually exploited society. I would like to strongly recommend that you each listen to this broadcast at focus on the family http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000580.cfm

5) As in many of the previous News Letters, I have set out to prove to you certain things as if we were in a court of law. This is the logo you see when you first go to the home page of the Sighted Moon web site http://www.sightedmoon.com/ That is to prove all things. It is taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Last week in News Letter 5843-023 we talked about giving thanks.

We are now at the end of another month. We are just 4 weeks away from the next Holy Day and the beginning of the Fall Holy Day season. It seems like just yesterday we were talking about Passover. It has gone fast.

I know that this News Letter is going to be way a head of many of the readers on this list. I do hope that over the next year or so I will be able to get you all up to speed so that each and every one of you will be able to explain the things we covered. And that is the whole purpose of these weekly News Letters, to show you what the truth is and how to separate it from the lies that we have all believed. Many of you have expressed utter shock at those things we have shared. Things that you thought were so traditional to your beliefs, before your eyes were opened to know the truth. Such as the Easter Egg and the Dove. You now know from where they originated, if you have been reading these News Letters. You can find this information in the forum area under Sighted Moon News Letter 5843-017 concerning Noahs Ark.

It is with this court room mentality ‘to prove all things’, that we will now endeavor to show you why you need to know how to determine the calendar of Yahweh. Can you determine the months and the Holy Days if you were on a desert island if you knew the barley was aviv? Do you know how? Is it important to know?

With recent events taking place, it is of supreme necessity, that each of you be able to know what time of the month and year it is.

What events am I talking about? Here in Canada a law was passed called the Hate Crimes Law. It sounds good on the surface but it is being used more often to silence those who would dare to quote from the Bible those things that pertain to the Homosexual lifestyle. It is also being used to silence those who are speaking up on Muslim Extremism. As I have said to you before, Focus on the Family, which is run by Dr. James Dobson, is not allowed to sell certain products in Canada because he does tell it as it is. Certain products which quote the scriptures.

This same hate crimes law which is being pushed by the gay community was attempted to be slipped into law in the USA just a few months ago hidden amongst a law to give more money to the Iraqi war effort. If you voted it down you looked like you were unpatriotic. It did not pass.

Last week another law was trying to be passed and once again it was hidden amongst other laws to conceal it. It was called the fairness law. That is when one person speaks on a controversial subject someone else has the right to legally speak up on the same radio or Television show in opposition to give the audience both sides of an issue. Sounds good eh? But then all Religious radio and TV shows would have to, by law, allow the same time for an opposing view to be aired. Each Biblical show would be followed by a Homosexual show or a Muslim show or an Eastern Religion show or Atheist show.

In truth the Radio and TV stations would just not broadcast any thing that would require an opposing view to be aired. This in fact would shut down all Religious broadcast. Not possible you say? Have you forgotten Amos 8:11″Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord.

If then we are entering that time when there will be no more sound doctrine taught on TV and Radio, will you be able to keep the Holy Days at the proper times if you have no one to tell you? Do you know how to determine them?

With the Heat increasing each year and the Hydro not being able to keep up to the demand or if we are attacked by an EMP bomb. [That is an Electro-magnetic Pulse. This is a nuclear bomb detonated a couple of miles over the nation, which destroys all electronic equipment, even those wires buried in the ground.] Iran has practiced launching a missile from a container with the purpose of getting it to a certain altitude before detonating. If such a container were carried by ship up the Mississippi and launched over the Midwest or even if one was launched just outside the US 200 mile limit at sea, we are told that it would send the US back to the early 19th century.

Also note that only 5 percent of the cargo containers are checked at any of the ports in the USA. Also note that these ports are owned by which country? Was there not a big stink a few years ago when an Arab country tried to purchase them. That deal fell through. But the next deal did not. The ones who bought the port were not Arabs but the successful bidder although registered to an acceptable country was in fact owned by the same Arab country that did not succeed at first. They merely came in the back door.

We all remember what happened after Katrina hit, how anarchy took hold and so quickly. Imagine if an EMP bomb were to go off.

It is in light of these new laws that are trying to be passed, and in light of the possible attack of an EMP device, that we each need to know how to determine the time of year. You are still responsible to keep the Holy Days at the appointed time. It will be the only way of understanding what is going on during this time. You will be on your own with out the means to communicate with other groups.

The Head of Home Land Security and even Warren Buffet himself have said it is not a matter of will the USA be hit by a nuclear attack, but it IS JUST A MATTER OF WHEN. They know it is going to happen. They do not know when.

I know, I am sounding like an madman. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t say a thing. But I do care.

Now I have presumed you all agree that we need to be keeping the Holy Days as found in Leviticus 23. I am also presuming that you all agree that the Sabbath is Saturday and not Sunday or Friday. Yahweh willing I will prove these things in a future News Letter. We will see then what was really nailed to the cross.

It is because of the time of year we now find ourselves that I would like to show you which calendar to use, as a major proof takes place at this time of year.

Once I have laid these things out you will then know how to keep track of the time and know the months as they come along. You will see then why I named this site Sighted Moon, and why with each News Letter I give the date as I did above. The 27th day of the fifth month 5843 after creation. You will then understand why the calendar on the home page has three calendars to view. The Gregorian and the Hebrew and the Sighted Moon. You will also understand why the moon phases on the home page are there.

There are some who have asked for one scripture to prove that the month begins with the New Sighted Moon. There is no commandment in the New testament to keep the Sabbath Holy on Saturday. I have in the past offered $10,000 dollars to any one who could quote the scripture that commands us to keep Holy Sunday. For the past four years I have not had one try to prove this to me scripturally.

There are scriptures that show the Sabbath is to be kept in the New testament. But no direct quote. There are scriptures to show the Holy Days are to be kept in the New testament. Again there are no direct commands to do so. As many of you are already in agreement with one or both of the preceding two statements, you should also be aware that there are scriptures to show the Sighted New Moon is to be kept as the beginning of the month. But also there are no thus says the lord scriptures to be found. You must add up all of Torah together. But I have two witnesses that concur when to begin the New Moon. We shall see this later.

Again I understand that we should first prove the Sabbath then the Holy Days, before we do the calendar. I am presuming that most of the readership already knows these things.

First of all I would like to ask each of you to go out and look for the New Sighted Moon in two days time. You can see it as it first appears after the sun has set in the Western sky. This year August 13 2007 it may not be possible to see the moon before it sets. The Moon, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury are all in the constellation of Cancer and all set with the sun on August 13 or shortly there after.

On August 14 2007 the moon should be visible on the horizon along with Saturn and Regulus just after sunset. Regulus is the bright star in the constellation of Leo. Jupiter should be visible on southern horizon. I hope to explain these constellation and the meaning of them at a later date also.

I will notify you when it is visible from Jerusalem. But for practice sake I ask you to try on both nights. There is a purpose to doing this.

I go to a small hill not far from my home, where I can see the whole horizon. I watch the sun set, once the sun has set, I then begin to watch for the first crescent of the new moon.

When I do see the New Moon I sound the Shofar as it says in Psalm 81:3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

I Must admit the sound I make on the Shofar is the most pitiful pathetic sound ever heard. Thankfully only the angels can hear me as they laugh.

The word Trumpet is strongs word # 8231 and means Shofar or rams horn. And this is what I blow. In this Psalm we are told to blow the Shofar at the New Moon which has one Feast day which is determined by the New Moon, and we are told to blow the Shofar on the full moon, which we have two Feast days that occur at this time. These are three of our Solemn Feast Days. That is Trumpets on the New Moon, First Day of Unleavened bread on the full moon in the spring and Feast of Tabernacles in the fall which is also on a full moon. Or close to it. The Last day of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, The Day of Atonement, and the Eighth Day Feast do not fall on a new moon or full moon. These are the other Holy Days we are commanded to keep according to Leviticus 23.

I am asking you to go out and look for the crescent moon on the 13th and 14th so that you can learn something. It is only by doing it that it will become apparent. Please do this so that when we discuss the new moon in following News Letters they will make sense, and you can readily understand. This also takes into account another understanding of the laws of Yahweh. That it is only when you do them that you are able to understand them. Those who do not do them may think they know, but in truth do not. Those who do them can understand. I can not explain it any better than that.

On the web site I have the following article by Nazarene Israel. I recommend you read it after this News Letter. It goes into great detail to help you to understand many things about the calendar.

About Calendars and Why you need to know
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=126

The task for us as believers, then, is to figure out which of these calendars is the one YHWH wants, and then to systematically ignore all of the others.

It is actually very easy to figure out which one of the many calendars in this world is from YHWH, and which are not. All we have to do is to look at the Torah, figure out how YHWH wants time reckoned, and then systematically ignore all of the other means of reckoning time. However, while this may be easy in theory, in practice the task can seem far more difficult.

Once a Christian is called out of the Church (and begins to re-awaken to his or her identity as an Ephraimite), first he is usually led to the truth of the Sabbath. Then he usually becomes aware of the pagan origins of the Christian calendar. Many then embrace the Orthodox rabbinic calendar, believing that it is YHWH’s true Torah calendar.

[Ephramite is a teaching of Nazarene Israel. We will discuss this teaching in the fall and winter of 2007-2008.]

Lunar-only Calendars
A prime example of the Lunar-only calendar is the Muslim (Islamic) calendar. In the Islamic calendar, the sacred days are determined by the phases of the moon alone. However, an interesting phenomenon happens in this lunar-only calendar. Since the rotations of the moon about the earth do not match up precisely with the rotations of the earth about the sun, the Islamic calendar ‘drifts’ backwards about eleven days each year (on average). This is why the Islamic feast of Ramadan can be in the fall one year, then be in winter some decades later, and then drift into the spring, and then finally into summer (and then back into fall), ‘migrating’ from decade to decade. In scientific terms, this happens because the Muslim calendar has no system of ‘intercalation’ (or self-adjustment). Because it does not intercalate (or self-adjust), the start date drifts from season to season.

Solar-only Calendars
On the other end of the spectrum, then, is the Solar-only calendar, of which the most infamous example is the Roman (Gregorian) calendar. This Gregorian calendar only pays attention to the movement of the earth around the sun. It pays no attention at all to the movement of the moon about the earth in setting its months, which is ironic considering the word ‘month’ is derived from the word ‘moon.’

In setting the months, the Roman Solar does not pay attention to the moon at all. Rather, it pays attention only to the four phases of the sun (which correspond to the four seasons), and to the four annual punctuations of the solar cycle (including the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes).

We might note that the solar-only system is not only the same calendar used by the Romans, but it is also the same calendar used in Satanism and witchcraft. Not only this, it is also the exact same calendar upon which the so-called ‘Christian’ calendar is based (and in fact, the Christians inherited it from the Romans). This solar-only calendar intercalates (adjusts) based upon complex mathematical calculations that we will not attempt to explain here.

Lunar-Solar-Agricultural Calendars
The third calendar category, then, contains all those calendars which use more than just the sun or the moon alone to determine the start-date of their annual cycle. These include the rabbinic calendar, the so-called “Lunar Sabbath” calendar (and its variants), and the two major variants of the so-called ‘Karaite’ calendar, (only) one of which is YHWH’s true original Torah calendar. We will speak more about all of these as this study progresses.

The Torah Calendar: Fundamentals
The primary principle that we are working with here is that any calendar which claims to be Scriptural must conform itself to Scripture: if not, then it is heretical, and should be discarded.

If a calendar does not conform exactly to Scripture (because it incorporates certain man-made [pagan] elements), then it cannot be a Scriptural calendar (but is heretical). As this article will show, this is the case with the rabbinic calendar, the Lunar-Sabbath calendar, the Lunar-Conjunction calendar, and even one of the two main ‘Karaite’ calendars: They do not conform to Scripture; and therefore they must be discarded.

From the time YHWH asked Noach (Noah) to build the Ark, to the time YHWH asked Avraham to hear the Still Small Voice and leave his home and his father’s house, to the time He asked him to slay Isaac, YHWH has always asked His people to do certain things that seem difficult. The reason He does these things is precisely to test us, and to build our faith. Just as Israel was tested and tried in the wilderness, YHWH also tests and tries His people today, by asking them to wait on Him, no matter how difficult it might seem.

In an era where work plans, business deadlines and reservations are most conveniently scheduled weeks and months (if not years) in advance, it might seem very frustrating to the average man to have to use an intercalated calendar, in which the start date of the next year can never be known with certainty. Many find the pre-calculated calendars (such as the Gregorian Western ’solar-only’ calendar) offer them much more freedom, and for this reason they are reluctant to embrace an intercalated calendar, such as YHWH’s Torah calendar (because it is much less convenient).

One of the reasons YHWH asks us to do this is because it shows Him who is really willing to obey Him (or not). And then, another one of the advantages is that it improves and sharpens our abilities to plan, and to remain flexible.

As we shall see here, and as we shall also discuss in other studies, the Torah calendar intercalates (self-adjusts) its start date according to the interplay of the sun and the moon with the maturation of the barley in the Land of Israel. This interplay of the sun, the moon and agriculture makes the Torah calendar a lunar-solar-agricultural calendar.

As we have said, the start (or head) of the New Year is never predicted in this calendar, but can only be observed. Notice, then, what a profound difference in perspective it makes, that one does not predict the head of the New Year, but only observes it. Rather than thinking, one is looking, and watching. Rather than get caught up in one’s thoughts, one is careful to wait, and see. This is the kind of careful perspicacity YHWH seeks to develop in His people.
Let us note well: man’s role in the Torah calendar is only to observe (and then to declare) what YHWH has already caused to occur. This is an eastern mindset.

We will talk about sighting the barley in a moment, but first let us talk about the need to sight the new moon.

In the Lunar Sabbath, Lunar Conjunction and Full Moon models, there is no one set pinpoint time which can be declared as ‘the’ Hodesh. This is because in the Lunar Sabbath, Lunar Conjunction and Full Moon models, the period of time that the moon is full (or obscured) is anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 days long (and thus, there is no pinpoint time).

Since there is no one pinpoint time that the moon is full (or obscured), it is impossible to say, “Behold, the New Moon chodesh is tomorrow.” For this reason (and many others which we will explain), we know that King David did not keep a Lunar Sabbath (or a Lunar Conjunction, or a ‘Full-moon Sabbath’).

Proponents of the Lunar Conjunction model(s) will argue that ancient Israelites calculated the day of the New Moon, rather than sighting it. Not only will we see from the historical record in the Talmud that this assertion is false, but it was also the Babylonian (and not the Israelite) astronomers who later learned how to calculate the exact length of the Conjunction. Therefore, the Lunar Conjunction model also does not work. But rather, as we will see, the method of determining the New Month chodesh in Yeshua’s day was by direct sighting (observation), and not by prediction of any type.

The ancient method of observing the Hodesh was to go out in the evening about the 28th day of the Hebrew month, and look on successive nights, until the Hodesh was seen. When two reliable witnesses have sighted the first crescent sliver of the New Moon, and have informed the priests, the priesthood then verifies the reliability of the witnesses, and declares the New Month.

Once the month is declared, the month lasts until the next first crescent sliver is sighted. However, since the average length of time it takes for the moon to go around the earth and then get back into position to be seen is 29 days, if the next Hodesh is not sighted within thirty days, then the next Hodesh is declared by default.

[It should also be noted that the thirty-day count for the sighting of the Hodesh is completely independent of the weekly ‘count seven’ that determines the (weekly) Shabbat cycle. Lunar-Sabbath model proponents will make a different argument, but as we will see below, their arguments are fatally flawed.]

You can read the rest of this article at About Calendars and Why you need to know http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=126

Other articles I strongly recommend are the following. We will be discussing some of them over the next few News Letters. As some of these things may seem foreign to you I suggest you read some during the week to try and understand what is being put forth.

Does it matter if the Sabbath is Sunday or Friday or Wednesday? Yahweh says yes it does. It is important to Yahweh which day is the Sabbath.

Does it matter to Yahweh whether we keep the Feast in the seventh or the eighth month, or Passover in the spring or summer or winter? Yes it does. Because He has planned for certain events to happen on that day and at that time just as He did for Passover and Pentecost.

If the apostles had gathered on Monday instead of Sunday would they have received the gift of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire. Does it then matter which day we keep the Feast of Trumpets on or Tabernacles? Yes indeed!

This is why we are looking at the calendar. There is much to learn, and I hope you are willing to study to prove these things one way or the other.

There are now many groups who keep the Holy Days at different times. This year one group will keep the fall Feast one month later than most. Why is this? This year many groups may keep the fall feast on the same days as the Jews. Then again they all may keep them one or two days later. Why is this? You do need to know why, and to understand. You must do the home work and study. You will be saved by your own righteousness and not the righteousness of some one else. So study please. And write in your questions. I will post them and reply after the study is done.

There are also two movies I have on the site I hope you are able to take the time to view them.

Yes I have given you a fair amount of Home work this week. To go out and look for the new crescent moon on two nights.
To view the two movies.
To begin to read the article listed below. I would that you read them all before the next new moon, which will be the Feast of Trumpets, the first day of the seventh month. And next month the moon will be difficult to see on the 13th which could be the first day or it could be seen on the 14th of September. This is why doing these things now is in preparation for next month.

Admissions on the Calculated Rabbinic Calendar
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=77

Conjunction or Sighted Which?
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=22

Is the Hebrew Calendar Biblical
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=115

The Glory of Yahweh and the Glory of Kings
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=23

Vernal Equinox and Tekufah
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=125

The Biblical Calendar
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=83

The month of Aviv
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=84

The return of Yahshua
http://www.sightedmoon.com/?page_id=20

Shalom
Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com

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Nazarene Israel
The Original Faith of the Apostles
“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a ’sect,’ so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Torah and the Prophets.” Acts 24:14.

About Calendars

By servant@nazareneisrael.org

Genesis 1:28

28 Then Elohim (God) blessed them, and Elohim said to them,

“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;

One of the first commandments that Elohim (G-d) ever gave to mankind was the commandment to go forth and subdue the earth. Contrary to early nineteenth-century industrial thinking, this was not a command to pollute the earth. It was also not a commandment to misuse the Earth’s resources. Rather, it was the commandment (or some would say the inclination) to use one’s Elohim-given intellect to harness the resources of Nature, so as to make the Earth a more hospitable place for Israelites to live.

When we look at Genesis 1:28 (above) in this light, we see that the command to go forth and subdue the earth was basically the command to impose artificial constructs upon Nature for the betterment of Israelis (and indeed, for all of mankind). All this is very much to the good.

What is a Calendar?

One of the things that separate advanced societies from the less developed ones is that they find ways to make sense of the seeming randomness of Nature. Not very surprisingly, the more a given culture is able to harness Nature and yet stay in tune with it, the more that culture is able to thrive. Calendar systems are just such an attempt to make sense out of Nature, while keeping in touch with what is happening in the world.

A calendar is a system for assigning numerical and/or temporal dates to actual days, so as to be able to track them, and order them better. There are many different types of calendars, but it should be obvious to any Israelite that only one of them can be from the Creator (YHWH). The task for us as believers, then, is to figure out which of these calendars is the one YHWH wants, and then to systematically ignore all of the others.

It is actually very easy to figure out which one of the many calendars in this world is from YHWH, and which are not. All we have to do is to look at the Torah, figure out how YHWH wants time reckoned, and then systematically ignore all of the other means of reckoning time. However, while this may be easy in theory, in practice the task can seem far more difficult.

Before we can understand which of the calendars our Creator wants us to keep, it might be useful to take a general survey of all the main calendar types.

The Different Calendar Types:

From a Scriptural point-of-view, all of the many different calendar systems of the world can be put into three main classes:

1. YHWH’s true Torah calendar;

2. Pagan calendar systems (most of which are based upon the worship of the sun, the moon, the stars and the host of the heavens); and

3. Blends between the two.

Once a Christian is called out of the Church (and begins to re-awaken to his or her identity as an Ephraimite), first he is usually led to the truth of the Sabbath. Then he usually becomes aware of the pagan origins of the Christian calendar. Many then embrace the Orthodox rabbinic calendar, believing that it is YHWH’s true Torah calendar. However, this is not the case.

The main problem with the Orthodox Jewish (rabbinic) calendar is that it belongs to the third class of calendars: It is a hybrid blend between YHWH’s true Torah calendar, and the pagan calendar systems of the world. However, this can be very difficult for the average Ephraimite to spot, in that the rabbinic calendar uses the right names for all of its days of worship: it is only the dates themselves that are frequently off.

One reason it can be so hard to see that the Orthodox Jewish (rabbinic) calendar is not the true Torah calendar is that the rabbinic calendar contains much more truth than the Christian calendar does. Since it contains so much more truth, the typical Ephraimite overlooks the details, in which the Devil hides.

But if the Devil is hidden in the details of the Orthodox rabbinical calendar, then what is YHWH’s true Torah calendar? In order better to answer that question, let us turn now, and take a look at calendar systems from a scientific perspective.

Lunar, Solar, and Lunar-Solar-Agricultural Calendars

Scientifically speaking, calendar systems can be classified into three main types:

1. Lunar-only calendars (for example, the Muslim/Islamic calendar);

2. Solar-only calendars (for example, the Gregorian-Roman calendar); and

3. Lunar-solar-agricultural calendars.

Most of the calendar systems that we are going to discuss belong to this third class of calendars, lunar-solar-agricultural calendars. However, before we can talk about these latter types of calendars, first let us discuss the two former types (so we can safely dispense with them).

Lunar-only Calendars

A prime example of the Lunar-only calendar is the Muslim (Islamic) calendar. In the Islamic calendar, the sacred days are determined by the phases of the moon alone. However, an interesting phenomenon happens in this lunar-only calendar. Since the rotations of the moon about the earth do not match up precisely with the rotations of the earth about the sun, the Islamic calendar ‘drifts’ backwards about eleven days each year (on average). This is why the Islamic feast of Ramadan can be in the fall one year, then be in winter some decades later, and then drift into the spring, and then finally into summer (and then back into fall), ‘migrating’ from decade to decade. In scientific terms, this happens because the Muslim calendar has no system of ‘intercalation’ (or self-adjustment). Because it does not intercalate (or self-adjust), the start date drifts from season to season.

Solar-only Calendars

On the other end of the spectrum, then, is the Solar-only calendar, of which the most infamous example is the Roman (Gregorian) calendar. This Gregorian calendar only pays attention to the movement of the earth around the sun. It pays no attention at all to the movement of the moon about the earth in setting its months, which is ironic considering the word ‘month’ is derived from the word ‘moon.’

In setting the months, the Roman Solar does not pay attention to the moon at all. Rather, it pays attention only to the four phases of the sun (which correspond to the four seasons), and to the four annual punctuations of the solar cycle (including the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes).

We might note that the solar-only system is not only the same calendar used by the Romans, but it is also the same calendar used in Satanism and witchcraft. Not only this, it is also the exact same calendar upon which the so-called ‘Christian’ calendar is based (and in fact, the Christians inherited it from the Romans). This solar-only calendar intercalates (adjusts) based upon complex mathematical calculations that we will not attempt to explain here.

Lunar-Solar-Agricultural Calendars

The third calendar category, then, contains all those calendars which use more than just the sun or the moon alone to determine the start-date of their annual cycle. These include the rabbinic calendar, the so-called “Lunar Sabbath” calendar (and its variants), and the two major variants of the so-called ‘Karaite’ calendar, (only) one of which is YHWH’s true original Torah calendar. We will speak more about all of these as this study progresses.

The Torah Calendar: Fundamentals

The primary principle that we are working with here is that any calendar which claims to be Scriptural must conform itself to Scripture: if not, then it is heretical, and should be discarded.

If a calendar does not conform exactly to Scripture (because it incorporates certain man-made [pagan] elements), then it cannot be a Scriptural calendar (but is heretical). As this article will show, this is the case with the rabbinic calendar, the Lunar-Sabbath calendar, the Lunar-Conjunction calendar, and even one of the two main ‘Karaite’ calendars: They do not conform to Scripture; and therefore they must be discarded.

Prediction versus Observation

If we can hold in memory one more means by which calendars can be typed, calendars can also be classified by whether the start of the year is determined by prediction, or whether it is determined by direct observation.

1. Prediction (solar calendar, rabbinic calendar, etcetera)

2. Direct Observation (Torah calendar, Lunar Sabbath calendar, etceteras).

As this study will show, YHWH asks us to keep a calendar that is directly observed (and never pre-calculated). One of the interesting features about calendars in which the start of the year is observed, then, is that not only are they never predicted, but they are also intercalated. But what does intercalation mean?

Intercalated (Self-adjusting) Calendars

In order to rise above the level of the apes (and to develop an advanced technological society), man needs to order his environment. Order helps him to make sense of Nature. Order makes it easier for him to harness the forces of Nature, so he can make use of it, and thereby make life better for all mankind.

There are, however, certain parameters and restrictions given to man, outside of which he cannot go if he wants to remain in covenant with YHWH. That is to say that there are some ways that man might like to order his environment which YHWH will not allow, even though they might seem convenient.

From the time YHWH asked Noach (Noah) to build the Ark, to the time YHWH asked Avraham to hear the Still Small Voice and leave his home and his father’s house, to the time He asked him to slay Isaac, YHWH has always asked His people to do certain things that seem difficult. The reason He does these things is precisely to test us, and to build our faith. Just as Israel was tested and tried in the wilderness, YHWH also tests and tries His people today, by asking them to wait on Him, no matter how difficult it might seem.

In an era where work plans, business deadlines and reservations are most conveniently scheduled weeks and months (if not years) in advance, it might seem very frustrating to the average man to have to use an intercalated calendar, in which the start date of the next year can never be known with certainty. Many find the pre-calculated calendars (such as the Gregorian Western ’solar-only’ calendar) offer them much more freedom, and for this reason they are reluctant to embrace an intercalated calendar, such as YHWH’s Torah calendar (because it is much less convenient).

However, while it can be more difficult to use an intercalated calendar (rather than a predicted one), it is important that we do so, if for no other reason than this is what YHWH asks us to do. YHWH purposefully asks us to use a calendar system which cannot reliably be predicted very far in advance, even though He knows it is more difficult for us to do things that way.

One of the reasons YHWH asks us to do this is because it shows Him who is really willing to obey Him (or not). And then, another one of the advantages is that it improves and sharpens our abilities to plan, and to remain flexible.

There are other benefits and advantages as well.

Intercalation in the Torah Calendar

As we shall see here, and as we shall also discuss in other studies, the Torah calendar intercalates (self-adjusts) its start date according to the interplay of the sun and the moon with the maturation of the barley in the Land of Israel. This interplay of the sun, the moon and agriculture makes the Torah calendar a lunar-solar-agricultural calendar.

As we have said, the start (or head) of the New Year is never predicted in this calendar, but can only be observed. Notice, then, what a profound difference in perspective it makes, that one does not predict the head of the New Year, but only observes it. Rather than thinking, one is looking, and watching. Rather than get caught up in one’s thoughts, one is careful to wait, and see. This is the kind of careful perspicacity YHWH seeks to develop in His people.

Let us note well: man’s role in the Torah calendar is only to observe (and then to declare) what YHWH has already caused to occur. This is an eastern mindset.

We will talk about sighting the barley in a moment, but first let us talk about the need to sight the new moon.

Sighting the New Moon Crescent

As we will see below, a new month in the Hebrew calendar is declared whenever the first crescent sliver of the new moon is sighted (but no more than 31 days after the last new moon was declared). That is to say, the new Hebrew month begins whenever the new moon is sighted, and then declared.

This sighting and declaration of the new month is both an event (a happening) and a time period (a month). Both the event (the day) and the time period (the month) are called a Hodesh (חדש) in Hebrew. [This word Hodesh is pronounced with a hard Middle-Eastern H (’Khodesh’ or ‘Chodesh’).

[5] “Behold, the New Moon (חדש) is tomorrow….” [1st Samuel 20:5]

First Samuel 20:5 shows us that while the whole month is called a Hodesh (חדש), the word חדש also refers to the day of the sighting and declaration. The New Moon was tomorrow, meaning that it would be tomorrow with some certainty. However, this does not describe the Lunar Sabbath, Lunar Conjunction, or the Full Moon models.

In the Lunar Sabbath, Lunar Conjunction and Full Moon models, there is no one set pinpoint time which can be declared as ‘the’ Hodesh (חדש). This is because in the Lunar Sabbath, Lunar Conjunction and Full Moon models, the period of time that the moon is full (or obscured) is anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 days long (and thus, there is no pinpoint time).

Since there is no one pinpoint time that the moon is full (or obscured), it is impossible to say, “Behold, the New Moon (חדש) is tomorrow.” For this reason (and many others which we will explain), we know that King David did not keep a Lunar Sabbath (or a Lunar Conjunction, or a ‘Full-moon Sabbath’).

Next, we might also note that Ezekiel 46:1 also speaks of the חדש as taking place on one single day:

1 Thus says Adonai YHWH: “The gate of the inner court that faces the east shall be shut six working days: But on the Sabbath Day it shall be opened; and on the day of the New Moon (חדש) it shall be opened.”

[Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 46:1]

This passage tells us that the gate of the inner court that faces east shall be opened on the day of the New Moon. Since the moon is full (and obscured) on an average of two-plus days (from 1.5 to 3.5 days) in the Middle East, there is no one set specific 24-hour day that the moon is ‘full’ (or obscure). Therefore, we know that Ezekiel 46:1 also does not speak of the Lunar Sabbath, Lunar Conjunction, or the so-called ‘Full Moon Sabbath’ models.

Proponents of the Lunar Conjunction model(s) will argue that ancient Israelites calculated the day of the New Moon, rather than sighting it. Not only will we see from the historical record in the Talmud that this assertion is false, but it was also the Babylonian (and not the Israelite) astronomers who later learned how to calculate the exact length of the Conjunction. Therefore, the Lunar Conjunction model also does not work. But rather, as we will see, the method of determining the New Month (חדש) in Yeshua’s day was by direct sighting (observation), and not by prediction of any type.

Full Moon Facts

The ancient method of observing the Hodesh was to go out in the evening about the 28th day of the Hebrew month, and look on successive nights, until the Hodesh was seen. When two reliable witnesses have sighted the first crescent sliver of the New Moon, and have informed the priests, the priesthood then verifies the reliability of the witnesses, and declares the New Month.

Once the month is declared, the month lasts until the next first crescent sliver is sighted. However, since the average length of time it takes for the moon to go around the earth and then get back into position to be seen is 29 days, if the next חדש is not sighted within thirty days, then the next חדש is declared by default.

[It should also be noted that the thirty-day count for the sighting of the Hodesh is completely independent of the weekly ‘count seven’ that determines the (weekly) Shabbat cycle. Lunar-Sabbath model proponents will make a different argument, but as we will see below, their arguments are fatally flawed.]

Declaring the New Year: Intercalation with the Barley/Sun

It takes the moon an average of 28+ days to travel around the earth, and 29.5 days to put itself back into position where it can be seen from earth again. Since the moon takes approximately 29.5 days (on average) to make this journey, it stands to reason that the month should not be longer than 30 full days, before declaring a new moon by default.

Now, when one divides the approximately 365 days in each actual year by the 29.5 days it actually takes for the moon to travel around the earth and then get back into position to be seen, one needs an average of about 12-1/3 lunar months to complete each 365-day actual year (as 365 divided by 29.5 equals 12.37).

In the Roman calendar, one adds a leap-day to the month of February every 4 or so years (on average). However, since one needs more than twelve lunar months (on average) to fully complete the circuit of the earth’s transit about the sun, the Hebrews intercalate (or adjust the calendar) by adding a thirteenth month about every third year. As we will see, the decision to add-or-not-add this thirteenth month is completely dependent upon the state of the barley in the Land of Israel.

Aviv Barley: What Is It?

As we will see, YHWH tells us that before a New Year (known as ‘Rosh Hodesh’) can be declared, the barley must be within two weeks of being ripe, by ancient standards (a condition which is known as ‘Aviv’). Once the barley reaches a state of being Aviv (within two weeks of ripe according to hand-harvesting methods), then the New Year (Rosh Hodesh) can be declared at the sighting of the next New Moon.

In sum, then, to declare the New Year, one must:

1. Find barley that is Aviv (within two weeks of hand-harvesting ripe); and then

2. Physically sight (and declare) the first crescent sliver of the next New Moon (חדש).

By studying the interplay of several key verses, we are able to intuit what Aviv barley really is, and why.

At the beginning of the Exodus story, YHWH tells Moses and Aaron that the Exodus is about to take place in the “beginning of months”:

Shemote (Exodus) 12:2

Now YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

Then, in the next chapter, we are told that this ‘first of months’ is the month in which something called ‘the Aviv’ takes place:

Shemote (Exodus) 13:4

4 On this day you are going out, in the month of the Aviv.

In the modern Jewish rabbinical calendar, the first of the months is called by the name, ‘Aviv.’ This is actually incorrect.

Shemote (Exodus) 13:4

4 On this day you are going out, in the month of the Aviv.

(4) הַיּוֹם אַתֶּם יֹצְאִים | בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב

In Hebrew, Exodus 13:4 does not say that Israel went out in “the Month called Aviv.” Rather, it tells us that Israel went out in the month of ‘the’ Aviv (i.e., the month in which the event called “the Aviv” took place). This is a very important distinction to make. Why?

In Scripture, Hebrew months are not named, but numbered (first, second, third, fourth, etcetera). For example, Ezekiel speaks of a ‘fourth month.’

Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 1:1

1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of Elohim.

Understand then, YHWH tells us that the month that follows the sighting of aviv barley in the Land of Israel is called the month of the Aviv. It is not the month named, “Aviv,” but the month that followed the sighting of the barley that had reached a stage of ripeness called ‘aviv.’ It was this month that we in Israel are to consider to be the start of our year.

Shemote (Exodus) 12:2

Now YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

As we will see in the next section, when the barley in the Land of Israel is within two weeks of being declared ripe by ancient (sickle) harvesting standards (a condition called ‘aviv’), the next new moon that comes along marks the start of the New Year (called Rosh Chodesh).

1. Barley reaches a stage of maturation within two weeks of being ripe, according to ancient (sickle harvesting) methods.

2. The next new moon crescent is seen.

3. The new year is declared.

But if the intercalation (determination) of the start of the New Year is dependent upon the ripening of the barley, then how does one know when the barley is at the appropriate stage called ‘aviv’?

What Is Aviv Barley?

Barley is one of several common cereal grasses yielding seed that is good for human consumption. Like all cereal grasses, as barley grows and matures it passes through several stages.

First comes a vegetative (growth) stage, and then comes a fruiting stage. The fruiting stage itself is broken up into several phases, each of which blends seamlessly into the next. However, even though these phases are not distinct, once one becomes familiar with barley, one can generally tell what the phase (or what stage) the barley is in.

Once the barley stalk has grown and the plant moves into the fruiting stage, first the barley stalk flowers (and is pollinated). Then the pollinated barley flowers form a watery pod, in which the seed will slowly begin to be developed.

At first this seed-pod is very watery (with almost no substance), but over time it fills with a milk-like fluid which slowly solidifies, becoming harder and harder, until it begins to take on the consistency of soft bread dough.

The grain does not stop hardening. Slowly the grain becomes more and more solid, and the water content continues to decrease. At a certain point, when one peels or crushes the seed pod, the seed pod will no longer yield a (fluid) bread-dough-looking substance, but will yield only a soft-yet-solid grain. When this soft-yet-solid grain is more of a solid than a doughy consistency, it is considered to be ‘Aviv.’

The term ‘Aviv’ basically corresponds to barley that is still immature (i.e. not yet fully ripe) but no longer ‘doughy.’ Time-wise, it basically corresponds to that point in time when the barley that will be ready to harvest by hand-sickle methods in about two more weeks’ time.

In contrast, barley that is fully ripe (by ancient standards) is called ‘Carmel.’ This is alluded to in Vayiqra (Leviticus) 2:14:

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 2:14

14 ‘If you offer a grain offering of your first-fruits to YHWH, you shall offer for the grain offering of your first-fruits Aviv (almost mature) grain parched in fire, or crushed Carmel (ground fully-ripe grain).

Barley that is Aviv (almost mature) has an average moisture content of some 30-40%. Because the moisture content is so high, Aviv barley cannot be crushed. Although it is a coherent solid mass (more solid than bread dough) it still contains enough moisture that if one tries to grind it, it merely breaks apart (rather than properly grinding into flour).

Because Aviv barley still has too much water content to crush, it cannot be made into flour (or bread). However, barley that is Aviv (almost ripe) can be parched (roasted quickly) in fire. Parching Aviv barley drives the water out and makes it crunchy, giving a resultant texture somewhat reminiscent of soft puffed wheat.

Aviv Barley and the Tithe

Even though ancient farmers would have been unlikely to harvest their grain while it was still only Aviv, YHWH tells us that parched Aviv barley was suitable to offer as a tithe. This would be almost an ideal situation for the farmer, as he would be able to bring up the ten-percent tithe of his barley crop to Jerusalem, offer the tithe at the Passover, and then return back home to harvest the rest of his fields just as the crops came to full maturity.

In its fully matured state, barley is called ‘Carmel.’ Barley that is Carmel has only a water content of some 20-25%, and is considered to be fully ripe by ancient standards. Barley that is Carmel can be harvested, crushed, made into flour, and then made into soup, or baked into bread. Carmel is what we think of as barley, when we purchase it in the store.

Because ancient harvesters brought in their grain by hand, they wanted to harvest their barley while it was Carmel. If they waited any longer than the Carmel stage, the seed pods would drop off the stalk, and the crop would be lost. Also, beyond the Carmel stage, when one hit the stalks with a sickle or a scythe, the resultant blow would cause the seeds to fall off of the stalk (and the crop would be lost).

Another interesting thing about barley is that it has an inherently much-weaker head than wheat, and its seed-pods are much more susceptible to damage. For example, if barley is struck by hail when it is in the latter stages of development, its much-weaker head will be damaged, and the crop will be ruined. It is this inherent fragility of barley that is spoken of in Shemote (Exodus) 9:31-32:

Shemote (Exodus) 9:31-32

31 Now the flax and the barley were smitten, for the barley was Aviv and the flax was giv’ol (in bud);

32 But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten for they were ‘afilot’ (dark, also translated as ‘late crops’ in some versions).

Barley: First-Fruit of Humility

Barley is one of the weakest and poorest of all of the cereal grasses. This is precisely why YHWH chooses it to symbolize those whom He anoints to save His people Israel.

For example, Gideon was specifically chosen to serve Israel because he was one of the least of the Nation. Notice how YHWH chides Gideon for not having any might in the material realm.

Shophetim (Judges) 6:14-15

14 Then YHWH turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

15 So (Gideon) said to Him, “O YHWH, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

Included in the greater overall passage is a remez (hint) that Gideon may have been a barley farmer, in that he (as the ‘weakest’ and ‘least’ of Israel) was symbolized by a barley loaf in a dream:

Shophetim (Judges) 7:13-15

13 And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”

14 Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand Elohim has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”

YHWH specifically chose the barley because it was one of the weakest and least of all of the cereal grasses. It is specifically because it is one of the weakest and least, that we are supposed to give it such attention and care. This is not to say that we are to coddle those who do wrong. Rather, it says that, like sheep, and like Israelites, barley is in need of an abundance of special handling and care.

The Equinox Error

This fact that YHWH uses barley to symbolize Israel brings out another very interesting point. Barley some times ripens well ahead of the Spring Equinox; and if one chooses to declare the New Year based on the Equinoxes, one will be making a tragic error.

YHWH specifically commands us not to serve the sun, the moon, or the stars.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:19

9 And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon , and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which YHWH your Elohim has given to all the (other) peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

Most believers can spot the mistake that both the Muslims and the Lunar Sabbath people make, in focusing too much on the moon. However, even though YHWH specifically warns us against using serving the sun, many people have a hard time understanding why we should not use the Equinoxes in the intercalation (determination) of the start of the new year.

Many people wrongly believe that the New Year can only be declared if the Equinox has already come to pass. These refuse to intercalate (declare) the New Year before the Equinox, even if YHWH has already caused the barley to be Aviv. Not only is this idolatrous, but it also punishes barley farmers (such as Gideon), because these poor barley farmers are not able to eat their crops until they bring an offering of them to the priesthood, again underscoring the reason why YHWH times the festivals (and the calendar) as He does.

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:14

14 You shall eat neither bread, nor parched grain, nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

We discuss this in more detail in the study, “Why the Omer Count Begins the Day after the Weekly Sabbath” (available for free on the website, on the Free Studies page. We will also discuss this in depth in the upcoming book, “The Torah Calendar.”

Those who insist that the New Year cannot begin until the Solar Equinox has passed will claim that they are not worshipping (or serving) the sun. This might sound good at first, until one realizes that the term ‘Equinox’ appears in Scripture about the same number of times as the word ‘Christmas’ (i.e., it does not appear.) So if the term ‘Equinox’ does not even appear in Scripture, then how is it not pagan in origin?

And if the Equinox does not appear in Scripture, then why do both Orthodox and Messianic rabbis tell us that we must wait until after the Solar Equinox, to declare the New Year (and keep the Pesach)?

Clearly, these people are engaging in idolatrous practices: that is, worship that is not commanded in Scripture.

‘Mixed’ Calendars:

There are several examples of ‘mixed’ calendars that seek to imitate the true Torah calendar. These ‘mixed’ calendars are especially difficult for most people to recognize, primarily because they contain a majority of truth (and so people are not able to spot the errors in the details).

The three false calendars that Satan uses to mislead most Israelis are:

1. The rabbinic Calendar;

2. The so-called ‘Lunar-Sabbath’ calendar (and its variants); and

3. The Obscuration (as opposed to observation) calendar.

While we will only discuss the rabbinic calendar in any kind of detail here, we will also show some of the flaws inherent in the other two systems. We will also discuss the failings of all of these systems in the upcoming book, “The Torah Calendar.”

The Rabbinic Calendar

The Rabbinic calendar is a hybrid blend of YHWH’s Word and man’s tradition. Rather than actually observing either the Hodesh (the New Moon) or the Aviv barley, the Rabbinic Calendar seeks to predict them by a highly complex algorithm that even the rabbis admit contains flaws.

Contrary to popular myth, the Rabbinic calendar was not in use in Yeshua’s time; nor was it created overnight by a man named Gamliel II. Rather, the Rabbinic Calendar was slowly developed in response to pressures put on the Jewish Nation by the Roman Empire. This pressure slowly-but-surely forced the Jewish people into wrong patterns of behavior (that eventually became traditional). Even though these traditions are wrong, they carry forward to this day, in that the Jews consider their traditions to be binding.

Evidence from the Talmud

The Talmud is not Scripture, and the Talmud is not inspired. However, the Talmud does give us a good historic record of the thoughts of the Jewish rabbis in ancient times. This can be very good information to have.

The Talmud tells us that the rabbinic calendar was not in use in Yeshua’s day, in that the New Moon was still being declared by observation (rather than prediction). For example, Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah (”Head of the Year”) discusses how properly to interrogate witnesses to the Hodesh (the New Moon).

Talmud Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:7 details a dispute between the rabbis as to whether a certain pair of witnesses that had observed the New Moon formed a reliable basis for officially declaring the New Moon that month. The passage from Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:7 reads:

“R. Jose said: ‘It happened once with Tobiyah (Tobias) the physician, that he saw the New Moon in Jerusalem, along with his son and his emancipated slave; and the priests accepted his evidence and that of his son (but disqualified his slave);

but (then) when they appeared before the [Rabbinic] Beit Din they accepted his evidence, and that of his slave, but disqualified his son.”

Clearly this passage refers to physical sightings of the New Moon, telling us that the New Moon was being observed in Yeshua’s time, because if the New Moon was being calculated (or predicted), there would be no need to sight it.

Next, Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah 2:7 tells us:

“Whether it was seen in its time or not seen in its time [i.e. on or before the 30th day of the preceding month], it is sanctified [i.e. the New Moon day is declared by default].

Rabbi Eleazar bar Tsadoq says, ‘If it is not seen in its time [i.e. on the 30th], we [the court] do not (even bother to) sanctify it; for it has already been sanctified by heaven.”

Further, Babylonian Talmud Tractate Rosh Hashanah 24a tells us:

“The Halachah [Traditional Law] is according to R. Eleazar ben R. Tsadoq.”

As we just read, R. Eleazar bar Tsadoq said that the New Moons (New Months) were to be declared based upon observation (and not pre-calculation). Then we are told that the Halachah (the legal practice) is in agreement with R. Eleazar’s ruling.

Since the Rabbinical calendar depends upon pre-calculation, the Rabbinical calendar could not have been the calendar that was in use during Yeshua’s time.

No Calculations:

We should further note that Talmud Tractate Rosh Hashanah 24a (above) makes no reference either to calculation, or to lunar conjunction (or to any other consideration). Rather, it makes reference only to the direct observation of the new moon crescent. This tells us that the established practice of Second Temple Times (i.e., Yeshua’s time) was that the Hodesh was declared when the first crescent sliver of the New Moon was physically seen (and then reported) by at least two reliable witnesses. This logically demolishes the argument of the so-called ‘obscuration’ method of establishing the Hodesh, since it is not possible to require witnesses to physically sight something that cannot physically be seen.

Moreover, we should note that Yeshua was a Second Temple Period (Post-Babylonian-Exilic) Jew, whose modus operandi was to adhere to the Second Temple Period Halachah, except in those cases where the Second Temple Period Halachah conflicted with His Father’s Torah.

In this case, the New Moon Day was being determined by direct observation (and not any form of prediction at all). If we think about this, we should be able to see that the reason Yeshua never said anything against the method of declaring the New Moon (or the Head of the Year) is that this is one of the things that the rabbis were still doing correctly, in His time. As we will see below, the (heretical) calculated calendar only came into use after Yeshua’s death.

Let us then ask ourselves one question: If Yeshua did not have a problem with the Torah-based calendar that was in use at the time of the Second Temple, then why would we want to do anything else?

‘Messengers’ in the Talmud

For yet more witnesses, Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:4 tells us that messengers were sent out into those still in Exile, to relate when the New Moon was sighted. As we will see later, this appears to have continued to be the case during the entire time that the Second Temple still stood.

In other words, the rabbis considered that it was important for those in the Exile to keep the Festival times in sync with the Land of Israel (as determined by the Aviv barley and the New Moons, in the Land of Israel.) In fact, the rabbis felt that it was so important that those in the outlying areas know when the correct calendar was, that these emissaries were even required to violate the Shabbat in the 1st and 7th months, so that those in the far distant areas of Northern Syria would receive the news in time to keep the festivals in those months.

Given the seriousness with which the rabbis have always taken the Sabbath, it appears that the rabbis considered it vitally important for those in the Exile to know the correct calendar, so they could be kept in tune with it: and this also makes sense.

However, this also begs the rhetorical question: If the rabbis had known the date of the Hodesh long in advance (because they were using a pre-calculated calendar, rather than relying on observation), then why would it be necessary to require the messengers to violate the Sabbath? If the rabbis had had the benefit of a pre-calculated calendar (such as the modern rabbinical calendar), then why was the date not simply calculated months (or even years) in advance, as the rabbis do now?

The answer is simply that the rabbis in Yeshua’s day did not use a pre-calculated calendar to determine the start of the New Month, or the start of the New Year. Rather, the rabbis in Yeshua’s day still relied upon physical observation, as outlined in the Torah.

However, if the rabbis were still keeping the calendar properly during the time of Yeshua’s ministry, then when (and why) did they stop? The answer is simply that it was time for the next phase of YHWH’s Divine Plan for the Two Houses.

A New Phase for the Two Houses:

There is a lot that can be said about the development of the rabbinical calendar, and most of what passes for ‘common knowledge’ in today’s times is inaccurate.

According to most calculations, Yeshua’s ministry lasted from approximately 26-30 CE; and from the sources that are available to us, there is no evidence that the rabbis in Yeshua’s time used any other method of determining the Hodesh or the Aviv other than what was specified in the Torah (i.e., direct observation).

As we progress through the rest of this study, however, we find that Yeshua’s death marked a turning point in Israelite history, with regards to the calendar. Consistent with the thesis set forth in the Nazarene Israel book, a new phase of Israel’s history was ready to begin.

Enter Rabbinical Error:

About the year 50 CE (or approximately twenty years following Yeshua’s death), we begin to see a slow change develop in the Talmudic (rabbinical) literature. Not coincidentally, this change begins to take hold at about the same time as the Nazarene faith began to be supplanted by lawless Christianity, in the areas outside of Judea.

The Talmudic letters from the early period following Yeshua’s death (circa 50-80 CE) tell us that the rabbis first began to widen the scope of what was considered acceptable in determining the Aviv, to take into account more products than just the Aviv barley. The rabbis expanded their list of crops to include not just the aviv barley, but also fruits and animals.

Then, in the later period following Yeshua’s death (from 90 CE onward) we see the rabbis begin to expand their considerations to take into account not just fruits, vegetables (barley) and animals, but also the Solar Equinoxes.

Consistent with the theory set forth within the Nazarene Israel book, within 30 years of Yeshua’s death, a corruption had begun to take hold of the rabbinic leadership. Within 60 years of Yeshua’s death, YHWH had turned the Nation of Judah over to the worship and service of the sun, by allowing them to take the Solar Equinoxes into consideration in their declarations of the New Year (a practice which is still accepted in some circles, to this very day).

The Early Phase of the Corruption:

In the Babylonian Talmud, at Tractate Sanhedrin 11b (which some sources date to approximately 50 CE), an anecdote is recorded which tells us what the Apostle Shaul’s (Paul’s) teacher Gamliel (Gamali’el) once did, in an earlier time:

“It once happened that Rabban Gamliel (the Apostle Shaul’s teacher) was sitting on a step on the Temple Mount, and the well-known scribe Yochanan was standing before him with three cut sheets [of parchment] lying before him. He (Gamliel) said to him (Yochanan), …(and) take the third [sheet] and write to our brethren, the Exiles of Babylon and to those in Media, and to all the other exiled [sons] of Israel, saying:

‘May your peace be great forever! We beg to inform that the doves are still tender, and the lambs are still young, and the Aviv is not yet ripe. It seems advisable to me and to my colleagues to add thirty days to this year.”

[Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 11b, recorded circa 50 CE]

Although this anecdote may have been recorded in the later period (after 50-80 CE), what we are reading here is an anecdote of something that happened in the earlier period (50-80 CE).

What we should note here is that, contrary to the commandment in Torah (which tells us that only the barley should be considered when intercalating the year), Rabban Gamliel also took into account the maturity of the doves and the lambs, in determining when the head of the New Year should be. By adding these man-made elements to what the Torah commands, the calendar was automatically corrupted.

Since it was understood that the New Year was only properly determined from the Land of Israel (and not from any other place), Rabban Gamliel advised those still in the Exile that they should wait another month before celebrating the New Year (and the Pesach).

[However, note that the practice in this period (closely following Yeshua’s death) was still to observe what Elohim had wrought when intercalating the New Year. In this early period, the rabbis were not yet predicting the Head of the New Year; and neither was the Solar Equinox yet taken into account.]

Gamliel’s Son Shimon:

Also in the Talmud is the record of how Rabban Gamliel’s son (Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel I) was faced with a similar situation, and issued an identical ruling, perhaps one generation later:

“R. Yannai said in the name of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel [quoting his letter to the communities]: We beg to inform you that the doves are still tender, and the lambs are still young, and the Aviv is not yet ripe. I (Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel I) have considered the matter and thought it advisable to add thirty days to this year.”

[Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 11a]

When faced with the same situation as his father had been faced with (some twenty or thirty years before), R. Shimon ben Gamaliel made his determination in just exactly the same manner as his father had, before him. An analysis of this is early period following Yeshua’s death shows us that the New Year was not being determined just by the Aviv barley alone, but by at least three factors:

1. The state of the barley

2. The state of the fledgling doves; and

3. The state of the newborn lambs (for the Pesach offering).

One can easily understand why the rabbis would make this error. The state of the barley, the state of the fledgling doves and the state of the newborn lambs were all related to the ability of the Nation of Israel to bring forth the appropriate sacrifices, tithes and offerings at the Appointed Time (of the Pesach). If the barley, the fledgling doves and the newborn lambs were not mature enough and the rabbis declared the New Year (Rosh Hodesh) anyway, then the farmers would not only not be able to bring an appropriate offering, but the lambs would also not be big enough to feed the families for the Pesach. For these reasons, Rabbi Gamliel and his son (Shimon ben Gamaliel I) both decided to postpone the declaration of the New Year (Rosh Hodesh) another thirty days.

The problem, however, is that man had added to what Scripture commands. The declaration of the Aviv was no longer determined based solely upon the Aviv barley, but other factors had been brought into the equation. From there it was a simple matter to widen the scope just a little bit further, and include even the Solar Equinox.

The Later Phase of the Corruption:

Beginning in about 90 CE, Israelite literature enters a new phase. Flavius Josephus tells us in his works (dated circa 90 CE, or some 60 years after Yeshua’s death) that the Jews were now intercalating (or determining) the start of the New Year by the location of the sun according to the Greek Zodiac.

Josephus’ writings are interesting, but when reading Josephus one must always remember that while Josephus had been a highly respected priest at one point in time, at the time his Antiquities were written, Josephus was now writing to please a culturally Greco-Roman patron. Josephus depended upon pleasing this Greco-Roman patron for his livelihood; and this Greco-Roman patron may have wanted the facts of the matter put into language that he could readily understand.

Josephus writes:

“In the month of Xanthicus (a Greco-Roman month), which by us is called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians)….”

[Josephus, Antiquities 3:10:5, Whiston Translation]

The simple fact is that the Greco-Roman calendar does not correspond to the Hebrew calendar at all. That Josephus should equate the Greco-Roman month of Xanthicus as being equal to the first Hebrew month should make the true scholar extremely suspicious of taking this passage at its face value.

That Josephus should equate the month Xanthicus with the first Hebrew month should immediately alert us to the fact that Josephus is not writing for a Torah-minded audience. Rather, he is writing to please a gentile patron. Based on this, one might desire to discount (or even brush off) Josephus’ statement that the head of the Israelite New Year was determined by the Equinox (i.e. “when the sun is in Aries”).

One could easily decide to brush off Josephus’ statement, except for the fact that his assertions are also corroborated in the other Talmudic literature of the latter period. For example, the anonymous braita of Sanhedrin 11b tells us:

“Our rabbis taught:

‘Based on three things is the year intercalated: on the Aviv, on the fruit of the trees, and on the (Solar) Equinox.

Based upon two of them the year is intercalated, but based on one of them alone the year is not intercalated; but when the Aviv is one of them, everyone is pleased.’”

[Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 11b, circa 100 CE]

The exact date of this anonymous braita is not known, but some modern scholars place it circa 100 CE. More importantly, however, this entry seems to indicate a change in the predominating school of thought.

Notice that in the earlier period (Sanhedrin 11a), the New Year was declared based upon farm products such as Aviv barley, doves and lambs. Then, in the later period (Sanhedrin 11b), the list of considerations is widened to include the Solar Equinoxes.

Even though “everyone is pleased” when the Torah is kept (i.e., the intercalation is based upon finding the Aviv barley), notice that this is not the same thing as actually keeping the Torah.

The Torah stipulates that the New Year is declared based upon finding Aviv barley (alone). The Torah also strictly prohibits giving any consideration to the sun, the moon or the stars, or any of the host of the heavens.

How easy it is to slip into sun worship, without either intending it, or realizing it.

Just as the Ephraimites would later be turned over to the worship of the sun (on the sun day), the Jews were now turned over to the worship of the Sun (by taking the Equinox into account).

Later Development of the Rabbinic Calendar:

Many people believe that the rabbinic calendar in present use by the Orthodox (and most Messianics) was simply put in place (perhaps overnight) by a man named Rabbi Hillel II. However, that is not an accurate reflection of history.

A closer examination of the development of the modern rabbinic calendar will show not only why the assumptions surrounding this calendar are false, but why the calendar itself is false.

Reaction to the Bar Kokhba Revolt:

We have already seen that within the first century following Yeshua’s death, the scope of items considered for determining the New Year was widened from just the Aviv barley (first) to include other farm products, and then (later) to include the Solar Equinoxes.

After the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 135 CE (about 100 years after Yeshua’s death) the Romans banned the Jews from entering both Jerusalem, and other areas of Judea (southern Israel). For this reason it became impossible for the rabbis to properly intercalate the calendar (from 135 onward), because they were no longer able to observe the barley fields. However, since the Spirit had already led the rabbis to consider factors other than the Aviv barley in their deliberations, they were now mentally primed to accept an altogether different (and non-Torah-based) form of declaring the New Year (and its associated festivals).

Before we discuss the modern rabbinical calendar, we should note that even as late as 135 CE (a full one-hundred years after Yeshua’s death), the rabbis still held that it was not acceptable to intercalate the calendar beyond the present New Year. That is to say, one was not allowed to predict the calendar dates more than to the end of the current year. For example:

“Our rabbis taught: We may not in the current year, intercalate the following year, nor intercalate three years in succession.

R. Shimon said: It once happened that R. Akiva, when kept in prison (following the Bar Kokhba Revolt) intercalated three years in succession.

[Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 12a, circa 135 CE]

The reason it is not possible to intercalate the calendar for more than the present New Year is that it is impossible to know what agricultural conditions YHWH will put into place, a year from now. That being the case, one has no actual idea when the barley is going to be aviv (so the Aviv can be declared).

The reason rabbi Akiva intercalated the calendar three full years in advance was simply that he had been thrown into prison for his role in the bar Kokhba revolt, and he expected to be executed at any time. He felt it was necessary to declare the New Year three full years in advance, so that the Nation would have time to recover from its devastating defeat at the hands of the Romans (and appoint new leadership).

However, since rabbinical Judaism holds that any ancient tradition provides a suitable legal precedent for a repeat (similar) decision, later rabbis looked to the fact that rabbi Akiva had intercalated the calendar three full years in advance, and, (ignoring the circumstances surrounding the decision) considered that this constituted an acceptable precedent for declaring the New Years and the festivals literally years in advance.

No matter how popular it may be to predict the ripening of the barley years in advance, it is impossible to know in advance what YHWH is going to do (except through divination, which is expressly forbidden in the Torah).

Predicting the New Year and the festivals is simply against the Torah, which calls for Israel to wait upon YHWH to show us when He wants the New Year to be.

Drifting Away from the Land

It should also be noted that since the Jews were banned from Jerusalem and Judea following the Bar Kokhba revolt, the rabbis had no alternative but to move their headquarters north, to the region surrounding the Galilee. For this reason it was said:

Our rabbis taught: Years may only be intercalated in Judah; but if it was intercalated in the Galilee, it stands.

[Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 11b, before 200 CE]

In the year 200 CE, the Sanhedrin was officially moved to the Galilee in order to find relief from Roman persecution (here euphemistically referred to as ‘the Evil Eye’):

“It once happened that 24 villages from the domain of Rabbi [Judah the Prince] came together to intercalate the year in Lod (near the present Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv). The Evil Eye (i.e. Roman soldiers) entered them, and all of them died on a single occasion. From that time they removed the intercalation of the year from Judah and permanently established the rite in Galilee.”

[Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 1:18:3b, circa 200 CE]

The reason such euphemisms were commonly used in the era of Roman rule was to escape punishment for recording the sins of the Roman Empire (which was generally punished by death). However, there are still some issues.

The rabbis were forced out of Jerusalem, and therefore the first step in divorcing the intercalation process from the Land of Israel had already been forced upon them. It was not a step taken voluntary by the rabbis, but it was nevertheless proudly adopted into Jewish rabbinic (Talmudic) tradition, based upon prior legal precedent (rather than basing things strictly upon the Torah).

This Talmudic spirit of establishing human precedents remains alive and well in the minds of most Orthodox and Messianic Israel rabbis today. Some of these will even go so far as to assert that it matter nothing if one intercalates the New Year in Jerusalem, in Jamaica or even in New Jersey. These tell us (contrary to the Torah) that the intercalation process can legitimately be divorced from the Land.

Astonishingly, some Messianic rabbis even go so far as to assert that one should not intercalate the New Year from the Land of Israel; and that one should not take the Aviv barley in the Land of Israel into account in one’s deliberations in intercalating the New Year, because to do so would fly directly in the face of the prevailing Talmudic tradition.

This is precisely the kind of thinking that Yeshua decried: the exaltation of the commandments and teachings of men above the Commandments of YHWH:

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 15:1-9

1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Yeshua, saying,

2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the Commandment of Elohim because of your tradition?

4 For Elohim commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to Elohim” — 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of Elohim of no effect by your tradition.

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men (the Talmud).’”

There are many self-important ‘rabbis’ in Messianic Israel who would teach you to make the Commandments of Elohim of no effect, teaching you instead to keep the commandments and teachings of men (i.e., them).

When deciding which teachers you want to listen to, I would ask you only to remember that any man that would teach you to do something other than what is written in the Torah is a man who would have you do something other than what is written in the Torah. Now ask yourself: if Israel is given the commandment to guard all of our gates, is that the kind of a man whose teachings you want to listen to?

He who has ears, let him hear.

The so-called “Karaite” calendar

As we have seen (above), YHWH wants us to reckon time according to His Torah. He also expects us to wait on Him, by observing (rather than predicting) when the start of the New Year will be. This we are supposed to do by actually going out and observing when the barley comes ripe in the land promised to Avraham (more on this in future studies).

There is a group of Torah-observant Jews who do not believe in Yeshua, who call themselves “Karaites” (which, translated, means “Scriptural Literalists”). Nazarenes find the Karaites’ use of this term to be inaccurate, since Nazarenes believe that a complete understanding of the Tanach implies acknowledgement of Yeshua’s role as the prophesied Messiah of Daniel 9:26. Since ‘the Karaites’ (per se) do not accept Yeshua’s sacrifice, they cannot honestly be called “Scriptural literalists” (Karaites).

Many believers have shied away from the term ‘Karaite,’ and also from the so-called ‘Karaite calendar,’ in that they do not wish to be associated with non-belief in Yeshua. Nonetheless, the term ‘Karaite Calendar’ has come in to popular use in Messianic and Nazarene circles, primarily because more and more Nazarenes are waking up to the fact that the Karaites have long safeguarded something that is close to the correct ‘Scriptural’ calendar (i.e., the Torah calendar that Yeshua used). However, at least as it is practiced in the modern day, the Karaites do not keep the Torah calendar, but actually practice a form of prediction.

In theory, the modern-day Karaites believe (correctly) that the New Year must be intercalated by looking for the first field of barley that is aviv, and then waiting for the next new moon after that. However, in practice, there is a problem.

Recognizing that to look into the Talmud is simply to look into a record of the decisions made by the leaders of the rabbinical Jews in past years, we can also look at the record of decisions made by the leaders of modern Karaites in this light.

The Karaites in Israel have recently been noted to be declaring the New Moon based upon prediction, rather than observation. In one of his recent posts, Karaite leader Nehemia Gordon made the statement that the new moon could be declared based upon “potential observation” (i.e., prediction), rather than on raw observation alone.

Karaite Korner Newsletter #285

New Moon Report

January 2007

Eleventh Biblical Month

On Saturday January 20, 2007 the moon was not sighted from Israel. Observers across Israel reported heavy clouds and rain. With 2.85% illumination and 88 minutes lagtime visibility would have been certain had there not been clouds. Therefore, for those who observe based on “potential visibility” the new month begins this evening (Saturday evening).

Rosh Chodesh Sameach!

(Happy New Moon!)

Nehemia Gordon

Jerusalem, Israel

The following month, Karaite leader Nehemia Gordon appeared to be following this same “potential visibility” criteria (rather than raw observation, as the Torah implies) when he made his monthly post about the sighting of the New Moon.

Karaite Korner Newsletter #288

Moon Not Seen, Heavy Clouds

On Sunday February 18, 2007 observers across Israel searched for the new moon but it was not sighted. Heavy cloud coverage was reported across the Land.

Nehemia Gordon

Jerusalem, Israel

Nehemia Gordon did not say anything specific about “potential observation” (i.e., prediction) in his post: however, it was conspicuous that this post was made on only the 28th day of the Hebrew calendar month, and then no other posts were made.

Since the New Moon can be sighted either on the 27th (rare), the 28th, the 29th or the 30th days of the Hebrew month before the Hebrew month “times out” (at the start of the 31st day) and the New Moon is declared, it was expected that Mister Gordon would then make a post the following day(s), to let people know when the first crescent sliver of the New Moon was actually seen. However, he never did that.

The only reason Mister Gordon would not have made a posting on the 29th and 30th days of the month, is if he was assuming “potential observation” (prediction) was good enough to go on. This causes a small crisis for Nazarene Israel, in that the Karaites have heretofore been considered the only reliable resource for new moon sightings in the Land of Israel. However, since their leader appears to be making determinations based upon prediction, rather than upon proper observation, the reliability of their reporting is thrown into question.

Many people wrote to Mister Gordon, but no answers were received. However, approximately a week later, the following post was made, in which Mister Gordon explained the system of “potential observation” (prediction), and appeared to be giving a carefully disguised argument in its behalf:

Karaite Korner Newsletter #289

Purim Dates

I have been on the road for over a week and when I finally checked my e-mail I found many people asking when to celebrate Purim. I apologize for the confusion on this matter and for the delay in responding.

The moon was not sighted on Sunday Feb 18 2007 due to heavy clouds in Israel. Based on modern visibility prediction criteria, we know that the moon would have been visible had there been no clouds. There are two opinions about what to do in a situation like this. The first opinion is the “potential visibility” approach which says that we should still observe a day as New Moon even if we have not seen it due to clouds, provided we can be certain it would have been visible under ideal conditions (i.e. no clouds or haze).

The second opinion is the “raw 30-day sighting” approach which says we always look for the New Moon at the end of the 29th day; if the moon is sighted we observe that evening as New Moon and if the moon is not sighted FOR ANY REASON we wait until the next evening.

According to both approaches a month can only be 29 or 30 days long. Both approaches also agree that the 31st day becomes New Moon Day by default if the moon is not visible at the beginning of the 30th day; the only difference is what to do in a situation in which there are clouds.

Obviously the ancient Israelites went by raw 30-day sighting because they did not have a means of accurately calculating potential visibility. These calculations only became reliable in the 20th century. I should point out that the potential visibility system says to revert to the raw 30-day sighting system in months in which modern visibility criteria cannot determine whether the moon will be visible or not.

Based on potential visibility Purim would fall out on Sunday-Monday March 4-5, 2007. Based on raw 30-day visibility Purim would fall out on Monday-Tuesday March 5-6, 2007. Which system should you follow? That is not something I can answer for anyone. In my opinion both must be considered valid with our present state of knowledge and when the Messiah comes he will teach us which way is true. Since there is no Torah commandment to observe Purim this day of celebration can even be kept for three days.

Nehemia Gordon

Reporting from the road in the USA

Mister Gordon appeared to be arguing in favor of adopting the system of “potential observation” (prediction) when he said,

Obviously the ancient Israelites went by raw 30-day sighting because they did not have a means of accurately calculating potential visibility. These calculations only became reliable in the 20th century.

Apparently Mister Gordon feels that the “potential observation” (prediction) system should be adopted in the modern day, because the means of accurately calculating potential visibility have now been developed. The only problem with this argument is that it is against the Torah.

If Mister Gordon believes in sighting the actual first crescent sliver of the New Moon (as opposed to predicting the New Moon), then why did Mister Gordon not make a report on the 29th and 30th days of the Hebrew month, to show when the New Moon was actually sighted?

The answer can only be that he did not make the physical sightings, because he no longer believes them to be required whenever clouds are present.

According to both approaches a month can only be 29 or 30 days long. Both approaches also agree that the 31st day becomes New Moon Day by default if the moon is not visible at the beginning of the 30th day; the only difference is what to do in a situation in which there are clouds.

Apparently the Karaites now believe that the presence of clouds gives one the right to commit prediction, and dispense with the need to physically sight the New Moon. The problem with this is that it goes against the Torah, which calls for us to physically sight the New Moon. Moreover, those who are in the Dispersion, but who want to keep YHWH’s true calendar, are now forced to rely on the “31-day time-out,” in the event Mister Gordon does not make the appropriate reports. This is far less than ideal, but it appears to be the only truly Scriptural alternative, should Mister Gordon not prove willing to make the reports necessary for people to observe the true Torah calendar.

Outlandish Observations

Many people have asked why the first crescent sliver must be sighted in the Land. “Why can we not sight the aviv barley and the New Moon in our own localities, wherever we live?” many people want to know.

As we explained in Joseph’s Return (in the chapter titled, ‘The Millennial Land’), the land promised to Avraham extends from the westernmost parts of the Nile River (the previous Land of Goshen) all the way to the Euphrates River. It covers Lebanon, lower Syria, and Jordan. This land is special to YHWH, and the other lands of the world only appear in Scripture insofar as they impact the Land of Israel, the Israelite people, and YHWH’s grand plan of Salvation for all mankind.

Further to that point, if there is to be order in the Land of Israel, the festival times must be established from one place. The world understands this concept, which is why time in all of the many nations of the world all reference Greenwich Mean Time. Greenwich Village (in the United Kingdom) is not found in Scripture, but all of the many nations of the world nonetheless see the benefits and advantages of referencing Greenwich Mean Time, so that there is some kind of a referential standard for time throughout the world.

Simply put, time has to emanate from one central place, if there is to be order in Jerusalem, when people come up for the festivals. If people all keep different calendars, then people would arrive in Jerusalem for the festivals at all different times of the year, and on all different days of the week. Surely this would create confusion and havoc, which is not YHWH’s Way.

Barley ripens in the southern hemisphere approximately 180 days out of synch with the barley in the northern hemisphere (give or take 180 days). Further, in more temperate climactic zones (where it freezes in winter), barley is a summer (and not a winter) crop. Beyond this, barley does not even grow at all near the equator, and in arctic areas. Therefore, if one was to allow people to determine (or intercalate) the New Year based upon the barley in their local areas, many people would never have an aviv, and half of the rest would be 180 days out of synch with the other half (give or take 180 days).

Now add to this the confusion that results when people want to sight the new moon crescent in their local areas. Although it may be cloudy in Israel and sunny and clear in Arizona (or Australia, or Antarctica, or wherever), one cannot have people declaring the New Month at will, or chaos is sure to result.

When the Spirit was poured out en masse in Jerusalem in Acts Chapter Two, it was important for all of the Jewish pilgrims that came up for the festival from all of the various parts of the world, to be there at the right time.

Ma’asim (Acts) 2:5-6

5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

In order for the Day of the Pentecost to be completely fulfilled, it was important for these pilgrims all to be in Jerusalem at the right time. This underscores the reason why Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:4 tells us that the Jewish rabbis felt that their runners should even violate the Shabbat during the 1st and the 7th months, so that those in the Dispersion could be notified of the start of those months: it was so that those who were planning to make the pilgrimages up to Jerusalem could know precisely what day they needed to be there. That could not happen if time was being declared willy-nilly, each man in his own location, as each man saw fit in his own eyes.

He who has ears, let him hear.

In His service,

Yosef ben Ruach
A servant of our Master
The Israelite sect of the Nazarenes
Re-establishing the original faith of the apostles

www.nazareneisrael.org

More about Calendars
By servant@nazareneisrael.org

Shemuel Aleph (1st Samuel) 20:5
5 “Behold, the New Moon (???) is tomorrow.”

(???? are Hebrew letters which do not transfer properly)

This article is a continuation of the article, “About Calendars.” In this article we will re-cap many of the main essential points, and then cover a lot of new material from a different angle than before. The hope is that by first reading “About Calendars,” and then by reading this article, you will become grounded in the essentials of understanding the Torah calendar, and then be able to spot the errors in the many variants (which depart from the Torah).

In contrast to the solar-oriented Western Gregorian calendar (which considers only the phases of the sun), the Torah calendar calls for the observation of the moon. And yet, as we explained in ‘About Calendars,’ the Torah calendar does not call for observation of the moon only, but also re-aligns (or intercalates) itself annually in conjunction with the ripening of the barley in the Land of Israel.

YHWH has us start the calendar year according to the barley harvest, so the farmers can bring an offering of the first fruits of their barley when they come up for the Passover festival. As we will see, with this perfect timing, the farmers are allowed to make an offering of the first fruits of their crops when they are already coming up to Jerusalem, so they can begin to partake of their crops without having to make an extra trip.

Because the Torah Calendar is intercalated (or aligned) each year according to the ripening of the barley in the Land of Israel, one can rest assured the Hebrew New Year (Rosh HaShanah) will always begin at the appropriate time (in the spring), just as the barley is coming ripe. In fact, it is the only calendar in the world that can know when the appropriate start time is supposed to be, because one determines the start of the calendar year by actually going out and physically observing that the barley in the Land of Israel is within two weeks of ripe, by ancient sickle-harvesting methods.

Aviv (????) Barley Revisited

As explained in ‘About Calendars,’ the Hebrew New Year is declared:

1. At the physical sighting of the next New Moon (???) crescent; just after
2. The first barley in the Land of Israel reaches a state of maturation two weeks short of ripe by ancient sickle harvesting methods. [This just-two-weeks-short-of-ripe state of the barley is known as “Aviv” (????).]

As we will explain in this article, one reason one must declare the Aviv (????) when the very first field of barley becomes ripe is that all cereal grasses must typically be harvested just as soon as they become ripe, or else they drop their seed, and the crop becomes lost.

Yeshua speaks to the need to harvest as soon as the crop becomes ripe in one of His many parables:

Marqaus (Mark) 4:26-29
And He (Yeshua) said, “The kingdom of Elohim is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

If Yeshua says to bring the harvest in its right time, then is this not important?

Harvest in the Right Time

As we shall see, if the very first farmers in the Land to have ripe barley bring an offering of their crops to the priesthood, then the rest of the nation can harvest their grains as they become ripe. These other farmers cannot eat of it until they have made an offering unto the priesthood, but at least they can harvest their crops before the seed pods open, so these farmers can save their crop.

In the case of agricultural crops, the priesthood must declare the Aviv in its time. If declared too soon, the farmers will not be able to bring an offering of their crops when they come up to the Passover, which means they have to come up to the festival empty-handed, thereby breaking the Torah.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:16
16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before YHWH your Elohim in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before YHWH empty-handed.”

Conversely, if the priesthood waits too long in declaring the Aviv (perhaps because they are waiting for the Equinox, or something) then the barley will all have dropped its seed, and the priesthood will be breaking the Torah, as they will not be able to offer a wave-sheaf, as is commanded in the Torah.

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:9-12
9 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the First Fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11 He shall wave the sheaf (Yeshua) before YHWH, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the (weekly) Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Timing the Festivals and the Harvest

After man finds Aviv (????) barley is found in the Land of Israel, then the priests must declare the New Year when the next New Moon (???) is sighted by two reliable witnesses. Then, two weeks after the ??? (New Moon), Israel observes the Festival of the Passover. Shortly after that comes the Wave Sheaf offering.

The Wave Sheaf is (by definition) the very first barley cut; and man must cut and offer it on the first day of the week (after the Weekly Sabbath). This will be discussed in the article, “Why the Omer Count Begins the Day after the Weekly Sabbath,” and in the upcoming book study, “The Torah Calendar.”

One reason the Wave Sheaf must be the very first barley cut is that we are told the Wave Sheaf begins not only the harvest, but it also begins the fifty-day Omer (Wave Sheaf) Count that leads up to the Festival of the Pentecost:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:9-10
9 “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.
10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to YHWH your Elohim with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as YHWH your Elohim blesses you.

One reason the Wave Sheaf must be taken from some of the very first of the barley to come ripe in the Land is that no one may consume any of the new harvest (whether wild or cultivated) until after the Wave Sheaf has been offered:

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:14
14 You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

The need to offer the very first of the ripe barley offers a challenge, because the Land of Israel has many different and varied climates, and man grows barley in most of them.

Barley in the Land of Israel does not all ripen at the same time; but the crops in the warmer southern regions (and in the Jordan Valley, near the Salt Sea) ripen much sooner. Some people believe that one must wait until all of the barley in Israel is ripe before offering up the Wave Sheaf. However, this is incorrect.

Because of these many variations in climate, the barley in Israel ripens over a two-to-three month span. If one waits until all of the cultivated barley in Israel is Aviv before offering the Wave Sheaf, then the farmers in the south and in the Jordan Valley will lose their crops. The farmer is never to put the sickle to the grain until the critical time window for harvesting barley in their area has passed.

The solution is YHWH wants us to offer up the very first of the barley that comes ripe in the Land, for the wave sheaf (whether cultivated, or wild). Then, once Israel has offered up the Wave Sheaf, the farmers in the rest of the Land can harvest their barley whenever it comes ripe in their area; and their crops will not be lost.

Yeshua in the Wave Sheaf

Since all of the festivals speak of Yeshua, so too the Wave Sheaves.

Yeshua was the very first of the First Fruits. In a certain sense, He was the first of Adam who felt the touch of the sickle, and He did not wait until the whole crop (all of the Body) was ripe, before He ascended to Heaven. Rather, he went before us, as a kind of First Fruits (Wave Sheaf).

Yochanan (John) 20:17
17 Yeshua said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’”

Consider the analogy: now that Yeshua has been offered up as a type of Wave Sheaf Offering, the rest of us are free to be ‘harvested’ as we ‘become ripe’ over a two-to-three month span (two to three thousand years).

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:9-12
9 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the First Fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11 He shall wave the sheaf (Yeshua) before YHWH, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the (weekly) Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Yeshua was harvested (raised) just after the Weekly Sabbath, and He ascended to (was waved before) His Father on the first day of the week.

So too was Yeshua the male lamb of the first year (without blemish) that is to be offered on the day the Wave Sheaf is offered, as a burnt offering to YHWH:

12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb (Yeshua) of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to YHWH.

All of the festivals speak prophetically to His sacrifice.

The Need for the New Moon

In comparison to the rest of the Festivals, the lowly New Moon gets hardly any attention at all; and yet without this lowly New Moon, none of the other festivals would even be possible.

As we will see (below), the historical record tells us that Israel always sighted the Aviv barley and the New Moon within the Land of Israel; and that the priesthood always declared the New Moon and the New Year from the Temple Mount.

So if we can accept that we need to be in sync with YHWH’s time, as witnessed in the Land of Israel and as declared from the Temple Mount, then how can we properly determine the New Moon (???)?

Determining the New Moon

To review, there are basically two different means of determining the New Moon:

1. Pre-calculation.
2. Direct observation.

Only the latter of these two methods (direct observation) is correct.

Three Faulty Methods of Pre-Calculation

There are three methods that go by pre-calculation:

1. The rabbinical calendar;
2. The so-called ‘Lunar Sabbath’ Calendar (and its variants); and
3. The so-called ‘Obscuration’ (or ‘Conjunction’) calendar (and its variants).

Proponents of these three calculated-calendar systems can all give long explanations of why their models are allegedly superior; but as we will see below, in Yeshua’s day, the priesthood declared the New Month only by verifying witnesses to direct observation.

The Historical Record in the Talmud

We know none of the pre-calculated calendar systems were in use in Yeshua’s time, because the Talmud, the Mishna, and the Gemara all tell us that the priesthood still interrogated witnesses to the New Moon in Yeshua’s time.

The Mishna, the Gemara and the Talmud are not inspired. They are not Scripture. However, they do give us a good historical record of what took place in ancient times, as well as a good historical record of the inner workings of the minds of the men in charge of the rabbinate at those times.

The reason we know the New Moon was being observed in Yeshua’s day is that the Talmud, the Mishna and the Gemara all speak of ‘witnesses’ to the New Moon; and logically, ‘witnesses’ can only exist when one uses a method of ‘witnessing’ (or observing) the moon.

Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah (”Head of the New Year”)

There are many examples of witnessing the New Moon in the Mishna.

For example, Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah (”Head of the Year”) discusses how properly to interrogate witnesses to the ??? (the New Moon).

Specifically, Rosh Hashanah 1:7 details a dispute between the rabbis as to whether a certain pair of witnesses (who claimed to have sighted the New Moon) was reliable, or not.

The passage from Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:7 reads:

“R. Jose said: ‘It happened once with Tobiyah (Tobias) the physician, that he saw the New Moon in Jerusalem, along with his son and his emancipated slave; and the priests accepted his evidence, and that of his son, but disqualified his slave;
but (then) when they appeared before the [Rabbinic] Beit Din, they (meaning the Beit Din) accepted his evidence, and that of his slave, but disqualified his son.”
[Mishna, Seder Moed, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:7]

Clearly this passage refers to physically sighting the first crescent sliver of the New Moon.

If the priesthood allegedly calculated the New Month in Yeshua’s day, then why would anyone bother to sight it? What need would there be for witnesses?

Since witnesses were used in Yeshua’s day, and since none of the pre-calculated calendars use witnesses, none of the pre-calculated calendars can be the method that Yeshua used.

The Alleged ‘Thirty Day’ Month

In the Torah calendar, the month is usually either 29 or 30 days long. This is because the average length of time it takes for the moon to go about the earth and get back into alignment (where witnesses can see it) is, on average, 29.5 days.

The moon actually makes a complete 360-degree circuit about the earth every (approximately) 27.5 days. However, because the earth also moves around the sun, the moon has to go more than 360 degrees to get back into alignment (to a place where man can see it again). Thus, it takes the moon approximately two extra days to get back into ‘alignment’ (where man can see it).

The numbers used here are all averages (and can never be exact) because the movements of all these bodies (sun, moon, stars, earth, and etceteras) are not perfectly-predictable circles. Rather, they are all ellipses (and not coordinated ellipses, either).

However, all of that notwithstanding, we can expect a month to be normally either 29 or 30 days long. (There are some exceptions to this rule, but we will not deal with these in this article.)

Spotting the New Moon

Normally speaking, on the evening of the 28th or 29th days of the Hebrew month, observers across the Land of Israel go outside near dark, and look for the New Moon. If the observers can see the New Moon on the 28th day, then the priesthood must declare the New Moon on that day. If the witnesses see the New Moon on the 29th day, then the priesthood must declare the New Moon Day (the New Month) on that day. Whenever the New Moon is seen by two reliable witnesses (and their testimony is verified by the priesthood), the New Moon must be declared on that day.

If the New Moon is not spotted on the 29th day, then the observers will spot for one more day. If witnesses sight the New Moon on the start of the 30th day, then the priesthood will declare the New Moon on the start of the 30th day. However, if witnesses do not spot the New Moon at the start of the 30th day, then the first day of the next Hebrew month will begin the next day (on what would have been the 31st day).

This 29/30/Default system is the same system used in King David’s time. When the New Moon was not spotted on the 30th day, it was already known that the New Moon Day would be the following day (on what would have been the 31st).

For example:

Shemuel Aleph (1st Samuel) 20:5
5 And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, the New Moon (???) is tomorrow, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.”

Declaring the New Moon by Default

As long as the Second Temple still stood, the priesthood used this method of declaring the New Moon (???) at the start of what would have been the 31st day, if two reliable witnesses did not spot it on or before the start of the 30th day. For example, Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah 2:7 tells us:

Whether it was seen in its time or not seen in its time [i.e. on or before the start of the 30th day], it is sanctified [i.e. the New Moon is declared by default].
[However] Rabbi Eleazar bar Tsadoq says, ‘If it is not seen in its time [i.e. on or before the 31st], we [the court] do not (even bother to) sanctify it; for it has already been sanctified by heaven.”
[Mishna, Seder Moed, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 2:7]

Babylonian Talmud Tractate Rosh Hashanah 24a comments on the Mishna, saying:

“The Halachah [Traditional Law] is according to R. Eleazar ben R. Tsadoq” (meaning, that if the ??? is not seen on or before the 30th day, the ??? is declared the next day by default).

R. Eleazar bar Tsadoq’s comment tells us that in Second Temple Period times, the priesthood declared the New Months based upon observation. We are also told that the Halachah (????) during this time period agreed with R. Eleazar’s ruling (that the new months should be based on observation).

That the ??? was determined by observation (and not by calculation) means that the priesthood did not use pre-calculated calendar methods in Yeshua’s time.

In other words, Yeshua and His Apostles did NOT use:

1. The rabbinical calendar;
2. The ‘Lunar Sabbath’ calendar; or
3. The ‘Obscuration/Conjunction’ calendar.

Yeshua: A Halachically-Correct Second Temple Period Yehudi

The established practice all during Second Temple Times (i.e., Yeshua’s time) was that at least two reliable witnesses would report the ???, and then the priesthood would declare the New Month from the Temple Mount.

The fact that witnesses were required logically destroys all of the calendar methods requiring pre-calculation, since one does not need witnesses to observe something that man cannot see.

Moreover, as we explained in the Nazarene Israel study, Yeshua was a Second Temple Period (Post-Babylonian-Exilic) Jew, whose modus operandi was to adhere to the Second Temple Period Halachah, except when it conflicted with His Father’s Torah.

The reason Yeshua never said anything against the way the New Moon was declared was that the method the rabbis were using in His day was correct.

The ???: Seen in Israel; Declared from the Temple Mount

There are yet more witnesses that the New Moon is determined by observation (and not by calculation).

As we will see below, Mishna Tractate Rosh Hashanah records for us that the rabbis would send out messengers even during the Shabbat, to let those in the Exile in Syria know when the New Moon had been:

1. Sighted from the Land of Israel; and then
2. Declared from the Temple Mount.

Once the witnesses had sighted the ??? from within the Land, these witnesses then had to go up to the Temple Mount; for it was only from the Temple Mount that the ??? could be declared.

Witnesses Required to Travel on Shabbat

Since Tel Aviv is farther West than Jerusalem, it often happened that observers would see the ??? in the area of Tel Aviv before it was seen in Jerusalem; particularly during periods of marginal visibility. The Mishna records for us that it was the established practice in Yeshua’s time that witnesses to the ??? would travel from the area of Tel Aviv, and go up to Jerusalem to report the ???:

5 Whether it (the ???) was seen clearly, or whether it was not seen clearly, they (meaning, witnesses to the ???) violate the Shabbat on it.
[Mishna, Seder Moed, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 1:5]

Since it is vitally important that the New Moon be declared in its appointed time (so that the New Moon sacrifices may be offered in their times), the witnesses ??? had to go up to Jerusalem, even if it meant violating the Shabbat.

Why from The Land; and Why from Jerusalem?

Why does man have to sight the ??? from the Land of Israel, and why is it best declared from the Temple Mount? Perhaps it is because YHWH has always been more concerned with the Land of Israel, than any other land.

Even in practical terms, it should be obvious that although Israelites have celebrated the Festivals all over the world, Time has to be calibrated to some one particular place, or else there is chaos. It would make no sense for someone, say, in America or Australia or South Africa to begin their calendar on a different day than YHWH is having it kept in Jerusalem.

When this person from another country came up for the Pilgrimage Festival, if he was on a different calendar, the Festival either might not yet have started, or else it might already be over. If this was the case in ancient times, then how could the Jews from all over the known world have been in Jerusalem for the Pentecost, when YHWH poured out His Spirit?

Ma’asim (Acts) 2:1-5
2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Beyond this, it is the barley farmers in the Land of Israel who will bring the Wave Sheaf Offering up to the Temple Mount, just as it will be the barley farmers in Israel who will be bringing the tithe of their barley up to the Temple Mount (to give it to support the priesthood). Given this fact, does the ripeness of the barley in Arizona or in Australia have anything to do with anything?

And, given that it is the barley farmers in the Land of Israel who will be bringing the Wave Sheaf (as well as bringing the tithes of their barley crops), then should the aviv barley search be conducted:
a. In the land promised to Avraham? or
b. In other parts of the world?

And if the barley search must be conducted in the Land of Israel (for the benefit of the Wave Sheaf, and the barley farmers who choose to live in the Land), then why not the new moon sightings, also? Since a couple of days often makes the difference between the barley being aviv, or not being aviv, then why would we discount the control that YHWH has over the weather in the Land of Israel?

What if YHWH chooses to make clouds in Israel, so that the new moon is spotted two days later in Israel than in other parts of the world? Is it wrong that YHWH should cause the barley to have two extra days to become ripe enough for the aviv to be declared, when He wills?

If the new moon can be seen from Arizona, or Australia, or Austria, should the new moon be declared in that time, even if YHWH has caused clouds in the Land of Israel, so the barley can become aviv?

Does the timing of the barley harvest outside of the Land Israel have anything at all to do with the timing of the barley harvest in the Land?

And does the timing of the barley harvest in Madagascar have anything to do with the Wave Sheaf Offering in the Land?

Does the timing of the new moon sighting in Arizona or Australia have anything to do with whether or not YHWH gave clouds in the Land, so the new moon could be sighted in the Land?

And do the new moons and the barley in Greenwich Village, England have anything at all to do with the intercalation of the New Year in Israel?

Physically Sighting the New Moon

Actually physically sighting the New Moon in the Land of Israel is a very simple procedure. One simply waits until the 29th day of the month, and then goes out just before nightfall, and looks for it.

If two witnesses spot the New Moon on the 29th day, then the priesthood will declare the ???; and if not, then the next day (the 30th) the observers will look again. If the New Moon is not spotted by the start of the 30th Day, then the next day (or what would have been the 31st day) will be New Moon Day, by default:

Shemuel Aleph (1st Samuel) 20:5
5 “Behold, the New Moon (???) is tomorrow.”

This Scriptural method of physically sighting the New Moon stands in marked contrast to the rabbinical method of pre-calculating the New Moon, which does not concern itself with New Moon visibility.

The Scriptural method also stands in contrast to the so-called ‘Karaite’ method, which says it is OK to predict the New Moon if there are clouds.

Communicating the ???

Clearly, if the New Moon must be declared from the Temple Mount because the people of the world need to come up to the Temple Mount in sync with the time the festivals are actually happening, then there needs to be some means of communicating when the New Moon is seen from the Land of Israel (and then declared from the Temple Mount).

In modern times, there is the Internet. However, in ancient times, Israelites used two different means of communicating the sighting and declaring of the ???:

2 Originally they would light flares. (Then,) after the Cutheans’ (the Samaritans’) evil practices, they enacted that messengers should go forth.
[Mishna, Seder Moed, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 2:2]

The Gemara reports that at some point there was a mix-up with the signal flares, in which the Beit Din implicated the Cutheans (the Samaritans). Because of this mix-up, the Beit Din (the Court) decided to use runners instead of signal flares (because a runner’s message would not be misunderstood).

3 How did they light the flares? They brought long poles of cedar wood, and reeds and shemen (olive) wood, and chips of flax, and he tied together with rope, and he went up to the top of the hill and he set fire to them, and he waved to and fro and he raised and lowered, until he saw his fellow doing likewise on the top of the second hill, and so, too, on the top of the third hill.
4 And from where did they light the flares? From the Mount of Olives to Sarteba, and from Sarteba to Agrippina, and from Agrippina to Havran, and from Havran to Bet Biltin, and from Bet Biltin they did not move, but he waved to and fro and he raised and lowered until he would see the whole mass of the Diaspora below him like a mass of fire.
[Mishna, Seder Moed, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 2:3-4]

The Gemara elaborates that ‘The Diaspora’ refers to a place in Babylon called ‘Pumbedita,’ where Jews still in the Babylonian Exile would get out on their rooftops and wave torches, signaling to the men on Bet Biltin that they now knew the correct time in the Land, as declared from the Temple Mount.

In this way, the whole world looked to Zion to know what time it was:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:3
For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah;
And the word of YHWH from Jerusalem.

Did Yeshua Observe a Lunar Sabbath?

Those who profess the doctrine of the so-called “Lunar Sabbath” mislead many people. The basic idea behind this doctrine is that YHWH originally created the moon (and the other lights in the sky) to show us when the weekly Sabbath is. This idea derives from the same passage in B’reisheet (Genesis) that the idea of a Vernal Equinox Passover comes from:

B’reisheet (Genesis) 1:14-19
14 Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
16 Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
17 Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.
19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Proponents of the Lunar Sabbath theory argue that since the Sabbath is the most basic of the appointed times, that the moon was created to show us when the weekly Sabbath is.

The concept behind the Lunar Sabbath is simple. Since it takes the moon about 28 days to circle the earth, the Lunar Sabbath theorists divide this 28 days into four even 7-day periods. Their idea is that long before the days of Timex and computer programs, a simple shepherd out in the field could look up at the moon in the sky, and tell when the next Sabbath was coming, by whether the moon was obscured, in its first quarter, full, or in its last quarter.

At least according to Lunar Sabbath theory, a shepherd or a farmer would look up, and would see that either the moon was full (the middle of the month), a quarter moon (a half-moon waxing to become full), a three-quarters moon (a half-moon waning to become “empty”), or a “no moon,” which is what most Lunar Sabbath theorists incorrectly call a “new” moon.

[Note: there is one exception to this. In the so-called “Full Moon Lunar Sabbath” model, the month is supposed to start with the full moon, rather than with the obscuration. However, this argument of man also has fatal flaws, for reasons we shall see below.]

The idea behind the Lunar Sabbath Theory is very beautiful: simply by looking up in the sky, one can tell what time of the month it was, without having to bother keeping track of a “count seven.”

Another beauty of the Lunar Sabbath model is that the weekly Sabbath also lines up with the festival days. Festivals such as the Day of Trumpets and Rosh Chodesh (New Moon Day) allegedly begin on the new moon conjunction (no moon). They also count this as a weekly Sabbath.

Festivals such as Passover and Tabernacles fall on a full moon (which they also count as a weekly Sabbath).

The idea is so simple and elegant that the logical mind wants to believe it: it just seems so simple and beautiful. However, like lawless Christianity, when you begin to actually study into it, one finds that it just does not work.

Problems with the Lunar Sabbath Model

The real problem with the Lunar Sabbath Model is the prohibition against the worship of the host of the heavens (e.g. Deuteronomy 17:3, Job 25:5, etceteras). However, for the moment let us put these aside, and focus on the more direct specific problems that the Lunar Sabbath Model gives us.

How can one observe what one cannot see?

The most obvious problem with the Lunar Sabbath Model has to do with their idea of a “no moon Sabbath,” or what man calls the ‘New Moon Conjunction.’ This is the idea that one of the Sabbaths (and the beginning of each month) falls at the time of the conjunction, where the moon is on the same side of the earth from the sun (and cannot be seen at night). This simply does not work.

The idea behind the “new moon conjunction” is that when you can not see the new moon, then that is the Sabbath, and the start of the new month. The only problem with this is that in the Middle East, the period of time that the moon cannot be seen averages more than two days, but can fluctuate anywhere between 1.5 to 3.5 days (or even longer in cloudy weather).

If the moon is obscured an average of 2-2.5 days, then when (in this 2-2.5 day period) does one observe the Sabbath? Moreover, what does one do with the last week of the month, and the first week of the next month, which are likely to be either longer or shorter than the standard seven days?

The Lunar Sabbath Theory might work with a 28 day month, but in real life, the months average 29.5 days. This means that the last week of every month must last 8.5 days (on average). This 8.5 day average does not line up with the way YHWH taught the children of Israel to observe the Sabbath in the wilderness.

The “Count Seven”

In the wilderness, YHWH taught the children of Israel simply to “count seven,” and then the seventh day of the count was the Sabbath. This lines up perfectly with the Creation Week, in which there were exactly seven days (and not 8, 8.5 or 9 days).

B’reisheet (Genesis) 2:1-3
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.
2 And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because in it He rested from all His work which Elohim had created and made.

We should also note that Elohim created the moon on the fourth day of the week.

B’reisheet (Genesis) 1:14-19
14 Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
16 Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
17 Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.
19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

What are we to conclude from this? If Elohim created the moon new on the fourth day, then is the fourth day of the week the Sabbath?

First Day Worship

Next, consider that if one begins the month with the obscuration (or with the Full Moon), and that is also one’s Sabbath, then (like the Christian Church) one is worshipping on the first day of the week.

In contrast, Scripture tells us that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week.

B’reisheet (Genesis) 2:3
3 Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because in it He rested from all His work which Elohim had created and made.

If you observe a Lunar Sabbath, then you worship on the first day of your week.

There are many more holes in Lunar Sabbath Theory.

Manna in the Wilderness

When Israel was in the wilderness, YHWH taught them to gather each day for five days, and then on the sixth day, they were to gather for two days.

Shemote (Exodus) 16:22-30
22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 Then he said to them, “This is what YHWH has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a set-apart Sabbath to YHWH. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’”
24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.
25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to YHWH; today you will not find it in the field.
26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

Is any mention made here of gathering for an 8.5, or a 9 day week?

27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.
28 And YHWH said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?
29 See! For YHWH has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

There is no mention of gathering enough manna to fulfill up to 3.5 days of an obscuration. The only commandment is to take enough on the sixth day to last them through the end of the seventh day. This is the consistent pattern throughout Scripture, and the Lunar Sabbath theorists have no answer for it.

Moshe does not say that on the last week of the month you are to take in a little extra, “just in case the obscuration lasts a little bit longer than usual, or in case this happens to be an eight or a nine (or even a ten) day week.”

Moshe made no such exception.

What did Yeshua Do?

But perhaps the most compelling evidence against the Lunar Sabbath model is Yeshua, who kept the regular Seventh Day Sabbath.

Lunar Sabbath Theory proposes that the children of Judah lost the correct means of calculating the calendar when they went in to captivity in Babylon around 586 BCE. They then postulate that the children of Judah left the (supposedly “correct”) Lunar Sabbath model behind, and began following a “corrupt” means of keeping time (that just coincidentally happens to fit the model handed down in the Torah).

However, if the Lunar Sabbath model is correct (and the ‘count seven’ is not), then why did Yeshua keep the Seventh Day Sabbath along with the rest of the children of Judah? Why did Yeshua not rebuke the Pharisees for counting to seven (as the Torah says), if they were (allegedly) supposed to keep the Lunar Sabbath instead?

Yeshua did not rebuke the Pharisees for keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. In fact, we see exactly the opposite, with Yeshua honoring the seventh-day Sabbath, by going into the synagogues on it:

Luqa (Luke) 4:16
16 And according to His practice, He went in to the congregation on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

Prophecies in Daniel

Next, let us consider the prophesies over Yeshua in Daniel.

Daniel 9:27
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

Many scholars recognize how this passage speaks of how Yeshua confirmed the covenant with many, when He served as the Passover Lamb.

According to classical Nazarene thinking, Yeshua was cut off in the middle of the week (Pesach being in the middle of the week), and was then raised on the weekly Sabbath (as Master of the Sabbath).

However, depending upon which version of Lunar Sabbath Theory one listens to, the Passover is either the first day of their week, or the end of their week (a “seventh” day). However, if the Passover is at the start or the end of the week, then how could Yeshua Messiah have confirmed the covenant with many at Golgotha, in the middle of the week?

Clearly, the Lunar Sabbath model sounds great in theory, but it does not match up with Scripture, and therefore, it just does not work.

The Hebrew Day Begins When?

Finally, some assert that the day begins at morning.

Scripture tells us that the evening and the morning were the first day. By this, we are told that the day begins at evening.

B’reisheet (Genesis) 1:14-1914 Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
If YHWH wills, we will go into a more detailed proof in the upcoming book-study, “The Torah Calendar.” However, the Hebrew word Erev (?????) means evening

OT:6153 `ereb (eh’-reb); from OT:6150; dusk:
KJV - day, even (-ing, tide), night.

When we look up the suggested reference to OT:6150, we get a reference to how colors, shapes and textures seem to be all ‘mixed together’ at eventide, as the light wanes, and the darkness takes over:

OT:6150 `arab (aw-rab’); a primitive root [identical with OT:6148 through the idea of covering with a texture]; to grow dusky at sundown:
KJV - be darkened, (toward) evening.

Finally, when we look up the reference to OT:6148 (just to be complete), we see another reference to colors, shapes and textures becoming muddled, braided or intermixed with the approaching of night, as if one is becoming covered with a textured cloth:

OT:6148 `arab (aw-rab’); a primitive root; to braid, i.e. intermix; technically, to traffic (as if by barter); also or give to be security (as a kind of exchange):
KJV - engage, (inter-) meddle (with), mingle (self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be (-come, put in) surety, undertake.

The “Day Begins at Morning” theologians suggest that the word erev (?????) means ‘morning.’ However, if this was the case, then the word ‘erev’ (?????) would mean “increasing clarity and brightness,” rather than increasing obscurity.

Next, the word ‘boqer’ (?????) means ‘morning.’

OT:1242 boqer (bo’-ker); from OT:1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning:
KJV - (+)day, early, morning, morrow.

When we look up the suggested reference to OT:1239, we get a reference to plowing, breaking forth, inquiring after and inspecting something (in this case, probably agricultural crops, or livestock). All of these are activities that intelligent people do in the daytime.

OT:1239 baqar (baw-kar); a primitive root; properly, to plough, or (generally) break forth, i.e. (figuratively) to inspect, admire, care for, consider:
KJV - (make) inquire (-ry), (make) search, seek out.

“Day Begins at Morning” theologians give lengthy arguments suggesting that the Hebrew text is misunderstood, or mistranslated, or that people have gotten it all wrong since the times of Moses, or some such related argument. The problems with their arguments are too many to go into here. However, consider the following:

The first day of the month (Rosh Hodesh), the Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) and the New Year (Rosh HaShanah) all begin with the sighting of the new moon, at eventide. Further, all of these begin at a day and an hour no man knows, but the Father.

MattithYahu (Matthew) 24:40-42
40 “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Master is coming.”

The first crescent sliver of the new moons of Rosh Hodesh, Yom Teruah and Rosh HaShanah are all sighted at evening. However, if the day begins at morning (as the ‘Day Begins at Morning’ theologians suggest), then either we would not know when these festival days began until half-way through these days were done. But how are we to keep the commanded morning sacrifices of these festival days, if we do not know we are in the festival day until evening?

Some ‘Day Begins at Morning” theologians suggest that we would know the day and the hour these festival days began, because these festival days would not begin until the next morning. However, since Yeshua returns at the Last Trump (on the Day of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah), then Yeshua would have to be a liar, because His Word that we would not know the day or the hour would be false.

Is Yeshua a liar? Elohim forbid! Rather, the day begins at evening.

Shalom,

Yosef ben Ruach
A servant of our Master
The Israelite sect of the Nazarenes
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QorintYah Bet (Second Corinthians) 2:14-17
14 Now thanks be to Elohim who always leads us in triumph in Messiah, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of Elohim; but as of sincerity; but as from Elohim. We speak in the sight of Elohim, in Messiah.”

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Biblical vs. Jewish Calendar
The Bible’s Holy Days are central to True Worship. But determining when to observe them creates an unending controversy—one that has been ongoing for 2,000 years. The question is, can we trust the Jewish, or Hebrew, calendar as some do? Is it the calendar Yahweh commanded for man? Or has its many changes down through history rendered it most unreliable? Here are the facts regarding the Jewish calendar, as well as the true Scriptural calendar given by our Creator.
Some of the most visible personalities in history are those who make predictions about the future. From Nostradamus to modern “prophets” like Jean Dixon, human beings have always had a fascination with what is to come. The year 2000 is especially intriguing to many with an interest in the end times.
But the greatest prophetic treasure virtually ignored in churchianity—and the key to true and accurate prophecy—lies in the days Yahweh commanded to be observed from the beginning. The Bible tells us that the holy days, Sabbaths, and the new moons “are a shadow of things to come,” Colossians 2:16-17. Notice that this New Testament passage says they ARE, not WERE, a shadow.
These days are prophetic, presaging events that will soon be reality. The fact is, the truly momentous events of Yahweh involving His people happened at these special times.
Because of their significance not only for prophecy but also for right worship, it behooves every believer in truth to understand the seven annual Feast days and their importance for today. Central to this understanding is knowing the proper times these days occur.
Passover and Pentecost (Feast of Weeks or Shavuoth) have been fulfilled twice, once in the Old Testament and again in the New. The four autumn festivals await fulfillment. They are: Trumpets, Atonement (although partially fulfilled in Yahshua’s death), Tabernacles, and the last Great Day. All the commanded Feasts of Leviticus 23 will continue to be observed by Yahshua and His subjects in the coming Kingdom.

Getting the Dates Right Is Important

We recognize that the annual Sabbaths should be observed throughout the year, and must be observed at the proper time. Had the Israelites been keeping Passover a day late, the destroying angel would rightfully have destroyed both Israelite and Egyptian firstborn. Other important events are tied to Yahweh’s Feasts as well.
The correct date of the annual Sabbath could be especially important for us in the future. Knowledgeable Bible scholars believe that the Messiah could well come on the day of Trumpets, for He shall “descend from the heavens with a shout, a voice of the archangel and the sound of a Trumpet,” 1Thessalonians 4:16.
If we are obediently keeping the days that Yahweh has reserved for the worship of Himself, then we will be in tune with the Messiah’s Second Coming and be ready as the Savior commanded in Matthew 24:44. See also Colossians 2:16-17.
Just as important is to understand that the seven annual Feasts reveal the plan of salvation. By observing them we not only comply with the heavenly command, but we also get “in synch” with Yahweh’s ways.

Modern Calendar Completely Out of Touch

Observing the important scriptural Feast days upon the correct day and month is most difficult it we lack a reliable calendar.
Our present Gregorian worldly calendar with 12 months of 30 or 31 days each is not the calendar of the Bible. The Gregorian calendar, adopted by all Catholic countries in 1582, is a sun-based calendar. It pays no attention to the new moons as marking the beginning of the months, although the word month is based on the word moon (from Old Saxon manoth, meaning of the moon), i.e., the phases of the moon. The Hebrew word kodesh or chodesh (No. 2320 in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) is translated either month or new moon. Chodesh is from No. 2318, chadash, a prime root meaning to be new; cause to build, and is translated renew or repair. The sense or meaning of chodesh must be determined from its usage in the sentence in the Bible.
The new moon appears every 29½ days, which means the new moon month is either 29 or 30 days in length. The Gregorian calendar divides the year into 12 months of 30 days each, and adds a day to every other month to make the year of 365 ¼ days, with a day added every four years (leap year) for the accumulated extra ¼ days.
The actual new moons thus do not begin the new month in our secular calendar, but are ignored and fall anywhere within the month. Some months in our Gregorian calendar have two new moons!
The Biblical calendar is based on the recurring new moons, with a lunar year of 354 days. Yahweh established the “lights” in the sky to be man’s calendar. Notice:
“And Elohim 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” (Gen. 1:14).
A difference of 11 days exists between our world’s solar calendar of 365 days and the Bible’s new moon or lunar calendar of 354 days. Because it totally disregards the new moons, the Gregorian solar calendar is unacceptable in determining Yahweh’s holy days.
Anciently, and even during the time of the Messiah, the months and annual holy days were governed by the new moons.
Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly publishes an annual calendar listing those special dates alerting us to the evenings when we should seek the visible new moons after sunset. Proper sighting of a new moon takes a little practice and occasionally is not always possible because of sky conditions. (Just how one observes the new moons is given later.)

Is the Jewish (Hebrew) Calendar valid?

Many are firmly convinced that we should be guided by the present calculated Jewish calendar in the worship of our Heavenly Father Yahweh. The Jewish calendar does list the weekly Sabbaths as well as the Festival Days. This calendar has been used for hundreds of years and is widely available.
Some have gone so far as to make the erroneous claim that the present Hebrew or Jewish calendar was the one used at the time of the Messiah, and therefore we should be keeping the same days observed by the Jews today. Some of the over-zealous contend that the Hebrew calendar was given to Moses at Sinai. But the Jews themselves scoff at this allegation.
If the calendar used by Judaism today is that which was in vogue during the time of the Messiah when He faithfully kept all His Father’s Commandments 2,000 years ago, then we should by all means rely upon the same calendar.
History, however, shows beyond a shadow of doubt that the present Hebrew calendar is a relatively new addition. Some glaring deficiencies arise if we attempt to reconcile the present-day Hebrew calendar with the historical record and the Bible. In the following dates of the present Jewish calendar we would be doing violence to the Scriptures, for this calendar violates its own rules more than half the time—a fact we will demonstrate.

Jewish Calendar Roiled in Confusion

Today’s Jewish authorities readily admit that the calendar they use now is of recent vintage. This calendar appeared long after the Temple was destroyed by Titus in 70 C.E. Hillel II reportedly published the Jewish calendar in 359 C.E., after the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 C.E.).
Repression of the Jews followed swiftly once the Romans devastated Jerusalem and barred the Jews from entering. Religious leaders no longer functioned in Jerusalem and the determination of the months and Feasts days was in chaos.
Church leaders concluded that they could no longer look to the Jews to establish the celebration of their Easter. For centuries the governing religious body known as the Sanhedrin had announced the new year and sanctified the beginning of each month from Jerusalem. In the spring month of Abib (Nisan) the Jews had kept Passover, which the church then followed with their celebration of Easter to commemorate the resurrection of the Savior (even though there is no command to do so).
Many ancient writers allude to the “anti-Judaistic” attitudes of the Roman Church in this milieu.
The council of Nicea in 325 C.E., presided over by Constantine, marks the official stand of the Roman Catholic Church for the observance of Sunday. Since the time of Hadrian (Roman Emperor 117-138 C.E.) the Jewish calendar was no longer reliable. Passover came too early, which meant that the Easter celebration of the resurrection was also too early. Contending that the Savior’s resurrection occurred on Sunday morning, the Roman Catholic Church decided henceforth that Easter would fall only on Sunday, and not on any day of the week as practiced by the eastern churches in Asia.
Schaff’s History of the Christian Church sums up the decision of the council of Nicea by stating: “The leading motive for this regulation was opposition to Judaism…we would have nothing in common with that most hostile people, the Jews; for we have received from the Redeemer another way of honoring Yahweh] (the order of the days of the week), and harmoniously adopting this method, we would withdraw ourselves from the evil fellowship of the Jews. For what they pompously assert, is really utterly absurd; that we cannot keep this feast at all without their instruction…” Vol. 3, page 170.
The decision referred to here said, “The exact determination of Easter Sunday is made from the first full moon after the vernal equinox…” Ibid.
However, the history of the Roman Church’s decision to determine it’s own date of Easter is most interesting. There was a conflict with the churches in Asia who continued to reckon the Paschal season with the Jews and observed the 14th of Abib for the Memorial Supper. But the churches in Roman and European areas stood by a Sunday observance—”from tradition, dating from the time of Hadrian” while the Asiatic churches “claimed for themselves the highest authorities: the Apostles John and Philip, their disciples Papias and Polycarp, and some celebrated prophets and martyrs…Rome, however, did not yield. She also had her tradition…” The Church Separated From Rome, by L. Duchesne.
The truth is, the Jews themselves could not agree just when the Passover was to be celebrated! Those who followed the Jewish Passover of the 14th of Nisan became known as “Quartodecimans” (meaning fourteenth). But the Jewish calendar had been changed after the resurrection of the Messiah and was no longer reliable.
McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature (CBTEL) has the following to say on the subject of the Paschal Controversy: “It is a question of astronomy; for the Jewish calendar ceased to be any trustworthy guide after the destruction of Jerusalem…The ancient Jews could only have celebrated the Passover after the vernal equinox,” p. 722. Notice the two things in the above quotation:
· The Jewish calendar ceased to be trustworthy after the destruction of the Temple; and
· The ancient Jews (before the new calendar was published by Hillel II) could only have celebrated the Passover AFTER the vernal equinox supposedly on March 21.
McClintock and Strong continue: “The Asiatics still followed the Jewish computation, as harmonizing with the Savior’s practice, and cared nothing for the equinox, which their Easter occasionally anticipated…”
In other words, the Asiatic Christians followed the Jewish Passover in setting their festivals because that was the way the Savior kept the Passover. However, because the Jews were now following a new and different Jewish calendar, they occasionally had their Passover BEFORE the vernal Equinox. The ancient Jews could only have celebrated the season AFTER the equinox. Following the destruction of the Temple, the calendar had been changed. The following explains how.

Jewish Calendar Undergoes Change

The years 132-135 C.E. mark the revolt of Bar-Kochba and his followers. It took the most able Roman general Julius Severus to put down the rebellion, with dreadful slaughter on both sides. Hadrian vowed to raze Jerusalem so that none would know there had ever been a city there.
Jews were not allowed in the city, and Jerusalem’s destruction by the Roman army was carried out. The Sanhedrin (the governing Jewish religious body) could no longer meet to sanctify the new moons each month and therefore dates for the Feast days were in disarray. The proper calendar dates for the annual Feasts were in question. It was at this time that the Jewish calendar underwent a change.
It was this confusion that provided the impetus that led Christianity to set its own guidelines in dating Easter. The Epistle of Constantine summarized the conclusions for the Christians at the Nicean Council:
“From henceforth the vernal equinox and not the Jewish calendar should determine the incidence of Easter. That when the equinoctial full moon fell on a Sunday, Easter should be celebrated on the Sunday following; both for the reason already given, and because the Jewish festival would have been celebrated and over. Also, by making Easter, by necessity, subsequent to the vernal equinox, there was no longer a danger of double observance in the same year” (”Paschal Controversy,” CBTEL, p. 723).
Under Easter in this same reference we find, “Many of the church fathers are of the opinion that according to the original calculation of the Jews up to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, the 14th of Nisan had always been AFTER the spring equinox, and that it was only in consequence of a miscalculation of the later Jews that the 14th Nisan occasionally fell BEFORE the equinox. As the Christians could now no longer rely on the Jewish calendar, they had to make their own calculations of the time of Easter” (vol. 3, p. 13).
Here is another candid admission that during the time of the Messiah and BEFORE the destruction of Jerusalem (70 our Common Era) that the Jews used a different calendar from the one that has come down to us today. The later calendar had Passover occasionally BEFORE the vernal equinox.
As Yahweh set His calendar to begin in the spring (Ex. 12:1-2) the vernal equinox is regarded as the beginning of the year. The days then begin to grow longer, the earth stirs to new life and the new year begins. However, today’s Jewish calendar begins the year in the fall, with the day of Trumpets.
The Age of the Father by William Bright (vol. 1 p. 100) substantiates the problems of the Roman Church in determining the correct date.
Their motto was ‘No Judaizing as to Easter’…but a new difficulty had arisen out of a difference among the Jews themselves, for some of them, contrary to their old tradition, had taken to keeping Passover BEFORE the vernal equinox.
“This produced a confusion: for whereas the equinox belonged to the solar year, the Passover-day being the 14th of the month, was governed by the lunar; and thus if in a particular year Nisan 14 was reckoned as falling before the equinox, and therefore Passover was kept before a new solar year had begun, there would be two Passovers in one solar year, one after the vernal Equinox, and the other just before the next…Epiphanius said that ‘the Jews did not care to be exact at this point’…But a certain number of Christians followed the prevailing Jewish custom, although, says Socrates, they admitted it was not accurate.”

Decision-Makers Ineffective

Good historians agree that the period following the destruction of Jerusalem was one of the most difficult both for Jews and the early believers. There were uprisings and revolts among the Jews throughout the countryside, followed by severe reprisals and repression by pagan Rome, who at first did not differentiate between Jews and the early believers in Yahshua.
Some of the greatest tales of heroism among the Jews are told to this day concerning the valor of the Jews at Masada. The iron rule of the conquering Roman army quashed many vestiges of Jewish culture and religion. Included with repression of the Jews were the early believers who also worshiped in the synagogues, read from the same Torah, and observed the Sabbath and Feast days. Many manuscripts were destroyed (especially Hebrew writings) as religion books were blamed as instigators of revolt.
The Sanhedrin, Pharisees, Sadduccess, and other leaders were scattered. The biggest loss to the Jews was the designated time of the annual Holy Days to worship Yahweh. Their calendar was now in complete disarray because the decision-making body was dispersed. It was during this time that the Jews living in areas east of Jerusalem and Galilee (known as Babylon) attempted to assert their own authority in these matters under Hananiah (also known as Chananya and Hananyau). They were rivals of Palestine.

History of Babylon and Palestine Rivalry

Two very good sources give us the history and background of the rivalry between Jews dispersed in Babylon and those in Palestine. One is the History of the Jews by Prof. H. Graetz, and the other is of the same title by Milman.
The latter is a more abridged version of the account of Hananiah, who established a Sanhedrin in Babylon, and the Patriarch Simon II who determined to assert the superiority of the Patriarchate of Tiberias in Judae of Palestine (recently moved from Usha and Jamnia-Jabne) over rival Babylon.
The open schism concerned the calculation of the day for the Paschal celebration. The following is an excerpt from pp. 478-481 of Milman’s second volume, which he dates as being 240-300 of our Common Era—some 200 years after the death and resurrection of the Messiah:
“The schools of Babylon and Palestine fell into an open schism concerning the calculation of the day for the Paschal Feast. Simon determined to assert the superiority of the Patriarchate of Tiberias over his disobedient brethren. Hananiah, who taught at Nahor-pakod, and Judah ben Bethuriah, were the most educated of the learned teachers in the schools of Babylon; and to humble their pride and bring them into subordination to the seat of learning in Tiberias, was the great object of the mission which was dispatched by the Patriarch.
“The two legates were furnished with three letters. They delivered the first to Hananiah, which bore the inscription, “To your Holiness,’ Delighted with their recognition of a title considered of high importance, Hananiah courteously inquired the reason of their coming: –‘to learn your system of instruction.’ Still more flattered, Hananiah received the ambassadors with utmost cordiality, and commended them to the people, as worthy of every honor, both as descendants of the High Priest (for the Patriarch of Tiberias claimed his lineage from Aaron) and for their own personal merit.
“When the treacherous legates has secured their ground in the good opinion of the people, they began to controvert the judgements of Hananiah, to animadvert on his opinions, and to lessen him by every means in the public estimation. Hananiah, enraged at this abuse of his kindness, summoned a second assembly of the people, and denounced the legates as traitors and ignorant men.
“The people replied, “That which thou has built, thou canst not pluck up without injury to thyself.’ Hananiah demanded their objections to his system of instruction. They answered; “Thou has dared to fix intercalation’s and new moons, by which great inconformities have arisen between the brethren in Babylon and Palestine.’ ‘So did Rabbi Akiba,’ said Hananiah, ‘when in Babylon.’ ‘Akiba,’ they rejoined, ‘left not his like in Palestine.’”

‘Out of Babylon Goeth Forth the Law’

The quotation from Milman’s history continues:
“The legates produced their second letter, which ran in these mysterious words: “That which thou leftest a kid, is grown up a strong-horned goat;’ is meant that the Sanhedrin, which we left without power, had regained all its authority. Hananiah was struck dumb. R. Isaac, one of the deputies, saw his time; he mounted the tribute from which the Law was usually read. “These,’ he said, naming them,’ are the holy days of Hananiah!’ An indistinct murmur ran through the synagogue. R. Nathan, the second deputy, arose and read the verse of Isaiah,’ Out of Babylon goeth forth the Law, the Word of [Yahweh] from Nahas-pakod!” [Actual reading is: Out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of Yahweh from Jerusalem…Isa. 2:3]
“The assembly was in an uproar. ‘Alter not the word of [Yahweh],’ was the universal cry. The legates followed up their advantage and produced their third letter, which threatened excommunication against the factious opponents of their authority. They added these emphatic words: –‘The learned have sent us, and commanded us thus to say: “If he will submit, well; if not, utter at once the interdict. So likewise set the choice before our brethren in foreign parts. If they will stand by us, well; if not, let them ascend their high places; let Ahia build them an altar, and Hananiah [he was of Levitical descent] sing at the sacrifice; and let them at once set themselves apart and say, We have no portion in the Israel of [Yahweh].
“From all sides an instantaneous cry arose, ‘Heaven preserve us from heresy! We have still a portion in Israel of [Yahweh].’ The authority of the Sanhedrin in Tiberias was universally recognized. Judah ben Bethuriah, as well as Hananiah, was forced Tobu the yoke; and till the political separation of the Babylonian from the Western Jews, on the restoration of the Persian monarch (for the province has now been again brought under the Roman dominion by the conquest of Verus). The patriarch of Tiberias maintained its uncontested supremacy over the whole Jewish commonality.”
The accounts by Milman and Graetz are both by competent Jewish historians.

Passover Always After the Vernal Equinox

Jewish chronicles admit that the Jews themselves were not in harmony as to the correct day of Passover. The Council of Nicea was called to settle several differences in doctrine, and to set the time for the Paschal or Easter celebration independent of the squabbling Jews.
It had become obvious that the church could not depend upon the Jews who so disagreed among themselves over the calendar. Passover could vary as much as a month among the Jews, depending on the intercalary month. The truth is that the present Jewish calendar evolved and grew into its present form over a period of many years. It is not the same one followed at the time of the Messiah.
Additional proof of a change in the Jewish calendar is presented the Paschal Canons of Anatolius, preserved for us in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 319. Anatolius, held in high regard for his eloquence and erudition, wrote about a century after the onset of the Paschal controversy: “Wherefore we maintain that those who place the first month (Nisan) in it (the zodiacal sign before the vernal equinox) and determine by it the 14th day of Passover, commit no slight or common blunder. And this is not an opinion of our own; but it was known to the Jews of old, even before [Messiah] and was carefully observed by them.”
Anatolius said that at the time of Messiah and before, Passover never was allowed to occur BEFORE the vernal equinox, but did exactly that under the present Hillel calendar, where Passover was placed two days before the equinox in the 17th year of the cycle! This NEVER occurred in Temple times.
Further, Anatolius points out that this can be learned from “Philo, Josephus, and Musaeus and not only them, but also by those yet more ancient, the two agathobuli, surnamed ‘Master,’ and the famous Aristobulus, who was chosen among the seventy interpreters of the sacred and holy Hebrew Scriptures by Ptolemy Philadelphus and his father who also dedicated his exegetical books on the law of Moses to the same kings.
“These writers, explaining questions in regard to the Exodus, say that all alike should sacrifice the Passover offerings after the vernal equinox. I know that many other things have been said by them, some of them probable, and some approaching absolute demonstration, by which they endeavor to prove that it is altogether necessary to keep the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread after the equinox.
In appealing to the more ancient writers, including Aristobulus (2nd Century B.C.E.), one of the seventy who translated the Septuagint Old Testament, it is evident that these writers agree that Passover had to occur AFTER the vernal equinox. By reckoning the vernal equinox as the beginning of the year, it would be possible to have two Passovers within one year if Passover were kept before the equinox.
Being well learned in the calendar, Anatolius was showing the Jews and those who followed their “new” calendar that they were completely wrong in their cycle change. When the 17th year of the 19-year Metonic cycle came around, Passover was two days ahead of the vernal equinox, according to the new calendar adopted by the Jews. This 17th-year Passover occurs the earliest of all years, and it stayed ahead of the equinox for the next 400 years.
However, the Jewish calendar no longer allows Passover to occur before the vernal equinox because of the basic error wherein the present calendar adopted in the 2nd Century is longer than the solar year by six minutes, thirty-nine seconds. This means the entire calendar moves ahead of solar time one day in about 216 years. Since this steady creeping ahead of the solar calendar, the 17th year in the cycle no longer has Passover before the equinox. Eventually, however, Passover will be held more toward summer than spring.

Jewish Encyclopedia Admits Error

This aberration is corroborated by Jewish authorities in their prestigious Jewish Encyclopedia under the article, Calendar, p. 500: “That there is a slight error in the Jewish calendar—due to the inaccuracies in the length of both the lunar and solar years upon which it is based—has been asserted by a number of writers. According to Isadore Loeb the Jewish cycle in 19 years exceeds the Gregorian by 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 15.3 seconds. This makes a difference in a hundred cycles (1900 years) of 8 days, 21 hours, 45 minutes, and 5 seconds.
Interestingly, some proponents of the Jewish calendar would have us believe that this calendar was given directly from Yahweh and is infallible. The Jewish Encyclopedia admits, “Insignificant as these differences may appear, they will cause a considerable divergence in the relations between Nisan, and spring as time goes on, and may require a Pan-Judaic Synod to adjust,” ibid.
Had Yahweh indeed inspired this Jewish calendar, we who believe and rely upon His Word know there would be no reason to adjust or change anything He had made, for He makes everything perfect. Therefore, the present Hillel II Jewish calendar cannot be inspired of Yahweh. It is a masterpiece of man, but being of man, is fallible and indeed contains error.

Bishop of Alexandria Condemns Changes

Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, around 295 C.E. became highly critical of the changes made by the Jews in their adoption of certain rules in their calendar. Recorded for us in Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 6, we read the comment (referring to the Jews) as follows:
“But if they knew Him who sent, and His who was sent, there is no reason to doubt but that they have been ignorant of the Passover as prescribed by the law, so as not merely to err in their choice of the place (they were now looking to Tiberias and Usha instead of Jerusalem) but also in reckoning the beginning of the 14th day of which, being accurately observed after the equinox, the ancients celebrated the Passover according to the Holy Command: whereas the men of the present day now celebrate it before the equinox, and that altogether through ignorance and error, being ignorant how they celebrate it in its season…”
Note that this Bishop of Alexandria confirms that the ancient Jews observed the Passover according to Yahweh’s command and kept it after the equinox. Because of the changes made in reckoning of the Jewish calendar, their present ciphering is in error. This condemnation of the error of the Jews in keeping Passover under the new rules of their calendar was directed, not at the way they were keeping Passover, but at the dates that were set. Before that time the visible sighting of the new moons was verified to establish the beginning of the months.
Bishop Peter further criticizes the Jews by saying up to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (70 C.E.) that they were right in every way in their determinations of Passover. Notice his rebuke:
“…The first month amongst the Hebrews was appointed by law, which we know to be have been observed by the Jews up to the destruction of Jerusalem, because this has been so handed down by Hebrew tradition. But after the destruction of the city (the Jewish calendar) was mocked at by some hardening of the heart…”
He is criticizing the Jews because they no longer went by the visible new moons to establish the holy day calendar. Instead of observing green ears of barley, they began using calculation alone and in so doing set Passover before the vernal equinox, or back in winter, and not in the spring when the new year began, keeping Passover out of its spring season and observing it too early, in the winter season.
It must be noted that the new moon of Abib did not necessarily come before the equinox, for the exact equinox (March 19, 20, 21, or 22) was anciently most difficult to determine with primitive means. But Passover, which occurs 14 days after the new moon at the time of the full moon, was highly important.
The Alexandrian Bishop summarizes his conclusions about the Jews turning to idolatry and spiritual fornication (paragraphs 4-6) by saying in paragraph 7, “That therefore up to the period of the [Master’s] passion, and at the time of the last destruction of Jerusalem, which happened under Vespasian, the Roman emperor, the people of Israel rightly observing the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, celebrated it on the Passover of the Law, has been briefly demonstrated.”

More Who Find Calendar Erroneous

There is no doubt that the early assembly fathers recognized the error of the Jews in their calculated calendar. The Passover was kept by first observing the new moons right up to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was only after the dispersion, which followed that the calculated calendar came into use and along with it the adaptation from Babylon of the metonic or 19 year cycle. Prior to that time, an 8-year cycle was followed.
The Roman churches then addressed this problem at the Nicene Council. This is shown in the Catholic Encyclopedia, under “Calendar,” where we read:
“When the destruction of Jerusalem practically deprived the Jews of the dispersion of any norm or standard of uniformity, they probably fell into erroneous or divergent reckoning, and this in turn entailed a difference of opinion among the Christians.”
Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian, himself a priest who lived in Messianic times, tell us that the Passover had to be held when the sun was in Aries, that is, had passed the vernal equinox. It was shortly after that time of Josephus that the Jewish calendar was changed to that every 17th year of the cycle, Passover was placed in the winter in the previous year, instead of into the spring of the next year! (Josephus Antiquities, Book II, ch. X 5.) As explained, because of the steady creeping forward of the Jewish calendar, this error no longer occurs.

Why Intercalating Was Necessary

Schurer goes on to state some of the reasoning used for intercalating a month before Nisan or Abib:
“If one therefore, toward the close of the year, noticed that Passover would fall before the vernal equinox, the intercalation of a month before Nisan would have to be resorted to.” (p. 371)
A footnote reads: “For three reasons a year may be pronounced an intercalary year; because of the ripeness of the grain (if this has not occurred at the proper season), and on account of the sun (if the sun at Passover has not yet come into the sign of Aries), and if the rains had not ceased. And if two of these reasons combine may one conclude for intercalation, but not for one of these alone.”
It should be interesting to you to know that the procedure followed by the Jews during the time of the Messiah and right up to the destruction of Jerusalem is the same method used by Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly today! In our relentless effort to return to the Truth of the Scriptures, we have endeavored to follow the Bible as our guide in keeping Yahweh’s Holy Days.
In a footnote on page 372, Schurer says, “…Theodore Reinach has proved in a convincing manner that in the Kingdom of Arsacidae, that is in Babylon, even in the first century before (Messiah) and in the first century after (Messiah), the Greek calendar, calculated according to the nineteen years’ cycle as that used ‘by the Gentiles and Jews’ it would seem that cycle, even in the third Christian century, prevailed in Palestine and Syria (so far as the solar year had not yet been adopted)…the later Jewish calendar was constructed, not by the Palestinian, but by the Babylonian Jews.”

Nineteen-year Cycle from Babylonian Calendar

It is clear from all the abundant evidence that the present 19 year cycle of the Jewish calendar is a recent recension from Babylon, later accepted by other Jews and finally published by Hillel II over an extended period. As the eminent Encyclopedia Britannica states (under Origen), “The Jewish calendar is the result of long development; its present form is not of great antiquity.”
A Dictionary of the Bible by James Hastings, vol. Iv under Time, p. 764, says: “By the Middle of the 2nd cent. [C.E.] the calculated calendar was on the way to acceptance (Sanhed. 12a), but it was not fully adopted till the 4th cent. Under Hillel II. In the intervening period the proclamation of new moon and of the intercalary months was still dependent on the evidence of eye-witness as to the reappearance of the moon on the one hand, and the relation of the lunar months to the solar seasons on the other. But astronomical calculation was certainly utilized as well…”
Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (ERE) states (p. 123) that the change from the 8 year cycle to the Babylonian 19 year cycle took place between 222 and 276 C.E.—after the time of the Messiah. This is another proof that the present Jewish calendar was not used in the time of the Messiah. It has been changed!
The ERE goes on to make the following statement that must be considered by those who mistakenly contend that the present day Jewish calendar is from the great antiquity, from the time of Moses.
“The supposed calendar is never referred to in the Talmud, which received its final redaction at the end of the 5th century. Nothing whatever is said there about the length of the month or the nineteen year cycle, or anything else of the kind. It is psychologically improbable that the Patriarch Hillel II would of his own initiative divest himself of his highest privilege, and likewise of his most powerful means of influence amongst the Jewish communities both in Palestine and beyond it. Moreover, from the early post-Talmudic age we have dates, which cannot be reconciled with the regular calendar in use today. In point of fact, everything goes to indicate that the calendar, like all other productions of the kind, passed through developing series of forms and that it assumed its final shape in the schools of the official representatives of Judaism (called Geonim) in Babylonia.
(Footnote) “Conclusive proof of the view that the continuos calendar had its origin in Babylon during the post-Talmudic period (5th century C.E.), is furnished at the earliest by the proceeding of Ben Meir…then elaborated upon by Bornstein…” (emphasis our).
The ERE has the following footnote: “The earliest known Jewish astronomer, Mashallah, lived in the reign of the Khalif al-Mansur. Here, therefore we find a corroboration of our theory that the consultant calendar of modern Judaism is of relatively late date. The calculation of conjunctions, for instance, cannot have been finally established even as late as A.D. 776, for according to the Baraitha of Samuel, the conjunction of Tishri in that year took place at 4d. O h.; while, according to the modern reckoning it did not occur till 4 d. h.3 h. 363 p.” (p. 122).
Here is another proof that in the year 776 in our Common Era, there is a difference of OVER THREE HOURS in the astronomical date of the conjunction! The present-day Jewish calendar does not fit the reckoning of earlier recorded calculation. If the present Jewish calendar were used in 776 C.E., then there would be no discrepancy in the time of the conjunction. Therefore, the present Jewish calendar was not in use at this time, nor could it have been at the time of Messiah.

Jewish Records and Writings: Jewish Calendar Evolves

The prestigious and reliable Jewish Encyclopedia clearly explains the development of the Jewish calendar:
“The Jewish calendar may be divided up into three periods—the Biblical, the Talmudic, and the post-Talmudic. The first rested purely on the observation of the sun and moon, the second on observation and reckoning, and the third entirely on reckoning.”
The Jewish Encyclopedia states that the months were based upon visual (empirical) sighting of the thin crescent. This was used in addition to a projected sighting of the new moon every 29 or 30 days. It was only later that a calculated calendar determined the holy days.
In the Mishnah (Teaching) we find the Jewish oral law containing decisions and traditions from the first Century B.C.E. to the third Century C.E. and is the basis of the Gemara (Interpretation). It is from the Mishnah that we learn that a Holy Day could occur on any day of the month (Dansby’s translation) such as is given on p. 125, #6: On a Festival-day next to the Sabbath, whether before it or after it, a man may prepare two Erubs…”
Still with the Mishnah, on p. 146 #10 we learn that the 16th Abib may fall on a Sabbath; pp. 197, 201, 213 show that the old calendar is not in harmony with the present-day Jewish calendar. In fact p. 509 #7 shows that the Day of Atonement could fall on a Friday, the day before the weekly Sabbath. This is in direct opposition to the modern Jewish calendar which has postponements designed to forestall Atonement’s being either before or after the weekly Sabbath.
Not only does the Jews’ own Mishnah disproves the antiquity of the present-day Jewish calendar, but the Talmod also refutes the contention that is an ancient institution of the Jews. In the footnote, p. 117, the ERE states, “It is related in the Talmud (Sanhedrin, 12a) that Akiba (first half of 2nd Century A.D.) reckoned three years as intercalary—a fact which proves the non-existence of any intercalary cycle at that time.
Three successive intercalation’s is unheard of in the modern Jewish calendar which has the additional month intercalated seven times in a 19-year cycle, viz. In the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years. This is clearly stated in The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar by Arthur Spier, Number 10 under C. The Common and Leap Years.

More Evidence of Unauthorized Changes

From the translation of J.D. Michaelis’ book De Mensibus Hebraeorum, we read the following, “As the Jews still retain the names Nisan, etc., it may appear at first sight needless to do more than refer the reader to a modern almanac and this would have been the case if it were not evident that the modern Nisan does not correspond with the ancient one.
Here again we have proof that the present Nisan has been changed along with other Jewish months from the older, more ancient calendars based upon a visible new moon and observation of the seasons. Michaelis pointed this out upon discovering the true state of this case after the rabbinical writers had so universally established an erroneous opinion that the calendar was from antiquity. This Rabbinical error has not even yet entirely disappeared from our popular books.
Hasting’s ERE (already quoted) relates the following incident by a rash defender of Jewish calculated calendar: “Against all these sectaries and heretics a stand was made by Gaon Saady b. Joseph al-Fayfimi (892-942). In order to safeguard the existing system of the calendar, he broached the remarkable theory that it was of immemorial antiquity, and that months and festivals had always been determined by calculation.
“He maintained that observation of the moon was introduced only in the time of Antigonus of Socho (3rd Cent. B.C.E., as heretics has arisen who questioned the accuracy of the calculations, and that this step was taken to simply to show that calculation and observation were in perfect accord. It was an easy matter for the Karaites to quash this theory by means of data from the Talmud…and the majority of Rabbinical authorities had likewise to admit that Saadya’s contentions were absurd.”
Not only do we learn that the zealousness of those defending the antiquity of the present Jewish calendar forces them to make rash statements, but in the above we learn that observation of the new moons was carried out BEFORE the 3rd Century B.C.E. The truth is, the present Jewish calendar is not very old, dating from the time AFTER the Messiah, introduced to the world in the fourth century.
Jewish writers and misled zealots continue their attempt to present the Jewish calendar as very ancient, implying that its accuracy is unchallenged, which history shows simply cannot be true.
Down through the years to our present day there are those who contend the present Jewish calendar came directly from Yahweh, given to Moses at the time of the giving of the Law. This absurdity of trying to place the Jewish calendar before the Messiah was promulgated in the 10th Century.

The Extra Month: A Later Revision

The Jewish calendar of today inserts an intercalary month in the spring, which is known as “Ve-Adar,” the second Adar month. Insertion of an extra month is necessary so that Passover always falls in the spring when the barley crop ripens. If this were not done, the Jewish calendar would be like the Mohammedan which has their holy days rotating through all seasons of the year before returning to their original position every 34 years.
However, it was not always the custom to intercalate a month in the spring as presently done with the Jewish calendar. In his The Crux of Chronology, Frank Meyer shows that not only did the early Jewish almanac intercalate a month on the 5th (instead of the present 6th) and the 16th (in lieu of the present 17th) year of the 19 year Metonic cycle, but that the month was intercalated in the fall and not in the spring as at present.
On page 253 we read: “That the chronological site of the intercalation has, in different ages and in different stages of the world’s experience, been located in different parts of the fiscal year, is a matter of fact recorded in history. The men of Judae preferred, in unison with all the other nations under the influence of the Selucidae, to insert their embolismic month in the late summer or early autumn, calling this extra lunation ‘the second Elul.’”
Again, page 253, ibid, “Consequently, as early as the 6th Century B.C.E. the insertion of an extra lunation after Elul, in late summer or early autumn, was recognized as legal and practiced as calendrically correct.”
Frank H. Meyer’s work shows us then, that the modern Jewish calendar was not governing the times about 564 B.C.E. Today the Jewish calendar inserts a month before the spring month of Abib (or Nisan). This proves that the rules of the modern Jewish calendar were then not used to determine months, and therefore the refining of the present calendar took place during the time after Messiah! The present Jewish calendar is of recent origin, and many authorities do not date it only since the reputed release year 359 C.E., but even several hundred years later.

New Moons Used in Yahshua’s Time

To further prove that the Jews at the time of the Messiah did not have a fixed calendar as they have today, Emil Schurer in his book, The Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, wrote on page 366: “But unless all indications are deceitful, they (Jews) did not in the time of [Yahshua Messiah] possess as yet any fixed calendar, but on the basis of purely empirical observation, on each occasion they begin a new month with the appearing of the new moon, and likewise on the basis of each repeated observation intercalated a month in the spring of every third and second year, in accordance with the rule that Passover under all circumstances must fall after the vernal equinox.”
Appealing to the writings of Julius Africanus, Schurer says dogmatically (p. 369), “The system of intercalation was not fixed even in the second century after [Messiah].” On page 370 we read, “…The intercalation was carried out without reference to any preconceived theory on the basis of an empirical observation made on each separate occasion. That this was still the case in the times of the Mishnah is proved from the two following passages; Megillah I, 4Edujoth vii, 7…There is absolutely no trace of any previous calculation.” The Mishnah was compiled from 450 B.C.E. to 200 C.E. and arranged at Tiberias and all this time there is no hint given of a calculated fixed calendar such as the Jews use today!
Surely if a calculated calendar were in use at the time of the Messiah, there would be a record of its being included in the writings of the Mishnah, But there is none! Each new moon was based upon empirical observation with a calculated calendar of 29 and 30-day months to corroborate the sanctifying of the month.

Christianity Distrusts Later Jewish Calendar

Many church fathers are of the opinion that, according to the original calculation of the Jews up to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, the 14th of Nisan had always been after the spring equinox, and that it was only in consequence of a miscalculation of the later Jews that the 14th of Nisan occasionally fell before the equinox. As the Christians could now no longer rely upon the Jewish calendar, they had to make their own calculations.
Thus the Council of Nicea determined that Easter would fall upon the first Sunday following the first full moon following the vernal equinox. It was understood that the full moon would be Abib 15, the first day of Unleavened Bread.
The New Dictionary by J.D. Douglas reads on page 160,
“In general, the Jewish calendar in NT times (at least before AD 70) followed the Sadducean reckoning, since it was by that reckoning that the Temple services were regulated. Thus the day of Pentecost was reckoned as the fiftieth day after the presentation of the first harvested sheaf of barley, i.e. the fiftieth day (inclusive) from the first Sunday after Passover (cf. Lv. 23:15f.); hence it always fell on a Sunday, as it does in the Christian calendar. The Pharisaic reckoning, which became standard after AD 70, interpreted ‘Sabbath’ in LV. 23:15 as the festival day of Unleavened Bread and not the weekly Sabbath; in that case Pentecost always fell on the same day of the month (an important consideration for those in whose eyes it marked the anniversary of the law-giving) but not the same day of the week…
“Even more important than the minor calendrical differences between Sadducees and Pharisees was the cleavage between the Sadducees and Pharisees, on the one hand, and those, on the other hand, who followed the ‘sectarian’ calendar known from the book of Jubilees and now also from the Qumran literature. If [Yahshua] and his disciples followed this ‘sectarian’ calendar, that might explain how they kept Passover before his arrest, while the chief priests and their associates did not keep it until after his [impalement]. (John 18:28).”

Other Babylonian Influence on the Calendar

The Biblical calendar was originally based on the sighting of the new moon. Only later did that proper method give way to a man-made, exclusively calculated one. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) (vol. 1, p. 541) reads, “The Heb. or Jewish calendar had three stages of development: the preexilic, or Bib.; the postexilic, or Talmudic; and the post-Talmudic. The first rested on observation merely, the second on observation coupled with calculation, and the third on calculation only. In the first period the priests determined the beginning of each month by the appearance of the new moon and the recurrence of the prescribed Feasts from the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Thus the month Abib (‘abhibh), the first month of the year according to the Levitical law, in which the Passover was to be celebrated, was determined by observation (Ex. 12:2; Deut. 16).
“After the exile more accurate methods of determining the months and seasons came into vogue, and calculation was employed to supplement and correct observations and the calendar was regulated according to the Babylonian system, as is evidenced by the names of the months which are derived from it. In later times the calendar was fixed by mathematical methods…”
Interestingly, the ISBE claims the present calendar came later:
“More exactly, 4 years out of every 11 were leap years of 13 months (Jew Enc. Art. “Calendar”), this being derived from the Bab. Calendar. If, on the 16th of the month Nisan, the sun had not reached the vernal equinox, that month was declared to be the second ‘Adhar and the following one Nisan. This method, of course, was not exact and about the 4th cent. of our era the mathematical method [Hillel II calendar] was adopted. The number was adopted. The number of days in each month was fixed, seven having 30 days, and the rest 29. When the intercalary month was added the first ‘Adhar had 30 days and the second 29 days” (p. 542, “Calendar”).
A supporting comment comes from the Classic Bible Dictionary: The calendar currently in use for Jewish religions purposes is thought to have been introduced by the pariarch Hillel II [C.E. 330-365]. Before that time it was necessary for witnesses to report the appearance of the new moon to the Sanhedrin each month. The various communities of Israel were then informed of the arrival of the new moon by fire signals, or, later, by messenger. Because of uncertainties concerning important dates, Jews outside the Holy Land observed certain of the holidays on two successive days.
“Since the Babylonian exile, the months have borne Babylonians names…” It is apparent that the present Hebrew calendar is based on Babylonian astronomy and even the names of the Jewish months are adapted from Babylonian names.
Only four months were named before the Babylonian captivity;
Abib = green ears (Nisan); Ziv = flowers (Iyyar); Ethanim = perennial (Tishri); Bul = showers (Marchesvan). Thus eight months were given names from Babylon after the return from the Babylonian captivity, Classic Bible Dictionary, J.P. Green, p. 252.
Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pp. 200-201) is more precise on this point:
“In later history the nation of Israel adopted all 12 months of the Babylonian calendar as their civil calendar. Not all of the 12 months are listed in the Bible…
“With regard to the year, the Jewish historian Josephus stated that Israel had two New Years—the commercial New Year, which began in the fall (seventh month), and the religious New Year, which began in the spring (first month)…
“To reconcile the lunar month with the solar year, Babylon had a sophisticated system where seven months would be added to the calendar over a 19 year cycle, resulting in an error of only two hours and four minutes by the end of the cycle. This is remarkable accuracy for that day. Israel must have adjusted her calendar in a similar fashion by adding a ‘Second Adar’ month whenever necessary.”
Nelson’s Dictionary flatly states that Israel adopted the names of all 12 months of the Babylonian calendar. However, in reference to adopting the 19 year cycle of the Babylonians, Nelson’s Dictionary carefully avoids stating that Israel abandoned her old formula of intercalating a month during their 8 year cycle when necessary and adopted the Babylonian 19 year cycle. But this is exactly what happened, as other authorities attest.
The present Jewish calendar follows closely the Babylonian calendar which emerged with the Hillel II calendar of 359 (365) C.E. Thus the Jewish calendar is relatively recent and is a close copy of the Babylonian calendar.
Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary states the following on page 1076:
“Before A.D. 70 Jews followed Sadducean reckoning, which regulated the Temple services. Afterwards, the Pharisaic system became the norm. It is apparent from John 18:28 that the calendar kept by the Jewish leaders and the one used by [Yahshua] and his disciples were not the same, as Passover was being celebrated on different days…”
This observation by Eerdman’s dictionary states clearly what many scholars have come to conclude, namely, that the various and unbiblical postponements by the Pharisees of Yahweh’s holy days were already being followed during the Savior’s time. Yahsua kept the Passover at the right time with His disciples, as established by the Sadducees, but the Pharisees observed it a day later—on the 15th—just as some do today.
“The command to ‘keep the month of Abib’ (Deut. 16″1), made it necessary to be acquainted with the position of the sun. Moreover, it was possible to judge by the grain harvest. If the month of Nisan arrived and the sun was at such a distance from the vernal equinox that it could not reach it by the 16th of the month, then this month was not called Nisan, but Adar Sheni [second], ” ibid.

More Facts About the Jewish Calendar

The Jewish calendar observes the days from evening to evening in accordance with Genesis 1:5, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” This is repeated in Exodus 12:18 and Leviticus 23:32. “Day” is used in a double sense: (1) as the period of twenty-four hours, and (2) daylight as contrasted to darkness or night, and must be determined in context.
To quote the Jewish Encyclopedia under Calendar, “Nightfall, as the border-line between the two consecutive days is the moment when three stars of second magnitude become visible. The short time before the actual appearance of the stars is regarded as a doubtful period, neither day nor night, and is called in rabbinic literature “bene ramshayah’ (between the evenings).”
During the time of the Messiah, observers were stationed in various part of the country and were alerted to watch for a small, faint arc, like a sickle in the western sky shortly after sunset. This would be the first reflection of the sun from the right side of the moon.
As the moon revolves around the earth every 29 or 30 days it reaches a point where it is positioned in a straight line between the sun and the earth, and because of the position of the earth and sun, no light is reflected from the moon. This is known as the conjunction (Hebrew – molad). The time elapsed from one molad to another is referred to a lunation, which takes 29 ½ days.
During the times of the Temple in which the Messiah walked the earth direct observation was used to establish and begin the new month. This was reported to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem who then sanctified the day as the new month. It takes at least 18 to 20 (some say 22 hours) following a conjunction for the unaided eye to see the scimitar-shaped arc bulging out on the right side of the moon. The tips of the crescent (called “horns”) often point upward in spring, later to the left.
Often the brightness of the setting sun obliterates the thin and very faint light of the new crescent moon. It is the visible sighting of the new moon, which begins the month according to the Bible, and is the rebuilding phase of the moon.
Deuteronomy 16:1 reads, “Observe the month (moon) of Abib and keep the Passover unto Yahweh.” Observe if from the Strong’s Concordance No. 8104, shamar, and means to guard, attend to, protect, and is translated beware, be circumspect, take heed, mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, and regard.
The Holladay Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon defines it as watching in the sense of looking. We are to take special note of that new moon in which the green ears of barley heads develop, and keep the Passover unto Yahweh during that month (Ex. 9:31).
The Jewish calendar disregards that admonition and instead anchors the beginning of months to the astronomical conjunction itself, and not to the visible crescent. It is a principle of the Jewish calendar that if the conjunction (Hebrew = molad) takes place before noon, then that day at sunset begins the new month.
At sunset that day the new moon would be something less than seven or eight hours old, and if the sunset is before 6 p.m., hardly six hours old, it would in no way be old enough to be visible with the naked eye.
“There is at least the possibility of experts discovering the small sickle of the moon six hours after the conjunction” says the Jewish Encyclopedia. But this is a farce, for except by using optical lenses, the unaided eye cannot see the slim sliver of light until the new moon of today is 20 or 22 hours old.
This could make a difference of a day in setting the time for the Holy Days of Yahweh. We must remember that the Bible was written for the ancient Israelites, who as shepherds, farmers, dressers of vineyards and sycamore trees did not have highly refined optical instruments at their disposal. We go by the same standards, but have the advantage of records and astronomical predictions of the ephemeris.
The Bible’s admonition applies to us as well as to the ancients to be aware (alert to) the new moon in which the green ears appear, that we can properly observe Yahweh’s Passover and remaining Sacred appointments. Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly observes these new moons each month just as did ancient Israel. The present Jewish calendar is not sanctioned by the word of Yahweh. It is a man-made; rather late human masterpiece of astronomical projection of the conjunctions called in Hebrew molad.

Added Rules Not Found in the Bible

There are still other rules governing the Jewish calendar that are nowhere found in the Bible and certainly were not followed at the time of the Messiah. There are rules for the postponement (dehioth) of the days according to Spier’s The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar, which are summarized as follows:
a) When the Molad Tishri occurs on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday, Rosh Hashanah is postponed to the following day.
b) When the Molad Tishri occurs at noon (18h) or later, Rosh Hashanah is postponed to the next day. (Or if this day is a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday, to Monday, Thursday, or Sabbath because of Dehiah [postponement] a).
c) When the Molad Tishri or a common year falls on Tuesday, 204 parts after 3 A.M., i.e., 3d 9h 104p or later, Rosh Hashanah is postponed to Wednesday, and because of Dehiah a), further postponed to Thursday.
d) When a common year is succeeding a leap year, the Molad Tishri occurs on a Monday morning 589 parts after 9 A.M., i.e., 2d 15g 589p or later, Rosh Hashanah is postponed to the next day.
These rules may sound a bit confusing, but they can be simply stated as follows:
· The Day of Atonement cannot precede or follow a weekly Sabbath—never on a Friday or Sunday.
· The Last Great Day cannot fall on a Sabbath.
Passover can fall only on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sabbath.
The reason for the postponements in the Jewish calendar is so that the day of Trumpets (First of Tishri) will not fall on the day before or after a weekly Sabbath, which also applies to the day of Atonement, to allow a day to prepare either for the weekly Sabbath or the Holy day. There is absolutely no authority in Scripture for such postponements, and this was not the rule at the time of Messiah. He never kept Yahweh’s Holy Days a day or two later, but correctly kept them all on the proper day with no postponements.
In this treatise you should find abundant evidence that the Jewish calendar in use today was not used during the time of Messiah to set the Feast days. In fact, all evidence points to the gradual development of the present calculations over a period of time, reaching up to the Middle Ages and not just to the year 359 C.E. as is claimed. It is true that the Jewish calendar has been a unifying factor in coordinating the dispersed Jews to worship on the same day around the world. Sadly, the days it shows to worship are not according to Scripture!

Review of Why Jewish Calendar Is Unacceptable

Perhaps this has been a bit tedious and difficult to follow, but may sincere Bible scholars throughout history have seen that the present Jewish calendar has been changed since the Messiah walked this earth. The following is a summary of the reasons Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly must reject the Jewish calendar and rely on Biblical commands:
There was a change in the Jewish calendar shortly after the death of the Messiah, undoubtedly brought about by the dispersion of the Sanhedrin following the destruction of Jerusalem when the influence of the Pharisees became dominant.
All ancient historians agree the visible sightings of the new moons were originally used to establish the beginning of months. A form of calculated calendar was used by the priests to corroborate the empirical observation. Eventually, the Jews began to rely more on the calculated rather than the observed new moons, and finally to use exclusively the calculated calendar.
During the Post-Nicene Fathers, Passover was at times celebrated before the vernal equinox, placing it in winter and not spring. This had never occurred before.
The Jewish calendar actually creeps forward in time, and is out of synchronization with true solar time, gaining a day every 216 years.
The Mishnah (composed 450 B.C.E.-200 C.E.) shows a completely different calendar, refuting the basic rules of the dehioth (postponements) of the present Jewish calendar.
The present Jewish calendar is never mentioned in the Talmud.
It is impossible to reconcile dates of events in history with the rules of the present Jewish calendar. They do not mesh, e.g. 506 and 776 C.E.
Intercalation early on was with the month Elul (corresponding to our September) instead of the present Adar (March-April).
The 8-year cycle was replaced by the more accurate, 19-year (metonic) cycle borrowed from Babylon. A month was intercalated to reconcile the 11 days difference between the lunar years’ 354 days and 365 days of the solar year.
The intercalation of extra months (or leap year) which occurs 7 times in a 19-year cycle can be proved to have occurred the 5th instead of the 6th year, and the 16th in stead of the 17th year before the present Jewish calendar was adopted.
The present Jewish calendar ignores the Bible command to observe (Heb. Shamar, watch for) the new moon, but instead anchors its determination of the new month to the conjunction or molad, a sophisticated procedure that was not readily available to the average person in ancient times nor even today for those who are unskilled in astronomy.
In the 7th and 8th centuries, probably under Anan b. David, the Karaites rejected the calculated and fixed calendar as not being in harmony with the Holy Word and reinstated lunar observation, p.118, Hastings Encyclopedia.
The Jewish calendar begins the new year with Tishri, in the fall of the year at Trumpets (Hebrew calendar = Rosh Hashanah, “head [or first] of the year”). Scripture says that the month of “green ears” (Abib) shall be the beginning of months to His people, Exodus 12:2. Yahweh’s year begins in the spring when the earth turns green, and life returns, not just before winter.
The earliest known Jewish astronomer, Mashallah, lived in the reign of Khalif al-Mansur (754-775 C.E.). The present-day Jewish calendar is very precise, and would require a skilled astronomer to construct. Many historians contend it is copied from that of Babylon, and Hillel II published it supposedly in 360 C.E.
The Dehioth (postponements) built into the present-day Jewish calendars are nowhere sanctioned by the Bible. They are the works of man. Postponing a Holy Day under the guise of making the Holy Days easier to live with is totally the works of man and is not scriptural.
The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) according to all good Bible scholars must fall on the day following the weekly Sabbath. It is to be on the fiftieth day from the weekly Sabbath that falls within the Days of Unleavened Bread. The present Jewish calendar always has it falling on Sivan 6. Why would Yahweh put us to the trouble of counting the 50 days if Pentecost always falls on Sivan 6?
Because of the postponements, 60 percent of the time the month does not begin on the day of the new moon but is postponed. Therefore, the exceptions to the rule are most important than the rule, as they govern the beginnings of the months. This is totally unscriptural. Nowhere does Yahweh say we can transfer the day of worship to another time. Daniel 7:25 condemns those who think to change the times and the laws.
Because the Jewish calendar is based upon the astronomical conjunction, any time the Molad (conjunction) occurs even a minute before noon, that day at sunset starts the new moon day, even when the moon is less than six hours old and not yet visible.
In the year 2000, the Jewish calendar places the new moon of the seventh month AFTER the visible new moon!

Answering Objections: ‘Moses’ Seat’

Despite a wealth of evidence showing the error of the Jewish calendar compared to the calendar of the Bible, there are those who say we should follow the Jews because of what Yahshua said in Matthew 23:2-3:
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not after their works: for they say, and do not.”
We might agree that when it comes to teaching the Torah, the Jewish teachers sit in Moss’s seat, a Hebraism for teaching the law. We are to observe all of Yahweh’s laws, including the Sabbath and Feast Days. We agree that we are obliged to do so. But we are not to follow their works—as when they observe the wrong day—because they follow the erroneous Jewish calendar with all its man-devised postponements. The postponements are contrary to the Bible.
At the time of the Messiah’s sojourn, books and writings were extremely expensive and generally not available. The Torah was available to the scribes and Pharisees, but beyond the reach of the average worshiper except by hearing it read in the synagogue. The people were to obey what they heard from the Bible, but not follow those traditions of the elders. By their works or traditions they had made the commandments of Yahweh of none effect, Matthew 15:6.
The rest of Matthew 23 contains the condemnation of the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocritical habit of saying one thing and doing another. We are not to do what they do, nor the things the way they do, after their works. We are to keep the High Sabbaths, but keeping them on the wrong day, as is often the case with the Jewish calendar is the same as disobeying them!
Another verse used by some proponents who contend that the Jewish calendar is from antiquity is John 4:22:
“You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” This verse speaks of Yahshua the Messiah. We fully accept this verse, for the Savior was a Jew, born of the family of David. If the Jewish calendar were the same one used by Yahshua in His time, we would certainly follow in His footsteps. In fact John says, “He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6)
A Biblical reason to follow the Jewish calendar is assumed by some by quoting Romans 3:1-2: “What advantage then has the Jew? Or what profit [is there] of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of Yahweh.” They deduce that the “oracles” include the Jewish calendar.
“Oracles” is Strong’s No. 3051 (Greek, logion). Logion occurs four times in the New Testament, which Kittel says means “sacred pronouncements.” Acts 7:38 shows a reference to the Ten Commandments spoken from Sinai, and Hebrews 5:12 and 1Peter 4:10 both refer to what is said by Yahweh.
It was the Jews who kept a copy of the Old Testament to hand down to use today. However, the calendar is nowhere included in these “oracles” from the Bible. There is no reference to a definite calculated calendar in the Old Testament. By their own admission and by history, we know they have a different calendar today.
The present Jewish calendar is not from Moses, but as you have seen clearly demonstrated by reliable scholarship, their calculated calendar is of recent origin, probably much later than the year 360 C.E. when Hillel II purportedly revealed the Jewish calendar to the world of Judaism.
There is overwhelming evidence that the method of establishing the first day of the month in the time of the Messiah was by visible sightings of the visible crescent as Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly does today. We use a calculated calendar only as a guide to determine approximately when the new moon should be spotted. From that information, then, we must verify by a visible sighting. This is the only proper, Scriptural method of confirming Feast days.
Tips on Locating the New Moon
The almanac usually pictures a black circle to indicate the date of the new moon. The new moon day is hardly ever a guide to see the new crescent, as the moon must be 20 hours old or more at sunset. Our yearly calendar shows the evening of each month when the crescent should be visible within an hour after sunset in the western sky.
On the night sighting is scheduled, one should seek a high prominence away from city lights, and look to the setting sun. From the overhead zenith, look on either side of an imaginary line toward the setting sun.
On the first night the scimitar-shaped sliver of light will be fairly close to the horizon, bulging out to the right, with the horns pointing up or to the left. The moon may be visible for only a short time the first night. By the time three stars are visible, it is often too late.
The sightings must be confirmed by two or three witnesses so that we can be assured of these days. This was the practice at the time of the Messiah. Those spotting the new moons call us at Kingdom City so we can confirm the calendar. The two critical new moons in the spring and fall determine Passover and, in the fall, the day of Trumpets.
This is a major step in restoring pure worship in anticipation of Yahshua’s return and setting up His Millennial reign. We know the new moons will be observed in the Kingdom. Again they will set the dates worldwide for the observation of Yahweh’s Feast days. Everyone will be observing the new moons on the first of every month, just as Israel did in the Biblical calendar.
“And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahweh.” (Isa. 66:23)
“This is the beginning of months to you.” –Ex. 12:2
Don’t YOU Be in Error!
If you are following the Jewish calendar, which admittedly keeps the wrong days 60 percent of the time, you are not following the calendar used by the Messiah.
If you observe Passover “closest to the vernal equinox,” you may at times be keeping the Passover too early, BEFORE the vernal equinox. Keeping the Passover before the vernal equinox is in effect keeping it in the winter, in the old year. By doing so you may be skipping an entire year where no Passover will be kept, or you could be keeping two Passovers in one year.
While some think that the first moon of the year should be after the vernal equinox, history show this may not be the case. Primitive astronomy was often unable to determine exactly when the vernal equinox occurred. This time of equal day and night is determined astronomically, as the precession of the equinox can be a problem in fixing the exact day. At times the vernal equinox has been on the 18, 19, 20, 21 day of March. A new moon on any of these days could pose a very difficult call, for the vernal (spring) equinox is the exact time the sun crosses the equator on its journey northward.
In the time of the Messiah the new moon that occurred when the barley was in the green ear stage was declared to be the month of Nisan or Abib (meaning “green ears”), the beginning of the new year.
May you come to see the importance of the Feast days commanded forever (Lev. 23:14, 21, 31, 41), and the proper calendar by which Yahweh set them.

© 1994 Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly
PO Box 50
Kingdom City, MO 65262

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