Why God-Fearers Should Follow the Jewish Calendar

In our previous article on the “Counting of the Omer,” we discussed how to count the omer to determine when to observe Pentecost (Shavout). The counting of the omer is not the only calendar issue confronting followers of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) today. In this article, we want to discuss why we believe God-Fearers should follow the established, national Jewish calendar. We cannot address every point of contention in this short article, but want to focus on the bigger picture – us being a part of Israel.

The Apostle Paul tells us that God-Fearers are fellow-citizens and family members in Ephesians 2:17-19:

• “Also, when He came, He announced as Good News shalom to you far off and shalom to those nearby, news that through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's family.” (CJB)

UNITY – AS ONE PEOPLE

It is important that we, being part of the nation of Israel and joint-heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant with the Jewish people, share common observance of the appointed times (Moedim) that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob gave Israel in Leviticus chapter 23. We also need to recognize the authority God gave to Judah for establishing these dates, as these dates correlate to our Gregorian calendar, today's internationally accepted civil calendar, so we can observe these days together, as ONE people, under ONE God.

God gave Judah this authority through the ancient blessing that Jacob placed on Judah, in Genesis 49:10:

• “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”

We believe this “Shiloh” mentioned here is our Messiah Yeshua. We know Yeshua first came ~2,000 years ago, but we see this prophesy being fulfilled at His second coming as King, to rule over ALL the earth. Therefore, the “scepter” still resides with Judah, who are the Jewish people, and the only recognized descendants today. It is their responsibility to establish and maintain God’s calendar. This is not speaking of Jewish fringe groups but of the recognizable national leadership of Israel, the ones who continue today, as the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 3:1-4:

• “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not!’”

We would not be having this discussion today if it had not been for the godly Jewish leaders and people who preserved God’s calendar throughout the centuries and for which many fought and died for its continuance. This fact cannot be ignored!

Judah’s selection and kingship were established through King David, as we are told in Psalm 78:67-72:

• “Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever. He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So, he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”

The throne of David continues today through the faithfulness of Jewish leadership and people living in Jerusalem in the land of Israel. The Kingship of David will be reestablished forever, and for all nations, with the return of Messiah Yeshua. In Matthew 1:1, it refers to Yeshua as the “Son of David.”

Until then, Judah remains holder of the land of Israel and the keeper of the national calendar. This is the only way that the whole house of Israel, spread throughout the world, can have unity as the people of God.

THE GREAT SANHEDRIN

God’s national leadership structure for Israel was established when He gave them the Torah (Law). We see this in the following verses:

• Exodus 24:1, “Now He said to Moses, "Come up to the L-rd, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.” (NKJV)

• Deuteronomy 1:13, “Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.” (NKJV)

• Deuteronomy 31:4, “So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.” (NKJV)

In their article, “The Jewish Month,” the writers at Chabad.org state:

• “From the wording of this verse (Ex 12:1), ‘shall be to you,’ the sages extrapolated that the responsibility of pinpointing and consecrating the chodesh, the crescent new moon, was entrusted to the leaders of our nation, the Sanhedrin, the Rabbinical Supreme Court of every generation.”

The Jewish Historian, Josephus, is the earliest writer who mentions the name “Sanhedrin” in ~57 BCE. Sanhedrin means “sitting together or council.” The word Sanhedrin, translated “council,” is mentioned in the Apostolic Writings (New Covenant) in Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; and Acts 5:21;6:12. It refers to the Great Sanhedrin and is described in Shira Schoenberg’s article, Ancient Jewish History: The Sanhedrin:

• “…Great Sanhedrin…met in the Chamber of Hewn Stones in the Temple in Jerusalem…daily during the daytime, and did not meet on the Sabbath, festivals or festival eves. It was the final authority on Jewish law…led by a president called the nasi (lit. "prince") and a vice president called the av bet din (lit. "father of the court")…The Great Sanhedrin dealt with religious and ritualistic Temple matters, criminal matters appertaining to the secular court, proceedings in connection with the discovery of a corpse, trials of adulterous wives, tithes, preparation of Torah Scrolls for the king and the Temple, drawing up the calendar and the solving of difficulties relating to ritual law. In about 30 C.E., the Great Sanhedrin lost its authority to inflict capital punishment. After the Temple was destroyed, so was the Great Sanhedrin. A Sanhedrin in Yavneh took over many of its functions, under the authority of Rabban Gamliel…From Yavneh, the Sanhedrin moved to different cities in the Galilee, eventually ending up in Tiberias…only a Sanhedrin of 71 could judge a whole tribe, a false prophet or the high priest. There were Sanhedrins of 23 for capital cases and of three scholars to deal with civil or lesser criminal cases.”

The Great Sanhedrin, when they set the annual calendar, also determined when to add a 13th lunar month to certain years to ensure that high holy days would fall in their correct season. For example, without this correction, Passover could end up after the first spring harvest.

God gave the Sanhedrin authority to make adjustments in His calendar. Many people fail to recognize the setting of the calendar was based upon practical issues, as well as, astrological conditions. According to Sanhedrin 2.2, some factors were:

• Whether barley was ready for harvest (wave sheaf);

• Whether fruit had ripened (bring first-fruits); and

• Whether the month was in the correct season.

Historically, there were other conditions that may require calendar adjustments such as: road conditions (includes bridges); clay ovens for making matzah, not dried out due to winter rains; and exiles had not been able to start journey to Jerusalem. A year in which there was severe famine was not intercalated.

Also, Sanhedrin 2.6 provides additional considerations for determining the start of the calendar year:

• “They do intercalate the year because the [season of the] kids, lambs, or pigeons has not yet come…in the name of R. Shimon b. Gamliel who said, The pigeons are tender and the spring lambs thing, and it is proper in my view, so I have added thirty days to this year.” Rabban Gamilel and the sages were in session on the steps of the Temple and Yonanan the scribe was before them. He said “Write: ‘To our brethren, residents of Upper Galilee…we inform you that the pigeons are still tender…so it is proper in my view and in the view of my colleagues, and we have added thirty days to this year.”

REMEMBER: THE MAIN GOAL WAS TO GET EVERYONE TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME TO APPEAR BEFORE GOD!!

HILLEL – NASI OF GREAT SANHEDRIN

Hillel II was Nasi (Prince/President) of the Sanhedrin in the 4th century. This Sanhedrin established our current modern Jewish calendar that was finalized between 922 and 924 CE. This calendar was established out of religious persecution when the Roman Emperor Constantus II prohibited “vending of articles for distinctly Jewish purposes.” This included notifications from the Judean Sanhedrin to the worldwide Jewish communities so they could celebrate the annual Biblical high holy days with the rest of the Jewish community.

The “Hillel Calendar” was established to help the Jewish people in the diaspora, and those who joined them, in their observance of the high holy days God gave them. This calendar is not a part of a “Jewish conspiracy” to keep Israel FROM observing these days on the correct appointed times! Its purpose was the opposite, to keep the Jewish community together despite outside international pressures.

In his article, “The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot,” Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D, Archaeologist, states:

• “…Though there is no Sanhedrin (the Jewish Supreme Court) at the present, there was a Sanhedrin in the fourth century that made the decision to accept the present Jewish Calendar as official and that the Holy Days positioned on that calendar should be those that all adherents of the Law of Moses should follow. If a further Sanhedrin is ever raised up (that is, another "Seat of Moses"), then what that official body of Jewish authorities decides is what all keepers of the Law of Moses ought to observe.”

MODERN CALENDAR DEBATES

One of the debates today is about whether Hillel II was able to intercalate or pre-arrange the new moon for observing God’s high holy days. They argue that one must physically observe the new moon from Jerusalem, or for some people, from their physical locations around the globe.

We have an example in 1 Samuel 20:18 where Jonathan pre-calculated the New Moon:

• “Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.”

Clearly, Jonathan knew “tomorrow” would be the new moon, indicating the month was not simply set by physical observance during the days of King David. Obviously, through astronomy, they were able to determine when a new moon was expected. There is historical evidence showing that the ancient Chinese calculated moon conjunctions as far back as 1,850 BCE.

Another debate is about what the words translated “observe” and “Abib” mean in Deuteronomy 16:1:

• “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.” (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for “observe” is “Shamar.” In some translations, it is translated “guard.” Below are the various translation choices provided in Dr. Strong’s Concordance, #8104:

• to hedge about; guard; protect; mark; look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard.

Some interpret the word “Shamar” to mean they must literally, physically observe the new moon with their eyes. The use of the word “Shamar" in Ex 12:17, Deut. 4:40, Deut. 5:20, and Ex 31:13, and other verses convey the more general sense of “keeping the day” as in marking, guarding, preserving, and protecting the day by assembling together on the high holy days.

Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, shows “Shamar” translated:

• 45 times - "observe”

• 284 times - “keep”

• 19 times - “preserve”

There are also debates today about the new month starting: “at the physical sighting of the faint visible crescent”; or at the “molad” (birth) of the new moon; or after the “spring equinox.” The Bible is silent on these issues.

For those who believe the new month begins when they see, with their eyes, a visible crescent, the United States Naval Observatory states: "Under optimal conditions the crescent moon can be sighted somewhat less than 15 hours after astronomical New Moon. Usually, however, it is not seen until it is more than 24 hours old.” There are also other weather conditions that can affect visible sightings.

The word ABIB in Deuteronomy 16:1, is always used with the word “month” (chodesh) and it literally means “the month when the grain ripens.” It does NOT mean "green ear.” In a more general way, it is saying the calendar must begin near the barley harvest in the spring.

ACCURACY OF THE JEWISH CALENDAR

Today’s Jewish calendar is very accurate and is based on aligning both the spring and fall feasts. According to Jamie McNabb in his article, “The Truth about God’s Calendar:”

• “A nineteen-year comparison shows how postponements of the Jewish calendar bring us nearer to the Festival full moons, as required by Ps. 81:2-4:

• ‘Blow the ram’s horn at the time of the New Moon, at the Full Moon, on our festival day. For this is the law for Yisrael, and a right-ruling of the Elohim of Ya’acov.’ (CJB)...

• …This is a LAW and STATUTE. There is only one time in the year when there is such a LAW, the 7th month, Tishri. We are required to keep the 1st day of Tishri, the new moon, Yom Teruah — and 15th day, the full moon, Sukkot…

• …ALL calendars have rules. In our western calendar, the month of February usually has 28 days. But every fourth year, we add an extra day, and February then has 29 days. No one shouts that this is jiggery pokery — that we are wrongly postponing the start of March! Everyone understands that it is necessary to add an extra day every so often so the right number of days fit into the year. Hebrew calendar is no different.”

Also, concerning the importance of the seventh month accuracy, Ronald L. Dart states in his article, “Why We Use the Hebrew Calendar:”

• “The modern Hebrew calendar is sometimes challenged because the ‘new moon’ may be postponed one or two days based on a complex set of rules. Actually, these rules are applied only once in the year - on the first day of the seventh month - the Feast of Trumpets. This particular new moon (the beginning of the civil year) is determined and then all the others are established by it.”

A DIVIDED ISRAEL - CALENDAR

There was a time in Israel’s history when the twelve tribes were divided on God’s calendar. The leaders of the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim), tried preventing their people from observing God’s days together with the Southern Kingdom (Judah), on the same calendar, as ONE nation. Ephraim established their own calendar dates and prevented those in their tribes, who wanted to be obedient to God’s commandments, from going up to Jerusalem as commanded.

We read about this in 1 Kings 12:31-33:

• “He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So, he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. So, he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.” (NKJV)

We also see in 1 Kings 12:19-20, that the Southern Kingdom (Judah) remained faithful:

• “So, Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.”

CONCLUDING

We learn from the above verses that calendar divisions bring separation at important times when there should be unity. Our Messiah Yeshua warned us in Mark 3:25 about the consequences of disunity:

• “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

Paul pleaded for unity in the ONE family of God in Ephesians 4:1-6:

• “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism; ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

As stated at the beginning of this article, we believe that God gave authority to Judah to set His national calendar and, therefore, they have the responsibility to make sure it is accurate. Since we are not a member of the Sanhedrin, we are not responsible for the setting of a calendar.

From our decades of walking in accordance with the Jewish calendar, we have not found it to be inaccurate. Even from our hotel room in Jerusalem in 2008, we witnessed the beautiful full moon over the Old City during Tabernacles (Sukkot), right on schedule.