A
CALENDRIC UNDERSTANDING
of
THE MONTH OF NEW EARS
WHAT IS TIME? pt. 5
WHAT IS TIME? pt. 5-2
Compiled byJS Lowther
In understanding the Calendar of the People of Israel, it is an attempt to understanding the Calendar of YHWH, the God of Heaven and Earth. Much is to be examined here as would pertain to time keeping in general via the scriptures accompanied by natural facts which are the living testament of spiritual logic, I like to call this Biblical Reality or Biblical Sustainability.
In this particular study the keeping of Passover will be the end goal, but first a general under standing of Biblical time keeping must be established. While in the future time devotions will be made to offer a deeper understanding of the spiritual nature and the holistic relationship these items have in the scripture.
No calendric study could commence with out special attention given to it’s creation, as found in Genesis 1:
The criteria given by the Law of God for analysis has been outlined thus:
A. The Great light or Sun rules the day
B. The lesser light or Moon with the stars also to rule the night
(As a 2nd witness to common sense, since there are those who challenge that the moon is among the lesser lights – Psalms 136:9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. This I hope should settle that to quickly stay on line.)
#1. The evening starts the day, with morning coming after (Gen 1:5)
In Genesis 1:14-19, God ordained the lights in the firmament of the heaven to:
#2. divide the day from the night;
#3. and let them be for signs,
#4.and for seasons,
#5.and for days,
#6. and years:
#7. and He let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.
Point #1 and #2 Evening starts / Ends the days
The above #1 is to be remembered as scriptures dealing with passover are gotten into, but in the mean while here is a list of verses to show with out doubt that Israel was using evening as the time for the start/end of the day to the next: Lev. 11:24,25,27,28,31,32,39, 40: 14:46; 15:5,6,7,8,10,11,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,27; 17:15; Num. 19:7,8,10; 2Ch. 18:34; Eze. 12:7; Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23,31; 8:11; 24:11; 29:23; 30:16; Exo. 12:6; 16:8; Lev. 23:32;Gen. 19:1; Exo. 12:18; 16:6,12,13; 29:39,41; 30:8; Lev. 23:5,32; Num. 9:3,5,11,15; 19:19; 28:4,8; Deu. 16:4,6; Jos. 5:10;Jdg 19:16 Eze. 12:4; 24:18; Lev. 22:7; Deu. 3:11; Deu. 16:6; Jos. 10:27. And more!
The Biblical and Natural fact that Eveneing is the literal, intrinsic, and signaled manifestation of the division of, first, day from night, and second, day from day is self evident.
An ancient non-electric society would not hold evening as the end and and start of holy days alone but all days.
Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. – Psa 104:23
Point #3 SIGNS
Signs- H226- ???- owth- related to H225/H853[- ??- ayth- Apparently contracted from H226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely): – (As such unrepresented in English / but may be understood in part by the word “that”.] (in the sense of appearing); a signal, as a ensign, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: – mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.)
Reasonably added to Strong’s lexical testimony is the Hebrew word ayth, as it’s grammatical function is to point out a noun in reference like as the word owth, is the evidence of the happening. As “ayth” is read in the Hebrew Scriptures, for example, “that (ayth) man”, in order to specify a particular man, so an OWTH specifies “that” happening with a sign or signal, in the context of this Gen 1:14 study an OWTH specifies a moment in time.
Hereafter are examples of the usages of the Hebrew word owth-H226:
Cain’s mark -Gen 4:15,
The Rainbow, a token of the covenant to Noah’s children -Gen 9:13,
Circumcision as a token of YHWH’s Covenant with Abraham -Gen -17:11,
Miracles are signs, in Egypt or the wilderness for instance -Exo 4:8.
And very importantly in reference to another sign and season is the weekly, monthly, and yearly Sabbaths. Exodus 31:13-17 KJV
(13) Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign (H226) between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the YHWH that doth sanctify you.
(16) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
(17) It is a sign (H226) between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the YHWH made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Well substantiated is the biblical fact that the Sabbaths are days which are governed by points # 1 and #2, the above shows that they are Signs as well and fall under point #3.
In ending, a Sign according to scripture is a thing that is able to be sensed by the human senses, most often but not exclusively seen. As well to be circumstantially added for consideration, OWTH is strikingly similar to our English word ‘oath’, as in swearing or affirming, as should be know, swearings and affirmations accompany covenants and promises. An OWTH in the heavenly lights will be a SIGNal of the Season to the earthly inhabitants that are are on it.
#4 and for SEASONS
Sabbaths, New Moons and Holy days
Passover is accompanied by sabbatical days which commence it’s evening meal (as will be seen) and its last day. Both the weekly Sabbath and the feastival sabbaths are called signs as defined above, thus the Sabbath as well as the other appointed seasons or MOED(im) are events which are seen by their signs or signals.
1898 Young’s Literal Translation of Lev 23:2-4:
(1) And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
(2) `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Appointed seasons of Jehovah, which ye proclaim, holy convocations, are these: they are My appointed seasons:
(3) six days is work done, and in the seventh day is a sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; ye do no work; it is a sabbath to Jehovah in all your dwellings.
(4) `These are appointed seasons of Jehovah, holy convocations, which ye proclaim in their appointed seasons:
(5) in the first month, on the fourteenth of the month, between the evenings, is the passover to Jehovah;
(6) and on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast of unleavened things to Jehovah; seven days unleavened things ye do eat;
The Literal Translation above is most accurate on this subject, leaving the reader with little doubt that all mentioned moad-(i)-(im) are “appointed seasons”, the Sabbath as first is included with no exception, and all are JeHoVaH or YHWH God’s very own appointed times, those which He has declared.
It is here that a strong persuasion must, at the very least, be examined and considered: that the Sabbaths / holy convocations, days of no servile work which are the head and tail of the “feasts” ordained from the 15th day to the 22nd day of the first and seventh biblical month are, none other than the Sabbaths mentioned in Lev 23:3, keeping the weekly seventh day and the Sabbaths of the festivals as one in the same.
If there is validity that the “festival” Sabbaths and the weekly seventh day Sabbath are one and in the same, and thus part of the Gen 1:14-15 system of heavenly time keeping, then it must be testified by the word of God and told:
What light(s) are appointed by YHWH God for SEASONS / Moed(im)?
Psa 104:19 He appointed (H6213-????-aw-saw- made) the moon for seasons (H4150- moad-im): the sun knoweth his going down.
Here the psalmist sings of the works and doings of YHWH, among those wonders are the moon’s appointing of seasons ( moad(im) and the sun’s going down or ‘door’ (entrance / exit). It is here that the Word of God mentions specificly the moon’s appointing for moad-im / seasons; according to the psalmist the moon was made (appointed) for the very purpose of ‘moadim’ (seasons).
The moon is a crucial and essential part of Leviticus 23 and Genesis 1:14-15’s appointed seasons; while the lights (plural) are all for signs and seasons, the moon has a special place in it’s creation or making, as it was made to declare God’s very own appointed seasons or moad-im clearly to His observers.
The apocryphal book of the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, a.k.a., Ecclesiasticus presents an ancient perspective of a post captivity Israelite, while some may not respect the old apocryphal writings as canon, they must be at least regarded as presenting an ancient perspective. Jesus son of Sirach 43:6-10 puts it thus:
6 He made the moon also to serve (appear) in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
7 From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
8 The month (*Chodesh) is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing
(9?)being an instrument of the armies (Camp pitched) above, shining in the firmament of heaven; 9 The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament, giving light to the highest places of the Lord
10 At the commandment of the holy one they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.
*Hebrew for month: Chodesh-H2320-????-From H2318-to be new; causatively to rebuild; the new moon.
From the wisdom of Sirach, we see not only the clock work of the moon with that of the stars in the back drop. The moon traveling through the stars in the firmament of Heaven is seen as a camp or army pitched on high standing watch. The moon and stars work together in Jesus son of Sirach’s mind, yet the moon is no doubt the beacon or “the sign of feasts”, among those “feasts” of post captivity Israel was the weekly Sabbath / seventh day as the Law in Lev 23 has commanded. As the moon makes declaration of time, it must therefore be a declaration of the month or Chodesh but of the week and therefore of the Sabbath.
In passing, an article on the new moon or Chodesh is to be posted, as many do not recognize it as such, the New moon is part of the Sabbatic season which works to keep the Genesis calendar system ordered by YHWH in perfect alignment from days all the way to the years. As Jesus Ben Sirach said in verse 8 The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, the Hebrew word Chodesh perfectly answering to this summation, as its root meaning is to renew.
At this point the new moon is not specifically laid out in certain terms, yet it is, with biblical backing very likely, that the new moon is part of the Sabbath in reference, just as no other lunar light or division of it is listed either, moed is definitely an appointed time dictated by a light or lights, but what ones?
We must look to YHWH as an instructor of nature the teacher and maker. The YHWH set the moon in motion to give us four main phases, New, first half, full, and last half then back to new.
Starting with the new moon, that is the conjunction, when the last light of the moon is covered and a phenomenon which we can not see occurs, that of the moon equally having its body covered by the shadow of the earth, being hid to the suns reflection.
Psa 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. (LIT trans.- Blow the ram’s horn in the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.)
Psa 81:4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
Psa 81:5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
Psa 81:6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
When a Sabbath is commenced it is most literally a cession from labor it has no need of being 24 hours or one sun up to sun down. The Law specifies 6 working days, not 1 sabbath day. Ezekial confirms this notion best by telling us of the future kingdom temple:
Eze 46:1 Thus saith the Lord YHWH; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
Eze 46:3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the YHWH in the sabbaths and in the new moons.
According to scripture the day of the New Moon was and is sacred to YHWH, we were told to assemble, offer sacrifices and, in the law as found in Num 10:10, Num 28, as well the histories of Israel and the inspired prophets inform us that this day is closely connected to the Sabbath. 2Ki. 4:23; 1Ch. 23:31; 2Ch. 2:4; 8:13; 31:3; Neh. 10:33; Isa. 1:13; 66:23; Eze. 45:17; 46:1,3; Hos. 2:11; Amos 8:5.
Thus it is that the festival of the new moon is not reckoned as a day or Yom (Hebrew) of it’s own in a weekly sense but it is part of the Sabbath as an event that had previously commenced, for the new moon will always follow the fourth monthly 7 day weekly Sabbath: as there after the new moon dictates the day that the following weekly sabbaths will happens on until the next New moon. The ending Sabbath which has the new moon attached has the possibility of lasting for 2 or 3 days, which 1 Samuel 21 tells us was observed by the Israelite people during the rule of Saul with David commonly being present at the king’s table. This two day festival is necessary so that the moon’s cycle is properly accounted for, as the moon functions on a 29 or 30 day month.
The pressure of the scripture impresses that the 15th day of the month needs be a Sabbath, thus the count is commenced at the evening of the new moon as 1 (the first day of the month), then you have days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 , this eighth day of the month is the Sabbath occurring on the first quarter or waxing half of the moon, on the 8th day of the month; then you count 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, working days of the week, bringing you to the 7th day of the week but the 15th day of the month occurring on the full moon and so on.
This keeps the week, month and Sabbath all in working order as to lead us unto the yearly Moed(im), feasts that occur on the full, half and new moons as Sabbaths, all thereby harmonizing with the Sun and the stars once you start watching.
Is all this laid out plainly in holy writ? No, but it is able to be constructed fairly easily, just from seeing how on the first and second month of the Exodus of Israel found in in Ex 16 the 15th day was a Sabbath, both months, that should make any one scratch their head as no seven day count will get such an answer. Nor will it do so to get from the Passover Sabbath of the 14th at evening to the 15th of the first month ABIB counting to the 14th at evening to the 15th day of the Seventh month for Tabernacle’s Sabbath using a seven day count with no new moon days, not to mention both festivals end on the 21st at evening holding the weekly 7th day sabbath on the 22nd day of the month in perfect alignment with the festival sabbaths. As as well the days of Purim in the book of Esther, fall on 14th and 15th of the twelfth month Adar. By such logic it must be constructed that the 8th and 29th days are, as well regular weekly Sabbaths in order to receive a month which fits into this sabbatical order the sabbatic New Moon must be established.
Point #6 And Years
The Rosh Chodesh
The Chodesh of Abib
The Month of New Ears
All of this Calendric sudy has been building upon the primary principles of the kingdom of Heaven in order to up hold a consistent calendar able to sustain a real society and Nation. Often times religious or spiritual calendars are ignorant of natural events and do not support societies that use it’s religious calendar functionally. Yet the Bible offers an observant adherent this reality.
(Exo 9:31-32)
And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear (H24-ABIB), and the flax was bolled.But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
Here is seemingly where the first Biblical month derives it’s name, from the barley being in it’s new or first state, the green ear.
(Exo 12:2 KJV+)
This month (H2320-rebuilding) shall be unto you
the beginning H7218 -Rosh / head) of months:(H2320- Chodesh / rebuildings)
it shall be the first (H7223 -Rosh-on / begining) monthH2320- Chodesh) of the yearH8141 -Shanah / be done again) to you.
As seen the Barley’s new ear is the symbolic and literal name for the first and head month and new year.
(Exo 13:4)
KJV trans.
This day came ye out in the month Abib.
LXX- Apostles Bible Polyglot trans.)
For today you go forth in [the month new].G3501
LXX-Brenton trans.
For on this day ye go forth in the month of new corn.
The above is an example of the wording used in the texts to follow as to how the LXX understood Abib, as the following verse list follows suit.
(Exo 23:15 KJV)
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
(Exo 34:18 KJV)
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
(Lev 2:12-14)
As for the oblation of the firstfruits (H7225-Roshith: From the same as H7218-Rosh the first…)… of thy firstfruits unto the YHWH, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn (H24-Abib) dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
(Deut 16:1 KJV)
Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the YHWH thy God: for in the month of Abib the YHWH thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
So where does the Genesis 1:14-15 Calendar fit into determining the Month of ABIB and thus the New YEAR?
Would be too generic of an answer to say that the sun and the moon’s light in photosynthesis and gravitation helps the crops into ripening in order to bring about Abib? However this not to far off. But more celestially intertwined with this cycle which the mind of Man has only repetitiously conceived, not knowing fully the sweet influences of the heavens on earth.
our focus on the Genesis calendar we have mentioned the Sun and Moon specificly, while the stars are among the lesser lights also. The stars are used at night in time keeping seemingly because common man can see them most clearly at that time. The moon moving through the ecliptic circle with the sun, their positions in it’s relation only known by the sighting of the last sliver before the new moon, and the first sliver after the new moon and by sighting the true full moon in so knowing that the sun is, at that time, diametrically opposed thereto: Thus the sun rises in the morning where the full moon rises at evening and so forth at sun and moon down. By this observation, the Zodiac which is the star groups the lights (Sun and Moon) go forth throughout the year. The moon passing through quickly, one twelfth (1/12) of that circle every 2 to 3 days. While the sun as a bride groom fit to run a race moves through that same 1/12 more slowly every 29 to 30 days in order to make its conjugation or conjunction date with his bride the moon in a new tabernacle every Chodesh or rebuilding. This occurrence may be seen at those diametrically oppositional points mentioned above. With interest, since the sun is in conjunction at new moon both “hands” of the heavenly clock are aligned at a particular spot in the Zodiac. And when this happening has run it’s course from one end of heaven to the other in full circle, a literal NEW YEAR full of literal NEW EARS must occure!
This Phenomenon has been sang of in Psalm 19:4-7:
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them (The heavens- vrs 1) hath he set a tabernacle for the sun (this is the houses or mansion, the 1/12 sections of the Zodiac called signs), Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The LAW of the YHWH is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the YHWH is sure, making wise the simple.
Thus the Zodiac has a role as the sun passes through it’s 12 signs like numbers on a clock, along this heavenly happening the Pleiades or the seven stars come about outside of the ecliptic / zodiac circle. At the time pleiades brings it self into view in it’s season, as was well known in the ancient world, as the agricultural sign for the commencement of the growing year:
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth (Hebrew word for Zodiac) in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? (Job 38:31-33 KJV)
And that is the question, do we even attempt to know those ordinances?
While there are two Zodiacs you will find, one a counterfeit, no surprise, one what actually happens in the heavens. The counterfeit is called the tropical zodiac, it is what is found in the horoscope section of the curent news paper, it however being out of date by about two thousand years! The true zodiac that you can literally see if you look up at night is referred to as the sideral zodiac, and it should be our only interest, as it is YHWH’s current light on the earth in giving signs and seasons, days and years.
One of our great Historians Josephus left us a note about when the Exodus took place, as well as when the Passover was kept in his day. Let it not be forgotten that Josephus was a contemporary of Christ, and followed the very same calendar our savior followed. Insomuch as our Lord never argued with any one on the subject of when to keep the feast, including the Pharisees, which Josephus was one, it is evident that Christ kept the same holy days as Josephus, and here is what he said:
In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us 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,) the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover; and so we do celebrate this passover in companies, leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and continues seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; – Josephus : Antiquities of the Jews: Book 3:10:5
Notice the reference to all three lights of the Genesis Calendar: 1. lunar month, 2. sun 3. Aries (the ram).
This equals the new moon which happens when the sun is in Aries / the Ram.
This literal sideral reckoning places the month of Abib about one month after the modern and commonly understood reckoning which does so using the first new moon after or a little before the spring equinox (depending on the archaic pre-calculations).
Does this sideral zodiac have any reason to put trust in other than Josephus’ say so?
Insomuch as by using this calendric system, it keeps all three of the lights of heaven used, as well it allows the proper amount of time for Barley to be ABIB, as well as have ripened first fruits of the wheat harvest for the Pentecost, in the majority of the northern hemisphere in this very present day, from Dan to Beersheba so to speak, it offers much more to the biblical realist who would like to live the bible out sustainably. For when one even considering the geographic boundaries of the people of Israel in the promised land, not only would the most southern tribe of Judah have need of first fruits but the northern tribe of Dan must have thiers as well even into the elevated north mountains.
In a more cosmic realm much could be said when the universally recognized western signs of the zodiac are followed, this system literally/ siderally has the slaying of the male lamb with out blemish in the season of Aries / the ram, while the full moon is risen in Libra or the scales of justice (liberty, liberation justice)a pictorial understanding? Ask your self is the Exodus and the Cross offer both of those understandings ? Remember that diametric opposition in the seventh month at Tabernacles also!
If that were all of the good reasons and striking substances of interest I’d tell you… but there NOT!
Stay tuned as we delve further into the Genesis Calendar in the Chodesh s to come!
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