When we follow the appointed times of scripture, which calendar do we use? I mean when we follow the Sabbath or Passover, or the appointed time of First fruits or the appointed time of unleavend bread, or the appointed time of harvest (pentecost) or the appointed time of trumpets, or the day of atonement or the appointed time of booths. Which calendar do we use? Which calendar does scripture use?
You may think that is a silly question. But are you aware that there is more than one calendar? The Calendar most use today comes from Rome and is a solar calendar. Because it is a solar calendar is has no date line other than that which was appointed to it by man. Some religions use a lunar calendar with 12 cycles of the moon. These calendars use the new moon as their date line, which does not line up with the Gregorian date line. Other people use a luni solar calendar which also uses the moon to set the start of the month and hence the days, but uses the sun as well to help determone the length of the year.
Most believe the appointed times are based upon the calendar of Rome, which cycles through a 7 day cycle. This is mainly because it is the calendar we have grown up with. It is where most of our understanding is founded upon. But the calendar in scripture provides us with a different calendar than the calendar of Rome.
You see the calendar in the scriptures goes from one New moon to another New Moon and then from one Sabbath to another (Isaiah 66:23). Scripture tells us that the appointed times were to be determined using His calendar, not mans.
Genesis 1:14
Then Elohim said, “Let there be light-bearer in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs, and for marking the appointed times, and for the days and for the years.
When we read this we understand that Elohim made the lights in the heavens, to separate the days from the nights. We also know that Elohim uses the lights in the heavens for signs.
One could think of a sign upon a road that one passes as they are traveling. The sign may be a speed limit sign, it might be a give way sign, or it could be a detour sign. A sign is something that we see before we come upon the item. So if I were driving I would see the stop sign before I reached the point where I needed to stop.
Image: A stop sign we see before we reach it.
His signs are warnings. Warnings of things approaching. We need to look for these signs as they approach.
Scripture speaks of a sign in the sky in the book of Revelation chapter 12. A sign such as this is seen in the sky upon September the 23rd 2017. Is this the sign spoken of in Revelation 12? Well one thing is certain. One should not go past the sign without being prepared for the events which are spoken of in scripture. I remember being taught that it is better to be safe than sorry, which is simply saying to prepare oneself before the event.
Image: A sign seen in the sky upon Sept 23rd 2017
Genesis 1:14 also says that His appointed times are to be determined using the lights in the heavens. But the question for many today is are they doing this?
Many say that they are observing the seventh day Sabbath and I would not discourage them. It is good to see people being faithful to His word. But which calendar are you using to find that Seventh day?
Scripture shows us His calendar throughout his word. It does indeed shows us the Seventh day Sabbath being held as well as the other appointed times listed in the book of Leviticus in chapter 23.
In this chapter, we see a single calendar being used to determine these appointed times. In fact we are told twice, once before and once after the Sabbath commandment, that all of the events in Leviticus 23 are appointed times. The scripture tells us that the appointed times are to be proclaimed as a Holy Convocation and that the Holy Convocations are His Appointed times.
In the original script we find it written as follows:
The Laws of the Appointed times.
Leviticus 23:1-41 Then Yahuwah spoke to Moses saying
2 “Speak to the children of IsraEl and say to them. “The appointed times (mow’ed) of Yahuwah, which you shall proclaim as a holy convocation, these are my appointed times”
3 “For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of complete rest. It is a holy convocation (a calling together of the people). You shall do no work for it is the Sabbath of Yahuwah wherever you may be.
4 “The appointed times (mow’ed) of Yahuwah are called a holy convocations and you shall proclaim at their appointed times (mow’ed)”.
Scripture tells us that these events are His appointed times and that each of His appointed times are to be called a holy convocation. In the original language used, the word mow’ed means an appointed time.
In many translations it has been translated as the word Feast or Seasons and in some versions you will find the word congregation. Take a moment and have a look in your own scripture and see which word is used. In the Amplified Bible we find the correct word being used – “appointed time”
The problem with the word Feast or Seasons is that in English, it does not relay the true meaning and purpose of the word. Extra confusion is added when we find the word translated with one meaning in one place and a different meaning in another. For example in Psalms 104:19 we read:
Psalms 104:19
19 He made the moon for seasons.
The sun knows the place of its setting.
Again here the word seasons comes form the same word – Mow’ed which means appointed times. To translate it into English so we can see the meaning of the word we read:
Psalms 104:19
19 He made the moon for the appointed times.
The sun knows the place of its setting.
Without seeing what was written, the appointed times of Yahuwah are hidden which is the precise reason that there are only 144,000 following His commanmdents when He returns.
Today many use two separate calendars. They utilise a solar only calendar for the appointed time known as the weekly Sabbath and they utilise a luni-solar calendar to determine the appointed times known by many as the feasts.
Scripture is clear however on this topic. We were not to use another calendar to determine any of His appointed times. A calendar which uses the names of other gods was prohibited. This has caused many issues for the Jewish people with rules of postponement which adjust the day that these appointed times are held upon. In His word, there are no rules for postponement however when one uses the Roman calendar, the Sabbath found upon the Roman calendar will conflict with the appointed times found upon the scriptural calendar. Hence the need for the rules of postponement.
First and foremost, our foundation, is the Word of Yahuwah. Beginning our search here we need to ask if one can find any instance of postponement rules? Does scripture state in Leviticus 23 for example, that the Appointed time of Trumpets is the first day of the seventh lunar cycle unless that day of the seventh new moon happens to occur on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday — in which case, please observe it the day following? It simply does not exist and the reason is that the calendar of Scripture does not require these rules as each day is fixed in it place.
When one uses postponement the Appointed times in Leviticus must be ignored. For example in Leviticus 23:11 we read of what was to happen on the day of first fruits and when it was to be held. The scripture presents us with Passover, which is held upon the 14th, then the Sabbath, which was held upon the 15th, then the appointed time of first fruits which was to be held the day after the Sabbath, which was the 16th.
Leviticus 23:11
He shall wave the sheaf before Yahuwah so that you may be accepted; the priest shall wave it on the day after the Sabbath.
In Exodus 23:12-13 we see the Sabbath commandment. Right after this commandment we see a warning. A warning for those who live today who are using the solar calendar which uses the names of the roman gods in its week day names and in its month names.
Exodus 23:12-13
12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall stop [working] so that your ox and your donkey may settle down and rest, and the son of your female servant, as well as your stranger, may be refreshed.
13 Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; do not mention the name of other gods [either in a blessing or in a curse]; do not let such speech be heard [coming] from your mouth.
He already knows the end from the beggining. So why should we assume that this message is not for us? In Joshua, we see the same thing. Joshua tells us that we are not to mention the names of other gods.
Joshua 23:6-8
6 Be steadfast and very determined to keep and to do everything that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, so that you do not turn aside from it to the right or the left,
7 so that you do not associate with these nations which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear [an oath by them], or serve them, or bow down to them.
8 But you are to cling to Yahuwah thy Elohim just as you have done to this day.
After hearing this, I have had some say to me that they do not use the day names, but rather just count to seven as the scriptures show. To these people I would ask are you counting from? As scriptures show, or as man shows?
You see if you use the Roman calendar to count to seven for the Sabbath, and then use the scriptural calendar for the other appointed times, then what you will find is that someone who lives around the other side of the globe, is having the same appointed time a Gregorian day before, or a Gregorian day after you are.
Why is that? The answer is the date line which is being used by the scriptural calendar does not align with the Roman date line. It is possible that others around the globe will be a day before or a day after you and be correct in the time in which it is held.
In Genesis 1:14 He tells us that the lights in the heavens were to be used to determine His days and His years. When we read the scripture we find something very interesting. We find that the days of the appointed times are aligned with the Sabbath days. But isn’t that what one should expect?
For example In John Chapter 7 to Chapter 9 we read of Yahushua teaching at the appointed time of Booths. We also discover that the day after the last day of this appointed time, Yahushua is having the Sabbath (John 9:14). The calendar which the Sabbath was being worked out upon was the same calendar as the one the other appointed times were worked out upon. It was not a different calendar.
Are you aware that the Sabbath day was not just the day after six work days? Scripture tells us that the appointed times of Trumpets was a Sabbath as well as the Day of Atonement.
Leviticus 23
The Appointed times of Trumpets:
23 Again Yahuwah spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “Speak to the children of IsraEl, “On the first day of the seventh new moon, you shall observe a day of Sabbath rest, a memorial day announced by the blowing of Trumpets, a holy convocation.
25 You shall not do any laborious work [on that day], but you shall present an offering by fire to Yahuwah.’The Appointed time of Atonement:
26 Then Yahuwah spoke to Moses, saying,
27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble yourselves and present an offering by fire to Yahuwah ….
32 It is to be to you a Sabbath of complete rest, and you shall humble yourselves. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening you shall keep your Sabbath.”
When one uses the sun moon and stars, the sun provides the day. The moon provides the appointed times. The stars provide the years. All the appointed times being found this way. We read about how New Moon day was not a work day (Ezekiel 46:1-3, Amos 8:4-5 and Isaiah 66:23), but rather was a separate day to the work days and it was not a regular Sabbath day either.
Scripture tells us in Daniel of how His appointed times would be changed to a continual calendar and the calendar which uses the sun moon and stars would be thrown to the ground.
Daniel 8:9-14
9 And from one of them came forth a little horn which became superior and very great toward the south and toward the sunrise and toward the glorious (land).
10 And it (the little horn) became great (against) the sun, moon and stars in the visible sky and causes them to waste away such that they become inferior , the sun, moon and the sparkling stars to the surface of the earth and trampled upon them (thus destroying the knowledge of their function).
11 And he made himself of great importance, magnifying himself as the Ruler of rulers of the continuously without interruption (cycle of weeks) and caused himself of be exalted and shown as powerful and Yahuwah’s dwelling place the temple was cast down.
12 And the Sun Moon and the stars were delivered up and given to the continuously without interruption as a transgression against Yahuwah which cast away the truth to the ground which bought about prosperity and success (for the little horn).
13 Then I heard a certain Holy One speaking to another Holy One who said to that certain one which spoke “(Until when) the vision of the continuously (without interruption) transgression which stuns, stupefies and makes desolate will be permitted to be set apart from Yahuwah such that the Sun, moon and stars are trodden upon?
14 And he said unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the separation of Yahuwah will be justified and made righteous.
Yahuwah bless.
The Calendar of Scripture 