Letter to Laodicea - The Calendar Of God

THE CALENDAR OF GOD

In the Old Testament Scriptures, in addition to the weekly Sabbath, God commands His people to observe a number of designated days in specific months of the year. These "Holy Days" and other observances, listed in Leviticus 23, were to be kept in conjunction with the yearly harvests in the land of Israel. To achieve this, the people employed an observation based "calendar" which harmonised lunar cycles with the solar year, and which unfolded as the year progressed.

The Churches of God nevertheless claim that Jesus Christ, at the time of His first coming, kept the Holy Days according to the pre-calculated Hebrew/Jewish Calendar in use today. They sometimes even refer to it as "the calendar of God", and say that it is part of the "oracles of God" given to the Jews (Rom 3:2).

However, it can be shown from the Jews' own writings that even centuries after Christ this calendar did not yet exist.

All available information indicates that, in both Old and New Testament times, observation of the moon was used to determine the beginning of months, rather than any method of calculation.

In Emil Shurer's 1890 "A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ" we read "they did not in the time of Jesus Christ possess as yet any fixed calendar" and "they began a new month with the appearing of the new moon" (First Division, Vol 2, p366).

Professor Sacha Stern, in "Calendar and Community - A History of the Jewish Calendar, 2nd Century BCE - 10th Century CE", writes "the calendar in the first century was set empirically, without conforming to any fixed or calculated cycle" and also "it is well known that the rabbinic calendar was originally based on the appearance of the new moon, which involved a procedure of observation" (2001, p64 and p103).

The first written record of the laws of Judaism, known as the Mishnah, was compiled about 200 years after the time of Christ. This lengthy body of writings contains the opinions of many Jewish rabbis on various aspects of their law, and detailed information about Jewish practices dating back to the time when the Second Temple was still in existence. This includes the methods by which the calendar was determined.

Many entries in the Mishnah deal with what to do if the months happen to fall "this way" or the years work out "that way", showing that in those days no prior knowledge existed of the exact length of a calendar month or a calendar year.

The Mishnah describes a system where witnesses of the first crescent of the moon would come to Jerusalem and be examined by members of the Sanhedrin to determine the beginning of each month. Three judges would make a decision, after which, in those months that were significant for the keeping of feasts, messengers would be sent to outlying Jewish communities to relay the information. Procedures were also in place to determine the beginning of a new year, a decision which often would not be made until late in the 12th month of an existing year.

Had there been a fixed calendar in use, as is the case today, no such arrangements would have been necessary.

By using the method of observation, the calendar is kept synchronised with the heavenly bodies, as God intended. The Hebrew calendar on the other hand is often seen to be out of alignment with the moon, sometimes by as much as two days. This problem is exacerbated by the use of the so-called "laws of postponement" in calculating the Hebrew calendar. The laws of postponement were formulated by the Jews to ensure that certain perceived problems wouldn't arise when keeping the Holy Days of the seventh month.

One aim was to prevent the commanded day of fasting, the Day of Atonement, from falling on a Friday or a Sunday, the days before and after the Sabbath. Another aim was to prevent the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles from falling on a Sabbath, presumably because this was the commanded day to take down one's temporary booth. To accomplish this, the first day of the seventh month (Tishri 1), i.e. the Feast of Trumpets, would be postponed by a day or two, as thought necessary.

However, as other Jewish calendar laws stipulate that there are to be 163 days between the Feast of Trumpets and the day of Passover, this postponement of the Feast of Trumpets automatically leads to the day of Passover being moved as well, meaning that Passover is no longer kept on its designated day of the lunar month, and therefore will not coincide with a full moon as God has clearly intended it to.

Following are a few examples from the Mishnah pertaining to calendar matters, showing that today's predetermined Hebrew calendar, with its laws of postponement, was not in use in the first and second centuries:

-- Pesahim 7:10, in discussing the burning of the remains of Passover, says that this should be done on Nisan 16, unless that day falls on a Sabbath, in which case the burning of the remains moves to Sunday the 17th of Nisan. That however would mean that Nisan 15, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, could fall on a Friday, which by the rules of postponement is impossible.

-- Menahoth 11:7 mentions the Day of Atonement falling on a Friday. However, this is not possible by the rules of postponement. According to the pre-calculated calendar in use today, the Day of Atonement can only fall on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday.

-- Megillah 1:2, dealing with the Jewish festival of Purim (Adar 14 or 2nd Adar 14, whichever is the last month of the year), shows that this festival can fall on a Sabbath, but by the rules of postponement this never happens. The Mishnah likewise makes provision for this day falling on a Monday, but this also cannot happen by the rules of postponement.

-- Taanith 2:10 mentions the Jewish fast of Ab, which is on Ab 9, falling on the day before the Sabbath. By the rules of postponement it never does.

-- Arakin 2:2 says "There are never less than four full (30 day) months in the year, nor ..... more than eight". The first clause does not line up with the current fixed Hebrew calendar that the Churches of God follow, as there are never as few as four thirty day months in a year on the Hebrew calendar. The least number of 30 day months there can be in a year on that calendar is five, which together with seven 29 day months makes for a 353 day year. The second clause does apply to the Hebrew calendar, as a 13 month year does sometimes have as many as 8 thirty day months and 5 twenty-nine day months, making a 385 day year, the maximum possible on the Hebrew calendar.

-- Erubin 3:7 states "If at the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) a man feared that the (sixth) month might be intercalated (made a 30 day month) .... ". However, there is nothing to "fear" with the fixed Hebrew calendar, as all is known in advance; the sixth month always has 29 days on the pre-calculated Hebrew calendar.

-- Eduyoth 7:7 says "the year could be declared a leap year (an intercalated year, where a 13th month is added) any time during Adar; whereas it had been taught: only until Purim (the middle of Adar)". This does not apply to the calendar the Churches of God use, as all the leap years are known in advance.

There are many more such examples in the Mishnah.

A gradual development of the calendar can be seen by studying the Mishnah (200AD), the Tosefta (approx. 300AD), the Jerusalem Talmud (4th Century) and the Babylonian Talmud (5th Century), the last three being commentaries on, and further developments of the Mishnah. However, even the Babylonian Talmud does not contain all the Hebrew calendar laws as they exist today.

For instance, the Feast of Trumpets could in the times of the Babylonian Talmud still fall on a Sunday. However, by the calculated Hebrew calendar it can only fall on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.

The claim by the Churches of God that Christ observed the Holy Days using the calculated Hebrew calendar including its laws of postponement, flies in the face of the evidence shown above.

What proof do they provide for their claim?

The only "proof" being offered by the Churches of God that Christ kept the fixed Hebrew calendar is the way the days fell in the year of His death, 31AD.

See the partial email exchange from April 2010 between the author and MN (name withheld), Philadelphia Church of God "calendar expert" below, which refutes this "proof".

The information referred to can now be found in the article "The Hebrew Calendar’s Authority Proved!" at www.thetrumpet.com.

Writing in (brackets), highlighting and underlining has been inserted by the author.

From: Ron Mey

Location: Australia

Date: April 24, 2010 7:46:41 AM CDT

Subject: [FEEDBACK] Re: God's Sacred Calendar (Part Two)

...if I may I would really like to ask a question regarding the working out of Tishri 1 in the year 31 AD as stated in your article. It says that the new moon (molad) was at 23:52 on Thursday night. To the best of my information however (Googling "new moon visibility") the new moon is only visible for about half an hour just after sunset (until moonset) which is why the Jews would look at sunset or just thereafter for the new moon. This new moon therefore that occurred by CALCULATION late on Thursday night would not have been VISIBLE until Friday sunset. If my reasoning is correct, wouldn't this mean that observation on the one hand and the rules of postponement on the other would lead to one and the same day for Tishri 1 in 31 AD ?

Kind regards and all the best,

Ron Mey

... as you mentioned, it comes out the same this year whether you go by the calculations and postponement rules or if you go by visual location and postponement rules.....

M N

Greetings Mr N,

Thank you for responding to me so promptly ................... but now I'm left somewhat confused. The before
mentioned trumpet.com article says that Tishri 1 in 31 AD falling on Saturday and therefore Passover in the same year falling on a Wednesday is proof that Christ kept the laws of postponement. If, as you confirm, visual observation alone as well as visual observation combined with the laws of postponement lead us to the same Saturday for Tishri 1, 31 AD, how can it be proof of Christ keeping the laws of postponement?

All the best,

Ron Mey

I believe the (that) I can clear this point up. The new moon is visible any time after sunset, not “just” after sunset. It is normally not visible during the day light hours because the light of the sun overwhelms the faintness of the crescent moon. That means the new moon would have been visible in 31 A.D. from 11:52 until sunrise.

I hope this is helpful.

M N

(Insert by the author: The highlighted statement above demonstrates sheer ignorance. I hope the reader can recognise the absolute folly here. It comes from modern living, with a calendar on the wall, and never actually going out and observing the heavenly bodies as God intended. Research "new moon visibility" and learn about this if you are as ignorant as I was before doing this study).

Greetings Mr N,

Sorry to bother you again and I really don't want to be contentious, but if you don't mind, I'd like to present the following points. When you say that the new moon is in the sky during the day, but cannot be seen, that is absolutely correct. To quote an internet source: "At the astronomical new moon (conjunction), the moon is positioned between the sun and the earth, and cannot be seen at all. After a day or so, the moon has moved slightly out of the almost direct line between sun and earth and so the sun illuminates a slight crescent of the moon. This however cannot be observed during the day either, because of the sun's light, until sunset, when for a short period of time this crescent is visible from earth, until the earth's ongoing rotation spins the observer away from the moon, which is moonset. No moon is visible for the rest of that night at this early stage of the lunar cycle, as the moon is still positioned between the earth and the sun, not on the dark side of the earth where it is night time"

Following are a number of quotes (only one reproduced here, as this point is so obvious) to show the time of visibility of the new moon.

"...the new moon is only visible at a specific time of the day; between sunset and moonset. At this stage of the moon's orbit, the interval between sunset and moonset is often not more than half an hour. It is only in this short period of time, when the sun is isolated from the moon and deep enough below the horizon, that the sky becomes sufficiently dark for the thin moon crescent to become visible against its background." (p100, "Calendar and Community - A History of the Jewish Calendar 2nd Century BCE - 10th Century CE"

(Rabbi) Professor Sasha Stern - Oxford University Press).

All the very best,

Ron Mey

Such is the proof offered for Christ keeping the fixed Hebrew calendar with its laws of postponement; the proof doesn't exist.

Some point to I Sam 20:18 to make a case for the existence of a calculated calendar in the early days of the kings of Israel. David and Jonathan appear to have foreknowledge of when the "new moon" is to appear. See the page "THE NEW MOON MISTRANSLATION" for a logical explanation of the passage of Scripture in which this verse appears.

The simple truth is that God's people kept their calendar by observation, as shown in God's Word.

Gen 1:14 states right from the beginning that the sun and the moon were intended to be used "for seasons (lit. "appointed times", the same Hebrew word used in Lev 23 to denote Holy Days), and for days and years", or in other words, to determine time in general, as well as specific times appointed by God, on Earth. The only method that Adam and Eve and their descendants had at their disposal to track the passing of time was observation of these two heavenly bodies.

The sun indicates the start and the halfway point of the solar year by the two equinoxes. God tells us in Exodus 12:2 and 13:4 which of the equinoxes (in the northern hemisphere) begins the solar year: it is the season of new grain (indicated by the Hebrew word "Abib"), the time we call Spring. Here are a number of examples of where the beginning of the year is mentioned in Scripture:

In II Sam 11:1 the KJV reads "after the year was expired", and its marginal reading says "at the return of the year". This verse continues by stating that this is "the time when kings go forth to battle", as winter has passed and conditions are more favourable for warfare. In I Kings 20:22 we read: "at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee". And I Chron 20:1 states "And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army". The words "expired" and "return" in these four quotes are all translations of the Hebrew word "teshuvah", which refers here to the first, or Spring equinox which begins the solar year.

Here are some examples from Scripture of the second equinox of the solar year, which occurs at the start of the season we call Autumn: Ex 34:22 states "And thou shalt observe ...... the feast of ingathering at the year's end". The KJV marginal note for "year's end" says "revolution of the year". Many other Bible versions translate this as "turn of the year". We read in II Chron 24:23 "And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him". Many Bible versions render this as "turn of the year". The words "end", "revolution" and "turn" are all translations of the Hebrew word "tekufah", which here refers to the second, or Autumnal equinox of the solar year. The Feast of Ingathering, or Tabernacles, always occurs after the Autumnal equinox at the halfway point of the solar year, as long as the Spring equinox and first month of the year are determined correctly.

Therefore, putting the Scriptures together, we see that God not only intended the Holy Days to be kept every year, but also to be observed in their designated seasons of the year.

The fact that the sun determines the starting point of the solar year is shown in Bible typology: in Joseph's dream recorded in Gen 37:9-10, the sun is a type of the husband (and of Christ) and the moon is a type of the wife (and of the Church). And just like every Bible believing couple has a man who is the leader, and a wife who is obedient to him, so the sun determines the start of the solar year at the Spring equinox, and the first new moon that follows begins the lunar or true calendar year. On the calculated Hebrew calendar, however, the first day of the lunar year frequently falls before the Spring equinox, which is contrary to the spiritual picture just presented.

The equinox can be determined, as long as the sun is shining, by using a gnomon (e.g. a stick fixed upright in the ground) and some markers placed on the ground periodically, to measure the progress of the shadow cast by the gnomon. On the exact day of the equinox the markers will form a perfectly straight line, rather than a curved one.

Months are kept by observing the moon, thereby keeping the calendar synchronised with the moon. When observation is not possible, 30 days per month are counted, as seen in the account of Noah on the ark, until observation is restored and the months are brought back into harmony with the moon. There are most often 12 months in a year, but a 13th month is added to the year if the 12th month ends before the next Spring equinox.

The year of the Exodus can be shown from Scripture to have been a 13 month year, as can the year in which the prophet Ezekiel began to lie on his sides for a total of 430 days, as directed by God.

It is clear that God's method of keeping the calendar by observation makes it impossible to know very long in advance the day on which a new month will begin. Why then would God command that one of the annual Holy Days, namely the Feast of Trumpets, be kept on the first day of the seventh month, thus causing great uncertainty for His people?

Indeed, the Mishnah highlights this uncertainty, detailing the difficulties it created. It informs us that even if the new moon was not seen in Jerusalem soon after sunset at the end of the 29th day of the sixth month, the Jews would keep the 30th day as the Feast of Trumpets, all the way into the afternoon, just in case witnesses came from further afield to say that they had seen the new moon. If by early afternoon no witnesses had appeared, that day would be declared the 30th day of the sixth month, and the Feast of Trumpets would be held a second time, starting at sunset, and that new day then declared to be the first day of the seventh month.

The reason God commands us to keep the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the month is that the uncertainty this creates, with regard to the exact day it will fall on, typifies the meaning of this Holy Day. The day of Trumpets pictures the second coming of Christ. Christ told His disciples "you do not know which day your Lord is coming" (Matt 24:42) and "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matt 24:44). For most of God's people this refers to the time of their death. For those who are alive at Christ's second coming it is also a day that they cannot know with certainty in advance, due to the nature of the observational calendar. This amazing typology is lost when a calculated calendar is used, where all days are determined in advance.

As explained on the page "DANIEL 11 & 12 - KINGS OF NORTH AND SOUTH", the year of Christ's return can now be determined from the Scriptures as a result of the time related prophecies in Dan 12:7 and 11 having been fulfilled in this end time. The date of His return is known to be the first day of the seventh month, i.e. the Feast of Trumpets, as indicated by the sequence of events in God's Holy Day plan, and the hour of His return is given in Zech 14:5-7. Nevertheless, the exact day of the week on which the first day of the seventh month will fall cannot be known in advance, as it will still depend on the visibility of the new moon in Jerusalem. Therefore the typified uncertainty remains valid right until the return of Christ.

The greatest authority on the Hebrew calendar that the author is aware of is Professor (Rabbi) Sacha Stern of the University College in London. His thesis "A History of the Jewish Calendar, 2nd Century BCE - 10th Century CE" would have to be some of the most in-depth and detailed research done on this subject. Here are two relevant quotes from this work:

1) "The use of the present-day rabbinic calendar for ancient Jewish datings is an anachronism which unsuspecting historians ........ too frequently commit" (p136, footnote 111).

2) "Contemporary rabbinic sources ...... reflect rabbinic wishful thinking rather than historical reality" (p83).

What Professor Stern proves in his thesis is that the fixed Hebrew "rabbinic" calendar, which both the Jews and most Holy Day keeping Christians use, did not come into general use until the 10th century AD. The much quoted "Hillel" who supposedly, as is claimed by current Jewish sources and the Churches of God, first recorded the way to calculate the calendar in the 4th century AD, is not mentioned in either of the Talmuds, and is not referred to in any Jewish writings until the 11th century! As late as the 9th century AD, Jewish sources still show debate on whether to intercalate the year, showing that even then the calendar was not yet fixed. What this means is that it is not possible to use the current Hebrew calendar to count back and determine dates like the day that Passover fell on in the year Christ died. Professor Stern's thesis proves that Jesus Christ did not keep the fixed Hebrew calendar with its laws of postponement, simply because it did not exist in His time. Rather, the calendar in Christ's day was kept by visual observation.

*******

The author acknowledges that we will not see all people keeping a calendar in the way God intended, and therefore the Holy Days correctly, until the promised "restitution of all things" (Acts 3:21). However, some form of observation based calendar could certainly have been implemented by the COG's, and indeed some small groups have done just that. The Churches should be open about this matter and admit that the calendar by which most of them keep these days is not what was used in Biblical times, but was a later invention of the Jews. The Hebrew calendar is certainly not part of the "oracles of God" (Rom 3:2), as has been commonly taught by most COG's.

Where does this leave sincere Christians with regard to the keeping of God's Holy Days? Should they try, by themselves, to determine a calendar, and to keep these days alone to the best of their ability? This would seem to defeat the purpose of the Feasts, as God has commanded them to be "holy convocations". Some might decide to attend with their regular congregation on the days it has appointed, if suitable, and then privately keep the days that they themselves have identified as the correct ones for their locality. It was, however, declared to Moses that "you shall proclaim" these days, as seen in Lev 23:2 and 23:4. Therefore the ball is in the court of the leadership of the Churches to make the right Biblical decisions.

However, an even bigger issue than the technical aspects of working out the calendar needs to be addressed. Regardless of what methods are used and what dates are arrived at, we as the Churches of God should strive to keep holy those days that we have determined to be "Holy Days". Why do many professed Sabbath keepers visit coffee shops and restaurants, and even organise large combined gatherings at eateries on Holy Days during Feasts and on weekly Sabbaths, when this is totally contrary to the Biblical instructions found in Nehemiah 10:31 and 13:15-22?