British-Israel.us - Lesson 7 - What's Wrong With The CALENDAR?

oes the Sabbath day begin at sunset on the north pole (Lev.23:32)? Isn't the International Date Line in the wrong place? Did Joshua's long day destroy the weekly cycle (Josh.10:13)? Should we begin our months with the visible new moon crescent or the astronomical lunar conjunction (Rev.12:1-5)? Should it be viewed locally or at Jerusalem (Ex.12:1-2)? Did the four seasons begin after Noah's flood (Gen.8:22)? Is the new year determined by "green ears" of barley or the spring equinox (Gen.1:14-16)? Should the new moon come before or after the equinox (Deut.16:6)? When is the next modern land Sabbath (Ex.23:10) and Jubilee year (Lev.25:10)? How does a person calculate the feast days (Lev.23) from scratch using an almanac?

The Biblical definition of a day is two-fold. First we find that Christ said in John 11:9, "are there not TWELVE HOURS in the day?," and "God called the LIGHT day" (Gen.1:5). A day is therefore TWELVE HOURS of DAYLIGHT -- sunrise to sunset.

Second, we read that "the EVENING and the MORNING were the first day" (Gen.1:5) and "on the day that I struck down all the first-born in the land of Egypt" (Num.3:13) which we know occurred at MIDNIGHT (Ex.12:29). So a day also consists of a dark period and a light period -- sunset to sunset -- 24 HOURS. The sun defines the day when the earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours (Gen.1:14).

The Roman calendar day begins at midnight but the biblical calendar day begins at sunset or evening. As Leviticus 23:32 says, "from evening unto evening shall ye celebrate your sabbath." And Mark 1:32 says, "at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were sick." And "The soul that touches any (uncleanness) shall be unclean until evening ... and when the sun is down he shall be clean" (Lev.22:6-7).

Christian churches in Europe and early America continued for many centuries to observe a rest day and festivals from sunset the preceding evening. This custom was gradually discarded until by 1800 it was virtually non-existent. Yet we still see such phrases as "Christmas Eve" and "New Year's Eve" showing that the celebrations began at sunset the preceding evening.

What are Sabbath-keepers supposed to do north of the Arctic Circle, where it remains dark for several months each year?

In the countries where there is no sunset for months, and no sunrise for months, a person should simply USE THE TIME THE SUN WENT DOWN BEFORE THE PERIOD OF TOTAL DARKNESS, OR TOTAL LIGHT, TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH.

In arctic and antarctic areas, there are times when the sun is invisible for 24 hours, and other times when it is visible for 24 hours. During the time of complete darkness, Sabbath-keepers should KEEP THE SABBATH FROM ABOUT NOON FRIDAY TO ABOUT NOON SATURDAY because that is the time when the sun rose and set in arctic midwinter. In other words, before the sun disappeared, it both rose and set at noon.

Conversely, during the period of complete light, the Sabbath should be kept from midnight Friday to midnight Saturday, because the sun is at its lowest point around midnight during the time of the "Midnight Sun." IN SUMMARY, AT WHATEVER TIME THE SUN WENT DOWN BEFORE THE PERIOD OF TOTAL DARKNESS OR TOTAL LIGHT IS THE TIME TO KEEP THE SABBATH.

In the areas below the Arctic Circle, there is never a period of 24-hour darkness or 24-hour light. When the sun sets on Friday, the Sabbath begins. The antarctic region operates the same way. (See The Lord's Day On A Round World by Robert L. Odom, 1970, Southern Pub. Ass'n.)

The biblical definition of a week is SEVEN DAYS since Jacob "fulfilled her (Leah's) week" (of marriage festivities) and we see there were "SEVEN DAYS of the feast" (Judges 14:12) when Samson later got married. THE SAME MARRIAGE CUSTOM IS IN ONE PLACE A WEEK LONG AND IN ANOTHER PLACE SEVEN DAYS LONG. The word for "week" in Strong's Concordance (#7620 from #7651) means "SEVEN" in Hebrew. God himself established the week by working six days and resting on the seventh (Gen.1:1 to 2:4; Ex.20:8-11).

But which day is the seventh day of the week? God "blessed" and "sanctified" only "the seventh day" (Gen.2:3). A person can't "keep" a day "holy" (Ex.20:8) unless it is holy to begin with. A person can't keep a teapot hot if it is cold. It must first be made hot in order to be kept hot.

If a person is just one day off in observing the Sabbath, it doesn't count. For instance, if a person is just one day off in observing the Passover, Christ said, "ye have no life in you" (John 6:53). If a bridegroom invited guests to his wedding, and they were a day late, they would miss the wedding (cp.Matt.25:10-12). Let us therefore be like the men of Issachar "who had understanding of the times" (1 Chr.12:32; see also Esther 1:13). The modern Roman calendar is not God's calendar. The Romans rejected God's ways (Rom.1:18-22).

Now the SEVENTH DAY of the WEEK is from FRIDAY SUNSET TO SATURDAY SUNSET. Here are some of the reasons why:

First, we see that all wall calendars have seven columns beginning with Sunday at the left and ending with Saturday at the right. Thus, these calendars admit that Saturday is the seventh day by their very design.

Second, the Jews consider Saturday the Sabbath and "the oracles of God" (Rom.3:2; cp. Acts 7:8) were committed to the Jews. From the time of Moses to our day they represent an unbroken, historical chain that has never deviated from the day Moses gave them. Christ subsequently kept the Sabbath with them (Luke 4:17,20). From 70 A.D. onward, they've been scattered into all parts of the world -- independent, isolated and cut off from one another. Yet everywhere they rest on the same day -- Saturday. There is no confusion among them.

Third, it was the Roman Catholic Church who changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday at the Council of Laodicea in 364 A.D. and anathematized those who rested on Saturday (pp. 361-362, History Of The Sabbath by J.N. Andrews).

Fourth, in 108 languages of the world, "Saturday" is rendered "Sabbath." Most of the world's leading ancient and modern languages use a word for Saturday that means "rest" and sounds alot like "Sabbath." For example, notice "Sabado" (Spanish), "Sabbato" (Italian), "Subbota" (Russian), "Shubbuta" (Bulgarian), "As-Sabt" (Arabic), "Sabbaton" (Greek), "Sabbatum" (Latin), "Shambin" (Persian), "Shapat" (Armenian), "Sanbat" (Abyssinian), "Sobota" (Polish), "Shamba" (Hindustani), "Ari-Sabtu" (Malay), "Shamba" (Afghan), "Sabatico" (Prussian), "Sab" (Central African) and "Sabtu" (Dayak, Boreno). Although some languages, such as French ("Samedi") and German ("Samstag"), do not preserve this transliteration, the words for Sunday have no significance in any language.

Fifth, Webster's Dictionary defines Saturday as "the seventh or last day of the week; the day of the Jewish Sabbath" (p.1611). This weekly cycle has never been changed by man. As James Robertson, former Director American Ephemeris, U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington D.C., said, "There has been no change in our calendar in past centuries that has affected in any way the cycle of the week." F.W. Dyson, former Astronomer Royal, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, stated, "As far as I know, in the various changes of the calendar there has been no change in the seven-day rota of the week, which has come down from very early times." "The week is a period of seven days, having no reference whatever to the celestial motions -- a circumstance to which it owes its unalterable uniformity.... It has been employed from time immemorial in almost all Eastern countries; and as it forms neither an aliquot part of the year nor of the lunar month, those who reject the Mosaic recital will be at a loss, as Delambre remarks, to assign to it an origin having much semblance of probability" (Encyc. Brit., 11th ed., vol.4, p.988). A book giving sunset tables for all major American cities can be purchased from the Nautical Almanac Office, U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington D.C. 20390. It gives the exact times of sunset for every day of the year in any major American city. Simply remember to figure in Daylight Saving Time (From April to October add one hour. Spring ahead; Fall behind. The exact dates vary from year to year but the rule is to move clocks ahead the first Sunday in April.) Hawaii, Arizona, and parts of Indiana do not use Daylight Saving Time.

Someone will argue that two Sabbath-keepers could start out from Jerusalem, one travelling east and the other travelling west, each keeping the same Sabbath every seventh day of the journey. When they meet again on the other side of the globe on the Sabbath, one Sabbath-keeper is reassured that he is still keeping the Sabbath while the other is informed that he is now observing Sunday. Their journeys took the same length of time and yet they are now supposedly 24 hours apart. The same sun shines overhead. But they are separated by the imaginary "International Date Line" in the Pacific Ocean.

By an international agreement in 1884, this line was decided upon. It is therefore arbitrary, recent, and man-made. Furthermore, it isn't even straight. It zig-zags both east and west of the 180-degree line. (The End-Time Vigil, (Box 611, Nelson, BC, Canada V1L 5R4) deserves credit for this point.)

But just because the earth is round and has no end or beginning doesn't mean we should discard the idea of a Sabbath. It is not the Sabbath that is arbitrary, recent, man-made or crooked. We just need a proper International Date Line established by scripture to begin and end each day and week.

Sabbath-keepers should ignore the line in the Pacific. Instead, they should look to the meridian on the 46-degree east line which runs through the town of "Eridu" -- the most probable site of the Garden of Eden. This line starts the new day.

A new day should begin where God began the first day. A new week should begin where God began the first week. Adam started his first day and first week from the Garden of Eden. This line is not arbitrary or man-made or recent or crooked. God made the earth a sphere. God made the unit of time known as a day. Therefore, God must have also made an International Date Line since He "is not the author of confusion" (1 Cor.14:33). Let us call it the INTERNATIONAL DAY LINE to distinguish it from the one in the Pacific.

Man's ways are often the exact opposite from God's ways. The International Date Line is 46 degrees less than exactly 180 degrees opposite from God's line. Take a map and notice that this INTERNATIONAL DAY LINE precisely divides Europe from Asia exactly where most modern maps divide these continents. Is this just coincidence? Notice further that this line keeps the overwhelming bulk of Africa just to the west so that a third continent is not divided. Virtually all the people living east of this line are non-Sabbath-keeping orientals and blacks until we come to Australia and New Zealand. In other words, virtually all Jewish or Christian Caucasians live west of this line. So the line is well positioned. But the man-made International Date Line cuts off Australia and New Zealand from their kindred Celto-Saxon nations to the east and causes these peoples to unknowingly break the Sabbath even when they rest on "Saturday." Australian Sunday-keepers are unknowingly meeting together on Saturday and Sabbath-keepers are actually resting on Friday. Satan truly has deceived the whole world (Rev.12:9). If Christians are persecuted for Sabbath-keeping in the future, perhaps it would make sense to move to Australia at that time and rest on "Sunday."

A person should not cross the INTERNATIONAL DAY LINE on the Sabbath going east. If he travels east on Saturday sunset, he comes to Friday sunset on the other side and must observe two Sabbaths in a row and only work five days that week, thereby breaking the command to work six days a week. He has also broken the seven-day cycle in his own body.

A person should not cross the INTERNATIONAL DAY LINE on Friday going west. If he travels west on Friday sunset, he comes to Saturday sunset on the other side and has missed the Sabbath observance altogether, thereby breaking the command to rest on the Sabbath (not travel). He has also broken the seven-day cycle in his own body.

If a person travels across the INTERNATIONAL DAY LINE going either way on some other day for a short stay of a week or less, it may be better to use local time from the place of origin if he is certain to return quickly because then he will not break the seven-day cycle in his own body. This would apply especially to occupations such as airline pilots, astronauts and international travelers. Policemen and firemen face the same problem.

The 46-degree east line was determined by the following method. Genesis 2:8 says, "the Lord God planted a garden eastward (from Jerusalem's vantage point since the Bible always speaks from that perspective) in Eden" (literally "a plain"). The Hebrew word "eden" is probably a common noun from the Sumerian "edin," or Akkadian "edinu" in the Assyrian inscriptions, which means a "plain" or "steppe land" suitable for cultivation or pasture. This is characteristic of the Mesopotamian plain (Gen.11:2) east of Jerusalem. According to cuneiform inscriptions, Eridu was reputed to have in its neighborhood a garden, "a holy place," in which there grew a sacred palm tree. This "tree of life" appears frequently upon the inscriptions with two guardian spirits standing on either side (p.898, vol.2, I.S.B.E.)

In Joshua 10:12-13 we read, "Then spoke Joshua ... Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed ... and hastened not to go down about a whole day."

This did not destroy the seven-day weekly cycle or make two days out of one because God reckons a DAY as being "from evening to evening" (Gen.1:5; Lev.23:32) regardless of how many hours are in between. God doesn't count days according to man-made clocks or 24-hour periods. The Bible calls this a "DAY" singular. As Joshua 10:14 says, "And there was no DAY like that before or after it."

The calendar in use today was first called the Julian Calendar because it had its origin at the time of Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. Later it was changed at the order of Pope Gregory, and since then it has been called the Gregorian Calendar.

The Julian Calendar was imperfect because it inserted leap years too frequently. Back when this calendar was designed it was supposed that the year was exactly 365.25 days long. To take care of the extra one-fourth day each year, a day was added to the month of February every four years. It was later learned that the year is 12 minutes and 14 seconds shorter than this. Consequently, by the time of "pope" Gregory, the calendar had drifted ten days away from the seasons. The spring equinox, therefore, fell on March 11 instead of March 21.

To correct this, ten days were dropped from the calendar. But they were dropped only from the number of days in the month, not from the number of days in the week.

A man named Lilius proposed the method which was adopted in making the change. In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1910 edition), volume 9, page 251, under the article "Lilius," we read this explanation of the change: "Thus, every imaginable proposition was made; only one idea was never mentioned, viz., the abandonment of the seven-day week."

Also in the Catholic Encyclopedia (1910 edition), volume 3, page 740, under the article "Chronology," we read: "It is to be noted that in the Christian period, the order of days in the week has never been interrupted. Thus, when Gregory XIII reformed the calendar in 1582, Thursday, 4 October was followed by Friday, 15 October. So in England, in 1752, Wednesday, 2 September , was followed by Thursday, 14 September."

Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat.
_____1___ 2____ 3 ___4___15_ 16
17__ 18__ 19___ 20__ 21__ 22_ 23
24__ 25__ 26___ 27__ 28__ 29_ 30
31

The British countries refused to change the calendar when the "pope" ordered it. They continued with the old Julian Calendar until 1752. And while their days of the month were therefore different from Spain, Portugal and Italy, who had changed in 1582, nonetheless, their days of the week were just the same as in Rome. By 1752 it was necessary to drop eleven days out of the month -- but still the week was unaffected.

Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat.
__________1____2__ 14___15_ 16
17__18___ 19___ 20_ 21___ 22_ 23
24__ 25___ 26__ 27__ 28__ 29_ 30

In Russia, the calendar was not changed until 1918. In that year the day that we called the 14th of August was the 1st day of August to the Russians. Our calendars were 13 days apart by this time, yet in both countries the same day was called Wednesday. In both countries

Saturday fell on the same day of the week. Through all the Russian changes, their Sunday is still our Sunday and their Saturday is still our Saturday.

Thus we see that the Julian-Gregorian Calendar has been in effect since 46 B.C. -- prior to the birth of Christ -- which proves that there has never been a change in the weekly cycle from the time of Christ until now. The Saturday of today is the same seventh day of the week that it was in Christ's time. We are therefore sure that we have the same Sabbath Day that Christ kept.

The biblical definition of a month can be found by comparing Numbers 10:10 which says, "in the BEGINNINGS of your months ye shall blow with the TRUMPET" and Psalm 81:3 which says "Blow up the TRUMPET in the NEW MOON." Thus the BEGINNING of a month is the NEW MOON.

Another set of scriptures that define a month are Numbers 28:11 which says, "in the BEGINNINGS of your months ye shall offer a BURNT OFFERING" and 2 Chronicles 8:12-13 which says "Solomon offered BURNT OFFERINGS ... on the NEW MOONS." Once again we conclude that the BEGINNING of a month is the NEW MOON. In fact, the Hebrew word "chodesh" is translated "new moon" 20 times and "month" 220 times in the Old Testament. The month begins with the thin, new-crescent moon in the western sky after sunset.

The Bible reveals that originally the synodical month (the time from lunar crescent to lunar crescent) was exactly 30 days. In Deuteronomy 21:13 it was the law to mourn for the dead "a full month." This mourning lasted a full "thirty days" when Aaron died (Num.20:29) and another "thirty days" when Moses died (Deut.34:8). Another proof that originally the synodical month was exactly 30 days can be found by comparing Genesis 7:11 with 8:4 which tells us that five months equalled 150 days. Thus, each month had to consist of 30 days. Also, in order for three-and-one-half years (Dan.7:25; Rev.13:5-7) to equal 42 months (Rev.11:2) or 1260 days (Rev.11:3; 12:6), we know that each month must have 30 days.

Of course, today months can be 29 or 30 days in length since the lunar cycle is 29.5306 days or 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds, but it can vary as much as 13 hours.

But is the biblical new moon the first faint visible crescent or the invisible astronomical lunar conjunction? Here are a number of reasons why we should use the crescent rather than the conjunction:

First, the ancient Hebrews had no almanacs or telescopes to figure out when the lunar conjunction would occur. The discoveries of Newton were millenia away. They had no choice but to use the visible crescent.

Second, the Hebrew words "yerach" and "lebanah," translated "moon," are never used to describe the first day of the month. Only the Hebrew word "chodesh" is translated "new moon." In Gesenius' Hebrew/Chaldee Lexicon we find that the term "hodesh" (#2320) comes from #2318 and means to be new, or TO POLISH WITH A SWORD. In other words, it appears as a SCIMITAR, or CURVED SWORD. It is not invisible.

Third, Psalm 81:3 says, "Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed (Heb. "keseh" meaning "full moon"), on our solemn feast day." Since we know that the new moon and feast of the full moon must be the first and fifteenth days of the month respectively, it naturally follows for us to ask whether or not there can be a full moon fifteen days after a crescent; or must we use the lunar conjunction in order to come out right? The truth is that "The necessary time for full moon varies from 13.73 to 15.80 days after conjunction" (over two days -- depending on how the ellipse is oriented with respect to the sun and earth since it is off-center) (The Calendars Of Ancient Egypt by Richard A. Parker). The new crescent is not seen until one, two, or rarely three days after conjunction. So from crescent to full moon would have even greater variability than this. When 200 such months were fed into a computer at random, it was found that the full moon proper occurred the 12th day after the crescent only once; 13th day after, 44 times; 14th day after, 94 times; 15th day after, 60 times; and 16th day after, once. In other words, the full moon proper doesn't always fall on the 15th day, so Psalm 81:3 means JUST BASICALLY ROUND -- not hair-splitting. But even the full moon proper occurs on the 15th day quite often using the crescent. Incidentally, the date of the new moon crescent cannot be reckoned accurately by visual observation of the full moon.

Fourth, Revelation 12:1-5 says that "there appeared a great wonder (Heb. "SIGN") in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and THE MOON UNDER HER FEET, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.... And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron." If an astronomer were to read this passage, he would automatically think of the constellation Virgo at the point in time when the sun's path in the heavens crosses through her body. This event always occurs in mid-October, the exact time of the Feast of Trumpets in many years. Trumpets can occur as many as 29 days after September 21-23 (Autumnal equinox) or as few as the same day if the equinox and the crescent occur on the same day. Thus, mid-October is a very typical time for this feast. Christ wasn't born on December 25. Furthermore, in mid-October, at the time of the new moon crescent, we SEE this phenomenon in the western sky soon after sunset. Rosh Hashanah actually means "Head of the year" or the first day of the civil year (cp. Ex.23:16-17 & 34:22-23). Since the Virgo Constellation begins the 12 zodiac constellations, we know that all 12 stars (or constellations -- Gen.37:9) are "on her head." In other words, she heads the yearly progression -- not Leo. Even today, the Jews begin the year on the Feast of Trumpets. If Christ's first coming was on this feast, as we think his second coming will be, then we know it was a new moon that was VISIBLE to John. Since John SAW the moon under her feet, it couldn't have been the lunar conjunction.

Fifth, the historical precedent is VISIBLE crescents. As Hastings Dict. of the Bible, art. "New Moon," p.522 says, "There was no fixed calendar till the fourth century ... and the New Moon was declared from ACTUAL OBSERVATION. The EYE-WITNESSES were carefully examined on the 30th day of each month ... If no witnesses were available, then the following day was New Moon." As the Jewish Encyc., art. "New Moon," p.243 says, "The Sanhedrin was assembled in the courtyard ("bet ya'azek") of Jerusalem on the 30th of each month from morning to evening, waiting for the reports of those appointed to OBSERVE the new moon." (See also Mishnah R.H.i.7, ii.5-7; Sanh.102) The article "Calendar, History of," p.498 says, "The history of the Jewish calendar may be divided 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 , the third entirely on reckoning." As the Encyclopedia Judaica, art. "New Moon," p.1039 says, "Originally, the New Moon was not fixed by astronomical calculations, but was solemnly proclaimed after witnesses had testified to the REAPPEARANCE of the crescent of the moon. On the 30th of each month, the members of the high court (Sanhedrin) assembled in a courtyard in Jerusalem, named Beit Ya'azek, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable WITNESSES; they then sanctified the New Moon. If the Moon's crescent was not seen on the 30th day, the new moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st day."

Sixth, each month is 29 or 30 days. The Israelites were able to predict ahead of time the new moon accurate to a two-day period simply by counting 29 days from the last new moon. This is why Saul held a two-day festival (1 Sam.20:27,34). David and Jonathan knew in advance that there would be a new moon festival the next day (1 Sam.20:5,18), and the day after that, because of their mentioning waiting until the third day (1 Sam.20:5,12,19). But they didn't know in advance whether the crescent would appear the first day or the second. The very fact that two days were celebrated rather than just one is proof of their INABILITY TO PREDICT with certainty the new moon day. Calculating the lunar conjunction is precise and unambiguous. Only one day is needed using that method.

Seventh, we know that Ezra the priest (Ezra 7:11-12) and Nehemiah both used the Babylonian names for the months of the calendar (Neh.1:1; 2:1; 6:15). Since they had just come from Babylon, it stands to reason that they were actually using the Babylonian Calendar which used VISIBLE crescents -- not conjunctions. And God was with them (Ezra 5:1-2; 7:27-28).

But the astronomical new moon (Hebrew "molad") is totally BLACK from the vantage point of the earth, so can't be the biblical new moon. Yet this is the "new moon" we find labeled on secular wall calendars and mentioned in secular newspapers and almanacs. This is the "new moon" used in the unbiblical "Jewish Calendar."

This INVISIBLE "new moon" occurs anywhere from 14 to 72 hours before the biblical new moon depending upon four predictable astronomical factors: "the interval from the true conjunction to the ensuing sunset(s) (or the average angular deviation of the moon from its point nearest the sun), the season of the year (or the longitude of the sun -- the measure of the sun from the vernal equinox of the ecliptic), the lunar latitude (as observed from earth), and the geographical longitude and latitude of the place of observation " (p.45, art. "Calendar," Encyc. Judaica; comments mine in brackets).

In other words, the interval between conjunction and crescent varies not only with the hour of conjunction (what time of the day or night) and the locality, but also with the speed and angle of the moon's course which are variable. When the moon is seven degrees from the sun, the contraction of the sunlit crescent, due to lunar mountain shadows, is also seven degrees. In other words, no sunlit crescent is visible. For an elongation of seven degrees or less, the entire crescent is hidden by the shadows of the lunar mountains and can't be seen from earth. Thus, the crescent becomes visible WHEN ITS ANGULAR DISTANCE FROM THE SUN IS OVER SEVEN DEGREES and this is largely unrelated to the moon's age. At any particular age, the moon can be near apogee or perigee and can vary widely in latitude. (See p.96, Feb. 1972, Sky And Telescope). But this seven-degrees-plus sighting is rare.

Assuming good vision and perfectly clear skies, the youngest crescents observed will be in those months WHEN THE INSTANT OF LUNAR CONJUNCTION (local time) FALLS SOMETIME BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND SUNRISE (at the observer's location). If the lunar conjunction occurs sometime after sunrise, then at sunset that day, the crescent will be an impossible-to-see twelve hours young, whereas next evening it will be a very old 36-hour new moon (24 + 12). Season of the year is also important. In north, temperate latitudes, AROUND THE MARCH EQUINOX, THE YOUNGEST EVENING CRESCENTS ARE SEEN, since that is when the ecliptic crosses the horizon most steeply. Around the September equinox is the time for youngest morning crescents. A CRESCENT CAN ALSO BE SEEN YOUNGER IF THE MOON IS AT PERIGEE at the date of sighting the crescent since this increases the angular distance of the crescent from the sun ( pp.78-79, Aug. 1971, Sky And Telescope).

Even though Christians don't need to celebrate new moons or rest on them, new moons are essential in determining when the annual festivals occur. If a Christian doesn't know how to determine which day is the new moon, he will not be able to celebrate the annual festivals on the proper days. It is vital to take notice of new moons, and to become skilled in determining when they occur.

If the sky is not cloudy or rainy, a person should look at the western sky with the unaided healthy eye to see the first faint crescent of the new moon which is only possible to see when the moon sets AT LEAST ONE HALF HOUR or more after sunset (from Michigan State University records; also p.10, vol.36, #1, Jan.1973 "The Faith" magazine -- Ezra Stone) (Moon trails sun by only 7.5 degrees.) This is the minimum time possible to see the crescent (but very rare). Herbert Solinsky says 35 minutes minimum (p.35, The Calendar God Gave To Moses). Since 24 hours is the maximum amount of time that can exist between sunset and moonset, the proportion is set up this way: .5hrs./24hrs. = 7.5 degrees/360 degrees

If the moon sets 48 MINUTES OR MORE after sunset, the lunar crescent will definitely be visible (p.34, July 1988 Sky And Telescope.) (48 minutes is a 12-degree difference.) This is the maximum parameter of uncertainty. Muhammed Manzoor Khan, an Islamic Imam, says 45 minutes, as does Herbert Solinsky (p.23, ibid.).

When the crescent is visible, it is usually visible for only a few minutes. The HIGHER one gets, the easier it is to see the moon because of atmospheric conditions. LOOKING OVER A BODY OF WATER is also helpful since the first faint crescent is sometimes resting right on true horizon. To determine the height location in the sky to look for the crescent, simply subtract 20 minutes (the time from sunset to dark) from the sunset/moonset difference, then divide the remaining minutes by 4 degrees per minute (360 degrees = 1440 minutes) to get the degree height of the sighting. Each four minutes equals one degree.

If the crescent isn't seen on a clear night the 30th, it can be assumed on a cloudy night the 31st (since new moon crescents occur every 29 or 30 days). If both the 30th and 31st are cloudy/overcast, celebrate any festivals TWICE in the coming month. About 60 percent of biblical months are 30 days each. It is possible to have three, four, and rarely five months of 30 days each in succession. Also, sometimes we have two, and rarely three, months of 29 days in succession (p.42, Solinsky and Anderson's The Calendar God Gave To Moses).

Sometimes east-coast Americans can't see the crescent till ONE DAY AFTER west-coast Americans. Sometimes Jerusalem can't see the crescent till ONE DAY AFTER America. In fact, a city such as Indianapolis, one third of the distance around the earth from Jerusalem, would see the crescent A DAY AHEAD of Jerusalem ONE THIRD OF THE TIME (-- Voy Wilks' letter). A place such as Hawaii would see the crescent A DAY AHEAD of Jerusalem about HALF OF THE TIME because it is about half the distance around the earth from Jerusalem. Therefore, those who ignore local sightings in favor of using Jerusalem as the standard will find that they celebrate festivals ONE DAY LATER OR EARLIER than other Christians occasionally.

Yes, it is true that "the law shall go forth from Jerusalem" (1 Chr.23:25; 2 Chr.33.4; Deut.11:12; Isa.2:3) and Jerusalem is the biblical precedent where crescents were first observed after entering the Promised Land. But if we revert to calculation, we are not actually using the moon. We are ignoring the first faint crescent in our local areas. But when God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament (expanse) of the heaven ... for seasons (Heb. "moed" means "feasts"), he was not talking to the residents of Jerusalem. God "appointed the moon for seasons" (Heb. "mowadah" means "feasts") (Ps.104:19) and made it visible ALL AROUND THE EARTH. When God made the original statement to Moses that "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months" (Ex.12:2), Moses was in Egypt, not Jerusalem (Ex.12:1).

We don't observe the weekly sabbath beginning when residents of Jerusalem see the sun go down. Instead, we keep the Sabbath by LOCAL sighting when the sun sets in our area. New moons, to be consistent, should operate on the same LOCAL-VISIBILITY principle.

For thousands of years, Seth, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham determined new moons without consulting Canaanites or living in Jerusalem. For hundreds of years, Joshua, Deborah, Gideon and Samuel didn't check Jerusalem (a Jebusite town) for new moons.

Yet if everyone doesn't have one standard at Jerusalem to go by on this round earth, we must have another standard somewhere else because "God is not the author of confusion" (1 Cor.14:33) and THE MONTH MUST BEGIN AND END SOMEWHERE. But we have already discarded the International Date Line as arbitrary and recent and man-made and inconsistent. So we need an International Month Line as the place to begin each month.

The MONTHLY DATE LINE must fall wherever the new moon crescent is first seen from month to month. This MOBILE MERIDIAN would move every month to a new location. Whichever city on this round globe is first to see the crescent becomes the new position of the MONTHLY DATE LINE for that month so that any religious festivals in that 30-day period start and end on that line. So we see that the INTERNATIONAL MONTH LINE determines where to start and where to end the annual festivals in the same way that the International Day Line determines where to start and where to end the weekly Sabbath festival. Of course, when we see sunset in our local area, we know a day has begun for us. But we don't know where the day began for others unless we know where we live in relation to the International Day Line at the Persian Gulf. In the same way, when we see the first crescent in our local area we know the month has begun for us. But we don't know where the month began for others unless we know where the INTERNATIONAL MONTH LINE fell this month in relation to our local area.

In other words, local sunset and local crescent tell locals when a day or month begins and ends for that location. But international lines tell international travellers where that particular day or month begins and ends internationally.

When an American city sees the crescent ahead of Jerusalem, this method would place the observance of the holy days one day of the week before they are observed in Jerusalem, but on the same day of the month as Jerusalem, biblically speaking. This method spares us the uncertainty of trying to decide if the new moon will be seen in Jerusalem tonight, or tomorrow night. And we don't have to rely on calculation, astronomers or observers in Jerusalem.

The artificial "time zones" are ignored by Sabbath-keepers. Instead, each Sabbath-keeper makes local sightings of the sunset regardless of what time it is and regardless of whether or not his city is one hour later than a city to his east which has just seen sunset. He knows that the artificial hour line may separate two cities which are only minutes apart, like Louisville and Bowling Green Kentucky.

In the same way, the International Date Line creates an artificial "time zone" of a day difference, and must be ignored by new-moon watchers. Each observer makes local sightings of the crescent regardless of whether or not his island is considered one day ahead of an island to his east. He knows he isn't a whole day ahead of those to his east. He knows that this arbitrary month line may separate two islands which are only hours apart, like the Samoan Islands and Fiji.

Once a crescent becomes visible at a particular location, it will certainly be visible west of that location at the same latitude and height above sea level especially, because sunset occurs later as one travels west, and the earth rotates eastward roughly 30 times faster than the moon travels eastward, so the CRESCENT WAXES WEST.

If the sky is cloudy and rainy, a person must either phone a Christian or Jewish friend to his east in a clear-sky area or rely on an almanac. The Old Farmer's Almanac only gives data for American and Canadian cities. If you're planning a European vacation, buy a different almanac. Another reliable source of information is Astronomical Data For The Year 1993 published annually by the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington D.C., 20392. If you can't buy an almanac (Rev.13:17), then choose the 30th and 31st days from the last new moon as the next new moon and celebrate all festivals twice in that month.

When the sun drops behind a mountain range, we call it sunset because we don't go by a sea-level horizon but instead by the real horizon full of mountains and trees. God holds us accountable from where we live -- not from some ideal plain in Kansas or a mountain top in Hawaii. In the same way, if the new moon crescent is too low in the sky and too close to the horizon to be visible behind a mountain range, we wait till the next night for the new moon. We can't be held responsible for a crescent we can't see.

To figure out where the INTERNATIONAL MONTH LINE will fall in a particular month, use the Old Farmer's Almanac to determine the sunset/moonset difference in that month for different cities around the globe until you find a city where the sunset/moonset difference is finally more than 48 minutes. Since there is a 30 to 48-minute grey area of uncertainty, perhaps the INTERNATIONAL MONTH LINE would more appropriately be called a BAND or ZONE several hundred miles wide. But it is a line boundary nonetheless. Using the almanac, locate the city with the lunar conjunction and work your way west from that starting point.

There is NO RECORD of new moons being celebrated prior to Moses' time. However, they were kept track of (Gen.8:5,13). New moons are NOT MENTIONED in the original Old Covenant (Ex. 19-24), but once the tabernacle was erected on "the first day of the first month" (Ex.40:2,17), then "the glory of the Eternal filled the tabernacle" (Ex.40:34). New moons are also TOTALLY OMITTED from the Book of Deuteronomy, yet we find that it was "on the first day of the month" (Deut.1:3) that Moses first preached the words that became the "Book of Deuteronomy." It is therefore correct to say that the celebration of new moons came LATER, and was an "ADDED" law (Gal.3:19).

New moons DO NOT further define the fourth commandment against Sabbath-breaking, because NEW MOONS ARE NOT SABBATHS. There is no command in the Pentateuch or elsewhere forbidding work on the new moons. Amos 8:5 says, "When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn?" but this was a human restriction, not a divine law. NEW MOONS WERE NEVER "BLESSED" OR "SANCTIFIED" OR MADE HOLY LIKE THE SABBATH (Gen.2:3), so how can a Christian keep them holy?

A new moon meeting was held in Numbers 1:1 and we find in Numbers 10:2 that silver trumpets were used "for the calling of the assembly." Numbers 10:10 says, "in the beginnings of your months (new moons), ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings." Thus the Israelites were called to assemble on new moons. This is the only command in the entire Torah to meet together on new moons. Obedience to this command is found in scriptures such as 1 Samuel 20:5,18, 2 Kings 4:23, 1 Chronicles 23:31, 2 Chronicles 2:4 and 8:13. But we can't blow these trumpets over our burnt offerings or peace offerings today because WE HAVE NO SUCH OFFERINGS AND NO SUCH TRUMPETS.

There is NO RECORD of Christ celebrating a new moon or commanding his disciples to celebrate new moons. The same is true of Paul. Colossians 2:16-17 says, "Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days (or "a sabbath day" -- ASV), Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Christ." The phrase "the new moon" may refer to the Feast of Trumpets which occurs on a new moon because the article "the" is used rather than "a." Another possibility is that new moons were public assemblies of the early church, not because of a biblical command, but because there were no telephones or quick communications to let everyone know if the crescent had appeared any other way. The postal system was relatively slow.

Although new moons are not abolished, they are not commanded or required either. They are simply benchmarks in time. In the millenium, new moons will, once again, be public celebrations and assemblies (Isa.66:23; Ez.46:1,3).

"When the new moon is seen above the horizon after sunset, its horns must point AWAY from the horizon" (W.M. Feldman's Rabbinical Mathematics And Astronomy, p.183). Also, "The inclination of the ecliptic (path of the sun) to the horizon, and hence of the moon's path, has another interesting and conspicuous effect. In the SPRING, in northern middle latitudes, the horns of the growing crescent, as seen in the evening, point NEARLY STRAIGHT UP. In the FALL, on the other hand, they point TOWARDS THE LEFT AS ONE FACES WEST" (Dean McLaughlin's Introduction To Astronomy, 1961, Houton Mifflin). The ecliptic (path of the sun) is not 90 degrees from the horizon. Instead it is inclined slightly. Also the apparent paths of the sun and moon can be at most five degrees apart. For these reasons, and others, the new moon's horns may not be perfectly level at the time of the vernal equinox. All we can say with certainty is that the horns of the new moon are pointed UP IN THE SPRING, and TO THE LEFT IN THE FALL. In the spring of 1988, for example, there were three new moons with equal horns, so equal horns are not the criteria for the Passover month.

The Year

The biblical definition of a YEAR is four-fold. Originally both the LUNAR and SOLAR YEARS were synchronized to 360 DAYS long with no remainder (cp. Gen.7:11,24; 8:3-4; Dan.7:25; 9:27; 12:7; Rev.11:2; 12:6,14; 13:5). But when the sun dial of Ahaz moved "ten degrees backward" at Hezekiah's request (Isa.38:8; 2 Ki.20:10), the earth and moon changed their orbits. Originally the year had TWELVE MONTHS (Dan.4:29; Jer.52:31). In 1 Chronicles 27:2-15 the courses of men to serve the king in each month are listed and there are TWELVE courses through each of the TWELVE MONTHS (cp. Rev.22:2; Ez.47:12). There are many biblical references to the "TWELFTH MONTH" (2 Ki.25:27; 1 Chr.27:15; Es.3:7). Both the sun and moon are used to define the year (Gen.1:14-16; Ps.104:19; Ex.12:2).

But in Hezekiah's time, the LUNAR YEAR changed to 354 DAYS (12 x 29.5 = 354) or in LEAP LUNAR YEARS to 384 DAYS (1 x 29.5 = 383.5) and the SOLAR YEAR changed to 365.25 DAYS Because the regular lunar year is eleven days shorter than the solar year and since over 33 days accumulate in three years, a thirteenth month can be added to eliminate the difference a little more often than every third year. In this way, the festivals can be kept in their seasons from year to year (Ex.13:10; 23:16; 34:22). The Bible doesn't mention a 13th month, but by the same token doesn't have to. It is automatic.

But when does the year begin? Should we begin a new year on the first new moon crescent on or after the equinox of March 20 to 21 when the sun crosses the equator? Or should we begin with the first new moon crescent on or after the "green ears" of barley?

Many churches determine the new year's day or "Abib one" by taking the first crescent on or after the EQUINOX of March 20 or 21. Other assemblies take the first crescent of "GREEN EARS" of barley. Here are some of the reasons why we should use the EQUINOX rather than "GREEN EARS." (Remember that it is because of the action of the sun that the barley begins ripening, not the other way around.)

First, from Adam to Noah (1656 years), "GREEN EARS" could not have been used since PERPETUAL SPRINGTIME existed. There was only one season then. A water-vapor canopy covered the entire earth (Gen.1:6-8) creating a warm tropical greenhouse of springtime the whole year long from pole to pole. As Ovid said, "SPRING WAS FOREVER" (Meta.1:88-108). After the flood, "a seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter" (Gen.8:22) began. One of the results of the flood catastrophe was that the earth's axis shifted 23.4 degrees from vertical -- creating the seasons. From Adam to Noah the EQUINOX must have been used to start the year, and God says "I change not" (Mal.3:6) and Jesus Christ is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb.13:8).

Second, ON BOARD SHIP, Noah wasn't able to examine a barley field in Israel or anywhere else (Gen.8:13), so he must have used the EQUINOX to figure the holy days.

Third, Israel was led IN THE WILDERNESS for forty years (Deut.29:5) without examining the barley in Jerusalem or Palestine. Both Jerusalem and Palestine were occupied by hostile Canaanites.

Fourth, barley is VARIABLE -- not precise. It ripens faster in warmer latitudes nearer the equator than in colder northern areas farther from the equator. Also, the barley ripens faster in valleys or at low altitudes than on mountains or at high altitudes. As Herbert Solinsky points out, "there is about a SIXTY DAY VARIATION in the time of the ripening of barley depending on the location within Palestine" (p.48, The Calendar God Gave To Moses). Yes, "When grain is ripening to a golden color in the south Texas Valley, the North Texas grain is not even in the ear" (p.8, Yahweh's Passover & Yahshua's Memorial). GREEN EARS of barley are NOT A BIOLOGICAL CLOCK and do not appear at the same time from year to year with respect to the EQUINOX. As Irvin says in The 365 Days, pp.171-172, "The sun is not directly responsible for the VARIATIONS in temperature that occur on the same calendar date of different years." Yes, excessive cold can delay "GREEN EARS." In fact, there are FOUR VARIABLE FACTORS that determine growing season and ripeness for any crop. They are 1.) how hot the local climate is; 2.) whether the winds carry hot or cold air; 3.) elevation above sea level and 4.) how much sunlight it gets. Even though Palestine is a small country, there is a vast difference in elevation, sunlight and wind.

Fifth, in light of the variation of "GREEN EARS" in different locations, where is the supposed "BIBLE-AUTHORIZED" location? There is no clear-cut answer. The first location was in the NILE DELTA in Egypt (Ex.9:31; 12:2). Later Israel encountered "GREEN EARS" located in the JERICHO VALLEY in Israel (Josh. 5:10; cp.2:6 where "flax was bolled" (Ex.9:32)). But virtually all assemblies ignore these two locations. Instead, they use MOUNT ZION by inferring into Exodus 12:24 something that's not there (cp. Isa.2:3; Micah 4:2). The Passover and D.U.B. are the "ordinance," not "GREEN EARS" of barley. Just because the law goes forth from Jerusalem doesn't mean sunsets and crescents are sighted at that location. Why should BARLEY FIELDS or EQUINOXES be any different? But when the astronomical conditions are correct (the sun has crossed the equator), a person should be able to find some "GREEN EARS" somewhere for a wavesheaf. That is why Deuteronomy 16:1 says, "Observe (or "watch" -- p.291, Wilson's O.T. Word Studies) the month (moon) of Abib (lit. Heb. is "GREEN EARS"), and keep the Passover unto the Lord." Exodus 9:31-32 explains that these "GREEN EARS" must be ears of barley since, just before the Passover, "the BARLEY was in the ear, and the flax was bolled (in bud). But the wheat and rye (spelt) ... were not grown up." Also 2 Samuel 21:9 shows that barley was the first grain harvested after winter. And again we read in Exodus 23:15, "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 (moon of) Abib ("GREEN EARS")." And again in Exodus 34:18, "in the time of the month (moon of) Abib ("GREEN EARS").

Sixth, what did Christians do for thousands of years who lived in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE? The cycle of seasons there is OPPOSITE from the northern hemisphere. "GREEN EARS" are no guide at all down there. The southern hemisphere has hotter summers and colder winters also. But the EQUINOX works well all over the world. Furthermore, there is reason to believe the earth's axis shifted 180 degrees on four different occasions, making "GREEN EARS" untrustworthy.

Seventh, Mount Zion is NOT THE BEST LATITUDE for the earliest barley. Also, it is ON A HILL rather than in a valley; and what if Mount Zion faces a prolonged DROUGHT? What if a LOCUST PLAGUE sweeps through Palestine before "GREEN EARS" appear? As Christ said, "The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father" (John 4:21). Also, prior to David's time, Jerusalem wasn't even occupied by Israelites since it was a Jebusite town. Therefore, Jerusalem has many potential problems for the "GREEN EAR" advocates, but the EQUINOX is unaffected by all these problems.

Eighth, every seventh year is "a sabbath of rest unto the land" (Lev.25:4) when NO PLANTING is allowed. Those who rely on "GREEN EARS" are forced to break this commandment, but the EQUINOX is again unaffected. On the Jubilee years, NO BARLEY WAS PLANTED for two years in succession (Lev.25:1-24), so there was none to consult. Flocks were allowed to graze (Lev.25:7,11).

Ninth, we observe SUNSETS LOCALLY in the WESTERN SKY to determine the Sabbath day. We observe LUNAR CRESCENTS LOCALLY in the WESTERN SKY to determine the new month day. But "GREEN EARS" can't be observed locally or in the sky. They don't fit the pattern. They aren't consistent. Instead, to be consistent, let us observe the STAR or CONSTELLATION LOCALLY which appears each year on the equinox to determine the new year's day. Josephus says Passover always fell "in Aries" (the Ram Constellation appeared at 6:30 p.m. on the WESTERN HORIZON on Nisan 14) (Ant.3:10:5). But because of the "precession of the equinoxes" the sun is in Pisces on March 21 and Nisan 14 today. According to the End-Time Vigil (Box 611, Nelson, BC, Canada V1L 5R4), the Hayden Planetarium of New York as reported in the New York Times, March 20, 1988, p.39, shows that the people of antiquity easily knew the SPRING EQUINOX by Arcturus -- a bright, first-magnitude star which appears shortly after sunset/twilight (the handle of the Big Dipper points to it) -- which always appears March 21st after the previous evening's sunset in the northern hemisphere. About 7:15 p.m. it rises above the eastern horizon on March 21 at 40 degrees North Latitude. This is all in keeping with Genesis 1:14 where"God said, Let there by lights in the firmament (expanse) of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs (of the zodiac), and for seasons (literally "feasts" from the Hebrew "moedim"), and for days (holy days), and years." (N.E.B., Emphasized, Jerusalem, Moffatt, Complete, Good News and Torah Bibles all support the rendering of "festivals" from "seasons.") This verse says the sun and moon and stars were made visible so the festivals could be determined. (Jeremiah 31:35 tells us specifically that these lights are the sun, moon and stars. (see also Ps.136:7-9).) In other words, the SUN provides a sunset each day, the MOON provides a crescent

Tenth, Christ said, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" (John 11:7-9) and this was spoken seven days before Passover (John 11:7-9 & 12:1) (Nisan 7). In the spring, DAY AND NIGHT ARE EQUAL for several days around the time of the EQUINOX if the observer is standing on the equator. The latitude of Jerusalem (31.8 degrees N) makes it impossible for day and night to be EQUAL LENGTH there on the EQUINOX. Instead, they are EQUAL LENGTH there before the EQUINOX and daytime is LONGER than nighttime there on the EQUINOX. But Christ was speaking from a worldwide perspective -- not a local perspective. His saying this at the approximate time of the EQUINOX implies that Christ was conscious of the EQUINOX at this Passover time. He made no remark concerning the state of the BARLEY.

The Encyclopedia Judaica, article "Calendar," page 43, states, "In temple times this intercalation was decided upon in the individual years according to AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS ("green ears") (Tosef., Sanh.2:2; Sanh.11b); later, however, it was fixed."

The Jewish Encyclopedia, article "Calendar," page 503, states, "it was provided that the first month should be in the spring ... At first it was in the hands of the Sanhedrin to decide annually whether the year was to be a common year or a leap year; and the decision was based on DIRECT OBSERVATION AS TO THE SIGNS OF SPRING. In course of time, calculation was in this case also substituted for observation."

Hastings Bible Dictionary, article "Passover," says "The day of celebration was determined by the CONDITION OF THE HARVEST ("green ears"). If this did not promise in the 12th month to be gathered in four weeks ... then the month was declared intercalary, and a thirteenth was added."

The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, article "Calendar," pages 117-118 states, "Similarly, a leap-year was decided upon only when required, the main factor in the question being the STATE OF THE YOUNG CROPS ("green ears"), as it was desired that the Passover should coincide with the EARING OF THE CORN (grain -- corn is a new-world crop) ... it was not till later that the position of the sun was also taken into account."

The Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, article "Calendar," page 600, states the following: "The 'beginning of the months' was the month of the Passover. In some passages, the Passover month is that of hodesh ha-aviv, the lunation that coincides with the BARLEY BEING IN EAR. Thus, the Hebrew calendar is tied in with the course of the sun, that determines the RIPENING OF THE GRAIN.... the commencement of the month was determined by THE OBSERVATION OF THE CRESCENT NEW MOON, and the date of the Passover was tied in with the RIPENING BARLEY. The actual WITNESSING of the NEW MOON and OBSERVING the STAND OF CROPS IN JUDAEA were required for the functioning of the religious calendar."

But it was the PHARISEES who were IN CONTROL in the first century (Ant.13:10:6; 18:1:4; Johnson's History Of The Jews, p.118; Unger's Bible Dict., p.855), and Christ often condemned their practices. They were not infallible. They were the ones who used "green ears." In fact, the PHARISEES disagreed among themselves (Acts 5:34-39; Acts 26:5; Php.3:5). They were WRONG about the SABBATH (John 9:16; Matt.12:9-14) and about HANDWASHING (Matt.15:1; Mark 7:1-5). They were WRONG about the "IMMORTAL SOUL" (Ant.18:1:3; Wars 2:8:14) and about CHRIST (Matt.9:34; 12:24; John 8:13). They even believed in FATE (Wars 2:8:14) and followed ORAL TRADITIONS (Ant.13:10:6; 18:1:4). Christ and the apostles kept Passover on a DIFFERENT DAY than the PHARISEES (John 18:28). Christ warned his disciples to BEWARE of "the doctrine of the PHARISEES and of the Sadducees" which he compared to LEAVEN (Matt.16:6,12) or"HYPOCRISY"(Luke 12:1) or "MALICE and WICKEDNESS" (1 Cor. 5:8).

Many churches take the crescent CLOSEST to the spring equinox, even if that crescent happens to fall BEFORE the equinox, and call that "Abib one." Thus their holy days are one month too early. The correct method is to take the first crescent ON or AFTER the spring equinox and call that day "Abib one." (Other assemblies use "green ears" instead of the equinox. That method is synonymous with using EITHER SIDE of the equinox.)

Here are some of the reasons why it is correct to use the first crescent ON or AFTER the spring equinox:

First, it is not consistent to have Abib one in the SPRING some years and in the WINTER other years. The festivals are to occur IN THEIR SEASONS -- not out of them (Deut. 16:6; Num.9:2; Ex.13:10). Deuteronomy 16:1, Exodus 23:15 and 34:18 all make it clear that the moon must be "OF" the "green ears," not BEFORE them. There had to be enough barley developed for the wave sheaf (Lev.23:11).

Second, if Nisan one can fall BEFORE the spring equinox, then Passover will always fall IN SPRING but Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and Last Great Day will fall mostly IN SUMMER, not autumn or fall. The fall holy days will be celebrated in two different seasons. Instead of harvesting crops during the harvest moon, people will have to travel to the feast empty-handed as their crops rot in the fields. If Nisan one can fall 13 days BEFORE the equinox, then Tishri one will be 21 or 22 days BEFORE THE FALL EQUINOX. It is not proper to have the harvest festivals in the summer (Lev.23:39). (-- from Jeff Bell) Also, Abib should start IN THE SPRING -- not winter (2 Sam. 11:1; RSV & KJV). The spring begins on the equinox.

Third, farmers and shepherds two and three thousand years ago DIDN'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME if the equinox would be MARCH 20, 21 or even 19. They didn't have almanacs. So if a crescent came 13, 14, or 15 days before, they wouldn't know if it were nearer or not ahead of time. Not only this, but also they COULDN'T PREDICT AHEAD OF TIME whether the month would have 29 or 30 DAYS, further blurring the midpoint. Even if the equinox was March 20, and the crescent was 14 days before, the actual time of the equinox would probably fall many hours after the taking of the Passover on the night of the 19th. So even on the same day, Passover here falls short of spring. The ancients probably COULD'T ALWAYS CALCULATE THE EQUINOX TO THE CORRECT DAY, let alone hour or minute. The equinox might fall at noon the 20th.

Fourth, the requirement of ripe barley for the wave sheaf (Lev.23:11) limits Nisan 15 through 21 to a time period from the BEGINNING OF APRIL TO EARLY JUNE (Solinsky, pp.46-48). "Barley begins to ripen in Palestine with the BEGINNING OF APRIL and in the lower and warmer parts the cutting is begun at the end of the same month. Hence, we see that the first new moon, which began the first month and the Jewish year, could only take place in the last days of March at the earliest, and the sacrifice of the 'omer' (wave sheaf) at the earliest only some days before the end of the FIRST HALF OF APRIL" (Astronomy In The Old Testament, Giovanni V. Shiaparelli, 1905, Oxford). But if we use crescents 14 days before the equinox, Passover can fall as early as March 19th.

Fifth, only 28, 31, and 34 A.D. had Wednesday Passover dates (cp. Dan.9:27) (p.63, Solinsky). Only 31 A.D. fits from among these choices since Christ was "cut off" "in the midst of the week" of seven years (Dan.9:26-27) and 31 A.D. happens to be the middle of a week of years counting from 457 B.C. when the command was given (Dan.9:25; Ezra 7:11-26). The only Wednesday Passover of 31 A.D. was on April 23rd (Gregorian). Christ's last Passover was observed in a year when the CRESCENT BEFORE the EQUINOX was CLOSER THAN the ONE AFTER and yet CHRIST USED the ONE AFTER. Fourteen days earlier makes April 9th which is 18 days after March 21st (latest possible equinox) showing that the nearer crescent before the equinox wasn't used (p.75, Solinsky, The Calendar God Gave To Moses). (Jack Hines and John Trescott deserve credit for this point.)

Sixth, from the book Calendarium Palestini by William Carpenter, page 32, we read about the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread: "It was celebrated on the 14th day of the moon next AFTER the VERNAL EQUINOX and continued seven days." (written in 1825) Furthermore, we know that Ezra the priest (Ezra 7:11-12) and Nehemiah both used the BABYLONIAN names for the months of the calendar (Neh.1:1; 2:1; 6:15). By all indications, they actually used the BABYLONIAN CALENDAR itself and knew no other. God was with them (Ezra 5:1-2; 7:27-28). We know that the BABYLONIAN CALENDAR used visible crescents and DIDN'T ALLOW the first month of the year to come BEFORE the VERNAL EQUINOX for hundreds of years. No less an authority than Otto Neugebauer knew of no archaeological evidence to doubt the claim that the Babylonian and Biblical Calendars are the same. Also, "The 1st of Nisan seems to have been KEPT ... from MOVING EARLIER than the VERNAL EQUINOX" (2:121, SDABC). This vernal equinox almost always occurs on March 20 or 21, but it is possible for it to occur on March 19 (Encyc. Brit., 4:618, 1973).

Seventh, according to the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, p.49, we read that "Our rabbis taught, a year may be intercalated (a 13th month added) on three grounds: on account of the premature state of the corn crops (barley crops), or that of the fruit trees, or on account of the LATENESS of the TEKUFAH (spring equinox). Any two of these reasons can justify intercalation. But not one alone. All however are glad when the state of the spring crop is one of them (barley crop). Rabbon Simeon Ben Gamaliel (Paul's teacher -- Acts 22:3) says, on account of the LATENESS of the TEKUFAH.... Did he mean to say, on account of the LATENESS of the TEKUFAH being one of the two reasons, they rejoined, or that of the TEKUFAH alone was adequate reason for intercalating the year. The question remains undecided." (Gamaliel didn't reply because he knew the inventions of the Pharisees were not in harmony with the Bible -- but he did state that the TEKUFAH was most important.)

The Hebrew word "TESHUBAH" (#8666 of Strong's) means "a recurrence (of time or place)," a "return," or to "be expired." Second Samuel 11:1 says, "after the year was expired (TESHUBAH), at the time when kings go forth to battle." First Kings 20:22 says, "at the return (TESHUBAH) of the year, the king of Syria will come up against thee." First Kings 20:26 says, "it came to pass at the return (TESHUBAH) of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel." First Chronicles 20:1 says, "after the year was expired (TESHUBAH), at the time that kings go out to battle." Second Chronicles 36:10 says, "when the year was expired (TESHUBAH), King Nebuchadnezzar brought him to Babylon."

The Hebrew word "YATSA" (#3318 of Strong's) means "to go out." Exodus 23:16 says, "in the feast of ingathering, which is in ("right after" -- Living Torah) the end (YATSA) of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field."

The Hebrew word "TEQUPHAH" (#8622 of Strong's) means "a revolution, i.e. (of the sun) course, (of time) lapse: -- circuit, come about, end." Exodus 34:22 says, "And thou shalt observe ... the feast of ingathering at the year's end" (TEQUPHAH). The Living Torah gives a better translation of this important verse as follows: "Also keep the Harvest Festival soon after the year changes" (TEQUPHAH).

Although the Feast of Ingathering can occur as many as 44 days after the equinox (29 days from equinox to crescent plus 15 days from crescent to Feast of Ingathering), or as few as 15 days after the equinox (equinox and crescent coincide the same day), it would still be correct to say that the Feast of Ingathering is "after," not "at" the feast as the KJV states. In fact, the word "at" is not even in the original Hebrew (p.79, Green's Interlinear Bible). This scripture agrees with the calendar principles we have already established regarding the relationship of the equinox to the fall festivals.

First Samuel 1:20 says, "Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about (TEQUPHAH) after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel." This scripture could refer to Hannah conceiving on a solstice and giving birth on one of the equinoxes nine months later during either the spring or fall festivals.

Thus, she passed through three "TEQUPHOT" in her pregnancy. This scripture implies that Samuel was born on a feast day.

Second Chronicles 24:23 says, "And it came to pass, at the end (TEQUPHOT) of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him." This event may have coincided with the Feast of Trumpets or with Abib one.

Psalm 19:6 says, "His (the sun's) going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit (TEQUPHAH) unto the ends of it" (from the perspective of a person who observes sunrises for a year) (cp. Eccl.1:5-6).

In other words, at the solstices the sunrise occurs in the extreme southwest or northwest ends of the horizon, but at the equinoxes occurs directly east. The sun was made visible "for ... years" (Gen.1:14) which are determined by the equinox.

According to page 46 of volume 5 of the Encyclopedia Judaica the word "TEKUFA" refers to the four seasons, especially to the four beginnings of the four seasons. In other words, the spring equinox of the first month, the summer solstice of the fourth month, the autumnal equinox of the seventh month and the winter solstice of the tenth month.

At the time of the equinoxes, the shadow projected by a pole is directly WEST at sunrise and directly EAST at sunset. Therefore, some people find this method easy to use. By watching the shadow of a telephone pole, anyone can watch the sun make its circuit (TEQUPHAH) during the year. The shadow of the pole at sunset on the winter solstice will point farthest NORTHEAST. The shadow of the pole at sunset on the summer solstice will point farthest SOUTHEAST. Remember that the sun rises in the EAST and sets in the WEST on the equinoxes.

Another method is to cut tick-marks on a sunset-sighting device (a long wooden board lying 90 degrees across the line of sight from viewer to sunset) to observe when the SUN REACHES the MIDPOINT between the north and south extremes calibrated during the year.

Of course, today most people merely reckon equinoxes by looking in an ALMANAC or NEWSPAPER to determine whether it is March 20 or 21. But ancient Israel didn't have a Roman calendar or an almanac. It should also be pointed out that some ministers believe we should use MARCH 17th since at the latitude of Jerusalem (31.8 degrees N.) the day and night are equal on that date. But the ancients DIDN'T HAVE ACCURATE CLOCKS (p.15, Solinsky).

Some ministers believe we should use MARCH 17th since, in the spring, day and night are equal several days before the true equinox. In the fall, day and night are equal several days after the true equinox. The true equinox is the moment when the SUN CROSSES THE EQUATOR. Equal day and night (by the clock) is only the apparent equinox, because of the refraction of sunlight in our atmosphere. The ancients didn't have the accurate clocks we have and so had no way of determining when day and night were exactly equal in length. (p.13, Israel's Calendar by Voy Wilkes; emphasis mine).

"Atmospheric refraction is the bending of light rays as they pass through the atmosphere. When the sun's rays are perpendicular to the surface of the earth there is no refraction. The further away from perpendicular the rays, the more the refraction.... Because of the refraction by the earth's atmosphere, at United States' latitudes the DAYTIME EXCEEDS the NIGHTTIME by about TEN MINUTES on the days of the equinoxes .... The days of equal daytime and nighttime precede the vernal equinox and follow the autumnal equinox by a few days. The latitude of Jerusalem is 31.8 degrees north, so appendix 1 indicates that the days of equal daytime and nighttime in Jerusalem do not coincide with the equinoxes. About 3000 years ago there were NO CLOCKS capable of measuring 12 hours accurately to within a few minutes, so precise equality between day and night was not the ancient method for determining the equinoxes" (pp.14-15, Solinsky & Anderson's The Calendar God Gave To Moses; emphasis mine ).

We can observe the STAR or CONSTELLATION locally which appears each year on the equinox to determine the new year's day. Josephus says Passover always fell "in Aries" (the Ram Constellation appeared at 6:30 p.m. on the western horizon on Nisan 14) (Ant.3:10:5). But because of the "precession of the equinoxes" the sun is in Pisces on

March 21 and Nisan 14 today. The Hayden Planetarium of New York as reported in the New York Times, March 20, 1988, p.39, shows that the people of antiquity easily knew the spring equinox by ARCTURUS -- a bright, first-magnitude star which appears shortly after sunset/twilight (the handle of the Big Dipper points to it) -- which always appears March 21st after the previous evening's sunset in the northern hemisphere. About 7:15 p.m. it rises above the eastern horizon on March 21 at 40 degrees North Latitude. The Egyptian new year was calculated by the star SIRIUS. This star rises in the east, and seems to be dogging the steps of Orion, hence the dog star. The Egyptians started their new year the night Sirius rose in the east and was visible at 9:00 o'clock. Practically every temple in ancient Egypt had its main axis lined up with the sunset or sunrise or a prominent star such as Sirius or Canopus (Job 4:19). Incidentally, we can't "guide Arcturus (in Bootes) with her young" (KJV & Amp. of Job 38:32). But how did Job know this? Arcturus is 40 light years away and has no apparent movement in the sky. It has barely moved visibly since the time of Job. Her planets are too far away to ever be seen in any telescope but measurements made in 1966 proved that she has at least one planet and probably more. Arcturus is moving 257 miles a second -- more swiftly than most other stars. Our sun only travels ten miles a second. Arcturus is also about 1000 times larger than our sun and since velocity times weight equals momentum, Arcturus is very difficult to "guide." Unlike all other stars in our astronomical neighborhood, Arcturus has a velocity of over ten times the velocity of escape of our galaxy. But to determine all this requires a powerful telescope fitted with a micrometer.

Our present Gregorian Calendar relies strictly on the motions of the sun and pays no attention to the moon whatsoever. The biblical calendar, however, combines both lunar and solar motions in its scheme. But the present Jewish calendar is entirely CALCULATED without actual reference to the motions of the sun or moon. The present Jewish calendar can be TRACED BACK NO FURTHER THAN 359 A.D. (4119 A.M.) when Hillel II introduced it.

This man-made calendar is not the biblical calendar because its MONTHS DON'T BEGIN WITH THE VISUAL NEW MOONS. Also, if the new moon is calculated on the modern calendar to occur ON OR AFTER THE HOUR OF NOON, it is the NEXT DAY that becomes the first of the month. But if this day is a PROHIBITED DAY, the month is further POSTPONED ANOTHER DAY. The present Jewish calendar prohibits the first day of each month from occuring on certain days of the week. It will NOT ALLOW the first day of Tishri to occur on a SUNDAY, WEDNESDAY or FRIDAY. This unbiblical rule prevents the weekly Sabbaths in the Autumn from occurring next to holy days. The Mishnah (composed about the beginning of the third century) DOESN'T USE this rule. Festival days could then occur in tandem with the weekly Sabbath (Erubin 3:6). We find the Feast of Trumpets occurring on Sunday (Shabbath 19:5). Furthermore, the "POSTPONEMENT RULE" is INCONSISTENT since Pentecost has always fallen on Sunday after the weekly Sabbath. Furthermore, the month of ELUL is NEVER ALLOWED to have MORE THAN 29 DAYS (p.125, Danby's Mishnah).

The Jewish calendar is NOT ASTRONOMICALLY CORRECT. The assumed length of the YEAR is TOO LONG by six minutes, thirty-nine and one third seconds. This discrepancy causes the whole Jewish calendar to creep forward on the true seasons one day in every 216 years. The Passover of the present calendar is now almost eight days ahead of the seasons as regulated by the sun from its beginning in 359 A.D. If this process is allowed to continue, the Jewish Passover will move from spring to summer; then to fall and winter. But Passover is a spring festival (Ant.3:10:5).

Furthermore, there is an ORDERLY SUCCESSION of intercalated months (30-day months) and intercalated lunar years (383 to 385-day years) BASED ENTIRELY ON CALCULATIONS -- not the crescent or equinox. The problem with this scheme is that it excludes the possibility of having as many as three 29-day months or five 30-day months in a row if a person uses the crescent as his guide (p.42, Solinsky & Anderson). Lunar years of either 12 or 13 months don't fall into any orderly pattern either. Every two or three years an extra month is added.

"During the Second Commonwealth down to the fourth century C.E. the festival of Passover could fall on ANY DAY of the week including Friday." (Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, "The Judean Calendar During the Second Commonwealth and the Scrolls," Jewish Quarterly Review, July 1966). The "postponement rules" of the modern Jewish calendar don't allow this. PASSOVER (Nisan 14) CAN ONLY FALL on a MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY or SABBATH.

Also, "It is uncertain what the calendar of Hillel originally contained when it was generally adopted. In the Talmud there is NO TRACE of it" (Jewish Encyclopedia, art. "Calendar").

One objection states that the "oracles of God" were committed to the Jews (Rom.3:1-2), implying that we should obey the Jewish calendar even if it is wrong. Yet the very same people who make this objection refuse to follow the Jews into the SIVAN 6 PENTECOST ERROR or the ABIB 15 PASSOVER ERROR. The oracles committed to the Jews were the scriptures of the Old Testament known as the MASORETIC TEXT and this text contradicts the Jewish calendar, so the Jewish calendar must not be an "oracle of God." Today the Jews do not "sit in Moses' seat" (Matt.23:1-3) as critics contend, but even if they did, "Moses' seat" is disciplinary authority, such as the power of police and judges today, not doctrinal authority. Christ is our only master in the doctrinal context (Matt.23:8).

First, buy a copy of The Old Farmer's Almanac sometime in January and write down on a separate piece of paper the sunset and moonset times (given from around page 60 to 83) of the astronomical new moon as well as the three days after it for all twelve months of the year.

Second, write down the letter (in the key column) which is next to each sunset time and each moonset time. Now turn to the Time Correction Tables and find the city that you live in. Use the numerical values given for your city to convert the letters to numbers (around pages 198 to 202).

Third, before turning to the Moonset Correction Table (about page 34), first write down the longitude of your city given in these Time Correction Tables. Now use the Moonset Correction Table to determine how many minutes, if any, must be added or subtracted from moonset times you already wrote down in order to make them accurate for your city.

Fourth, figure the difference between sunset and moonset, including all corrections in your figuring, for each of the dates you wrote down. If the difference is over 48 minutes, the new moon crescent will be visible in your city on that date definitely. If the difference is less than 30 minutes, the new moon crescent will definitely be invisible in your city on that date. If the difference is from 30 to 48 minutes, the new moon crescent is a possibility in your city on that date. Circle those dates which are possibilities and those dates which are definite visibility dates and write beside them the actual difference in minutes between sunset and moonset. Remember that The Old Farmer's Almanac is "accurate within 5 minutes for latitudes north of 35 degrees, 10 minutes for latitudes 30 to 35 degrees, and 15 minutes for latitudes 25 to 30 degrees" (p.34). This information should be taken into account when using the 30-minute minimum and the 48-minute maximum.

Fifth, turn to the month of March and look on the right-hand side of the book to determine whether the Vernal Equinox is on March 20 or 21 that year.

Sixth, take the new moon crescent on or after the vernal equinox and label that date the first day of the year -- Roman time (12 to 12).

Seventh, use Leviticus 23 to determine the dates of the festivals based on the new moon crescents and new year's day already determined. There may be two possibilities for some of the months. Remember that we see the crescents after sunset. Therefore, since a new biblical day begins at sunset, the year begins one day later than step six indicates if we use Bible time (sunset to sunset). The Feast of Trumpets, first day of the seventh month, will also be one day later, Bible time, than the new moon of the seventh month in Roman time. (Credit for several of the points above belongs to John Trescott.)

The biblical definition of the Seventh Year Land Sabbath is that period of time AFTER the LAST HARVEST of the SEVENTH SACRED YEAR (autumn) till the SAME TIME in the EIGHTH SACRED YEAR. Since it is the AGRICULTURAL YEAR that is banned, it would make no sense to start and end the ban on Abib one (spring) of the seventh sacred year since that would prohibit seed-planting in the fall and winter for the agricultural year to follow the land sabbath as well as makingh seed-planting useless for the fall and winter of the sixth sacred year. The land must WORK SIX YEARS BEFORE IT RESTS FOR ONE YEAR.

The last agricultural harvest of the year in Israel occurred BEFORE the Feast of Tabernacles because we read, "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, AFTER that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine" (Deut.16:13). Also, Exodus 34:22 says, "And thou shalt observe ... the feast of ingathering at ("AFTER") the year's end" (after the agricultural year). That is why it is called the feast of ingathering. Grapes, olives, figs, pomegranates and other fruits were gathered into the barns and root cellars just BEFORE this feast. Deuteronomy 31:10 says, "At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles ... thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing." All the fall festivals occurred "AT THE END" of the AGRICULTURAL YEAR (Tishri one). So the Seventh Year Land Sabbath must be from TISHRI ONE in the SEVENTH SACRED YEAR to TISHRI ONE in the EIGHTH SACRED YEAR -- just as the sacred year is from Abib one to Abib one six months earlier. The AGRICULTURAL YEAR BEGINS and ENDS on TISHRI ONE.

As Exodus 23:10 says, "six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits of it; But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive yard." In other words, counting from TISHRI ONE as new year's day, it is the SEVENTH year. (Rosh Hashanah means "The head of the year.") But counting from ABIB ONE as new year's day, it starts HALF WAY THROUGH the SEVENTH year and ends HALF WAY THROUGH the EIGHTH year.

As Leviticus 25:3-7 says, "Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Eternal: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: it is a year of rest unto the land. And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you: for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, And for thy cattle, and for the beasts that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat." Once again, the seventh agricultural year is what is described here -- not the seventh religious year.

In modern agriculture, farmers have found that letting part of their land lie fallow after years of work increases the long-run productivity. It restores nutrients to the soil. But if farmers are to follow the Bible perfectly, they need to know which specific years on our calendar today are seventh year land sabbaths. The answer to this mystery will be found by studying the Jubilee Year.

The biblical definition of a Jubilee Year is the "FIFTIETH YEAR" (Lev.25:10). But the fiftieth year doesn't disturb the seven-year cycle of Sabbatical years since, after seven sevens, or 49 years, the Jubilee is considered year number ONE of the next 49-year cycle as well as year number 50 of the previous cycle. See Josephus "Dissertation V," section 39, p.700. Daniel's 70-Weeks' Prophecy also confirms the 49-year cycle, since no 50th years are ever counted there. Further evidence in the Book of Jubilees shows that the cycle is 49 years rather than 50. Also, in the official count of Sabbatical years in the Maccabean and post-Maccabean periods the Jubilee is left out of the cycle entirely -- the seven-year succession is uninterrupted (Interp. Dict. of the Bible, 2:1002).

Christ was quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2 when he said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor (economically) ... to preach deliverance to the captives (economically indebted bondservants) ... to set at liberty ("Jubilee" means "liberty" -- Ant.3:12:3; cp.Lev.25:50) (Ez.46:17 says "year of liberty") them that are bruised (by cancelling their debts and returning their land to them -- Lev.25:10,39-40; 27:24), To preach the acceptable year of the Lord (the Jubilee Year)."

Leviticus 25:8-16 says, "And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a Jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.... ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather in it the grapes of thy vine undressed.... ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. In the year of this Jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession. And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbor, or buy ought of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another: According to the number of years after the Jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee. According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee" (see also Deut.15:1-11).

Thus, the land was leased, not sold, based on the number of years till the Jubilee. The period of 49 solar years is a complete cycle astronomically, because the sun and moon return nearly to their original positions relative to eachother since 49 solar years are 606 lunar months with an error of only 32 hours.

There is certainly an economic penalty for failure to observe the Jubilee Year. October 28th, 1929, the stock market dropped 12.8% and the United States experienced the Great Depression. October 19th, 1987, the stock market dropped 508 points, a 22.6% drop (New American, Nov.9, 1987, p.13). This is a foretaste of the coming financial collapse.

According to page 221 of War Cycles Peace Cycles by Richard Kelly Hoskins, we read that "In 50 years all mortgagable property has been mortgaged and consequently there is none left to mortgage in order to borrow money into existence. Therefore the system collapses. The usurer takes newly foreclosed property and lends money to a new debt-free borrower to enable him to buy it."

According to page 184 of Jubilee on Wall Street by David Knox Barker, we read that "Loans would not be made with maturities beyond The Year of Jubilee because they would not be repaid. Debt was unable to snowball and be refinanced as we see in our system today. There would be a tendency for more debt early in the cycle in a Jubilee system whereas you have more debt late in the free-market system of today. Outstanding debt was constantly decreasing in a Jubilee system as production prices decreased.... Slavery was a form of indebtedness so all slaves were freed in the Year of Jubilee."

According to pages 52 and 53 of The New American (March 14, '88), article "Robertson's Year of Jubilee," we read about Nikolai D. Kondratieff, who published findings in 1926 showing that in capitalist countries the prices, interest rates, and production followed distinct "long wave" patterns. This boom-and-bust business cycle varied from 45 to 60 years, with the average being 50 years. When the accumulation of debt becomes insupportable, the inefficiencies are purged by a depression (prices fall with over-capacity) which redistributes the wealth as banks fail and debtors go into bankruptcy. As debtors are released, credit is contracted, debt diminished, and businesses change hands. Our economy is based on contracts and credit. Everything from home mortgages to national debts are based on prevailing market interest rates, investor confidence, and contractual agreements. Thus, if we were to observe the Jubilee, we would need a 50-year advance warning to avoid shattering investor confidence in bond markets. Loans, land leases and indentured servant agreements were negotiated and discounted based on the number of years remaining till the Jubilee Year.

In 1751, Isaac Norris suggested that the words "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof" (Lev.25:10) be put on the first Liberty Bell. He was chairman of the committee which ordered the bell from London. When the bell arrived in Philadelphia in August, 1752, and was wrung, it BROKE at the first stroke of the clapper. It was melted down, and a second bell was cast in April, 1753, but this one was also DEFECTIVE. A third was cast in June of that year. On June 7, 1753, the third bell was hung in the tower of Independence Hall most of the time, except when the British threatened that city. It was wrung at every important event in the history of the colonies, and after 1776 in the history of our republic. It also tolled the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835 and CRACKED AGAIN, never to be heard since (27:685 Encyc. Brit. 11th ed.)

America failed to follow this economic law of the Bible and so the Liberty Bell could not ring out true liberty in the economic context. It must be melted down once more and recast just as our nation must be melted down in the "furnace of affliction" (Isa.48:10) and recast into God's mold.

Now we know Christ said in Matthew 18:21-22 that we should forgive our brothers when they sin against us "Until seventy times seven." 70 x 7 = 490 times of forgiveness. Forgiveness is terminated at that point. But what point is that? Daniel also talked about "Seventy weeks" of years, or 490 years, "to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity" (Dan.9:24). In other words, a period of 490 Sabbatical years or 3430 regular years or 70 Jubilee cycles is the period of time during which we should forgive debts, return lands and set captives free. Since sins have not yet come to an end, we must conclude that the 490 times are 490 Sabbatical years -- not literal years -- in this context. The Sabbatical years were years when debts were released, not regular years, so it is only proper to count Sabbatical years as the 490. Then forgiveness will end.

Summary

First, we should use the crescent rather than the conjunction because the ancient Hebrews had no almanacs or telescopes to figure out when the lunar conjunction would occur. They had no choice but to use the visible crescent. In Gesenius' Hebrew/Chaldee Lexicon we find that the term "hodesh" means to be new, or TO POLISH WITH A SWORD. In other words, it appears as a SCIMITAR, or CURVED SWORD. Revelation 12:1-5 says that "there appeared a great wonder (Heb. "SIGN") in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and THE MOON UNDER HER FEET... And she brought forth a man child." This is the constellation Virgo when the sun's path crosses through her body in mid-October, the exact time of the Feast of Trumpets in many years. Since John SAW the moon under her feet, it couldn't have been the lunar conjunction. As Hastings Dict. of the Bible, art. "New Moon," p.522 says, "the New Moon was declared from ACTUAL OBSERVATION. The EYE-WITNESSES were carefully examined." Also, Ezra the priest (Ezra 7:11-12) and Nehemiah both used the Babylonian calendar (Neh.1:1; 2:1; 6:15) which employed VISIBLE crescents -- not conjunctions. It DIDN'T ALLOW the first month of the year to come BEFORE the VERNAL EQUINOX either. And God was with them (Ezra 5:1-2; 7:27-28). But the astronomical new moon (Hebrew "molad") is labeled on secular wall calendars and in the unbiblical "Jewish Calendar." See http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php

Should we use "GREEN EARS" or the EQUINOX to determine the new year's day? The sun makes the barley begin ripening, not the other way around. First, from Adam to Noah (1656 years), "GREEN EARS" could not have been used since PERPETUAL SPRINGTIME existed. A water-vapor canopy covered the entire earth (Gen.1:6-8) creating a warm tropical greenhouse of springtime the whole year. As Ovid said, "SPRING WAS FOREVER" (Meta.1:88-108).

After the flood, "a seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter" (Gen.8:22) began. Earth's axis shifted 23.4 degrees from vertical -- creating the seasons. Second, ON BOARD SHIP, Noah wasn't able to examine a barley field in Israel or anywhere else (Gen.8:13), so he must have used the EQUINOX to figure the holy days. God says "I change not" (Mal.3:6) and Jesus Christ is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb.13:8). Third, Israel was led IN THE WILDERNESS for forty years (Deut.29:5) without examining the barley in Palestine. Palestine was occupied by hostile Canaanites. Fourth, barley is VARIABLE -- it ripens faster in warmer latitudes than in colder areas farther from the equator. Also, the barley ripens faster in valleys than on mountains. Fifth, what did Christians do who lived in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE? The cycle of seasons there is OPPOSITE. But the EQUINOX works well all over the world. We observe SUNSETS LOCALLY in the WESTERN SKY to determine the Sabbath day. We observe LUNAR CRESCENTS LOCALLY in the WESTERN SKY to determine the new month day. But "GREEN EARS" can't be observed locally or in the sky. Instead, to be consistent, let us observe the STAR or CONSTELLATION LOCALLY which appears each year on the equinox to determine the new year's day. "God said, Let there by lights in the firmament (expanse) of the heaven... and let them be for signs (of the zodiac), and for seasons (literally "feasts" from the Hebrew "moedim"), and for days (holy days), and years" (Gen.1:14). (Jeremiah 31:35 tells us specifically that these lights are the sun, moon and stars, (see also Ps.136:7-9).)

Should the NEW MOON come before or after the EQUINOX? Deuteronomy 16:1, Exodus 23:15 and 34:18 all say the MOON must be "OF" the "green ears." not BEFORE them. There had to be enough barley developed for the wave sheaf (Lev.23:11). Second, if Nisan one can fall 13 days BEFORE the equinox, then Tishri one will be 21 or 22 days BEFORE THE FALL EQUINOX. It is not proper to have the harvest festivals in the summer (Lev.23:39). Also, Abib should start IN THE SPRING -- not winter (2 Sam. 11:1; RSV & KJV). Instead of harvesting crops during the harvest moon, people will have to travel to the feast empty-handed as their crops rot in the fields. Third, farmers and shepherds two and three thousand years ago DIDN'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME if the equinox would be MARCH 20, 21 or even 19. They didn't have almanacs. Fourth, only 28, 31, and 34 A.D. had Wednesday Passover dates (cp. Dan.9:27). Only 31 A.D. fits from among these choices since Christ was "cut off" "in the midst of the week" of seven years (Dan.9:26-27) and 31 A.D. happens to be the middle of a week of years counting from 457 B.C. when the command was given (Dan.9:25; Ezra 7:11-26). The only Wednesday Passover of 31 A.D. was on April 23rd (Gregorian). Christ's last Passover was observed in a year when the CRESCENT BEFORE the EQUINOX was CLOSER THAN the ONE AFTER and yet CHRIST USED the ONE AFTER. Fifth, from the book Calendarium Palestini by William Carpenter, page 32, we read about the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread: "It was celebrated on the 14th day of the moon next AFTER the VERNAL EQUINOX and continued seven days." (written in 1825).

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Harold Hemenway
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2010 CALENDAR

A sunset/moonset difference of less than 30 minutes (4
min. per degree X over 7 degrees = over 28 minutes) means
the crescent isn't visible that day and a sunset/
moonset difference of 48 minutes or more means the
crescent is definitely visible that day. The almanac
says it is accurate within five minutes for Seattle.

New Moons

Roman Time (12 to 12 -- one day before
Bible time which is sunset to sunset) Calculated
using the Old Farmer's Almanac: (4 minutes = 1 
degree; 7 degrees = 28 minutes)

Jan. 15  48m.; Jan. 16 1hr.57m.
Feb. 14  1hr.12m.
Mar. 16  1hr. 31m.
Apr. 14  47m.; Apr. 15 1hr. 53m.
May 14   1hr. 14m.
June 12  37m.; June 13 1hr. 26m.
July 12   41m.; July 13 1hr. 15m.
Aug. 11  32m.; Aug. 12 1hr.
Sep. 10  36m.; Sept. 11 1hr.12m.
Oct. 9   44m.; Oct. 10 1hr. 31m.  
Nov. 7   57m.
Dec. 6  1hr. 8m.

Festivals Bible time (sunset to sunset)
Since we see the crescent after sunset, and since the
new biblical day begins at sunset rather than midnight,
the year begins on April 15th or 16th Bible time, when the first
new moon crescent on or after the spring equinox of
March 20th appears the previous evening.

Purim -- (Adar 14 12th month)
Passover -- April 28 or 29 (observed previous night of April 27th or 28th)
Feast of Unleavened Bread -- April 29 - May 5 or April 30 - May 6
Feast of Pentecost -- June 20 ("wave sheaf" is May 2 Sunday)
Feast of Trumpets -- Oct. 19 or 20 (crescent seen previous evening Oct. 18 or 19)
Day of Atonement -- Oct. 19 or 20
Feast of Sukkot -- Oct. 24-30 or 25-31
Eighth Day -- Oct. 31 or Nov. 1
Hanukkah -- (Kislev 25 9th month) 

This year, the International Month Line MAY OR MAY NOT DIVIDE 
this continent in spring. In Boston, April 14, Bible time 
(35m.), MAY give a sufficient sunset/moonset difference or April 15 (1hr. 41m.)
DEFINITELY while Seattle's April 14, (47m.) Bible time is also in the GREY 
zone while April 15 (1hr. 53m.) is DEFINITE. In the fall, Boston's Oct. 9th (49m.), 
Bible time, PROBABLY or Oct. 10 (1hr.36m.) DEFINITELY gives a sufficient 
sunset/moonset difference while Seattle's Oct. 9th (44m), Bible time PROBABLY, 
or Oct. 10 (1hr.31m.) DEFINITELY gives a sufficient sunset/moonset difference. 
Thus Boston MIGHT BE the same day as Seattle for the spring and MIGHT BE 
for the fall holy days. Watch for the new moon crescent about 20 minutes after
sunset in the western sky low to the horizon on the evening before each of 
these key dates from a high unobstructed vantage point with binoculars.  Also 
check the website at www.moonsighting.com/moon.html but add one day to those
dates to make them "Bible time" (sunset to sunset rather than 12
to 12). Also check www.crescentmoonwatch.org and your local newspaper 
in the "weather" section for the date of the  visible lunar crescent.

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What's Wrong With The CALENDAR?