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TORAH
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FOR
THE GOD OF
SEVENTH DAY SABBATHS,
NEW MOONS,
AND
HIS APPOINTED
FEASTS/HOLY DAYS*
<> APRIL
6 – 8, 2008 –
MARCH 27 – 29, 2009 <>
New Moon
Watches
BLESSED BE THE MERCIFUL GOD
OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB
FOR BRINGING US
TO ANOTHER NEW YEAR!
<>THE TORAH
<>SALUTES AND PRAISES<>
ONLY
<>THE GOD OF
"I am the LORD your
God, which brought you out of the
to be your God:
I am the LORD your
God."
Numbers
15:41
"Thou shalt have no other
gods before me."
Exodus
20:3
"Blessed be the LORD God of
and let all the people say…
Praise ye the LORD."
Psalm 106:48
"Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified
for ever, saying,
The LORD of hosts is the God of
and let the house of David thy servant be established
before thee."
I Chronicles 17:24
"But the LORD is the
true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king:
at his wrath the earth shall
tremble,
and the nations shall not be able
to abide his indignation.
Thus shall ye say unto them, The
gods that have not made the heavens
and the earth, even they
shall perish from the earth,
and from under these
heavens. He hath made the earth by his
power,
he hath established the world by
his wisdom,
and hath stretched out the
heavens by his discretion."
Jeremiah 10:10 - 12
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted
among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10
"Yet I am the LORD thy God from the
and thou shalt know no god but me:
for there is no saviour beside me."
Hosea 13:4
Shahnah Tovah!!!
(Happy New Year!!!)
“Behold upon the mountains the feet of him
that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy
vows:
for the wicked shall no more pass through
thee: he is utterly cut off.”
Nahum 1:15
Please be aware that all GOD’s Feast Days,
including the New Moons,
are determined by the New Moon Crescents “Sighted” from the
Often times, the
from the Jerusalem/Jordan/Middle East causing Israelites in the States
to start
the Feast Days a day BEFORE Israelites in the
this makes no sense. Hence, it
is our suggestion that everyone await
the
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"Ye shall not
add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it,
that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”
Deuteronomy
4:2
“And keep the
charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his
commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the
law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest,
and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:”
I
Kings 2:3
“…keep and seek
for all the commandments of the LORD your God:
that ye may
possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance
for your children
after you for ever.”
I
Chronicles 28:8
"For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of
I gave
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable,
and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and
people for thy life."
Isaiah
43:3,4
“This people have
I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.”
Isaiah
43:21
“Thy people also
shall be all righteous: they shall
inherit the land for ever,
the branch of my
planting, the work of my hands, that I MAY BE GLORIFIED.”
Isaiah
60:21
“Yet I am the Lord
thy God from the
and thou shalt
know no god but me:
for there is no
saviour beside me.”
Hosea
13:4
“For thus saith
the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will
both search my sheep,
and seek them
out.”
Ezekiel
34:11
GIVING ALL PRAISES TO THE MOST HIGH CREATOR GOD OF ISRAEL, Happy New Year to all, and may the blessings of the Holy ONE be upon Israelites and the Strangers who seek to follow HIM in Truth and in Righteousness. Likewise, may the Holy ONE of Israel deal with those who take HIS Holy Name in vain and use it for their own agenda to deceive, manipulate, abuse, and cause the fall of Israelites.
May this Hebrew Calendar year be the time that YIHOVAH, the All-Mighty GOD of Abraham and Moses, will make a difference in the lives of all who trust in HIM to do HIS Will and follow HIS Ways of Righteousness in Truth for HIS Holy Name’s Sake.
BLESSED BE YIHOVAH FOREVER
AND LET HIS PEOPLE,
BEFORE THE WORLD IN ORDER
THAT ALL NATIONS
WILL GLORIFY AND BOW
TO THIS AWESOME, ALL-MIGHTY
KING OF KINGS!
Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us…
that all the kingdoms of the earth
may know that thou art the LORD, even thou
only.”
Isaiah 37:20
“Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that
know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have
eaten up Jacob, and devoured him,
and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.”
Jeremiah 10:25
“For thy people
and thou, LORD, becamest their God.
“Let it even be established, that thy name
may be magnified for ever, saying,
The LORD of hosts is the God of
let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.”
I Chronicles 17:22,24
“For from the rising of the sun even unto
the going down of the same
my name shall
be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense
shall
be offered unto my name, and a pure offering:
for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Malachi 1:11
*******
We know that this is the year 2008 on the Gregorian Calendar, but unfortunately, I do not know exactly what year it is on the Hebrew Calendar since the time that the CREATOR chose Abram. But I do know that we must recognize what the Holy ONE said in Exodus 12:2: “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Hence, it seems feasible that at this COMMANDMENT, we should start to record the first year. However, just for your information, according to present day records, it is documented that Moses lived around the 15th – 13th centuries B.C.E (a gap of 200 years). Therefore, this knowledge should be considered when reading history books.
*******
The purpose of
this Hebrew Calendar is not only to provide TORAH Readings and Scripture from
the “Old Testament” throughout the year but to also raise consciousness to the
fact that being Israelites, we are
Lawfully bound to Our GOD and HIS Book of the Law to live and do it ALWAYS, as
it is written. I have also listed
additional Scriptural passages to remind us of all the evils of our forefathers
who caused our captivity with hopes that we will not repeat their sins against
Our Holy ONE of
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8
“Hearken unto me, ye that know
righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law; fear
ye not the reproach of men,
neither be ye afraid of their revilings.”
Isaiah 51:7
*******
HOW THIS HEBREW CALENDAR IS DETERMINED:
There are in fact other Hebrew Israelite Calendars in existence, but I like to think of this one as being rather unique. It is based totally on GOD’s Book of the Law and begins “TORAH” Readings with Exodus 12th Chapter in correlation with the New Moon “Sighting” which identifies the start of Spring/Abib – the Beginning of Months unto us (Exodus 12:2). It provides TORAH “Readings” (the First Five Books, respectively throughout the year) for each Seventh Day Sabbath of Complete Rest, New Moon, and Holy Feast Day, excluding the Feast of Weeks, because the LAW does not denote a particular “date” for this Feast Day as it does for the others. Therefore, rather than add to the LAW, the observance of the Feast of Weeks is purposely left out. (More information on the Feast of Weeks follows a few pages down.) This Hebrew Calendar is also special in that it enlightens those who are “new” to the Truth and who seriously seek to follow ONLY the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:15).
This OUR Hebrew Calendar starts with every Spring or “Aviv/Abib” – at the New Moon Sighting for the First Day of the New Year.
"Thou shalt keep the feast of
unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I
commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it
thou camest out from
Exodus 23:15
Thus, this Hebrew Calendar is determined by the New Moon “Sighting” that falls on or after the Spring equinox:
"The path taken by the sun, however, is at an angle
to the equator. The noonday sun
shines directly on the equator on March 20th every year, and on that
date, night and day are each twelve hours long all over the Earth. This day is known as the vernal equinox,
since vernal comes from the Latin word for spring, and equinox from the Latin
word for equal night." Isaac
Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space, pp. 19
“The equinoxes are the two points of intersection between the ecliptic (the Sun's apparent annual path) and the celestial equator (the equator of the CELESTIAL SPHERE). The two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly over the equator, and day and night are hence of equal length, are the times of these equinoxes. In the Northern Hemisphere the vernal, or spring equinox occurs about March 21, and the autumnal equinox occurs about September 23. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed.” Grolier 1996
“March (month), third month of the Gregorian calendar, according to the present
calendar. March was the first month of the Roman year, named after Mars, the god
of war. In
The use of the “equinox“ enables us to sustain a solar calendar in compliance with Genesis 1:14. If we use a date before the “equinox” we would be creating a New Year before one actually begins. Hence, the “equinox” (observance March 19-21) serves as a checks and balance system to ensure that we maintain a Hebrew Calendar that begins in the Spring of every year, and that we observe Passover at the appointed time in its season, which is “in the first month of the year.”
“And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the
first month of the second year after they were come out of the
“Let the children of
Numbers 9:2,3
We know that
our Hebrew New Year begins in the
Spring of each year - for this is the “beginning
of months” unto us, i.e., First
Month, Second Month, etc. We also know
that the Hebrew New Year falls in its season around the same time each year, depending upon the “Sighting” of the
If the CREATOR, the Holy ONE of
“And God said, Let there be LIGHTS in the firmament of
the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” Genesis 1:14 (Caps. are mine.)
“He [GOD] appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.” Psalm 104:19
With this Hebrew Calendar,
the “Spring Season” begins at the “Sighting” of the New Moon on or after the
spring equinox! On this Hebrew Calendar,
each month lists three days for the “New Moon Crescent Watch,” which is when
we attempt to Sight the
“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.” Numbers 10:10
“…offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:” I Chronicles 23:31
“And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 45:17
Some Hebrew Israelites used to follow this same process for determining the New Year, except if they thought the Crescent Moon appeared too soon or too far from a designated date in March, then they would manipulate their calendar. However, they have since changed this practice, as they realized that it would have been wrong to manipulate their calendar to cause the New Year to fall at their discretion. In my opinion this is just as bad as what the Jewish Rabbinate does with preventing the Day of Atonement to fall on a certain day of the week. The New Moon Crescent of the New Year should be able to flow as the CREATOR permits it to do and without our tampering with the Solar/Lunar Calendar AND without looking for barley to determine the start of the New Year, which, unfortunately, is now the practice of the “Calendar Coalition,” who used to manipulate their calendar. The “Calendar Coalition” is a group of Israelites who established a Calendar based on a “Barley Search.”
Waiting for the observance of mature barley before calling the Hebrew New Year is not what we have been Commanded to do, but rather this method is adding to GOD’s WORD. According to Genesis 1:14, we must use the “Lights” in the Heavens to determine our Seasons, Days, and Years, and this method does not entail a search for mature or green ears of barley. The CREATOR's means of reckoning time entails watching for the “Signs” in the Heavens that HE put in place specifically so that we will have no problems recognizing our Seasons, Days, and Years. And with this information, we are able to observe GOD's Holy Feast Days at the appointed times, in their seasons.
Yes, for real, as ridiculous as it may seem, some Israelites depend on a “Barley Sighting” to call the start of the New Year. This method can prove to be a faulty and inconsistent manner of determining such an important event if barley is not found. Suppose because of a drought, there is no barley, or suppose because the temperatures are so warm during the winter months that the barley appears in February (as happened in 2003), do we start the Passover observance dependent on this early sighting of barley? Of course NOT! Obviously, the use of the spring equinox serves as a better and more reliable indicator of Abib/Aviv, the Spring Season, i.e., the beginning of months unto us! And we cannot rule out the mature barley that exists but goes unnoticed. This would be a definite problem for those on the annual search for barley.
We cannot afford to follow the inventions of our hearts but to follow only the WORD of Our GOD of Israel, and right now all we have for establishing a Hebrew Calendar is Genesis 1:14 for determining our Seasons, Days, and Years. So, we may as well work with it intelligently and with civility. The beginning of time (Seasons, Days, and Years) started in the First Chapter of Genesis, and this is where we need to be focused. Our CREATOR GOD gave good examples of how we were to reckon the 24-hour day, e.g., the evening and the morning were the First Day…the evening and the morning were the Second Day, etc. Likewise, HE designated use of the sun, moon, and even the stars to determine days, seasons, months, and years.
Nevertheless, some Israelites are still adamant about searching for mature barley before calling the Hebrew New Year. We are supposed to be wise from keeping GOD’s LAW, so how can we ignore Genesis 1:14 for "barley", which has nothing to do with "Lights" in the Firmament for establishing a Hebrew Calendar that is so important to our Spirituality. Using “barley” and not the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens is analogous with using the groundhog to see if there will be six more weeks of winter. Seriously, think about it!
Every Brother who stands by the
“Barley Search” for the Hebrew New Year justifies this assumed method by making
a connection with barley (green young ears) and
Well, this, too, makes no sense, as the Nation of Israel did not get involved with crops and grains (green/young ears) until after the 40-year period in the Wilderness. During the 40 years in the Wilderness, the Holy ONE had the Israelites WANDERING constantly from one place to another. Therefore, agriculture cannot serve as evidence for the use of a “Barley Search” for the “beginning of months,” unto the Israelites, because in the Wilderness, there was nothing even to suggest that any cultivation was taking place. And to even make mention of “agriculture” to prove a “Barley Search,” is not only out of the question, but the notion is completely without merit. We cannot prove a “Barley Search” for our Hebrew New Years by a means (agriculture) that existed AFTER the Israelites left out of the Wilderness. Therefore, AGAIN, we must use that which makes sense. We must use what we have been Commanded to use:
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” Genesis 1:14
Not only that, but the drought in the Wilderness prevented barley
growth and any other kind of growth, as the Holy ONE’s Plan was to feed the
Nation of Israel Manna HIMSELF in order to prove them to see if they would keep
HIS LAW or not.
“…the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;” Deuteronomy 8:14 – 16
“Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?” Jeremiah 2:6
“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the
Therefore, it is not at all likely the Israelites used a “Barley
Search” during the forty (40) years they were wandering in the Wilderness to
determine each New Year, as that would contradict the existence of a drought in
the above passages, as well as the use of only Manna to eat, to prove the
Israelites.
“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” Exodus 16:29
Unfortunately, we, Israelites, still have not learned to walk in YAH’s LAW, even with Commandments that are clear as crystal to do, and this has been OUR PROBLEM ever since Our SAVIOR chose us for HIS Covenant People.
However, my question is, “If there were a drought in the Wilderness and an absence of barley and any other produce to eat, then how did the Israelites determine the start of each New Year?” My wisdom tells me that they calculated the New Moon Crescent “Sighting,” just as did David (I Samuel 20:5), according to what's written in Genesis 1:14, of course.
Another component the “Calendar Coalition” uses for its Calendar is the
“Leap Year.” Leap years have no
place in Hebrew/Israelite Culture and are an invention of Gentiles, for making
their fabricated calendars jibe with the CREATOR’s Solar and Lunar
Systems. With the Hebrew Calendar
established by using ONLY the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens (Genesis 1:14), the sun
and the New Moon Crescent, there is absolutely no reason for a contrived leap
year, which can only develop a hybrid calendar at best. By the
way, Julius Caesar is the father of the Leap Year.
I truly pray that we will come together on GOD’s Book of the Law and
HIS WORD to HIS Prophets, as well as our Hebrew New Year without disdain for
people who dispute ideals that do not correlate with what “THUS SAITH THE
LORD.” At some point, we are to take
our places as the People of the Covenant who will know and be about nothing but
living and doing GOD’s LAW without adding to or taking from it but rather
Fearing ONLY Our REDEEMER to be the Righteous Remnant that HE will call. And those of us endeavoring to meet this goal
are going to be even stronger and more encouraged than ever to follow this
MIGHTY LAW - our
“Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I
am the LORD your God.
“Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 18:4,5
“Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 18:30
The FEAR of the LORD GOD of
THE WHITE JEWISH CALENDAR:
It must be understood that under no
circumstances does this TORAH
Tribute
to the New Moon Revised:
The
service of this solar/lunar calendar of TORAH
Realizing that even some
Israelites use the dark phase of the moon to call the new month, I would like
to add one obvious fact.
By definition, there can only be a “New Moon,” per se, after the
dark phase interval and when the
If the dark phase of the moon
begins the First Day of the month, then when the
It’s the absence of seeing the moon for forty-eight or more hours that enables us to identify the approaching Crescent “Sign” in the Heavens (mentioned in Genesis 1:14) that recognizes the moon as being “New.” And upon “Sighting” this “New” Crescent” we distinguish it as being the “New Moon” and the time of the New Month, as well.
PLEASE NOTE: The Hebrew New Year is also determined by the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens and not by the “sighting of barley.”
For several years I have known that the White “Jews” (excluding the Karaites) use a pre-calculated nineteen-year cycle of intercalation based on the “Dark Phases” or concealed moon, for the First Day of the month of their “Jewish Calendar.” They do not start their New Year with the search for mature barley, as do the Karaites, but they do use leap years in order to maintain adjustments in their calendars.
The Rabbinate does not use the “lights in
the firmament…for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” By their using the “dark phases” of the moon,
then they are able to manipulate their calendar to register the start of the
month on whichever day they choose. For example, The Day of Atonement will
never fall on a Friday.
“While all
other fast days that fall on the Sabbath in a particular year are postponed to
Sunday, Yom Kippur must be observed on its appointed day: the tenth day of Tishri, as prescribed in the
Bible. The calendar was designed so that the tenth of Tishri should not fall
on a Friday, Sunday, or Tuesday.
“If Yom Kippur were to fall on a Friday, it would be impossible to prepare food for the Sabbath. If it were to fall on a Sunday, it would be impossible to do on the Sabbath all that is necessary to prepare for the fast. If it were to fall on a Tuesday, Hoshana Rabba would fall on the Sabbath and the requirement that aravot (willows) be beaten would not be able to be observed, for this would be a violation of the Sabbath.” THE JEWISH BOOK OF WHY, page 241
“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32
Tampering with GOD’s Book of the Law is a very serious violation, and the above Commandment proves that the Rabbinate defies GOD’s Ordinance by establishing their own religious doctrine, when they are clearly adding to and taking from GOD’s Law. And the above book does not hesitate to inform readers of exactly how White religious Jews go about doing this.
At this point,
it should be noted that the beginning of months unto us neither depends on the
ripening of “barley” nor the “Dark Phases” of the moon. Nowhere
in the Law does the Holy ONE Command
that we use the “barley” of the
Being Israelites, we must discern the right
and lawful thing to do and not go with the consensus and certainly not go with
the White “Jews” if we know for a fact that they manipulate their calendars. We are compelled to do that which we know to
be reliable, valid, and correct according to GOD’s LAW. At all times, in our
“To the law and to the testimony:
if they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them.”
Isaiah 8:20
***
THE FOLLOWING IS A SPECIAL REPORT THAT WILL
HOPEFULLY SHED MORE LIGHT ON THE
ISSUE OF WHEN TO START EACH NEW MONTH AND EACH NEW YEAR:
HOW SHOULD ISRAELITES
DETERMINE
THE START OF EACH NEW MONTH?
AND
WHEN IS
THE HEBREW NEW YEAR
EXPECTED TO BEGIN?
“He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.”
Psalm 104:19
“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun
for a light by day,
and the ordinances of the moon and of the
stars for a light by night,
which divideth the sea when the waves
thereof roar;
The LORD of hosts is his name:
“If those ordinances depart from before me,
saith the LORD,
then the seed of
from being a nation before me for ever.”
Jeremiah 31:35,36
February 21, 2006
Not only is a New Month upon
us, but so also is a New Year and Passover, as well, and unfortunately, we are
still at odds concerning how Israelites are to determine the start of each New
Hebrew Month and our Hebrew New Year. For sure, it is our fault and not the fault
of the CREATOR that we don’t realize the start of our months and years because
HE has certainly given us ample information in order for us to realize when to
start each new month and each Hebrew New Year.
There is not even the slightest suggestion that our forefathers suffered
this problem, so why do we?
Some Israelites would say that “The beginning of months” is upon us
upon finding mature barley anywhere in
“Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.” Deuteronomy 28:38
“If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers;…” II Chronicles 6:28
“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;” II Chronicles 7:13
Those, like myself who beg to differ with this “Barley Sighting” concept, assert that neither barley nor any other plant can be a factor in association with the start of our Hebrew New Year, as this method is flawed and not practical. The key and most important reason for rejecting “Barley Sighting” as basis for determining the New Year is that the CREATOR GOD is clear on how to decide on our seasons, days, and years. And neither barley nor any other “plant” is mentioned as a means to do so.
“And God said, Let there be LIGHTS in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for SIGNS, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” Genesis 1:14 [Caps. are mine.]
Now, I’ve been told that I do not understand this verse. The fact of the matter is that this verse should be taken literally and without interpretation, as it certainly does not need one. I view this verse as being crystal clear, and to reject any part of it is to diminish from what the CREATOR has Commanded of us. If we do not use the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens for “SIGNS” to determine our months, then we are not just adding to and diminishing the Commandment in Genesis 1:14, but we are changing GOD’s Ordinance. And in doing so, we bring upon ourselves much confusion. Hence, we must accept what’s written and use the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens for “SIGNS” for our seasons, days, and years. The CREATOR GOD of Israel did not leave us Psalm 104:19 for naught.
“He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.”
It is my understanding from what’s written in Genesis 1:14 that there are to be LIGHTS in the Heavens for SIGNS. And I am particularly reminded that these “LIGHTS” are interpreted “luminaries,” of which I do quite agree, as both the sun and the moon shine. However, the sun emits its own “Light.” And although the moon also shines, please understand that it can only do so because of the sun’s reflection that causes it to shine. Keep in mind that if there were no sun, then the moon would never shine. It’s these luminaries (“SIGNS”) in the Heavens that enable us to depict seasons, days, and years:
The fact that the CREATOR gives/uses “SIGNS” for us to “see,” is evident that we must be able to sight something in the Heavens. And the luminaries – the “LIGHTS” of the sun and moon - are the “SIGNS” we must use for our seasons, days, and years.
Webster’s New Collegiate Definition of luminary:
“a source of light or illumination; a body that gives light: esp : one of the celestial bodies: a person brilliantly outstanding in some respect”
If the sun, moon, and the stars
are the “LIGHTS” or “luminaries” in the Heavens that we are Commanded to use
for “SIGNS,” how then can anyone suggest using the “Conjunction” or “Dark
Phase” of the moon for the First Day of the month, when absolutely nothing at
all is visible for a “SIGN” at this time of the month? Why have a
The Stars are also a factor in determining our seasons. The CREATOR provides us with a new starlight wonder each month in HIS Heavens for us to also use for determining our seasons, days, and years.
“Throughout the ages, mankind has looked to the heavens and tried to make sense of the lights in the sky. The ancient peoples of the world thought they could see pictures in the stars. These chance alignments of stars, also known as asterisms, are known as today constellations. Many ancient cultures around the world have assigned pictures to these star groupings. Many of these images find their roots shrouded in mythology. In our modern world, it can be difficult to make out the shapes of the constellations because city lights obscure the dimmer stars. But they are still used to help identify and locate objects in space. There are currently 88 main constellations recognized by the astronomical community. Here we will explore these constellations and identify the major points of interest within each. They are often grouped according to the month in which they are best visible. These monthly listings assume that you are looking at the sky at 9:00 PM. For every hour later than 9:00, add half of a month. For every hour before 9:00, subtract half a month.”
As previously mentioned, the
“conjunction” is a reference of the moon when it is not visible, i.e., the time of month when the moon is at its “Dark
Phases.” It is at this time (the “Dark
Phases” of the moon) when many Israelites start the First Day of the New Month
rather than wait until the “Sighting” of the
According to those who use the “Conjunction” of the moon for the First Day of the month, this “Dark Phase” of the moon is the “SIGN” in the Heavens for our First Day of the Month and not the “Lighted Crescent.”
Those of us who adhere to using the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens for a “Sign” for our days await the “Sighting” of the Crescent Moon. Otherwise, we are not following the CREATOR’s Commandment. And without question those who admit to using the “Conjunction” or rather the “Dark Phase” of the moon to call the First Day of the Month are certainly not following what’s written to use the “LIGHTS” for “SIGNS” for seasons, days, and years.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS
FOR
THE START OF EACH HEBREW NEW YEAR?
Another issue is in regard to the word “Abib.” From what I understand, some Israelites feel that this word refers to “the green / the young ear” plants of barley or perhaps some other plant. And when mature barley is “Sighted,” then that month starts the Hebrew New Year.
In Exodus 13:4, the "Hebrew" is worded “in month the
hahaviv.” Well, if you have ever studied
Hebrew, the first thing you learn is that it is not to your advantage to
interpret Hebrew the way English is spoken.
Accordingly, the “hah” before a Hebrew noun or pronoun can in fact mean
“the” or “this,” but in many, many other cases, “hah” before a word does not
translate into anything. One example is
in Genesis 1:15 when the CREATOR says “to give light” or “li-hah-ear” in
Hebrew. There is no translation or
reason in English for this “hah” in this word/phrase. Another example is in Exodus 12:2, where we
see the words “hah-khodesh hahzeh,” which when translated is “the month the
this,” if speaking/interpreting Hebrew the way English is spoken.
My point being, “the abib” or “hah aviv” does not have to mean “the month of the Abib,” or a reference to a “condition,” as I have been told. Exodus 13:4 could very well translate in Hebrew to read the following: “This day, you came out in the month of Abib” (Spring), which changes the whole picture, making “Abib” a “month of Spring” and not a “condition” or a reference to a “tender or green” plant. It makes no sense to use a plant to determine a time of the year when the “LIGHTS” in the Heavens are for “SIGNS” and for “Seasons.” And I, personally, cannot go beyond what’s written.
“And God said, Let there be LIGHTS in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for SIGNS, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” Genesis 1:14 (Caps. are mine.)
“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the SUN FOR A LIGHT BY DAY, and the ordinances of the MOON AND OF THE STARS FOR A LIGHT BY NIGHT, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.” Jeremiah 31:35 (Caps. are mine.)
Therefore, the LIGHTED “Ordinances” of the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14) in their exceptional positions in the Heavens at the same time each year (during the onset of Spring) denote the “beginning of months” unto us or rather the start of our Hebrew New Year. And for the CREATOR GOD of Israel to demonstrate so much concern for these Ordinances to have their places in the Heavens for all to see as a “Sign” should explain to us just how necessary it is for HIS Wondrous LIGHTS to shine for all mankind to witness and credit HIM for this phenomena.
I would also like to note that for some Hebrew words, there are no English translations and vice versa. For example, there is no “of” to be translated from English to Hebrew (see the “of” in Numbers 22:18). This information is not to confuse the issue, but rather my intention is to share the facts in order that we will use what’s written to come together on our New Moons