By Bill Goff
Revised March 30, 2023
We often hear many pulpits of the churches of God, stating that there is no calendar in the Bible, and in order to know when God’s Holy Day (or Appointed Times) are (they say) we have to rely on the Hebrew Calendar (sometimes referred to as “God’s Sacred Calendar”) But could that be correct? When our Heavenly Father puts so much importance on the keeping of His Holy Days, His “Appointed Times” would He neglect to give us a way to know the timing of them in the Scriptures, and expect us to rely on corruptible men to know when His Feasts are?
Brethren, there IS a calendar in the Scriptures, and it is Not complicated to comprehend. So let’s look at the clear and simple Scriptures, and let us Believe and Follow God’s Word, and not be led astray by the false unscriptural teachings of scholarly men. Remember Scripture also says that things have been hidden from the wise and prudent. (Matthew 11:25) & (Luke 10: 21) Yes, there are things that have been hidden from the “scholars” but thankfully they have been revealed unto babes.
Let us look for simplicity today in the Scriptures concerning the calendar issue, and let’s not approach this subject as if we have to climb Mount Everest to comprehend God’s calendar, because the calendar issue is just a mole hill, and can easily be understood.
In Genesis 1:14 we are told: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for “seasons” and for days and for years. (Seasons, Strong’s #4150 same exact word in Scripture for “feasts” & “appointed time”.)
Scripture plainly and clearly tells us here that the lights in the firmament of the heavens (the sun and the moon) are for determining God’s calendar. Notice verse: 16 “And God made two great lights; the greater lights to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. That word “rule” is Strong’s 4475 rule; a realm or a ruler; dominion, government, power, to rule. Yes Brethren, God has given the “authority” to the sun and moon to determine when a day begins and ends, when a month begins and ends, when a year begins and ends, and when His Holy Days are to be kept. That authority was not given to men, but to the great lights in the sky for all to see.
We know how simple it is to determine when the day begins and ends. I’m sure all (or at least most) will agree that the day begins and ends at sunset. Well knowing when the month begins and ends, and when the year begins and ends is just as simple.
First let’s understand something important about the word “month” in Scripture; it will help us comprehend exactly when a month begins and when a month ends. (And it’s just as simple as knowing when a day begins and ends.
God instructs us to keep His Holy Days by giving us the “day” and the “month” in which to keep them, like we are told in Leviticus 23:5 to keep the Passover on the 14th day of the first month, And in Leviticus 23:6 we are told that on the 15th day of the first month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In Leviticus 23:27 we are told that on the 10th day of the seventh month is a day of atonement. God’s instructs all of His Holy Days to be kept according to day and month. (bar one Pentecost). So all we need to know is “when” a month begins, and then just simply count to the particular day of that month.
Now knowing “when” a month begins is very simple because the word “month” in the Hebrew is the same exact word for “new moon”. Strong’s # 2320. So we could read Leviticus 23:5 like this: on the 14th day of the first new moon is the Lord’s Passover. And in Leviticus 23:27 we could read it: on the 10th day of the seventh new moon is the day of Atonement.
So to know (or determine) the month, we need only to know or determine the new moon. (new moon – new month, same thing.)
Now before we move on, let’s put things into perspective. The majority of God’s church blindly follow the Hebrew calendar with all of its postponements (which by the way cannot be found anywhere in the Scriptures) It is indisputably known that the Hebrew calendar was created by man, made by Hillel ll who held office in the Sanhedrin between 320 and 385 CE.
Now the second largest group of God’s people look to the moon (the “new moon” to be precise) as they should to determine God’s calendar. (Anyone who follows the Scriptures concerning the calendar knows that the “new moon” determines when the month begins.) As stated above, God’s calendar IS in the Scriptures. But just as men have led the majority of God’s people astray in following the unscriptural Hebrew calendar, men have also led the majority who keep the new moon astray, by teaching them to look to the unscriptural “crescent” moon to deterring the month.
Brethren we have to have Scripture to support all of our beliefs, we have to “rightly divide the Word of Truth”. There are no Scriptures that support a crescent new moon. Scripture clearly says the new moon is at the conjunction, when the moon is dark and invisible.
Psalm 81:3 KJV says: “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.”
The word “time appointed” in that verse tells us exactly when the new moon is: Strong’s # 3677 fullness or the full moon, its festival – time appointed. Yes, the new moon is when it is “full”. But full of what, light? No, full of darkness, The root word here is # 3680 to plumb, to cover, to conceal, to hide. The moon is not covered, concealed or hidden when you see the crescent. It’s covered, concealed and hidden at the conjunction when it is “plumb” when the sun, moon and earth are in alignment with each other, when it is fully dark. Even the astronomers all agree that the new moon is when it is dark, plumb (in a straight line) with the earth and sun.
Astronomers support this, as specified in the following statement found on the Internet:
New Moon – The Invisible Phase
In modern astronomy, the New Moon is when the Sun and Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth on opposite sides of the Moon. The New Moon is invisible from Earth. At New Moon, the Sun, Moon, and Earth, are in alignment, technically know as Syzygy. (Yes, same as Psalm 81:3 KJV states “Plumb.”)
I found the following commentary in an old Bible of mine. It pertains to
1Samuel 20:5 where Jonathan was talking to David about the “new moon” I will quote it here:
“At the beginning of each month, the Israelites gathered to celebrate the New Moon festival. While this was mainly a time to be enjoyed, it was also a way to dedicate the next month to God. Other nations had celebrations during the full moon, and worshiped the moon itself. The Israelites however, celebrated their festival at the time of the new moon, when the moon was not visible in the sky. This was an added precaution against false worship. Nothing in the creation is to be worshiped – only the Creator.”
Now that we have seen Scriptures that tell us how to determine the month, let us see how we can determine the beginning of months. Yes, how can we know when the New Year begins? Remember Genesis 1:14 tells us that the sun and moon are for signs and seasons (and also for) days, and years.
EQUINOXES
The vernal and autumnal equinoxes are signs made by the sun that mark the turns of the year in spring and autumn. At the times when the sun is crossing the celestial equator day and night are of nearly equal length at all latitudes so we call these dates the ‘equinoxes’. No part of the earth is hidden from the sun’s light or heat on the day of the equinox.
The Latin word, equinox, is not mentioned by that name in the scriptures but Psalm 19:6 describes what an equinox does. (6) “His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” The word circuit in this verse is Strong’s #8622, the Hebrew word tequwphah or tequphah, tek-oo-faw, from 5362, a revolution, i.e. (of the sun) course, (of time) lapse:– circuit, come about, end. The Hebrew word for heat in this verse is Strong’s #2535, chammah, khqm-maw’, from 2525; heat; by implication the sun:– heat, sun. As the sun makes its circuit (across the equator) there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. A good description of what an equinox does.
In Exodus 34:22 this same Hebrew word, tequphah, #8622, indicates that the autumnal equinox marks the year’s end or turn of the year, referring to the last part of the year. (22) “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s “end,” (Strong’s #8622). Jay P. Green’s Interlinear Bible translates the word end in this verse as the year’s “turn.”
The vernal and autumnal equinoxes are signs made by the sun that mark the turns of the year in spring and autumn, thus making it quite easy to keep both the Spring and Fall Holy Days in season. Once the vernal (spring) equinox occurs, the next new moon is the first month of the year. Fourteen days later is the Passover. And in the fall, once the autumn equinox occurs, the following new moon is the beginning of the seventh month (Trumpets) ten days later is the Day of Atonement. And on the fifteenth day the Feast of Tabernacles begins.
Brethren, there is simplicity in the Word of God, and God’s Holy Day calendar IS in the Scriptures. God placed his calendar in the heavens for all to see.
(Psalm 104:19) says: He appointed the moon for “seasons” (Strong’s 4150 appointed time) the sun knoweth his going down.
Each year after I look to see when the Holy Days are so I can post the dates on the Web site, I check first with a few others that also use the Scriptures to determine the calendar. And without previous conversing, we always come up with the same exact Holy Day dates. So don’t be fooled and led astray by men who say there is no calendar in the Bible. Those men are deceived and being deceived, we need to “prove all things” rightly divide the Word of Truth’. 2 Timothy 3:13-17
These verses are very important…. Notice Timothy has learned and known the “Scriptures” and that it is the Scriptures that make one “wise” unto salvation.
(I want to go one more place before concluding.)
The book of 1st Peter deals with problems from the outside, but 2nd Peter deals with problems inside the church of God, and inside the church of God today. And let us realize, Peter wrote this warning to us a long time ago, and he wrote it in the “future” tense. But to drive home the point that I’m trying to make, and for us to better comprehend the Truth in Peter’s warning to us, and the sobriety of it, we need to read Peters words today in their proper “present” tense, because what Peter is warning us about is not a future event, on the contrary, it’s all ready history, and has been for a long time now.
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there are false teachers among you, who privily have brought in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many (not a few, not some, but many) are following their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of.
(2Peter 2:1-2)
That word “pernicious” means = ruin or loss, destruction, die, perdition.
Brethren, what Peter is addressing here, pertains to ones salvation.
Now some will undoubtably say what I’m preaching here is heresy, and that is correct, this IS heresy. But please understand that heresy is not necessarily a bad thing, Heresy is just a teaching or belief that is contrary to what is commonly taught or believed. Even Paul was a preacher of heresy, and he was proud of it.
(Acts 24:14 KJV)
Its “damnable” heresy we want to stay clear of. But Be Careful Here, because it’s damnable heresy that the many in God’s church today are following concerning God’s Holy Day Calendar.