Biblical Hebrew Calendar

We are living in the Almighty’s universe. The world in which we live is

synchronized to His calendar and His time clock. Whether we recognize it or
not makes no difference. The Creator does not spin the world based on what
we do and do not understand.
The Creator’s reckoning of time is clearly detailed in the first scroll of the
Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, the western Gentile Christian world has forsaken
God’s calendar. Instead, it has adopted a pagan reckoning of time in which
every day of the week and month of the year is named after a pagan god or
fallen angel. Days, weeks, months, and years all begin at completely
fictitious points in time. Those raised within the western paradigm have no
idea what time it is. It is as if the hands have been broken from the face of
the clock.
The Creator set the sun, moon, planets, and stars in their courses as an
elaborate time-keeping device that has not varied since creation. By it we
understand His appointed times and seasons, which enables us to live in
harmony with Him and His creation. Our published Astronomically and
Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar is designed to help those
who seek to more fully understand the Hebrew Scriptures – from Genesis
to Revelation.

The Controversy and the Law of Two Witnesses

The Astronomically & Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar
Every year since the creation of Adam, the Biblical year begins with the
declaration of the aviv barley crop in the land of Israel. The Biblical Hebrew
calendar months are fixed according to the appearance of the New Moon
each month. Years are fixed according to the maturity of the barley, a
phototropic spring crop that develops according to its exposure to sun. The
Biblical Year begins with the first New Moon after the barley in Israel
reaches the state in its development which the Torah calls "Aviv," and is
used in the verse "Keep the Month of the Aviv" (Deuteronomy 16:1).The
barley in the land of Israel was found to be Aviv on March 11, 2005. The
sightings were located in the Jordan Valley and the Northern Negev regions
of Israel. These findings were confirmed by several who had gone on the
Aviv "search." As a result of this find, the new Biblical year has been
established!
The Month of the Aviv
The biblical year begins when the first new moon after the barley in the
land of Israel reaches the state in its development that the Bible calls Aviv.
Only by checking the state of the barley crop can we fulfill the Biblical
commandment to "Keep the Month of the Aviv"(Deut 16:1). Only by fixing
the calendar in harmony with the barley crop can we fulfill the
commandment to celebrate the Hag Ha-Matzot (Feast of Unleavened
Bread) "at the time of the month of the Aviv, because in the month of the
Aviv you went out of Egypt." (Exodus 34:18)

The Month of the Aviv, cont.

A commitment of Jewish Karaites throughout the generations was to
observe the Biblical precept to "Keep the Month of the Aviv". To this very
day, every Karaite takes an oath at the time of their marriage "to keep the
Holy Days of YHVH according to the observation of the Aviv in the Holy
Land of Israel". Throughout the Middle Ages, a great effort was made to
send messengers to Israel to check on the state of the barley crop. It was
not uncommon that Karaitic Jews celebrated the Holy Days one month
after the Rabbinic Jews. As late as 1641, we learn from a Crimean Karaite
pilgrim that the Karaites of the Middle East still followed the Biblical
calendar and in 1641 they celebrated all the Holy Days one month after
the "Rabbinites".

The "19 year cycle" has been adopted by the majority of the Jewish people
instead of fixing the first month according to the barley crop. This cycle was
invented at a time when reliable reports of the barley crop in the land of
Israel were difficult to obtain. It added the occasionally necessary 13th
month (7 times every 19 years), which keeps Aviv in the spring of the year
in a logical, yet Biblically unauthorized pattern. The Rabbinites recognize
that the state of the barley crop determines the date of Passover (Sanhedrin
11a). Yet, since our return to the land, observation of the barley crop has
proven that the rabbinic cycle is often in error, and obviously obsolete.
Several times over the past decade, several Israelites have investigated the
state of the barley crop at the time that the modern Jewish calendar
declared the month of Aviv (Nisan), but discovered that the barley was not
Aviv.
It is a common occurrence for Rabbinic, Messianic, and even Karaitic Jews
to celebrate the Biblical Holy Days one month too early!
"...Whoever will not go up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to
prostrate to the King, YHWH Tzevaot, there shall be no rain upon them...
this will be the plague with which YHWH smites the nations that will not
go up to celebrate Hag Ha-Sukkot (Tabernacles)."
(Zechariah 14:18-19)
Tuesday, November 9, 1999 at sunset, Bruce Brill, Michael Rood, Jamie
Louis, my wife Devorah Gordon, and I sighted the eighth New Moon of the
year from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. The moon was first sighted by
Devorah Gordon at 16:51 and by the other observers a few minutes later. A
second group of observers on the nearby Mount of Olives, including Dr.
Roy Hoffman of the Israel New Moon Society, Baruch Ben-Yosef, and
David Pisanti, also concurred with the first sighting at 16:51. Sunset was
observed at 16:42. About 40 witnesses enjoyed the festive tradition of a
campfire barbecue to honor the "two witnesses".
Because of the rarity of occasions when the modern Jewish calendar
corresponds with the Biblical new month, the new moon sighting festivities
were rehearsed on the correct day for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.
Michael Rood distributed native Israeli barley seed to the participants
and, in accordance with the ancient practice of the Levites; we sowed barley
on the side of the Mount of Olives at the appearance of the 8th moon. In the
deepening twilight, seeds of hope were scattered on the Mount of Olives
across the Kidron valley from the Temple Mount - the future location of the
3rd Temple. Within the next few days, eight barley fields were planted in the
land of Israel for the express purpose of determining the month of the Aviv
barley the following spring. That year was the first opportunity for all of us
to be on the correct calendar by the beginning of the Biblical New Year -
Aviv 1.
Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel
www.KaraiteKorner.org
The Maiden Moon
The Talmud states that new moon witnesses can profane the Sabbath to report
their sightings. Given that it is permissible in Jewish Law to profane the
Sabbath only for the most exceptional reasons, the importance attributed to
setting the Holy Days by the new moon sightings is noteworthy.
The Mishnaic stipulations on a new moon witness were detailed and rigorous.
The sighted new moon fixed the month's start, which in turn set the Hebrew
Holy Days. Once the Sanhedrin certified the sightings, the news was
communicated to far-flung Jewish communities throughout Israel and
beyond.

The Maiden Moon, cont.

The system of sighting, certifying and signaling continued for hundreds of
years. After the Jewish revolts against Rome, most Jews were dispersed
from Judea. By the middle of the fourth century the entire system of
sighting, certifying, and signaling new moons and months in what the
Romans had renamed "Palestine", was in dissolution. A calculated calendar
provided a temporary solution.
The Modern Jewish calendar was established by Hillel the Second, in the
middle of the fourth century. Yet, the two reasons for its introduction are
no longer relevant. Today, there are both enough Jews residing in and
around Jerusalem to sight new moons, and ample means to communicate
the sightings. NASA claims to have improved on the amazingly precise
lunar cycle of 29.53059 days used in the Jewish calendar. And even though
the monthly moon cycle varies by as much as +/- 0.7 days per lunar cycle, it
has never been adjusted.
There is yet another, more compelling reason to return to the ancient
reckoning. The same reason that allowed profaning the Sabbath: the
gravity of celebrating the Holy Days on the celestially correct day. The
framers of the calendar were eminently aware of this. That is why Diaspora
Jews celebrate two days for the major Holy Days. It is also the reason that
Yom Teruah, even in Israel, is a two-day festival.
Ironically, according to this writer's actual new moon sightings for the past
almost-five years from the environs of Jerusalem, much of the time both
days of the two-day holidays are incorrect. Could it be that the Jewish
people have been celebrating their Feasts and Fasts on the wrong days?
Could it be that this year, for instance, Yom Kippur was not on the day
fixed by the Jewish calendar, but two days afterwards, according to the new
moon appearance?
The new moon rarely appears before the calendar claims its due, but it
usually appears one or two days after the calendar's assertion. Before the
calculated calendar of Hillel, the Jewish month was always set with the
unmistakable first appearance of the new moon. Why not celebrate the
Feasts at the celestially correct time as opposed to an incorrect calendar?
My personal sightings have been confirmed by other independent new
moon watchers. Yet, before the advent of modern super-computers, it
would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove with absolute scientific
certainty that my personal sightings were correct.
In 1998, an American team, including astronomer Robert Scott
Wadsworth, first published a calendar of the projected monthly new moon
appearances from Jerusalem. The team's Michael Rood traveled to Israel
with the express purpose of finding moon watchers to confirm his team's
exciting findings. Rood's data scientifically confirms my nearly five-year's
of observation, proving that the Modern Jewish calendar is out of synch.
Instead of a calendar on the wall, we should be looking for the forlorn
maiden moon each month in the twilight of the western horizon.
Bruce Brill
Independent press correspondent
Tekoa, Israel

Israel Wire
The latest news direct from Israel - Friday, November 20, 1998
11:51
"New Moon" Proclaimed for Kislev
(IsraelWire-11/20-11:39-IST) On Thursday, the first day of the Jewish
month of Kislev, a group of persons congregated to declare the new moon,
in accordance to Jewish law as it was practiced during the period of the
Holy Temple.
The following release was published yesterday by organizers of the event
following the declaration.
"For the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem
two thousand years ago, a Rabbinical Court today, declared the new month
at the gates of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In the presence of a
contingent of Jews who profess the rebuilding of the Third Temple on the
Temple Mount, the month of Kislev was declared by the Court."
At the head of the Court presided Chai Vekaiyam leader Yehuda Etzion.
Etzion, a leader of the campaign to permit Jewish prayer services on the
Temple Mount, proclaimed that the declaration of the new moon by a
Rabbinical Court at the entrance to the Temple Mount. This was a major
step towards the reclamation of the Temple Mount into Jewish hands, a
step which will lead into the rebuilding of the Third Temple.
Etzion quoted the famous Rabbinical codifier, Maimonides, who stated that
"The proclamation of the months by a Rabbinical Court is an obligation for
every generation. Reliance on the calendar alone presents serious problems
in the observance of Jewish holy days."
Organizers explained that this was by no means a symbolic gesture but a
genuine effort to renew the ancient practice of "declaring" the new month
as was done by the rabbinical court in the time of the Temple.

And the 7th Day...

For centuries, the rabbis have taught that just as God created the heavens
and the earth in six days and the seventh day He rested: what this means is
that man would have his time of rule upon the earth for six thousand years,
and in the seventh millennium, the Messiah would reign. A day with the
LORD is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day:
 And the 7th Day.
[Insight into the creation of the calendar, from 2000.]

For centuries, the rabbis have taught that just as God created the heavens
and the earth in six days and the seventh day He rested: what this means is
that man would have his time of rule upon the earth for six thousand years,
and in the seventh millennium, the Messiah would reign. A day with the
LORD is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day: The veracity
of that interpretation was referenced in the writings of both Barnabus and
Shimon Kefa, Jewish followers of Yahshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, during the
first century of the Common Era (see: The Acts of the Jewish Apostles, II
Peter 3, and the book of Barnabus). The Biblical Hebrew year 6001 marks
the first year of the Seventh Millennium, the seventh "day," the Day of the
LORD. This epoch did not begin on January 1, 2000 as that date is a
thoroughly fictitious and impertinent invention of man. We must look to
the Creator's calendar, which points to Aviv 1, 6001 (which we calculated to
have occurred on May 5, 2000: sundown in Jerusalem) as the beginning of
the seventh period of one thousand years since creation. This calculation is
based neither on the Gregorian calendar with which most of us in the
occident were raised, nor the Jewish calendar, which is based on ancient
mathematical calculations rather than the Biblically commanded moon
sightings. Our Biblical Hebrew Calendar utilizes the most current
computerized calculations to project the probable sightings of the new
moon over Jerusalem, corrected for the "Aviv" barley in the land of Israel
for both 1999 and 2000, and exact year from creation astronomical
calculations (intellectual property of E.W. Faustich.) This provides us with
the first astronomically and agriculturally corrected Biblical Hebrew
calendar since the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E.
The Barley in Israel is a critical, yet ignored witness in the calculations for
the modern Jewish calendar. In the spring of 1999 an Adar Bet was
required to correct the calendar for the
Aviv. The Jewish calendar was one month off from the Creator's calendar
last year. In the Fall of 1999, we planted eight barley fields in the environs
of Jerusalem. At the new moon of April 5th 2000 (not sighted until April 6th)
the barley in Jerusalem was an entire month from being "Aviv." The rains
expected at Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) were two months late, and
the barley seed sprouted two months late. Adar Bet was required again this
spring to allow the barley to "aviv." The new moon of the Aviv was then
reckoned by our visual inspection of the barley on the Mount of Olives and
Mount Zion upon our return to Jerusalem on May 5th. Aviv 1 was declared
from the city of Tekoa as we sighted the new moon of May 5th 2000. That
was the evening of the extremely rare, "Menorah" alignment of the seven
heavenly bodies that heralded such events as the birth of Avraham, the
building of the 1st and 2nd temples and the birth of Yahshua of Nazareth -
the most noted Jewish personality on the planet. On May 5th 2000, the
ancient Mayan sun calendar came to an abrupt halt - on the last day of
man's millennia. Many, ignoring the testimony of the Hebrew Scriptures,
expected the world to end on that date. If our calculations are correct, it
was the end of an age and the year 6001, the Day of the LORD has begun.
Did we expect that the Messiah would arrive on Aviv 1? No! In the Hebrew
Scriptures we read of the Great and Notable Day of the LORD. This Day, or
Millennium, starts out with bloodshed, fire, pillars of smoke that darken
the sky, plagues, and all manner of pestilence. Then comes an era of peace
with the Messiah as King over all. The Messiah will not come immediately,
but after a time of tribulation. And of course, we expect the prophet Elijah,
who must come before the Messiah. When shall we expect Elijah? When
will the Messiah arrive? And what does this have to do with the Ark of the
Covenant?
This and more will come to light as you explore the pages of our calendar.

The Aviv Barley & Preparation for the 7th Millennium

The universe in which we live is synchronized to God's calendar and time
clock. Correcting the "year from creation" and the reckoning of our Feast
days has become the obsession of many since Israel returned to the land
and rabbi Hillell's calculations have outlived their accuracy and necessity. I
was also compelled to do my part in its restoration. What happened during
the last Feast of Sukkot in the 6th millennium, could not have been
anticipated a year earlier.
 The Great Calendar Debate:
By Glenn McWilliams of Torah Keepers

As with every living thing, there are times of growth and maturing. So it is
with the current state of the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement. While
the Messianic Movement may trace its roots to the first century C.E., it has
not truly begun to sprout until recently. Lying almost dormant for
centuries, the seed of this Movement has been germinating just below the
surface. Recently, however, the Movement has experienced a rapid period
of growth. By all accounts, this modern Movement is still in its infancy. I'm
not sure when the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement officially began, but
I do know that in the last 25-30 years it has experienced a phenomenal
period of growth, not only in North America, but also in South America,
and even in the land of Israel. This type of rapid growth can only be
attributed to the Ruach Hachodesh! With such rapid growth, we should not
be surprised to experience major growing pains. Such is the case with the
recent controversy over which calendar those in the Messianic Movement
should be following.

There are two primary candidates in the running to be the Calendar of the
Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement. The incumbent candidate is the
Rabbinic calendar used by the majority of Judaism, and the majority of the
current Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement. This calendar was created by
Hillel 2 in 359 C.E. for the Jews in Diaspora. The calendar was based upon
mathematical calculations of the rotation of the sun and moon for the
meridian of Jerusalem. In this way, the Jews could keep track of their
calendar as best as possible while living outside the land of Israel. For
sixteen hundred years the Jews have been living by this calendar all over
the world. This calendar has surely been a unifying factor within Judaism.
As the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Movement has sought to establish itself as
a legitimate, though grafted in, branch of the tree of the Nation of Israel,
the calendar has played a significant role. By keeping the Sabbath,
celebrating the feasts, following the weekly Torah portions, and observing
the Rabbinic calendar, the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Movement has
displayed a sincere desire to reconcile itself with its brothers and sisters in
Judaism. From the start of the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement, there
has been an underlying willingness to establish an identity and secure a
place in the Nation of Israel by adopting all things Jewish, including the
Rabbinic calendar.
On the other side of the calendar debate is our second candidate, the
Biblical calendar. Like the Messianic Movement itself, this calendar has its
roots planted deep in antiquity, and yet it too, is for all intents and
purposes, new upon the scene. Now that a part of the nation of Israel is
back in The Land of Israel, there is a desire to return to the proper Biblical
calendar. This calendar is based, not upon the mathematical calculations of
the Rabbis, but upon the cycle of the moon and sun, as well as the state of
the flax and barely. This calendar is based upon the words of the Torah
itself. While this Biblical calendar is clearly used by the minority both
within Judaism and the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement, there is a
growing desire for scriptural integrity within these groups that draws
people to this new candidate for Calendar of the Movement. As many
Church members discover the pagan, man made traditions that influenced
the Christian Church, causing it to forsake the Torah and its Hebraic Roots,
they seek to come out of "Babylon" to become fellow citizens in the
common wealth of Israel. These new citizens have a zeal for studying the
Torah and learning the truth. Not wanting to be deceived again, these
newly liberated brethren are seeking to live according to the
commandments of Hashem, not the doctrines of men. It is not long,
however, before these new citizens realize that Judaism, like Christianity, is
also shaped by "the traditions of the elders". Thus, what is practiced in
Rabbinic Judaism is not necessarily any more consistent with the Torah
than what was found and rejected in Christianity. As the Ruach Hachodesh
inscribes the Torah upon the hearts of these new believers, there is a
growing desire to live according to the Word, instead of man's traditions.
For many, when the Torah states that the New Year is to begin in the
month when the barely is aviv, it makes sense to celebrate Rosh Hashanah
in Nissan (the first month), rather than in Tishrei (the seventh month). It
also makes sense to inspect the barley, instead of religiously following the
Rabbis calculations. This is especially true when the calculations of the
Rabbis are clearly contradicted by the physical evidence of the barley and
the new moon. So, we are witnessing a growing group of supporters for the
underdog Biblical calendar. But with it, we are also experiencing the pains
of a growing division within the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement.
Before a choice for a calendar is made there is another pertinent question at
the heart of the controversy that must be addressed. I believe that the
calendar controversy presently confronting the Movement is simply a
symptom of a greater debate yet to be addressed. The central and
fundamental debate is over the issue of authority. The true question being
asked by the members of this infant movement is not which calendar is
right, but what authority do we follow. Clearly the authority behind the
Rabbinic calendar is the Rabbis. The Rabbis have established their
authority through the writings of the Talmud, the Oral Torah. It is the
Talmud that has established the Rabbinic calendar as the calendar for all
Israel, including those in the Diaspora. On the other hand, the authority
behind the Biblical calendar is the written Torah. The tension that is tearing
at the unity of the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement is simply the
tension that exists when the written Torah and the oral Torah do not agree.
The calendar is only one of many such issues. The real question that is
begging to be answered by the respected leaders of the movement is, which
authority does the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement recognize as
normative for the Movement? Or more plainly said, "What is the place of,
or, what authority does, the Oral Torah have in the Hebraic
Roots/Messianic Movement?" Much of what currently shapes the Hebraic
Roots/Messianic Movement is based in Rabbinic Judaism. The Hebraic
Roots/Messianic Movement clearly reflects a trend towards Jewish culture
and practices. Present day Jewish practices are largely derived from the
authority of the Talmudic writings and Rabbis. The problem with the
Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement's blind acceptance of the authority of
the Talmud and the rulings of the Rabbis is the Talmud's rejection of
Yashua as the Messiah. If the Rabbis and the Talmud are to become the
authority of the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement then we must come to
terms with the rejection of Yashua as Messiah, as well as other
objectionable or contrary teachings. Let us look at how this debate directly
impacts the Movement's choice of calendars. The Scripture teaches that
Pesach is on the 14th of Nissan, the Feast of Matzoth begins on the 15th of
Nissan, and that the First Fruits of the barley harvest are brought on the
day after the weekly Sabbath (Lev. 23:9-11). There is clearly no numerical
date assigned to the day the First Fruits of the harvest are brought to the
temple for a wave offering. This is because, according to the Biblical
calendar, there are a varying number of days between the Feast of Matzoth
and the weekly Sabbath, which the First Fruits Offering follows. Why is this
pattern important for Messianic Believers to understand? It is because this
pattern is a part of the evidence that declares Yashua as the Messiah. In the
year 28 C.E., the year that Yashua was most likely crucified, there were
exactly three days and three nights between Pesach and the First Fruits
Offering. Thus we see Yashua fulfilling the prophetic shadow picture
evident in the Biblical Calendar. The Rabbis have altered this shadow
picture by assigning a fixed numerical date to the First Fruits Offering. The
Rabbis have declared First Fruits to be always on the 16th of Nissan. This
minor calendar change radically altars the picture of Messiah. We should
remember that the sign that Messiah Yashua gave to the Pharisees to
authenticate His identity was the sign of Jonah, declaring that the Son of
man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
(Matthew 12:40). There has been a great deal of teaching in the Hebraic
Roots/Messianic Movement directed towards Christians, encouraging them
to see the importance of the shadow pictures of Messiah in the Feasts of the
Lord, while at the same time denouncing the erroneous traditional
Christian teaching of Yashua dying on Friday, and rising on Sunday. Thus,
the same problem exists in both the Christian calendar and the Rabbinic
calendar. Both of these calendars cloud the Biblical teaching concerning the
death and resurrection of the Messiah. If the Rabbinic and Christian
calendars are correct, that Yashua died on the 14th of Nissan, was buried
on the 15th, and raised on the 16th, then we must concede that Yashua did
not fulfill His own prophetic statement of being in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights. Alternately, according to the Biblical Calendar,
Yashua would have died on the 14th and risen on the 17th, thus fulfilling
this important sign.
As the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement grows and matures it is
beginning to establish its own identity. Where once the Movement was
striving to simply be a part of Judaism, now it is standing on its own, and
beginning to recognize that like Christianity, Judaism also has some
repenting to do, before Israel and Judah can be reconciled. Thus at least
part of the Messianic Movement is beginning to stand up to its big brother
Judah, and say, "we are not simply going to move from Christianity into
Rabbinic Judaism. We are not going to simply slip from one set of human
traditions to another." This is especially so if these traditions deny Yashua
as Messiah, or contradict the written Torah! So it is with the issue of the
calendar. I believe that the calendar debate is just a sign of the movement
growing up, maturing, and standing up on its own two feet, even over and
against the influences of its older brother.
I also believe that this current calendar controversy reveals subtle divisions
within the vision or goals of the current Hebraic Roots/Messianic
Movement. There seems to be at present four different visions driving the
Hebraic Roots/Messianic Movement. First, is what appears to be the
original vision of proving that Jews can believe in Yashua as Messiah and
remain Jews. This vision requires that Jewish believers in Yashua continue
in all of their Jewish practices as much as possible, even accepting the
authority of the Talmud. This original vision did not do much to encourage
Gentile believers in keeping the Torah. For the most part, the Gentile
believer is encouraged to remain in the Christian Church. The second vision
within the Messianic Movement seems to have grown out of this first one.
This vision is that of Jews for Jesus, Apple of His Eye Ministry and other
such ministries which seek to "convert" the Jews to faith in Jesus Christ
and bring them into the Church. For these groups Hebraic culture and
customs are simply a means to an end. This vision is largely driven by
Christians who have embraced Jewish customs as an evangelism tool. The
third vision driving the messianic movement is the Two House teaching. I
believe that the Two House teaching is the major force behind most of the
recent growth and enthusiasm within the Hebraic Roots/Messianic
Movement. The goal of this vision is to help believers recognize and
reconcile the two divided houses of the Nation of Israel, the House of Israel,
and the House of Judah. This vision is the first to take into serious
consideration the large number of Gentile believers in Yashua coming out
of the Christian Church to embrace the Torah observant lifestyle. This has
lead to the fourth vision within the movement, which is simply to
encourage all believers in Yashua to lead a Torah observant Life. I want to
be quite clear here, I am not suggesting that these visions are mutually
exclusive. But each of these visions has its own goals, which at times may
and do conflict with each other. For those seeking to prove that they are
still Jewish, or seeking to reconcile with those within Judaism, keeping the
Rabbinic Calendar plays a very significant role. But for those who are
coming into the movement seeking to learn and observe the teachings of
the written Torah, then following the Biblical calendar seems the most
logical choice.
Are these issues divisive? Yes. But not to the degree that it will prevent the
Movement from its continued growth. Again, I believe that eventually we
will all be keeping the Biblical calendar. If not before, then when the
Messiah comes. Thus, those in the minority who have been studying,
learning, teaching, and encouraging believers to watch the barley and look
for the new moon, and who have been forcing us to consider the conflict
between the written and the oral Torah, are not our enemies. Instead these
brothers and sisters are the pioneers who are called of Hashem to begin the
final preparations for life in the Messianic kingdom. Like any living body,
change comes slowly, and rarely uniformly. Looking at the development of
my own children (ages 7, 10, 13, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23), their bodies morph and
transform in very different ways and at varying times. At some point in
their development, baby teeth fall out, feet grow big, beards grow in, legs
get gangly, adult teeth fill in, and bodies fill out. At various points, various
parts are growing and not always in proportion to the rest of the members.
So it is with the Messianic Movement. We are young. We are growing. We
are feeling the pains of growth. No change in the body comes quickly, or
uniformly. So we should not be surprised to see some people hold tightly to
the Rabbinic calendar, while at the same time others will be embracing the
Biblical calendar. This change does not mean the end of the Movement, or
even an end to its forward momentum.
Is this current calendar controversy painful, confusing, and divisive? Yes.
Sorting out these kinds of issues is never easy. It is not easy to establish our
place and identity within the Nation of Israel when we have not yet
determined who we are among ourselves. But it seems to me that if the
Biblical calendar is in fact Biblical, then it is what the Ruach Hachodesh is
writing in the believers' hearts. Again, if this is so, then we shall see more
and more of the movement beginning to embrace this minority candidate
for Calendar of the Movement. If it is not the work of the Ruach
Hachodesh, then eventually this too will be exposed and the second option
for the Calendar of the Movement will fade away. In the mean time, we
should extend grace to each other. None of us have all the answers, or the
full revelation. We need each other. Each of us has been called and gifted
for a purpose. Therefore, it is important that we recognize and respect the
headship of each family, each fellowship, and each Ministry. If I choose to
follow the Rabbinic calendar with my family, so be it. If my brother chooses
to follow the Biblical calendar, so be it. If our fellowship as a whole decides
to follow one calendar or the other, so be it. While we may celebrate at
different times, we will each be held accountable for what has been revealed
to us. We can only act in what we have understanding of. Therefore, as
Hashem gives me understanding, so I do. But if I gain understanding
before my brother does, it is not for me to judge my brother, but to pray for
him and share with him what I have learned. As Messianic believers we
should be clear to proclaim that our unity is in Messiah, not in our piety, or
even our calendar. Therefore we may disagree on various issues of
understanding, but we are still united in Messiah. Whether we follow one
calendar or the other we are still brothers and sisters in Messiah. I do not
believe, therefore, that this division over the calendar is divisive enough to
end the Movement. I believe that grace can in fact overcome this division.
Eventually, from the pains of this controversy, questions will be answered,
prayers will be answered, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding will be
gained, and visions will be clarified. In all, I believe that this controversy
will strengthen the movement in the long run. So, which ever candidate for
Calendar of the Movement you vote for in this debate, show grace to those
who disagree with you, and pray that Hashem will indeed shepherd His
fold to common ground, to common knowledge, to common
understanding, and to common sense. In the mean time, let us grant grace
to each other to follow our conscience before Hashem, recognizing that
each of us has been imbued with the knowledge, understanding, and
wisdom necessary to accomplish the purposes for which Hashem has called
us. What is certain in this Movement is that in 10-20 years from now we
will not be where we are today. Hashem is stirring in the hearts of His
people. The Ruach HaChodesh is revealing and writing Torah on the hearts
of His people. Yashua is the "Good Shepherd". I have every confidence that
He will guide us safely through this present controversy into greener
pastures.