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APPENDIX A: New Moon Times & the Beginnings of Months for the years 1994 - 2005
APPENDIX B: 1994 Examples
APPENDIX C: Prophetic Time Spans
APPENDIX D: Scheduled Events in the Diary of God
The aim of this booklet is threefold:
The reader is advised to carefully preserve this booklet, for
it contains rare information concerning the appointed days
on which divinely predicted signs in the sun, moon and stars
are expected; signs which will not only confirm the Holy Bible
as the Word of God, but will cause all humanity to prepare for
the Day of Judgment. With these opening thoughts in mind let
us proceed.
The Need for a Calendar
Pause a while and consider the civil calendar hanging
on your living room or office wall and ask yourself these questions.
Why is it there? What is its true purpose? Where and how
did the calendar originate? Is a calendar essential?
Your response would probably go something like this. The calendar
is there to help me, my family and my fellow-workers keep track
of time. Its purpose is to keep us in touch with appointments
and events at home, in the office and abroad. No, I have little
knowledge of where and how it originated.
Before answering the next question, Is it essential? try
to imagine a world without a calendar; a world without pre-numbered
days, months and years. Could society operate in a world
without a calendar? I suppose it could - after a fashion; but
it would be a crippled society at best. Why? Because planning
further than a few days ahead would not be possible. All
official, social, religious and sporting appointments would be
extremely difficult to make; for no one would know on which
day to meet. The entire legal profession, with its millions
of carefully dated documents, would also be thrown into a state
of total chaos. The activities of travel agents, airlines,
hospital/dental surgeries and countless business organizations
and clubs would slow to a snail's pace; for no one would be able
to organize events more than a few days ahead. Without a calendar
there would be no diaries, no long-term business, social or personal
planning. Without question, a world without a calendar would
be a world of frustrating confusion. Yes, you may be sure that
a calendar of some sort is absolutely essential.
Currently there are several calendars in use throughout the world. Most are religious calendars used mainly to identify the dates of religious festivals celebrated by the faithful of the world's many religions. Amongst these is the sacred calendar of the God of Israel, the calendar this booklet is about. The sacred calendar is based on the movements of the sun and the moon. It is also linked directly to many Bible prophecies which describe world-encompassing events shortly to take place. Bible prophecy clearly tells us that there is coming a 'great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.' After the tribulation there will be 'signs in the heavens.'
| Matt.24:29 | Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken. |
Knowledge of the sacred calendar will stand you in good stead
when those signs in the heavens appear. But more of this
later.
The Gregorian Calendar
Besides the various religious calendars being used by mankind,
there is the popular civil or Gregorian calendar. This
is the calendar that hangs on the wall of almost every office
in the civilized world. The Gregorian calendar takes its name
from Pope Gregory X111, who reformed the Roman calendar
in the year 1582. Before that time the civil calendar was called
the Julian calendar, after the Roman Emperor Julius
Caesar who had also made some alterations to the calendar
in the year 46 BC. One of Caesar's amendments was to pattern
the civil calendar on the calendar of ancient Egypt, which
was at that time the only calendar in which the lengths of
the months and years were fixed by definite rules. In other
words, the civil calendar which hangs upon your office
wall is similar in structure to the calendar that was used in
ancient Egypt. Like its Egyptian ancestor, the civil calendar
is governed by the sun alone, and its months (January to December)
are in no way influenced by the moon. In the civil calendar a
new moon can occur on any day in the month; days begin in the
middle of the night (0.00 hour) and years (in the northern
hemisphere) begin in the middle of winter on the 1st January.
The Sacred Calendar
By comparison the sacred calendar is strikingly different. In
it the days begin and end at sunset, months begin at the sighting
of a new moon and the years begin in Israel's spring, when
nature awakens from its winter sleep. Not surprisingly,
therefore, many creatures from tiny birds keeping to their 14,
21 or 28 day cycles, right through to the complex human body,
are designed to keep in step with the weekly and monthly periods
of the Creator's calendar.
Interesting though these points may be, they are, nevertheless, of small account when compared with these two all-encompassing facts:
The Most High not only reveals His plans to His servants the prophets, but, like every good managing director, His plans are carried out on schedule - at appointed times. And those appointed times are all linked to the sacred calendar, which has been in existence since the creation of the world. We read of the sacred calendar's use in the account of Noah's flood which was over 800 years before Israel came out of Egypt.
| Gen.7:11 | In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the
second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day
were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows
of heaven were opened. |
| Gen.8:4 | And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. |
| Gen.8:13 | And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. |
In the sacred calendar a 24 hour day is the period of time between one sunset and the next. According to the Scriptures, days begin and end at sunset and are divided into two parts, evening and morning.
Evening: when the sun is down.
Mark 1:32 : And at even, when the sun did set…For
further proof that days start and end at evening, sunset, at
the going down of the sun, see Joshua 8:29, Joshua 10:26-27, 1
Kings 22:35-36, 2 Chron.18:34, 2 Samuel 3:35
Morning: when the sun is up.
Thus in Genesis chapter 1 we read how "the evening
and the morning were the first day," "the evening and
the morning were the second day," "the evening and the
morning were the third day" and so on.
A month in the sacred calendar is measured by the moon. A month
is the period of time between one new moon and the next. A month
begins when the new moon is sighted with the naked eye. The
moon orbits the earth in about 29.5 days. Months in the sacred
calendar may, therefore, be either 29 or 30 days in length: they
cannot be 28 or 31 days in length. Note that the new moon mentioned
here is not the astronomical new moon (conjunction),
which is invisible; but the visible new moon as it is first
sighted with the naked eye by an observer at Jerusalem. This
point is explained further in Part Two, Question 1.
Months in the sacred calendar are usually, though not always,
referred to in Scripture by their numbers, not by their names:
i.e. 1st month, 2nd month, 3rd month, 7th month etc.
Unlike most weekdays, however, months in the sacred calendar
do have proper names, most of which are found in the Bible.
The names of months are given below:
| MONTHS IN THE SACRED CALENDAR | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Bible Reference | Comment |
| 1 | Abib / Nisan | Exo. 12:2, 13:4, Esther 3:7 | Sprouting/Budding |
| 2 | Zif | 1 Kings 6:1 | Blossom month |
| 3 | Sivan | Esther 8:9 | Third month |
| 4 | Tamuz | Jeremiah 39:2 | Name not in Bible |
| 5 | Ab | Numbers 33:38, Zech.7:3 | Name not in Bible |
| 6 | Elul | Nehemiah 6:15 | The gleaning month |
| 7 | Ethanim / Tishri | 1 Kings 8:2 | Perennial/seventh |
| 8 | Bul | 1 Kings 6:38 | Rain/Eighth |
| 9 | Chisleu | Nehemiah 1:1, Zech.7:1 | The Hunter/ninth |
| 10 | Tebeth | Esther 2:16 | Winter/tenth |
| 11 | Sebat | Zech. 1:7 | Eleventh |
| 12 | Adar | Esther 8:12 | Fire/twelfth |
Note:
When a 13th month is periodically added to keep the sacred Feasts
'in their seasons,' (agricultural seasons) then
the 12th month is called Adar 1 and the 13th month is called
Veadar or Adar 2. In the literature published by Stewarton
Bible School we usually refer to months by number. We do this
for two reasons:
A year in the sacred calendar begins in Israel's spring (March/April)
and is the time between one spring season and the next. When
the sacred calendar is printed in advance the new moon nearest
the spring equinox is chosen to begin the year; that is,
the new moon which normally coincides with the natural
conditions in Israel which the ancient Sanhedrin looked for when
they selected Abib's new moon. See the answer to Question
2 at the back of this booklet concerning the choice of Abib's
new moon.
Most years in the sacred calendar consist of 12 months, each
of 29 or 30 days. Thus, assuming six months at 29 days and six
months at 30 days, a normal year would contain about 354 days.
This figure is about 11.25 days short of a 365.25 day solar year,
which is the time the earth takes to complete one orbit of the
sun. In order to ensure that the Feasts of the Most High
occur at their appointed seasons (Passover in
the Spring, First Fruits in the summer and Tabernacles in
the Autumn) it is necessary for this 11 day annual loss to
be made good every two or three years. This is done by intercalating
(adding) an extra month after the twelfth month to make the
calendar harmonize with the solar year and the agricultural seasons.
This extra month (Adar 2) results in a leap year - which has
13 months. See Part 2, Question 5 for further details
about leap years.
To summarize the foregoing we may say that in the sacred calendar:
Note: In the popular Jewish calendar the year begins in autumn with the month of Ethanim (Tishri). Strictly, this is the start of the agricultural year. The religious year begins in the spring with the Passover month of Abib (Nisan).
| Exo.12:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land
of Egypt, saying,2 This month shall be unto you the
beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to
you. |
| Exo.13:4 | This day came ye out in the month Abib. |
| Exo. 34:18 | The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep.
Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee,
in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou
camest out from Egypt. |
In ancient times, years were usually numbered from important events such as a ruler's birth, coronation or death. Examples are:
| Gen. 7: 11 | In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,
in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same
day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the
windows of heaven were opened. |
| Isa.6:1 | In the year that king Uzziah died… |
| Luke 3:1 | Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod
being tetrarch of Galilee… |
The week is another important cycle operating within the sacred
calendar. It was designed by the Most High to regulate the
physical, mental and spiritual welfare of the human race. Peoples
of all religions have a seven day week; a fact which is strong
proof that all nations came from a common ancestor who received
the seven-day week from the Creator. At first glance the week
appears to have no connection whatsoever with the movements of
the earth, the moon and the sun. The week, however, forms the
basis of an important spiritual cycle of sevens, which
we refer to as the Sabbatical cycle. The sabbatical
cycle figures extensively in Bible prophecy. The Sabbatical/Jubile
cycles mentioned in Leviticus chapter 25 are briefly described
later in this booklet.
In the sacred calendar the days of the week are not named but numbered: first day, second day, third day etc. The main exception being the seventh day of the week, which is called the Sabbath. In the Roman civil calendar, the one currently used by virtually all the world, the days of the week are named after various pagan or planetary gods:
When conversing with the peoples of this world, it is necessary
to use these popular names (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc.), else
few would know what we were talking about if only the Biblical
numbering system were used. But it should be remembered that these
popular weekday names have pagan roots and are not found in the
Bible.
In the Scriptures the seventh day of the week is called the Sabbath. The word Sabbath is synonymous with rest, repose, restoration, refreshment, calm, tranquillity, freedom, peace, harmony, holiness and sanctification. It is, therefore, a fitting sign of the Creator's character and aims. The divine record of the creation is brief; but it leaves one in no doubt that the Creator rested on, blessed and sanctified the seventh day of the week at the creation of the world. Notice what His Word says on this matter in:
| Genesis 2: 1 | Thus the heavens and the earth were finished,
and all the host of them. 2: And on the seventh day God ended
his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day
from all his work which he had made. 3: And God blessed the
seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested
from all his work which God created and made. |
Many people will be surprised to learn that the true Sabbath day is not Sunday but Saturday. Sunday is the first day of the week. Saturday is the seventh and in Scripture is called the Sabbath of the LORD. In other words Saturday is the true LORD's Day. The Sabbath starts at sunset on Friday evening and ends 24 hours later at sunset on Saturday evening. Lev 23:32 "From evening unto evening shall you celebrate your Sabbath." The Sabbath commandment is part of the Ten Commandments, which were written with the finger of God!
| Exo.24:12 | And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into
the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone,
and a law, and commandments which I have written; that
thou mayest teach them. |
| Exo.31:18 | And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end
of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony,
tables of stone, written with the finger of God. (See
also Deut.9:10) |
| Exo.20:8 | Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9: Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10: But the seventh
day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not
do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant,
nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: 11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh
day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed
it. |
Yahweh's Sabbath Day
In view of the above facts, it is a mistake to refer to the
Sabbath as the Jewish Sabbath; or that it is only
to be observed by Jews. The Sabbath is Yahweh's Sabbath;
or, as the Scriptures put it: the Sabbath of the LORD
thy God! To be sure it is kept by Israel and the Jews;
but it is not for Israel alone, any more than the Ten Commandments
are for the Jews alone. According to the fourth commandment,
even 'strangers' (Gentiles) are expected to keep
the Sabbath day. If they obey this royal command, Gentiles will
also be greatly blessed. Notice the word 'stranger'
in the following texts:
| Exo.20:8-10 | Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy...in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates: |
| Isa.56:6: | Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7: Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer… |
Neither is there any evidence in the New Testament to suggest that the Saviour or his Apostles changed the Ten Commandments and transferred the sanctity of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. Instead, Jesus kept his Father's commandments (John 15:10). If he hadn't done so he would have been classified as 'a sinner.' But we read that the Saviour kept the Sabbath day as it was meant to be kept, much to the annoyance of the Scribes and Pharisees who had burdened the day with many petty, man-made restrictions. These the Master brushed aside. Commenting on the eternal nature of his Father's law the Saviour said these words:
| Matt. 5:17 | Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or
the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18: For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. |
Pause and consider this text and see how pointless it would
have been for the Saviour to have given this advice to his
predominantly Jewish followers if the Sabbath commandment was
going to be abolished at Calvary. The truth is, the Saviour had
absolutely no intention whatsoever of doing away with or changing
the Sabbath commandment. He had an extremely high regard for
his Father's law; which he was instrumental in giving to Israel
in the first place. (James 4:12) In short, the true Sabbath
day is still the seventh day of the week, the day commonly
known as Saturday!
This unequivocal fact means that those who break the Sabbath
commandment are guilty of sin, whether they realize it or not;
for '…sin is the transgression of the law.' (1
John 3:4) For further proof of this astonishing fact, see SBS
article Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath?
Hanging from the Sabbath commandment in the law of the Almighty are the seven annual Sabbaths of Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Unlike the popular holidays of Christmas, Easter, Hallowe'en etc., which have absolutely no scriptural backing whatsoever, the Feasts of the Almighty are the sacred memorials of the Creator's mightiest acts in the Plan of Salvation; each and every one of them being an appointed anniversary of a distinct, decisive achievement in His plan. Yahweh's Feasts are the high days in His Diary. He looks forward to them in much the same way as we would some special anniversary or event. At this moment in time, most of them point to realities that are still future. But all through eternity the redeemed host will look back at these days and will then - year by year - commemorate the mighty deeds the Most High and His Son performed on them for the salvation of the human race. "What" you may well ask, "are the Almighty's Annual Sabbaths?" There are six Feast days and one Fast day. I list them:
These are the seven annual memorial Sabbaths of the Almighty; which all peoples, Jew and Gentile alike, are commanded to observe. These days do not belong to any particular race or religion. They are not Jewish festivals. They are the Almighty's 'appointment times' and all nations are required to keep them. The Most High refers to them as 'My Feasts, My Sabbaths.'
| Lev.23:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: Speak
unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the
feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, even these are my feasts. |
For further information about these divinely appointed memorial
Sabbaths of the Most High see the SBS booklet entitled: The Feast
Days of the God of Israel.
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON & STARS
The sun, moon and stars were originally created by the Almighty to draw universal attention to the spectacular deeds He planned to perform on the appointed Feast days, seasons and sabbatical years in the sacred calendar. This astonishing fact is mentioned in the very first chapter of the Bible. Genesis 1:14 which says:
According to Strong's Bible Dictionary
In other words: the sun and moon were set in the heavens to signal the appointed sacred seasons, the set feasts, when Israel was to gather in worship at the Creator's tent of meeting. To be sure the sun and the moon determine the literal days, nights, seasons and years and they directly influence the climate. But the language of Genesis 1:14 goes far beyond these natural events. It tells of the spiritual reasons why the sun and moon were created. They were created I repeat:
Several Bible prophecies confirm the message of Genesis 1:14 by telling us that just before Jesus Christ returns to earth there will be 'signs in the sun and the moon.' Consider these verses:
| Joel 2:10 | The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and
the stars shall withdraw their shining. |
| Joel 2:30-31 | The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day
of the LORD come. 32: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered |
| Amos 8:9 | And it shall come to pass in that day, saith
the LORD GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon,
and I will darken the earth in the clear day: |
| Matt.24:29 | Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken: |
| Rev.6:12 | And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal,
and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black
as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13: And
the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth
her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.... |
| Rev.8:12 | And the fourth angel sounded, and the third
part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the
moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third
part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part
of it, and the night likewise. |
These predicted signs in the heavens are scheduled to happen shortly before Yeshua the Messiah returns to earth; and happen they will. When they occur they will provide unmistakable evidence that one of the Almighty's appointed seasons has begun and that the end of this age has arrived. World shattering events will occur at that time and all mankind will then become aware of the LORD'S requirements and His anger at the refusal of many to obey His law.
| Rev.6:16: | And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on
us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,
and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17: For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? |
If you believe the message of Genesis 1:14 then at each sacred
festival you should be on the watch for celestial signs in the
sun, moon and stars. Failure to keep the Almighty's appointments
could mean that when those signs occur - as they surely will
- the spiritual significance of the feasts and the prophecies
to which they relate will be lost to you. To be sure you will
marvel at those celestial signs, all humanity will, but you will
not realize their spiritual significance and will be
completely oblivious to what they mean and, more importantly,
what you are expected to do.
Note:
Astrology is the study of the supposed influence of the
stars on human affairs. A horoscope is an astrologer's
forecast of future events, based on the position of stars and
peoples' birthdays. The study of astrology and the daily reading
of horoscopes is strongly condemned in the Scriptures. (Deut.4:19,
2 Kings 23:5) The signs in the sun, moon and stars mentioned in
this booklet have nothing to do with the study of astrology
or the reading of horoscopes. The celestial signs prophesied in
the Scriptures will occur at the Almighty's appointed time. When
they appear, it will be too late to rush about improving your
understanding of God's Word. That must be done now, before it
is too late. If on the other hand you are a believer, then do
not be terrified when those signs appear, because they spell out
good news to the obedient.
Bible prophecy is the news in advance. It is the Almighty telling humanity and the angel host what He is about to do or allow Satan to do. Studying Bible prophecy is like taking a look at the Diary of the Most High. When studied in conjunction with the sacred calendar, Bible prophecy is the most reliable evidence the church has that the Almighty is working to a divine timetable; one that is infinitely more reliable than the diaries and wall charts business managers use. Bible prophecy is also the LORD'S way of warning all mankind of approaching danger.
| 2 Pet.1:19 | We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth
in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise
in your hearts: 20: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation. 21: For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. |
| Amos 3:7 | Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth
his secret unto his servants the prophets. |
| Eze.33:11: | Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD GOD, I
have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked
turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways;
for why will ye die, O house of Israel? |
| Isaiah 24: 1 | Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and
maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth
abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2: And it shall be, as with the
people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so
with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as
with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 3:
The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the
LORD hath spoken this word. 4: The earth mourneth and fadeth
away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people
of the earth do languish. 5: The earth also is defiled under
the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws,
changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6:
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell
therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are
burned, and few men left.
verse 19: The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20: The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 21: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 22: And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. 23: Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. |
| Rev. 16:19 | ... and the cities of the nations fell...!
|
It is virtually impossible to imagine the devastation that will occur when these prophecies comes to pass. The very idea of the earth being 'utterly waste,' 'turned upside down' and 'reeling to and fro like a drunkard' is beyond human imagination! All the cities of the nations will then collapse in ruins and international trade will come to a shuddering halt. Yes, these are amazing prophecies and they are bound to happen at the 'appointed times' in the Almighty's calendar. This fact about 'appointed times' is repeatedly mentioned in the Scriptures. (i.e. Gen.18:14, Exo.9.5, 2 Samuel 24:15, Dan.8:19, 10:1, 11:35, Hab.2:3, Acts 17:31, Gal.4:2) Consequently when we study Bible prophecy in conjunction with the sacred calendar we are in fact looking at the 'Diary of the God of Israel.' We are being given a preview of earth-shaking events before they actually take place! The Most High is revealing His plans to us simply because the events that are about to occur concern the whole human race. In the books of Daniel and Revelation there are several prophecies involving exact periods of time. In this booklet these are referred to as Time Prophecies or Time Spans. They are:
Millions of Christians know little or nothing about these prophecies.
They have never heard a sermon about them or studied them. Of
the believers who have read them, the majority think that these
prophecies have already been fulfilled and, therefore,
do not concern the Christians living in our day. This is a tragic
mistake, because these Time Prophecies concern events
scheduled to occur in the days just prior to the return
of Jesus Christ. In other words, they concern all humanity - today!
Proof of this fact is given below.
No student of Bible prophecy will fail to recognize that current
world events perfectly match the Master's warnings recorded in
Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. The Saviour predicted that
just before his return to earth, there would be an increase in
wars, famines, disease epidemics, earthquakes, drought,
floods, high winds, sexual immorality, violence and
widespread unbelief. These signs are now evident
all over the world. They are proof that we have reached the
closing days of this age, the 'time of the end.'
Also notice that the time prophecies listed above are not
vague generalities, but exact periods of time. Important questions
are : What do they mean? When do they start? When do they
end? How do they concern me? You need to know the answers
to these questions; because drifting in blissful ignorance towards
disaster is certainly not for the sober minded.
Before we attempt to answer these questions, let us first examine
a popular theory which says that in Bible prophecy one day
represents one year. Many Christian groups believe that these
time spans in Daniel & Revelation (the 2300, 1260, 1290, 1335
days) all represent years and that they have
all been fulfilled. For example the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel
chapter 8, they believe, is telling of a period of 2300 years;
and the 1260 day prophecy of Revelation 12:6 was 1260 literal
years: all in the past! Is this the case? Does one day in Bible
prophecy always represent one year? The answer is,
not always. A prophetic day equals a year only when the prophetic
language so implies, as it does in Numbers 14:34 and
Ezekiel 4:1-6. If the language does not give this clear
indication, as it does not in Dan.8:14, Dan.12:11-12, Matt.27:63,
Rev.11:3 and Rev.20:4-5, then a day is a normal day and
a year is a normal year.
How can we be sure that the time spans mentioned in Daniel 8 and Daniel 12 are literal days and not years? The answer is, we are plainly told by an angel messenger that this is the case; that the 2300, 1260, 1290 and 1335 day time prophecies will occur at the 'time of the end.'' Yes, we are told this fact. Here is proof.
The 2300 day Prophecy of Daniel 8
| Dan:8:17 | So he came near where I stood: and when he came,
I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand,
O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. |
| Dan.8:26 | And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. |
The 1260,1290 & 1335 day Prophecies of Daniel 12
| Dan.12:8 | And I heard, but I understood not: then said I,
O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9: And he said,
Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till
the time of the end. 10: Many shall be purified, and made
white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of
the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. |
| Dan.12:13 | But go thou thy way till the end be: for
thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. |
This means that these prophecies, the longest of which is 2300
days (just under 6.5 years) will occur in about a seven
year period just before the Saviour returns to earth. I repeat,
the events predicted by these prophecies did not start in
the distant past thousands of years ago. Instead, they
will be understood and then fulfilled, as these texts clearly
say, 'at the time of the end;' and that time, dear
reader, has now arrived. In short, the day-for-a-year
principle does not apply to the end-time prophecies of Daniel
8 and 12; and placing them in the distant past is a serious
error. Not only is it wrong, but it is dangerous, because few
believers will trouble to study them if they think they have all
been fulfilled - when they obviously haven't.
Why, then, have some Christians placed these time prophecies
in the distant past and used the 'day for a year'
theory to explain them. The answer is because there is one
prophecy in the book of Daniel where a prophetic day does represent
one year and a prophetic week does equal seven years. That
prophecy is found in Daniel chapter 9. It is the '70 weeks
of years' prophecy concerning the return of the Jews from
Babylon to the Promised Land, the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem
and the death of the Messiah. In the prophecy recorded in Daniel
9 a day does equal one year. But not in the prophecies of Daniel
8 and 12. Remember this vital difference.
When comparing the prophecy of Daniel 8 with that of Daniel 9 we learn the following:
The 2300 day Prophecy of Daniel 8.
The 490 year Prophecy of Daniel 9
This prophecy concerns a period of time lasting '70 weeks of years.' Seventy weeks of years equals 490 years. (70x7 = 490 years)
As we can see the vision of Daniel 8 was given some 15 years
before the prophecy of Daniel 9. More importantly, the
starting dates of the two prophecies are over 24 centuries
apart. The 490 year prophecy started when the 'commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem' went forth and ended
490 years later in the days of the Apostles. At its basic
level the prophecy of Daniel 9 has already been fulfilled.
It is past. But the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8 is still
future. It will start at the 'time of the end'
and end when the Messiah returns to earth and supernaturally
destroys the Antichrist 'without hand.' The 2300 day
prophecy is a 'high-level' forecast of the Antichrist's
attack on the heavenly sanctuary and the throne of God! When
that time comes, and it is very near, the 'little horn,'
the 'man of sin' will rise from the Abyss and
enter heaven itself. He will then defile the heavenly sanctuary
and dare to take over the throne of the Almighty GOD! This blasphemous
act, prefigured at its lower level by Absalom's rape
of his father's wives on the palace roof (2 Samuel 16:20-22) is
scheduled to take place in the very near future. See article
Who/What is the Antichrist?
Having incorrectly assumed that the day-for-a-year principle
applied to all the time prophecies in Daniel and Revelation,
some leaders have placed the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8
in the past. They believe it started in the 457 BC and ended
2300 years later in the mid nineteenth century. But that is an
error. One could hardly call 457 BC or even the nineteenth century
the end of the world!
The 1335 day Prophecy of Daniel 12 is also future. Daniel was told by the heavenly messenger that he would be raised from his grave at the end of this period (Dan.12:13); and we know that the resurrection takes place at the Saviour's return. (1 Thess.4:16-17) The next question is: If these prophecies have not already occurred, then when do they begin? The answer is: No one knows the exact year, but here is a vital clue to consider:
The last-day time prophecies of Daniel 8 and 12 all slot into periods of time between Feast days in the sacred calendar! Begin counting from a sacred Feast in one year and lo! 2300, 1260, 1290 or 1335 literal days later another sacred Feast occurs.
These exact counts of 2300, 1260, 1290 or 1335 etc. are not limited
to a single decade or century. They occur over and over again
throughout time, keeping step with the sun and the moon; which,
as we have already pointed out, were initially created
by God to highlight the mighty deeds He planned to perform on
His Feasts. At this very moment in time these exact counts move
within the sacred calendar like cogs within the wheels of a
divine wrist watch; moving that is, towards the appointed
festivals when the prophecies they are designed to measure
begin to occur. A few examples of exact counts which occur between
a Feast day in one year and another Feast some 2300, 1260, 1290
or 1335 days later are given at Appendix C.
We now have three vital clues concerning the Time Prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. They are:
Understanding these three clues will ensure that the obedient
followers of the Most High, the ones keeping Yahweh's Feasts,
will not be caught unawares by events at the crisis at the end
of the world which will be signalled by signs in the sun,
moon and stars. In other words, when a celestial display
coincides with a Feast day in the sacred calendar, (as promised
in Genesis 1:14) it will be a clear signal to the festival-keeping
church that one of those Time Prophecies has begun. That is the
point being made here. The reader is advised to study this section
again and again to fully grasp its significance.
In Leviticus chapter 25 we are told that every seventh year is a Sabbatical year, a year of rest for the land. We are also told that every fiftieth year is a Jubile.
| Lev.25:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When
ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep
a sabbath unto the LORD. 3: Six years thou shalt sow thy field,
and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the
fruit thereof; 4: But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath
of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither
sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. Verse 9:Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile 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. 10: And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 11: A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. 12: For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 13: In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession. |
A Jubile is the 50th year; the year after the seventh sabbatical
year. A Jubile is not the 1st year of the next fifty year
cycle. The Jubile is a year in its own right. The next seven
year cycle begins on the 51st year. Put differently we may say
that there are two Jubiles in every century and 70 Jubile
cycles total 3500 years not 3430 years. Any Jewish rabbi
will confirm this fact.
The Jubile year is heralded the autumn before, on the Day of Atonement, by the blowing of a Yobel (shophar): the ram's horn trumpet. Lev.25:8-13. See passage quoted above. Close study of Leviticus chapter 25 reveals the following:
Sad to say, ancient Israel failed to recognize the lessons
from Yahweh's Jubile blueprint. The nation seldom - if ever
- kept it as instructed. Nevertheless the Most High is keeping
to His appointed plan, and the spiritual realities to which a
Jubile points (redemption, freedom, reconciliation
and miraculous growth) will be fulfilled when the
appointed time arrives and the redeemed slaves
of sin finally meet their heavenly Father and enter their
eternal inheritance. The Jubile Year will be announced on a
soon-coming Day of Atonement with a trumpet blast from
heaven, as foreshadowed in the blueprint instructions given to
Moses.
Can we identify a Jubile Year? I believe we can, but not with absolute accuracy - yet. This is how we in SBS see it. According to Luke 3:1-21 Jesus was baptized by John in the 15th year of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea. Depending on which historian you believe, that was between the years AD 26 and AD 30. For the purpose of this booklet we'll say that the 15th year of the Emperor Tiberius was AD 28.
| Luke 3:1: | Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2: Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3: And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. |
If you study Luke chapters 3 and 4 you will see that immediately after his baptism Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil (Luke 4:1-13). Then after 40 days he returned to Nazareth and entered the synagogue (verses 14-19). In the synagogue he was given the Scriptures to read and after finding the place he read from Isaiah chapter 61. That chapter tells of the spiritual realities to which a Jubile points. It tells of how the Messiah would:
That sermon was preached in the 15th year of the Emperor
Tiberius; when the Saviour began his earthly ministry in
fulfilment of the prophecy.
Compare those spiritual realities with the directions listed
in Leviticus 25 and you will see that the 15th year of Tiberius
Caesar was in all probability a Jubile year and the Saviour
was, in fact, preaching a Jubile sermon! That is why
the Master stopped his normal work and invited his disciples
to give up theirs in order to proclaim the Gospel of
Salvation. He was, in fact, keeping the Jubile command to
rest from his ordinary labours. The year in question was, as recorded
in Luke 3:1, the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar; which,
give or take a year or two, was AD 28. If AD 28 was a Jubile,
then the next Jubile would occur 50 years later in AD 78
and the one after that in AD 128. In other words the 28th and
78th years in every century are Jubile years. Counting 2 Jubiles
to every century would bring us to the start of the 40th Jubile
in the year 'about' 1978. Again I use the word 'about'
simply because historians differ as to which was the 15th year
of Tiberius Caesar.
Bible students all know that many events recorded in the Scriptures occurred in cycles of 40: 40 days, 40 nights, 40 years in the wilderness etc. We also know that many, if not all, Old Testament experiences have high-level spiritual parallels.
| 1 Cor.10:11 | Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. |
The word 'ensample,' in this context, means to 'prefigure a future person or thing.' In other words, Israel's bygone experiences, as recorded in the Old Testament, were types, shadows, examples, living blueprints and real-life dramas which prefigured realities scheduled to occur on a world scale in our day! One such reality is that Yahweh's people, like ancient Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, are also circling in the spiritual wilderness of human society; but this time it is for 40 Jubiles! The 40 Jubile cycles are due to end in about AD 2028. Will time last that long? Will our wilderness wanderings last all of 40 Jubiles - till AD 2028? We think not, because the Master clearly told us that the time will be cut short.
| Matt.24:22 | And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. |
This means that the Saviour could return before the 40th Jubile cycle has run out - before AD 2028. How many years before that date we do not know. Indeed no one knows the exact time of the Saviour's return; any more than a midwife knows the exact moment of a child's birth, especially if a premature birth is involved.
| Matt.24:36: | But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. |
What we do know is that we are well into the 40th Jubile since
Yeshua preached his Jubile sermon in the 15th year of Tiberius
(AD 28). We also know that the 'time will be cut short.'
Moreover we know that when one or another of those Time Prophecies
is about to begin, the Almighty will signal the day, the season
or the year with signs in the sun, moon and stars.
How does Israel reckon a Jubile?
The nation of Israel also reckons a Jubile to be the 50th year; and that there are two Jubiles per century. But Israel considers that Jubile years occur in the 15th and 65th year of every century. Jubile years, according to their reckoning, began in the autumn of 1815, 1865, 1915, 1965 etc. Arthur Spier, a world-famous Jewish authority, in his book The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar says this about the Jubile cycle:
"The 50-year cycle, or the Yobel (Jubile) years. They were counted according to Maimonides, only as long as the Temple was in existence. Every 15th and 65th year in each century of the World Era are Yobel years, and the intermediary years represent the seven cycles of the Shemittah (release) years. 2815, 2865, 3815, 3865, 4815, 4865 would be examples of the Yobel years." (para C on page 225)
Stewarton Bible School agrees with Israel that Jubile cycles are 50 years in length and that two Jubiles equal 100 years. But we have reservations about the Jubile years being the 15th and 65th year of each century. Much rather would we go by the Saviour's Jubile sermon in AD 28 and say that the 28th and 78th year of each century are Jubile years.
NOTE: Israel is currently (1998) celebrating a civil
Jubile to commemorate the 50 year-old State; which was officially
proclaimed a State on Friday 14th May 1948. Do not
confuse this civil Jubile with the sacred Jubile mentioned
in Scripture.
All Yahweh's agricultural laws have spiritual applications. In other words, laws concerning animals and crops also concern us humans who are as 'sheep in the Almighty's flock' and 'plants in His garden.' Few believers realize that the last day, commandment-keeping church is in fact the 'spiritual Jubile crop' to which Leviticus 25 is pointing. A Jubile crop according to that chapter is:
Yahweh gave the Jubile illustration or model to teach mankind a mighty spiritual lesson about His last-day church, the real Jubile crop! If you carefully read Leviticus 25:18-24 you will see how that the spiritual Jubile crop (the end-time church) would, with divine assistance alone, produce spiritual fruit for Yahweh's honour and glory. So I repeat:
Commandment-keeping believers of the last-days are the real Jubile crop! With Yahweh's help we are about to proclaim the Truth that will bear the everlasting fruit of righteousness for His glory.
Publishing truth-filled literature is an initial step towards learning and reproducing Truth. Very shortly, however, the Holy Spirit, unaided by popular material or mechanical resources such as money, printing/copying equipment, TV, radio, the Internet etc., will multiply the spiritual harvest the Jubile crop represents. The final work of proclaiming the Everlasting Gospel to earth's billions will be done in the last days by preachers who will themselves comprise the Jubile crop! Like the agricultural Sabbatical and Jubile crops of Leviticus 25 we will fulfil Yahweh's plan and finish His work on time - aided by His Spirit alone! Without the help of money, television, radio, video/cassette tapes, the printing press or the Internet, the Everlasting Gospel will be 'preached' to all the world just as it was in the days of the Apostles. That will be the real Jubile Crop. We will literally 'preach' the Everlasting Gospel like it has never been preached in earth's entire history; and the work will be finished - on time!
The tiny nation of Israel is of mighty significance in this
troubled world. With a population of about six million, Israel
has become the focus of attention to all peoples. Geographically
and economically, Israel sits at the control centre of the world.
Its capital, Jerusalem, has been revered by Jews, Christians and
Muslims for millennia; and Israel's God has been worshipped by
billions of believers of all nations since time began.
Why is this tiny nation so important? And how is it that Israel
exerts so great an influence on mankind? The answer is: Because
the Almighty God is with Israel! Without Him, Israel would
be as unimportant as the weakest nation on earth - as nothing!
Yes, the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is with Israel.
In the Bible He refers to Himself as the God of Israel or
the holy One of Israel over 230 times! The pages of His
diary are filled with appointments with Israel. Over the
centuries the Most High has shared His plans with Israel. Through
Israel came His law, His prophets and finally Yeshua His only
begotten Son - the Messiah! Yes, Yahweh is with Israel!
To be sure other nations and individuals count; but only as
they affect Israel and relate to Israel's Saviour - the Son
of God! The Bible is, in fact, the record of Israel's history
and Israel's future. Let us further consider why this nation
is so important.
ISRAEL, YAHWEH'S CHOSEN PEOPLE
No matter what the majority of mankind think, no matter what the Christian church may believe or preach, the fact is the nation of Israel is the chosen people of God! Not chosen because she is intrinsically better than other nations; but because of Yahweh's great love for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and because He is keeping to an oath made to Abraham many centuries ago. This fact is plainly taught in the Bible:
| Deut.7:6 | For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God:
the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto
himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7: The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you,
because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the
fewest of all people: 8: But because the LORD loved you,
and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your
fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand,
and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of
Pharaoh king of Egypt. |
| Deut.10:15: | Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to
love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above
all people, as it is this day. |
| Deut.14:2 | for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto
himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. |
| Isa.41: 8 | But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom
I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9: Thou whom
I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from
the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant;
I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away |
Yes, anti-Semitism has been around for thousands of years and
every nation and religion - including Christianity - is
guilty. Today the eyes of the world are again on the people of
Israel; simply because an all-out war in the Middle East would
drag the whole world into war; not to mention its catastrophic
effect on the economies of all nations. The Jews, bear in
mind, are major players in world economic affairs and control
more of the world's money than most people remotely imagine.
Surrounded as she is by her enemies, Israel is a nation living
under constant threat. Never a week passes but Israel is in
the news. Why is this? What makes Israel so important? How
has this tiny nation become the centre of attention to the whole
world? What hypnotic power does Israel possess with God and
man? The answers are many and amazing to say the least. Let
us consider a few.
Israel was the name given to Abraham's grandson Jacob when he successfully wrestled all night with God at a place called Peniel, which means 'I have seen God face to face.'
| Gen.32:27 | And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. |
The Most High chose the descendants of this man Israel (Jacob), gave them His law and placed them in the Promised Land with the intention of using Israel as a channel of instruction and blessing to all nations. Through Israel came the law, the prophets and eventually the Son of the Most High (Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ)
| Rom.3:1 | What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2: Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3: For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? |
Alas! Israel, in the main, failed to live up to Yahweh's hopes. Israel rejected the Almighty's law and grievously sinned. Israel rejected the oracles of God, broke the everlasting covenant, murdered most of Yahweh's prophets and crowned her rebellion by crucifying His Son Yeshua. The story of Israel's rebellion against their God goes back a long way, long before New Testament times.
| 2 Kings 17:9 | And the children of Israel did secretly those
things that were not right against the LORD their God …
verses 13: Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against
Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn
ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes,
according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which
I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14: Notwithstanding
they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the
neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their
God. 15: And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that
he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified
against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and
went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning
whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16: And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God,
and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove,
and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. |
| Jer.6:16 | Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will
not walk therein. 17: Also I set watchmen over you, saying,
Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will
not hearken. 18: Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation,
what is among them. 19: Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil
upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they
have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected
it. |
| Matt.27:22 | Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then
with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let
him be crucified. 23: And the governor said, Why, what evil hath
he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
|
| Rom.3:10 | As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one: 11: There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God. 12: They are all gone out of the way, they
are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one. |
How then did the Almighty respond to ancient Israel's rebellion and rejection of His law and of His Son? The Almighty carried out the punishments given through His prophet Moses. One of those punishments was banishment from the Promised Land. This happened: Yahweh scattered Israel, scattered His chosen people to the four corners of the earth. The warning to scatter Israel, if she persisted in disobedience, was made centuries before the event took place. Texts about the scattering of Israel are legion. I quote a few:
| Deut.4:25 | When thou shalt beget children, and children's
children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall
corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of
any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God,
to provoke him to anger: 26: I call heaven and earth to witness
against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from
off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye
shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27: And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and
ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the
LORD shall lead you. |
| Deut.28:64 | And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people,
from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there
thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers
have known, even wood and stone. 65: And among these nations shalt
thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest:
but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing
of eyes, and sorrow of mind: |
| Eze.20:23 | I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness,
that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them
through the countries; 24: Because they had not executed my
judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my
sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
For further study see: Lev.26:33, Psa.44:11, Jer.9:16,
Jer.49:32-36, Eze.12: 14-15, 22:15-16, Neh.1:8. |
Even though ancient Israel sinned grievously and was scattered to the four corners of the earth, the Almighty did not abandon His people. To be sure He punished Israel over and over again with war, famine, and pestilence: but the Holy ONE of Israel has not abandoned His people. Israel is still the chosen race! The LORD God is still with Israel! Pause awhile and consider these little-known divine promises.
| Eze.11:16 | Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although
I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have
scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a
little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17: Therefore
say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the
people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been
scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. |
| Jer.31:35 | 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: 36: 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. 37: Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD. |
The Apostle Paul continues this thought in the New Testament when he cautions Gentile believers not to imagine that God has abandoned or cast away Israel; because He hasn't.
| Rom.11:1 | I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2: God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, |
In other words, the people of Israel are still the chosen
race and will continue to be as long as the immeasurable
universe exists! Pause a while, dear reader, and dwell on
that stunning fact! That is what the LORD God of Israel is saying
in His Word.
Even while the Most High was predicting the Diaspora (the scattering of Israel) He was also forecasting Israel's re-gathering. Over and over again He said that He would re-gather His scattered people; and bring them back from the four corners of the earth to the land He had promised to give them. That is why that land is called The Promised Land! The re-gathering of Israel is predicted over and over again in the Scriptures. Once more I quote and list a few of the many texts as proof:
| Deut.30:1 | And it shall come to pass, when all these things
are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set
before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations,
whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, 2: And shalt return
unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all
that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all
thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3: That then the LORD thy
God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and
will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the
LORD thy God hath scattered thee. 4: If any of thine be
driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will
the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
5: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy
fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee
good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. |
| Eze.11:17 | Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. (Also read: Jer.29:14, Jer.31:10, 32:34-41, Neh.1:9, Psa.107:3, Isa.43:5, Eze.34:12-31. 37:21, Mic.2:12) |
Is a re-gathering of Israel taking place? To be sure it
is. Consider the statistics of Jews returning to Israel since
the nation was reborn on 14/5/48.
1948 ... 657,000
1950 ... 1,203,000
1958 ... 1,810,000
1962 ... 2,069,000
Currently thousands of Jews, especially from the former Soviet Union, return to Israel every year and the population is heading towards 6,000,000 mark.
| Isaiah 11:11 | And it shall come to pass in that day, that
the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover
the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria,
and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam,
and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the
sea. 12: And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall
assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed
of Judah from the four corners of the earth. |
| Isaiah 43:5 | Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy
seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6: I will say
to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring
my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
|
| Eze.39:27 | When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; 28: Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which cause them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. |
Yes, Bible prophecies concerning Israel's return to the Promised
Land are being fulfilled before our very eyes. The descendants
of Jacob are returning in their millions to the land of their
fathers; and the Christian church, in the main, stands bewildered
at events it doesn't understand, simply because it believes that
Israel was abandoned by God and replaced by a Gentile church.
Oh what a tragic misconception that is!
What does Yahweh plan to do after re-gathering Israel? What does His Holy Word the Bible tell us? It tells us that the Most High is going to refine Israel as a silversmith refines silver; with the sole intention of producing an obedient and holy nation, a nation that will reflect His perfect character. He is going to do this for His great Name's sake, which Israel has profaned among the nations by its sinful practices. Yahweh is about to act, not because the Jews are better in any way than Gentiles, because they are not, but to clear His slandered Name and reputation throughout this rebellious planet.
| Eze.22:15 | And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and
disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness
out of thee. 16: And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself
in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the
LORD. 17: And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 18: Son
of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all
they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the
furnace; they are even the dross of silver. 19: Therefore
thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold,
therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20: As
they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into
the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it;
so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will
leave you there, and melt you. 21: Yea, I will gather you,
and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted
in the midst thereof. 22: As silver is melted in the midst of
the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye
shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you. |
| Eze.36:21 | But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 22: Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23: And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24: For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27: And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28: And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. |
According to Bible prophecy Yahweh is going to gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. The city is going to be captured and be under Gentile domination for a period of 42 months, 1260 days or 3.5 years. Texts concerning this last-day confrontation are numerous. Zech.12:3, Hos.10:10, Micah 4:11, Joel 3:1-14, Zech.14:1-2 and Rev.11. These predictions, though partially realized in days gone by, will all find fulfilment in the near future.
Points to note are:
When these final events occur, Israel will have reached a degree of purity and faithfulness never known before. The decimated nation will be as 'pure silver.'
4. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH & ISRAEL
Over the years the Christian church has made many serious
mistakes; one of which was to suppose that because Israel, in
the main, rejected the Son of God, Yahweh abandoned His chosen
people and transferred His favours and work to the Gentile church.
As mentioned previously, this is a colossal error; because the
Most High promised never to abandon His chosen people Israel.
All that happened when the leaders of Israel rejected Jesus Christ
was that the Holy Spirit directed certain Apostles to take the
Gospel to the Gentiles, who had previously been mostly excluded
from Yahweh's Truth. When Paul and Barnabas answered that
call, the 'Time of the Gentiles' began and a partial
spiritual blindness settled on Israel. But Israel
was not abandoned. She was simply blinded
to the Gospel which she had stubbornly refused to
accept. That spiritual blindness is being removed at this very
moment as thousands of Israelis around the world accept Yeshua
and the Gospel of Salvation their forefathers rejected many centuries
ago.
Another fact that comparatively few Christians realize is that every believer in Jesus Christ is considered by the Almighty to be a 'child of Abraham.' In other words Gentiles who believe in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) are spiritual Israelites - Jews! Here is proof of this little-known fact:
| Rom.2:28 | For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither
is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29: But he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not
of men, but of God. |
| Gal.3:26 | For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29: And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. |
| Rom.11:16 | For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also
holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17: And if
some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being
a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them
partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18: Boast
not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not
the root, but the root thee. 19: Thou wilt say then, The branches
were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20: Well; because
of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.
Be not highminded, but fear: 21: For if God spared not the
natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee…
25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness
in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles
be come in. 26: And so all Israel shall be saved: as it
is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall
turn away ungodliness from Jacob: |
| Eph.3:6 | That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: |
In view of these amazing facts, everyone, especially Christians, should treat the people of Israel - and their fellow Christians for that matter - with respect. To be sure, some Jews as in the days of old, are the 'children of the Devil' (John 8:44); but the whole nation must not be condemned because of the few. The Jew is the 'Apple of God's eye' and all who oppose them will find themselves fighting God! (Zech.2:7-8) How true were the words of the mercenary prophet Balaam, who, in spite of himself, pronounced this eternal truth as he lifted up his eyes and beheld the people of Israel:
It is also a dangerous thing for Gentile Christians to smugly gloat over Israel's blindness in rejecting Jesus and his Gospel. Gentile boasting is out of order, because the church, though paying lip service to Jesus Christ, has rejected the very commandments the Saviour came to magnify. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to save mankind from sin, that is from disobedience.
| Matt.1:21 | And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. |
| Rom.8:3-4 | ... God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. |
In other words, the purpose for which Jesus came to earth was to save believers from sin, that is, from breaking God's law, from disobedience. His final objective is 'that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.' But what do we find in the Christian church? We find that millions, like ancient Israel, have abandoned the law of God and are sinning with impunity. Indeed the average person would be hard pressed to tell you even five of the Ten Commandments, let alone all ten. Why this almost incredible ignorance of so important a law? The answer is, because the Ten Commandments are not being taught in most churches and schools. The law of God is considered, by many, to be impossible to keep and is now obsolete. Some even go so far as to say that it is barbaric! As for the Sabbath commandment, it has become an embarrassment to most Christian ministers and priests. Few will ever preach about Sabbath-keeping. But the fact remains, that without the Ten Commandments it is impossible to define sin, let alone cope with sin's horrifying consequences.
The Bible says:
| Rom.3:20 | ... for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
|
| Rom.7:7 | What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid.
Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known
lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. |
| 1 John 3:4 | Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. |
In other words, God's law tells us what actions are right and
acceptable and what actions are wrong and unacceptable - to
Him. If the Ten Commandments are not taught in the schools and
churches, then men, women and children will have absolutely no
idea how to behave. Nor will they feel guilty when they sin. They
will do as they please and the rule of the jungle will take
over. Is it any wonder that there is so much evil in the world,
so much violence and vice, so much sexual immorality and sin?
It is because the knowledge of righteousness, which God's
law alone imparts, is fading from the earth. Comparatively
few people know anything about the Almighty's standard of morals.
His commandments are not being taught any more; so evil is taking
over. As for the weekly and annual Sabbaths of the LORD, they
are despised and rejected. In their place we find an array
of human traditions and pagan celebrations - all abhorrent
to the Most High. Consider these staggering quotations about pagan
holidays in the Christian calendar.
Christmas is not a Bible festival. It is an ancient pagan festival masquerading as the birthday of the Son of God.
What about Easter? How did this pagan, fertility festival enter the Christian calendar? Most certainly there is no mention of Easter eggs in the Scriptures; no mention of bunny rabbits. Where did they come from? Is it wrong to celebrate Easter? The facts will surprise you; but here are a few quotations about Easter from Alexander Hislop's famous book The Two Babylons, published by S W Partridge & Co., 4 Soho Sq., London. (ISBN 0 7136 0470 0).
Similar quotations can be found in Hislop's 330 page book about other pagan traditions which over the centuries have crept into the Christian calendar, false teachings such as:
Not one of these practices is endorsed in the holy Scriptures.
They are pagan through and through. They were adopted centuries
ago by a spiritually blind ecclesiastical hierarchy. Celebrating
these pagan festivals is nothing but baptized idolatry;
and as such is abhorrent to the Almighty and His Son.
To be sure, there is nothing wrong with a human tradition - if it does not clash with a command of the Almighty God. But if a tradition conflicts with a divine commandment, as most of the popular Christian festivals do, then once they are recognized for what they are, their continued acceptance will neutralize one's worship, making it vain, pointless and futile. Their continued use can even jeopardise one's salvation. This frightening fact is clearly taught by the Master himself:
| Mark 7:6 | He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias
prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth
me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7: Howbeit
in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men. |
| Matt.15:8 | This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. |
At its basic level a seal is a legal device used to stamp a name,
coat of arms or logo on some impressionable material like wax,
clay or paper. On the spiritual level Yahweh seals the impressionable
minds of His people with His Law, His Name and His Character. In the covenant made at Sinai the Almighty wrote
His law on tablets of stone. But the majority in Israel were
unwilling to obey it. In fact they despised the holy commandments
and broke them with impunity. In the new covenant, which is also
made with the people of Israel, the Almighty plans to write His
law in His true followers' minds and hearts. It
will become part of our nature. Obedience will then be as instinctive
as breathing.
The sealing work is detailed in Revelation chapter 7. It will not take place till the events of Rev. 6:12-17 (the 6th Seal) have occurred. Only then will the 144,000 Israelites be sealed. Who are these people? Where are they sealed? Who seals them? With what are they sealed?
The answer is:
The 144,000 are true Israelites who are sealed, in their foreheads (minds)by the Holy Spirit, with God's Law. In some mysterious
way the Holy Spirit is going to impress Yahweh's law on every
true believer's mind; overwrite with perfect obedience our natural
tendency to sin. We will then instinctively obey the divine
commandments and will obey them to perfection. By doing so we
will reflect Yahweh's name, His character and His holiness in
our every thought, word and deed. We will be perfectly holy people
- through and through! That's what knowing the Almighty's Name
means. And how do we know that we are to be sealed with obedience?
The answer is: the Bible tells us:
| Isa.8:16 | Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my
disciples. |
| Heb.8:7 | For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8: For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, : for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. |
| Heb.10:15 | Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16:This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. |
THE ALMIGHTY'S SIGN (SIGNATURE)
At its basic level a signature is a sign or inscription of a person's name. If you were asked to sign a cheque or document, you would inscribe your name on it. Your sign is your signature, your name. On the spiritual level the God of Israel refers to His Sabbath days as His Sign or signature; and like His law He inscribes His signature on the obedient believer's mind.
| Exo.31:12 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13: Speak
thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths
ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout
your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth
sanctify you…16: Wherefore the children of Israel shall
keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations,
for a perpetual covenant. 17: It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel for ever: |
| Eze.20:12 | Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. 20: And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. |
Yahweh's Sabbaths (note the word Sabbaths is in the plural, meaning
the weekly and annual Sabbaths) constitute His signature. They
are the SIGN of the everlasting covenant. Throughout
eternity they will be remembered (kept in mind) and celebrated
as the memorials of salvation; the days on which Yahweh accomplished
His mightiest deeds in the redemption of mankind. Yahweh's Sabbath
days will be kept throughout eternity because they are the
sacred seeds of His planting, eternal memorials of His mightiest
deeds in the Plan of Salvation. Unlike pagan traditions, they
will never be uprooted or forgotten.
Bible prophecy tells us that in the last days, just before the return of Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will come. He will pose as Christ himself. He will do mighty miracles and deceive millions into accepting the claim that he is the real Jesus Christ, God in human flesh! The Antichrist is known by various names and descriptions. They are:
The Bible gives us many clues concerning the identity of the Antichrist. Six clues are briefly considered below:
CLUE No.1 ... The Antichrist is the 'Lawless One'
| 2 Thess.2:3 | Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; |
He is called the man of sin (another word for lawlessness) because he vainly thinks that he can change the law of the Almighty God. According to the prophet Daniel the particular commandments the Antichrist vainly imagines he can change are the ones which deal with the element of time. In other words the Sabbath commandments; for they alone deal with the element of time.
| Daniel 7:25 | And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: |
The Aramaic word sh@na' {shen-aw'} means to change,
transform, frustrate. And the Aramaic word z@man {zem-awn'}
means a set time or season. In other words
the Antichrist would attempt to change, transform and frustrate
the Almighty's set or appointed times in God's law.
And that is exactly what the Lawless One has tried to do by introducing
all these pagan festivals.
CLUE No.2: ... The Antichrist lived before the year AD 96.
When the prophecy of the Revelation was being given (about AD
96) the Antichrist, the Beast was, to all intents and purposes
- dead!
| Rev.17:8 | The beast that thou sawest was, and is not... |
CLUE No.3: The Antichrist will rise to life from out of the
Bottomless Pit.
| Rev.11:7 | And when they shall have finished their testimony,
the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make
war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. |
| Rev.17:8 | The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition…
|
According to Strong's Bible Dictionary the Greek word abussos
{ab'-us-sos} translated 'Bottomless Pit' is the
bottomless, unbounded abyss: a pit of immeasurable depth: a very
deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the
common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons
In the Gospel of Luke we read how evil angels in times past begged
Jesus not to order them to the 'deep,'
the abussos, the Bottomless Pit, the Abyss, the angel
penitentiary where the Beast is being held captive.
| Luke 8:31 | And they besought him that he would not command
them to go out into the deep. |
| 2 Peter 2:4 | For if God spared not the angels that sinned,
but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into
chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. |
| Jude 6 | And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. |
CLUE NO.4 ... When the Antichrist rises from the Abyss
he will reveal himself to mankind and claim to be God!
| Rev.17:8 | The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:
and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were
not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet
is. |
| 2 Thess.2:3 | Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4: Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. |
CLUE No.5: .. The Antichrist will reign for three and a half
years (42 months).
After being released from the Abyss the Antichrist will begin
a world-wide reign of terror which is scheduled to last three
and a half years or 42 months. During this period virtually
every person on earth will worship the Antichrist as God!
| Dan.7:25 | And he shall speak great words against the most
High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think
to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
until a time and times and the dividing of time.
|
This makes a total of three and a half years or 42 months.
| Rev.13:5 | And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great
things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue
forty and two months. 6: And he opened his mouth in blasphemy
against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them
that dwell in heaven. 7: And it was given unto him to make war
with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him
over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8: And all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world. |
CLUE No.6: Antichrist will attack the armies of heaven and
challenge Jesus Christ at his coming.
According to the prophecy of Daniel 8 the Little Horn will attack
the army of heaven, enter the heavenly Temple and cast
many of God's holy angels to the earth. He will even dare to
challenge Jesus Christ, the Prince of the heavenly host and will
marshal the armies of earth to fight the Saviour at his second
coming.
| Dan.8:10 | And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven;
and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground,
and stamped upon them. 11: Yea, he magnified himself even
to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice
was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
|
| Rev.19:19 | And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth,
and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that
sat on the horse, and against his army. 20: And the beast was
taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before
him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of
the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were
cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. |
POPULAR OPINIONS ABOUT ANTICHRIST
Incredible as it may seem, not one of the popular opinions about the Antichrist which are circulating Christendom today fits these six scriptural clues. Let us now list some of the popular opinions concerning the Antichrist:
If you compare each of these entities with those six clues you'll soon see that not one of them can possibly be the Antichrist. Most do not fit even two clues, let alone all six. To find out the answers, see: Who/What is the Antichrist? What is his Mark?
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word 'millennium' as
the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth... a period of great happiness and prosperity for everyone.
No one will doubt, but that the world desperately needs peace,
happiness and prosperity. For six thousand years man has tried
to govern himself and has miserably failed. Every style of government
has been tried, not to mention the countless human laws that
have been formulated in the process. All have proved incapable
of bringing peace, prosperity and happiness to the human race.
Look about you and take note of the misery in the world. Man's
problems are totally out of control. We are all well able to
recognize the world's problems, but no leader, group of leaders
or government is able to cure them. Anarchy now faces many nations.
Scores of political systems and thousands of laws have come and
gone. All are impotent. All have miserably failed. But this
will all change when the millennium starts. For the first time
in human history the world will see a successful world government.
Bible prophecy tells us that the Messiah's millennial reign is
near. It is about to begin. We have seen Israel regathered
to the Promised Land. We now see world hostility against Israel
rising by the week. Zechariah tells us in chapter 14 of his
book that all nations will gather against Jerusalem to battle
and the city will be captured. The Gentiles will then brutally
dominate Jerusalem for three and a half years. We are nearing
that time. Zechariah's prophecy goes on to say that Israel's
Messiah, the Son of God, will then come and liberate Jerusalem
from Gentile rule. He will then begin his world-wide reign
from that city. Jerusalem's liberation will mark the start of
the millennium - the Messiah's 1000 year Reign of Peace.
The first fact we need to know about the millennium is that it is a 'reign.' A reign involves a King, territory, peoples, laws, judges, administrators and officials of all kinds. Think for a moment of the sophisticated machinery of government in the tiny United Kingdom of about 55 million people. Then try to imagine what a 1000 year world government involving billions of people will be like. That will need some organization! The prophet Daniel tells us (Daniel 2:44) that when the Messiah comes, every earthly government will be swept away; because all have proved themselves totally inadequate. Like the metal and clay empires in Nebuchadnezzar's dream they will all be swept away like worthless chaff from a summer threshing floor!
| Dan.2:35 | Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver,
and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff
of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away,
that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the
image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. |
| Rev.11:15 | And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. |
Who will Reign with Christ?
The Bible tells us that the martyrs who died for Jesus Christ and Yahweh's law during the rule of the Antichrist will rise from their graves to reign with Christ for a thousand years. Along with prominent saints of ages past, these martyrs will form the new world government of the King of Kings. His government will not be elected by the people, but by God Himself. The Greek model of democracy will then be a thing of the past.
| Rev. 20:4 | And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,
and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither
had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years…
6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:
on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
|
The Bible teaches that the millennium will be spent on earth.
| Rev. 5:10 | And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. |
Many Bible prophecies tell of the Messiah's reign over all nations. Read these Psalms to get the picture. Psalm 2, Psalm 47, Psalm 93, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99, Psalm 110, Psalm 126.
MESSIAH'S POWER OVER THE NATIONS
When he returns to earth the Saviour will exercise absolute authority over all nations. He will administer the very law he gave through Moses many years ago; the law the nations of the world have rejected for generations. His absolute authority and power is figuratively described as a 'rod of iron.' No enemy will dare defy the Son of God and his government at that time; and it will not be long before the peoples of the world realize that he is indeed the Prince of Peace! These facts are clearly taught in the following Scriptures:
| Rev.2:26 | And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto
the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27: And he
shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter
shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
|
| Rev.12:5 | And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron…
|
| Rev.19:15 | And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that
with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with
a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God. 16: And he hath on his vesture and
on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. |
In the millennium certain believers will be promoted to positions of high rank. Those who have made good use of their time and talents during this age, will be given great authority. Their power will extend over entire cities to a degree not seen in this present age.
| Rev.3:21 | To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with
my Father in his throne. |
| Psa. 47:2 | For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great
King over all the earth. 3: He shall subdue the people under us,
and the nations under our feet.
|
| Luke 19:17 | And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant:
because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou
authority over ten cities. 18: And the second came, saying,
Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19: And he said likewise
to him, Be thou also over five cities.
|
| Rev.2:26 | And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto
the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a
potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of
my Father. |
YAHWEH'S LAW WILL BE TAUGHT TO THE WHOLE WORLD
During the millennium, Yahweh's law will be obeyed by all nations. As mentioned previously, that is the Messiah's ultimate objective; to save mankind from sin and to re-establish Yahweh's law in the minds of men.
| Micah 4:1 | But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2: And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3: And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more…7: And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.. |
| Isa. 42:4 | He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have
set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law…
21: The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will
magnify the law, and make it honourable
|
| Isa.51:4 | Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me,
O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make
my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
|
Zechariah chapter 14 introduces the millennial age. The chapter tells of the liberation of Jerusalem and how the Messiah will be king over the whole earth. The chapter ends with all nations keeping the laws of the Most High. The Feast of Tabernacles - that great feast which symbolizes the very presence of Yeshua the Messiah (He is the very 'Tabernacle of God'), will be kept by all the nations of the world. The prophet tells us that fearsome punishments and plagues will be meted out on nations that refuse to send delegates to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.
| Zec.14:9 | And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in
that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one…11: And
men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction;
but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. 12: And this shall be
the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have
fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while
they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away
in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth…16:
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all
the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from
year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep
the feast of tabernacles. 17: And it shall be, that whoso
will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem
to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be
no rain. 18: And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not,
that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD
will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of
tabernacles. 19: This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and
the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast
of tabernacles.
|
Implementation of Yahweh's law throughout the world will have unprecedented results. Indeed, trying to imagine that utopia is difficult enough, how much less can we describe it. Very briefly I list just four of the many improvements the millennial reign of the Messiah will bring. With Satan's evil influence out of the way and every governmental post filled by a believer of absolute integrity and great ability:
We could write at length on this subject, but the Bible tells
us that the reality will go far beyond anything we can imagine.
PREPARATION FOR THE MILLENNIUM
Preparation for the millennium should begin right away. It is dangerous to neglect salvation and to put off for tomorrow something that can be done today. A new government is about to take over the earth. Are you preparing for that event? We realize that the very idea may appear farcical to many; but the Scriptures abound with proof of it.
When our earth was created it was perfect in every way. There was no sorrow, no sickness, no war and no death. All was perfect happiness, health, harmony and peace.
Gen.1: 31: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...
But, alas! that state of perfection soon vanished. Satan and
his brain-child (sin) arrived on the scene and, as Yahweh had
correctly predicted, there followed doubt, sin, separation,
sickness, hatred, violence and death. Man was given six thousand
years to go his own way, to find out for himself if what God had
said was true or false. After all, God did not want to be accused
by man or angel of wiping out opponents without allowing them
a chance to prove themselves. But the six thousand years
of man's self-rule have been an unprecedented disaster
and are almost over. Nothing worked as man had expected:
no ideology, no ism, no political system, no law (and thousands
have been tried) has been able to bring peace and prosperity
to earth's millions. Man has miserably failed in every important
department of life.
The coming millennial rule of Yeshua the King will change all that. It will be a reign of peace for all mankind. During the millennium (the Sabbatical, seventh thousandth year) Jesus Christ will demonstrate how Yahweh's government and His laws really do work for the benefit of mankind. God's sacred commandments, despised for nearly six thousand years by multiplied billions of people, will at last be honoured by all the nations of the world. Then every tongue in the vast universe will confess that Yahweh was right all along; that He is holy, just and good; that His commandments are not a barbaric code at all, but a 'law of liberty,' a transcript of His own holy character, a perfect constitution designed to protect life for all time.
| James 1:25 | But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a
doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
|
After the millennium the second general resurrection will take place and then will come the appointed Day of Judgment! (Rev.20:7-15) In the diary of the Almighty the Great Day of Judgment has already been appointed. The dictionary describes an 'appointment' as an arrangement to meet or visit at a particular date and time. And that is exactly how the Almighty makes His appointments. They all relate to particular dates and times in His calendar - the sacred calendar. Of course we do not know the exact year of the Judgment, but God knows. Not only has He appointed the date, He has also appointed the Judge.
The Appointed Day of Judgment & the Appointed Judge
| Acts 17:30 | And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31: Because
he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world
in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof
he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him
from the dead.
|
| Rev.20:11 | And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away; and there was found no place for them. 12: And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written
in the books, according to their works. 13: And the sea gave
up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up
the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works. 14: And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15: And whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake
of fire. |
After the Great Day of Judgment, the next event in the Diary of the Almighty is the Creation of the new universe.
| Rev.21:1 | And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the
first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was
no more sea. 2: And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband. 3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, and be their God. 4: And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away. 5: And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write:
for these words are true and faithful. 6: And he said unto me,
It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I
will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water
of life freely. 7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8: But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which
is the second death.
|
The Bible begins with the record of a perfect creation which went tragically wrong when man chose to believe Satan rather than God. Then followed the story of salvation; of how Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel, the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob set about rescuing mankind from the consequences of sin.
The story of salvation is the greatest drama of all time; a love story of unparalleled appeal. The Bible then tells of how the Almighty sent His only begotten son Yeshua to die for the sins of the world; and how that anyone - Jew or Gentile - may live for all time if they simply accept His free gift of salvation. Sad to say millions treat this astonishing offer of mercy and everlasting life with unbelief and even a measure of contempt. Oh what appalling ignorance has sin spawned in the human heart! What greed! what hatred! what pride! that man should foolishly fight his Maker and choose eternal death instead of eternal life. This is one of the greatest mysteries of all time. The Bible ends with a final invitation to accept the Water of Life, freely! It is a touching appeal by Yeshua himself to accept life before it is eternally too late. Dear friend, you can not afford to ignore so great an offer! Here it is in Rev.22:17:
Millions of genuine believers know little or nothing about the Sacred Calendar. But you are not amongst them; because now you know! This booklet has introduced you to spiritual specifications and truths of awesome significance. You now know the following facts:
These facts you now know. Most importantly, this booklet has presented you with a challenge you will never forget and must not ignore. That challenge is to put your faith into action; to demonstrate that you trust and love the Almighty enough to keep His commandments. To be sure, the first step towards salvation is to put your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and accept him as your personal Saviour from sin. Your second step is also vitally important. It is to obey the Almighty's commandments. Your obedience will prove that your faith is alive; that you have truly repented of past sins and now want to obey your heavenly Father. That is the challenge you now face; and there is no way you can lightly dismiss it, or even forget it. It is, perhaps, the greatest challenge you have ever faced in your life. If you meet it with living faith in the Saviour and begin to keep Yahweh's sacred appointments, His weekly and annual Sabbaths, you will be greatly blessed, in this world, during the millennium and throughout the endless ages of eternity. We will not even contemplate the results of wilful disobedience, because that course is certainly not for you. Instead, we will pray, that Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, will grant you His Spirit to trust and obey Him.
Since the first publication of this booklet in 1979, Stewarton
Bible School (SBS) has received many queries about the sacred
calendar. In Part Two some of the most frequently asked
questions are answered. The Appendices contain information
as to how the sacred calendar is set up. New moon times and the beginings of months are given at Appendix A. They should be carefully
preserved, because they will keep you informed as to the appointed
festival days and seasons when in some future year SIGNS
in the sun, moon and stars are scheduled to occur. Stewarton
Bible School does not - indeed it cannot - predict the date of
Jesus Christ's return. No one knows that date except our heavenly
Father (Matt.24:36). What we do say, however, is that when
those celestial signs are seen by all the world on a sacred
season, day or year, then a vitally important phase of human
history will have begun and you need to be aware of that fact.
SBS offers this work to the reader with much prayer, trusting
that he/she will greatly benefit as a result of its study. Now
to those questions and answers.
When does a month begin in the Sacred Calendar? Does it begin
on the day of the astronomical new moon (conjunction), or when
the new moon is first sighted with the naked eye?
When, however, astronomers began to calculate the circuit of the moon around the earth, conjunction times became available and calendars based on these times began to be produced, months or even years in advance. The question is: What should we do, now that conjunction times and phases of the moon charts have become available? Do we use computer produced calculations and print a calendar in advance or not? Our answer is as follows. Some Christian groups - including SBS - publish calendars in advance by using mathematical calculations of some sort. However, because the ancient method was to lookout for the new moon each month, we in SBS use computer calculations but also allow a certain period of time for the new moon to become visible, before determining the start of each month. This means that after we have made an allowance for a first sighting with the naked eye, the pre-printed calendar SBS publishes is very much in line with the sacred calendar used in ancient Israel. In 1978 we asked a group of believers in Jerusalem to confirm our findings by actually checking the calendar SBS published against first sightings of the new crescent moon. After looking out for the new moon for several months Elder Charles Dugger of the Jerusalem Church of God wrote this:
"We find that the moon really is new over Jerusalem each month by your calendar and is off as much as two days by the Jewish calendar. Therefore we wish to publish the truth - and we simply need a list of the moonrise after conjunction at Jerusalem. Brother Loughran just list them so that we can take the list straight to the printers."
The next question is: How long after a conjunction does the new born crescent become visible? The answer is: It is not possible to infallibly predict the exact date and time of the first sighting of a new moon. Various factors such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity along the light path, altitude, latitude/longitude, fog, cloud/dust cover, glare etc. can all affect a first sighting. That is the reason why in the calendar and festival charts SBS publishes we use the words: "a likely first sighting should occur," because no one can infallibly predict the moment when the new moon will become visible to the naked eye. The general consensus of authoritative opinion is that a first sighting of the new moon could occur any time between about 15 and 48 hours after a conjunction. I quote two world famous authorities on this matter:
ROYAL GREENWICH OBSERVATORY (UK)
"It is not possible to predict accurately the dates on which the new crescent Moon will first be seen each month since there is no collection of reliable, fully documented, observations that can be used to establish the conditions that must normally be satisfied at the time of first visibility.
The simplest basis for prediction is that the Moon should be more than a certain age (measured from the time of astronomical new moon) at the time of sunset at the place concerned. It is, however, better to use the true elongation (the angular separation) of the Moon from the sun at this time, rather than the age. The new crescent is not normally visible until the Sun is below the horizon and so it is desirable to take into account the altitude of the Moon during twilight. The chances of seeing the new crescent depend slightly on the distance of the Moon from the earth, being greatest when the Moon is closest (i.e. at perigree). The local conditions, especially the height of the observer above sea level and the character of the surrounding surface, are important, and even when the sky is free from cloud there can be considerable variations in clarity of the atmosphere from day to day. The visual acuity of the observer is also significant.
It must be realized too that there are considerable variations in the astronomical conditions with both longitude and latitude on the earth so that even if the weather conditions were good everywhere, the dates of the first sightings would differ from place to place. Predictions can, therefore, only be valid, for restricted areas.
Under ordinary conditions, the first sighting will not occur until the age of the Moon exceeds about 30 hours, but a few reliable reports are known of sightings, under very good conditions, when the age has been only 20 hours or even less. It is unlikely that the new crescent will be visible unless the elongation exceeds 10 degrees and the Moon exceeds 5 degrees when the Sun is 3 degrees. It is interesting to note that the new moon can always be seen 30 days after the previous one and in half the cases it can be seen 29 days after, because the length of the synodic month is 29.53 days... Since it is clear that any prediction of the date of first visibility must be uncertain, it is necessary to decide whether to prefer an early prediction that could not be substantiated by direct observation if conditions prove to be good, or a late prediction that could be vitiated by an observer on the previous day.
The simple rule that this Office recommends
is that the age of the Moon should be 30 hours at the time
of sunset at the place concerned, but this rule is not so reliable
in middle and high latitudes."
US NAVAL OBSERVATORY
"Under optimal conditions the crescent moon can be sighted somewhat less than 15 hours after astronomical New Moon. Usually, however, it is not seen until it is more than 24 hours old. Often it is not seen for more than 48 hours... But despite these advances we still cannot predict the exact time or geographical location at which the young crescent will first be spotted."
You will see from these two quotations that the shortest
time lapse for a possible first sighting is 'somewhat
less than 15 hours,' and the longest to 'more
than 48 hours. ' How then does SBS set out a calendar
when it is not possible to infallibly forecast a first sighting?
Our answer is: SBS allows at least 24 hours for 'a
likely evening (or morning) first sighting' of the
new moon to occur before it begins a month. The method we use
is explained in the answer to Question 8 and examples are
found at Appendix A.
Note: The reader should remember, however, that pre-printed
calendars based on calculations were not used by the ancient Israelites.
They literally looked out for the new moon each month and then
counted to the feasts. This is still the best method.
When does the year begin in the Sacred Calendar? Does it
begin in Israel's autumn as the Jewish calendar shows? Or
should the year begin in the spring with the month of Abib
(Nisan)? And if it begins with Abib, then how is Abib's
new moon decided? Is it the new moon nearest (before or
after) the Equinox? Or is it the first new moon after the spring
equinox?
| Exo.12:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the
land of Egypt, saying, 2: This month shall be unto you the
beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to
you. |
| Exo.14:3 | And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day,
in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage;
for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place:
there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4: This day came ye out
in the month Abib. |
"Abib most nearly approaches our month of March, though in some years its end moves some distance into April." (Westminster Dictionary of the Bible. page 3, article Abib)
In ancient days, before the exact equinox times were known or calendars printed in advance, the Sanhedrin selected Abib's new moon on the basis of certain natural conditions because Yahweh's Feasts are directly linked to the agricultural seasons in Israel.
THE NATURAL CONDITIONS looked for were:
In modern times Abib's new moon is selected months and even
years in advance mainly because computer calculations of the sun's
and moon's movements are widely available and there is no Sanhedrin
to give the go-ahead as in days gone by. The scriptural guidelines
concerning the link between the Feasts of the Most High and
the harvests in Israel are, nevertheless, still being followed.
They are:
1. Abib's new moon must occur before the spring harvest begins.
| Deut. 16:9 | Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin
to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to
put the sickle to the corn. |
2. Ethanim's new moon occurs after the autumn harvest.
The second clue fixes the festival of Ingathering (Tabernacles)
at the 'end' of the agricultural year. Here is the Almighty's
command concerning the feast of ingathering (Tabernacles).
| Exodus 34:22 | And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of
the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering
at the year's end. |
In summary we may say that in a pre-printed calendar, the first and seventh months of the year should still be geared to the agricultural harvests in Israel; the first month Abib, the month of green ears, starting about 15 days before the barley harvest is begun; and the seventh month (Ethanim/Tishri) starting after the vintage is gathered in. By starting Abib with the new moon nearest (before or after) the spring equinox, these two divine requirements are met.
Notes
From where should the new moon be sighted? Can the lookout party be posted anywhere on earth? Or is Jerusalem the only authorized lookout point?
"In the early times of our history the solution was found by the following practical procedure. The beginning of months were determined by direct observation of the moon. The new months were sanctified and their beginnings announced by the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, after witnesses had testified that they had seen the new crescent and after their testimony had been thoroughly examined, confirmed by calculation and duly accepted. The Jewish communities were notified of the beginning of months (Rosh Hodesh) in early times by kindling night fires on the mountains and later on by messengers."
In short: months began when the new moon was first sighted from Jerusalem. As soon as the new born crescent was sighted from the capital the news was sent to the rest of the country. Such was the practice in ancient days. 'But,' you may well ask 'what of today?' As you can imagine, first sightings of the new moon vary from place to place. The moon may be seen at one place, only to be missed at another. Atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity along the light path, altitude, latitude, longitude, cloud, fog and dust etc. can all affect a first sighting of the new moon. Even a distance of a few hundred miles in any direction could make the difference between seeing the new moon and not seeing it. On top of this is the fact that most city dwellers are not able to get away from the glare of the city lights each month to 'look out' for the new moon.
Some festival-keeping groups believe that:
"A month should begin at whatever moment the new crescent
is first sighted, regardless of location."
The Stewarton Bible School does not agree with this stand, simply because first sightings of the new moon can occur a whole day apart in different parts of the world. Believers assembling at a central point could therefore find themselves in dispute as one party could justifiably claim to have seen the new moon on a certain day and another party deny having seen it. For example a Californian believer could, in certain months, see the new moon a whole day before or after his Jerusalem counterpart. So when he arrives in Israel for the Passover, when will he keep that service? Will he go by his Californian sighting, or will he fall into line with the believers in Jerusalem? The answer is obvious, and it has the backing of history: he will follow the Jerusalem lead. Stewarton Bible School's stand, therefore, is:
The beginnings of months should be decided on the evidence of a first sighting from the standpoint of Jerusalem, because that is the Almighty's spiritual capital of the world and the main assembly point for festival-keeping believers.
Such was the practice of ancient Israel. All new moons were announced from the main assembly point of Jerusalem. To be sure the folks from Nazareth, Dan, Beersheba and further afield were equally able to look out for the new moon, and they probably did; but even if they had seen the new moon locally, a first sighting from Jerusalem always took precedence over local first sightings. Also when Messiah walked the earth the beginnings of months were proclaimed on the evidence of a first sighting from Jerusalem; regardless of whether or not pilgrims had seen the new moon in Asia, Persia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia or Rome. Pilgrims from those distant lands (Acts 2: 9-11) all subordinated their local observations to first sightings from Jerusalem. And that is exactly what will happen in the millennium and on the new earth. The beginnings of months will be proclaimed from Jerusalem and all the world will obey.
What are the harvest times in Israel?
| Months | Weather | Crops & activity |
|---|---|---|
| Tishri (Sep/Oct) | First rains | Ploughing begins |
| Heshvan (Oct/Nov) | Ploughing / grain planting | |
| Kislev (Nov/Dec) | Grain planting continues | |
| Tebeth (Dec/Jan) | Main rains | |
| Sebat (Jan/Feb) | ||
| Adar (Feb/Mar) | Spring rains | Almond in bloom / flax harvest |
| Abib (Mar/Apr) | Barley harvest begins | |
| Zif (Apr/May) | Barley harvest completed | |
| Sivan (May/Jun) | Dry season | Wheat harvest begins |
| Tamuz (Jun/Jul) | Wheat harvest completed / first figs | |
| Ab (Jul/Aug) | Summer heat | Vintage (grape harvest) begins |
| Elul (Aug/Sep) | Date harvest / summer figs |
From the above, one can see that the harvest season in ancient Israel began in Adar (Feb/March) and continued by stages into autumn. The barley harvest began in March-April: the first sheaf being cut and waived in the middle of Abib, which could be any time between 21st March and the middle of April. It is the same in modern Israel. Concerning the wheat and grape harvests, the Westminster Dictionary of the Bible says this:
"In Palestine wheat was sown in November or December,
after the rains began. The harvest was in April, May or June in
Palestine varying according to the locality and the weather at
the time." (page 635)
"The vintage began in the middle of September and continued into October. It was a season of festivity. In the vineyards there were singing and joyful noise, and the treaders in the press kept time by shouting as they trod the grapes. (page 629)
These details concerning harvest times in Israel are vital when
determining the start of a year in the sacred calendar and the
sacred Feasts in it. The answer to the next question will clarify
this point further.
Why do some years in the Sacred Calendar have 13 months?
| Lev.23:4 | These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations,
which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
|
| Exo.34:22 | And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the
firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at
the year's end. |
| Civil Year | Islamic New Year | Ramadan |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 14 August | 18 April |
| 1989 | 4 August | 7 April |
| 1990 | 24 July | 28 March |
| 1991 | 13 July | 17 March |
| 1992 | 2 July | 5 March |
In the sacred calendar the festivals must coincide with
the agricultural seasons: Passover in spring, First Fruits
in the summer and Tabernacles (ingathering of the main harvest) in the autumn. To maintain this order, a thirteenth month
must be added periodically to make up for that annual 11.25
day loss.
Why do the festival dates in the calendar printed by SBS sometimes differ a day or two from the dates shown in the popular Jewish calendar?
"In the early times of Israel's history the beginnings of months were determined by direct observation of the moon; the first days of the months being announced by the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, after witnesses had testified that they had seen the new crescent and after their testimony had been thoroughly examined, confirmed by calculation and duly accepted. The communities of Israel were then notified by kindling night fires on the mountains and later by messengers…
This method of observation and intercalation was in use throughout the period of the second Temple (516 BC - 70 AD) and about three centuries after its destruction as long as there was an independent Sanhedrin. In the fourth century, however, when oppression and persecution threatened the continued existence of the Sanhedrin, the patriarch Hillel 11 took an extraordinary step to preserve the unity of Israel. In order to prevent the Jews scattered all over the surface of the earth from celebrating their New Moons, Festivals and holidays at different times he made public the system of calendar calculation which up till then had been a closely guarded secret. It had been used in the past only to check the observations and testimonies of witnesses, and to determine the beginning of the spring season.
In accordance with this system Hillel 11 formally sanctified all moons in advance and intercalated future leap years until such time as a new Sanhedrin would be established in Israel. This is the permanent calendar according to which the New Moons and Festivals are calculated and celebrated today by the Jews all over the world. It also applies certain rules by which the astronomical facts are combined with the religious requirements into an admirable calendar system "
The motives of the patriarch Hillel were, without a doubt, admirable; and for subsequent centuries Jewish communities around the world derived great gain from his work. Nevertheless locked into his system of calendar calculation lay FOUR ERRORS which in certain years clash with the requirements of astronomy and the law of the Most High. It is these four errors which periodically result in the wrong days being celebrated as God's festivals. What are these four errors?
1. Incorrect Equinox Dates
The first error is a purely mathematical one concerning
the length of the solar year; a seemingly insignificant matter
of 16.5 minutes a year. But which now, 1700 years later, has
resulted in wrong Equinox dates being used in the selection of
the 1st and 7th months of the year.
2. The Metonic Cycle
The second error is the association of the Jewish calendar
with the Lunar Cycle of Meton, a cycle borrowed from the pagan
calendar-makers of Greece.
3. Rule for Beginning 1st Tishri
The third error is the adoption of a man-made rule which
dictates that the festival month of Ethanim (Tishri) must
begin on the day of a conjunction. When applied, this rule
directly conflicts with the ancient practice of literally 'looking
out' for the new moon each month. The new moon, incidentally,
is never visible at the time of a conjunction. Proof of this is
given below.
4. Human Traditions
The fourth error is the adoption of several human traditions
which do not allow the festival month of Ethanim (Tishri) to start
on a Sunday, Wednesday and Friday; and the festival month
of Abib (Nisan) starting on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Concerning these traditions the Jewish Year Book says this:
Let us now examine these four errors; which are, in fact, closely
related to each other.
1. INCORRECT EQUINOX DATES
The first error is the use of incorrect equinox dates. Let
me explain. There lived in the third century a Talmud scholar
and astronomer by the name of Samuel Yarhinai. According
to Samuel the length of the tropical (sun) year is approximately
365 days 6 hours. Yarhinai divided this time by 4 and assigned
91 days 7 hours and 30 minutes to each of the four seasons.
Then by successively adding this time to any given equinox or
solstice, Yarhinai reasoned that all the equinoxes or solstices
of the following years could be arrived at. And once the date
and time of the autumnal equinox was established for any
given year, it would be a simple matter to select the new moon
nearest it to begin Tishri (Ethanim). Having selected Tishri's
new moon it would then be a simple matter to count to Nisan
which in ordinary years is the seventh month from Tishri. That,
basically, was the method adopted and published by the patriarch
Hillel.
Believe it or not, Samuel Yarhinai's simplified method would have
worked well enough if the year was exactly 365 days and 6 hours
in length. The fact is, it is not. The correct length of a
year is 365 days 5 hours 46.069 minutes: which is about 14 minutes
less than Yarhinai's approximation of 365 days and 6 hours.
As a result, the times of Samuel's equinoxes began to drift
away from the true equinox times at the rate of about 14
minutes a year. This seemingly insignificant annual discrepancy
of a few minutes added up to about one day in every
century. And today, 17 centuries later, Yarhinai's equinox
dates have moved some 16.5 days away from the true
equinox dates of March 20/21 and September 22. According to
Yarhinai's calculations the equinox dates are now April 7/8th
and October 7/8th: which any high school student
knows is a long way adrift from the true equinox times.
When Yarhinai's formula was first used in determining the autumn
and spring equinox dates, it was useful enough; because the 14
minute discrepancy really made no difference at all to the selection
of Tishri's and Nisan's new moons. In those early
years the correct new moon was selected to begin Tishri and all
the sacred festivals were in step with the agricultural seasons.
But now, 17 centuries later, that 14 minute annual discrepancy
has accumulated to about 16.5 days; and in the calendar
of Hillel the autumnal equinox supposedly occurs on October
7/8th and the spring equinox on
April 7/8th. As a result the wrong new moons (those
closest to these incorrect equinox dates) are chosen to begin
the Feasts month of Ethanim (Tishri) and by effect, Abib. (Nisan).
When this happens all the Feast dates in the Jewish
calendar in that particular year are celebrated a month late!
They are all out of step with the agricultural seasons and crops
in Israel.
The Jews, of course, know all about Yarhinai's formula and its ill effect on the sacred calendar. They knew about this error long before SBS did. What is Israel doing about this? The answer is, the nation of Israel is currently awaiting the election of a new Sanhedrin to authorize a correction to the Jewish calendar. I quote again from Speir's book, page 227:
"The Tekufoth of Samuel, (Yarhinai) which are based
on the length of 365.25 days for the solar year, deviate considerably
from the true astronomical time. They are 17 days later than
the astronomical equinoxes and solstices in our century, a difference
which grows by 1 day almost every 100 years. The rebirth of
the State of Israel rekindles in us the hope that a new
Sanhedrin, recognized by the whole people of Israel, will be
established again in our time. It will be the task of the
Sanhedrin to make a decision as to when and how the sanctified
calendar of Hillel 11 is to be modified in accordance with
the requirements of astronomy and the Torah."
2. THE METONIC CYCLE
The second error concerns the use of the Metonic Cycle.
About the year 433 BC the Greek astronomer Meton of Athens discovered
that after a lapse of 19 years (235 lunar months) the phases of
the moon recurred on the same day of the same month, within
a few hours. For example if a new moon occurred on the
1st January at 9a.m. in one year, then 20 years later when
the next cycle began a new moon would again occur on 1st January
within a few hours of 9a.m. (subject to leap year
disturbances). Meton concluded, that if the dates of the new
moons are known in any one 19 year cycle, they are known for
all subsequent cycles. In the course of time Jewish calendar
makers began to use the Metonic Cycle to regulate the sacred
calendar and after a few changes the following seven years in
the cycle were declared to be leap years with 13 months each:
the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years.
Ordinary years would have 12 months; leap years would have 13
months. This inflexible pattern of years and leap years was
not used prior to the Dispersion, simply because at that time
leap years were determined by the Sanhedrin on the evidence
of the natural conditions mentioned in the answer to
Question 1.
Some time after the Dispersion of Israel from the Promised Land, Hillel's new system, which was regulated by the Metonic cycle, superseded the age-old practice of assessing the natural conditions mentioned earlier. SBS is most certainly not condemning Hillel and his associates for making use of the Metonic cycle and the formula of Samuel Yarhinai while the Dispersion lasted. The scattered Jews had no other choice but to use a calendar based on the best calculations available at the time. But the circumstances have now changed. Israel is back in the Promised Land and the continued use of the Metonic cycle (which is still used in the pagan calendar of Greece), in the sacred calendar is being challenged. The time has come to unhitch the sacred calendar from the Metonic Cycle. Nor should we program ourselves into thinking that the sacred calendar must of necessity continue to be governed by the Metonic cycle. It need not be, for three very good reasons.
3. THE RULE FOR BEGINNING TISHRI
Let us now consider the third: the rule concerning
the choice of the first day of Tishri (Ethanim). The Jewish rule
is:
"Rosh Hasanah must be on the day of the molad (conjunction)."
This rule is out of step with ancient Israel's method
of starting a month with the sighting of the new moon. New moons,
as stated previously, are never visible to the naked eye on
the day of the molad (conjunction), but become visible
many hours later. Consequently, every time this rule is applied,
all the autumn festivals in that particular year are held
on the wrong dates. They are celebrated one and sometimes
two days earlier than the true dates hallowed by
the Almighty's presence.
4. MAN-MADE RULES / TRADITIONS
Now let us look at the fourth error resident in the Jewish calendar. We'll begin with examining how the Jewish calendar makers arrive at Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1st). I quote again from Speir's book, page 218-219 para 11.
"The calendar follows this rule:
Dehiah (a) mainly fulfils the following three religious
requirements:
Yom Kippur (Tishri 10) shall not occur on the day
before or after the Sabbath
and Hoshana Rabah (Tishri 21) shall
not occur on the Sabbath."
Now what does all this mean? It means that the month of Tishri, though required by the Jewish rule to start on the day of the conjunction, actually starts in 60% of all years a day or two later because of the Dehioth. Strangely enough, the effect of these Dehioth (postponements) almost matches those made by SBS when we allow at least 24 hours after a conjunction for a first sighting of the new moon. But what of the remaining 40% of years when a postponement is not made and Tishri is begun on the day of the Molad? Without question this results in Rosh Hashana (the Feast of Trumpets) being celebrated a day or two earlier that God intended.
Let us now take a closer look at the two human traditions that distort the sacred calendar. I quote from the Jewish Year Book:
"The chief disturbing influence in the arrangements
of the Jewish calendar is to:
prevent the Day of Atonement from immediately preceding
or immediately succeeding the Sabbath,
and Hoshana Raba, (Tishri 21) from falling on the Sabbath."
First Tradition
The first tradition concerns that staggering
injunction: that the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
shall not precede or succeed the Sabbath.
In other words: 'The Day of Atonement shall not occur on
a Friday or a Sunday.' You may examine the Bible
from cover to cover and you will not find a single verse to
support this tradition - not one! It is a human tradition
through and through and its result is to move the most important
day in the sacred calendar (the Day of Atonement) from its divinely appointed position!
To achieve this the calendar makers prevent the month of Tishri
from starting on a Wednesday or Friday:
The Second Tradition
This tradition concerns a rite called the Waving
of the Willows. It takes place on Hoshana Raba (21st
Tishri), a date which, according to Jewish tradition, must
not coincide with the weekly Sabbath (Saturday). To accommodate
this tradition the month of Tishri is not allowed to begin
on a Sunday; for if it did then Tishri 21st would fall
on the weekly Sabbath, which the tradition doesn't allow.
The final outcome of the above 2 tradition-backed amendments to the calendar is,
that the Feast of Trumpets (1st Tishri) is never allowed
to fall on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday! This means that
in three out of seven years (42% of years if we apply the law of averages)
the Feast of Trumpets in the popular Jewish calendar is moved
from its God-appointed position. As a result all those believers
who use the popular Jewish calendar will be celebrating the autumn
feasts in 3 out of 7 years on the wrong days!
Moving Abib's 1st day
In addition to the foregoing, there is yet another set
of alterations being applied to the calendar in certain years;
to the 1st day of Nisan (Abib). Consider this astonishing fact:
Every time this man-made rule is applied (and again according to the law of averages that would be three times in every seven years) all the spring festivals and the Feast of Pentecost would be celebrated on the wrong dates.
These, then, are the man-made rules and traditions which distort the popular Jewish calendar and make it different from the one published by Stewarton Bible School. Pause dear reader and try to measure the seriousness of these unauthorized modifications to the sacred calendar. Do you suppose that the Holy One of Israel is pleased with them? We think not. That is the reason why we have pressed ahead with the corrections mentioned in this booklet.
NOTE: Having read the above answer, the reader is reminded that though Stewarton Bible School publishes these facts about the errors in the popular Jewish calendar, I am, nevertheless, 100% for Israel and its people.
"Why do the Rabbanites differ from us (Karaites) in regard to the dates of their holy days? In ancient times, all Israel sanctified the new moon according to actual observance, by eye-witnesses. (Genesis 1:14; Psalm 104:19). However in the year 801 C.E., the Rabbanites abandoned this scriptural custom and introduced a calendar reform, which included the following innovations:
| a) | PASSOVER (Pessah) can never fall on Monday, Wednesday
or Friday: and it must coincide with the day of the 9th of Av of that
year. |
| b) | SHAVUOTH can never fall on a Tuesday, Thursday, or
Friday and it must coincide with the second day of Passover... |
| c) | ROSH HASHANAH (Feast of Trumpets) can never fall
on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday, and must coincide with
the third day of Passover... |
| d) | KIPPUR can never fall on Sunday, Tuesday or Friday,
and must coincide with the fifth day of Passover. |
| e) | PURIM can never fall on the Sabbath (Saturday), Monday,
or Wednesday and must coincide with the sixth day of Passover. |
The reader will see from the above quotation that the Karaite Jews have also rejected
the human traditions found in the popular Jewish calendar and have returned
to the ancient method of selecting the 1st day of each
month on the evidence of a first sighting of the new moon. The
Karaite calendar, though printed in advance, also makes an allowance
for a first sighting of the new moon before starting each month.
To determine the 1st day of each month the Karaite
calendar makers, I understand, base their calculations on sophisticated
mathematical tables which even their rabbis find difficult to
explain. If the reader wishes to contact them for more details
on how their calendar is set up, their address is: The Karaite
Jews in Israel, P.O.B. 101 Ramlah, 72100. ISRAEL.
How does Stewarton Bible School (SBS) set up the calendar?
8.1 Conjunction Times
Our first step is to determine the 1st day of each month in the year. We do this by consulting computer-produced Phases of the Moon charts supplied by the Science Research Council, Royal Greenwich Observatory,
Herstmoneux Castle, Hailsham, Sussex, UK. From these charts we find out the date and time of the astronomical new moon, the conjunction. In the calendar chart SBS produces we use the following abbreviations:
8.2 First New Moonrise and Moonset Times
Our next step is to find out the date and the
time (in JST) of the first moonrise and moonset at Jerusalem,
AFTER the conjunction. This information is also
obtainable at a fee from Greenwich Observatory.
8.3 Likely First Sighting
We them endevour to determine when that first new moon is likely to be seen with the naked eye from Jerusalem.
The first moonrise at Jerusalem after a conjunction takes
place in the morning at about sunrise. However the new moon is
not visible to the naked eye on this first morning because it
is too young. But is 'likely to be seen' for the
first time just after sunset on the evening of the same day -
if it is more than 14.5 hours old. If and when the moon is
sighted, that evening (at sunset) the new month will begin. Days,
as we learned previously, all begin and end at sunset.
MORNING SIGHTINGS of the New Moon
If the moon's age is less than 14.5 hours and it is not seen
on that first evening, it may be looked for at its second rising
on the next morning when it will be over 24 hours old. Concerning
morning sightings of the new moon I quote from the Westminster
Dictionary of the Bible, article Moon, page 407.
"According to the Talmud, the Sanhedrin assembled seven
times a year early in the morning of the 30th day of the month.
Watchman were stationed on the heights about Jerusalem to watch
for the new moon and report it as soon as seen. When the evidence
of its appearance was deemed sufficient, the Sanhedrin pronounced
the word 'McKuddash' (consecrated) and the day became the
first of the new month, leaving 29 days for the preceding month.
If fogs or clouds prevented the moon from being discerned, the
day was reckoned as the 30th."
8.4 The Beginnings of Months
After allowing at least 24 hours for an evening or morning first
sighting of the new moon, we then make a list of the new moonrise/moonset times and the starting dates of several months. See Appendix A
8.5 New Years Day
From this list of starting dates, New Year's day (1st Abib) is
selected. See our answer to Question 2 as to how
we decide on Abib's new moon.
8.6 Blank Calendar Chart
Then on a blank calendar chart (See Appendix B we enter the 1st day of each of the 12 months: making sure that all dates match
the correct days of the week. For example in 1994 the 1st Abib was 14th
March. This happened to be a Monday; so in 1994 Abib began with
a Monday. The 1st day of Zif (the second month) was Tuesday 12/4/94.
This left Abib with 29 days. Had the 1st Zif been a Wednesday,
Abib would have had 30 days. This process is continued till all
12 months are completed. Some months will have 29 days and others
30. Sacred calendar months cannot have 28 or 31 days.
8.7 Determining The Feast Days.
Once the blank calendar chart is filled in for the whole year,
we then count to the Almighty's Feast and Fast days as follows:
Notes:
1) The Passover Service (communion) is held in the evening which
begins the week of Unleavened Bread. This week is often referred
to as the Passover week.
2) If the 50 day count to Pentecost is made from the 'morrow
after' the weekly Sabbath, then Pentecost will always
fall on a Sunday.
Yahweh's Feasts are sacred days on which no work should be
done. They are eternal memorials of man's salvation which
is made possible by Yeshua's sacrifice on Calvary. Failure
to observe the Almighty's festivals is a serious sin. For further
information see The Feast Days of the God of Israel.
How may a religious organization check to see if the pre-printed calendar it uses is correct?
"We find that the moon really is new over Jerusalem each month by your calendar and is off as much as two days by the Jewish calendar. Therefore we wish to publish the truth - and we simply need a list of the moonrise after conjunction at Jerusalem. Brother Loughran just list them so that we can take the list straight to the printers."
To SBS this was valuable confirmation that, as far as a pre-printed
calendar is concerned, the method we are using is reliable.
We now invite any believer or group of believers in Jerusalem
to check out the calendar SBS publishes against first sightings
of the new moon with the naked eye. Please telephone SBS Scotland
at 44-01560-483524 if you find that the starting date of
the festival months of Abib or Ethanim as shown at Appendix
A are incorrect.
The alternative to publishing a calendar in advance, is to post a lookout group at Jerusalem who would announce to the world - month by month - when the new moon is seen. This is still the best method of ensuring the correct starting dates of months. But we do not know of any group which does this on a monthly basis. To our knowledge they all publish their calendars and festival dates many months in advance; so they must all be using calculations of some sort.
Note: Many believers become polarized about the matter of keeping the correct Feast days. It is, of course, very important: and that is why SBS makes such an effort to get it right. But let no one forget that the Great Feasts (the realities to which the current feasts merely point) will be miraculously highlighted by signs in the sun, moon and stars! We will not then be dependant upon computer printout, or the knowledge and skill of leaders feverishly arguing amongst themselves as to who is correct. In the near future the sun and moon will clearly mark out the correct feasts, sacred seasons or sabbatical year just as they did when the Saviour hung on the cross. On that occasion the sun went out for three hours. That was no eclipse by any means; for an eclipse only lasts a few minutes. When the sun went out on that memorable day, even the Roman soldiers were staggered into saying "Truly this is the Son of God!" It will be the same in the near future; the promised signs in the sun, moon and stars will mark out the sacred times for all to see.
Having said that, it still behoves true believers to attend the sacred Feasts; because the Almighty God of Israel may well, as on that memorable Day of Pentecost long ago, have some extra ordinary gifts to bestow on His obedient people;
Where does Faith in God come into this matter of keeping Feast days?
OBEDIENCE, on the other hand, is faith in action. Obedience is the fruit of faith. Obedience is practical righteousness. It is speaking the truth and doing good works. Obedience is following in the footsteps of the Almighty and His Son. Obedience is the visible expression of our love for the Most High. Obedience is the best and, perhaps, the only tangible evidence that our faith is alive. Obedience is living faith! Without obedience all professions of faith are nothing but self-deluding presumption; because where there is no obedience there really is no faith.
The Bible says:
| James 2:26 | For as the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without works is dead also. |
The Saviour doesn't only save us from the consequences of our past sins; he also annihilates from within us the tendency to sin in the future. That is the Saviour's ultimate objective, to save us from our sins - past, present and future; to annihilate within us the tendency to sin in the future. In other words, he came to make us obedient.
| Rom.8:3 | For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. |
Believers accept the Saviour by faith. Countless millions of Gospel tracts echo this basic truth about salvation. But having accepted salvation through faith doesn't mean we can thereafter blatantly disobey God, by breaking the very commandments that define sin and classify us as sinners in the first place. That would make a mockery of salvation. That would make Yahweh's people the laughing stock of every evil angel in the universe. It would prove how ineffective the Saviour's efforts have been to save his people from their tendency to sin. Instead we believers should express our faith by keeping the Almighty's commandments, by being obedient, by not sinning in the future.
The Bible says:
| 1 John 2:3: | And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. |
Put another way, we may say that faith and obedience are two sides of the same spiritual coin. If either is missing the coin is worthless. Consequently to the two most important questions ever asked:
these two vital answers are given; each spelling out the same eternal truth in two different ways. Here are the two answers:
PAUL said:
| Acts 16:30: | And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. |
| Matt.19:16: | And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good
Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none
good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments. |
As you can see there really is no conflict between Paul and
Jesus, between faith and obedience; any more than there are
two roads to salvation or eternal life. Both Paul and Jesus
are saying the same thing in different ways. Paul speaks of
faith, that invisible action of the mind. Jesus speaks of obedience,
the visible actions that reflect what is in the mind. The Apostle James says the same thing in yet another way.
He wrote
| James 2:20 | But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? |
In short, Obedience is faith in action, living faith! You cannot have one without the other. Both are absolutely essential if you want to please God. That is what the Bible teaches. Dare we say anything different!
| Conjunction Times in ET | First Moonrise after conjunction in Jerusalem Standard Time | Next Moonset.
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| Conjunction Times in ET | First Moonrise after conjunction in Jerusalem Standard Time | Next Moonset.
A likely first sighting should occur this evening | FIRST DAY of the month | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1st Abib was 14th March. This was a Monday. So the calendar for Abib in 1994 appeared like this: The 2 highlighted days are Feasts. |
First Month, Abib 1994
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1st Zif was a Tuesday. This left Abib with only 29 days. Had Zif started on a Wednesday, Abib would have had 30 days. |
Second Month, Zif 1994
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| Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May 1988 to 7 Sep. 1994 | 1 June 1998 to 16 Sep. 2004 | 22 May 1999 to 6 Sep. 2005 | ||||||
| Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days |
| 1988 | May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 10 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
1998 | May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
1999 | May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 10 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
| 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
224 365 365 365 366 365 31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 7 |
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
214 365 366 365 365 365 31 29 31 30 31 30 31 31 16 |
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
224 366 365 365 365 366 31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 6 |
| Total | 2300 | Total | 2300 | Total | 2300 | |||
| Example 4 | Example 5 | Example 6 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep. 1993 to 13 May 1997 | 26 Sep. 1995 to 22 May 1999 | 22 Sep. 1998 to 18 May 2002 | ||||||
| Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days |
| 1993 | Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 14 31 30 31 |
1995 | Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 5 31 30 31 |
1998 | Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 9 31 30 31 |
| 1994 1995 1996 1997 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May |
106 365 365 366 31 28 31 30 13 |
1996 1997 1998 1999 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May |
97 366 365 365 31 28 31 30 22 |
1999 2000 2001 2002 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May |
101 365 366 365 31 28 31 30 18 |
| Total | 1335 | Total | 1335 | Total | 1335 | |||
| Example 7 | Example 8 | Example 9 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 March 1997 to 9 Sep. 2000 | 18 April 1998 to 28 Sep. 2001 | 4 April 2002 to 14 Sep. 2005 | ||||||
| Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days |
| 1997 | Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 2 30 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
1998 | Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 13 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
2002 | Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 27 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
| 1998 1999 2000 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
277 365 365 31 29 31 30 31 30 31 31 9 |
1999 2000 2001 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
258 365 366 31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 28 |
2003 2004 2005 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
272 365 366 31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 14 |
| Total | 1260 | Total | 1260 | Total | 1260 | |||
| Example 10 | Example 11 | Example 12 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 1993 to 5 Oct. 1996 | 14 March 1994 to 24 Sep. 1997 | 21 March 1996 to 2 Oct. 1999 | ||||||
| Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days | Year | Month | Days |
| 1993 | Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 6 30 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
1994 | Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 17 30 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
1996 | Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. | 10 30 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31 |
| 1994 1995 1996 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. |
281 365 365 31 29 31 30 31 30 31 31 30 5 |
1995 1996 1997 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. |
292 365 366 31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 24 |
1997 1998 1999 |
Total Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. |
285 365 365 31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 30 2 |
| Total | 1290 | Total | 1290 | Total | 1290 | |||
Now let us very briefly consider those prophecies. The first question that comes to mind is: When do those Time Prophecies occur? The answer is: they occur at the 'in the time of the end, a period of time which starts about seven years before the Saviour returns to earth. The Time Prophecies being referred to will occur, we are told, at the crisis at the end of this age; the 'time of the end. When that soon-coming crisis begins, and it is almost upon us, the following events are predicted to occur: