Paul the Poke

Genesis 1:14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years…

There are multiple purposes for these lights and they are stated clearly. One, the lights are to separate day and night. Two, they are signs. Three, they are time markers (seasons, holidays, appointments, days, and years).

…let them be for signs and for seasons…

The Hebrew word for “seasons” is mow`ed (singular); mow`edim (plural). It means: appointed place, appointed time, meeting; appointed time; sacred season, set feast, appointed season; appointed meeting; appointed sign or signal; tent of meeting (definition provided by Strong’s Concordance).

The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena. These three are independent of each other.

1) Rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day):

2) Revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month): The average time for the moon to revolve around the Earth is 29.5 days. A pure lunar calendar has a minimum of 354 days in a year.

3) Revolution of the Earth about the sun (a year): The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days. A pure solar calendar has 12.4 lunar months.

The Jewish calendar coordinates all three of these astronomical phenomena. It is based on moon cycles instead of sun cycles. “Leap months” are added to sync up with sun cycles. Prior to the 4^th century, the calendar was determined by observation. The calendar has been calculated mathematically since 4th century. Years are numbered from creation.

A Hebrew Year always contains 12 Hebrew months in a regular year or 13 Hebrew months in a leap year.

http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Calendar/calendar.html

The context of Exodus 12:2 is God giving Moses and Aaron directions prior to the first Passover and eventual exodus from Egypt. This is how and when God determined His New Year.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

The Biblical or Religious New Year begins at the moment of sunset at Jerusalem, on the evening of the first potentially visible crescent moon (Rosh Chodesh) beginning Day 1 of Month 1. The spring equinox is the demarcation point governing the solar cycle. A Biblical New Year can begin before or after the spring equinox.

Exodus 13:10 Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance (Unleavened Bread) at its appointed time from year to year. The first day of Unleavened Bread never occurs before the spring equinox. The rule of the equinox always places Day 15 (Feast of Unleavened Bread) of Month 1 on or after the spring equinox.

The first day of Unleavened Bread on Day 15 of Month 1 is the critical day for calculating a Hebrew Year. This ensures all three festivals take place within a single year as The LORD (Yahweh) specified.

Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.

http://www.torahcalendar.com/ORBITS.asp?HebrewDay=20&HebrewMonth=12&Year=2015

So when is the Biblical New Year? This year of 2016, there is disagreement.

Traditional Hebcal and secular thought has Nisan 1 occurring on sunset, Friday, April 8, 2016 (Gregorian).

The Hebrew Creation calendar has Nisan 1 occurring on sunset, Friday, March 10, 2016 (Gregorian).

Man cannot follow God’s directions when it comes to marking time. Our western Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. Discrepancy and confusion reigns.

What time is it?

Sun, moon, stars, heavenlies…God’s time piece.