Shalom Brothers and Sisters,
Many of you have been asking about why
lots of people are not in unity this year when
it comes to the dates of the Feast Days.
As you probably know the calendar issues
are not cut and dry and a lot of people have
different interpretations of how it works. I
will attempt to give you a quick overview of
the details of the calendar. If you have not
already done so, please view this video on
the calendar first, before reading the rest of
this answer.
http://whenisthenewmoon.com/the-
creators-calendar-hebrew-calendar/
The Jewish sages, during the time from
200AD to 600AD, changed from using the
sightings of the New Moon to using the
calculated calendar for the purposes of
convenience and worldwide ease of being
able to determine the new moon anywhere
in the world. This newer teaching of the
calendar was stated in the Talmud. Some
people stick to the Scriptures and determine
a new moon only by sighting it. Most of the
Jewish people follow the calculated new
moon calendar today.
The biblical way of sighting the “new moon”
is by looking for it around sunset at the
appointed time 29 days after the last new
moon. If you see the sliver of the new moon,
it is the new moon, the first day of the next
month. If you do not see the new moon, the
next day is the 30th day of that month and
the new moon or first day of the next month
is automatically declared for the evening of
the 30th. (There are only 29 or 30 days in each
Hebrew month, depending on the sighting
of the new moon).
The New Moon for this month is
first expected to be sighted on the evening
of September 6th, making the 7th the first
possible day of the next month; If it is not
sighted on the evening of the 6th, then the
evening of the 7th and day of the 8th will be
the declared first day of the next month.
(which is most likely to occur this month).
The next very important question is; now
which month is it? Simply put, the people
who go by the calculated New Moon date
believe that the September new moon is the
beginning of the 7th month (Tishri). Others
believe it is the beginning of the 6th month
(Elul). Why the difference? It has to do with
when the year is started. Some people
believe the New Year is declared by
calculation, some declare the new year
when the New Moon is sighted when the
barley is ripe. This year, they started the year
in March (2013), before spring, when the
New Moon was still in the winter. With this
March starting date, this September New
Moon became for them, the beginning of
the 7th month (Tishri) which will be still in
the summer. The question is, should the “new year”
start in the winter?
The other way of determining when the new
year starts is by using the sun, as described
in Genesis 1:14. It clearly states that Years
are to be determined using the Sun and
Moon. There is an event called the equinox
which is where the sun moves directly east
to west. It is the determining factor of when
it changes from being winter to being
spring. In order for the New Year to start, the
new moon must be after the spring equinox,
hence in the spring. In 2013, the first New
Moon after the spring equinox occurred in
April. With an April new moon being the
firstmonth of the Biblical New Year, the 7th
month would then be at the new moon
occurring in October in the fall.
Since we believe that according to the
Scriptures, the sun, moon and stars are to
determine the “days and the years”. it is my
understanding that for 2013, the first
expected New Moon date for the 6th month
(Elul) as stated above is the evening of
September 6th. If it is not sighted, the
evening of September 7th will be declared
the New Moon. The first expected sighting
of the New Moon for the 7th month (Tishri)
will be the evening of October 6th making
October 7th the first day of the month which
is also Yom Teruah (The Feast of Trumpets).
If it is not sighted, then the evening of the
7th and the 8th of October will be the
declared new moon and Yom Teruah (The
Feast of Trumpets).
I hope I have helped to answer your
questions. If you have any further questions,
please feel free to contact me. Either leave a
comment here on this post, or you can email
me AT:
sightings@whenisthenewmoon.com
Blessings,
Brother Mark Harris
17 comments
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Dear Brother Mark,
First I am grateful for finding your website as I am using your info for my website. I do have a question though, if you know hoe to use God’s calendar, why are you not doing His Sabbath on the rightful seventh day? This day would change every month as I have noticed by using your method. My family is now celebrating the Sabbath on every seventh day of God’s calendar. Also, this would bring in account for the differences on His holy holidays.
Thank you, Lucy St Onge
Author
Shalom Lucy!
I actually do keep the Seventh Day Sabbath! I know there are others that count from the New Moon and keep seven days from there, but I do not. I rest on the Seventh day every week as commanded in the scriptures no matter when the new moon is sighted. I only use the moon to determine the months and then of course the High Holy days. I am not sure where you might have gotten that idea from my stuff, but I do not teach that.
I hope this clears up any misunderstandings…
Brother Mark Harris
Shalom.
Thank you for posting this. I was looking for sites to verify the actual 7th moon sighting that will soon take place when I found your site. Perhaps my page on this will also be of some assistance.
http://www.thewildernesscry.net/its-just-a-question-of-when.html
Blessings.
When Sept 5/6 came and went I felt like I missed my wedding (Matthew 25). I wept like a baby then prayed and asked the Lord went went wrong. Have I just been hallucinating and delusional? I reminded the Lord of Jeremiah 33:3 and asked if he could help me make sense of this. I began to wonder if the grown-ups made a mistake with the projected calendar, or some tactical error with detecting the new moon. The biblical calendar of 360 days requires a 13th month every few years. That happens to be true in 2013, according to some scholars. Now the Feast of Trumpets will occur Oct 7/8 it would appear. I can hardly wait for this open door (Matt 25:6,10). This website was an answer to my prayers. Thanks Mark.
im asking humbly. When was the equinox? Also if the quinox isthe beginning of the new year does that mean that it also starts a new month in the same day or do you still go by the new moon.Pleasw email me detailed info about this subject i would like to know when the new year started this year and also how to count from then untill now to calculate the months and feast days. I was on track last year untill some things just got confusing for me. Shalim
Author
Shalom Jennifer,
I understand your confusion….The Equinox this year was March 20th 2013. Please do watch my video if you have not already as I think it will answer your questions….http://whenisthenewmoon.com/the-creators-calendar-hebrew-calendar/
As for the feast days, detailed instructions are given in Leviticus 23 of what days of what month they are to be kept. I will email you more details too!
Blessings!
Hey Mark, So glad to see someone else verifying exactly what I have been trying to tell people about the Creator’s Calendar for years! It’s so important that it is in the first book of the Bible and in the first chapter (rule of first mention). God made the celestial clock on the 4th day of creation. Now about those stars…..we talk and write with examples about the sun and the moon quite a bit, but very little reference to the stars, yet they are mentioned too. Jesus states there are 12 hours in a day (John 11:9). There happen to be 12 constellations that circle in the heavens and surround the sun. As the earth goes around the sun in orbit we can see what set of stars the sun is passing through at the horizon. Therefore this sun/star relationship enables us to see the vernal, or spring equinox. The sun at daybreak (before the stars have disappeared) can be seen as ascending into or among that constellation. Jeremiah 49:36 talks about the 4 quarters of heaven. Then Psalms 19:6 talks about the sun rising in one end of the heavens to the other, and the same Hebrew word is used for the word “quarter” back in Jeremiah 49:36 H7098. I can think of the 4 quarters being vernal equinox, fall equinox, winter solstice, and summer solstice.
Link of the Blue Letter Bible for 4 winds and quarters of heaven:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=four+heaven&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Have a blessed day and keep up the good work.
Author
That is GREAT to hear John! The stars is something I have not studied much of, but am very aware of it’s importance as it is included in the Genesis description of how to determine the times. This is something I am going to be looking more into…thanks for the info, as I think it will be helpful in farther studies of the Calendar. Abundant Blessings!
Dear Mark,
What about the barley? It is my understanding that the barley was abib early enough for the 1st month to begin at the new moon sighting in March. Is it your opinion that the equinox is more important than the ripeness of the barley; if so why?
Thank you,
Michael
Author
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your question!
I understand that there is much confusion about this whole subject, but it is my desire to make it clear and simple for everyone.
Some people believe that the bible commands the barley to be sighted in Israel or elsewhere. If so, who did Moses send to Jerusalem to determine the barley was ripe, when he was in Egypt during the plagues? And all those years in the wilderness, who went to Canaan to find the ripe barley?
We have no mention of any of the Israelite’s entering Canaan before the 12 spies were sent to scout it. And even if it was not in Israel only, were they growing barley in the wilderness? I do not think so, because that is why they needed the MANNA. It is very clear, that in Numbers 9, the second year they came out of Egypt, they kept the Passover. In order to do so, they would have had to determine the new year. There is no record of growing barley and no record of going to Canaan till Numbers 13 to spy out the land. While barley may have not been available, the sun is always available.
I believe the Equinox is really important, because it is clearly stated in Genesis 1:14 that the sun, moon and stars are for telling the times, the seasons the days and the YEARS. It does not talk about plants…It is really Simple!
Countless farmers have concluded that barely is 100% dependent on when you plant it. Plants can be manipulated to grow and be ripe whenever man wants. The sun cannot be manipulated by man.
We are putting together some comprehensive studies about these answers.
I hope what we have talked about here makes it pretty clear for you that it is not the barley.
May we all grow in YHWH’s knowledge and may we all find His Truth.
Rich Blessings,
Brother Mark Harris
Hi Mark,
A very good and thought provoking answer I must say; Thank you! This is indeed a confusing subject; I have gone back and forth on this for years. Please bear with me, as I am sincerely in search of the truth.
As to your point concerning Moses and the Israelites not growing barley in the wilderness and that, “while barley may have not been available, the sun is always available”. I agree with you but, I believe the point to be mute. I believe they got the when, where and how from YHWH, through Moses during that time…they needed neither the sun nor barley, they had YHWH!
When speaking of these things (Commands, feasts, etc.), YHWH says, “When you come into the land to which I bring you “, or something similar; Num 15, Deu 26, and many more. Seems to me that, they didn’t need to figure it out on their own until later.
Also, if you look at a year such as this one; if the barley was abib at the new moon sighting on March 14th and the equinox not until the 21st, resulting in a one month delay… We have an issue per Deu 16:9 of the grain being in peril for an additional month, because they can’t harvest until the wave offering is complete; and the wave offering coming long after harvest should begin.
Being very familiar with farming, I have to completely disagree with your statement “that barely is 100% dependent on when you plant it. Plants can be manipulated to grow and be ripe whenever man wants.”
Now a greenhouse will help you with that theory; but not for the calendar. Plants are dependent on the environment (climate, weather, etc.) they are subject to. Israel’s climate being very similar to where I am; I would say they can easily get two crops of barley…plant in the fall, harvest in the spring…plant in the spring, harvest in the fall.
Deu 16:9 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.
Deu 16:10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God…
This is why I struggle! I look forward to your thoughts.
Many Blessings,
Michael
Author
Hi Michael,
We are going to have a lot of information coming out on this subject soon, so rather than conversing back and forth here and repeating the whole thing, I am going to get my videos ready for everyone with similar questions. I hope you understand….
Many Blessings,
Brother
I do understand Mark and thank you! I look forward to watching them.
Many Blessings,
Michael
Many thanks and BRAVO Bro Mark for posting the ‘truth’ about the matter!!!
May this be the year!!!!! Shalom shalom!!
you say that the new moon will not be sighted until maybe the 7th and your website shows that it is 3% full right now the night of the 6th. it was 1% yesterday so why the discrepancy?
Author
Well, You cannot sight the moon when it is only 3% full with the naked eye. 3% is what it is tonight. Tomorrow night it will more likely be able to be sighted. Also, you have to count at least 29 days from the previous new moon, before you start looking for the moon. If the moon was not spotted you look for it the next evening. Tonight the moon was not able to be spotted. Some may be able with astronomical calculations and optical aid, but not with the naked eye. Two or more witnesses have to sight the moon in order to have it be valid. I hope this answers your question. Blessings!
very much so thank you!