What if the Hebrew calendar IS the one that Jehovah goes by?
I always had this question as a kid that absolutely no one could explain to me. If the Bible said to keep the SEVENTH day (Saturday) as a day of rest…..why/how/when did “we” make the first day of the week, Sunday, a day of rest??? And at the age of 58….I STILL don’t “get”it. Ok, yes, I understand about the evolution of our calendar based on switching from moon to a sun based system, and from a sunset to a sunrise based system. But why?
We can look back in history and know that the Romans started this. They established the Julian calendar which we kept until the 15th century when we started the Gregorian calendar. That was Pope Paul III – once again, a Roman Catholic. It would take another 200 years for this calendar to be widely accepted and wasn’t introduced in Russia until 1918!!!
The Hebrews have always kept the same calendar, and it is based on the Torah which are the first 5 chapters of the Bible. Today’s calender is overlaid onto a Gregorian calendar so you can easily understand the dates.
They still KEEP the seventh day as a holy one, as a day of rest. It starts Friday at sunset and ends Saturday at sunset.
Here are the criteria for the Hebrew calendar – which I consider to be Jehovah’s calendar:
1. It was lunisolar –basedon the moon phase and the time of the solar year
a. 12 lunar months of 29 or 30 days each
b. Num 10:10 shows the importance of lunar months
2. Each month starts with a new moon
3. Each day starts at sunset
a. Genesis “there was evening and there was morning”
4. The next day starts at the next sunset
a. No time zones
b. No standard time deviations
5. There are 7 days in a week.
6. It was observational. The beginning of each month was determined by the high court based on testimony of witnesses who had observed a new crescent moon.
a. The timing is now done mathematically
7. There is an 11 day difference between 12 lunar months and 1 solar year, soothe Hebrew calendarisadjusted about every 2-3 years.
8. It starts with Adams birth.
Nisan (Aviv) 30 days
Lyar 29 days
Sivan 30 days
Tammuz 29 days
Av 30 days
Elul 29 days
Tishrei 30 days
Cheshvan 29 or 30 days
Kislev 29or 30 days
Tvet 29 days
Shevat 30 days
Adar 29 days
Leap year:
Adar 1 (30 days) added after Shevat and the regular Adar becomes Adar II
Days of the Week (each day begins at sunset the evening before)
Yom Rishon 1st day Sunday
Yom Sheni 2nd day Monday
Yom Shlishi 3rd day Tuesday
Yom Revi 4th day Wednesday
Yom Chamishi 5th day Thursday
Yom Shishi 6th day Friday
Yom Shabbat 7th Day Saturday – rest da
EX 13:4 Aviv (Nisan), Ex 12:2, is the first month of the year
EX 23:16: seasonofthe fall Festival of Booths is called the end of the year
Biblical references to months: (all are Canaanintenames)
Aviv: first month - spring-ripening of barley
Ex 12:2
Ex 13:4
Ex 23:15
Ex 34:18
Deut 16:1
Ziv second month- light
1Kings 6:1
1 Kings 6:37
Ethanim seventh month – strong
1 Kings8:2
Bul – eighth month
1 Kings 6:38
Because there were no calendars or clocks, they watched the skies to determinine which festival to keep. These are the 3 High Holy Days.
Pesach – Passover – 7 days with and 8th day – 15 Nisan
Lev 23:4 Passover begins on the 14th day of Nisan.
Lev 23:5 Feast of unleavened bread begins on the 15th and lasts 7 days
The first day is holy, no work is done
Shavuot – Feast of Weeks – 50 days after the day after Passover
Sukkot – Feast of Tabernacles – 7 day festival with 8th day – last great day of the year.
What if this is Jehovah’s calendar? If we study and learn this calendar, we can then understand events, times, places of the past….as well as prophecy in the future.
So, of course, in using a Gregorian calendar, the Roman Catholics can quite easily point out that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday.
1. This calendear did not exist when Jesus was here on earth.
2. Jesus was Jewish and would have observed a Hebrew calendar
a. He kept the Sabbath – Luke 4:16
3. On the Hebrew calendar, Jesus arose at sunset on 11 Nisan, Saturday. It was day 4 of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also the Feast of First Fruits began at 1 moment after sunset.
4.Remember that the term “dawn” of a “new day” would physically be at dusk on a Hebrew calendar as their day begins at sunset.
5. Jesus rose at “dawn” which was sunset on Saturday.
6. Anything that takes scripture and makes it read that Jesus rose on a Sunday morning thus becomes a deception –something that Jesus warned against.
Time and again, scripture tells us to keep the Sabbath. The seventh. Nowhere does it tell us to keep the first. And before you begin to quote scripture, re-read the above and look at that scripture from a Hebrew standpoint. After all. ALL of scripture was written by Hebrews, to them, about them. There was absolutely, positively, without question….not a single solitary church in existence at the time it was written!!!
Eight times scripture refers to the first day of the week:
1. Matthew 28:1: "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher."
In the consistent New Testament, this reads: But late of-the-Sabbaths, with-the getting-light-on with-reference-to day one, of-the-Sabbaths, Mary the Magdalene came and the other Mary to-observe the grave.
a. It was a Hebrew Sabbath – our Saturday. The consistent New Testament takes the meaning of the original Greek word and places it in scripture. So that Greek word literally meant “Sabbath”.
2. Mark 16:2: "And very early in the morning THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun."
CNT: And very early in-the-morning, of-the day one of-the Sabbaths they-are-coming upon the tomb, as the sun was having-risen.
a. Same as 1. A. above
3. Mark 16:9: "Now when Jesus was risen, early the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.
CNT: But having-stood-again in-the-morning on-first day of-the-Sabbath he-appeared first to-Mary the Magdalene, from who he-had cast-out seven little demons.
a. Once again, a Sabbath.
4. Luke 24:1: "Now UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing their spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
CNT: On-the-other-hand on-the day one of-the Sabbaths, of-deep daybreak, they-came upon the sepulcher, bringing spices which thet-prepared, and certain ones together-with them.
a. On a Sabbath
5. John 20:1. "THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher."
CNT: But on the day one of-the Sabbaths Mary the Magdalene is-coming in-the-morning, while being still dark, with-reference-to the tomb, and she-is-looking-at the stone having-en-and-still-removed out-of the tomb.
a. On a Sabbath.
6. John 20:19: "Then the same day at evening, being THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
CNT: Therefore as it was being evening on that day, namely-the day one of-the Sabbaths, and as the doors were having been-shut-and-still-shut were-in-which the disciples were having-been-and-still-were-gathered-together, because-of the fear of-the Jews, the Jesus came and stood into the midst, and he-is-saying to-them: Peace to-YOU..
a. On a Sabbath
7. Acts 20:7: "And upon THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together."
CNT: But in the first of-the Sabbaths, as we were having-been-and-still-were-gathered-together to-break bread, the Paul was-discoursing with-the, being-about to-be-being-out on-the next-day, and-additionally he-was-prolonging the word as-far-as midnight
a. On a Sabbath
8. 1 Corinthians 16:2: "Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.
CNT: According-to number one of-Sabbaths let each of-YOU be-putting beside himself, storing something which if he-might-be-being-prospered, in-order-that not at-the-time-that I-might-come, then, there-might-be-coming-to-pass collections.
a. Again – Sabbath
I also went to a Greek interlinear and while I do not know Greek....you can easily read that the word is "sabbath" in the Greek.
What if Greek word really does mean Sabbath – Saturday, which began right at sunset on Friday. Then we should not be observing it on a Sunday morning for sure!!!
Andif the Hebrew calendar is the one that Jesus Messiah observed while He was here on earth, then we should do no less than observe it ourselves!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
If the Magi were Rabbi, then the carols are all wrong!
What if
The magi was a rabbi?
I grew up believing that there were 3 wise men who came to see the baby Jesus. That it happened sometime between birth and age 3. That they had names. That they brought him Frankincense, Gold and Myrh. That they were dressed like kings. They wore crowns and robes, adorned with jewels. You’ve seen the pictures just like I did as a kid.
But I had so many questions about all that. How could 3 people get the attention of King Herod?
Did King Herod die before they arrived?
If you simply read Matthew, Chpt 2, there are all kinds of what-ifs.
“there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem”
1. where does it tell us there were just 3 of them?
2. How did “wise men” turn into “3 kings of Orient” in the hymn?
a. The Orient would be “south east” of Jerusalem!
3. They went to Jerusalem….Jesus was born in Bethlehem
“we have seen his star in the east…”
4. they came from the east. But they saw his star “in” the east?
“when Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him”
5. 3 men got the attention of the King and “all” Jerusalem. Remember, there were hundreds of thousands of Israelites in Jerusalem when Jesus Messiah was born – all there for the census and the Feast of Tabernacles.
“and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, til it came and stood over where the young child was”
6. the star MOVED! So why do all the Christmas pagaents have it stationary over the stable???
“and when they were come into the house”
7. how did the stable get turned into a house?
“Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee nto Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him”
Herod died less than a month after Jesus Messiah was born. So that means these wise men had to be there before then!
“he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt”
8. Why at night?
“and was there until the death of Herod”
9. So, were they in Egypt less than 30 days?
So many “what if’s”
1. What if the star first appeared when Jesus was conceived at Hanukkah, BCE5?
a. Plenty of time for the wise men to travel – a full 9 months
2. What if the wise men came from Babylon?
a. It is directly east of Jerusalem
b. It was a Jewish center
1) 600 years earlier, Hebrews took Babylon captive
2) more ethnic Hebrews were in Babylon alone, than in all of Israel
3)Babylon was a Rabbinical headquarters and had numerous Hebrew seminaries.
4) It was a magnet for devout and ethnic Hebrews
5) Babylon’s royal treasure house still possessed the objects looted from the Jerusalem temple more than 500 years earlier.
6) Babylon’s rabbis werethe source of Jerusalem’s new copies of the Holy scripture scrolls
7) Babylon had been the source of the Talmud
Remember, the prophecy was a long, forgotten, unanticipated one. At least 600 years old? Who would even know what a star in the sky was for? Only learned men, great scholars, men who studied the Hebrew scrolls would know this prophecy and be actively looking for it.
3. What if there were hundreds in the group? Dozens of Rabbis, Hebrew seminary students, devout and faithful Hebrews. Many already making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the High Holy days of Sukkot. Being devout Hebrews, they would have longed to go to Jerusalem forthis event.
4. What if they all (hundreds?) arrive in Jerusalem on the first night of Sukkot, the beginning of the 7 day long Feast of Tabernacles, the first night of which is an Annual High Sabbath, a High Holdy Day, in the fall of BCE4. October 4 on our calendar.
They arrive at the same time Joseph and Mary arrive….right at sundown.
Jesus Messiah is born a little later that night. In a temporary tabernacle, a sukkah and placed in a food crib (because he is the Bread of Life.
5. It is doubtful that 3 wise men would get the attention of King Herod. But hundreds and hundreds of Hebrew Rabbis and scholars, a unified mob….highly respected Babylonian Hebrew rabbis….all asking where the new born King was….yes, that might just get Herod’s attention!!! Plus the attention of ALL of Jerusalem!
6. What if scripture is true and the star really did move? It was a guiding light? It then stood still directly over the Messiah? It did not rise. It did not set. It did not move across the sky. It was not a comet, alignment of planets, etc. What if no one else saw it? Jesus Messiah only spoke to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, while the others heard a voice, but did not hear a meaningful conversation. What if it wasThe Angel of The Lord?
7. What if the group of Rabbis departed Jerusalem and arrived in Bethlehem (4 miles away) the very next evening after the Messiah’s birth? The “Pilgrimage” Sabbath had ended, many Hebrews had departed and lodgings were now available indoors, so the baby Jesus had been moved inside a house. What if Joseph took the family and departed forEgypt very late that same 2nd night and never returned to Bethlehem? From birth to departure, Jesus spent no more than 36 hours in Bethlehem.
8. What if Epiphany is simply a Roman Catholic myth?
9. What if Mary is NOT supposed to be worshiped? Scripture tells us that the wise men ONLY bowed to and worshiped the newborn Messiah!!! How did the Catholics evolve that into worshiping Mary?
10. What if Joseph took his family to the nearest part of Egypt? Just outside the reach of Herod. Perhaps to current day Gaza or Sinai? Not Cairo. Not the Nile River.
11. What if Jesus was circumcised on the 8th day – it is a special Sabbath. It would only make sense that a Hebrew King be circumcised and named on a Sabbath.
12. What if King Herod did die within 3 weeks of Jesus Messiah’s birth? We know that he died late October BCE4? Jesus returned from Egypt less than a month after His birth. They went to Nazareth, avoided Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
13. According to Hebrew law, a woman was unable to enter a temple until 40 days after birth. At that time she was ritually cleansed and eligible to enter the temple. He would have been presented at the Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem to officially record his birth and to dedicate Him to God.
14. What if you know the scriptures? Then you will come to know that Christmas carols are merely folklore based on Roman Catholic myths and fables. No 3 kings. No orient!
What if the Magi was a Rabbi?
The magi was a rabbi?
I grew up believing that there were 3 wise men who came to see the baby Jesus. That it happened sometime between birth and age 3. That they had names. That they brought him Frankincense, Gold and Myrh. That they were dressed like kings. They wore crowns and robes, adorned with jewels. You’ve seen the pictures just like I did as a kid.
But I had so many questions about all that. How could 3 people get the attention of King Herod?
Did King Herod die before they arrived?
If you simply read Matthew, Chpt 2, there are all kinds of what-ifs.
“there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem”
1. where does it tell us there were just 3 of them?
2. How did “wise men” turn into “3 kings of Orient” in the hymn?
a. The Orient would be “south east” of Jerusalem!
3. They went to Jerusalem….Jesus was born in Bethlehem
“we have seen his star in the east…”
4. they came from the east. But they saw his star “in” the east?
“when Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him”
5. 3 men got the attention of the King and “all” Jerusalem. Remember, there were hundreds of thousands of Israelites in Jerusalem when Jesus Messiah was born – all there for the census and the Feast of Tabernacles.
“and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, til it came and stood over where the young child was”
6. the star MOVED! So why do all the Christmas pagaents have it stationary over the stable???
“and when they were come into the house”
7. how did the stable get turned into a house?
“Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee nto Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him”
Herod died less than a month after Jesus Messiah was born. So that means these wise men had to be there before then!
“he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt”
8. Why at night?
“and was there until the death of Herod”
9. So, were they in Egypt less than 30 days?
So many “what if’s”
1. What if the star first appeared when Jesus was conceived at Hanukkah, BCE5?
a. Plenty of time for the wise men to travel – a full 9 months
2. What if the wise men came from Babylon?
a. It is directly east of Jerusalem
b. It was a Jewish center
1) 600 years earlier, Hebrews took Babylon captive
2) more ethnic Hebrews were in Babylon alone, than in all of Israel
3)Babylon was a Rabbinical headquarters and had numerous Hebrew seminaries.
4) It was a magnet for devout and ethnic Hebrews
5) Babylon’s royal treasure house still possessed the objects looted from the Jerusalem temple more than 500 years earlier.
6) Babylon’s rabbis werethe source of Jerusalem’s new copies of the Holy scripture scrolls
7) Babylon had been the source of the Talmud
Remember, the prophecy was a long, forgotten, unanticipated one. At least 600 years old? Who would even know what a star in the sky was for? Only learned men, great scholars, men who studied the Hebrew scrolls would know this prophecy and be actively looking for it.
3. What if there were hundreds in the group? Dozens of Rabbis, Hebrew seminary students, devout and faithful Hebrews. Many already making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the High Holy days of Sukkot. Being devout Hebrews, they would have longed to go to Jerusalem forthis event.
4. What if they all (hundreds?) arrive in Jerusalem on the first night of Sukkot, the beginning of the 7 day long Feast of Tabernacles, the first night of which is an Annual High Sabbath, a High Holdy Day, in the fall of BCE4. October 4 on our calendar.
They arrive at the same time Joseph and Mary arrive….right at sundown.
Jesus Messiah is born a little later that night. In a temporary tabernacle, a sukkah and placed in a food crib (because he is the Bread of Life.
5. It is doubtful that 3 wise men would get the attention of King Herod. But hundreds and hundreds of Hebrew Rabbis and scholars, a unified mob….highly respected Babylonian Hebrew rabbis….all asking where the new born King was….yes, that might just get Herod’s attention!!! Plus the attention of ALL of Jerusalem!
6. What if scripture is true and the star really did move? It was a guiding light? It then stood still directly over the Messiah? It did not rise. It did not set. It did not move across the sky. It was not a comet, alignment of planets, etc. What if no one else saw it? Jesus Messiah only spoke to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, while the others heard a voice, but did not hear a meaningful conversation. What if it wasThe Angel of The Lord?
7. What if the group of Rabbis departed Jerusalem and arrived in Bethlehem (4 miles away) the very next evening after the Messiah’s birth? The “Pilgrimage” Sabbath had ended, many Hebrews had departed and lodgings were now available indoors, so the baby Jesus had been moved inside a house. What if Joseph took the family and departed forEgypt very late that same 2nd night and never returned to Bethlehem? From birth to departure, Jesus spent no more than 36 hours in Bethlehem.
8. What if Epiphany is simply a Roman Catholic myth?
9. What if Mary is NOT supposed to be worshiped? Scripture tells us that the wise men ONLY bowed to and worshiped the newborn Messiah!!! How did the Catholics evolve that into worshiping Mary?
10. What if Joseph took his family to the nearest part of Egypt? Just outside the reach of Herod. Perhaps to current day Gaza or Sinai? Not Cairo. Not the Nile River.
11. What if Jesus was circumcised on the 8th day – it is a special Sabbath. It would only make sense that a Hebrew King be circumcised and named on a Sabbath.
12. What if King Herod did die within 3 weeks of Jesus Messiah’s birth? We know that he died late October BCE4? Jesus returned from Egypt less than a month after His birth. They went to Nazareth, avoided Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
13. According to Hebrew law, a woman was unable to enter a temple until 40 days after birth. At that time she was ritually cleansed and eligible to enter the temple. He would have been presented at the Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem to officially record his birth and to dedicate Him to God.
14. What if you know the scriptures? Then you will come to know that Christmas carols are merely folklore based on Roman Catholic myths and fables. No 3 kings. No orient!
What if the Magi was a Rabbi?
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