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Sunday, March 24, 2013

God's Calendar

Some Basic Calendar Facts:

  • 46 BC Julius Caesar created a calendar known as the Julian Calendar (went into effect in 45 BC), but it had a flaw and was later corrected by Pope Gregory XIII.
  • 1582 AD The Gregorian Calendar was created by Pope Gregory about 1600 years after the Julian Calendar and fixed the Julian Calendar by:
    • Chopping off 10 days;
    • Dropping the leap years in every double decimal year so as not to have to drop 10 additional days at a later time;
    • Leap Years dropped in 1700/1800/1900/but was not dropped in 2000 (for example) because it was caught up at that time (and adhered to the mathematical formula which determines which of those divisible years have a leap year).

Solar Calendar / God's Calendar:

Even though the Gregorian (western, most common) Calendar purports to be a solar calendar it is not fully a solar calendar as its determination of some date(s) such as Passover/Easter is the lunar cycle.  The Lunar Calendar is very inaccurate and one of the reasons why Passover/Easter by its usage is at a different time each year.  By the Solar Calendar the Spring Equinox brings in the new year and then 14 days later at sundown is Passover each and every year. 

March 20/21st = Spring Equinox + 14 Days then at sunset = 15th Day of the New Year which is Passover (both the original Passover and the one in which Christ was crucified and we now celebrate)

The solar calendar is divided by 50's (days) with the 1st 50 days = Pentecost and so forth to the Feast of Tabernacles.  The seven 50s (7 Jubilees) = 350 days plus the 14 days from the spring equinox which makes it a full calendar year.  Day corrections were always made at the Feast of Tabernacles....if the sun didn't come through to the Holy of Holies, then a day was added (being the equivalent of our leap year).

One Full Year:  Spring Equinox = the first day of the New Year + 14 days = Passover.  Seven (7) groups of 50 Jubilees -- of which the third group of 50 = Feast of Trumpets + 10 days = Day of Atonement; then on the 15th (+5 days) = Feast of Tabernacles = Seven (7) days = Fall Equinox--

So when reading Scripture be aware that even though by our calendar January is the first month, the actual first month by God's Calendar is Abib (or Nisan) which correlates to our March/April.  Passover by God's Calendar is at the same time each and every year and can be easily calculated as outlined above.  Below is a breakdown (compliments of Appendix 51.5 of the Bullinger KJV Companion Bible) of the months (in order) and our corresponding months per our calendar and the festival they are connected (some are a few weeks off but is a good quick reference).  This will be helpful later when we discuss Christ's birth month versus His conception month as it is described in the Bible (yes, man's traditions has this messed up too).

Order      Name of Month             Our Month            Festival of Month            
   I.          Abib, or Nisan                 April              14th day = The Passover
  II.          Zif                                    May               16th day = Firstfruits of Barley Harvest
                                                                            14th day = 2nd Passover for those not at 1st
 III.          Sivan                                June             6th day = Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks
                                                                                              Firstfruits of Wheat/ground
  IV.         Thammuz                        July
   V.         Ab                                    August
  VI.         Elul                                  September
 VII.         Tisri, or Ethanim             October           1st day = Feast of Trumpets
                                                                               10th day = Day of Atonement
                                                                               15th day = Feast of Tabernacles
                                                                                                 Firstfruits of Wine/Oil
VIII.          Bul                                   November
  IX.         Chisleu                             December      25th day = Feast of Dedication
   X.         Tebeth                              January
  XI.         Shebat                              February
 XII.          Adar                                  March           14th/15th days = Feast of Purim

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