How to Know When Yahweh's Calendar Starts

 Nowadays we follow the roman calendar. This calendar starts on 1 January. And it is custome to celebrate new year on 1 January. It's a calendar made by men.

In the tradition of Israel are 4 new years celebrated. We only celebrate 2 new years. One of the world and one of Yahweh. The new year of the world is ofcourse 1 January. 

I am going to tell more about the first day of the calendar of Yahweh. Especially about how we know when it is the first day of Yahweh's calendar? In the Bible this day has the name 1 Abib. In the Hebrew calendar that we use nowadays is called 1 Nissan. 

We're going to read:

Exodus 12:1-2

Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 

It is the month that Yahweh liberated His people out of Egypt. This is the first month of the year. The Hebrew name for the first day of this month is Rosh Hashanah. This means head of the year. In English we say New Year. We choose to celebrate New Year on 1 Nissan because we want to obey Yahweh.

But we're doing it differently then the Israelites. They're celebrating Rosh Hashanah in the seventh month. Yahweh's calendar is the religious calendar from the Israelites, used for the festivals and the counting of the years that the kings reigned. They celebrate Rosh Hashanah in their own calendar of the world. It's the start of the preparation of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the day that they ask forgiveness for the sins as nation. Because when the Messiah comes back the world will be judged in this month. Or they will live in the Kingdom or they will go to hell. This is so important for them that they choose to celebrate the Rosh Hashanah of this calendar of the world. 

We're now going to read Leviticus chapter 23:

Leviticus 23:4-6

‘These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 

We skip some verses about how the feast of unleavened bread is celebrated and continue in:

Leviticus 23:9-11

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 

In the first month we celebrate Passover, the feast of the unleavened bread and we celebrate the First Fruits. The first fruits of the grain harvest has to be offered on the day of the first fruits. Because of this offering the first month can not begin unless the grain has reached a stage where it will be harvest-ready 2 or 3 weeks later. The grain that is ready to be harvested in this month is barley. And the new year starts 2 or 3 weeks before the barley will be ripe enough to be eaten. 

A new month always start with a new moon. The Hebrew word for month is hodesh. This means new moon. All biblical months in the calendar of Yahweh begin with the appearance of the light in the darkness. The first bit of light that appears in the sky after new moon is the start of the new month. In Yeshua’s time there were observers of the moon. As soon as the saw the light they reported this to the Grand Sanhedrin that was seated in the temple. The Grand Sanhedrin is the Israelis high court. After 3 reports or testimonies the new month was officially declared by the Grand Sanhedrin. With blowing on the horns and fires on the mountains they let the people know that the new month started.

Observers were also checking the barley when three observers reported to the Grand Sanhedrin in the temple that the barley is in the right state to get harvest within 2 weeks the Grand Sanhedrin knew that they not only had to declare the new month but also the new year. 

In the 4th century CE, a wise man Hillel II foresaw the disbandment of the Sanhedrin, and understood that we would no longer be able to follow a Sanhedrin-based calendar. So Hillel and his rabbinical court established the perpetual calendar which is followed today. This calendar will remain in effect until Yeshua, the Messiah, will come and reestablish the Sanhedrin. This is also the calendar that we’re following for our celebrations.

Now you know how the first day of the year is found. It's the combination of the almost ripe barley and the new moon. And you also know that their is no official declaration anymore of the new years and new months because there's no Sanhedrin anymore. Luckily the last Sanhedrin made a calendar for us that we can use instead. 

There are several groups that do their own observations. I decided not to do like them because this brings confusion and disorder. And order has to be maintained. These groups celebrate the festivals on different times because they're not agreeing with eachother. This is not good for the unity that we suppose to have. I want to bring unity. That's why I choose for the calendar from the last Sanhedrin.