Whose Calendar | The Wilderness Cry

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Whose
Calendar?

Yehovah Elohim's Fall Feast dates for 2024

The new moon that calculates Yehovah's Fall Feasts, called the High Holy Days, was sighted at sunset, October 4, 2024. For many years I have been following Yehovah Elohim's Divine calendar, and while doing so, I came to realize that the predicted dates don't often align with the actual verified new moon sightings. The calendars that are printed from year to year, will sometimes indicate Biblical holy days that coincide with the Gregorian dates. For example, Pesah (Passover), which occurs on the 14th day of the Hebrew month Aviv (also called Nisan); could be April 22 on a Gregorian calendar.

This year (2024) has been a prime example of the discrepancy between the proposed dates, and the new moon sightings. According to most printed calendars, the 7th Hebrew month called Tishri, began at sundown on October 2. However, the new moon was not sighted until October 4, which means that Yehovah Elohim's Feast Days occured two days later than indicated on the predicted calendar.

The Word of Elohim declares that from year to year, three specific Feast's (The High Holy Days) occur during the month of Tishri. Yom Teru'ah occurs precisely on the first of the month, Yom Kippur begins on the 10th day of the month, and Sukkot begins at sunset on the 15th.

With the sighting of the New Moon announcing the 7th Hebrew month of Tishri; the Feasts of Elohim as dictated in scripture coincided with the following dates on the Gregorian calendar.

Yom Teru'ah - The Day of Trumpets - began at sunset October 4, 2024
Yom Kippur - The Day of Attonement - began at sunset October 13, 2024
The First Day of Sukkot began at sunset on October 18th, and the last Day of Sukkot began at sunset on October 25th.

Yehovah Elohim's Calendar

I penned the latter half of this in 2017, but questions surrounding the High Holy Days in 2021 made it necessary for me to revisit the topic. The circumstances have surfaced again this year (2024), so it seemed appropriate to address them once more. Some of the information may be redundant, but I believe it bears repeating.

For those unfamiliar with my writings, I prefer to use the actual Hebrew names of persons, books of the Bible, and individual scriptures. However, I do my best to reference the names for people and passages that most readers are familiar with. Such as using the name Yohanan, for John.

Just what month is it?

There was a discrepancy as to when the 7th Hebrew month of Tishri began in 2021. More than a few sources and so-called authorities claimed that it began at sundown on September 6th of that year. But to truly calculate the beginning of the 7th month, it was necessary to discover when the year on Elohim's calender, really began. A new moon was spotted on Sunday, March 14th, 2021.1 This was the day that began the Hebrew year.

The new moon of the first Hebrew month is used to calculate all of the following months. Get that one date wrong, and the whole calendar is off for the entire year. It would be as consequential as calling December 1st New Years Day.

This is important because the first Hebrew month called Abib, or the alternate spelling of Aviv; happens at the New Moon AFTER the spring (vernal) equinox. The vernal equinox can occur anywhere between March 19th and March 21st; but most consistently falls on March 20th. Calling the new moon that occurred on March 14th “the first month”, would have placed it in winter, not the spring. This would have disrupted the timing of Pesah (Passover), and all other Biblical Feast Day's for the entire year on Yehovah Elohim's calendar.

There are scriptural references to prove the point that the first of Aviv must take place in the Spring. One is the lamb used for the sacrifice of the Pesah.

“Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year-old male. Take it from

the sheep or from the goats.” Shemoth (Exodus) 12:5

Lambs are typically born in the Spring. Since the command was to use one a year old; it wouldn’t have reached the needed maturity, so soon after the equinox on March 20th. Pesah was claimed to have begun on the evening of March 27th, 2021. However, the actual new moon was not sighted until April 13th of that year. This meant that Pesah began at sundown on April 26, 2021.

When Yehovah delivered the Yisra’elites from the slavery of Pharaoh, He gave them this Command.

“And they shall eat the flesh (of the Pesah Lamb) on the

night, roasted in fire – with unleavened bread and with

bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Shemoth 12:8

Yehovah Elohim instructed the Yisra’elites to commemorate their deliverance every year on a specific day - the 14th of Aviv.

"In the first new moon, on the fourteenth day of the new

moon, between the evenings, is the Pesah to יְחוׇֹח"

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:5

Immediately following Pesah are the 7 Days known as the Festival of Mazot (Feast of Unleavened Bread).

“Guard the Festival of Mazot. For seven days you eat

unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed

time of the new moon of [Aviv], because in the new moon

of [Aviv] you came out from Mitsrayim (Egypt).”

Shemoth 34:18

Barley is necessary for the unleavened bread, and the Aviv barley harvest is also an indicator for WHEN Pesah is to take place.

“Speak the children of Yisra’el, and you shall say to them,

‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, and you

shall reap it’s harvest, then you bring a sheaf of the first-fruits

of your harvest to the priest.” Wayyiqra 23:10

"The Biblical year begins with the first New Moon after the barley

in Israel reaches the stage in its ripeness called Aviv…If the barley

is still immature, we must wait another month and then check the

barley again at the end of the 13th month."2 (emphasis mine)

On March 15th of 2021, a search was made to discover if the barley had reached enough development necessary for the Festival of Matzot.

"On this Aviv search, we saw a lot of barley still in that grass-like stage,

a lot in the flowering stage, and a lot in the cotton stage. We also found

some in what we call the worm stage, that's when the water content is so

high that when we squeeze the seed, the kernal shoots out and it feels like

a slimy worm...even if you think we only need an Omer* of Aviv barley

by Yom HaNafat HaOmer (the Day of Waving the Sheaf), it should be

noted that we didn't find even close to that."3

*Approximately 0.61 US gallons

Because the typical Hebrew calendar consists of 355 days (not 365 like a Gregorian calendar) every few years an extra month is added to correct for the changing of the seasons. It’s the same principal as to why an extra day is added every four years to February. If you do simple math, without this added month called Aviv II (a leap year), it would not take long before Spring would “begin” in the dead of Winter.

So, what are we to conclude from this? Given the scriptural and empirical evidence the first day of the 7th month did NOT begin on September 6th as proclaimed. The first day of the 7th month began on October 7 of 2021.

Because many relied on the predicted calendar for the first of Aviv, the error placed the beginning of the fall Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) on September 20th. This was BEFORE the Fall Equinox, which occured on September 22. Causing Sukkot to begin in summer, not the fall.

Why it Matters – Yehovah Elohim’s Divine Timetable

Long before we had calendars that hang on our walls; Elohim set the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky; so man could comprehend and understand His Divine Clock.

"And Elohim said, 'Let lights come to be in the expanse of

the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them

be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years...'"

Bereshith (Genesis) 1:14

Appointed time in Hebrew is mo'ad, which translates feast in English.4 The moon is critical to understanding Yehovah Elohim's measure of time for man; as to when His festivals or feasts, are to be honored.

"He made the moon for appointed times..."

Tehillim (Psalms) 104:19

Because Elohim’s calendar is lunar-solar, it is different from our modern purely solar calendar established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Unlike the modern tracking of time where the "day" begins at midnight for the entire year, the "day" for Elohim’s timetable begins at sundown.

"And Elohim called the light 'day' and the darkness He

called 'night'. And there came to be evening (first) and there

came to be morning (next) one day." Bereshith 1:3

The start of the day according to the Divine Clock is fluid. This is because there are either more hours of daylight, or longer hours of darkness, depending on the seasons. The exception to this is the two days during the year when the hours of day and night are for the most part equal – the spring and fall equinoxes.

Every year for those that follow the Feasts as described in the Word of Elohim, questions sometimes arise as to WHEN to honor these Holy Days. If we use the example of Pesah (Passover) for instance, the day is plainly set forth.

"And ייְחוׇֹח spoke to Mosheh in the Wilderness of Sinai,

in the first new moon of the second year after they had

come out of the land of Mitsrayim , saying, 'Now, let the

children of Yisra’el perform the Pesah at its appointed time.

On the fourteenth day of this new moon, between the

evenings, perform it at its appointed time.'"

Bemnidbar (Numbers) 9:1-3

We know from the account in Shemoth that when Yehovah instituted Pesah, that was the first month of the Hebrew year.

"And Mosheh (Moses) said to the people, 'Remember this day

in which you went out of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.

For by strength of hand יְחוׇֹח brought you out of this place,

and whatever is leavened shall not be eaten. Today you

are going out in the new moon [Aviv]." Shemoth 13:3-4

New moon day (the first day of the month) is very important to Yehovah Elohim, for He commanded:

"Thus said the Master יְחוׇֹח, 'The gate of the inner

courtyard facing east is shut the six days of work,

but on the sabbath (seventh day) it is opened, and on

the day of the new moon it is opened."

Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 46:1

Historically in ancient Yisra'el as the new moon approached, as evidenced by the waning moon or when there was no moon to see; watchers or witnesses would start scanning the early evening sky for the first sliver of the new moon. If witnesses reported to the Temple that the new moon was spotted, a blast from the shofar (a rams horn) would announce the beginning new month.

"Blow a [shofar] in the New Moon, in the covering for

the day of our festival." Tehillim 81:3

The Torah and Tanak (Old Testament); and the Messianic (New Testament) Scriptures, are full of examples of the necessity of the confirmation from at least two witnesses.

"At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of

three witnesses a matter is established."

Debarim (Deuteronomy) 19:15b

"...by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word

might be established". Mattithyahu (Matthew) 18:16

Because the appointed times are based on the orbit of the moon, the corresponding dates compared to the Gregorian calendar could, and often vary, from year to year.

Here are just a few recent examples:

In 2016 the Aviv New Moon was sighted on April 10th.
In 2018 the Aviv New Moon was sighted on April 17th.
In 2020 the Aviv New Moon was sighted on March 25th.

Going by the dates of the Gregorian calendar, over the course of just four years; there was a difference of 23 days for when Pesah was to be celebrated. The common factor is that all Aviv New Moons were sighted AFTER the vernal equinox.

But if we allow scripture to define scripture, how this discrepancy happened is very clear. There are certain criteria surrounding Pesah that the Hebrews were commanded to follow, all of which were based on the new moon of the first month. Even though the first day of the Hebrew month varies over time when compared to the dates of the Gregorian calendar; the spring and winter equinoxes are keystones that happen on virtually the same date year after year. From 2019 through 2024, the vernal equinox occurred every March 20th.

Referencing Bereshith 1:14 again, without the Earth’s rotation around the sun the whole timetable would fall apart.

"And Elohim said, 'Let lights come to be in the expanse of

the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them

be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years...'"

Until the Spring equinox occurs it is considered Winter, and since Pesah is the first spring feast, it can only happen at the sighting of the new moon AFTER the Spring Equinox. The children of Yisra'el departed Mitsrayim (Egypt) on the first day of the new year, after they had spent the night eating the Pesah lamb.

"Today you are going out, in the new moon

Abib (Aviv)." Shemoth 13:4

The first time I needed to address the discrepancy between the predicted calendar and actual new moon sightings was in 2017. As previously noted, part of the evidence of the arrival of Spring in Yisra'el, is that the Aviv barley crop is ready for harvest. According to the Renewed Moon website, Aviv barley was verified on March 28, 2017.

"Two sources in Israel have reported Aviv Barley in amounts

that are sufficient to declare the upcoming new moon as the

start of the new year on the Hebrew calendar."5

The predicted calendar for 2017 had Pesah starting at sundown, April 10th. However, the new moon sighting and the barley report, placed the Pesah beginning at sundown on April 11th.

Currently, most people use the modern Gregorian calendar to start the numbering of the year from January 1 through December 31. However, according to Yehovah Elohim's calendar, the first new moon of Aviv 1, is the anchor used to establish when the year begins. Every subsequent month begins when a new moon is seen.

With the Word of Elohim as their guide, the Children of Yisra’el would use the new moons to determine when the first day of Tishri would begin.

"Speak to the children of Yisra'el, saying, 'In the seventh

new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you have a rest,

a remembrance of Teru'ah, a set apart gathering.'"

Wayyiqra 23:24

The Children of Yisra'el were not to start marking days for the year until the Aviv New Moon was sighted. Every subsequent new moon was the beginning of the next month. Since Yehovah Elohim controls the sun, moon, stars, and even the clouds; He determines WHEN the new moon will be in place, and visible.

Rosh Hashana or Yom Teru'ah?

The modern term for the first day of the seventh month is called "Rosh Hashana", however this moniker does not appear anywhere in scripture. Even the name itself is suspect. Rosh Hashana is called the Jewish New Year, however, this only applies to Aviv 1.

"This new moon (of Aviv) is the beginning of new moons for

you, it is the first new moon of the year for you."

Shemoth 12:2

Historically and scripturally, the first of Tishri is known as "Yom Teru'ah", the day of "soundings or of the blowing of trumpets". The name Rosh Hashanah is taken from the civil calendar of Yisra'el, NOT from Elohim's Divine timetable.

“Today few people remember the biblical name of Yom Teru'ah

and instead it is widely known as 'Rosh Hashanah' which literally

means 'head of the year' and hence also 'New Years'. The

transformation of Yom Teru’ah into Rosh Hashanah is the result

of pagan Babylonian influence upon the Jewish nation.”6

According to the Rabbinical calendar, there are TWO days dedicated to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. However, superimposing the new name over Yom Teru’ah, reveals how the traditions of man have violated the Command of Elohim!

"Forsaking the command of Elohim, you hold fast the

tradition of men." Marqos (Mark) 7:8

"Speak to the children of Yisra'el, saying, 'In the seventh

new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you have

a rest, a remembrance of Teru'ah, a set apart gathering."

Wayyiqra 23:24 (emphasis mine)

This was not a mere suggestion, nor is any leeway given by Yehovah Elohim as to when Yom Teru'ah is to be observed. It was a commandment given to the Children of Yisra’el.

“And now Yisra’el, what is יְחוׇֹח your Elohim asking of you,

but to fear יְחוׇֹח your Elohim, to walk in all his ways and to

love Him, and to serve יְחוׇֹח your Elohim with all your heart

and all your being, to guard the commands of יְחוׇֹח and His

laws which I command you today for your good?”

Dabarim 10:12-13 (emphasis mine)

This same attitude was later emphasized by Messiah Yeshua to His disciples.

“If you guard my commands, you shall stay in my love,

even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and

stay in His love.” Yohanan (John) 15:10

Where are we given any latitude to change or add to the Commandments of Elohim?

“For this is the love of Elohim, that we guard His commands,

and His commands are not heavy (burdensome).”

Yohanan Aleph (1 John) 5:3

The reasoning for allowing two days to celebrate the falsely named "Rosh Hashana", was allegedly based on the slowness of communication in times past. Re-naming Yom Teru'ah to the secular Rosh Hashana, helped speed the decline of adhering to the Word of Elohim. Encouraging people to follow the commands and traditions of man.

"...the holiday was regularly celebrated over two days because of the uncertainty of predicting which day the sighting of the new moon

- which signaled the start of the new month - would be announced by

the Sanhedrin, the central Jewish religious court. Because it took time

for news of the Sanhedrin’s announcements to travel and observant

Jews needed to avoid even accidental work on the festival day, the

two-day Rosh Hashanah observance began as a safeguard."7

This is a tradition invented by religious leaders, to control the people, that has lasted for almost two thousand years. Unless the Sanhedrin DECLARED the beginning of the New Month, it did not begin. But was it ever necessary? Before the advent of instant communication, anyone could investigate the evening sky and see if the first sliver of the moon was evident to herald the start of the new month.

Yehovah commanded Yom Teru'ah to be celebrated on the FIRST DAY of month - NOT the second.

"I am יְחוׇֹח, I shall not change..." Mal'aki (Malachi) 3:6

It was the traditions of man that caused the Children of Yisra'el, and subsequently the Followers of Messiah Yeshua; to forsake the Command of Yehovah Elohim.

"If his sons forsake My Torah and do not walk in My right-rulings,

if they profane My [statutes] and do not guard My commands,

then I shall visit their transgression with the rod, and their crookedness with flogging." Tehillim 89:30-32

This tradition was unnecessary when it was started, but in our high-speed world of instant global communication it is even more so.

The web site When is the New Moon https://whenisthenewmoon.com posts witness accounts, accompanied with pictures of new moon sightings every month.

Yehovah Elohim detailed His chosen Holy Days in His Word. They can be found written in Shemoth (Exodus) and Wayyiqra (Leviticus); as well as other books and passages of scripture. I have chosen to leave out Purim and Hanukkah from the following list. Although they are traditions and celebrated, there are no direct commands from Yehovah Elohim to honor them.

Spring Feasts

Pesah (Passover):

"And you shall guard this word as a [statute] for you

and your sons, forever." Shemoth 12:24 (emphasis mine)

Festival of Matzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread):

"And you shall guard this day throughout your generations,

an everlasting [statute]." Shemoth 12:17 (emphasis mine)

Shavot (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost):

"The Festival of the Harvest, the first-fruits of your labours

which you have sown in the field..." Shemoth 23:16a

Fall Feasts

Yom Teru'ah (Feast of trumpets or soundings):

"Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, 'In the seventh new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you have a rest, a remembrance of Teru‛ah.'" Wayyiqra 23:23

Yom Kippurim, also known as Yom Kippur (Day of Attomement):

"On the tenth day of this seventh new moon is Yom haKippurim.

It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict

your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to יְחוׇֹח.

And you do no work on that same day, for it is Yom Kippurim,

to make atonement for you before יְחוׇֹח your Elohim."

Wayyiqra 23:27-28

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles):

"And you shall celebrate it as a Festival to יְחוׇֹח for seven days

in the year - a [statute] forever in your generations. Celebrate

it in the seventh new moon." Wayyiqra 23:41 (emphasis mine)

I would encourage everyone that took the time to read this, to please prayerfully consider what I have written. Do not take my word for it, do your own investigation. Are you truly following Elohim’s Divine Calendar based on the Bible; or a man-made idea?

In obedience to Yeshua ha’Mashiach,

Stewart Hoskinson

End Notes

When Is the New Moon website; https://whenisthenewmoon.com/thirteenth-new-moon-report/
Aviv Barley in the Biblical Calendar, Nehemia Gordon, Feb. 24th 2016 https://www.nehemiaswall.com/aviv-barley-in-the-biblical-calendar
Aviv Report #2, 15 March 2020; Devorah’s Date Tree; Devorah Gordon; https://mailchi.mp/56d95e31cf49/aviv-report-2-15-march-2020
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance - H4150
2017 Aviv Barley Found in Israel, https://yahushuareturns.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/2017-aviv-barley-found-in-israel/
“Yom Teruah, How the Day of Shouting Became Rosh haShanna”; Nehemia Gordon; http://www.hethathasanear.com/Yom_Teruah.pdf
“Why does Rosh Hasanna Last for Two Days?”, Nate Barksdale, The History Channel Online, https://www.history.com/news/why-does-rosh-hashanah-last-for-two-days, Sept. 24, 2014, Updated Aug. 31,

Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures on The Wilderness Cry taken from:

AMP - The Amplified Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan;

KJV - King James Version, public domain

GHE - Greek, Hebrew, English Interlinear Bible,

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*Approximately 0.61 US gallons