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February 2025
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Jewish Data

The Jewish Months (And When They Usually Fall)
Nisan (March-April) It’s also known as the Month of Spring. Passover takes place in this month. 
Iyyar (April-May)
Sivan (May-June) Shavuot takes place in this month.
Tammuz (June-July)
Av (July-August)
Elul (August-September)
Tishrei (September-October) Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, takes place on the first of Tishrei. 
Heshvan (October-November)
Kislev (November-December)
Tevet (December-January)
Shevat (January-February)
Adar (February-March) In a leap year, there is an extra month called Adar I, which comes before Adar. Adar I comes before Adar II in a Jewish leap year. Adar I is a 30-day intercalary month that is inserted before the regular month of Adar, which is then called Adar II.
Adjustments and Leap Years
A year of 12 lunar months, however, is some 11 days shorter than a solar year. In order to ensure that the various seasonally based holidays in the Jewish calendar continue to occur at the correct season, the rabbis developed a system over time that allowed them to coordinate their lunar months with the solar year by inserting a leap month at the end of the year seven times in every 19-year cycle. This is now fixed in the third, sixth, eighth, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of the cycle. Although this is traditionally ascribed to Rabbi Hillel II in the fourth century AD, it is probable that the system in use today developed slowly during the course of the mid to late first millennium.
In order to further fine-tune their calculations, the rabbis determined that the months of Nisan, Sivan, Av, Tishrei, and Shevat are always 30 days long. Iyyar, Tammuz, Elul, Tevet and Adar are always 29 days long. Heshvan and Kislev are either 29 or 30 days in length. In a leap year, there are two months of Adar. When that occurs, Adar I is 30 days long, and Adar II 29. A short Jewish year, therefore, consists of 353 to 355 days, while a leap year varies between 383 and 385 days.
Babylonian Origins of the Months’ Names
The names that we use for the Jewish months are actually Babylonian in origin and were adopted by the Jews as of the time of the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BC. The Bible indicates that until then the months were oftentimes called simply by their numerical position in the year (First Month, Second Month, etc.), just as the days of the week — with the exception of Shabbat — still are in Hebrew. In addition, the Bible does record some ancient names for the months that disappeared once the Jews adopted the Babylonian names. These include the now-forgotten months of Bul and Aviv, among others. The Gezer Calendar from the 10th century BC, arguably the oldest Hebrew inscription ever discovered, refers to the months according to the agricultural activities associated with them.
Rosh Chodesh, The New Moon
The Jewish month begins with the first sighting of the new moon, the Rosh Chodesh. There are special prayers associated with the beginning of the month, and Rosh Chodesh ceremonies have often-times played an important role particularly among the female members of the Jewish community.
Although the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashanah) is celebrated at the beginning of Tishrei, this month is actually the seventh month according to ancient reckoning. The first month is actually Nisan, during which Passover (Pesach) falls. In this manner, the Jewish year begins with God’s great redemptive act at the time of the Exodus from Egypt.
Holidays and festivals are scattered throughout the Jewish year, with the exception of the month of Heshvan. Therefore, this month has also been termed Marheshvan, bitter Heshvan, since it lacks a holiday. However, the term “mar” could also be read as “mister,” which is also interpreted midrashically to mean that this poor month without a holiday is compensated by receiving special respect!
The Seven Jewish Feasts
1. Passover
Leviticus 23:4 ¶ These [are] the FEASTS of the LORD, [even] holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD’S PASSOVER. [Passover Sacrifice (Pesach)]
Leviticus 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month [is] the FEAST of UNLEAVENED BREAD unto the LORD: SEVEN DAYS ye must eat unleavened bread. [Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) (Pesach)]
Leviticus 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Leviticus 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD SEVEN DAYS: in the seventh day [is] an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work [therein].
This feast remembers the last 7th / plague in Egypt, when the angel of death “passed over” the children of Israel who applied the blood of the lamb to their doors.
Exodus 12:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
Exodus 12:2 This month [shall be] unto you the BEGINNING of MONTHS: it [shall be] the FIRST MONTH of the YEAR to you.
Exodus 12:3 ¶ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the TENTH [DAY] of this month they shall take to them every man a LAMB, according to the house of [their] fathers, a LAMB for an HOUSE:
Exodus 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take [it] according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Exodus 12:5 Your LAMB shall be WITHOUT BLEMISH, a male of the first year: ye shall take [it] out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Exodus 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the FOURTEENTH DAY of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall KILL it in the EVENING. {The start of the 15th day}
Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the BLOOD, and strike [it] on the TWO SIDE POSTS and on the UPPER DOOR POST of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. {The Jews equate this to forming the shape of a cross}
Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; [and] with bitter [herbs] they shall eat it. {Equates to the Passover Sacrifice}
Exodus 12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast [with] fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
Exodus 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Exodus 12:11 ¶ And thus shall ye eat it; [with] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it [is] the LORD’S PASSOVER.
Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt THIS NIGHT {The start of the 16 day of Nisan – being the day that Jesus was crucified}, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I [am] the LORD.
Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt. {1 John 1:7 – The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.}
Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a FEAST to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Exodus 12:15 SEVEN DAYS shall ye eat UNLEAVENED BREAD; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Exodus 12:16 And in the FIRST DAY [there shall be] an HOLY CONVOCATION, and in the SEVENTH DAY there shall be an HOLY CONVOCATION to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Exodus 12:17 And ye shall observe [the FEAST of] UNLEAVENED BREAD; for in this SELFSAME DAY have I brought your armies OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
John the Baptist understood the Old Testament reference:
John 1:29 ¶ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh {margin, beareth} away the sin of the world.
Jesus — born in a stable, visited by shepherds and led to the slaughter — is that Lamb given for us. His death allows the judgement we deserve to pass over us.
When we accept Christ, because of His death on the cross, we accept the loving gift of a second chance.
2. Unleavened Bread
Leviticus 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month [is] the FEAST of UNLEAVENED BREAD unto the LORD: SEVEN DAYS ye must eat unleavened bread. [Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) (Pesach)]
This seven-day feast [Nisan 15-21] begins on the day following the start of Passover [Nisan 14 – Passover Sacrifice]. In the haste of the Israelites to leave Egypt, there was no time to add leaven (yeast) to their bread.
During this time, remembering the hardships in Egypt and how God freed them from captivity, the Jews eat nothing leavened.
Leaven often represents sin and decay in the Bible. Once incorporated, yeast becomes an inseparable part of the bread; the same is true for sin’s effect on our lives.
The Jews were constantly sacrificing unblemished animals to temporarily atone for sin. Only the Messiah, the perfect sinless sacrifice, could offer a permanent solution.
The unleavened bread represents Jesus’ sinless life; He is the only perfect sacrifice for our sins.
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but MY FATHER giveth you the true bread from heaven. {Jesus confirms God as His Father in a singular context – no plural God.}
John 6:33 For the Bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the BREAD of LIFE: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.
3. First Fruits
The Feast of First fruits symbolizes that the first and best belongs to God, and that God is the Israelites’ ultimate provider. It also serves as a reminder of God’s promise to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and provide them with a place to live and grow crops.
Leviticus 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a SHEAF of the FIRST FRUITS of your HARVEST unto the priest:
The Feast of First Fruits is one of three Jewish harvest feasts to thank and honour God for all He provided. Although they didn’t know it at the time, the children of Israel were celebrating what would become a very important day.
The priests sacrificed Passover lambs on Nisan 14, and the first day of Passover Feast was Nisan 15. The Feast of First Fruits was celebrated on the first day of the week, the day after the Sabbath, during Passover week. This equates to the “third day” celebration when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is seen as the fulfilment of the Feast of First fruits. 
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the first fruits of them that slept.
Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits of the dead. Jesus represents the first of the great harvest of souls that will resurrect to eternal life because of the new covenant in His blood.
Luke 22:17 And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves:
Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the FRUIT of the VINE, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luke 22:19 ¶ And He took BREAD, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me.
Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.
4. Feast of Weeks or Pentecost
Leviticus 23:15 ¶ And ye shall count unto you from the MORROW after the SABBATH {this would be a Sunday}, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; SEVEN SABBATHS shall be complete:
Leviticus 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number FIFTY DAYS {By inclusive reckoning, this would also be a Sunday}; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. [Equates to Pentecost]
Feast of Weeks (Shevuot). This feast is the second of the three harvest feasts. It occurs exactly seven weeks after the Feast of First Fruits, so it’s also called Pentecost which means “50 days.”
Traditionally, people were expected to bring the first harvest of grain to the Lord including two leavened loaves of bread.
The two loaves represent the unbreakable bond between Jews and Gentiles, which was formed when the Gospel went out from Israel to the Gentiles.
God’s plan to save souls included more than the Jews. Through Jesus, this plan was revealed.
Matthew 9:37 Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few;
Matthew 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.
Then Jesus puts the plan into action after telling them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:3 To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith He], ye have heard of Me.
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
That arrival was the day the Church was born — Pentecost — and the harvest began with 3,000 souls. The message spread to both Jews and Gentiles (the two leavened loaves of bread), extending the harvest to us through the continuation of His message.
5. Feast of Trumpets
Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the SEVENTH MONTH, in the FIRST [DAY] of the month {Tishrei 1 – Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)}, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Leviticus 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work [therein]: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
God commands His people to rest. During this time all regular work is prohibited, and men and women present a food offering to God. God commands His people to gather and to rest – to commemorate the decree with trumpet blasts.
On the same front, the sound of a trumpet is also associated with the Second Coming of Jesus. Once He returns, there will be a wedding feast of celebration.
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the TRUMPET shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the MARRIAGE SUPPER of the LAMB. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: WORSHIP GOD: for THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY.
6. Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;
Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come NOT at all times into the holy [place] within the veil before the mercy seat, which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
Leviticus 16:3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy [place]: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
Leviticus 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these [are] holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and [so] put them on.
Leviticus 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
Leviticus 16:6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which [is] for himself, and make an ATONEMENT for himself, and for his house.
Leviticus 16:7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Leviticus 16:8 And Aaron shall CAST LOTS upon the TWO GOATS; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Leviticus 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him [for] a sin offering.
Leviticus 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an ATONEMENT with him, [and] to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which [is] for himself, and shall make an ATONEMENT for himself, and for his house, and shall KILL the BULLOCK of the sin offering which [is] for himself:
Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the veil:
Leviticus 16:13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he die not:
Leviticus 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
Leviticus 16:15 ¶ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that [is] for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
Leviticus 16:16 And he shall make an ATONEMENT for {cleanse} the holy [place], because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for {i.e. atone for or cleanse} the tabernacle of the congregation {the Holy}, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
Leviticus 16:17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an ATONEMENT in the holy [place], until he come out, and have made an ATONEMENT for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
Leviticus 16:18 And he shall go out {of the Holy of Holies} unto the altar that [is] before the LORD {in the Holy}, and make an ATONEMENT for it; and shall take of the blood {for himself} of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat {for the people}, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar round about.
Leviticus 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Leviticus 16:20 ¶ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy [place] {within the veil, verse 2}, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar {or when he hath cleansed the Sanctuary}, he shall bring the live goat:
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Leviticus 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited {margin, of separation}: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy [place], and shall leave them there:
Leviticus 16:24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an ATONEMENT for himself, and for the people.
Leviticus 16:25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
Leviticus 16:26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
Leviticus 16:27 And the bullock [for] the sin offering, and the goat [for] the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make ATONEMENT in the holy [place], shall [one] carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
Leviticus 16:28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
Leviticus 16:29 ¶ And [this] shall be a statute for ever unto you: [that] in the SEVENTH MONTH, on the TENTH [DAY] of the month {Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)}, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, [whether it be] one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
Leviticus 16:30 For on that day shall [the priest] make an ATONEMENT for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Leviticus 16:31 It [shall be] a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
Leviticus 16:32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the ATONEMENT, and shall put on the linen clothes, [even] the holy garments:
Leviticus 16:33 And he shall make an ATONEMENT for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an ATONEMENT for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an ATONEMENT for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
Leviticus 16:34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an ATONEMENT for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Also
Leviticus 23:26 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Leviticus 23:27 Also on the TENTH [DAY] of this SEVENTH MONTH [there shall be] a DAY of ATONEMENT: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Leviticus 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it [is] a DAY of ATONEMENT, to make an ATONEMENT for you before the LORD your God.
Leviticus 23:29 For whatsoever soul [it be] that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Leviticus 23:30 And whatsoever soul [it be] that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Leviticus 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Leviticus 23:32 It [shall be] unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the NINTH [DAY] of the month AT EVEN, FROM EVEN UNTO EVEN {Tishrei 10 – Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)}, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
To make “atonement” is to make restitution for wrongs committed. As a day of humility and repentance to God, it was a time for the Jews to get their hearts, consciences and lives right before Him.
The observance involved the sacrifice of animals as the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. What the High Priest did there couldn’t offer more than an annual payment for their sins.
However, hiding in plain sight was the promise of One who could atone for their sins permanently.
Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place {eis hagia}, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
Where is Jesus in these sacrificed animals? The bull and one of the goats were an offering of thanks, but the “scapegoat” took on their sins. The scapegoat was to be burdened with all the sins of Israel and sent into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an ATONEMENT with him, [and] to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
The Jewish leaders condemned Jesus, and He — burdened with the sins of all mankind — was led out of the city to be crucified: “He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins — and not only our sins but the sins of the world”.
1 John 2:2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
The necessity of the Day of Atonement was rendered void by Jesus’ death on the cross — our debt has been paid!
7. Feast of Tabernacles or Booths
Leviticus 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The FIFTEENTH DAY of this SEVENTH MONTH [shall be] the FEAST of TABERNACLES [for] SEVEN DAYS unto the LORD. {Tishrei 15-21 – Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)}
Celebration always follows the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates God’s provision and protection for the people of Israel during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; for the seven days of the feast, people live in temporary structures like they did in the wilderness.
The Lord Himself was with the Israelites in the desert, in a tented temple called the Tabernacle, so the feast also celebrates His presence as He tabernacles (dwells) with us.
The 7 holy days, or feasts, of the Bible
Passover:……………………A feast that is said to grant forgiveness of sins and eternal life 
Feast of Trumpets:………A foreshadowing of the rapture, when Jesus will return with a trumpet from heaven 
Day of Atonement:……..Also known as Yom Kippur, this day is considered the most important holy day. It involves sacrifices that God uses to forgive the sins of the people 
Feast of Tabernacles:….Also known as Sukkot, this was the final fall harvest festival in Bible times 
Pentecost:…………………Also known as the Feast of Weeks, this holiday celebrates the birth of the Church 
Purim:………………………A celebration of the Jewish people’s victory over their enemies 
Shavuot:…………………..Also known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, this holiday commemorates the receiving of the Ten Commandments 
The 14 Jewish Celebrations
Passover Sacrifice (Pesach)…………………………………………..Nisan 14………………………March / April
Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) (Pesach)………………Nisan 15-21…………………March / April / May
Feast of Weeks (Shevuot)…………………………………………….Sivan 6…………………………May 15 to June 14
Fast of the 17th Day of Tammuz…………………………………..Tammuz 17…………………..June / July
Fast of the 9th Day of Av……………………………………………..Av 9 or 10…………………….July / August
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)…………………………….Tishrei 1………………………..September / October
Fast of Gedaliah…………………………………………………………Tishrei 3………………………..September / October
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)………………………………….Tishrei 10………………………September / October
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)……………………………………..Tishrei 15-21…………………September / October
The Eighth Day (Shmini Atzeret)………………………………….Tishrei 22………………………October
Feast of Dedication (Chanukah)…………………………………..Kislev 25-Tebet 2……………December / January
Fast of 10th of Tebet………………………………………………….Tebet 10…………………………December / January
Fast of Esther…………………………………………………………….Adar / Adar II 13 or 11…….February / March
Purim……………………………………………………………………….Adar……………………………….late February to late March
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) [Tishrei 1]
Although Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical lunar Jewish New Year, the civil Jewish New Year begins on 1 Tishri, known as Rosh Hashana. Since medieval times, apples and honey have been served at celebratory meals to symbolize a sweet New Year.
Rosh is the Hebrew word for “head”; ha is the definite article (“the”), and shana means year. Thus Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year”, referring to the day of the civil New Year in Judaism.
The Biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (a?’day of shouting / blasting’). It is the first of the High Holy Days (“Days of Awe”), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summer / early autumn of the Northern Hemisphere. Rosh Hashanah begins 10 days of penitence culminating in the Day of Atonement [Yom Kippur] on Tishrei 10, as well as beginning the cycle of autumnal religious festivals running through the Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot] – Tishrei 15-21, which end on The Eighth Day [Shemini Atzeret] – Tishrei 22 in Israel and Simchat Torah everywhere else.
The Jewish year is based on the lunar and solar cycles, and the year is counted from the Biblical date of Creation, which is 3760 BC. The year 3760 BC is the traditional date of Creation in the Hebrew calendar, while 4004 BC is the date of creation calculated by Irish theologian James Ussher in 1650 AD. The difference in dates is due to the use of different Biblical texts and dating methods. To calculate the Jewish year for a given year on the Gregorian calendar, add 3760 to the Gregorian year if it is before Rosh Hashanah, or 3761 if it is after.
Rosh Hashanah is considered a solemn day of introspection. It is also a Day of Judgment, when God evaluates people’s actions from the previous year.
Rosh Hashanah occurs 163 days after the first day of Passover, and thus is usually (but not always) determined by the new moon closest to the autumnal equinox.
In terms of the Gregorian calendar, the earliest date on which Rosh Hashanah can fall is 5 September, as happened in 1842, 1861, 1899, and 2013. The latest Gregorian date that Rosh Hashanah can occur is 5 October, as happened in 1815, 1929, and 1967, and will happen again in 2043.
Originally, the date of Rosh Hashanah was determined based on observation of the new moon (“molad”), and thus could fall on any day of the week. However, around the third century AD, the Hebrew calendar was fixed such that the first day of Rosh Hashanah never fell out on Wednesday or Friday, and by the ninth century AD, it had been fixed so that it also could not fall out on Sunday.
In Judaism, the Ten Days of Repentance are the first ten days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, beginning with the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah and ending with the conclusion of Yom Kippur.
Rosh Hashanah is the new year for calculating ordinary calendar years, Sabbatical years, Jubilee years, and dates inscribed on legal deeds and contracts.
In Jewish practice, the months are numbered starting with the spring day of Nisan 1, making Tishrei the seventh month; Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the new calendar year, is also actually the first day of the seventh month.
The term Rosh Hashanah in its current meaning does not appear in the Torah. Leviticus 23:24 refers to the festival of the first day of the seventh month as “a memorial of blowing [of horns]. Numbers 29:1 calls the festival “day of blowing [the horn]”.
Rosh Hashanah marks the start of the numbering of a new year in the Hebrew calendar. According to the Mishnah, four different New Years are observed: Rosh Hashanah (Tishrei 1), Nisan 1 (when the Exodus began), Elul 1, and Tu BiShvat (Shevat 15). Each one delineates the beginning of a year for different legal or ecclesiastical purposes.
The Mishnah contains a reference to Rosh Hashanah as the “day of judgment” (Yom haDin).
The term Rosh Hashanah appears once in the Bible (Ezekiel 40:1), where it has a different meaning: either generally the time of the “beginning of the year”, or possibly a reference to Yom Kippur, or to the month of Nisan.
While the blowing of the shofar is a Biblical statute, it is also a symbolic “wake-up call”, stirring Jews to mend their ways and repent. The shofar blasts call out: “Sleepers, wake up from your slumber! Examine your ways and repent and remember your Creator.”
The Torah defines Rosh Hashanah as a one-day celebration, and since days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sundown, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah is at sundown at the end of Elul 29.
Since the time of the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the time of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, normative Jewish law appears to be that Rosh Hashanah is to be celebrated for two days, because of the difficulty of determining the date of the new moon. Nonetheless, there is some evidence that Rosh Hashanah was celebrated on a single day in Israel as late as the thirteenth century AD.
Orthodox and Conservative Judaism now generally observe Rosh Hashanah for the first two days of Tishrei, even in Israel where all other Jewish holidays dated from the new moon last only one day. The two days of Rosh Hashanah are said to constitute “Yoma Arichtah” (Aramaic: “one long day”), with certain practical implications in Halacha. In Reform Judaism, while most congregations in North America observe only the first day of Rosh Hashanah, some follow the traditional two-day observance as a sign of solidarity with other Jews worldwide. Karaite Jews, who do not recognize Rabbinic Jewish oral law and rely on their own understanding of the Torah, observe only one day on the first of Tishrei, since the second day is not mentioned in the Written Torah.
Rosh Hashanah is a two-day observance and celebration that begins on Tishrei 1, which is the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year. In contrast to the ecclesiastical lunar new year on the first day of the first month Nisan, the spring Passover month which marks Israel’s exodus from Egypt, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the civil year, according to the teachings of Judaism, and, according to some Jewish accounts, is the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman.
Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day of creation, according to Genesis 2:4-25. However, in Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is believed to be the day when Adam and Eve were created.
Some believe that the universe was created on Tishrei 1, and that the day marks the beginning of all beginnings.
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by a number of Christian denominations and unincorporated house church groups within the United States, including: Assemblies of Yahweh, Messianic Jews, some congregations of the Church of God (Seventh Day), some evangelical Protestant churches (mainly Baptist), as well as Seventh Day Pentecostals in Eastern Europe. This day of resounding is also known in Judaism by the name “Yom Teruah” and in Christianity as the Feast of Trumpets.
Christian believers connect hearing “the sound of the trumpet” or shofar, according to the First Epistle to the Thessalonians and the Book of Revelation, with the events that occur at the Resurrection of the dead (“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 1:10).
The best-known ritual of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar, a musical instrument made from an animal horn. The shofar is blown at various points during the Rosh Hashanah prayers, and it is customary in most communities to have a total of 100 blasts on each day. The shofar is not blown on Shabbat.
Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar (a hollowed-out ram’s horn), as prescribed in the Torah, following the prescription of the Hebrew Bible to “raise a noise” on Yom Teruah. Eating symbolic foods that represent various wishes for the new year is an ancient custom recorded in the Talmud. Other rabbinical customs include the “tashlich”, attending synagogue services and reciting special liturgy about teshuva, as well as enjoying festive meals.
Major Jewish and Biblical events in the history of Tishrei are said to include:
Tishrei 1:
The Fall (humanity’s first sin)
Isaac’s Binding (Mount Moriah) and Sarah’s Passing. Sarah, the mother of Isaac, died at age 127 on the day of Isaac’s binding.
The installation of new kings: In ancient times, it was customary to install new kings on Tishri 1.
Tishrei 1, the Feast of Trumpets, has been shown as the pivotal event of all human history – the Return of Christ”.
Tishrei 8:
The Dedication of Solomon’s Temple
Tishrei 10:
Yom Kippur: the Day of Atonement
Moses returned from the mount with the second lot of Ten Commandment Tablets
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Third Temple
Rebekah’s birthday
Tishrei 14:
Sukkot begins
Tishrei 21:
Prophecy of Haggai Encouraging the Building of the Second Temple
Tishrei 22:
Nation returns home after Temple Dedication (1 Kings 8:66)
The Feast of Trumpets
A Sound of Alarm and a Sound of Victory
God has sanctified – set apart as holy time – seven Holy Days for us to reflect and learn about His Plan. Each one is rich with meaning that He wants us to annually reflect.
One of these special days is the Feast of Trumpets. It is a memorial of miraculous events God has performed in the past, as well as momentous events soon to come in the future.
As is the case with all of God’s Holy Days, the Feast of Trumpets is an annual Sabbath. God requires us to rest from our normal responsibilities; Leviticus 23:25 says that we should “do no servile work.” This day is also called a holy convocation, which means an assembly or gathering together.
It opens the autumn / fall Holy Day season, beginning on the first day of the seventh month of God’s sacred calendar. The number seven in God’s Plan depicts perfection and completion, and this seventh month contains four autumn / fall festivals that picture the completion of God’s Plan.
Is this Holy Day mentioned elsewhere in the Bible?
Psalm 81:1 ¶ Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. {Psalm 81:1-7 relate to Tishrei 1 – the Feast of Trumpets}
Psalm 81:2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Psalm 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
Psalm 81:4 For this [was] a statute for Israel, [and] a law of the God of Jacob.
Psalm 81:5 This He ordained in Joseph [for] a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: [where] I heard a language [that] I understood not.
Psalm 81:6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
Psalm 81:7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
God’s Word calls this day a “memorial of blowing of trumpets.” It is from this phrase that the Feast of Trumpets draws its name. The blowing of trumpets has great meaning and has been associated with many significant events, especially for the time in which we live – the end of 6,000 years of man’s attempts to rule himself.
Trumpets were often used in the nation of Israel. The sound of a trumpet could call for an assembly of the congregation, direct the movement of the camps, announce the beginning of months or appointed feasts, or mobilize the army. Silver trumpets were generally used for these reasons, as they produced unique notes identifying the action to be taken.
The Bible / Jewish Talmud state that a ram’s horn (shofar) [Leviticus 25:9 and Numbers 29:1] was historically used on this Feast day. In contrast with the musical sound of silver trumpets, a shofar produced piercing blasts that symbolized an alarm of impending attack.
At the time God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel, an exceedingly long and loud trumpet announced that He was descending upon Mount Sinai, thereby the Israelites knew they stood before the presence of God.
During the time of Joshua and Gideon, rather than Israel thinking that they won their battles against Jericho or the Midianites with the power of their own hands, God had them perform specific actions so that it was clear He delivered them. Both times God used the trumpet blasts to bring victory to the Israelites.
God instructed that only the sons of Aaron, the Levitical priesthood, had the authority to blow these trumpets. Today, since Jesus Christ is our High Priest [Hebrews 6:20], God’s ministry is not required to literally blow trumpets.
Many will hear the warning, as well as the promise of Christ’s coming Kingdom. But to most, it will only be an interesting “thought” or “point of view.”
Even though mankind refuses to listen to God’s warning, prophesied events will continue to unfold. First, God will show signs in heaven [Revelation 6:12-13], yet the world will not repent [Revelation 6:15-17]. As a result, God will instigate the Day of the Lord.
What do the first four trumpets mean for the Earth?
Each trumpet plague will alter part of man’s physical environment.
First, plant life will be affected – the primary food source.
Second relates to the seas – another source of food.
Third relates to water – without which life cannot exist.
Fourth relates to light.
While each plague affects one-third of humanity, God will still leave space for mankind to repent and change its ways before He pours out His full wrath.
The next two trumpets [Revelation 9] are the first and second woes mentioned in Revelation 8:13.
The plagues striking mankind in the first two woes cause one-third of the world’s population to be killed.
Despite this massive death, Revelation 9:20-21 confirms that many who remain alive will still not repent.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the KINGDOMS] of our LORD, and of HIS CHRIST; and HE {Jesus} shall reign for ever and ever. {KINGDOMS: God and Jesus, as reigning kings, in their time-frame, each have a kingdom.}
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMP: for the TRUMPET shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
At the sound of the seventh trumpet, the Second Coming of Jesus occurs and the Kingdom of Christ is set up to reign for the rest of eternity.
The Father also is involved; all the resurrected saints and the 144,000 living saints being changed into glorified beings as a part of God’s Family.
The Feast of Trumpets is both a solemn day and a time of rejoicing. It memorializes historical events of God’s presence and deliverance, as well as climactic changes just ahead. These include God’s punishment on a rebellious mankind and the most important moment in the history of the universe – the establishment of God’s government on Earth by Jesus Christ.