God’s Calendar is NOT the Jewish Calendar!
By Bob Barney
For our readership that might be confused as to why our dates for the religious holidays vary from other churches, I would like to explain God’s Calendar as it is so significant and created by Him!
In a nutshell, the real Calendar given to Moses was SOLAR and based on fixing the new year on the spring equinox. Moses was raised as an Egyptian, which also followed the SOLAR and not a Lunar-Solar Year. The Egyptian calendar used at Elephantine (an island on the Nile) by the Egyptians, consisted of 12 months, each thirty days in length. The Egyptians knew this was not acceptable and simply added an additional five to six leap days each year at the end of their year. The days were simply not counted until the summer equinox came, and thus they began their new year which is June 21st. The summer equinox denoting Day 1 all over again. It is actually very simple.
The Hebrew Calendar given to Moses by God was the same as the Egyptian calendar but starting with a different month. The year started on the spring equinox (March 20-21) instead of the summer solstice (June 21st). This changes so much. See Exodus 12:2 for the Bible reference to this. Notice God wasn’t changing Moses’ calendar, just the date of the new year! The Bible shows beyond any shadow of a doubt that God’s calendar only has twelve, thirty-day months and that is only 360 days, the true year BEFORE the Flood of Noah! There are those extra 5 1/4 days of each year that are simply NOT COUNTED!
Look at the books of Daniel and Revelations.
Revelation 11:2a-3b They will trample on the holy city for 42 months…And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days.
Divide 1,260 days by 42 months and you will get a 30-day month. Twelve months of 30 days equals 360-days in a year. What is the meaning of this divine number in contrast with the fact that we know the time required for the earth to circle the sun is approximately 365.25 days?
When 1,260 Days = a time, times and half a time In the Book of Revelation
Revelation 12:6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days
Revelation 12:14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.
In verse 6 above, the time given is 1,260 days. But in verse 14, the time given is described as a time, times and half a time. This is most often interpreted as 3 and one-half years or 42 months. So verses 6 and 14 as noted above yield a 30-day month. Twelve months of 30 days equals 360-days in a prophetic year.
The answer is that the Bible has been written with a “PROPHETIC YEAR” defined as 360 days in length. This is only applied to biblical prophecy. And it is important that to attain the 360-day year, you must let the Bible interpret the Bible.
When 1,260 Days = a time, times and half a time In the Book of Daniel
Daniel 7:25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time
Daniel 12:7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time
In both Daniel 7:25 and Daniel 12:7, the time given is described as “a time, times and half a time“. This is most often interpreted as 3 and one-half years or 42 months. When the prophecy of the 70-weeks is interpreted using the 360-day prophetic year, divine guidance appears to be revealed in human events from ancient history into the 21st century.
In each 42-month period foretold, the earth is to be directed by unrestrained evil. The 360-day year makes for a good relationship between the books of Daniel and Revelation.
Many today do not believe in the flood but the evidence of the great flood of Noah is found everywhere and no place better than the calendar, even any calendar! Before the flood, the earth was formed perfectly, and the calendar was also perfect! The pre-flood humans followed a 360-day, twelve-month calendar with each month have exactly thirty days! After the flood however, all hell broke out for mankind trying to keep the old “perfect” calendar. The earth had trillions of tons of extra water weight and slowed down! 5 1/4 days slower to be exact! Ever since, man has tried to make the calendar perfect again, but we cannot! The moon now circles the earth in only 29.5 days, so lunar months are no longer accurate (a lunar year is only 356 days long) Post flood mankind worked on calendars for generations.
Genesis Proves the 360 Day Year
Based on the book of Genesis, the calendar at the time of Noah consisted of 12 months of 30 days. At the beginning of the flood, the water came forth on the 17th of the month. Five months later on the 17th day of the month, the book of Genesis reveals that 150 days had passed. Dividing 150 days by 5 months supports that the early calendar contained 12 months of 30 days length. Therefore, the book of Genesis supports the 360 days per year calculation. Here are the supporting Scriptures.
Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month–on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
Genesis 8:3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days (150 days) the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (5 months later) the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
Since the book of Genesis is attributed to Moses by conservative scholars, it is credible that the 360 days per year was in use at the time of Moses.
The Egyptians finally decided on a fix for the calendar that is actually more accurate than the calendar we follow today! Even with our modern calendar, we lose a day every four years (leap year) and we almost never know how many days are in many months (28, 29, 30 or 31????) The Egyptian and Moses’ calendar had 12-30 day months EVERY YEAR and 5 and 1/4 “no days”. This calendar never needed adjustment! Passover, and all Holy Days (except the weekly Sabbath fell on the same date each year!)
In Moses’ calendar that “fixed date” is the spring equinox to make sure Passover always fell on the same solar day! Proof of a 12 month 30 day month year? Revelation says that 1260 days ARE 3-1/2 years OR 42 months! Do the math! It is PLAIN and simple. The Bible answers all of it’s own mysteries. Proof that Jesus did not follow the Jewish Calendar? His Passover was 1 Day BEFORE the Jewish Passover! Nobody ever notices that fact….. Even the Armstrong’s can’t figure out the holidays because they never understood that the calendar Christ was following was the one that Moses followed and NOT the one the Jews were following then.