*Significance of the Jewish Calendar "No one knows the day or hour"
There's a lot of significance in understanding and knowing about the Jewish calendar. It not only shows that God is a God of complete order, He doesn't just do things hap-hazardly, everything has order and is devinely woven together. It will also show that the phrase, "no one knows the exact day or hour" has a very 'loose' interpretation. But also very significant in determining when He will come again.
As stated in Exodus 12:2 "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you."
The reason the months are split midway between our calendar is that their months begin at the first sighting of the 'new moon'. New moons are usually toward the end of the month. In so being they would also never fall on the same day. This is the first sighting of the "no one knows the exact day or hour thing." There would be "two witnesses" (also significant in two witnesses in Jesus' tomb when Mary arrived & two witnesses killed by the 'beast' and left for dead in the streets for 3 days), when they sighted the new moon they would go tell the high priest and they would sound the trumpet which would begin the new month. There was always a two day allowance for the sighting of the new moon, hence the wording, 'not knowing the exact day or hour' becomes significant here with this understanding.
God has a very defined order to things however His ways are not our ways, and He doesn't allow the opportunity for anyone to 'out think' what He's going to do. He did however tell Noah that He would return in 7 days, from the time He told him to collect all the animals. (Genesis 7:4-10) It was 7 exact days. The Lord has also given us 'clues' to His coming but understanding the Jewish calendar, the Feast of Trumpets (7th month of the year, also God's number & separate post) & Jewish Wedding (separate post) will help with the scripture interpretation.
All in all I believe that the closer we get that the Lord will show us precisely the time frame He's coming. Maybe not the day or hour but we'll know by His signs!
|
Month |
Length |
Gregorian Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Nissan | 30 days | March-April |
| Iyar | 29 days | April-May |
| Sivan | 30 days | May-June |
| Tammuz | 29 days | June-July |
| Av | 30 days | July-August |
| Elul | 29 days | August-September |
| Tishri | 30 days | September-October |
| Heshvan | 29 or 30 days | October-November |
| Kislev | 30 or 29 days | November-December |
| Tevet | 29 days | December-January |
| Shevat | 30 days | January-February |
| Adar | 29 or 30 days | February-March |
| Adar II | 29 days | March-April |
In leap years, Adar has 30 days. In non-leap years, Adar has 29 days.
I've given you the basics, here are two good links for more details if you want to learn more:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/calendar.html#Months
This next link has an interactive Calendar right at the top. click on it and you can pull up a calendar for any year past, present or future to see when the new moons fall (Rosh Codesh) or any of the other Feast days. I also use it to see when the lunar & solar elcipses will fall, if they fall on any of the special days.
http://www.hebcal.com/
I am the Current Owner of the groups: Biblical and Scriptural Life Messianic Moms: Jews of the Messiah; Christian/Jewish History: 1st Century to Today; Torah Talk!; Hebrew Roots
Rhonda
Thanx for this post! Its almost frightening to read it, but has foretold these things so all we have to do is follow his commandments, and live right and no matter what day he comes we'll be ready!! Thanx so much for this post I usually stray away when talking about the Jewish calender because its so confusing but you made it where I can understand.
As the clay is in the potters hands. So are ye in MINE hand.
~Jeremiah 18:6
Jesus words to us
- desertrat4evr
on Feb. 25, 2008 at 10:58 AM