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Lunar
calendar meanings
The
Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar and begins when the first
sliver of moon shows up. The Biblical Feasts follow the agricultural
seasons and an additional month must be added from time to
time to fill the missing days. In Biblical times, watchers
would observe the sky and wait for the New moon. The Sanhedrin,
being the High Court and comprised of 70 wise men, were then
notified and a big chain of fire was lit up on the mountains
to be seen by the Jewish people in exile in Babylon.
It was not until 358 A.D that Hillel II, made a calendar based on more accurate
mathematic calculations. This day when the new moon starts is called: Rosh
Chodesh, the head of the month. The Biblical day starts with the evening, as mentioned
in Bereshit (Genesis): |
G-d
called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. So
there was evening, and there was morning, one day. Genesis
1:5 |
The
first month in the Bible starts with the Feast of Pesach:
You
are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first
month of the year for you. Exodus 12:2 |
At
the time of the First temple, the New moon was celebrated with
trumpet blasts and sacrifices. It was a day of rest. Nevertheless,
the Jewish civil year starts at Rosh Hashanah, with the
month of Tishri, the presumed date of anniversary of Creation,
and the time where G-d's
judgments are decided for the coming year.
The names of the months originated from Babylon and were adopted after the return
of exile from Babylon, at the time of Ezra. In the Bible, the months are named
after their numeral order: |
"ADONAI-Tzva'ot
says, 'The fast days of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth
months are to become times of joy, gladness and cheer for the
house of Y'hudah. Therefore love truth and peace.' Zechariah
8:19 |
The
number of years in the Jewish calendar is established from
this believed date of Creation. We are in the year 5768, תשס''ח The
moon is also the symbol of Israel. Through its constant renewing, it depicts
the Jewish people. Though small and often persecuted, Israel reappears always
on the historical platform and will definitely shine at the messianic times. |
"Who
is this, shining forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright
as the sun"
--but formidable as an army marching under banners? Song of Solomon 6:10 |
Each
month of the calendar is linked to a special and prophetic
time where the Spirit of G-d
moves in a particular way; our goal will be to discover through
the coming months what the anointing and the message of this
time means for us. |
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