Autumn Feasts

God’s Calendar

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs and will mark religious festivals, days, and years.
(Genesis 1:4, God’s Word Translation)

God’s Calendar – Introduction

Like most Messianic disciples I always believed the Hebrew lunisolar calendar the Jewish religion uses was God’s calendar. After all, they’ve been using it for thousands of years. But, while driving home after eight days of Sukkot camping I listened to Dr. Michael Heiser’s podcast teaching on Revelation chapter 11. Paraphrasing, he concluded that:

‘If you want to understand the numbers in Daniel (i.e., 1260, 1290, 1335, 2300) you must use the Zadokite solar calendar. It’s the only calendar that fits.’

Until I heard this statement I’d never seriously questioned the validity of the traditional Hebrew lunisolar calendar. A few months ago someone mentioned the Enoch solar calendar, but after looking into it I quickly dismissed it because it didn’t keep the weekly Sabbath day on Saturday, the 7^th Day… I wondered how the Zadokite solar calendar was different.

Of course, I know of many minor lunar calendar disputes that constantly brew within Jewish/Messianic communities. For example, in my local fellowship there is a discussion concerning what constitutes the new moon?

Is the new moon when the moon totally disappears at conjunction? Or,
Is the new moon when the first sliver is sighted by two witnesses?
The answer determines when each month begins, which controls the dates for Passover, Pentecost, Atonement, etc., on the lunar calendar.

And so, Dr. Heiser’s statement was revolutionary, a potential paradigm shift, sending me on an investigative journey that resulted in this article.

The result of my investigation is that I’m now convinced the solar Zadokite calendar is God’s calendar.

From Noah’s flood in 2348 BC until Antiochus IV Epiphanes (who is the prototype for the final Antichrist) changed it in 167 BC, the evidence clearly proves (to me) the Zadokite calendar was the calendar of God’s covenant people.
If that’s true, it is still the calendar God uses—regardless of whether mankind uses it or not.

Ancient Witnesses to God’s Solar Calendar

Here is the body of evidence that convinced me God’s calendar is the solar Zadokite calendar. This evidence is from Genesis, Daniel, Enoch, Jubilees, Solomon’s Temple, and the Dead Sea Scrolls showing (explicit and inferred) proofs that—for thousands of years—YHWH’s ancient disciples used a solar 364-day calendar…not a lunar 354-day calendar.

Genesis

The Book of Genesis says the flood waters prevailed 150 days over exactly five months. Since the lunar calendar has both 29 and 30-day months, it won’t tally 150 days in five months. Therefore, we can deduce from Genesis that Noah used a solar calendar with 5 months of thirty days each. Here are the details:

The rain started on the 17^th day of the 2^nd month. (Genesis 7:11)
The waters prevailed on the earth for 150 days. (Genesis 7:24)
After 150 days the waters had gone down. On the 17^th day of the 7^th month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. (Genesis 8:3-4)

Daniel

Dr. Michael Heiser states that to understand the prophetic numbers in Daniel (i.e., 1260, 1290, 1335, etc.) you must use the Zadokite solar calendar. Heiser states, ‘If you want to make sense of the numbers, historically and eschatalogically, the only way it makes sense within a Jewish/Old Testament/Second Temple Jewish context is if you use this calendar.’ NB-381 Transcript, see page 13
Dr. Michael Heiser (MH) quotes Dr. Boccaccini, “Daniel 7:25 blames the iniquitous king, Antiochus Epiphanes, for “changing times” in Temple worship. According to A. Jaubert and J. C. VanderKam [MH: who are two experts on this chronology], this marks the occasion on which the Hellenistic lunar calendar definitively replaced the old Zadokite solar calendar, which Jubilees and [MH: the people at] Qumran would seek in vain to restore after the Maccabean revolt. (The Book of Daniel, Composition and Reception, Vol II, Pg 311)

1 Enoch

Blessed are all the righteous, blessed are all those who walk in the way of righteousness and sin not as the sinners, in the reckoning of all their days in which the sun traverses the heaven, entering into and departing the portals for thirty days, with the heads of thousands of the order of the stars, together with the four which are intercalated, which divide the four portions of the year, which lead them and enter with them four days.

Owing to them men shall be at fault and not reckon them in the whole reckoning of the year: yea, men shall be at fault, and not recognize them accurately.

For they belong to the reckoning of the year and are truly recorded (thereon) for ever, one in the first portal and one in the third, and one in the fourth and one in the sixth, and the year is completed in three hundred and sixty-four days. (1 Enoch 82:4-6)

Note: A solar calendar produces a 364-day year, while a lunar calendar produces a 354-day year. Therefore, the reference to 364 above is solar, and 354 (“ten days too soon” in the following ‘Book of Jubilees’ quote) is lunar.

Jubilees

“And all the children of Israel will forget, and will not find the path of the years, and will forget the new moons, and seasons, and sabbaths, and they will go wrong as to all the order of the years. For I know and from henceforth shall I declare it unto thee, and it is not of my own devising; for the book (lieth) written before me, and on the heavenly tables the division of days is ordained, lest they forget the feasts of the covenant and walk according to the feasts of the Gentiles after their error and after their ignorance. For there will be those who will assuredly make observations of the moon–now (it) disturbeth the seasons and cometh in from year to year ten days too soon.

For this reason, the years will come upon them when they will disturb (the order) and make an abominable (day) the day of testimony, and an unclean day a feast day, and they will confound all the days, the holy with the unclean, and the unclean day with the holy; for they will go wrong as to the months and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees. For this reason, I command and testify to thee that thou mayest testify to them; for after thy death thy children will disturb (them), so that they will not make the year three hundred and sixty-four days only, and for this reason they will go wrong as to the new moons and seasons and sabbaths and festivals, and they will eat all kinds of blood with all kinds of flesh.” (Jubilees 6:34-38)

Solomon’s Temple Designed for God’s Calendar

The Jewish Talmud tells us Solomon architected YHWH’s temple to reveal the exact times of the sun’s equinoxes and solstices at Jerusalem. This is because the vernal (spring) equinox controls the beginning of the year on the Zadokite calendar.

“The East Gate into the temple used to be called the Sun Gate or Sunrise Gate. The Sun Gate was used to record the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Before the exile into Babylon, it was held to be of imperative necessity that on two days of the year the sun shone directly through the Eastern Gate and through all the Eastern Gates of the Temple arranged in a line, directly into the very heart of the Temple proper. The Eastern Gate, also called the Sun Gate, served not only to check the equinoxes, when the sun rises exactly in the east, but the solstices as well: a device on the Eastern Gate was designed to reflect the first rays of the sun on the summer and winter solstices, when the sun rises in the southeast and the northeast respectively.”
The Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Erubim 22c

Dead Sea Scrolls

“The Qumran sect believed that God had entrusted them with the innermost secrets of the structure of the universe, including the secret of the true calendar and the exact dates of the festivals. They used a solar calendar, with the year consisting of 364 days. It was divided into twelve months of thirty days, with the exception of the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth months, which had thirty-one days each. According to this calendar, the festivals always fell on the same day of the week: Passover on a Wednesday, the Festival of Weeks of a Sunday, and the Day of Atonement on a Friday.” (Pg34, The Bible in the Shrine of the Book, From the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Aleppo Codex, Adolfo Roitman, The Israeli Museum, Jerusalem, 2006.)
“The lunar calendar, which Judaism follows to this day, requires a large number of human decisions. People must look at the stars and moon and report on their observations, and someone must be empowered to decide on the new month and the application of leap years. By contrast, the 364-day calendar was perfect,” they write in the Journal of Biblical Literature. “Because this number can be divided into four and seven, special occasions always fall on the same day. This avoids the need to decide, for example, what happens when a particular occasion falls on the Sabbath, as often happens in the lunar calendar. The Qumran calendar is unchanging, and it appears to have embodied the beliefs of the members of this community regarding perfection and holiness.” (TheGuardian, 26 Jan 2018)
The Zadokite calendar was ‘the official temple calendar up to the Maccabean period.’ (The Book of Daniel, Composition and Reception, Vol II, Pg 326)
Dr. Heiser said, “Do you realize that the calendar used today by Judaism (the lunar calendar) was viewed as an apostate, awful thing by the Jews who wrote Jubilees and who lived at Qumran (the Essenes) and the book of Enoch as well. Those are solar calendars. And those are the calendars they believed originated at the time of creation. Everything else was an inferior system…This is what led to the split that created the Qumran community. This was a big deal for them. Because now you’re using a human calendar, one that you have to adjust by arbitrarily adding a month every now and then, as opposed to God’s perfect mathematical calendar. This is an abomination. They never won that fight…Antiochus Epiphanes “changes the times” in the temple worship. They go back to the lunar calendar. They replace the solar calendar.” (NB-381 Transcript, see pages 8-9)

A Dead Sea Scroll in Jerusalem’s ‘Shrine of the Book’ Museum

Book of Revelation

Dr. Heiser said, “The only ancient text that explicitly elaborates on the figure of Daniel [MH: this numerical figure] is the Revelation of John, and it is strikingly straightforward. The time of persecution is a period of “42 months” [MH: Revelation] (11:2; 13:5), or [MH: it’s described as] “1,260 days” (11:3; 12:6), or “a time, two times and a half time” (12:14).

According to the book of Revelation, therefore, Daniel would have known a solar calendar of twelve 30-day months, which makes a year of 360 days. In fact, such a calendar allows us to establish a sensible relationship among the three calendrical references in Daniel 12. A consistent and proportioned series links the “half week” (1,260 days) to the 1,290 days ([MH: by virtue of] the addition of one 30-day month), which in turn becomes 1,335 days with the further addition of one 30-day month and a half [MH: 30-day month]. (NB-381 Transcript, see page 10)

HOW Israel Transitioned from God’s Solar Calendar to a Lunar Calendar

In view of the clear evidence that the Zadokite solar calendar was (and is still) God’s calendar, what caused the Jewish religion to change from the solar calendar to a lunar calendar?

Overview of the Jewish Transition from Solar to Lunar Calendar

Onias III was the last faithful high priest in Israel. He was a son of Zadok, descended from both Aaron and Levi. His tenure ended in 175 BC.
When the gentile Antiochus Epiphanes assumed Seleucid rulership over Israel in 175 BC, he replaced Onias III with Onias’ brother Jason. Unlike Onias, Jason was a hellenist who favored Greek culture.
Within three years Antiochus replaced Jason with the totally corrupt Menelaus, of the tribe of Benjamin, who sold precious temple vessels to purchase the position of high priest. He then murdered Onias III after Onias exposed him.
- Antiochus and Menelaus changed the calendar from solar to lunar (The Book of Daniel, Composition and Reception, Vol II, Pg 326)
- In 167 BC Antiochus defiled the temple with pig blood, erected a statue of Zeus, forbade the Sabbath, circumcision, etc.
- These abominations caused the Maccabean revolt, which the Maccabees won
Following their victory over Antiochus in 164 BC, hellenist Jewish leaders compromised with their Seleucid (Greek) rulers by (1) keeping Menelaus as high priest, and (2) keeping the Gentiles’ lunar calendar.
- As a result of this compromise, from 167 BC until today the Jewish religion still uses the lunar calendar.
From Menelaus (172 BC) until the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 AD, Gentile rulers sold the high priesthood to the highest bidder.
The Jewish religion is without temple or priests since 70 AD, fulfilling Yeshua’s prophesy, “Your house is left unto you desolate.”

Details of the Jewish Transition from Solar to Lunar Calendar

This section expands on the summary version above, providing more details and dates.

Onias III, 199-175 BC

Before Antiochus Epiphanes became king, Onias III was the last faithful Aaronic ‘son of Zadok’ to serve as Jewish high priest. Second Maccabees chapter 4 chronicles the betrayal and intrigue of his downfall.

Jason, 175-172 BC

In 175 BC, the new Seleucid ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes, forced Onias III to yield his office to Jason, his brother. Jason was a hellenist sympathizer who only occupied the position three years until 172 BC, when Menelaus deceptively ousted him.

“Jason forthwith brought his own nation to Greekish fashion.”
2 Maccabees 4:10

Antiochus IV Epiphanes, 175-163 BC

After more than 7 years as ruler over the Jews, in 167 BC the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes did two things: he

Desecrated the Jewish temple in an ‘abomination of desolation,’ and he
Changed the Jewish calendar from solar to lunar, thereby changing God’s moedim–His ‘appointed times.’ (1 Maccabees 1:41-50)

Antiochus polluted the temple with pig’s blood on God’s altar and erecting a statue of Zeus, whose face resembled Antiochus’ own likeness. Antiochus also outlawed circumcision and Sabbath observance, making violations punishable by death.

These abominations resulted in the Maccabean revolt in 166 BC. The Maccabees finally defeated Antiochus’ army, cleansing and rededicating the temple in 164 BC.

According to 2 Maccabees 5:14-15, Antiochus (guided by Menelaus) killed 80,000 Jews and sold 80,000 others into slavery.

Antiochus Epiphanes died horribly in 164 BC, with every bone broken in a chariot accident and his flesh swarming with worms.

Menelaus, 172-161 BC

In 172 BC Antiochus put the high priest’s office up for auction and Menelaus, a Benjaminite, outbid Jason, deposing him as high priest.

Menelaus didn’t have the money he bid for this sacred office, so he stole sacred temple vessels to raise the sum he needed.

When Onias III heard of this, he publicly accused Menelaus of robbing the temple. To quiet him, Menelaus sent assassins who killed Onias III.

Menelaus was high priest during the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes.

According to II Maccabees, Menelaus is responsible for persuading Antiochus to hellenize Jewish worship, including changing the Jewish calendar from solar to lunar in 167 BC.

After the Jewish Maccabee victory over Antiochus and the recapture of Jerusalem in 164 BC, Maccabean leaders made a political decision to keep the corrupt Menelaus as high priest in the restored and cleansed Jewish temple.

“Despite their firm opposition to the Hellenists, the Maccabees retained the newly-introduced lunar calendar.” (The Book of Daniel, Composition and Reception, Vol II, Pg 327)

The corrupt Menelaus occupied the high priest office for 11 years, from 172 BC until his execution by Antiochus’ successor in 161 BC.

Divided Jewry, from 164 BC to 73 AD

Following the Jewish Maccabees’ victory over Antiochus in 164 BC, Jewish leaders compromised with their Seleucid rulers, keeping the lunar calendar. This compromise caused a split between Hellenistic and traditional Jewish religious groups.

Hellenist Jews mixed Greek culture with Jewish traditions. As a result, they adopted the lunar calendar, liberalized Torah observance, elevated ‘oral traditions,’ and cancelled God’s requirement that high priests be descendants of Aaron, i.e., Menelaus.
In contrast, traditional Jewish leaders believed in keeping the solar calendar, following the Torah, and restricting the priesthood to the sons of Levi/Zadok.
- But, with Judah under Seleucid rulership, this party lacked any political support to exist.
- As a result, they left Jerusalem, ‘shaking the dust from their feet’ to form a monastic community in the desert wilderness at Qumran.
- In Qumran the ‘Zadokites’ saw themselves as the ‘sons of Zadok’ in Ezekiel’s apocalyptic temple prophecy.

The ‘Sons of Zadok’ Prophecy in Ezekiel

The Zadokites in Qumran considered the Hellenists in Jerusalem to be apostate from YHWH, while they considered themselves to be the prophetic ‘sons of Zadok’ in Ezekiel’s prophecy.

The prophet Ezekiel lived 400 years before the events of 167 BC. Within his end-time temple ministries Ezekiel prophesied explicitly about apostate priests versus the sons of Zadok, “who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me.” (Ezekiel 44:15)

About the apostate priests Ezekiel wrote:

Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them.
Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD. They must not approach Me to serve Me as priests or come near any of My holy things or the most holy things. They will bear the shame of the abominations they have committed.
Ezekiel 44:10-13

Ezekiel then proceeded, writing:

But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD. They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge…In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
Ezekiel 44:15-16, 28

The Zadokites in Qumran applied Ezekiel’s ‘sons of Zadok’ prophecy to themselves, believing the Jerusalem hellenizers were “the Levites who wandered away from YHWH.”

The Zadokites dwelt in Qumran more than 100 years, until the Romans destroyed their community between 68-73 AD.

The Jewish Religion from 73 AD to Today

For more than 1800 years after the Romans destroyed the Qumran community (until a boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946) the world forgot everything about the Zadokites’ beliefs, their writings, and God’s calendar.

In the meantime, since 167 BC all Jewish religious sects continue using the lunar calendar. That is, each month starts with a ‘new moon’ and when this calendar gets ‘out of sync’ with the four seasons a 13^th month is added to compensate.

The Bible, Talmud, Mishnah, etc.

As Winston Churchill famously said, “History is written by the victors.”

Regarding God’s calendar, the historical victors (so far) are the proponents of Hellenistic Judaism.

The Zadokites fled from Jerusalem in 167 BC, becoming a marginalized Jewish sect in the desert under the Seleucids. Then, the Romans completely destroyed them around 67-73 AD and they disappeared from history—until a boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946.
Meanwhile, Hellenistic Judaism continued in the Jerusalem temple under the Seleucids and then the Romans, until the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and exiled surviving Jews from their land in 70 AD. But, even as exiles among the nations for almost two millennia, their version of Hellenistic Judaism still survives today.

Therefore, since before the Pharisees and Sadducees existed, and 1600 years before Gothenburg invented the printing press, the world has only known the Hellenistic version of Judaism—which uses the Gentiles’ lunar calendar.

Fast forward to today… all Jewish and Christian writers, Bible translators, and publishers assume the Jewish religion’s 2100-year-old lunar calendar is correct. Since it’s so ancient, all our Bible translations and seminaries have this perspective.

What is God’s Calendar?

This section briefly describes the Zadokite calendar and its benefits. Use the hyperlinked resources at the end of this article for more-detailed study.

Description

In the Zadokite calendar the year always contains 364 days.
Each year consists of twelve months of thirty days each, plus four additional days, one of which is intercalated (added, inserted) at the end of each three-month period.
- For example, the first and second months are 30 days long, while the third month totals 31 days; then the pattern repeats.
- Each three-month period is 91 days long.
- Four 91-day quarters combine in a 364 day year.
New Year’s Day and the first day of each quarter always falls on a Wednesday.
- Wednesday is the day mandated as the first day by the creation order, since the heavenly lights – sun, moon and stars, the basis of all calendars – were created on the fourth day (Gen. 1:14-19).
A particular day of any given month will always fall on the same day of the week every year.
Festivals occur on the same day each year, and never on a (Saturday) Sabbath, thereby avoiding conflicts about sacrifices.

Benefits

A great advantage of the Zadokite solar calendar over the lunar calendar is that it results in fixed dates for the major festivals.
This calendar guarantees that a particular day of any given month will always fall on the same day of the week every year.
The 364-day year is divisible by 7, which fits God’s pattern of time keeping.
- God created the heavens and earth in 7 days
- 7 days x 52 weeks = 364 days in a year
- 7 years in a shmitah period
- 7 x 7 years in a 49-year Jubilee cycle
- There are 7000 years in God’s plan for this creation (2 Peter 3:8)

God’s Calendar Template

Sabbath Days on God’s Calendar

In God’s calendar the 7^th-day Sabbath repeats on the same days each year. For example, in the diagram below read across from left to right to see the red Sabbath dates are the same in months 1, 4, 7, and 10. Then, read across to find the blue dates are the same on months 2, 5, 8, and 11, and they’re the same for green months 3, 6, 9, and 12.

You can verify this pattern in the calendar template on the next page.

Image from Part 1 of the Asherit Dead Sea Scrolls video series

Since God created the sun, moon and stars on the 4^th day of creation, the Zadokite solar calendar starts on the 4^th day of the week (Wednesday) after the spring equinox.

Sorry for the small text; please zoom-in to see the details more clearly.

Download calendar at https://zadokway.com/calendar

‘Appointed Times’ on God’s Calendar

God’s appointed times (see Leviticus 23) are highlighted in yellow or green in the template above. These appointed times occur on the same days each year:

Passover – 14^th of 1^st month
Unleavened Bread – 15^th to 21^st of the 1^st month
Firstfruits of Barley – 26^th of 1^st month
Shavuot or Pentecost (firstfruits of wheat) – 15^th of 3^rd month
Trumpets – 1^st of 7^th month
Day of Atonements – 15^th of 7^th month
Sukkot (Tabernacles) – 15^th to 21^st of 7^th month, and the 8^th Day on the 22^nd of 7^th month

Resolving My Own Arguments Against the Solar Zadokite Calendar

Before accepting the Zadokite solar calendar as God’s calendar I had to overcome these three major objections.

1. Doesn’t the Bible talk about the new moon, including a new moon celebration?

Here are the only verses that mention “new moon.” Quotes are from the Aramaic Bible in Plain English:

Numbers 10:10 And in the day of your joy and of your meetings and of the beginnings of your months, sound with the trumpets for your burnt offerings and for your peace offerings and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God; I AM YHWH your God.”
Isaiah 1:13 You shall not continue to bring to me worthless savor offerings. It is disgusting to me. At the first of the months and on the Sabbath you assemble an assembly.
1 Chronicles 23:31 And to offer up sacrifices to YHWH on the Sabbaths, and on the first of the months, and at feasts by their number, according to what is right for them constantly before YHWH.
2 Chronicles 2:4 Even now I am building a house for the name of YHWH my God, to hallow it and to bring before him censers of sweet incense and to light a lamp constantly, and to bring sacrifices at dawn and in the evening, and on the Sabbaths in the first of the month, and at the feasts of YHWH our God for eternity; this they decreed for all Israel.
2 Chronicles 31:3 And the King gave some of his slaughtered ones, sacrifices of oxen of the dawn and of the evening, and offerings of Sabbaths and of the beginning of the month, and of the feasts, and he spoke to the people just as it is written in the Torah of YHWH.
Nehemiah 10:33 For the bread of the offering, for the continual offering and for the continual sacrifice of the Sabbaths, and of the beginning of months, and of the feasts, and of holy things, and of the forgiveness of the sin of Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

I chose quotes from the Aramaic Bible in Plain English because it consistently translates ‘new moon” to mean the 1^st day of the month, or the 1^st day of the year, without any reference to the moon. Here are the underlined portions from the six references above:

the beginnings of your months
the first of the months
the first of the months
the first of the month
the beginning of the month
the beginning of months

The Hebrew word chodesh can either mean moon or month, so most translators assume that more than 2100 years of rabbinic tradition is correct when they choose to translate chodesh as ‘new moon’ instead of ‘beginning of the month.’

As you see on the image below, the Hebrew word for moon ‘yarach’ isn’t found anywhere in the Hebrew manuscripts where it says, “new moon.”

Also, the image below shows another possibility for ‘new moon’ events mentioned in scripture. Perhaps they were the first days of the months following the quarterly ‘intercalary’ days. Asherit explains this concept starting at the 5:36 minute mark in this video. To better understand these technically complicated topics, click the hyperlinks I’ll provide at the end of this article.

Image from Asherit Dead Sea Scrolls video #1

2. Why is Firstfruits of Barley on Aviv 26 in God’s Calendar?

Most Messianic disciples believe the ‘Firstfruits of Barley’ should be celebrated on the Sunday within the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is the Sunday when Yeshua appeared to Mary and the disciples after His resurrection as the ‘firstfruits of the dead.’

On the Zadokite calendar image below, this Sunday is the 19th day of the 1st month. However, the Zadokite calendar places the Firstfruits of Barley event on the following Sunday, the 26th day of the first month. What’s up with that?

I emailed Asherit from the YouTube Asherit Dead Sea Scrolls channel, asking this question:

“I recently listened to a podcast by Dr. Michael Heiser in which he asserted that the Zadokite calendar is the only one that fits the numbers in Daniel’s prophecies. As a result, in researching the Zadok calendar I discovered your YouTube series. I’ve watched all 5 parts, and they’re very good, but I have a hang-up about the dating of Firstfruits that (I see) others have also asked you.
Basically, I don’t understand why Firstfruits can’t be on the Sunday within the feast of Unleavened Bread (ULB). Why does it need to be after ULB?
In your YouTube Discussion page (2 years ago) Anne Fallible asked you about this and you said you’d email her a lengthy response. If you can find it, please send me this response. Or you can send me a more current explanation if that’s more convenient.”

Asherit gave me this response the same day:

‘So, this was a source of debate among my group of friends before I discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) and the First Fruits of Barley date on Abib 26 and it actually served as confirmation that whoever wrote the DSS knew the Torah very well.

When we read Leviticus 23 it was clear that the First Fruits of Barley could not occur within the 7 days of Passover and Unleavened Bread because the 7 feasts were divided into separate sections and First Fruits was not within the section for Passover and Unleavened Bread. First Fruits of Barley and the 50-day count to Shavuot were together but separated from the earlier 7 days of Passover and the later feast of Yom Teruah/Trumpets. There were basically two different camps: 1) First Fruits must be the day following the first Sabbath after the 7 days ends and 2) After the weekly Sabbath during the week of Passover you must count 50 days to the Barley harvest and then another 50 days to the Wheat harvest.
Option 2 never made much sense to me but I thought option 1 was the best answer. After I found the DSS and saw that over 2,200 years ago they wrote it was the 26th which is the Sunday following the first weekly Sabbath after the end of Passover/Unleavened Bread I was thrilled to have a definitive answer instead of just a guess.
Then when I read in Jubilees that the feast of Shavuot was in the middle of the 3rd month, it was another confirmation that it lined up with Torah. I had always argued that starting the 50-day omer count during the 7 days of Unleavened Bread would never get you into the middle of the 3rd month when Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai according to Exodus, the closest you could get was a full week BEFORE the middle of the 3rd month…so how could Shavuot commemorate arriving at the holy mountain of Yah?
(Here she inserted the text of Leviticus 23:1-22, which I’ve removed. It’s available in your Bible.)
So, I understand that a lot of people have been taught that Yeshua had to be resurrected on First Fruits of Barley because He is called the First Fruits of the resurrection later and if He didn’t rise from the dead on First Fruits then He didn’t fulfill the feasts properly. This has been a popular Torah movement teaching which was based more on the lunar calendar tradition of the Rabbi’s who routinely mix and overlap their feast days and Shabbats.
So where did the idea come that He would be the First Fruit if He didn’t resurrect on that feast day? Isaiah 53. This is also where we get the understanding the He was to be our Atonement as it states in Hebrews although He didn’t die on Day of Atonement. Yeshua was the first to resurrect to ETERNAL life out of land that was dry, devoid of the living water needed for life. Because He was the first to resurrect with eternal life, He can now impart this to us as the Day of Atonement sacrifice.
If you will recall the part of His trial when Barabbas (Son of the Father) was placed next to Him and the people chose Yeshua as their sacrifice and that Barabbas would be set free.
The first Adam destroyed eternal life and until Yeshua there was no eternal life imparted to anyone, only the expectation of eternal life in the future Messiah which it says that Abraham saw and rejoiced over. This is why Yeshua is called the 2nd Adam/the Last Adam. But the association doesn’t dictate that He must be resurrected on the feast of First Fruits to be the First Fruit, just as He didn’t have to do it all over again in the 7th month just so He could be called our Atonement. It simply means that He fulfilled or filled up with meaning, those specific roles during His ministry.
I hope this helps…Shalom!’

3. A year isn’t 364 days, it is 365.25 days!

Yes, that’s correct. So, just as in our ‘leap year,’ where we add a compensating day (February 29^th) to our calendar every 4 years, the Zadokite solar calendar adds days to the end of a year after every five or six years, depending on the vernal (spring) equinox.

Intercalation Rule

Simply put, the Zadokite calendar’s calendar-adjustment rule is that whenever the spring equinox would extend past day 364 at the end of a year, add up to seven days to start the next year’s cycle on the following Wednesday.

For example, look at the diagram below:

The calendar numbers the days of the year from 1-364. In the Zadokite calendar Day 1 is always on a Wednesday, Pentecost (Day 75) is always on a Sunday, and Yom Kippur (Day 192) is always on a Friday, etc.
Red dates are Biblical festival dates, which never vary.
Solid Red boxes are equinoxes and solstices
Green boxes are Sabbath days (Saturdays)
Blue boxes are the 91^st day of each quarter, and intercalation days at the end of the year.

As you can see, the Spring equinox at the top beginning of the year (solid red box) was on the 3^rd Day of the week (Tuesday), but at the end of the year the Spring Equinox falls on Wednesday, which would be day 365. Therefore, add seven days (after day 364) to start day 1 of the the following year on the next Wednesday (after Day 7 in the blue box). This resets the Zadokite solar calendar, just as adding February 29th resets the Julian calendar during a leap year.

Image from Asherit Dead Sea Scrolls video #5

Then, at the end of the year following the year depicted in the diagram above, the Spring equinox will occur on day 359, so that year can end on Tuesday, day 364 and the year after that can start the next day. Another intercalation adjustment won’t be necessary again until the spring equinox occurs after day 364, after five or six years.

4. Does Psalm 104:19 support a lunar calendar?

Psalm 104:19 says, “He made the moon (yarach) for times (moedim, appointed times) and the sun knows the time of its settings.” This verse seems to support a lunar calendar for setting the dates of YHWH’s ‘appointed times.’

I emailed Asherit about this, writing:

Asherit, I have a quick question that you might be able to help me with. Psalm 104:19 says, “He made the moon (yarach) for times (moedim, appointed times) and the sun knows the time of its settings.”
This verse explicitly says God created the moon for the moedim. However, in the Zadokite calendar the moon is not associated with the moedim, so how should we understand this verse?

Asherit emailed her response to me, saying:

I believe that this verse is referring to the appointed times of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes when the moon serves as a witness to the season as established by the sun alone.
Enoch 1 tells us that two times a year the moon changes its course to set with the sun through the same gate. I have a video on my YT channel of the sun and moon setting together through the same gate on the equinox. In other words, the sun knows it’s going down, it precise location through the new gate, and the moon acts as a faithful witness.
I believe that because we are so far removed from understanding the motion of the heavens like the ancients knew them that we don’t understand references that would have been clear to them at the time it was written. I hope this helps!

Her response makes sense to me. Here’s how I now understand Psalm 104:19:

The psalmist wasn’t endorsing the lunar calendar. He was referring to the two times per year when the moon synchronizes with the sun in an equinox. They are the ‘two witnesses’ of each equinox.
The Spring equinox (when the moon passes through the same ‘gate’ as the sun) is used to establish all 364 dates for the entire year that follows, including the dates for all the ‘appointed times’ in Leviticus chapter 23.
The image below is from her YouTube video demonstration of the moon serving as a witness to the sun during the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. It starts at the 14:38 minute point in Zadok Calendar In The Dead Sea Scrolls Part 3.

Zadok Calendar in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Part 3

Conclusion: the Zadokite Priestly Calendar is God’s Calendar

The solar Zadokite calendar is God’s calendar.

For more than 2000 years, from Noah’s flood in 2348 BC until Antiochus IV Epiphanes changed it in 167 BC, historical evidence proves God’s covenant people used the Zadokite calendar.
If that’s true, it is still the calendar God uses—regardless of whether mankind uses it or not.

To Learn More About God’s Calendar

Videos

1. Calendar Dead Sea Scrolls by Professor Rachel Elior of Hebrew University This fascinating 2-hour 20 minute video includes three parts.

From the start to 1:06:15 The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Zadokites and the Essenes, the covenant and the sacred calendar, Enoch, angelic priestly ministries, angelic Melchizedek
Question and Answer period: 1:06:18 to 1:22:55 includes the history of how the ancient rabbis forbid Jewish people from reading books outside the Old Testament canon, such as Enoch, Jubilees, etc.
From 1:23:00 to the end: The Zadokite Solar Calendar is God’s calendar. Rosh Hashanah isn’t a legitimate Jewish New Year; how the lunar calendar displaced the solar calendar.

2. Asherit’s Zadok Calendar in the Dead Sea Scrolls 5-part series on YouTube:

Part 1 Introduction and Overview of the Zadokite solar calendar
Part 2 How the Zadokite solar calendar operates from year to year; intercalary days, vernal equinox
Part 3 The luminary cycles of the sun, moon and stars; how to observe the equinox
Part 4 Comparison of various lunar and solar calendars. Intercalation. How the solar calendar changed to lunar.
Part 5 Continuation of Part 4. Why the Zadok calendar is superior to other calendars, and how to establish Day 1.

Websites

Christian Passover

1. Past: How Jesus Fulfilled Passover

Terminology: Jewish Passover vs Christian Passover

Jewish Passover

Since the exodus from Egypt, God commanded Israel to annually celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

So, for more than 3000 years, descendants of Israel remember Passover every springtime in a Passover Seder (pronounced say-der), which is a traditional Passover event.

Christian Passover

During the Last Supper on the evening before His crucifixion, Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the Jewish Passover and instituted a New Covenant version–a Christian Passover.

Christian Passover doesn’t replace the Jewish Passover. Rather, it builds on the original Passover’s foundation and adds expanded meanings to it.

Here’s a Christian Passover Seder incorporating some of the traditional Seder, but updated in light of the cross and resurrection of our Savior. Feel free to download and use it to celebrate your Christian Seder. If you’d like a Microsoft Word version that you can edit, email Tom@Standinfaith.org to request it.

Passover-Outline-v7 Download

When to Celebrate Christian Passover?

Disclaimer: Since 164BC, Jewish leaders use a lunisolar calendar, which is primarily controlled by the moon’s phases. (If you’re interested in learning about Israel’s calendar before 164BC, read my post entitled God’s Calendar.)

The Jews determine Passover season dates according to the monthly cycle of the moon. (Leviticus 23:5-8)

Nisan 1 begins each Jewish year with a new moon.
Passover preparation (lambs are killed) occurs on Nisan 14
The feast of unleavened bread runs 7 days, from Nisan 15-21
Nisan 15 and 21 are Sabbath days

The Hebrew Calendar

Nisan? For centuries many doctrinal misunderstandings and errors occurred because our Gregorian calendar is different from the Hebrew calendar, so (trust me) it’s important for you to briefly understand the Hebrew calendar before proceeding.

From Sunset to Sunset

Ever since the first day of creation in Genesis chapter one, days in the Bible go from sunset to sunset—not from midnight to midnight as we’re accustomed.

(example above from Hebrew4Christians.com)

God’s Appointed Times

Explanatory Note About God’s Names

First (because it’s a stumbling block to some people) this section is a quick side-note to explain why I use the names YHWH and Jesus in this article.

YHWH

In Exodus 3:14 we learn that “YHWH” is Almighty God’s personal name. There are many opinions about how to pronounce YHWH, with Yahweh or Yehovah being the most popular.

In this article, rather than referring to Him using the generic word ‘God,’ which allows people to imagine whatever their concept of God is, I’ll often use the specific name of YHWH. YHWH is the God who covenanted with Israel. He is the Father of Yeshua the Messiah.

Yeshua

There are almost as many opinions about how to correctly say our Savior’s name. He is called Yeshua, Yahushua, Issa, Iesue, and Jesus. In this article I’ll refer to the Lord by the name Jesus, not because it’s more correct, but because this article’s target audience are Christians who know Him by this name.

The Seven Moedim (Appointed Times)

In the Bible (Leviticus 23) YHWH ordained seven ‘moedim’ for His people. YHWH’s appointed times, or ‘Moedim’ (pronounced mo-a-deem) are sacred assemblies for His people (Leviticus 23:2).

The 4 Spring moedim teach us about God’s plan for redeeming mankind from sin and death through the Messiah. Christian Passover is a spring moedim; we celebrate it to remember (and personally identify with) Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God. The other 3 Spring moedim are:

The 3 Autumn moedim promise how YHWH will resurrect His saints and establish the Messiah’s kingdom on the earth.

Here are the 4 Spring and 3 Autumn moedim:

The 7 Moedim from holyimpactministries.com

God fulfilled the Spring moedim in the past; He will fulfill the Fall (Autumn) moedim in our future.

Lunar Month of Nisan

Passover is in the lunar month of Nisan, which is the first month in the Hebrew calendar. Nisan always coincides with March/April.

The first day of each Hebrew month starts at sunset when Israel sights the first sliver of the new moon. (Or, a minority believe the new moon is ‘at conjunction,’ when the moon is completely dark–the Bible doesn’t define which is correct.) Then, two weeks later, the full moon is on the 15^th of each month. Here’s a depiction of one lunar cycle; one Biblical month.

Passover on Nisan 14

From the following verses we learn Passover occurs ‘between the sunsets’ on Nisan 14. The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows immediately afterward, for the next 7 days, from Nisan 15-21:

These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you shall proclaim at their appointed times. The Passover to the LORD begins between the sunsets on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of the same month begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
Leviticus 23:4-6

Every year, the Jewish Passover Day (Nisan 14) is when the lambs are killed. But, it is not itself a Sabbath Day.

Rather, Nisan 14 is a preparation day, to prepare the lamb (and vegetables, etc.) for the Passover ‘Feast of Unleavened Bread.’ This feast begins after sunset, as the ‘high Sabbath’ begins on Nisan 15.

The Passover feast is the ‘Feast of Unleavened Bread,’ and Nisan 15 is a ‘high Sabbath’ day.

Events on Christian Passover Day – Nisan 14, from Sunset to Sunset

This is a brief, chronological summary of events that happened on Nisan 14, Christian Passover Day, in the year Jesus died on the cross:

Jesus and His disciples met for the Last Supper at the beginning of Nisan 14, just after sunset. This was a Tuesday evening.
After dinner, Jesus and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Judas led a a mob there to arrest Jesus.
Pontius Pilate convicted and condemned Jesus to be crucified early on Wednesday morning.
By 9am Jesus was crucified. At about 3pm (still on Nisan 14) He died on the cross.
His disciples hastily laid His body in a nearby tomb before Nisan 14 ended at sunset. This was before the Feast of Unleavened Bread began at sunset, the beginning of Nisan 15. (John 19:31, 42)

The Last Supper

Jesus and the 12 disciples met in an upper room for (what Jesus knew was) His last meal. During this meal He emphasized to them (and demonstrated) the Christian Passover concepts of purity, obedience, and sacrifice.

Purity: Mikveh and Foot-Washing

Before entering the sacred temple area for Passover, Jews ritually purified themselves by immersion in a mikveh, a ritual bath. Archaeologists discovered hundreds of mikvehs around Jerusalem for this purpose.

Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.
John 13:10

From this verse (John 13:10) we know Jesus and His disciples bathed to cleanse their bodies before walking to the upper room for the Last Supper.

Another Ancient Stepped Mikveh in Jerusalem

Obedience:

Jesus didn’t want to die on the cross. Even so, knowing He was going to be crucified as the Lamb of God within just a few hours, Jesus said,

I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.
John 14:31

Sacrifice: Bread and Wine

At the Last Supper, Jesus used leavened bread (artos, Strong’s #740) and wine to symbolize His body and blood.

The Melchizedek Priesthood

The symbol of bread and wine wasn’t new in Hebrew history. In the book of Genesis, Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He ‘brought out bread and wine’ when he blessed Abraham in Genesis 14:19.

According to Hebrews 5:10, 6:20, and 7:1-28, Jesus is our High Priest ‘according to the Order of Melchizedek.’

So, what did it mean when Jesus ‘brought out bread and wine,’ and how does it relate to Christian Passover? Months before, in Galilee, Jesus told His followers:

I AM the Living Bread of Life

Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”
“Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood you have no life in you…”
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you? Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. However, there are some of you who do not believe.
John 6:53-63

So, what did it mean when Jesus ‘brought out bread and wine,’ and how does it relate to Christian Passover? The bread and wine in the Last Supper were elements of an ancient blood covenant ritual. It is a ‘New Covenant in His blood.’

The New Covenant

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them, declares the LORD.
But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.
For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.
Jeremiah 31:31-34

Who Are the Parties Making the New Covenant?

Who did YHWH covenant with in the New Covenant? Contrary to popular opinion, the Church didn’t replace Israel as God’s chosen people when Jesus instituted the New Covenant.

According to Jeremiah 31:31 above, the New Covenant is between YHWH and the houses of Israel and Judah.

Spiritual Israel

New Covenant disciples are citizens of spiritual Israel.

Jesus is God’s High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He mediated the New Covenant between YHWH and the houses of Israel (10 tribes) and Judah (2 tribes). The apostle Paul revealed that Gentile believers are reconciled to God because they’re grafted-in to the ‘lost 10 tribes’ of Israel.

At the Last Supper Jesus revealed that His body and blood would be sacrificed to renew the covenant that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai—the covenant Israel had broken.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)

This is the Christian Passover ceremony.

The New Covenant Is A Blood Covenant

Bread and wine are ‘blood covenant‘ symbols. In ancient times, whenever two men made a formal covenant, they sacrificed an animal. They spilled its blood (its life) and then roasted and ate its body in a covenant meal. Eating this meal constitutes an unspoken agreement that whoever breaks the covenant will be cursed to die, just as the sacrificed animal died.

In like manner, when we eat the Christian Passover bread and drink the Christian Passover wine (in the Feast of Unleavened Bread) we’re symbolically eating the body and drinking the blood of the Christian Passover sacrifice, the Lamb of God.

When you eat the bread and drink the wine in the Christian Passover ceremony you are literally entering into a covenant with YHWH.

That’s why the apostle Paul warned:

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 11:27-30

Our Responsibility In the New Covenant:

Believe in the Messiah as our Christian Passover sacrifice
Have God’s law written in our mind and on our heart (and walk accordingly)
Know YHWH.

YHWH’s Responsibility In the New Covenant:

Reconcile believers to Himself—both Jew and Gentile. Reconciliation is available to anyone who believes. Belief in YHWH’s Christian Passover sacrifice is the only method of reconciliation with YHWH. (John 14:6)
Replace believers’ heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Make it possible for them to live according to God’s instructions.
YHWH now inhabits a spiritual house made from ‘living stones,’ making all stone temples obsolete.

As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you also, like living stones, are built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5

Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion, Burial

The themes of purity, obedience and sacrifice continue:

Purity

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
1 Peter 1:19

Obedience

“Not My will, but Thine be done.”
Luke 22:42

In His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Luke 22:44

He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8

Regardless of the cost and pain, Jesus completely obeyed the Father and submitted Himself to the Father’s will.

Sacrifice

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
Isaiah 53:7

Feast of Unleavened Bread, from Nisan 15-21

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the actual Passover meal, when we eat the roasted, sacrificial lamb.

Historical Christian Passover Week Details

Note: the year 30AD is not certain, but the Nisan 14-18 details are correct.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs every year after sunset, at the beginning of Nisan 15. This is about 4 hours after the lamb’s blood (its life) is taken.

Jesus died on the cross on Wednesday at about 3pm. This was exactly the same time as the Levitical priests in the temple were killing the Passover lambs to cover the nation’s sins. Just after sunset on that Wednesday, all families in Israel would be eating roasted lamb in Passover Seder meals. A ‘Seder’ (pronounced say-der) is the ritual feast commemorating the exodus from Egypt under Moses.

A bright, white full moon at the beginning of this feast on Nisan 15 represents the Messiah’s resurrected glory.

Why Unleavened?

Whereas Jesus and His disciples ate leavened bread at the Last Supper, this is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Why unleavened? There are two reasons:

In the exodus from Egypt they didn’t have time to leaven their bread. So this is a remembrance of their leaving in haste.
Leaven represents sin. While Jesus was in His mortal body, it was corruptible, like ours. In fact, in this sinful world Jesus suffered temptation in every way we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) But after His body died, it was no longer possible to tempt Him to sin. He is forever incorruptible. His body has (symbolically) changed from leavened to unleavened.

In the New Covenant YHWH gives us a heart of flesh and writes His law in our mind and on our heart. So, unleavened bread also represents our changed nature, from sinner to saint. We can now walk in sincerity and truth…

Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.
1 Corinthians 5:7

Why is the Feast of Unleavened Bread 7 Days?

The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles have many similarities:

Both feasts last 7 days (Tabernacles lasts 7 days, but adds an 8^th day)
Both begin and end with “a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work”

Ever since the 7 days of creation in Genesis, the number 7 represents the fullness, completeness, and perfection of YHWH’s creation. For example, every 7^th day speaks of complete rest; there are 7 colors in God’s rainbow, and 7 notes in the musical scale.

Why these feasts last 7 days is a mystery, but here’s my belief; the 7-day duration of these two holy feasts tells me that they have eternal significance.

Throughout all eternity we’re grateful to YHWH because He provided us the bread and wine of the New Covenant in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We owe everything to YHWH’s love and grace, and to our Passover Lamb, Jesus.
For all eternity we’re the ‘tabernacle’ of YHWH; that is, He will dwell in us and we will be His temple, built of living stones.

Should Christians Celebrate Moedim?

In a word, yes. For Christians who don’t believe the moedim apply to them, Zechariah 14:16 tells us all nations will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles annually in the millennial age to come–after the Battle of Armageddon.

Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
Zechariah 14:16

Think about it objectively…

God required Israel to celebrate His moedim in the past, and He will require require all nations to celebrate Tabernacles in the future Millennium.
It’s therefore highly unlikely that God thinks it’s okay for His people today to disregard His moedim, and to replace them with non-Biblical ‘Christian’ holidays.

Firstfruits, Nisan 18

Firstfruits celebrates the first portion of the harvest of mankind in the kingdom of God.

The Sign of Jonah

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus for a sign to confirm God sent Him. In response, Jesus told them,

A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”
Matthew 12:39, 16:4, Luke 11:29

Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.
Jonah 1:17

The sign of Jonah is that Jesus would be in the grave three days and three nights.

His disciples placed Jesus’ body in the tomb on Wednesday afternoon, Nisan 14, before sunset. Three days and 3 nights later, Jesus arose from the dead on Saturday afternoon, Nisan 17, before sunset.

Timing

While fulfilling the sign of Jonah, Jesus also fulfilled the timing requirements for the Firstfruits moedim.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest, you are to bring to the priest the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD so that it may be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.”
Leviticus 23:9-11

After the Nisan 17 sunset, ending the Sabbath, Jesus ascended into heaven and waved the sheaf of firstfruits before YHWH on Nisan 18.

Firstfruits Offering in Heaven

As the spotless Lamb of God Jesus fulfilled Passover and Unleavened Bread. When YHWH resurrected Jesus’ body, transforming it into an incorruptible, heavenly body, Jesus ‘entered the land’ in the spiritual realm. As the resurrected High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek, Jesus brought many resurrected saints with Him as the Firstfruits offering in the heavenly sanctuary…

At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people
Matthew 27:51-53

Some believe these resurrected saints are the 24 elders John saw in Revelation 4:4.

2. Present: Christian Passover

How should Christians apply the spiritual truths of Passover?

Christian Passover – Purity

Just as Jesus and His disciples ritually purified themselves before Passover, we must purify ourselves before we can…

offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 12:1

How to Purify Yourself

The Passover sacrifice of Jesus makes it possible for us to overcome all shame and an evil conscience. This enables us to ‘have confidence’ to enter YHWH’s presence without guilt or shame…

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19-22

The Tabernacle

God told Moses to build the tabernacle “according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Exodus 25:40) God showed Moses the divine pattern that everyone must follow to enter YHWH’s presence.

Enter through the Door at the bottom. Proceed up to the Holy of Holies.

The Temple

Later, Israel’s temples followed this same pattern…

Christian Passover – Spiritual Application

First, enter through the Door. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. (John 10:7)
Sacrifice on the brazen altar. Jesus was offered once for all time as a permanent sacrifice for sins. (Hebrews 10:12)
Sanctification (mikveh) in the brazen laver (large tub) of water. We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. (Hebrews 10:10)
After sacrifice and sanctification you can enter the Holy Place to praise YHWH, receive revelation (the Word), and enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, before we can enter YHWH’s presence we must partake of the Passover sacrifice by faith. Then, we can mikveh (cleanse) our mind and conscience through introspection, repentance, and prayer.

Other New Testament scriptures concerning our purification: Ephesians 5:27, Colossians 1:22, Hebrews 9:14

The ‘bottom line’ is that nothing impure or unholy may enter YHWH’s presence.

Christian Passover – Obedience

Jesus frequently said, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” He also warned,

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. But only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21

Similar verses include: 1 John 2:17, John 9:31, Mark 3:35, Matthew 7:24, 12:50, and Revelation 2:26.

Cheap Grace vs Costly Grace

Dietrich Bonhoeffer became a martyr for Christ after he opposed Hitler during WWII. He wrote “The Cost of Discipleship,” contrasting cheap grace with costly grace.

Cheap Grace

Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything they say, and so everything can remain as it was before…Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world’s standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin…. “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. It is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
“The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Sadly, most of today’s visible Church wants ‘cheap grace.’ Its leaders merchandise the gospel for their own benefit, while ‘tickling the ears’ of large crowds on the broad way that leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Costly Grace

Costly grace is… costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life but delivered him up for us.
“The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God’s grace was costly. We respect the price He paid by becoming morally pure according to His Spirit in us…

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
Jeremiah 31:33

Don’t Tolerate Sin In Your Life!

If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:26-31

Obedience to God isn’t always easy or pleasant…God’s will led Jesus to die on the cross. In like manner, God’s will may lead us to sacrifice our money, our property, and our lives. But following God’s will is the only path to success and glory in God’s eternal kingdom.

Christian Passover – Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2

How to Become a Living Sacrifice

Purity: partake of the bread and wine of the Passover sacrifice by faith. Then mikveh (wash, cleanse) your mind and conscience through introspection, prayer, and faith in the Messiah’s sacrifice for your sins. Do this until you can stand before God without any shame or guilt.
Obedience: having purified your conscience, don’t be defiled by allowing leaven (sin) in your life. Be holy, as YHWH is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Be sure to mix holiness with genuine humility; remember, pride is a sin.
Sacrifice: having cleansed your conscience by faith in the Christian Passover Lamb, put away all leaven in your life. Then you can offer yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. God will mightily use you to advance His kingdom on the earth.

Job Openings in God’s Kingdom

All of these saints will be ‘living sacrifices’ unto YHWH during the years ahead:

3. Future: The Autumn Feasts in Our Future

At the exact moment the Levitical priests were killing the Passover lamb in the temple, our Christian Passover Lamb was dying on the cross. He arose from the grave after fulfilling the sign of Jonah, just in time to wave the sheaf of Firstfruits in heaven on the Sabbath following Passover.

God fulfilled the Spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits) exactly as prophesied. Since YHWH fulfilled the Spring feasts so exactly, what can we expect concerning the Autumn feasts which haven’t been fulfilled yet?

Obviously, (just like the Spring feasts) we can expect the Autumn feasts to be fulfilled on the exact dates when the Jews are celebrating them. The Autumn feasts all take place in the Hebrew month of Tishri, the 7^th month, which occurs in September/October on the Gregorian calendar.

Trumpets, Tishri 1, Leviticus 23:24-25

Many reputable teachers believe this will be the day when “the Last Trump” will sound and all dead and living saints will be resurrected or ‘snatched-up’ to heaven and changed in the twinkling of an eye. (1 Corinthians 15)

Day of Atonement, Tishri 10, Leviticus 23:26-32

Whereas Passover deals with personal redemption, the Day of Atonement is the national-level ‘covering’ of sin, with offerings for the priesthood, the nation, and the sanctuary.

I believe the Battle of Armageddon, when Messiah returns with the armies of heaven to defeat the armies of the Antichrist, will occur on a Day of Atonement.

Following the resurrection of Jesus’ disciples on Tishri 1, I believe this is the day when ‘all Israel’ will be saved, in fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove godlessness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.
Romans 11:25-27

The Year of Jubilee, when all debts are cancelled and properties are restored, will begin on a Day of Atonement. (Leviticus 25:8-12)

Tabernacles, Tishri 15-22, Leviticus 23:33-43

Saints commanded to dwell in booths (tents or temporary shelters) for 7 days to remember how Israel dwelt in booths when they came out of Egypt
Joining ‘the camp of the brethren’ for a week every year is practical training for the ‘Greater Exodus,’ when believers will flee from the Antichrist (Revelation 12:13-17, Jeremiah 23:7-8)
Also known as the Feast of Ingathering (of the final harvest) in Exodus 23:16
Many reputable teachers believe the Wedding Supper of the Lamb occurs during this feast
God will require all nations to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem every year during the millennial reign of Messiah (Zechariah 14:16-19)
The 8^th day symbolizes the saints dwelling in YHWH’s presence for eternity

Christian Passover – Conclusion

Most Christians know Passover was fulfilled about 2000 years ago when the Lamb of God voluntarily sacrificed Himself for our sins. That’s true, but the ongoing, New Covenant meaning of Christian Passover is that disciples should not only partake of the bread and wine, but they should themselves follow the Savior’s example, becoming lambs of God, “living sacrifices.”

They can do this by:

Purity: partake of the bread and wine of the Christian Passover sacrifice by faith, and then mikveh (wash, cleanse) your mind and conscience through introspection and prayer. Do this until you can stand before God without any shame or guilt.
Obedience: don’t let any leaven (sin) defile you. Be holy, as YHWH is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Be sure to mix holiness with genuine humility; remember, pride is a sin.
Sacrifice: having cleansed your conscience by faith in the Christian Passover Lamb, and having put away all leaven in your life, offer yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. God will mightily use you to advance His kingdom on the earth.

What Do You Think?

Did this article answer all your questions on this topic? Please leave a comment below and tell me:

Did this article satisfy you?
Or, did it leave you wanting more?

Q: Should Christians celebrate Old Testament festivals?

A: Yes. The New Covenant is between YHWH and Israel–sealed by the blood of Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the Spring festivals exactly according to their dates and prophetic patterns and He will likewise fulfill the autumn festivals in our future. God gave the annual festivals in Leviticus 23 to His people so that we’d understand God’s plan of redemption, and He commanded His people to keep these festivals. Christians are grafted into Israel (Romans 11:17-24), so let’s keep the Biblical festivals, not blindly and mechanically according to their letter, but intelligently, according to God’s spiritual intent, as I’ve illustrated in this article about how to spiritually observe Passover and the Spring feasts.

Q: This article doesn’t jive with the church’s Good Friday and Easter holidays. Why not?

A: Good Friday, Easter, Ash Wednesday, Lent, and all other ‘church’ holidays are both absent from and contrary to scripture. For any objective person, it’s easy to trace their evolution from Babylonian roots. Though many of these holidays seem harmless, and even reverent, they illegitimately substitute themselves for the truths that YHWH’s moedim provide. Thus, they deprive you of the moedims’ revelation and truth, and they deprive YHWH of the form of worship He commanded us to present to Him.

YHWH designed His moedim to teach you His plan of redemption, including how and when events will unfold in our future. Just as Jesus fulfilled the Spring feasts, so will He fulfill the Autumn feasts.

Therefore, instead of following the world in celebrating pagan holidays, Christians should follow YHWH’s appointed times (holidays) found in Leviticus chapter 23.

A Christian View of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

Eat the Passover Lamb

For an excellent introduction to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, including the correct timeline for Jesus’ final week on earth, I recommend this video:

The Old Testament Passover Experience and Its Symbolism

Here is the Old Testament passage where God ordained the Passover Feast of Unleavened Bread, from Exodus 12:1-17:

“Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.

Select a Passover Lamb

Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household. If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor, based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly.

Your lamb must be an unblemished-year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats. You must care for it until the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and put it on the two sideposts and tops of the doorframes of the houses in which they eat the lambs.

Eat the Roasted Passover Lamb that Night

They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Do not eat any of the meat raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it until morning; before the morning you must burn up any part that is left over.

Be Ready to Travel

This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

A Perpetual 7-Day Memorial

And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the yeast from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.

On the first day, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day. You must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals—that is all you may do.

So you are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.

Passover and the Exodus from Egypt

If you’ve seen The Ten Commandments movie, starring Charlton Heston, you know the first Passover happened as the death angel killed all the firstborn children and animals of the Egyptians. The death angel ‘passed over’ each Israelite family that applied an innocent lamb’s blood to the doorposts of their houses.

That evening, the Israelites roasted and ate the sacrificial lambs, along with bread that didn’t have time to leaven, just before they hurriedly departed Egypt and miraculously crossed the Red Sea.

The Passover Commemoration

In Exodus 12 (above) and Leviticus chapter 23, God told Israel to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage every year by sacrificing a lamb on the 14th of Nisan (the first month) and eating it’s roasted flesh that evening.

In Jewish tradition this meal is known as the Passover Seder (pronounced say-der). It’s during this “Feast of Unleavened Bread” when the freshly-killed Passover lamb is eaten.

The 15th of Nisan began at sundown, a few hours after the lambs were killed. Unlike our days that begin at midnight, Biblical days start at sundown, as in this verse from Genesis chapter one.

“And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.“
Genesis 1:5

A Perpetual Feast

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a permanent ordinance, for all time.

This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to YHWH. This is a law for all time.
Exodus 12:14

God said for His people to celebrate this feast perpetually–for all time. The Roman church in the second and third centuries, especially under Constantine, had no authority to discard Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or to replace them with Good Friday and Easter.

But thankfully, Christians today are re-discovering God’s appointed times and their spiritual application under the New Covenant.

Jesus Is Our Christian Passover

As you learned in the video above, Passover isn’t a day.

In the annual Passover commemoration, “The Lord’s Passover” is the actual sacrifice of our lamb for our sins, whether it’s a yearling sheep, or Jesus, the Lamb of God.

At 3 pm on the 14th of Nisan, the Passover lambs were killed in God’s temple. At exactly the same time, Jesus was dying on the cross as the Lamb of God. Thus, Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover lamb.

Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread Fulfills the Old Testament Symbolism

Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
1 Corinthians 5:7

Jesus not only perfectly fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover Lamb, delivering us from our bondage to sin and the fear of death, but He was sacrificed at exactly the same time as the Jewish priests were sacrificing the Jewish Passover lambs in the temple.

Then, Jesus was buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb just before sundown on Nisan 14. Sundown is the start of Nisan 15, which then begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

To Live You Must Eat My Flesh | I am the Living Bread

During His ministry Jesus totally astonished all of His followers when He said,

Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh. (John 6:47-51)

At the last supper He said,

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

Jesus is our Passover sacrifice. Just as the Israelites ate their sacrificial lamb during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, so Christians must feed on the Lamb of God–who is now a life-giving Spirit.

“The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit.”
1 Corinthians 15:45

Identify and Remove Leaven: Manmade Traditions and Teachings

Many Jews and Christians struggle to understand God’s commandment to purge all the leaven from our houses for one week each year. For an excellent perspective on what leaven is, and what it symbolically represents, watch this video:

In light of the teaching in this video, during the annual Feast of Unleavened Bread God primarily wants us to introspectively examine our hearts to identify and remove any ‘leaven.’ That is, we need to remove every man-made teaching or tradition that contradicts or replaces God’s word.

Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread: Prepare for the ‘Greater Exodus’ in Our Future

Just as the children of Israel fled Egypt in ‘the exodus’ under Moses, the Bible tells us there’s a Greater Exodus in our future.

The ancient exodus from Egypt began during the week after Passover. Then God delivered one people; the people who became the nation of Israel.

But, in a future (Christian) Feast of Unleavened Bread week, God will begin to deliver His people out of all the nations of the earth in the ‘Greater Exodus’. This ‘Greater Exodus’ will totally eclipse and replace the ancient exodus from Egypt in the minds of all God’s people forever.

As Jeremiah prophesied,

Yet behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.’ Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their ancestors.
Jeremiah 16:14-15

Timing of the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread–the Greater Exodus

For reasons I explain in my End Time Events Sequence, the Greater Exodus will happen during the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread, just after the great tribulation begins.

The ‘abomination of desolation’ will initiate the 3.5-year great tribulation. Since the 7th Trumpet at the end of the tribulation will certainly coincide with the autumn feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, this means the abomination of desolation will coincide with the spring feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, exactly 3.5 years earlier.

Just as God delivered Moses and the Israelites from Egypt on the 15th of Nisan, I expect God will initiate the Greater Exodus in our future on Nisan 15. Just as God told the Israelites the words below, so they will apply to us in the future.

“This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.“

To learn more about the Greater Exodus, here are two references:

The Sequence of End-Time Events
The video below from Lion & Lamb Ministries

Conclusion: Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread

The perpetual Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us that we must always remember:

Our Passover Lamb’s sacrifice that gives us forgiveness and life
To cleanse our mind and heart from the leaven of every man-made teaching or tradition that contradicts or replaces God’s word
The deliverance God provides for our souls, as well as our bodies in the future, Greater Exodus.

When is the Next Year of Jubilee? | The 70th Jubilee | Leviticus 25:10

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70th Year of Jubilee in 2024

When is the next Biblical Jubilee year… the 70th Jubilee? This article presents compelling archaeological and prophetic evidence suggesting the trumpet announcing the 70th Jubilee year will sound on the ‘Day of Atonement’ in 2024.

Yom Kippur 2024

This day will announce the 70th Year of Jubilee since Joshua led Israel to enter the promised land in 1406 BC. This 70th Year of Jubilee will celebrate our release from the toils of this world and the restoration of our ancient spiritual inheritance in God’s kingdom.

What is the Year of Jubilee?

According to Leviticus 25:8, the Biblical Year of Jubilee happens after every 49-year cycle. It’s announced on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement–the holiest day on God’s calendar, when the High Priest enters God’s presence to ‘cover’ the sins of the whole nation.

The Ancient Hebrew Jubilee Year

Jubilee first appears in the book of Leviticus. God said a Jubilee year was to be celebrated after every 49 years. During this 50th Jubilee year, all debts were erased and all indentured Israelites were freed. Everyone and everything in Israel was to be restored to their original clans and families.

God told Moses to start the 49-year Jubilee cycle “when you enter the land that I am giving to you.” Also, “the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD..” (Leviticus 25:2)

There’s no record of Israel ever celebrating the Year of Jubilee by complying with all its requirements to forgive debts, free slaves, etc.

Jubilee in the New Covenant

Enter Our Promised Land

Just as Israel was to celebrate Jubilee after entering their promised land under Joshua, we have a spiritual promised land to enter. What better time to enter our promised land than on the 70th Jubilee anniversary?

In the New Covenant, the Year of Jubilee represents entering our promised land, when God glorifies His overcomers.

This restoration includes: complete deliverance from our sinful nature, glorification, immortality, and restoring our heavenly inheritance in God’s kingdom.

Return to Your Property and Your Clan

…consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.
Leviticus 25:10

Property and Clan

Return to His Property

What property are we to return to? Before you can understand the property we’re returning to, you need to know where we came from in our past.

Warning–the following section will probably be new and strange to you, so I ask you to consider this information without preconceived bias, according to the Bible–not according to denominational theology.

Our spirits existed with God in the eon of time before Adam, but we all fell into sin, resulting in God destroying the earth, making it without form and void. Our spirits continued to exist, but sin alienated us from our holy God. The situation was hopeless–something in us died. Then, since ‘before the foundation of the earth,’ God devised a plan to reconcile us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior and Messiah. (Revelation 13:8, 17:8, Ephesians 1:4, Titus 1:2, Matthew 25:34)

Now, during our present eon, God reconciles Himself (and restores spiritual life) to every spirit who responds to the gospel truth. This includes everyone who receives the Father’s forgiveness through faith in our Savior and Messiah, Jesus. We are ‘begotten-again’ in a new creation. We’re sons of the ‘Second Adam.’ (see John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:3, 1:23 1 John 5:18, 2 Cor 5:17, Gal 6:15, 1 Cor 15:47)

Therefore, Jubilee will be fulfilled when we recover our previous state of glory and joy in YHWH’s presence. Just as the Israelites returned to their ancestral allotment of land, God will restore us to our ancient spiritual position in His kingdom, completely reconciled and reinstated through His infinite grace and love.

I realize these concepts are not commonly taught, so if you’re curious to learn more about our spiritual pre-existence and God’s plan of reconciliation, refer to my free book Overcomers’ Treasure Map.

Return to His Clan – Spiritual Israel

What clan will we return to? When believers are grafted into Israel (Romans 11:17-21) we are grafted into one of spiritual Israel’s tribes. Within each tribe of spiritual Israel are families, or ‘mishpachah,’ which is translated ‘clans’ in Leviticus 25:10 above.

Natural Israel versus Spiritual Israel

Be careful–don’t confuse the present state of Israel, or Jewish people, with ‘spiritual Israel.’ The apostle Paul wrote:

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
Galatians 4:26

Paul was a Jewish rabbi, and he loved his Jewish countrymen. YHWH also loves the carnal descendants of Abraham, and many natural Jews will be reconciled to the Father through faith. But, YHWH has no favorite children who can disregard His rules. Yeshua is the only door to reconciliation–access to the Father is only through faith in Yeshua as our Passover sacrifice. (John 10:1-18, 1 Cor 5:7)

Spiritual Israel

So, in contrast to natural Israel, ‘spiritual’ Israel is comprised of every person (from any nation) who responds to the gospel truth–everyone who has ever been reconciled to the Father through faith in our Savior and Messiah, Jesus.

What about believers who lived before Jesus came? Spiritual Israel includes ancient saints, such as Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Ruth, and all the others who looked forward to the Savior in their future. Spiritual Israel is based only on faith in YHWH’s promises, not on carnal lineage. Therefore, Spiritual Israel includes all disciples of YHWH, since Abel, who wholeheartedly trust Him and walk in His ways.

Our Clan?

Currently, most of us don’t know what tribe and clan we belong to. I expect God will reveal our clan ‘allotment’ during Jubilee’s fulfillment. From then on, we’ll possess an eternal home within one of the 12 tribes of spiritual Israel.

Your Eternal Home

Jerusalem today is divided into four quarters–Jewish, Muslim, Armenian, and Christian. And, there are ancient gates coming into each quarter. But, in the New Jerusalem, there are 12 gates–one for each tribe of spiritual Israel. Each gate is made of a single pearl (Revelation 21:12). If you’re a disciple, one of these gates will access your clan’s portion of the city–your eternal home in God’s capital on earth.

During the Year of Jubilee the Land Itself Will Observe a Sabbath

…when you enter the land that I am giving to you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD.
Leviticus 25:2

When YHWH fulfills Jubilee, the earth itself will enter into Sabbath rest.

All of creation eagerly awaits the manifestation of the (144,000) sons of God. When Jubilee Year comes, creation will be delivered from the bondage of decay into glorious freedom:

The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Romans 8:19-21

Not only will the overcomers return to their ancient property and clan, but YHWH will return creation to its original state in the Jubilee Year. During the Millennial Reign of Messiah the earth will be like the Garden of Eden, prosperous and peaceful.

God’s ‘Appointed Times’ Reveal God’s Plan and Sequence of Events

In Leviticus chapter 23 God established 7 ‘appointed times’ for His people. These appointed times symbolically portray God’s plan of redemption and deliverance. They also reveal how God will re-establish His kingdom on the earth.

God’s Appointed Times

Passover
Unleavened Bread
Firstfruits
Pentecost
Trumpets
Atonement
Tabernacles

Jesus fulfilled the first 4 (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost) on the exact days and times while the Jews were celebrating them.

Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect God will fulfill the remaining 3 (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) exactly on their annual anniversaries in our future.

The Biblical 49-Year Jubilee Cycle

Starting the year Israel entered the ‘promised land,’ the Jubilee-year cycle occurs every 49 years.

Here are the details from Leviticus 25:

Shmitah Years – Sabbath Every 7th Year

When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD…For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD…The land must have a year of complete rest.
Leviticus 25:2,3,5

Jubilee Year – Every 49 Years (7 Shmitah periods)

And you shall count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to forty-nine years. Then you are to sound the trumpet far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land. So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.
Leviticus 25:8-10

The 50th Year in the 49-Year Jubilee Cycle

The Jubilee-Year cycle repeats every 49 years (7 shmitahs), but the actual Year of Jubilee is the 50th year. That is, the 50th year is the same as (it overlaps) the first year in the next 49-year cycle. Here’s a diagram to illustrate this overlap:

So, in this diagram, both year #1 and year #50 are Jubilee years.

Here’s another example: Every week has 7 days. According to the Bible, Sunday is the first day and Saturday is the seventh day. The next Sunday would be the eighth day, but it’s also the first day of the next week.

If this 49 versus 50 concept is still confusing, watch this video for a good explanation.

When is the next Year of Jubilee?

If you ask Google ‘When is the next year of Jubilee’ you’ll see there’s a lot of ignorance, disagreement, and confusion about this question. It’s a mystery.

According to Leviticus chapter 25, the Biblical Jubilee year cycle started when Israel entered the Promised Land.

Then the LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD.”
Leviticus 25:1

I discovered a BibleArchaeology.org article which convincingly proves that Joshua led Israel to enter the Promised Land in 1406BC. A search on their website will provide many references to 1406BC. Here is one of them:

The commencement of the conquest can be dated exactly. With the exodus datable to 1446 BC, the conquest automatically is dated to 1406 BC, because for “40 years the sons of Israel walked in the wilderness” before entering Canaan (Josh 5:6). Since the crossing of the Jordan River transpired on the 10^th day of the first month, a date of 28 April 1406 BC is fixed as the day in which the Israelites crossed into Canaan (Josh 4:19).
BibleArchaeology link

Jubilee Year Starting in 2024?

Based on this 1406BC start date and a 49-year Jubilee cycle, the next Jubilee Year will start on Nisan 1 (Day 1 of the Biblical calendar, in the spring of 2024) and Jubilee will be formally announced by trumpet blasts on Yom Kippur, in the autumn of 2024. It will be the 70th Jubilee.

Here are my calculations:

2024AD + 1406BC = 3430 years.

3430/49=70

The pattern and dates fit exactly, just as they would if they match God’s plan.

In his 1260d.com website, Dean Coombs provides detailed corroboration that the 70th Year of Jubilee will start in 2024.

2017 and the 50-Year Cycle

In the 20th century important events happened for the Jews and the nation of Israel. Events occurred in 1917 and 1967, 50-years apart, making people wonder if something big would also happen for Israel in 2017… 50 years after 1967 and 100 years after 1917.

I enjoyed Israel’s 70th birthday in May 2018 in Jerusalem with Dr Michael Heiser and Derek & Sharon Gilbert of Skywatch TV. As you can see in my iPhone video below, Israelis filled the streets, celebrating with overflowing joy on the day the American Embassy moved there from Tel Aviv. Being there was an awesome experience!

Recognizing Israel’s Capital and Moving the US Embassy

On December 6, 2017 President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announced plans to move the US Embassy. But, other than the Revelation 12 Sign in the heavens, I can’t find any other ‘big’ events that happened regarding Israel in 2017… at least not on the same level as the 1917 Balfour Declaration or the 1967 Six-Day War.

The 50-Year Cycle

People naturally associate this 50-year 2017/1967/2017 cycle with Leviticus 25:11, which says, “You shall have the fiftieth year as a Jubilee.” They assume that since every fiftieth year is a Jubilee, therefore 1917 and 1967 must have been Jubilee years because God did good things for Israel on these events which were fifty years apart.

Not a Jubilee Cycle

As I’ll explain below, I do recognize this important 50-year cycle. But it’s not the Jubilee-Year cycle.

For a compelling presentation why 49 is correct for Jubilee Year calculations instead of 50, see Jubilee Year Cycle (49 or 50?)

The 50-Year Cycle – Since Creation

The 50-year cycle started at creation, approximately 3983 BC, not in 1406 BC when the Jubilee cycle started.

So, what does the 50-year cycle symbolize? The apostle Peter wrote,

Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
2 Peter 3:8

Therefore six days represent 6000 years. Six days reminds us of the 6 days of creation before God rested on the 7th day.

Most Bible teachers believe this means mankind will have 6000 years before the ‘7th-day’ millennial reign of Christ begins. 6000 is evenly divisible by 50, resulting in 120. 6000/50 = 120

The number 120 will immediately remind Bible readers of what God said in Genesis 6:3… After 200 angels mated with human women, producing ‘nephilim’ giants (for more about this see the Book of Enoch chapter 6), God said:

My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.
Genesis 6:3

The Perfect Resolution of the 49-Year and 50-Year Cycles

Let’s connect the dots…

50-Year Cycle

The 50-year cycle begins with the Biblical creation in Genesis, ending (after 6000 years) on its 120th anniversary in 2017.

After 6000 years, the 120th anniversary of the 50-year 1917/1967/2017 cycle coincides with the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week in 2017.

2017 starts the final 7-year shmitah cycle.

49-Year Cycle

In contrast, the Bible reckons the 49-year Jubilee cycle from when Israel entered the promised land in 1406 BC, ending on its 70th anniversary in 2024.

The 70th anniversary of the 49-year Jubilee cycle coincides with the end of Daniel’s 70th week in 2024.

Coincidence?

The 120th and 70th anniversaries of the two cycles are symbolically significant in themselves. But for them to frame the beginning and end of the 2017-2024 period is too auspicious to ignore or discount. I cannot believe this is coincidental.

When Does Daniel’s 70th Week Start?

What event initiates Daniel’s 70th week?

Daniel 9:27 famously states, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week“. But, who is the “he” who makes this firm covenant? And what is this ‘covenant with the many’ for one week?

The common view is “he” refers to the Antichrist, who will make a ‘covenant with many’ for 7 years.
A common assumption is the ‘covenant with many’ is a 7-year peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel.
But, others believe “he” refers to Jesus, who confirmed the New Covenant in His own blood, poured out for many. (Matthew 26:28, also Mark 14:24)
Finally, many believe Antiochus IV Epiphanes already fulfilled many details of Daniel’s prophecies in 167-164 BC.

With so many unknowns I’m not confident we can know who “he” is, or what the ‘covenant with many’ is. As a result, we may not recognize the event that starts Daniel’s 70th week.

Conclusion – the 70th Year of Jubilee

A Bright Future

We are living at the end of the age, and the birth pangs are increasing for everyone. The good news is that God will defeat all His enemies and God’s people have nothing to worry about.

When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
Luke 21:28

There is nothing man can do to us if we are in Christ.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39

Finally, my advice is to be watchful. Abide in God’s Spirit continuously, listening and obeying His voice. Strive to make yourself ready for the Lord’s imminent appearing.

End Time Events Sequence | End Times Prophecy Timeline

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What is the true sequence of Biblical end-time events? Have these events already begun? If so, where are we in the sequence and what can we expect in our future? How can you prepare for what’s coming in end time events?

End time events will happen to every person on earth–with no exceptions.

Your future survival and eternal destiny depends on you understanding what’s happening to our world, and subsequently making godly choices.

The Ages in God’s Plan

There are many ages, or eons, in God’s plan.

The end time events we see today are signs that “the Present Wicked Age” is ending. You’ll find “the Present Wicked Age” near the center of this chart:

The Beginning of the Present Wicked Age

The Present Wicked Age started after Noah’s flood. The flood destroyed ‘the Ancient Age,’ which began with Adam. Notice that both the First Age and the Ancient Age ended with a cataclysmic change to the earth. The Present Wicked Age won’t be any different.

After the flood, Noah and his 3 sons’ families repopulated the earth.

Soon afterward, at the Tower of Babel mankind again organized itself in rebellion against God. In response, God confused their language, so that men couldn’t understand each other.

God then delegated rulership over the 70 nations of mankind to 70 celestial principalities, who became the idol ‘gods’ of the 70 nations listed in Genesis chapter 10. More about this topic is outside the scope of this article, so to get more details about these events, including the fate of the 70 principalities, get my free book The Overcomers’ Treasure Map.

The End of The Present Wicked Age

The end of this age will be similar to the cataclysmic end of the previous age by Noah’s flood. According to Bible prophecy the earth itself will be severely damaged, and almost all flesh will die before the next age of righteousness and peace is birthed on the earth.

This article details the end time events you can expect to occur during the transition from the present wicked age to the next age–the millennial reign of Christ.

The Next Age in God’s Plan–The Millennial Reign of Christ

In the coming age (that replaces this present wicked age) God will restore the damaged earth to Edenic abundance.

At the same time YHWH will repopulate the nations, and every ethnic group will worship Him with their own cultural distinctiveness. God loves this diversity.

In the coming age Jesus will reign over all nations as the King of kings and Lord of lords for 1000 years. Jesus will reign through resurrected overcomers who will serve as priests and kings in Christ’s kingdom.

Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4-6

The Certainty of Bible Prophecy

This article focuses on the coming sequence of Biblical, prophetic end-time events, from now until the Abomination of Desolation, then through the Great Tribulation to the return of Christ, to His Millennial Reign.

A reasonable person may wonder whether Bible prophecy is reliable, and whether prophetic events will certainly happen?

Since God lives in the eternal realm, outside of time as we know it, these things are not in the future to Him. He can see past, present, and future altogether.

Albert Einstein said,

The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. He also said, “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”

Therefore, Bible prophecy about the future is as certain as a reliable history book about past events. In Bible prophecy, God reveals events that haven’t happened yet from our perspective, but they did already happen from His perspective. And so, they are certain to happen in our future.

Sequence of End-Time Events’ Timeline

This article will cover every element on this Timeline Chart, in detail.

Have a Positive Mindset About the Sequence of End Time Events

In the Timeline Chart above, mankind is now seeing the third horseman of the apocalypse (Shortages).

We’ve started the birth pangs that signal the end of the Present Wicked Age. And, just like birth pangs, we can expect the frequency and intensity of end-time tribulations to increase until the kingdom of God is birthed on the earth.

But, don’t let this frighten you. Jesus encouraged His disciples to have a positive mindset, saying,

A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
John 16:21

It’s normal for a pregnant mother to have apprehension about the inescapable pain and uncertain outcome of her upcoming birthing experience. But, (since Eve) every woman overcomes this apprehension with the positive hope and anticipation of birthing her child into the world.

In the same way, the end time events in our future will be difficult and painful for everyone, but the kingdom of God will be birthed out of it, and it will be glorious.

The Sequence of End Times Events: The Seven Seals

Setting: in the Book of Revelation the apostle John sees Jesus opening a scroll secured by seven wax seals.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

When Jesus opens the first seal, the sequence of end time events begins.

1. Deception

Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a thunderous voice, “Come!” So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider had a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.
Revelation 6:1-2

A False Christ

This rider represents deceivers. I can confidently say this because the first five seals exactly parallel the signs Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:4-11. The first thing Jesus said concerning the end time is,

See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
Matthew 24:4-5

So, the rider on the white horse is a false version of Christ. Most churches today proclaim this ‘false Christ,’ encouraging adherents to disregard God’s instructions. They:

Tolerate sin, including pornography, drug use, homosexuality, gluttony, abortion, gossip, etc.
Sell a seeker-friendly message, downplaying the need for repentance, consecration, and holiness.
Celebrate pagan holidays while totally ignoring God’s ‘appointed times’ found in Leviticus 23.

Does this sound like your church?

2. Wars

And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.
Revelation 6:3-4

The next thing Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24 is,

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Matthew 24:6-7

3. Shortages

And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!”

Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not waste the oil and wine.”
Revelation 6:5-6

Jesus said,

There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Matthew 24:7-8

Famine

On April 23, 2020 the chief of the United Nations’ Food Relief Agency said the corona-virus pandemic “will cause famine of biblical proportions,” causing ‘hundreds of millions’ to starve to death. Meanwhile, a rich minority continues to live in luxury.

Today, I believe this is where we are in the end-time events’ timeline. The 4^th horseman is next in our future.

4. Death

And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”

Then I looked and saw a green (Greek, chloros) horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.
Revelation 6:7-8

This horseman has authority to kill people in one-fourth of the earth. The Greek word for ‘earth’ is ges, which means soil.

Therefore, the fourth horseman doesn’t have authority to kill one-fourth of the world’s people… he has authority to kill people within one-fourth of the earth’s geographical territory. Within this territory he can kill by war, (probably followed by) starvation, disease, and wild animals.

5. The Fifth Seal in the Sequence of End Time Events: Martyrs

After Jesus releases the four horsemen, He opens the 5^th seal.

And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood? Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.
Revelation 6:9-11

Jesus Said to Expect Persecution

Following the ‘beginning of birth pangs’ in the first four seals, Jesus said,

Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.
Matthew 24:9-11

In the fifth seal, John sees the souls of martyrs under the altar of heaven; they’re crying out to God for vengeance. They’ve waited centuries (since Cain killed his brother Abel) to attain the full number of martyrs.

Once the full number of martyrs is attained (Revelation 6:11), Michael throws Satan down to earth and ‘The Great Tribulation’ will kickoff. I expect this to happen during a Passover week.

Note: to understand the history behind the War in Heaven, and why the martyrs’ sacrifice enables Michael to cast the Devil down to earth, read The Overcomers’ Treasure Map.

War in Heaven – Satan Thrown Down

When that number of martyrs is full, God will dispatch Michael to throw the Dragon down from heaven onto the earth. Here’s how John depicts this event:

Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down—he who accuses them day and night before our God. They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.
Revelation 12:7-12

Now Have Come…

Notice above that when Michael throws the Devil down, the voice in heaven says, “Now have come the salvation, power, and kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ” will come. Up to this point in the history of the world the Devil’s kingdom has reigned over mankind. But that’s about to change.

Since Adam chose to disobey God, the Devil (through sin and violence) rules over mankind. But, after Michael throws the Devil down to earth, God will overtly and visibly begin to overthrow the Devil’s kingdom.

Rejoice in the Heavens; Woe to the Earth

Immediately after Michael throws the Dragon down, the Bible says,

Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He’s filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short… the dragon went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 12:12, 17

Trigger Events for the Abomination of Desolation

In the Timeline Chart above there are 3 trigger events leading up to the Abomination of Desolation.

The “full number” of Christian martyrs is attained, resulting in the war in heaven.
The archangel Michael casts Satan and his angels down from heaven to earth.
When he is cast down, Satan inhabits ‘the man of sin,’ transforming him into the Antichrist, who commits the Abomination of Desolation.

Jesus said the Abomination of Desolation will trigger the greatest tribulation in the history of the world.

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
Matthew 24:15-22

The Sixth Seal

When Michael throws the Devil down to earth, the Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-17) tells of a great, global earthquake. Every mountain and island will be moved from their place. In addition, celestial signs cause the kings of the earth and all others to hide in caves. They’ll beg for protection against the coming wrath of God against the Devil’s kingdom.

The ‘Abomination of Desolation’ is a Major Turning Point in the Sequence of End Time Events, Triggering ‘The Great Tribulation’

Not Just a Great Tribulation, But The Greatest Tribulation in History

Jesus prophesied,

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
Matthew 24:15-22

First, notice that Jesus said the Abomination of Desolation won’t be secret or hidden. We will see it.

Next, Jesus said this tribulation would be ‘unmatched from the beginning of the world.’ This level of ‘great tribulation’ will ‘never be seen again.’ Jesus also said the Great Tribulation starts with the Abomination of Desolation.

What is the Abomination of Desolation?

The prophet Daniel originated the phrase “Abomination of Desolation”. He wanted to describe an act that is so disgusting to morality, so offensive to godliness, that it forces people to flee its presence, leaving the place desolate.

For further study, here’s a good Article about the Abomination of Desolation.

Past ‘Abomination of Desolation’ Fulfillments

Scholars consider all of these historical events as fulfillments of Daniel’s Abomination of Desolation prophecy:

Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig and erected a statue to Jupiter in the Jewish temple in 168BC
The unjust crucifixion of God’s holy Son, the Messiah
Titus destroyed the temple and erected idolatrous Roman standards on the Jewish temple mount in 70AD
Hadrian dedicated a temple to Jupiter on the Jewish temple mount ~135AD
Muslims built the Al Aqsa mosque and the Islamic Dome of the Rock built on the Jewish temple mount in 691AD

One More ‘Abomination of Desolation’ Required

While all these abominations fulfilled the prophecy, the Biblical prophecy requires one more Abomination of Desolation. Daniel tells us that after the final Abomination of Desolation there will be exactly 1290 days to the end of the age. Obviously, this hasn’t happened yet.

And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.
Daniel 12:11

When Will the Abomination of Desolation Occur in the Sequence of End Time Events?

Answer: the Antichrist will commit the Abomination of Desolation during Passover week. Here’s the scenario:

The archangel Michael will violently throw the Devil down from heaven. Most Bible-believers (including me) teach that the Devil will then (demonically) possess the ‘man of sin,’ transforming him into ‘the Antichrist.’ Then, during a coming Passover, the Antichrist will commit the Abomination of Desolation. This event starts the final 3½ year ‘Great Tribulation.’ (Revelation 13, Matthew 24:15)

Why During Passover?

Jesus literally fulfilled the spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. So, we can assume the Great Tribulation will end during the autumn feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Therefore, if you start with the autumn feasts and subtract the prophesied 3½ year duration of the Great Tribulation, you’ll arrive at a Spring Passover season.

A second reason is that Passover was the time of ancient Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The Abomination of Desolation will kickoff the ‘Greater Exodus’ discussed below. This will occur during the same 3½ years as the Antichrist reigns over the nations.

Where Will the Abomination of Desolation Occur?

In a Literal Temple?

Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

The ‘man of lawlessness’ reveals himself as Antichrist when he sits himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. But what is ‘the temple of God’ today?

What is the Temple of God?

A Physical Temple of Stone?

Most evangelical Christians today expect Israel to build a literal temple that the Antichrist will desecrate, as Antiochus Epiphanes and Titus did.

The Spiritual Temple?

But, in Luke 13:35 Jesus proclaimed judgement against the Jews’ stone temple, saying, “Your house is left unto you desolate,” and in Matthew 24:2 Jesus prophesied the glorious stone temple would be utterly destroyed, with not one stone left upon another.”

Soon afterward the Holy Spirit filled the Messiah’s disciples on Pentecost, over 1900 years ago.

Since then, God dwells in His ekklesia–the Body of Christ–the spiritual temple of God. God is building His temple in His disciples. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1 Peter 2:5.)

So, Which Is It?

Will the abomination of desolation happen in a physical or spiritual temple? There are good arguments for both options, so let us all be watchful, and wait to see how events unfold.

If a stone temple is built, the prophetic direction will be obvious. However, if the abomination of desolation somehow takes place in a spiritual temple, only the watchful may recognize it while the majority wait for a literal fulfillment. We don’t want to be like the Pharisees, who missed their Messiah because He didn’t come as they expected.

The Seventh Seal

At this point in the sequence of events, Michael has thrown the Devil down to earth. Then, the Antichrist committed the Abomination of Desolation. This triggers the start of the Great Tribulation in the sequence of end time events.

When the Abomination of Desolation occurs, everyone familiar with Bible prophecies will know there are 3½ years remaining until the beginning of God’s reign over the earth.

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Revelation 8:1-5

7 Trumpets Similar to Plagues Against Egypt

The seven trumpets are comparable to the plagues against Egypt, when God forced Pharaoh to release Israel from bondage. Except, in the Great Tribulation, God is delivering all of creation from Satan’s bondage. (Romans 8:21, Hebrews 2:15)

The Three Destinies For God’s People During the Great Tribulation

During the next 3½ years after the Abomination of Desolation, God’s people will experience one of three destinies: captivity, sword, or perseverance and faith.

If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.
Revelation 13:10

1. Captivity

Rather than fleeing into the wilderness, normalcy bias will cause the most Christians worldwide to continue their normal routine, hoping for things to get better. But, when either their food runs out or they’re arrested, the government will force them into a camp where most, if not all, will die.

Governments prepared for this years ago. For example, here is the US Army field manual FM 3-39.40, published in 2010, titled Internment and Resettlement Operations. This document could easily resemble the Nazi plan for ‘internment and resettlement’ of Jews during WWII. We all know how that plan worked. In Matthew 24:21 Jesus warned us the great tribulation will be worse than what the Nazis did to the Jews.

2. Sword

Some will fight the Antichrist’s totalitarian government, but violence isn’t God’s way of establishing the Messiah’s kingdom. As a result, the Antichrist’s forces will prevail and Christians who fight the Antichrist with carnal weapons will be killed. Jesus warned,

All who draw the sword will die by the sword.
Matthew 26:52

And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven. Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
Revelation 13:6-7

3. Perseverance and Faith: The Greater Exodus

For 3½ years, many of God’s people with perseverance and faith (Revelation 13:10) will follow God into the wilderness, just like the children of Israel who came out of Egypt.

Where is this wilderness?

There are two strong possibilities–either (1) in the ancient land of Edom, or (2) in every nation. The links below provide you the resources to research, pray, and decide for yourself.

Gather in the Land of Edom

I know of four ministries who believe the ancient land of Edom (located Southeast of the Dead Sea) is where God’s people will gather to wait on the Savior’s deliverance. The website links below explain their reasons why they believe this, so I encourage you to click on them to learn more.

As we ‘see the day approaching,’ the first two ministries listed below encourage saints to leave their home country and join them in Jordan now.

The Call to Jordan

Beastwatch News

End Time Pilgrim

Escape All These Things

In Every Nation

Monte Judah teaches that during the Great Tribulation there will be a ‘camp of the righteous’ in every nation of the world. See his video below for his perspective.

My Belief

I personally believe both will be true–there will be ‘camps of the righteous’ in every nation, but ‘the Greater Exodus’ will be in Edom. Let me explain:

I believe the Spirit of God will scatter the 144,000 as witnesses (literally martus, or martyrs) to every nation, tribe, and language. The beast system will force them to dwell in their respective nation’s wilderness during the period of their testimony. (I discuss the identity and ministry of the 144,000 in more detail below.)
But, I believe the scriptural focus of “the Greater Exodus” is in the land of Edom, where Jesus will supernaturally protect and deliver that specific ‘camp of the righteous’ at the end of the age.

‘Greater Exodus’ Prophecy

The prophet Jeremiah foretold this ‘Greater Exodus’—greater than when God delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh in Egypt.

Yet behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.’ Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’
Jeremiah 16:14-15, also in Jeremiah 23:5-8, and 29:11-14

Who Is Included in Greater Exodus?

Note: the term ‘Israelites’ includes all 12 tribes of Israel. Today’s Jewish people only descend from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. God grafted non-Jewish disciples of YHWH into the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13), restoring the other tribes. (Romans 11)

As I mentioned above, some of these ‘Israelites’ from every nation are gathering in Edom already.

Others will see the Abomination of Desolation take place during Passover. They’ll quickly leave their homes and join the ‘camp of the righteous,’ where God will protect them in the wilderness for 3½ years (Revelation 12:14-17).

How to Prepare for the Greater Exodus

How are they preparing for this event? The 8-day Feast of Tabernacles is an annual dry-run, with believers gathering every year. In nations around the world, they gather as ‘camps of the righteous’ in the wilderness. To understand this concept, and to learn how you can join in such a group, watch this video:

The 144,000

In Revelation 7:1-8, angels seal 144,000 disciples with the ‘seal of the Living God.’ This seal shows YHWH’s ownership, empowerment, and identification with these holy servants of God.

The 144,000 Spirit-filled saints will go into the world, clothed in glory and the power of God to authenticate their message. As a result, an ‘innumerable multitude’ of new believers will believe their message to become citizens of God’s kingdom and disciples of the Messiah in the final harvest of souls. (Revelation 7:9, 14:14-16)

In response to this massive rebellion against his authority, Satan will carry out worldwide persecution against the God’s people.

When Will Angels Seal the 144000?

This is the ‘manifestation of the sons of God’ that all creation is eagerly waiting for.

I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Romans 8:18-21

Since this is such a major event, I believe this ‘latter rain’ outpouring of God’s Spirit on the 144,000 will happen in conjunction with one of the Biblical festivals, Firstfruits or Pentecost, within two months after the Abomination of Desolation.

144000 Mortal or Immortal?

As I wrote in Arise, Shine!, the 144,000 will be ‘glorified’ saints. In this case, ‘glorified’ means they’ll still be mortal, but their bodies will emanate the light of God’s glory, like Moses’ face that glowed when he came down from Mount Sinai. Also, like Jesus when God’s glory transfigured Him on the mountaintop.

Moses and Jesus emanated God’s glory during their lifetime, but later their bodies died. Even so, the 144,000 will remain mortal until the 7^th Trumpet rapture/resurrection.

Who Are the 144000?

The 144,000 will include Jesus’ disciples from every tribe, language, people, and race.

Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and race.
Revelation 5:9

2. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are blameless. (Revelation 14:4-5)

To understand the 144,000’s role in end-time events, you must be familiar with two Old Testament examples.

Seal of Protection From God’s Judgement during the Great Tribulation

In Ezekiel 9:1-11, God commanded an angel to “put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed” in Jerusalem. Then, God commanded the angels are to kill everyone who doesn’t have this mark of protection, without pity, starting in the temple.

So, the mark (or seal) was to protect them from divine judgement. Likewise, to protect the 144,000 from the coming (7 trumpet) judgments against the earth, the angel in Revelation 7:3 says,

“Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

So, the 144,000 will be on the earth when the trumpet judgments harm the land, sea, and trees, but God will protect the 144,000 from these judgments.

While the 144,000 are protected from God’s judgments, this doesn’t mean the 144,000 they’re protected from persecution by men.

Witness Against the Watchers

In Genesis 6:1-3, as detailed in the Book of Enoch, the Watchers are angelic sons of God. They lusted-after and impregnated beautiful women, producing evil, nephilim giants.

…the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day. In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.
Jude 6-7

In contrast to the sins of the Watchers, in Revelation 14:4 the 144,000 “are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are chaste, following the Lamb wherever He goes.” The purity of their lives testifies in the heavenly court against the Watchers.

The concepts of the heavenly court and the Watchers are outside the scope of this post. To learn more about the 144,000 and the heavenly court, see God’s Plan: How the 144,000 Will Defeat the 70 Principalities and Powers.

Locations of the 144,000

I expect the 144,000 will follow the pattern Jesus established with His disciples. They’ll go out in pairs (Luke 10:1, Mark 6:7) to their own tribe, fluently proclaiming the gospel of God’s kingdom to their kinsmen.

72,000 pairs of glorified sons of God will soon reach every city and town worldwide. They’ll challenge every man, woman, and child on earth to either (1) believe and obey, or (2) reject the gospel of the kingdom of God.

Their ministry, validated by their visible glory and miracle-working faith, will prompt ‘an innumerable multitude’ to ‘wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb.’ (Revelation 7:14)

An ‘Innumerable Multitude’ Comes Out of the Great Tribulation

Immediately after hearing about the 144,000, the apostle John sees an innumerable multitude in heaven. An angel tells John,

These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:14

These are millions (or billions) of martyrs who will commit themselves to God because of the testimony of the 144,000. They suffered on earth, but God will comfort them in heaven:

They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:15-17

The Two Witnesses

Plagues on Satan’s Kingdom During the Great Tribulation

In Revelation 11:3-13, the Two Witnesses are two human prophets who stand in God’s presence. Their ministry to testify against (and punish) the Devil’s kingdom will begin at the Abomination of Desolation.

God will delegate authority for them to stop the rain and to smite the earth, as often as they wish. They will publicly challenge and humiliate the Antichrist, just as Moses challenged Pharaoh and Elijah challenged king Ahab.

Rebellious mankind will hate the Two Witnesses for making them suffer. After 3½ years, just before the Seventh Trumpet announces the resurrection of the saints, the beast will kill them. Sinners will rejoice and send gifts to each other for 3 days. But then God will resurrect them into heaven while their enemies watch.

Sequence of End Time Events: The Seven Trumpets

What is Wormwood?

‘Wormwood‘ is the name of a large comet, asteroid, or planet that comes close to earth, generating catastrophic, planet-wide, end time events.

Before you scoff, know that ancient histories and mythologies on all continents tell us similar celestial events occurred many times in history. For hundreds of documented examples, read Worlds in Collision by Immanuel Velikovsky. This is a radical book that Albert Einstein respected so much he read it three times.

During these judgments, the Antichrist continues his persecution of true believers. (Matthew 24:29, Luke 21:25-26, Mark 13:24, Revelation 8:7-12).

Sequence of End Time Events: Trumpets 1-4

After the Abomination of Desolation event, Wormwood will approach the earth. Trumpets 1-4 list the catastrophic, worldwide end time events that occur.

During these judgments, the Antichrist continues his persecution of true believers. (Matthew 24:29, Luke 21:25-26, Mark 13:24, Revelation 8:7-12).

Trumpet 1: Hail and fire mixed with blood. One-third of the earth, trees, and grass burnt. This is fallout from Wormwood’s tail.

Trumpet 2: Like a great mountain thrown into the sea. One-third of the sea becomes blood. This is a chunk from Wormwood that earth’s gravity pulls into the sea.

Trumpet 3: Wormwood is a great star that falls from heaven, poisoning one-third of the fresh water on earth. More Wormwood debris from space.

Trumpet 4: One-third of the sun, moon, and stars darkened.

Based on the preaching of the 144,000 and the Two Witnesses, the Antichrist will blame God for Wormwood’s destructive effects and increase his persecution of God’s disciples.

The Mark of the Beast

The ‘mark of the beast’ will force every man, woman, and child on earth to publicly choose to either follow God or follow Satan. There will be no third option and no secret believers. (Revelation 13:16-18)

a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand, he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
Revelation 14:9-11

The mark may be a mandatory biometric ‘mark’ or microchip that stores identity and personal information. It will authenticate people to access benefits from the global government. Benefits will include access to buy or sell using a worldwide crypto-currency account. Without the mark you won’t have any access to their global, cashless money system.

During this time, God will miraculously provide the needs of the ‘camps of the righteous’ in the Greater Exodus, just as He did for Israel during their exodus from Egypt.

The 6th Trumpet War

This war will be terrible, killing one-third of mankind. (Rev 9:13-21)

The First Resurrection and Rapture of the Saints as the 7th Trumpet Sounds

Feast of Trumpets = 1^st Resurrection day (Rev 11:15-19, 20:4-6) near the end of the 3.5 year Great Tribulation. This resurrection is only for believers in God’s sacrificial Lamb, including believers from the Old Covenants and the New Covenant.

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:50-52

Sequence of End Time Events: The Seven Bowls of Wrath

After God resurrects believers to heaven, seven angels pour out God’s wrath on the unbelievers who remain on the earth.

There are 10 days between Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). During this time angels will pour seven bowls of wrath onto the Beast’s kingdom. (Revelation 16)

Sequence of End Time Events | The Return of Christ | The Kingdom of God Comes to Earth.

The Son of Man Returns in Glory

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew 24:30-31

The Return of Christ

On the Day of Atonement, Jesus Christ returns in glory as King and Lord over all nations. He destroys the Antichrist and his army in (what is called) the Battle of Armageddon. (Rev 19:11-21).

This day begins the Jubilee, the reign of Messiah on the earth for 1000 years. Jesus will govern all nations with love, righteousness, peace, and impartial justice. (Revelation 20)

Following Jesus’ 1000 reign on the earth, God will judge every soul (Revelation 20:11-15) and then He will create a glorious new heaven and earth for eternity. (Revelation 21)

When will the Great Tribulation Start in the Sequence of End Time Events?

Biblical prophecy assures us we’re in the final 3½ years when we witness the Abomination of Desolation, but until then we can only try to fit puzzle pieces together. For reasons I explain in detail in my Daniel’s 70th Week posting, I am watching these three candidate 7-year time periods closely.

2017 to 2024
2020 to 2027
2025 to 2032

*Now that we’re past the midpoint of the 2017-2024 period, with no apparent ‘abomination of desolation’ event during Passover in 2021, this 7-year period is looking unlikely.

The Sequence of End Time Events: my advice

Regardless whether it’s one of these time periods or another time, the most important thing is to be ready to meet the Lord at all times, striving to walk in communion with God’s Holy Spirit 24/7. If you do, God will surely bless you!