Romance of the Hebrew Calendar

Copyright © 2013 by Raphael Ben Levi.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible,

unless otherwise stated:Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962,

1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Rev. date: 01/28/2016

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A NOTE TO THE READER

Throughout this book, we use a slightly different vocabulary to what some might be accustomed to. For example, we use the Hebrew words ‘Yeshua’ in preference to ‘Jesus,’ ‘Mashiach’ instead of ‘Christ,’ and ‘B’rit Hadashah’ instead of ‘New Testament.’ Why do we do this? It is simply an expression of who we are as Messianic Jews, because the English terms are often stumbling blocks to our Jewish brethren; two millennia of unrelenting persecution under the banner of Christianity bears ample witness to this.

However, please note that we have no problem with those who prefer to use the English renderings in preference to the Hebrew names.

Give Me A Place

What piercing cry is this?

a screaming fury

weaved in dulcet tones

of blood-stained, pious liturgies.

I taste the fear and bitter gall

beneath the muezzin’s sing-song call,

that scores my fragile sanctuary

with long, dark shadowed crucifix.

Come, now come,

embrace and see

from far and near,

with silhouettes

of shallow graves

and tattooed arms.

I too am orphaned,

shunted, blunted:

crushed, crusaded,

shoahed, hunted:

inquisitioned, requisitioned,

pogromed, maimed:

thoroughly forsaken, nameless, stained.

Would you, my only flesh and blood,

decline these gnarled-clad outstretched hands?

Give me a place where I can see,

level my eyes, and simply be

where I belong.

Raphael ben Levi

Contents

* Zechariah chapter 8 verse 19 lists four minor fasts as periods of mourning that will be turned into times of joy.

ENDORSEMENTS

Romance Of The Hebrew Calendar by Raphael Ben Levi

I was very excited when I was asked by Raphael to review the manuscript of his book. The biblical Hebrew calendar has long been one of vast richness to me personally, and this book did not disappoint. It is a beautiful and splendid work that will enlighten and bless the reader!

Throughout each section are devotions, personal stories that encourage and challenge. I was impressed time and again by the fundamental lessons I was imparted with. A marvellous read!

‘Romance of the Hebrew Calendar’ is full of outstanding revelations for those who want to know more about Yeshua. It is a must read book!

Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Di Gilio

Founder & President of Mayim Hayim Ministries in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

*     *     *

Romance is a word that is not normally associated with the word calendar, yet Raphael ben Levi has managed to bring romance into the biblical calendar. I say ‘biblical calendar’ because the majority of Jewish Feasts, their meanings and processes are straight from the Word of God.

One unique thing about this book is the approach that has been taken to it. It is not solely oriented in an academic style, nor is it simply a historical narrative of the origin of the Jewish/Hebrew Feasts. Instead, it approaches them with a keen sense of love, and brings into the mix engaging stories as they relate to God’s relationship with His covenant people.

This book has a difference that other books on the same or similar topics have missed; it has the ability to make the reader, Jew or Gentile, religious or secular, fall in love and gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the cultural and spiritual context of the Feasts and traditions; of the God who desires to bring us into a deeper relationship with Himself. This is a unique book to be treasured!

Rabbi Joseph Shulam

Founder of Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry, Theologian and Author, International Teacher and Speaker.

Jerusalem, Israel

*     *     *

Here is what Adonai says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’ But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jeremiah 6:16, CJB).

Raphael ben Levi sheds light on and shows the way to an Olam (an ancient path or everlasting principal of God). It is such a delight and privilege to find something that is not only a matter of words and laws but shows us what Torah is all about: direction, correction and leading mankind to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who revealed himself in Yeshua, the Messiah.

In this book we find that Torah and especially the biblical Feasts, focus upon an intimate relationship and romance with God on his appointed times. May all who read it discover the biblical Feasts as part of an Olam of God and whilst finding this ancient path, find rest in an intimate relationship with Him. May this book enhance the process in the forming of one new man in Yeshua the Messiah (Eph. 2:15).

May Raphael ben Levi be blessed for this enormous gift to Jews and non-Jews alike.

Dr. Johan Claassen

D.Div.—Practical Theology and Messianic Studies

Centurion, South Africa

*     *     *

I’ve known the author for many years and I love him dearly. He is a very passionate person and this book is written with the same kind of loving passion his life portrays—a love for Yeshua Ha’Mashiach and a love for His people.

Every thought is illustrated by a composition of short, inspiring stories, opening up biblical revelation and a fuller understanding of the Jewish calendar and the truths it retains.

In this book, the author has put together many parts of the revelational puzzle and has managed to craft an interesting, thought-provoking and inspirational piece of work.

I would recommend this book to any person who seeks a deeper understanding of biblical rabbinical truths as applied today in living a spiritually pragmatic and righteous life centred on Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.

Nevil Norden

Founder and Senior Pastor: Living Word Church, Church Planter, International Speaker.

Pretoria, South Africa

*     *     *

Raphael is not only a dear friend, but has a passion to bring greater understanding to both Jew and Gentile in a manner that is both humble, and can be easily apprehended at all levels.

I found myself thoroughly enjoying the Scriptures coming alive in a new way as the shadow of the old covenant took form in the reality of the new. This book will bless and bring you into an intimacy with our Lord and Savior Yeshua.

Raphael’s personal knowledge of the Scriptures by rightly dividing the Word of Truth, and his rich experience directly involved personally with his heritage of the Jewish faith and the people and land of Israel, make this masterpiece a one of a kind book.

Laura Anderson. Senior Pastor:

Epicenter Church St Louis, Mo USA

*     *     *

We have known Raphael now for many years, and have seen his commitment to a walk with the Messiah… and we can witness the same love of YHVH driving this act of love as he records his own relationship with YHVH and fellowmen through the gift of the Feasts.

Raphael’s analysis, commentary, and reflections provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of our Hebrew roots, with insights to flow in a deeper revelation that needs to be ingrained in our walk with YHVH.

Roly and Amanda Buys

Founders of Kanaan Ministries, International Speakers, Authors

*     *     *

‘Romance of the Hebrew Calendar’ is a must-read for Jews and Gentiles!

In a very unique way, this book helps Christian believers understand their Jewish roots.

Raphael inspires Jews, Christians and Messianic Jews to take hands and make this world a better place; to become ONE NEW MAN.

And if you are one in Mashiach, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29.

Prof James Barnard DD. PHD

Dean of Antioch Seminaries, Africa.

*     *     *

Romantic novels have their place in enabling us to draw comfort and joy from a well-told happy-ever-after drama. But Romance of the Hebrew Calendar does much more than that.

In his meticulous way, Raphael Ben Levi has shown us just what an immense treasure we have in the Hebrew scriptures, and in their fulfillment by Jesus (Yeshua Ha Mashiach) – an eye-opener for Jews and a hugely enriching feast for Gentiles.

This is a beautiful book which will help light up our paths (Psalm 119.105) as we are led through the true meaning of the biblical feasts and much of the Bible’s teaching, while also gaining a better understanding of the trials and tribulations of the Jewish people through the millennia, with commentary and stories from the Holocaust and other periods of their history.

Charles Gardner - Investigative journalist, UK.

*     *     *

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my parents who were holocaust escapees, and to my small but very precious family, in particular my dearest wife, who I treasure far above rubies.

Many years ago I was asked at an interview to name someone who had profoundly influenced my life and explain why. They seemed a little puzzled when I chose my son, still a child, instead of some famous person. I was not sure they understood what true greatness is. It reminded me of some words written by a wise man:

I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults, who, at best, know only a fraction of what they say. ¹

Above all, I humbly dedicate this book to Yeshua Ha Mashiach to whom I owe everything.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This major project is the result of several years intensive research.

Thank you, my son for providing invaluable insights which helped keep me focused at key points even though for the most part you were unaware of it!

In particular, I acknowledge my wife whose untiring love maintained my equilibrium throughout, and gave me the vision and strength to follow through undeterred by any obstacle presented.

FOREWORD

Raphael ben Levi’s book Romance of the Hebrew Calendar is a treasure trove of wisdom, reflection and spiritual refreshment. He has assembled a rich collection of Jewish wisdom, biblical interpretation, and Messianic Jewish understanding that will enrich the Ekklesia and help Jewish people see the jewishness of Yeshua (Jesus) as He fulfils the Hebrew Scriptures.

Raphael is a student and teacher of the wisdom of the Scriptures. Each exposition of material and the accompanying reflections invite the reader to go deeper in their faith and understanding. The liturgies for sabbath and festivals are clearly explained and user-friendly for those wishing to adopt them. The notes, glossary and explanations are all helpful and easy to understand.

The Hebrew calendar and its spiritual significance are little known and studied these days, except in certain circles where such teaching is often given esoteric mystical interpretation which adds to or distorts the plain meaning of Scripture. One thing that is refreshing about Romance of the Hebrew Calendar is that it avoids falling into this trap, and instead focuses clearly on the Messianic relevance and fulfilment of the multilayered and complex world of the Hebrew calendar. It is a book to be enjoyed and savoured.

Students of the Hebrew calendar will be well aware of the complexities involved in such a study. The reader needs to be guided through several fields of inquiry to derive the benefits of such material. It is no small task to master the biblical material on the calendar and festivals, as given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai and in their wilderness wanderings. Careful study of Scripture is needed to understand the instructions that Moses received from the LORD particularly in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. It is a further challenge to explain how these would be practiced and observed by generations to come over the many centuries and millennia of the Jewish experience.

The history of Israel, both in the land, and more often in exile over the millennia, resulted in a tradition that included detailed study of the Scriptures in the light of routine daily and annual observance, mystical speculation, mathematical calculation, and prophetic insight into such mysteries. Jewish understandings of the calendar developed through traditional customs, legal discussions, rabbinic comments, and mystical insights. These all contributed to a world that today we are invited to discover, a living commentary on scripture that has been preserved by a three-thousand-year old tradition that finds its true fulfilment in the Messiah Yeshua.

For the reader such studies deserve careful reflection in prayer, meditation and worship, on their significance. Not all will agree with every interpretation or detail that Raphael ben Levi presents but, ‘where there are two Jews there are three opinions.’ ‘Arguments for the sake of heaven’, as Jewish tradition affirms, have always been to shed light on the meaning of the Scriptures and for the greater glory of the Almighty.

As a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, ben Levi makes an important contribution to this field of study, by inviting those from both Israel and the nations to understand more of the richness, relevance and renewing power of God’s purposes in our world and in our lives today.

Dr. Richard Harvey, Director of Training at All Nations Christian College, UK, Messianic Jewish leader and the author of, Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology.

CHARTS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES

THE HEBREW ALPHABET AND PICTORIAL MEANINGS

(Paleo-Hebrew—before 585 BC)

HEBREW ALPHABET WITH NUMERICAL VALUES

JEWELS OF THE EPHOD

THE TWELVE TRIBES WITH THEIR POSITION ON THE HIGH PRIEST’S EPHOD

*   (a)—Traditional Jewish interpretation—Birth order

**   (b)—Encampment Order

***   (c)—Combination of a + b (Breastplate Order)

I have taken into account:

1. Identifying a best fit for each gem of the High Priest’s ephod

2. Matching the correct colour for each stone

3. Matching the name of the stone to the correct tribe with their order on the High Priest’s ephod. ²

The traditional Jewish order given (as illustrated in the chart) for (a) is according to the birth wife (Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah and Rachel) that may not be the actual order of birth of the twelve sons of Jacob. In this standard interpretation, all six of Leah’s children would be grouped together on his right shoulder and the other six on his left side. ³

The second position for (b) is an interpretation according to that of the Israelite encampment order mentioned three times in Scripture, and is according to position, importance and blessings. The second position can be explained by:

• Three tribes facing EAST being first (Judah, Issachar Zebulon),

• Three tribes facing SOUTH being second (Reuben, Simeon, Gad),

• Three tribes facing WEST being third (Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin)

• Three tribes facing NORTH being last (Dan, Asher Naphtali)

We can see from the above diagram ⁴ that the banners (Hebrew-’Degelim’) for the four leading tribes (Judah Reuben, Ephraim and Dan) represent the four living creatures described in the Book of Ezekiel assigned next to the throne of God (Lion, Man, Ox and Eagle). Each of these tribes were also assigned colours according to the four directions they faced in the encampment: ⁵

However, the third option which I have adopted and called the BREASTPLATE ORDER, combines the two biblical frameworks. ⁶ This option breaks down the twelve tribes in the encampment order, but before Levi was replaced (biblical order is from right to left) providing us with the following diagram below:

THE HIGH PRIESTLY EPHOD

This arrangement fits into the traditional Jewish interpretation with the exception of exchanging the first row with the third, placing Judah first instead of Reuben. It also fits nicely into the encampment order.

When we adopt this paradigm, everything falls perfectly into place: gemstones, colours, tribes and constellations. The rationale for all of this may appear somewhat complicated, but it establishes an important framework.

PREFACE

For the Jew, it is possible to argue against God, but not to live without him.

This book is about relationships, I make no apologies for it. When everything has been said and done, what are we left with that endures? Relationships, borne out of agape love. This is what the deepest and most authentic relationships are composed of from beginning to end.

God is searching for broken vessels to build relationship with, even as He was broken for our own failings and inadequacies, so we might become transformed into His likeness.

Relationships are complicated things to deal with—I guess we all learn this from an early age, but they are the essence upon which our lives derive true meaning. Without it we are empty; everything around us just curls up and withers.

Sometimes I wish that relationships in all their fullness could be established instantaneously, but since they mature over time, I view them instead as an adventure.

This book pursues a divine romance dancing to the heartbeat of the Hebrew calendar. What can we compare it to?

It is like a deer who pants for running streams! Those who love deeply, pursue and are pursued. To love like this is the sweetest thing, yet so painful, it tears us apart!

We know that God loves us even though we cannot see Him. This is why, according to our sages, children are born with their eyes closed, because they want to know how much their parents love them.

It is like a clay pot that is shattered into a million fragments of brokenness, then reshaped into the most beautiful of vessels, piece by piece.

Our sages tell us that page one of the Talmud is blank; nothing is written on it. It is unsullied and unpretentious, profoundly simple and pure, empty yet filled with substance. After studying, we kiss this page to remind ourselves that inside knowledge is a broken vessel.⁷

True brokenness always leads to restoration.

This book belongs to broken people.

INTRODUCTION

"God can do anything. He could even, as the Talmud puts it, ‘fit an elephant through the eye of a needle.’

So, how would He do it? Would He make the elephant smaller or would He expand the eye of the needle?

Neither. The elephant would remain big, the eye of the needle small and He would fit the elephant through the eye of the needle.

Illogical? True, but logic is just another of His creations. He who created logic is permitted to disregard it." ⁸

There is a special cycle, a heartbeat that pulsates through the veins of the Hebrew calendar which has shaped and moulded Jewish identity. We have survived and prospered against all odds. Thrown like chaff to the very ends of the earth’s extremities at the whims and edicts of nations and kingdoms; throughout the ravages of mindless persecutions and prejudices—though cast down, the Jewish people have remained intact.

This is indeed a miracle that defies logic or comparison, throwing us into the arms of a covenant relationship God.

The heartbeat grows stronger as the romance unfolds. There is a difference between a romance and a flirtation. True romance is based upon relationship whereas a flirtation is merely an empty skirmish.

EXPLORING JEWISH IDENTITY

We celebrate our Feasts (Hebrew: ‘Moedim’) ⁹ with joy and awe as we re-enact past, present and future realities. By understanding our Hebrew heritage, we learn to better appreciate the multifaceted beauty of Scripture. William Saulez put this well:

As some plants when they are taken from their native soil and planted elsewhere lose their charm and vitality, so also with these words and idioms of the Hebrew language: when they are transplanted and carried away into the soil of a foreign language, this power gradually fades and passes away: the plant manages to exist, but its luxuriant richness has gone. ¹⁰

It has been said that,

God created man because He loves stories. The whole world is God telling a story. God is telling us stories, creating the world, creating people, telling long stories. There is such a thing as prayer, which is very deep, but prayer is not the deepest depths of closeness to God. The deepest depths of closeness to God is when you can tell God a story. The Tree of Knowledge is theories and the Tree of Life is stories. Everything we understand comes from our consciousness. Where do stories originate? Imagination. The truth is, the story comes from beyond my consciousness, but it flows into my consciousness. The story itself is really beyond. When you dream, you always dream stories, not theories. When your imagination is completely free, then you dream stories. When people sit and tell each other stories, they really become friends. ¹¹

Here is another example:

"When the founder of Hassidic Judaism, the great Rabbi Israel Shem Tov, saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted.

Later, when his disciple, the celebrated Maggid of Mezritch, had occasion for the same reason to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say, ‘Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the prayer.’ Again the miracle would be accomplished.

Still later, Rabbi Moshe-leib of Sasov, to save his people, again would go into the forest and say, I do not know how to light the fire. I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient. It was sufficient, and the miracle was accomplished.

Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhin to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hands, he spoke to God, I am unable to light the fire and I do not know the prayer and I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient.

It was sufficient, for God made man because he loves stories." ¹²

‘Romance of the Hebrew Calendar’ is filled with many stories to help clarify things which could otherwise appear puzzling or obscure.

The Constellations (Mazzaroth)

All that came into being… . all the created worlds and all the ethereal entities that live in them, even the worlds that are mere emanations without tangible substance, even the worlds of thought and beyond to the realms of infinite light that preceded Creation… All this happened only as a result of the thought of you… . ¹³

Each month in the calendar is accompanied by the constellation connected to it. The Hebrew word ‘mazal,’ from the plural word ‘mazzaroth’ is associated with the patterns of stars in the sky, ¹⁴ and we find various biblical references to it such as in the Book of Job.¹⁵

Biblical astrology should be differentiated from the occult. The Bible clearly warns against all forms of pagan astrology. For example:

‘And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your GOD has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.’ (Deut. chapter 4 verse 19).

‘ . . . and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars of the sky.’ (Deut. chapter 17 verse 3).

‘All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. That is all they can do for you— these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you.’ (Isaiah chapter 47 verses 13-15).

The Message of the Mazzaroth

The 19th century theologian, Frances Rolleston wrote:

The primitive year began in the sign of Virgo, the stars of which were seen most strikingly in the evening sky when the sun was in Aries, the splendid star still by us called Spica, the ear of corn, in the woman’s hand, marking the leading idea, the Promised Seed. Thus was represented the subject of the first promise, the foundation of the hopes of fallen man. In the next sign, Libra, we have His work, which was to buy, to redeem, as figured in the balance weighing the price against the purchase. Then Scorpio follows the indication of what that price was to be; the conflict, in which the seed of the woman receives the wound in her heel, while her other foot is on the head of the enemy, here figured by the scorpion, a venomous reptile, who can sting even while his head is bruised. ¹⁶

Who has not been moved by the sight of a breathtaking sunset or the countless number of other exquisite natural wonders in the night sky? King David declared that,

‘The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the works of His hands.’ ¹⁷

This dome refers to the mazzaroth, ¹⁸ the circular paths or cycles linked to the Jewish Feasts in the biblical calendar that all line up with the signs in the heavens!

It was the Magi’s study of the mazzaroth that guided them to Bethlehem and pay homage to Mashiach:

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its’ rising and have come to worship Him. ¹⁹

In the book of Genesis, God placed the mazzaroth in the heavens as signs and seasons for us.²⁰ The wonder of it is echoed by the Psalmist:

Lord, our Lord! How glorious is Your name throughout the earth! The fame of Your majesty spreads even above the heavens! When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place—what are mere mortals that You concern Yourself with them; humans that You watch over them with such care. ²¹

This book reveals how the mazzaroth clearly proclaim the biblical message of redemption.

Jewels of the Ephod and their Colours

We will also consider the jewels of the High Priest’s ephod, their colours and their connection with the twelve tribes of Israel.

There is a Hassidic phrase: ‘a righteous person in a fur coat.’ ²² This meant that in freezing weather one generally had two options: build a fire or wrap oneself in a fur coat. Either way, a person was kept warm. However the difference is significant. When one builds a fire all who gather round it benefit, but with the fur coat only the individual enjoys its warmth.

Many of us tend to glance over certain sections of the Bible that may not appear to hold any immediate relevance for our lives. Yet, if we pause long enough to apprehend their truth and relevance, they are like a warm fire to us fueling our questions and understanding, rather than a fur coat restricted to a few individuals, representing high brow knowledge that offers no communal gain. The real question is, do we really desire to be warmed and kindled by the fire of God?

In orthodox Judaism, diligent study of Torah is considered one of the highest forms of worship; nothing is there by accident and every word contains treasures to enrich our lives.

Richard Wurmbrand provides a good example:

(Some of Yeshua’s disciples), all fishermen, toiled a whole night and caught nothing; when the resurrected Lord appeared (John 21) and told them where to throw the nets, they caught many fish. The catch was not due to their skill. Every fish caught was a sign of grace. They counted them and found 153 fish. Is it a simple coincidence that the word ‘grace’ occurs 153 times in the New Testament? Every figure in the Bible has a deep meaning. Nothing in it is superfluous. ²³

Dr. Chuck Missler wrote:

The great discovery which opens the Bible to us is that these 66 books, written by 40 authors over thousands of years, are an integrated message system. Every detail, every number, every place name, and every allusion, is there by careful design and is significant. ²⁴

This becomes apparent when we explore symbolic meanings of colours in Scripture. Our lives are surrounded by its dazzling array and each facet reflects His glory. Vibrations of light produce colour, even as vibrations of air produce sound. We discover that a relationship between the two exist, whereby a particular colour corresponds to a musical note.

Sir Isaac Newton was the first person to do prism experiments that divided light into the seven colours of the rainbow and connected them to the seven notes of the musical scale. The same thing applies with discords. E.W. Bullinger observed that:

There are seven colours answering to the seven musical sounds, and it is found that sounds which harmonise correspond with colours that harmonise, while discords in colour correspond with discords in music. ²⁵

Sound is pictorially represented in colour, as praise and worship unto God like a master painting of unparalleled beauty!

We discover that the ‘song’ for each one of the twelve tribes of Israel can also be identified and described through the metaphor of colour, holding a melody which has meandered throughout history yet to culminate with Mashiach. Every colour will be synthesised into a blinding, dazzling light of recognition unto the One who is the ‘Light of the World.’ ²⁶

The Colours of the Gemstones

Every gemstone set in the High Priest’s ephod ²⁷ carried a specific colour and was engraved with the name of each tribe. Aaron would wear the ephod when he entered the Holy of Holies, strapped over his shoulders, that covered his heart. This action symbolised the burden of the whole nation placed squarely upon him as he represented the people before God. Furthermore, each gemstone was positioned in a set order upon the ephod. In the Book of Exodus ²⁸ we read how they were embedded in a filigree of gold like a signet ring, indicating how precious we are to Him.

Some names of the ancient Hebrew gemstones are lost in obscurity and difficult to identify. In addition, many of them come in a vast array of colours so there is an element of speculation in this study. Nonetheless, I have chosen a perspective that in my opinion represents a best fit.²⁹

IN SUMMARY

The story contained within the unlikely combination of the Feasts, the mazzaroth and the jewels of the High Priest’s ephod, converge to form a unified declaration of God’s love. May you be blessed, even surprised, but most importantly, provoked to enter more deeply into the knowledge of His presence and glory.

*     *     *

THE JEWISH CALENDAR

Generations come, generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, the sun sets; then it speeds to its place and rises there. The wind blows south, then it turns north; the wind blows all around and keeps returning to its rounds. All the rivers flow to the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers flow, there they keep on flowing. ³⁰

For everything there is a season, a right time for every intention under heaven. ³¹

INTRODUCTION

So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh Chodesh or Shabbat. ³²

When we read the above verse in context, we determine that the apostle Paul clearly stood with those who observed the biblical Feasts. But, if anyone chose not to participate for whatever reason, that was also considered a matter of personal choice, particularly for the new Gentile converts.³³

Those who would have celebrated them at the time, were endorsed in the joyful spirit of freedom, not under the dark shadow of legalism. They were exhorted to realign their lives in accordance with the principle of the ‘royal law’ (‘love your neighbour as yourself’) instead of being judgmental and divisive. Some did, and some did not; the latter led to the creation of all sorts of problems for the Early Church.³⁴

Armed with these cautionary points, let’s move forward to consider the Jewish concept of times and seasons, as a foundation for understanding the Moedim (Feasts or ‘appointed times’) before moving to the main section.

TIMES AND SEASONS

There is a saying that the manner in which we quantify and experience time defines who and what we are. Jewish thinking tends to do so in terms of a spiral instead of a linear sequence of events. This pattern expresses itself cyclically within the days, weeks, months and years of the Hebrew calendar. John J Parsons commented on this:

The western sense of time is basically the measurement of linear, progressive motion, but in Hebrew thinking, time is seen as an ascending helix, with recurring patterns or cycles that present a thematic message of sacred history. Indeed, part of being a Jew today is to be mindful of this divinely ordered spiral of time and to order our affairs accordingly. ³⁵

Parsons further sees a link with this contained within the Hebrew language:

"Some of the sages note that the Hebrew word for ‘year’ shares the same root as both the word ‘repeat’ and the word ‘change’. In other words, the idea of the ‘Jewish year’ implies ongoing repetition (mishnah) or an enduring ‘review’ of the key prophetic events of redemptive history as they are relived in our present experiences ³⁶. The Jewish year then repeats itself thematically, but it also changes from year to year as we progress closer to the coming Day of Redemption. We see this very tension (i.e. constancy-change) for example, in the ‘dual aspect’ of the ministry of Yeshua our Messiah. In His first advent Yeshua came as our Suffering Servant and therefore fulfilled the latent meaning of the fall holidays. Nonetheless, we still commemorate both the ‘type’ and its ‘fulfillment’ every year during Passover by extending the ritual of the Seder to express the reality of Yeshua as the world’s ‘Lamb of God’ just as we commemorate the fall holidays in expectation of His rule and reign as our King." ³⁷

Before delving into some of the thoughts just cited (covered at various points in the book) it would be helpful to clearly understand how the Jewish calendar is organised.

Specifically, what are the mechanics of operation?

HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS AND YEARS

HOURS

Hours are calculated by dividing the daylight into twelve equal parts, commencing from sunrise, until sunset (‘sha’ah zemanit’). The length of each part will vary according to season depending on the amount of daylight there is, and to particular locations within each hemisphere. If the daylight happens to be twelve hours, each part will divide nicely into twelve equal parts. If it is more, or less, the parts will be divided accordingly into shorter or longer blocks.

DAYS

In the biblical calendar, an evening and a morning equal one day. Why did God start His day at the ‘end’ of it? We are so accustomed to commence a new day from midnight that it may appear illogical to start at any other time. But then again, what could be more illogical than midnight?

If we were living in ancient times and interested in creating our own calendar, we would need to introduce our days at an easily observable time. What would we use as a starting point? Sunset is a natural time, and also the end of the day, which is exactly what the Bible says:

The evening and the morning were the first day. ³⁸

Days begin at sunset (originally when three stars became visible in the sky). When a Feast begins on Shabbat, it is moved to the following day.

WEEKS

Why do we count off seven days and call them a week? The Hebrew word translated ‘week’ is ‘shavuah,’ and it signifies completeness, or perfection. The week was introduced to us in Genesis (2:3):

And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made.

The word translated ‘rested’ here is from the Hebrew root word for shabbat. The Jewish sages defined work in the physical sense under 39 categories directly linked with the building of the Tabernacle. Of course, there are also spiritual connotations, but how we apply them may be variously interpreted.³⁹

The sun rises and sets and the days go by. Meanwhile, the moon also follows a cycle. Whilst it rises and sets, the amount of it you can see varies and sometimes one cannot see it at all.

The moon starts as a very thin crescent on one side, becomes fuller and brighter, and finally returns to a very thin crescent on the other side. Then it disappears for a little while, only to repeat this cycle.

If one calculates the number of days from one point to the next identical point, there are 29½ days on average for the moon’s cycle to complete itself. But how do we know when to commence with the moon cycle count?

The most simple place to start is with the first crescent sighting. Marking off solar days one at a time is not very practical.

From the first crescent sighting to a full moon takes 14 days. Each quarter (first, second, third, fourth) marks a seven-day period. This means one can conveniently count days in blocks of seven by observing the moon.

MONTHS

God includes months in His calendar, as can be gleaned from many biblical references.⁴⁰

In Hebrew, the word translated ‘month’ is ‘chodesh.’ God not only includes months, but also starts them with the sighting of the new moon.

Look for the new moon of Aviv, and keep the Passover.… to be observed on Aviv 14: And you shall keep it (the paschal lamb) up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Exodus. 12:6

A second reference to months and their timing is in Psalm 104:19:

He appointed the moon for seasons.

Another example can be found in Psalm 81:3:

Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

The only Feast that begins on the first day of a month is Rosh ha Shanah

SOLAR YEARS AND LUNAR MONTHS

The number 365, representing the cycle of the sun, and the number representing the cycle of the moon (29½), are not evenly divisible. Therefore, a solar year will never exactly equal 12 lunar months. The difference between 12 months of 29½ days (354 days) and the length of a solar year (365) will cause the four seasons to move around through the year.

This would mean that the spring season could come in the first month or the second month or the third month, etc. Therefore, to keep everything in its proper order, adjustments would clearly need to be made; but who determined these things? God told Moshe:

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. ⁴¹

The Hebrew name for this month is ‘Aviv,’ and it is also the Hebrew word for ‘Spring,’ when the green ears of the barley grain appear:

And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and Yahweh sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and Yahweh rained hail upon the land of Egypt. … And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field….And the flax and the barley was destroyed: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rye were not destroyed for they were not grown up. ⁴²

The month of Aviv and the state of barley are closely connected. If barley is not in the proper stage of maturity, it cannot be Aviv.

And you shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your Elohim: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ⁴³

The Israelites were not permitted to harvest their crops of barley until the first-fruit sheaf was waved before God by the priest.

Barley was planted in November and took around four months to mature. It had to be in the green ear stage during the first month, and at least some of it ready to harvest by the time of the wave sheaf (Hebrew: Omer) offering immediately following Passover (Pesach) on the second day.

So, God keeps the seasons aligned with the months by having us observe the maturing barley. This is an amazing thought when we understand that He Himself determines precisely the exact times and seasons which He keeps perfectly in sync!

THE OBSERVABLE CALENDAR

The rules for the observable calendar are simple and logical:

1. Start and end days at sunset (Genesis 1:5).

2. Start weeks at day one and end on day seven, the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16).

3. Start months with the sighting of the new moon (Deuteronomy 16:1).

4. Start years in the month barley will be harvested by the middle of that month (Leviticus 23:4-14).

These rules simply require us to observe God’s creation – sighting a sunset or a new moon and looking at a barley crop.

THE ORIGINAL JEWISH CALENDAR

The original calendar, based upon observation, is apparent from the beginning of time, as we see recorded in the Book of Genesis.⁴⁴ But, God’s revelation of it to Moshe took place just before the Exodus, about 3,500 years ago, where He explained Pesach, its significance and timing to the Israelites.

ADAPTED JEWISH CALENDAR

The adapted Jewish calendar, in use today, is in comparison extremely complicated and difficult to understand. It has added and revised rules that move dates to fit into a complex mathematical paradigm.

The observable Jewish calendar was replaced during the Talmudic period, ⁴⁵ whereby observation of the moon and crops slowly changed to calculation. First, the Israelites noticed that the new moon appeared either every 29 or 30 days – never shorter, never longer. Simply by counting gave them the ability to anticipate the actual observation.

THE SLOW TRANSITION

After settling in Canaan, the Israelites, as an agrarian people, would have known that proper planting times were crucial to their survival and prosperity; they understood that fixing the beginning of a season, particularly spring, was advantageous.

Starting with their possession of Canaan, they spread out throughout the land and eventually beyond it, ultimately to the four corners of the earth. This made the ability to maintain tight lines of communication, increasingly difficult. Messengers would be sent up to 11 days journey to outlying areas, informing people about the timing for an appointed Feast. Jews living outside the 11 day radius would keep an extra day due to the doubt as to when exactly the actual moed began. But what about the Jewish communities who resided in far distant lands and beyond?

Following exile and dispersion, the Jewish people generally took up the civil calendars of their conquering countries. Between the 2nd Temple period (around 440 BC) until the 4th century AD, they accumulated sufficient knowledge to convert a calendar based on observation to one on calculation alone. The exiles and dispersions made it increasingly difficult to stay connected with the inhabitants of the Holy Land.

As the problem became more protracted, the patriarch Hillel II, known as the ‘Nasi’ (prince), of the ancient Jewish Sanhedrin, devised a method of calculating dates (around 359AD), which was adopted by Jewish communities world-wide. He foresaw that world Jewry would no longer be able to follow a Sanhedrin-based calendar based upon observation from Jerusalem. Hillel and his rabbinical court established the adapted calendar which is followed to the current day. There is a Jewish tradition that this version of the Hebrew calendar will continue until Mashiach comes and reestablishes the Sanhedrin.

Below are a few examples to illustrate how extremely complicated the adapted calendar really is:

• A month is determined by the calculation of the conjunction (or birth) of the moon (Hebrew molad, a point in the moon’s orbit exactly between the earth and the sun – and invisible to us - not new moon sighting; hours are added to the molad to determine when the new moon should or should not be visible.

• The first molad occurred 5 hours and 204 chalokim (3 1/3 seconds) after sunset at the beginning of day 2.

• Every molad is calculated from this point by adding 29 days, 12 hours, and 793 chalokim.

• A nineteen-year cycle of months of 29 and 30 days is employed, together with leap months inserted in seven of the years, to keep the seasons in line with the solar year; the cycle consists of regular and leap years as follows: R-R-L-R-R-L-R-R-L-R-L-R-R-L-R-R-L-R-L.

• The cycle is not exactly the length of nineteen solar years – it is a little over 2 hours longer; every 216 years this adds up to a whole day, and there are no corrections in the calculations to prevent spring from moving away from Aviv; if the calculated Jewish calendar had existed at the beginning, this error would have already moved the seasons 26 days away from Aviv – one entire month.⁴⁶

CHANGES IN THE CALENDAR

These rules and calculations, seen from the examples just cited, keep the seasons and the solar year closely aligned, without a single observation of a new moon or a series of sunsets. They are very convenient, but by using the adapted calendar, we usually celebrate the Feasts at slightly different times from the original one.

THE ADAPTED CALENDAR TODAY

All in all, there are many reasons why world Jewry has maintained the adapted calendar in preference to the observable one. For example:

5. It has worked well for nearly two millennia to keep world Jewry informed and unified, so why change now?

6. The adapted calendar coincides precisely with significant celestial events recorded in the Bible (eg. the current interest with the blood moon tetrads).

7. Who would take responsibility for declaring the onset of a Feast day by observation? We no longer have a Temple with an established priesthood marking the day and time for each Feast (ie sabbath, new month and high holy days). Today, world Jewry consists of hundreds of diverse religious groups (ultra-orthodox, orthodox, reform, liberal, and secular) who would not easily accept any authority outside of their own, whereas the adapted calendar is accepted by everyone.

IN SUMMARY

What does all this point to? Surely it helps us better appreciate the absolute dependability of our God and the value of trusting Him in all things. He is entirely faithful and His timings are perfect. His eternal plans are unchanging and the return of Mashiach is close; many consider it to be imminent. Although the exact day and hour ‘no man knows,’ we have good reason to believe it to be around the season of some future Rosh Ha Shanah. ⁴⁷

He is our Creator, the King of the universe, to whom every knee must bow. We as mortals are in time, but He is timeless. When we see things from this perspective, it reminds us that even our most precise calculations are clumsy in comparison with His absolute precision and perfection.

The Hebrew calendar (both observable and adapted) has provided Jewish people throughout history with a precise framework to celebrate the magnificence of our Creator revealed through Mashiach, sent into the world at ‘just the right time.’

⁴⁸

DATES ACCORDING TO THE ADAPTED

HEBREW CALENDAR⁴⁹

THE SABBATH - SHABBAT

Say to the Israelites, Truly you shall keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, set you apart for Myself. ⁵⁰

The Sabbath day, therefore, became to the spiritually enlightened in Israel chiefly a symbol and pledge of God’s promised rest to His people, and to the earth in the future, and to this day in their ‘mizmorim’ or hymns sung in every pious Jewish home on Friday evenings, at the ushering in of the Sabbath, there are touching references to the future glorious time when, under Messiah’s sway, the earth shall find rest, and to the blessed day which shall be all Sabbath—in allusion to the very ancient Jewish division of the course of time into a week of millenniums, viz., two thousand years without law, two thousand years under the law; two thousand years the days of Messiah; and the last the seventh as earth’s Sabbath. ⁵¹

INTRODUCTION

Shabbat (Sabbath) is integral to the identity of the Jewish people. The early Church ⁵² observed Shabbat from Friday sunset to Saturday evening, even after Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire in 324AD. ⁵³

The Emperor Constantine made a decree that changed Shabbat to a Sunday. This effectively separated the Church from the ‘accursed Jews’ who God had supposedly forsaken and replaced with Christians as His chosen people. So, became firmly established the erroneous teaching known as ‘Replacement Theology’ propagated by some influential figures in the first 3-4 centuries AD. Here are a few examples:

Justin Martyr (100-165 AD)—Claimed that God’s covenant with Israel was no longer valid and the Gentiles had now replaced the Jews.

Irenaeus (130-202 AD)—Declared that the Jews were disinherited from the grace of God.

Tertullian (155-230 AD)—Blamed the Jews for the death of Yeshua and argued they had been rejected by God.

Origen (185-254 AD)—Fuelled much anti-Semitism, all of which was based on his assertion that the Jews were responsible for killing Yeshua.

The Council of Nicaea (325 AD in Turkey)—Changed the celebration of the resurrection from the Jewish Feast of First Fruits to Easter in an attempt to disassociate from everything Jewish. The Council stated: For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people…

Eusebius (ca 275-339 AD)—Taught that the promises of Scripture were meant for the Gentiles and the curses for the Jews. He asserted that the Church was the ‘true Israel.’

John Chrysostom (349-407 AD)—Preached a series of sermons against the Jews in which he stated, The synagogue is not only a brothel and a theater, it is also a den of robbers and lodging place for wild beasts… Jews are inveterate murderers possessed by the Devil. Their debauchery and drunkenness gives the manners of a pig. He denied that Jews could ever receive forgiveness. He claimed it was a duty to hate Jews because they worshiped Satan.

Jerome (347-420 AD)—Described the Jews as . . . serpents wearing the image of Judas. Their psalms and prayers are the braying of donkeys… They are incapable of understanding Scripture… This was the same person largely responsible for the translation of the Bible into Latin, known as the ‘Vulgate’ in the late 4th-century as commissioned by Pope Damascus. This became a key source for the translation of the Bible into English assigned by King James, and known as the ‘King James’ or ‘Authorised’ Version, in 1611.

St. Augustine (354-430 AD)—Asserted that the Jews deserved death but were destined to wander the earth to witness the victory of the ‘Church’ over the synagogue." ⁵⁴

THE HEBREW AND GREGORIAN CALENDAR

The word, ‘Shabbat’ is derived from the Hebrew word, ‘to rest.’ It is the only day of the week that is called by name; all the others are identified in their numerical order (i.e. Day 1, Day 2, etc).

In the past, many cultures formed their own calendars. This included great civilisations such as Egypt, Greece, China and Babylon (from which the Hebrew months were named after Israel’s exile around 586BC) that devised their own method to calculate the days, weeks, months and years.

The current Gregorian calendar is based around the sun (solar) and is generally adopted worldwide. It was established in the year 1592AD and introduced by