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Bible History

The Jewish Year

I.                    THE JEWISH CALENDAR

A.      Sacred or Ceremonial Year

1.    Begins with Abib (Nisan) which runs roughly from March to April

2.    Established when Israel was brought out of Egypt (Exodus 12:1-2; Leviticus 23:5)

3.    The calendar by which the Jewish feasts are determined

B.       Secular or Civil Year

1.    Begins with Ethanim which runs roughly from September to October

2.    The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) , called Rosh Hashanah, is the Jewish New Year (see Exodus 34:22; 23:16; Leviticus 23:39)

3.    The first month of the secular year is the same as the seventh month of the sacred year and visa versa

C.      Growing Seasons

1.    Israel averages from 2 to 22 inches of rain per year with more rain as you go north.  From 10 to 12 inches of rain is the minimum needed to have a harvest each year.  In much of the south, rain-watered crops are not possible.

2.    Israel’s main growing season is during the winter when most of the rain comes.  The summer is so dry that very little can grow.  Barley and wheat are sown at the beginning of the rainy season (Oct.-Nov.) and harvested at the end (Apr.-May).  These rains are called the former and the latter rains in scripture (Deuteronomy 11:14; Job 29:23; Proverbs 16:15; Jeremiah 3:3; 5:24; Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23; Zechariah 10:1; James 5:7)

D.      Months of the Jewish Year

1.    Abib or Nisan

a.       1^st sacred; 7^th secular

b.      March-April

c.       Exodus 12:2; 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1; Nehemiah 2:1; Esther 3:7

d.      Time of the latter rain; beginning of barley and flax harvest

e.       Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits

2.    Zif or Iyyar (non-biblical name)

a.       2^nd sacred; 8^th secular

b.      April-May

c.       1Kings 6:1,37

d.      Barley harvest; beginning of dry season

3.    Sivan

a.       3^rd sacred; 9^th secular

b.      May-June

c.       Esther 8:9

d.      Wheat harvest

e.       Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)

4.    Tammuz (non-biblical name)

a.       4^th sacred; 10^th secular

b.      June-July

c.       Time of tending vines

5.    Ab (non-biblical name)

a.       5^th sacred; 11^th secular

b.      July-August

c.       Ripening of grapes, figs and olives

6.    Elul

a.       6^th sacred; 12^th secular

b.      August-September

c.       Nehemiah 6:15

d.      Processing grapes, figs and olives

7.    Ethanim or Tishri (non-biblical name)

a.       7^th sacred; 1^st secular

b.      September-October

c.       1Kings 8:2

d.      Early rains begin; time of plowing

e.       Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles

8.    Bul

a.       8^th sacred; 2^nd secular

b.      October-November

c.       1Kings 6:38

d.      Sowing of wheat and barley

9.    Kislev

a.       9^th sacred; 3^rd secular

b.      November-December

c.       Nehemiah 1:1; Zechariah 7:1

d.      Time of winter rains

e.       Feast of Hanukkah (Dedication)

10.Tebeth

a.       10^th sacred; 4^th secular

b.      December-January

c.       Esther 2:16

11.Shebat

a.       11^th sacred; 5^th secular

b.      January-February

c.       Zechariah 1:7

12.Adar

a.       12^th sacred; 6^th secular

b.      February- March

c.       Ezra 6:15; Esther 3:7,13; 8:12; 9:1,15,16,19,21

d.      Almond trees bloom; citrus fruit harvest

e.       Feast of Purim

13.Second Adar

a.       A calendar correction

b.      Added about every three years so the lunar calendar would correspond to the solar year

II.                 THE SABBATH

A.      Established at Creation (Genesis 2:1-3)

B.       Given to Israel (Exodus 31:12-17)

C.      Not Given to the Gentiles as a Law

1.    Only one of the ten commandments not repeated in the New Testament

2.    No man to be judged for not keeping it (Colossians 2:16-17)

D.      A Day of Rest (Exodus 20:8-11; 35:1-3; Leviticus 23:3)

III.               SEVEN ORIGINAL FEASTS

A.      Feast of the Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5)

1.    The 14^th day of the 1^st month

2.    Passover meal eaten at even

3.    Established at the time of the 10^th plague as a remembrance to the deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 11:1-10; 12:1-20)

4.    A type of the crucifixion (1Corinthians 5:7; 1Peter 2:24; 3:18)

5.    The day of the crucifixion – from 6PM to 6PM

a.       Passover meal eaten

b.      Lord’s Supper instituted

c.       Prayer and arrest in Gethsemane

d.      Trial before High Priest

e.       Appearance before Herod

f.        Trial before Pilate

g.       Crucifixion

h.       Burial

B.       Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8)

1.    The 15^th day of the 1^st month lasting through the 21^st day

2.    Unleavened bread eaten throughout

3.    No work to be done on the 1^st and 7^th days of the feast

4.    A burnt offering made every day

5.    A type of the holy sacrifice of Christ (Numbers 28:17-19; Leviticus 1:1-3 with 2Corinthians 5:21; 1Peter 2:22; 1John 3:5)

C.      Feast of the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)

1.    On the morrow after the sabbath following the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  This would always be a Sunday.

2.    The Feast of Unleavened Bread is on a particular day of the month and therefore the day of the week will change from year to year (as a birthday).  Since the Feast of Firstfruits is on a particular day of the week (Sunday), the gap between the two feasts will not be the same each year.  On the year Christ died, the Feast of the Passover occurred on the day of His crucifixion and the Feast of Firstfruits occurred on the day of His resurrection.

3.    A sheaf of firstfruits is waved before the Lord

4.    A type of the resurrection of Christ (1Corinthians 15:19-23)

D.      Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-22)

1.    Fifty days from the Feast of Firstfruits (inclusive of both feast days)

2.    A new meat offering made

3.    A type of the New Testament Day of Pentecost when the believers were baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-4; Romans 8:9)

E.       Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)

1.    The 1^st day of the 7^th month

2.    The Jewish New Year

3.    No work to be done

4.    Commemorated by the blowing of trumpets

5.    A type of the coming of Christ (1Corinthians 15:51-52; 1Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 8:2,6; Matthew 24:30-31)

F.       Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)

1.    The 10^th day of the 7^th month

2.    No work to be done

3.    A day to afflict their souls (v.27,29)

4.    The day of the annual offering by the high priest in the most holy place (Leviticus 16)

5.    A type of the coming redemption:

a.       Of Israel (Isaiah 66:5-9; Romans 11:25-29)

b.      Of creation (Romans 8:19-23)

G.      Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44)

1.    The 15^th day of the 7^th month until the 22 day

2.    No work to be done on the 1^st and 8^th day of the feast

3.    To live in roughly constructed booths for seven days (v.40-42)

4.    Commemorates the time Israel wandered in the wilderness (v.43)

5.    A type of the future time when God will make His dwelling place with man (Revelation 21:3-6)

IV.              SPECIAL YEARS

A.      Sabbath Year (Leviticus 25:1-7)

1.    Every 7^th year

2.    A year of rest for the land

3.    Israel disobedient to this command (Leviticus 26:34-35; 2Chronicles 36:21)

B.       Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-55)

1.    Every 50^th year after the 7^th sabbath year

2.    Land to be returned to original family owners

3.    Slaves to be freed

4.    Debts to be forgiven

5.    Land to rest (v.11)

6.    God’s provision promised (v.20-22)