God charged the Levi tical priesthood of ancient Israel, and later the Jews, to preserve His oracles—the Scriptures, the Sabbath and the calendar. Yet, never has the calendar come under such baseless attack (as is occurring with many time-honored institutions) as during the last decade or so—and this by so many self-professed “experts” ignorant of the mechanisms built into it.

Genesis 1 establishes that the sun and moon were appointed for signs, seasons, days and years. With this understanding, only the sacred calendar harmonizes the solar and lunar cycles. The Truth About God’s Calendar explains why the 19-year time cycles are an astronomical fact. It also reveals the purpose of leap years and the real meaning of postponements, among other things.

Since the Church Began

The sacred calendar—generally referred to as the Hebrew calendar or God’s calendar—has been accepted without question by true Christians since the inception of the Church of God. This unconditional acceptance sprang from the confidence placed in the apostles who had been trained by Christ. Very few converts in the following generations were required to have first hand knowledge of the workings of the calendar. We know this to be the case, since these following generations of the Church continued to look to the Jewish authorities for determining the new year and other calendar details. Knowledge of the details and mechanisms of the Hebrew calendar was never a prerequisite to understanding the truth of the Bible, and few ever needed to look into this matter.

The true Church of God was never commissioned to oversee calendar calculations, which had been the responsibility of the Jews for many centuries. Likewise, the Church had never been commissioned to preserve the New Testament, this responsibility having been given to the Greeks. The Church of God has always been few in number and fiercely persecuted throughout most of its existence. Therefore, it was never in a position to manage the Hebrew calendar, anymore than it could preserve the Scriptures. The majority of those tested and tried through the centuries to the point of martyrdom were in no position to spend their time in detailed mathematical calculations or copying Greek manuscripts. Thus, God saw to it that such detailed matters were assigned to others.

The Calendar at Creation

It must be recognized that some background in early history is important here before continuing. This will help set the stage for all that is to follow.

Many have accused the Jews and others whom God entrusted to preserve the calendar of being guilty of “changing times and laws” (Dan. 7:25 ) However, the Jews did not invent the calendar—they did not contrive it from imagination. Its principles go back to the first chapter of the Bible, where the sun and the moon were appointed “...for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Gen 1:14).

We have no concrete, documented evidence pertaining to the calendar in use at the time of creation. It has long been understood that at the time of Noah, months had been counted to be 30 days each, in that 150 days were attributed to 5 months (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:4). These and other accounts in Genesis chapters 7 and 8 had led many to ponder whether a pre-flood 360-day year—consisting of 12 months of 30 days each—had been established at creation. If so, such a balanced calendar might have continued up to the time of the Flood. If this were the case, as evidence seems to support, then the lunar and solar cycles would have been in perfect harmony, as were other facets of God’s creation.

Proponents of the existence of such a harmonized pre-flood calendar cite what has been called the prophetic year, based upon 360 days as additional evidence of this original cosmic configuration—or the orbit of the earth at Creation—(The Chronology of Ezra 7, Horn and Wood, p. 53). Although the biblical record appears to validate such a balanced year in various accounts in Genesis, it is evident that this did not continue indefinitely. Cosmologists site such events as the Flood of Noah’s time, among such causal factors in effecting the intricate balance of the earth’s orbit, as well as the alignment of its axis.

Other events of potentially cosmic impact could have occurred at the time of the destruction of the Tower of Babel, the parting of the Red Sea, Joshua’s long day, the movement of the sundial of Ahaz and its return (2 Kings. 20:11 ) during the time of Hezekiah—to mention a few. As a case in point, the destruction at the tower of Babel was much more than an isolated event, but was accompanied by a global phenomenon, in which changes in the stratosphere cut mankind’s life-span more than in half—as had already occurred in the wake of the Flood. An average of the listed life-spans from the Flood to this event was 484 years, while afterward it was quickly reduced to 195 years, according to the biblical record.

The net effect of a number of upheavals in the cosmic alignment could have readily altered the earth’s orbit around the sun, the moon’s orbit around the earth, the tilt of the earth, or other intricate variables in the immediate solar network. Such events were spread out over hundreds of years. We do know that a discrepancy between the lunar and solar cycles occurred in ancient times and the calendar had to be adjusted to reconcile these differences.

The Calendar as Presented to Moses

When God revealed the calendar to Moses, certain adjustments would most likely have been already accounted for by this time—about 880 years removed from the flood. This calendar had to be accurate since certain Holy Days were to be observed on specific days in designated months—at a precise time of the year. In order to observe these days at the correct time, the solar and lunar cycles had to be reconciled. God, as Creator, guided this process as He inspired those whom He entrusted with this responsibility.

The great Eternal God is capable of expanding the abilities and skills of those whom He appoints for special assignments, just as He did with Bezaleel of the tribe of Judah, involved in the construction of the tabernacle: “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship to devise cunning works, to work in gold and silver and brass and in the cutting of stones...and in carving of timber...” ( Exodus. 31:3-5 ).

God was fully capable of instilling this unusual talent within Bezaleel and the skilled men that assisted him—men already gifted in certain ways. This same God was capable of inspiring various priests, gifted with mathematical minds, with the skills of being able to implement adjustments in the calendar to keep the solar and lunar cycles in harmony. Basic concepts of Astronomy/ Astrology and the movements of the solar system were understood at that time—three millennia before the time of Copernicus.

The sacred calendar as presented to Moses was passed on to the priests and certain Levite's Acts 7:38 explains: “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.” Next, notice who was commissioned to preserve those “lively oracles”: “What advantage then has the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yes, let God be true, but every man a liar...”( Romans. 3:1-4 )

What are the oracles of God? They consist of the Scriptures, the Sabbath and God’s sacred calendar. Some mistakenly reject the Hebrew calendar because they insist upon only looking to the Scriptures for guidance—not the Jews. Yet, it was God who entrusted the Jews to preserve the calendar and the Scriptures! (The Jews preserved the Law, Prophets and Psalms—known as the Old Testament—while the Greeks preserved the manuscripts from the apostolic era of the Church known as the New Testament.) Such doubters are essentially accusing God of being incapable of preserving the calendar intact.

What about you? Do you accept the Scriptures as authentic—as preserved by the Jews? If so, then would you not also accept that God is able to use the same human instruments to preserve the calendar?

The calendar that God presented to Moses became the responsibility of certain appointed Levi tical priests and, centuries later, the Jews. We often refer to the calendar in honor of its source—God’s sacred calendar. In reference to the hundreds of years of this calendar as used by ancient Israel, it is also called the Hebrew calendar. Many currently refer to the most recent versions as the Jewish calendar. We will reference the calendar by all these terms, depending upon the context of each reference. Throughout history, this calendar was essentially the same, yet, various adjustments became necessary. This was to implement across many centuries a harmonizing of variations between the solar and lunar cycles.

Introductory Overview of the Calendar

We begin the overview of the calendar by examining some of the basic facts about the Roman calendar in use today. The Julian calendar was set up in 45 B.C., and recognized the solar year as being 365 1/4 days. However, this calendar was 12 minutes and 14 seconds off per year, which amounted to well over a 10-day error by the year 1582. Thus, ten days were dropped from the calendar so that it would correspond more closely to the solar year. The newly established Gregorian calendar not only served to diminish the existing error, but helped to compensate for future errors by adding a leap year. Interestingly, it was not until 1752 that the English (and the American Colonies) adopted the Gregorian calendar. The leap year set by the Gregorian calendar adds one day every four years, except in even 100 years that cannot be divided by 400. Thus, for the years 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900 and 2000, only the years 1600 and 2000 could be leap years.

The Gregorian calendar compensates by 72 hours (3 days) every 400 years. The actual excess accumulated is 74 hours, 53 minutes and 20 seconds—an error of 2 hours, 53 minutes and 20 seconds every 400 years—one full day every 3,323 years. We will sometimes refer to the Roman calendar as the Julian or Julian/Gregorian, depending upon how the term is used by the references cited.

For a calendar to measure only the solar years makes it infinitely simpler than the Hebrew Calendar which harmonizes the lunar as well as the solar year. Note that the Julian/Gregorian calendar drifts off course by one full day off in 3,323 years. It is completely ironic that the Hebrew calendar which has a number of both coarse and fine adjustments in order to harmonize with both the solar and lunar cycles is accused of lacking the precision achieved by the crude (by comparison) Gregorian calendar.

Consider that from the time the sacred calendar was presented to Moses to the present is a span of approximately 3,450 years. Some critics charge that the Hebrew calendar is not only days off track, but months off, or worse. Which is it? The critics do not know. They are only assured that the less you know, the better their chances of sowing doubt.

Precisely every 19 years (19-year cycles will be discussed later), the Hebrew calendar is given a reliability test. If it were ever out of sync with the 19 year time cycle, then many would stand ready to announce this imperfection. Yet, all we hear is silence. In recent centuries, the calendar has always accurately meshed with the 19-year cycles as it must have done anciently, due to adjustments that were implemented for this very purpose.

During the 3,450 years since Moses, adjustments have had to be added to the calendar to compensate for alterations in the orbital clock caused by such events as mentioned earlier. Yet, about 1975 years ago, during the time of Christ’s ministry on earth, He kept the Holy Days at the same time as the Jews, never pointing out any discrepancy in the Jewish calendar. Had the calendar been in error, He would have made it known. Yet, concerning any alleged error concerning the calendar, Christ was silent.

The point to be made here is this: If the Gregorian calendar can continue 3323 years before missing a day, should not the Hebrew calendar (with its built-in methods to keep it from drifting off track) continue 1975 years with the same level of accuracy?

It should be mentioned here that the Julian/Gregorian calendar mentioned earlier, or any other man-made calendar—and this should be obvious—was never a factor in the Hebrew calendar calculations in ancient times. Comparison with the Julian calendar in most modern works on that subject is merely for the purpose of referencing one calendar in terms of the other. This would be equivalent to translating back and forth between two languages today.

Recognize that all calendars either gain or lose time. Therefore, corrective measures must be taken, such as leap years and other adjustments, to periodically correct any discrepancies. Great care has to be taken to keep the Hebrew calendar in perfect harmony with the lunar cycle, since the Holy Days must occur at a precise time. The solar accuracy is of secondary importance, but is kept in harmony by periodic adjustments, as well.

“What Happened in the Church”

During the fifth or Sardis Era of God’s Church, as most of God’s people drifted away from observance of the Holy Days, the sacred calendar came to be disregarded. During the twentieth century, those called into the truth learned of the Holy Days from the Scriptures and how they were related to the Hebrew calendar. The membership of the Church had confidence that the leadership understood these matters. It was extremely rare for anyone in the Worldwide Church of God to question the accuracy of the Hebrew calendar.

By the 1990's, most doctrines in God’s Church were called into question, and ultimately cast aside by false leaders who took over the Church. As a result, the calendar naturally came into scrutiny by many independent thinkers—characteristic of this final era in Church history. Before this time, the calendar was rarely a controversial issue. The Hebrew calendar became controversial only in the eyes of those who sought to discredit it.

Much of the confusion of this day originates from various critics who have capitalized upon certain calendar “issues”—with the intent of sowing doubt and uncertainty—to ultimately gain a following. While placing unique calendar revelations as the centerpiece of their new faith, they attempted to prove that the Jews were incapable and unworthy of preserving the calendar.

The Hebrew calendar merely shows when Tishri 1 will occur. After the conditions of the postponements are met, then Tishri 1—the Feast of Trumpets—is established, from which all of the other Holy Days are set. They are in complete harmony with Leviticus 23.

Closely examine the moon during the Feast of Trumpets. Weather permitting, you will observe the faint beginnings of the new moon in the evening sky. Realize that the exact observation of the new moon is determined from the area of Judea. But you should see a new moon a few hours after the fact, or perhaps a day removed, depending on your location. Then double-check the night sky on the opening night of the Feast of Tabernacles. You will find the big bright harvest moon glowing in full array. Likewise, you will see the full moon on the Night to be Observed, as the Days of Unleavened Bread begin.

The calendar is necessary in order to keep God’s Holy Days at the time He has established. Otherwise, there would be no benchmark with which to guarantee that we have our days precisely in order, as they were ordained. Thus, when God indicated that the month of Abib (Nisan) was to be the “beginning of months” for Israel (Exodus 12:2), there was no need to further define that month or the months that followed it. Such specific information was all defined by God's calendar, which was later delivered to Israel shortly after the Exodus from Egypt.

God's calendar indicates the first month is Nisan and the first day of each month is the New Moon. False teachers will continue trying to undermine the faith of those who seek God through a variety of means. The stars that God ordained do not lie.

Seek the truth for your self.

Some have gone so far as to accuse the Jews of deliberately altering the time of the Holy Days and the weekly Sabbath for their own convenience. This has served to mislead those not well rooted in the faith. Thus, a renewed appreciation for the intricacy and precision of the Hebrew calendar needs to be presented to those who still value sound doctrine.