New Year: Does It Really Matter?
Here in the United States, we are celebrating January 1st as the beginning of a New Year on the secular calendar that we use today. Every year of our lives is a blessing, and we should be thankful for new beginnings. Various civilizations have had their own calendars for thousands of years. However, the oldest calendar still in use is the Jewish calendar, which has been in popular use since the 9th century BC. It is based on biblical calculations that place the creation at 3761 BC. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com
According to calendar described in the bible, designed by YeHoVaH (God), we are in the middle of the 10th Biblical Month, Tevet which is roughly Dec 15 -Jan 15 on our secular calendar charts. Our Heavenly Father’s arrangement of time into days, weeks, months, and years was designed for mankind to live by in this world. God’s counting of time on HIS calendar has a schedule of Appointed Times for believers to meet with HIM; to have special worship, to rest. and more. YeHoVaH’s calendar starts in the spring when the earth is awakening from its long dormant winter slumber, when new life is springing forth from the earth.
The 10th Month of Tevet is from mid-December to mid-January on the Gregorian calendar we use today. It occurs in the winter months in the U.S. and Israel. There are no Appointed Times (Holy Days) required by God assigned to this month, but there some noteworthy events in bible history that occurred. According to Michael Rood, a bible historian and a unique “Biblical Chronologist”; it was during the 10th Month (Tevet) that we find two major biblical events pertaining to Messiah Yeshua..
• 2-Tevet < 6 > Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Miriam (Mary) [4 BCE]
• 3 Tevet Yeshua teaches in the Dead Sea Valley through the winter [27-28 CE]
In addition, Jewish historians have identified bible events that they have chronicled for generation such as:
• 1 Tevet (circa 479 BCE) – Esther was taken to King Achashverosh‘s palace, leading to her becoming queen (Book of Esther 2:16-17).
• 10 Tevet (588 BCE) – Nebuchadnezzar II‘s armies besiege Jerusalem; now commemorated as a fast day.
• 10 Tevet (479 BCE) – Esther appears before the King for the first time and is chosen by him to be the queen.
You might be asking yourself; why does any of this matter to us today?
Does anyone really know what time it is? Does the calendar matter to God? Well, I don’t have an exact answer, except, YeHoVaH (God), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is the Creator, the Almighty, and sustainer of all things, took time to leave us a written instruction manual we call the Bible to guide our lifestyles on the is earth and a companion timekeeping calendar to use to keep His Holy Days and Appointed Times.
Both keep us in sync with HIM. YeHoVaH’s (God) calendar tells us exactly when we have an appointment with HIM and the purpose of the special fellowship time the FATHER has designed for us. Remember we live in this world, but we are not of it!
