When does the New Year begin?

Disclaimer- 2 Peter 2:21-Verily if would have been better for them not have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment that was delivered to them

Greetings & Happy Sabbath,

Passover is just 4 weeks away, but how do we know when the new year begins? Does the new year begin when the rabbi's tell us it starts or does YHVH tells us when the new year begins? Well, of course the answer is when YHVH tells us it begins.

I've heard many arguments about only the Jews have the oracles of God and the authority over the calendar. BUT.....We are told several times in the bible Not to add to God's law, not to take away from God's law so that we can do God's law. (Deut. 4:2, 12:32 & Rev. 22:18) Many put the commandments of men ahead of the commandments of God. (Mark 7:8-13, Matt. 15:9)

So when does the new year begin? Let's look for the answer in Exodus & Deuteronomy.

Ex. 12:2-This month shall be to you the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Ex. 13:3-4-3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving.

Ex. 23:15-15-Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

Ex. 34:18-18-Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

Deut. 16:1-Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night.

Now, how do when know Aviv is? Simple, there are observers that go to the land of Israel & do a search for Aviv barley. This is barley that will be ripe for harvest in about 2 weeks for a sheaf to be put together for the Wave Sheaf offering that falls on the Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread. (more to come on this later) But, the Aviv barley isn't the only witness that the month of Aviv is coming up. There are actually 10 witnesses.

1. Barley – The primary witness. We look across the land prior to the end of the 12th Biblical month for Leviticus 2:14 stage barley to be available to harvest for a wavesheaf offering by the upcoming 10th day of the next month. This gave the Levites who were scattered across the entire Land, in 48 cities, time to reach Jerusalem and the Temple with potential first of the firstfruits barley offerings. If not found, we intercalate a month to give it more time to mature. The name of the month “Abib” gives a description of the state of the barley we are looking for. Exodus 12:1-2 And Yehovah said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying this month shall be the Head (#7218 – to shake; the head (as most easily shaken) of months for you. It shall be the First (#7223) of the months of the year for you.

2. Rain and weather - Directly determines the maturation of wild barley. Rain and cold temps indicate a winter condition and slow this process down, while warm temps and sharav winds signal the end of winter bringing the barley to maturity where it is able to reproduce itself. Song of Solomon 2:11 For behold, the winter is transitioning, the (heavy) rain has passed, it goes to itself. Also, see Acts 14:17.

3. Flowers - Many start showing up in the second half of winter, but it is the red anemones in conjunction with the dropping of the wild oats that we specifically look for. This typically happens at about 3 weeks prior to the first fruit barley being in a middle dough stage. The wild oats marks the timing of anemones. Song of Solomon 2:12 The flowers appear on the earth….

4. Grapes - Here we are literally looking for this description given in Isa 18:4-5: For before the (barley) harvest, when the bud is breaking forth and becoming perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, then He will cast off the sprigs with pruning knives and cut down and take away the branches. We are looking for the start of new grape leaves shooting forth and the beginning of a sour bud in the old established vineyards (not designer grapes).

5. Fig Trees – Typically these give their witness in all the regions of Israel at the same time, unlike the anemones which bloom for a couple of months. It is an absolute sign that winter is almost over. Matthew 24:32 Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

6, 7, 8, 9. Birds - Turtle Dove, Stork, Swift and Swallow. These birds are migratory species controlled by instinct through the increase of daylight from the sun as it approaches the equilux in Jerusalem (16th or 17th of March). We are talking about a major migration event here, not local wintering birds. Jeremiah 8:7 Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming (because of instinct placed in them ruled by the sun cycle). In addition to the arrival of the turtle doves, Song of Solomon 2:12 makes a particular note of their singing as a witness.

10. Lambs – We are looking for male lambs from the sheep (unimproved Awassi breed) or goats, without blemish, less than one Biblical year in age and fully weaned from its mother. Exodus 12:3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel saying: on the 10th day of this month (Abib) every man shall take for himself a lamb according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. We look for them to be large enough to feed an entire household. This means it would not be a newly born baby lamb.

So you see, There is are 10 witnesses to the beginning of the year. Accoring to the Bullinger companion bible, 10 is the number of perfection. So we have a perfect number of witnesses.

How can we keep the month of the Aviv if we don't know when the barley is Aviv in the land of Israel?

Last year, there was a month's difference between the biblical observed calendar (Aviv barley & new moons) and the rabbinical calendar. All 10 of the witnesses were there for a mid-March new year but many thought since the gregorian calendar had a leap year, therefore the biblical observed calendar had to have a leap year as well. One has nothing to do with the other.

The Aviv barley plus the following New Moon, which will be talked about in the next entry mark when the new year starts and also the setting of the dates for the Spring festivals.

I did get an email address set up, it is atorahobservantwoman@gmail.com, if you have any questions or there is a topic you would like me to cover after the Passover series.

I also set up a Facebook page where I'll be posting my blog entries and other items of interest between weekly entries.

Until next week,

Lori