Category: Scriptural Time

Sanctification of New Moons – Pt. 2

Defective and full Months
The Pharisees established rules that limited not only the number of months which could be defective (i.e., only 29 days long) or full (i.e., consisting of a full 30 days) but even limited which months were eligible.

The Mishnah states:

There are never less than four “full” months in the year, nor do more than eight (full) months require to be taken into account.31

In turn, they point out that there were never more than eight or less than four defective months. Meanwhile, a 12 lunar-month year has no less than 352 days and no more than 355 days, while a 13 lunar-month year has no less than 383 days and no more than 385 days.32

These reckonings were further encumbered by other restrictions which ignored the reality of the new moon phases. For example, the last month of the year, Adar—the month which precedes Nisan, the first month of the next year—is always defective,33 as was, except in special cases, the sixth month, Elul.34 The first and seventh months, on the other hand, i.e., Nisan and Tishri, were “never intercalated,” that is, they were always full.35 Continue reading “Sanctification of New Moons – Pt. 2” →

Sanctification of New Moons – Pt. 1

The Hillelic Pharisees differed from their religious counterparts in that they followed the Babylonian custom of demanding that there must be witnesses who could testify to a Calendar Court confirming the sighting of the moon’s crescent on the very first day of the new moon. They also required official sanctification of the new moon by their Calendar Court.

Our attention will now shift to examining the rules for sanctification and dissemination for the Hillelic New Moon Day. As we shall see, many of these regulations prove to be arbitrary and counter to scriptural intent.

Sanctification
The Hillelic Pharisees considered it “a religious duty to sanctify (the new moon) on the strength of actual observation.”1 This duty was required, “even though the observation is not necessary for the purpose.”2

Maimonides argues this Pharisaic position when he writes: Continue reading “Sanctification of New Moons – Pt. 1” →

The Pharisaic Calendar and Court – Pt. 2

The Calendar Court

The Hillelic system for determining the New Moon Day and how to intercalate the year operated through a court panel of three judges.25 In the time of the Temple, these judges represented the Court of Elders and, after the Temple’s destruction in 70 C.E., the Great Sanhedrin of Pharisees.

The Mishnah reports:

The intercalating of the month and the intercalating of the year (are decided upon) by three (judges). So (says) Rabbi Meir. But Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel says: The matter is begun by three, discussed by five, and decided upon by seven; but if it is decided upon by three the intercalation is valid.26

Later, the number of the assembly of participating members was changed to 10 judges.27 The leading judge was the Nasi. New Moon Days were sanctified by at least two of the three members of the court.28 Continue reading “The Pharisaic Calendar and Court – Pt. 2” →

The Pharisaic Calendar and Court – Pt. 1

In 41 C.E., the Aristocratic system of determining new moons and the intercalation of a year, previously calculated only by the priests who were the descendants of Aaron, the high priest, was officially usurped by the Nasi of the Hillelic Pharisees.

Thus began a process wherein the Hillelic party, beginning with Gamaliel I, using the “traditions of their fathers” and heavily influenced by Babylonian customs, instituted a series of modifications that forever changed the requirements for determining the beginning of a month and a year in what became known as Orthodox Judaism.

These new calendar regulations were created for two reasons: Continue reading “The Pharisaic Calendar and Court – Pt. 1” →

A Sabbath Year Announcement

It would be remiss of the Yahu Ranger Report if, at this time, there was not issued the report of an approaching Sabbath Year beginning at sunset on March 22 (Abib 1) of the Gregorian Year 2023.

For various reasons, there are those who would dismiss any consideration of the validity of Sabbath Years or Jubilee Years as commanded in Scriptures. (Lev. 25: 1-13)

The Yahu Ranger Report strongly disagrees with this position.

First, the knowledge of the Sabbath and Jubilee Years is essential for reconstructing the chronological framework of ancient Israelite history.

Second, once the true Sabbath and Jubilee years are ascertained, it allows us to “clock in” and discover which years are presently Sabbaths and Jubilees. This knowledge holds great significance for the followers of Yahweh.

The book of Hebrews, for example, notes that “The Law,” of which the Sabbath and Jubilee Years are a part, is “a shadow of the coming good things.” (Heb. 10:1) The Sabbath day, to demonstrate, was reckoned as a type of the great sabbatism and rest into which the people of Yahweh will one day enter. (Heb. 3:7-4:13)

Continue reading “A Sabbath Year Announcement” →

Rules for the New Moon

Many followers of Yahweh recognize the importance of correctly observing Yahweh’s sacred calendar.

At the same time, there seems to presently exist some confusion regarding the determination of a scriptural month and year.

We know that Abraham was justified to receive the Promised Land “because Abraham obeyed my (Yahweh’s) voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, MY STATUTES, and my laws.” (Gen. 26:5)

The observance of Yahweh’s Festival Days is a STATUTE that Abraham would have kept as a requirement for justification to achieve salvation and eternal life.

One would also have to conclude that Abraham did, in fact, observe the Festival Days correctly. Otherwise, he would have failed to keep them and Yahweh would not have justified him.

During our present time, if one is in error regarding Yahweh’s sacred calendar, it follows that one is not properly keeping Yahweh’s statutes and, therefore, would fall short of Yahweh’s commands. Continue reading “Rules for the New Moon” →

Passover & Water Baptism – Pt. 1

Prior to the observance of Passover during our present time, there frequently emerges a serious quest by some newer followers of Yahweh to experience a proper and valid water baptism.

The reason being that the majority of Sacred Name groups of today assert that in order for a person to partake of the Passover meal or emblems they must have undergone a mandatory water baptism in the proper name of the messiah.

It is also maintained by most of these groups that before the death of Yahushua the messiah, in order to partake of the Passover meal, all men had to be fleshly circumcised.

Different Passover Systems
We must first admit to a basic difference in the opinion about Passover. To begin with, many are often unaware that there were several different Passover systems practiced by the ancient Jews.

Continue reading “Passover & Water Baptism – Pt. 1” →

Sabbath Year – Abib or Tishri?

This article is intended for all those who recognize the validity of observing the Sabbath and Jubilee years per the instructions from Scriptures.

It just so happens that many people believe that a Sabbath year begins on the Day of Atonement during the 7th month of Tishri, the autumn of the year, extending up until Tishri of the following year.

Interestingly, these same people readily admit that Scriptures explicitly state that Yahweh’s sacred year begins during the 1st month on Abib 1, which occurs at springtime.

The justification for this anomaly is the claim that Scriptures indicate a different beginning of the year for the Sabbath years other than Abib 1. As stated earlier, they believe that Scriptures reveal a different year system for Sabbath years and Jubilee years in that they would begin on Tishri 10 of the 7th month. Continue reading “Sabbath Year – Abib or Tishri?” →

A Sabbath Year Announcement

It would be remiss of the Yahu Ranger Report if, at this time, there was not issued the report of an approaching Sabbath Year beginning at sunset on March 22 (Abib 1) of the Gregorian Year 2023.

For various reasons, there are those who would dismiss any consideration of the validity of Sabbath Years or Jubilee Years as commanded in Scriptures. (Lev. 25: 1-13)

The Yahu Ranger Report strongly disagrees with this position.

First, the knowledge of the Sabbath and Jubilee Years is essential for reconstructing the chronological framework of ancient Israelite history.

Second, once the true Sabbath and Jubilee years are ascertained, it allows us to “clock in” and discover which years are presently Sabbaths and Jubilees. This knowledge holds great significance for the followers of Yahweh.

The book of Hebrews, for example, notes that “The Law,” of which the Sabbath and Jubilee Years are a part, is “a shadow of the coming good things.” (Heb. 10:1) The Sabbath day, to demonstrate, was reckoned as a type of the great sabbatism and rest into which the people of Yahweh will one day enter. (Heb. 3:7-4:13)

Continue reading “A Sabbath Year Announcement” →

Sabbath Year – Tishri Fallacy-Part 2

So, just how and when did the notion of a Sabbath year beginning with Tishri, the seventh month, get considered and implemented by the Jewish religious leaders? Needless to say, with Part 2 we’re going to find out.

The Transition to the Tishri Year
The New Year date of Tishri 1 for the Sabbath year is an offshoot of late Talmudic interpretation. As has been previously noted in Part 1, Scriptures never claim that the seventh month began a regular Sabbath year.

The deduction that Tishri began a Jubilee year was itself a misreading of Leviticus 25:8-13. The rabbis of the post-Bar Kochba period, in an effort to “build a fence around the Law,”21 merely extended their misreading of Leviticus 25:8-13, which dealt only with the year of Jubilee, to the regular Sabbath year.

Continue reading “Sabbath Year – Tishri Fallacy-Part 2” →

Sabbath Year – Tishri Fallacy-Part 1

For those who are interested in observing the Sabbath years it would be very beneficial, at least from Yahweh’s perspective, to know what month actually begins the Sabbath year, Abib or Tishri.

There are many who actually believe that the Sabbath year begins with the seventh month of Tishri and not with the first month of Abib (Nisan).

It has also been extrapolated by many that not only should Sabbath years commence according to a Tishri reckoning but that every year should begin with the seventh month of Tishri.

If one believes that such a notion is found in Scriptures, then it is suggested that one take a closer look at the relevant facts of the matter.

In order to addess this issue we must contend with the concept that the Jews, from the time of their return to Judaea from Babylon in 538 B.C.E. until the end of the Bar Kochba revolt (135 C.E.), officially began their Sabbath years with Tishri 1 (Sep./Oct.) of the sixth year of the Sabbath cycle, as had become their custom sometime after the Bar Kochba war.

Continue reading “Sabbath Year – Tishri Fallacy-Part 1” →

Sabbath Years and Jubilees-Irrelevant?

For quite some time now, the serious student of Yahweh’s sacred calendar has recognized that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding regarding the scriptural concept of the Sabbath and Jubilee Years.

It seems that, for many, this subject is irrelevant for us today.

We at the Yahu Ranger Report would have to strongly disagree with those adhering to this “Irrelevant” attitude.

Therefore, to illustrate the importance of the Sabbath years and Jubilees as proclaimed in Scriptures and its relevance for us today, the following has been extracted from the publication by Qadesh La Yahweh Press titled “The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle.”

Continue reading “Sabbath Years and Jubilees-Irrelevant?” →

The Scriptural International Dateline – Part 3

In Part 1 and Part 2 of our quest for the location of the Scriptural International Dateline (SIDL) the stage has been set for the final conclusion.

In Part 3 our final evidence will be presented to discover the location of the SIDL.

Scriptural Definition
Our conclusion will begin by referencing the scriptural definition for the International Dateline which begins with an important passage found in the book of Job:

A חק חג (khoq khug; statute of an arch/circle) upon the face of the waters AS FAR AS the תכלית (thaklyth; boundary between) light עם (em; beside) darkness. (Job 26:10)

The word חג (khug), which, as we have already demonstrated in Part 1, means a “circle, compass, arch.” The term חק (khoq) means, a “statute, law,” “something prescribed, a statute or due . . . prescribed limit, boundary, (BDBG: The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon)” “prescribed, appointed . . . boundary . . . set time . . . statute, (SHL: Student’s Hebrew Lexicon)”  “portion, limit (of life) . . . specific time . . . moment . . . boundary, limit (for the sea) . . . definition, rule, prescription, (CHAL: A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament)” “an enactment; hence an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage. (Strongs, Heb. #2706)” Continue reading “The Scriptural International Dateline – Part 3” →

The Scriptural International Dateline – Part 2

We concluded our previous excursion in Part 1 by providing various references proving that Scriptures demonstrate the concept of a round or spherical earth.

As we proceed to discover the Scriptural International Dateline, in Part 2 we will investigate other sources supporting the idea of a spherical earth.

These sources will include ancient and late Jewish views along with references from ancient Greek philosophers and geographers. Also, additional citations from Scriptures will be provided.

Continue reading “The Scriptural International Dateline – Part 2” →

The Scriptural International Dateline – Part 1

We will address one of the most important issues regarding the scriptural calendar, one upon which all other definitions must rely, the question of “What constitutes the Scriptural International Dateline?”

It is at this line that any new date begins. Despite its importance, the scriptural definition for the International Dateline is the most obscure and least understood, rarely even coming up in the calendar conversation. It has puzzled men ever since they began to sail around the globe.

The evidence will show that the Scriptural International Dateline is drawn along the line of sunset as it extends across the globe on the day of the vernal equinox at the very moment that the line of sunrise is determined from the city of Jerusalem. Continue reading “The Scriptural International Dateline – Part 1” →