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During the month of March, we received a number of phone calls and e-mail's from people who were confused about the Festival Calendar. In most cases they had learned that their fellowship was suddenly going to celebrate Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread one month earlier than they had expected. Some called to find out why Hebrew Roots follows the Traditional Hebrew Calendar which dates Passover in April { see Endnotes for the exact dates). Needless to say, many were confused and some were upset. In order to clear up any confusion about where we stand on this issue, and why we stand where we do, we offer this article. Please understand that we are not condemning anyone who holds a different view about the calendar, for it is obvious to us, from the conversations we had with a number of people, that all are doing their very best to please our Father in heaven by their actions here on earth. Everyone, with whom we spoke, appears to be striving to do what is right in God's sight. Sadly, this is a controversial issue.

Rational Discussion -

We refuse to argue about calendar issues, but we are willing to discuss them rationally. We also refrain from belittling those brethren who see things differently, or scorning those who might not have as much knowledge about the calendar issue. Knowledge is wonderful, and the Bride of Messiah needs to grow in knowledge and under- standing, but if knowledge is used to club one's brother on the head, it is of no use whatsoever:

"We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." (I Cor. 8:1) We are saddened to hear of those who go so far as to break fellowship with their brethren over the setting of the Festival calendar. (More on these issues later.)

A variety of Calendars

The calendar in common use today is the Gregorian Calendar. It was proclaimed by Pope Gregory XllI in 1582. The Gregorian Calendar is a strictly Solar Calendar, where the months have no relationship whatso- ever to the moon. In a Solar Calendar , the equinoxes and solstices always occur within the same two or three calendar days of each year (for example the Vernal Equinox always occurs on March 20,21, or 22). The Gregorian Calendar was a replacement for the Julian Calendar, which had an error in the adding of leap years which had caused the calen- dar to become 14 days out of sync with the sun by the time of Pope Gregory. However, the Pope only approved the advancing of the calendar 10 days, so that the vernal equinox would fall on March 2lst, as it did in 325 CE, at the time of the Council ofNicaea. The Moslems use a strictly Lunar Calendar. However, since 12 lunar months are over 11 days short of a full year, it is not long before the :festivals, which were originally celebrated in the spring, are found to be in the winter, then the fall, then the summer, then (after 33 years) back once more to where they started in the spring.

The Hebrew Calendar is a lunar/solar calendar. That means t.~e months are determined by the moon, while the years are determined by the sun. Because 12 months (moons) are over II days short of a full solar year, every two or three years in order to keep it in sync with the sun; so that the Festivals always fall in their proper season.

Declaring a New Moon -

During the time of the Temple, two methods were used, in concert with each other, to establish the beginning of a month on the Hebrew Calendar. First of all, a Calculated Calendar was used so the leaders knew when to expect a New Moon or a New Year. However, while the Temple stood, the practice was to conflrm that calculation with a physical sighting (Sighted Calendar) of the New Moon. Here is what the Encyclopedia Judaica has to say about their practice: -

"Originally, the New Moon was not fixed by astronomi- cal calculations, but was solemnly proclaimed after witnesses had testified to the reappearance of the crescent of the moon. On the 3Oth of each month, the members of the High Court [ the Sanhedrin] assem- bled in a courtyard in Jerusalem, named Beit Ya'azek, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable witnesses; they then sanctified the New Moon. If the moon's crescent was not seen on the 30th day, the New Moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st day. To inform the population of the beginning of the month, beacons were kindled on the Mount of Olives and thence over the entire land and in parts of the Diaspora. Later, however, the Samaritans began to light mislead- ing beacons, and the High Court dispatched ~essengers to far-removed communities. Those Jews who lived great distances from Jerusalem always celebrated the 30th day of the month as the New Moon. [making the previous month 29 days long] On those occasions when they were informed of its postponement to the 31 st, they also observed this second consecutive day as the New Moon. (RE 1:3-2:7)." (Encyclo- pedia Judaica, CD-Rom Version, emphasis ours.)

The above article does not tell us how Jews as far away as Babylon established the New Moon. Perhaps they relied solely on the Calculated Calendar. Perhaps they had a Small Sanhedrin (23 members) confirm the Calculated Calendar by sightings. As far as we know, there is no record. After the destruction of the Temple (70 CE), sighting the New Moon and proclaiming it throughout the land became more problematic. The Sanhedrin (the only body which had the authority to proclaim a New Moon) was fIrst moved to Yavneh (Joppa). After the Bar Kochba revolt (135 CE) the Sanhedrin moved again, this time to the Galilee region. The practice of using both the Calculated Calendar and the Sighted Calendar continued well into the 4th century CE, at which time they went to the strictly Calculated Hebrew Calendar.

-The Ancient Hebrew Calendar -

The Hebrew Calendar balances the lunar and solar discrepancies so the Festivals always fall in their correct season. This type of calendar requires a somewhat complicated set of rules. According to Arthur Spier, in his book The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar , during the time of the Temple:

" A special committee of the Sanhedrin, with its president as chairman, had the mandate to regulate and balance the solar with the lunar years. This so-called Calendar Council (Sod Haibbur) calculated the beginnings of the seasons (Tekufoth) on the basis of astronomical figures which had been handed down as a tradition of old. Whenever, after two or three years, the annual excess of 11 days had accUInulated to approximately 30 days, a thirteenth month Adar II was inserted before Nisan [Aviv] in order to assure that Nisan and Passover would occur in Spring and not retrogress toward winter. However, the astronomical calcu- lation was not the only basis for intercalation of a thirteenth month. The delay of the actual arrival of spring was another decisive factor. The Talmudic sources report that the Council intercalated a year ,,!hen [1] the barley in the fields bad not yet ripened, when [2] the fruit on the trees had not grown properly, when [3] the winter rains had not stopped, when [4] the roads for Passover pilgrims had not dried up, and when [5] the young pigeons had not become fledged. The Council on intercalation considered the astronomical facts together with the religious require- ments of Passover and the natural conditions of the country." (pp. 1-2, emphasis ours.)

-Green Ears -

While this account states that barley had to be "ripened" for a New Year to be proclaimed, today most believe that what was needed were "green ears" which would ripen during the two intervening weeks, so that ripe barley could be used to perform the Omer Wave Offering during the Days of Unleavened Bread. However, the appearance of the "green ears" (or "ripened ears") of barley is only one of five criteria which the Sanhedrin used to determine when a New Year was to begin.

-The Sighted Calendar - -Of the Karaites -

The primary reason for this year's calendar issue lies with a Jewish sect which call themselves the Karaites . They are a sect that had its origins around the beginning of the eighth century CE as a group of Jews who rejected traditional Rabbinic authority . Part of that rejection included a break with the Traditional Hebrew Calendar . Instead of following the Calculated Calendar of the Rabbinic Jews, which had been established by the last Sanhedrin in the 4th century CE, they implemented a Sighted Calendar to determine when a New Moon occurs. This means, on some months, they are one or two days different from the Traditional Hebrew Calendar, while on other months the two calendars coincide. When it comes to determining a New Year, the Karaites, look for green ears of barley to determine when the fIrst month of the year, Aviv or Nissan, should begin. This year (2005), they claim to have found green ears of barley at the time of the March New Moon. They therefore declared that, according to their Sighted Calendar, th~ New Year should begin in March, rather than in April as the Traditional Hebrew Calendar states.

Even if "green ears" (or "ripened ears") of barley were the only criteria to be used, this year (2005) another group (made up of Messianic Believers), who were also searching for "green ears of barley" in Israel, cast doubt about the Karaites declaration. This group claimed the Karaites were wrong in their assessment; that the general barley crop was not in "green ears" in early March. This group claimed the only place where "green ears" could be found was next to highways where they believed extra heat from the traffic caused that particular grain to begin maturing early. Another objection to using the "green ears," as the criteria to deter- mine the beginning of the New Year, is the fact that grain has changed a great deal over the centuries, and modem barley may not mature at the same rate as did barley in the fIrst century .

-The Astronomical Calendar -

Still another group of Messianic Believers hold to an Astronomical Calendar. This means they use the astronomical calculations to determine when the New Moon occurs. They say the New Moon always occurs at the molad (mow'-lad= conjunction) because that is the defmition of a New Moon: "The conjunction of the moon with the sun is the point in time at which the moon is directly between the earth and the sun (but not on the same plane) and is thus invisible. This is known as the, molad (birth)." (Encyclopedia Judaica, CD-Rom Version, emphasis ours.)

Rabbinic authories, however, state that Chodesh (hoh-dehsh' = New Moon in Hebrew) means the beginning of the month, and does not mean a strictly astronomical New Moon.

The Astronomical Calendar is in direct contradiction to the Sighted Calendar, since often the New Moon is not visible on the day the molad (conjunction) occurs. For example, this year the astronomical New Moon for April falls on the 8th day of the month.

However, the Full Moon, which should come 14 or 15 days later, actually occurs 16 days later. This is because the crescent moon will not be visible on the 8th. This means the Astronomical Calendar would put Passover on April 22nd this year instead of April 24th as the Traditional Hebrew Calendar has it. Those who keep the Astronomical Calendar depend upon the vernal equinox to determine whether a thirteenth month should be added. Yet here too there is disagreement, for some say that only Passover need fall after the equinox, while others say that even the ftrSt day of Nisan (aka Aviv) must fall after the equinox. In the latter case, those who follow this rule would be celebrating Passover in April, while those who follow the fIrst rule would be celebrating in March.

-The Calculated or Traditional Hebrew Calendar -

According to Arthur Spier, while the official Sanhedrin was still in existence, they used a combination of the Calculated Calendar and the Sighted Calendar. However, in the 4th century, it became apparent that the Roman government was going to prohibit the Sanhedrin from meeting any longer. Therefore, for the Yn!tY of the Jewish people, the last official Sanhedrin, under the leadership of Hillel II, published the calculated calendar so that Jewish people through- out the Diaspora could all celebrate the Festivals at the same time; rather than relying on a chaotic situation where each Synagogue or sect tried to do their own individual observations.

Here is what Spier has to say:

"This method of observa- tion and intercalation was in use throughout the period of the second temple (516 BCE -70 CE), and about three centuries after its destruction, as long as there was an independent Sanhedrin. In the fourth century, however, when oppression and persecution threat- ened the continued existence of the Sanhedrin, the patriarch Hillel II took an extraordinary step ill Rreserve the unity of Israel. In order to prevent the Jews scattered all over the surface of the earth from celebrating their New Moons, festivals and holidays at different times, he made public the system of calendar calculation which up to then had been a closely guarded secret. It had been used in the past only to check the observations and testimonies of witnesses, and to determine the beginnings of the spring season." (p. 2, emphasis ours.) The result of this disclosure was the Traditional Hebrew Calendar which is in use today.

-Postponements -

Those who keep the Sighted Calendar or the Astronomical Calendar, object to the fact that the Traditional Hebrew Calendar has certain rules which sometimes cause the postponement of the observance of a New Moon so the rule can be observed. (Remember, the Rabbis interpret the word Chodesh as the beginning of the month, and not neces- sarily an astronomical "New Moon" conjunction or molad.) The chief among these rules is that Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) must not fall on a Fridayor a Sunday so that one does not enter the weekly Sabbath fasting, or leave the weekly Sabbath fasting. (There are other rules as well.)

Because of the postponement rules, the Traditional Hebrew Calendar sometimes has months which match the Astronomical Calendar, while at other times it has months which match the Sighted Calendar. In many years all three calendars differ.

-What Does the Bible Say? -

It is important to understand that the Scriptures have almost nothing to say about the setting of the New Moon or the New Year. When it comes to what constitutes a New Moon, there is virtually no information at all. This has even led some to believe that what is normally called the Full Moon is really the New Moon and vice versa.

When it comes to the New Year we fmd this enigmatic passage: "Now the LORD spoke to Moses and -I\aron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 'This month ( chodesh ] shall be your beginning of months (chodesh]; it shall be the first month (chodesh) of the year to you."

While the name of this first month is not mentioned in this passage, it is named in other Scriptures: "'The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib [aka Aviv or Nisan ]; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt."' (Ex.34:18)

While the Hebrew word Aviv {Abib in some versions) is generally thought to mean only "green ears" of barley, this is, in fact, not true. Aviv can mean either "green ears" or any "ears" of grain, including "ripe ears." Aviv can also apply to any grain including wheat. Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament defines Aviv in this manner: "an ear of corn [grain], a green ear." However, in the following passage it is generally agreed that the word Aviv refers specifically to barley, and there- fore to the Omer Wave Offering which was traditionally offered at the time of the Days of Unleavened Bread:

"'If you offer a grain offering of your first fruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your first fruits green heads [Aviv] of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads."' {Lev.2:14)

While the New King James Version translates Aviv as "green heads," the actual grain used for this offering had to be mature. Thus, the translation "green heads" is misleading, for they would never use unripened grain for the Omer Wave Offering, since it was required to be made into the finest of flour before the ceremony could take place. We believe the Stone Chumash translates the passage more accurately:

"When you bring a meal- offering of the first grain to Hashem: from ripe ears, parched over fire, ground from plump kernels, shall you offer the meal-offering of your first grain." {Lev. 2:14 SC) The main body of information about the Omer Wave Offering is given in this passage:

"'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. ...14 You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain (kali) nor fresh grain (karmel) until the same day that you have brought an offer- ing to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.""' (Lev. 23:10-11,14)

Traditionally, the Omer Wave Offering was offered at the Temple on the First day of the week following the weekly Sabbath which fell during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Taking everything in context, it is clear the Omer Wave Offering was commanded to be performed during the fIrst month of the year. However, a number of points need to be touched on concern- ing that ceremony:

The Israelites did not observe the Omer Wave Offering command until after they had come into the Promised Land; since there was no grain to be harvested in the wilderness during the 39 years of their wandering, even though they had the Tabernacle. (v.10)

Today Israel has a presence in the Promised Land and they raise grain, however there is no functioning Tabernacle or Temple. Therefore, the omer Wave Offering cannot be legitimately performed today. (v. 11,14).

It is generally assumed, according to tradition, that the grain being spoken of here is barley. However, the Leviti- cus 23 passage does not specifically tell us that, for the Hebrew words kali(kah-lee' = parched grain) and karmel ( car-mel' = fresh grain) are not specific to barley. In fact, karmel means "1) plantation, garden-Iand, orchard, ,fru:it L:-d 2) 'fruit, Jan/FebIMarch, 2005 Hebrew Roots. -Issue 05-1 garden-growth," while kali can mean either wheat or barley.

The point of all this is that one is hard pressed to come up with an absolutely correct calendar, or ceremony for the Omer Wave Offering, from Scripture alone. Therefore, it is necessary to rely in large part on ~ !iQ!!. Tradition says the Leviticus 23 passage is referring to barley as being the fIrst grain of the season to ripen and therefore the one to be used for the Omer Wave Offering.

However, as we have already seen, tradition also teaches that the appear- ance of the "barley ears" was only one of five criteria to which the Sanhedrin looked to for guidance in determining when a thirteenth month should be added.

-Based on Tradition -

All of the above information has been given as background so that those who are not familiar with the Calendar Controversy will have some under- standing concerning what this argument is all about. As you can see, none of the Hebrew calendar systems in use today are perfect. All of them are based unon tradition. and all of those traditions were handed down within Judaism through the Rabbis. The question then becomes: Since all of these calendars differ in some respects, and none can be positively proven by Scripture, which one should a person follow?

Our answer to that question is that the real issue we are dealing with here is one of authority. Which authority are we going to follow?

.Are we going to follow the Sighted Calendar based upon the authority of a group of Karaite Jews which was origi- nally organized for the purpose of rejecting Rabbinic tradition when they, in fact, must rely on Rabbinic tradi- tion in order to establish their calendar? Are we going to accept their sighting of the "green ears" as evidence that a New Year should begin when others dispute their claim? 'Are we going to accept their declaration of the New Moons as being authoritative? Are we going to follow the authority of those astronomers who report the Astronomical Calendar when it does not allow for the fact that during Y'shua's day the Rabbis waited for the first crescent of the moon to visibly appear before they proclaimed a New Moon? If we do so, which New Year method should we adopt; the one which says that only Passover need fall after the equinox, or the one saying that 1 Aviv must fall after the equinox?

Are we going to follow the authority of the last Sanhedrin who set the Traditional Hebrew Calendar, even though it has postponements, based upon tradition, which sometimes cause it to match the Astronomical Calendar , sometimes the Karaites Sighted Calendar, and often neither one?

Since all of the calendars have problems, the issue comes down to the question of

-Authority -

There is no question that originally the authority to set the calendar was given to Moshe and Aahron (Moses and Aaron) for that is what Scripture says:

"Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 'This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you."' (Ex. 12:1-2)

Notice, God did not say: "Speak to the children of Israel." A similar phrase occurs in verse 3 but it only applies to what follows:

"'Speak to all the Congregation of Israel. saying: "On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.""' (Ex. 12:3)

The children of Israel (by family) were responsible for selecting their Passover lambs on the 10th day of the First month and offering them on the 14th. However, they were not given the authority to decide when the month began. That responsibility was given to Moshe and Aahron. Can you imagine the chaos which would have ensued if each family, clan, or even tribe had made its own calendar calculation for that First Passover? Tens of thousands of Israelites might well have died as a result.

-The Authority of the Elders -

Since Moshe and Aahron had the calendar authority given to them, the next question is: To whom did the authority to establish the calendar pass? The leadership of the nation and the Tabernacle passed from Moshe and Aahron to Joshua and Eleazar respec- tively. However, since the time of Moshe and Aahron, there had been a body of elders who were intimately connected with decision making for the Children of Israel. They were known as the Seventy Elders:

"So the LORD said to Moses: 'Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them: and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone."' (Num. 11:16-17)

The Elders played an integral part in the governing of Israel during the time of Joshua and beyond: "Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel." (Josh.24:31)

The Elders continued to function as leaders for Israel throughout their history until the 4th century CE. For example:

"Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and Kin2 Davjd made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And the): anointed David king over Israel." (II Sam. 5:3)

"Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David, which is Zion." (1 Kings 8:1)

After the captivity and removal of the House of Israel, and the Babylonian captivity of the House of Judah, the Jews returned to the Promised Land. One of their main leaders was Ezra, the Priest and the Scribe. Ezra was not a dictator, for in addition to Ezra there were Zerubbabel the governor, and Jeshua the High Priest:

"Then Jeshua the son ofJozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God." (Ezra 3:2)

Again, at that time, the Elders functioned in the decision making process: "... and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders all his property would be confiscated, ..." (Ezra 10:8)

The Elders of Judah (the House of Israel was long gone), during the time of Ezra, was known as the "Great Assembly." As time went on, and the Greeks took over that area of the world, this body became known by the Greek word sunedrion, or as it is called today, the Sanhedrin.

" Sunedrion Meaning: 1) any assembly ( esp. of magistrates, judges, ambassadors), whether convened to deliberate or pass judgment 2) any session or assem- bly or people deliberating or adjudicating 2a) the Sanhedrin. the great council at Jerusalem. consist- ing of the seventY one members. viz. scribes. elders. prominent members of the high priestly families and the high Priest, the president of the assembly. The most important causes were brought before this tribunal, inasmuch as the Roman rulers of Judaea had left to it the power of trying such cases, and also of pronouncing sentence of death, with the limitation that a capital sentence pronounced by the Sanhedrin was not valid unless it was confirmed bv the Roman procurator. 2b) a smaller tribunal or council which every Jewish town had for the decision of less important cases." (Strong's Dictionary from BibleWorks 5.0, emphasis added.)

It is quite certain that the Sanhedrin had the authority to establish the calendar during Y'shua's time, for there is no record that Y'shua ever objected to the Sanhedrin's announcing the New Moons and the New Year. All of these ceremonies were done at the Temple, which Y'shua called, "My Father's house:"

" And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!'" (John 2:16)

There are no historical records indicating tllat Y'shua and His disciples kept a different calendar than what was approved by the Sanhedrin and observed at the Temple, even though there were alternative calendars at that time as well. It is true they kept passo- ver one night early in Y'shua's last year, due to His impending death. (See Issue 97-1 for more information on the Last Supper.)

Calendar Authority Today

Since the Sanhedrin had Y'shua's tacit authority to establish the calendar in His day, it is our view that the Sanhedrin also has the authority to establish the calendar for our day. No one else has been given that authority, whether it be a body of Jews called the Karaites, an individual Messianic congregation, or private individuals. To allow anyone (other than the Sanhedrin) to have such authority puts the Messianic Community into the same situation in which the children of Israel found themselves during the latter days of the Judges: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)

The end result of having numerous calendars ( one estimate puts the total number at 20) is CALENDAR CHAOS! All it does is lead to arguments, anger, and division in the Messianic Community: "But Jesus [Y'shua] knew their thoughts, and said to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."' (Matt. 12:25)

Many in the Messianic Community believe that Abba has begun an endtime work to bring the houses of Israel and Judah back together, and that the Messianic movement represents, in large part, the house of Israel. If this is true, how can we, as Messianic Believ- ers, ever be joined with Judah when we use so many different calendars? The House of Israel cannot be reunited with brother Judah if it cannot be united within itself.

Even if one does not hold to the "House of Israel" theory, but considers themselves to be Gentile, they too must be "grafted in" (Rom. II) to the Commonwealth of Israel. In either case, if the Messianic Community is to be united with Judah, the calendar issue must be resolved.

Tradition

One thing the Greek Scriptures (NT) teaches us is that we must do our best to avoid division in the Body of Messiah:

"For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." (1 Cor. 14:33) The Apostle Paul taught Messianic Believers to follow the traditions they have been taught:

" Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." (II Thess. 2: 15)

This does not mean that one should hold to the traditions of churches and denominations which have rejected the Torah of God and set their own tradi- tions in place of the Torah; for the Greek word translated "traditions" is paradosis and it means, among other things:

"2b) of the body of precepts, esp. ritual, which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent genera- tions, which precepts, both illus- trating and expanding the written law, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence." (Strong's Dictionary from BibleWork 5.0, emphasis ours.)

y es, there are times when we, as Messianic Believers, must rely on the Oral Traditions of the Jews in order to properly understand difficult passages of Scripture. The Calendar is one of the cases where this is true, simply because there is not sufficient informa- tion in the Scriptures to come to a definitive conclusion on how the calen- dar is to be calculated. According to Paul's own words, he kept the customs and traditions of his fathers (the Jews) all of his life:

" And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: 'Men and brethren, though I have done nothin2 a2ainst our people or the customs [ethos] of our fathers. ..."' (Acts 28:17)

If Paul had been keeping all of the "customs" ofhis fathers, surely he must have accepted the authority of the Sanhedrin to set the dates for the Hebrew Calendar.

Until very recently, there has been no official Sanhedrin to make decisions on issues as important as the calendar. However, the last Sanhedrin, knowing they were about to be disbanded by the Romans, established a calendar that allowed all Jews and (in our opinion) by extension, the Messianic commu- nity which has been grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel, to keep the Festivals at the same time. That calen- dar (the Traditional Hebrew Calendar) is the one we follow.

-Our Position -

Given all of the above information, here is our position on the Calendar: .We believe that the Sanhedrin was the direct derivative of the ancient Seventy Elders of Israel.

.We believe that only an official Sanhedrin has the authority to make changes to the way the Hebrew Calendar is to be calculated.

.We believe that no sect, group, congregation, or individual has any authority whatsoever to establish their own calendar.

.We believe the only time one should deviate from the Tradi- tional Hebrew Calendar is when it can be Scripturally proven that what has been established is incorrect. 'The only place where we fmd this to be true is in the setting of Shavu'ot (Pentecost), which according to Scripture should always fall on the first day of the week because the day from which one is to count is the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) not the Festival Sabbath (Shabba- ton). (See Issue 98-1 for information on Counting the Omer.)

.We believe that the last Sanhedrin had the authority to establish a Calculated Calen- dar just prior to their demise, so that all Jews throughout the world could observe the Festi- vals together on the same dates in a spirit of unity.

.We believe the Traditional Hebrew Calendar has been, down through the centuries, a great blessing in this regard and has been a key factor in keeping unity within the Jewish community in the Diaspora.

.We believe that the new Sanhedrin (which has recently been established in Jerusalem; see Issue 04-4), if it becomes accepted as official, will have the authority to make changes and corrections to the existing Hebrew Calendar

.We believe this new Sanhedrin may well return to using observation in order to conflntl their Calculated Calendar, just as they did in Y'shua's day. When that happens, we will follow their authority. However, if the Internet goes down (and some day it will go down), so we could not receive the official calendar report, then we will return to the Traditional Hebrew Calendar as it was calculated back in the 4th century CE, if the new Sanhedrin has not replaced it with another Calculated Calendar

-How Should One React? -

How should we, as Messianic Believers, react when someone in our fellowship declares their intent to observe a calendar different from the one we are observing? The reaction should not be with anger and hysteria, but with love: "'By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."' (John 13:35)

Too often, people outside of the Messianic movement see Messianic Believers arguing over doctrine to the point of anger and division. Sometimes this negative behavior causes newcomers to turn away because they cannot believe such an attitude would exist within a true Body of Messiah: " Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disput- able matters." (Rom. 14:1 NIV)

Certainly, from what we have seen, the Calendar is one of those "disputable matters." Subjecting new Believers to these kinds of disputes may weaken their faith and make them doubt they are in the right place for their spiritual walk, especially if the discussions are carried out with rancor. As we stated at the beginning of this article, everyone we spoke with about this issue was wanting to please our heavenly Father by doing the right thing concerning the calendar. It must be remembered that if someone is absolutely convinced they should hold to a particular calendar, be it the Sighted Calendar, the Astronomical Calendar, or the Traditional Hebrew Calendar (or any other calendar for that matter), then they need to follow that calendar, for: " ...whatever is not from faith is sin." (Rom. 14:23)

To argue or badger someone into observing another position when, in their mind and heart, they do not believe it to be true, is causing them to sin before God because of their conscience:

"Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, ..." (I Tim. 1:5)If we truly believe that we should be walking in a certain way, or keeping a certain calendar, and our conscience is clear in the matter, then that is what we must do, for that which is not of faith is sin.

Likewise, when someone we know makes just such a "clear conscience" decision, then we must allow them to walk in that way without trying to browbeat them into thinking the same way we think. That is not to say that we should avoid making our case to the contrary, for to not do so would be a dereliction of our duty. However, we must ask Abba to guide us so we know when to bring the subject up, and how to approach it so that our relationship with that person is not torn asunder:

"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace aud the things by which one may edify another." (Rom. 14:19)

-What Should We Do? -

What should a person do if they fmd themselves in a situation where their fellowship makes a decision to follow a calendar which they believe to be incorrect?

First of all, it is our belief that Passover is to be celebrated in the home whenever possible, for it is the manner in which the first Passover was kept: "Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them,

'Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb."' (Ex. 12:21)

It is a very common practice to have "Teaching Seders" around Passover time. Therefore, for the sake of unity, we recommend that people attend a "Teaching Seder" with their fellowship on the calendar date the fellowship has chosen. Then, go ahead and celebrate the Passover on the date which you, in good conscience, believe to be the correct date for Passover. Be up front with the members of your fellowship. Tell them that you will honor their decision to observe the Festival at a different time, but that you must, in good faith, observe it at the time which you believe (in good conscience) to be the proper time. Hopefully, since you are willing to honor their decision, they will be willing to honor yours. In this way, unity can be maintained among the brethren, even when the disagreement concerns something as important as when to celebrate the Festivals. In this way you will be: "... endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:3)

Expect harmony to prevail, but be prepared for disharmony, so if they fail to honor your decision, you will not be caught by surprise.

-When Will This Be Resolved? -

Do not expect a speedy resolution to the Calendar issue, for as long as there are free people, living in the world of the Adversary, there will be disagreements. Perhaps, when the new Sanhedrin takes up the Calendar issue they will discover a way to satisfy all the various factions. However, this does not seem likely. If they decide to go to a combination of the Sighted Calendar and the Calculated Calendar, will the Karaites submit to their authority? No one knows. Likewise, if they do go to a Sighted Calendar, such a move will not satisfy those who follow the Astronomical Calendar. Or if they decide to go with a strict Astronomical Calendar, that certainly will not satisfy those who follow the Sighted Calendar.

Perhaps the issue will not find resolution until the coming of Elijah: "'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."' (Mal.4:5-6)

Perhaps we will have to wait for Y'shua HaMashiach to come back and straighten everything out. May He come soon and in our time.

-Summary -

The current Calendar situation has brewed dissension within the Messianic Community. Well intentioned people, "Oracles of God" which was handed off whose chief desire is to serve God with to Judah after the House of Israel was all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, taken captive, is the establishment of have come to major disagreements the Calendar. It is only when the about which Calendar to follow. Sadly, these disputes have led to further splits and schisms which Paul warned against: "...that there should be no ichism in the body, but that the lIlembers should have the same care lor one another." (1 Cor. 12:25) Apparently, the early Messianic congregations also had divisions which occurred in their assemblies, although they were probably not over the Calen- dar issue: "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [Yshua HaMashiach), that you all speak the same thing, and that ~ be no divisions amon2: you. but that you be perfectly joined together inthe same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Cor. 1:10) For us personally, the decision has been easy, for we believe that the only body of Elders which has the God-given authority to establish the Calendar for the Commonwealth of Israel is the Sanhedrin. Since the Messianic Community is a "grafted in" part of the Commonwealth of Israel, we believe it is incumbent upon us to follow the lead of the Sanhedrin in this matter:

"What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circum- cision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God." (Rom.3:1-20) eve that a part of the "Oracles of God" which was handed off to Judah after the House of Israel was taken captive, is the establishment of the Calendar. It is only when the Traditional Hebrew Calendar specifi- cally defies Scripture (such as with the dating of Shavu'ot), that we believe we should deviate from it.

If the entire Messianic Community were to begin to follow the Traditional Hebrew Calendar, it would bring unity and cohesion to the movement. Then, the House of Israel (Ephraim or Joseph, as some call it) could begin the process of reuniting with our brother, the House of Judah. When full unity finally does come, both Houses of Israel will arrive at that wonderful place which David wrote about in the Psalms:

" A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing - Life forevermore." (Psahn 133:1-3)

May we all come to worship the Great King in unity, love, and peace.

Shalom!

This article has been used with permission from Dean and Susan Wheelock. This study is also available in pamphlet form. The Wheelocks have an excellent, in-depth newsletter that I encourage you to subscribe to as well. While they do offer their materials for free, they are so meaty I would encourage you to send in a donation to help them in their ministry work. Hebrew Roots P.O. Box 400 Lakewood, WI 54138 1-715-757-2775 E-mail: HebrewRoots@czo.net