God’s Calendar: Understanding the Biblical and Jewish Reckoning of Time

The Age of the Earth and the Creation Account

Some may question the traditional Jewish year—5786, as of September 2025—arguing that science has established the earth to be approximately 4.5 billion years old. How, then, can one believe the biblical account that God created the world in six days?

Consider this: according to Jewish tradition, Adam was created as a fully mature man, likely around 30 years old. If Adam had been created as an infant, he would not have been able to tend the Garden, name the animals, or fulfil his God-given role. Therefore, God created him with age built-in, fully formed and capable from the first moment.

In the same way, it is entirely within God’s power to create the earth with built-in age. God, as the ultimate Creator, could embed layers of history, fossils, and geological formations into the earth—not to deceive, but to give the earth character, beauty, and functionality.

Think of a skilled artist. He begins with a blank canvas, then applies layers upon layers of paint. He might scratch or scrape the surface, apply texture, even use unconventional tools to bring depth and character to the work. Though completed in just a few days, the final painting might look ancient—rich with story and complexity. To the untrained eye, it could appear to be a priceless relic from a distant past. Its value does not come from how long it took to make, but from the mastery and intention behind its creation.

Likewise, God could have formed the world in six literal days and infused it with fossils, geology, and features that suggest age—not to deceive, but to give the earth character, function, and beauty. Creation was not only efficient, it was priceless—crafted by the greatest Artist of all.

David Pawson gave an excellent talk on Genesis 1:  Click here to view on YouTube

The Jewish Calendar: A Lunisolar System

The Jewish calendar is lunisolar—it synchronises both the moon’s phases and the solar year. Months begin with the new moon, while the solar year ensures that festivals like Passover remain in their correct agricultural season (Deuteronomy 16:1).

The command to track the new moon was the first national commandment given to Israel after the Exodus:

“This month shall be unto you the beginning of months” (Exodus 12:2).

How Months Were Determined: 29/30-Day Lunar Months and the Role of the Sanhedrin

In the ancient Jewish calendar, months were based on the moon’s cycle (approximately 29.5 days). Since a month cannot have half-days, months were either:

• 29 days (called a “defective” month), or
• 30 days (called a “full” month).

Here’s how it worked:

• Witnesses would report the sighting of the first sliver of the new moon to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.
• If the moon was sighted on the 30th day, that day was declared Rosh Chodesh (the New Month).
• If no moon was seen due to clouds, weather, or other factors, the 30th day automatically became Rosh Chodesh by default.

This system is described in the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 2:7–9):

If the witnesses did not arrive by the 30th day, the court would complete the month at 30 days, and the new month would begin the following day.

This sometimes led to two consecutive special days:

• The 30th day (the final day of the old month), and
• The 1st day of the new month.

These were not Sabbaths, but festive days (especially for Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hashanah).

Did the New Moon Affect the Weekly Sabbath?

No.
The weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) was always observed every seventh day, following a continuous, uninterrupted cycle from Creation (Genesis 2:2–3, Exodus 20:8–11).
It did not depend on moon sightings or the length of the lunar month.

For example:

• If the new moon wasn’t sighted, the Sanhedrin might delay declaring the new month, but the Sabbath continued on its regular 7-day rhythm.
• The idea of a “second Sabbath” or a lunar-based Sabbath is a modern theory with no support in the Torah, Talmud, or Jewish history.

From Observational to Fixed Calendar

This observational system—based on moon sightings and Sanhedrin rulings—was used from biblical times until the 4th century CE.

In 358 CE, during a time of severe Roman persecution, Hillel II, head of the Sanhedrin, introduced a fixed calendar based on mathematical calculations and the 19-year Metonic cycle. This shift was necessary because:

• The Sanhedrin could no longer operate safely in the Roman Empire.
• The diaspora needed a standardised calendar to observe festivals at the correct times.

Important clarification:

• The fixed calendar did not replace the lunar system with a solar one like the Julian calendar.
• It preserved the lunisolar structure but removed the need for witnesses.
• Months still had 29 or 30 days, and the seven-day Sabbath cycle continued as always.

While the Julian calendar became the civil calendar of the Roman Empire, the Jewish religious calendar remained distinct. Jews never officially adopted the Julian calendar for religious observance.

The Myth of the Lunar Sabbath

Some groups today claim that the “true Sabbath” was originally tied to the lunar cycle, shifting each month depending on the new moon. According to this theory, the Sabbath might fall on a Tuesday one month, a Thursday the next, and so on.

However, this theory is not supported by:

• Biblical evidence: The Sabbath is the seventh day, established at Creation (Genesis 2:2–3) and commanded at Sinai (Exodus 20:8–11).
• Historical records: The Talmud, Mishnah, and Jewish tradition uniformly maintain a continuous 7-day week independent of the moon.
• Practical worship: The weekly Sabbath is a fixed cycle—not a floating feast tied to lunar observation.

While Rosh Chodesh (the New Month) could shift based on sightings, the Sabbath never moved.

Why Christians Are Not Obliged to Keep the Sabbath

While the Sabbath is a sign of the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 31:13,17), the New Testament teaches that believers in Jesus Christ are not under the Mosaic Law, including Sabbath observance. Instead, faith in Christ is the basis of righteousness, not adherence to specific days.

Key Scriptures include:

• Colossians 2:16–17:
  

  “Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

• Romans 14:5–6:
  

  “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”

• Galatians 4:9–11:
  

  “But now… how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements… You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you…”

The early church worshipped on Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10). While the principle of rest and worship remains, the legal obligation to keep the Sabbath day as part of the Mosaic Law is not required for those in the New Covenant.

A 7,000-Year Timeline

Jewish tradition holds that human history spans 7,000 years, mirroring the seven days of creation. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) divides history into:

1. 2,000 years of chaos (before Torah),
2. 2,000 years of Torah,
3. 2,000 years of the Messianic era.

The seventh millennium is viewed as a Sabbath rest—a time of universal peace under the Messiah.

Conclusion

The Jewish calendar is an intricate blend of divine instruction, astronomical insight, and rabbinic stewardship. While some modern views attempt to reconstruct or reinterpret Sabbath observance, both Scripture and tradition support a consistent weekly Sabbath tied to a seven-day cycle—not a shifting lunar model. For Christians, the Sabbath finds its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who invites all to enter His rest (Hebrews 4:9–10).

The Seven Jewish Feasts: Origins, Meanings, and Christian Fulfilment

The Biblical Feasts of the Lord

In Leviticus 23, God gave the people of Israel a sacred calendar with seven appointed times (mo’edim)—feast days that reveal His plan for humanity. These feasts were divine appointments that not only shaped Israel’s life but also pointed forward to the work of the Messiah.

1. Passover (Pesach) – Freedom and Redemption
Origin: Exodus 12. Commemorates Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.
When: 14th of Nisan.
Meaning: Redemption through the blood of the lamb.
Christian Fulfilment: Jesus’ crucifixion as the Lamb of God (1 Corinthians 5:7).

2. Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) – Sanctification and Purity
Origin: Exodus 12:15–20. A week of eating unleavened bread, symbolising the removal of sin.
When: 15th–21st of Nisan.
Meaning: Call to holiness and removal of sin.
Christian Fulfilment: Jesus’ sinless body in the grave (John 6:35; Acts 2:31).

3. Feast of Firstfruits (Yom HaBikkurim) – New Life and Resurrection
Origin: Leviticus 23:9–14. Offering the first sheaf of barley.
When: The day after the Sabbath following Passover.
Meaning: Thanksgiving for new life and harvest.
Christian Fulfilment: Jesus’ resurrection as the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).

4. Feast of Weeks (Shavuot / Pentecost) – Empowerment and Harvest
Origin: Leviticus 23:15–21. A celebration of the wheat harvest and the giving of the Torah.
When: 50 days after Firstfruits.
Meaning: Harvest and thanksgiving; receiving the Law.
Christian Fulfilment: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church (Acts 2).

The Remaining Three Feasts: Future Prophetic Fulfilment

5. Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah) – Awakening and Gathering
Origin: Leviticus 23:23–25; Numbers 29:1–6. A day of blowing trumpets and spiritual awakening.
When: 1st of Tishrei.
Meaning: Call to repentance and readiness.
Future Fulfilment: The rapture or gathering of the saints? (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Cleansing and Judgment
Origin: Leviticus 16; 23:26–32. The high priest makes atonement for the people.
When: 10th of Tishrei.
Meaning: National repentance and forgiveness.
Future Fulfilment: Israel’s national repentance and salvation (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:26).

7. Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Restoration and Joy
Origin: Leviticus 23:33–44. A celebration of God’s provision and presence in the wilderness.
When: 15th–21st of Tishrei.
Meaning: Joy, provision, and God’s dwelling with His people.
Future Fulfilment: The Millennial Kingdom and God’s eternal dwelling with humanity (Zechariah 14:16–19; Revelation 21:3).

Summary Table

These feast days mark all the major events on God’s calendar!

Conclusion

The seven feasts of the Lord reveal God’s plan for redemption. The first four were fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming; the final three point to His return, Israel’s restoration, and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth.

Seven-Year Tribulation

Here are the five key references used to support the idea of a seven-year tribulation:

1. Daniel 9:24–27 – The Seventy Weeks Prophecy
“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven,’ but in the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering…” (Daniel 9:27)
Relevance: This is the cornerstone passage. The final “week” (i.e., 7 years) of the 70 weeks is believed by many to be future and to refer to the tribulation.
The breaking of the covenant “in the middle of the seven” (after 3½ years) is linked to the “abomination of desolation.”

2. Revelation 11:2–3 – 1,260 Days and 42 Months
“…they will trample on the holy city for 42 months… I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days.”
Relevance: 42 months and 1,260 days (using a 360-day prophetic calendar) equal 3½ years.
These two periods (two 3½-year halves) are thought to represent the two halves of the 7-year tribulation.

3. Revelation 12:6, 14 – Time, Times, and Half a Time
“The woman fled into the wilderness… where she is taken care of for a time, times and half a time…”
Relevance: “Time, times and half a time” is interpreted as 3½ years.
When combined with other 3½-year references, it contributes to the 7-year total.

4. Revelation 13:5 – The Beast’s Authority for 42 Months
“The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.”
Relevance: The Antichrist (the Beast) is active for 3½ years.
Again, this is considered the second half of the tribulation, known as the “Great Tribulation.”

5. Matthew 24:15–21 – The Abomination of Desolation
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’… then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now…”
Relevance: Jesus refers to Daniel 9:27 and describes the “Great Tribulation” beginning at the midpoint.
While not mentioning “seven years,” this is used to support the division of the tribulation into two halves.

Summary Table

A fascinating discovery was made by Dr Gavin Finley, who studied the timing of the 7-year tribulation period in relation to the Biblical feasts. He found that, on certain years, there is exactly a 7-year timespan between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement—meaning that a tribulation period could begin on the Feast of Trumpets and end on the Day of Atonement seven years later.

To make this calculation, Dr Finley used NASA’s lunar cycle tables, focusing on the moon’s visibility over Jerusalem, since the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) is the only feast that begins with the first visible sliver of the new moon, marking the start of the Jewish month of Tishrei. Because of this, the Feast of Trumpets was traditionally called “the day and hour no one knows,” as it could not be fixed until the new moon was seen.

In other years, the span between these two feast days is slightly off—by a few days more or less—but in specific years, the alignment is perfect, which Dr Finley sees as potentially prophetic. This pattern is quite remarkable and adds an intriguing layer to our understanding of how Biblical prophecy may align with the Hebrew calendar.

Every few years, the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement fall exactly 7 years apart—equivalent to 42 months or 1,260 days!

Daniel 9:24

The most widely used prophecy for the end times is found in Daniel 9:24. The first two words are:
שבעים שבעים (shiv’im shiv’im).

However, the repetition is not a simple doubling of “seventy seventy.” In Hebrew, this is a poetic or idiomatic way of expressing “seventy sevens” or “seventy weeks” (where a “seven” refers to a unit of seven years, not days). It’s a construct form. So it’s not 70 + 70, but rather 70 sets of 7.

A more literal breakdown:

• שבעים (shiv’im) = seventy

• שבעים (shiv’im) = sevens (or weeks)

The literal English rendering of the phrase is:
“Seventy sevens” or “seventy weeks” (depending on the context).

This idiom reflects a unit of time in prophetic language, where a “seven” refers to a week of years (i.e., seven years). So Daniel 9:24 refers to 490 years in total.

Daniel 9:24–27 – The Seventy Weeks Prophecy Explained

1. The Total Period: 70 Sevens (490 Years)

Daniel 9:24 sets the entire framework:

• • 70 sevens (שבעים שבעים) = 490 years
  • These are decreed for:
  • Your people (Israel)
  • Your holy city (Jerusalem)

The purpose of these 490 years is to:

• • Finish transgression
  • Put an end to sin
  • Atone for iniquity
  • Bring in everlasting righteousness
  • Seal up vision and prophecy
  • Anoint the Most Holy

Summary: This is a comprehensive timetable for redemption and restoration.

2. The Breakdown of the 70 Sevens:

Daniel 9:25–27 divides the 490 years into 3 parts:

a.  7 Sevens (49 years)

“From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be 7 sevens and 62 sevens…”
This first 7 sevens = 49 years is the period to rebuild Jerusalem.
Historically: From the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 or 445 BC (depending on your interpretation) to the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s streets and walls.

b. 62 Sevens (434 years)

After the first 7 sevens, there will be 62 sevens = 434 years.
This leads up to the coming of the Messiah (Mashiach Nagid).
Combined with the first 7 sevens:
7 + 62 = 69 sevens = 483 years
This brings us exactly to the time of Jesus’ ministry and His crucifixion!

c. The Final 1 Seven (7 years) – The End Times

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven…”
This 70th seven is yet future and refers to the tribulation period:
A 7-year period where a “ruler” (commonly interpreted as the Antichrist) will confirm a covenant with Israel.
In the middle of the 7 years (after 3½ years), he will:

• • Break the covenant
  • Stop sacrifices and offerings
  • Set up an abomination (cf. Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:4)
    This sparks the Great Tribulation (last 3½ years).

3. Key Events and Fulfilments:

4. The Pause (Church Age)

After the 69 sevens (483 years), there is a pause:

• • Messiah is “cut off” (Jesus’ death – Daniel 9:26)
  • Jerusalem is destroyed (70 AD by the Romans)
  • The final 7 years (the 70th week) is delayed, reserved for the end times.

This gap is where we are now—the Church Age, a mystery not fully revealed in the Old Testament but explained in the New (Ephesians 3:4–6).

5. The 70th Week – Tribulation Period

This final 7 years will complete God’s plan for Israel:

• • Antichrist’s covenant for 7 years
  • Breaks it at 3½ years
  • Great Tribulation follows
  • Ends with Messiah’s return, judgment, and the establishment of the Kingdom.

Summary Chart:

CJ Lovik (Rock Island Books) recently discovered a remarkable insight into Daniel 9:24 when reading it in the original Hebrew: the phrase can be understood literally as “seventy seventy divided,” revealing a deeper significance! View on YouTube. 

See above: Daniel 9:24 שבעים שבעים (shiv’im shiv’im)

Three Feasts Still to Be Fulfilled

There are still three important feast days on God’s calendar that have not yet been fulfilled:

1. The Feast of Trumpets – This likely marks the beginning of the 7-year tribulation period.

2. The Day of Atonement – This could signify the end of the 7 years.

3. The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) – This points to the beginning of Christ’s 1,000-year millennial reign on earth.

When Will the Rapture Happen?

Many wonder when the rapture will take place. There is Scriptural support for each of the following possibilities:

1. Before the tribulation – at the Feast of Trumpets (Pre-Tribulation)

2. Halfway through – at the start of the great upheaval (Mid-Tribulation)

3. At the end – at the Day of Atonement (Post-Tribulation)

The truth is, the timing of the rapture remains a mystery. It could happen at any point during the 7-year period. That’s why we must always be ready, living in expectation of the return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Will Christians Suffer During the Tribulation?

Some believe that God won’t let believers suffer during the tribulation. But is that really true?

History tells a different story. The early Church faced extreme persecution and suffering for over 300 years. It’s possible that end-time believers may also go through a time of trial for 3.5 years.

Are we willing to suffer for Christ?

Suffering often brings purification and strengthens our faith. Whatever lies ahead, we must be ready – watchful and faithful – eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus Christ.