Dear Friends,

At times it is good to be reminded of the basic determination of the true Calendar. It is a lunar-based calendar and so it is determined from the lunar cycles. God’s true Calendar is based on His creation – on His setting of the small and large luminaries. God’s Calendar is not based on any human invention such as the modern Gregorian calendar or the Hillel Judaic calendar.

We will review the basic method, rules and calculations to determine God’s monthly Calendar and the First month of the New Year based on the astronomical New Moon conjunctions. These lunar cycles are well documented and all the calculated data can be found in official scientific sources such as NASA and others.

First, we will review certain tables and data of moon conjunctions and spring equinoxes available from recognised scientific authorities. Second, we will examine the basic rules to determine the date of the New Moon to keep after converting the date from Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time) to Jerusalem local time. Thirdly, we will use the spring equinox data to determine the date of the New Year or the beginning of month in the spring.

The establishment of the New Moon date for all localities and churches around the world is based on the date of the New Moon in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (cf. also Mic. 4:2)

TABLES AND DATA

1. MOON CONJUNCTIONS 2001-2100 CE

We have a source of moon conjunctions at the following NASA web site:

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

All dates are based on the present Gregorian calendar and time in Universal Time (Greenwich). This data is used to determine the First day of the new month in God’s Calendar.

2. SPRING EQUINOXES 1992-2020 CE

A source of data for spring equinoxes is available at the following U.S. Navy web site:

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.html

This data is used with the preceding moon conjunctions’ data to determine the day of the New Year or beginning of months in the spring as commanded by God.

3. DATA FOR EENT IN JERUSALEM

The term End Evening Nautical Twilight (EENT) is the scientific term for the exact time that darkness begins in a specific location. This point is where a new day begins and the old day ends according to God’s creation. See paper Start of the Month and the Day (No. 203). A table of time for End Evening Nautical Twilight (EENT) for Jerusalem can be computed for a period of one year or 365 days directly from the Internet web site http://aa.usno.navy.mil/ using the following data: longitude 35’ 19, latitude 32’ 34, and 2 hours east of Greenwich.

4. DETERMINATION OF THE DATE OF THE NEW MOON

A. Find the conjunction in the New Moon data.

Using the data for the moon conjunctions, we can determine the date of the New Moon day to be kept in Jerusalem. For example, we will determine the date of the New Moon for the Feast of Trumpets, which is in the middle of September 2007. We find a New Moon at 12h44 in the table on September 11, 2007.

B. Determine the time of New Moon in Jerusalem local time.

We must convert the time of the New Moon conjunction shown in this table from Universal Time (UT) to Jerusalem local time by simply adding 2 hours. So we add 2 hours and obtain 14h44 (2h44 p.m.) for the local time of the New Moon in Jerusalem. When adding 2 hours crosses over the midnight (00h00) point, we must adjust the date accordingly. This is then the adjusted time of the data table.

C. Find EENT in Jerusalem.

For September 11, 2007, we find 1845 (18h45 or 6:45 PM) in the EENT computed table using 2 hours east of Greenwich.

D. Adjust the date if the New Moon occurs between EENT and midnight 00h00.

In some cases, we need to adjust the date of the day to be kept since God’s natural day begins at dark while man set the beginning at midnight. There is thus a 6-hour difference between the two definitions which corresponds to the period between EENT in Jerusalem and midnight. In other words, God’s day begins and ends approximately 6 hours before man’s definition. When the New Moon occurs during this 6-hour period we need to advance the date shown in the table to the following date to keep the day according to God’s definition.

In this case, the date remains the same as the table’s date because the time of the New Moon occurred in the daylight part of the day.

In our example, since the New Moon occurs at 14h44 (2h44 p.m.) before EENT in the daylight part, the New Moon is kept on September 11.

If the conjunction falls in Jerusalem after EENT but before midnight in Greenwich the New Moon will be a day after the Greenwich date.

5. DETERMINATION OF THE NEW YEAR (NISAN 1)

To determine which is the First month and First day of the year, we must find the New Moon closest to the spring equinox. The 14th of Nisan may coincide with the day of the equinox but would never be kept BEFORE the vernal equinox. This is to prevent two Passover sacrifices occurring in the same calendar year. However, a thirteenth month would be added to prevent this from happening should the 14th occur before the equinox. Logically, it also means that Nisan 15 must always occur after the day of the equinox.

A. Find the time of the spring equinox.

In the tables at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.html, we find for 2008 the date of the vernal or spring equinox on March 20, at 05h48 UT. The vernal equinox occurs almost on the same date each year. We add 2 hours to determine local time in Jerusalem at 07h48. Following the same rule for the New Moons as above, we determine the day of the equinox, according to God’s definition, to be March 20th.

B. Find the New Moons before and after the spring equinox.

From the tables http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html, we find the date of the New Moon occurring just before the equinox day, March 20, and the New Moon occurring just after March 20. The New Moon day closest to the equinox becomes the new month of the New Year which is Nisan 1. In the year 2008, we have a New Moon on March 7th 17h14UT (19h14 Jerusalem time) and a New Moon on April 6th 03h55 (05h55 Jerusalem time). We find the New Moon on March 7th to be closest to the spring equinox of March 20th. Since this New Moon occurred at 19h14, after EENT (18h34) in Jerusalem and before midnight, we move the date to the next day. Thus, March 8th becomes the beginning of First month of the year, i.e. the beginning of months and the beginning of the New Year, Nisan 1.

This is a summary of the method used for determining God’s Calendar. All the dates of the New Moons and New Year calendar can be found in the paper New Moon and Holy Day Calendar (C3).

May our Father and Creator Eloah teach all men about His Calendar so that all will worship Him as required and on the correct days.

Jacques Guérard
Coordinator in Canada and the French work