This Scriptural Calendar study shows how to determine the start of the lunisolar Sabbath month.
Keep in mind that this is a complex subject and that I’m giving a basic summary for you to see the heavenly Scriptural calendar. You’ll need to put aside preconceived notions and look at what Scripture and the heavens declare to see the glory of Yah the Heavenly Father’s design.
How to determine the Scriptural New Month.
Scripture declares that there are three types of days, not two, as it includes New Moon Days, which are new month days.
Look at the 29.5-day pattern of the moon’s cycles as it’s illuminated by the sun. The celestial new moon (called a dark moon) occurs when the side of the moon opposite of our earthly view is fully illuminated.
With technology today, we know the exact minute of the dark moon, but the Israelites/Jews didn’t know the day or hour that it took place, as it may occur late one day or early the next. So they celebrated the New Moon Day over two days and confirmed the correct day when they cited the sliver crescent moon after sundown.
When Messiah was talking about His return, He used this Jewish idiom in saying that ‘no man knows the day or hour’ to point to the fall Feast of Trumpets, which is the only Holy Feast Day that occurs on the first day of the month. This is confirmation that a Scriptural month starts with the New Moon Day.
How to determine the New Moon Day with technology.
Go to the TimeandDate.com moon phases page, and in the search box on the top right, you can enter your city to see when the celestial new moon occurs in your area.
If the celestial new moon occurs early in the day, the Scriptural New Moon Day probably takes place the next day. So if it occurs at 4 am on Tuesday, the New Moon Day most likely takes place on Wednesday, as there’s been adequate time for the sun to illuminate the moon enough for us to see it.
If the celestial new moon occurs late in the day, the Scriptural New Moon Day probably occurs two days later. So if it occurs at 8 pm on Tuesday, the New Moon Day most likely takes place on Thursday, as there needs to be more time for the sun to illuminate the moon enough for us to see it.
Even with technology, you still want to confirm the New Moon Day by sighting the sliver crescent in the western sky shortly after sundown. It’s very gratifying to see this take place, and it’s a great time to worship your Creator, who put the heavenly clock in motion. Here’s an image that I took a few years ago.
How to determine the New Moon Day without technology.
It’s simply a matter of tracking the monthly cycle of the moon.
Note when you see the full moon on the eastern horizon after sunset.
One week later, you will see the waning 1/2 moon overhead after sunset.
One week later can spot the waning, sliver crescent moon, which is visible in the western sky shortly before sundown. It can be hard to see, as the sun is still dominating the sky.
The moon won’t be visible for a day or two, as the illuminated side is opposite our view.
Then during the next few days, look for the sliver crescent moon to appear in the western sky shortly after sunset. This confirms that it’s the New Moon Day.
If the weather doesn’t let you observe the sliver crescent moon, keep watching each evening to approximate when the sliver crescent moon took place. The phase of the moon on the weekly Sabbath help to confirm the correct day.
SCRIPTURAL CALENDAR PAGE
How to determine the Scriptural weekly Sabbaths.
We determine the Scriptural calendar based on the heavenly cycle of the sun and moon, and then we map out how the days fall on the pagan Roman calendar.
This is what the Scriptural calendar looks like:
The New Moon Day is the first day of the month. It’s marked by a waxing sliver crescent moon.
The first Sabbath falls on the 8th day. It features a waxing 1/2 moon.
The second Sabbath falls on the 15th day. It features a glorious full moon.
The third Sabbath falls on the 22nd day. It features a waning 1/2 moon.
And then the fourth Sabbath is on the 29th day. It features a waning, sliver crescent moon.
Now that we see what a Scriptural month looks like let’s apply it to the first month of the Scriptural calendar.
The New Moon Day is the first day of the month. It’s marked by a waxing sliver crescent moon.
The first Sabbath falls on the 8th day. It features a waxing 1/2 moon.
Passover falls on the 14th day, a preparation day for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The second Sabbath falls on the 15th day. It’s called a high day because the Holy Feast Day of Unleavened Bread falls on it. It features a glorious full moon. This feast is observed for seven days, which leads to the third Sabbath.
The third Sabbath falls on the 22nd day. It features a waning 1/2 moon.
And then the fourth Sabbath is on the 29th day. It features a waning, sliver crescent moon.
Now let’s apply it to the seventh month of the Scriptural calendar.
The New Moon Day is the first day of the month. This is the Feast of Trumpets. It’s marked by a waxing sliver crescent moon.
The first Sabbath falls on the 8th day. It features a waxing 1/2 moon.
The second Sabbath falls on the 15th day. It’s called a high day because the Holy Feast Day of Feast of Tabernacles falls on it. It features a glorious full moon. This feast is observed for eight days and ends on a Sabbath.
The third Sabbath falls on the 22nd day. It features a waning 1/2 moon.
And then the fourth Sabbath is on the 29th day. It features a waning, sliver crescent moon.
Interestingly, Messiah declares He’s coming as a thief in the night, and the night sky is darkest on the first day of the Scriptural month, on which the Feast of Trumpet falls. Those with the light of Scriptural truth know the context of His return and won’t be caught by surprise.
How to apply the pagan Roman calendar to the Scriptural calendar.
Here’s a blank monthly calendar image that you can save and print out, to write the pagan Roman calendar dates on it, to help you visualize how the Scriptural calendar works.
Add the Holy Feast Days if it’s the first or seventh Scriptural month. I’ll talk about the Day of Pentecost in another section.
After confirming when the New Moon Day occurs on the Roman calendar, put the Roman date and day on the first day. For example, 11/24 Thursday.
Then you can write the Roman date and day name on each day of the Scriptural calendar.
How to apply the Scriptural calendar to the pagan Roman calendar.
It’s less work to map out the Scriptural calendar weekly Sabbaths and Holy Feast Days on the Roman calendar.
After confirming when the New Moon Day occurs, mark it on the Roman calendar. Then you can mark out the next four Sabbaths, which occur every seven days, on the same day as the New Moon Day takes place.
For example, if the New Moon Day falls on Thursday of the pagan Roman calendar, the four Sabbaths will also fall on Thursday.
If a Holy Feast Day occurs in the month, note those on the Roman calendar.
The lunar cycle is 29.5 days, so some Scriptural months have 29 days and others have 30, to split the difference. You look to see when the dark conjunction occurs to start the next month to know if a 30th day will fall in the current month.
People object to the extra days at the end of the month, but their point is based on the false narrative of a continuously repeating ‘six work day / one Sabbath day’ cycle.
The six work days / 1 Sabbath day week pattern is still kept on this calendar, but the New Moon Day proves that the six work days / 1 Sabbath day pattern is not a continuously-repeating cycle, as most Saturday Sabbath people believe.
Nowhere does Scripture proclaim that the weekly cycle continuously repeats. That’s a false association based on the creation week, but Genesis is not declaring the monthly or yearly cycles. Those were given later to the Israelites.
I hope this summary helps you see the glory of the Lunisolar Sabbath calendar, which is dictated by the sun and the moon. People can observe this heavenly calendar all around the world.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Psalms 19:1-6
Next, let’s focus on which month starts the Scriptural year.
Read The Start Of A Scriptural Year
I understand that the Sabbath will not always fall on a Saturday. So if I was going to observe the Sabbath day, how could I do that if I’m a school teacher who works Monday-Friday? How could I refrain from work?
Health, the Roman calendar and five-day work week works against our ability to observe the Scriptural Sabbath. You might want to observe a Sabbath day rest during the day on Saturday until the Heavenly Father provides a way to observe it according to the lunisolar cycles. He’s more concerned with the intent of our heart, than ritual observance of a Sabbath day.
Ok. Thank you for your response David. I hope you’re doing well.