Stewarton Bible School
SBS   Calendar Index

The Annual Sabbaths of Yahweh

Years 2000-2005

CIVIL YEARNew Moon (conjunction) TimesA likely first sighting at Jerusalem onNew Year's DayFirst Day of Unleavened BreadLast Day of Unleavened BreadFeast of PentecostFeast of TrumpetsFast of AtonementFirst Day of TabernaclesLast Great Day of Tabernacles
2000 *Abib6 March 05:18 7 March8 March22 March28 March11 May31 August9 September14 September21 September
Ethanim29 August 10:2030 August
2001Abib25 March 01:2225 March26 March9 April15 April29 May19 September28 September3 October10 October
Ethanim17 Sept. 10:2818 Sept.
2002Abib14 March 02:04 14 March15 March29 March4 April18 May8 September17 September22 September29 September
Ethanim7 Sept. 03:11 7 Sept.
2003Abib1 April 19:20 2 April3 April17 April23 April6 June27 September6 October11 October18 October
Ethanim26 Sept. 03:10 26 Sept.
2004Abib20 March 22:42 21 March22 March5 April11 April25 May16 September25 September30 September7 October
Ethanim14 Sept. 14:30 15 Sept.
2005 *Abib10 March 09:12 11 March 12 March 26 March 1 April 15 May 5 September 14 September 19 September 26 September
Ethanim3 Sept. 18:464 Sept.

Conjunction Times are reproduced with permission from data supplied by the Science Research Council, UK

NOTE: Asterisks (*) beside the years 2000 and 2005 in the chart above mean that the sacred calendar year will be started one month earlier than in the popular Jewish calendar. See below for Alternative Dates.

Why the Difference?

1. ANSWER
The answer is because Stewarton Bible School starts the year with the new moon nearest the true Spring equinox (20th March.) Several Questions concerning the sacred calendar are answered in Part Two of the booklet entitled The Sacred Calendar of the God of Israel. Please study those answers before submitting further questions.

2. FIRST SIGHTINGS OF THE NEW MOON
As stated in the Calendar booklet concerning First Visibility:
It is not possible to infallibly predict the exact date and time of the first sighting of a new moon. Greenwich Observatory in England confirms this fact. Therefore when setting up a calendar in advance, it is necessary to proceed using all the known facts at one's disposal; facts such as

Besides these there are other factors which must be considered.
They are:

3. THE YEARS 2000 & 2005
You will notice from the chart above that in these years SBS has started the year a month before the popular Jewish calendar. The reason is that we have selected the new moon nearest the true equinox (20th March) to begin Abib (Nisan). In year 2000 this conjunction occurs on 6th March at 7.18 hours (Jerusalem Time) and the new moon is expected to be seen on the evening of 7th March or the morning of the 8th March, thus making 8th March the 1st Abib. The full moon in this month will occur on 20th March 2000, which exactly coincides with the equinox date. This could be significant!

Celestial/Spiritual Passovers
By starting the year on the 8th March in year 2000, the Passover Service will be observed just after the Spring Equinox; which means that the literal sun will be passing-over the equator at about the same time as believers will be celebrating the spiritual Passover Service on the 14th Abib. This coincidence of the celestial and spiritual Passovers is rare!

4. SIGNS IN THE SKY
Many believers become polarised about the matter of keeping the correct Feast days. It is, of course, vitally important; and that is why SBS makes such an effort to get it right. But let no one forget that the GREAT FEASTS (the realities to which all the current feasts point) will be miraculously highlighted by signs in the sun, moon and stars! We will not then be dependant upon computer printout, or the knowledge and skill of leaders feverishly arguing amongst themselves as to who is correct.

In the near future there shall be SIGNS IN THE SKY which will clearly mark out the correct feasts, sacred seasons or Sabbatical Year just as they did when the Saviour hung on the cross. On that occasion the sun went out for over three hours. That was no eclipse by any means; for an eclipse only lasts a few minutes.

Matt.27: 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

When the Saviour died on that memorable day, even the Roman soldier confessed:

" Truly this man was the Son of God."
It will be the same in the near future; the promised signs in the sun, moon and stars will mark out the sacred times for all to see. Look out for these celestial signs at the Feasts!
Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. 24: But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25: And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

ALTERNATIVE DATES
The following dates are given for those who wish to celebrate the Feasts in
A.D. 2000 and A.D. 2005 a month after SBS.

Annual Sabbaths

A.D. 2000

A.D. 2005

First Day of Unleavened Bread

20th April

24th April

Last Day of Unleavened Bread

26th April

30th April

Feast of Pentecost

9th June

13th June

Feast of Trumpets

29th September

5th October

Day of Atonement (Fast)

8th October

14th October

Feast of Tabernacles

15th October

19th October

Last Great Day

22nd October

26th October

Whichever set of dates you settle for, do make sure that you are on the lookout for the
SIGNS in the sun, moon and stars at the Feasts! Because the Almighty will certainly keep to His promise in Genesis 1:14 to signal to the universe the most important days, seasons and years in His sacred calendar.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for SIGNS, and for seasons, and for days, and years.

(Genesis 1: 14)

Notes

  1. In the Sacred Calendar a year begins in spring with the Passover month of Abib (Exodus 12:2, 13:4). Abib is also known as Nisan. Ethanim the seventh month is also known as Tishri. The 4th and 5th month names (Tammuz and Ab) are not found in the Scriptures. In leap years the twelfth month is called Adar 1 and the thirteenth month is called Adar 2. Months in the Sacred Calendar begin with a first- sighting of the new moon from the stand-point of Jerusalem. So the above dates will differ from the new moon dates shown in many pocket diaries. Diary dates are those of a conjunction (the astronomical new moon), which occurs a day or more before a first sighting. In this chart, the new moon is likely to be seen on the evening prior to the given date. For example, in 2000 Abib's new moon was expected to become visible on the evening of Tuesday 7th March, making Wednesday 8th March the 1st Abib. This chart will help you keep track of the beginnings of months for years to come.

  2. Every seventh day of the week (Saturday) is a Sabbath; a sacred rest-day which, according to the Ten Commandments, all mankind is required to keep in honour of the Creator (Exodus 20:8-11, Isaiah 58:13-14, Hebrews 4:9-11). The Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends at sunset on Saturday evening.

  3. In addition to the weekly sabbath there are seven other holydays in the Sacred Calendar which should be observed as Sabbath days (Leviticus chapter 23). The chart above lists these (Feast and Fast) dates for the coming years.

  4. Together with the weekly Sabbath of Saturday, the annual Sabbaths constitute the unchanging Sign or Signature of YAHWEH, the Almighty God of Israel (Exodus 20:12&20, Exodus 31:13-18).

  5. When Yahweh's Sabbaths are observed by a believer, they signal to the universe that here is a special worshipper of the Almighty: a believer in whose mind God has full permission to place His Law, His Seal, His Signature and His Name (Isaiah 8:16, Deuteronomy 6:4-8, Hebrews 8:8-10, Revelation 7:1-4).

  6. Another amazing fact is that the Almighty's annual Sabbaths are directly linked with the starting dates of the Time Prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.

  7. For further study, see Calendar Booklet

SBS   Sacred Calendar Page     Beginnings of Months 2000 - 2005

Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
November 1999