Spring Appointed Times Crash Course

Passover – YH Crash Course 2025 (1 of 3)
A special thank you to Barry Proctor for his editing expertise!

Feast of Unleavened Bread – YH Crash Course 2025 (2 of 3)

Firstfruits & Feast of Weeks – YH Crash Course 2025 (3 of 3)

Want to Keep Passover at Home but Aren’t Sure How?

2025 Appointed Times Calendar

While YH participates in sighting the new moon, we use astronomical data to project first illumination. We do this for planning purposes. In truth, the head of the year, or any month for that matter, cannot be determined until the moon is sighted. We speculate Yahweh made it this way so we wouldn’t have too much time to plan. Too often, we get too caught up in the “making” of a great festival and forget what and Who the festival is for. At YH, we aim for a balance. We need to plan to teach the way of our God, but may it be known: the festivals are not an end in themselves. Yeshua is our focus!

While YH participates in sighting the new moon, we use astronomical data to project first illumination. We do this for planning purposes.

Our Father isn’t looking for a bunch of busybody events.
He’s looking for circumcised hearts.

Luke 10:38-42

Did you know?
The Appointed Times are a Picture of a Wedding

Here’s a quick read from Torah Resource

A Brief Intro to the Varying Calendars

Our Thoughts on the Biblical Calendar

At YH, we have no desire to be dogmatically “right” on this matter. We’ll try, and we’ll refine our thinking in years to come, but for now we’ve chosen what’s known as a sighted-moon calendar. Are we right? We think so, but we can’t know for sure. Regardless, we must all remember that Yahweh’s Appointed Times are rehearsals – shadows of the substance. The shadows are important, to be sure, but the substance is better.

For these reasons (and many others), we choose charity and love. To our brothers and sisters who are diligently trying to obey our Father in heaven, but observe the calendar a day before or after we do (or even a month), we applaud you. You are trying and we commend you for it. We count it a privilege to walk alongside you!

1 Cor 13:13, 14 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now abide faith, hope, love—these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Important Texts

Col 2:16, 17 Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Messiah.

How to understand Col 2:16, 17. Therefore, standing firm in Yahweh’s instruction, let us do what God has commanded us to do.

Ex 12:2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.”
Dt 16:1 “Keep the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to Yahweh your God, for in the month of Abib Yahweh your God brought you out of Egypt by night.”

The Head of the Year

Q: When does the head of the biblical year begin?
A: (a) After the spring equinox, (b) at the [sighting of]^[1] the new moon,^[2] (b) in Israel, (c) when the all the land is expected to yield its first fruit of barley (d) on the first day of the week^[3] after the first day of Unleavened Bread.

It’s complicated, we know.

After the spring equinox

Gen 1:14 “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons [moed] and for days and years.’”
Gen 1:16 “So God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and also the stars.”^[4]
Job 38:31-33 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide the Bear with her satellites? Do you know the statutes of the heavens, or fix their rule over the earth?
Ps 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and the expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

In ancient Israel, the Israelites used the sun and moon as signs to determine Yahweh’s appointed times (seasons, days, years). The head of the year should be at or after the spring equinox to ensure both the spring appointed times and Sukkot (Tabernacles) fall in their appropriate seasons.^[5]

The sun (a star) is a first witness.

At the [sighting of] the new moon

Ps 81:3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.
Ps 89:3 It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is faithful. Selah.^[6]

In ancient Israel, the Israelites used the moon to determine months. After the night of a no-moon, a new moon presented as a small sliver in the sky. This marked the beginning of a month. A full moon marked the middle.

To reiterate, YH is not dogmatic. While we seek to do right, we have no need to chastise other people or groups also seeking to do right. For example, we’re Tim Hegg fans! Yet, on this point we differ. Concerning the new moon, Hegg writes, “The method of intercalating was, from ancient times, a source of debate, and we know that various methods did evolve. That there are indications in the biblical text of a calendar by which months could be known is evident, for Jonathan knows that ‘tomorrow’ will be the new moon.”

To counter this logic, another thought leader has pointed out, “It has been suggested that the ancient Israelites could have looked at the ‘Old Moon’ and determined the Day of Conjunction by when the Old Moon was no longer visible in the morning sky. However, such a method would not work in the Middle East where the so-called “concealed moon” can remain concealed for as many as 3.5 days! It is in fact common for the moon to stay concealed for 2.5 days and in such instances how would the ancient Israelites have known which day was the Day of Conjunction?”

While YH has taken a “side,” the truth is it’s a work-in-progress. What’s more, we plan for congregational purposes. And again, we could not choose both viewpoints, though we readily recognize the valid points each side is making.

The moon is a second witness.

In Israel

Gen 12:1 “And Yahweh said to Abram, “Go forth from your land, And from your kin And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you.”

While YH sights the new moon for teaching/obedience purposes, to be aware of the seasons and so forth, we also recognize CA is not our true home. Rather, our eternal home is in Israel, the Promised Land.

When all the land is expected to yield its first fruit of barley

Ex 9:31, 32 (Now the flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the spelt were not struck down, for they are late-ripening.)”
Ex 23:15 “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.”
Ex 34:23, 26 “Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel … You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your ground into the house of Yahweh your God.”

The head of the year, which starts in spring, brings life! In all the land of Israel, when it’s anticipated that all households will have a first fruit of barley to offer Yahweh – it’s this corporate ripening that tells us it’s time to mark the head of the (liturgical) year. If the ripening of the barley proves too ambiguous, YH then defers to the Hillel calendar (but only with reference to the month of Abib).

The barley is a third witness.

On the first day of the week (always a Sunday) after the first day of Unleavened Bread

Lev 23:10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.”
Lev 23:15, 16 “You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall bring a new grain offering near to Yahweh.”

The omer count

Q: When does the omer count begin?
A: On the first day of the week after the weekly sabbath

Lev 23:15, 16 “You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall bring a new grain offering near to Yahweh.”

At YH, we understand the sabbath in this context as the weekly seventh-day sabbath. By understanding the scenario this way, it allows seven complete sabbaths to occur before the fiftieth day. It also connects Yeshua with First Fruits and the goal of First Fruits – a harvest that culminates in the giving of the Spirit and, ultimately, Jubilee.^[7]

The new moon for the seventh month^[8]

Lev 23:24 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a memorial by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.”

Other Calendars

At YH, we respect and acknowledge the various calendars observed by others. In fact, a handful of our members hold to other calendars while promoting a spirit of unity.

Why not the Hillel calendar?

Ez 44:10, 11 “But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house and ministering in the house ….”
Ez 44:24 “And in a dispute, [the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok] shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My judgments. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed times and keep My sabbaths holy.”
Mt 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses.”

The Hillel calendar has merit in that it acknowledges the formal priesthood as final judge, fostering unity. At YH, however, we believe that, as a kingdom of priests, we are permitted to adhere more closely to the Torah’s directives. We hold that this approach helps us better align with a narrative that honors the ministry and person of Yeshua. At YH, the Scriptures are our final authority.

Why not the Zadokite calendar?

Ez 48:11 “It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept the responsibility given by Me, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray.”

At YH, we acknowledge the historical significance of Zadok and his descendants. While the formal priesthood during the time of Yeshua had instances of corruption, the priestly lineage of Zadok did not seem to share these issues. The Zadokite calendar is derived from the Damascus Document along with the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch, both considered apocryphal works. Although we recognize the historical value of the calendar passed down by the Zadokite priests, we do not think it prudent to adopt a calendar based on apocryphal texts, especially when the instruction varies significantly from the written Torah.

Why not the Conjunction calendar?

In many respects, the Conjunction calendar is comparable to the Sighted Moon calendar. It is important to acknowledge that there is no universally accepted version of the Conjunction calendar. Nevertheless, it generally appears that the Conjunction calendar places greater emphasis on the constellations, sun, and moon as primary indicators, while the ripening of barley serves as a secondary reference.

While YH has no major issues with the Conjunction calendar, some groups may overemphasize constellations. Additionally, although the precise astronomical conjunction of the moon is valued, it seems to lessen the human interaction with YHWH’s creation.^[9]

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[1] For practical purposes, Yeshua’s House has determined the astronomical first sliver (new moon) in Israel is sufficient. Additionally, Yeshua’s House recognizes that “conjunction” (i.e., astronomical new moon) isn’t, necessarily, incorrect.

[2] We should note for new-to-Torah people that no one is worshiping (or should worship) the sun, moon, or stars. Unfortunately, what YHWH has made for good (signs declaring His glory) has been wrongly used for pagan worship.

[3] Here, the intent is to show that the counting of the omer begins on the first day of the week; it marks the time when our Messiah, the First Fruit from the dead, raised from the grave and forever serves as our eternal High Priest. The first day of the week, always a Sunday, follows the seventh day of the week.

[4] While YH recognizes YHWH placed the stars in the heavens (constellations) and shows in the night’s sky in regular intervals, YH does not overemphasize the stars in determining the head of the year. Rather, the stars serve as one of many important and glorious “witnesses.”

[5] The Hillel (traditional Jewish) calendar also considers the tekufot, which are the approximate times of the equinoxes and solstices. These are used to further refine the calendar and ensure that Yahweh’s appointed times fall in their appropriate seasons.

[6] “[Even] when the calendar was established based on the sighting of the moon, the majority of the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael would celebrate Rosh HaShanah for two days, because of the doubt involved….the day on which the court established the new month, because the messengers would not depart on the holiday” (5.7). For a full discussion, see Mishneh Torah, Sanctification of the New Month.

[7] YH recognizes and appreciates those who reckon the beginning of the omer count on the first day after the first day of Unleavened Bread. Doing so allows for fifty days between the escape from Egypt to the Mountain.

[8] For practical purposes, Yeshua’s House has determined the astronomical first sliver (new moon) in Israel is sufficient.

[9] Some who follow the conjunction calendar use the constellation Virgo rising in the east as a sign. Although YH is cautious about naming con