Shabbat shalom, Nazarene Israelites.
1. PRAISE REPORTS, PRAYER REQUESTS, UPDATES: 4 April 5785 (2025)
a. Feasts of the first month:
The new moon of the first Hebrew month was witnessed from Israel on the evening of 30 March 2025 by multiple witnesses. This new moon marked the beginning of the Hebrew Year (Rosh HaShanah). Please see section 3 below for feast schedules and other calendar information. Rosh HaShanah sameach!
2. STUDIES:
a. Parashat Vayeira:
Parashat Vayeira 5785 (2025): “Yeshua: Manifestation of Elohim” examines Avraham’s faithfulness and obedience to Yahweh in offering up Yitzhak, and the promise of the Covenant through Yitzhak (Isaac) and his descendants. It also shows the parallels between Avraham’s willing sacrifice of Yitzhak and the sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach; the ‘two Yahwehs’ found in B’reisheet (Genesis) 19; and the Hebraic definition of ‘echad’.
Other topics in Parashat Vayeira include biblical weaning; the rabbinic law of not mixing milk and meat, and errors of the Karaite calendar.
b. Additional Studies:
Previous parashiot videos
Video Studies
Video Shorts
Book Studies
c. Beit Sefer Children’s Publications (Home Page):
(To receive activities in Spanish, please sign up for the Spanish newsletter.)
Parasha activities
Tanach activities
Brit Chadasha activities
Hebrew Lessons
3. SABBATHS, NEW MOONS, AND CALENDAR EVENTS:
a. Feasts of Yahweh:
The new moon of the first Hebrew month was witnessed on the evening of 30 March 2025. Below is the confirmed schedule for Yahweh’s feasts of the first month. Please remember that feast dates for the seventh month remain pending until the new moon of the seventh Hebrew month is confirmed.
Click here for Torah Calendar News
Click here for printable feast schedule
We encourage you to check out our calendar studies, which explain how to observe the calendar correctly, and avoid common errors. A full list of studies can be found in section 3d below for convenience.
b. Next new moon (expected): 28 April 2025 (evening)
The new moon of the second Hebrew month is expected to be visible from Israel on 28 April 2025 with a 1.30% illumination. Confirmation will be made upon the sighting of the new moon (or the 30-day default count).
You can visit Torah Calendar News for news on new moons, barley in the Land, Rosh HaShanah, and feasts throughout the year.
c. Upcoming Discipleship Meetings:
All meetings are at 8 AM Colombian time (always UTC-5, but watch your Daylight Savings Time adjustments). The Discipleship Meeting is a discussion between disciples. It is generally 1-hour long but may run longer depending on how the Spirit leads. For more on NI’s description of discipleship, please see NI’s Discipleship program.
14 April- ULB 1
20 April- Yom HaNafat HaOmer / ULB 7
29 April 2025 (expected)- new moon second Hebrew month
Note: If the monthly Discipleship Meeting coincides with the weekly Shabbat Meeting, the Shabbat Meeting will take precedence, and new moon discussion will be combined with the Shabbat meeting. However, in the case of a Feast Day Meeting coinciding with a Shabbat meeting, the Feast Day Meeting will take precedence.
d. Why the Firstfruits Torah Calendar?
We receive many inquiries about why NI observes the Hebrew months at different times from the other calendar groups (such as the Messianic, Karaites, and Rabbinical groups). There are several reasons, but the main reason is that we begin the calendar year with the (true) Firstfruits of barley.
In contrast, other groups take a sheaf from the main harvest, and falsely CALL them the “first” fruits (when they are more like the MAIN fruits.) Because of this, most Messianic and the Karaite groups will usually be a month (or even two) late.
Learn all about the Firstfruits Torah calendar, (and how the Jewish, Karaite, Messianic, and the equinox calendars violate Scripture) in our studies on the biblical calendar.
Note: Babylonian dates (5785/2025) are used for publishing purposes only. It should be noted that neither the Hillel II Jewish calendar, nor the Roman-Greco calendar are the biblical Torah calendar of Yahweh. Nazarene Israelites should keep the biblical Rosh HaShanah (new year) according to the Torah (Firstfruits) Calendar.
e. Aviv barley, wave sheaf, and witnesses:
Current witness qualification:
Currently, sister Becca Biderman of Ancient Path New Moon is the only barley inspector who seems to understand what a proper wave sheaf is (and why you should not let the true Firstfruits fall to the ground, so you can take your “first” fruits offering from the middle of the harvest, as other groups do).
Disclaimer: For reasons explained in our studies, NI does not support Messianic doctrine. For more on this topic, please see NI’s 2025 explanation in “Babylon Mystery Calendars“.) However, Becca documents her barley inspections, and her definitions of aviv barley seem accurate according to our understanding of Scripture.
Other barley groups:
There are several other (Amalekite) barley groups whose work we cannot recommend in any way. They ignore Deuteronomy 16:9, they define “Firstfruits” as a random sheaf from the middle of the harvest, and they add rules and definitions that Yahweh does not add. They are usually a month (or sometimes two months) late.
(If you have information about additional ‘barley groups’ in Israel reporting in accordance with the Scriptural definitions of ‘aviv barley’, as explained in NI studies, we welcome you to please send information (website, social media links, etc.) to contact@nazareneisrael.org so that we may review the groups’ work and make a qualified determination.)
New moon witnesses:
Several groups sight the first crescent sliver of the new moon well. NI uses various new moon witnesses who report on the new moon each month. Again, as far as we can tell, only sister Becca Biderman publishes accurate barley reports.
Declaring Rosh HaShanah at the correct time:
As we explain in our studies (see list below), there only needs to be enough aviv barley ready for the omer (wave sheaf) Firstfruits offering by either the 15th or the 21st day of the first month. As explained in these studies, it is a disaster if we declare Rosh HaShanah too late, because it would force farmers in the land of Israel who have the earliest ripening barley to do one of two things:
A) Either they must break Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:9 and begin harvesting their crop BEFORE the Firstfruits offering has been presented unto Yahweh for the nation. Or
B) Lose all or part of their barley crop, while they wait an extra month for the leaders to declare Rosh HaShanah!
By declaring the true Firstfruits unto Yahweh Elohim as He commands, and keeping His appointed days according to His perfect timing, the farmers do not need to lose their crops; neither are they encouraged to break any of Yahweh’s commandments.
4. NAZARENE ISRAEL REVELATION NEWS:
We encourage you to check the news each week, to follow the trends of the four horses. Also, if you have never gone through the permanent links, we urge you to read them. Click here to read the Nazarene Revelation News on the website. (You must be logged in to view.)
The purpose of the Revelation News is to show that the Revelation Timeline is correct (as explained in the study, Revelation and the End Times.) Links on the news page are for the sole purpose of giving updates pertinent to the Revelation news timeline. Nazarene Israel does not necessarily support doctrine shared in outside news sources.
Everything is still 100% on track according to the Revelation Timeline in Revelation and the End Times!
Shalom!
