Shabbat shalom, Nazarene Israelites.

1. PRAISE REPORTS, PRAYER REQUESTS, UPDATES: 28 February 5785 (2025)

a. Prayer requests

1. Our administrator (Moises) is asking for prayers for his dad (Moises Sr.). About a month ago Moises Sr. had a stroke. He went through surgery and is on the road to recovery. Previous headaches have gone and he now continues physical recovery for memory and body movement. (The doctors say that the recovery is generally a 6-month process.) We are asking for prayer for Moises Sr., that first and foremost, he will be saved in Yeshua HaMashiach and come into The Faith and that he will also recover physically to the highest level possible in Yahweh Elohim.

2. We would also like to ask prayer for an sister who recently came to NI and is who is lovingly offering her time and minas unto Yahweh. This sister’s husband has had more than one stroke and is struggling in recovery. We are told that her husband is new to the faith. Would you all please include him in prayer for spiritual and physical health?

May Yahweh please provide His loving mercy to them, and bless them in His name, that they may believe upon Him and His Son Yeshua and choose to walk in Him. That Yahweh and His Son may receive honor and praise in all things.
In Yeshua HaMashiach, amein.

b. Barley update

Please see section 3a, below.

2. STUDIES:

a. Parashat Vezot Haberakhah

b. Additional Studies:

Previous parashiot videos
Video Studies
Video Shorts
Book Studies

c. Beit Sefer Children’s Publications (Home Page):

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Parasha activities
Tanach activities
Brit Chadasha activities
Hebrew Lessons

3. SABBATHS, NEW MOONS, AND CALENDAR EVENTS:

a. Feasts of Yahweh:

As of 28 Feb 2025, we have received NO reports of an omer of aviv barley in the land of Israel (and nothing even close).

Messianic sister Becca Biderman (Ancient Path New Moons, Israel) reports that there are some areas in Israel which do have enough barley to make an omer, and that this barley is currently ‘in a fruiting stage’, but that it is NOT aviv barley, as there is NO food substance in the head (i.e., no water or starch). That means that this barley is not yet viable medium dough (aviv) seed, and is very unlikely to qualify as aviv barley by the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering (Yom HaNafat HaOmer). (For the detailed explanation of what constitutes aviv barley, please see the studies listed in section 3d, below.)

As we explain in our calendar studies, before Nazarene Israel can declare the month of the Aviv and Rosh HaShanah (the head of the Hebrew year), we must know that there will be an omer’s worth of aviv (medium dough) barley on Yom HaNafat HaOmer (or the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering) 15-21 days later. Further, this determination must be made NOT LATER THAN the sighting of the first crescent sliver of the new moon, so that the people have enough time to prepare to go up to Jerusalem, in keeping with Deuteronomy 16:16-17. (This would have been especially important in ancient times, as it takes time to prepare, and then travel up to Jerusalem on foot or with pack animals.)

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:16-17
16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before Yahweh your Elohim in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread [HaMazot], at the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot], and at the Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot]; and they shall not appear before Yahweh empty-handed.
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of Yahweh your Elohim which He has given you.

The next new moon is expected to be seen on or about the evening of 1 March 2025. If Nazarene Israel can determine that there WILL be an omer of aviv barley by 16 March 2025 then we will declare the Head of the Year. (This seems extremely unlikely at this point but we have to wait for the date to make the determination.)

However, if on 1 March it seems that there will NOT be an omer of aviv barley by Yom HaNafat HaOmer (16 March 2025), then we will delay a month, and watch for scenario #2 a month later (shown in the table below).

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. We also encourage you to track our calendar updates on our Torah Calendar News page.

And just as a brief note, some ministries are declaring that you must be able to substantially “bring in the harvest” before you can declare the month of the Aviv. To see why this is completely wrong (and is damaging to the farmers), please check out our study, “Let’s Not Break Deuteronomy 16:9!”

b. Next new moon (expected): 1 March 2025 (evening)

The 12th Hebrew month began on the evening of 30 January 2025. The next new moon is expected to be visible from Israel on 1 March 2025. Confirmation will be made upon the sighting of the new moon (or the 30-day default count). As of 28 February 2025, it is unlikely that NI will be able to declare Rosh HaShanah on 1 March 2025. However, we must wait until the new moon to make the determination. Please see section 3a (above) for more details.

Please stay attentive to Torah Calendar News for updates concerning new moons, barley reports, Rosh HaShanah 5785/2025 confirmation, and feasts for the coming Hebrew 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.

2 March 2025- new moon discipleship meeting (expected)

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?

Every year we receive questions about the Firstfruits Torah calendar and why it differs from Karaite, Jewish, and Messianic, and Equinox calendars. The different calendars that exist can (and do) cause a lot of confusion. But if we follow Scripture without adding or taking away from Yahweh’s word, we see that there are significant errors in the Karaite, Jewish, Messianic, and Equinox calendars.

We explain these errors in the following studies, as well as why it is important to follow the true Firstfruits Torah calendar in order to observe Yahweh’s feasts at His appointed times only.

Note: Some published studies may include dates for Babylonian calendars (5785/2025). It should be noted that neither the Hillel II Jewish calendar, nor the Roman-Greco calendar are the biblical Torah calendar of Yahweh, and that NI only updates these years for publishing and relational purposes. While the Babylonian years change accordingly, NI keeps the biblical Rosh HaShanah (new year) according to the Torah Calendar.

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.)