Norman Willis of Nazarene Israel explains the Torah Calendar basics (or the basics of the Aviv Barley calendar), as it is commanded in Scripture. This is an older video study, meant to give a basic overview understanding. For a more in-depth study, please read The Torah Calendar study. 

We will break this study down into 4 parts:
1. Why keep Yahweh’s calendar?
2. Why the aviv barley matters.
3. Why the new moon sliver matters.
4. Alternate calendar theories.

Torah Calendar basics: Why keep Yahweh’s calendar?

There are many calendars today which claim to be the right calendar. Yet, each of these calendars differs in some way, and we know that they cannot all be right! And if we look closer, we can see that these calendars also have biblical errors to them. So how do we know that we are following Yahweh Elohim’s true Torah Calendar (or the Aviv Barley Calendar). Some of the alternate calendars we find include:

1. Roman Gregorian “Christian” calendar
2. Rabbinical “Jewish” calendar
3. Equinox calendar
4. Lunar Sabbath” calendar

And this is just a few! So many calendars exist that people often ask these questions:
1. How do we know which calendar is right?
2. Does it even matter what calendar we keep?

As we will see in this video on Torah Calendar basics, it is important to keep Yahweh’s calendar. And the way we know whether it is Yahweh’s calendar is by comparing the calendar to His word and asking, does it match up?

Why is it important to keep Yahweh’s calendar?

If we obey Yahweh, He considers that as giving Him proof that we love Him. But if we disobey Him, He considers that as proof that we do not love Him. We will see examples from Scripture of Yahweh not being pleased when we follow our own commandments rather than His.

Yochanan (John) 14:15
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

We will take a look at the ancient saying of “Whoever’s calendar you keep, that is who you worship”, and how who’s commandments we keep determines who we are worshipping.

“Whoever’s calendar you keep, that is who you worship.”

Torah Calendar basics: Why aviv barley matters!

The Torah Calendar can also be referred to as the “Barley-new moon” calendar or the “Aviv barley” calendar. People often ask, how do we know when to begin Yahweh’s calendar? We will take a look at how to declare Rosh HaShanah (or the head of the year) according to Yahweh’s word in Shemote (or Exodus) chapter 9, and how it involves a specific stage of barley. .

Shemote (Exodus) 9:31-32
31 Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head [aviv] and the flax was in bud.
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.

We will see that Yahweh told Moshe and Aharon that this time would be the beinning of the year for them.

Shemote (Exodus) 12:1-2
1 Now Yahweh spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

We will explain that this ‘aviv’ is different from the Jewish month of “Aviv”. And how the stage of barley tells us the right time to offer up the Wave Sheaf.

Torah Calendar Basics: Why the new moon sliver matters!

We will also explain how the first sliver of the new moon, as seen from the land of Israel (with the natural eye), and the aviv barley are both significant for knowing when to determine Rosh HaShanah.

Torah Calendar basics: Alternate calendar theories.

Lastly, we will talk about alternate calendars and the reason why these calendars are wrong.

If you would like a more in-depth coverage of the symbolism in Yahweh’s feasts, you can watch the entire series of The Feasts and the Ancient Hebrew Wedding.
If you would like a more in-depth overview of the errors of the rabbinical and Karaite calendars, you can also watch or read Establishing the head of the year.
If you would like to understand more about how to keep each of Yahweh’s feasts, you can watch or read Feasts of the First Month and Feasts of the Seventh Month.

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