[Update: This is semi defunct now with my new Passion Week Chronology.]
Showing posts with label Second Passover. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Second Passover. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Maybe the Torah's Calendar was never a Lunar or Lunisolar Calendar?
First some terminology clarification. The traditional Rabbinic Hebrew Calendar we're used to calling a Lunar Calendar is strictly speaking a Lunisolar Calendar, the phases of the Moon come first but synchronization is done with a Solar year so the seasons don't drift out of place. The same is true of the popular variants I've discussed already like the Samaritan Calendar, the Kariate reckoning and the proposed Lunar Sabbath model. A strictly Lunar Calendar would be something like the Islamic Calendar which makes no attempt to reconcile and so Ramadan has fallen all over the Gregorian Calendar.
But I've lately been questioning the traditional assumption that the Torah's Calendar is Lunar at all.
Let's start with the fact that the Torah has completely different words for Month and Moon, that is not what I'd expect from an ancient strictly Lunar month based culture. Month is Chodesh/Hodesh (Strongs Number 2320) while Moon is Jerah/Yerach (3394). There are a few places where the latter word is used of a passage of time, but that's because even without a lunar calendar the concept of a month is still tied poetically to the Moon somewhat as it's phases come at least close.
Japan for example had a Lunar Calendar until 1873, and that's why their language uses the same word for both Month and Moon, Tsuki. That's why in the English version of episode 6 of my favorite Anime, Noir, it sounds weird when Mireille says "so many Months and Years have passed", in a language where all the word "month" means is a fraction of a year my mind goes "why even include months in that expression?". But I'm pretty sure in the Japanese she's saying "so many Tsuki and Hi", Hi being an alternate word for both Sun and Year and sometimes Day. So a more poetic yet equally literal translation would be "so many Moons and Suns have passed" which sounds more right even if technically equally as redundant.
The phrase "Rosh Chodesh" gets translated "New Moon" sometimes because of our traditional assumptions, but Rosh means the beginning or head of something not quite "New". Colossians 2:16 is the one New Testament reference to the Jewish concept of the "Rosh Chodesh", and it again uses a Greek word for Month, not Selene the word for the Moon.
Because we think of it as the Crescent New Moon so much talk about Rosh Chodesh is spent on saying we don't know for certain exactly when it is till it happens. With Dispensationalists saying it typologically fits the Pre-Trib Rapture and "no man knowth the day or the hour" verses. But there is one clear Biblical reference to people knowing for certain the next day is a Rosh Chodesh, 1 Samuel 20:5.
The Torah never talks about the Full Moon, even in regards to the Holy Days that should happen about then on a Lunar or Lunisolar calendar. Two verses elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible are often translated as referring to the Full Moon, but those are highly disputable as I've discussed before. For Psalm 81 I don't know how to translate it but my hunch is it's about the Jubilee Yom Kippur sounded Shofar. The word for "feast" used here is sometimes used of Sacrificial animals like Exodus 23:18, Psalm 118:27 and Isaiah 29:1, so that could be the Yom Kippur Sin Offering in this verse. The root of the word thought to refer to the Full Moon appears in Leviticus 16:13 where it's translated "cover".
And then there is all the evidence that The Bible clearly thinks of a Month as being 30 days not 29 and a half. It's there when you do the math of the Flood chronology of Genesis 7 and 8 with 5 months being exactly 150 days beginning on the 17th of the second month and ending on the 17th of the seventh month. And it's also in Revelation with 42 Months, 1,260 days and three and a half years being treated as synonymous time periods.
However there is one thing often taken as evidence for a 365 day year in the Torah, and that is how that number happens to be the number of years Enoch lived. But that could be a coincidence.
Genesis 1:14-19 discuses the Sun (greater light), Moon (lesser light) and stars being made for signs and for seasons and for days and for years. But you'll notice in verse 16 the Sun is made and talked about first, it has priority. And months are seemingly missing from the discussion.
It is well known that the Hebrew Calendar was influenced by the Babylonian Calendar during the Captivity, the names we're now used to calling the months come from Babylon for one thing. Well the thing is Babylon had a Lunisolar Calendar, so even that aspect of it could be Babylonian in origin.
Lunar Calendars were more popular with the ancient Pagans then you might expect given the modern popular narrative that ancient Paganism always started with Sun worship. In fact the most prominent not at all Lunar Calendar used by Pagans in classical antiquity was the Civil Egyptian calendar, but even they originally had a Lunar one which they kept using for ceremonial purposes. Actually even in Greece the Attic Lunar Calender's main purpose was for how they observed Pagan festivals.
Now as much as we love to see all things Egyptian as bad, it wasn't the Egyptians much of the Torah is telling the Israelites not to be like, it was the Canaanites, (When Jerusalem is derogatorily called "Sodom and Egypt" it's about them being inhospitable to strangers not any particular customs.). One of the Canaanite tribes was the Amorites, Babylon first became a major player in Mesopotamia under it's Amorite dynasty, so that Babylonian calendar could be Canaanite in origin.
There is one indisputable difference between the Torah Calendar and the Civil Egyptian Calendar, and that is when to start it. Exodus 12 proclaims Aviv (the time of the Barley Harvest, early Spring) to be the first month while the Egyptian Calendar starts near the Autumnal Equinox.
It is a common traditional conjecture that before Exodus 12 the first season was Fall rather then Spring, and that in Exodus 12 YHWH is swapping the First and Seventh months. I'd been thinking of making a post on how we can't entirely prove that using Scripture alone and so shouldn't build so many theories on it. But since they were in Egypt for several generations it's very possible the Egyptian Calendar was their starting point and what month to make the first month was the only change YHWH is making in Exodus 12. Though different agricultural and climate circumstances in Canaan probably brought further differences, the Egyptian Calendar was organized around 3 seasons rather then 4 because of how much they were ruled by the flooding of the Nile.
In a hypothetical Torah based Solar Calendar the Intercalary month of five or six days (if that was the method used for synchronization) would go between Adar and Nisan rather then in September. (BTW, those 5 days were when the Egyptians observed the birthdays of Osiris and Horus, not anywhere near Christmas. And the Egyptian new year was September 11th on our calendar coincidentally enough.) Or maybe you would try to put them before the Seventh Month to keep Yom Teruah close to the Fall Equinox.
Genesis 1:14 is possibly using Signs in place of Months, I have over the years gone back and forth on the Mazzaroth/Gospel in the Stars theory. Maybe fellow Mazzaroth proponents like Rob Skiba should consider that the Star Signs can be an alternative to the Moon for how to determine the months of the year. Josephus did refer to Nisan as being when the Sun is in Aries, in the first century the Sun entered Aries around the Spring Equinox, and that month is indeed when the Barley Harvest happens. The Romans had a Seven Day Barley Festival similar to Unleavened Bread that was the 12-18th of April, but due to the awkwardness of Caesar's revisions that may be off from when in the Sun's journey it was supposed to be.
It is popular to theorize that Revelation 12:1 is describing some astronomical alignment involving the Moon. If it is it could be an exception and not proof the months are usually defined by the Moon. But I'm skeptical of that altogether, I think it's probably a purely supernatural vision and not something predictable using Stelarrium.
Now I do believe the Passover through Pentecost of Christ's Passion, Resurrection and sending of the Holy Spirit was likely based on what the Jews of the time were doing regardless of if it was still accurate. But it may be it happened to be a year when they did line up, or at least close enough that First Fruits was the right Sunday. Since I favor 30 AD and a Thursday Crucifixion on the 14th of Nisan followed by a Sunday Resurrection on the 17th of Nisan, I have long placed the Passion on the 6th of April 30 AD and The Resurrection of the 9th.
But maybe not all the Jews were already using the Babylonian Calendar in Christ's time? Maybe it was originally mainly the Pharisees, who became the only sect to survive the 70 AD war? It was the Sadducees who actually controlled the Priesthood and The Temple, and according to Josephus they were a Torah only sect.
The Qumran Community who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls also rejected the Lunar Calendar, the Temple Scroll is our main source on their Calendar but it's discussed in other scrolls too. I don't think that Calendar is right either, like the Lunar Sabbath model it wants to synchronize the monthly and yearly cycle to the weekly cycle by giving every 3rd month an extra day creating a 364 day year. As I've talked about before the language in Leviticus 23 about Firs Fruits and Pentecost is clearly assuming they won't always line up. They make the first day of the year a Wednesday because that was the day the Sun and Moon were created. But at least they correctly placed First Fruits and Pentecost on Sundays. Weeks are not even remotely mentioned in the Genesis 1 account of the fourth day, so they aren't connected to the sun, moon or stars.
The Book of Jubilees was popular with them because it too rejected the Lunar Calendar (Chapter 6 verses 32-37). Something I bet Rob Skiba didn't notice when using the book for his agendas (This Calendar also seems to be endorsed by Enoch 72-82). But indeed Jubilees has the same problem as the Temple Scroll system. In fact it's criticism of the lunar system is a little hypocritical since it doesn't line up perfectly with the seasons either, being one day short of a solar year will inevitably create the same issue even if it'd take longer.
The Hebrew Roots movement has a lot of irrational fear of Sun Worship wrapped up into it. Obviously actually worshiping the actual Sun or Moon or any other inanimate object is a Sin. But Malachi does call Jesus the Sun(Shamash) of Righteousness, there is no equivalent title making the Moon a symbol of Jesus. So I have no problem believing Jesus Rose from The Grave at Sunrise on a Sunday Morning, or that he was born on or soon after the Winter Solstice. I'd rather base my calendar on the astronomical object that is explicitly a symbol of Jesus then one that is not and was frequently the basis for Pagan ceremonial calendars.
You might ask "are you gonna also question if Biblical days begin and end with Sunset?" Well I did consider it, but I concluded that they do. Genesis 1 lists them as Evenings and Mornings, and later Torah verses after Exodus 13 do the same, like Exodus 16 which is also the proper origin of the Sabbath. Also Exodus 27:21 and Leviticus 24:3. Instead I'm just going to point out that even that is also determined by the the Sun, when the Sun sets. [Update: on this paragraph I've had a change of mind since.]
But I'm not just disagreeing with the current Hebrew Roots movement here. This may shock you to learn but the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and other mainstream Christian Churches do use the Moon to calculate "Easter". It's just that explaining why it doesn't always line up with Rabbinic Passover is complicated. In most Languages "Easter" is just called Pascha. If Catholic "Easter" was just a Christianized Spring Solstice festival as many allege it would consistently happen in the 20s of March.
Also remember that as a Six-Day Young Earth Creationist I do believe originally the Solar and Lunar cycles were in sync and there was no need to choose between them. I think that was the case at least until the Flood but maybe also till the time of Joshua or even Hezekiah.
I'm not ready to propose a specific calendar model just yet. I merely want to open up this line of discussion.
Or maybe I am. But take everything below with a grain of salt, it's all stuff I could easily abandon. What I've talked about above is the point of this post.
But I've lately been questioning the traditional assumption that the Torah's Calendar is Lunar at all.
Let's start with the fact that the Torah has completely different words for Month and Moon, that is not what I'd expect from an ancient strictly Lunar month based culture. Month is Chodesh/Hodesh (Strongs Number 2320) while Moon is Jerah/Yerach (3394). There are a few places where the latter word is used of a passage of time, but that's because even without a lunar calendar the concept of a month is still tied poetically to the Moon somewhat as it's phases come at least close.
Japan for example had a Lunar Calendar until 1873, and that's why their language uses the same word for both Month and Moon, Tsuki. That's why in the English version of episode 6 of my favorite Anime, Noir, it sounds weird when Mireille says "so many Months and Years have passed", in a language where all the word "month" means is a fraction of a year my mind goes "why even include months in that expression?". But I'm pretty sure in the Japanese she's saying "so many Tsuki and Hi", Hi being an alternate word for both Sun and Year and sometimes Day. So a more poetic yet equally literal translation would be "so many Moons and Suns have passed" which sounds more right even if technically equally as redundant.
The phrase "Rosh Chodesh" gets translated "New Moon" sometimes because of our traditional assumptions, but Rosh means the beginning or head of something not quite "New". Colossians 2:16 is the one New Testament reference to the Jewish concept of the "Rosh Chodesh", and it again uses a Greek word for Month, not Selene the word for the Moon.
Because we think of it as the Crescent New Moon so much talk about Rosh Chodesh is spent on saying we don't know for certain exactly when it is till it happens. With Dispensationalists saying it typologically fits the Pre-Trib Rapture and "no man knowth the day or the hour" verses. But there is one clear Biblical reference to people knowing for certain the next day is a Rosh Chodesh, 1 Samuel 20:5.
The Torah never talks about the Full Moon, even in regards to the Holy Days that should happen about then on a Lunar or Lunisolar calendar. Two verses elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible are often translated as referring to the Full Moon, but those are highly disputable as I've discussed before. For Psalm 81 I don't know how to translate it but my hunch is it's about the Jubilee Yom Kippur sounded Shofar. The word for "feast" used here is sometimes used of Sacrificial animals like Exodus 23:18, Psalm 118:27 and Isaiah 29:1, so that could be the Yom Kippur Sin Offering in this verse. The root of the word thought to refer to the Full Moon appears in Leviticus 16:13 where it's translated "cover".
And then there is all the evidence that The Bible clearly thinks of a Month as being 30 days not 29 and a half. It's there when you do the math of the Flood chronology of Genesis 7 and 8 with 5 months being exactly 150 days beginning on the 17th of the second month and ending on the 17th of the seventh month. And it's also in Revelation with 42 Months, 1,260 days and three and a half years being treated as synonymous time periods.
However there is one thing often taken as evidence for a 365 day year in the Torah, and that is how that number happens to be the number of years Enoch lived. But that could be a coincidence.
Genesis 1:14-19 discuses the Sun (greater light), Moon (lesser light) and stars being made for signs and for seasons and for days and for years. But you'll notice in verse 16 the Sun is made and talked about first, it has priority. And months are seemingly missing from the discussion.
It is well known that the Hebrew Calendar was influenced by the Babylonian Calendar during the Captivity, the names we're now used to calling the months come from Babylon for one thing. Well the thing is Babylon had a Lunisolar Calendar, so even that aspect of it could be Babylonian in origin.
Lunar Calendars were more popular with the ancient Pagans then you might expect given the modern popular narrative that ancient Paganism always started with Sun worship. In fact the most prominent not at all Lunar Calendar used by Pagans in classical antiquity was the Civil Egyptian calendar, but even they originally had a Lunar one which they kept using for ceremonial purposes. Actually even in Greece the Attic Lunar Calender's main purpose was for how they observed Pagan festivals.
Now as much as we love to see all things Egyptian as bad, it wasn't the Egyptians much of the Torah is telling the Israelites not to be like, it was the Canaanites, (When Jerusalem is derogatorily called "Sodom and Egypt" it's about them being inhospitable to strangers not any particular customs.). One of the Canaanite tribes was the Amorites, Babylon first became a major player in Mesopotamia under it's Amorite dynasty, so that Babylonian calendar could be Canaanite in origin.
There is one indisputable difference between the Torah Calendar and the Civil Egyptian Calendar, and that is when to start it. Exodus 12 proclaims Aviv (the time of the Barley Harvest, early Spring) to be the first month while the Egyptian Calendar starts near the Autumnal Equinox.
It is a common traditional conjecture that before Exodus 12 the first season was Fall rather then Spring, and that in Exodus 12 YHWH is swapping the First and Seventh months. I'd been thinking of making a post on how we can't entirely prove that using Scripture alone and so shouldn't build so many theories on it. But since they were in Egypt for several generations it's very possible the Egyptian Calendar was their starting point and what month to make the first month was the only change YHWH is making in Exodus 12. Though different agricultural and climate circumstances in Canaan probably brought further differences, the Egyptian Calendar was organized around 3 seasons rather then 4 because of how much they were ruled by the flooding of the Nile.
In a hypothetical Torah based Solar Calendar the Intercalary month of five or six days (if that was the method used for synchronization) would go between Adar and Nisan rather then in September. (BTW, those 5 days were when the Egyptians observed the birthdays of Osiris and Horus, not anywhere near Christmas. And the Egyptian new year was September 11th on our calendar coincidentally enough.) Or maybe you would try to put them before the Seventh Month to keep Yom Teruah close to the Fall Equinox.
Genesis 1:14 is possibly using Signs in place of Months, I have over the years gone back and forth on the Mazzaroth/Gospel in the Stars theory. Maybe fellow Mazzaroth proponents like Rob Skiba should consider that the Star Signs can be an alternative to the Moon for how to determine the months of the year. Josephus did refer to Nisan as being when the Sun is in Aries, in the first century the Sun entered Aries around the Spring Equinox, and that month is indeed when the Barley Harvest happens. The Romans had a Seven Day Barley Festival similar to Unleavened Bread that was the 12-18th of April, but due to the awkwardness of Caesar's revisions that may be off from when in the Sun's journey it was supposed to be.
It is popular to theorize that Revelation 12:1 is describing some astronomical alignment involving the Moon. If it is it could be an exception and not proof the months are usually defined by the Moon. But I'm skeptical of that altogether, I think it's probably a purely supernatural vision and not something predictable using Stelarrium.
Now I do believe the Passover through Pentecost of Christ's Passion, Resurrection and sending of the Holy Spirit was likely based on what the Jews of the time were doing regardless of if it was still accurate. But it may be it happened to be a year when they did line up, or at least close enough that First Fruits was the right Sunday. Since I favor 30 AD and a Thursday Crucifixion on the 14th of Nisan followed by a Sunday Resurrection on the 17th of Nisan, I have long placed the Passion on the 6th of April 30 AD and The Resurrection of the 9th.
But maybe not all the Jews were already using the Babylonian Calendar in Christ's time? Maybe it was originally mainly the Pharisees, who became the only sect to survive the 70 AD war? It was the Sadducees who actually controlled the Priesthood and The Temple, and according to Josephus they were a Torah only sect.
The Qumran Community who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls also rejected the Lunar Calendar, the Temple Scroll is our main source on their Calendar but it's discussed in other scrolls too. I don't think that Calendar is right either, like the Lunar Sabbath model it wants to synchronize the monthly and yearly cycle to the weekly cycle by giving every 3rd month an extra day creating a 364 day year. As I've talked about before the language in Leviticus 23 about Firs Fruits and Pentecost is clearly assuming they won't always line up. They make the first day of the year a Wednesday because that was the day the Sun and Moon were created. But at least they correctly placed First Fruits and Pentecost on Sundays. Weeks are not even remotely mentioned in the Genesis 1 account of the fourth day, so they aren't connected to the sun, moon or stars.
The Book of Jubilees was popular with them because it too rejected the Lunar Calendar (Chapter 6 verses 32-37). Something I bet Rob Skiba didn't notice when using the book for his agendas (This Calendar also seems to be endorsed by Enoch 72-82). But indeed Jubilees has the same problem as the Temple Scroll system. In fact it's criticism of the lunar system is a little hypocritical since it doesn't line up perfectly with the seasons either, being one day short of a solar year will inevitably create the same issue even if it'd take longer.
The Hebrew Roots movement has a lot of irrational fear of Sun Worship wrapped up into it. Obviously actually worshiping the actual Sun or Moon or any other inanimate object is a Sin. But Malachi does call Jesus the Sun(Shamash) of Righteousness, there is no equivalent title making the Moon a symbol of Jesus. So I have no problem believing Jesus Rose from The Grave at Sunrise on a Sunday Morning, or that he was born on or soon after the Winter Solstice. I'd rather base my calendar on the astronomical object that is explicitly a symbol of Jesus then one that is not and was frequently the basis for Pagan ceremonial calendars.
You might ask "are you gonna also question if Biblical days begin and end with Sunset?" Well I did consider it, but I concluded that they do. Genesis 1 lists them as Evenings and Mornings, and later Torah verses after Exodus 13 do the same, like Exodus 16 which is also the proper origin of the Sabbath. Also Exodus 27:21 and Leviticus 24:3. Instead I'm just going to point out that even that is also determined by the the Sun, when the Sun sets. [Update: on this paragraph I've had a change of mind since.]
But I'm not just disagreeing with the current Hebrew Roots movement here. This may shock you to learn but the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and other mainstream Christian Churches do use the Moon to calculate "Easter". It's just that explaining why it doesn't always line up with Rabbinic Passover is complicated. In most Languages "Easter" is just called Pascha. If Catholic "Easter" was just a Christianized Spring Solstice festival as many allege it would consistently happen in the 20s of March.
Also remember that as a Six-Day Young Earth Creationist I do believe originally the Solar and Lunar cycles were in sync and there was no need to choose between them. I think that was the case at least until the Flood but maybe also till the time of Joshua or even Hezekiah.
I'm not ready to propose a specific calendar model just yet. I merely want to open up this line of discussion.
Or maybe I am. But take everything below with a grain of salt, it's all stuff I could easily abandon. What I've talked about above is the point of this post.
In Fact ignore everything below, I've revamped it all here.
[Update 2023: I have an even newer idea to add.
Friday, October 14, 2016
The Manna Miracle and the origins of The Sabbath, Exodus 16
The precedent for The Sabbath was absolutely set by the Creation week recorded in Genesis 1&2.
But there is a debate about if it was kept by believers as a custom before the Exodus. We have evidence of what animals are clean and unclean being known in Genesis. But nothing from Genesis 3 on through the first Passover that in any way alludes to Patriarchs or Hebrews keeping The Sabbath.
Now Exodus 16 which is the account of The Manna miracle is constantly cited as proof it was known before the giving of The Law. Indeed the Decalogue in Exodus 19 refers to it as something they already knew.
The thing is, if you study Exodus 16 carefully, it seems to be presenting this story as the origin of The Sabbath. Nothing in here suggests it was already being practiced.
On the 15th day of the Second Month, the Israelites complain. Then Moses tells them what is about to happen. This was BTW the month following the very first Passover.
At evening, when the 16th started, Yahuah's Glory appeared onto them and they eat Quail (and no vice president had to shoot anyone in the face). Then in the morning of that day they found the first Manna.
On the 6th day that the Manna fell they were instructed to gather twice what they usually did so they'd have Manna the following day which they were told not to collect Manna on. And thus that seventh day was named The Sabbath.
Now to many this would be an argument against Christians needing to keep it. I however see no correlation between what we have to keep and what came in with Moses, to me those issues are addressed elsewhere.
I'm writing this here because I feel understanding this could help us understand the Eschatological importance of The Sabbath. Because the Manna is often seen as another miracle repeated in Revelation in chapter 12.
If The Sabbath was a rule already. That would have to make this 15th of Iyar a Sabbath, but they don't seem to be keeping a Sabbath at the moment and no comment is made on it. Yahuah waits till it's Sunday to speak to the people.
If you counted hypothetical Sabbaths backwards from this. The 8th and 1st of that Iyar would have been Sabbaths.
And if the Nisan of the first Passover had 30 days, then it's Sabbaths would have been the 24th, 17th, 10th and 3rd. But if it had 29 days then they would have been the 23rd, 16th, 9th and 2nd.
The latter would happen to fit my model for the Nisan of the Crucifixion as a Thursday supporter. The former would happen to fit what is usually argued for by Wednesday supporters. But you can't get a Friday model from it. That doesn't prove anything but it's amusing. And either of those would put the hypothetical anniversary in advance of The Ascension on the 27th of Iyar, which might be interesting.
Maybe God arranged this so it would happen to fit where The Sabbath would haven been if it'd been being kept since Adam. But either way, I'm convinced now that the origin of The Sabbath as a custom kept by humans is in Exodus 16.
Nehemiah 9:12-15 also states that it was at this time that Yahuah made The Holy Sabbath known to them.
But there is a debate about if it was kept by believers as a custom before the Exodus. We have evidence of what animals are clean and unclean being known in Genesis. But nothing from Genesis 3 on through the first Passover that in any way alludes to Patriarchs or Hebrews keeping The Sabbath.
Now Exodus 16 which is the account of The Manna miracle is constantly cited as proof it was known before the giving of The Law. Indeed the Decalogue in Exodus 19 refers to it as something they already knew.
The thing is, if you study Exodus 16 carefully, it seems to be presenting this story as the origin of The Sabbath. Nothing in here suggests it was already being practiced.
On the 15th day of the Second Month, the Israelites complain. Then Moses tells them what is about to happen. This was BTW the month following the very first Passover.
At evening, when the 16th started, Yahuah's Glory appeared onto them and they eat Quail (and no vice president had to shoot anyone in the face). Then in the morning of that day they found the first Manna.
On the 6th day that the Manna fell they were instructed to gather twice what they usually did so they'd have Manna the following day which they were told not to collect Manna on. And thus that seventh day was named The Sabbath.
Now to many this would be an argument against Christians needing to keep it. I however see no correlation between what we have to keep and what came in with Moses, to me those issues are addressed elsewhere.
I'm writing this here because I feel understanding this could help us understand the Eschatological importance of The Sabbath. Because the Manna is often seen as another miracle repeated in Revelation in chapter 12.
If The Sabbath was a rule already. That would have to make this 15th of Iyar a Sabbath, but they don't seem to be keeping a Sabbath at the moment and no comment is made on it. Yahuah waits till it's Sunday to speak to the people.
If you counted hypothetical Sabbaths backwards from this. The 8th and 1st of that Iyar would have been Sabbaths.
And if the Nisan of the first Passover had 30 days, then it's Sabbaths would have been the 24th, 17th, 10th and 3rd. But if it had 29 days then they would have been the 23rd, 16th, 9th and 2nd.
The latter would happen to fit my model for the Nisan of the Crucifixion as a Thursday supporter. The former would happen to fit what is usually argued for by Wednesday supporters. But you can't get a Friday model from it. That doesn't prove anything but it's amusing. And either of those would put the hypothetical anniversary in advance of The Ascension on the 27th of Iyar, which might be interesting.
Maybe God arranged this so it would happen to fit where The Sabbath would haven been if it'd been being kept since Adam. But either way, I'm convinced now that the origin of The Sabbath as a custom kept by humans is in Exodus 16.
Nehemiah 9:12-15 also states that it was at this time that Yahuah made The Holy Sabbath known to them.
Monday, January 25, 2016
The Eschatological significance of The Spring Feasts
It is popularly said the Spring Feast of Leviticus 23 were fulfilled in the First Advent and the Fall Feasts will be the Second Advent. And that is mostly true, but the Fall Feasts do come up in the Gospel narrative.
Jesus' Crucifixion is the most important fulfillment of Passover. But I think it has post shadowings as well as foreshadowings. In the Book of Acts, Passover (incorrectly translated Easter once in the KJV) and Unleavened Bread continue to come up well after the Pentecost on which The Church was born.
This is a follow up of sorts to my recent post on the Fall Feasts. That was focused on the Midway Point, this post will deal with how the Week begins and ends. So like The Godfather Part II it is a prequel and a sequel at the same time.
I shall interpret the time periods from Revelation 11-13 (I'll mention Daniel's too, but I no longer feel Daniel's need to be Eschatological). The math I did with my current 2030-2037 theory in mind, but I did similar calculations before with other years. I encourage you to do your own calculations.
Revelation 11:1-2 says Jerusalem will be trodden under the foot of the Gentiles for 42 months. Many have come up with all kinds of convoluted explanations of what that means, but using Scripture to interpret Scripture this is explained by Luke 21:24 as clearly an expression of military occupation.
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." and the next verse is the Second Coming and The Rapture. Luke 21:20 through the first part of this verse I believe was fulfilled in 70 AD and Revelation 11 is the last part of the times of the gentiles. But if it has a second fulfillment in the End Times, I believe it is at the start of the week not the midway point.
After the Two Witnesses are resurrected and ascend into heaven the people of the city (who we were told at the start are mostly gentiles) will believe and praise God, then the Last Trumpet sounds. That is when the Fullness of the Gentiles are come in (Romans 11:25).
The 42 months I don't think necessarily need to be fulfilled to the day, they're broadly the same time period as the 1260 days but different in the specifics. 42 months before Yom Teruah takes us to (assuming there is a second Adar in there) the New Moon of Nisan three and a half years before. Allowing wiggle room the siege could happen a little before or after.
The possibly that something will happen in the last month before the Week begins is logical, in the last month of the year the Barley Harvest is what lets Israel know the next New Moon will be the New Year. Ezra 6:15 tells us the Second Temple was finished on the 3rd of Adar. It is possible the Third Temple will be finished right before the Week begins, but I also think it possible it could last awhile before it begins.
The Two Witnesses will be killed three and a half days before Yom Teruah. 1260 days before that takes us to about, depending on when the proceeding Barley Harvest is, either the 7th of Nisan or 7th of Iyar. Ezra 3:8 tells us Iyar was when Zeubabel and Jeshua began their work, they are considered types of the Two Witnesses so the Witnesses beginning their ministry in Iyar makes sense. The 7th of Nisan is traditionally conjectured from the narrative of Joshua to be when his two spies were sent into Jericho, they too are types of the Witnesses.
I've argued before that the 1290 days are the first half of the Week not the second as usually assumed. I've gone back and forth on if the Abomination of Desolation should begin or end it. Either way what does happen at the beginning is the sacrifice and oblation being taken away.
If the 1290 days end on Yom Teruah then they could begin about either the 10th of Nisan or exactly a month before. I could also see when they end being 10 days before or 10 days after. If the earlier month for this is what happens it'd be the same with the Two Witnesses, and visa versa. The 10th of Nisan I think will be important either way.
My theory on the first 6 seals is they happen very quickly in the Nisan that begins the Week. The White Horseman might be the Antichrist before his death, or might be an anitchrist and/or a decoy antichrist. Christians who want to co-opt the Rabbinic concept of Messiah Ben-Joseph as someone separate from Jesus could easily see that figure in the White Horseman. The other three horseman will ride at about the same time, maybe as his allies or maybe as his enemies.
Whatever identity for him is true, I think he'll have his own Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan. Maybe as someone many Jews and Christians will accept as a Messiah, or maybe as a conqueror. And then maybe given a Crown on the 14th of Nisan. And maybe killed on either the 14th or 26th of Nisan. Cause either way for most of the first half of the Week the First Beast isn't a factor.
The Fifth Seal is a heavenly event, it shows all Martyrs of the Church, not just victims of a specific persecution. But it's opening could still correlate to a specific persecution, like the one Jesus described in Matthew 24:9-14.
I've argued before that the Sixth Seal will open on the 14th of Nisan based on it's connection to Acts 2 and Joel 2 making the Earthquake and Darkness when Jesus was on The Cross it's near fulfillment.
I had argued then the 144,000 are sealed in Revelation 7 on Pentecost, I still feel they're connected to Pentecost but they're also called the First fruits in Revelation 14 so I now think their sealing will begin on First Fruits.
In one Seventh Trumpet post I talked about how Jewish custom has the Last Trump on Yom Teruh and the First Trumpet on Pentecost. Connecting Trumpets to Pentecost is justified by Exodus 19-20 where in the third month when the Decalogue was given on Pentecost the Trumpets were sounded.
I think on the Pentecost following the start of the Week the 144,00 will be saved sparking a massive revival, the latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a repeat of the Pentecost of Acts 2. Their Prayers will fill the golden Censor in the Heavenly Temple, it'll be thrown into the Earth causing more Earthquakes and thunder and lighting. Then the Trumpets will be given to their Angels and the first will sound burning up the green grass and trees right as the Harvest season is starting.
I have no theories yet on when the 2nd-4th Trumpets will sound. I have a post where I discus the timing of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets. Where I conjecture the Five Months the locust torment men will end on the 17th of Nisan, the day Jesus Rose, and Haman was hanged.
The text of Daniel 12 does not in any explicit way link the end of the 1290 days to the Sacrifices being restored. It could be they're are restored 2300 mornings and evenings (1250 days, about 37 lunar months, 3 years) after their taken away, like Daniel tells us was the case with Antiochus' Abomination. But in this case that wouldn't end on Hanukkah but in the Nisan that starts year four of the week. Or perhaps they never will be restored.
If one insists the 1290 days need to be the second half. If they begin on Yom Teruh they could end on the last day of Unleavened Bread, if they begin on Yom Kippur they could end on the New Moon of Iyar. Either way fitting what I already suspect that when the Week is over the Israelites won't be able to observe Passover at the proper time and will need to delay to Second Passover. If they begin three and a half, seven or ten days before Yom Teruah. Still not quite allowing everything to be cleansed in time for a proper Passover.
The 42 months the Beast is allowed to continue, if they begin in early Tishri or late Elul would end in about Adar, again not needing to be fulfilled to the day. Purim is when the sons of Haman were hanged.
The 1260 days Israel (The Woman) is in the wilderness begins right after The Rapture, even if they were fleeing in a sense already from the Abomination before. 1260 days from Yom Teruah takes us to about the 20th or 21st of Adar, and 1260 days from Yom Kippur takes us to about the end of Adar and Beginning of Nisan. This is when their Messiah, a namesake of Joshua, will lead them into the Promised Land from Edom, as shown in Isaiah 63.
I think we need to consider that how the Armageddon reference in the 6th Bowl ties into Revelation 19 isn't quite what we assume. And also that Satan being sealed in the Abyss is not the same day as Revelation 19 either.
I now respond to Post-Tribbers who say everyone else believes in more then one Second Comings by pointing out that Revelation 19 is never Biblically defined as the Second Coming. Revelation 14 is where the Greek word Paursia is used.
Zechariah 12-14 is one vision but it has pieces, 9-11 are a separate vision. Chapter 12 has the reference to Meggido/Armageddon, Chapter 13 has a possible illusion to the Idol Shepherd of chapter 11 being dealt with, and I think maybe the two thirds who are cut off and die are the armies following the Beast in Revelation 19 not Israelites as people often assume, two thirds of all gentiles, or the world's total population.
And Chapter 14 depicts Jerusalem still under siege, perhaps from Satan directly this time. And Jesus Second Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. This one will also be on the 10th of Nisan, this time He'll be riding on a White Horse. And given a Coronation on the 14th or 15th of Nisan. And perhaps raise from the dead whoever among the saved are still not yet raised on First Fruits (Ezekiel 37). So this Nisan will be important even though the Passover won't be kept till the following month.
The 1335 days is the one number form Daniel I'm most certain on. It begins on the Yom Teruah that finished Revelation 11 and ends early in Sivan. There is a strong possibility of it ending on Pentecost or the Sabbath the day before Pentecost. No matter what the next Sunday after will be the Biblical date of Pentecost.
Pentecost as the day the Church Age began, and the Day Israel as born as a Nation with the giving of the Covenant in Exodus 19-20, fits perfectly as the day to formally begin The Millennium, or the Government that will rule The Millennium and a little after. Because as I said before the only event that happens right when the Thousand years expire is Satan being released. So I think the end of the 1335 days will be when Satan is bound in The Abyss.
Will the Spring Feats have relevance after The Millennium? Well I think Satan will be released the same day he was bound, on if not near Pentecost. I have a hunch the Gog and Magog war will involves the 17th of Tammuz, 9th of Ave and 3rd of Tishi, because God said in Zechariah he'd make their Fast Days joyous celebrations.
Seven years after 3rd of Tishri fits what I said on the Fall Feasts about New Jerusalem and Tabernacles. Seven months later may mean they'll be finished cleaning up the dead bodies after Passover and need to do one last Second Passover.
So that is my view of the End Times relevance of the Spring Feasts.
Jesus' Crucifixion is the most important fulfillment of Passover. But I think it has post shadowings as well as foreshadowings. In the Book of Acts, Passover (incorrectly translated Easter once in the KJV) and Unleavened Bread continue to come up well after the Pentecost on which The Church was born.
This is a follow up of sorts to my recent post on the Fall Feasts. That was focused on the Midway Point, this post will deal with how the Week begins and ends. So like The Godfather Part II it is a prequel and a sequel at the same time.
I shall interpret the time periods from Revelation 11-13 (I'll mention Daniel's too, but I no longer feel Daniel's need to be Eschatological). The math I did with my current 2030-2037 theory in mind, but I did similar calculations before with other years. I encourage you to do your own calculations.
Revelation 11:1-2 says Jerusalem will be trodden under the foot of the Gentiles for 42 months. Many have come up with all kinds of convoluted explanations of what that means, but using Scripture to interpret Scripture this is explained by Luke 21:24 as clearly an expression of military occupation.
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." and the next verse is the Second Coming and The Rapture. Luke 21:20 through the first part of this verse I believe was fulfilled in 70 AD and Revelation 11 is the last part of the times of the gentiles. But if it has a second fulfillment in the End Times, I believe it is at the start of the week not the midway point.
After the Two Witnesses are resurrected and ascend into heaven the people of the city (who we were told at the start are mostly gentiles) will believe and praise God, then the Last Trumpet sounds. That is when the Fullness of the Gentiles are come in (Romans 11:25).
The 42 months I don't think necessarily need to be fulfilled to the day, they're broadly the same time period as the 1260 days but different in the specifics. 42 months before Yom Teruah takes us to (assuming there is a second Adar in there) the New Moon of Nisan three and a half years before. Allowing wiggle room the siege could happen a little before or after.
The possibly that something will happen in the last month before the Week begins is logical, in the last month of the year the Barley Harvest is what lets Israel know the next New Moon will be the New Year. Ezra 6:15 tells us the Second Temple was finished on the 3rd of Adar. It is possible the Third Temple will be finished right before the Week begins, but I also think it possible it could last awhile before it begins.
The Two Witnesses will be killed three and a half days before Yom Teruah. 1260 days before that takes us to about, depending on when the proceeding Barley Harvest is, either the 7th of Nisan or 7th of Iyar. Ezra 3:8 tells us Iyar was when Zeubabel and Jeshua began their work, they are considered types of the Two Witnesses so the Witnesses beginning their ministry in Iyar makes sense. The 7th of Nisan is traditionally conjectured from the narrative of Joshua to be when his two spies were sent into Jericho, they too are types of the Witnesses.
I've argued before that the 1290 days are the first half of the Week not the second as usually assumed. I've gone back and forth on if the Abomination of Desolation should begin or end it. Either way what does happen at the beginning is the sacrifice and oblation being taken away.
If the 1290 days end on Yom Teruah then they could begin about either the 10th of Nisan or exactly a month before. I could also see when they end being 10 days before or 10 days after. If the earlier month for this is what happens it'd be the same with the Two Witnesses, and visa versa. The 10th of Nisan I think will be important either way.
My theory on the first 6 seals is they happen very quickly in the Nisan that begins the Week. The White Horseman might be the Antichrist before his death, or might be an anitchrist and/or a decoy antichrist. Christians who want to co-opt the Rabbinic concept of Messiah Ben-Joseph as someone separate from Jesus could easily see that figure in the White Horseman. The other three horseman will ride at about the same time, maybe as his allies or maybe as his enemies.
Whatever identity for him is true, I think he'll have his own Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan. Maybe as someone many Jews and Christians will accept as a Messiah, or maybe as a conqueror. And then maybe given a Crown on the 14th of Nisan. And maybe killed on either the 14th or 26th of Nisan. Cause either way for most of the first half of the Week the First Beast isn't a factor.
The Fifth Seal is a heavenly event, it shows all Martyrs of the Church, not just victims of a specific persecution. But it's opening could still correlate to a specific persecution, like the one Jesus described in Matthew 24:9-14.
I've argued before that the Sixth Seal will open on the 14th of Nisan based on it's connection to Acts 2 and Joel 2 making the Earthquake and Darkness when Jesus was on The Cross it's near fulfillment.
I had argued then the 144,000 are sealed in Revelation 7 on Pentecost, I still feel they're connected to Pentecost but they're also called the First fruits in Revelation 14 so I now think their sealing will begin on First Fruits.
In one Seventh Trumpet post I talked about how Jewish custom has the Last Trump on Yom Teruh and the First Trumpet on Pentecost. Connecting Trumpets to Pentecost is justified by Exodus 19-20 where in the third month when the Decalogue was given on Pentecost the Trumpets were sounded.
I think on the Pentecost following the start of the Week the 144,00 will be saved sparking a massive revival, the latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a repeat of the Pentecost of Acts 2. Their Prayers will fill the golden Censor in the Heavenly Temple, it'll be thrown into the Earth causing more Earthquakes and thunder and lighting. Then the Trumpets will be given to their Angels and the first will sound burning up the green grass and trees right as the Harvest season is starting.
I have no theories yet on when the 2nd-4th Trumpets will sound. I have a post where I discus the timing of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets. Where I conjecture the Five Months the locust torment men will end on the 17th of Nisan, the day Jesus Rose, and Haman was hanged.
The text of Daniel 12 does not in any explicit way link the end of the 1290 days to the Sacrifices being restored. It could be they're are restored 2300 mornings and evenings (1250 days, about 37 lunar months, 3 years) after their taken away, like Daniel tells us was the case with Antiochus' Abomination. But in this case that wouldn't end on Hanukkah but in the Nisan that starts year four of the week. Or perhaps they never will be restored.
If one insists the 1290 days need to be the second half. If they begin on Yom Teruh they could end on the last day of Unleavened Bread, if they begin on Yom Kippur they could end on the New Moon of Iyar. Either way fitting what I already suspect that when the Week is over the Israelites won't be able to observe Passover at the proper time and will need to delay to Second Passover. If they begin three and a half, seven or ten days before Yom Teruah. Still not quite allowing everything to be cleansed in time for a proper Passover.
The 42 months the Beast is allowed to continue, if they begin in early Tishri or late Elul would end in about Adar, again not needing to be fulfilled to the day. Purim is when the sons of Haman were hanged.
The 1260 days Israel (The Woman) is in the wilderness begins right after The Rapture, even if they were fleeing in a sense already from the Abomination before. 1260 days from Yom Teruah takes us to about the 20th or 21st of Adar, and 1260 days from Yom Kippur takes us to about the end of Adar and Beginning of Nisan. This is when their Messiah, a namesake of Joshua, will lead them into the Promised Land from Edom, as shown in Isaiah 63.
I think we need to consider that how the Armageddon reference in the 6th Bowl ties into Revelation 19 isn't quite what we assume. And also that Satan being sealed in the Abyss is not the same day as Revelation 19 either.
I now respond to Post-Tribbers who say everyone else believes in more then one Second Comings by pointing out that Revelation 19 is never Biblically defined as the Second Coming. Revelation 14 is where the Greek word Paursia is used.
Zechariah 12-14 is one vision but it has pieces, 9-11 are a separate vision. Chapter 12 has the reference to Meggido/Armageddon, Chapter 13 has a possible illusion to the Idol Shepherd of chapter 11 being dealt with, and I think maybe the two thirds who are cut off and die are the armies following the Beast in Revelation 19 not Israelites as people often assume, two thirds of all gentiles, or the world's total population.
And Chapter 14 depicts Jerusalem still under siege, perhaps from Satan directly this time. And Jesus Second Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. This one will also be on the 10th of Nisan, this time He'll be riding on a White Horse. And given a Coronation on the 14th or 15th of Nisan. And perhaps raise from the dead whoever among the saved are still not yet raised on First Fruits (Ezekiel 37). So this Nisan will be important even though the Passover won't be kept till the following month.
The 1335 days is the one number form Daniel I'm most certain on. It begins on the Yom Teruah that finished Revelation 11 and ends early in Sivan. There is a strong possibility of it ending on Pentecost or the Sabbath the day before Pentecost. No matter what the next Sunday after will be the Biblical date of Pentecost.
Pentecost as the day the Church Age began, and the Day Israel as born as a Nation with the giving of the Covenant in Exodus 19-20, fits perfectly as the day to formally begin The Millennium, or the Government that will rule The Millennium and a little after. Because as I said before the only event that happens right when the Thousand years expire is Satan being released. So I think the end of the 1335 days will be when Satan is bound in The Abyss.
Will the Spring Feats have relevance after The Millennium? Well I think Satan will be released the same day he was bound, on if not near Pentecost. I have a hunch the Gog and Magog war will involves the 17th of Tammuz, 9th of Ave and 3rd of Tishi, because God said in Zechariah he'd make their Fast Days joyous celebrations.
Seven years after 3rd of Tishri fits what I said on the Fall Feasts about New Jerusalem and Tabernacles. Seven months later may mean they'll be finished cleaning up the dead bodies after Passover and need to do one last Second Passover.
So that is my view of the End Times relevance of the Spring Feasts.
Monday, October 12, 2015
The Month of Iyar and Second Passover
Zif is the month Solomon began building The Temple according to 1 Kings 6 and II Chronicles 3. Zif being the Month now known as Iyar.
The Ascension which was 40 days after the Resurrection was in Iyar, most likely the 27th or 28th.
Pesach Sheini (Second Passover) on the 14th of Iyar, the month following Passover, I find interesting. It's there to allow a second chance at Passover if for some reason you couldn't observe it when it actually happened (as explained in Numbers 9:6-12). It's the only major Feast day for which this second chance is allotted in The Torah, it is also thematically affiliated with second chances.
At least twice in the History of Ancient Israel, the entire nation collectively had to use it. During the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah. It was during this special Passover of Josiah that many survivors of the Northern Kingdom returned South, the narrative specifically singles out many of Asher being among those. I think the Ancestors of Anna The Prophetess of Luke 2 are among those.
In Ezra 3:8-9 the Second Month is linked to Zerubbabel and Jeshua beginning their work. They are considered types of the Two Witnesses because of Zachariah 4.
You should Study Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 remembering that he didn't get to finish. What he'd repeatably demonstrated was that Israel constantly failed to obey God the first time but got it right the second time. It's pretty clear his intended climax was going to be that they would accept Jesus as their Messiah when he came the second time. Romans 11 makes it clear Israel's current spiritual blindness isn't permanent, Hosea 5:15 I believe makes Israel's salvation the trigger of the Second Coming. Luke 13 also backs this up.
So, I think Second Passover is linked to this point of Stephen's sermon. Now I'd already come to this hypothesis before I looked up the History and noticed that ALL the major national Holidays of modern Israel are in the month of Iyar, the same month as the 2nd Passover. The 5th of Iyar is their Independence day (The previous day being their Veteran's memorial day). The Battle at Degania was the 11th. The surrender of Nazi Germany, Suicide of Adolf Hitler, and the Liberation of various Concentration Camps where all in this month. But best of all of the Unification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War is the 28th.
Everything above I'd originally said in different places a long time ago. Recently I've come to strongly suspect the Two Witnesses may begin their ministry in Iyar.
That Solomon began building his Temple in Iyar, could also be reason to suspect Ezekiel's Temple will be built in Iyar.
It is the proper Biblical Rekconing of Iyar not the Rabbinic one we should pay attention to however.
There could be a dark-side to Iyar's significance as well (maybe already has if you're someone critical of the modern state of Israel). Iyar could also be when construction of The Temple the Antichrist will desecrate begins construction. Solomon can in some ways be a type of the Antichrist as much as Jesus. And if something is being done specifically to device mainstream modern Judaism, the Rabbinic calendar would likely be used. The Rabbinic Jewish festival of Lag B'Omer falls on the 18th of Iyar, the 33rd day of the Omer (as the Rabbis incorrectly reckon it).
Romans 8 tells us all things work together for good. So bad things happening at this time could be linked to good happening.
Occult Holidays like Walpurgisnacht and Beltaine frequently fall during Iyar. As does the secular May Day. I mentioned the day Hitler died above, Hitler killed himself on May 1st because it (and May 5th somewhat less well known) are occult holidays. I believe I'd checked once before and May 1st 1776 on which the Bavarian Illuminati was founded also fell in Iyar.
I've also already mentioned on this Blog how May 6th was originally Apollo's birthday in Ancient Greece (and May 7th Artemis) it was Augustus who made his Birthday September 23rd the day to celebrate Apollo. And Apollyon is a name for Apollo.
I oppose the Blood Moon theory for a few reasons. One being that I think The Bible avoids referencing Full Moons directly because Full Moons are important to the occult. So the occultists could find it significant when a Lunar Eclipse is the Full Moon closest to Belltaine. Which interestingly happens in 2032-2033.
The Ascension which was 40 days after the Resurrection was in Iyar, most likely the 27th or 28th.
Pesach Sheini (Second Passover) on the 14th of Iyar, the month following Passover, I find interesting. It's there to allow a second chance at Passover if for some reason you couldn't observe it when it actually happened (as explained in Numbers 9:6-12). It's the only major Feast day for which this second chance is allotted in The Torah, it is also thematically affiliated with second chances.
At least twice in the History of Ancient Israel, the entire nation collectively had to use it. During the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah. It was during this special Passover of Josiah that many survivors of the Northern Kingdom returned South, the narrative specifically singles out many of Asher being among those. I think the Ancestors of Anna The Prophetess of Luke 2 are among those.
In Ezra 3:8-9 the Second Month is linked to Zerubbabel and Jeshua beginning their work. They are considered types of the Two Witnesses because of Zachariah 4.
You should Study Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 remembering that he didn't get to finish. What he'd repeatably demonstrated was that Israel constantly failed to obey God the first time but got it right the second time. It's pretty clear his intended climax was going to be that they would accept Jesus as their Messiah when he came the second time. Romans 11 makes it clear Israel's current spiritual blindness isn't permanent, Hosea 5:15 I believe makes Israel's salvation the trigger of the Second Coming. Luke 13 also backs this up.
So, I think Second Passover is linked to this point of Stephen's sermon. Now I'd already come to this hypothesis before I looked up the History and noticed that ALL the major national Holidays of modern Israel are in the month of Iyar, the same month as the 2nd Passover. The 5th of Iyar is their Independence day (The previous day being their Veteran's memorial day). The Battle at Degania was the 11th. The surrender of Nazi Germany, Suicide of Adolf Hitler, and the Liberation of various Concentration Camps where all in this month. But best of all of the Unification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War is the 28th.
Everything above I'd originally said in different places a long time ago. Recently I've come to strongly suspect the Two Witnesses may begin their ministry in Iyar.
That Solomon began building his Temple in Iyar, could also be reason to suspect Ezekiel's Temple will be built in Iyar.
It is the proper Biblical Rekconing of Iyar not the Rabbinic one we should pay attention to however.
There could be a dark-side to Iyar's significance as well (maybe already has if you're someone critical of the modern state of Israel). Iyar could also be when construction of The Temple the Antichrist will desecrate begins construction. Solomon can in some ways be a type of the Antichrist as much as Jesus. And if something is being done specifically to device mainstream modern Judaism, the Rabbinic calendar would likely be used. The Rabbinic Jewish festival of Lag B'Omer falls on the 18th of Iyar, the 33rd day of the Omer (as the Rabbis incorrectly reckon it).
Romans 8 tells us all things work together for good. So bad things happening at this time could be linked to good happening.
Occult Holidays like Walpurgisnacht and Beltaine frequently fall during Iyar. As does the secular May Day. I mentioned the day Hitler died above, Hitler killed himself on May 1st because it (and May 5th somewhat less well known) are occult holidays. I believe I'd checked once before and May 1st 1776 on which the Bavarian Illuminati was founded also fell in Iyar.
I've also already mentioned on this Blog how May 6th was originally Apollo's birthday in Ancient Greece (and May 7th Artemis) it was Augustus who made his Birthday September 23rd the day to celebrate Apollo. And Apollyon is a name for Apollo.
I oppose the Blood Moon theory for a few reasons. One being that I think The Bible avoids referencing Full Moons directly because Full Moons are important to the occult. So the occultists could find it significant when a Lunar Eclipse is the Full Moon closest to Belltaine. Which interestingly happens in 2032-2033.
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