God's Calendar

Have you ever wondered why the Bible does not mention months as we know them as January, February, etc.? Throughout the Word of God, a plethora of instructions, timestamps, and indicators of seasons are given, but they are never in the way we are familiar with. Why is that, and what does God’s calendar really look like?

Gregorian Calendar

The calendar currently in use in our modern age is not as old as one would assume. The Gregorian Calendar, bearing the name of Pope Gregory XIII, was first instituted for official use in 1582 and is what is still in use today. Much like the former standard Julian and Coptic systems, the Gregorian Calendar is based upon a solar structure with 365 days, with one additional day added for Leap Year every four years. Names for each individual month within the Gregorian Calendar derive from various Roman, Greek, and Latin-based influences. January’s name roots from the Roman god of Doors, Janus. February, on the other hand, is sourced from the Roman festival for purification, Februa. March roars in like a lion bearing homage to the god of War, Mars. April is ordained with the Latin word aperire, meaning “to open.” May pays tribute to the Greek goddess, Maia. June also honors a pagan deity, the Roman goddess of childbirth and marriage, Juno. The infamous Julius Caesar is where the name of July emerges from, while August immortalizes Rome’s First Emperor, Augustus. September, October, November, and December are named after Roman numerals seven, eight, nine, and ten, despite covering the ninth through twelfth months. Previously, they were the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth months of the Roman year, but with the addition of July and August to recognize Roman rulers, they were called Quintilis and Sextilis, meaning fifth and sixth months. (1). The Gregorian Calendar stands clearly man-made as it is built upon the foundation of dating systems that came before.

Hebrew Calendar

The Jewish or Hebrew Calendar also revolves around a recurring cycle, but instead of Solar, it utilizes Lunar phases. Each new month begins on the day of the Crescent Moon after the New Moon phase, or the Rosh Chodesh.  The months of the Hebrew Calendar are either 29 or 30 days long, as the Lunar month is 29.5 days in length. The name of the months are: Shevat (sowing righteousness and planning for blooms in generations to come), Adar (true identity, month where Esther’s story is remembered), Nisan (miracles and redemption), Iyyar (natural healing), Sivan (giving, alignment, and mercy), Tammuz (worship, vision, and covenant), Av (original month the Promised Land was to be taken, but the bad report from the Spies shifted Isreal’s willingness to obey), Elul (intimate access to God through Christ’s resurrection), Tishrei (competition, atonement, and harvest), Heshvan (new beginnings, month the Flood began), Kislev (security, trust, and brining things full circle), Tevet (authority and prevailing against enemies)”(4 and 6). These names have been in use since the Babylonian Captivity of the Jewish people in the Sixth Century BC. Ancient documentation and evidence suggest that prior to the Babylonian Captivity, months were identified as simple numerical months; First, Second, etc. The most significant aspect of the Hebrew Calendar is that the start of the year differs from the Gregorian Calendar. According to tradition, “Although the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is celebrated at the beginning of Tishrei, this month is actually the seventh month according to ancient reckoning. The first month is actually Nisan, during which Passover (Pesach) falls. In this manner, the Jewish year begins with God’s great redemptive act at the time of the Exodus from Egypt.” (4). These intentional times are celebrated with prayers, festivals, feasts, and days of remembrance to worship Yahweh.

What Year is It Really?

With two very differing measures of dates and times, it begs the question; what year is it really? Culturally, the year is measured from the Gregorian Calendar, which marks the Common Era at Christ’s birth. Unfortunately, the designers of the system were off by a few years, and Christ Himself was born in the year 4 BC. The Hebrew Calendar, alternatively does not break time at Christ’s birth, but instead measures from the date of Creation of the world in Genesis. There is no Common Era or Before Common Era; rather, it marks the year by the age of the world. By the measure of date of Creation, our present year would be instead in the 5700’s rather than the 2000’s. (3).

What Calendar Should We Use?

As followers of Christ, what is the correct marker of time for us to use today? What is imperative is to remember that God is outside of time, and He is not limited to the boundaries of what we know as the past, present, and future. This was revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14,

“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14

I AM in this context is translated as, ehyeh. In a sense, the Lord’s declaration here is, “I am” is a declaration, “I exist.”  “The Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck represents this widespread understanding when he states, “God is independent, all-sufficient in himself, and the only source of all existence and life. Yahweh is the name that describes this essence and identity most clearly. ... His name is ‘being.'” (5). We must keep this in mind when considering our own times and measures, for all of time is in the hands of the One outside of time, the Creator of time itself. Because of this, what matters most is not necessarily how we measure time, but how we use time on this earth. There is a choice for each person on this earth to use the time that has been given to us for our own glory, or for the glory of God and for His Kingdom. With all this in consideration, perhaps the question of, “what time is it?” is not answered by a numerical date, but in inquiring in this present moment what God would have us do with the time that He has given us.  

Sources:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/whats-name-months-year

https://godtime.blog/biblical-vs-gregorian-calendar/

https://www.galileecalendarcompany.com/differences-between-gregorian-calendar-and-jewish-calendar-systems%E2%80%A8/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-2WfQxoGy5GCEqTnjwk3Vr5K_NdhrYVDwgK5JgHhHxEoSalBT

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/months-of-the-jewish-year/

https://thebiblicalmind.org/article/meaning-of-gods-name-i-am-exodus/

https://www.healinginthehebrewmonths.com/the-hebrew-calendar/#:~:text=The%20months%20of%20the%20Hebrew,Sinai.

NASB