The Jewish Calendar and Its Significance to the Modern-Day Believer
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The Jewish Calendar
What is the Significance for the Modern Day Believer?
The Jewish, or Hebraic, calendar differs from the traditional Gregorian calendar we use today. It is based on the earth’s rotation around its axis (one day), the moon’s rotation around the earth (average 29 ½ days), and the earth’s rotation around the sun (365 ¼ days).
Because the rotations are slightly longer than the traditional calendar, holidays and festivals do not always appear at the same time according to the Gregorian calendar—but are consistent with the Hebraic calendar. it might also be noted that on the Jewish calendar, feast celebrations are observed from sundown the day before the holiday, to sundown the day of the holiday.
Because God has provided a divine order and instruction through scripture, we at Curt Landry Ministries enjoy celebrating the historical and biblical significance of the Jewish holidays. We do observe the Feasts of the Lord—set apart by God in Leviticus 23—for all his people. We understand that as we place our feet beneath His table during His chosen times, we receive the commanded blessings. We believe there are great blessings that flow from understanding God’s appointed times and seasons.
ROSH HASHANAH (FEAST OF TRUMPETS)
SEPTEMBER 15th-17th, 2023
Literally means “head of the year,” the Jewish New Year is celebrated on the first or second day of Tishrei. It is a time to put the past year to rest, learn from experiences, and welcome in the year ahead. It is a time of transition for a Believer from who you were, into greater revelation of who you will be in Christ. Rosh Hashanah is also the beginning of a ten-day period that ends with Yom Kippur, referred to as the Days of Awe—a period of introspection and repentance.
SEPTEMBER 24th-25th, 2023
Considered the holiest day of the Jewish year, it is a day of repentance and fasting. It takes place on the 10th of Tishrei. This is a time of corporate repentance—making amends in the areas where Believers have sinned throughout the previous year. Referred to in Leviticus 16 as a time of “affliction,” Believers understand the underlying joy that they serve an ever-forgiving God who desires to show mercy and forgiveness when they return to Him.
SEPTEMBER 29th- OCTOBER 6th, 2023
A seven-night festival that commemorates the years that the Israelites wandered in the desert after their exodus from Egypt. It takes place on the 15th of Tishrei. It is one of the three Pilgrim Feasts when all Jewish men were required to journey to Jerusalem and bring an offering to the Lord. Following Yom Kippur, it is a transition from godly sorrow to unreserved joy, as Believers remember, just as their spiritual forefathers did, God’s great protection and provision.
HANUKKAH (FEAST OF DEDICATION/FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS)
DECEMBER 7th-15th, 2023
A celebration to commemorate the Maccabean Revolt that took place between 167-160 BC. Hanukkah takes place on the 25th of Kislev. The Jewish rebellion featured thousands of Jews fighting for their right to practice their faith. Against all odds, the Jewish rebels defeated the Syrians (who were under Greek control) in the war, which allowed them to restore the ancient temple in Jerusalem that had been sacked and desecrated by Greek forces. It was during this time that God miraculously provided oil for eight days/nights in the temple for the menorah; it is in honor of this that the Hanukkiah (an eight-branched candelabra) is traditionally lit for eight nights—to celebrate the miracle of God’s provision. Therefore, Hanukkah is not only a celebration of the Jews’ miraculous victory in the Maccabean War, but also a time of recognition of God’s presence in our lives, even during our darkest hours.
TU B’SHEVAT (TU BISHVAT)
JANUARY 24th-25th, 2024
This Jewish holiday is referred to as Israel’s Arbor Day. Tu B’Shevat is about restoring the earth to what the Lord designed it to be—a place that produces and multiplies life for us to take dominion of, cultivate, and enjoy. It falls on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Rooted in the creation story, it is a reminder that we are to care for the land. On the third day God said, “…’Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so.”—Genesis 1:11
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
JANUARY 27th, 2024
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day commemorating the horrific events of the Holocaust that took place during WWII. It is observed on January 27 each year. January 27th, 1945 was the day that Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp, was liberated by the Red Army.
March 23rd-24th, 2024
A Jewish Feast celebrating God’s miraculous act of saving the Jewish nation through the orphan named Esther. It is celebrated on the 14th of Adar late winter/early spring. Each year families gather together, dress in costume, eat delicacies, and retell the story of God’s faithfulness to His people. Believers celebrate this holiday by praying for peace, supporting and standing beside the nation of Israel, and remembering God’s faithful promise to restore His people.
PESACH (PASSOVER/FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD)
APRIL 22nd -30th 2024
A Jewish Feast that commemorates God’s hand setting the Israelites free from Egyptian slavery. It begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan (Jewish calendar). Passover is a memorial to God’s deliverance of His people in the Old Testament, and a picture of ultimate redemption through Yeshua’s blood as the Passover Lamb in the New Testament. It is celebrated among Believers today as a time to take inventory of spiritual growth during the past year and ask the Holy Spirit to show areas of continual growth for the year ahead.
YOM HASHOAH (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
MAY 4th-5th, 2024
Marked on the 26th of Nisan, Yom Hashoah is the day of commemoration of approximately 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust between 1933 to 1945.
YOM HAZIKARON
MAY 12th-13th, 2024
Marked on the 2nd of Iyar. The day before Israel’s Independence Day is a memorial day for those who lost their lives in the establishment of the State of Israel and all Israeli soldiers killed while in active duty.
YOM HA’ATZMAUT (ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY)
MAY 12th- 13th, 2023
Marked on the 3rd of Iyar, Israel celebrates the official establishment of their State in 1948. This year, 5784/2024, celebrates the 76th anniversary of the State of Israel.
Israel’s Independence Day is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar, but depending on what day of the week that the 5th of Iyar falls, this holiday can also be celebrated on either the 3rd, 4th, or 6th day of Iyar. Israel Independence Day can also be celebrated on May 14th according to the Gregorian calendar, which commemorates the anniversary of the establishment of Israel on May 14, 1948.
YOM YERUSHALAYIM (JERUSALEM DAY)
JUNE 4th- 5th, 2024
Marked on the 28th of Iyar, six weeks after Passover, Yom Yerushalayim is the most recent holiday on the Jewish Calendar. It is a celebration of the reunification of Israel’s capital after the Israeli army took over the eastern party of the city on the third day of the Six Day War.
JUNE 11th- 13th, 2024
A celebration of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It includes giving offerings to the Lord and a call to holiness. The Jews were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot when the tongues of fire fell in the upper room on what we now refer to as Pentecost (see Acts 2). Shavuot and Pentecost share the same day but they are celebrated in honor of two different events: The giving of the Torah (or instruction), and the giving of the Holy Spirit with manifestation of fire.
AUGUST 12th- 13th, 2024
A day of fasting and repentance to commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Both destroyed on the 9th of Av. The First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. It’s also a day of mourning due to other tragedies the Jewish people faced that occurred on the same date in history.
ROSH HASHANAH (FEAST OF TRUMPETS)
OCTOBER 2nd-4th, 2024
Literally means “head of the year,” the Jewish New Year is celebrated on the first or second day of Tishrei. It is a time to put the past year to rest, learn from experiences, and welcome in the year ahead. It is a time of transition for a Believer from who you were, into greater revelation of who you will be in Christ. Rosh Hashanah is also the beginning of a ten-day period that ends with Yom Kippur, referred to as the Days of Awe—a period of introspection and repentance.
OCTOBER 11th-12th, 2024
Considered the holiest day of the Jewish year, it is a day of repentance and fasting. It takes place on the 10th of Tishrei. This is a time of corporate repentance—making amends in the areas where Believers have sinned throughout the previous year. Referred to in Leviticus 16 as a time of “affliction,” Believers understand the underlying joy that they serve an ever-forgiving God who desires to show mercy and forgiveness when they return to Him.
OCTOBER 16th-23rd, 2024
A seven-night festival that commemorates the years that the Israelites wandered in the desert after their exodus from Egypt. It takes place on the 15th of Tishrei. It is one of the three Pilgrim Feasts when all Jewish men were required to journey to Jerusalem and bring an offering to the Lord. Following Yom Kippur, it is a transition from godly sorrow to unreserved joy, as Believers remember, just as their spiritual forefathers did, God’s great protection and provision.
HANUKKAH (FEAST OF DEDICATION/FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS)
DECEMBER 25th-JANUARY 2nd, 2024
A celebration to commemorate the Maccabean Revolt that took place between 167-160 BC. Hanukkah takes place on the 25th of Kislev. The Jewish rebellion featured thousands of Jews fighting for their right to practice their faith. Against all odds, the Jewish rebels defeated the Syrians (who were under Greek control) in the war, which allowed them to restore the ancient temple in Jerusalem that had been sacked and desecrated by Greek forces. It was during this time that God miraculously provided oil for eight days/nights in the temple for the menorah; it is in honor of this that the Hanukkiah (an eight-branched candelabra) is traditionally lit for eight nights—to celebrate the miracle of God’s provision. Therefore, Hanukkah is not only a celebration of the Jews’ miraculous victory in the Maccabean War, but also a time of recognition of God’s presence in our lives, even during our darkest hours.
TU B’SHEVAT (TU BISHVAT)
FEBURARY 12th-13th, 2025
This Jewish holiday is referred to as Israel’s Arbor Day. Tu B’Shevat is about restoring the earth to what the Lord designed it to be—a place that produces and multiplies life for us to take dominion of, cultivate, and enjoy. It falls on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Rooted in the creation story, it is a reminder that we are to care for the land. On the third day God said, “…’Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so.”—Genesis 1:11 [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]