This is our current understanding of the Biblical Solar Calendar.
Sabbath
- Sabbath is every seventh day and coincides with the Gregorian Saturday. There is never less than seven days between weekly Sabbaths, and there is never more than seven days between weekly Sabbaths.
If you ever see a calendar where the weekly Sabbath is not on the same day as the Gregorian Saturday, you can completely disregard it without any further consideration. The Sabbath has not and never will change. It is ALWAYS every seventh day.
This is the only reason we refer to the days of the week with the commonly used names. It is simply for the purpose of coordinating with the widely understood Gregorian calendar.
The Year
- The year begins in the Spring.
- The year begins on the fourth day of the week, coinciding with the Gregorian Wednesday.
- Specifically, the year begins on the fourth day of the week following the Spring equinox.
- The year consists of 364 days, which is 52 weeks of 7 days. Because the earth’s orbit around the sun is approximately 365.25 days, every five or six years it is necessary to add an intercalation week at the end of the year.
- The four seasons each consist of 13 weeks, or 91 days, made up of three months of 30, 30, and 31 days.
Feast Days
- Passover is on the evening of the 14th day of the first month. Passover will always be on the evening of the third day of the week.
- The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of the first month and ends on the 21st day of the first month. This seven day Feast always begins on the fourth day of the week. The first day and the seventh day are annual Sabbaths.
- The Waving of the Firstfruits (Omer) is on first day of the week, on the day after the weekly Sabbath following the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is the 26th day of the first month. This begins a seven week, or 50 day (inclusive) count to the Feast of Weeks.
- The Feast of Weeks is at the conclusion of the 50 day count from the waving of the Omer, which is the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week. This day is an annual Sabbath. It begins a 50-day (inclusive) count to the Feast of New Wine.
- The Feast of New Wine is at the conclusion of the 50 day count from the Feast of Weeks, which is the 3rd day of the fifth month on the first day of the week. This begins a 50-day (inclusive) count to the Feast of New Oil.
- The Feast of New Oil is at the conclusion of the 50 day count from the Feast of New Wine, which is the 22nd day of the sixth month on the first day of the week.
- The Wood Offering follows the Feast of New Oil and lasts for six days.
- The Feast of Trumpets is on the first day of the seventh month. This is always on the fourth day of the week. It is an annual Sabbath.
- The Day of Atonement is on the tenth day of the seventh month. This is always on the sixth day of the week. The Day of Atonement begins on the evening of the ninth day of the seventh month. It is an annual Sabbath.
- The Feast of Tabernacles begins on the 15th day of the seventh month and ends on the 21st day of the seventh month. This seven day Feasts always begins on the fourth day of the week. The first day is an annual Sabbath.
- The Eighth Day Assembly is on the 22nd day of the seventh month. It is always on the fourth day of the week. This is an annual Sabbath.
It helps if the Month and date in the Gregorian Calendar is mentioned
Thanks for your comment. I have included both the Gregorian dates and Hillel dates on the calendar page.
Is the day from evening to evening?
Good question Candace. What is the basis for saying evening to evening? Most people point to the seven days of creation. Outside of Genesis 1, can the evening to evening idea be verified? Yom Kippur is described as the evening of the ninth to the evening of the tenth. If the day is evening to evening, why doesn’t it say from the evening beginning the tenth until the evening ending the tenth? Perhaps the 24 books of the Bible (39 in the Christian Old Testament) don’t actually tell us the answer?
Does the month begins on the same day every month?
Thanks for the question.
No, assuming you mean the same day of the week. Each season is a cycle. Since the sun was created on the fourth day of the week, the year (and each season) begins on the fourth day of the week. The first day corresponds to our Gregorian Wednesday, and the fourth day is the Sabbath. Each season consists of three months of 30, 30, and 31 days, and then the cycle repeats.
Spring begins on the first day of the first month; summer on the first day of the fourth month; fall on the first day of the seventh month; winter on first day of the tenth month.
The 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th months begin on the fourth day of the week (Wednesday).
The 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th months begin on the sixth day of the week (Friday).
The 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months begin on the first day of the week (Sunday).
IF someone is going to church on Sunday are they breaking the commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy because its saturday?
Shalom James,
“Going to church on Sunday” has nothing to do with keeping the Sabbath day holy. There is nothing inherently wrong with going to a house of worship on Sunday or any other day of the week. For many in our day, that may be the only option for fellowship. Keeping the Sabbath is an entirely different thing. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, corresponding to what we call Saturday in English. We are commanded to observe that day and keep in holy. We can most certainly keep the Sabbath day holy and still “go to church” the following day. But remember that Sunday is NOT the Sabbath day.