What Year Is This?

July 29, 2024

by: Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President

Are we in the year 2024? Or is this the year 5784? Depending on your perspective, either one is correct.

The date 2024 refers to the number of years since the birth of Jesus (Yeshua). As Christians, it is very special to us that time is measured in this manner. The Jewish people, on the other hand, mark time from creation. According to their calendar, this year marks 5,784 years since Creation. Other people groups have their own calendars.

A simple internet search shows that there are six major calendars in use around the world. The Gregorian calendar that we use today is a solar calendar, while the Hebrew and biblical calendars are lunar, based on the movements of the moon. In Israel, both calendars are used. When you pick up an Israeli newspaper, you will see both dates at the top of the page.

When we moved to Israel, I was quite surprised to find out that Israel’s Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) was not celebrated on May 14. I knew Israel had become a nation on May 14, 1948, so I was quite confused. I found out that every important day in Israel is celebrated or honored according to the date on the Hebrew calendar, while businesses use the Gregorian calendar to stay in sync with the rest of the world. When my husband and I were granted permanent residence in Israel, one of the things we had to supply were the dates of our birthdays and wedding anniversary according to the Hebrew calendar.

On God’s Calendar

In the Bible, God instituted a series of holy days called feasts (Lev. 23), each with a specific date. Those dates are calculated using the Hebrew calendar. Jesus and His disciples celebrated many of these feasts. In fact, many of the important events in Christianity occurred on these days. For instance, the Christian holiday of Pentecost occurred on the biblical holiday of Shavuot, which is Hebrew for weeks, and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus occurred during Passover and the Feast of Firstfruits. Rarely do they occur on the same dates because the Jewish people keep the feasts on the Hebrew calendar and Christians celebrate the Christian holy days according to the Gregorian calendar.

Before the Babylonian captivity, the months of the year were generally identified by number, thus the first month, second month and so on. However, the Jewish people who returned to the Land of Israel from captivity in Babylon brought back names for the months, which were incorporated into the language and are still used today. Six of these names are found in the Scripture, namely Nisan (the first month, mentioned in Nehemiah 2:1 and Esther 3:7), Sivan, Elul, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat and Adar.

Interestingly, the first month in the Bible does not correspond to January and is not in the winter in the northern hemisphere. Rather, it occurs in the springtime in Israel, usually in March or April. Passover falls in the first month, which is called Nisan.

In Israel, the days of the week are identified by their numbers, just like in the Bible. Sunday is the first day of the week and was the first day of Creation. The crowning day of the week, the Sabbath or Shabbat in Hebrew, follows the same pattern for naming the day, with the word Shabbat being a form of the word seven. This is the day that God ordained as a day of rest because He rested from His Creation. In Jewish thought, the day begins at sundown and ends at sundown on the following day. This is because it says, “So the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:5).

Where Are We Now?

As we near the fall months, the biblical and the Jewish historical calendars are rich. Beginning with the month of Av, the Jewish people remember some of the greatest tragedies in their history. The destruction of both the First and Second Temples occurred on the 9th day of the month of Av, which falls in July or August.

The next month is Elul, usually in August or September, and is a month often devoted to deep repentance and prayer. During this month, devout Jews recite Psalm 27 twice a day.

Then comes the month of Tishrei, usually in September or October, which the Bible calls the seventh month. On the first day of the seventh month, God called His people to join together for the Feast of Trumpets, which is also called Rosh HaShanah.

The next 10 days are referred to in Judaism as the 10 Days of Awe, as Jewish people prepare themselves for the holiest day of the year on the biblical calendar. The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of the seventh month. This is a day of total fasting from all food and liquid. Today in Israel, about 80% of the Jewish population fast on this day. The Bible says it is to be a “sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls…” (Lev. 23:32a).

Also in the seventh month is the joyous holiday of Sukkot, known in English as the Feast of Tabernacles. This weeklong holiday is a festive time and starts on the 15th of the month. Booths or huts are built, and the people dwell in the booths as a reminder that God provided for the Children of Israel when they lived in flimsy dwellings after He brought them out of Egypt. Sukkot ends with the holiday of Simchat Torah (rejoicing in the Torah).

The Bottom Line

As you read your Bible, remember that Scripture has a hebraic culture and the calendar mentioned is a lunar one. When the prophet Haggai wrote in his prophetic message about the sixth and seventh months, he wasn’t talking about June and July but rather about Elul and Tishrei. There are many things in Scripture that would have been apparent to the original hearers that we miss because we don’t understand simple things like calendars. Let’s dig deeper.

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