Nehemia 8:2 “So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.”

Finally when Jerusalem’s walls and the Temple was restored, at by chance it was on the 7th month. What is the coincidence, that they finished the work right on time for the Feast of Booths, or as the translators call it : the feast of Tabernacle. See our previous post from Zechariah 14, on the correct name for this feast : Booths and the meaning of it.

A couple of dates are mentioned here in Nehemiah, and even throughout Scripture. For us living in a “western” world, have no idea what the first or seventh month is, and it is not January or July. Click here for a post from Numbers 33, explaining the meaning of our western month and week names (Gregorian and Jewish), and why YHWH uses numbers, month 1, 2, 3, etc.

In Leviticus 23 (click here to read more), we have a list of the 7 Appointed Times every year that YHWH has commanded to set aside. This includes 3 Festivals and 4 other appointed Days (3 + 4 = 7 Appointed Times), and within these Appointed Times there are 7 extra Holy Days, called High Sabbaths.

In our Download section (from the menu above), we have made some downloads available that explain how to calculate the months, and when a month begins (click here to download one such example).

Basically these are the times to look for:

• Right along the Spring Equinox, and when the Barley is ripe in Israel, you will look for the New Moon. This is when the New Year starts, and that New Moon will start Month 1.
• Month 1, Day 14 : Prepare Passover lamb before evening, enjoy Passover that evening.
• Month 1, Day 14-21 : Enjoy FEAST of Unleavened bread with Passover, for 7 days. First and Last Days are High Sabbaths.
• Month 1, Day 22 : Day of Firstfruits. This is also Day 1 of Omer.
  Count 49 Days (7weeks x 7days)
• Day 50 : Shavuot – Also known as Feast of Weeks. This is a High Sabbath.
• Month 7, Day 1 (as from the verse read above, Neh 8:2) : Yom Teruah / Day of Trumpets. This is a High Sabbath
• Month 7, Day 9-10 (start in evening of day 9) with fasting : Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement. This is a High Sabbath
• Month 7, Day 15 : Feast of Booths (Neh 8:13-18) Camp/Tent for 8 days. First Day and Last Day is a High Sabbath

The Hebrew word for Appointed times is Moedim H4150 – môʿēḏ. It means appointed place, appointed time, meeting, sacred season, set feast, appointed season, signal for a congregation. We read in Genesis that the sun, moon and stars were also created, to calculate the Moedim. Genesis 1:14, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons H4150, and for days and years”. The translators used the word “seasons” here, but should be “Appointed Times”.

These 7 important Moedim of YHWH (not called Jewish feasts, but days of YHWH), represent the following, and thus makes sense to be : Appointed Times:

• Passover : Represents an innocent lamb slain and his protection under a covenant, which is done with blood
• Unleavened Bread : Symbolizes a period of 7 days to work to get rid of sin, corruption and anything that distorts the truth
• First Fruits : Resurrection and New Life, and the first to always be dedicated to YHWH
• Shavuot (Pentecost) : Giving of the Torah/Laws and Direction at Mount Sinia with Moses, and again with the Holy Spirit placing the Laws/Torah in our hearts.
• Yom Teruah (Trumpets) : Announcement of YHWH’s Day, end times at hand
• Yom Kippur (Atonement) : Day of confessing our sins and being Atoned and Cleansed
• Booths/Tents (Tabernacle) : Week (new Creation) and 8th Day symbolizing eternity, a Festival to celebrate the New Life with YHWH

7 Also represents Creation completed in 7 Days, so it represents Completion. And the 7th Day of Each Week is commanded to be a Sabbath as well. (Click here for other posts on the Sabbath)