Truth Nugget 31 - "God's New Year and the Messiah" Exod. 12:1-2

GOD'S NEW YEAR!

Our New Year on January 1st has nothing to do with Jesus, the Bible, His birth, or the Good News.  Matter of fact New Year on January 1st has a pagan beginning.  Julius Caesar started it with his Julian Calendar in 46 B.C.  Caesar names the 1st month JANUS where we get January.  Janus was a two headed god that seemed to look to the past and the future simultaneously (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janus-Roman-god).  Later Pope Gregory the 13th (1582) fixed the Julian Calendar and so we got the Gregorian Calendar and it too agreed with Julius Caesar that January 1st is the New year.  Check out the link for a great review of the history of the New Year -https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1

In Judaism by the eary 2nd century A.D. Jewish people started celebrating their own made up new year.  It is unbiblical and it was made up by the Jewish scholars and rabbis in those days.  It was called Rosh HaShana (in Hebrew it means the head of the year) and the name was used to rename an actual feast of God, Yom Teruah, the feast of the blast or the feast of the shofar blast.  It was NOT practiced in Jesus' day as Rosh HaShana but the day may have had special rituals since it was a feast commanded by God and not the rabbis as we find in Lev. 23: 24-25.  

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'" (Lev 23:24-25)

Please check out the Bible study podcasts that go into the real history of Rosh HaShana.  It is an amzing man-made (rabbi-made) feast that is NOT in the Bible.  It has nothing to do with Jesus or His birth.  However, there are some awesome connections to the feast of the Lord called Yom Teruah, the feast of the Shofar blast.  Here's the link to the studies you may find very intersting ... https://youtu.be/ssiam-Y3FdU?si=-otXRRHR-mLBrcCo

There are other new year celebrations.  Here's just a sample of a few of them ...

Other Cultural New Years

•  Hogmanay (Scotland):** A famous New Year's Eve celebration.
•  Nowruz (Persian):** Marks the vernal equinox (around March 20) with feasts and spring celebrations.
•  Songkran (Thailand):** A water festival in April.
•  Enkutatash (Ethiopian):** Celebrated in September, marking the end of the rainy season. 
• Hijri New Year (The Muslim New Year) marks the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorating Prophet Muhammad's migration (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, symbolizing a fresh start for reflection and spiritual renewal, not typically a big party, but a time for prayer, remembrance, and the somber 10th-day Ashura for Shia Muslims. For 2026, it's estimated to begin around June 16-17.  So before Islam Arabs worshiped  the moon or the moon god whose names are Sin (Akkadian), Nanna (Sumerian), Suen, Namrasit, Nannaru, and sometimes considered "al-ilah" (the god).  So the 1st day of the 1st month for Arabs who worshiped the moon became a special high holy day.  When the religion changed to Islam all associations to the moon god were forbidden.  

But, there is one new year commanded by God and it is Biblical.  This podcast video deals with the New Year celebration.  The church does not recognize it at all.  It is sad since it clearly represents the 1st day of the 1st month when the world changed and God's people were saved and delivered and became a special people and a nation of priests.  This was true for the Hebrews and all who chose Jesus as Lord, Savior, the one and only God.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

(Ferret - somewhere in Timnah Park - site of the Tabernacle)

What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0