We understand that there are many calendars out there, the Zadok Priestly Calendar, represents what we currently believe and follow as a fellowship in South Central Missouri. We are earnestly seeking His Truth, His appointed time, His ways; and we encourage and support each and every person seeking HIM to seek this matter our for themselves, regardless of what calendar they follow. Here is the information that we have compiled to support our current position. If you follow a calendar contrary to this one, that is OK. We will not judge you, condemn you, tell you that you are wrong or anything of the sort. We know that each person is walking out their own salvation with great fear and trembling. We hope that the information provided below will be helpful and informative.
This calendar does not rely upon the traditional lunar based (sighted moon, dark moon, new moon, full moon) system, known as the Hillel II calendar, which by the way, only dates back to the 4th century. Many in the Torah community use and follow the Hillel II calendar and many of them have not done the research into how this calendar came about. The Zadok Priestly Calendar takes into consideration the findings discovered within the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), Scriptural support as well extra Biblical writings support. For our research, we use primarily the Scriptures to formulate the basis for the calendar. The information found in the DSS, only further supports our position and current understanding. At the time of our research, and even now, people such as myself, Michael Walker, still have never read the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical writings such as Enoch, Jasher and Jubilees; which all seem to support the Zadok/Enoch calendar, according to those that have read these writings. Again, for our research, we relied primarily on the 66 books contained in the current Bible.
Some of the criteria used to base in making these decisions are as follows: Genesis 1:14, the 2 lights are made to rule over the day and the night; they are also made for 4 specific things; signs, seasons, days and years. Months is precariously missing in this description given at the beginning. Genesis (7-8) the flood; started on the 17th day of the 2nd month and concluded the 17th day of the 7th month (exactly 5 months) and at the end of the 150 days the waters diminished (making each of the 5 month’s 30 days a piece when using simple math to divide them). In the books of Daniel and Revelation the 1260 days listed are both equally divisible by 30, giving us 42 months which is perfectly equal to 3 1/2 years (time (1 year), times (2 years) and half a time (1/2 year) easily reconciling and connecting the beginning (Genesis) and the end (Revelation) The Book. We do find Biblical support for 12 months in each year, as each of the 12 months are listed within the 66 books of the Bible. Contrarily, there is not a single mention of a 13th month in all of Scripture, let alone Scripture that supports adding 13th month because of a luminary. The practice of adding a 13th month every 2 to 3 years is required using the lunar calendars, which is widely and blindly accepted within the Torah community; this is a custom of mankind. If this was an ancient method, there would be at least 2 or 3 witnesses of a thirteenth month within the framework of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. The absence of such support is what initially raised our concerns back in the fall of 2021, when we switched to the Zadok Priestly Calendar.
Leviticus 23:14 identifies that none of the children of Yisrael shall NOT eat any bread, roasted or fresh grain until the first fruit offerings have been given to Yah. Most calendar’s have this occurring during the week of Unleavened bread, where we are commanded TO eat unleavened bread, which appears to create a contradiction and error. In the calendar we present, first fruits starts the morrow after the Sabbath, after the conclusion of the feast. This removes the potential for the Scriptures’ to contradict themselves. In the sequential order of the Appointed times, first fruits (barley) is between Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. Pentecost is also when the first fruits of the wheat harvest are presented, giving us the 2nd of 3 first fruits listed in the Scripture. Food for thought 🙂
Other parts of Scripture to consider: Ezekiel 43 and 44 mention the sons of Zadok as the priests, with chapter 44 identifying them as being in charge of the temple, likely in the millenial reign of Messiah. We know that Ezekiel was written after the books of Kings and Samuel. This is important as the sons of Zadok are identified as being the priestly line serving from King David until the Maccabean revolt, when the Zadok’s were unceremoniously kicked out and overthrown in their temple duties.
We also find in Scripture that there were 12 captains/chiefs assigned, which came and went month by month throughout ALL the months, to serve the King – 1 Chronicles 27. 1 Kings 4 identifies that there were 12 offices, each man his month in a year, that provided victuals for the King and his house. In Revelation 22 verses 1 and 2 show that there was a tree that produced 12 manners of fruit, one for EVERY month.
Other 12’s in Scripture: 12 sons of Jacob, 12 sons of Ishamel, 12 hours in the day, 12 hours in the night, 12 disciples, 12 thousand from each of the 12 tribes and the list goes on and on.
We must always remember, not to add to or take away from the Word of Yah (Deuteronomy 4:2). We must walk out our own salvation with great fear and trembling (Philippians’ 4:2). We do not judge other’s who follow another calendar. The fact of the matter is, there is not a perfect calendar out there at this time. We could be wrong, as we have been wrong before, and we are in the process of walking out our salvation with great fear and trembling. We look forward to Messiah returning and straightening it all out for us, until then, we will continue to follow the Zadok Priestly calendar unless Biblical evidence can be provided to encourage us to change our position.
As of January 2024, there is more growing support of using this calendar. Monte Judah of Lion and the Lamb ministries, who also produces a monthly magazine (Yavoh), is quoted as saying “I believe there is sufficient evidence that the Zadok priestly calendar, credited to Enoch before the Flood, used by Moses, is the calendar that believers of Yeshua should adhere to in contrast to the present Hebrew calendar. God’s appointed times should be scheduled and observed according to the Zadok calendar.” This is profound, considering that Monte has been in this walk for nearly 40 years and for the majority of that time, if we are not mistaken, he was a sighted moon (Hillel II) calendar follower. Eddie Chumney is also of the strong opinion that this is the calendar that should be followed, here is a link to a presentation he gave at sukkot this past year, 2023-08-26 Eddie Chumney Conf. pt 1 – “Restoring the Zadok Priesthood’ – Life of Worship (youtube.com). Both of these men have very large followings of believer’s and a massive outreach that is sure to spread like wild fire, for them to be coming to this understanding and sharing this information now, just increases the vindication and support that this truly is the most appropriate and accurate calendar known.
One does not have search far and wide to find other articles that support this ever growing trend. With the Dead Seas Scrolls being publicized, translated and more information made public, we are seeing more and more historical evidence that pre-dates Messiah’s first coming, as the calendar that was actually followed from the beginning, starting in Genesis with Enoch. Malachai states that YHWH/YHVH/YHUH changes not. His Word is eternal, it was at the beginning as it will be at the end. If we truly hang on the to Scriptural fact that HE DOES NOT CHANGE, then His calendar and timing are of the utmost importance. Shalom and ahavah b’shem Yahshua.