Adar Bet or L’Shanah Tovah Brethren

Joseph F. Dumond

Isa 6:9-12 And He said, Go, and tell this people, You hear indeed, but do not understand; and seeing you see, but do not know. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, and be healed. Then I said, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until the cities are wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land laid waste, a desolation, and until Jehovah has moved men far away, and the desolation in the midst of the land is great.
Published: Mar 7, 2019

News Letter 5855-001
The 3rd Year of the 4th Sabbatical Cycle
The 24th year of the 120th Jubilee Cycle
The 1st day of the 1st month 5855 years after the creation of Adam
The 1st Month in the Third year of the Fourth Sabbatical Cycle
The 4th Sabbatical Cycle after the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Third Year Tithe for the Widows and Orphans and Levites
The Sabbatical Cycle of Sword, Famines, and Pestilence

 

March 9, 2019

 

Shabbat Shalom to the Royal Family of Yehovah,

L’Shanah Tovah Brethren! The New Year has now begun or has it? The term “L’Shanah Tovah” conveys the hope for a good year rather than a happy one. May Yehovah shine His face upon you this year and give you more knowledge and more understanding of His ways and His Torah. May Yehovah grant you the Shalom you need to grow in “The Way.”

We have said that this year would prove to be another controversial year concerning the barley. And it is that. Each of you must decide which way you are going to go and know why you are doing it that way. Yehovah is once again testing us to see who is going to do what and why.

The Barley Has been Declared

The Barley has been declared not Aviv and the barley has also been declared Aviv. Here are all the reports I have collected to help you to decide what to do.

In the reports coming out of Israel, the barley is in varying degrees of development depending on where the searchers are reporting from. So it is very important for you to know what they are saying by looking at the stage of development of the barley by the chart above.

So I am going to share with you each of the reports as I got them and show you what stage they are seeing by referring you to the chart. In each of these reports, you must ask the question, Will the barley be mature enough to be roasted and presented on wave sheaf day if Passover was to take place in 14 days time.

I understand that some groups that are doing the research believe that the barley must be is a state of Aviv by the end of the 12th month. Others such as myself believe the barley must be ready for the wave offering by the evening that it is to be cut and that is After the Sabbath that comes during the 7 Days of Unleavened Bread. When the sun has set, after Sabbath then the barley is cut and prepared for the wave offering that takes place at 9 AM on the 1st day of the week. This is the first fruits offering and It is from this time that the counting of the Omer begins. So it is crucial that you understand why we look for barley. We need it for the wave offering and it determines when the Holy Days are to be kept.

The month of Aviv is the month of Green Ears. Exactly what is being reported by everyone. But we also need ripe barley for the wave sheaf offering.

 

Monday Feb 18 I received this report from brethren in India. We shared this report with you last week.

Shalom and greetings from Bethel! We are pleased to announce that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, there are green heads of grain in the land of Israel. Teaching Elder Jonathan Meyer was able to identify green heads of grain that clearly meet the requirements of Abib as listed in Deuteronomy 16. This means that the projected dates for the Feast Days that the Assemblies of Yahweh published are correct. The New Moon of Abib should be visible on the evening of March 7, and with that sighting, the 10th of Abib will be-March 17th, Passover Memorial- March 20 (after sundown), 1st High Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread-March 21 (after sundown), Wave Sheaf-March 23rd (after sundown), and then the last High Day of the Feast will conclude at sundown March 28th. We are entering a period of intense preparation, both physically and spiritually. We are commanded to search our possessions diligently for anything that will be unacceptable during the Feast and remove it. We must also look carefully at our hearts and minds, cleansing our vessels of any leaven in anticipation of being at close communion with Yahweh. May Yahweh be with His faithful servants as we serve Him through Yahshua the Messiah. Shalom!

The problem I had with this report was that again they had taken pictures of wheat being silaged for the cattle. So, I have no confidence in this report and do not trust their accuracy. This same group had done the same thing a few years ago.

Let’s look at what the fields looked like just a few months ago.

Next, I have a report from Brian Hoeck who has gone over to Israel this year to do the search with others.

Abib Update: Monday March 4, 2019

Greetings from the Land. After landing this morning we took a run down to our western Negev traditionally early fields. There was lots of water everywhere until we got south of Sderot. All the wild barley was in the flowering stages up into milk stages. Random dough plants on high ground. This is exactly as expected due to all the rain in that area. The grape vineyard we use near Kiryat Mal’aki is starting to leaf out. No time to visit the others today.

On the charts, this is the 61-69 flowering stage and the 70-79 the milk stage. By adding 14 days on to this stage for wave sheaf day and this is potentially ready.

There are some domestic fields familiar to all at the junction of Route 3 and 232 which are starting to change color for those who utilize such. These fields are always early every year. There were many domestic barley fields in many locations starting to do the same. We even looked at many north of Kiryat Gat looking similar. Here is a random sample. In the short time we were driving through the area we observed many lambs, some just born and some, more than a month old from the looks of them. Will try pictures on them tomorrow. As we had thought the area of Re’im Junction, north and south is holding a lot of Leviticus 2:14 barley. The problem is the Bedouins are everywhere with the four legged lawnmowers. They are eating up everything in sight. Following you will see some great examples of the red strain barley. The first one is a very brittle head which was the state of a lot of it in this location we visit each year.

Lev 2:14 Barley is barley that is mature enough to roast by fire to remove any liquid so that a firm kernel is left which can then be ground into the flour for the offering.

“If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.

 

Chance in Be’eri Forest in a section of a field the sheep and goats had not decimated yet. There are far more pictures which could be put in this document but I do not have the skills. Maybe Bridget can do that. We will be scouring the belt from This location across the Negev to the East of Beer Sheva. Lots of really good samples in this belt. Brian and Chanse.

Brian also submitted this next report as well on Monday.

Barley Report – Tuesday morn, March 5, 2019

Quick Summary: No Aviv Found Yet (by us)

We arrived in Israel on Preparation Day, got our prep done, and in the short time we had before Sabbath, we hit Jerusalem. The barley at the Temple Mount (just north of the Eastern Gate) is either just coming out of the boot (Zadoks stage 5) or in flowering stage (Zadoks 6). The hulls where the kernels form are still empty.

On Monday morning, we began our trek west and south. We hit a couple fields along 44, one just south of Ta’oz, across from the turn off to Tarum, and at Uriya Junction. Barley in these locations ranged from boot to flowering as well. The oats here have not dropped, with some oats at Uriya Junction still just coming out of the boot. Next, we headed down Rt 3 to a location east of Yad Binyamin, just along 3. Barley from boot to flowering. At Routes 3 & 232, we found barley ranging from coming out the boot, flowering, milk, to some dough. We continued south along Rt 232 and inspected the huge fields of barley at the Re’im Rest Area near Be’eri Forest. Barley here was the most advanced we saw, ranging from flowering to some dough. We saw several lambs here amongst the large flock. We continued further south, checking barley at Re’im Junction, down to Ma’On Junction, but found nothing further advanced.

We’re checking the north today

Todd Palmer & Brian Hoeck

Yoel HaLevi, Hebrew In Israel reported also on March 4, 2019

Mostly green barley, but we did find small patches of Aviv. My estimate is about 20% in the whole Tel. This, in my opinion, is not enough. The patches are even smaller than last year where we could find over 50%. Tel Gama, northern Negev.

The above picture shows the barley in the doughy stage the 81-89 stage on the chart at the top. And then if we add 14 days to this for the time of the wave sheaf.

Later this same March 4 day Yoel reported the following;

Kama junction, very young barley in flower and worm stage.

We then got a report from Becca Biderman who shared the following.

March 4, 2019 Becca Biderman

We left the area of the Kinneret this morning a little after 8 a.m. in the rain and fog. We traveled down 90 along the Jordan River to highway 1.

In the area between Tel Teomim and the Jordan Valley CheckPoint the oats were out of the boot and coming out of the boot, the barley was in bloom.

Bloom is the flowering stage or the 61-69 stage in the above charts.

South of the checkpoint there was still a lot of anemones on the land. I enjoyed the beautiful red blotches of color. This year there has been more of a variety of blooming flowers than I’ve seen before; beautiful purples and reds are everywhere.

There were so very many storks flying in thermal vortexes near Mass’ua. Yes a lot of them were the common garbage storks that are resident to Israel but there were also Egyptian storks as the photo will show. Nonetheless, their sky-ballet always takes my breath away. Hundreds as far as we could see, group after group.

There were not a lot of flocks along highway 90 south of the checkpoint as there normally were and I felt that might be a sign of the nannies and the ewes being shut up with their young. When we reached Al-ouja our patience was rewarded with a roadside look at some squeaky clean young-uns

We have arrived in the area around Beer Sheva and our trip down didn’t yield any grapes in bloom yet but we did see some leafing out in some of the older uncovered vineyards. Tomorrow is another day to look at grapes as we also look for the barley.

The area where we are spending the night looks more developed than the other areas we’ve seen so far. We will be starting again bright and early in the morning.

Becca later the same day, reported the following.

So much beautiful red barley this year. It’s practically everywhere.

So far there’s been no abib found. There has been some soft dough here in there but nothing of significant quantities.

Still have a lot of locations to go today

Soft Dough would be the 79-81 stage.

Later this same day Becca reported this next report.

This location is near to Be’eri. The barley was all over the place from flowering to dough as pictured. The photos are location enabled for those interested.

These are grains from the most advanced plants in this location. However, these plants were not grouped together in a single batch, rather they were dispersed throughout.

As you can see in the photos the wild foliage is not nearly as thick as it was in the Northern part of Israel. Fewer plants mean a quicker drying time for the wild barley. The barley is also not terribly thick here.

The south is far ahead of the north this year.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, we received the following Report from Brian Hoeck and Brian Convery.

Here is today’s report from Brian Convery

Abib Update: Tuesday March 5, 2019

Hi Folks, As mentioned, we returned to the locations from yesterday to confirm our findings. Gisela joined us today and has accompanied us on two past inspections as well. She is familiar with the areas we inspect along Gaza. We have pictures of lambs which I will add at least one here. Never have I seen anywhere near this amount of lambs in the past and it has only been two days. To say this is a diverse year here is an understatement. To date we have recorded a really wet year and we are gaining more understanding from our findings which supports our assumptions leading up to our inspections. We did see four more western Negev vineyards leafing out which is to be expected with our current findings.

The above picture is representative of the number of lambs. I think there are at least 18 in the picture and that was not the whole group. Lambs from both sheep and goats were observed all over the southern and western Negev.

Above is a picture of Gisela holding a representative wild barley red strain head. Please notice as one holds it and attempts to pick it up the seeds and awns separate. Even the non-red strain is in the semi-hard dough stages which accompanies the red in the early ground locations.

We have been getting questions about how much barley we need to find to declare the new year. Our belief system is simple. The scriptures tell us we need enough first of the firstfruits of barley to complete an omer. Please read that again so we are not misrepresented. First of the firstfruits of the Land as Exodus 23:19 directs us. It is even more enhanced when you add Ex. 22:19 to the command, do not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce. Throw in Mark 4:29 and that is what guides us. An omer is way short of being even a small field, however we do try to locate much more than would be needed to qualify for the First of (many/all) firstfruits. The harvest would not start for at least another three weeks after the month starts. That’s it for us as to the barley requirement. So, we hope that answers your questions on the subject.

Please understand those are our faith-based rules and they may not be yours but we don’t have a problem with that. Take the information given and use it accordingly, as to your belief structure.

Here we have an example of non-red strain. Notice how plump and full it is. There is a lot of this to be found. These will easily qualify for a wave sheaf offering prior to Passover if it is next Month. Because of the varying standards folks use we have invited some other folks to join us Thursday morning to see for themselves. The area may be busy that day for other groups may be there as well. The majority of the barley examined all over the region we looked at is no less than flowering (Zadok stage 6). Much of it is in stage 7. The barley is very healthy and thriving all along route 232 and to the east of it. Tomorrow we will be inspecting locations in the north. We have seen some swallows and swifts having fun playing above us in their aerial maneuvers. Figs are shy to date but they often pop overnight so we will keep you posted on that. Domestic fields in many locations are starting their march towards color change and have nice seeds in them. Even with all the rain they are taking that step. Tomorrow we will have some brethren traveling with us as well.

Gisela, Chance, and Brian

Yoel HaLevi March 5, 2019 submitted the following report.

The Jordan valley is extremely green with a range from empty to dough, with some very few Aviv stage. As far as I understand it there is no Aviv in the Jordan valley.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019, Brian Hoeck

Final 2019 Barley Report – Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

We met up with the Abib of God crew (Brian Convery and Chanse) at 6:30 am over near Allon Junction. We headed up Rt 90 in tandem to inspect more of the north as we planned yesterday. We visited the field (Todd’s and my 2nd visit) on the west side of 90 between Mehola Junction and Rt 667 — not much change in the maturity from our previous report. We continued north on 90 and caught sight of a dozen white storks in their migration north out of Africa to Europe. We also saw doves, swallows and swifts. Their migration is one of the signs of Biblical summer.

Song of Solomon 2:11-13 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

After hitting the best falafel stand (in Beit She’an), we opted to hit the south again, together, so we could get reports to everyone today, rather than tomorrow when we had planned to hit it.

We headed down 6 and saw domestic fields turning color both north and south of Kiryat Gat. Along 35, we witnessed another large sheep herd with a bunch of lambs, and more domestic fields turning. We returned to the vicinity of Re’im Junction and witnessed a sizable (probably 20′ x 40′) section turning golden. This barley here is Zadoks 8.9 – it is aviv. There is more than enough here that qualifies for a Leviticus 2:14 omer of firstfruits offering. The barley in this field around this golden plot was Zadoks 8.3 to 8.5. A second field, just feet away, was also in the low to mid 8 stages. We then headed a little further south to Ma’On Junction again, where we witnessed the 6 row domestic turning color. Oats here were dropped. We headed back up 232 just past Re’im Junction to the Re’im Rest Area where we found more barley in the 8.3 to 8.7, and occasionally 8.9 stages.

Summing it all up, we have witnessed barley as young as emerging boot stage (Zadoks 5) on through aviv (zadoks 8). We have seen a bunch of lambs. We have seen white storks, swallows, and swift in their “end of winter” migrations.

So, what does all this mean? It means winter is ended — Biblical summer is beginning (there are only two seasons in Scripture).

There are seven weeks to complete the barley harvest (from omer offering day to Pentecost). From now until Omer Offering Day (i.e., sunday during the Feast of Unleavened Bread) is two and a half weeks (18 days). So, we have 18 more days before the harvest begins, then another seven weeks to complete it.

We have barley that is ready right now for omer offering — more than enough. In 18 days, at Omer Offering, when the harvest begins (Leviticus 23:10-14; Deut 16:9), we will have a whole lot more. Then within the seven weeks of harvest, all the rest of the barley in the Land will have matured to harvest.

IF one waits for another lunar month to start the year, then the harvest is put off for 6 1/2 weeks from now. That means much of the barley across the Land would be lost. The current aviv would be long gone. The various dough, milk, and flowering barley would also be dead in the field. Most of the barley simply cannot wait that long — it will go to seed and be gone.

Now, seek His face. Walk humbly. Love the brethren (even if they make a different choice than you on the year’s start). Be merciful as He is merciful.

We deeply thank all of you who contributed and prayed for us in this endeavor. Much thanks and much love to all!

Have a deeply meaningful Passover!

Todd Palmer and Brian Hoeck

Here are two charts showing you the scale Brian is referring to.

Wednesday March 6, 2019

Today’s report from Brian Convery:

Abib Update: Wednesday March 6, 2019

Hi Folks, A beautiful day in Israel and a little sunburned. That’s okay! Better than the snow and 10 degrees F at home. We picked up some baggage today at Alon Junction in the persons of Todd Palmer and Brian Hoeck. They appeared to resemble barley inspectors. All aboard. We had a great time.

The Jordan Valley is the lushest I have seen in the 18 years of inspecting. That is following the thoughts before coming but certainly confirmed them as did our findings in our early fields at the confluence of the Jezreel and Jordan Valleys. What was interesting is the oats were so big and swollen they have choked out the barley except for a few patches. The recent rains had flattened the oats and the barley in many locations as we drove through. We did not exit the Jordan Valley without seeing our white storks. It was too early for thermals but they were content to stare at us, with a group skedaddling when we looked too long. We also observed some swifts in two locations having some fun and lots of swallows staking out their territory. Laughing doves were everywhere. We did see a pair of turtle doves near Bet Shaun.

On our way back we saw a lot of fig trees on route 65 and Route 6 as we drove along. We did see a lot of vineyards in their leafing out stages between Ramla and Route 3. Brian H and Todd accompanied us to the fields near Gaza today. Always nice to share the experiences with others.

Chanse has been watching the swifts and swallows outside of our residence. Bird life is exploding. Wonderful to see and listen to, with doves pairing up a cooing to attract one another. Todd and Brian mentioned often the noticeable difference in the fields they saw on Monday compared to today. That is the beauty of the Land, there is no spring or fall just winter and summer. When the switch flips it flips. Following are some of today’s pictures, and yes many of you know we will not be looking for barley any longer this year. We have had what we need personally since Monday but look to assist others in their requirements.

Above you will notice this year’s rookie sitting in the aviv barley so he does not forget what it looks like. Notice he is quite happy to do so. If you are not aware, this is more than an omer requirement. The key is, will he remember his lessons. This field is traditionally one of our early ones near Re’im Junction for those not familiar with it. The goats and sheep are kept away under penalty of death from the farmer. Because of that it is allowed to reach maturity.

There are many domestic fields changing color which by this time next week will be something to see. Following is the ruler of this year’s domestic for those of you who use such. It consists of hundreds of acres but only some of its portions are seen it the picture

With this we will close out the barley portion of our inspections for the year. We hope we have provided each of you with the evidences you need to make your decision as to your faith requirements. We certainly have made ours. Thank you all for loving the Elohim and committing yourselves to Them. Tomorrow we will be rushing up to the north and spend time with the birds. Then into Jerusalem to have lunch with a brother in the faith who immigrated here in the early 1980’s. If I did not mention it earlier Linda is back at home cuddling our newest granddaughter Cora Elizabeth.

Brian and Chanse

On Wednesday March 6, 2019, I also got the following report from Becca Biderman

 

Yoel HaLevi reported again on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, Please do pay attention to what Yoel says the state of teh barley will be in two weeks time. This is very important for you to understand.

I just spoke with a search group who say they found Aviv. These are my thoughts on the information.
At the end I am very clear that I am still of the opinion that we do not have Aviv. I believe the data I was given, but there are several factors to think of. One of the main things is that we saw anomalies like this, but when you take a whole field, and not a section, then it changes the percentage. In this case it is a section of a field that has Aviv mixed with non Aviv, but the rest of the field is not. Under the rules we have gone by through the years we have to take the whole field into consideration. This will cause the patch to drop into a much smaller percentile, and make the situation not Aviv. This is different from Tel Gamma of 2018 where we had a large patch, but the rest of the Tel was also with many sections of Aviv. In this case it is a patch in a field which had less. I have to clarify that I am in good relations and standing with the other group, and this is an issue of how to interpret and define data and parameters.
I want to thank the other group for sharing and being kind and open with me. It is my wish to be friends with all who seek to keep Torah, even if we sometimes disagree.

 

 

 

Yoel also reported again about tel Gamma and again I want you to pay attention to what he says about the state of the barley in two weeks time.

 

And finally, I have this report from Devorah Gordon on March 7, 2019.

Dear Friends,

As you know, every year around this time, I organize and lead an Aviv Search in the Land of Israel. The objective of our Aviv Search is to examine the state of volunteer naturally irrigated barley in the Land of Israel so those interested in following the Biblical Calendar are able to determine when to begin the new year.

I am pleased to report that we had another incredible Aviv Search this year! Before I share our findings, I want to praise Yehovah for the protection He provided us on our excursion and pray that we have used wise discernment on our search and that I am able to accurately convey what we saw in a manner which will be helpful to those who desire to follow the Biblical Calendar and keep the holy days in their appointed times.

We carried out our Aviv Search on March 6, 2019 and concentrated our search in the regions in Israel where the barley first ripens, namely the Jordan Valley and the Northern Negev. The barley in the Jordan Valley was extremely immature, either still in the boot or in the flowering or cotton stages. When we first started our search in the in the Northern Negev we were finding that there too the fields were in the flowering and cotton stages. However as we progressed more South, we found fields that contained a significant amount of barley in the worm and soft dough stages. We even found some patches of aviv barley. However, these aviv patches were clearly micro environments and by far not representative of the state of the barley in the fields they were found in. One of the places we found patches of aviv barley was growing on a slightly raised mound, which for whatever reason seems to have caused the barley to develop quicker. The other place we found patches of Aviv barley was on the West side of a Tel, which due to its position and direction was receiving a lot of direct sunlight. I want to reiterate that the little Aviv we found, were patches found in micro environments and by far not representative of the state of the barley in the fields they were found in, nor will it significantly affect the harvest yield if these patches are not harvested before their heads break.

Now, let me try and preempt a question which I expect to get, which is when do I think a significant amount of this year’s barley crop will be Aviv. It is very hard to predict such a thing in general and particularly this month as the state of the barley is currently quite immature, and forecasts expect more cool weather and rain over the next couple of weeks in these areas.

In light of our findings, it was the unanimous consensus of the team that they personally will NOT be beginning the new year with the upcoming new moon. However, as this is a decision each person needs to make for themselves, I will once again include below the possible dates of the holidays of the 1st month for both March and April. Please keep track of when you decide to start the new year, so that you will know when to keep the holidays of the 7th month.

I wish to thank the members of this year’s team for participating in the Aviv Search – Devorah Gordon, Jonathan Haber, Yochanan Zaqantov and Meir Rekhavi. I know we each made personal sacrifices to came from all over the country and participate in what was an extremely intense, yet enjoyable, Aviv Search and I want you to know how much your participation is appreciated and contributed to the success of this year’s Search. A special shout-out to Jonathan Haber for not only being a participant, but for once again sharing his horticulture knowledge with us and for driving us across the country!

I also want to thank all of you have supported our efforts to restore the Biblical Calendar, by being a Patreon of Devorah’s Date Tree. Your contributions help immensely with our expenses throughout the year and particularly on the Aviv Search. I really can’t thank you enough for your support.

I also want to thank all of you for your prayers for a safe journey and helping us get the word out on the importance of restoring the Biblical Calendar and letting people know they can count on Devorah’s Date Tree for reliable first-hand New Moon and Aviv Reports.

It is my hope that you have found this Aviv Report to be helpful in deciding when to begin the new year. I will be leaving shortly to look for the new moon and will be sending out the New Moon Report as soon as the sightings can be confirmed. If reliable first-hand New Moon and Aviv Reports from Israel are of value to you, please consider supporting our efforts.

Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

The opinions expressed in the above report are my personal perceptions and interpretations and although I have no reason to think those who participated in the Aviv Search with me would disagree with anything I have stated, it should be noted that the above report may or may not represent their opinions.

 

She would then send out another post stating that the pictures of Aviv Barley are not barley. I will not post that comment. But share it so you know there are different views.

Other views to consider

Norman Willis of Nazarene Israel has sent the following out to his readership and I share it with you below. He also says many things that I do.

Aviv Barley Found: Waiting for New Moon
Shalom, Nazarenes.
Blessed be Yahweh, at least two Aviv barley teams have seen ample qualified barley for a wave sheaf, so the next new moon that is seen from the land of Israel will be Rosh Chodesh, the Head of the Year. While this may happen tomorrow (3/7) it seems more likely that it will be the day after (3/8). Details are below.

The two qualifying teams and their reports belong to Brian C. Hoeck and Becca Biderman. We are still waiting to hear from Brian Convery’s team, but Brian Hoeck reported that they had met with Brian Convery’s team earlier, and they were all generally in agreement that the barley was Aviv. Based on that, we are declaring the barley to be Aviv for the coming year. Therefore, the next new moon that is seen from the land of Israel will be Rosh Chodesh, the Head of the Year. (Nazarene Israel will send out an email when the new moon of Rosh Chodesh is seen.)

POSSIBLE ISSUES:

I pray it will not be so, but there *may* be some potential issues again this year, as some barley teams are using the Karaite rules for declaring the Aviv, which require that the wave sheaf be Aviv BEFORE the new moon is sighted, or they will not declare that new moon as the new moon of the Aviv (but will add another month to the calendar). There are several problems with this approach, which we will discuss below.

In brief, the barley does NOT need to be Aviv at the time the new moon is seen. The barley DOES need to be Aviv by the time the wave sheaf is offered. Experienced teams can determine this (and this year there is already enough Aviv barley to wave), but what this underscores is the need for one point of determination, to so that the nation celebrates together, and without confusion.

DISCUSSION:

In The Torah Calendar, in the chapter about The New Moon Days, we saw that in the first century, the new moon and the head of the year were declared when witness teams would sight the new moons (and / or the barley), and then report to the priesthood. The priesthood would question them, to verify their witnesses. Then the Levitical priesthood would make a single proclamation for the nation. This process of having the priesthood make the proclamation eliminated confusion, and was thus pleasing to Yahweh.

Right now there are three experienced barley teams in the land, which we know to be good teams from last year. These are: Brian C. Hoeck , Becca Biderman, and Brian Convery. These are all Messianic teams with no connection to Nazarene Israel. However, I have spoken with them, to inquire about their barley selection criteria, and their understanding seems good. Brian Hoeck’s and Becca Biderman’s teams both report ample barley for a wave sheaf. Brian Convery’s team has not posted yet, but Brian Hoeck reported that he had spoken with Brian Convery earlier and that they were generally in agreement about the barley being Aviv.

Here are some URLs:

Brian Hoeck: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BiblicalCalendarForum/?ref=bookmarks

Becca Biderman: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HisAncientPath/permalink/980718612124521/

Brian Convery (dates still need to be updated from 2018 at the time of this post): https://www.abibofgod.com/feast-dates-1

 

DETAILED DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ISSUES:

While we love our Karaite brothers, in one of the nested discussions on Becca Biderman’s page, it came out that some of the barley teams which follow the Karaite doctrines regarding the Aviv have decided to add another month to the year. (Among the teams mentioned were Yoel HaLevi, Michael Rood, and Nehemia Gordon.) The issue is that the Karaites believe the barley has to be solidly Aviv before the new moon is seen, or they say it does not qualify as the new moon of the Aviv. The problem with that is that the barley does not need to be Aviv that early. The barley only needs to be Aviv when the Wave Sheaf is offered. That is at least two full weeks later (on the first day of the week after the week in which the Passover takes place).

Barley ripens quickly, and must be harvested in it’s time (when it is ripe). If it is not harvested in it’s time, then the grain will fall from the head and be lost. This would be the case if we added another month to this year. This is explained in The Torah Calendar, in the chapter on The Wave Sheaf in the Sabbath Year.

Based on Brian Hoeck’s and Becca Biderman’s reports, I am declaring the Aviv for Nazarene Israel. Now we await the sighting of the first crescent sliver of the new moon, either tomorrow evening, or the evening after. Nazarene Israel will email the results of the sightings.

PROJECTED DATES:

Projected dates taken from brother Brian C. Hoeck, Truth on the Web.

The new moon of the Aviv barley may be seen the evening of March 7th, but it would be a marginal sighting, with low illumination. It seems more likely to be sighted the day after (March 8th). This would make Rosh Chodesh (the head of the year) either March 8th or March 9th, but probably March 9th, including the evening before.

If the new moon of the Aviv is sighted the evening of March 8th, then the Passover would be the afternoon of March 22. Passover is a closed festival, only for dedicated and physically circumcised families.
The First Day of Unleavened would be on 3/23 (including the evening before). It is a day of no work.
The Wave Sheaf would be offered on 3/24, starting the Omer Count.
The Last Day of Unleavened would be on 3/29 (including the evening before). It is a day of no work.
Shavuot / Pentecost would be on 5/12 (including the evening before). It is a day of no work.
Teruah / Trumpets would be on the evening of 9/1. It is a day of no work.
Kippur / Atonement would be on 9/10 (and the evening before). It is a day of no work.
1 Sukkot / 1 Tabernacles would be on 9/15 (and the evening before). It is a day of no work.
Shemini Atzeret / Assembly of the 8th would be on 9/22 (and the evening before). It is a day of no work.
Nazarene Israel will send another email when the first crescent sliver is either seen or not seen, tomorrow. Please find also below a two-page summary of the calendar, which explains why we only need one wave sheaf for the nation. The article on the Wave Sheaf in the Sabbath Year explains why it should be the very first of the barley in the land.

May Yahweh bless and be with His people. In Yeshua’s name, amein.

Michael Rood sent out the following report based on many of the same sources we have shared.

AVIV BARLEY UPDATE:

NONE FOUND — 13TH MONTH REQUIRED
The barley is NOT aviv! On March 5, 2019, A Rood Awakening! International received word that sufficient aviv barley was NOT found in the land of Israel — this means there will be an Adar Bet (13th month) added to the Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar.

Calendars will be sent to the printer once the first sliver of the new moon has been seen later this week, the official start of the 13th month.

Calendars will be shipped once printing is complete, after our Passover celebration, March 22-24.

Because a 13th month is required for the barley to ripen, the ACTUAL date of Passover during the biblical Month of the Aviv will be in mid-April 2019 (as reflected in our upcoming calendar).

PLEASE NOTE: our “Passover 2019” event in Charlotte will NOT be moved; it is still scheduled for March 22-24.

Michael Rood will release a video later this week to explain the impact of a 13th month (Adar Bet) on this year’s calendar.

 

The New Crescent Moon Has it or has it not been Sighted

Brian C. Hoeck wrote from Har Adar about sighting the moon the following.
There was no chance of visibility of the moon here in Har Adar — thick haze covered the sky. I did not expect it to be visible to the naked eye here from Israel even in better conditions

Becca Biderman reported the following for the sighting of the moon.
No new moon was seen in Poriyah Ilit. There was a huge wall of clouds as far as the eye could see that moved in and blocked visibility.

The Holy Day Dates 2019

As of right now our dates that we have set on our site continue to look accurate. By the time I post this, they may have sighted the moon, but it is going to be hard and I have to post this. If there are any changes Friday, I will update the site. So check in there to know for sure. You can always access them on the side of our home page anytime.

Devorah Gordon wrote as well to say she could not sight the moon.

Dear Friends,

At the time of this writing, I am not aware of any positive new moon sightings from Israel this evening. I will of course send out an update should any positive confirmations come in later.

As a lunar month cannot be more than 30 days, if no positive reports come in from tonight’s observation, the month will begin tomorrow evening, March 8, 2019.

On behalf of all of us who rely on these reports, we wish to thank everyone in Israel who looked for the new moon this evening (despite the weather) and sent in their observations in a timely manner.

I also want to thank everyone for all their nice messages thanking us for the Aviv Report. Although we can’t respond to all of your notes, we do read them and appreciate that you took the time to send them.

If reliable first-hand New Moon and Aviv Reports from Israel are of value to you, please consider supporting our efforts.

Chodesh Tov! Make it a great month!

Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

 

The Views of Sightedmoon.com

Well, Brethren we have warned you it would be another controversial year and it is turning out to be just that.
We have been teaching you all how to discern the reports and the barley and why we need barley. I have purposely not commented on most of the reports so that my views and opinions do not sway any of you. I do not want to be the leader of a bunch of sheep. It is my desire that I will have instructed and taught you enough that each of you can become the leaders that Yehovah is seeking to lead His government. Not to follow me.

I was very pleased to read some notes that said they have decided and this is what they decided and why. And they sought my views after the fact. This is great. But I said nothing until now.

We have asked one reader to do some research on forming a Bet Din. A great Assembly of respected Elders who could weigh in and decide such a matter as exactly this. Much like the 120 Great Assembly that we wrote to you about a couple of weeks back.

Each of you are being called to judge angels.

I Cor 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?

Are you Brethren not able to decide what is the conclusion of all of these reports? And yet you expect to be judging angels? And yet you expect to be a ruler of cities in the Kingdom?

There are a number of issues that have come up again this year as they did in 2016 when we had the split.

The first thing you must decide is why do we need barley?

Answer- We need barley to make the wave sheaf offering on the first day of the week during the days of Unleavened Bread.

Lev 23:9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Barley is the first fruits of the land. And it must be in a state that is described in Lev 2:4 for grain offerings.

Lev 2:4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.

The barley is baked on a griddle to remove any moisture that may be left in the grain. And then it is ground up and put through sieves. The barley must be in a state that it can be roasted on a griddle and made into flour for the wave offering.

You now know what state it must be in and when it must be presented. So why is everyone in such a tither to search for the barley by the end of the 12th month? Where does it say we must have barley by the end of the 12th month? IT DOES NOT SAY THAT!!! If it does then please do show me. This searching for the barley by the end of the 12th month is what my friend calls man-made creations.

When is the Barley cut and prepared for the wave offering?

Answer- after the sun has set to end the Sabbath during the days of Unleavened bread. How do I know this? From two sources.

The first source is from my News Letter The Wave Offering.

Quoting from the book: “The Temple – Its Ministry and Services” by Alfred Edersheim, page 204-205: “When the time for the cutting the sheaf had arrived,…. just as the sun went down, three men, each with a sickle and basket, formally set to work. But in order clearly to bring out all that was distinctive in the ceremony, they first asked the bystanders three times each of these questions: ‘Has the sun gone down?’ ‘With this sickle?’ ‘Into this basket?’ ‘On this Sabbath?’ – and lastly, ‘Shall I reap?’ Having each time been answered in the affirmative, they cut down barley to the amount of one ephah, or ten omers, or three seahs, which is equal to about three pecks and three pints of our English measure. … Though one ephah, or ten omers, of barley was cut down, only one omer of flour, … was offered in the Temple.”

Most modern Bible translations use the word “sheaf”, however, the priests did not wave a sheaf. The word “sheaf” is translated from the Hebrew word “omer”, which means a measurement of about two quarts or two liters.

The second answer is again from another News Letter. Pentecosts Hidden Meaning. We know that in Matt 27:50 we are told

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

When the Tombs were raised was the same as when the Barley is marked off Friday afternoon in preparation for the harvest to take place after the weekly Sabbath. They came out of the tombs when Yehshua, the first of the first fruits came out of the grave. These people then were taken to Heaven and presented to Yehovah. This is what the wave offering is all about. So when were they raise up from the dead? After the Sabbath day was over.

When is the barley to be harvested?

We have already addressed how much barley is needed. This 10% of the field or 20% or 50% is again man made fantasies. I remember Nehemiah saying to me when I was out there looking with him that if he enough for a handful then he would declare the barley Aviv. But again he was doing this before the end of the 12th month. So how much barley do you need? Enough to make up an Omer.

Now having read all the reports and looked at all the pictures and listened to the video of each person, they all agree the barley is in varying stages from flowering to dough and is in the early stages of going from dough to seed. And every single one of them has admitted to having found patches of AVIV BARLEY.

But those who use a man-made rule that the fields must be a certain percentage, then say there was not enough barley to declare it Aviv. They then go on to say that in two weeks time this whole area will be Aviv.

We are to offer the FIRST of the First Fruits. Not the seconds or thirds or the end of the first fruits. We are to offer to Yehovah the very first. This is why we read in the book of Ruth that they harvested the barley for 7 weeks as it matured at various rates. Sometimes the same fields would have barley at various degrees of ripeness. So you would take what is ready and then come back later when the rest was ready.

Therefore based on the evidence that all of the searchers have provided and agreed to, the fact that in two weeks time there will be ample barley for the wave offering it is my opinion that we are now about to begin the month of Aviv. The New moon was not sighted on Thursday evening, making Friday the 30th day and the 1st day of the 1st month will begin At Sunset Friday as the Sabbath begins.

In 2016 when this split took place at that time in much the same way this one has, many “Brethren” were very accusatory and became workers of Satan attacking each other. It was for this reason that Nehemia stepped aside and let others take over and look for the new moon and the barley. And even today I see some of those who do these reports for us all stepping aside and no longer willing to suffer the accusations and insults and public ridicule that comes not from the Chrisitains or heathen, but that comes from those who call themselves brethren.

What are you going to do when we have no one to do the searching for us? What are you going to do when you have no one to site the moon for us? These are people who have volunteered their time to report what they see for our benefit. Respect the work they have done. If your criteria are different than theirs or mine talk in love or talk to the hand and shut up.

Each of you must now decide based on your understanding of these facts when you will keep the Holy Days this year. If your brethren have another understanding they are still your brethren and you are to still love them.

New Monthly Calendar Available

Pauline Reardon has been working tirelessly on many projects here and one of them is a simple to use monthly calendar that you can fill is each month once you have sighted the new crescent moon.
HAve a look at it and print it off and put it on your fridge or wall so that you can keep track of Yehovah time. Here is the Link

 

7th Day of the First Month

Last year I shared with you a teaching about the 7th day of the first month and have done so since 2013 when I learned of it.

I want to emphasize this important teaching once again this year as we approach the 7th day of the First month, with the new crescent moon having been sighted in Israel.

18 So says the Lord Jehovah: In the first month, in the first of the month, you shall take a bull without blemish, a son of the herd, and cleanse the sanctuary. 19 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the house, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. 20 And so you shall do on the seventh of the month for each man who goes astray, and for the simple. So you shall atone for the house. (Ezekiel 45:18-20)

It is just seven days after this event until Passover when the blood is again placed on the door of the house for protection.

We all have spouses, children, parents and family who do not and will not have anything to do with Torah. Yet it is now the Torah that has become your way of life.

Many times you wonder why they do not get it – why you are the only one. All these years and they still make fun of your Sabbaths and Holy Days.

Here in Ezekiel we are told to pray for our household on the 7th day of the first month. “Thus says Yehovah…”

Why? I do not know why – but He said to do this, so I am going to do this again this year and we will see what happens afterwards. We are often instructed to pray and obey. This time you are being told to obey by praying.

do know that in the 7th month, on the 7th day of that month, is Shabbat Shuva- the “Sabbath of Return.” Is this a connection to that? I can only speculate, but look at the Scriptures you are to read on Shabbat Shuva (for the haf-Torah) and tell me this is not connected.

I also want you to notice what the bullocks are. We have explained this in our video teaching on Daniel 9:

Return, O Israel, unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity.  Take with you words, and return unto the LORD; say unto Him: ‘Forgive all iniquity, and accept that which is good; so will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips. (Hosea 14:1-2)

It is our prayers Yehovah is wanting; not the sacrifices of animals, but the sacrifices of our lips, symbolized by the bull itself.

Therefore let us go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14  For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By Him, then, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, confessing His name. (Hebrew 13:13-15)

O Jehovah, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16  For You do not desire sacrifice; or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:15-17)

For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

Look at what happened in Acts chapter 11 when they prayed:

12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, not discriminating. And these six brothers went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he declared to us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose last name is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your house shall be saved. 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 17 If God gave to them the same gift as to us, they having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to prevent God? (Acts 11:12-17)

Here we have Gentile believers receiving the Holy Spirit and the whole household was saved. Is this not what we all want for our families as well?

Yehovah has given us a specific date to meet Him; for us to plead for our families. Will you take Him up on this opportunity?

28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. 29 Then asking for a light he rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And leading them outside, he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household. 32 And they spoke the Word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his household. 33 And taking them in that hour of the night, he washed from their stripes. And he was baptized, he and all his, immediately. 34 And bringing them up to the house, he set a table before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his household. (Acts 16:28-34)

In both of these cases, it was just one person who believed and then the whole family was blessed. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this. I cannot imagine having my whole family keeping this walk with me. How awesome would that be? I cry with joy if I think about it for too long.

If you are having trouble praying, here is one prayer that King David prayed that may help you get started:

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, my refuge and my fortress; my God; in Him I will trust. 3 Surely He will deliver you from the fowler’s trap and from the destroying plague. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall trust. His truth shall be your shield, and buckler. 5 You shall not fear the terror by night; nor because of the arrow that flies by day; 6 nor for the plague that walks in darkness, of the destruction laying waste at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes you shall look and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because You, O Jehovah, are My refuge; if You have made the Most High Your dwelling-place, 10 no evil shall befall You, nor shall any plague come near Your dwelling. 11 For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways. 12 They shall bear You up in their hands, lest You dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread on the lion and adder; the young lion and the jackal You shall trample underfoot. 14 Because He has set His love on Me, therefore I will deliver Him; I will set Him on high, because He has known My name. 15 He shall call on Me, and I will answer Him; I will be with Him in trouble; I will deliver Him, and honor Him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation. (Psalm 91:1-16)

If you keep the Commandments and are striving to walk them out; If you keep the Weekly Sabbath, the Annual Holy Days and are going to keep the coming Sabbatical Year (all of which are part of the 4th commandment) and if you are walking in Torah – then you are righteous. Even if you are not perfect.

If you are doing this, then you are considered one of the righteous. And if you are one of the righteous, then Yehovah will hear your prayers.

Jehovah is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

15 The eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of Jehovah is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and Jehovah hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 Jehovah is near to the broken-hearted; and saves those who are of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Jehovah delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:15-19)

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, and exaltations were under my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, Jehovah will not hear; 19 Surely God has heard; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed is God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me. (Psalm 66:17-19)

When we do not keep the Torah, when we will not keep the Sabbath Holy, nor the Holy Days, when we will not keep the Sabbatical Years… then Yehovah will not hear our prayers and it is those who will not repent that are hurt:

1 Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened so that it cannot save, nor is His ear heavy so that it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have come between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, from hearing. (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Do you remember the Lord’s Prayer The Amidah we just studied? The prayer Yehshua offered to Our Father? In it, we confess our sins. This is what Solomon and Daniel did in their prayers. They confessed the sins of the nation and of themselves. It is then that Yehovah will turn and hear us where we are in our affliction and save us. Go, read these things and know He waits until you repent and then He answers.

11 Let him turn aside from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears open to their prayers. But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil. (1 Peter 3:11-12)

We are de-leavening right now, all in preparation for the Days of Unleavened Bread. It is symbolic of putting sin out of our lives. Do not cover up your secret sins, nor walk past the obvious elephants in the room. Take care of them and address them and turn back to the truth and have your prayers heard.

He who covers his sins shall not be blessed; but whoever confesses and leaves them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

Who can understand his errors? Oh make me pure from secret faults; 13  and keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins; do not let them rule over me; then I shall be upright, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. 14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14)

Yehovah listens to those who fear Him, who stand in awe of His greatness, goodness and power. Ask Him to expose your secret sins that you do not want anyone to know about and those which you try to hide from even yourself. Get rid of them the same way you are doing now with the leaven in your homes. Get rid of it and do not bring it back in.

16 Then those fearing Jehovah spoke together, each man to his neighbor. And Jehovah listened and heard. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Jehovah, and for those esteeming His name. 17 And they shall be Mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, for the day that I will make up My treasure. And I will pity them as a man has pity on his son who serves him. 18 Then you shall again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God, and him who does not serve Him. (Malachi 3:16-18)

16 Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. 17 Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout. (James 5:16-18)

Our Bibles are full of examples of people who prayed, and Yehovah heard their prayers and answered them. Repent of your sins and your secret sins and return to the Truth. Let your name be found in the Book of Remembrance as one whose prayers were heard and answered.

Take the time this year, at the appointed time, to pray for your family on Aviv 7, 5855. That falls on March 14, 2019, this year.

A Bet Din for The Lost House of Israel

Just over a month ago I was talking to this man named Wilson and the subject came up of forming a Beit Din. Having seen this come before and how those who do this do so in order to be in control, I was not interested in being a part of it. But I suggested to Wilson that he write up how we could form one.

I have also spoken to Nehemia Gordon about this same subject and he too thinks it would be a good thing IF….

We need a council to approve of the crescent moon sightings. Last year there was a controversy at Yom Teruah. In 2016 there was a controversy about the Barley and when it had to be ready by. And that same controversy could take place again this year. We are in need of a group of elder that we all could respect and agree to follow their decisions. But being stiff-necked Israelites I understand just how hard that is going to be for us to obey.

With that background, this is the note I received from Wilson about this subject.

 

Shalom brother Joseph,

I just got done reading this week’s newsletter and the following comments. It was informative, as usual, thank you. What really struck me was your response to David. Your willingness to reconsider your approach with him and apologize for being ‘testy’ only testifies to your humble heart.

I just finished reading chapter 10 in ‘2300 days..’. I think for someone who has a good grasp of the Scriptures and Hebrew Roots, they could read this one chapter to answer 80% of the end time questions. The rest of the book is great, but that chapter answered some very deep questions for me. I plan to have a few of my studied brothers and sisters read that chapter. I think it will cause them to want to read the rest of the book. I realize the book was written for someone who does not have an in-depth background into the end times from a Hebraic perspective; for that it is great. For some, 700 pages is a daunting task, so the one chapter, for those with nagging questions, is a great starter. In my opinion.

As far as the subject we talked about on the phone a few weeks ago, I wanted to give you an update. I have written quite a long paper on the subject of what it means to be ‘Hebrew Roots’ in the first week after we talked. After I got to a place where I felt I was close to done, I stopped writing and just thought about what I wrote and how it would be received. At the moment, I just don’t have a peace about it in the current form. Part of my issue is me telling others how to form a fellowship properly, when I have been unable to do it myself. I believe the wisdom is there based on Scripture and all of my failures in fellowship over the years. So, for now, I am thinking, and praying on how to proceed with the article. When I get done, it may not be something you want to use, that is totally fine. It has been good for me to write some of my thoughts down, regardless of the outcome.

Sincere blessings to you! Wilson

If you have thoughts and views on this then please do post them at the end of this Newsletter in the comments area.

Awesome to See the Student become the Teacher

I am always thrilled to see people who search for the truth begin to share it. And I am very pleased to know I have had a part in this persons understanding. May Yehovah send many more laborers for the fields are indeed ripe.

 

If You Build It They Will Come

I have to tell you what is going on and show you how Yehovah is doing a work and how we get to be a part of it if we want to.

Since losing our ability to be on the radio a few years ago, I have not stopped wanting to return to the airwaves. But my lack of time to learn the trade has held me back, not to mention my lack of technology skills.

I have been growing my Messianic music collection though and add new artists and songs regularly to my itunes. January 2019 the urge came back once again and it was strong to get this radio thing going. James and discussed it and we began to learn how we could do so.

At this same time, one of our Lesson teachers took the lessons and edited them all down to one or two-page teachings and put them in a book. He then let Pauline Benges design the cover and along with James they got the book ready for print at Lulu.com for a very low cost. A great deal of thanks goes to our mystery writer who wants to remain anonymous as well as Jan for her contributions and Pauline for the awesome cover and James for his help in setting this up at sightedmoon.com.

If you would like to have a copy and have it printed you can order it through our store at this link. Yes, we are going to make a few dollars with each book you buy. And this money can then be used to help us further this work as I am about to explain. So please do order it and use it to help teach others these basic simple truths. Use it for your kids and grandchildren. Use it for yourself.

I chose this cover because of the target audience we are aiming this book at. Test marketing of this type of cover has brought us excellent results in the past years in the Philippines. We do ask for your prayers and support as we are about to launch a major campaign in the Philippines in co-ordination with Bro Aike who continues to do the work there along with others teachers who are joining with us.

While this book was going on I told James to go ahead and prepare a web site for Sightedmoon.com Radio. And he has been working on this. I have been studying the ins-and-outs of doing the radio show. My biggest problem is time or the lack of it. But I have found a way to do this. I have also recruited some speakers in the Philippines and UK and Canada to help co-host the show.

So all of this is going on in during January and February 2019. And my urge to get this radio program going is getting stronger and stronger. I am not able to stop thinking about it all day and all night.

In the 1989 movie “A Field of Dreams” an Iowa corn farmer played by Kevin Costner, hearing voices interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the 1919 Chicago White Sox come.

So I looked at some of the radio messianic stations out there right now. Here are some I like.

https://messianicradio.com/#/

https://tunein.com/radio/Agapefm-s189998/

What I can’t stand are those stations that host conspiracy teachers or flat earth teachers or other teachings that are not found in the Torah and they have a regular platform from which to spread these things I do not agree with. Christian radio stations with the lies they put forward each day make me sick and the music they play is pathetic. I wanted one station with good music and good teachings and I have not found any, that I can listen to regularly on my phone or in my car. But I did like the two above.

I also loved the podcast I was getting from Celtic & Irish music podcast by Marc Gunn. http://celticmusicpodcast.com/

So it was in trying to combine those things I like with good teachings and to have them on a regular basis and not to have all those things I do not like and do not want to hear that this desire to create a radio station has come from. And as another tool to reach those groups and people who do not have time to sit and read or who are not able to read English, but who might like to listen as they drive or go to work.  I then began to contact teachers and artists and began to get positive feedback and support and given permission to use their material.

I also wanted a tool I could use to reach the millions in the Philippines and in Africa and the rest of Asia and music kept coming up as one of the answers.

This is all background as to what is going on at sightedmoon.com while Yehovah is doing something else or maybe even the same things. You decide.

I found some people whom I thought were from Malaysia and I was trying to contact their leaders to share our message about the Jubilee years. They introduced me to many leaders and many others in a whatsapp group. This group was very actively talking about the bible and then I realized they were from India and not Malaysia. It was still a couple of days later that I learned they were not just from India but from the northeast of India as well as from Nepal and Myanmar. The old Burma area. I remembered that there was a group in this area that were from the World Wide Church of God group I used to be with.

In one of the chat rooms, there was a discussion of over 1200 people taking place in one day and I was asked to share my teaching there. I did and we talked about it before I got lost in the many translations. Then one young man took me aside and said how much he liked the teaching and that he understood it for the most part but would have to study more into it. Then a young lady came on and shared some video music and only then did understand who these people are. They are the ones the world are saying are the tribe of Manashi of the lost tribes.

And this whole group have their eyes on Israel and watching to see if the barley is ripe or not. How awesome is that?

I listened to her music and it was beautiful and although I did not know the words I did recognize some and was enchanted by the music. Through that link, I found others and other artists. One of them being the young man who just said he understood my message. He too has an amazing voice and many songs.

In our conversation, he shared the following and it struck a chord with me. Read what he says in his own words. This is taken from the middle of one of our talks.

I love to praise, preach bfor the glory of YHWH in my whole life time. But as we know most of the Messianic people are poor, illiterate/uneducated, minority among other people we live mostly in rural area where we earn our day to day livelihood.

I am sad to say for all these reasons it is a bit problem for us to compete with other civilized/developed religions, society which we always run behind them.
Like sharing, preaching by orally or by distributing printed valuable book to our brethren’s brothers, sisters, elders, communication support becomes difficult among the messianic.

You know Uncle, now a day i am having a plan to produce my second step Album..
KUMSANG LENGGAM (MOUPUI GOLVAH-II) in our dialect.
And i have more than 40 songs to be recorded which is enough to be 4 Albums but since i always have a low budget i could not support myself to promote without sponsorship by anyone who encourage me, love and charity to help me.
I am a graduated man under Manipur University and now i am already 37 years old, eldest brothers among my siblings. I have 4 elder sister, 1 younger brother, NEOPI is my youngest sister.
After my graduation ignoring govt.job i am doing self-employ to earn my day to day wage to support my family that my brother help me too.
All my sisters have got married.
Besides that, because of religion issue in my home address/village we the messianic setters are forcely warrant to drove out from our home, the majority christian in our village with the administrator warned us to migrate to another place..
With alot of difficulties, having critical case and condition my family including 20 homes, families, relatives we transfer from our hometown to another rural land that my father hardly own it.(my father is the founder of messianic in my hometown among his fellowmen)
So, in the year 2017 i.e 31st March, 2017 was the date line for us to vacate our home. From that onward we settle down here in our own small land, we feel solitude very much. We build our house, we re-grow our plant, we face many difficulties till today although 1 year have gone.
Since it is a new village, we are not yet having synagogue but now we are planning to build a simple one until we could effort to have a better one.
By the grace of our loving Father YAHWEH we can manage our livelihood and becoming more ease day by day.. we pray let bless be with us till we die for Him.
Because of this unbearable condition in memorable and dedicated to my beloved fellow messianic i myself composed a song name as Aw Messianic thulhung that i sung in my dialect.

As i have passion and love to share songs among my fellow messianic i am trying my level best to bring up our messianic songs especially among the christian songs.
(There are uncountable christan songs in our dialect- kuki, Hmar, Paite, vaiphei, Lushei, Mizo etc. But only few countable messianic songs)
For these reason too, i feel sad why all the truth way, words, even sacred songs becomes under other nations, not just other society but even among my poor society/dialect speaking…?

When I asked him to direct me to the leadership of their group he provided with names and an organized structure for various areas and districts and counties for what seemed like most of northeastern India and Myanmar. I got what seems like the whole organization. I was stunned. Then about 30 seconds later I got the email from my good friend Stephen Spykerman whom I had given some books to, for a convention he was doing in Colorado and he was updating me on that convention.

Here is a video of these people keeping the Passover Feast in 2018 which was just released this Feb 28, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EictVyU9wM8&feature=youtu.be I believe the lady singing at the start of the video is the sister to the man who wrote the note to me above. You can skim through the rest of the video just so you can see and understand.

Now, before you read his email to me, from Stephen another short update. It was last winter in 2018 or maybe 2017, that I contacted one Margot Crossing about presenting the Sabbatical and Jubilee teaching along with the Daniel 9 teaching to the groups she was reaching in Myanmar. We exchanged a few emails before she stopped responding, to my disappointment.

Now with this background read what Stephen wrote me not knowing anything about what was going on with me and the directions I was being led into.

Got your stuff okay before I flew to Phoenix. I displayed your materials on our book stand and they quickly vanished on the first day of the conference. Your poster for the 2300 Days of Hell book cover was displayed on the big screen as part of my talk, which greatly sobered many in the hall. The talk was titled; “one day soon they will recognize our authority!” The subject was based upon the Apostle Paul’s experiences on his way to Rome by ship to be heard by Caesar, as recorded in Acts 27. This is just how it is in our Western societies – they simply will not take any notice of us or our message until all appears to be totally lost.

There was one young lady ages 22 who took a particular interest in the fearsome title of your book. She had experienced an unhappy family background devoid of love and was ambitious to improve her future prospects, so much so that she had been put in charge of looking after the conference facilities of the Holiday Inn Hotel at Phoenix Airport. Her name was Amber and she expressed interests in what we were about, what is more, she wanted to buy your book! Out of fatherly concern, I counseled her against it, as for her very first entry into our faith I felt it would be too much for her, and I suggested some of our other books on display. In any case, I had your one book reserved for another person, one who might influence many others. In our first interval break, I saw Amber in the hallway and she told me that she had ordered your book from the Internet with the words: “I am a rebel you know!” I told her she was a naughty girl!

At the end of the conference she had purchased a number of my books, and having listened in to a number of presentations including mine, it seems she was ready to commit herself to go further. A porter and another member of the serving staff also seemed most interested, and they were all referred to local groups who were represented at that conference. All in all it was quite the most anointed conference I have ever attended. Virginia had described our conference as one where teachers would be taught, and this proved to be the case.

We heard a lot about the growing interest of Israelite communities in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Indonesia. I mentioned of your success in the Philippines with the government passing a law that would compel employers to give time off to believers who wanted to observe the Biblical Holydays of Leviticus 23. Another amazing thing to me is that my, “Christians & Jews – The Two Faces of Israel” book is being translated into the Mizoram language of North-East India. The entire population of Mizoram consider themselves to be descended from Manasseh and they were converted by Welsh missionaries in the late 19th century. Truth is they converted one prominent family and the Mizoram people did the rest. Some Jewish rabbis have been there converting them to rabbinic Talmudic Judaism, and indeed some 12000 Mizoram people have been permitted to make Aliyah to Israel.  Margot Crossing, a dear friend from Australia has been going there for the past ten years and she is busy reversing this trend by converting them back to embracing the Messiah of Israel with a powerful message from Ezekiel 37 in which she exhorts them with: “DON’T CHANGE STICKS!” A local professor from India stated that conservatively estimated there are some 500,000 million Israelites in India and at least the same number in China. For the first time, many of us realized the gigantic scope of the number our Hebrew relatives who are waking up to their ancestral heritage in Jacob all around the five continents of the world.

Many blessings from

Stephen J. Spykerman

I then told Stephen the above story and he wrote back with the following.

Wow! Wow! & Wow! I was just talking about you with Margot Crossing on the phone from Australia yesterday morning and she was asking me for help and advice for her people in Mizoram and also in Africa in the context of making those people agriculturally more independent. I told her about you and your teaching that the land was cursed because they had not rested the land on the seventh year etc, and how effective your teaching had been in the Philippines and Africa. She was completely open to what I was saying and she asked me to contact you and in fact is sending me several emails with details for me to pass on to you. I also talked with her about you at the conference, although not in detail, just saying you were a good friend doing great work in the Philippines and Africa – I mentioned how the Philippine government had changed their laws to allow believers the right to observe the High Holy Days of Yehovah mentioned in Leviticus 23. Well it seems she is open to you now and I can tell you she is a great and most wonderful person to work with, being Australian she is very down to earth.

I will let you know when I get her info and will pass it on straight away.
Richest blessings & Shalom,
Stephen

Brethren there are many things we can do to help them. One is to help them build a synagogue having been driven from their own lands in March of 2017. The other we are going to do is to get this radio station going and give them a louder voice and us too at sharing this message around the world. I am fully aware of the time we are in and how little time is left. I am asking you to get behind this work and help us. Use the Amidah prayers we showed you two weeks ago to go before Yehovah and ask for His intervention and help in organizing this to a standard worthy of the calling to which we are called.

Deleavening Your Home

With this News Letter, you will now know whether or not he Barley is Aviv and going to be ready for Passover in two weeks time. We will also begin to celebrate the 7 Days of Unleavened Bread. We read in;

Matt 24:45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

Are you that faithful servant who is going to keep the Holy Days at the proper time? Are you that faithful servant who is going to feed the flock mana in due season?

So with the Passover season approaching and with many new people learning the Torah and wanting to keep the Holy Days, we shall begin now to teach on these.

Once again I am telling you to turn off Oprah and Dr. Phil and to start to read your bible. There is nothing on TV worth watching. Many of you are sharing this Newsletter and encouraging others to read it and to prove those things said here true or false. I do thank you. But in reality, it is those who have come here and learned the truth that are thanking you. You have saved their lives.
But once you have been turned on to the truth, do not just read what is written here. Search other sites and other groups and learn also from them, what is true and what is not true.

I keep telling you how little time is left and so I am trying to give you as much information as I can without you being overwhelmed. Turn off the TV and this will help.

On the very same day as Passover comes the first festival that begins to show us the plan of salvation that Yehovah has revealed to us to understand. After Yehshua is sacrificed as the Passover Lamb, and the penalty or debt for our sins paid for, or us being redeemed, how do we continue to avoid sin, since we must go on living in this newness of life? How do we live as Yehovah’s redeemed people? When we consider just how great a price was paid for this redemption of us how can return to sin again? We find the remarkable answer in the symbolism of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

When Yehovah freed Israel from slavery in Egypt, He told His people that for

“seven days you shall eat unleavened bread” (Exodus 12:15).

Verse 39 further explains:

“And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.”

The leavening process, which makes bread rise, takes time. The Israelites had no time to spare when they left Egypt, so they baked and ate flatbread. What started out as a necessity continued for a week. Yehovah appropriately named this time the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6), or Days of Unleavened Bread (Acts 12:3).

When Yehovah came to earth as a human, Yeh Shua (Yehovah Saves), He observed this seven-day festival sometimes called the Feast of Passover by the Jews because of the proximity of the Passover to the Days of Unleavened Bread. Passover is the meal that is eaten to begin the 7 Days Feast. Yehshua kept it as a child and later as an adult (Luke 2:41; Matthew 26:17). The early Church kept it as well. So are Christians not keeping this Feast also?

Yehovah gave His earliest instructions concerning this festival to the Israelites as they prepared to leave Egypt.

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come, you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.

On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.

On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat-that is all you may do” (Exodus 12:14-16, New International Version).

This is where we get the expression of spring cleaning from deleavening our homes.

Each year as the Israelite observed this feast, it reminded them of Yehovah’s deliverance of their forefathers from Egypt. The Creator instructed,

“Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt” (verse 17, NIV).

The exodus from Egypt remains as a foundational reason for observing this feast today. Just as Yehovah delivered ancient Israel, He delivers us from our sins and difficulties.

Now notice Yehshua’s teaching about leaven, which expands the meaning of this feast.

During Yehshua’s ministry, He performed two miracles in which a few fish and loaves of bread fed thousands of people. After one of these incidents, when His disciples had gone around the Sea of Galilee, they forgot to bring bread with them. So Yehshua told them,

“Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducee.”

The disciples thought Yahshua was referring to their lack of bread. However, He was using the occasion to teach them by calling on the symbolism of leaven. Yehshua asked them,

“How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then the disciples “understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:5-12, NASB).

Some of the members of the religious establishment of Yehshua’s day appeared to be righteous, yet they secretly practiced sinful behavior. Yehshua let them know He knew their hearts. They may have appeared righteous to other people,

“but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:28).

The Days of Unleavened Bread remind us that with Yehovah’s help we must remove and avoid all types of sin symbolized by leaven, in all areas of our life.

Symbolically we do this by cleaning our homes and our places of business and our cars and removing any bread or bread products that contain leaven or yeast from them.

During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the apostle Paul taught the same spiritual lessons as Yahshua, invoking the comparison of sin to leaven. In the context of reprimanding the Corinthian congregation for its divisions, jealousies, and tolerance of sexual misconduct, Paul wrote:

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Yehshua, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

The church at Corinth was obviously and unmistakably keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread, to which Paul repeatedly alluded. However, Paul used the Corinthians’ faithful obedience in keeping the feast physically (removing leaven from their homes) as a basis to encourage them to celebrate this feast with the proper understanding of its spiritual intent.

Today removing leaven from our homes for seven days reminds us that we, too, through prayer and Yehovah’s help and understanding, must recognize, expel and avoid sin. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is thus a time of personal reflection. We should meditate on our attitudes and conduct and ask Yehovah to help us recognize and overcome our shortcomings.

The seven days represent the 7 Millennial Days. This is showing us that we should be removing sin, that is not keeping the commandments, not keeping the Holy Days and Sabbatical and Jubilee years and having other gods that we then serve, those things found in the Ten Commandments.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

Sin is the act of not keeping the commandments. Sin is not keeping the 4th commandment or any of the others. So we are to stop being lawless and to start to keep them.

Paul spoke of this much-needed self-reflection in 2 Corinthians 13:5 when he told the Corinthian church:

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Yehshua the Messiah is in you? “unless indeed you are disqualified.”

Paul explained the significance of the phrase “Yehshua the Messiah is in you” in Galatians 2:20:

“I have been crucified with Yehshua; it is no longer I who live, but Yehshua lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of Yehovah, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

These seven days of self-examination prove invaluable in helping us to devote our lives to Yehovah. This week-long period also pictures our eventual triumph over sin. As Yehovah delivered the ancient Israelites from enslavement to Egypt, so He delivers us from our enslavement to sin (Romans 6:12-18).

We learn by doing. We learn spiritual lessons by doing physical things. Performing the task of deleavening our homes reminds us to vigilantly watch for sinful thoughts and actions so we can avoid them. Yehovah knows that, in spite of our good intentions, we all sin.

Many years after his conversion, Paul described the powerful human tendency to sin.

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of Yehovah according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank Yehovah-through Yehshua the Messiah! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of Yehovah, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:21-25).

Paul knew life itself is a battle with sin. The Bible speaks of “the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1). We have our own part to play in struggling to overcome sin. Yet, paradoxically, we must rely on Yehovah to help us. Paul explained this to the Philippians by telling them to

“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is Yehovah who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13, King James Version).

Our observance of the Days of Unleavened Bread helps us realize our need for Yehovah’s help in overcoming our weaknesses. Yet this feast is certainly a time for rejoicing because Yehovah freely gives us the help we need. Yehshua, the Lamb of Yehovah, was sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins, thus unleavening, or cleansing, our lives. He continues to help us live obediently through Yehovah’s Spirit dwelling in us.

Paul tells us in

Ro 2:13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;

James tells us it is the doers of the law who will be justified.

Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Let’s read what James also has to say about doing things.

James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your F6 works, and I will show you my faith by my F7 works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? F8 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” F9 And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Some brethren do not believe we should keep the days of Unleavened bread. Some do but they say you do not have to remove the leaven from your homes.

The bible says we do have to keep this time, these Feasts, forever, and that you do have to remove the leaven, and that by doing so you are acting out your faith by your works.

I am sharing this message now with you so that you have time to begin to clean before the Days arrive. You will see as you move your frig and stove how the crud has piled up over time and how hard it is to remove. This is the same as sin sneaking into your lives and you not knowing it until one day it is exposed. Then you see how hard it is to remove or correct that sin. It is not easy.

You will learn by doing. Please consider doing the necessary work in cleaning your home so that you will be ready for the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Always remember that as you move closer to Yehovah, He moves closer to you. When you stop so does He and he waits for you to make the next move.

The more you learn and practice the more that will be revealed to you. But if you do nothing you learn nothing.

So may your spring cleaning be bountiful in teaching you many lessons from the scriptures.

55 Comments

  1. Gregg W

    Brother Joseph, Wow. My head is still spinning from all the various Aviv search results and differing opinions out there. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what people believed and understood, but that has changed drastically tonight. Honestly, for years I relied on Nehemia and his team to report their Aviv barley findings and that was always good enough. As far as I knew, they were THE experts in the Land. This week I’ve learned of several other groups out there and they get very detailed about the different stages of the Barley. My God. I never imagined I would need to know that much detail. It seems to me, that in Biblical times, either everyone knew what it meant for the Barley to be Aviv, or they had a group of experts who reported to the priests.
    This feels like the same situation with the Name of God. I had come to learn and understand by evidence as well as the witness of the Holy Spirit within me, that God’s Name is Yehovah. But so many other groups come out and have their own teachers and websites supposedly proving these other variations! I just love Yehovah and His Son Yeshua and want to serve them as best I can by keeping the Commandments as far as I can understand them. Some times I feel like a very tiny fish in a huge ocean of thought and teachings about God and that’s just in the Torah/Hebrew Roots movement and Judaism as far as they intersect. You think you have a handle on things, then someone comes along that seems to have a group behind them, and you can’t help but feel like you are alone in this. ( I know even Elijah felt he was the only one at least once.)
    Then we get to the New Moon:
    I had heard that the New Moon was NOT seen from Jerusalem, but I still wanted to go out and look for it where I live. (Pacific NW – southeast of Seattle, WA) I just “knew” I was going to be able to see it, and had already planned that I would post it on FB or my YT channel with a comment like, “usually Seattle is cloudy and rainy, but tonight we saw the new moon and Jerusalem was cloudy”! When I posted it on FB, I said that “I know it doesn’t count” meaning sighting the moon from my area doesn’t determine Yehovah’s calendar date. But, some group saw my post and told their readers that it does matter (???). I guess they believe that wherever you live is how your calendar goes. So I could begin the new month tonight (since I saw the moon), but if Israel starts the month the next day, we would be on different calendars. Then, if I called this new month Aviv, my Passover would be a different day than those in Israel! As I understand it, Yehovah is the one who picked Jerusalem. He allowed the Temple and priesthood to be there. We are to ONLY bring sacrifices to Him there, and likewise, the sighting of the New Moon needs to be from Israel also. This was just another new thing I had never had anyone suggest (and I’ve heard a lot). I did not try to argue with the group, as I have been in that position before, and the majority usually wins out. Now, if it was a salvation matter or involved defending my God’s honor or something, that would have been different. It is just amazing to me how many different ideas are out there – much confusion and very little unity. We really need Messiah to return and set us all straight!
    Now, I want to say, Thank you very much for sharing my video in this newsletter above. I’m the guy in the ReturntoYehovah channel. I felt thrilled that you even saw the video – but since it was about the calendar, it made sense you might find out that I referenced you in it. Already though, I feel embarrassed because I now know I have such little knowledge of these things that determine the calendar. I was just wanting to share things I’ve learned to maybe help someone else who was seeking. I think I will stick to subjects I know better. Hopefully none of your readers will tune in expecting great teaching like they get here! I am just one man trying to speak up for my Savior and our loving Heavenly Father. I really appreciate the support though.
    Yehovah bless you and your readers. Gregg

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      Well, I had no idea that was you. But I was thrilled to see someone teaching it and then referring to our site. The best way to learn is to start to teach and get asked questions that you have no answers to. It forces you to find out. Keep up the great work.

      Reply
  2. WB

    Shalom brother Joseph, I have a question, that if answered would add great clarity for me to the subject of when to declare the new year. How far would the priests travel to cut the barley for the first fruits offering at the Temple? It has been my understanding that they were in Jerusalem when they did this? I don’t have any proof, this is just what I have heard. If this is the case, then the barley would need to be ready within the distance the priests would travel. If it was from anywhere within the confines of Israel, then it comes down to, are those who are reporting ‘good witnesses’. Please do not misunderstand me, I am not disparaging the character or motives anyone of those who are reporting on the barely. In fact, I’m very grateful for their service. But in the days of old they would be interviewed by experts to determine if the testimony is correct, and I am no expert in this field. I am truly sorry to add more questions to the mix. Thank you, and Shabbat Shalom

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      It is a good question. But I do not know for sure. We can assume they were near Jerusalem but I have never read that they were or had to be. So right now it would be an assumption. When the Tabernacle was in Shiloh or Shechem or one of the Gilgal sites would indicate that the barley could be taken from other places than just Jerusalem.

      Reply
    • E

      Israel Hama’aravi, Seder Inyan Ha’ibur, 1313
      “Most of the Karaite sages confess that it is good to follow the 19-year cycle because it is a close approximation of the Abib found in the Land of Israel. But the Karaite Israelites who live near the Land of Israel, specifically, the communities of Cairo and Alexandria, and the communities of Damascus and Aleppo. These communities send reliable emissaries each and every year to the Land of Israel who search out and investigate the barley in all the places where it is known from previous experience to ripen earliest. If they find a field that has ripened they take about two sheaves from the stalks of barley and bring them as testimony of the Abib. They show their communities the Abib and keep the Passover. The emissaries return to all these communities no later than the tenth of Nissan.”

      Reply
  3. Kurt MacPherson

    Thank you for this information. Lots of it and both sides were represented. I am with the early crowd on this one. We do not need “aviv” barley to declare the new year. We need it for the wave offering.
    What does ‘aviv’ mean? Green ears.
    I agree with those who say that the harvest will be lost if it is begun too late. This is maybe why the scriptures mention roasting by fire. To dry the kernels of grain if they are a bit early. Better than late.
    The nations well being rides on this decision.
    I do have one desire and that is that one of the ‘Aviv’ teams would mention the state of the flax. It is mentioned in the script with the barley. Why has no one reported on its state. Is it not a second witness? Just thinkin out loud again.
    An early feast will be welcome for those Canadians who don’t get to go somewhere south for Sukkot. Last year there was much snow. I was able to go to Mexico myself but I was thinking of my community who had to deal with lots of snow. Maybe we can stay out in the sukka with reasonable comfort this year. maybe this is the year some of us renegade torah keepers can get together in the same place for sukkot. In the middle of Saskatchewan someplace maybe.
    Shalom

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      Hi Kurt. Becca Biderman has reported On the flax flowering now . Barb H

      Reply
      • Kurt MacPherson

        Thank you Barb, I will look her up. This is great news, I’ve been looking for.

        Reply
  4. David R Smith

    Greetings Joseph,
    I liked what you said here:
    ”Always remember that as you move closer to Yehovah, He moves closer to you.”
    Yah will only bring us along at a pace He knows we can handle. How can He use us if we easily get distracted by the things of the world and our personal interest? Consider Joseph and how he remained faithful in Potiphar’s house, then the prison and then of course all of Egypt.
    Lu 16:10 (Yahshua said) “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.”
    We should stop whining about what we can’t do and do what we can, even if it is miniscule in our own minds.
    It’s difficult to see so much confusion and division again regarding the new year but hopefully they listen to what you said here: “If your brethren have another understanding they are still your brethren and you are to still love them.”
    Gal 6: 4 Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.
    Shalom,
    David Smith

    Reply
  5. Ross

    Shabbat Shalom from Cambodia!
    This week’s newsletter is great. I particularly like the last section on deleavening. It’s a wonderful reminder of the “end of sin” coming in the seventh millennium. And it brings home the idea of faith based action. It’s time for spring cleaning!
    As for the barley, earlier today I got the report from Deborah’s Date Tree saying not enough barley is Aviv to declare the new year. I jotted down my thoughts which I include here.
    Not enough barely? Is that right? I don’t remember reading that a certain percentage of the barley has to be Aviv. Some small patches were Aviv. I think the question should be, will there be enough barley for the wave sheaf offering? If there is, then shouldn’t the new year begin at the next new moon? And that’s tonight!
    Lev. 23:10  “Speak to the children of Yisra’?l, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11  ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before ????, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it.
    It says “bring a sheaf of the first- fruits…” it seems to me that there is enough Aviv barley to do that.
    Now that I have read this newsletter it is very clear. It’s great to have these reports! This is my conclusion. Ten omers of grain will produce at least one omer of flour. That’s all that’s required. And if there is an extra month added, much of the barley will be lost and the offering wouldn’t be of the”first-fruits”.What more do we need?
    L’Shanah Tovah Brethren!
    Ross

    Reply
    • Ross

      I forgot to mention that I sighted the new moon Friday evening from my home in Prey Veng, Cambodia. It was through much haze and barely visible but I saw it. Unfortunately, my camera didn’t pick it up. That’s only the second time that I have sighted a new moon. Amazing!
      And this will be my second Passover, though I’ve been keeping the Sabbath for a couple years longer.
      Shalom

      Reply
  6. Jan

    Very exciting about India indeed. I welcome the New Year with this New Moon seen on the 8th. I totally reject the idea of needing percentages of a field when an omer is available. We saw our proof in 2016 when the farmers harvested that same month we called Abiv.
    Great newsletter.

    Reply
  7. David R Smith

    Greetings,
    Are you sure you mean it when you say, “I am asking you all, everyone, to write a small comment about the importance of sighting the moon and the barley.”
    Man has always wanted to think he is in control and that everything depends on what he does. This was true in ancient Israel and also today.
    Gen 1:14 Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and MO’ED, and for days and years;
    There it is in black and white. They are His MO’ED (feasts/seasons) not ours.
    Lev 23:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The MO’ED of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim holy convocations, these are My MO’ED.
    How sad it would be for Him to have to rely on us running around looking for the crescent and barley to determine His seasons when He has written it in the sky?
    Ps 19:1,4,6 The heavens declare the glory of Elohim; In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end;
    Ps 136:7,8,9 To him that made great lights: The sun to rule by day: The moon and stars to rule by night. (Gen 1:16).
    Shabbat Shalom,
    David Smith

    Reply
  8. Joseph F. Dumond

    I sighted the new Crescent moon this evening at 6:20 from Orangeville Ontario Canada. It was a very clear and beautiful sunset. One of the first times I have been able to sight it on an important day. Have a Blessed New Year Brethren.

    Reply
  9. David Hemphill

    Happy New Year!
    From the info it appears there will be enough ripe barley in two weeks time for required wave sheaf. Why would anyone want to delay that for one more month?

    Reply
  10. Jan

    Sorry Joe, I just noticed again the questions you wanted answered. Too cloudy here in Iowa, USA to see the New Moon of the New Year. Darn.
    As I mentioned in prior post, this is the New Year for me. I reject (1) needing a percentage of a field to qualify since nothing at all about this in Scripture. Clearly, that would be adding to the command to simply have an Omer for the offering. (2) I don’t see anything either about the abiv search being limited to Jerusalem. Being higher and cooler then the South where it ripens quicker, what would those farmers do? Their barley would be on the ground waiting for Jerusalem’s to ripen if they went into a 13th month.
    I found SightedMoon in late 2014 just prior to Sukkot. I first heard the word “Torah” early 2004. Learned on my own from there reading the COG web site articles along with tons of teachings from several Hebrew Roots teachers. Then I got a FB account in 2014 and found you. I’ve learned more with you then the prior decade. My learning went from basics with a lot of fluff and traditions to solid meat. And of course PROPHECY. Those other groups don’t touch prophecy.
    When I attended my first Sukkot with Brad and Rico, I couldn’t understand so many traditions they were doing especially the fact that the dates were not Scriptural and everyone headed home morning of 8th day. I was told unity with Judah was more important. I knew that wasn’t right. NOW, I’m so happy to be away from the traditions of the HR groups.

    Reply
  11. Liviu Cormos

    March 8, 19 7:26 pm
    New moon seen from Newmarket ,On.
    In the end of the Shabat after 3 nights and 3 days in the belly of the earth,that evening Messiah resurrected and were the perfect omer of barley ready to be presented in the Holy Temple in heaven before the Holy Father. A moed practiced by Jews for many years. The barley was picked in the evening after the Shabat ended. only a messianic view can beat the tradition .Blessed New Biblical Year with major implications in the end time .Father have mercy on us.

    Reply
  12. Joseph Lloyd

    Why do you put a picture of a man with a goatee on your email? That is against God’s commands,either wear your beard naturally or shave it completely off it you can’t or don’t want to. Might as well put someone with tattoos on their face. Same thing. Glorifying the flesh.

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      Looks like you need to do a study about beards in the Bible. But this is not going to be the place where you can vent your views on this subject at this time. HAve a blessed New Year and may Yehovah bless you with His knowledge and His Understanding that you gain His Wisdom.

      Reply
  13. Kurt macPherson

    New Moon seen from Indian Head Saskatchewan.

    Reply
  14. Jenny Johnson

    Happy New Year!
    No new moon sighted from Nebraska just west of Lincoln. Overcast skies all day. I have been following sightedmoon since the fall of 2013. I believe that was when the radio podcasts began? I drove in from a charismatic Assemblies of God background to read everything, keep Sabbath, next the festivals & found the online group Joe invited to from facebook. I had always gone to church raised my kids to believe the Word and know it is true and yet I was starving!! I also came across Eric Bissell about the same time and have watched all his videos. I did not have time to be MessianicRoots and learn any traditions only to study the Word and run with it!! Its been a crash course but so grateful for Joe and team and especially to see the growth in the Philippines! As Lev,Deut, Exodus relate the barley needs to be ready even just roasted and ground to flour for the wave sheaf offering. I am in a farming area and the adding of the month which would delay harvest and the grain would drop makes sense. Also the idea of harvesting all then giving an offering does not make sense to me as it would not be first fruits. I appreciate the sightings of the moon from Israel. Will be celebrating Passover the evening of the 14th day which blends into the 15th and the beginning of Unleavened. Happy my cleaning has a purpose and a reminder to myself as I deleaven. I also wear tzitiz and have not been asked much why but that’s ok. I pray the Father will open the eyes of whose He will open and save whom He will save and have mercy on whom He will have mercy! Many thanks and blessings on you Joe so thankful for your teaching. Your straight forward approach helped me study and double check for myself. Many blessings on the team!!

    Reply
  15. Barb

    Shanah tovah Joe and to the family of Yehovah !
    I really liked the way you presented all the reports from those who were out searching for the barley in Israel. . It is just what we all need….. To pour over these much appreciated reports carefully and prayerfully and come to a decision of our own instead of letting someone else do it for us . My family and I did that and we got stuck straight into deleavening today. We believe all the signs of summer are in the Land , as described in the Song of Songs . And that enough aviv barkey has been found that will be ready to make the Omer offering on the day after Shabbat during feast of unleavened bread . An Omer is not very much !! That’s all that’s biblically required for the first fruits offerings , not acres and acres of grain !
    Some seemed concerned about the fall harvest not being done in time with an early sukkot. But really, that is irrelevant to the signs that are visibly there in the Land now. We must trust Him who controls the seasons to know what He’s doing !!
    It is very cloudy here in Sthn Alberta tonight and we were unable to sight the new moon. Shabbat shalom !

    Reply
  16. Henry Mate

    Hi Joe,i saw the micro-flint of the crescent this evening-6:55 pm,Chuka,Kenya
    The newsletter you sent out on March 7th may have sparked some discomforts to many who follow the Hillel II Calender but am happy to encourage you to aim for the goal.
    Thank you.Am celebrating early passover since barely is ready.
    Shalom.

    Reply
  17. Alicia Kaye Barnard

    Happy new year from Missouri! Clearly the month when the green ears of barley are evident is a signpost pointing us to the month in which Passover is to occur, Exodus 9:31. Another indication that we are to observe the month of green ears is Deuteronomy 16:1, “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover…” “Observe” is the Hebrew word “shamar,” meaning to look narrowly at, or watch. We are to watch for the month in which green ears appear, and in that month, keep the Passover. Furthermore, Leviticus 23:10 says that there is to be a harvest during the month of Abib, in which a sheaf of firstfruits of barley is to be gathered for the priest, so that he might wave it after the Sabbath. The waving of the sheaf was a presentation to the Most High YHWH to bless the rest of the harvest. Only after the waving of the sheaf could the harvest of barley begin. Brother Solomon Meyer, who was with Brian Convery, we have known since he was born, He has been observing the barley in Israel for 15 years, and has a degree in agriculture. He reported abundant amounts of Abib barley and that this was about the best Abib barley that he had ever observed. As our dear brother so eloquently stated after his trip to Israel, and barley report, “You could invite 10 believers into a room and undoubtedly have 12 opinions present on most any subject. It is impossible to answer questions to anyone’s satisfaction when there is no prior agreement upon the terms and parameters of the consideration and answers. I encourage my friends and brethren to pick a lane and stay therein. Don’t allow the noise of debate and the clamor of opinion spoil what should be a beautiful and important time of year…Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of shortcomings. I would encourage us all to sacrifice arrogance and our base inclinations to be correct upon the altar of love in the interest of true fellowship withing this Body. It was something…we visited Qumran Wednesday…There was a note on the display that said the Essenes who hid the scrolls had separated from the main branch of Judaism over calendar issues and called the other Jews the”Sons of Darkness” and “Children of the Devil.” I guess in 2000 years, we still haven’t learned our lesson, have we? I am sad that we’ll have another year of calendar friction…I long for my Master to return so He can teach us the proper way and all of Yah’s people will walk together. I love you all. Be well and blessed.” This is my prayer also~~

    Reply
  18. Patti Hansen

    Cloudy skies, no moon sighted – Iowa
    I have been following sighted moon four months. I consider myself a foreigner. I plan to remove yeast from my home, eat unleavened bread for seven days, and not seek to join a feast. With the reports offered I plan to observe this month. If an authority declares it to be observed next month, I would do that.
    Peter and Paul both kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Acts 12 and Acts 20

    Reply
  19. Ricci

    Hi Joseph,
    I have sighted the crescent moon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday evening 8 March. I will be keeping the Feast of Unleavened bread this month. I prayed about the Feast during the past week, obviously how it will affect me and read through everything you provided. I cannot fault the reasoning behind declaring the barley aviv…knowing I’m not alone in this! I have been on this path for the past 4 years and is possibly following (you) Sighted moon for more or less the same time. Thank you for your guidance.
    Shabbat Shalom

    Reply
  20. Nadia

    Hallo from Johannesburg, South Africa.
    We did not look for the new moon here in South Africa last night, because we go by the new moon of Israel. It wasn’t sighted on the 7th so by the default we started our new month the evening of the 8th.
    Our new year also started the evening of the 8th according to the changing of the season. Sighting of thousands of storks through the Jordan valley, fig trees, SO many lambs, enough barley for the upcoming wave sheaf offering. The season has changed!
    We have been obeying the Father’s calender the past 5 years.
    Thank you for what you do for the body of Messiah Mr. Dumond. Your website has been a blessing the past 5 years. L’shanah tova!!!

    Reply
  21. Ross

    Shalom Joseph,
    It seems like this should be obvious but…
    I am confused!
    The first day of the first month began on Friday, March 8 at sunset. On the 14th day, in the evening is the commemoration of Passover. Which evening? The evening beginning the 14th day or the evening following the 14th day?
    When is the Passover meal eaten? When do we begin to eat unleavened bread? The 14th day begins in the evening of Thursday, March 21st. Right? Is that the night of Passover or is it the next night?
    Is Thursday evening when the seven days of unleavened bread begins and the Passover meal is eaten?

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      https://sightedmoon.com/library/
      Shalom Ross, Friday evening March 22 after sunset as the Sabbath begins in the 15th day of the 1st month and it is at this time when the Passover meal is eaten. It is eaten with unleavened bread and unleavened bread is just for 7 days. The last day being Friday, March 29.
      The 1st day of the month of Aviv was Friday night and Sabbath day. the 14th day of the 1str month begins sunset Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22 day. Thursday evening March 21 is the night of the foot washing and the betrayal. We read John 12-19 on this night and it is a very somber evening as you know the Messiah is about to be arrested and killed that night and the next day the 14th.

      Reply
    • Mike

      Hello Ross,
      Joe answered your question very well. But, I too get a little beside myself every year when calculating these this kind of stuff — so, I thought I would share what I did this morning (it was on my “to do list” for the Sabbath this week):
      I printed out the Calendar Exercise on Page 20 of the APPOINTED TIMES Lesson from the Library’s Lesson Book:
      https://sightedmoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lesson-Booklet-APPOINTED-TIMES.pdf
      (note: this is Page 44 of the new Scripture Lessons for the Kingdom book, if you have that book already.)
      On the printout, I wrote in the Modern “daytime” (next day after midnight) date of the new moon as 3-9-2019 and then counted out to 3/22/2019 for the day of Passover. After that, it was a matter of just filling in the blanks with the dates that followed: the next day being 3/23/2019 as Day 1 of Unleavened Bread and then counted out the rest with Day 7 of Unleavened Bread on 3-29-2019 with Firstfruits being on 3-23-2019 earlier in the week. Since I realize that the days start the evening before, I also underlined “following day” in the paragraph at the top because my dates are the “daytime” dates (had I underlined “evening” then I would have started with 3-8-2019 and the other dates would have been a day earlier as well).
      The last thing I did was to count out to Pentecost. For this, I grabbed a modern store bought calendar and counted out to the Sunday 7 weeks after FirstFruits and wrote 5-12-2019 on the Calendar Exercise sheet. Later in the day today, I went and wrote the feast days above on my store bought calendar that we keep on the wall for appointments and such. That’s it for the Spring. And, by the way, you can do all of this with Pauline’s Perpetual Calendar of YHWH document just as easily as the one page Calendar Exercise that I use (Paulines’s is much prettier than my one page “Calendar Exercise”).
      A little side note:
      Since my modern store bought calendar has those little back and white circles for the moon phases, I glanced ahead several dark circles to get a rough idea of about the time of year the fall feasts (but, obviously, did not write anything in, as those dark circles for dark moons are just mathematical guesses of the dark moon; you already know that one must look for the sighted moon). I can’t know the day or the hour, but a little math helps know the seasons.
      Here’s where a funny thing happened… when looking at the store bought calendar, I noticed that all of the printed dates of “Jewish” Passover and other “Jewish” holidays are way off from the dates that I calculate. Then, it dawned on me…! That’s why people in the videos and such don’t want to accept that there is enough Aviv Barley out there! I think that they may (consciously or not) want to fit in with everyone else a month from now. Honestly, I did not get the whole point of the arguments in this newsletter until I noticed this on my store bought calendar later in the day. While reading this newletter, I was like, “Why are they arguing about the ‘amount’ of Aviv Barley… that the whole field is ‘patchy’ with only the first part of it ripening/aviv… what’s there IS the ‘first’ of the ripening/Aviv Barley.” I’m thinking, “duh, folks, that’s the firstfruits — there probably won’t be much… it’s the, uh, first stuff.” I just didn’t get the point of the issue when reading this newsletter. But, when I was looking at my store bought calendar and saw all of the wrong dates about a month from now, I “got” it. It’s a bit like the whole Sunday thing with the Weekly Sabbath, but this time with the yearly Sabbaths. Also, like in 2016, they’ll be doing their Purim thing when us other bride-to-be are getting ready for Passover (symbolism there?). I don’t study with a local group, so all of that social churchy stuff (whether “Jewish” or or “Christian” or “Messianic” or whatever label) of following the crowd is freaky bizarre to me. I’m kind of stuck with figuring this stuff out on my own — that’s how I found this website years ago, but that’s another story for an already long comment.
      All the best to you, Ross. And, I hope Pauline’s Perpetual Calendar or even the quick one page Calendar Exercise is a helpful tool for you and any others who have taken the time to read this comment.
      -Mike

      Reply
  22. Ross

    Thank you. It is such a blessing to know these things. I am deeply grateful.

    Reply
  23. paul collier

    shalom brother JOE in Melbourne Victoria at 8.36 pm I saw the moon 9/3/2019 . on Thursday and Friday night due to it being over cast I did not . when I did it was the handy work of Yah shalom from Paul

    Reply
  24. Marnita Steyn

    Dear Mr Dumont, thank you for all the efforts you put into your newsletters. Appreciate them so much. Last night for the first time was watching and waiting for the new moon, with eyes fixed on the horizon, looking waiting, then suddenly the new crescent appeared in the sky. What an amacing experience it was for me, living in the desert Kalahari in Upington South Africa to sight the new moon like this… so for me and my household, we will be celebrating Passover on the 14th. Blessings to you all, as we continue to learn more and more from our Father, God Yahovah, Blessed be His name forever.

    Reply
  25. Denise Whitcomb

    Shalom Mr. Dumond!
    Thank you for all the work you do and the weekly newsletter!
    We live in the lower northwest part of Michigan in a wooded area. The husband is in a wheelchair and it is very difficult for him to get in and out of a car to go to a clear area for moon sighting. Especially in the cold! We rely on you and the info you receive from Israel since they are the calendar! I did see a beautiful cresent, going down in the west, Thur. evening on our way home from town. So I knew that the new month/new year would start in a day or two.
    We would have to fall into the camp of soon as there is enough barely to wave then that month would be the Aviv month. God is not going to cause farmers in one part of the nation to go broke and bless others just because they are closer to Jerusalem, have a more complete field of ripening barley or whatever. Enough to make a sheaf is enough to make a sheaf and create a wave offering. It is after all the first fruits of the barley! The only problem I could see with this is whether or not the barely is close enough to make the trip to the temple to be used as the first fruits wave offering. During the ancient times donkeys could only travel just so fast and there are Sabbaths to consider. On the other hand (thinking out loud) they would have 14 days to get it there minus Sabbath days. So it would work out after all….!
    We have kept the feasts for many years now. We are isolated and have no group to belong to and it is hard for the husband to keep normal social hours with group activities anyways. (Poor sleeping hours prevents much).
    We will be keeping a very simple passover meal. Lamb if possible. Depends on whether the local store will put it on sale on time. There is only one that I will purchase from as all the others buy from a company that uses the Muslim Kosher symbol on it. I will not purchase such meat. Period. Mostly we will recount the exodus happening and speak of a future exodus. We will speak of God’s provision, through His Son, to buy us back from Satan. Have a glass of wine and unleavened bread and that will be about it for us. Hopefully, YHVH will find it adequate!
    Thank you again for all the work you do! And Have a Blessed New Year!!
    Sincerely,
    Dennis and Denise Whitcomb

    Reply
  26. Steven Smith

    Greetings Sightedmoon.com family,
    I found this years Aviv search very enlightening indeed. The revelations have been intense. I know it is because this year I did my best to tune out others and really study this subject and why cetain people were making their observations availible to those of us who can not possibly get to the land of Israel and see for ourselves. Thankfully I used what I learned here on this site the last few years to determine my own decission of when to declare this New Year and was delighted to see others who I hold much respect for their oppinion come to same conclussion as I did.
    I am just here thinking about all the information and something came to mind I think is very important. If the barely can be declared Aviv seeing it will be mature enough by the time of the First Fruits offering than how much more should we think about the brethren who are not quite where we are. Yehovah may be working something out with them but it is possible their spiitual maturitry will be nigh in time for them to be acceptable in Yehovah’s eyes. What a beautiful picture. We need to have mercy for those people.
    My thanks to all the brethren involved in gathering all this information..No matter how they decided to observe Abib(Aviv 2019)!!!
    Awesome Newsletter My Dumond. Thank you as well.
    Happy New Year everyone. May we al be lead by the Spirit this coming year and proclaim the truths that were are being blessed to see
    Love out to the brethen from NS., Canada.
    Shabbat Shalom all

    Reply
  27. Joseph F. Dumond

    I share the following report that has come in today on Shabbat. Keeny Russel released a video Friday in support of Adar Bet, a 13th month. He has this morning reversed his decision and done so publicly.
    Here are his comments.
    Kenny Russell
    Yesterday at 06:56
    Special update- Shabbat morning- it has come to my attention that Debora Gordon and other groups have not been forthcoming in the Aviv reports and I have labored over this all for the past 24 hrs and following communication with other leaders and assessing reports including pictures and video we will be celebrating Passover in March and NOT be adding a 13th Month! – A new video will be added in a few hrs. We are learning how to separate truth of Scripture from man made rules and systems. The month of the Aviv is the first month not the 12 month and I admit I have clearly put my trust in information from groups using rules not found in Scripture. I apologize sincerely for posting misinformation on such an important topic but thank YHVH for bringing me through this so I know know what I believe is scriptural. We follow Yeshua and the reason I follow the sighting of the moon is because Yeshua walked out the feasts this way he is the word that became flesh and dwelt amongst us! Kenny Russell “failing forward” we only know in part and I thank YHVH for other believers to walk with on this journey! Another great day of revelation and thanksgiving Happy New Year!

    Reply
  28. Glenn Caron

    My walk started in spring 2007 when I started to SEEk. I was definitely eager to find WHO was responsible for my disasters. It was ME!. I had ignored the Most Hgh for most of my adult life from abandoning him in my teens from learning conventional manmade tradition and universal church teaching s. I had sinned and was not accepting his ways and was not mindful of HIS WILL HE was trying to catch my attention for years prior with my calamitous self inflicting painful lifestyle.
    I KNOW that my walk to learn the WAy and about HIM became the passion and priority! I became immersed in scripture, In every spare moment I had, was to seek the answers for my purpose. AS I learned and GREW in it by living these things, much more would come along as a miracle, for these things would just connect from one search to another on and on. My contacts grew and the connections in my learning and the knowledge of scripture and its meaning were being programmed into my being. If I slowed the pace then HE slowed the access. But it all starts in the heart!.
    I see many these days saying that we don’t need to the moon sighting or the barley Aviv to determine the months and the new year. It MUST be seen to be a sign! The scripture associated with that is- Gen_1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide between the day and the night. And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.
    SO this is saying the orbs of light in the heavens determine the seasons and appointed times. They are SIGNS. you cannot read a sign until you see it.
    And of course, with the Barley, the SUN makes the barley by the heat of the earth and the photosynthesis causes it to grow. Therefore, in this case, the SUN is the sign for the barley and IT IS the final sign of that TIME marker for the NEW YEAR and not the equinox.
    The Conjunction and the equinox are calculations which are mathematical equations but are NOT SIGNS. They are predeterminations for the anticipations of the SIGNs but they are not THE SIGN to mark the times.
    HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the brethren regardless of your walk position, we will all get there someday soon and only the FATHER can cause that. We all learn at our own pace and relationship with HIm and his Son.
    Thank you, Joseph and all the Sightedmoon team you don’t even know how much you really are connecting to GODS people. You most certainly will be kings and priests in the millennium as you show that gift right here in your teachings. Peace and Bless you with a wonderful feast Of Unleavened Bread.

    Reply
  29. Cheryl Maxted

    Dear Joe,
    You asked for comments so here are mine…
    after prayerfully reading all the reports I could find and asking (even bothering some important people who were very busy but took the time to answer me anyway), one thing stands out to me; “to We have seen a bunch of lambs. We have seen white storks, swallows, and swift in their “end of winter” migrations….
    winter is ended – Biblical summer is beginning (there are only two seasons in Scripture).
    We have barley that is ready right now for omer offering…if one waits for another lunar month to start the year, then the harvest is put off for 6 1/2 weeks from now. That means much of the barley across the Land would be lost. The current aviv would be long gone. The various dough, milk, and flowering barley would also be dead in the field. Most of the barley simply cannot wait that long – it will go to seed and be gone.
    First fruits means the first of the harvest, not the most nor the last of it!
    My household will be celebrating Passover in the twilight of March 22nd this new year.
    Todah vey Shalom!!

    Reply
  30. Daniel and Debka Fullington

    We finally sighted the New Moon tonight, March 9th. From Enos Corner, near Evansville, Indiana.
    All the evidence points to an early Passover.
    We have been following Torah since 1995/96. Like you, we celebrated all the Holy Days twice when there was a split. At first it was great, going to so many parties! But after a while it became expensive and tiresome. We even came up with a name for the split. At first we were going to call them, “The Hatfields and the McCoys”, (because they were always fighting each other). Then we settled on ‘Sooners and Laters’. 2019 looks like another year of ‘Sooners and Laters’!
    To all the ‘Sooners’ out there – L’ Shanah Tovah!
    To all the ‘Laters’ out there – Happy Rosh Chodesh!
    And to you Joseph, Thank-you for all your hard work! May Yah bless you!

    Reply
  31. Pauline

    Shalom Joe
    Thank you for the opportunity to post a comment on your website about this years’ Aviv reports and debate.
    A big THANK YOU to those who searched and posted their findings on line; in a very timely manner. Much appreciated.
    Before we begin I want to place here a wee reminder, for the reader from Deut 4:2 and 12:32 – we are instructed not to add or diminish from the instructions Yehovah has given us.
    There seems to be a common theme to the Aviv debate. That is; “How much Aviv barley is required to determine the start of the new year? And when is it required by?” I’m noticing people writing online that there aren’t any instructions. Or the instructions are vague and insufficient.
    To determine the answer to this debate I have some questions, which need answers from Scriptures.
    Q 1. How much barley is required to fulfil the commandment?
    Q 2. What is to be offered?
    Q 3. Where and to whom does that barley have to go?
    Q 4. When is this offering to take place?
    Q 5. Who is the offering for?
    Q 6. What else is offered at this time?
    And along the way we will also find the answer to the question… Do the Priests eat the Wave Sheaf offering?
    The following answers are taken from the instructions in Leviticus 23:10-14 ‘The Feast of Firstfruits’
    Lev 23:9-14 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. 13  And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. 14  And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
    Q 1. How much barley is required to fulfil the commandment?
    Lev 23:10 “ …then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits…”
    Strong’s H6016
    ??? ?ômer
    BDB Definition:
    1) omer
    1a) a dry measure of 1/10 ephah (about 2 litres)
    2) sheaf
    “a sheaf”, that is… 1 omer = ~2.3 Litres (Reminder: Do not add to Torah nor in weights and measures)
    One sheaf is not a field, nor is it a percentage of a field, nor is it a percentage over the country. It’s quite simply 1 Sheaf (1 omer)… enough grain to make:
    Lev 23:13 “And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour:”
    Q 2. What is to be offered?
    Lev 23:10 “ …then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:”
    The ”first fruit” to become aviv is a signal that the rest will soon become aviv and then ripe for harvest.
    Q 3. Where and to whom does that barley have to go?
    Lev 23:10 … “ …then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:”
    Lev 23:11 reads… “And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you:”
    Where do all offerings take place? The Temple in Jerusalem.
    Who makes this wave offering? ‘the priest’.
    Note: The offering is not being made at multiple temples or synagogs or by teams of priests requiring fields and fields of aviv barley to feed the whole congregation.
    So far we have discovered … one Omer of barley (2.3 litres) goes to one temple in Jerusalem and it is given to one priest to make an offering to Yehovah on behalf of all Israel.
    Q 4. When is this offering to take place?
    Lev 23:11  “…on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
    That’s the first ‘Sunday’ after the Passover. So the barley sheaf doesn’t need to be picked until after Passover. There is no instruction saying the barley is to be decided upon three days prior to the new moon. Or that a certain percentage of the field needs to be sighted before the new moon. It simply says ‘bring it, give it to the priest (who is at the Temple in Jerusalem) to wave it on the morrow after the sabbath’.
    Q5. What will be done with the Omer?
    Lev 23:13  “And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour:…”
    I want you to take particular notice here…. “Fine flour mingled with oil … an offering made by fire”
    They are not flat breads, there is no cooking involved. It is a big bowl of fine flower mixed with oil (like very fine crumbs). “An offering made by fire”… this means no one is going to eat it. It’s all going to be burnt on the altar before Yehovah.
    Q 6. Who is the offering for?
    Verse 10 says “Speak to the children of Israel”
    Verse 10 also says “bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest”
    verse 11 tells us who waves the offering… ‘the priest’.
    Verse 11 also tells us who the offering is for… ‘to be accepted for you” (You = Israel)
    The offering is not a meal offering for the priests. It is a savoury aroma for Yehovah, preformed by one priest who waves the offering, which is equivalent to a large bowl of flour…. and burns it as a savoury aroma … for … ALL Israel.
    Again, it’s NOT a field of barley. Not an offering made at multiple temples or synagogues. Not eaten by all the inhabitants of the land. No need for truck loads of barley from multiple fields of barley crops.
    Just… 1 omer of first fruits.
    Q 6. What else is offered at this time?
    Lev 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
    A burnt offering of one lamb… that will be burnt up.
    There is also a drink offering…
    Lev 23:13  “…and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.”
    (1 Hin = ~6 litres. 1/4 Hin = ~1.5 litres = ~6 cups of wine)
    A drink offering that will be poured out.
    No one will be eating or drinking anything from this offering of First Fruits.
    It is a small yet very significant burnt offering to Yehovah in thanks of the harvest to come. The harvest that is springing forth… to be harvested over the summer until Sukkoth when thanks is given at the end of the harvest.
    And here is the reason to not delay with the offering of first fruits…
    Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
    This means the new grains of corn, oats and wheat cannot be eaten until the barley wave offering has been made. The new corn, new wheat and new oats are all coming up at this time. Each harvestable in it’s own time.. but the barley is first. Once the barley offering has been made… everyone is free to harvest their fields as they come ripe, whether barley, oats, corn or wheat. To delay making the Wave offering will cause the harvest of all grains to wait and the grains to fall, thereby losing the crop.
    Moreover should farmers decide to harvest prior to the delayed wave offering (so they don’t lose the grain to the soil) … would be sin. Those who caused the delay of the Wave offering would have caused a situation to take that place that would cause their fellow countrymen to fall into sin.
    This is indeed a weighty subject, which calls for Yehovah’s wisdom.
    Regarding the word ’Aviv’. It is investing to note that there was much talk about the colour of the barley. I was hearing that the barley should be yellowing. So I looked up the word ‘Aviv/Abib’ and found the following…
    Strong
    H24
    ??????
    ‘âb??yb
    aw-beeb’
    From an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, that is a young ear of grain; hence the name of the month Abib or Nisan: – Abib, ear, green ears of corn.
    Hmmm, I notice words like ‘green, young, green ears of corn’
    and from Brown-Driver-Briggs
    H24
    ????
    ‘âb??yb
    BDB Definition:
    1) fresh, young barley ears, barley
    2) month of ear-forming, of greening of crop, of growing green Abib, month of exodus and passover (March or April)
    Part of Speech: noun masculine
    A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from an unused root (meaning to be tender)
    Again we see the word ‘green’ and ‘ear-forming’.
    We’re not seeing any words regarding ’yellow or yellowing’,
    Sorry, but before I sign off, there is one more thing I’d like to bring up and that’s …
    The wave offering takes place after Passover. In the days leading up to Passover if the barley is not yet aviv, the barley can still become aviv during the two weeks from new moon to Passover, making it possible to make the offering to Yehovah as instructed; on the morrow after the sabbath. Should there not be enough aviv barley… there is no law against declaring the month to be Adar Bet and having a second Passover but on the correct day. There is actually allowance for a second passover in Numbers chapter 9, but that is because the person was not able to keep the first Passover. So they may keep it in the second month. There is nothing written that forbids the keeping of Passover twice. Nor is there any instruction that says you can’t change your mind about the Month of Aviv … if you misread the signs, or for any other reason.
    It is never too late to get in step with Yehovah.
    Much Shalom to all from
    Pauline Reardon-Benjes

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      Lev 2:1 “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.

      Reply
      • Pauline Reardon-Benjes

        Ah Thank you! I looked for this but for some reason was blinded and couldn’t find it.
        I stand corrected Joe. Thank you.
        *A portion of the Wave Offering goes to the priests who are descended from Aaron. It’s “most holy”.
        A small… but very significant and very holy/set-apart offering… to Yehovah. For all of Israel. Fields and fields of aviv barley are not required for this offering. It is ‘first’ fruits.

        Reply
  32. David R Smith

    Greetings Pauline Reardon-Benjes,
    That was a good breakdown of Lev 23:9-14. Thank you for that. Also it was good to remind us of Deut 4:2 so we don’t add to the word of Yahweh.
    My question all along, which has never been answered, is who first added to Deut 16:1 and made it read: Observe the month of Aviv, and keep the passover AND USE THE BARLEY AS THE ONLY SIGN IN DETERMINING THE NEW YEAR.
    If it actually read like that I would be willing to dismiss Yahweh’s instruction in Gen 1:14 and chalk it up as a mistake He made. But as we all know it does not read like that so my question goes unanswered.
    You made a very interesting comment when you wrote:
    ”There is nothing written that forbids the keeping of Passover twice. Nor is there any instruction that says you can’t change your mind about the Month of Aviv … if you misread the signs.”
    It’ll be good to hear what others have to say especially since this method leads to so much confusion and division this year and past years.
    Shalom,
    David Smith

    Reply
  33. Jan

    I’ve seen postings from those following Devorah’s calendar that the New Year is postponed due to needing a certain percentage of the field. Not sure 20 or 30% or exactly what it is. But those people are wondering if 20-30 percent is ready to be harvested and then the husband goes to Jerusalem for 7 days plus travel time each way… they are wondering who harvests the field because they readily acknowledge it will likely be on the ground before the husband gets back home. Therefore, their reasoning is that is why Yah only calls the MEN to go to the feast. The wife is to stay home and do the harvest. WHAT???? AND give birth to babies in between her harvesting the field AND feed and educate her existing 5-15 children all the while her husband is enjoying himself while in Jerusalem. They think this is reasonable and what Yah intends. I thought that discussion was just one more reason to solidify percentages as not accurate. They also reject that green ears being anything other then finished, dried grain ready to harvest. Therefore, that 30 percent or even 20 percent EITHER HAS to be harvested by the wife OR they LOSE 20 percent of their harvest. Really!!!!

    Reply
  34. FJ

    Dear Joe
    saw the crescent moon in Eastern Australia Thursday evening March 7 but no the next evening of Friday March 8 due to cloud.
    We are 9 hours ahead of Jerusalem and when they sight or declare New Moon Day we have already clicked over a new gregorian day here. As a 30 day month from Jerusalem with New Moon Day being declared Friday 8th evening & day of 9th March 2019 our NEW MOON DAY begins evening 9 March Saturday evening going into the day of 10th March till sunset because of the IDL as we follow Jerusalem/Israel declaration of days and times.
    Be blessed
    FJ

    Reply
  35. David R Smith

    Greetings Joe,
    I think this applies to this newsletter as well.
    You wrote:
    “Yes it is the sun that gives the warmth that makes the barley grow and become Aviv. Just as Gen 1:14 says.”
    Seariousely Joe, don’t you know everyone can look in their Bibles and read Gen 1:14?
    It is the earth that grows the barley not the sun, moon or stars. Sure, heat from the sun, water from the sky and decomposing organisms supply the nourishment required but the earth itself produces the barley. Two witnesses testify to this, both Yahweh and Yahshua.
    Gen 1:11 Then Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth.”
    Mr 4:28 (Yahshua said) “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
    Why do you misrepresent what scripture clearly states? Gen 1:14 says absolutely nothing regarding barley or Aviv.
    Gen 1:14 Then Elohim said, “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, AND FOR DAYS AND YEARS.
    Pauline just reminded us “not to add or diminish from the instructions Yehovah has given us.” We must take Deut 4:2 & 12:32 very seriously for the penalty is severe.
    Shalom,
    David Smith

    Reply
    • WB

      Hello David Smith, I have a few thoughts on your views on this issue. I understand you have a different viewpoint on how the calendar should be set. That is your prerogative. Joseph has made his views clear through his teachings, you disagree. You have made your reasons for disagreement clear in your posts, this one, and previous. I think you are being too harsh in the ‘adding to Torah’ viewpoint, that is a serious, and shouldn’t be used lightly. Also, making the accusation that Joseph is ‘misrepresenting’ scripture. The Torah does not end with Genesis 1:14, it continues, and understanding is increased as it develops. For example, in Genesis, it would seem that close relatives married in order to get the human race developed. Later, in the Torah, marriage to close relatives is forbidden. To apply this to the concept to this calendar disagreement, we must look at what the Torah says LATER as well, so when Y–H tells Moses to begin the year with the month of the aviv, we need to consider, why did the Father use that term at all? I think it is totally reasonable to take it to mean that the month has something to do with the very term He used, aviv. Also, not everything that we need to know is in the Torah. I know this is going to be very hard for some to accept, but please consider this; for example, in the Torah we are told to make sacrifices. How, EXACTLY, are we told to kill the animal? We know blood is involved, but the specifics of how to make the cut? There are numerous things in the Torah that we KNOW took place, but we aren’t told exactly how. How do we reconcile these things? I believe we have to look back in history at what those righteous ones before us did. Of course, it should not contradict Torah, but clarify it. So when it comes to the month of Aviv, it is clear to me, and many others, that those before us looked at the barley to determine the start of the month. You may not agree, ok, but try to be respectful of those who take the time to do as much work for the body as Joseph does. Shalom

      Reply
  36. Elaine Burgess

    Hi Joseph!! L’Shanah Tovah !! I got your newsletter and it says to make a comment on if I sighted the moon and yes from mountain Home Ar. a few days ago i would have posted a pic, but i was driving, what a beautiful night it was!,I am keeping the feast this month, because the barley has found to be avib and the moon was sighted, and I agree with your teaching my heart tells me you are correct, , proves in the pudding, (Bible), I believe I have been following Sightedmoon for about 5-6 yrs now! It was Yah Himself that directed my path towards your teaching, i was searching for answers on youtube looking for help in understanding how to keep Torah, Praise Yah! i believe it was 2300 days of hell cant remember for sure, but i knew you were smack on!

    Reply
  37. David R Smith

    Greetings WB,
    Very good of you to write.
    I am sorry you feel I was “too harsh” as I do try to avoid upsetting anyone while teaching what I know to be true. All the while striving to fulfill my obligation and responsibility (Eze 33:6; 2Ti 4:2), as Joe himself has stated so often. Yes, we disagree but love each other dearly just as we love the word of truth.
    You are right the Torah doesn’t end in Genesis but let’s remember, what Elohim established at His creation He will not let man change or distort or add to. He is adamant about that.
    You wrote: “the month has something to do with the very term He used, aviv.” Of course months were known by what was happening at that time of year. For instance the 2nd month (Zif ~ brightness, splendour) is often called the ‘flower month’ because… that’s right flowers bloomed everywhere. And the 8th month (Bul ~ increase, produce) is named for the abundance after the fall harvest. Some ancient cultures did the same if they weren’t naming them after gods.
    De 16:1 Observe the month of Aviv, and keep the Passover to Yahweh your Elohim, for in the month of Aviv Yahweh your Elohim brought you out of Egypt by night.
    There it is in simple language, don’t add to it or distort it. It does not change what Yahweh had decreed in Gen 1:14-16. He brought them out in the spring of the year and not the dead of winter for good reason.
    Be careful when you “look back in history at what those righteous ones before us did” for you’ll find more in history of what those unrighteous ones before us did. Sift everything through the word and look at history with caution.
    I appreciate the grace and spirit in your words and thank you for replying to my post.
    Shalom,
    David Smith

    Reply
    • Jan

      Where is “Abib” mentioned in the Hebrew Bible?
      The story of the Exodus relates to us “this day you are going out, in the the month of the Abib.” (Ex 13:4).
      To commemorate that we left Egypt in the month of the Abib, we are instructed to bring the
      Passover sacrifice and to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag Ha Matzot)/
      In Dt 16:1 we are commanded: “Keep the month of the Abib and make the Passover (sacrifice) to YHWH your God at night,
      because in the month of the Abib YHWH your God took you out of Egypt”.
      Similarly, we are commanded in Ex 23:15 that: “You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you will eat unleavened bread,… I have commanded you, at the time of the month of the Abib, because in it you went out of Egypt.”
      The same is commanded in Ex. ch. 34 vs. 18: “You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as have I commanded you, at the time of the month of the Abib, because in the month of the Abib you went out of Egypt.”
      So what does “Abib” mean?
      Abib indicates a stage in the development of the barley crops. This is clear from Ex 9:31,32 which describes the devastation caused by the plague of hail: “And the flax and the barley were smitten, because the barley was Abib and the flax was
      Giv’ol. And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten because they were dark (Afilot).”
      SO….the very reference to ABIV is to the BARLEY being in a STATE OF ABIB. You wouldn’t describe barley in this manner if Abiv was the name of a month!
      The above passage relates that the barley crops were destroyed by the hail while the wheat and spelt were not damaged.
      The barley was destroyed because it was not flexible. … n its development i.e. “ripeness” called “Abib” and as a result had become brittle enough to be damaged by the hail. In contrast, the wheat and spelt were still early enough in their development, at a stage when they were flexible and not susceptible to being damaged by hail. The description of the wheat and spelt as “dark” (Afilot) indicates that they were still in the stage when they were deep green and had not yet begun to lighten into the light yellowish hue
      which characterizes ripe grains. In contrast, the barley had reached the stage of Abib at which time it was no longer “dark” and at this point it probably had begun to develop golden streaks.
      Parched Abib
      We know from several passages that barley which is in the state of Abib has not completely ripened but has ripened enough so that its seeds can be eaten if parched in fire. Parched barley was a commonly eaten food in ancient Israel and is mentioned in numerous passages (there is FAR more description about this in the newsletter)
      Abib and the Harvest
      The month of the Abib is the month which commences after the barley has reached the stage of Abib. Approximately 2-3 weeks after the beginning of the month the barley has moved beyond the stage of Abib and is ready to be brought as the “wave-sheaf offering” (Hanafat HaOmer). The “wave-sheaf offering” is a sacrifice brought from the first stalks cut in the
      harvest and is brought on the Sunday which falls during the week of Unleavened Bread (Hag
      HaMatzot).
      This is described in Lev 23:10-11:
      “When you come to the land which I give you, and harvest its harvest, you will bring the sheaf of the beginning of your harvest to the priest. And he will wave the sheaf before YHWH so you will be accepted; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest will wave it.”
      That the barley must be harvest-ready 2-3 weeks into the month of the Abib is also clear from Dt 16:9 which states:
      “From when the sickle commences on the standing grain you will begin to count seven weeks.”
      From Lev 23:15 we know that the seven weeks between Passover (Hag Hamatzot) and Pentecost (Shavuot) begin on the day when the wave-sheaf offering is brought (i.e. the Sunday which falls during Unleavened Bread):
      “And you shall count from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the sheaf of
      waving; they will be seven complete Sabbaths.”
      Therefore, the “sickle commences on the standing grain” on the Sunday during Unleavened Bread, i.e. 2-3 weeks after the beginning of the month of the Abib. If the barley is not developed enough so that it will be ready for the sickle 2-3 weeks later, then the month of the Abib cannot begin and we must wait till the following month.
      The first-fruit offerings brought by individual farmers can vary in ripeness anywhere from “Abib parched in fire” to fully ripe grain which may be brought “crushed” or “coarsely ground”. This is what is meant in Lev 2:14:
      “And when you bring a first-fruit offering to YHWH; you shall bring your first-fruit offering as Abib parched in fire or crushed Carmel” (Carmel is grain which has hardened beyond Abib to the point where it can be “crushed” or “coarsely ground”).
      “Carmel” as “full ears” and “Abib” as “green ears” whereas in Lev 23:14 they translated “Carmel” as “green ears!”
      NOW….you cannot have a First Fruits offering of the wave sheaf if you have not started this FIRST MONTH with the barley being ready for it. NOR can you start the count to Shavuot and the wheat harvest is even the early barley isn’t ripe yet.
      The multiple verses at the beginning of this post clearly show it is the MONTH of abiv….the MONTH the barley becomes abiv for the offering.
      Most of this is taken from: https://sightedmoon.com/library/where-does-it-say-we-need-barley-to-start-the-new-year/

      Reply
  38. Victoria

    Comments on Sightedmoon newsletter dd 9 February 2019
    I am Victoria Koorzen, lives in South Africa and learnt to follow Torah in August 2017. I do not yet participate in the feasts, because it is prohibited in my home, but enjoy the weekly Sabbaths as best I can and spend the time in the Word. I also ponder much on issues of dispute.
    1. Sighted the moon on Friday night, March 08. Thursday evening was overcast with rain in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
    2. I believe that the March 2019 date for Pesach and the feast of the unleavened bread is the correct date, based on the barley reports that aviv is already available, and should be abundant in 14 days for the waive feast of a sheaf of aviv barley.
    3. As a new believer in the Way of Torah since 2017 I still have much to learn and made the decision to follow the teachings on Sightedmoon.com, primarily because the information is very well researched and proven from Scripture. Joseph Dumond is also one of few that I have encountered that is prepared to change his opinion on matters as new knowledge comes forward.
    There is no doubt in my mind that we are in the “last days” and that all things are developing at an exponential rate, therefore the knowledge that Yahuah is revealing day by day should be tested and proved, and then be applied and incorporated into existing dogmas.
    4. There was a suggestion regarding a “Board” or “Council” to settle such disputes. It would obviously be the ideal solution! However, it seems unlikely that much will be achieved by it.
    a. From whom will the selection be made
    b. Who will make the selection
    c. Are all the prospective members “equally yoked”
    d. How much personal pride and arrogance will be involved!
    5. It is an embarrassment that the “Hebraic Roots” / “Messianics” differ so much on so many issues. There is but ONE truth – which implies that most group leaders cling to their convictions at the expense of the Bride. These differences sow confusion, especially under new members, and we should keep in mind that confusion is the fruit of the evil one.
    6. A special concern regarding this first offering is that the various Bibles say “sheaf” and “first fruit”, but that these two concepts seem to have fallen through some cracks. Some of the aviv-reports mention that the barley should be advanced enough to be turned into flour by the 14th day. The only reference of “flour” being used that I could find, is in Wikipedia, who quotes Josephus. I question Joe where he quoted Lev. 2:1regarding a grain offering. Lev. 23:10 and 11 distinctly says “sheaf” being waved; verse 12 and 13 then mentions a perfect year old lamb and IT’S grain offering of fine flour with oil, etc. It seems to me that these are two very distinct actions. The sheaf of barley is waved before Yahuah as first fruits; THEN a lamb is slaughtered and an accompanying grain offering is made. Since there is no temple and such offerings have fallen away, is it not only the waving of an omer’s worth of barley stalks and kernels?
    7. A teacher of Torah, whom I greatly respect, and from whom I have learnt much, makes a very emotional argument that the new year should start a month later, so that the barley can be harvested, threshed, bagged, etc. before the 7-days of unleavened bread feast. His argument is so valid, so practical from a farmer’s point of view, but dearest Friend, and all others that share that view, should the offering not be from the FIRST fruit? Offered before any other may be harvested or eaten? Not an omer taken in the beginning but left 5 weeks to wilt; or any old assortment of stalks taken towards the end of the harvest. Please, I do not want to embarrass anybody, but these are the little things that influence people’s thinking and compromise the offering.
    8. May we all be honest before Yahuah and seek His truth. May we all be humble enough to accept another man’s teaching if it is proved by the Word to be correct – or cannot be disproved by the Word. Shalom

    Reply
  39. Jan

    Brian C. Hoeck of TruthOnTheWeb.org presented this EXCELLENT lesson on the Barley this year and clearly and I do mean CLEARLY shows the TRUTH from every angle that the Barley is indeed Abiv for this month’s Passover.
    He takes every bullet point directly from their barley instructions and proves each right or wrong.
    He shows you a LOT of passages from the Talmud, Josephus, Gamaliel, and others to show you that we are doing this correctly and they are not.
    I URGE you all to take the time to listen.
    If you had ANY doubts or questions at all, I promise you this will clear them up.
    This is the full audio PowerPoint teaching.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiysYuMeLmQ&feature=youtu.be
    This is the PowerPoint only. You will still learn a ton even without audio.
    http://www.truthontheweb.org/web2019/slides/slides_031619.pdf

    Reply
  40. E

    Hos 11:12 But Yehudah is still wandering with El, and is true to the Set-apart One.
    Luk 15:31 Then he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours.’

    Reply
    • E

      And in Jerusalem Yehoshaphat also appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, for the right-ruling of Yehovah and for dispute. Then they returned to Jerusalem. And he commanded them, saying, “Do this in the fear of Yehovah, trustworthily and with a perfect heart: When any dispute comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between Torah and command, laws and right-rulings, then you shall warn them, lest they trespass against Yehovah and wrath come upon you and your brothers Do this, and you shall not be guilty. And look, Amaryahu the chief priest is over you in all matters of Yehovah. And Zebadyahu son of Yishmael, the ruler of the house of Yehudah, for all the matters of the sovereign, and the Levites are officials before you. Be strong and do, and Yehovah is with the good” (2 Chr 19:8-11).
      “And let no one come into the House of Yehovah except the priests and those of the Levites who serve – they go in, for they are set-apart. But all the people are to guard the Charge of Yehovah” (23:6).

      Reply

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