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THE EARTHLY INHERITANCE SERIES of BIBLE SUBJECTS
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Various Bible study guides in subjects pertaining to
New Earth prophecy, as taught by Paul Phelps.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9
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CHINESE and JEWISH CALENDAR SIMILARITIES
A similarity exists in the Biblical calendar of the Jews and in the traditional
Chinese calendar; they both are lunar-solar. This is the only correct calendar
from the requirement of Genesis 1:14. In a lunar calendar each month begins
at new moon, the narrowest half-circle of moonlight in the sky. Each month is
actually 291/2 days, so the months alternate 30 days, 29 days, 30 days, etc. The
lunar year has 3543/8 days in twelve months but the solar year has 3651/4 days,
(the time the earth makes one orbit of the sun). Chinese and Jewish calendars
balance lunar and solar year lengths the same way—adding a thirteenth month
whenever needed. This works out practically in a nineteen-year cycle, wherein
twelve years in nineteen years have 12 months and seven years have 13 months.
Nineteen years contain 235 lunar months. So in this way the moon keeps time,
and the sun keeps time, and the years stay in harmony with the seasons.
Every new moon is set apart as a holiday or special day in both traditions.
In the Bible, new moons are sabbaths (rest days) and feast days for family and
friends. New moon observance will be in effect in God’s kingdom; Eze. 46:1,3.
In both calendars, New Year Day is at a new moon and set apart as special.
The Bible calls it “the beginning of months” (Exodus 12:1). In Chinese and Jewish
tradition the choice of first month was sometimes changed by custom or decree;
but God told Moses to count months starting with the month ABÌB (springtime),
also called NISÀN; (Ex. 34:18; Lev. 23:5; Esther 3:7). The present Jewish custom
puts New Year Day in the autumn, six months later than God's choice, and the
existing Chinese custom has it two months earlier; —but ultimately all people in
the New Earth will observe "the beginning of months" in springtime, the month of
Passover; (see Eze. 45:18-21).
Passover starts at 14 ABÌB (Josh. 5:10), two weeks after Biblical New Year Day.
Passover is a full moon holiday; (full moons are 14 or 15 days after new moons).
In some years, Qing Ming holiday is on Passover. On ancient calendars it was
probably timed at full moon—and then would always come exactly at Passover.
There may be a connection; Qing Ming has a tradition about many people dying
in a plague. This tradition may be based on the Passover in Egypt wherein all of
Egypt’s firstborn died—everyone not protected by a lamb's blood on doorposts
(like red banners on Chinese doorposts at New Year). The Passover of the Jews
is followed by seven more days, “the feast of unleavened bread.”
SUKKÒT (Feast of Tabernacles) is another full moon holiday, the fifteenth of
the seventh month—the same day in autumn as Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
SUKKÒT is very festive, a day to rejoice with an abundance of grain and fruits
from autumn harvests. All nations will celebrate this holiday in God’s kingdom
(Zech. 14:16-19) and already the Chinese observe it in part. (But SUKKÒT has
seven days more.) This is the last holiday of the year as ordered by Moses.
13 ADÀR, (the "Fast of Esther" 3:13; 8:11-13), is the same day as Yuan Xiao Jie
(Chinese Lantern Festival). Jews also observe the next two days, called PÙRIM
(Esther 9:20-28). This is another full moon event, a day of light-hearted mirth
and street parades for the youth. It began with the Jews of Persia and they likely
brought it with them when they migrated into China.