Final Reckoning
It has been brought to my attention that something's wrong with our dates. Funny we don't know where anything is yet nor even what time. In old days, we could tell time by making something known as a sundial. This was basically a round disc set out in the garden which had a little stick attached. Then the sun when it shown cast a shadow telling the time as it moved through the sky. Better yet, the sun moves about every fifteen minutes. Therefore, if you start early in the morning when it first gets up, the sky makes the perfect sundial for telling the time. Don't forget that noon or midday is peak position in the sky. From there, midmorning or about ten would be half-way between starting position and peak position at noon. The same goes for midafternoon or 3 based on the position halfway between peak and sunset. From there, the calendar also has been messed up. Here's what the current calendar under King Gregory of England from the Middle Ages looks like.
January / Capricorn - goat
February / Aquarius - water bearer
March / Pisces - fish
April / Aries - ram
May / Taurus - bull
June / Gemini - twins
July / Cancer - crab
August / Leo - lion
September / Virgo - virgin
October / Libra - scales
November / Scorpio - scorpion
December / Sagittarius – archer
Tell me why I found this scrap of paper though hidden in the library?
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.
1 Kings 6:1
Only problem is, I don't know what the second month Zif even is, do you? Oh, look there's another right down here at the bottom.
And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
1 Kings 6:38
I know what a bull is, it's very similar to the star position on the astrological calendar Zodiac. The sun or star sign is Sagittarius, which if memory serves me correctly, is midwinter in December. Whatever is the matter, now? Sorry, it looks like we went the wrong way, I meant the other sign that actually looks like a bull. Let's just do a quick search by the keyword month since all our records are digitized for easier reference. Now, here's all the search results that turned up.
And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
1 Kings 8:2
And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Ezra 6:15
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther 2:16
In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
Esther 3:7
Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan
Esther 8:9
Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
Zechariah 1:7
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
Zechariah 7:1
It looks like we need to reconcile the two calendar systems, the old and the new, and list what we already know. For reference, I'll put the ancient months in order on the left and the newer ones as per King Gregory on the right side of the list. Now I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the old trumps the new. Let's say this newer system done under King Gregory was even called after him. It became what is known today as the Gregorian calendar. Perhaps what he did was correct and perhaps it was not. Let's look at the result and find out.
Nisan (1st) / October, Libra, scales
Zif (2nd) / November, Scorpio, scorpion
Sivan (3rd) / December, Sagittarius, archer
Ethanim (7th) April, Aries, ram
Bul (8th) / May, Taurus, bull
Chisleu (9th) / June, Gemini, twins
Tebeth (10th) / July, Cancer, crab
Sebat (11th) / August, Leo, lion
Adar (12th) / September, Virgo, virgin
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
Nehemiah 1:1
Ouch, that's very bad. It looks like the calendar starts with our month of October, according to documents found during ancient times. Let's say for instance, that these months and their system dated back three to four thousand years. King Gregory's system is relatively newer, with changes being introduced in the last one to two thousand years. Perhaps not all innovation is good, what do you think? There's three months left. Let's see if you can guess where these go by the clues, then put them back to the chart.
January / Capricorn - goat
February / Aquarius - water bearer
March / Pisces - fish
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
Nehemiah 2:1
That would be as follows:
Nisan (5th) - February, Aquarius, water bearer
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
Nehemiah 6:15
This day came ye out in the month Abib.
Exodus 13:4
Abib (4th) - March / Pisces - fish
Elul (6th) - January / Capricorn – goat
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's right. What I've brought out below is a numbering of the children of Israel by order of their months as done during the time of Solomon. You might would remember King Solomon from scenes we just passed. It seems he too was awful at following a set of directions. I know the pain. The electronic maps, or the GPS, doesn't much like me myself. If you will recall, this was the same guy who wasted approximately five cubits of material in building one wall a piece of a certain religious house. Let's see if his method of sorting the people by each individual tribe actually works out.
Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
3 Of the children of Perez was the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month.
4 And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand.
5 The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
6 This is that Benaiah, who was mighty among the thirty, and above the thirty: and in his course was Ammizabad his son.
7 The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
8 The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
9 The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
10 The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
11 The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
12 The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anetothite, of the Benjamites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
13 The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
14 The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
15 The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand
1 Chronicles 27:1-15
Why did this happen? Remember those pesky beasts we learned about in locations that like to sneak in? Well, it appears that one in particular has made havoc with the times and seasons to have his way with the world. Now that we've taken this end of the kingdom back, that about does it.
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him
Daniel 7:23-27