A Simple Four Season Zadok Calendar
The instructions of Yah are perfect, reviving the soul; The degrees of Yah are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Psalms 19:7
I am a simple person, so I guess this is why I love simple things.
Needless to say, simplicity played a huge role in the structure and design of this year’s appointed times calendar.
My goal was to produce an easy-to-understand, “no frills” calendar that tracks well with the Gregorian calendar. Brothers and sisters like me who are not particularly “tech-savvy” will find it easy to download and print.
This short format works great for those of us who like posting our calendar on the refrigerator door rather than hanging it on a wall.
Here are a few other features I hope you too will love about the GWDF 2023/2024 Zadok Priestly Calendar:
- A Page for Every Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter seasons have their own dedicated pages. This “no-frills” format allows you to see the current date, day of the week, and feast days at-a-glance.
- Scripture Cross References for Appointed Times
In addition to Bible canon scripture references, there are also verses included from 1 Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
- First Fruits Memorial Days
Barley, Wheat, Wine, and Oil First Fruits memorial days are highlighted, with keys for tracking each.
- Oil and Wood Offering Memorial Days (DSS)
The First Fruits of New Oil festival occurs on day 22 of the sixth month.
The week-long Festival of Wood Offerings ceremony begins the day after the Festival of New Oil. It occurs in the 6th month on days 23-28 and historically involved the (paired) tribes of Levi & Judah, Benjamin & Joseph (his sons), Reuben & Simeon, Issachar & Zebulon, Gad & Asher, and Dan & Naphtali.
- Truth Nuggets & Other Scriptural Witnesses
Home-schooling moms and dads who may want to help their children dive deeper into the Word will find these very useful. Extra-biblical books that have been removed from our western bibles still contain valuable truth nuggets. The GWDF calendar cites a few of these writings on the Winter page (months 10-12) to help you do a “deep dive” into the lives of the 12 Patriarchs and Prophets like Baruch, Enoch, and Ezra. Other breadcrumbs listed from Jubilees and the Brenton Septuagint (LXX) will hopefully inspire you in these last days.
New Year. New Beginnings.
Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year. In Texas (where I live), the leaves appear and the birds sing songs as they build their nests. The days get longer as plants grow and flowers bloom. It is a time of new beginnings for all of us.
This year, New Year’s Day will begin on March 22nd. During these three months of Spring, we will celebrate the Passover and Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, and Feast of Weeks memorials.
If you will indulge me, I would like to share how I have traditionally celebrated these appointed times with friends.
Month 1 Day 14 (beginning in the evening) is Passover (Pesach) when I usually roast lamb chops with friends and enjoy a meal together while remembering all that Yeshua (Jesus), our Melchizedek High Priest, has done for us. Knowing that He is performing all his priestly duties in heaven right now, brings me so much joy and peace.
Month 1 Days 15-21 is the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread. My friends and I eat unleavened bread for the duration of this feast. The first and last day (of this week) are Holy Sabbath days of rest. Since the fourth day of Unleavened Bread falls on the weekly Sabbath, we get an extra day of rest – three in all!
Leaven is a metaphor for the sins that separate us from our Heavenly Father. During this time we examine ourselves and ask Yahuah for forgiveness in Yeshua’s name by confessing our transgressions. (1 John 3:4)
Month 1 Day 26 marks the First Fruits of Barley and the start of the seven week (49 days) count to Month 3 Day 15 (the 50th day) known as the Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks memorial. Shavuot is a multi-faceted feast – a time for renewing our covenant with the Most High. I use this time to grow deeper in my relationship with Yah and Yeshua. It is a daily struggle in this earthly body, but the effort is worth it.
I don’t have a place to grow barley, wheat, or oil, but I can renew the covenant with our Heavenly Father in my heart through study, confession, and prayer.
Final Thoughts
Yahuah has blessed us with several memorial feasts to look forward to this Spring. These are days you and I can celebrate with friends and family alike. Yah is a loving Father who desires to spend time with us. With this in mind, I pray this short, sweet, and simple appointed times calendar will enrich your life and help you draw closer to Yahuah and His son, our High Priest, Yeshua. Amein.