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Biblical Time & Seasons

Do You Know What Time It Is?

And Do You Know the Date?

"of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do"

The sons of Issachar understood the times and knew what to do.

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Understanding the Times

Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever"

Psalm 25:14

"The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant."

Jeremiah 23:18

"For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word?"

Jeremiah 33:3

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Matthew 13:11

"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given."

Colossians 1:26

"the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints."

Colossians 2:17

"which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

Ecclesiastes 9:11

"the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong... But time and chance happen to them all."

Ecclesiastes 4:12

"a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Proverbs 22:29

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings"

2 Timothy 2:2

"commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

The Feasts of the Lord: The Keys to Humanity

Every day, we look at clocks and calendars to understand where we are in time. But the Bible introduces us to another way of understanding time, one that begins with creation, follows the seventh-day Sabbath, and includes the appointed feasts of the Lord.

Explore today's time in Jerusalem, the Hebrew calendar, the weekly Sabbath, and the biblical festivals that have shaped the worship of God's people for thousands of years.

Your Local Time

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Jerusalem Time

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Today's Hebrew Date in Jerusalem

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The Seventh-Day Sabbath

From Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset

According to the biblical pattern of evening and morning, the seventh-day Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and concludes at sunset on Saturday.

In the biblical weekly cycle, Saturday is the seventh day. The Sabbath is a time set apart for rest, worship, and remembering God as Creator.

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These times use astronomical sunset. Many Jewish communities light Sabbath candles before sunset (18 minutes before in most places, 40 minutes in Jerusalem) and close the Sabbath with Havdalah after nightfall, when three stars appear. Those are customary observance times. This page shows sunset itself.

Sunset calculation: astronomical sunset (sea level).

Biblical Calendar

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Why Is Saturday the Sabbath?

"Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it"
After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day. Scripture says He blessed that day and set it apart as holy. The Sabbath begins here, at creation, before Israel, before Sinai, and before sin entered the world. It is God's gift to all humanity as a weekly memorial of Him as Creator.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
The fourth commandment calls God's people to remember the Sabbath. Six days are given for labor and ordinary work. The seventh day belongs to the Lord. The commandment ties the Sabbath directly to creation: "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth." It extends rest to children, servants, strangers, and even animals. The Sabbath is a rhythm of work and rest written into the moral law.
"Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest"
Leviticus 23 lists the appointed times of the Lord. The weekly Sabbath comes first, before Passover and every annual feast. Every other appointed time in the chapter is anchored by this weekly rhythm.
"from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."
This verse speaks directly about the Day of Atonement, the annual sabbath of 10 Tishrei. It is not a rule written specifically for the weekly Sabbath. It does show plainly how a biblical day of rest was counted: from evening to evening. That pattern agrees with Genesis 1, where each day is described as "evening and morning," and it is the basis of the Jewish convention that every day begins at sunset.
"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."
When religious leaders criticized His disciples, Jesus (Yeshua, His name in Hebrew) did not abolish the Sabbath. He restored its purpose. The Sabbath was made as a gift for people, not a burden placed on them. And He claimed authority over it as its Lord.
"as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day"
Sabbath worship was Yeshua's regular habit. At Nazareth He stood in the synagogue, read from Isaiah, and announced His mission there.
"And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment."
After the crucifixion, the women who followed Jesus prepared spices but waited to anoint His body. They rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment, then came to the tomb early on the first day of the week. Luke records their Sabbath rest after the cross without any hint that the commandment had ended.
"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God."
Hebrews uses the Sabbath to describe the deeper rest found in God through faith. The Greek word in verse 9 is sabbatismos, a Sabbath-keeping. Christians read this passage in different ways. Many see it as spiritual rest in Christ that fulfills the weekly Sabbath. Seventh-day Sabbath keepers, including Seventh-day Adventists, read it as showing that a Sabbath-keeping remains for God's people, with the weekly Sabbath and the rest of faith belonging together.
"And call the Sabbath a delight"
God invites His people to stop pursuing their own pleasure on His holy day and to find their joy in Him. The Sabbath is meant to be a delight, not a dreary list of restrictions. The promise is that those who honor it "shall delight yourself in the LORD."

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sabbath Questions and Answers

The Appointed Times of the Lord

Leviticus 23 calls these days the feasts of the LORD: "The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts" (Leviticus 23:2). The first nine below come from Leviticus 23. Purim and Hanukkah are shown separately: they commemorate later events in Israel's history and are not among the appointed times of Leviticus 23.

Go deeper into every feast, chapter by chapter.

The Feasts of the Lord: The Keys to Humanity

שַׁבָּת

Seventh-Day Sabbath

Shabbat · shah-BAHT

Rest

When it occurs

Every seventh day, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

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פֶּסַח

Passover

Pesach · PEH-sakh

Pass over

When it occurs

14 Nisan, at twilight (Leviticus 23:5). One day, from sunset ending 13 Nisan to sunset ending 14 Nisan.

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חַג הַמַּצּוֹת

Unleavened Bread

Chag HaMatzot · khahg hah-mah-TSOHT

Festival of unleavened bread

When it occurs

15 to 21 Nisan, 7 days.

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בִּכּוּרִים

Firstfruits

Bikkurim (Reshit Katzir) · bee-koo-REEM (reh-SHEET kah-TSEER)

Firstfruits, the beginning of harvest and the waving of the omer

When it occurs

Jewish reckoning: 16 Nisan, the day after the first day of Unleavened Bread. Sunday reckoning (Leviticus 23:11, the day after the weekly Sabbath): the Sunday on 16 through 22 Nisan, after the Saturday within Unleavened Bread, 15 to 21 Nisan.

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Jewish reckoning counts from 16 Nisan. Sunday reckoning reads 'the day after the Sabbath' as the day after the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread.

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שָׁבוּעוֹת

Feast of Weeks / Pentecost

Shavuot · shah-voo-OHT

Weeks

When it occurs

Jewish reckoning: 6 Sivan, one day in Israel. Sunday reckoning: the 50th day counting Sunday-reckoning Firstfruits as day 1, Firstfruits Sunday + 49 days, always a Sunday.

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יוֹם תְּרוּעָה / רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה

Trumpets / Rosh Hashanah

Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah · yohm teh-roo-AH / rohsh hah-shah-NAH

Day of sounding, head of the year

When it occurs

1 and 2 Tishrei, 2 days in Israel. Leviticus names 1 Tishrei.

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יוֹם כִּפּוּר

Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur · yohm kee-POOR

Day of atonement

When it occurs

10 Tishrei, one day.

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סֻכּוֹת

Tabernacles

Sukkot · soo-KOHT

Booths

When it occurs

15 to 21 Tishrei, 7 days.

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שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת

Eighth Day Assembly

Shemini Atzeret · sheh-mee-NEE aht-SEH-ret

Eighth day assembly

When it occurs

22 Tishrei. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret is combined with Simchat Torah.

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Festivals from Later Biblical and Jewish History

פּוּרִים

Purim

Purim · poo-REEM

Lots

When it occurs

14 Adar, or 14 Adar II in a leap year. In Jerusalem, Purim is observed on 15 Adar (Shushan Purim).

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חֲנֻכָּה

Hanukkah

Hanukkah · khah-noo-KAH

Dedication

When it occurs

25 Kislev for 8 days, ending 2 or 3 Tevet depending on the year. The Feast of Dedication is recorded in John 10:22-23 and in 1 and 2 Maccabees, which are not in the Protestant canon.

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Understanding the Times

God governs time. He sets its seasons, and He invites His people to understand where they stand in His plan, not to predict dates, but to live faithfully and wisely in their generation.

The Sons of Issachar: Understanding the Times

"of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do"
The verse continues: their chiefs were two hundred, and all their brethren were at their command.
The setting is a turning point in Israel's history. Saul was dead, and warriors from every tribe were coming to David at Hebron "to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD" (1 Chronicles 12:23). Most tribes are described by how many soldiers they sent. Issachar is described by what its leaders knew.
The sons of Issachar possessed two qualities:
  1. 1.
    Understanding of the times. They recognized what was happening around them, including the political and spiritual circumstances of their generation.
  2. 2.
    Knowing what to do. They did not simply understand events. They had the wisdom to determine the right course of action.

Knowledge tells you what is happening.

Discernment helps you understand why it matters.

Wisdom tells you what to do next.

In its original context, the verse describes leaders who recognized that the kingship was passing to David and knew how to respond. Their understanding did not stay theoretical. Two hundred chiefs acted on it, and their brethren followed their lead.
Jewish tradition adds a striking detail. Some ancient interpreters, including the medieval commentator Rashi, understood "understanding of the times" as skill in reckoning the calendar: knowing when to fix the new months and when to add a leap month. In that reading, the men of Issachar understood the very appointed times this page is about.
Today the verse is often applied to spiritual discernment: recognizing changing circumstances and making wise, God-honoring decisions in uncertain times.

Wisdom for Understanding the Times

God Reveals What He Chooses to Reveal

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever"
Moses draws a clear line. Some things God keeps to Himself. What He reveals is given so that we will live by it. Understanding the times begins with humility about what we do not know and obedience to what we do.
"The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant."
The Hebrew word translated "secret" (sod) speaks of close counsel, the kind shared between friends. God's insight is not earned by cleverness. It is given to those who walk with Him in reverence.
"For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word?"
Jeremiah spoke these words against false prophets who claimed insight they did not have. True discernment comes from listening to God's word, not from speculation or confident guesses about the future.
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."
God spoke these words to Jeremiah while he was shut up in prison, as Jerusalem faced destruction. In the darkest season, the invitation was to pray. Understanding comes to those who ask.
"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given."
Jesus explained why He taught in parables. Understanding of His kingdom is a gift, given to those who come to Him and keep listening.
"the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints."
The great mystery hidden for ages is now revealed, and the next verse names it: "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Every true understanding of the times centers on Him.

Times and Seasons

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven"
Life moves in seasons, and God has ordered them. Wisdom recognizes which season you are in.
"And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings"
Daniel praised God after He revealed the king's dream. Kingdoms rise and fall on God's timetable, not man's. The sons of Issachar saw that very thing happen as the kingdom passed to David.
"the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong... But time and chance happen to them all."
Strength, speed, and talent do not guarantee the outcome. Timing and circumstance are beyond human control. This is a call to humility: rely on God, not on your own advantages.
"which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
This verse completes Colossians 2:16, which mentions festivals, new moons, and sabbaths. The appointed times are shadows; Christ is the substance they point to. Christians read this passage in different ways. Many understand it to mean the Sabbath and the feasts are fulfilled in Christ and no longer binding. Seventh-day Adventists understand the "sabbaths" here as the ceremonial annual sabbaths of the feasts, which pointed forward to Christ, as distinct from the weekly Sabbath given at creation before sin. Both readings agree on the heart of the verse: the reality is found in Christ.

Wisdom That Leads

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings"
Skill and faithfulness open doors. The leaders of Issachar stood with David because they were ready when the moment came.
"a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Understanding is not a solo pursuit. Issachar's chiefs led brethren who stood with them. Wisdom grows stronger in faithful community.
"commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
Paul describes four generations in one verse: Paul, Timothy, faithful men, and others. Understanding of the times is meant to be passed on, not kept.

Prophecy and the Times

Leviticus 23: the Lord's appointed times.

"These are the feasts of the LORD." The calendar God gave Israel was built around Him: rest, redemption, harvest, repentance, and joy.

Matthew 24: Jesus' prophetic teaching.

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus spoke of the destruction of the Temple and the signs before His return. He also said plainly: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36). He called His followers to watch and be ready, not to set dates.

Luke 21: Jerusalem and the signs of the times.

Jesus foretold that Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies and its Temple destroyed, which happened in AD 70. He said Jerusalem would be "trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24), and He told His followers, "when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).

Revelation 14:6-12: the three angels' messages.

The first angel proclaims the everlasting gospel and calls every nation to "fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water" (Revelation 14:7). That call to worship the Creator echoes the language of the fourth commandment. The second angel announces the fall of Babylon, and the third warns against receiving the mark of the beast. Verse 12 describes God's people as those "who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Seventh-day Adventists understand these three messages as a call to the world in the last days, including a call to return to worship of the Creator and His Sabbath. Other Christian traditions interpret Revelation in different ways.

This page does not predict the date of Christ's return, and the Hebrew calendar does not reveal one. Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour. Understanding the times means living ready, faithful, and wise today.

Jesus of Nazareth and God's Appointed Times

Christians have long seen the appointed times as pointing to Jesus of Nazareth, known in Hebrew as Yeshua. Some of those connections are stated directly in the New Testament. Others are theological interpretations drawn from the patterns of Scripture. Each card below is labeled so you can tell the difference.

Passover and Christ's Sacrifice

Stated in the New Testament
"Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus died at Passover as the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

Unleavened Bread and Holiness

Stated in the New Testament
Paul calls believers to keep the feast "with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Firstfruits and Christ's Resurrection

Stated in the New TestamentTheological interpretation
Paul calls the risen Christ "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20). That the resurrection fell on the day of the wave sheaf is an interpretation that depends on how the feast is dated.

Pentecost and the Holy Spirit

Stated in the New Testament
The Holy Spirit was poured out "when the Day of Pentecost had fully come" (Acts 2:1).

Trumpets and Biblical Proclamation

Theological interpretation
Many Christians connect the trumpet blasts with the trumpet that announces Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The New Testament does not name the Feast of Trumpets.

Day of Atonement and Reconciliation

Stated in the New Testament
Hebrews compares Christ with the high priest who entered the Most Holy Place, saying He entered "once for all" with His own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12).

Tabernacles and God's Dwelling with Humanity

Stated in the New TestamentTheological interpretation
Jesus taught at this feast (John 7:37-39). The connection to the Word who "dwelt among us" (John 1:14) and to God dwelling with His people (Revelation 21:3) is an interpretation.

Sabbath and Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath

Stated in the New Testament
"The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28).
See Jesus in Every Feast

Every appointed time points somewhere. The best way to understand them is to know the One they point to.

Do You Know Jesus?