(From the book, Ezekiel's Calendar Explained)
Introduction:
why "Ezekiel's Calendar?"
We have heard of "Ezekiel's wheels" and "Ezekiel's temple." You can even go to some stores and buy "Ezekiel bread." So what is the deal about "Ezekiel's calendar?" Is it different than "our" calendar? How much can we know about it? And what difference does it make?
I call it Ezekiel's calendar because it is clearly referenced in Ezekiel 46:1
The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
This is the concise description of Ezekiel's calendar, with its unique features in bold. Upon reflection, it is a puzzle as well as a description.
Here is the puzzle: "six working days" is a familiar term. The differentiation of the sabbath from those "working days" is also well known. But how can a calendar always incorporate cycles of 6 working days followed by a sabbath, and have a "day of the new moon" that is treated like a sabbath, i.e., is not a working day? This "new moon day" is neither a “sabbath” nor a “work day,” so where does it fit?
To see the puzzle better, imagine one used a 7 day week as many folks do nowadays. If one works 6 days and then counts the seventh as a sabbath, the math is simple. But then along comes a "new moon day." If it falls on a "working day" and you take the day off, then you only work 5 days that week. But if it falls on a sabbath, then why call it something different?
Like many puzzles, some clues are needed. We explore these clues in the following pages. First, you will see that the calendar is not unique to Ezekiel. It is also found in the Hebrew chronological systems throughout the scriptures. We also include evidence for the calendar and its "practical value" from the applied world of the agrarian arts.
Finally, we note how the calendar is linked to the normal, visible patterns of the moon. Hence, it is called "Ezekiel's Agrarian Lunar Calendar."
We start with "how to read Ezekiel's calendar" then look at "using this calendar in everyday life." We close with some appendices. These contain additional information and references to source materials. This may be of interest to readers who want to delve deeper into this subject.
For more information, contact: eolas at Biblical Bards . org