The Zadok Way

The Zadok Priesthood and the Zadok Priestly Calendar

The calendar being used in the temple by the Pharisees and the Sadducees was based on the Greek Seleucid calendar (probably adopted around 167 BC), which was a lunar calendar. This along with months and days being named after pagan gods, it is no wonder that there were no calendars consistent with the ancient or modern Pharisee tradition within the Dead Sea scrolls community. This makes perfect sense, if, when the Zadok priests were forced from the temple, those calendars were not present within all the other temple scrolls. The calendar observed by Israel during the time of Ezra and before, was in fact the Zadok calendar. The rise of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, along with their willingness to adopt foreign culture and practices, would bring a new calendar causing the sons of Jacob to stray from their appointed days.

Calendar (Zadok Priestly Calendar)

source: natzarimyahshua.org

We understand that there are many calendars out there, the Zadok Priestly Calendar, represents what we currently believe and follow as a fellowship in South Central Missouri. We are earnestly seeking His Truth, His appointed time, His ways; and we encourage and support each and every person seeking HIM to seek this matter our for themselves, regardless of what calendar they follow. Here is the information that we have compiled to support our current position. If you follow a calendar contrary to this one, that is OK. We will not judge you, condemn you, tell you that you are wrong or anything of the sort. We know that each person is walking out their own salvation with great fear and trembling. We hope that the information provided below will be helpful and informative.

This calendar does not rely upon the traditional lunar based (sighted moon, dark moon, new moon, full moon) system, known as the Hillel II calendar, which by the way, only dates back to the 4th century. Many in the Torah community use and follow the Hillel II calendar and many of them have not done the research into how this calendar came about. The Zadok Priestly Calendar takes into consideration the findings discovered within the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), Scriptural support as well extra Biblical writings support. For our research, we use primarily the Scriptures to formulate the basis for the calendar. The information found in the DSS, only further supports our position and current understanding. At the time of our research, and even now, people such as myself, Michael Walker, still have never read the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical writings such as Enoch, Jasher and Jubilees; which all seem to support the Zadok/Enoch calendar, according to those that have read these writings. Again, for our research, we relied primarily on the 66 books contained in the current Bible.

Some of the criteria used to base in making these decisions are as follows: Genesis 1:14, the 2 lights are made to rule over the day and the night; they are also made for 4 specific things; signs, seasons, days and years. Months is precariously missing in this description given at the beginning. Genesis (7-8) the flood; started on the 17th day of the 2nd month and concluded the 17th day of the 7th month (exactly 5 months) and at the end of the 150 days the waters diminished (making each of the 5 month’s 30 days a piece when using simple math to divide them). In the books of Daniel and Revelation the 1260 days listed are both equally divisible by 30, giving us 42 months which is perfectly equal to 3 1/2 years (time (1 year), times (2 years) and half a time (1/2 year) easily reconciling and connecting the beginning (Genesis) and the end (Revelation) The Book. We do find Biblical support for 12 months in each year, as each of the 12 months are listed within the 66 books of the Bible. Contrarily, there is not a single mention of a 13th month in all of Scripture, let alone Scripture that supports adding 13th month because of a luminary. The practice of adding a 13th month every 2 to 3 years is required using the lunar calendars, which is widely and blindly accepted within the Torah community; this is a custom of mankind. If this was an ancient method, there would be at least 2 or 3 witnesses of a thirteenth month within the framework of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. The absence of such support is what initially raised our concerns back in the fall of 2021, when we switched to the Zadok Priestly Calendar.

Leviticus 23:14 identifies that none of the children of Yisrael shall NOT eat any bread, roasted or fresh grain until the first fruit offerings have been given to Yah. Most calendar’s have this occurring during the week of Unleavened bread, where we are commanded TO eat unleavened bread, which appears to create a contradiction and error. In the calendar we present, first fruits starts the morrow after the Sabbath, after the conclusion of the feast. This removes the potential for the Scriptures’ to contradict themselves. In the sequential order of the Appointed times, first fruits (barley) is between Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. Pentecost is also when the first fruits of the wheat harvest are presented, giving us the 2nd of 3 first fruits listed in the Scripture. Food for thought

Other parts of Scripture to consider: Ezekiel 43 and 44 mention the sons of Zadok as the priests, with chapter 44 identifying them as being in charge of the temple, likely in the millenial reign of Messiah. We know that Ezekiel was written after the books of Kings and Samuel. This is important as the sons of Zadok are identified as being the priestly line serving from King David until the Maccabean revolt, when the Zadok’s were unceremoniously kicked out and overthrown in their temple duties.

We also find in Scripture that there were 12 captains/chiefs assigned, which came and went month by month throughout ALL the months, to serve the King – 1 Chronicles 27. 1 Kings 4 identifies that there were 12 offices, each man his month in a year, that provided victuals for the King and his house. In Revelation 22 verses 1 and 2 show that there was a tree that produced 12 manners of fruit, one for EVERY month.

Other 12’s in Scripture: 12 sons of Jacob, 12 sons of Ishamel, 12 hours in the day, 12 hours in the night, 12 disciples, 12 thousand from each of the 12 tribes and the list goes on and on.

We must always remember, not to add to or take away from the Word of Yah (Deuteronomy 4:2). We must walk out our own salvation with great fear and trembling (Philippians’ 4:2). We do not judge other’s who follow another calendar. The fact of the matter is, there is not a perfect calendar out there at this time. We could be wrong, as we have been wrong before, and we are in the process of walking out our salvation with great fear and trembling. We look forward to Messiah returning and straightening it all out for us, until then, we will continue to follow the Zadok Priestly calendar unless Biblical evidence can be provided to encourage us to change our position.

As of January 2024, there is more growing support of using this calendar. Monte Judah of Lion and the Lamb ministries, who also produces a monthly magazine (Yavoh), is quoted as saying “I believe there is sufficient evidence that the Zadok priestly calendar, credited to Enoch before the Flood, used by Moses, is the calendar that believers of Yeshua should adhere to in contrast to the present Hebrew calendar. God’s appointed times should be scheduled and observed according to the Zadok calendar.” This is profound, considering that Monte has been in this walk for nearly 40 years and for the majority of that time, if we are not mistaken, he was a sighted moon (Hillel II) calendar follower. Eddie Chumney is also of the strong opinion that this is the calendar that should be followed, here is a link to a presentation he gave at sukkot this past year, 2023-08-26 Eddie Chumney Conf. pt 1 – “Restoring the Zadok Priesthood’ – Life of Worship (youtube.com). Both of these men have very large followings of believer’s and a massive outreach that is sure to spread like wild fire, for them to be coming to this understanding and sharing this information now, just increases the vindication and support that this truly is the most appropriate and accurate calendar known.

One does not have search far and wide to find other articles that support this ever growing trend. With the Dead Seas Scrolls being publicized, translated and more information made public, we are seeing more and more historical evidence that pre-dates Messiah’s first coming, as the calendar that was actually followed from the beginning, starting in Genesis with Enoch. Malachai states that YHWH/YHVH/YHUH changes not. His Word is eternal, it was at the beginning as it will be at the end. If we truly hang on the to Scriptural fact that HE DOES NOT CHANGE, then His calendar and timing are of the utmost importance. Shalom and ahavah b’shem Yahshua.

https://natzarimyahshua.org/calendar/

Calendar Considerations

Genesis 1:14; the lights in the firmament were made for signs (oth), seasons (moedim), days (yom), years (shanah); months is not identified Genesis 7:11, 7:24; 8:4, each month was 30 days (5 months was 150 days) Daniel and Revelation, 1260 days is equally divided by 30, resulting in 42 months (3 ½ years) No 13th month mentioned in Scripture; using Rabbinic calendars this is needed 7 times every 19 years Not a single mention of concrete Scriptural evidence on how to sight the “new moon”; crescent, dark, full Evidence of the Zadok calendar found in the Dead Sea Scrolls Yahushua was observing and ate the Passover the day before the “religious leaders” (Pharisees and Sadducees); thus observing the Feast on the day His Father (YHWH)  intended it The wave offering, occurs the morrow after the Sabbath, after the reaping of the harvest, which could not be done before Passover, otherwise the timing would be completely off. Yahushua the High Priest, would follow the prescribed method of consecration of 1 week, the week of Unleavened Bread, He had not yet presented to His Father, until after 7 days, the morrow after the Sabbath (completely physical, has nothing to do with the Spiritual)

Why the Zadok Priestly Calendar?

Source: messianicsabbath.com

If you are keeping the Lunisolar Hebrew calendar in which each month starts with a new moon and a 13th month is sometimes added, I applaud your desire and commitment.  I have kept and promoted this calendar for nearly 20 years.

In 2024, I faced confusion with the calendar.  Some believers and congregations added a 13th month to accommodate the ripening of the barley in Israel, some did not. 

That put Messianic congregations a month apart in their feast observances.  Also, the actual sighting of the first sliver of the new moon (which determines when a new month starts) did not line up with what was calculated on the calendar I was using, which further threw off the dates of the feasts and rosh chodesh (head of the month) observances.

So, I redoubled my efforts. I researched all of my new moon dates with a third party. I looked into the ripening of the barley. I re-read the Torah’s instructions.  But this additional information only served to raise more questions for me.  Did Yehovah, the creator of the universe, whose ways are perfect, really intend for us to “correct” his calendar with an extra month every 2-3 years?  Which barley field in Israel are we to be watching?  What if it’s a dark night and we cannot see the sliver of the moon? 

If Yehovah has commanded his people from all time to observe his holy days on their very specific dates, would he not provide a way for everyone to know when those dates are – whether inside or outside of Israel, with a righteous or wicked high priest, with a clear or cloudy sky, and with or without Google?  This brought me back to the most basic question:

Why keep a Biblical calendar?

Why does Yehovah instruct us to blow the trumpet over our offerings at the beginning of our months (Num. 10:10)?  The answer is simple:  So that we know when the first and seventh months are.  All of Yehovah’s commanded feast dates are in the first and seventh months. These are paramount on his timeline – past, present and future.  I believe the primary reason to track the months is to be able to calculate when the feast dates are going to occur and put them on our calendar, in our plans and in our hearts, as they are in Yehovah’s. Even creation was designed with them in mind:

Genesis 1:14, “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,’” 

The word translated “seasons” here is actually the Hebrew word Mo-edim (Strong’s #H4150), appointed times – feasts, festivals, gatherings.

But the benefits of keeping a Biblical calendar go beyond that, to include revelation into the rhythm and themes of Yehovah through the year and in our lives.  I believe these themes continue for us today.  As well, man has added other dates to the Biblical calendar to commemorate notable events and alert us to things to come (Hanukkah, Purim, The Three Weeks of Sorrow, etc.)

But how am I to reconcile these questions and issues I’m finding, so that I can make sure I’m aligning as closely to Yehovah’s appointed times as possible?

The Zadok Priestly Calendar

I sought the Lord during the year to determine how to move forward in the coming year.  That’s when he brought to my awareness the Zadok Priestly Calendar.  My Pastors brought it up to me and we embarked on a fact finding mission.  Other Torah teachers we respect, such as Monte Judah (Lion & Lamb Ministries), Eddie Chumney (Hebraic Heritage Ministries) and others, were endorsing the Zadok calendar, but there were many questions to be answered. 

We looked at the basic differences between the two calendars:

While jarring at first, some of these differences started to clear up my frustrations with the Lunisolar Calendar.  As we searched it out and sought the Lord, there were fascinating, revelatory and even miraculous findings that convinced us to make the switch to the Zadok Priestly Calendar.

Compelling Points to Consider

By no means understanding all of the aspects of it yet, the most convincing reasons I’ve found to change calendars were the following:

• This calendar has come to light due to the discovering and deciphering of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among the scrolls, calendars were unearthed that were likely kept by the Zadok priests.
  (The scrolls were confirmed by a leading Hebrew University archaeologist the very same day the UN voted to create a Jewish state in Mandatory Palestine – https://www.icej.org/blog/israels-national-rebirth-and-the-dead-sea-scrolls/.
  What is Yehovah up to?

• The Zadok priests were a priestly line from the time of David.  It is believed that the Essenes of Qumran, where the scrolls were discovered, were the remnant of the Zadok priestly line after the Babylonian exile. Zadok priests are also chosen by Yehovah out of all the other Levitical priests to serve in his temple (Ezekiel 44-45, see 44:15).

• The calendars found are documented in many books about the Dead Sea Scrolls and much of it matches with Enoch’s writings from the pre-flood era about his understanding of the sun, moon and seasons.

• The Torah does not explain all there is to know about how to calculate the Biblical calendar.  This is why there is confusion and various iterations.  The First Book of Enoch provides additional instruction (Chapters 72-82). However, it is still not reconcilable as a definitive guide.  But, when you combine the Torah, The First Book of Enoch and the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is now evidence and guidance for calculating everything in this Zadok calendar. 

• For the Lunisolar Hebrew Calendar, I learned that there was no evidence or instruction for:
• Starting each month on a new moon
• Starting the new year when the barley is ripe
• Adding a 13th month every 2-3 years

These are all foundations of the Hebrew calendar and yet there is no place in the Torah or any of the writings that supports them.

• There is no mention of a new moon in the Hebrew Bible.  The term “Rosh Codesh” is often translated to “new moon” in English Bibles.  “Rosh” (H7218) means beginning or head, but “Codesh” (H2320) means month, not the actual moon.  The word for moon is “yereach” (H3394).  It is used 27 times in the Bible, but never in connection with the appointed times of Yehovah.

• When I saw the simplicity of the concept, yet how all-encompassing it is of the elements of time, I recognized Yehovah’s handiwork.  Only He could come up with something anyone could calculate and understand, and also have it continue to reveal more the more you learn about it.  It perfectly aligns with the sun, moon, stars and seasons – just as is stated in Genesis 1:14-19, pointing us easily to his appointed times, which is stated as the reason for creating them.

Some examples of this include:

• Exact Sabbath dates repeat every three months, which can only happen on a 364-day year.
• New months always start on Wednesday, then Friday, then Sunday and repeat that pattern all year, every year, forever.
• Month one, the head of the year, always starts on a Wednesday, the fourth day of the week.  This is because the sun, moon and stars were created on the fourth day of creation. This was the beginning of earthly time and nothing has changed, because Yehovah does not change.
• The calendar is broken into the four seasons, and a new month begins on the Wednesday within a week of each of the four seasonal markers: Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice. 
• Each new season has exactly 91 days, 13 weeks.
• View a sample calendar of Hebrew months to see the simplicity.

These repeating patterns make it possible for anyone to create their own calendar.  If you know when the Spring (Vernal) Equinox is, you can figure out the rest.  This is how we are all responsible to keep Yehovah’s appointed dates, because anyone can calculate them.  You don’t need a priest, you don’t need to observe anything, and you don’t need Google to find the moon’s cycle or check on Israel’s barley crop.  Yehovah would not hold us responsible for specific dates if we had no way of knowing when that date was.

Always Aligning with Yehovah’s Revelation

I had to grapple with the fact that I have not known this until now.  Was everything else that I learned and that I was teaching wrong?  When I was a Christian, I was doing the best I could do with the information I had.  And using that path, Yehovah led me to a Messianic understanding, so I could align closer with his heart and his ways.  Following the Lunisolar Hebrew Calendar increased my desire to keep the Biblical calendar and is what Yehovah used to lead me to the Zadok Priestly Calendar. 

This is our evolution as children of the living God and in our journey of coming out of Babylon to align closer and closer with the revelation he gives us for his ways.  As we are malleable wineskins that will not burst with new wine, our understanding will continue to evolve.  We will continue to seek Yehovah for more revelation of him and his ways and re-align with what he reveals.

Links for More Study

I hope you will look into this for yourself and seek the Lord for his instruction, as we wait for the restoration of all things and the law going forth from Zion.

• Remnant House Ministries “The Holy Zadok Calendar In The Dead Sea Scrolls – Part 1”
• Remnant House Ministries “The Holy Zadok Calendar In The Dead Sea Scrolls – Part 2”
• An Overview from Lion & Lamb Ministries
• An Overview from Natzarim Yahshua Family Fellowship
• Rachel Elior’s Guest Lecture at the University of Chicago School of Divinity
• Rachel Elior’s “Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls”
• Returningtothegarden.com books, studies and dates
• “Signs of the Times” Video Series (6) discussion between Avi ben Mordechai and Eddie Chumney

Links to Purchase, View, Download or Print a Zadok Priestly Calendar

2024-2025

• For purchase from Lion & Lamb Ministries, March 2024 – March 2025
• For viewing or free download from Remnant House
• For viewing or free download from Natzarim Yahshua Family Fellowship

2025-2026

For purchase from Returningtothegarden.com

Video Teachings

The following are some very inetresting, revealing and convincing videos outlining the justification of the Zadok Priesthood and the Zadon callendar.

The image below reflects a comprehensive  twenty-two (22) chapter video series with Avi ben Mordechai and Eddie Chumney on the subject of the Zadok Priesthood and calendar.

There was an intense biblical controversy during the Second Temple period regarding the authority of second-temple period Judaism and who had the authority to proclaim the correct biblical calendar of the national festivals. It was a sharp Zadokite priesthood rejection of the second temple period Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. The Zadokite priesthood of the Qumran believed they had the biblical authority to set the dates for all national biblical festivals of Israel and Judah. 

Here is a link to part one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDW9omNyFSg 

James Tabor – Counting Time: The Dead Sea Scroll Essene Calendar Explained

Monte Judah – The Zadok Calendar and the Last Generation

Dr. Jackson Snyder – The “Perfect” Zadokite 364-day Festival Calendar – WWYD? The Latest Secret Scroll.

Assembly of Called-Out Believers – the SECRET of the ZADOK Priesthood

Shane Vaughn – Biblical Proof that Jesus/Yahshua kept the Zadokite Calendar. Solving the Passover Conundrum

Remnant House Ministries – The Holy Zadok Calendar In The Dead Sea Scrolls – Part 1 and 2