by J.K. McKee

Over the past four to five years, it has become quite en vogue within the independent Messianic community to observe the appointed times on dates that are different from the Rabbinical calendar used in both mainstream Judaism and Messianic Judaism. This has principally come as a result of non-Jewish Believers entering into a life of Torah observance, reading parts of the Torah, and then concluding that Judaism has made some (major) errors when it comes to determining the days we are to commemorate the moedim. Often not having any kind of connection to the Jewish Synagogue, either having been raised in it or being in a Messianic community devoid of many (if any) Jews, it is easy to read a text like Exodus 12:2 and conclude that the Jewish people have been wrong for millennia with their pre-calculated calendar system—where all Jews throughout the world will be found observing the appointed times at the same times.

During the past four to five years, while I have not at all hidden my opinion on this issue, I have chosen to focus my attention on other things. But this year, for some reason or another, I feel that those of us who are philo-traditional in our Torah observance need to make some statements. While many I encounter think that the issue of the calendar is pretty clear cut—“the Rabbis are all wet”—I do not think it is clear cut at all. Many of the so-called restored calendars floating around are not as much geared toward finding the “real” dates for celebrating Passover or Yom Kippur, as much as they are trying to predict the year of the Messiah’s return. (That is a subject worthy of discussion another time, as the presuppositions that go into such predictions will need to be reevaluated as you cannot make recalculations of recalculations indefinitely.)

As with any issue regarding the Torah, I am not constrained to only read one verse in the Pentateuch and then ignore others that give us a fuller picture. Within Moses’ Teaching there is an important stipulation that needs to be considered, especially when divisive issues face God’s people. Deuteronomy 17:10-11 gives a significant degree of authority to the religious leaders, in fact specifying, “According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left.” The Hebrew clause al-pi ha’torah means “according to (the) mouth (of) the torah,” indicating an oral, standing ruling, to be followed. On issues such as the calendar, there is a protocol to be considered from the religious authorities, in this case the mainline Jewish Synagogue, which has a pre-calculated calendar determined for the worldwide Jewish community.

Obviously when it comes to the calendar dates, we are also not constrained to only consider what the Torah itself says. Yeshua Himself bode His Disciples to follow the halachic lead of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:2-3). The Apostle Paul says that the Jewish people possess the oracles (Romans 3:2), and that they have an irrevocable calling that must be honored (Romans 11:29). He insisted before the Sanhedrin that he was a loyal Pharisee (Acts 23:6). These are the examples that the ekklēsia is to follow.

There is no record of either Yeshua or His Apostles ever taking issue with the mainstream Pharisaical calendar. The Believers in the Book of Acts are depicted as observing the appointed times on the same days as the whole of the Jewish community, and not on the days of secondary sects like the Sadducees or the Essenes. If the Apostles take on the religious authorities of their day for any issues, it is over human equality and their negligence in significant matters of justice, treatment of the poor, women, the downtrodden, oppressed, etc.

I can only answer for myself on this issue. I believe that it is perfectly legitimate for Messianic Believers to observe the appointed times—all of the appointed times, in fact—on the same dates as the Jewish community. I do not believe that this is the issue that we want to place in front of the Jewish people or Messianic Jews as a stumbling block. I believe that the issue that we want to put in front of them as a stumbling block is Yeshua as Lord and Savior (Romans 9:22-23), and the unity and equality for all of God’s people restored by Him (Galatians 3:28). Neither the Messiah Himself nor His Apostles ever made the calendar the divisive issue that we have seen it become in recent days. (And if you think that they did, I challenge you to provide me with some Scriptural evidence.)

Unfortunately much of today’s Messianic movement is a reflection of its largely American host culture: polarization and extremism are too often present. If you believe that the Rabbis have authority, then it is thought that you must go all the way and follow them in all matters. Yet this is a position that most of Judaism itself does not even hold to. Obviously, even if we consult Rabbinic authority in matters of halachah—we still do have disagreements with the Synagogue over Yeshua’s Messiahship, His Divinity, the role of the Apostolic Scriptures, etc. The question is how to come to a proper balance, expressing appropriate continuity with our Jewish theological and spiritual heritage, yet at the same time expressing our own unique identity in the Messiah. I think with the calendar debate, this has become more complicated than it needs to be. This is a clear area where we are to follow the Synagogue.

Too many get the errant impression that if we are to follow Rabbinic authority, we are to follow it all blindly—making us choose between one hyper-traditional extreme and another anti-traditional extreme. Yet if you read the Rabbinical literature, you see multiple opinions expressed, and so no one (do not be fooled!) follows all of the Rabbinical injunctions because the Rabbis themselves don’t. I do not believe that Yeshua wanted us to follow the Rabbis blindly in all matters of halachah any more than Paul wanted the Romans to blindly obey the government (cf. Romans 13). But they certainly did not want us to be independent rogues out there, all doing our own thing. I have always referred people to Philippians 4:8 as an excellent filter to consider the role of tradition:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Messianic Judaism helped pioneer a movement where a Jewish person could believe in Jesus and still be Jewish. I do not think that Messianic Judaism’s early founders expected that within forty years many Christians would be attending its congregations in an effort to learn more about their Hebraic Roots. If they did, they would have prepared themselves theologically a little better. Certainly, while both of these have been good things, with more non-Jewish Believers becoming “Messianic,” some have unfortunately taken to defining the Messianic movement in terms that are not only foreign to, but also dishonoring of, Messianic Judaism. While I cannot defend much of Messianic Judaism’s unwillingness to discuss various prophecies of Israel’s restoration (i.e., Ezekiel 37:15-28), many people in the Two-House sub-movement have placed unnecessary barriers between themselves and Messianic Judaism that prevents reasonable dialogue on the issue. The calendar is a prime example.

I was first exposed to Messianic things through Messianic Judaism, and believe that it is time that we return to a style of Torah observance consistent with what our Messianic Jewish brethren do. Most of Messianic Judaism follows a moderate level of Torah halachah not that much different than the Conservative or Reform Synagogue, whose Biblical exegesis not only considers the Rabbinic tradition, but also historical-grammatical and archaeological studies. Messianic Judaism’s congregations and fellowships are much more stable than many of the independent Messianic groups one encounters. I think in the years to come, the independent Messianic movement will largely become a mirror image of this Messianic Judaism—its only major differences being an equality for all clearly emphasized, as well as a much more refined and engaged theology. (It will also have a much more mature attitude toward the Christian Church, similarly recognizing the value of our Christian theological and spiritual heritage.)

I will never support the independent calendars floating around. I do not believe the people producing them have the skills that they think they have regarding chronology, anthropology, astronomy, and Biblical interpretation. They are almost always derived by non-Jewish Messianics, and people who I think have forgotten some of the admonitions we are given in the Holy Scriptures to honor the Jewish people.

Non-Jewish Believers are to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy for faith in Yeshua (Romans 11:11)—that is to be the key difference, and not the calendar. I think that by following the lead Messianic Judaism has set, Messianic non-Jewish Believers will be empowered to fulfill this objective much better than they have been doing in recent years. We are to lead by a testimony of faith and a changed life, and see what God does by our actions and passive witnessing. We cannot do this if unnecessary barriers are placed between ourselves and not only the Jewish community, but even the Messianic Jewish community. It is time that the independent Messianic movement reconsider what “to the Jew first” (Romans 1:16) really means, and put the Rabbinical calendar back on the wall to be followed.