Calendar Controversy

The essence of deception is an inability to see the truth based on a desire for the truth to be something other than what it is.

When the addict looks in the mirror he doesn’t see an addict. The evidence is there in the mirror, but he won’t see it and in this sense “won’t” is in the “want.” He doesn’t want to see it.

There is a realm where deception is most prevalent, even more so than in business and politics. I am talking about the realm of religion.

THE METHOD OF DECEPTION

Yeshua (Jesus) said in John 8:44 that Satan is the “father of lies.” The word “father” in the text is especially significant. It means more than paternity. It refers to the origin of a thing or the very first one of something; as in George Washington is the “father of our country” because he was our first president. The lie was Satan’s idea and he started by lying to himself. “I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:11

How could he think he could take the position of God Almighty? He was deceived by his own covetous attitude. He wanted something he had no right to want.

“How thou art fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, you who did weaken the nations! For thou said in thine heart, “”I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the recesses of the North. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.”” Isaiah 14:12-14

The underlined and emboldened word “congregation” from the above citation is “mow-edah” in Hebrew. It means appointed times and sacred festivals. The word refers not to congregations of people, but rather to a calendar. I will come back to this point in a moment, but first I would like to expound upon this idea of Satan’s method for deceiving. It is one of substitution, not cancellation. Satan is not opposed to religion. He does not want it obliterated, he wants to be enthroned on it. Note that in the Isaiah text he did not say he wanted to destroy the office of God, but rather he wanted to occupy it. He has a seemingly reasonable substitute for every pure entity God would give. Satan substitutes lies for truth, feelings for love, devotion to an earthly, physical family for that of a spiritual, heavenly one, and ultimately he would substitute himself for God. He covets God’s position.

“I will be like the Most High.”

He contradicts God as when he deceived to Adam and Eve.

“You will not surely die: for God knows that in the day ye eat of the tree, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5

He is not opposed to religion, he would have himself esteemed as the head of all religion. What audacity that he would even want the Messiah himself to bow to him.

“All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:9

In desiring to be “like God” he wants to be worshiped and he has no scruples about how he obtains it.

In his effort to be like God he found it necessary to change the calendar God had established. This is because the calendar is related to the moon, sun, and stars. The moon, sun and stars function as they do because of the One who set them in their positions. Therefore if the calendar is altered, or alterable, the impression is given that God Himself is alterable. Acceptance of that idea is all Satan needs to get his foot in the door.

In an effort to keep this article short and concise I would like to provide a single example of God’s calendar being changed, how that change has impacted mankind, and how absurd the change is.

In Leviticus chapter 23 God reveals His calendar. It states that the beginning of the year is in the Spring. It occurs in the Hebrew month of Nisan, which correlates to April/May. Spring is universally known to be the time of new beginnings. The trees begin to bud, animals are birthing, and farmers begin planting. We do not need to have this in writing. The fact that new life begins in the spring is obvious and well known by observance. Yet, as a double witness, we do have it written down for us in the pages of Scripture. So then we know by our senses and by the biblical record that the New Year ought to, and does, begin in the Spring. God so ordained this time as a way by which we may draw near to Him and understand His ways. We want to see growth in our lives; we want our souls to bloom and flower and bear fruit. God created the seasons to correspond to our souls and it makes perfect sense. How does it make sense to begin the New Year in January? It is the most dead and dormant time of the year and yet it is embraced by the whole world, not because of any historical record proving it should be observed, nor is there any corollary witness to the human soul. Never the less, January is the month mankind has embraced as beginning the new year regardless of the biblical record and the revealed will of God as shown in His calendar. There is no sowing or planting done during this month, nor is there correlating growth in the soul. Studies have shown that 98% of New Year’s resolutions fail. Why do they fail? Because, as far as the soul is concerned, making a new years resolution in January makes about as much sense as planting a garden in the dead of Winter. Of course there will be no growth. The method of successful planting is that it is done in the Spring, the very way God set it up. In this we see that God’s calendar is linked to His ways. In order to deceive the world Satan would of necessity need to distort God’s calendar and generate a calendar of his own. It is worth noting that January would be the worst possible time to plant a garden. Picture in your mind a neighbor in overalls out in his yard. He carries a shovel, a spade, a rake and a bag of seeds. He begins hacking away through snow and ice trying to reach the soil beneath so he can plant his seeds. You would think he was crazy. Yet, spiritually speaking, observing the New Year in January is no different. Even the word itself speaks of a different god. Janus was the Roman god of doors.

Consequently he held the key to the door to the New Year. He is represented by an image of a man with two faces; one looking left on the old year, the other looking to the right toward the new

In this version, Janus looking back on the old year is an older man with a beard; his other half is younger looking to the future.

This version bears the subtle blasphemy below the name JANUS “God of Beginnings.” There is only one God of beginnings and He is revealed to us in that book of beginnings, Genesis, in the beginning lines of that book –“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Note that in the opening lines of Genesis we see God as creator of heavens –sun, moon, and stars,- as well as the earth. Remember, “heavens” speak of calendar.

Could we think that this calendar change that bears the name of a false god and runs exactly opposite of God’s way is an accident? A coincidence? Thinking that Janus is the “god of beginnings” is just one more example of Satan attempting to put himself in the place of God. Yeshua called Satan “the father of lies.” How appropriate that even today we call a person with a reputation for lying “two-faced” and that this false god, Janus, bears two faces.