In the land of Egypt, just before Israelās great deliverance, God gave an unexpected instructionānot about escape, weapons, or warfareābut about the calendar.
Exodus 12:1ā2 (KJV)
āAnd the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.ā
This may seem like a small detail, but it marked a profound shift in identity and purpose. God was not only removing His people from EgyptāHe was reshaping how they measured time. Redemption would now define their days. ā³
šļø A Picture Worth Considering: The Ark and the Resurrection
Genesis 8:4 (KJV)
āAnd the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.ā
Some scholars suggest that this āseventh monthā refers to the civil calendar used before the Exodus. If so, the 7th month would later become the 1st monthācalled Nisanāafter Godās command in Exodus 12. That would place the arkās resting day on the 17th of Nisan.
Jesus rose on the third day after Passover (14th Nisan)āon what would also be the 17th of Nisan. š
āØ A Typological Insight
- š¶ The Ark rested ā judgment had passed, a new beginning emerged.
- āļø Jesus rose ā judgment was satisfied, and new creation began.
Two resting places. Two new beginnings. One gracious God.
Note: While this alignment is compelling, the calendar details are inferred from tradition and typology rather than direct, irrefutable statements in Scripture.
š The Shift from Civil to Sacred: A Calendar Realigned
Before Exodus 12, the Jewish people likely followed a civil calendar beginning in the fall with the month of Tishri. This aligned with creation and agricultural cycles.
But in Exodus 12, on the eve of the first Passover, God commanded a reset:
Exodus 12:2 (ESV)
āThis month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.ā
Thus, Nisan (formerly the 7th month in the civil calendar) became the 1st month of the religious yearāmarking the beginning of time as defined by redemption.
| Month | Civil Calendar | Religious Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Tishri | 1st Month (New Year) | 7th Month (Feast of Trumpets) |
| Nisan | 7th Month | 1st Month (Passover) |
š Deuteronomy 16:1 (KJV)
āObserve the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.ā
ā³ When Jesus Changed the Calendar
Galatians 4:4ā5 (KJV)
āBut when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Sonā¦ to redeem them that were under the lawā¦ā
Jesus didnāt come at a random moment. His arrival split historyāso much so that our modern calendar counts years as B.C. (āBefore Christā) and A.D. (āAnno Dominiā).
The coming of Jesus redefined timeānot only for nations, but for every believer.
š A Personal Calendar Reset
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
āTherefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.ā
The moment of your salvation is not just a change of heartāitās a change of time. Your calendar now begins with grace. Your past is covered, and your future is rewritten.
š” Application
āNow that I’m on God’s calendar, I’m literally on God’s time.ā
I no longer live by pressure or guilt. My life is measured by grace, not routine. I walk in the rhythm of redemptionānot the chaos of the world.
š Final Reflection: Redemption Rewrites Time
Revelation 10:6 (KJV)
āā¦that there should be time no longer.ā
One day, time will cease. But until that day, we live not by the worldās calendarābut by the timetable of heaven. From the ark to the tomb, God has been telling one story: the rescue and renewal of His people through Christ.
Let the day of your redemption become your new beginning. When God changes your calendar, eternity starts counting from that moment forward. ā±ļø
