Once again, the eyes of the world are focused on the Assemblies of Yahweh of Bethel, Pennsylvania, to dispel the confusion, discern the Will of Yahweh,  and proclaim the times and seasons which Yahweh has ordained for the Holy seasons.

When the Directing Elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh calculated the calendar for the year of 2005 and saw the configuration for adding the second Adar last July, he informed his faithful assistants that a trip to Israel to verify the month of Abib 2005 would be necessary. Each year, for the past 30 years, he has verified the beginning of the new year, either by speaking with individuals who reside in Israel or as he has done 21 times, traveling to Israel and inspecting the grain in the field, which is an integral qualifier to ordain the month of Abib.

We departed Ben Gurion Airport the morning of March 8 and immediately saw many fields of wheat which were in the boot stage. As we traveled farther south, the development of the wheat was slightly more advanced, but Elder Jacob O. Meyer found no evidence of any wheat that was past the milk stage. Elder Meyer had informed me that if we were to find concrete evidence of green ears of barley it would be in the dry-land farming of the Negev. By miraculous heavenly guidance, Yahweh led Elder Meyer directly to a large parcel of land that he immediately recognized to be barley north of Beer Sheva. After examining the heads of barley in the field he proclaimed, “This will be the month of Abib.” We, then, traveled directly to Jerusalem and he informed the international headquarters of the Assemblies of Yahweh of his findings, that, following the New Moon, it would be the beginning of months.

Within an hour after posting the evidence his findings on the Assemblies of Yahweh’s website, other organizations began making claims that they, too, had found evidence of green ears of barley and listed the places where they had looked. Later that week, on March 11, Elder Jacob O. Meyer led us to Alon and Ein Mabbua, which is located on the Judean Ridge between Jerusalem and Jericho.  I have traveled with Elder Meyer to Israel on numerous occasions, along with many others, and an elementary lesson he teaches us upon our arrival is how to discern between wheat, barley, and tares. In the region of Alon and Ein Mabbua there is no cultivation of crops. There are, however, many fields of tares, which grow wild and are useless as a harvestable grain crop. The individual who found the green ears of tares and calls them barley has corroborated this fact. Elder Jacob O. Meyer cut a handful of these tares and has brought them here to Bethel to show the Brethren the uselessness of their empty heads. The pictorial evidence is contained in the galleries below.

Elder Jacob O. Meyer then organized a meeting with the head of the Negev-Judean Ridge-Jordan Valley Regions of the Ministry of Agriculture in Israel. The ministry representative confirmed that the tares we cut in Alon and Ein Mabbua are worthless and are considered a noxious weed by those who seek to cultivate the land to feed their animals and themselves. The individual who found the green ears of tares (and calls them barley) has also corroborated the fact that what he calls “wild barley” (tares) is a plant that productive farmers seek to destroy. When presented with the green heads that Elder Meyer cut in the Negev, the Ministry of Agriculture official confirmed Elder Jacob O. Meyer’s knowledge that what he had cut as evidence was, in fact, barley, and is a grain, not a weed.

On the evening of March 11, 2005, Elder Jacob O. Meyer led us to a tel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and as Yahweh rolled back the persistent cloud cover we were able to see the New Moon and he was able to proclaim the month of Abib. (He had found it humorous that 3 days before the visible crescent other individuals had proclaimed that Abib had arrived.)

Following are pertinent biblical facts that must be considered in setting Yahweh’s Holy seasons.

AA)    Exodus 9:31-32 – Barley is the first crop to be harvested in the region.

BB)     Exodus 12:1 – Abib is the beginning of months.

CC)    Leviticus 23:9-21 – The first fruits of the first crop (barley) must be offered after the first weekly Sabbath following the Passover. On this day, the count toward Pentecost begins.

When these Scriptural factors align, there is no doubt or confusion as to when Abib begins. The Directing Elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh, Elder Jacob O. Meyer, has confirmed the visible facts and the seasons have been decreed. They are as follows: Evening of March 24-Passover, March 25-Passover Day, Evening of March 25-Night to Be Much Observed, March 26-First High Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, April 1-Last High Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

A word about what barley is. Barley that has been discovered in the region, preserved in tombs for millennia, has been sprouted and grown to maturity. Although the nutritional value is higher in the ancient crop, it resembles exactly what is grown today. There is no change in the length of its growing season or in the grain that is harvested. There is also substantial micro-biological evidence that although "wild barley" is related to the barley grown for food, it is not the progenitor of it. The only people who argue that today's barley came from wild barley are those seeking to erroneously prove evolution. Remember, for example, that tomatoes are related to nightshade. Tomatoes are consumable and nightshade will kill you!

Sadly, though, agricultural ignorance and lack of study has given the enemies of Yahweh and His son Yahshua occasion to blaspheme. Large pictures of tares have been  portrayed as green ears of barley in publications and on the Internet. A sincere seeker of Yahweh’s Truth must ask themselves if the witness of an anti-Messiah group can govern decisions that will lead Yahweh's Assembly in paths of righteousness. We can go to the sacred Scriptures that will clearly answer this question (2 John 7-11 and 2 Corinthians 6:14). Under the guidance of Yahweh, the Assemblies of Yahweh will never fall into a fraudulent trap set by Satan. This is due to the fact that Elder Jacob O. Meyer maintains sound doctrine and strong leadership as Yahweh Wills!

To Assemblies of Yahweh members all around the world who read this report: Yahweh Bless You! May His face shine on you as you complete your spiritual and physical preparations in anticipation of the Holy Day cycle. Brethren, we love you and in the words of Elder Jacob O. Meyer, “On To The Kingdom!”.

To sincere seekers of Yahweh’s Truth: May the Holy Spirit continue to guide you in Yahweh’s knowledge. May the information given freely by the Assemblies of Yahweh aid in helping you make an informed decision and that you act on that knowledge, becoming a child of the Most High Elohim.

To those who resist the facts that are presented: Do not harden your heart as ancient Israel did and became lost in the wilderness, but accept the direction and guidance of Yahweh and His Son Yahshua.

HalleluYah!