On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed a plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. The British mandate over Palestine was scheduled to end on May 15, 1948, at which time the British troops would be evacuating the area. It had been in effect since 1920. See Mandate for Palestine – Wikipedia for more information.
“In anticipation of the end of the British presence in Palestine, David Ben Gurion (Israel’s first Prime Minister) called to order a historic meeting on May 14, 1948. After the assembled body sang the “Hatikvah,” the Jewish national anthem, Ben Gurion read Israel’s Declaration of Independence. For the first time in more than two thousand years, there was an independent Jewish state of Israel.” {1} When & Where In The Bible and Throughout History by E. Michael & Sharon Rusten
The next day, on May 15, 1948, Israel was attacked by five Arab nations: Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Though greatly outnumbered and outgunned, Israel miraculously defeated this Arab coalition by the end of the year and even gained more territory.
So, as you can see, the May 14, 1948, signing of Israel’s Declaration of Independence was not arbitrary. It was just the day before the British mandate over Palestine was scheduled to end. I believe God orchestrated this particular date to become the anniversary of Israel’s Declaration of Independence.
The Jews do not commemorate this important anniversary by the Gregorian calendar date. They reckon it by their ‘fixed’ Jewish lunisolar calendar. I have written many articles regarding this calendar and its many flaws. According to this outdated calendar, May 14, 1948, was the fifth day of Iyyar, the eighth month of the civil calendar in the Jewish year 5708 AM (from creation) by Jewish reckoning.
However, on the ecclesiastical calendar, Iyyar is the second month of the year. The anniversary of this important date on the Jewish calendar is known as Yom Ha’atzmaut and usually falls in April or May on the Gregorian Calendar. Yom Ha’atzmaut is always reckoned from the Jewish lunisolar calendar and is celebrated on Iyyar 5, not on the Gregorian calendar date of May 14.
What the Jews, and the world at large, do not understand is that Iyyar 5 is not the correct lunisolar Jewish date for May 14, 1948. As I wrote about in Revising the Fixed Jewish Lunisolar Calendar :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready, “An essential factor to consider regarding the ecclesiastical Jewish calendar is that the determination of the new moon, which establishes the critical first month of each year, is based on the fixed application of the 19-year Metonic cycle.
In this system, the required periodic leap month is added by a fixed schedule of intercalation, completely ignoring the real moon! This sometimes leads to the incorrect identification of the spring new moon as the ‘first month’ (Nisan). This error, when it happens, establishes all commanded Feast days following Nisan to be observed in the wrong lunar month!
Today’s Hebrew lunisolar calendar (the same fixed calendar as the 10th century) assumes the vernal equinox falls on March 25 (instead of March 19-21) due to discrepancies between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Thus, the ‘modern’ Hebrew calendar ignores the actual vernal equinox (March 19-21) and still observes the March 25th vernal equinox date for the deadline of Passover (Nisan 15), which contributes to the incorrect month reckoned for Nisan in certain years.
When observing the ecclesiastical calendar, the Jews still follow the fixed lunisolar calendar, with embolismic months (leap months) added every 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19 years, even when an extra month is not needed.” This is the case in 1948, as their calendar added an intercalary month when it wasn’t needed. The ‘fixed’ Jewish lunisolar calendar has March 25, 1948, as Veadar 15 (the 13th month) instead of Nisan 15 (the first month). March 25, 1948, is 5 days past the vernal equinox, so it should have been Nisan 15, which is Passover for the Jews.
When you don’t add the extra intercalary month, May 14, 1948, falls on Sivan 6 on the Jewish lunisolar calendar. Sivan 6 is the Jewish date for Shavuot. It is considered the 50th day of the counting of the Omer (waving of the Barley sheaves) from Nisan 16 (the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread). From March 26, 1948, to May 14, 1948, is 50 days.
Although it can’t be proven by Scripture (IMO), Shavuot is the day Jews believe God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses and the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. Of course, as Christians, we believe Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ disciples) is the same Feast of the Lord as Shavuot, but they have been effectively separated and are now two distinct events with different dates. See Easter, First Fruits, or the Counting of the Omer?.
So now, instead of commemorating Yom Ha’atzmaut on Shavuot, they do so on a date with little significance, Iyyar 5. This is due to the Jews’ refusal to upgrade their outdated calendar. I believe this is one of the Jews’ greatest mistakes since becoming a modern nation. They missed out on celebrating their Independence Day on Shavuot, which they claim is the date God gave Moses and the children of Israel the 10 Commandments. What a missed opportunity!
Regarding the upcoming years on the Jewish fixed lunisolar calendar, an unnecessary intercalary month is added again in 2027, 2035, 2038, and 2043.
THE CHRISTIAN TEN DAYS OF AWE IN 2026
The ‘Christian’ Ten Days of Awe occur every year from Ascension Day (when Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection) to Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ disciples). Ascension Day occurs 40 days after Easter (Resurrection Sunday), and then Pentecost occurs 10 days after Ascension Day (or 50 days from Easter).
May 14 appears to be a very significant date in biblical history. Jesus ascended into heaven on Thursday, Iyyar 27 on the Jewish calendar, forty days after Resurrection Sunday, which occurred on Nisan 17 that year. The date on the Julian calendar (the calendar used by the Romans at the time) was Thursday, May 14, 33 AD.
The Julian calendar for 33 AD appears almost identical to the 2026 Gregorian calendar, with the new- and full-moon conjunctions (which determine the 1st and 15th days of the Jewish months) aligning very closely as well.
The date for Resurrection Sunday (renamed Easter by the Catholic Church) in 2026 was April 5, which corresponds to Nisan 17 on the (Biblical) Jewish calendar. Ascension Day occurs 40 days later on Thursday, May 14, 2026, or Iyyar 27 on the Jewish calendar. Of course, we (Gentiles) recognize May 14, 1948, as Israel’s Independence Day on the Gregorian calendar
The following day, Friday, May 15, 2026 (Iyyar 28), the Jews will celebrate Jerusalem Day. Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in June 1967 (on Iyyar 28).
May 2026 is a busy and perhaps prophetic year for Israel and the world. May 20, 2026, is Sivan 3 on the Jewish calendar. I believe that Sivan 3, 1446 BC, is the date on the Jewish calendar when Yahweh came down Mt. Sinai (with the trumpet of God sounding) as recorded in Exodus 19. “On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.” (Exodus 19:1, 11 – ESV). See The First and Last Trumpet Call of God :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready
In 2026, the Jewish Feast of Shavuot begins on the evening of Friday, May 22 (Shavuot usually begins on Sivan 6 on the ‘fixed’ Jewish calendar). The Church’s commemoration of Pentecost occurs on Sunday, May 24, 2026, which is Sivan 7 on the ‘biblical’ Jewish calendar. These Jewish and Gregorian dates for Pentecost in 2026 align with the calendar dates for Shavuot/Pentecost in 33 AD, which also occurred on Sivan 7 and May 24 (Julian calendar). The ‘Christian’ Ten Days of Awe in 2026 occur from May 14 to May 24. These Ten Days of Awe are high watch days for the Rapture (IMO). See Shavuot, Pentecost, and the Rapture :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Randy Nettles
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