What is the significance of 19-year time cycles, pertaining to the Hebrew calendar?

The calendar most commonly used today is the Gregorian calendar, which has its roots in Rome. It uses, as its base, the solar year (365 ¼ days in length). Although the word “month” derives from “moon,” this calendar’s months are not governed by the phases of the moon.

One of the basic principles of the Hebrew calendar is the observation that the sun, earth, and moon come back into the same relative position every 19 years—a fact of astronomy. In one lunar month, the moon rotates around the earth. In one solar year, the earth revolves around the sun. But only once in every 19 years do they come back into the same precise conjunction. Thus, every 19 years (the combination of 12 common years with 7 leap years [235 months exactly]), the lunar cycle comes back into precise conjunction with the solar cycle.

The 19-year time cycle is the standard by which the lunar and solar cycles are brought into harmony. It is in between these precise points in time that the harmony between lunar and solar cycles is approximated by leap years, and other fine-tuning adjustments provided for by the calendar mechanisms. No man-made calendar maintains this balance. It is as if God uses this precise alignment, every 19 years, to continually remind us that His calendar is still dependable and “on time.” An observation of Church history shows that many events and time periods have, in fact, shown undeniable 19-year patterns. Some are included here:

A.D. 31 (beginning of true Church) to A.D. 50 (Paul goes to Europe) is one 19-year cycle.

A.D. 31 (beginning of true Church) to A.D. 69 (Jerusalem church flees to Pella) is 38 years, or two 19-year cycles.

1934 (Philadelphia door opened [Rev. 3:8] to 1953 (broadcast began in Europe) is one 19-year cycle.

For more information on God’s calendar, and to understand the relevance of time cycles in Church history, request our free booklet The Truth About God’s Calendar and book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!.