New Testament Biblical Calendar Reference Index

This page is the reference-first companion to Feasts, Holy Days, and the Biblical Calendar in the New Testament . The narrative guide follows the story; this index puts the underlying passages in one place so you can open them and read the context for yourself.

The index uses three clear categories:

Explicit feast or calendar references — the passage names a feast, Sabbath, new moon, fast, preparation day, first day of the week, month, or comparable time marker.
Calendar context — a named feast supplies a reliable bridge to the Hebrew month in which it occurs, even though the New Testament itself normally names the feast rather than the month.
Theological imagery — firstfruits, trumpet, harvest, and Sabbath-rest language draws on the biblical calendar world without necessarily describing a feast gathering.

Every reference below includes its book name so Kingdom Report’s Scripture reader can open the passage directly.

Passover / Pesach

Passover (Pesach) appears throughout Jesus’ life and passion, in Acts, and later in apostolic teaching centered on Christ. Hebrews also looks back to Moses and the original Passover.

Matthew 26:2 — Jesus announces that Passover is approaching.
Matthew 26:17-19 — the disciples ask where to prepare the Passover, and Jesus directs the preparations.
Mark 14:1 — Passover and Unleavened Bread are approaching.
Mark 14:12-16 — the disciples prepare the Passover.
Luke 2:41-43 — Jesus’ family goes to Jerusalem yearly for Passover.
Luke 22:1 — Luke identifies the Feast of Unleavened Bread as the season called Passover.
Luke 22:7-15 — Jesus directs and then shares the Passover meal with the disciples.
John 2:13 — Passover is near and Jesus goes up to Jerusalem.
John 2:23 — Jesus is in Jerusalem during the feast at Passover.
John 6:4 — Passover is near before the feeding of the five thousand.
John 11:55 — Passover is near and pilgrims go up to Jerusalem.
John 12:1 — John dates the Bethany scene six days before Passover.
John 13:1 — the final supper narrative opens before Passover.
John 18:28 — the authorities want to remain able to eat the Passover.
John 18:39 — Pilate refers to his Passover release custom.
John 19:14 — John identifies the day as the preparation of Passover.
Acts 12:4 — Peter’s imprisonment is located in the Passover festival period.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 — Paul identifies Christ as our Passover and uses feast/unleavened imagery to call the church toward sincerity and truth.
Hebrews 11:28 — Hebrews recalls Moses keeping the original Passover by faith.

Passover belongs to Nisan. Continue with Passover / Pesach .

Feast / Days of Unleavened Bread

The New Testament names the feast and its days in the Gospels and Acts, then uses unleavened imagery in 1 Corinthians.

Matthew 26:17 — the first day of Unleavened Bread in the Passover preparation narrative.
Mark 14:1 — Passover and Unleavened Bread are named together.
Mark 14:12 — the first day of Unleavened Bread in the Passover preparation narrative.
Luke 22:1 — the Feast of Unleavened Bread is approaching.
Luke 22:7 — the day of Unleavened Bread in the final-meal narrative.
Acts 12:3 — Peter’s arrest is dated during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Acts 20:6 — Paul and his companions sail after the days of Unleavened Bread.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 — unleavened bread becomes part of Paul’s moral and Christ-centered feast imagery.

Continue with Unleavened Bread and Nisan .

Pentecost / Shavuot

Pentecost (Shavuot) is named in the Greek New Testament in three places:

Acts 2:1 — the day of Pentecost arrives and the Holy Spirit is poured out on the gathered disciples.
Acts 20:16 — Paul hopes to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost.
1 Corinthians 16:8 — Paul says he will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost.

Pentecost is the New Testament name associated with Shavuot / the Feast of Weeks in Sivan.

Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, has its explicit New Testament narrative in John 7. The feast is named at the beginning and then referred to throughout the chapter.

John 7:2 — the Feast of Tabernacles is near.
John 7:8 — Jesus speaks about going up to the feast.
John 7:10 — Jesus goes up after His brothers have gone.
John 7:11 — people look for Jesus at the feast.
John 7:14 — midway through the feast Jesus begins teaching in the Temple.
John 7:37-39 — on the last and greatest day of the feast Jesus calls the thirsty to come to Him, and John connects the promise with the Spirit.
John 8:12 — Jesus’ “light of the world” declaration follows in the close narrative sequence around the feast.

Sukkot belongs to Tishrei. Continue with Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles , including the restoration story in Nehemiah 8.

Feast of Dedication / Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the Feast of Dedication.

John 10:22-23 — the Feast of Dedication is taking place in Jerusalem; John notes that it is winter and places Jesus in the Temple precincts.

Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev and can continue into Tevet. Continue with Hanukkah / Feast of Dedication .

A feast in John 5

John 5:1 — John says there was “a feast of the Jews” and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He does not identify which feast.

The feast name remains open in the text, so this index records the verse without assigning it to a specific annual feast.

“The Fast” / Day of Atonement seasonal marker

Acts 27:9 — Luke says sailing had become dangerous because “the Fast” was already over. The phrase is commonly understood as the Day of Atonement fast and functions as an autumn-season marker in the voyage narrative.

Continue with Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement in Tishrei .

New moon, festival, and Sabbath together

Colossians 2:16-17 — Paul speaks of a festival, new moon, and Sabbath while directing believers away from judgment over food, drink, or calendar observance and toward Christ.

This is the New Testament’s clearest explicit new-moon reference. Continue with Rosh Chodesh / New Moon and Shabbat / Sabbath .

Other explicit feast / festival wording

Several verses use the ordinary New Testament word for feast or festival inside a context already associated with Passover or another pilgrimage feast. These are worth keeping in the index because a reader searching a concordance may encounter the festival word even when the verse itself does not repeat the feast name.

Matthew 26:5 — the leaders say they do not want to arrest Jesus during the feast; the surrounding context is Passover (Matthew 26:2).
Matthew 27:15 — Matthew describes the governor’s custom of releasing a prisoner at the feast during the passion narrative.
Mark 14:2 — the leaders speak of avoiding an arrest during the feast; Mark has just named Passover and Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:1).
Mark 15:6 — Mark describes the prisoner-release custom at the feast.
Luke 2:42 — Jesus’ family goes up according to the custom of the feast, continuing the Passover setting of Luke 2:41.
John 4:45 — Galileans receive Jesus after having seen what He did in Jerusalem at the feast.
John 11:56 — pilgrims in Jerusalem wonder whether Jesus will come to the feast; the surrounding verses identify Passover (John 11:55).
John 12:12 — the crowd that has come to the feast hears that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem; the chapter is in the Passover approach (John 12:1).
John 12:20 — Greeks are among those who have come up to worship at the feast.
John 13:29 — during the supper, some disciples think Judas may be going to buy what is needed for the feast; John 13:1 has already named Passover.

Translation notes on two familiar verses

Readers using KJV/NKJV-family translations may also see festival wording in two verses whose longer wording is not present in many modern critical-text translations:

Luke 23:17 — some manuscripts include the statement that Pilate had to release one prisoner at the feast; compare Matthew 27:15 and Mark 15:6.
Acts 18:21 — some manuscripts include Paul saying he must keep the coming feast in Jerusalem. Many modern translations retain only his promise to return if God wills.

Those verses are included here so the index remains useful across common Bible translations without making a textual variant carry more weight than the shared manuscript evidence allows.

Sabbath references across the New Testament

The Sabbath is the New Testament’s most frequently recurring biblical-calendar rhythm. These passages gather the explicit Sabbath settings and references.

Matthew

Matthew 12:1-14 — grainfields, the Lord of the Sabbath, mercy, and healing.
Matthew 24:20 — Jesus tells His hearers to pray that their flight not occur in winter or on a Sabbath.
Matthew 28:1 — the resurrection narrative is located after the Sabbath as the first day of the week begins.

Mark

Mark 1:21 — Jesus teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Mark 2:23-28 — the grainfield controversy and the Son of Man as Lord of the Sabbath.
Mark 3:1-6 — healing in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Mark 6:2 — Jesus teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Mark 15:42 — Preparation Day is identified as the day before the Sabbath.
Mark 16:1 — the women act after the Sabbath has passed.

Luke

Luke 4:16 — Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath as was His custom.
Luke 4:31 — Jesus teaches at Capernaum on the Sabbath.
Luke 6:1-11 — grainfields and healing on the Sabbath.
Luke 13:10-17 — Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath.
Luke 14:1-6 — another Sabbath healing and discussion of what is lawful.
Luke 23:54-56 — Preparation Day, the approaching Sabbath, and the women resting according to the commandment.

John

John 5:9-18 — the Bethesda healing and the Sabbath controversy that follows.
John 7:22-23 — Jesus reasons about circumcision and healing on the Sabbath.
John 9:14-16 — the man born blind is healed on a Sabbath.
John 19:31 — the passion narrative notes the coming Sabbath and calls that Sabbath a high day.

Acts

Acts 1:12 — “a Sabbath day’s journey” functions as a familiar distance expression.
Acts 13:14 — Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue on the Sabbath in Pisidian Antioch.
Acts 13:27 — Paul refers to the prophets being read every Sabbath.
Acts 13:42 — people ask to hear the message again on the next Sabbath.
Acts 13:44 — almost the whole city gathers on the next Sabbath.
Acts 15:21 — Moses is described as being read in synagogues every Sabbath.
Acts 16:13 — Paul’s company seeks a place of prayer on the Sabbath at Philippi.
Acts 17:2 — Paul reasons from the Scriptures on three Sabbaths in Thessalonica.
Acts 18:4 — Paul reasons in the synagogue every Sabbath at Corinth.

Letters

Colossians 2:16-17 — festival, new moon, and Sabbath appear together in Paul’s pastoral argument.
Hebrews 4:4 — Hebrews recalls God resting on the seventh day.
Hebrews 4:9 — Hebrews says a Sabbath-rest remains for the people of God as part of its larger argument about entering God’s rest.

Explore Shabbat / Sabbath .

Preparation Day and first-day-of-the-week markers

These passages help follow the passion, burial, resurrection, and early-church weekly chronology.

Preparation Day

Matthew 27:62 — Matthew refers to the day after the Preparation.
Mark 15:42 — Mark identifies Preparation Day as the day before the Sabbath.
Luke 23:54 — Luke says it was Preparation Day and the Sabbath was beginning.
John 19:14 — John calls it the preparation of Passover.
John 19:31 — John again refers to Preparation Day and the approaching Sabbath.
John 19:42 — Jesus is laid in the nearby tomb because it is the Jewish day of Preparation.

First day of the week

Matthew 28:1 — after the Sabbath, toward the first day of the week.
Mark 16:2 — the women come to the tomb early on the first day of the week.
Mark 16:9 — the longer ending of Mark refers to Jesus rising early on the first day of the week; many modern Bibles note the manuscript history of Mark 16:9-20.
Luke 24:1 — the women come to the tomb on the first day of the week.
John 20:1 — Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb on the first day of the week.
John 20:19 — the disciples are gathered on the evening of that first day.
Acts 20:7 — the disciples gather to break bread on the first day of the week.
1 Corinthians 16:2 — Paul gives a first-day-of-the-week instruction concerning setting aside a collection.

Calendar discernment passages

These passages speak directly to the spiritual handling of days, months, seasons, festivals, new moons, and Sabbaths. Together they keep Christian engagement with biblical time centered on faith, grace, Christ, and love for one another.

Romans 14:5-6 — believers may value days differently and are called to act before the Lord.
Galatians 4:10-11 — Paul warns the Galatians about observing days, months, seasons, and years inside his larger argument against returning to bondage.
Colossians 2:16-17 — believers are told not to let others judge them regarding festival, new moon, or Sabbath matters; Paul places the discussion in relation to Christ.

Kingdom Report receives biblical rhythms as gifts to explore in Christ. They are an invitation into remembrance, worship, rest, celebration, repentance, and attention to God—not a basis for earning righteousness or ranking believers.

Every New Testament use of “month / months” as a time unit

In the Greek New Testament, “month / months” normally measures duration. Named Hebrew months such as Nisan , Sivan , and Tishrei do not appear in the canonical New Testament, so Kingdom Report connects New Testament scenes to a month when a named feast supplies the calendar context.

The New Testament month references are:

Luke 1:24 — Elizabeth remains in seclusion for five months.
Luke 1:26 — Gabriel is sent to Mary in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy context.
Luke 1:36 — Elizabeth is described as being in her sixth month.
Luke 1:56 — Mary remains with Elizabeth about three months.
Luke 4:25 — Jesus refers to Elijah’s drought lasting three years and six months.
John 4:35 — Jesus cites the saying about four months until harvest.
Acts 7:20 — Moses is cared for in his father’s house for three months.
Acts 18:11 — Paul remains in Corinth for a year and six months.
Acts 19:8 — Paul reasons in the synagogue for three months.
Acts 20:3 — Paul spends three months in Greece.
Acts 28:11 — after three months, Paul’s company sails from Malta.
Galatians 4:10 — Paul refers to observing days, months, seasons, and years.
Hebrews 11:23 — Moses is hidden for three months after birth.
James 5:17 — Elijah’s drought is again described as three years and six months.
Revelation 9:5 — a period of five months is specified.
Revelation 9:10 — the five-month period is repeated.
Revelation 9:15 — a prophetic moment is described in terms of hour, day, month, and year.
Revelation 11:2 — forty-two months are specified.
Revelation 13:5 — another forty-two-month period is specified.
Revelation 22:2 — the tree of life yields fruit every month.

These are duration or measured-time references. Browse the Hebrew month guides when a named feast gives the New Testament scene a reliable bridge into the Hebrew calendar.

Firstfruits language

The New Testament repeatedly uses firstfruits language, often to speak about the Spirit, people, and resurrection hope.

Romans 8:23 — believers have the firstfruits of the Spirit.
Romans 11:16 — Paul uses firstfruits and dough/root imagery.
Romans 16:5 — a person is described as firstfruits in a regional sense in some translations/textual traditions.
1 Corinthians 15:20 — the risen Christ is called the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:23 — Christ is again identified as firstfruits in the resurrection order.
1 Corinthians 16:15 — the household of Stephanas is described as firstfruits of Achaia.
James 1:18 — believers are described as a kind of firstfruits of God’s creatures.
Revelation 14:4 — the redeemed are described as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

Continue with Firstfruits to place the imagery back inside its biblical harvest setting.

Trumpet imagery and Yom Teruah

Yom Teruah provides the biblical feast context for studying trumpet imagery. The New Testament contains major trumpet passages, including 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and the trumpet visions of Revelation 8:1-11:19. These passages can be studied fruitfully alongside Yom Teruah / the Day of Trumpets , while keeping the distinction clear that the New Testament passages themselves do not name the feast.

Scope notes: appointed times not named in the New Testament

For completeness, several important biblical-calendar observances are not named directly in the canonical New Testament:

Purim — see Purim for the Esther story and later Jewish context.
Yom Teruah / Feast of Trumpets — trumpet language is abundant in the New Testament, but the feast name is not used.
Shemini Atzeret — John 7:37 belongs to the Sukkot narrative, while the verse itself simply says “the last and greatest day of the feast.”
Counting the Omer — the New Testament moves from Passover season toward Pentecost without naming the Omer count.
Named Hebrew months — the canonical New Testament measures time in months but does not call those months Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tishrei, and so on.

Follow the references as a story

An index can show you where the calendar appears. The companion narrative shows how those moments fit together around Jesus, the cross and resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and the mission of the church.

Continue with Feasts, Holy Days, and the Biblical Calendar in the New Testament for the story from the Gospels through Acts, Paul, Hebrews, and Revelation, or follow Jesus and the Biblical Feasts for the Gospel-centered timeline.