Celebrating The New Moon
Starting at the Feast of Tabernacles in 1992, and
periodically through June 2003, I have given a sermon on the Holy
Calendar, the calendar as specified in the Bible. In it I showed the
errors of the Jewish calendar in use today and the way we can obtain the
calendar from scripture. Since that time, as you know, others have adopted
the Biblical calendar for scheduling
Holy Days.
In Colossians 2:16 and 17, Paul writes:
Col 2:16-17 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat,
or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the
sabbath <days>: {17} Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body
of Christ. [The word "is" isn't in the original.]
What does Paul mean by the statement, "in respect of the new
moon"?
Today I want to talk to you about the observance of the new
moon.
First let's talk about Col 2:17. The scripture I read was
from the KJV which says " which are a shadow of things to come; but the
body [is]of Christ". In other words, (verse 16) don't worry about
the criticisms or judgements of others who disagree with you about keeping
the holydays, the new moons, or the Sabbath days. (Verse 17) Let the body
of Christ (i.e. the Church) judge these things. The term "a shadow of
things to come" means an adumbration or a shadowy outline or suggestion of
things to come in the future.
Now, if you are using a New International or New American
Standard or another "new" version, verse 17 is going to say something
quite different:
Col 2:17 (NIV) These are a shadow of the things that
were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Col 2:17 (NASB) things which are a <mere> shadow of what is
to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Obviously neither of these agree with the KJV.
Which is right? Let's look at the Greek. Direct translation
from the Greek text reads:
Let not therefore anyone judge you in eating and in
drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of Sabbaths, which
things are a shadow of things coming, but the body of Christ.
I have become aware that the "new" versions are not always
accurate, although they read well. That is, they are easy to understand
but they are not always totally accurate when compared with the oldest
available Greek text - which is less than 600 years old. I have come to
the conclusion that the KJV is probably the most accurate version out
there, although it has translation errors as well. If you want proof of
this, research Mat 26:17 and its parallel gospels. The other versions
might be better used as a help in understanding the more archaic language
of the KJV but where a difference in meaning occurs, you need to check it
out. Apparently the "new" versions are influenced by the beliefs of the
translators just as the earlier version’s translations were.
If you want to "prove all things", research the meaning of
"shadow", skee'-ah in the Greek, number 4639 in the Strong's Concordance
and of "things to come", mel'-lo in the Greek, number 3195 in Strong's.
You will find that the KJV comes closest to the dictionary or lexicon
definition of these words.
Anyway, back to the point: What does Paul mean by "in respect
of the new moon"?
Colossians 2:16, which we just read, is the only place in the
New Testament where the words "new moon" are used, so let's check the Old
Testament to see if God commands its observance.
Num 10:10 (NASB) "Also in the day of your gladness and in
your appointed feasts, and on the first <days> of your months, you shall
blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of
your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your
God. I am the LORD your God."
The KJV and the NIV use the words "they shall be a memorial"
instead of "they shall be as a reminder." A memorial or reminder of what?
Gen 1:14 (NIV) And God said, "Let there be lights in the
expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them
serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,
(Num 28:11 NASB) 'Then at the beginning of each of your
months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD; two bulls and
one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect,
verse 14 (NIV) With each bull there is to be a drink
offering of half a hin of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin ; and
with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering
to be made at each new moon during the year.
It is my opinion that the observance of the new moon is to be
a memorial of God's creation of the heavenly bodies (sun, moon, planets
and stars) and, what's more significant, the consequent establishment of
His calendar for all mankind. The observance of the New Moon keeps God's
people in remembrance of His true calendar and its High Days, month by
month.
The next question to ask is whether the Bible gives us
examples of people observing the New Moon Festival. We know that Paul
mentioned its keeping in Col 2:16 so we can assume it was being kept by
gentiles in Colosee (Ca-las'-ee). What about the Old Testament? Let's look
at some Old Testament examples of people observing it:
(1 Sam 20:5 NKJV) And David said to Jonathan, "Indeed
tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to
eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at
evening.
When is the third day at evening? It is the evening after the
day after tomorrow. It should be noted that they could not see the new
moon during this period. They had to be calculating the event.
(Verse 18 NKJV) Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is
the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
(Verse 24 NASB) So David hid in the field; and when the new
moon came, the king sat down to eat food.
So here we see that both King David and King Saul kept the
New Moon Festival by having a special meal. Again, we see that they knew
exactly which day it occurred.
(2 Ki 4:22-23 NASB) Then she called to her husband and
said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I
may run to the man of God and return." {23} And he said, "Why will you
go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.". . . .
These scriptures show us that the New Moon was to be kept by
having access to the man of God. Who was the man of God? Had to be the
priest or a prophet. Why go to the man of God? I can only assume he was to
teach from God's Word and lead the people in prayer. So the New Moon
Festival is an opportunity to study and learn from God's Word as well as
additional prayer. It is a day of worship, though not usually a Sabbath.
(1 Chr 23:30-31 NASB) And they (the Levites) are to stand
every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening,
{31} and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the
sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set
by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD.
(2 Chr 2:4 NKJV) Behold, I am building a temple for the
name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet
incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning
and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set
feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
(2 Chr 8:12-13 NASB) Then Solomon offered burnt offerings
to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the
porch; {13} and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up
according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new
moons, and the three annual feasts-- the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
(2 Chr 31:3 NKJV) The king also appointed a portion of his
possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt
offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons
and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD. [In
Numbers 10:10 and 28:11]
(Ezra 3:5 NKJV) Afterwards they offered the regular burnt
offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed
feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and those of everyone who
willingly offered a freewill offering to the LORD.
We can see that the Israelites observed the New Moon after
they returned from Babylon as well as before.
(Neh 10:32-33 NKJV) Also we made ordinances for ourselves,
to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of
the house of our God: {33} for the showbread, for the regular grain
offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New
Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin
offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of
our God.
Some churches ask for 10% of everyone's second tithe for
Feast expenses. A third of an old shekel in today's money is only about 80
cents.
Psa 81:3 (NASB) Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the
full moon, on our feast day.
This verse is talking about the feast days occurring on the
first day of the month (e.g. Feast of Trumpets - a new moon) and fifteenth
day of the month (e.g. first day of Unleavened Bread and first day of
Feast of Tabernacles - a full moon) as well as the New Moon Festival.
Isa 1:13-14 (NASB) "Bring your worthless offerings no
longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the
calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn
assembly. {14} "I hate your new moon <festivals> and your appointed
feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing <them>.
What is this? Have we found the loose brick? Is God here
telling us that we should not observe His New Moons, Sabbaths and
Feast days? Do we no longer need to give offerings? No, God is talking
about mixing a show of religion with iniquity. The people wanted to appear
religious but at the same time continue to live a sinful life. Read verses
10 thru 14 and you will see that God is rejecting this show of religion
from a people who lived in lawlessness. Does this apply to any churches
you know? Does it apply to any of us?
It seems apparent that the new moon was observed in Old
Testament times.
Let's look now at scriptures which apply to our day and the
future, including God's Kingdom:
Isa 66:22-23 (NASB) "For just as the new heavens and the
new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So
your offspring and your name will endure. {23} "And it shall be from
new moon to new moon And from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind will
come to bow down before Me," says the LORD.
Ezek 45:17 (NIV) It will be the duty of the prince to
provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the
festivals, the New Moons and the Sabbaths--at all the appointed feasts
of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain
offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement
for the house of Israel.
I am not certain who the "prince" is. It could be Christ, or
David, or the head of State. Strongs concordance shows it as H5387. naw-see';
from H5375; an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising
mist:--captain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler.
(Ezek 46:1 NKJV) 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The gateway of
the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut
the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the
day of the New Moon it shall be opened.
(Verse 3 NKJV) "Likewise the people of the land shall
worship at the entrance to this gateway before the LORD on the Sabbaths
and the New Moons.
(Verse 6 NKJV) "On the day of the New Moon it shall be a
young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without
blemish.
These scriptures in Ezek 46 have a multiple significance.
They describe the New Moon and Sabbath observance but they also mention a
very important gate at the Temple - the east gate. What is so important
about the east gate? Let's turn to:
(Ezek 43:4 NKJV) And the glory of the LORD came into the
temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.
Today the east gate is blocked up. It was blocked by the
Muslims centuries ago. I can assure you the east gate, a double gate now
called the Golden Gate, will not be blocked when our Messiah returns to
His temple from the Mount of Olives which lies directly to the east across
the small Kidron Valley. It will be an exciting event of the last days
when we see this gate unblocked, for all the blocks in the world will not
keep Him out. We may not be able to specify the day and the hour, but
events like this will certainly confirm when the return of our Messiah
occurs. We need to be watching and preparing.
(Hosea 2:11 NKJV) I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths; All her appointed feasts.
Hosea is here describing the trials of Israel. The time frame
is uncertain. It could very well be dual. In other words, it occurred in
Israel's past and could conceivably happen during the coming trials of
Israel.
(Amos 8:4-6 NKJV) Hear this, you who swallow up the needy,
And make the poor of the land fail, {5} Saying: "When will the New
Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may
trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying
the scales by deceit, {6} That we may buy the poor for silver, And the
needy for a pair of sandals; Even sell the bad wheat?"
Amos is here describing the conditions in a greedy, cheating
Israel which loves the law but is far from fair with those with whom she
deals. It describes the same hypocritical society as we read about in Isa
1:13-14. Some think this is stating that buying and selling should be
avoided on the New Moon day but that is not what these verses are about.
Now I want to read to you a statement from a Jewish calendar
article in order to show you that the New Moon is still observed by more
conservative branches of Judaism today:
"Judaism is based on a lunar calendar. Each month begins
with the appearance of a new moon. The first of each new month is an
occasion for special prayers and celebration. It is called Rosh Chodesh
(the head of the month) and is observed for one or two days. When there
are two days of Rosh Chodesh, the first day is the last day of the
preceding month. Rosh Chodesh is announced in the synagogue on the
preceding Sabbath with a special Prayer for the New Month."
The question might be asked: Why doesn't Leviticus 23 include
the observance of New Moons in as much as it includes the weekly Sabbath
and the holy days? The answer is that Leviticus 23 is a list of Sabbath
and holy days and most new moon days are not Sabbaths or holy days.
Numbers 28 and 29 also provides a complete list of holy days and Sabbaths.
As we are about to explain, the next new moon is tomorrow, on
Sunday, February 14th, 2010. So now let's address the question of how we
are to determine what day the new moon should be celebrated. As many of
you are aware, this question is addressed in our calendar booklet. In the
booklet the question is asked, does the month start on the local date of
the conjunction of the sun and moon or does it start on the date of the
conjunction at Jerusalem.
Perhaps some do not fully understand the problem. Let me
explain. The conjunction can occur over any longitude around the earth.
Moving east from that point of conjunction we will eventually arrive at
sunset. East of that sunset is the next Biblical day. The question then
arises: Is the first day of the month established as the day in your local
area when the conjunction occurs, or do we use the day the conjunction
occurs at some other place on earth, such as Greenwich or Jerusalem? Why
does it matter? It matters because the day of conjunction establishes the
first day of the month and we can not have two first days of the month on
one calendar. The following arguments are provided as to why the Jerusalem
date of conjunction was chosen, not the local date:
1. Using the local date of conjunction could cause
considerable confusion wherever the time of conjunction coincides
closely with the time of sunset. Let's use 1994 as an example: The 7th
month conjunction occurred at 8:34 PM Jerusalem time or 7:34 PM European
time. Sunset in Naples on September 5th occurred at 7:29 (before
8:34 Jerusalem time) and sunset in Rome, 100 miles to the northwest,
occurred at 7:37 (after 8:34 Jerusalem time). Rome and places
with later sunsets would have celebrated Trumpets on the 5th of
September, while Naples and places with earlier sunsets would celebrated
it on the 6th. Using two calendars, each one day apart, in nearby cities
of the same country, is not desirable. The problem would be particularly
messy for people traveling back and forth between the cities to attend
Holy Day services.
2. The Jewish calendar specifies double holy days to be
sure Jews are observing the correct day wherever the participant lives.
Interestingly (or maybe the word is mercifully), the Jewish calendar
does NOT establish a double day for Atonement. Atonement is kept on the
Jerusalem date only.
3. When Messiah returns to set up his Kingdom, it will be
headquartered in Jerusalem. It seems reasonable to assume that Jerusalem
time will be the standard for assigning holy festivals and possibly as
the zero meridian. Let's read a few scriptures which support this
argument.
Ezek 43:7 (KJV) And he said unto me, Son of man, the
place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I
will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my
holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, <neither> they,
nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcasses of their
kings in their high places.
2 Chr 33:4 (KJV) Also he built altars in the house of the
LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for
ever.
Isa 2:3 (KJV) And many people shall go and say, Come ye,
and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God
of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the
LORD from Jerusalem. (An Israeli song has been written from the
words of this verse.)
Jer 3:17 (KJV) At that time they shall call Jerusalem
the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto
it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any
more after the imagination of their evil heart.
Zec 8:3 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto
Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem
shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD
of hosts the holy mountain.
Isa 65:16-19 (KJV) That he who blesseth himself in the
earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in
the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles
are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. {17} For,
behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not
be remembered, nor come into mind. {18} But be ye glad and rejoice for
ever <in that> which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy. {19} And I will rejoice in
Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no
more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
4. The use of two different days can result in a difference
of a week when Pentecost is impacted or a month when the spring equinox
is impacted. How would supporters of local time justify a difference of
a week, or even worse, a month from Jerusalem time?
5. The harvest theme of the holy days is based on the
growing season in the Middle East and was disclosed by God to mankind in
the Middle East.
The scriptures we just read make it very clear that God's
Kingdom will be headquartered in Jerusalem but how do they relate to
whether we use local time or Jerusalem time to determine the first day of
the month? Knowing that Jerusalem has been and will be the center of God's
world government and the area from where His holy days are oriented, let
me give you a couple of other points to consider: When Christ returns,
where will the people of the world, especially the leaders, go to worship
the King and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles? Will they use local time
or Jerusalem time or will they just shift calendars like pages in a book?
(Zec 14:16 NKJV) And it shall come to pass that everyone
who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up
from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep
the Feast of Tabernacles.
When Christ comes to the earth and more specifically to
Jerusalem, will He be on local time or Jerusalem time - or will He too
shift calendars like pages in a book when His saints rise to meet Him? If
He returns on a holyday, e.g. Trumpets, will he have to return a day early
to satisfy those in parts of the world who are keeping their calendar on
local time? Or will those on local time assume He is a false Christ
because he isn't there on the right day? Will those on local time be
content with keeping their time while Christ keeps his?
In Matthew 24 we read a description of the visibility of
Christ's return:
Mat 24:27 (NIV) For as lightning that comes from the east
is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Is Matthew telling us here that people living in a different
day to the west of Jerusalem will be able to see Christ as he arrives in
Jerusalem? Does this justify keeping a different calendar? I think not. I
think this implies that God's people will be drawn to him even though they
live in a different day to the west of Jerusalem.
I’m sure I haven't covered all aspects of this question. I
know there will continue to be those who feel strongly about keeping the
first day of the month by local time. Nevertheless, I feel the above
arguments swing the balance to the side of beginning each month on the day
of the conjunction as seen from Jerusalem.
Now some will ask, "Why don't we use Jerusalem for the weekly
Sabbath too?" The beginning of the weekly Sabbath is determined locally
because it affects only the starting time of a single day in the local
area. There wouldn't be much sense in starting Sabbath at 10 AM Friday in
Chicago because it's sunset in Jerusalem.
I think we have justified the observance of the New Moon; an
observation which includes extra prayer, extra Bible Study, meditation and
a commemorative meal. If possible it should also be observed with a short
worship service. In the early days of the Worldwide Church of God, the New
Moon festival was kept in Pasadena. Sometime in the '50s, the observance
was dropped and a Friday night Bible Study was substituted. The new WCG
position on New Moon observance was that it was optional. I have no idea
what their position is today. They have made so many doctrinal changes.
But I hope I have convinced you the day should be observed on the first
day of every month as determined by the new moon date in Jerusalem.
Sermon
given by Wayne Bedwell
13
February 2010
Copyright 2010, Wayne Bedwell