NEW MOONS!
Should people today be
concerned about observing the "New Moon" festivals?
Were New Moons -- the1st day of each Biblical month -- observed in ancient times?
What about in New Testament times?
Will New Moons be observed in the Kingdom of God Age, the World Tomorrow?
We read an
astounding thing in the book of Colossians, which thousands of God's people have
overlooked, ignored, and misunderstood. In
their attempt to refute the gainsaying and heresy of those who try to do away with God's
laws and holy days, they have stumbled and overlooked a vital TRUTH!
Notice this remarkable passage! Paul
writes, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival
[margin, “FEAST DAY”] or a new moon or
Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance [lit., “body”]
is of Christ” (Col.2:16-17). The King
James Version says in these verses: “Let
no MAN, therefore, judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day, or of the
new moon, or of a Sabbath day, which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is [note: these italics are not in the original,
meaning the word “is” has been supplied by the translators and is not in the
original Greek version] of Christ.”
Let us notice three things in these verses. First,
we are to allow no human being -- be he Gentile, or Jew, rabbi, or minister -- to
“judge” us regarding these things, or to sit in judgment over us.
Secondly, these days -- festivals of God, new moons, and Sabbath days -- are
(present tense, meaning they STILL EXIST and have not been done away or abolished!)
“shadows” of things to come. That
is, they all foreshadow and picture elements in God's plan, future events still to come. Therefore, they have great meaning and
significance for us, today!
The fact that the weekly Sabbath day is a “shadow” of the millennial
reign of Christ, picturing the seventh “day” of God's seven-thousand year plan
(see II Peter 3:8-10), is a wonderful truth, one we should appreciate as we
“rest” every Sabbath day, as God commands.
This fact does not lessen the importance of the weekly Sabbath, but strengthens and
magnifies it! And so it is with all the other
holy days, which picture vital elements in the overall Plan of God.
Thirdly, notice the last expression of this passage:
“But the body (is) of Christ.”
What does this mean? If we take this
whole passage together, it becomes clear. Paul
says, “Let no man, therefore, judge you . . . . but the body of Christ.” If we leave out the “is” supplied by
the translators, the passage becomes clear. It
is the body of Christ that is to "judge" us -- that is, the eclesia or called
out ones.
But in so doing, during the past fifty years or so, has the End-time “church
of God” been negligent? Have the
ministers of God overlooked, and ignored, vital truth and a command which God gives in
these verses?
A New Look at the “New Moons”
Notice! In respect to is the subject
of NEW MOONS! According to the original
calendar God gave His people, each month of the year is a lunar month and begins with a
NEW MOON! In ancient Israel, every new moon
the trumpet was blown -- the shofar was sounded -- to call the people to celebrate and
observe the new moon, the beginning of the new month.
In ancient Israel, special sacrifices were offered on every New Moon, signifying
the importance of the day to God's people. In
the book of Numbers we read:
"And in the beginnings of your months ye
shall offer a burnt offering unto wo young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first
year without spot; and three tenth deals of flour for a meat [meal] offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour
for a meat [meal] offering for one ram;
and a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat [meal] offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet
savoir, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. "And
their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin unto a ram,, and a fourth part of
an hin unto a lamb: this is the
burnt offering OF EVERY MONTH [NEW MOON] throughout the months of the year. "And one kid of the goats for a sin offering
unto the LORD shall be offered, beside the continual
burnt offering, and his drink offering" (Numbers 28:10-15).
The Custom in Ancient Israel
In ancient Israel, before the Exile
to Babylon, the New Moons -- the first day of each month -- were observed as "minor
festivals." Evidence for this is found
in the account of David and Saul. Notice: "And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow
is the NEW MOON [marginal
reference, "A time of rejoicing"], and I should not fail to sit before
the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide
myself in the field unto the third day at even."If thy father at all miss me, then
say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might
run to Bethlehem, his city: for there is a
yearly sacrifice [margin, "feast"]
there for all the family" (I Samuel 20:5-6).
The word for "sacrifice" in this verse is zebah. Notice what Vine's Complete
Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says about this word:
"The basic meaning of zebah is
'sacrifice.' When a 'sacrifice' had been
slaughtered by the priest, he then offered it
to God. . . . The zebah was not like
the burnt offer ing (olah), which was
completely burnt on the altar; and it was unlike the sin offering (hatta't), where the meat was given to the priest, for
most of the meat of the zebah was returned to
the person who made the 'sacrifice.' The fat
was poured on the ltar (Lev.3:2). The
person who made the zebah had to share the meat with the officiating priest (Exo. 29:28); Lev.7:31-35; Deut.18:3). "In view of the
fact that the people shared in the eating of the zebah, the 'sacrifice' became A COMMUNAL MEAL in which the Lord
hosted His people. . .
In I Samuel 9:12 we read, ". . . he [Samuel
the prophet] came today to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people today in
the high place: as soon as ye be come
into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because
he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden" (I Sam.9:12-13).
Each New Moon therefore, with its extra sacrifices, was regarded as a
"mini-festival," not unlike the annual holy days of God. Feasting and worshipping were part of the
festivities. Says the Soncino Pentateuch
& Haftorahs, "In Pre-Exilic times, the New Moon was celebrated
as a minor Festival" (p.695).
During the time of Elisha, the son of a woman died unexpectedly, and she asked for
her husband to send for Elisha, the man of God. He
replied, "Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? it is neither new moon
nor Sabbath" (II Kings 4:23).
A Day of
Rejoicing
Being a festive occasion, and a special time for worship, when the New Moon arrived
trade, buying and selling, and handicraft work stopped, and the Temple was opened for
public worship services. We read in the book of
Amos, God says to His people:
"Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy,
even to make the poor of the land to fail,
saying, When will the New Moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the
Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?"
(Amos 8:4-5).
Although there is no Scriptural commandment in the Bible designating the New Moons
as a day in which work was forbidden.
This reference to the NEW MOON is very
significant. Although we know that the only
Holy Day that falls on a New Moon is the Feast of Trumpets, the first day of the seventh
month, Tishri, which is also called Yom Teruah, the "day of blowing" of
trumpets, nevertheless, the trumpets were also commanded to be blown on EVERY New Moon
throughout the year, marking each New Moon as a festive and joyous occasion!
The New Moons were celebrated with special rites
on the first day of each lunar month, in ancient times, as part of the worship due to God
by His people. They were highly
regarded and observed by family get-togethers, communal meals. The people would enjoy them, with a fellowship
meal, with eating and drinking and fellowshipping before God. There would be singing of hymns, and
spiritual songs, and songs of praise and worship.
But what about in the future? The fact
is, Biblical prophecy also indicates that New Moons will be observed during the Messianic
era -- during the reign of the Our Savior.
New Moons To Be Observed in the Kingdom of God In the
prophecies regarding the Temple services which will be re-instituted when Christ
returns, we read in Ezekiel: All the
people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel. And it
shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat [meal] offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, AND IN THE
NEW MOONS, and in the Sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel . .
." (Ezek.45:16-17)."Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that
looketh toward the east shall be shut
the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the NEW MOON it shall be
opened. And the prince shall enter by way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by
the post of the gate, and the priests shall
prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings., and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. "Likewise the people of the land shall WORSHIP at
the door of this gate before the LORD in the
SABBATHS and IN THE NEW MOONS" (Ezekiel 46:1-3).
Notice! During
the Reign of Jesus Christ, there will be WORSHIP SERVICES ordained for all the
people -- and all Israel! They will worship
God ON THE NEW MOONS!
In fact, a prophecy in the book of Isaiah makes the truth even plainer. Not only al Israel, but ALL MANKIND will worship
God during the Reign of Christ, "from New Moon to New Moon"!
Isaiah declares: "For as the new heavens and the new earth ,
which I will make, shall remain before me,
saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
"And it shall come to pass, that FROM ONE NEW MOON TO ANOTHER, and from one Sabbath to another, SHALL ALL FLESH COME
TO WORSHIP BEFORE ME, SAITH THE LORD" (Isaiah 66:23-24).
Clearly, the New Moon observances and celebrations are very important, in God's
plan, and in His eyes. But among the people
of God the remembrance and observance of the New Moons of God has fallen into disuse, and
disregard. People
at large totally neglect and ignore the New Moons!
In Isaiah 1:14, God tells His people Israel, who have forsaken Him (Isaiah 1:4,
10), “When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to
trample My courts? Bring no more futile
sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The
New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies -- I cannot endure iniquity and the
sacred meeting. Your New Moons, and your
appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them”
(Isa.1:12-14).
Why was God so upset? Because
of their hypocrisy and iniquity! They
professed to worship Him, but they twisted and distorted and subverted His Holy Days,
Sabbaths, and New Moons! Some just pick and
choose which ones to celebrate and which ones to ignore.
Today, most people
don't regard these days of God as of any importance whatsoever. Instead, they celebrate the world's pagan holidays
of "Christmas" (the ancient Roman Saturnalia, all dressed up as to appear
"Christian"!), Easter (whose very name is that of a pagan sex goddess of spring
and fertility), and "Halloween" (a day of demonic revelry and wickedness).
Christians
often neglect and ignore His Holy Days, Sabbaths, and New Moons?
The New Moons and
Christian Observance
New Moons, of course, are the first day of each month of God's sacred
calendar. This passage of
Scripture in Colossians 2:16 definitely connects them with observance of the annual holy
days, God's festivals, and the weekly Sabbath! Although
we are commanded not to allow any "MAN" to sit in judgment of us as to how we
observe the New Moons -- such as pastors,
ministers, rabbis, or neighbors -- we are to remember that Almighty GOD is our Judge, and
we are to seek to please HIM in everything we do!
As Paul wrote, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
ALL to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).
Paul also wrote, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the
servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
Established FOREVER!
What about New Moons? Clearly, they
are a BIBLICAL INSTITUTION! They were
ordained by God, and they will last FOREVER -- so long as the days, months, and years,
last! As God said of David's descendants,
"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips. Once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not
lie unto David. His seed shall endure for
ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It
shall be established FOREVER AS THE MOON, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah"
(Psalm 89:34-37).
Since the MOON is established "forever," it follows logically that the
NEW MOONS also are ordained and established forever!
As God's people, then, we ought to be celebrating them every month, on the New
Moon, by holding something special where possible, and family festive banquets and feasts.
What
about the Example of Christ and the Apostles?
What example did Jesus Christ and the apostles set for us, concerning the New
Moons?
Although there is no specific mention of New Moons in the Gospels, nevertheless, we
can know that Christ both observed them and taught His followers to do so. The New Moons were ordained by God as a statute
forever, as part of His holy calendar. And
Christ Himself taught, "Think NOT that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy [or do away with, abolish, or abrogate or rescind!], but to
fulfill [i.e., fill up to the brim!]:" (Matt.5:17).
Observing
the NEW MOONS Today
True Christians, then, should observe these days, and to keep them in remembrance,
in a fashion that would be approved and pleasing in the sight of God.
Therefore, we should be “observing” or “marking” the passage of
each New Moon -- that is, we should be observing time in accordance with God's sacred
calendar, and keep track of each New Moon (new month) as God counts time -- not as the
Roman and Gentile world does. And we should
hold a memorial observance -- at the least a family dinner, with appropriate Bible
readings and study, together with a sumptuous meal, whenever possible, on the New Moons,
with singing of psalms and spiritual songs and songs of praise to the Lord.
We are
to allow NO MAN to judge us in respect to HOW we observe these things, including the New
Moons. That would mean, we should allow NO
PAGAN to judge us or condemn us for observing them, and we should allow NO leader to sit
in judgment of us, to condemn or judge us regarding these things, either!
Obviously, most professing Christian/pagan Churches, masquerading as Churches
of God, don't observe the New Moons at all, and would tend to condemn us for observing
them, calling us “Jewish.". Jews,
on the other hand, might tend to judge us as to “how” we observe them -- Do we observe them at home as a special “minor festival”?
Clearly we should observe them in a fitting
manner, in a way pleasing to God -- not man.
We don't need to adhere to various "traditions of men" which
have accreted to the Jewish rabbinical observance of these days. Christ clearly warned us to avoid the
"traditions of men" which often in effect nullify God's Law by their deleterious
and noxious effects (Matt.15; Mark 7).
It is clear from the Scriptures that the New Moons are NOT holy days of God, nor
are they “commanded convocations.” Therefore
it is probably not necessary for us today to hold regular religious worship meetings on
these days, as we do on Sabbath days. Nor are
we commanded to “rest” or “cease from all work” on them, either. The New Moons are not Sabbath days. However, they are days which should be given
special attention, and celebrated, and normal routine work minimized when and where
possible.
A Festive
Family Meal
One of the main things we can or could do to observe each New Moon, today, is to
hold a family feast, or festive dinner; a family meal.
It would be good to have an introduction, and Bible readings for the occasion, and
ask a special blessing on the evening and the day.
At the special dinner prepared for the New Moon celebration, it possibly would be
all right to eat together with the meal, and then thank God for the blessing of the
New Moon observance and laws He ordained. We
should also ask God's special blessing on our families, children, friends and relatives,
and not forget to thank Him for all of our blessings, and to pray for the
soon coming of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
At this New Moon celebration meal, also, it would be good for us to make a special
point to regularly pray as Paul declared: “Therefore I exhort first of all that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of THANKS be made for all men, for
kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and reverence. For this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come
to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim.2:1-3).
God has given us the “New Moons” to help us mark the passage of time. r. As David wrote, “My times are in Thy
hands” (Psalm 31:15). Also, God
instructs us: “For a thousand years in
Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night” (Psalm
90:4). The Psalmist goes on: “So TEACH US to number our days, that
we may gain a heart of wisdom” (verse 12).
Observing the New Moons helps us to “number our days” according to God's
calendar and system of time-keeping, as opposed to the pagan Roman calendar! It helps us to think in terms of God's
calendar, and in relation to HIS time-table
for our lives!
New Moons -- an Official
Time to Worship
God tells us through Isaiah the prophet that during the days of God's Kingdom on
earth, when the Temple of God is restored, “And it shall come to pass that from
one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, ALL FLESH shall come to
worship before Me, says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:23).
Obviously, New Moons will be observed and celebrated during the Kingdom of God,
with people coming up to Jerusalem, to the Temple, to worship before the LORD.
The apostle Paul tells us, further, “What advantage then has the Jew, or what
is the profit of circumcision? Much in every
way! Chiefly because TO THEM WERE COMMITTED
THE ORACLES [WORDS, TEACHINGS] OF GOD. For
what if some did not believe? Will their
unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?
Certainly NOT!” (Romans 3:1-4). God
is able to preserve His truth, even using men who don't believe the gospel, the truth
about the Messiah! And He has done so, by
using the Jewish authorities to preserve the sacred calendar all these centuries and
millennia!
Disunity Among
Churches Deplorable
This
is mass confusion. Each is a “law unto
himself.” God nowhere sanctions such
trivia and foolishness in His Word, but rather our “God is NOT the author of
confusion but of peace, as in ALL the churches (plural) of the saints
(plural)” (I Cor.14:32). The
word for “confusion” here is akatastasia and means “instability,
disorder, commotion, confusion, tumult” (Strong's, #181). Says Thayers Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament, “instability, a state of disorder, disturbance, confusion,” and
says the plural of the word is used “of dissentions, of sedition.”
It is also noteworthy that Paul tells us God who is not the author or source of all
this confusion, is, on the other hand, the author or source of “PEACE,
as in all the churches of the saints” (I Cor.14:32).
The early Church was united. They
all followed the officially established calendar. Each
local church did not do its own “sightings” and declare its own (different)
“new moons,” and “holy days.”
The word for “peace” in this verse is eirene, from a primitive
verb meaning “to join,” This word
means “peace, prosperity, one, quietness, rest, set at one again.” Notice! It
connotes UNITY, rest from strife and confusion, and chaos, due to everyone doing “his
own thing.” It comes from a basic verb
meaning to “JOIN” -- which implies UNITY. In other words, we should all do the same thing,
and not each one do his OWN thing!
Thayer’s Lexicon says of the word “peace,” in this verse,
“1) a state of national tranquility; exemption from the
rage and havoc of war;”
“2) peace between individuals, i.e., harmony, concord;”
“3) security, safety, prosperity, felicity (because peace and
harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous).”
This word is the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word shalom, and has a full
range of united and similar meanings. Obviously,
striving over the calendar, as these “calendar-conscious” groups all do, is NOT
the way to peace, harmony, unity, tranquility, concord, safety, prosperity, or felicity!
The New Moons - An
Observance for Today!
He also said, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these
commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called LEAST in the kingdom of heaven; but
whoever DOES and TEACHES them, he shall be called GREAT in the kingdom of heaven”
(Matt.5:19).
Most,
if not all, of the End-time churches of God have seriously neglected and ignored the real
meaning and celebration the New Moons which God ordained. As part of restoring the truth
of God, and His laws and observances, we need to begin observing these days as God Himself
commands.
The apostle Jude exhorts us, saying, "Beloved, when I gave diligence to write
unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort
you that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith ONCE DELIVERED unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares,
who were of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude
3-4).
God's New Moons are important. They
are ordained of God. If we observe
them, in a manner pleasing to God, He will
surely bless us and inspire us, and shower His grace, and favor, upon us, and shelter us
under the protective canopy of His Shekinah Presence.
If we observe them properly, the New Moons will add a special dimension of joy and
peace, and spiritual POWER in our lives.
Are we ready for it?
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I have been gathering again, and I hope it is helpful. This is just a study (in
due season) and is subject to change as you all give me quality input and scripture to add
to it. I cherish your positive input and I desire your criticism if you have
more than "accepted practices." This is meant to be a study. I am
getting help and feedback from all who wish to assist.
Paul & Jesus' Teachings on Law
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