New Moons:
By Bill Swanson
2001
There has been some confusion through the years in the church of God concerning new moons. Some reason that they are equal to Sabbaths or Holy Days and that we should observe them with church services. Colossians 2:16-17 is cited as one proof: "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:..". Does this scripture reveal that new moons are Holy Days? What does the Bible really say about new moons and their purpose?
On the 4th day of creation, after correcting the destruction that had taken place when Satan rebelled, God set the lights in the heavens, which included the moon, for signs, seasons, days and years (Gen. 1:14-19).
Here we find the knowledge that God intended to be used to create a calendar. We know that some base their calendars solely on a solar observation and others on a lunar observation. According to the above scriptures, we know that God intended the calendar to be based on solar and lunar observation!
A year is measured by the full circuit of the earth around the sun. A month is measured from one new moon to the next new moon as it circuits the earth. There are approximately 30 days in a month. The days and weeks were set by God when He re-established the lights of the heavens after they had been altered. God ‘made’ the Sabbath and established it as the 7th day.
Seasons are established by the sun and moon. There are four seasons throughout the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. An ‘equinox’ occurs when the sun crosses the equator once each spring and once each winter.
Today’s (solar) calendars can be used to determine days, weeks and years. There are approximately 365 days in a year, 52 weeks in a year, and we have 12 months. But how do we determine the real beginning of our months? God describes the new moon as the beginning of the month. "
Blow the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day" (Psa. 81:3). "In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation" (Lev. 23:24).Spring arrives as the sun crosses the equator in a northerly direction. We know when winter is coming when the sun crosses back over the equator in the southerly direction. After Israel left Egypt, God rained down manna 6 days each week but none on the Sabbath. This was necessary because while in Egypt, the Israelites lost the ability to count which day was the Sabbath. Some of the calendars of Egypt had 3 weeks of ten days each in their months which left no room for a 7th day.
God also instructed them on which was the first month of the year. He told them it was in the spring season! It is referred to as the month of green ears, when the first barley crop started coming in. It was named Abib or Nisan. (Deut. 16:1 & Esther 3:7).
All of the evidence we have seen so far reveals that the months in God’s calendar are determined from one new moon until the next. The only Holy day that falls every year on the new moon, is the feast of Trumpets. The remainder of the new moons in the Bible are not referred to as "holy convocations".
New moons were also used as a time when the priest or prophets could be contacted. "And he said, how will you go to him (Elisha) today? It is neither new moon, nor Sabbath..." (II Kings 4:23). Under the Old Covenant, the gate of the inner court was opened on these days for special sacrifices and to contact the priest. "Thus says the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looks 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" (Ezek. 46:1)
. The new moon was also used as a meeting day for the spiritual leaders of the tribes of Israel. Eventually, the kings had their banquets on the new moon so information for that month could be obtained and given to all heads of officers and families. "...David said to Jonathan: ‘Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat:’...when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat..."(I Sam. 20:5-18).We no longer need this special time to have a door opened on the new moon nor on the Sabbaths for these special sacrifices. We now have access to God our Father through our High Priest, Jesus Christ, who became our Supreme sacrifice once and for all time. We do have an example in the New Testament of keeping the days that God made holy such as the regular Sabbath and high Sabbaths.
The new moon is the beginning of the month used for the counting of the Holy Days in their seasons. The 14th day from the first new moon is the Passover. The 15th day from the first new moon is the first day of Unleavened Bread. The new moon of the 7th month is the feast of Trumpets. The 10th day from this new moon is the Day of Atonement, and the 15th day from this new moon is the feast of Tabernacles. We are to come before God 3 times (seasons) each year in the seasons He has set (Lev. 23:4-44).
This is now the purpose of the new moons as we no longer have the need for a physical high priest on earth to offer special sacrifices to God for us on the new moons or the Sabbath!