What is a New Moon Celebration?

The New Moon Festival
Rosh Hodesh
Renewal and Resurrection

Part 1 {17 references to New Moon in scripture}

Col 2:16,17 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Messiah (NIV).

1. Questions proposed the LORD … What is this New Moon festival? Does YHVH require Israel to celebrate it? What does it say in relation to Yahshua at His first and second coming? To His Millennium reign? Every festival and the Sabbath speak about the agricultural timetable. Does the new moon?

2. What we do know about the moon ... Read Gen 1:14-18 … sign = #226 signal, as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence; -mark, miracle, ensign, token. YHVH created it (along with the stars) to rule the night. It’s cycle is approx. 30 days, a measurement of time = a month. It praises YHVH (Ps 148:3). Stars have their own light {believers are as the stars Phil 2:15}. The moon has no light of it’s own, but reflects only the light from the sun. This is very important. Yahshua is the Light of the world. In Him is no darkness.

Believers are instructed not to worship the sun, moon, or stars which the idolatrous nations worshipped (Deut 4:19, 17:3). We find in Is. 3:18, rebellious Israelite women wore necklaces of crescent shaped moons to which YHVH pointed out He was most displeased. In only one search engine on the Web, did I find 29,000 entries for ‘new moon’. Most of these are related to the occult. {although I didn’t look at them ALL}

3. The “new moon and the Sabbath” are mentioned together in scripture indicating a relationship or similarity one with another. 2Ki 4:23; 1 Chron 23:31; 2 Chron 2:4, 8:13, 31:3, Ezra 3:2; Neh 10:33; Is 1:13,14; Hos 2:11; and Ezek 45:17 (new moon festival celebrated in Mill. temple).

Read “Importance of New Moon” … New Moon festival is a sacred day, meant for worship, instruction and fellowship (2 Kin 4:23). David was expected to be at the feasting table of King Saul (1Sam 20:5). This new moon festival lasted 2 or 3 days. Sacrifices for an entire family were customary. In Num 28:11 and 2Chron 8:13 we have the required sacrifices for the new moon festivals given to Moses for all Israel. When Solomon built the magnificent temple of his day, he offered the required sacrifices at the new moon festival (p. 1185, 2Chron 2:4). Perpetual Regulation.



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In fact, each time Israel had sinned, repented, come back to their Elohim, she had the priests read the Torah so that she could obey all the instructions. This produced weeping over past disobedience to His instructions, followed by a burning desire to follow His way of life. Blessings would always follow. Always! Just as we have experienced blessings after we have repented for our disobedience, turning to follow His instructions.

Before Israel fell away from YHVH she fulfilled the new moon festivals along with the Sabbaths and feasts of YHVH, but He says in Is 1:13,14 “... (your Sabbaths) ... your new
moon festivals ... My soul hates!” In Amos 8:5, Israel says, “when will the new moon festival be past that we may sell grain?” Evidently she had attended the festival and made the required sacrifices, however her obedience was out of duty and ritual not motivated out of love. We learn that the new moon festival had similar significance and stipulations as the Sabbath in the requirements of sacrifice, worship and doing regular work. In the millennium temple the gates of the inner court will be shut for 6 working days, but on the Sabbath and New Moons, they will be opened (Eze 46:1).

{note: only those worshipping on Shabbat, and New Moon will be allowed to enter the inner court!}

Part 2 Hebrew words for moon, and new moon:

#3394 yareach (yaw-ray’-akh) moon, month, a lunation
#2320 chodesh (ho’-desh) the new moon, from #2318
#2318 chadesh - to re-build, renew, repair. {as in Brit Hadeshah = new test. or covenant}
#3677 kece’ (keh’-seh) fullness of moon; festival; (time) appointed. from #3680
#3680 kacah (kaw-saw’) to plump , ie fill up hallows; by impl. to cover (for clothing or secrecy), clad self, close, conceal, flee to hide, overwhelm.

Part 3
Allegorical keys

1. Ps 89:36-37 “... His line will continue forever and His throne endure before Me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.” (NIV) Believers are like the moon; we are His faithful witnesses and we reflect His light. The more we turn toward Him, the more light from Him we reflect. This is His glory reflecting in us and from us. ... ancient rabbis say moon is ‘born again’.

At this point we have enough info to be obedient to YHVH’s Word and obey His instructions for observing the new moon festival. However, what prophetic significance does it hold for us? We know all feast days are rehearsals for a future event. The moon is set for ‘signs’ in the heavens of the coming of the Day of the LORD. Before that day, it will turn dark, then in that day, it will turn to blood. (Lk 21:25; Joel 2:10,13; Rev 9:2-4,16:14).
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2. Read … Ps 27: vs 4 ‘dwell’ #3427 (yashav)= marry.
vs 5 ‘hide me’ # 5640 = hoard me
vs 5 ‘tabernacle’ # 0168 = covering, dwelling place
{note: there is only ONE moon for the earth, there is only ONE Bride for Yahshua}

3. Concealment - Joseph Good, “Rosh ha Shannah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come” p. 137 the Talmudic name of Yom HaKeseh = the Day of Concealment

Zeph 2:3 ... it may be you shall be hid {concealed as the new moon.} in the day of the LORD’s anger (wrath?) ...

Rosh ha Shannah … Could it be that this festival rides neck and neck with Rosh ha Shanna, or more correctly titled, Yom Teruah? To what appointed time does the new moon point? Our Sabbath points to the Millennial reign of Yahshua, which is our weekly reminder. Could Rosh Hodesh be our monthly reminder of the coming of our King to conceal His Bride, to take her to His Tabernacle? Does He need to remind us monthly? Is it that important to Him?

Ps 81:1-6 Complete Jewish Bible ... @ the full moon
new moon = #2320
full moon = #3677
feast = #2282 = chag-festival, feast day, sacrifice ... from #2287
#2287 = chagag-to move in a circle = dance; by impl. to be giddy!

Prov 7:20 he will come home on the day #3677 ‘appointed’ ‘full moon’.
KJV = day appointed, literal = full moon.
Notice the seemingly confusion over the meaning and usage of this word!

Could adulterous Israel knows when her Husband is coming home!!?

{note: only 2 of the 3 pilgrimage feasts were on the full moon, unleavened bread 15th of Abib (or Nisan) and Succot or (Tabernacles), 15th of Tishri. KEY QUESTION …. WHY????}

If, and I say IF, the ‘moon’ is a future picture of believers then we are hid from Elohim’s wrath at the beginning of the month. Surely this is a reason to celebrate, even be giddy!

Part 4

“On the first of the month” ... we find additional information about the new moon from the scripture usage of this phrase. Used first to tell us when the waters receded from the flood of Noah’s day (Gen 8:5 the mountain tops came into view). Some prophets received the word of YHVH on the first of the month (Moses, Ezekiel). The tabernacle was first erected on the first of the month. Ex 40:2. Think about that! This is very important!



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In the Complete Jewish Bible, David Stern has inserted readings for Rosh Hodesh.
Sabbath just before Rosh Hodesh ... 1Sam 20:18-42. Co 2:16,17; Rev 21:1-22:5
Sabbath on Rosh Hodesh ... Num 28:9-15; Is 66:1-24; Co 2:16,17; Rev 21:1-22:5


Stern comments p. 610 “The ‘head of the month’ is a day or 2 after the moon’s conjuncture w/ the sun. {I believe this is an important point} Today Rosh-Chodesh is considered a minor festival and is celebrated in the synagogue with special prayers, although only relatively observant Jews are even aware of its existence.” Sounds to me, Ephraim needs to make Judah jealous by celebrating Rosh Chodesh and get giddy!

Israel is a celebrating nation; we have much to get giddy over! If we consider the 52 weekly Sabbaths, the 7 feasts of the LORD, plus Hanukkah, Purim, Simcha Torah AND the 11 Rosh Chodesh festivals, totaling 74 festivals. That works out to every 4.5 days we get to celebrate our King! Can you imagine what the millennium will be like?!

Dessert …

1. Just how important is the ordinances of the Moon? Jer 31:34,35. Read
2. Traditional Jewish Prayer … read.
3. Was Yahshua only speaking of Rosh haShannah when He said “No man knows the day or hour’? Or could He have been speaking about each Rosh Hodesh??


This study is meant to be a foretaste of things to come! It is merely a starting place where you may begin your own study on the feast of Rosh Hodesh.
Shalom, Lila.
2000, edited 12/08/07

See addendum below


















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addendum

Eddie Chumney’s “Restoration of the two houses of Israel” Chapter 5 ...
In the book, Gates of the Seasons by the Central Conference of American Rabbis in an article written by Alexander Guttmann on pages 7-10, he explains the origin and understanding of the present Jewish calendar.

"The main purpose of the Jewish calendar is, and always has
been, to set the dates of the festivals. ....
In the Bible, the Hebrew months are lunar (i.e. each month
begins with the "birth" of the new moon). However, since
festivals such as Passover and Sukkot had to occur in the proper agricultural season (i.e. according to the solar year), it is obvious that the Jewish calendar must be lunar-solar. ... "


Tony Galli, Hebroots, “The 6,000 yr plan of God” 12/27/99

Failing to think like Jesus and taking phrases out of Hebraic context can lead one to misunderstand His words. For example, in many places of the New Testament, Jesus knew the future and talked about it openly. In one instance, He warned His disciples about their future saying, "See, I have told you ahead of time" (Matthew 24:25). If He knew the future in Matthew 24:25, and the context concerns the Day of Trouble, why would He suddenly speak as though He did not know the future in the same context just 11 verses later in Matthew 24:36? Was He confused? Or was He making perfect sense in light of the customs of the Jews?

It has to do with the moon and its 29-1/2 day cycle of renewal. In this period of slightly less than 30 days, the moon goes from darkness to light and back to darkness again. This is not a haphazard occurrence attributed to evolution or science. God planned it for many reasons; one being as a picture of renewal and resurrection. With each cycle of nearly 30 days the ancient rabbis understood that the moon was being reborn or "BORN AGAIN" (Sefard siddur, Mussaf for Shabbat and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, p. 509 and 646-648).

If the moon is so important to God, why do we pay so little attention to it? We have lost touch with God's faithful witness in the sky (Psalm 89:37). But Jesus and the people of His day never lost touch with it. And not only was the new moon necessary for the Hebrew calendar, it was also a monthly festival celebrated with a feast fit for a king! No one in Judah could plan for the first day of the seventh month of Tishri, called the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah in Hebrew {correctly titled Yom Teruah, Day of Blowing}). When they knew how many days to count to a festival, that would be easy. But: HOW COULD THEY PLAN FOR A FESTIVAL THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW AT WHAT DAY OR HOUR IT WOULD BE ANNOUNCED AND THUS BEGIN?

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This was unique to (Rosh HaShanah) Yom Teruah and dependent upon the testimony of two witnesses.

Explaining Matthew 24:36

>From the Hebraic perspective, Matthew 24:36 can now be understood. Like all the other people of His day, Jesus too COULD NOT KNOW the day or hour to begin the Feast of Trumpets. From His viewpoint, He of course knew and understood future events as seen in His words of Mattityahu 24:25 and no doubt, knew not only on what day the new moon would be announced, but probably at what precise minute it would be announced. But that did not matter because only a member of the Sanhedrin or the Nassi had the authority to interview the two witnesses and to proclaim the start of the Feast of Trumpets. From this first century Jewish context, the surrounding verses of Mattityahu 24:36 make perfect sense. The prophetic allusion is that "Only the Father" has the authority to proclaim Rosh HaShanah Yom Teruah 6000!

Jesus clearly makes a Messianic-Age statement by using a figure of speech understood only by those who are preparing to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. With so many factors determining Rosh HaShanah, it was indeed, from everyone's vantage point including Jesus and His talmidim (disciples), a "day and hour no man knows, not even the Son".

Why did Jesus use figures of speech concerning the End-Times? Why not say it plainly? Please consider the following suggestions:

1)To intentionally hide or mask the meaning of His words:

Matt 13:10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why do you speak unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the Kingdom Of Heaven, but to them it is NOT given.”

2) To help those listening to remember His teachings using word-pictures:

A figure of speech is a good way of making a point stick. In His day, memorization was the rule, not the exception. Those involved in the field of memorization today tell us that word-pictures help us to remember. That is precisely what Jesus did in Matthew 24. Using lightning, vultures, fig trees, servants, hypocrites and images of the new moon being announced by the Sanhedrin, Jesus painted pictures with Jewish concepts grounded in the Torah.