The Feast of the New Moon

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The Feast of the New Moon

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Dear Church,

In exactly one week, we will enter the Lunar New Year of 2024. Lunar New Year also marks the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar year. We, as Vietnamese, celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the Chinese Calendar and are accustomed to calling it the Lunar Calendar. However, in reality, the Chinese Calendar, much like the Hebrew Calendar, is a lunisolar calendar. This means that it calculates months based on the moon’s cycle around the earth and years based on the earth’s cycle around the sun. The only calendar in the world that is purely lunar, calculating both months and years solely by the moon’s cycle around the earth, is the Islamic Calendar.

The lunisolar calendar adds leap months to certain years so that the lunar year stays in sync with the solar year, keeping the seasons accurate for farming and livestock. On average, every two or three years, the lunisolar calendar includes a leap year, which has 13 months. In a cycle of approximately 19 years, there are seven leap years in the lunisolar calendar.

Both the Chinese and Hebrew calendars begin each month with the day of the new moon. However, the Chinese Calendar calculates the new moon as the day when the moon is positioned between the sun and the earth, according to modern astronomy. This is a period when the moon is invisible from earth, lasting between 24 and 36 hours. During the day, the strong sunlight and the fact that the moon’s side facing the earth does not reflect sunlight mean that the moon cannot be seen. At night, the moon is on the dayside of the earth, so it remains invisible from the nightside of the earth as well. This means that each month, there are one or two nights during which the moon cannot be seen from earth. We are accustomed to calling these nights “moonless nights.”

In contrast, the Hebrew Calendar considers the new moon to be the day when the first crescent of the moon reappears in the sky. Usually, one or two days after the astronomical new moon, the moon can be seen as a very thin crescent near the western horizon just after sunset. Therefore, the new moon day in the Hebrew Calendar follows the astronomical new moon by one or two days. Since the moon’s cycle around the earth is approximately 29.5 days, each month in the lunar or lunisolar calendar has either 29 or 30 days. This also implies that the 29th and 30th nights of each month in the lunar and lunisolar calendars are moonless nights.

Based on God’s Word in Genesis 1:14, we believe that the new moon day is not the first day when the moon is no longer visible from earth, as calculated by modern astronomy. Rather, it must be the first day when the moon can be seen again in the sky, following the calculation of the Hebrew Calendar.

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” (Genesis 1:14).

The noun “seasons” in the original Hebrew of the Bible, “מוֹעֵד” (môʿēḏ) /mo-ade’/ (H4150), means an appointed time; a designated feast; a predetermined meeting; a set sign. In context, it can be understood as the appointed time for each new moon or the set sign to announce the first day of a new month. Therefore, “מוֹעֵד” can also be translated as “month.” If the moon is not visible, how can it be used as a sign? How can the absence of the moon be called a new moon? The moon must be seen reappearing to mark the first day of a new month.

Since the Israelites completed their 70 years of captivity in Babylon and returned to rebuild the Temple of God and the city of Jerusalem, they would send many people at the end of each month to watch the sky for the moon’s reappearance. If anyone saw the crescent moon reappearing, they would report it to the Council of Elders in Jerusalem, also known as the Sanhedrin. When two people reported seeing the crescent moon, the Sanhedrin would officially confirm it as the new moon day and would light a long torch on the Mount of Olives to transmit the news. The neighboring towns that saw the torch burning on the Mount of Olives would then light a torch on the highest point of their locality to spread the news to other places. In this way, that night, all of Israel would be informed about the new moon day. When morning came, the people would gather to offer sacrifices to God and worship Him. They would eat and rejoice together in the name of God [1].

According to 1 Samuel 20:5, David knew that the next day was the new moon. This implies that, at that time, the Israelites had a method for calculating the new moon without needing actual observation. Actual observation can sometimes be inaccurate, as in cases of cloudy skies, fog, or storms when the new moon cannot be seen. We can believe that when God established the calendar for the Israelites through Moses, as recorded in Exodus 12:1, He also imparted knowledge to him about how to calculate the calendar to determine the new moon as the first day of each month. This knowledge was then taught to the Levites responsible for maintaining the calendar to serve the purpose of determining each month’s beginning and the feast days. God created the sun, moon, stars, and earth and established laws for their movements. Therefore, they must operate according to His mathematical formulas. By understanding these formulas, one can predict the dates in advance. Perhaps, after the 70 years of exile in Babylon, when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem in 536 BC, they lost their method of calculating the calendar and had to rely on actual observation. From the year 358, the Israelites restored the accurate calculation of the new moon, so they no longer needed observers or torches to transmit news.

The new moon is a special day in the Bible. It is the day when the people of God present offerings to God and gather together to worship Him. Therefore, we call it the Feast of the New Moon.

The Feast of the New Moon is an important day because it marks the beginning of each month, from which the dates of the seven feasts of the Old Testament can be calculated.

Except for the new moon of the seventh month, which is the Day of Trumpets and is designated as a day of rest, meaning it is a Sabbath, the new moons of the other months are not Sabbaths unless they fall on the weekend. However, the ancient Israelites often voluntarily refrained from work and trade on the new moon.

On the new moon, trumpets will be blown to call the people of God to gather, present offerings to God, and worship Him. The trumpet will also be blown while the offerings are presented.

“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 10:10)

“Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” (Psalms 81:3)

The Israelites liken themselves to the moon. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, illuminating the world, the Israelites reflect the glory of God to the world. The moon appears fragile like a crescent, growing larger until it becomes full and bright, symbolizing how the Israelites, originally a weak people enslaved by others, have become a mighty kingdom. After several days of being full and bright, the moon gradually returns to the fragile shape of a crescent, fading away until it completely disappears, symbolizing how the kingdom of Israel, after a period of prosperity, declined and eventually vanished. However, at the appointed time set by God, the Israelites will be restored and flourish once again. The new moon has brought comfort and hope to the Israelites after over 2,500 years of exile.

However, we do not think this is the meaning of the new moon. The Bible does not explain the significance of the new moon, but we can reflect on and draw the following insights.

The new moon is a time and opportunity for the restoration of strength from the physical to the spiritual for God’s people each month. Similarly, the Sabbath is a time and opportunity for the restoration of strength from the physical to the spiritual for God’s people each week. On the new moon, God’s people gather together, fellowship with one another, offer gifts to God, and worship Him. God Himself calls the new moon and the feast days a time of rejoicing for His people. God commands His people to blow the trumpet to express their joy. God instructs His people to present offerings to Him. And God calls this a remembrance for them before Him, meaning it is a time for them to remember God and express that remembrance through actions of worship before Him. Naturally, God blesses His people on this joyful day. Therefore, they are restored in strength from the physical to the spiritual, ready for life in the new month. Each new month, God’s people have the opportunity to be reminded of God, worship Him together, and receive blessings from Him.

The Bible records God’s command regarding the offering of sacrifices on each new month as follows:

Numbers 28:11-15

11 And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

12 And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;

13 And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

14 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 throughout the months of the year.

15 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.

Let us explore the meaning of each phrase together.

11 And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

“In the beginnings of your months” refers to the days when the moon reappears in the sky after sunset, following one or two nights without a moon.

“A burnt offering” is an offering where the entire gift is burned to ashes on the altar. The burnt offering is different from the sin offering. The burnt offering expresses the love, honor, and obedience of God’s people toward Him.

“Two young bullocks” likely symbolize two things. The first is the total possessions of the people of Israel offered to God. Cattle were the most valuable livestock at that time and are therefore used to represent possessions. The second is the entire strength and work of the people of Israel offered to God. Bulls are the strongest and most industrious livestock, so they symbolize strength and labor.

“One ram” may symbolize the authorities and leaders of the people of Israel, including the king, judges, priests, and elders, who are presented to God.

“Seven lambs of the first year” may symbolize the people of Israel. God refers to the people of Israel as the sheep of His pasture. The number seven represents completeness in a spiritual sense, implying that the mind and soul of all Israelites are offered to God. The lambs of the first year are at the age of maturity, symbolizing maturity in faith.

You may notice that we use the phrase “may symbolize” because there is no explicit affirmation of this in the Bible; it is simply our understanding while reflecting on God’s Word. You may agree or disagree with our interpretation.

The offerings must be healthy animals, without blemish or injury, symbolizing a holy, pure, untainted fleshly body that has not sinned, is not connected to, does not serve, and does not worship idols or false gods.

12 And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;

13 And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

“Flour” symbolizes the fleshly body. Olive oil symbolizes the holy spirit (the power) of God. The bread made from unleavened flour, kneaded with olive oil, represents a holy life and body, free from sin and filled with the holy spirit. This is the body and life of Christ. It also represents the new creation of those who belong to Christ.

Ephah is a unit of measurement for volume used by the people of Israel, equivalent to about 22 liters. We can understand that three-tenths, two-tenths, and one-tenth are of an ephah and symbolize how God grants different lives to each person in society. Each person’s life is a part of the life that comes from God.

14 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 throughout the months of the year.

“Wine” symbolizes joy, satisfaction, and a spirit of excitement in the blessings of God.

“Hin” is a unit of measurement for volume used by the people of Israel, equivalent to about 3.7 liters. We can understand that one-half, one-third, and one-fourth of a hin symbolize how God grants different quantities of blessings to each person in society. Blessings for a nation are greater than for an individual. Blessings for a leader are greater than for an ordinary person.

The term “burnt offering” is interpreted as “a gift offered by fire to the Self-Existing and Eternal One,” implying that the entire sacrifice must be burned to ashes on the altar. In practice, it must be consumed overnight, and the fire on the altar must not be extinguished (Leviticus 6:9). This offering is to be made only to God; it is not to be made for anyone else. The complete burning symbolizes giving one’s heart, soul, and body entirely to God. The burning from the present evening until the following morning symbolizes the present and future of God’s people being fully offered to God.

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

The heart encompasses both emotions and reason. The soul is the essence and life itself. The person offering a burnt sacrifice to God is one who expresses their faith in God, demonstrates their love and respect for God, shows complete obedience and service to God, and presents their entire life entrusted to God. Therefore, to live means to live for the Lord, and to die means to die for the Lord. Whether living or dying, we belong to the Lord.

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:7-8)

Today, God’s people do not need to offer livestock as sacrifices to God, but every day, in the morning and evening, they present their own bodies as a living sacrifice to *God, as the Holy Spirit has instructed through the Apostle Paul:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of *God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto *God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

Today, God’s people offer their own bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to the Lord in place of the offerings of burnt sacrifices. God’s people present praise and thanksgiving to God along with all good deeds and their gatherings, fellowshipping together, as a substitute for all grain offerings and drink offerings.

“By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to *God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices *God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16)

The burnt offering is replaced by the bodies of God’s people. The grain offerings and drink offerings that accompany the burnt offerings are replaced by the praises and thanksgiving of God’s people, gathering together, fellowshipping with one another, and doing good works in the name of the Lord. The gathering of God’s people to worship the Lord, to study His Word, from the meetings of infants, children, teenagers, and youth to the general meetings of the Church; the fellowship among God’s people during visits, gatherings for meals, and even the times spent working together are all offerings presented to *God.

15 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.

In addition to the regular burnt offerings presented on the new moon and the accompanying grain and drink offerings, the people of Israel were also required to offer a male goat as a sin offering. The sin offering was made before the burnt offerings were presented.

The sin offering on the new moon represented the life of a male goat that was destroyed for all the sins the people of Israel committed during the previous month. Through the removal of the life of the male goat, *God also removed the punishment for the sins of the people of Israel. This does not mean that the life of the male goat could replace the life of the people of Israel. Rather, the male goat that was killed as a sin offering symbolizes the life of Christ, which was taken away to be a sin offering for humanity. Only the life of one human can replace the life of another human. Only the life of an innocent person can substitute for the life of a guilty one. Only the unlimited life of God in the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ can replace the lives of all humanity.

We are familiar with the verse in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” However, in reality, the Passover offering could be either a male lamb or a male goat, both a year old.

“A flock animal, a male without blemish, a yearling, shall be to you. You shall take from the sheep or from the goats. And it shall be for you to keep until the fourteenth day of this month. And all the assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the evenings.” (Exodus 12:5-6 – Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)

The phrase “between the evenings” refers to the time immediately following noon up until just before sunset. The first evening begins when the sun starts to set toward the west, which belongs to the current day. The second evening begins when the sun has just set below the horizon, marking the start of the new day. The second evening concludes when daylight is no longer present and darkness envelops the earth. The lamb for the Passover and the lamb for the daily offerings are each slaughtered during the time frame from 2 to 3 PM of the current day.

In the Old Testament, a sin offering could be a young bull (Leviticus 16:3); it could be a male goat (Leviticus 4:23-24); it could be a female goat (Leviticus 4:28-29); it could be a female lamb (Leviticus 4:32-33); for the poor, it could be a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons (Leviticus 5:7); for those who were extremely poor, it could be a tenth of an ephah of fine flour (Leviticus 5:11). Specifically, on the Day of Atonement, a young bull is required for the high priest, along with two male goats for the people (Leviticus 16:3, 5).

In the prophecies regarding the Millennial Kingdom, both the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Ezekiel mention that the citizens of the Millennial Kingdom will worship God on the new moon.

“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)

“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 the 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)

In other words, during the Millennial Kingdom, every Sabbath day and every new moon will be a day for the citizens of the kingdom to come and worship God at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Regarding the meaning and purpose of the seven festivals in the Old Testament, we know that they symbolize what Christ will do for humanity and His people when He enters the world to carry out the redemption of mankind. Therefore, after Christ has entered the world, those festival rituals no longer need to be performed. The people of God are not required to observe those festivals. However, the people of God can still gather together, fellowship, and worship God during those festivals to remember what Christ has done and will do for them.

Regarding the meaning and purpose of the new moon, we know that it symbolizes the communion between the people of God and God Himself, representing the reverence the people of God show toward God, the expression of their love for God, and their obedience and spirit of service to God. Today, the people of God do not need to offer sacrifices on the new moon. However, they can gather together, fellowship with one another, and worship God on the new moon to express their love, respect, obedience, and spirit of service to God.

As for the meaning and purpose of the Sabbath, we know that it is a day when God grants both humanity and livestock physical rest after six days of hard work. For the people of God, it is a day to gather, fellowship with one another, and worship God together. Of course, the people of God can and should worship God everywhere and at all times. However, gathering together to worship God on the Sabbath is a command from God. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit emphasizes the importance of not neglecting to meet together:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

The gathering mentioned here includes the voluntary gathering of the people of God at all times and the mandatory gathering that must take place on the Sabbath. The Bible instructs the people of God to gather on the Sabbath or during the Sabbath of the festivals.

Since the new moon and the Sabbath are not symbols or representations of the works of the Lord Jesus Christ but rather symbolize the heart of the people of God toward God, they continue to be observed during the Millennial Kingdom.

You can refer to the Jewish Calendar on this website to find the dates for the new moon and the festivals [2]. The new moon is the first day of each month. When you hover over a date, it will display the corresponding Gregorian date.

Below is a list of the dates for the seven festivals according to the Jewish Calendar:

  • Nisan 14th: Feast of Passover (begins after sunset on the 13th).

  • Nisan 15th-21st: Feast of Unleavened Bread (begins after sunset on the 14th).

  • Nisan 16th: Feast of the First Fruits (begins after sunset on the 15th).

  • Sivan 6th: Feast of Weeks, also known as the Feast of Shavuot (begins after sunset on the 5th).

  • Tishrei 1st-2nd: Feast of Trumpets (begins after sunset on the 29th of Elul).

  • Tishrei 10th: Feast of the Day of Atonement (begins after sunset on the 9th).

  • Tishrei 15th-21st: Feast of Tabernacles (begins after sunset on the 14th).

May the Word of God sanctify us and strengthen us. May all of us hold firm in faith and remain faithful to the Lord until the day of Christ’s coming. May the love, grace, and fellowship of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, cover you all. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
02/03/2024

Notes:

[1] https://aish.com/the-moon-7-jewish-facts/

[2] https://abdicate.net/print.aspx

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.