This feast is slightly similar to the seventh day (weekly) Sabbath: which commemorates the creation. Since its commencement was during the fourth day of the creation. Genesis 1:16 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.” Verse 17: “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,” The great light of the day is the sun and the lesser light of the night is the moon. Their purpose is beyond giving light upon the earth, they were made to determine time. Genesis 1:14 “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:” Please read, Instruments of Calculation. Genesis 1:19 “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
2nd Esdras 6:45 “Upon the fourth day thou commandedst that the sun should shine, and the moon give her light, and the stars should be in order:” Verse 46: “And gavest them a charge to do service unto man, that was to be made.” By observing the sun, moon, and stars it becomes apparent that there is a Creator. Psalms 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Coincidence could not design lights that provide predictable measurement for man’s use. The knowledge of what these lights were for has become lost to those of this age. Psalms 19:2 “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” Every day and night information is being presented by these lights; the units of time. This was known in every ancient civilization. Today this is taken for granted but should it?
There are several reasons why we should NOT, the first reason being that there was an attempt to alter time. Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and THINK TO CHANGE TIMES AND LAWS: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Secondly, what was produced was a flawed calendar intended for the devotion of false gods (Satan). Hence the modern calendar is a tool used to deceive the ignorant. Please read, Romans 1:25, Galatians 4:8-11, and Revelations 12:9.
As a consequence, returning to the calendar that was instituted in the creation means embracing mercy and praising the Creator. Psalms 136:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Verse 7: “To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:” Verse 8: “The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:” Verse 9: “The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.” This is the most important reason, because he gave us a calendar that could not be corrupted by man! It is impossible for man to control the movements of the sun, moon, and stars. For instance, the motion of the lesser light which is the moon, generates the length of time that is called a month.
Apocrypha Ecclesiasticus 43:6 “He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.” Verse 8: “The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument of the armies above, shining in the firmament of heaven;” It is amazing that in our society we use the expression “month”, without realizing that it derives from the word moon. In the modern (Gregorian) calendar the first day of the month is not determined by the moon. Whereas a specific phase of the moon declares the beginning of our months; signifying the first day of the Hebrew month. The Hebrew word Chadash חָדַשׁ is translated as month in English, naming it after the lunar phase called the new moon; since this Hebrew word actually means new. During this lunar phase there is no light from the moon therefore it is not visible. The only time it is visible is during a solar eclipse.
Making it obvious that this has nothing to do with worshiping the moon; an accusation that could be said by unlearned person. Isaiah 66:23 “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.” The beginning of our months are not ordinary days, like the weekly Sabbath it is a day of worship. As a matter of fact it is a day we celebrate as a feast. Apocrypha Ecclesiasticus 43:7 “From the moon is the sign of feasts,…” Thus the prophecy of Isaiah, instructs all future generations to prepare and perform what will be kept in the Kingdom of Heaven. Isaiah 66:22 “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.” The doctrine of modern Christianity (Churchianity) against the Sabbath and New Moon is demolished by the prophecy. This explains why they depreciate the so called Old Testament and convince their followers that it is irrelevant to their salvation. However the prophet Isaiah is speaking of the new heavens just like Revelations chapter 21.
Revelations 21:1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Verse 2: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Verse 3: “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Verse 4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Verse 5: “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” If these words are true and faithful in the book of Revelations then it should be also in Isaiah; because it came from the same source, God. If those in Churchianity will open their minds to read the so called Old Testament, they will notice that those verses in Revelation are quoting the book of Isaiah. See, Isaiah 65:17-19.
Those that do not keep these days, do not desire to be in the tabernacle of God; their fate has also been prophesied. Isaiah 66:24 “And they [those that kept the Sabbaths] shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed [sinned] against me [by not worshiping the most High]: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” Therefore we should not treat the first day of the month like the people in the world do with their modern day calendar, as nothing, a regular day.
In our history we could read an example, of how important the celebration of the new moon was to us. 1st Samuel 20:24 “So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.” Verse 25: “And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.” Verse 26: “Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.” King Saul reasoned within himself that the only logical reason that David was not there for the new moon was because of uncleanness. A person that has touched any unclean thing would be separated from the holy things. See, Leviticus 5:2-3 and Numbers 5:2-3. However David was hiding because of the animosity the king had towards him, yet the king did not consider that a reason. Showing us how meaningful the feast was to Israel, that even if David felt his life was in danger, the king did not think that to be the reason he would miss the feast.
1st Samuel 20:27 “And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?” The day after the feast was the second day, hence the new moon was the first day of the month. Saul noticed the absence of David was not because of uncleanness and asked where he was, since the day after the new moon was an ordinary day.
The new moon is known to us as a day of great gladness, howbeit it is also a solemn day. Psalms 81:1 “Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.” Verse 2: “Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.” Verse 3: “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” Verse 4: “For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.” In the night of the new moon our fathers sang with instruments and they were filled joy. It was a complete celebration with festivity, they sat to eat extravagant meals prepared for the occasion and drank wine to make their hearts merry. Could you imagine how they entertained each other, the laughter of families, appreciating their time together with relatives and their neighbors? In the midst of their festivities there was no need of sin to find mirth.
Note: Cooking on the weekly Sabbath, the seventh day of the week is not allowed. See, Exodus 35:2-3. This means that if the New Moon coincides with the weekly Sabbath you must prepare the meal before the Sabbath; since you will not be able to cook. Please refer to the Sabbath report for more information.
Without question the feast did not consist only of meat and drink but of righteousness, peace, and joy. Ezekiel 46:1 “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.” Verse 3: “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.” What makes the new moon a solemn feast day, are the laws based on the principles of the Sabbath; of no work. The prophet Ezekiel explains in this chapter that the Sabbath provides the fundamentals of how to keep all the feasts. Hence the day of the new moon is a sabbath and not a working day; this is how we keep it sacred or solemnly. On the Sabbaths our forefathers assembled themselves to worship; by praying and studying the scriptures.
The commandments are not burdensome, on the contrary it is to our benefit. Every month you have a good day of feasting, gladness, and rest; but to the wicked nothing is pure. Amos 8:5 “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?” Like the Sabbath, buying and selling on the new moon is forbidden. See, Nehemiah 10:31. To worship and receive wisdom is very unpleasant to the unlearned, therefore in ancient times there existed some that murmured. Although they kept the day, they secretly wished for the day to end. They preferred to work, their discontent was that they couldn’t get dishonest gains on the New Moon or the Sabbath.
As a result, their insincerity caused the most High to hate their attendance to his feasts. Please read, Amos 5:21-24 and Isaiah 1:10-20. A lesson that our people today could learn from, that singing in a choir and pretending to serve him doesn’t get his love. As long as you continue to break the Sabbath and the New Moons, your heart is far from God. Our forefathers made the mistake of not realizing that these days show the work of the Creator. They made the feast their own, and forgot about righteousness, judgment, learning, and knowledge. Isaiah 5:12 “And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.” Verse 13: “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.”
Our people went into captivity (slavery), Deuteronomy 28:47 “Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;” The lack of an obedient and willing spirit is one of the decisive reasons that caused our forefathers to be enslaved. Please read, “Who are the Children of Israel?” and “The Sabbath Day – Advanced Version”. The most High removed from Israel the joy that came with keeping the feast because of their pretense. Hosea 2:11 “I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.” Subsequently, when they attempted to keep the feasts it became a day of grief and sadness. Amos 8:10 “And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.”
As they didn't delight in learning to do good and the knowledge of the most High; he punished them also with lack of wisdom. Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:” Verse 12: “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” Verse 13: “In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.” Consequently, the youth in our communities faint for lack of knowledge and are destroyed; they have no direction, which is why they are involved in drugs, whoredom, and violence. Proverbs 10:21 “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.”
After the many generations of captivity, we must come now and seek the lips of the righteous. Exodus 12:1 “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,” This feast was established while the children of Israel suffered captivity in Egypt. Exodus 12:2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Today we are in a modern day Egypt, looking for true liberty and salvation. Lamentations 5:20 “Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?” Verse 21: “Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.” If we return and renew our days by observing his calendar; giving up the pagan and Satanic celebrations then we shall be fed. See, Isaiah 58:13-14.
The first month of the year to us was not January; that name is no where to be found in the Bible. The month the Heavenly Father commanded Moses to teach Israel as the beginning of months was called Abib. Exodus 13:4 “This day came ye out in the month Abib.” By honoring the Heavenly Father and doing what was pleasing to him, they received deliverance from Egypt. The same could be true for us. Isaiah 19:20 “And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour [Christ], and a great one, and he shall deliver [save] them.”
The name Abib אָבִיב in Hebrew means green ears of corn, hence the season of spring. Even the pagan Romans knew that the beginning of the year is in the season of spring. Most are unaware that the word spring actually means the beginning (first). This means that the month of Abib falls between March or April. Apocrypha Ecclesiasticus 43:7 “From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.” The new year is not to be celebrated in the dead of winter or December 31st at midnight. The new year occurs on the new moon that corresponds to the season of spring. The new moon does not start at midnight, all holy days begin at evening. Leviticus 23:32 “… from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” When celebrating the solemn feast, we are not to imitate the idolatrous (false gods) customs of the other nations. Such as their superstitious new year resolutions, or other forms of witchcraft trying to bring luck. There is no need in the new year of debauchery, revelry, or any kind of sin to enjoy the day. Romans 13:13 “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”
Apocrypha Ecclesiasticus 43:7 “From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.” The light of the moon decreaseth after the perfection of the full moon. Which is the complete opposite of the new moon since it is a perfect circle of light. In the month Abib when the moon is full, it is a sign of the feast of Passover. Therefore most of the dates of the feasts or holy days are fixed by the moon. Deuteronomy 16:1 “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.” A common mistake is to think that the new moon could help determine the weekly Sabbath. But we must remember that the Sabbath is based on the seven days of the creation, in which the moon was created on the fourth day of the week. When Christ kept the Passover it demonstrated that the weekly Sabbath is independent of the moon. Note: this is explained in the advanced version of the Sabbath report.
Not many months in the Hebrew Calendar had names, they were called by their ordinal numbers. At times in the scriptures you will read names for months that are not Hebrew. Those names were used to help those in their present captivity identify the time equivalent to the Hebrew months. Similar to how a person new to the truth would not know when Abib is, we would explain to them that it is between March or April.
Now that you know the time, increase daily from the darkness like the new moon to the perfection of light. Romans 13:11 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Verse 12: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” Shalam (Peace)!