By: Dr. James Ricks
The common wisdom and understanding of God’s Church down through many centuries has been that New Moons were special days in ancient Israel, but were not raised to the level of Holy Days and Convocations which we are commanded to keep in Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29 and Exodus 34. The lack of any reference or instructions about how to keep the New Moons in these chapters, is the strongest evidence for our not keeping them. However, the church honors the New Moons by using the Hebrew calendar.
The New Moons are SIGNIFICANTLY absent from the list of God’s Holy Days. See Leviticus 23. The track record of those promulgating celebration of New Moons is not positive. They have pulled away from God’s Church and according to the evidence, have not been drawn closer to Him. New Moons Celebrations divide churches, do not unite them. There are at least three ways to calculate the New Moons, which, of course, foster even more division. It is almost as if some people are trying to be more Jewish than the Jews, even though the Apostle Paul worked feverishly against the Judiazers. The Jews have done a good job of calculating the New Moons as part of the calendar. God gave them this authority as mentioned in the New Testament. See Romans 3:2.
By keeping God’s Holy Days, and using the Hebrew Calendar, we are remembering and giving significance to the New Moons because they help in determining the time of God’s required Holy Days, year by year, until He returns.
In Numbers 10, God instructed that two silver trumpets be created so that they could be blown to alert God’s people to different situations. These trumpets were to be blown to inform the Israelites that they were to report to the Tabernacle, to call the tribal leaders, to get ready for war, or to begin God’s appointed Feasts or Convocations and, to note that a lunar month had begun. God used the first day of the lunar month (New Moons) as a benchmark to help the Israelites determine seasons (Psalm 104:19), and for other important organizational activities.
Does Ezekiel 45:17 make the New Moons equal to a Sabbath? Actually Ez. 45:17 says only that the princes were to provide sacrifices with the help of the people to offer at the Tabernacle on the Holy Days and New Moons. They were not raised to the level of an annual Sabbath but were important to the operation of the Temple and calendar publicity. Animal sacrifices could be costly and the princes were required to help.
Again, we do honor the New Moons by using the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrews, even in New Testament times, hold the responsibility for maintenance of the oracles of God which includes the calendar. This allows for unity among all worshippers of the true God, See Romans 3:2.
What about the scriptural reference for the gate being opened on the Sabbath and the New Moons in Ezekiel 46:1? This scripture does not raise New Moons to the level of a Holy Day, but just states that the gates to the temple court were opened on the Sabbath and the New Moons. The New Moons were important for temple operations.
Psalms 81:1-4 says; blow the trumpet in the New Moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. Since the Bible does not contradict itself, and since New Moons are not listed in the Bible with the other solemn feast days, this passage must be referring to the Feast of Trumpets which comes on the New Moon. This passage should not be interpreted to mean that we should keep all the New Moons. New Moons are not mentioned in God’s list of Holy Days and commanded assemblies in Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29 or Exodus 34. But the church does keep the Feast of Trumpets as commanded.
References to sacrifices and the New Moons are not relevant to a New Covenant relationship with God. Hebrews 9:11-13 explains that Christ is our High Priest of good things to come: by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He has obtained eternal redemption for us. The Levitical Priesthood could not provide perfection. Therefore Christ came after the order of Melchisedec to change the priesthood and of necessity the sacrificial portions of the law. (Hebrews 7:11-12). We memorialize (remember) Christ and His sacrifice when we pray and do what He commands. We no longer have a tabernacle in which to conduct burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Remember, Jesus Christ is our sacrifice and is sufficient for our salvation. Ephesians 5:2. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. The sacrifices that God instituted in the Old Testament were guilt specific, meaning each sacrifice was for a specific form of guilt or sin perpetrated by the Israelites. These sacrifices were shadows, and all pointed to the supreme sacrifice of Christ and are fulfilled in Him. Hebrews 10:12, but this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.Notice that Christ sat down, signifying that the sacrifices are completed. Priests could not sit down during their sacrificial activities because. Israelites were continually sinning. Therefore, symbolically, the priests could not rest.
We must be careful not to think that by performing extra ordinances, we will become more spiritually pleasing to God. It is also important not to allow the idea that doing extra activities will render us more spiritual than others. We must always be looking out for pride which can easily capture Christians. Excessive pride can fool us into thinking that we have more understanding than others. As an example, one year in the World Wide Church, a minister decided that 24 hours were not a long enough time span to fast on the Day of Atonement and, that we should fast at least 30 hours. This idea was corrected the next year, but you can see where this sort of thinking could lead.
People would easily fall into trying to “out righteous” each other, feel more spiritual than other Christians who only obeyed God’s command and fasted 24 hours. They could loose the spirit of complete unworthiness, and dependence that we should reflect for Christ’s sacrifice, especially on Passover and the Day of Atonement, but every day as well. Our human hearts are desperately wicked( Jeremiah 17:9) , and we must guard against Satan’s influence which is always hiding around the corner trying to lead us off track to the right(self-righteousness) or the left (licentiousness ) in one way or another. For those who are spiritually mature, he employs one set of tactics. For others who are in a different stage of conversion, he also has plenty of diversions to keep them occupied. Instead of concentrating on our responsibilities for spreading the Gospel in this end time, we can all be drawn into divisive debates over doctrines that are not beneficial and helpful. Satan knows that one method does not fit all. It is the job of the shepherd to guard his sheep and keep them from errors. We would be better served by following the church leadership based on many years of experience in these areas.
According to many historians, by the time of Christ, the New Moon was a normal work day. Mid way through the New Testament, after the Temple was destroyed, New Moon Celebrations disappeared among the Jews. Christ makes no mention of keeping the New Moon. The only reference to the New Moon is found in Colossians 2: 16.
Colossae was a part of the Roman Empire, at that time, and was using the Roman calendar. Christians were being criticized by those of the Gnostic and Ascetic Philosophy, which had adherents who were both Jews and Gentiles, for using the Hebrew Calendar based on the New Moons and other Biblical matters. The Judaizers among church members were pressuring the Colossian Church to treat New Moons, in a more Jewish Pharisaical manner. In Col: 2-13 and 14, Paul is primarily addressing the circumcision party’s bad influence. They wanted Gentiles to qualify for grace by “doing” instead of accepting Christ’s sacrifice. Judaizers and Gnostic adherents were constantly undermining Paul’s work. Note in Col 2:13-16 these words “uncircumcision…Let no man therefore…” Christians were also being criticized because of their food, meat and drink that might have been sacrificed before pagan idols.
Holy Days, Sabbaths, and New Moons were not Jewish enough for the Judaizers and were too different and strict for one sect of the Gnostics. The circumcision party wanted to pull the Colossian Church back into Judaism and Paul wanted them to listen only to the church on such matters. A better translation of Col 2:17 is, “be judged only by the body of Christ.” No doubt the Pharisaical Jews put more emphasis on the New Moons than did the Apostle Paul. Pagan philosophy pulled one way and the Judaizers pulled in other ways. Paul said listen only to Church leadership. Though New Moons were mentioned in the same verses as the Sabbath, Holy Days, drinks and meat, the context does not raise New Moons to the same level as Sabbaths.
We are told in Colossians 2:16-17 that these practices are a shadow of things to come. The phrase “shadow of things to come” means a shadowy outline or suggestion of things to come. This scripture is not undermining Holy Days or meat laws or the value of the New Moons as the calendar’s foundations. It is saying that church leadership and only church leadership should judge these matters. The message is, ignore the outside critics and their philosophy.
The Israelites also had daily sacrifices. Hebrews 10:11 says, And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. There is no more reason to latch on to New Moon Celebrations than there is to promote daily sacrifices and burnt offerings that the Levites conducted. They were both part of the sacrificial system. The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. Otherwise, it would not be necessary for the Levites to continually make sacrifices for sins. We are sanctified through the offering and sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and [for all].
Why did God leave New Moons out of His commanded Holy Days and Holy Convocations detailed in Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29 and Exodus 34? “Then said He, Lo I come to do Thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that He may establish the second”. This passage from Hebrews 10:9 applies to Christ. God has taken away the first sacrificial system so that He can establish the second. He is preparing us for Christ’s second coming and the institution of the new sacrificial system which is based upon Christ our Savior, under the priesthood of Melchisedec. The laws of God are being put into our hearts and mind.
Under a new priesthood according to Hebrews 7:11, laws must be changed. It is essential for our understanding of our responsibilities as Christians regarding the sacrificial system that we study Hebrews 6,7,8,9 and 10, in their entirety and that these chapters be read and understood. According to Hebrews 10:16, God says, This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. God knew that the temple and Jewish Nation would be destroyed in 69 A.D. shortly after Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. He also knew that Christian growth would be in Gentile countries, definitely not be centered at the Temple at Jerusalem.
God clearly did not raise the New Moon Celebration to the status of a Holy Day (annual Sabbaths) which He requires that we keep. God requires us to obey and keep all Sabbaths weekly and annual Sabbaths but not New Moons. But we should honor them as part of the inspired Israelite calendar system.
