The New Moon Day

[Tatenda Madyara]

Good day Saints,

I trust you had a good weekend?

Saints I came across the below article and I need scriptural proof as to why as Adventists we do not observe the day of the new moon? 

Secondly, should we not be using the lunar cycle as our calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar?

Thirdly, was the new moon day observance part of the ceremonial laws which were nailed to the cross by Jesus, or are we going to be gathering together on each new moon day to worship GOD in Heaven?

Take note of Pauls statement in Colossians below in contrast to Isaiah's prophesy?

Just to set things straight, let me point out and state that the new moon day is NOT a Sabbath day, but biblically, it was and according to Isaiah it shall be a day upon which we shall come and worship God in the new earth and new heaven.

Secondly, the significance of the new moon in Bible times is that it marked the beginning of a new month (the Hebrew calendar is lunar-based), and it was a time when the Israelites were to bring an offering to God.

However, Paul then states in Col 2:16   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: 

Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." yet Isaiah states that we shall worship God from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another.Please read the below verses.

Here is the article....

""Does Isaiah 66:22-23 mean anything to you? Has there ever been an evangelistic meeting in the last 150 years that has not used this text to enlighten a darkened world about when the saints will worship the Creator in the new earth? If this verse proves Sabbath observance is still binding today, what does it say about the new moon? 

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith YHVH, so shall your seed and your name remain. 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 YHVH."

Would it surprise you that this objection to festival observance came to us from a minister of the gospel? This minister has used this verse in his sermons; we have heard him do so. Surely he should know better than to nail new moon observance to the cross, for by fastening it there he nullifies what Isaiah has prophesied. Friends, making a simple mistake in your theology is one thing (and we reserve the right to print a correction if we totally blow it). However, overlooking a previously known truth in order to create a theology that cannot be supported in Scripture is quite another thing altogether. There is a statute that condemns such a practice: What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it, Deuteronomy 12:32. See also Proverbs 30:5-6, Isaiah 30:1, and Revelation 22:18. 

Permit us to take you on a journey through Scripture. Here you will find just how important new moon observance is to your Creator. Pay attention, you just might learn some things. First stop, Genesis 1:14-15... And Elohim 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: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. For those who have studied prophecy, you know that there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars foretelling the return of Messiah. And astronomically, we count our days and years by astronomic revolutions. But seasons? There was no winter, spring, summer, fall at Creation. There were no seasons as we now recognize them in Eden before sin entered the earth. Earth was perfect in its axis. How many have read this passage in Genesis 1:14 yet never questioned this word seasons? If you dare (or more importantly, if you are interested in truth) look up this word (Hebrew #4150) in a Strong’s Concordance. For those who do not have a Strong’s, seasons is translated from the Hebrew word, Mo’ed. Now look up the word feasts (from Leviticus 23) in Strong’s--it’s the same word, Mo’ed. They weren’t called feast days in times of old, they were called Mo’edim which means appointed times or set times. They were dates on the calendar in which to meet with YHVH, just like the weekly Sabbath. In fact, there are seven annual Sabbaths, or feast days in YHVH’s calendar. One of the express purposes of the moon, set forth at creation, was to regulate the cycle of feast days. A good Berean will require 2-3 witnesses in order to establish this thing from YHVH: One, Genesis 1:14, of course and two, He appointed the moon for seasons: (Mo’ed again) the sun knoweth his going down. Psalm 104:19 

The new moon day was counted as the first day of each new month, which set off a celebration. This celebration and order of things was a statute, (Numbers 10:10) a law commanded by the Creator.... Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the Elohim of Jacob. Psalm 81:2-4 The new moon was a very special occasion. You probably have no idea just how special, but the first 4-5 words should give you some indication.... Thus saith the Sovereign YHVH; 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 YHVH in the Sabbaths and in the new moons. Ezekiel 46:1-3 Verse three compares with Isaiah 66:23. All flesh came before YHVH to worship Him on the Sabbaths and new moons in times of old, and will do so in the new earth. Some things never change because YHVH never changes. At what times do you think we should come before Him today? Since the Sabbath and feast days were the times set apart in the covenant to worship YHVH (Exodus 20:1--23:33), how do think YHVH considers them now? My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Psalm 89:34 What does ordained mean? It means set apart for a special task by decree or command. The Creator made a decree or an ordinance regarding the moon. YHVH’s was a lunar calendar, not solar. The moon was ordained at creation to regulate YHVH’s calendar and festivals, visiting days. And that decree is binding forever. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Psalm 8:3-4 Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of YHVH: for He commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass. Psalm 148:3-6 We are children of Israel. All believers are counted as the seed (Romans 9:6-8); one does not have to be Jewish to be counted as an Israelite. And only “Israelites” and those grafted onto the tree (Gentiles, now counted as the seed) will be saved. (Romans 11:13-27) So binding is YHVH’s ordinance regarding the moon that if it departs from before Him, no one will be saved, nor can they be. The first 3 words of this passage below make it so... Thus saith YHVH, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; YHVH of hosts is His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith YHVH, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever. Jeremiah 31:35-36"" 

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[Tapiwa]

I will not get myself into the whole argument against the whole doctrine of the Lunar cycles and new moon. There are new churches formed on this doctrine (just like the Mother god doctrine) some of which split from the SDA church on the same issue. I remember one man who came to the elders two years ago with DVDs and large volumes of materials trying to convince us of how lost we are as a church in not following the lunar cycle.

However, I am not too careful to enter into the theological discussion of the matter on the ground as I have recently resolved to trust and depend on what our spiritual forefathers left us in Scripture and Spirit of Prophecy. Whatever doctrine does not speak according to that Word, there is no light in it.

I like what the SOP says: Study and speak the purity of truth alone and leave erroneous ideas to die for want of notice..... (Not exact word)

If only we could spent more time in understanding the Truth that we already have, we do much better in gaining the confidence to stand for the very doctrine that we already have. 

Regards

Sent from my iPad

Tapiwa Muchinga

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[Tatenda Madyara]

Yes very true my elder...it is that Truth that we have that I am trying to better understand so that I can gain confidence to stand for the very doctrine that we already have. Thats why I need help to understand why we do what we do and do not do?

I was left disarmed on Sabbath when asked why I keep Sabbath on Saturday and all I could state was that it is because it is the seventh day of the LORD, and the follow-up question was who said it was the seventh day? Did God not give us an indication on how to read which is the seventh day of the week etc...

The matter may not be salvific but like you said it essential in understanding the basis of our doctrine, and how better to understand it than to ask questions?

I am not here to ask questions to divide the brethren, but I am here to ask men who are schooled and well grounded in the Word of God, and men who may have perhaps met similar challenges as mine, who may be in a position to educate inquisitive minds like myself?

[Zukisani Zamela]

My brother I am pressed for time these days and wish I could give more time to this issue. But for now I will try to point you in the right direction and then you can take it from there. But be careful though to not be distracted from present truth.

Here is the thing.
According to this lunar teaching the Sabbath is not kept according to 7 days cycles that are forever repeating one after the other, as we believe.

They teach that every month the cycle resets which in essence means you will have a week that does not have 7 days. Hope you following so far.

So the easiest way to disprove this is the feast of pentecost. You'll find this in Leviticus 23. It is impossible to fullfil the 49 days that lead up to the 50th day of pentecost while using their lunar system.

You can only reach the 50th day (following 7 Sabbaths = 49 days) If you have unbroken 7 day cycles.

You may study from there my brother. But again do not allow yourself to be distracted too much. It is good though that you ask as at times apostasy must be met head on.

Godspeed

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