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Moon
Our months are supposed to be based on the moon and its cycles. That^s why we have a moon, to govern the months. Presently the length of the lunar cycle is either 29 or 30 days, rounding off to the nearest day. It cannot be anything else and has not been since ancient times.
Julius Caesar, a Roman Emperor around 46 BCE, Before Common Era, renamed the fifth month to July after his own name and made it 31 days long. He called his calendar the Julian calendar. Augustus Caesar, another Roman Emperor, around 10 CE, Common Era, lengthened the sixth month to 31 days and named it August.
Latter on, in 1582 CE, pope Gregory VIII made some adjustments to the Julian Calendar with new rules such as setting the days of February to be 28 days long 3 years out of 4 and 29 days long every 4th year only. His calendar is called the Gregorian calendar. That is the calendar that is used by much of the world today. Seven months have 31 days in this calendar and so the moon cycle of 29 or 30 days is ignored. This throws the months completely out of synchronization with the lunar cycles.
The plain truth is: The moon should govern the months.
That is one of its main purposes. It is one of the two world time pieces. The sun to govern the days and the moon to govern the months. Both were created by God for these purposes.
The word moon appears 51 times in the King James Version of the Bible.
The word moons appears 11 times.
The word month appears 250 times.
The word months appears 59 times.
The most common word for moon and month in Hebrew is ghoh~desh (Strong^s No. 2320, חדש ). The one word is translated as either moon or month or new moon depending on its application. There is a second Hebrew word for moon. It is yah~reh~agh (Strong^s No. 3394, ירח ).
In Greek the word for moon is selainai (Strong^s No. 4582, σεληνη ) and for month main (Strong^s No. 3376, μην ). New Moon is noumeinia (Strong s No. 3561, νουμηνια ).
God named the months by numbers 1 through 12. The thirteenth month is not mentioned in the Bible. At least not by that name. All twelve other months are mentioned.
The Babylonians had names for months and they agree very closely with the names used in the Bible. Here are the names that are used for months:
1. Nissan and Abib, are mentioned in the Bible.
2. Iyar, is not mentioned in the Bible.
3. Sivan, is mentioned in the Bible.
4. Tamuz, is not mentioned in the Bible.
5. Av or Ab, is not mentioned in the Bible.
6. Elul, is mentioned in the Bible.
7. Tishrei, is not mentioned in the Bible.
8. Cheshvan, is not mentioned in the Bible.
9. Kislev, is mentioned in the Bible.
10. Tevet, is not mentioned in the Bible.
11. Shebat, is mentioned in the Bible.
12. Adar I, is mentioned in the Bible.
13. (Adar II), is not mentioned in the Bible.
Six are mentioned. It is obvious that the Babylonian names crept into common use by the Hebrews.
The expression New Moon in the Bible refers to the beginning of the monthly cycle of the moon.
New Moons were observed in ancient times as ordered by God. There are several references to this fact in the Bible. I will state three here.
Please turn to Numbers chapter 10: verse 10 (NASB)
? Numbers chapter 10: verse 10
Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months (on the first days of your months), you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God.
Here we see God himself talking and saying that trumpets should be blown and sacrifices and offerings made on the first days of our months, all our months.
Please turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 31: verse 3 (NASB)
? 2 Chronicles chapter 31: verse 3
He also appointed the king^s portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons (the new moons) and for the fixed festivals, as it is written in the law of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 31:3
Again it is stated that it is in the Lord^s law that offerings should be made on the new moons.
For the third passage please turn back a little to 2 Chronicles chapter 8: verses 12 and 13 (NASB)
2 Chronicles chapter 8: verses 12 and 13
Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch; and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons (the new moons), and the three annual feasts, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. 2 Chronicles 8:12 and 13
Here it is stated as a command of Moses to offer up burnt offerings on the New Moons. Moses was God^s messenger and so the message was from God.
We don^t offer burnt animal sacrifices anymore. We believe that this custom is no longer required because Jesus Christ was our true sacrifice, the animal sacrifices were but a foretaste of Jesus ultimate sacrifice. The blowing of trumpets custom has also disappeared.
The observance of these days mentioned, the Sabbaths, the New Moons, the annual Feasts and the daily praise and worship of God, however, is to be done into perpetuity or as long as you are able.
There are some who think that the New Moons should be treated as Sabbaths. There is no evidence of this in the passages quoted as daily customs are also mentioned and Sabbaths are mentioned separately.
The moon should govern the months. However, today they are governed by evil and wicked men, their evil and wicked empire and their evil and wicked church. They are acting against God^s creation, against God^s will and against God^s instructions. It is pompous arrogance, full of ridiculous self~importance and over bearing pride and no consideration for others. These people will be dealt with accordingly in God^s own time. (Isaiah 13:11) There is no doubt whatsoever that the months should be governed by the moon, as created and directed by God Almighty, and not by Roman emperors or popes.
2010 Jacques Gauvin
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