Part 192. Rosh Chodesh - Yahweh's Gift of the New Moon

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Sermons Series 3:192, 27 December 2008

Rosh Chodesh

Yahweh's Gift of the New Moon

Second Edition (10 February 2012)

Main Themes: Rosh Chodesh, New Moon, moedim, appointments, concealment, crescent vs.conjunction
Minor Themes: calendars, ot or sign, lunar astronomy, time-keeping, moon phases, punctuality, Psalm 81:3, Full vs. New moon, kehseh, shofar vs. silver trumpets, Jerusalem vs. local time, observation vs. calculation, Don Esposito, seven Ruachs, women's sabbath, new moon sabbath, consulting prophets and kings, great and dreadful day of Yahweh, the remnant, nailed to the cross, antinomianism

"The moon also is in all things for her season, for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world. From the moon is the sign of the feast day; a light that waneth when she is come to the full. The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing; an instrument of the hosts on high, shining forth in the firmament of heaven; the beauty of heaven; the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of Yahweh"

(

Ecclesiasticus 43:6-8, RV).

Introduction

Shabbat Shalom and a blessed Rosh Chodesh or New Moon to you all! Since today is Rosh Chodesh, and since we are commanded by Yahweh to observe it, and since - I have to confess - we have been very remiss as a spiritual community in observing this commandment - I felt it was time that we had a close look at it to understand why Yahweh has commanded us to observe it and exactly what we are supposed to do at this monthly moed. There is a surprising amount of ignorance about it. Not only must we do these things but we must also carefully expose and distance ourselves from the false 'New Moons' observed by non-Messianic and Messianic Jews themeselves for as in most things there is much false tradition which we are obligated to sort through and put right.

True and False New Moon Calendars

Rosh Chodesh is literally translated as 'the head or beginning of the new month' and was, and is, the first day of each of the Hebrew months. Thus Rosh Chodesh means both 'month' and 'new moon'. It is traditionally calculated by observing the first crescent of the New Moon phase although this is not what is commanded in the Scriptures which tell us to calculate the New Moon and the beginning of each month at the conjunction - this means that traditional Jewish calendars, and the calendars of most Messianics, are one or two days too late. You may wonder why this is important until you realise what the New Moon has been given for. Finally, there are many Messianics and others who erroneously teach that the New Moon is an extra monthly sabbath because of the misinterpretation of a single passage in the Tanakh. It is not a sabbath, as I will also show today, time permitting, though it is similar to one, the two differences to the sabbath being that you can freely travel and prepare food on New Mooon day.

The Purpose for the Moon's Creation

Let us begin with Yahweh's plain instructions and go to the very first reference to the New Moon in the Bible in the first chapter of Bereshith ¹ or Genesis:

"And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the raki'a (expanse) of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for otot (signs), and for mo'adim (seasons, appointed times), and for yammim (days), and shanim (years); And let them be for lights in the raki'a of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And Elohim made (lit. 'assigned' from asah, not bara meaning 'create') two great lights; the greater light to rule the day (sun), and the lesser light to rule the night (moon); He made the kokhavim (stars) also" (Gen.1:14-16, OJB).

The Moon is an Ot or Sign

We see from these verses that the sun and moon were not just created to give light and heat. They had other functions too as signs, appointments for festivals, days and years. We see from this passage, moreover, that the Divine Calendar with its feasts existed even before the creation of Adam so that this scripture itself becomes an ot or sign indicating that Yahweh's division of time and the appointment of His observances are for all the inhabitants of the earth in all ages. Finally, please note that the sun, moon and stars were not created for the first time (Heb. bara) on the fourth day (Yom Revee) but were assigned their function (asah) as described in this text. They were all created on the first day, Yom Rishon. ²

The Time-Keeper

As we carefully study the rest of scripture pertaining to the moon we discover that this heavenly body serves a vital function as a time-keeper for Yahweh's people so that they can keep His moedim or 'appointed times' in His spiritual company. This is the same word that is used to translate 'feasts' (Lev.23). One of the functions of the moon is to enable those who love Yahweh to meet with Him at especially set-apart, holy or consecrated times so that He can interface with His people in a special way to give them blessings.

"He (Yahweh) appointed the yarei'ach (moon)

³ for mo'adim (seasons, appointments, appointed times, festivals)"

(Teh./Ps.104:29, OJB).

"Thus says Yahweh, which giveth the shemesh (sun) for an ohr (light) by day, and the chukkot yarei'ach (statutes/ordinances of the moon) and the chukkot kokhavim (statutes/ordinances of the stars) for an ohr (light) by night..."

Special Appointments with Yahweh

One of the otot or signs is that we are meeting with Yahweh at the right time and we do this by making our calendar calculations based on the moon. This should alarm orthodox, evangelical Christians who follow a man-made calendar that bases all its calculations on the sun. Does not the sun also have a place in making calculating? Yes, the scriptures say so ⁴ but not for calculating our special meeting times with Yahweh - Rosh Chodesh and the Seven Annual Festivals. ⁵ This means that the annual festivals and monthly Rosh Chodesh fall on different days each year and month, respectively, though roughly at the same time as all previous years.

Have So Many Got It Wrong?

When I first became a messianic these matters caused me no end of confusion because of all the differing opinions and interpretations. It has taken me nearly a decade to figure it all out, thanks in the main to the careful scholarship of some very dedicated and patient Bible students. Since these appointments with Yahweh are very, very important for faithful commandment-keeping believers, it follows that we need to ensure that we meet Him on the right days. And since He is not physically visible, and we can congregate at the wrong times without ever knowing we were in the wrong, it behoves us to be meticulous about this. If orthodox Christians are completely off-beam in their calendars (and there is no doubt whatsoever that they are, quite apart from the fact they they don't even observe any of Yahweh's moedim but false, man-made ones having pagan origins ⁶ such as Christmas ⁷ and Easter ⁸ ), and if orthodox Jews and most Messianics are also in error, then we had better make sure that we get our facts right.

Punctuality is Important

Getting to an appointment on time means that we must have accurate watches. If I have a job interview at 9 am and I turn up at 10 am, how do you think that will affect my chances at getting the job? Punctuality is important in the real world so why do people assume it is not important to Yahweh? He doesn't ask us to keep too many temporal appointments - every seventh day (sabbath), every new moon (for reasons we will understand in a minute) and seven times a year at the festivals. The rest is up to us - He is in us continually so we can, and should, meet with Him continually in private and with others, setting aside time under our own volition to pray, meditate and study the Word.

Just as knowing that the Sabbath is on the seventh day (Saturday) and nor the first day (Sunday) of the week ⁹ so it is important - if we're not going to miss Rosh Chodesh and the some of the seven festivals (such as Pesach, Shavu'ot, Yom haBikkurim, Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur - which are only one day long - Chag haMatazah and Sukkot last 7 days each) then it is important we know which day in the lunar cycle Rosh Chodesh is. We need to resolve that now.

Lunar Astronomy

First, we must begin with a little atronomy ¹⁰ . Not interested in astronomy? Well, now's the time to get interested because Yahweh says you need to in order to understand more about the lifestyle he wants believers to live. The moon, as we know, passes through seven distinct phases:

The fist visible crescent (FVC);

The first quarter (1Q);

The second quarter (2Q);

The full moon (FM);

The third quarter (3Q);

The fourth quarter (4Q); and

The dark phase (for a day or two) when the moon is not visible from the earth even if there are absolutely no clouds in the sky. This is the period of the CONCEALMENT of the moon due to the sun, moon, and earth being aligned, and the earth casting its shadow on the moon so that the moon is entirely covered by the shadow of the earth. It is also known as the CONJUNCTION or the Astronomical New Moon.

First Visible Crescent or Conjunction?

But Rabbinical Judaism (which is based on the Talmud), like Islam, determines the New Moon according to the first visible crescent (FVC). So do nearly all Messianic Jews and Messianic Israelites, who imitate the rabbinical Talmud-based tradition. It was also the method of ancient Babylon where, I suggest, the practice originated. The only people not to follow this tradition are the Samaritans ¹¹ who since ancient times have been using the conjunction of the moon to calculate the new month. The best the Talmudists can do is accuse the Samaritans of plotting to mislead the Jews, which is bunkum. What matters, however, is not who was right but what is right and what has always been right.

Psalm 81:3

We shall now follow the Sola Scriptura ¹² method and let the Word of Yahweh speak for itself. We shall first begin by comparing 19 translations of Psalm 81:3 - or to be more accurate, mistranslations - to discover how the truth has been obscured:

Full Moon or New Moon?

There is quite a variety of translation here. If you look at the emphasised (bold) text you will see that some versions say "in the appointed time" and others "the full moon". The one exception is Young's Literal Translation (YLT) ¹³ where you will find neither of these. Moreover, in nearly every translation - Messianic as well as Orthodox - you will find the preposition "on" preceeding "our feast/festival day" in the last sentence. All are wrong, even Young's which is closest to the truth uses "at". You would have thought that the Messianic version translators ¹⁴ , who were presumably well-versed in Torah, would have got this right, though the non-Messianic translators are excused to a certain extent. Is it possible that all of them have not understood the phases of the moon? One anonymous translator offers what I believe may be the correct translation:

"Blow the shofar on the New Moon, in the concealment (Heb. b'kehseh) for (or toward) the day of our feast"

Mistranslation of Kehseh?

The translator comments:

"One reason why translators disagree about the emboldened parts of the translation of this verse is that the literal translation of the Hebrew expression did not make sense to them. Very probably, they wondered what on earth "in the concealment" could mean. So some decided to render it "in the time appointed" and others "in the full moon". Only Young obviously saw that both these are wrong and that not only on purely linguistic grounds."

¹⁵

Is the Shofar Blown at the Full Moon?

There is not, moreover, a single reference in the whole of Torah about blowing the shofar on the full moon. ¹⁶ Yahweh never said a word about this to Moses! ¹⁷ Neither do the rabbinical commentaries of the Talmud. Yet every Messianic version cited (HRV, RSTNE, ISRV, OJB) gets this wrong, not to mention all the non-Messianic ones but Webster's and the KJV.

Shofar or Twin Silver Trumpets?

There is admittedly a very real problem with the anonymous translator's rendition of Psalm 81:3 because the shofar is never blown at either Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon) or the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) ¹⁸ but twin silver trumpets:

"When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before Yahweh your Elohim, and you will be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets (Heb. Chatsrot, sing. chatsotserah) over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your Elohimd: I am Yahweh your Elohim" (Num.10:9-10, NKJV).

The chatsrot ("trumpets") are not rams' horns (shofarim) but TWIN SILVER TRUMPETS:

Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the assembly and for directing the movement of the camps"

Most Messianics are unaware that two types of 'trumpet' are used, namely, the ram's horn (Shofar) and the twin silver trumpets (Chatsotserah). The shofar tends to be used at all occasions indiscriminately without making distinction of use or bothering to find out why Yahweh has ordained two different types.

"In the Concealment"

It is not a difficult mental exercise to understand what the words "in the concealment" mean because we already know that one of the phases of the moon is known as the 'dark phase' or 'period of concealment' when the moon is invisible to the observer in ideal weather conditions where there are clear skies and no clouds.

"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest (Shabbaton - OJB), a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation' (a zikhron teru'ah mikra kodesh - OJB)"

In the light of other passages such as Leviticus 23:24, which is a reference to the fifth annual moed or festival to Yahweh known as Yom Teruah ¹⁹ , it is clear that Psalm 81:3 is referring to the first day of the lunar month when the moon is concealed, in others words, one to two days before the first visible crescent, and not to the full moon (FM) when the moon is 100% visible. ²⁰

Finally, there is an example in Proverbs where the term "in the concealment" means a set day in the month, and clearly the New Moon, and once again the translators get it wrong:

"He has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home on the appointed day ²¹ " (Prov.7:20, NKJV).

Changes During the Babylonian Exile

So we have now established, beyond reasonable doubt, that the first day of the month was during the time of concealment, a day or two before the first crescent moon. So when was this change from new moon (NM) to the first visible crescent (FVC) made historically leading to modern Jewish tradition? At what point in the history of Israel did a major change in doctrine and practice take place, leading to the Talmud and to the religion known as 'Judaism'? You have guessed, during the Babylonian Captivity when so much spiritual apostacy took place and a new religion was birthed by the rabbis influenced by Babylonian paganism.

When Does Rosh Chodesh Begin?

So how can we know when Rosh Chodesh begins? Warren G. Smith offers this explanation:

"Schmuel Alef (1st Samuel) 20:5-6 "And Dawid (David) said to Yonathan (Jonathan), See, tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh (New Moon), and I should be sitting with the melech (king) to eat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening."

"Schmuel Alef (1st Samuel) 20:18 "Then Yonathan said to Dawid (David), Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh (New Moon): and you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty."

"Schmuel Alef (1st Samuel) 20:24-27 "So Dawid (David) hid himself in the field: and when the Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) had come, the melech (king) sat down to eat. And the melech (king) sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Yonathan (Jonathan) arose, and Avner (Abner) sat by Shaul's (Saul's) side, and Dawid's (David) place was empty. Nevertheless Shaul (Saul) spoke not anything that day: for he thought, Something has happened to him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. And it came to pass on the next day, which was the second day of the month, that Dawid's (David's) place was empty: and Shaul (Saul) said to Yonathan (Jonathan) his son, Why did not the son of Yishai (Jesse) come to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?"

"Schmuel Alef (1st Samuel) 20:34-35 "So Yonathan (Jonathan) arose from the shulchan (table) in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month: for he was grieved for Dawid (David), because his abba (father) had done him shame. And it came to pass in the morning, that Yonathan (Jonathan) went out into the field at the time appointed with Dawid (David), and a little lad with him."

"In the proceeding verses we need to understand that in the time of David, people were farmers, and they were in the fields by daylight, therefore they saw the crescent in the morning and at sunset. (They watched the moon all month long, day in and day out). They knew Yahweh's Lunar-Solar Calendar. It is easier to observe the last morning crescent on the 28th or 29th in the east as the sun comes up, than the first one after conjunction in the west, because most people will not see the first crescent in the west, they will see the second one and think it is the first one. When we are looking for the morning crescent in the east, if we see it on the 28th and do not see the crescent on the 29th which is the last Sabbath of the month, we know that at sunset that day the New Moon day will start.

"How did David and Jonathan know that tomorrow was the (Rosh Chodesh) New Moon and the first day of the month? They saw the last crescent of the month in the eastern sky in the morning of the 29th day, a Sabbath day. As David and Jonathan talked in the field that evening, they knew they would not see a crescent that evening because conjunction was going to take place that night or the next morning, so they could say tomorrow is the New Moon (meaning: a 24 hour time period the next day at sunset, Sunset to Sunset is a day)".

²²

Jerusalem or Local Time Observance?

A final question remains: do we observe Rosh Chodesh based on observations in the land of Israel or based on where we are? This problem must have been faced by Israelites living abroad anciently. By the time a messenger had got to them telling them when Rosh Chodesh began in Israel, it would have been over, so it would have been impossible to observe the festival according to Jerusalem time. This was recognised in the Torah itself where we read:

"Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'"

Those living abroad, then, would have made their calculations based on the timing of the New Moon where they lived and not according to Jerusalem time. Today we do not suffer from that limitation because of the internet, amongst other technologies. We can know when the New Moon in Israel is within seconds of someone living in the Holy Land knowing it.

Don Esposito comments:

"...the precedent laid out at creation is that the things created did not come into being out of things that already appeared. The same way that the world started in darkness (Gen 1:2-3), and the day starts in darkness, and even life in the womb starts in darkness, the precedent set is that the month starts at conjunction, the exact time each month that the earth, the moon and the sun are lined up in perfect order. It is like when your watch is at exactly 12:00 o'clock and resetting, when the moon and earth and sun totally line up at that one moment each 29½ days at conjunction, which is the beginning of the new month.

²³

"Yahweh is perfect and symmetrical. When you see a quarter moon, the month is ¼ over. When you see a full moon the month is half over. When you see a waning ¼ of a moon, the month is ¾ over, and when the moon is dark again at conjunction it is resetting the new month. If someone was starting the new month by visually sighting a crescent moon, then when you see a quarter moon it would not be ¼ of the month over, when you see a full moon, it would not be ½ of the month over. It would throw off the symmetrical sighting of the whole moon cycle.

"Hebrew originally was a hieroglyphic language and instead of having letters it had 22 pictures. When you put the pictures together they made words and sentences. The original Hebrew word picture for "new moon" is "the separation, of the cycle or pathway, of the consuming moon". This would have to be conjunction. The moon never stops, it is always moving in its rotation, but once every 29½ days that cycle passes at one split moment with the earth and suns cycle causing the darkness of the moon and separation from its cycle of light. The conjunction cycle is very constant roughly every 29½ days, but because its rotation is elliptical and not circular, visibly sighting a crescent can range anywhere from 6 hours after conjunction to 72 hours after conjunction. Yahweh would not use such an unreliable source to start the month". ²⁴

By Observation or by Calculation?

This brings us to an interesting question: do we calculate the New Moon by observation or by calculation? And has the length of the lunar month remained consistently the same throughout history? Clearly, if the weather is bad, you cannot observe the moon anyway and you are then forced to 'postpone a month' just as the rabbis do. This can mean that the calendar of festivals can be one month late! And if the length of the lunar month has changed in the historical past, then conjunction is going to take place at different places in the world, and not consistently every month at Jerusalem (as is true)! Let us take a look at these matters and some other unexpected ones. Don Esposito continues:

"The word used for 'observe' in the original Hebrew is Strong's 8104 shawmar and does not mean to physically look at, but rather to keep, to guard and protect, to be aware of. It is the exact same word that is used in Exodus 31:19, when we are told that we are [to] observe the Sabbath day, and I don't think anyone will argue that on the Sabbath we are not visibly sighting something to start the day, actually it is the very opposite, it is the absence of the sun that tells us that the Sabbath has started.

Actually, if you look at the Torah, you will see that Yahweh commanded [us] not to look at or worship the sun, the moon and the stars:

Deut.4:19 "...and that you not lift up your eyes towards the heavens and when thou see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, and you be drawn away and worship them, and serve them; which Yahweh your Elohim has allotted to all the peoples under all the heavens".

Now do you honestly think in an area where people were worshipping the sun and moon and stars, and with the Israelites' propensity to paganism with the golden calf, that He would really have them go every month out to sight a crescent moon? It would be like sending an alcoholic to watch a room full of whiskey and telling him not to drink.

Also, the only way to properly keep the holy days correctly is to know the timing of the New Moon from Jerusalem time. So before the last 100 years how would anyone living in Europe or America know when the crescent moon was sighted in Jerusalem? And if you go by a local sighting you can have up to three different days for a holy day in a given area; Nowhere in scripture does Yahweh ever command [us] to visibly sight a crescent moon to start the month. The following scripture will prove this point.

Psa 81:3 "Blow the ram's horn in the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day."

Comment: This scripture is written in Hebrew syntax, which means it is written in opposites such as black/ white, male/ female, so the opposite of the full moon is the new moon, which can only be conjunction. If you start your month by visibly sighting a crescent you will never have your feast fall exactly on the full moon, it will always be slightly off. Go to a moon phase calendar and check this for yourself... ²⁵

There is a word in Hebrew for crescent, but it is never used, not even once when referring to the new moon. The word used in scripture when referring to the new moon is Rosh Chodesh which literally means the 'head of the month' or 'beginning of the moon cycle' which again gives reference to the conjunction or starting point of the moon cycle, and there is absolutely no evidence that Israelites ever visibly sighted a crescent before the Babylonian captivity.

If you go back to the book of Genesis 7:11 you will find that Noah entered the ark on the 17th day of the second month, and Genesis 8:3-4 tells us that Noah came out of the ark on 17th day of the 7th month, 150 days later. So originally there were 12 30-day months. Science tells us that around the year 700 BC. something changed the calendar to make it only a 29½ day moon cycle instead of a 30 day moon cycle. Interesting enough this was the same time Hezekiah asked for the sun to move back 10 steps.

But something else happened at around the time of 700 BC that would also play a part in the calendar change. Remember how we just went over that the Holy Days were given to the nation of Israel for when they entered the land of Israel. Yahweh also commanded them that they must come up to Jerusalem and only Jerusalem ²⁶ for these days.

Deut 16:16 "Three times in a year doth every one of thy males appear before Yahweh thy Elohim in the place which He doth choose ²⁷ -- in the feast of unleavened things, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths; and they do not appear before Yahweh empty."

That is why it stands to reason that conjunction and sunset would have happened at Jerusalem each and every month when there were 12, 30-day months, since the whole reason for creating these heavenly bodies was to show Israel the appointed times in Jerusalem.

Now, not only did Yahweh take back the sundial for Hezekiah around 700 BC, but something else major happened in the history of Israel. In 723-22 BC Israel went into captivity to Assyria and into the four corners of the earth. One of the major punishments of this Diaspora was that they would no longer be able to keep the Holy Days in Jerusalem. Conjunction happened each month at Jerusalem to start the month and show where Yahweh's covenant people were. Isn't it interesting that since about 700 BC, now no longer does conjunction and sunset happen each month at Jerusalem, but somewhere different each month all over the earth? It is never in the same place two months in a row, but as the rotation of the celestial bodies moves so does the location of conjunction and sunset. If the conjunction was placed in Jerusalem, the center of the earth, before Israel's captivity it can't be a co-incidence that after their captivity it has been moved to different places all over the earth every month. If conjunction in Jerusalem each month was to show where Yahweh's covenant people were, than by having conjunction somewhere different each month it shows that Israel's Diaspora is all over the globe, which history proves to be correct. ²⁸

Also since the Holy Days are part of Yahweh's plan of salvation and reveal that plan to true believers since the early congregation started in 30 AD, then you would have to have a way for all believers worldwide to be able to calculate the calendar to keep the Holy Days without sighting a crescent in Jerusalem which again was impossible in Diaspora before the last 100 years.

So before 700 BC the conjunction would happen in Jerusalem every 30 days at sunset, but now since it is only a 29½ day moon cycle and not a 30 day one, the conjunction happens somewhere different each month. It's like spinning an arrow on a game board each month - it stops on a different spot; but the new month starts exactly at conjunction, and since a day can only start at sunset, so wherever it is sunset at the time of conjunction that is where the new month has begun ²⁹ , and within 24 hours you just wait for sunset to come to you and the new month.

It is the same principle we use with the Sabbath. When it is sunset in Jerusalem, it is only maybe 11 am in New York, so they would not start the Sabbath at 11 am in New York because it is sunset in Jerusalem. You would simply wait for sunset to come to you and then the Sabbath would begin. ³⁰ The same way when conjunction happens, no matter what time of the day it is where you are, just simply wait for sunset and the new month to come to you, and within 24 hours just like the Sabbath it will be new moon all over the earth.

But how can one know when conjunction happens each month?

Comment: Let's define what a conjunction is. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica in astronomy, a conjunction is an apparent meeting or passing of two or more celestial bodies at the same celestial longitude. The Moon is in conjunction with the Sun at the phase of New Moon, when it moves between the Earth and Sun and the side turned toward the Earth is dark.

There are several fallacies connected with the conjunction. One is that it happens at every place on earth, at the same time all over the earth. It is because of this false belief that some keep the New Moon on the day of conjunction, starting the evening before, even though this may be up to 23 hours before the actual conjunction occurs, and is still the last day of the old month. This is not accurate and would be no different than the Rabbis starting the Jewish calendar before the vernal equinox, still in winter of the previous year.

The problem is with some people's flawed definition of what a conjunction is. Basically from the above definition we see that a conjunction is an eclipse of the moon, due to it lining up between the earth and sun, and causing one side to be dark. Because the rotation of the moon is elliptical and not circular, the moon is actually never 100% dark, but still cannot be seen with the naked eye. Logic will tell you that if an eclipse is happening in Japan it cannot be happening on the other side of the globe in New York at the same time. So although the New Moon conjunction happens at only one moment in time roughly each 29½ days, it does not occur at every place on earth. By the very definition of a conjunction, the celestial bodies (in this case the moon, sun and earth) must be in the same longitude. When the moon is in conjunction with the earth at Rosh Chodesh, the whole earth is not in the same longitude, only the area where the conjunction occurs. So conjunction DOES NOT happen in every place all over the earth, at the same time, although it does happen at only one moment of time roughly every 29½ days. Just go to a conjunction website, and look at a picture of a conjunction from any given month and you will see this is plainly correct.

So the conjunction would happen at one spot on earth which would trigger the new moon or month in that area where sunset would just be occurring, then just like we do each week with the Sabbath we would wait, according to where we are on the earth for the earth to rotate on it's axis, and the new month to come to us when ever it would be sunset in our given area. We do not start the Sabbath at 12 noon in New York because it is sunset in Jerusalem, so why would we start the New Month in some cases 23 hours or more before the old month has ended because a sunset or conjunction has occurred across the world somewhere?

The next false assumption for some to start the month on the day of conjunction, instead of waiting for the next sunset after conjuntion, is that some have said that you celebrate your anniversary on the day of your anniversary, not the next day. On the surface this sounds logical, but again if my anniversary were March 1, I am not going to start to celebrate my anniversary on February 28 because it has already turned to March 1 in Israel. By waiting till sunset in your given area after a conjunction has happened somewhere on earth, is not starting your month late. The month started wherever the conjunction occurred on earth where it is sunset, and you are simply waiting for the earth to rotate and sunset and the new month to come to you, just as we do each and every Sabbath.

The conjunction is quite simple to calculate since on average it happens every 29 days, 12 hours, 32 minutes and 2.8 seconds. If you were watching the moon phase each month within 6 to 9 months you could tell when conjunction is within probably an hour just by observing the moon cycle.

If the moon is nothing more than a clock in the sky then a quarter moon would have to be a quarter month and a full moon would have to be half month, and what is the opposite of a full moon? Conjunction! If you had a full apple pie on your table, what would be the opposite of that full pie? The answer is No pie. The only problem being when you calculate the new moon conjunction up to 23 hours early by calculating the day of conjunction and not waiting till sunset after conjunction, when the earth rotates and the month comes to you, you will never have your Holy day chag or feast of Sukkot on the full moon.

The only way to assure your feast always falls on the full moon is to calculate your month by conjunction, waiting till sunset in your area after the conjunction occurs. If you start the new month early using the sunset before the actual conjunction happens, you will always start your month early and never have your holy day chag on the full moon. Also, going by visual sighting of a crescent moon, almost never will they have their holy day fall on the full moon. The only way to assure your holy day always will fall on the full moon is to wait for the conjunction to happen and then let the earth rotate to you, and at sunset in your area your new month would begin. ³¹ As with the Sabbath, within 24 hours of conjunction the earth would have done a full rotation on its axis and the new month would have started all over the globe." ³²

Four Truths

It is then very clear that the following four points are true:

1. The modern Jewish calendar is not biblical. It was not used in the first century, it follows man-made postponement laws and changes the appointed dates or times of Yahweh;

2. For the beginning of the year, we have to wait till after the vernal equinox. We have to wait until spring comes to start the new year, so that we have the right barley for the First Sheaf ceremony, and ripe fruits for the last feast of the year;

3. The Hebrew calendar in the ancient Israel was an agricultural calendar. Without knowledge of the agriculture of Israel, you cannot keep it properly;

4. Starting our month goes by New Moon conjunction (rather than by crescent sighting). Only by going by New Moon conjunction will you have your Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) on the New Moon and on the full moon according to Scripture. You must therefore find out where in the world each lunar conjunction takes place, mark off the time where you are located, and then wait for sunset where you are - that is Rosh Chodesh for you. Knowing the first New Moon of the year at Aviv 1 will similarly allow you to calculate all the seven moedim for the year. ³³

The Shofar and Rosh Chodesh Dilemma

We now know when the New Moon begins and how to calculate it but we are still left with the apparent contradiction of the shofar being blown at Rosh Chodesh in Psalm 81:3. Yet that's what it says. It is possible that this contradiction is only apparent because of an improper understanding on our part of Hebrew linguistic devices. Clearly some more research needs to be done on this. Might this be a Masorete error? Might silver-trumpets and ram-horns have been used interchangeably so that the difference is irrelevent? Or have we fundamentally misunderstood the meaning of kehseh? Could its root 'fullness' refer to either the fullness of the darkness of the New Moon or the fullness of light of the Full Moon? Is the translator of the RSTNE right in asserting that it must refer to the 'full moon' because the context is the historical exodus of the children of Israel in Aviv 15? If he is right, then there must be a mid-month, full moon shofar-blowing ceremony in evidence somewhere connected with the exodus. We must, alas, put the matter on the shelf for now, even though I know we would all like resolution, and move on to other things. If anybody discovers anything more about this, be sure to let us know.

Darkness Before Light and the Seven Ruachs

We have seen that darkness comes before light both in Sabbath and New Moon observance, just as the creation began with darkness and just as knowledge is preceeded by ignorance and salvation by a state of lost-ness, and just as we began life in the darkness of the womb and were born inti the light. The sun is always male, depicting either the Father or the Son, and the Moon female, depicting the Mother or Ruach haQodesh. The sun has no phases and is yachid or singular but the moon, as we have also seen, has seven, to represent each of the Seven Ruachs as an echad oneness. Which phase represents which Ruach? Could the New Moon represesents the Ruach haRishon and Pesach and the Full Moon the Ruach haShibi'i / Shegal haShabbat and Sukkot? We do not have time to go into this mystery today, sadly, so we will pass it by and give attention to other more important aspects of Rosh Chodesh.

A Women's Sabbath?

We have seen that the moon is of feminine gender so perhaps it will come as no surprise to learn that in Jewish tradition Rosh Chodesh is primarily seen as having been given to women as a festival for them, and has as a result traditionally been observed as a women's sabbath day of rest. The word 'menstruation' comes from the Greek word menus which means 'moon' and 'power', and is based on the word men meaning 'Month'. ³⁴ Although there is no evidence from the Torah that Yahweh gave Rosh Chodesh as a sabbath for women there can be little doubt that on one level there is a connection between the divine feminine of the Elohim - the Ruach haQodesh - and the moon. In a primary level, though, it is about < a href="lev20100515.html">headship and therefore male principle.

A Sabbath for All?

There are some Messianics who claim that Rosh Chodesh is a monthly sabbath in the same way that the seventh day is a weekly sabbath to Yahweh. This they base on a solitary scripture, a quotation of Torah-breakers from the Nevi'im (Prophets) and not from the Torah proper ³⁵ :

"Hear this, O you that would swallow the needy, and destroy the poor in the land, saying, 'When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the [weekly] sabbath, that we may set forth ("trade", ISRV; "market", OJB) corn? Making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances of deceit" (Amos 8:4-5, HRV).

None of the scriptures mentioning the New Moon says, or remotely hints, that this day is a sabbath to Yahweh. What, then, does this passage mean? Why should dishonest traders wait for the New Moon to be over before trading in corn again? And why then make a similar comparison to the weekly sabbath? There are, to my mind, only three possible explanations:

1. The New Moon became a sabbath by tradition as opposed to being the result a commandment of Yahweh;

2. The New Moon in question must have been at the same time as a Shabbaton or High Sabbath which corresponds to one of the seven feasts; or

3. The New Moon is like the Sabbath in some respects (as a day for assembly for hearing the prophets with a ban on trading) but different in others (allowing travel and food preparation).

There is no historical evidence for the first proposition that I am aware of and there is only one feast day that falls on the New Moon which is a Sabbath and that is the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah. This must, therefore, at least include YOM TERUAH. Since like the Sabbath the New Moon is a time to assemble for hear the prophets, we must assume that the New Moon resembles the Sabbath in that respect and is not an ordinary working day. So whilst the New Moon is not a Sabbath properly-speaking it does have some elements that make it resemble the sabbath. Hence no trading was permitted on either the New Moon or Sabbath.

Ripened in Iniquity

The context of the eighth chapter of Amos lends support to this assertion. It's about Israel being "ripe" (v.1), and in this case, ripe in iniquity, and Yahweh will spare them no longer (v.2). Which festivals are associated with final ripening? The autumn or fall festivals, announced by Yom Teruah with judgment being passed at Yom Kippur. The apostate Israelites have been following an 'anti' cycle of feasts, spiritually-speaking. The prophet Amos is announcing their doom at a spiritual 'Yom Teruah' and they will be enjoy a full harvest of sin at an anti-Sukkot. This is the chapter that speaks of the sun going down at noon and the earth falling into darkness at broad daylight (v.9), of turning the feasts into mourning and singing into weeping (v.10). There will be a famine of heaing the words of Yahweh as people stagger to and fro seeking for what they cannot find to save them because they are blind in sin (vv.11-12). These people will fall and never rise again (v.14). Instead of wanting to repent and using Rosh Chodesh and Shabbat for what Yahweh intended them, they would rather trade and seek carnal pleasures. Their outer religion is an utter sham. So what was the purpose of Rosh Chodesh?

The Purpose of Rosh Chodesh

Apart from telling us the beginning of each month and enabling us to accurately calculate the annual festivals and sabbaths, what else is Rosh Chodesh for? What are we supposed to do on it - if anything? We are to assemble or gather to hear the prophets. It is unlikely, as I once thought, that they would only gather after sunset for people went home to sleep after sunset. So what did they do anciently? Are there any clues from Scripture? There are two. The first does indeed suggest some sort of gathering, at least for kings and likely for ordinary families too:

"And David said to Jonathan, 'Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king (Saul) to eat'"

Clearly this was a literal feast day for the king, at least in King Saul's day. But was this a divine command or just a custom? It's impossible to say for sure but I personally suspect the former, for the king was supposed to be ws type of the Heavenly King. But what evidence is there that the common people assembled? And for what purpose?

"Then she (the Shunammite woman) called to her husband, and said, 'Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of Elohim (Elisha) and come back.' So he said, 'Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.' And she said, 'It is well.' Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, 'Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.' And so she departed, and went to the man of Elohim at Mount Carmel"

Consulting the Prophets and Kings

Why could the woman have been sure of finding Elisha on either Rosh Chodesh or Shabbat but not at other times? Because there were the two times that the prophets ministered. We know, because he was Torah-observant, that the prophet Elisha would not have been travelling around the country on the Sabbath, so any ministry received on that day would either have been from local prophets or ministers or the prophet if he happened to be in a particular area ³⁶ . But he would have been under no Torah-restriction to move about on the New Moon. The woman would have known where he lived. What did the Shunammite woman want of Elisha? To consult him as a prophet. Prophets go wherever Yahweh sends them but as this passage makes clear, he would always be found at a specific location at Rosh Chodesh and Shabbat. Why? Because these were two days when the people in general could always find a prophet of Yahweh for consultation. Whereas the Sabbath has multiple functions, including resting, ceasing ordinary work, gathering for worship, etc., what Rosh Chodesh had in common with Shabbat was not that it was a sabbath day but was a time for assembling and consulting the prophets.

The Day of Consultation

Now admittedly the Torah does not specifically say that this was what Rosh Chodesh was for - all we can surmise is that in the days of the prophets - and specifically in Elisha's day - it was an established practice for those who needed to consult prophets did so, and for which purpose the prophets made themselves available, and kings held a monthly feast perhaps so that family and guests could consult with the king! Thus Rosh Chodesh may with some certainty be said to be the PRIMARY DAY OF CONSULTATION to know the will of Yahweh (through the prophets) and the will of the King (by being invited to dine with him).

Though it is unlikely that those who consulted with the prophets sat and had a physical meal with them, there is little doubt that they sat and had a spiritual meal with them, as Moses and the Elders of Israel had done on the top of Mount Sinai. Interestingly, on the day that Rosh Chodesh is a High Sabbath or Shabbaton it is on the Day when Yah'shua returns to meet with His people.

Seeking Divine Counsel and the Divine Will

My belief is that Rosh Chodesh was, and is, a day of gathering or meeting for counsel and revelation for the people to consult with the Heavenly King (through the prophets), for the earthly king to dine with his family, and for family heads (fathers and husbands) to specifically dine with their families on the evening of Rosh Chodesh. This would be a time for families to seek specific prophetic guidance from their heads.

The evening meeting - after the sun has set, with the moon concealed, and when darkness is at its greatest depth in the monthly cycle - has great symbolic importance. This darkness is not to be seen in negative or sinister terms, though. Why would a person seek to consult with a prophet anyway? Because they are in the dark, as it were, and want to see the light. When we do not know the will of our Elohim, husbands, or fathers, we are in the dark. Therefore Elohim calls wives to their husbands, children to their fathers, and families to their clan and tribal heads, for revelation concerning Yahweh's will and the wills of heads of marriages, households, families, clans and tribes concerning their respective spheres of government. The evening of Rosh Chodesh should be a time of family consultation to get matters resolved so that each of the twelve months may begin with direction and purpose. I suppose you could call it a kind of family business meeting with the emphasis getting to know the will of Yahweh for the family through the family head who is a 'prophet' for his family.

An Option, Not an Obligation

It should not be supposed that Israelites must consult with the prophets at Rosh Chodesh - rather, the prophets should make themselves available should the people want to consult with them, as the Shunamite woman did. Elisha had a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah ³⁷ which gives us a further clue as to what is available to us at Rosh Chodesh if we will grasp it in the New Covenant: it is a time for personal and family prayer to bring about reconciliation between family members:

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Mal.4:5-6, NKJV).

In our family, my family gathers on the morning of Rosh Chodesh to hear any Word that Yahweh may have given me for the family for the coming month. Though we gather every evening for a Word for the coming day, and every Sabbath for a Word for the coming week, we gather at Rosh Chodesh for a longer-term prophetic message. On the morning of Rosh Chodesh we invite other families to join us if they want to. It is not a compulsory assembly for the Messianic Community or Church as a whole for it is not the same as the Sabbath. Most families choose to remain at home on Rosh Chodesh.

The Great and Dreadful Day of Yahweh

What is the "Great and Dreadful Day of Yahweh"? It is the final reckoning of mankind with Yahweh. When that day comes, the times of teshuvah or repentance ³⁸ are permanently over - not just for the year in question (where matters are to be resolved by Yom Kippur ³⁹ ) but for the whole of our mortal probation. It is this day to which Amos was alluding and which many of the prophets point to:

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as Yahweh has said, among the remnant whom Yahweh calls" (Joel 2:31-32, NKJV).

The Remnant People are Watchful

We too are seridim - survivors, a remnant - called to proclaim again the words of the ancient nevi'im (prophets) for our day is like theirs. Most did not heed them, as we know, because they would neither repent of their sins nor watch for the hour. We, then, must do both:

"Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you"

Not only must we watch for the "signs of the times" (Mt.16:3) but we must also make sure that we do not "change the times and the seasons" (Dan2:21) ⁴⁰ otherwise we will miss important annual appointments with Yahweh and, if we are alive at His coming, that most important of events when we meet Him in the sky! (1 Thes.4:17) To do that we must know about, and follow, Rosh Chodesh! And whilst we are not given to know the year or hour of Yah'shua's return, we do know which day it will be on in the annual calendar if we follow the new moons: on Yom Teruah, which is a New Moon! This means that at every Yom Teruah we should be ready for Yah'shua's return! He will definitely come on one of them.

Abolished in the New Covenant?

Unfortunately, the vast majority of believers will tell you that the commandments, including the moedim and Rosh Chodesh, have been abolished - nailed to the cross. That's not at all unlike someone telling you to turn off your car headlights at night and drive by faith alone! The churches that tell you that you don't need the moedim like Rosh Chodesh are asking you to disown Yahweh's carefully selected tools to aid you in your spiritual walk and preparedness for Yah'shua's return. Those who would strip you of your divinely-appointed survival aids love to take scripture out of context such as this one:

"Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates [says Yahweh]; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them" (Isa.1:14, NKJV).

They want you to believe that Yahweh has suddenly come to despise His own commandments! As though He has suddenly 'realised' that He got it all wrong and that they are (as antonomians love to accuse) mere 'legalistic bondage'. Yet they refuse to read the rest of the passage they quote:

"When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear"

If Yahweh has abolished the festivals and new moons, then He has abolished prayer also. Is there anyone here who really believes that Yahweh has abolished prayer? Were the Israelites to permanently stop praying after Isaiah 1:15, about 1,700 years ago? Such people must stop twisting scripture! Yahweh says why He hates their feasts, new moon observances and prayers:

"[Because] your hands are full of blood"

In other words, they were religious hypocrites. Their worship was a mockery, so He loathed their festal observances and prayers. They were morally corrupt and disconnected from Him. They were heathens playing at being Israelites.

Later on, in Ezekiel 45:17, Yahweh commands the people observe the feasts and new moons in the future. They are not over or abolished. Indeed, Scripture says we will be observing them in the Millennium, in the continuing Messianic era which began 2,000 years ago with the first advent of Yah'shua the Messiah.

The last line of defence of antinomian or lawless believers is Paul:

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ"

The way Protestant and Catholic translations of the Bible are rendered you would be forgiven for thinking that Yahweh has indeed got rid of His kosher laws, the festivals, new moons and sabbaths! The question we have to ask is: who is doing the judging here? And who is being judged?

"Many use Colossians 2:16-17 as a proof text that the seventh-day Sabbath, the Biblical appointments of Vayikra/Leviticus 23, and the dietary laws are no longer important. But is this what Shaul/Paul is really saying? Consider the fact that while he does say 'let no one act as your judge' concerning these things, prior to this in verses 8-9 he emphaisizes to the Colossians that they are not to be swayed by the vain traditions and philosophies of the world, and they are to firmly know that Yeshua is Deity. This indicates that the Colossians were being persuaded toward things of the world and against Messiah's Deity. Regarding the Sabbath, appointed times, and dietary laws, are these things of the world, or are they of God? They are obviously of God and the proper interpretation of this Scripture is that we are to not let men judge us for honoring them. The substance and meaning of these things, the soma or 'body', is found in the Messiah".

⁴¹

In other words:

"The Body of Messiah, the assembly, is to give ruling on all matters, not the outsiders".

⁴²

Another commentator notes:

"Since Yisrael is expected to follow all of YHWH's eternal ways, when we do the eternal ordinances, no one outside the body of Renewed [sic] Covenant Yisrael can, or has the right to, judge the manner in which we celebrate. The primise here is not if we celebrate, but proper guidance when we celebrate. No one but the congregation of Yisrael can guide us in the manner that we celebrate. Moreover, verse 17 states that when we do these eternal feasts we show forth the future kingdom to come, not things in the past. So if the celebratiom itself is a prophetic foreshadow of coming things, how is it that the celebrating of them takes anyone back to, or back 'under the law', when Paul states just the opposite."

⁴³

Beware of Antinomianism!

In other words, those who are not of Israel - and that means anyone who has not been born again, who does not believe that Yah'shua the Messiah is Deity, or who is not obeying the terms of the New Covenant which includes obeying Torah has no business judging those of us who do, as was clearly the case at Colossae. There were evidently those condemning Gentile converts for copying their Judahite brethren in obeying Torah - Paul here reminds these Torah-obedient former Gentiles that they should not listen to these lawless critics just as we should pay no attention to antinomian Christians who criticise Messianics for doing the same. Why should we ignore them? Because they prove by their conduct that they are not New Covenant Israelites but 'something else', souls coming under the condemnation of Messiah Yah'shua for their disobedience:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law (Torah) or the Prophets (Nevi'im). I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (fill-up, complete). For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law (Torah) till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven"

Do Not Twist Scripture

To alter the plain meaning of this passage you must twist scripture by claiming that on the cross Yah'shua fulfilled all of the Torah. But that is palpitable nonsense as even the festivals themselves will tell you because neither Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur nor Sukkot have been fulfilled yet, because Yah'shua has not yet returned (Yom Teruah), the Final Judgment has not been made (Yom Kippur) and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb has not yet occurred (Sukkot). Let us rather believe what Yah'shua says: those who refuse to obey the commandments disqualify themselves from becoming the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, which He admonished His followers (and therefore us) to seek after. Should those qualifying for New Covenant Citizenship in Messianic Israel listen to those who by their actions are relegating themselves to becoming least in the Kingdom of Heaven? Would you, as a school pupil, go for help from a classmate who had the lowest grade in the class? Of course not. You would seek counsel from one who was at the top of the class! When I was a Biochemistry student at Oxford I made sure my practical partner was the smartest in the class even though I didn't like him very much! As I result I got useful help. Therefore it is plain that Rosh Chodesh, along with all the other festivals, is eternally binding on New Covenant believers just as it was on those of the First Covenant.

What Was Nailed to the Cross?

What, then, was "nailed to the cross" a couple of verses before? Was it Torah as a whole, as our antinomioan brethren would have us believe? What is the "handwriting of requirements that was against us" that Paul speaks about in verse 14? Was it the law? By no means! It was, as the MRC translates it, the cheirographos or "certificate of debt". What does that mean exactly?

"[This is] a note of hand or writiting in which one acknowledges that money has either been deposited with him or lent to him by another, to be returned at the appointed time."

⁴⁴

In other words, OUR DEBT OF SIN! It is our sins which have been nailed to the Cross, not the Law! Our sin-debt has been cancelled by Yah'shua's atonement! Hallelu-Yah! How absurd to suggest that it could be anything else! It was on this basis that Paul said:

"Therefore let one one act as your judge regarding eating or drinking or in respect of a festival or a Rosh Chodesh or a Shabbat"

No, my friends, the problem is not with the righteous requirements of Yahweh to do or observe these things but with the laziness and rebelliousness of those who do not wish to be bothered in following Yah'shua all the way because they are listening to seductive spirits that themselves delight in lawlessness. ⁴⁵ He is the completion of Torah, it's perfect incarnation, and we are to imitate Him, just as Yah'shua told His disciples two millennia ago to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees in spite of their hypocrisy and extra man-made rules and traditions which today make up the Talmud.

Conclusion

This has been a long and technical address to you today, brethren and sisters, but an important and necessary one. If you want to be called righteous by Yahweh at the end day, you must do what is right as well, operating in the resurrection power of Yah'shua the Messiah. I reiterate, for any who may be in any doubt, that your obedience does not save you - it is your active trusting or adherance to the Person of Yah'shua the Messiah - rather, your obedience is a confirmation that you are saved.

Rosh Chodesh is intimately tied up with the second coming of our Master and with Yom Teruah - you might say it is our monthly reminder to get ready for that important date in case this is the year Yah'shua returns. We consult the prophets and family heads precisely so that we can discover what needs righting in our lives so that we may live in Yahweh's perfect will from sabbath to sabbath and from one Rosh Chodesh to another.

I think it is clear now why Rosh Chodesh is so important and why Yahweh has commanded us to observe it. Even now, while disobedient Christians, Messianics and Jews are celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, we can - and should - be using this month's Rosh Chodesh in the manner prescribed. As I speak to you Messianics are observing a festival Yahweh never commanded us to observe and going through a lying liturgy in which those moderating at such gatherings are telling people how Yahweh had 'commanded them' to light the candles of Hanukkah when He has done no such thing. Moreover, you are endorsing Pharisaic myth about an alleged miracle. Let us get over our pagan and apostate Talmudic traditions and focus on what we are supposed to be focussed on. Get rid of your Christmas trees, yule logs, dreidels ⁴⁶ and nine-armed Hanukkah menorah's and return to basic biblical truth. When Messianics expect Christians to abandon their pagan traditions then they too must be expected to abandon theirs and not succumb to the threats of being accused of being 'antisemitic' because they won't follow the man-made rules of the rabbis. There is no place for hypocrisy in the Gospel life.

I am sure we will discover more about Rosh Chodesh as we are obedience to the commandment to obey it. That has certainly been our experience with all the other commandments and I have no reason to believe otherwise with this one! May this and all subsequent Rosh Chodesh observances bring you must joy and much light in Yah'shua our Messiah. Amen.

Endnotes

¹ There are numerous possible English transliterations for the Hebrew tycarb (which means "In the beginning", the first words of the Bible at Gen.1:1): Bereshit (HRV), Beresheeth (RSTNE), Bereshis (OJB), Bereshith (ISRV), etc.. This is one reason we prefer to stick with the better known English terms which are uniformly spelled in the English-speaking world, e.g. Genesis (or First Book of Moses)

² One of the straw men advanced by evolutionists and atheists is that the Genesis account cannot be literally correct because the heavenly bodies are, according to it, made after the creation of light on the first day. This confusion and dishonour brought upon the Name of Yahweh is caused by bad translations. For more on the Evolution-Creation debate, see our Science website.

³ There are two Hebrew words for 'moon', viz. yareach and levanah, which are both female in gender

⁴ For calculating the beginning and end of each day and especially the weekly Sabbath day

⁵ See Festivals and The Moedim of Yahweh. The Sabbath is calculated differently, by regularly counting off seven days from the first 7th day of creation. Some Messianics perpetuate the 'Lunar Sabbath' error by claiming the Sabbath has to be calculated from moon observances as well, which results in the sabbath falling on a different day of the week each month, destroying the seven day rhythm and changing the 'seventh' day into a variable day.

⁶ See The Pagan Infiltration of Christianity

⁷ See Christmas

⁸ See Does Easter Glorify Christ?

⁹ See Sabbath

¹⁰ See John C. Whitcomb & Donald B. DeYoung, The Moon: Its Creation, Form and Significance (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI: 1978) for a comprehensive creationist account.

¹¹ A group of Israelites who interbred with the conquering Assyrians after the fall and deportations of the Northern Kingdom who settled in Samaria and still remain there today. They have preserved many ancient Israelite customs including determining the beginning of the month and adhering to a three-stage marriage process (Dedication, Bethrothal and Full Marriage) which we as New Covenant Christians imitate.

¹² 'Scripture Alone', letting Scripture interpret itself and be the final arbiter of the truth.

¹³ See Young's Literal Translation of the Bible

¹⁴ A long footnote (#2, p.607, 2nd edition) in the RSTNE makes an interesting case for this being, in fact, a reference to the full moon and not the new moon but ignores the preposition error.

¹⁵ From a post in our old MSN online discussion forum, MLT Reception Group

¹⁶ Koniuchowsky, in the RSTNE, claims "the shofar is blown in the month of the exodus (not on the New Moon/Rosh Chodesh as many have mistranslated, for ba-chodesh means in the month, not necessarily new month, or new moon) from Egypt according to Psalm 81 verse 5. The blowing is correlated to Yisrael leaving Egypt, which we know took place on the 15th, or full moon in the month of Aviv" (RSTNE, 2nd edition, p.607, footnote #2). But is there any scriptural evidence that the shofar was blown on Aviv 15? I have not, to date, found any.

¹⁷ As we shall presently see, some argue that this is for contrast only, since a calculation can only be made from something visible, which the full moon obviously is. This is a little hard to read from the text, though, and evidence has yet to be mustered demonstrating such a linguistic device.

¹⁸ Also see Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1. Here what we customarily translate as "trumpets" is teruah which means to 'make a very loud noise'. See Yom Teruah 2007: The Day of the Awakening Blast

¹⁹ See Yom Teruah

²⁰ The Karaites object to this interpretation by pointing out that the Hebrew word rendered as "feast" in Psalm 81:3 is the word chag. They assert that there are only three feasts in the year which are called chagim in the Torah, and these are the three obligatotry pilgrim feasts, when all males were required to journey to the temple at Jerusalem or the place of the tent of meeting before the temple was constructed, whether in the Sinai or at Shechem. They claim that since Yom Teruah (wrongly called Rosh Hashanah by Jews and most Messianics) is not one of the chagim, then in their view it makes no sense to say that the shofar should be blown "ON the day of our CHAG" because Yom Teruah is not a CHAG as they see it.

Careful study must lead us to conclude that the Karaite exegesis is wrong on several counts: (1) because the preposition in Hebrew is not "on (the day of our chag)" but rather "for" or even "toward (the day of our chag)" (Heb. le-hageinu). (2) Even if we conceed, for the sake of argument, that the correct translation is "on", we can prove from Torah that there is at least one chag which is not one of the three pilgrimnage feasts at least one time a day, and that is the seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag haMatzah) , which is an annual sabbath and is called a chag (Exodus 13:6). If we check whether a pilgrimmage to the temple (or tabernacle) is required on this day, we discover that that is not the case. The first day of Unleavened Bread is indeed a pilgrimage day, Torah says that on the morning after the night of eating the passover lamb, the Israelites should return to their tents, i.e. to their places of residence (Deuteronomy 16:7). This proves that they are not required to stay in the place of pilgrimage later than the 15 of Aviv. And yet, the 21st of Aviv is also called a chag. Finally, the verb to which the word chag is connected (meaning 'to feast' or 'dance joyfully') is used in several places in the Bible for days that are not one of the three chagim (15th Aviv, Shavu'ot or pentecost, and Tabernacles or Sukkot).

But no matter how we interpret the word chag, the preposition before this word does not at all necessarily mean "on (the day of our chag)" because in its wider usage it means "for", "to", "towards" and it also stands in the beginning of Hebrew infinitive verb forms.

²¹ Strong's Concordance acknowledges that the word which the NKJV and other versions render "on the appointed day" is kece' meaning "the full moon, i.e. its festival" (OT:3677) even though there is no full moon festival - the only moon festival is Rosh Chodesh or the New Moon.

²² From an online discussion group, 2008

²³ For a detailed study, see The Length of the Lunar Cycle

²⁴ From an online discussion group, 2008

²⁵ "The time an observer first sees that young Moon cannot be computed exactly. The time the Moon first becomes visible after the New Moon depends on many factors. The various effects are the geometry of the Sun, Moon, and horizon; the width and surface brightness of the crescent; the absorption of the Moon's light and the scattering of the Sun's light in the Earth's atmosphere; and the physiology of human vision. These things all change very rapidly" (Crescent Moon Visibility, United States Naval Operations [USNO], Astronomical Applications Department.

²⁶ Obviously before the settlement of Israel and conquest of Jebus that became the city of David, the gathering would have been at the mobile Tabernacle in the wilderness, or at Shechem where the Tabernacle was located in the Holy land before being moved to Jerusalem by David.

²⁷ Since the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the diaspora, and before that when the New Covenant was inaugurated by Yah'shua, we are to gather wherever there is a body of true believers, who today collectively and in smaller units represent the temple of the Ruach haQodesh (1 Cor.3:16). When Yah'shua returns to inaugurate the Millennial Kingdom and the New Jerusalem descends from heaven (Rev.3:12; 21:2) to occupy the position where the current (old) Jerusalem sits, believers will once again assemble in the new Jerusalem for the three mandatory pilgrim feasts.

²⁸ We can speculate here and suggest, with some justification, that when Yah'shua returns, so will the 30 day lunar month, this being an ot or sign that the Diaspora has ended. This in itself is proof that the Republic of Israel created in 1948 is not the true biblical Israel since we still live in a ~29½ day long monthly lunar cycle. This means that the gathering has not yet happened and that the majority of Jewish immigrants to the Israeli Republic are not true Israelites. This is proved by the fact that they still reject the King of true Israel, Yah'shua the Messiah and the country they live in is not a true theocracy but a secular republic. See What is a Jew?

²⁹ This, then, is what we must look for to make our calculations for Rosh Chodesh and the start of the New Year.

³⁰ In other words, Jerusalem is the International Date Line (IDL), not the man-made one bisecting the Pacific Ocean. Everyone east of Jerusalem to roughly the longitudinal border between Alaska and Canada.

³¹ This of course poses a dilemma in extreme northern and southern latuitudes were there is no sunset at all for 6 months of the year and where it is permanently set for another 6 months. In this instance (as in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia) you must wait for the sun to reach its lowest point on the horizon (in the summer months) and make calculations in the winter months. In calculating the Sabbath you are forced to adopt an artificially fixed time to mark sunset. In Sweden, where the writer lives, this is 6 pm throughout the year.

³² See the website, Congregation of Yahweh - Jerusalem

³³ There are, admittedly, even diffiiculties with this. "The necessary time for full moon varies from 13.73 to 15.80 days after conjunction" (over two days depending on how the ellipse is oriented with respect to the sun and earth since it is off center) (Richard A. Parker, The Calendars Of Ancient Egypt)

³⁴ Rosh Chodesh: The Ordinances of the Moon (Lion of God Ministries, Oak Grove, MO).

³⁵ The Pentateuch or five Books of Moses, Genesis to Deuteronomy

³⁶ See Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy: basic Rules for Observing the Weekly Sabbath , section on 'Travel'

³⁷ See the series, The Spirit of Elijah

³⁸ See, Teshuvah: The Season of Repentance

³⁹ See Yom Kippur

⁴⁰ As Protestants, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians have done by abandoning Yahweh's festivals, new moons and sabbaths and substituting in pagan-derived abominations like Christmas, Easter, Lent, Halloween, etc..

⁴¹ Messianic Renewed Covenant (RNC), translation of the New Testament (TNN Press, Kissimmee, FL: 2003), p.248, footnote #h, to Colossians 2:16-17.

⁴² The Scriptures (Institute for Scripture Research, Northriding, South Africa: 2000), footnote #i, p.1143, to Colossians 2:17

⁴³ Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition (RSTNE) (Your Arms to Yisrael Publishing, North Miami Beach, FL: 2005), Second Edition, p.1033, footnote #7 to Qolesayah/Colossians 2:17

⁴⁴ Thayer's Greek Definitions

⁴⁵ "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan" (2 Thess.2:9, NKJV). "The law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate" (1 Tim.1:9, NKJV). "...the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great Elohim and Master Yah'shua the Messiah, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed" (Titus 2:13-14, NKJV)., etc.

⁴⁶ A four-sided spinning top used by Jews and Messianics for gambling games and proclaiming a mircale that almost certainly never happened at Hanukkah - see Dreidel

Comments from Readers

"Thanks for this - [I] really appreciated reading the sermon. You make it all clear" (AK, Australia, 6 April 2009)

In response to a question as to how to calculate the New Moon:

"Something that I have found has helped me was when I learned that in Genesis 1:14, where Elohim says He is creating the lights to be signs for the moedim and calendar, the word most translated as ‘signs’ is the Hebrew word ‘owth’ (Strong’s H#226) which means a signal or beacon. With where Elohim’s 24 hour calendar days are from sunset to sunset, it means that with the night-hours happening before the daylight-hours of that calendar day, that the shape or phase of the moon in those night time hours acts as a beacon or sign for what the calendar day has begun. So for instance, if the moon is in the new moon in the nighttime hours, you would know that it is day 1 of the new month, or if it was a full moon, that it was day 15 and Shabbat.

With this, if the moment of conjunction (that is the moment when the moon becomes completely dark - this is the time most of the astronomy sites online will be referring to if you want to check that) happens in between sunset or sunrise (for instance at 21h00) so the people could within that night observe that there was a new moon, then they would now that day is Rosh Chodesh and day 1 of the new month had started with the last sunset and will end with the next sunset. If the moment of conjunction however happens during the daylight hours (for instance at 15h00 ) when the new moon cannot yet be seen or observed, Rosh Chodesh would begin with the next sunset, when the new moon is observable for the first time.

The moon remains ‘dark’ for about 17 hours after the moment of conjunction, before the first crescent is observable.

With the practical question how one can ‘observe’ when conjunction has happened (without having to refer to something like one of the astronomy sites that predict when the moment of conjunction is to happen), I found a good explanation about that here: http://creationcalendar.com/CalendarIssue/6-ConjunctionStudy.pdf :

“The temple was built so the entrance was toward the east. Those entering were facing the west (as a prohibitive measure—so Israel would not worship the rising sun). It was the priest’s job to call the feasts and new moons, and as they were receiving the folks at the temple, they were indeed facing the rising sun, and for good reason. As the moon grows old (wanes), every morning a smaller and smaller crescent is seen closer and closer to the eastern horizon [close to sunrise]. Conjunction day is the day the sun rises without the moon being seen first.”

(DP, South Africa, 10 February 2012)

Author: Lev-Tsiyon

Glossary of MLT Hebraic, Greek and English Terms
For other terms and full details please see the Micropedia
A
Adon(ai) = Master, a pagan fertility god, Adonis; used by many Messianics but not MLT
(a)eon(ian) = 7 dispensation- or age-long time periods, not forever (see le-olam-va-ed)
Alef-Tav = Alpha-Omega, A-Z, first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet = Yah'shua
Amen = truly, let it be so, written Amein by some Messianics
Apocrypha = Hebraic Scriptures not a part of the Protestant canon (e.g. Baruch)
Anti-Messiah = Hebraic term for the end-time Antichrist or anyone opposed to the Messiah
antinomian = lawless Christian who disregards all or part of Torah/commandments
Ashkenazi Jew = East European Jew descended from the Turkic-Japhethite Khazars
Assembly = church, congregation, ekklesia, community, fellowship, koinonia, gathering
Azazel = the Yom Kippur scapegoat
B
Baal, Ba'al = any other master than Yahweh, usually demonic in MLT terminology
Bachor(im) = firstborn son(s)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah = Son/Daughter of Commandment, covenant to obey Torah at age 12
being = soul, the whole person (spirit and body), e.g. "my whole being"
Beit, bet, beth = house, e.g. Beit Yisrael (House of Israel), Beth Lechem (House of Bread)
Beit haMikdash = Yahweh's Temple in Yerushalayim
B'rit Chadashah = the New Covenant; B'rit Chadashah Scriptures = New Testament
B'rit Milah = circumcision - abolished in the B'rit Chadashah, replaced by Mikvah
C
canon = authoritative Scripture (Heb. qaneh, Gk. kanôn = measuring instrument)
Catechumen = a serious, covenanted investigator seeking Mikvah or Baptism in MLT
Chag haMatzah = Feast of Unleavened Bread, second of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Chavurat Bekorot = MLT's Priesthood Order, Holy Order and Assembly of the Firstborn
Cohen = priest; Cohen Gadol = High Priest (also spelled Kohen)
Council of Yah's elohim = the heavenly Assembly of the Firstborn or Chavurat Bekorot
D
demon = fallen malek or angel in rebellion against Yahweh (Heb. shad; see Êl-Shaddai)
derech = the Way, Path or Road - Yah'shua and the Gospel are the Way
Drash = moral or homiletic interpretation of Scripture - see PaRDeS
E
Echad = One, Union of two or more in one (as opposed to Yachid) - see Elohim
Echad Godhead Doctrine = Father Yahweh, Son Yah'shua and Sevenfold Ruach (Mother)
Êl, Eloah, Elah = God the Father, Yahweh
Êl-Elyon = Most High God, Yahweh
Êl-Shaddai = Master/Lord over all shads or demons
Elohim = God, the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), lit. 'Mighty One(s)', 'Ruler(s)'
elohim = Israelite judges, rulers, angels or gods (false deities, idols, demons)
emunah = faith, actively trusting, clinging or adhering to (especially Yahweh or Yah'shua)
emet = truth, Yah'shua is the Emet
Ephraimite = descendant of the patriarch Ephraim and head of Messsianic Israel
F
Feasts of Yahweh = the 7 annual Moedim (Pesach, Chag haMatzah, Yom haBikkurim, Shavu'ot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot)
G
Gan-Eden = Garden of Eden, Paradise and state of the purified heart in Messiah
goy(im) = nation(s), Israelites or gentiles not born in or converted to the Covenant
H
hallelu-Yah = praise Yah(weh)!
Heylel = proper name of Satan or haSatan = the Adversary, the devil
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Hochmah = Wisdom, title of the 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
I
IDL = International Date Line, false man-made time division in Pacific Ocean
IDL Zone = Area between the true Divine Date Line (Lake Van/Eden) and the false one
Israeli = citizen of the modern Edomite-Khazar Republic of Israel (not Biblical Israel)
Israelite = citizen of biblical state of Israel or a modern follower of the Messiah
J
Jew = post-biblical term describing descendants of Edomite and Khazar converts to Judaism
Johannine = pertaining to the Apostle Yochanan (e.g. Gospel of John)
Josephite = descendant of the patriarch Joseph, the head of Messianic Israel
Judahite = a person in direct descent from the patriarch Judah, forefather of the Messiah
Judaism = a Talmudic-based religion rejecting Yah'shua the Messiah
Judean = a citizen of the Kingdom or Province of Judah until the 2nd Century diaspora
K
Kadosh la Yahweh = set-apart or dedicated to Yahweh, 'Holiness to the Lord', MLT motto
Karaites = Jews (from 700 AD) who reject the Talmud and accept only the Tanakh
kashrut = keeping kosher, food laws of Yahweh and correspinding lifestyle
Ketuvim = Writings or Hagiographa of the Tanakh
Khazar = a Turkic convert to Judaism ~700 AD forming the Ashkenazi Jewish community
kosher = clean foods authorised by Yahweh for human consumption
L
Lashon Hara = evil-speaking, gossip or slander
legalism = false route to salvation through works (self-salvation)
le-olam-va-ed = dispensation- or age-long, aeonian, not eternal, forever or for eternity
Lev = heart, as in Lev-Tsiyon = heart of Zion
Lev-Tsiyon = Heart of the Fortress [of Yahweh], Hebrew name of MLT's founder
M
Master = Lord, Sir, Adon(ai) - (one in authority, a ruler - a king, husband, prophet, judge)
Malak(im) = Angel(s), heavenly supernatural messenger(s)
manna = wafers of honey, bread from heaven (lit. 'what is this?')
matzah = unleavened bread, see Chag haMatzah
Menorah = 7-armed candlearbra = the 7 annual Moedim and 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
Messiah = Christ; Anti-Messiah = Antichrist
Messianic Community = Body of Christ, sum total of all true believers; all true fellowships
Messianic Israel = all who worship Yahweh, trust in Yah'shua, obey Torah and overcome
Messianic Jew = Messianic convert from Judaism still clinging to Talmudic traditions
Midrash = aggadic interpretation of scripture viâ Drash, a scriptural discussion
Mikvah = baptism by immersion of convert into Yah'shua or of wife into husband
Mishpachah = family: nuclear, congregational, tribal or the whole of Messianic Israel
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon = family of the heart of the fortress [of Yahweh]
Mishpat = right-ruling or judgement
mitzvah/mitzvot = commandment(s)
moed(im) = appointment(s) of Yahweh, 7 Annual Feasts, Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh
N
Nefilim, Nephilim = giant offspring of materialised demons and human women
Nevi'im = prophetic writings of the Old Testament or Tanakh
New Birth = spiritual conversion in the Ruach haRishon, being 'born again' with new heart
Nidah = a woman's menstruation period during which no intercourse is permitted
O
Olive Branch = collection of revelations, prophecies and visions published by MLT
P
Paraclete = Comforter, Advocate (NEB), Counsellor, Ruach haQodesh (Gk. paraklêtos)
PaRDeS = method of textual interpretation (homiletics) - see P'shat, Remez, Drash, Sod
Patriarch = a father who is head of his family, clan or tribe (lit. 'father-ruler')
Pentateuch = first five books of the Tanakh (Genesis-Deuteronomy), also called Torah
peribolaion = headcovering worn by daughters/wives in submission to fathers/husbands
Pesach = Passover, first of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Peshitta = an Aramaic version of the Bible
Prototrinitarianism = early, simplified MLT formulation of the Echad Godhead Doctrine
Prush(im) = Pharisee(s)
Pseudepigrapha = Non-canonical Hebrew writings additional to the Apocrypha
P'shat = literal, contextual, philological, exoteric, outer meaning of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Q
Qadosh Qadoshim = Holy of Holies, most sacred set-apart room of the Beit haMikdash
Qodesh, Kodesh = set-apart, holy (see Ruach haQodesh)
R
Rabbi = Teacher, term used by Messianic Jews and some Messianic Israelites = Pastor
Refuge, the 12 Cities of = divinely protected MLT fortresses during the 7-year Tribulation
Remez = hint or allegorical level of Hebraic understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Rosh Chodesh = monthly New Moon appointment of Yahweh
ruach = spirit of a person (lit.'breath')
Ruach Elohim = Spirit of God (the Spirit of the collective Godhead or Elohim)
Ruach haChamashee = 5th Ruach presides over Yom Teruah and Yom Chamashee
Ruach haQodesh = the Sevenfold Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost (lit. 'Set-Apart Breath')
Ruach haRevee = 4th Ruach presides over Shavu'ot, Yom Revee and Bar Mitzvah
Ruach haRishon = 1st Ruach presides over Pesach, Yom Rishon and the New Birth
Ruach haShanee = 2nd Ruach presides over Chag haMatzah and Yom Shanee
Ruach haSheshi = 6th Ruach presides over Yom Kippur and Yom Sheshi
Ruach haShleshi = 3rd Ruach presides over Yom haBikkurim, Yom Shleshi and Mikvah
S
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Satan = rebel archangel Heylel, father of lies, devil, chief demon (lit.'Adversary')
Sephardic Jew = West European Jew of mixed blood containing many Judahites
Septuagint = Greek translation of the Tanakh, LXX
Shegal haShabbat = 7th Ruach (Sabbath Queen) presides over Sukkot and Yom Shabbat
Shekinah = Divine Presence and Glory of Yahweh-Elohim
Set-apart = holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, separated (to and by Yahweh)
Shabbat-Shabbaton = High Sabbath (e.g. Yom Kippur)
Shalom = heavenly peace, standard Hebraic greeting invoking Yahweh's peace
Shamash(im) = servant(s), deacon(s), attendant(s)
Shavu'ot = Pentecost or Weeks, fourth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Sheol = grave or pit, euphamism for Hades or hell - also see Tartarus
shofar = ram's horn, blown during Yahweh's Moedim
simcha = joy, keynote of Sukkot
Sod = mystical, anagogic, inner or esoteric understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Sukkot = Tabernacles or Booths, seventh of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Synagogue = Greek word used by Jews and Messianics (but not MLT) for a meeting house
T
talmid(a) = male/female disciple or student
Talmud = scriptures, teachings and commentaries belonging to non-Messianic Judaism
Tanakh = acronym for Old Testament Scriptures - Torah, Nevi'im & Ketuvim
Tartarus = place of imprisonment under the earth for rebellious angels and Nephilim
teshuvah = repentance, remorse and contrition leading back to Torah obedience
Torah = Yahweh's teachings or Law; New Covenant Torah includes Yah'shua's teachings
Tribulation, the Great = the final 7 years of the present aeon when Anti-Messiah rules
Trinity = Catholic Godhead formula - see Echad Godhead Doctrine and Prototrinitarianism
Tsiyon = Zion, a fortress, a name of Jerusalem and a prominent hill
Tzitzit/Tizitziyot = tassel(s) worn by men in remembrance of Torah
U
Universalism = salvation of all at the cosmic Yovel, with different rewards and punishments
Y
Yachid = one, single person or item, as opposed to Echad (many in one, unity)
Yah'shua the Messiah = Jesus Christ (the Son)
Yahudah = Judah - see Judahite
Yahweh, Yah, YHWH = the true Name of our Heavenly Father, also carried by Yah'shua
Yahweh-Elohim = LORD God (the Father, Yahweh as Head of the Godhead or Elohim)
Yahweh haQatan = the sent Yahweh = Yah(weh)'shua, Malak of Yahweh's Presence
Yam Suf = Sea of Reeds, the true Israelite Exodus water crossing, not the Red Sea
Yarden = Jordan River (lit. 'meanderer')
Yerushalayim = Jerusalem
Yisrael = Israel (lit. 'ruling with Êl') = true believers under the New Covenant
Yom Chamashee = 5th day of the week (Thursday, Friday in IDL Zone)
Yom Din, Yom haDin = (the) Day of Judgement
Yom haBikkurim = Feast of Firstfruits, third of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Revee = 4th day of the week (Wednesday, Thursday in IDL Zone)
Yom Rishon = 1st day of the week (Sunday, Monday in IDL Zone)
Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement, sixth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Shabbat = 7th day of the week and Sabbath Rest (Saturday, Sunday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shanee = 2nd day of the week (Monday, Tuesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Sheshi = 6th day of the week (Friday, Saturday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shleshi = 3rd day of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Teruah = Day of Trumpets, fifth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yosef = Joseph - see Josephite
Yovel = Jubilee or Year of Jubilee
Z
Zaqen(im) = elder(s) of an assembly or congregation, or senior members of a community
Zoë Life = Greek term for spiritual life in the Messiah

Commonly Used MLT Abbreviations
For additional abbreviations and explanations,
please see the Micropedia
A
Amp.V(er). = Amplified Version of the Bible
Aram. = Aramaic
AV = Authorised Version of the Bible - see KJV
B
BCAY = B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh - see NCCG
BoA = Books of Abraham (e.g. 1Abr., 2Abr., etc.)
C
cp, cf = compare with
CB(Q) = Chavurat Bekorot
CEV = Contemporary English Version of the Bible
ch. = chapter
CJB = Complete Jewish Bible
CLNT = Concordant Literal New Testament
CYe = Council of Yah's elohim
E
Eng. = English
F
ff. = and onwards/forwards
fn = footnote
G
Gk. = Greek
GNB = Good News Bible - see TEV
H
Heb. = Hebrew, Hebraic
HEM = Holy Echad Marriage, eternal marriage
HO = Holy Order - see Chavurat Bekorot
HOC = Holy Order Collection of revelations - see OB
HRV = Hebraic-Roots Version of the Bible
I
ibid. = ibidem (lit. 'in the same place'), referring to a book previously cited
ICJC = Independent Church of Jesus Christ, earlier name of NCCF
ISRV = Institute for Scripture Research Version of the Bible
J
JB = Jerusalem Bible
JBP/Phillips = J.B.Phillips translation of the New Testament
JNT = Jewish New Testament
K
KJV = King James Version of the Bible - see AV
L
LB = Living Bible
lit. = literally or literature
LXX = Septuagint, Greek translation of the OT
M
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon
Moff. = Moffatt translation of the Bible
MRC = Messianic Renewed Covenant Version of the NT
MS(S) = Manuscript(s)
N
NASB, NASV = New American Standard Bible/Version
NC&C = New Covenants & Commandments - see OB
NCCF = New Covenant Christian Fellowship, earlier name of NCCG
NCCG = New Covenant Church of God, earlier name of MLT - see BCAY
NCP = New Covenant Press, publishing arm of MLT
NCW = New Covenant Witness, MLT magazine
NEB = New English Bible
NIV = New International Version of the Bible
NKJV = New King James Version of the Bible
Nor. = Norwegian
NT = New Testament, B'rit Chadashah
NWT = New World Translation of the Bible, unreliable Jehovah's Witness version
O
OB = Olive Branch - see NC&C
op.cit. = opere citato (lit. in the work cited)
OT = Old Testament, Tanakh
P
p(p). = page(s)
pl. = plural - see s.
PWNC = Prophetic Words of the New Covenant, revelation cataloging system - see OB
Q
QED = quod erat demonstrandum (lit. which was shown to be proved)
R
RCF = Restoration Christian Fellowship, earlier name of ICJC
RhQ = Ruach haQodesh, Holy Spirit
RSTNE = Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition of the Bible
RSV = Revised Standard Version of the Bible
RV = Revised Version of the Bible
S
s. = singular - see pl.
S&G = Smith & Goodspeed Version of the Bible
T
TEV = Today's English Version of the Bible - see GNB
V
Vulg. = Biblia Vulgata, Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
W
WEB = World English Bible

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This page was first created on 27 December 2008 Last updated on 11 February 2012