The Hebrew's Calendar
In the previous section you read how God determined, created, established ordinances for days, seasons or appointed times, and months of time frames, by which with physical witnesses or faithful witness we see man could rely for day, seasons, and times and events.
You also briefly saw how the day was divided and subdivided by God’s divine plan. It’s clear that a month is from the new moon to new moon, and the first day of the month begins at even of the first sighting of the light on the moon coming out of the new moon phase.
As pointed out before, astronomy today declares this dark phase to be the “new moon.” But more precisely it was when the light of the new moon was seen; for without the light no one could view the moon, as man on earth knows of it . Therefore light seen on the new moon showed forth the coming New Moon and thus the first day of the month.
This is the Hebrew “lunar calendar.”
Now, if the first light of the of moon or the ever faint crescent of luminosity on the rounded surface of the moon edge is marking and viewed on the day one of the new month.
It’s therefore quite simple to count and find the Seventh day.
This lunar phenomenon works like as follows.
About the 27th day depending on visibility the moon will have a very small (reverse) crescent. On the 28th day it should be no longer visible to the eye when the earth is facing the darkest shadow of the moon and we cannot see the lighted side facing away from our view point. The moon just entered the phase of darkness. This darkness will continue to one to two days (29)
Day 0 in our illustration is the ending or last darkened phase of the moon. Astronomers would call this dark phase (day 28- 29/0) “the new moon.”
However, this same day (in our modern time) in the evening is the same day (in our modern time) that the light on the moon appears as a minute crescent which is simply the lit very edge of the moon now receiving sunlight again.
The first day it will be almost as invisible, to very faintly seen. It certainly can be seen, and to prove it, today there are thousands who get out their binoculars around the globe to look for it just as the Hebrews and other ancient peoples would have. Of course one does not need a set of binocular to see it, but it sure helps today.
It’s obvious that in order to view the moon it must be “even” tide which when the biblical day begins for the first day begins at even when the Hebrews would have seen the crescent of the moon appear for the first time in several days of no moon.
This was the first day of the month. Again, the day of God began at sundown, so the sighting of new moon is the start of that day.
Later in the same evening, more of the crescent will now be visible as the moon rises and by the morning (just after 6am) the sun will remove the sight of the moon from our earthy view until the close of the first day (about 6:30pm) when the moon crescent is now slightly larger than the evening before, marking the second day.
Is this making sense to you yet?
So by the Second day in the evening hours coming up on even tide, day 2 closes and Day 3 now begins with the viewing of moon and stars. By now, the crescent is clearly viewable more so than that both days prior.
Were now in the beginning of the Hebrew third day which began at even.
Psalm 136:9 (KJV)
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
So the sun sets and stars and moon are ruling again, it is the beginning of the fouth day.
By now the moon crescent is clearly visible.
So the faithful lunar cycle continues and this even closes the fourth day and begins the fifth day
Now the Hebrew children of Israel (all 12 tribes of Jacob) would be getting rather antsy, because on the morrow eve begins the sixth day, the last day for work to be done. For we know that God did all His work in the six days and on the seventh day He rested.
While the children of Israel were still in Egypt is when God first showed and taught Moses the ordinance of the Passover and the days of unleavened bread, that the seventh day of that feast is to be a holy day of convocation.
Exodus 12:16 (KJV)
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Later, after they have come out of Egypt and are traveling in the wilderness of sin, God teaches this very same ordinance which He give to the children of Israel as "the Sabbath."
Exodus 16:26 (KJV)
Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
God implemented the moon and stars to rule to the night and the moon for seasons— appointed times—and that the moon is a faithful witness.
Not only is the moon a faithful witness, it is a perfect time-keeper. For on the Seventh day beginning at the close of the sixth day at evening where the new day begins the moon is a complete what is referred to as “quarter moon.”
This means that one complete quarter of the moon is shown or illuminated in light. It also appears to be completely “split in half” as if the moon was cut in half down the middle. Though it’s not likely completely lit in half, where the quarter of the moon is lit. This gives us this appearance.
So to man looking up from the earth, on the seventh day he views a completed half of the moon visible.
I’d say that is sure a heavenly appointed time marker!
A completed half of the moon is visible at least for a portion of time during that seventh day in evening hours and will be visible very next evening on the eighth day for a few hours before it becomes more than half (actually a quarter) lit. Remember, the moon's surface is always being illuminated more and more as it moves around in it’s orbit.
The first monthly Seventh day is clearly visible and can be determined by the moon and its lunar cycle!
This is the first Sabbath beginning at evening of seventh day!
What is more amazing is that God’s faithful luminous body is steadfast in predicting the next Sabbath. For all that one needs to do is count seven days from the seventh day.
Seven days from the Sabbath will always be the 14th Day.
This is the second Sabbath in the lunar cycle or the month of a Hebrew Calendar.
Amazingly, the moon, as stated before, is a faithful witness and never changes becuase on this day is a full moon.
About the 13th day of the lunar cycle month is the beginning of what can be called a full moon phase.
On the first day of this phase the moon is most illuminated but not a full moon; the second day it's dimmer; on the third day moon is also illuminated; by the fourth day of this part of lunar phase the moon begins to get darker on one side and thus looses its perfect appearance of a full moon .
Technically, the 14th day is the Full moon 100% lit surface of the moon.
In Israel’s day this might explain why there was a festival on the full moons on which on at least one was a Sabbath, the 14th day. The 14th day— seven days counted from the first Sabbath.
So again, the moon is a faithful witness!
So from the second Sabbath we count seven more days.
14 days + 7 days = 21days
The Twenty first day —the evening hours of the 20th day closes and starts the twenty first day in the evening and thus we have the third Sabbath of the month.
Amazingly, the moon again is a witness, for at about this time the moon is entering what appears to be a full reverse last quarter moon, meaning the light is now on the other side of the moon and is darker on the previous side. It appears cut in half on about day 21 to about part of the 22nd day.
So to determine the fourth Sabbath we count from the "last quarter moon" or 21st day, seven more days and that bring us to the 28 day. On the 28th day the moon is now in darkness again and cannot be seen. Technically it had entered the first day of the new moon phase —according to astronomers.
This might seem to pose a problem for the Hebrews and for many reading this.
Not so. This was a solemn feast day or special time and a Sabbath. It waas a day which was the last Sabbath and marked the end of the old moon.
Therefore this was a time of resting as it was also the 7th day in the calendar of sevens and therefore a holy day of rest.
The next month was soon coming. The new month is determined with first light of the moon seen. Technically the 29th day.
But realize the 29th day at even begins the First day. So it’s really 29 days.
So what we have here is day 28 where at the sundown of the 27th day begins the 28th day at even. This day is the fourth Sabbath. But look, this Sabbath may very well be not just one day!
Not one day?
Realize that the Hebrews relied on the moon and light of the moon and its phases to give them a day's time frame. They very possibly held a Sabbath of rest for more than one day until the moon appeared again this means that the Hebrew calendar only had in term seven days four groups of seven days and ended with the 28th day. There was no 29th day even though there certainly is in physical time.
Remember how it was mentioned that God can make 1+1 =1 but man can only see 1+1=2
So what we have is an end of the month officially with the 28th day or the fourth Sabbath which is not one day but 2.5 of our days of rest. See the diagram below.
The 28th day at even begins and goes to morning which goes to the even of the 29th day. But lo and behold! There is no sighting of the the moon and we are still in a Sabbath!
So it is extremely possible that the children of Israel kept a Hebrew 2-day Sabbath (day) of rest and a feast on the fourth Sabbath until the third day or the sundown of the 29th day and beginning of the first day where the first moon light is now being seen for the first time. Hence the first day of new month!
Psalm 81:3 (KJV)
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
Ezekiel 46:1 (KJV)
Thus saith YHWH (the LORD) God; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
Amos 8:5 (KJV)
Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Jesus our Lord and Savior stated something most amazing when challenged by Pharisees about his disciples eating corn on the Sabbath day.
Mark 2:27-28 (KJV)
And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: [28] Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
God's Sabbath was a resting day for man. Could it be that God understood that in the years following His children's days of living in the land of Canaan and Israel, that in the future his own people who long scattered into other nations (gentiles) and displaced off their native land (of Israel) would be working themselves to death inside a man-made unholy modern calendar.
Stress today, is one of the leading causes of death and illness, and all because we don't listen to God and take His rest!
Yet God gives us a Sabbath of rest on the last day of each month, before the new moon or new month. God gives man more that just one day— almost in our time— a full 2 to 3 possibly 5 days of time off from your work (depending when last Sabbath fell). As will be shown at the end of this article you will see all the time off God gave man to rest from all his labor and work.
Can you imagine your employer giving you three days off at the end of the month.
So next we’re going to see, if all that we've discussed match in the Word of God.
Then, if it does match, what does all this really mean to you and I today?
Next article: Does it match in the Word?