Crescent Moon Sighting Instructions

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Crescent Moon Sighting Instructions | Response

Biblically, the "new moon" was the first visible crescent seen in the Western sky after sunset, making "New Moon day" the following day. The crescent moon will be visible between 20 to 45 minutes after sunset. The glow of the sun must be sufficiently dissipated to allow stars to be seen. The "horns" of the crescent will point to the path the sun followed in its descent. All months will have either 29 or 30 days. If weather conditions hide the visibility of the new moon, the conjunction time can be checked and the estimated time of 18 to 24 hours added to know about when the first visibility would occur. When conjunction occurs on the previous month’s last preparation day (6^th day), there will be a 29 day month and the day following the last Sabbath will be New Moon day. If conjunction occurs on the last Sabbath of the month, there will be a translation day making it a 30 day month and the New Moon day will follow translation day.¹

If the crescent is observed for just a minute or less before full dark and then disappears, it is considered too young to be a new moon. When this occasionally occurs, sighting is delayed until the following night.

The writings left on clay tablets in Babylon and stele all reveal that all the earliest civilizations set the beginning of their months² to the first visible crescent. The word "month" comes from the Hebrew word, chodesh, or moon. Chodesh itself means to be renewed. The addition of the word "new" means the "first visibly seen" as the moon is remade or re-lightened. In order for the moon to be renewed or seen, there must actually be something there to be seen.

On the walls of the Hebrew temple were marked where the moon would appear, as well as what it would look like. The Bible tells of the function of the moon in Genesis 1:14 and Psalms 104:19

Source: WorldsLastChance.com

http://www.worldslastchance.com/crescent-moon-sighting-instructions.html

1. There is no Biblical evidence for this statement, as will soon be shared.

2. Beginning of their months, not beginning of their weeks. There is no evidence for that.

Although the information above starts with the word “Biblically” none of it is actually found in the Bible. In fact, the Bible has very little to say about a new moon and below are all the 21 verses that mention a new moon:

Old Testament:

· "And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even...Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty...So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat." I Samuel 20:5,18 & 24

· "And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD." I Chronicles 23:31

· "Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel." II Chronicles 2:4

· "Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles." II Chronicles 8:13

· "He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD." II Chronicles 31:3

· "And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD." Ezra 3:5

· "For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God." Nehemiah 10:33

· "Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day." Psalm 81:3

· "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them." Isaiah 1:13, 14

· "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD." Isaiah 66:23

· "And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel." Ezekiel 45:17

· "Thus saith 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. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons... And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish." Ezekiel 46:1, 3 & 6

· "I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts." Hosea 2:11

· "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?" Amos 8:5

New Testament:

· "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." Colossians 2:16

From these Bible verses we can see that a new moon was held as a religious holiday and assume that a month did start at a new moon. However, we can never conclude or even deduce that God instructed us to start the weekly cycle with every new moon.

No where in the Bible will you see that the weekly cycle was reset at every new moon. This contradicts the fourth commandment.

The following ponts, which WLC.com claims are Biblical, are actually no where to be found in the Bible:

After sunset, when the first visible crescent in the western sky is seen, the following day is "New moon day.”
This occurrence is to be visible 20 to 45 minutes after sunset, where the glow of the sun must be dissipated to allow the stars to be seen.
The "horns" of the crescent will point to the path the sun followed in its descent.
The month will be either 29 or 30 days.
The last week in a month is 8 or 9 days long.
In case of visibility problems, 18 to 24 hours should be added to calculate when the next visibility would occur.
Instructions on what to do if a conjunction occurs on the previous month's last preparation day or Sabbath day.
If crescent is observed for just a minute or less before full dark before disappearing, then it is considered to be too young to be a new moon, thus sighting should be delayed until the following night.

These points are NOT in the Bible. With no reference to the Bible, WLC.com goes on to explain:

... The writings left on clay tablets in Babylon and stele all reveal that all the earliest civilizations set the beginning of their months to the first visible crescent. The word "month" comes from the Hebrew word, chodesh, or moon. Chodesh itself means to be renewed. The addition of the word "new" means the "first visibly seen" as the moon is remade or re-lightened. In order for the moon to be renewed or seen, there must actually be something there to be seen.

On the walls of the Hebrew temple were marked where the moon would appear, as well as what it would look like. The Bible tells of the function of the moon in Genesis 1:14 and Psalms 104:19

Source: WorldsLastChance.com

http://www.worldslastchance.com/crescent-moon-sighting-instructions.html

According to the Bible, it may be that a month used to start with a new moon; however, the word of God does not state or imply that the weekly cycle starts with every new moon. This was the Babylonian Calendar and practice that violates God's 4th commandment. God did not ask us to change 1 out of 4 of His Sabbaths as the Babylonians did.

Please make note of the fact that the above passages from WorldsLastchance.com are all interpretations of man and have no Biblical references or support.