THE NEW MOON AND THE DATE
OF
THE FEAST OF ATONEMENT
How Did We Get Our Date For The Feast Of Atonement?
YAH'S calendar is given to us in (Gen 1:14-18). The word "calendar" might not have been invented at that time but its essence is found here.
Essentially what it boils down to as to why people sometimes get different dates for the feast is how they read YAH'S calendar, that is if they're going off YAH'S calendar i.e. looking to the "heavens" to determine the days, months, and years as opposed to going off of a "calculated calendar" such as the "Gregorian calendar" or the "Jewish calendar"
The calculated calendars are not exact, and therefore vary in relation to YAH'S heavenly calendar, herein lays 50% of the blame.
The other 50% of the blame is attributed to how YAH'S calendar in the heavens are reckoned! Specifically how the months are reckoned, scripture teaches that the months are reckoned by the "new moon" which is translated from the Hebrew word "kodesh" #2320 in the "Strongs Concordance" meaning new moon or "month"; in fact our english word "month" derived from the old english word for moon which was "mona" by which we also get the word "monday". These "new moons" or months were to be given honor by YAH'S people (Is 66:23).
Now where the confusion comes in is how these "new moons" are to be reckoned, that is, by the "Dark Full Moon" aka "Dark New Moon" or by the "Waxing Crescent" aka "New/1st Sliver".
You see the moon goes thru a 29.5 day cycle by which it reflects the light of the sun, and each month and at the end of this cycle there is a point when the moon is completely shaded i.e. "covered or dark" and likewise each month there is also a point when it once again commences to reflect the suns light, and this point is called the "new crescent or 1st sliver"
Another way of looking at the dilemma is to ask does the "New Moon" commence from the darkness or does it commence from the light. Many groups around the world, if not most are of the notion that the light itself attest to it being the "New Moon", but I for one beg to differ, for there isn't any scriptural evidence to back this notion, additionally it goes against YAH'S pattern or scheme found throughout scripture.
On the other hand I admit that there is little scriptural evidence that directly support commencing the New Moon from its darkness, but there is compelling evidence found in YAH'S pattern or scheme throughout scripture and nature itself.
1st let us consider the scriptural evidence, which is found in (Ps 81:3).
Psa 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
It's important to note that the words "in the time appointed" found in the KJV. Is a bad translation for these 4 words come from 1 word in the Hebrew i.e. "kehseh" #3677 in the Strong's Concordance, meaning fullness or full moon and this word "kehseh" was derived from the root word "kasah" #3680 meaning; to cover, conceal, hide; put the two meanings together and you get covered, concealed, or hidden full moon.
Now lets insert the proper understanding of "kehseh" into the verse and see how it reads:
Psa 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the covered, concealed, hidden full moon, on our solemn feast day.
Now when you read the verse it tells you to blow the trumpet in the New Moon and it then defines what the New Moon is i.e. the covered, concealed, hidden full moon; so you see even though there is little to go on scripturally, what little we do have is quite solid.
Additionally, concerning YAH'S patterns or scheme; throughout scripture you will find that YAH commences with darkness; such as in the beginning (Gen 1:1-3), you'll notice that YAH commenced in darkness not light.
Likewise with the reckoning of our days, we go evening - evening i.e. from darkness - darkness; we see this patter in all of YAH'S creation the plants, they start with a seed put in darkness and later sprouts forth into light, likewise with the animals and mankind the seed is planted in darkness and eventually come out of the darkness into the light.
Israel was planted into the darkness of Egypt & was brought out into the light of YAH'S ways; Yahushua was said to be walking in the darkness unto those within that darkness light had sprung up:
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
We learn from verse (Jn 1:5) above that light is life, life denotes movement hence we rest in darkness/night and work in the light/day:
Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
As aforementioned light is synonymous with life, and life denotes movement, which is exactly what the light of the moon does, but it commences from the darkness, i.e. the Dark New Moon in accordance with YAH'S patterns; just as the days commence from the darkness, so does the months i.e. New Moons, and even His years, which comes out of the darkness of the year i.e. the winter time, that is, the time of the year when there's the least light, and commences with the month of Abib, that is, when the light i.e. life sprouts forth.
I pray this brought some clarity to the issue for you; Shalom!