There seems to ALWAYS be controversy surrounding just about every topic under the sun! {HOW frustrating!! :( } This subject is NO different. I suppose we *all* need to study and pray and put forth our best effort to understand the Scripture and all the information we can gather... and then *DO THE BEST WE CAN* in all that we *know*...
To *my* understanding, the new moon is the first crescent that appears in the sky after the "dark period"-- in which no moon was seen (after the last Sabbath of the month/moon cycle). That is the "new" moon-- beginning its cycle all over again. The "dark" moon may last a day or two, in which we observe the "new moon feast". I realize this is NOT what is commonly believed or understood-- yet, it is what makes sense *TO ME* (and *I* HAVE to understand something before I can embrace it). So, until I gain a different perspective that I can logically understand, THAT is how I see it :) Let me explain...
When you see the first crescent in the sky, it is the "new" moon-- beginning its circle/cycle around the earth again. When you see the crescent, you know the new month has begun (Day #1 is concluding) and it signals the first day of work for the following morning/day. That first day of work after seeing the crescent in the sky is Day #2 of the new "month"/moon. You work for six days and then rest on the seventh day-- which is the first Sabbath of the month, and is Day #8 of the month. You should have seen the first quarter moon the night before-- signaling the Sabbath. On Day #9, you begin work again-- working for six days and resting on the seventh day. That will be the second Sabbath of the month, Day #15-- in which you should have seen the full moon the night before. You begin working again on Day #16, working for six more days and resting on the seventh day-- which is the third Sabbath of the month, Day #22. You should have seen the last quarter moon the night before the 22nd day, signaling the Sabbath. Then you go back to work on the 23rd day of the month and work for six days, resting on the seventh day-- which is the fourth/last Sabbath of the month, Day #29. You should have seen the last crescent of the moon the night before. At this point, the moon becomes "dark"-- or unable to see (not lit up). This "dark period", or what people refer to as "dark days" or "dark moon days" or the "dark moon", is the time that the New Moon feast is observed-- IN ANTICIPATION of the "new" moon to come. Although it is "not there"/unseen, it is KNOWN that it WILL come again... and every night you go out to look for it (it remains "dark" for one or two nights). IF you do NOT see it, you do NOT begin the count of the new/next month-- and you continue the New Moon observance. IF you DO see it, you BEGIN the count of the new/next month-- and you go to work the next day, concluding the New Moon feast/observance.
The sacrifices would have been offered during the New Moon observance (during the "dark phase" of the moon), "before" the moon was seen, in anticipation of seeing it-- because if you wait until AFTER you see it, it has "already come". You are too late, it's "over". You cannot offer the sacrifices the NEXT day AFTER you see it because you HAVE TO GO TO WORK. So, you would have to do that BEFORE you see it (since the moon comes out at NIGHT-- you would sacrifice during the DAY-- BEFORE you see it "that" NIGHT). So you would have a New Moon observance for one or two days, looking for the crescent EACH NIGHT until you see it. When you (finally) SEE the "new" moon in the sky, you blow the shofars! (*IF you feel it is alright to do so... see note below) :) The "new" moon is here! The new month has begun :) You go to work the next day and begin the count of the new month/moon.
Just like the Sabbath is a rest in-between the weeks-- the New Moon is a rest in-between the months. Just like the Sabbath rest comes at the end of each week and prepares you for the week to come, the New Moon feast comes at the end of each month and prepares you for the month to come. That is what makes NATURAL LOGICAL SENSE to *me*...
*NOTE: I really don't know anymore *if* we should be blowing trumpets (shofars). That was the for the PRIESTS of Israel to do-- NOT for every Israelite or every Israelite family to do... the PRIESTS blew the shofars FOR the children of Israel. Not only are "they" (and "we") NO LONGER in the land "keeping" the covenant-- MOST of us AREN'T PRIESTS. So, I'm UNSURE and UNDECIDED about blowing the shofars. I'm more inclined to think we should NOT... but that would be for *you* to decide for yourself. I STILL believe we should ACKNOWLEDGE the new moon feast and observe it and celebrate during it-- the WHOLE CONGREGATION was instructed to do that, and we are able to do that as well. But ONLY the PRIESTS were instructed to blow the shofars. Is it ok for "us" to do that now, since there are "no priests" to do it for us? I DON'T
KNOW. ?? You decide...
To *my* understanding, the new moon is the first crescent that appears in the sky after the "dark period"-- in which no moon was seen (after the last Sabbath of the month/moon cycle). That is the "new" moon-- beginning its cycle all over again. The "dark" moon may last a day or two, in which we observe the "new moon feast". I realize this is NOT what is commonly believed or understood-- yet, it is what makes sense *TO ME* (and *I* HAVE to understand something before I can embrace it). So, until I gain a different perspective that I can logically understand, THAT is how I see it :) Let me explain...
When you see the first crescent in the sky, it is the "new" moon-- beginning its circle/cycle around the earth again. When you see the crescent, you know the new month has begun (Day #1 is concluding) and it signals the first day of work for the following morning/day. That first day of work after seeing the crescent in the sky is Day #2 of the new "month"/moon. You work for six days and then rest on the seventh day-- which is the first Sabbath of the month, and is Day #8 of the month. You should have seen the first quarter moon the night before-- signaling the Sabbath. On Day #9, you begin work again-- working for six days and resting on the seventh day. That will be the second Sabbath of the month, Day #15-- in which you should have seen the full moon the night before. You begin working again on Day #16, working for six more days and resting on the seventh day-- which is the third Sabbath of the month, Day #22. You should have seen the last quarter moon the night before the 22nd day, signaling the Sabbath. Then you go back to work on the 23rd day of the month and work for six days, resting on the seventh day-- which is the fourth/last Sabbath of the month, Day #29. You should have seen the last crescent of the moon the night before. At this point, the moon becomes "dark"-- or unable to see (not lit up). This "dark period", or what people refer to as "dark days" or "dark moon days" or the "dark moon", is the time that the New Moon feast is observed-- IN ANTICIPATION of the "new" moon to come. Although it is "not there"/unseen, it is KNOWN that it WILL come again... and every night you go out to look for it (it remains "dark" for one or two nights). IF you do NOT see it, you do NOT begin the count of the new/next month-- and you continue the New Moon observance. IF you DO see it, you BEGIN the count of the new/next month-- and you go to work the next day, concluding the New Moon feast/observance.
The sacrifices would have been offered during the New Moon observance (during the "dark phase" of the moon), "before" the moon was seen, in anticipation of seeing it-- because if you wait until AFTER you see it, it has "already come". You are too late, it's "over". You cannot offer the sacrifices the NEXT day AFTER you see it because you HAVE TO GO TO WORK. So, you would have to do that BEFORE you see it (since the moon comes out at NIGHT-- you would sacrifice during the DAY-- BEFORE you see it "that" NIGHT). So you would have a New Moon observance for one or two days, looking for the crescent EACH NIGHT until you see it. When you (finally) SEE the "new" moon in the sky, you blow the shofars! (*IF you feel it is alright to do so... see note below) :) The "new" moon is here! The new month has begun :) You go to work the next day and begin the count of the new month/moon.
Just like the Sabbath is a rest in-between the weeks-- the New Moon is a rest in-between the months. Just like the Sabbath rest comes at the end of each week and prepares you for the week to come, the New Moon feast comes at the end of each month and prepares you for the month to come. That is what makes NATURAL LOGICAL SENSE to *me*...
*NOTE: I really don't know anymore *if* we should be blowing trumpets (shofars). That was the for the PRIESTS of Israel to do-- NOT for every Israelite or every Israelite family to do... the PRIESTS blew the shofars FOR the children of Israel. Not only are "they" (and "we") NO LONGER in the land "keeping" the covenant-- MOST of us AREN'T PRIESTS. So, I'm UNSURE and UNDECIDED about blowing the shofars. I'm more inclined to think we should NOT... but that would be for *you* to decide for yourself. I STILL believe we should ACKNOWLEDGE the new moon feast and observe it and celebrate during it-- the WHOLE CONGREGATION was instructed to do that, and we are able to do that as well. But ONLY the PRIESTS were instructed to blow the shofars. Is it ok for "us" to do that now, since there are "no priests" to do it for us? I DON'T
KNOW. ?? You decide...