Because the former chapters of this book have focused on Elohim’s holy Law, one may wonder what this has to do with the moon. It is now time to address the question posed in the title of this manuscript: The Testimony of the Moon. As we move to address this question from a deep, spiritual level, let’s start with what we commonly know.

Of all the bodies in the heavens, the moon is the most familiar to man. Less than one-third the size of Earth, -its surface peppered with craters; the moon is the only body in our solar system, other than Earth, upon which man has walked.

We know that the moon has no water. We know that it has less gravity than the earth. We have even discovered why the moon glows in the sky at night in ever-changing, yet predictable, patterns. Yet, do we truly know why Elohim made it?

It may seem that there are as many answers to this question as there are points of view. For example, a scientist, assuming, of course, that he or she believed in Creation, might answer that perhaps Elohim created the moon so that its gravitational pull would control the tides on earth. A philosopher might answer that the moon was made so that man would have higher goals; for it is said, "A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?" A casual observer might respond that the moon was made for man’s enjoyment. A traveler might decide that the moon was made to light the night.

The moon has been the subject of countless prose, poems, and paintings. Yet, none of these venues has begun to explain the deeper reasons of why Elohim placed the moon in its orbit, or why it reflects the sun in predictable, differing amounts each month. So, why did Elohim make the moon?

The Psalmist tells us that Elohim created the moon to be a "faithful witness."

The concept that the moon is a witness in the heavens, bearing some spiritual testimony, is further expressed in Psalm 19:1-3.

The Bible clearly teaches that the moon was created to give a message and to be a witness. Just what sort of "speech" for the glory of Elohim comes from the testimony of the moon? To answer this question, we must first address the "glory of Elohim" about which this lunar light is testifying.

As has already been presented in this book, the glory of Elohim is His holy character as demonstrated by His goodness and revealed in the Law. We can be quickly reminded of this by looking at Exodus 33.

What does the moon have to do with revealing Elohim’s glory? Does the presence of the lunar body show Elohim’s character or point to the divine Law? The Psalmist has already shown us that the moon is speaking a message that exalts the glory of Elohim. This message is identified more specifically in Psalm 104.

At face value, this text may seem to say that the pathway of the moon has something to do with bringing on the annual seasons. There is a deeper meaning here, however. The original Hebrew word, which has been translated as "seasons" in this text, is mo’edim. Mo’edim and its singular form mo’ed are also literally translated in Scripture as "feast(s) of YHWH." In the Strong’s Concordance (#4150), mo’edim means "a fixed time, an assembly, appointed time, congregation, and a solemn feast."

In Psalm 104, Elohim is conveying to us that the moon was created to be an unmistakable sky-beacon, announcing the times of His holy mo’edim. This purpose and lunar message is further expressed in the Biblical record of Creation.

Naturally, the idea that the moon was created to herald the mo’edim raises another important question. What are the mo’edim? In answering this question, we will also find the spiritual "speech" uttered night after night, which shows knowledge and declares the glory of Elohim. (See Psalm 19:1-3.)

The Scriptures provides a complete list of the mo’edim in Leviticus chapter twenty-three.

The word "feasts" in this verse is the same word which Genesis 1:14 and Psalm 104 translate as "seasons." It is the word mo’edim (#4150).

Thus, through proper methods of Bible study (as delineated in the preface), we are lead to the understanding that the mo’edim of YHWH, which the moon was "appointed" (Psalm 104:19) to herald, are the feasts –holy convocations- which are listed in Leviticus twenty-three. Let us follow this twenty-third chapter to view the complete list of Elohim’s mo’edim, which the moon heralds.

1. The first mo’ed is the Seventh-day Sabbath.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts (mo’edim) of YHWH, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My feasts (mo’edim). Six days shall work be done: but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of YHWH in all your dwellings (Leviticus 23:2-3).

2. The remaining mo’edim are annual holy days, the first of which is Passover.

These are the feasts (mo’edim) of YHWH, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is YHWH’s Passover. (Leviticus 23:4-5)

3. The second annual mo’ed is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which includes the day of First Fruits.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto YHWH: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein (Leviticus 23:6-7).

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before YHWH, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it (Leviticus 23:10-11).

4. The fourth annual mo’ed is Pentecost (literally meaning to count to fifty).

Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto YHWH (Leviticus 23:16).

5. The fifth yearly mo’ed is the Feast of Trumpets.

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHWH (Leviticus 23:24-25).

6. The sixth mo’ed, which comes once a year, is the Day of Atonement.

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto YHWH. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before YHWH your Elohim. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings (Leviticus 23:27-31).

7. The seventh and final annual mo’ed is the Feast of Tabernacles.

This is the complete list of the holy mo’edim. Just to be sure that there is no confusion about the entire chapter being a complete list of YHWH’s mo’edim, the last verse reiterates this point.

Having reviewed this list of mo’edim, we will deal with the issue of whether or not to keep them. Most of the Christian world has passed these Sabbaths off as "Jewish." But even if one believes that only the descendents of Abraham need to observe these holy times, Christians are still included. This is because we become spiritual "seed," or the spiritual descendents of Abraham, when we accept Christ.

That brings us to the next common objection to keeping these festivals: The feasts were kept before the Tree of Calvary by sacrificing animals. In fact, many of these festivals were so filled with sacrificing that it seems the entire holy day was all about animal offerings.

As has already been presented in this book, the sacrificing of animals was nailed to the Tree of Calvary; for it was there that Christ, the sinless Lamb, to which all animal sacrifices pointed, died and fulfilled the blood-debt as payment for our sin. Thus, we need not worry about the mo’edim of YHWH. Obviously, they are as obsolete as the sacrifices, which were offered on those days, right? Wrong.

Let’s return to our original point in this chapter. Why did Elohim make the moon? The Bible clearly teaches that YHWH made the moon as an appointed herald for His holy mo’edim!

This leaves us with only one Scripturally sound path of thought. The moon was created at the beginning of this earth’s history. It was placed in the sky before sin came to this planet. Naturally, a sign pointing to a site of interest is not placed to direct visitors to come until there is something to come to. Thus, it follows that the moon -the sign pointing to the annual festivals -had to be pointing to the festivals at Creation. Ultimately, this brings us to the thought that the Sabbaths must have been in place at the beginning of the world.

It is a Biblically based fact that the Seventh-day Sabbath was created during Creation, and thus, pre-dates sin.

But what about the annual feasts? While it is true that they are not specifically mentioned as present at Creation, the sign that heralds them certainly was. We also know that YHWH indicated what the lunar sign was pointing to.

Since the Bible teaches that the moon was created to herald YHWH’s annual Sabbaths, we can reach two possible conclusions. We could conclude that the creation of the moon, heralding the Sabbaths, prior to sin demonstrates that they have purpose and meaning outside the construct of sin. Or we could assume that Elohim, Who knows all things, hung the moon in place at Creation because He knew that sin would one day come to earth.

This second idea suggests that, each night when Adam looked at the sky, He would understand the message that He was predestined to sin (Elohim forbid!) and that when he finally fell, there would be festivals put in place to aid in relieving the inevitable sin problem.

But such a philosophy negates choice! Elohim has always been about giving man a choice. He told Adam to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge. Adam had the choice to obey or disobey. The idea that man has been given a choice is continual throughout Scripture. Perhaps Joshua puts it most clearly.

Had Elohim given Adam a sky message showing that sin was inevitable; Adam would not have truly had a choice in the matter. Worse still, Elohim Himself would be to blame for sin and death. Unthinkably, this would further imply that Satan’s accusations about the questionable character of Elohim had a basis in truth.

But the Bible does not teach that sin and death came through the actions or predestination of Elohim. Adam made a choice that brought sin here. Thus, justly, Adam is responsible.

It would be entirely out of keeping with Elohim’s character for Him to predestinate people to fall. Thus, we must consider the other path of thought implied in the pre-sin existence of the moon. We will consider the revolutionary idea that the mo’edim of YHWH must have a purpose outside of the construct of sin.

The idea that the festivals have a purpose beyond the sacrifices of animals done on these days, which associates them with sin, is Biblically established in texts about heaven and the new earth.

This text is talking about the people of Elohim gathering to keep His holy days in the new earth. The fact that the text encompasses more than just the Seventh-day Sabbath is evident from the reference to new moons. These are unmistakable references to Elohim’s people keeping what Christians commonly think of as "Jewish" holy days.

If we will keep the new moons and Sabbaths in sinless eternity what about keeping them now? Should we be keeping them in this post-Calvary-pre-millennium age? And if we should have been keeping them all along, how is it that this information was lost to us? Additionally, if we are to keep them now, we certainly can’t keep the holy days in the same manner as ancient Israel did, for the sacrifices did end at the Tree of Calvary. These and other related questions will be addressed in the upcoming chapters of this book. Let us close this chapter considering the words of the Torah on the subject:

• Elohim appointed the moon, at Creation, to point to and herald the "seasons."
• The word "seasons" is translated from the Hebrew word mo’edim – meaning "holy festivals."
• Thus, the moon was created for the purpose of heralding YHWH’s annual Sabbaths.
• The mo’edim of YHWH are listed in Leviticus 23.
• The mo’edim are: The Seventh-day Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths).
• These holy days of YHWH have mistakenly come to be seen as "Jewish" and not "Christian."
• Being heralded through the lunar light at Creation, these holy days pre-date the first Jew.
• The Bible teaches that Elohim’s people will gather in the new earth to celebrate the Sabbaths and the New Moons.