Moon

See under LIGHT.

The great luminary of the night, formed by JEHOVAH on the fourth day of creation, (Gen. i. 14 - 19.) Philosophers speaks much of this planet, in respect of its magnitude, form, phases, tides, &c.&c. But the great point in which we are taught to regard the moon, is from what the word of God saith concerning it. There we learn "that the Lord appointed the moon for certain seasons, and the sun knoweth his going down." (Ps. 104: 19, ) Moses also beautifully speaks of the peerless majesty of this empress of the night ministering toher Maker’s glory, when describing in the lot of Joseph’s blessings the "precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and the precious things put forth by the moon." Probably the sacred writer, in allusion to those heavenly influences, meant to speak of yet far higher blessings in the sweet work of grace upon the soul, when Jesus, the Sun of righteousness, brings forth the fruits of his Holy Spirit, and causeth the soul from his influence, as the moon borrows from the sun, to put forth all precious things in him. Here is indeed thegood will of him that dwelt in the bush. (Deut. 33. 3.) The moon is compared to the church, and considered a striking emblem of her; for as the whole of her light is derived from the sun, so the church wholly depends upon the Lord Jesus, and only shines in the glory she draws from him. And as the moon is subject to an eclipse, and hath her waxing and waning times, so the church knows how to be abased and how to abound. All her enjoyments, all her splendour, usefulness, services, depend wholly upon her Lord. WhenJesus, the Sun of righteousness, causeth his rays of light to act upon the church, by their kind influences, the church then like the moon from the sun, ministers according to the divine appointment of her Lord; but if the earth comes between, that is, if earthly affections intervene between Christ and the soul, then, like the interposition in the planetary world, there will be an eclipse. Hence in a day of brightness, and light, and glory, the church is represented in the Revelations as "a woman clothed with the sun, and themoon under her feet. Every thing of earth and earthly affections will be under our feet, when our souls are clothed with the bright robes of Jesus’s righteousness, and Christ himself "formed in the heart the hope of glory." (Rev. x2: 1. Col. i. 27.)

We have a lovely description in the Canticles of such a view of the church, where Jesus himself is beholding her in this blessed state, and exclaiming with delight, " Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" (Song vi. 10.) The whole church of Jesus, and every individual believer of the church, answers to this description. The morning in a day of grace, though small, has then the glimmerings of divine light in the soul; yet are they the sure harbingers ofsun - rising, and "mark that path of the just which shineth more and more unto a perfect day." And the church is then fair as the moon in Jesus’s eye, though, like the moon, when shining in her greatest brightness, spots may be seen upon her, and all the light she affords the earth is but what she first receives from the sun. In herself she is after all but an opaque body. What an exact resemblance to the church! She is fair and comely, but it is from the beauty and comeliness of her Lord; she hath nothing of her own, but allfromhim. But then she is still not only fair as the moon, but clear as the sun. Yes! I in Jesus the church is beheld, and in his righteousness she is righteousness; yea, the Lord himself commands her so to be called, after the name of her Lord and Husband, Jer. 23. 6. and 33. 16. And how terrible as an army of banners must the church be, thus looking forth as the morning, fair as the moon, and clear as the sun, let the word of God decide. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (Rom. 16. 20.) ’SeeQueen of Heaven.

Particular sacrifices were enjoined by Moses at every new moon, which day was also celebrated as a feast. It is promised in Psa 121:6, “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” The effect of a coup de soleil, or stroke of the sun, is well known; and in some climates the beams of the moon are reputed hurtful. Anderson, in his “Description of the East,” says, “One must here (in Batavia) take great care not to sleep in the beams of the moon uncovered. I have seen many people whose neck has become crooked, so that they looked more to the side than forward. I will not decide whether it is to be ascribed to the moon, as people imagine here.” In some of the southern parts of Europe the same opinions are entertained of the pernicious influence of the moon beams. An English gentleman walking in the evening in the garden of a Portuguese nobleman at Lisbon, was most seriously admonished by the owner to put on his hat, to protect him from the moon beams. The fishermen in Sicily are said to cover, during the night, the fish which they expose to dry on the sea shore, alleging that the beams of the moon cause them to putrefy.

The worship of the heavenly bodies was among the earliest corruptions of religion, which would naturally take its rise in the eastern parts of the world, where the atmosphere is pure and transparent, and the heavens as bright as they are glowing. In these countries the moon is of exceeding beauty. If the sun ’rules the day,’ the moon has the throne of night, which, if less gorgeous than that of the sun, is more attractive, because of a less oppressively brilliant light, while her retinue of surrounding stars seems to give a sort of truth to her regal state, and certainly adds not inconsiderably to her beauty. The moon was therefore worshipped as a goddess in the East at a very early period; in India under the name of Maja; among the Assyrians at Mylitta; with the Phoenicians she was termed Astarte or Ashteroth, who was also denominated the Syrian mother. The Greeks and Romans worshipped her as Artemis and Diana. Job (Job 31:26) alludes to the power of the moon over the human soul: ’If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my month hath kissed my hand: this also were an iniquity, for I should have denied the God that is above.’ The moon, as being mistress of the night, may well have been considered as the lesser of the two great lights of heaven (Gen 1:16). It was accordingly regarded in the old Syrian superstition as subject to the sun’s influence, which was worshipped as the active and generative power of nature, while the moon was reverenced as the passive and producing power. The moon, accordingly, was looked upon as feminine. Herein Oriental usage agrees with our own. But this usage was by no means universal.

The epithet ’queen of heaven’ appears to have been very common. Nor was it, any more than the worship of the moon, unknown to the Jews, as may be seen in a remarkable passage in Jeremiah (Jer 44:17), where the Israelites (men and women, the latter exert most influence) appear given over to this species of idolatry: ’We will certainly burn incense to the queen of heaven, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, we have wanted all things.’ The last verse of the passage adds to the burnt-offerings and drink-offerings, ’cakes to worship her.’ Vows were also made by the Jews to the moon, which superstition required to be fulfilled (Jer 44:25).

The baneful influence of the moon still finds credence in the East. Moonlight is held to be detrimental to the eyes. In Psa 121:6 we read, ’The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night;’ so that the impression that the moon may do injury to man is neither partial nor vague. Rosenmüller refers this to the cold of night, which, he says, is very great and sensible in the East, owing, partly, to the great heat of the day. If this extreme (comparative) cold is considered in connection with the Oriental custom of sleeping out of doors, on the flat roofs of houses, or even on the ground, without in all cases sufficient precautionary measures for protecting the frame, we see no difficulty in understanding whence arose the evil influence ascribed to the moon.

This beautiful and stately ruler of the night, Gen 1:16, is one of the chief witnesses to mankind of the goodness, wisdom, and power of the Creator, Psa 8:3 ; and as receiving all its light from the sun, and reflecting it on all around, it is a striking image of the church of Christ. In the clear sky of the East, the moon shines with peculiar brilliancy; and it was worshipped by most nations of antiquity, either directly, or as an idol-goddess under the name of Ashtoreth, Artemis, Diana, Hecate, Meni, Mylitta, Maja, etc. The Hebrews were specially cautioned against this form of idolatry, Deu 4:19 17:3; and yet fell into it; 2Ki 21:3 Isa 65:11 Jer 7:18 8:2 19:13 44:17-25. See LUNATIC and NEW MOON.\par

Moon. The moon held an important place in the kingdom of nature, as known to the Hebrews. Conjointly with the sun, it was appointed "for signs and for seasons, and for days and years;" though, in this respect, it exercised a more important influence, if by the "seasons," we understand the great religious festivals of the Jews, as is particularly stated in Psa 104:19 , and more at length in Sir 43:6-7.

The worship of the moon prevailed extensively among the nations of the East, and under a variety of aspects. It was one of the only two deities which commanded the reverence of all the Egyptians. The worship of the heavenly bodies is referred to in Job 31:26-27, and Moses directly warns the Jews against it. Deu 4:19.

In the figurative language of Scripture, the moon is frequently noticed as presaging events of the greatest importance, through the temporary or permanent withdrawal of its light. Isa 13:10; Joe 2:31; Mat 24:29; Mar 13:24.

yareach "yellow," and lebanah; "white" (Gen 1:14-16, "the lesser light".) Instead of being regarded as a person and worshipped, as it was by the surrounding nations, in Scripture it is God’s creature "made for signs, seasons, days, and years" (Psa 104:19). The brightness of the moon in the East, guiding the traveler by night when the heat of day is past, gives it a prominence which it has not with us (Psa 8:3). In Psa 89:37 however the moon is not the "faithful witness," but God is witness to His own oath; translated "and the witness in heaven is faithful," so Psa 89:35. So Job 16:19, "my witness is in heaven," namely, God knows my innocence. The church is "fair as the moon, clear as the sun" (Son 6:10). As the moon shines in the night, reflecting the sun’s light, so the church in this world’s night (Rom 13:12) reflects the light of "the Sun of righteousness" (2Co 3:18).

Her justification in Him is perfect (1Jn 4:17 ff); in herself sanctification is yet imperfect, as the moon has less light than the sun on the illuminated part, and is but half illuminated. At His coming she "shall shine forth as the sun" (Mat 13:43). It influences vegetable growth; Deu 33:14, "moons," namely, its phases, others explain "months" as the times of ripening fruits. The cold night dews (Gen 31:40) and moonlight hurt the eyes and health of those sleeping under it; so Psa 121:6, "the moon shall not smite thee by night"; moon blindness is common in the East. The moon was worshipped as Isis in Egypt; as Karnaim, "two horns," of Ashtoreth, wife of Baal the king of heaven (the male and female symbolizing the generative powers of nature), in Syria; as Sin, "lord of the month," in Babylon.

Sabaism (from tsaabaa’ "the heavenly hosts") was the earliest of false worships; it appears in our pagan names Sun day, Mon (moon) day; and in Job 31:26, "if I beheld the sun ... or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand" in adoration. Josiah put down those who burned incense to the moon (2Ki 23:5). She was called "queen of heaven" (Jer 7:18), though that may mean Venus Urania. "Cakes" (cawanim) round like her disc were offered to her. So far from being an object of worship, it unconsciously worships its Maker (Psa 148:3; Psa 8:3).

The moon in Rev 12:1 is the Jewish dispensation, borrowing its former light from the Christian but now become worldly, and therefore under the church’s feet (Gal 4:3 end; Heb 2:1). The sea, earth, and its satellite the moon, represent the worldly element in opposition to the sun, the kingdom of heaven. Before Jehovah the moon has no brightness (Job 25:5; Isa 24:23; Isa 60:19-20). He shall be His people’s everlasting light when sun and moon shall have ceased to shine.

At the creation the ’lesser light’ was to rule the night. Its brilliancy is seen much more in the east than in the west, and its light is more appreciated in the former, especially when the heat of the day necessitates travelling by night. The NEW MOON among the Israelites was a festival: it was watched for on the hills, and as soon as it was seen, it was ushered in by sound of trumpet. Num 10:10; 1Ch 23:31; Psa 81:3; Eze 45:17; Col 2:16: cf. 1Sa 20:5; 1Sa 20:18; 1Sa 20:24.

The Israelites were warned against worshipping the moon as well as the sun and stars. Deu 4:19; Deu 17:3: cf. Job 31:26-28. Of Israel, in the time of Hoshea and of Manasseh it is said they worshipped ’all the host of heaven.’ 2Ki 17:16; 2Ki 21:3; 2Ki 21:5. Jeremiah also states that in Judah and Jerusalem cakes were made to the QUEEN OF HEAVEN, which is commonly supposed to refer to the moon, worshipped as Astarte. Then when the residue of the people had gone into Egypt, they declared that in spite of the prophet’s warning they would burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, and pour out drink offerings unto her. Jer 7:18; Jer 44:17-19; Jer 44:25.

There will be SIGNS IN THE MOON as well as in the sun when the time of God’s dire judgement has arrived. Joe 2:10; Joe 2:31; Luk 21:25; Rev 6:12. As a symbol the moon is used in prophecy to signify derivative authority, the sun being the supreme source of heavenly rule.

MOON.—In the NT the moon (σελήνη) is part of the established natural order. So when Christ prophesies the end of the world, ‘The moon shall not give her light’ (Mat 24:29, Mar 13:24). Twice in the Gospel of Matthew (Mat 4:24; Mat 17:15) σεληνιάζεσθαι (literally to be moonstruck) is used to describe mental derangement, as in our ‘lunacy,’ ‘lunatic,’ from Lat. luna, ‘the moon.’ See above, pp. 91^b, 96^b.

The Passover always took place at full moon, for it was held on the 14th of the month Nisan, and it was the lunar month that was used, as it is still used by the Jews (Josephus Ant. iii. x. 5; cf. Col 2:16). Thus there was moonlight in Gethsemane when Christ went there with His disciples, and when He was betrayed. Also, the darkness which lasted for three hours during the crucifixion could not be due to an ordinary eclipse of the sun by the moon. See also art. Time.

T. Gregory.

By: Isidore Singer, M. Seligsohn

—Biblical Data:

The most common Hebrew word for, the moon is "yeraḥ," the root of which is probably akin to "araḥ," so that the meaning of the term would be "the wanderer." Poetically, it is called, on account of its whiteness, "lebanah," a term occurring in the Bible three times only (Cant. vi. 10; Isa. xxiv. 23, xxx. 26). The word "ḥodesh," which also occurs thrice (I Sam. xx. 5 and 18; II Kings iv. 23), as its meaning indicates, denotes the New Moon. In the narrative of the Creation, the moon is indicated, without any special name, as one of the two great luminaries. Relatively to the sun, it is "the lesser light to rule the night"; and it is to serve together with the sun for signs, seasons, days, and years (Gen. i. 14, 16). In Ps. civ. 19 it is expressly stated that the moon was created in order to indicate the seasons. Its course, like that of the sun, was stopped by the divine will (Josh. x. 13).

Like the other celestial bodies, the moon was believed to have an influence on the universe. Its injurious influence on man is referred to in Ps. cxxi. 6, which passage probably refers to the blindness which, according to Eastern belief, results from sleeping in the moonlight with uncovered face (Carne, "Letters from the East," p. 77). It was also believed that the moon caused epilepsy (comp. the Greek σεληυιαζόμευος and the Latin "lunaticus"; Matt. iv. 24). On the other hand, there are "precious things put forth by the moon" (Deut. xxxiii. 14); that is to say, the growth of certain plants is influenced by it. Steuernagel, however, thinks the allusion is to the dew.

The moon was regarded by all Oriental nations as a divinity, whose worship was forbidden to the Israelites (Deut. xvii. 3). Nevertheless, the latter practised for a long time the cult of the "queen of heaven," making sacrifices to her (Jer. vii. 18, xliv. 17). Kissing the hand on seeing the moon, an act of adoration, is referred to in Job xxxi. 26-27. The moon-shaped ornaments which adorned the necks of the Midianite camels in the time of Gideon (Judges viii. 21, 26) and the "round tires like the moon" of the Israelitish women (Isa. iii. 18) were probably results of the same idolatrous tendency. The moon is frequently used in figurative language: it is the emblem of beauty (Cant. vi. 10) and of eternity (Ps. lxxii. 5, 7; lxxxix. 37). Its eclipse (Isa. xiii. 10, xxiv. 23; Joel ii. 10) and its turning to blood (ib. ii. 31) are tokens that the day of God's wrath is near. The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun when Yhwh shall have restored His people to their former state (Isa. xxx. 26). See Calendar; Month.

—In Rabbinical Literature:

Referring to Gen. i. 16, where the moon and sun are first called "the two great lights" and the moon is then styled "the lesser light," R. Simeon b. Pazzi declared that at the time of the Creation the moon was of the same size as the sun. The moon then objected that it would not be decorous for two kings to use one crown, whereupon God diminished her size. In reply to the moon's question "Ought I to be punished for having spoken reasonable words?" God consoled her by promising that she also should reign in the daytime; and on her objecting that the light of a candle in the daytime was useless, God promised her that the Jews should count the years after the moon. The latter again objecting that the sun served a similar purpose, God consoled her with the idea that certain righteous men would bear the same epithet ("the smaller one"), e.g., Jacob (Amos vii. 5), David (I Sam. xvii. 14), and Samuel ha-Ḳaṭon. The moon, however, remained disconsolate, and God therefore required that a he-goat besacrificed on the first of every month as a sin-offering for His having diminished the moon's size (Ḥul. 60b). According to R. Johanan, God required that sin-offering for having caused the moon to encroach on the domain of the sun. God appeased the complaints of the moon also by surrounding her with a host of stars, like a veritable queen (Pesiḳ. R. 15; Gen. R. vi. 3-4). R. Ḥanina thinks that at first the sun alone was created to give light, and that God subsequently created the moon because He foresaw that the sun and moon would be worshiped like gods, and He said: "If when they are two, rivaling each other, they are considered as divinities, how would it be if the sun were alone?" (ib. vi. 1). The orbit of the moon is, like that of the sun, in the second heaven (ib. vi. 9; comp. Heller, "Tosafot YomṬob" to R. H. ii. 6).

There is a disagreement between R. Judah and the other rabbis as to the setting of the moon and the sun. According to the former, after setting they continue their route above the celestial vault; and it is for this reason that in summer the springs are colder than the surface of the earth. The Rabbis argued that, after setting, both moon and sun travel below the vault and consequently under the earth; and this is why in the winter the springs are not as cold as the surface of the earth (Gen. R. vi. 8). The reason why the Jews count the days of the year by the moon is that, like the moon, which reigns both in the daytime and at night, the Jews have both this world and the future one (ib. vi. 2). On this account the eclipse of the moon is considered by the Rabbis as a bad sign for the Jews. The eclipse of the moon and stars is caused by four kinds of sin: (1) forgery, (2) false witness, (3) breeding small cattle in Palestine (for they spoil the land), and (4) cutting down fruit-trees (Suk. 29a). The fact of women spinning their wool or flax by the light of the moon is mentioned several times in the Talmud (Soṭah vi. 1 [= p. 31a]; Giṭ 89a; et passim).

The moon, on account of its monthly reappearance, is considered as the emblem of Israel; the latter, like the moon, undergoing several phases through persecution without being destroyed. Therefore the reappearance of the moon is sanctified, like the entrance of the Sabbath or festivals, by the recitation of benedictions known in the liturgy as "Ḳiddush ha-Lebanah" or "Birkat ha-Lebanah." See New Moon, Blessing of.

MOON.—The moon is ‘the lesser light to rule the night’ of the cosmogony of Genesis (Gen 1:16). Its importance was in part due to the recurrence of its phases, which formed a measure for time. Each new moon, as it appeared, marked the commencement of a new period, and so in Hebrew the word for ‘moon’ and ‘month’ is the same. Sun and moon occur side by side in passages of Scripture, and to the moon as well as to the sun is ascribed a fertilizing power over and above the gift of light which comes from them to the earth. Just as we have in Deu 33:14 ‘the precious things of the fruits of the sun,’ so we have there ‘the precious things of the growth of the moons.’ As a consequence of this, the re-appearance of the new moon was eagerly looked for, and trumpets were blown and sacrifices offered on the day of the new moon. We gather also from Psa 81:3 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) that something of a similar kind took place at the full moon. The moon took its part with the sun in one of Joseph’s dreams when it ‘made obeisance’ to him (Gen 37:9); and it stood still, ‘in the valley of Aijalon,’ at the command of Joshua, at the battle of Gibeon (Jos 10:12-13; cf. Hab 3:11). Language which must have been derived from the appearance of the moon during eclipses is used by the prophets. The moon is to be darkened or turned into blood (Joe 2:10; Joe 2:31) before ‘the day of the Lord’; and similar language is used by our Lord (e.g. Mar 13:24). We are told of the redeemed Zion that the light of the moon is to be as the light of the sun (Isa 30:26), and that there is to be no need of the moon, because the glory of God is to be the light of His people (Isa 60:19; cf. Rev 21:23). Cautions against the worship of the moon, and punishment by death for the convicted worshippers, are to be found in Deu 4:19; Deu 17:3; whilst a superstitious salutation of the moon by kissing the hand, not quite unheard of even in our own day, is mentioned in Job 31:26-27. Moon-worship by the burning of incense was offered in Jerusalem, and put down by Josiah (2Ki 23:5).

Mount Sinai is supposed to have derived its name from the moon-god Sin, to whom worship was paid there.

For the worship of the ‘queen of heaven,’ see under Stars.

In the OT we meet more than once with crescent-shaped ornaments (Jdg 8:21, Isa 3:18); whether these are an indication of the worship of the moon is uncertain.

It has been always considered baneful in the bright clear atmosphere of the warmer regions of the earth to sleep exposed to the rays of the moon (Psa 121:6). The influence of the earth’s satellite has long been considered burtful. Our word ‘lunatic’ reproduces the idea of the Western world of our Lord’s time, that lunacy was due to the influence of the moon: the Greek word used in Mat 4:24; Mat 17:15 shows this. In the RV [Note: Revised Version.] the word is translated ‘epileptic.’ There are many still to be found who believe that the violence and recurrence of epileptic fits vary with the phases of the moon.

H. A. Redpath.

mōōn (ירח, yārē^aḥ; meaning obscure - probably “wanderer”; by some given as “paleness”; σελήνη, selḗnē): The moon was very early worshipped by the nations of the Far East as a divinity or the representative of one or more deities. These deities were both masculine and feminine. In Assyria and Babylonia the most common name for the moon-god was Sin or Sen. In Babylonia he was also called Aku and Nannara. In Egypt the moon was representative of several deities, all masculine. The chief of these was Thoth the god of knowledge, so called because the moon was the measurer of time. Babylonia has, also, Aa, the goddess of the moon, as the consort of the sun, while her equivalent was known in Phoenicia as Ashtaroth-karnaim. This personification and worship of the moon among the nations who were neighbors to Palestine was but part of an elaborate Nature-worship found among these people. Nor was this worship always separated from Palestine by geographical lines. It crept into the thought and customs of the Hebrews and in a sense affected their religious conceptions and ceremonies. They fell into the habit of making direct homage to sun, moon and stars, as is evidenced by Job 31:26, Job 31:27; Jer 44:17, and even Isa 8:18 (see CRESCENTS). Moses seems to have forewarned his people against the danger of this form of worship (Deu 4:19).

The actual worship of the moon and the idolatry consequent thereon seems to have touched the Hebrews, though this is disputed by some. It would seem difficult to explain 2Ki 21:3 upon any other supposition, and in 2Ki 23:4, 2Ki 23:5 we have a clear statement that Josiah put down the worship of the moon among the people and silenced the priests of this form of worship.

Certain forms of the adoration of the moon, or superstitious fear of baneful influences as coming from the moon, still abound in some sections of the world. In fact in nearly all sections modified forms of old superstitions still hold sway and yield but slowly to scientific knowledge.

The eclipses of the moon were naturally given a religious significance inasmuch as the Hebrew knowledge of them did not rise much above awe and wonder (Isa 18:1-7:10; Joe 2:31; Mat 24:29; Mar 13:24). Other passages causing interference with the constancy of the moon to foreshadow great events can be found in Jer 13:16; Eze 32:7, Eze 32:8; Rev 8:12. An interesting passage and most difficult of interpretation is Rev 12:1. It is frequently interpreted as a revelation in symbolism of the glory of the church clothed with the light and radiating the truth of God. See also ASTRONOMY; ASTROLOGY.

There is only one reference to the natural light of the moon-there will be no need of the moon to shine in the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev_21:23). The change in colour or obscuring of the moon denotes some great judgment, e.g. the moon will be turned into blood before the great Day of the Lord (Act_2:20). So again at the opening of the sixth seal ‘the moon became as blood’ (Rev_6:12). At the sounding of the fourth trumpet a third of the moon’s disk is obscured (Rev_8:12). In Rev_12:1 the woman who appears as a sign in heaven has the moon under her feet as a footstool (see Sun). In Col_2:16 St. Paul warns the Colossians to let no man judge them in respect of a holy day or of the new moon-a monthly festival of the Jews. These things had served their purpose under the old dispensation and were but shadows and types of the realities of the new. See Holy Day.

Morley Stevenson.

Son 6:10 (c) This orb is probably a type of the church. It may also be considered as a type of the Christian. It shines in and upon a dark world as we should do. It has no light of its own, but reflects beautifully the light of the sun. We have no light of our own, but reflect the light of the Son of GOD. When the shadow of the earth gets in the way, the light of the moon is hindered. So when worldliness enters and clouds the church, the light of her testimonies obscured.

From early times people recognized the importance of the moon, as well as the sun, in helping to produce a variety of weather and a cycle of regular seasons (Gen 1:14-18; Psa 104:19). Early calendars were based on the phases of the moon (see MONTH), and so were Israel’s annual religious festivals (see FEASTS). The new moon marked the beginning of the month, and the full moon the middle of the month (Lev 23:24; Lev 23:39).

The day of each new moon was a holy day on which the Israelite people offered sacrifices and held a feast. Like other holy days, it was announced by the blowing of trumpets (Num 10:10; Num 28:11; 1Sa 20:5; Ezr 3:5; Psa 81:3; Eze 46:1). The Israelites were guilty of the same wrong attitudes towards the ceremonies of the new moon as towards other religious ceremonies, and as a result God’s prophets condemned them (Isa 1:13-14; Hos 2:11; Amo 8:5; cf. Col 2:16; see also SABBATH).

God strictly prohibited any worshipping of the moon. Again there were times when the Israelites broke his commandment (Deu 4:19; 2Ki 23:4-5; Jer 8:1-2).