New Month Celebrations
by Paul Jablonowski
May 19, 2013
Happy Pentecost!
Pentecost is a time of birthing new things. The nation of Israel was birthed on the first Pentecost in Sinai when Moses received the law. About 1,500 years later the Church was birthed on the first Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead. I know of several modern day ministries that were started on Pentecost because Pentecost is God's time for anointing and sending.
This year on Pentecost weekend, I was privileged to see two different women anointed and "sent out" in ministry. I wrote about releasing women in ministry in my last newsletter on Passover. Since Passover and Pentecost are connected, my Passover and Pentecost newsletters often are connected in theme. Here is an excellent video "Passover to Pentecost" by Mark Biltz which explains the connection of these two Spring festivals that celebrate the Barley and Wheat harvests respectively.
Two friends and I were able to pray for Diane Dornberger (Red Warrior is Indian name) to be released into a ministry of intercession and reconciliation. Several more of us encouraged Esther Love in her ministry to children at a local community center where we held a Pentecost dinner. These are just two of many women that I know Yahweh is anointing and sending into the harvest fields in our generation.
Personally, I was released this Pentecost to begin monthly meetings on the "new months." This may sound strange to hold a special meeting at the beginning of each month, but it is very biblical and something that we will do during the millennium according to Ezekiel who saw the millennial temple in its full operation. This temple, which has not yet been built, will be a "teaching center" for a thousand years. Here are a few scriptures from Ezekiel which talk about the New Month celebrations and the glory of God which will accompany this:
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The east gateway of the inner courtyard will be closed during the six workdays each week, but it will be open on Sabbath days and the days of New Month celebrations." Ez. 46:1
"Then it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the New Months, the Sabbaths, and at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel." Ez. 45:17
"He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell on my face." Ez. 44:4
David celebrated the New Months with dinner feasts (1 Samuel 20:5,18,24), and the Levites offered special sacrifices on the New Months (2 Chronicles 8:13, 31:3). Both Ezra and Nehemiah celebrated the New Month when they restored the temple worship in their day (Ezra 3:5, Nehemiah 10:33). Likewise, we will be honoring the new months with our sacrifices of praise and worship to the LORD.
Like Pentecost, the New Months are times of new beginnings. We all need refreshing, revival and renewing in certain aspects of our walk with Jesus and these appointed times of new month celebrations allow for such cleansing, rededication and remembrance. This is why Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us not to forsake assembling together for fellowship. I wrote in chapter 2 of my book exactly how the Scriptures show we are to assemble. Below is a chart from this 2001 writing where the New Month celebrations fit in the Scriptural matrix as tribal meetings.
Isaiah 66:22-23 indicates that these New Month worship times will be celeberated forever in the Kingdom: ""For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Month to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the LORD.""
To be led by the Holy Spirit is the most important factor in honoring these times. I don't have full understanding of how or what to be doing at these monthly meetings, but I do know that it is time to start gathering. I would encourage others to seek the LORD about meeting on the New Month in your local areas. We try to meet on or around the day of the new month according to God's calendar.
A few things that we usually do at these meetings is share a meal together, worship in song and blow the shofar (ram's horn): "Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Month... on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 81:3-4). The new month is called a "feast" day and it is a time for celebration!