The Biblical New Year and 2004
A.D.
Recently I came across a New Year card that has been impressed on my
mind quite a lot. It has the picture of
a clock with the hands pointing to one minute before twelve o’clock. It has these words: “Time passes and years
change but our God is eternal.” The
Holy Bible states: “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb.
13:8) Since we believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ we shall have a share in His eternity because He is the only one who
gives us eternal life.
Many Christians
are not aware of it but there is a Biblical New Year and this is what I would
like to share with you. In the Creation
narrative we read: “Then God said, ‘Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and
let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years.” (Gen. 1:14) In His mighty powers and infinite wisdom the One True God
created the solar system with planets making complete revolutions around the
sun. Our earth takes 365¼ days to make
one complete revolution around the sun.
It is universally accepted to count 365 days in each year for three
years and 366 days on the fourth year that is called the leap year. 2004 is a leap year.
Since there is no fixed starting-point in the cycle of the year, we find
among different nations, religious and cultural groups, and among the same at
different epochs of their history, a great variety of dates with which the New
Year began. The opening of spring was a natural beginning, and in the Bible
itself there is a close relationship between the beginning of the year and the
seasons.
Among the Jews the first day of the seventh month, “Tishri “ (about the end of September), began
the civil or economic year with the blowing of the trumpets (Lev. 23:24; Num.
29:1). In the Holy Bible this day is
not mentioned as New Year's Day, but the Jews have called it “Rosh Hashannah” which means "head
of the year" in Hebrew.
The sacred year began with Nisan (early in April), a
later name for the Biblical “Abib”, i.e.
"month of new corn", and was
memorable because in this month the Lord thy God “brought you out of Egypt by night .” (Deut.
16:1). Barley ripens in Israel during
the early part of April; and thus the sacred year began with the harvest, the
civil year with the sowing of the crops.
There is a
Biblical New Year and here is how God has pointed the exact month for the year
to begin. “Now
the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ‘This month
shall be your beginning of the months; it shall be the first month of the year
to you.” (Ex. 12:1-2) The Passover falls on the fourteenth day of the First Month
(Lev. 23:5). The Bible also gives God’s
instructions on the activities in the New Year. “Then the LORD spoke to Moses,
saying: On the first day of the first
month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.” (Ex.
40:1-2) We find that it is not a one-time event. “Thus
Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. And it came to pass in the first month of
the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised
up.” (Ex. 40:16-17) The New Year
is the time to raise up or set the Church in order.
Although
the date of the New Year that is celebrated universally on January 1 differs
from the Biblical calendar but the counting of the years begins from the year
of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This year is 2004 A.D. that stands for Anno Domini meaning Year of our
LORD.
Some do not think Christians should celebrate the New Year on January 1
because it is not the biblical New Year.
Let us consider this. At present
the nation of Israel and Jews all over the world celebrate their civic New Year
“Rosh Hashanah" about six
months later than on the Biblical New Year.
Since the Jews
do not make a big issue about it Christians should not argue against
celebrating the New Year on January 1.
After all the New Year is purely a secular celebration that is
determined by the culture of that nation or ethnic group.
Some others also object to the months in the Gregorian calendar that
have pagan names. Let us try to understand the calendar is
only a system of calculating the days and months of the year and tells us when the
year begins and ends. Since the names
of the months in the Gregorian calendar do not affect the faith and salvation
of believers it should not be made an issue at all. We are living in the world where the Gregorian calendar is
recognized and used by most civilized nations.
New Year is a time of reflection, anticipation and
making resolutions. We reflect on the
year that is past and anticipate the year to come. But, probably the most common thing you hear about at the New
Year is resolutions. . . . things you hope to change.
Let us reflect on the past year.
How was your year? Just collect
your thoughts together for a moment and reflect on the past year. If in the past twelve months
you have received blessings, benefits, rewards and healings do give thanks to
the Lord Jesus Christ in the One True God.
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds
among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing
psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the
LORD! See the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous
works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.”
(Psm.105:1-5)
God wants His people to witness to the whole world about His
greatness and His goodness. The Church
should reflect on its efforts on evangelism and see what needs to be done to
make the Lord Jesus Christ and His truths be preached, received and be accepted
by the people all over the world.
“But recall the former days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; . . . Therefore
do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that
after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.“ (Heb. 10:32,
35-36)
Not every Christian has had a good year. Some have struggled to make a living, others
have struggled to stay healthy but they should continue to persevere in their
Christian faith and conduct. We don’t
usually think of suffering as good for us, but it can build our character and our
patience. During times of great stress,
we may feel God’s presence more clearly and find help from Christians we never
thought would care. Knowing that Jesus
is with us in our suffering and that He will return one day to put an end to
all pain helps us grow in our faith and our relationship with Him (Rom. 5:3-5).
Next, we would like to project our thoughts to the
future. What would
you like to do in the coming year? Here is the apostle Paul’s exhortation
on how to think about the future.
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected;
but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also
laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not
count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
(Phil. 3:12-14)
In a Christian’s life there are certain things that they can
reflect and recall from their past mistakes and learn how to make improvements
for the future. However, there are also
some other things that they would rather forget and hope they had never
happened. Those things either cause
pain or make them feel ashamed of themselves.
We have all done such things, and we live in the tension and stress of
what we have been and what we want to be.
Because our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, however, we can let go of
the past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Don’t dwell on the past. If 2003 had been a bad year for you, just write
it off as a bad dream. Wake up! You are
now in 2004.
Hope for a better year ahead and press forward.
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider
the things of old. Behold, I will do a
new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:18-19)
Our God is truly great!
Here is what God has promised you for the coming year!
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you
says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a
hope. Then you will call upon Me and go
and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart.” (Jer. 29:11-13)
A sermon based on
this article was preached by Paul Wong
during the Spiritual Convocation in Houston, Texas on January 3, 2004
For comments please write first to: ark@pdq.net
May God bless you
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Paul Wong is a Christian minister and the
President of ARK International. |
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