In the past few years, Light has begun to filter into God's Church to expose the Satanic deception regarding God's Biblical calendar and the postponement of the annual Sabbaths. It comes as no surprise to find Satan AGAIN creating confusion in the minds of those who have thrown back the blanket of deception the majority of God's Church is still smothering under. Many of those who have awakened to the great calendar lie of Judaism's teachings are confused regarding what constitutes the "new Moon" in God's Mind. There are those who sincerely, but erroneously, believe the month must begin with the "first visible crescent". Others correctly believe that the "dark, or invisible Moon" is the phase that begins the month. Still others believe other aspects of the Moon constitute the first day of every month. Adding more confusion to the issue is the division among proponents of the "dark Moon" regarding what moment of the dark Moon phase dictates the true New Moon - the first instant of darkness or the MEAN point of the dark phase. This article is written to dispel the notion that the "MEAN" dark Moon is the tool God gave His People to determine the true Biblical calendar.

Webster provides this definition for "mean," 1) Intervening, intermediate, a middle point between two extremes; 2) A value that lies within range of values; 3) About midway, near the average, occupy a middle position." For all practical purposes, the term "mean" is synonymous with "average."

Throughout the scientific community there is the ever present quest for improvements of old products and development of new ones. In order that one "build a better mouse trap," an evaluation is required with as little bias and human error as possible. In order to achieve an accurate and fair evaluation of any product and how it measures against its competition, various tests are developed to achieve uniform, standard and reasonably accurate comparisons. The industry wide testing methods used throughout the Cellulose and Paper Industry can serve to illustrate what is meant by the term "MEAN". This writer's experience [of 16 years] as a laboratory technician in a research and development laboratory of the Proctor and Gamble Company clearly shows that the "MEAN conjunction" fails to qualify as the "TRUE conjunction, or New Moon.

As an example, we might choose to know what is the maximum pull a binding tape, twine or cardboard can be expected to have under the conditions it is likely to encounter in industrial or home use. The "mean" value for such a pull is used as the maximum value for safety sake. Seven samples of the same material are uniformly pulled by machine until each snaps. There will always be a wide range of values in these seven tests, but which one is indicative of the "TRUE" value? The highest and lowest values are discarded on the premise that they do not reflect the true value because they are too divergent. The sum of the remaining five numbers is divided by five to reach an "average" - or "mean" - value that will be considered a "safe bet" for its reflecting the general strength of the material. The "average" or "mean" works very well in the scientific community, but does the "mean" reflect reality? It is important to notice that almost always, the "mean" never is an ACTUAL value, but a "mid-point" among values!

This mode of thinking pervades the scientific world and serves it quite well. There is no concern of an exact value that is true for all material everywhere because none exists! Closer to the nature of our problem, is the establishment of "MEAN" time! Greenwich, England lies on the meridian that serves to divide the Earth's day and provides the scientific community with what is know as "Greenwich MEAN time."

Using a sunrise and sunset table for the area in which I live, Memphis, Tennessee, I obtained both the "average" and the "mean" time for the 365 days in the year. With this many sunset times used, the "average" time for sunset and the "mean" time for sunset are identical to the nearest minute. The earliest time sun set in the Memphis area was 4:48 PM and the latest was 8:19 PM. The "mean" time for sunset in this area comes out as 6:50 PM. For a person living in this area to begin the Sabbath EVERY WEEK throughout the year at 6:50 PM is unacceptable according to the Sabbath command in the Scripture. As a matter of fact, a 6:50 PM sunset occurs in this area only two days in the entire year! The "mean" time for sunset is totally unrealistic. God's pattern established by beginning Sabbath every week at the instant of sunset tells us that He begins the month - every month, every year- consistently in the same manner. To use the "mean time" for beginning any event established by God is an unacceptable method and contrary to God's Word. The use of "mean" time to begin the Sabbath violates God's Law of the Sabbath. The Sabbath PATTERN, should force one to recognize that the use of the "mean" time for the first instant of a new Moon, or new month, violates that very pattern.

Who came first, God or the scientific community? Does God use "MEAN" time to determine the beginning of a day or the beginning of a month? How can we know that God did not authorize the Jews' use of the "molad", or "mean" conjunction as part of His calendar? God has provided the answer if we have the eyes to see.

Every successful artist, engineer, architect, and designer leaves an indelible stamp on his work. The Master Designer has demonstrated a "harmonized pattern" throughout His creative work. He instructs us in Lev. 23:32, "It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and you shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even to even, shall you celebrate your Sabbath." God is emphatic and clearly means the day is to begin with the last instant of direct sun. The instant, the uppermost curvature of the Sun touches the horizon for any given latitude and longitude, a NEW day begins. "He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down" ( Psa. 104:19). The law that establishes the instant of sunset for the beginning of Sabbaths sets the pattern for the new moon--the first instant of darkness.

The pattern in the sky is repeated with the Moon, which sets the beginning of the months. The month begins with the last instant of reflected light from the Sun! Another way of stating the same thing is: The month begins with the first instant of DARKNESS. Don't let Satan insert confusion with the indirect light of the Sun which lingers some thirty to sixty minutes after the new day has begun! The Sun's incredible brilliance is generated within itself and accounts for the afterglow of twilight - "between the two evenings." The Moon has no inherent light. The instant the Moon passes from the path of direct sunlight it becomes dark - invisible - and the "true" astronomical conjunction begins. This is the beginning instant of every new month and is proved by the astronomical pattern for the beginning of the day.

The "average" or "mean" time can not begin the month anymore than it can begin the day. No one in control of their faculties would expect to begin the Sabbath at 6 PM, or when the stars of a certain magnitude become visible, or by using the "mean" time for sunset in their locale! Sunset can vary over fours hours in the midsection of the United States through the seasons. To determine the "mean" time of sunset and therefore the beginning of Sabbath, would be in defiance of God's clear instructions. To use the "average" or "mean" point of the dark phase of the Moon for the beginning of months is to invent and reject God's pattern set in the sky.

With the waning Moon's crescent, we witness the end of a cycle. A new cycle begins with the first instant of the dark phase and a new month begins. That precise moment occurs on a given 24-hour day once every month dictating that day as the first day of the new month. The Jews have no power or authority to alter that astronomical fact! No man or group of men can declare less than 6 or 8 hours in a day after the "true conjunction," renders that day unfit to become the first day of the month and "push it off" until the next day!

The account of David's extraordinary relationship with Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20 indicates at least two singular aspects regarding the observance of the new Moon. The celebration of the new Moon was a formal one and observed by the head of state. It is not likely the nation did not follow the example. The occurrence of the new Moon was known to occur on the next day - the day before its event - which rejects the crescent from qualifying as the sign for the beginning of the month. It was known in advance. Some speculate that it was known in advance because they knew the day of the first crescent the previous month and it had to be one day different from the previous month.

Two things are wrong with that thought: 1) It is nothing more than speculation. One can just as easily speculate the opposite view with neither being proved by the speculation. 2) Those who accept that speculation as if it were fact are ignorant of the facts. They are assuming that the Jewish calendar is correct in regulating every other month perpetually in an alternating count of 29 and 30 days with exacting precision. The Jewish calendar is not nearly precise as imagined and has no agreement to the calendar referenced by Scripture in Genesis 7 and 8. The Jewish calendar in use for the past 1500 years has not only evolved during that period of time, but differs dramatically from the calendars [plural] in use by the Jews during Christ's ministry. Which calendar did Jesus use: A) the calendar of the Sadducees; B) the calendar of the Pharisees; C) the calendar of the Romans; D) the calendar of other opposing sects of the Jews; E) none of the above.

David was the "apple of God's eye" because of his intense love for God. He will reign over the nations of Israel in the Millennium. This man knew in advance when the "first instant" of the dark phase of the Moon was to occur and paid special attention to it on a regular basis. There is no indication that he delayed its observance until another day because there was less than 6 or 8 hours left in the day. There is no indication that he postponed God's Sabbaths for personal convenience.

Satan is desperately attempting to confuse God's Church once again. He is especially concerned with any who have awakened to the Jewish masquerade falsely called "God's Sacred Calendar". He is set upon inserting every weird and diverse consideration in the minds of God's Elect for the beginning of God's month which determines every annual Sabbath! Satan is his name and deception is his game. To believe that God uses "average" or "mean" time for the beginning of the month is no different then believing God uses "average" or "mean" time for the beginning of the day and thus the Sabbath.