Rosh Chodesh Explained: God’s Calendar from Creation to the End of Times

Read the transcript below, or watch the video teaching by Samuel.

Rosh Chodesh, which means “head of the month,” signals the start of each new month in the Jewish luni-solar calendar. The months are determined by the lunar cycle, with each new month beginning when the first sliver of the moon is visible. This observance is grounded in Exodus 12, where God instructs Moses and Aaron to count the months beginning with the Exodus.

But long before the Exodus from Egypt, in fact at the very beginning, during the act of creation itself, we learn in Genesis 1:14 that God made the celestial bodies not only to distinguish between day and night, but also to be for signs, for appointed times, and for days and years.

So from the very beginning, God already set the framework for time itself, as well as for appointed times, or meetings, and even the rhythm of worship that we find throughout the Bible.

As mentioned before, in Exodus 12 God gives His people a calendar in which each month is defined by the cycle of the moon, and He lays the foundation for everything else on this calendar, such as the different biblical holidays, days of remembrance, and so forth.

In the book of Numbers, we read the command to blow the trumpets on Rosh Chodesh, along with instructions for special sacrifices for this day. From this, we see that Rosh Chodesh is a type of holiday that is connected to worship and celebration.

Moving beyond the Torah, throughout the Prophets and the Writings we find many stories, references, and even prophecies connected to Rosh Chodesh. I would like to highlight a few of them to give us an idea of its significance.

For example, in the book of Samuel we read an interesting story where David does not show up for the new moon celebration. This was a very big deal, because Rosh Chodesh held high importance as a communal event.

In 2 Kings 4:23, the conversation between the Shunammite woman and her husband shows us that Rosh Chodesh was seen as an appropriate time for seeking prophetic guidance.

Psalm 81:3 mentions the blowing of the trumpet at the New Moon as an act of worship, while the prophets Hosea and Isaiah condemn empty rituals on the New Moon, where people come to worship at the appointed time while their hearts and lives are full of wickedness, with seemingly no remorse.

After Israel’s exile, we read in the book of Ezra that the observance of the New Moon was reinstituted. In the book of Nehemiah, we see the people rededicating themselves to God and to His covenant, declaring:

In those ancient times, since the period of what we call the “Great Assembly,” which can be seen as an early form and a forerunner of the Sanhedrin, until the Sanhedrin was dissolved in the fourth century following heavy persecutions, the New Moon was confirmed by witnesses who physically saw it and reported to the council. Once confirmed, the new month was declared, and messengers were sent out to notify surrounding communities. This ensured that the appointed times, the moadim, such as Passover or Sukkot, could be observed on the correct day. Since then, the Jewish people have followed the calendar of Hillel the Second, instituted in the year 359 CE, that presented a system pre-calculating the new moon.

Even though Rosh Chodesh is not directly mentioned in the New Testament, the early believers ordered their lives according to the biblical calendar and recognized its importance. The cycle of the months guided their worship, their travel, and their celebration of the feasts.

Today, Rosh Chodesh is still considered a minor holiday. It is observed with special prayers in the synagogue and a Torah reading. Some communities also recite Birkat HaChodesh, a blessing for the upcoming month, on the Shabbat beforehand as a way to prepare.

Looking ahead, Ezekiel, in his future visions of a rebuilt Temple, references the observance of Rosh Chodesh several times. Isaiah also declares, immediately after his prophecy about the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, that in the latter days:

In the future, the New Moon will be a time of universal worship and acknowledgment of the one and only God of Israel, who is the God of all flesh.

No matter who we are, or what background we come from, in that day all of humankind will worship according to the rhythm of the calendar that God gave to His people. All of humanity will recognize that the God of Israel is the only God, the Maker of heaven and earth, to whom every knee will bow.

Rosh Chodesh reminds us to align ourselves with the rhythm God set in motion from the very beginning, a rhythm that has carried on from the past into the present, and will be the rhythm of all humankind in the future.