Topical Bible: The Moon: Appointed for the Benefit of All

◄ The Moon: Appointed for the Benefit of All ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The moon, as described in the Holy Scriptures, holds a significant place in the created order, serving both practical and symbolic purposes. It is depicted as a celestial body appointed by God to govern the night and to serve as a sign for seasons, days, and years.

Creation and Purpose

The moon was created by God on the fourth day of creation, as recorded in Genesis 1:14-18 : "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.' And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good."

The moon, referred to as the "lesser light," is thus established as a ruler of the night, providing illumination and marking time. Its cyclical phases are integral to the lunar calendar, which has been used historically by various cultures, including the Israelites, to determine the timing of religious festivals and agricultural activities.

Symbolism and Significance

In addition to its practical functions, the moon holds symbolic significance in the Bible. It is often associated with the constancy and faithfulness of God's creation. Psalm 89:37 states, "like the moon, established forever, a faithful witness in the sky." This verse highlights the moon as a testament to God's enduring covenant and the reliability of His promises.

The moon also serves as a metaphor for the transient nature of earthly glory. In Isaiah 24:23 , it is written, "The moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory." Here, the moon's light is overshadowed by the divine glory of God, emphasizing the supremacy of the Creator over His creation.

Prophetic and Eschatological References

The moon is frequently mentioned in prophetic and eschatological contexts, often symbolizing significant cosmic events that accompany divine intervention. Joel 2:31 prophesies, "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." This imagery is echoed in the New Testament, in Revelation 6:12 , where the opening of the sixth seal results in a great earthquake, and "the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red."

These passages underscore the moon's role as a harbinger of God's judgment and the fulfillment of His redemptive plan. The transformation of the moon's appearance serves as a divine signal, alerting humanity to the imminence of the Lord's return and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.

Cultural and Religious Observances

The moon's phases have historically influenced the timing of religious observances in the Jewish calendar. The new moon, or Rosh Chodesh, marks the beginning of each month and is celebrated with special offerings and prayers, as outlined in Numbers 28:11-15 . The full moon is associated with significant feasts such as Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, which are pivotal events in the Jewish liturgical year.

In summary, the moon is a divinely appointed celestial body that serves multiple purposes within the biblical narrative. It is a source of light, a marker of time, a symbol of God's faithfulness, and a prophetic sign of His ultimate sovereignty. Through its presence and phases, the moon reflects the order and intentionality of God's creation, benefiting all of humanity by guiding both temporal and spiritual rhythms.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 4:19
And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD your God has divided to all nations under the whole heaven.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

To Olympias. Why do You Lament? Why do You Belabour Yourself...
... midnight, a dark, murky night without a moon"a circumstance ... one is that a bishop
should be appointed by these ... from me, and his presence is a great benefit. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/to olympias why do you.htm

The Physical Theory Continued Further Reasons Advanced against the ...
... year with its stated periods; the moon, which is ... proper distances, and at equal
intervals"appointed in the ... you experience from them either benefit or injury ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter v the physical theory continued.htm

On the Words, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all Things visible ...
... not only at the arrangement of sun and moon, but also ... it, that it has not passed
its appointed bounds. ... Or canst thou learn all the benefit which proceeds from ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture ix on the words.htm

God did not Make Evil, nor is He at all in any Way the Author of ...
... then say that He asserted that the moon was absolutely ... God appointed this as an example
and introduction to ... and abateth his strength for the benefit of such as ...
/.../methodius/from the discourse on the resurrection/part i god did not.htm

A Treatise to Prove that no one Can Harm the Man who Does not ...
... are universal; and the judges who are appointed to reform such ... nor sunshine, nor
phases of the moon, nor climate ... living at home and enjoying the benefit of all ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/a treatise to prove that.htm

According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections ...
... extended the capacity to partake of the benefit of Christ's ... and so do wickedly, as
a means appointed by God to ... the outward world, the sun and moon, the greater ...
/.../proposition vi according to which.htm

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the ...
... importance for us to know what benefit thence redounds ... and observe the ministry which
Christ has appointed for the ... day, and the ordinances of the moon and of ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 of the true.htm

How a Prop of the Church on which Bishop Aidan was Leaning when He ...
... preserving the memory thereof for the benefit of the ... through ignorance of the canonical
time appointed, or, if ... imagine, on the fourteenth of the moon, like the ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xvii how a prop.htm

Three Things Briefly to be Regarded in Christ --viz. His Offices ...
... It shall be established for ever, as the moon, and as ... calls him Lord, the Father
having appointed him over ... the power which he possesses as the benefit and gift ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 15 three things briefly.htm

In the Meantime, Augustine, with the Help of King Ethelbert...
... but from the fourteenth to the twentieth moon; which computation ... to the British bishops,
found no benefit or healing ... time a synod might be appointed, at which ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap ii in the meantime.htm