Topical Bible: Years: The Sun and Moon Appointed to Mark Out

◄ Years: The Sun and Moon Appointed to Mark Out ►

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In the biblical narrative, the concept of years is intrinsically linked to the celestial bodies, particularly the sun and the moon, which God appointed to mark the passage of time. This divine appointment is first mentioned in the creation account in Genesis, where God establishes the sun and moon as timekeepers for humanity.

Creation and Purpose

The Book of Genesis provides the foundational understanding of how years are marked. On the fourth day of creation, God set the sun and moon in the sky to serve specific purposes. Genesis 1:14-18 states: "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 govern the day and the lesser light to govern 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."

This passage highlights the intentional design of the sun and moon to delineate time, including years. The greater light, the sun, governs the day, while the lesser light, the moon, governs the night. Together, they establish the rhythm of time that includes the cycle of years.

The Lunar and Solar Calendars

Throughout biblical history, the marking of years has been observed through both lunar and solar calendars. The Hebrew calendar, which is primarily lunar, reflects the importance of the moon in marking time. The phases of the moon were used to determine the months, which in turn contributed to the calculation of years. This is evident in the observance of feasts and festivals, which were often tied to specific times of the year as dictated by the lunar cycle.

The solar calendar, on the other hand, is more directly associated with the sun's position and the changing seasons. The agricultural cycles in ancient Israel were closely linked to the solar year, as the sun's movement determined the seasons for planting and harvest.

Biblical Festivals and the Year

The marking of years is also significant in the context of biblical festivals and the religious calendar. Leviticus 23 outlines the appointed feasts of the Lord, which are to be observed at specific times of the year. These include Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these festivals is tied to the agricultural and lunar cycles, demonstrating the integration of celestial timekeeping with religious observance.

Prophetic Significance

In addition to their practical function, the sun and moon also hold prophetic significance in marking years. The Bible contains numerous prophecies that involve celestial signs, often using the sun and moon as symbols of divine intervention and judgment. For example, in Joel 2:31 , it is written: "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." Such imagery underscores the role of the sun and moon not only in marking time but also in signaling significant eschatological events.

Conclusion

The appointment of the sun and moon to mark years is a testament to God's orderly design and sovereignty over time. Through these celestial bodies, God provides a consistent and reliable means for humanity to measure the passage of time, observe religious practices, and anticipate prophetic fulfillment.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 1:14
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Friend Whose Years do not Fail. Rev. W. Arthur, MA
... those lights "for signs and for seasons and for days and for years." He might ... well
as you know your own bedroom; but there is neither sun nor moon nor star ...
/.../king/the wesleyan methodist pulpit in malvern/the friend whose years do.htm

The Meaning
... by months, according to the motion of the moon, but that of ... persevering in the faith
of Christ, by years and days, with reference to the motion of the sun. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the meaning 3.htm

How the Abbot Ceolfrid Sent Master-Builders to the King of the ...
... length of time, even to five hundred and thirty-two years, if they ... expiration of
which, all that appertains to the succession of sun and moon, month and ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxi how the abbot.htm

Joseph, the Prime Minister
... Joseph's thirteen years of trial, crowned with sudden prosperity, may read all of ...
look after a jail even though we have dreamed of sun and moon bowing down ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/joseph the prime minister.htm

On the Creation of the World
... Understanding; when it made land and sea, Counsel; when it made sun and moon and
other ... day and night; and by these hours too, months, and years, and seasons ...
/.../victorinus/on the creation of the world/on the creation of the.htm

Christianity a Light.
... as the moon shines by the light of the sun. ... A few years ago, one beautiful Sunday
summer evening, as we ... to an appointed meeting, we observed the moon rising in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter i christianity a light.htm

The Fourth vision "In Heaven"
... most fitting interpretation of the sign of the sun, moon and twelve ... all the babes
in Bethlehem under two years of age ... of that awful being has an appointed season ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the fourth vision in heaven.htm

Heralds of the Morning
... recorded by the prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfillment:
"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 17 heralds of the.htm

"The Sun of Righteousness"
... the church's joy and hope in the present and for all years to come ... or comeliness,
blazed forth with renewed splendor, such as confounded both sun and moon. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the sun of righteousness.htm

God's World
... and corn, and wine and oil"of the sun and moon ... of God as "He," saying, "He appointed
the moon," and so ... the water for years and thousands of years, every little ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon i gods world.htm