thewayneiac: As in Cut 209, the writers acknowledge here that the Rei/Moon symbolism is deliberate. So much for the people who think that Lilith was thrown in at the last-second.
FreakyFilmFan4ever: No doubt, they had plans for Lilith down the line. However before Lilith is introduced, this shot merely strangely relaxes the audience after the battle, as if the contrast from the sun at the beginning of the episode was a good thing. The music and the cutting to the "To Be Continued" title card in the next shot would be the only tip off to the first-time viewers that there's something more to the moon than meets the eye, especially during what otherwise feels like a nice conclusion to the battle.
thewayneiac: Script directions that foreshadow things to the writers don't neccessarily have to be meaningful to the viewers.
Additional Commentary
Azathoth: At a guess, Rei was still planned to be Lilith in her entirety at this point, unrelated to the white giant in Terminal Dogma.
thewayneiac: I've never seen any convincing evidence that Anno didn't always intend to make the giant Lilith.
Leighton: I think Rei is more associated with the Black Moon (being a vessel for Lilith) but that would just make the animation ridiculously weird if they used a black moon to symbolise the connection. Im going to far again - it probably just emphasises her relation to be a Seed of Life
thewayneiac: But the moon was created when the Black Moon crashed into Earth. Also, only the outer shell of the moon is First Impact rubble. The inner core of the moon is the vehicle that that transported the Black Moon to Earth. So the moon itself is intimately associated with Rei.
