July/August 2004

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BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>July/August 2004</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>DOES AT MEAN AFTER? </B></div> <div> James Russell, Elder </div> <div> To God's scattered Brethren, </div> <div> Greetings from Southern California. I owe some of you an apology for having to send a re-print copy of the "Prove All Things" magazine instead of an original, upon your recent requests. Over the past few months we have had heavier than usual requests for back issues and our special "Calendar" issue which we have sent out to each new subscriber since 2001. Another area of concern is the City of Corona is getting a new telephone area code as of July 17, 2004. Our new area code will be 951, so our new Church number will be 951-737-0559. This new area code number will include fax numbers and cell phone numbers! </div> <div> Twelve years ago when the Church of God, In Truth started, there was a question I addressed that dealt with "Why don't we always keep the new moon after the vernal equinox to count God's Holy Days from; so the Feast of Tabernacles will always fall on, or after the autumnal equinox?" That is a fair question. </div> <div> To answer a question like that, I knew the answer would have to come from God's Word. I knew secular history tells us Easter occurred on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The reason for the change by the Council of Nicaea in 325AD, was the Romans did not want to keep Eastre [Easter] on the same day and at the same time as true Christians and the Jews kept their Passover. This would indicate that Passover in 325 AD, was kept on or just after the vernal equinox. </div> <div> We find God telling Moses in Exodus 12:2, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." This beginning month, Moses named "Abib" ["green ears"]. "This day came ye out in the month Abib" (Exo. 13:4). Abib always came in part of March and the first part of April. The pagan, Roman "Easter" or "Passover" always fell in the middle of this month Abib. </div> <div> The word "beginning" in Exodus 12:2 is the same word used in Genesis 1, verse1. "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth." The meaning or definition of "beginning" in both of these verses is identified by Strong's numbers 7225 and 7218: "1). First in place; 2). Time order of rank; 3). Chief-est; 4). First-fruits; 5). Principal thing." </div> <div> It seems clear God starts His calendar from the beginning. He starts the first day of the first month from the beginning of a dark moon [called "new" moon in scripture]. [If you have not done so already, please request our special calendar issue for detailed explanation.] "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Gen 1:1-5). God starts counting days for Passover from this new moon, knowing the Days of Unleavened Bread that follows Passover will be just hours away from a full moon, and the Vernal equinox that always falls a few days after the middle of March - usually on March the 20th or 21st. God nowhere in His Holy Word tells us to wait for a second full moon after the vernal equinox to recognize that it's the Day of Unleavened Bread. </div> <div> Next year, 2005, April 8th is the new moon after the vernal equinox, making April 22nd the first day of Unleavened Bread and April 28th the last day of Unleavened Bread. If you look at a moon calendar, you will find the first full moon on March 26th is six days after the vernal equinox. The second full moon for the year 2005 is on April 24th - 36 days after the vernal equinox - when the weather is beginning to heat up in Israel. </div> <div> In 1994 the Church of God, In Truth, ran an article in its "Prove All Things" Newsletter, titled "Which Day Did Christ Die?" In this article we wrote on pages 12 and 13, Climate is a factor. Here in Southern California, we have a climate almost identical to that of Jerusalem. Unger' Bible Dictionary, 1988 Edition, on page 676 says, "The climate, being high in elevation and fanned by the afternoon breeze from the Mediterranean, Jerusalem has a mean temperature of 63 degrees. However, the temperature can mount to 100 degrees in summer and drops to 25 degrees in the winter." A similar condition exists in Southern California which we call Santa Ana winds or conditions. In the book entitled "The Land of The People of Israel", page 19, says: "Israel's most trying weather condition is caused by the Khamsins. These are hot winds from the eastern deserts that blow across the country for several days at a time during the spring and autumn months." On page 12, says: "The sere brown hills of Southern California lie in the same latitude as the buff-colored mountains of Judea!" Israel, like California, has a special kind of glorious, life-giving sunshine, month after month of cloudless blue skies. </div> <div> The book of Mark, Luke and John, indicates that it was cold when Christ was crucified. "And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire" (Mark 14:54). "And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth" (Mark 14:67). "And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them (Luke 22:55). "And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself" (John 18:18). It is unlikely that it would be cold enough at April 25th to need a fire. Wood to burn, was hard to come by in Jerusalem during that time. Mostly, they burned sticks which were gathered outside the city and carried on someone's or some donkey's back. They didn't burn it unless it was cold which was not probable on April 25th." </div> <div> As we can see from scripture, Christ's trial was during the cold, early spring weather. I check Jerusalem weather quite often against ours here in Southern California and have found it is usually about 5 to 10 degrees less than ours here. By the last part of April and the beginning of May, our temperatures were between 90 and 105 degrees and Jerusalem was about 10 degrees less. </div> <div> People who always keep the new moon after the spring equinox for the first month will be keeping Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread at a time when it's too hot according to the witnesses of Mark and Luke in the New Testament. If we count for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread from the vernal equinox for the year 2005, which occurs on March 20th, we find their Passover to be on April 21st and Unleavened Bread ending on April 28th. Counting from the Vernal equinox to their Passover is 33 days and the last day of Unleavened Bread 40 days past the vernal equinox. With a Biblical month only being 30 days, this puts those keeping these dates for Passover and Unleavened Bread observing the second Passover! This same year 2005, the Last Great Day will be kept on October 23rd- 31 days past the autumnal equinox. Using these same calculation for other years, show some will be keeping God's Last Great Day in the month of November - a time in Israel when they are beginning to have light rain showers [not harvest time]. </div> <div> Now keeping these same Holy Days from the new moon nearest the vernal equinox in 2005, and starting our count from the beginning of a year, not from the middle of the year as the Hebrew Calendar does, we find the Passover will be on March 23rd, and the first day of Unleavened Bread will be on March 24rd, just 4 days away from the vernal equinox and this keeps God's Last Great Day on September 24th, 1 day away from the autumnal equinox. [See chart on page 6, for comparison.] </div> <div> When Moses went up to Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him "...see the work of the Lord; for it is an awe-inspiring thing that I will do with you. Observe you that which I commanded you this day...." (Exo 34:10- 11). The Lord continued to say, "And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end ["turn"]" (Ex 34:22). We are to keep God's autumn Holy Days as close as we can to this autumnal equinox ["turn," Heb." tkufaw"]. The word "at" in verse 22 does not mean "on or after," but as close as we can! Webster's Dictionary defines "at": 1). "Used as a function word to indicate presence or occurrence in or near a party; 2). Used as a function word to indicate the goal or indicated action or motion." </div> <div> If we always count from the new moon after the Spring equinox or Autumnal equinox for God's appointed time, we would be keeping many times both Passover and God's Feast of Tabernacles too late in the year - away from the turn ["tkufaw"], that God requires us to be "AT" (Exo. 34:22). </div> <div> One other very important point we must all consider is Psalms 104:19, " He appointed the moon for seasons [appointed times, place, meeting # 4150]: the sun knoweth his going down." God set the moon to tell us when His appointed Feast days would be. This responsibility was never given to the sun, to set God's annual Sabbaths! From one vernal equinox to the next vernal equinox is the most accurate way to measure a year, but God set the moon to tell us when to keep His Holy Days [appointed times]! When we keep the new moon nearest the Vernal equinox, we will always keep both the Passover in its appointed time and the Feast of Tabernacles "at" the turn of the year [Autumnal equinox]. </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Church of God, In Truth </div> <div> P.O. BOX 2109 </div> <div> CORONA, CA. 92878 USA </div> <div> TEL: 951-737-0559 </div> <div> FAX: 951-279-7302 </div> <div> e-mail address: cogit@flash.net </div> <div> WEB PAGE: </div> <div> www.postponements.com </div> <div> Sabbath and Holy Day </div> <div> Services meet at 11:30 AM, Pacific time zone Internet service 11:30 AM, Pacific time zone </div> <div> Telephone Conference line: 617-328-1785 www.postponements.com Click on live sermons access code "428" </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>