Objection # 1:
Traveling was commanded on the 15th
of the month, which you regard as a weekly Sabbath. The 15th can’t be a weekly
Sabbath:
“And it came to pass on the
twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken
up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. And the children of Israel took
their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the
wilderness of Paran.… And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’
journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three
days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them” (Numbers 10:11, 12, 33).
Again, an immense amount of work was directly commanded to be done on the
22nd day of the month proving this was not a Sabbath.
WLC response:
The
journey which began on the twentieth day of the second month (Numbers 10:11) is
called in Scripture a “three day journey.” The statement is made that verse 33
says the Israelites would journey three days to search out a place to rest, but
the Bible does not say this. It rather
calls the journey a three days’ journey. “What is the difference?” you might
ask.
31Now
a wind went out from YHWH, and it brought quail from the sea and left them
fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s
journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the
surface of the ground.
Notice
carefully that this quail was two days journey, but the children of Israel
gathered them a day and a half according to Numbers 11:32a, which tells us:
32And
the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and
gathered the quail…
It
took the people a day and a half to gather two days journey worth of quail. How
in the world can this be done? It is possible because a day’s journey is not
speaking of a twenty-four hour period, but rather a unit of measurement. In
other words, one day’s journey equaled a distance traveled. Smiths Bible Dictionary has this to say
concerning the phrase.
…the
day’s journey was the most usual method of calculating distances in traveling,
Gen. 30:36, 31:23; Ex. 3:18, 5:3; Num. 10:33, 11:31, 33:8; Deut. 1:2; 1 Kings
19:4; 2 Kings 3:9; Jonah
3:3; 1 Macc. 5:24, 7:45; Tobit 6:1, though but one instance of it occurs in the
New Testament - Luke 2:44. The ordinary day’s journey among the Jews was 30
miles; but when they traveled in
companies, only ten miles. Neapolis formed the first stage out of Jerusalem
according to the former and Beeroth according the latter computation.
(Reference below)
According
to Mr. Smith, Numbers 10:11 is meant to be taken as Israel was about to embark
on a 30 mile journey. This journey could be accomplished in less than three
days. Just think about the passage in regards to the quail. Not only did Israel
travel the length which the quail were, but also gathered them in the process;
a whole two cubits high worth of them!
We
might also mention that the Bible speaks of a Sabbath day’s journey (Acts
1:12). This, too, was simply a distance or measurement, which one was allowed
to travel on the Sabbath. Although this was probably an interpretive
restriction, it was most likely followed by the Israelites of the first
century.
I should further point out that there is nothing
in the text that tells us we should believe the entire three-day’s journey was
accomplished before the Sabbath of the 22nd. They could have stopped on the
Sabbath, and then picked up their journey where they had left off. A sister in
our local assembly gave the example of a trip to California. She stated that
from Georgia to California in a car would take three days. However, if you
stopped off somewhere and stayed a few days to “see the sights” it may take you
five or six days to get to California. Does this mean from Georgia to
California is not a journey of three days? Not at all. Keep in mind that those
who believe in a continuous seven-day cycle with no interruption have no choice
but to have the Israelites marching around the walls of Jericho on the Sabbath.
Yet they try to use a traveling argument against lunar Sabbatarians. This is
inconsistent argumentation.
1 A Dictionary of the Bible,
by William Smith, 1986, pg. 740.
From
the book (Why Weekly Sabbath Days are Determined by the Moon, by Arnold Bowen)
Objection #2:
Food preparation commanded on the
8th day of the month:
For forty years the Israelites were taught not to prepare food on the Sabbath.
The manna was still falling on this day. Then Joshua commanded, “Pass through
the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within
three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which
the LORD your God giveth you to possess it” (Joshua 1:11). “And it came to pass
after three days, that the officers went through the host; And they commanded
the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God,
and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place,
and go after it” (Joshua 3:2, 3). “And the people came up out of Jordan on the
tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of
Jericho” (Joshua 4:19). The Israelites were commanded to prepare food on the
8th day of the first month, and they crossed the Jordon on the third day
afterward, the 10th day of the month. Again, we find that the 8th day was not a
Sabbath.
WLC response:
InJoshua 1:11, it is assumed that on the 8th day of the month
Israel was commanded to prepare victuals before entering the land of Promise on
Abib 10. Reasoning that the 8th cannot be a Sabbath because
YHWH would never ask Israel to cook on the Sabbath (which is true, but this did
not occur on the 8th). Here is the verse…
Pass through the host,
and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall
pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which YHWH your Mighty One
giveth you to possess it. Joshua 1:11
The math employed to come
up with Abib 8 as the day to prepare victuals is wrong. It would be nice
to agree, but we have a simple math problem. From dawn on the 8th
to dawn on the 10th is only TWO 24 hour periods, not
three.
Joshua 1:11 says that on a certain day Joshua gave the
command to prepare food because within THREE days they would cross the
Jordan. Then it is shown in Joshua 4:19 that Israel indeed entered
the land on the 10th day of the month.
If the command was given
on the 8th, then count forward three days from the 8th, 8
+ 3 = 11, not 10. I think that pretty well settles this point. The
10th of Abib is TWO days later if counting from the 8th not
three. So, Israel cooked on the 7th day of the month,
interestingly, this is preparation day for the Sabbath. There is always
harmony in the truth.
Objection #3:
The Wave sheaf in Joshua 5
“And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the
first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out
with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians” (Numbers 33:3). The morrow
after the Passover is the fifteenth day of the month.
“And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover,
unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day” (Joshua 5:11). The
Septuagint says, “And they ate of the grain of the earth unleavened and new
corn.” “And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn
of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did
eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Joshua 5:12). Note: The
manna came on the day they ate of the new corn, “the morrow after the passover”
(Joshua 5:11), “the fifteenth day of the first month.” (Numbers 33:3).
Therefore the fifteenth could not have been a Sabbath, for no manna fell on
Sabbath.
WLC response:
When Comparing Joshua
5:10-12 with Leviticus 23:10-14 which says to wave the sheaf on the
morrow after the Sabbath, we find that the Passover was on the 14th
of Abib and that the wave sheaf was performed the day (Abib 16) after the Sabbath. This
proves that the 15th of Abib in Joshua 5:11 was the weekly Sabbath.
11. And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahuwah, to
be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall
wave it. Leviticus 23:11
10. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal,
and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the
plains of Jericho.
11. And they did eat of the old corn of the land
on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn
in the selfsame day.
12. And the manna ceased on the morrow after
they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel
manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. Joshua 5:10-12
Joshua 5: 10 says that
Passover was on the 14th.
Joshua 5:11 says that on
the 15th they ate from the old corn of the land, we know that the 15th
is the Sabbath from Leviticus 23:11.
Joshua 5:12 says that
manna ceased on the 16th which was the first day of the week, and
not on the 15th.
Objection #4:
David eating the Shewbread
“So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the
second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had
done him shame. And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into
the field at the time appointed [4150 moed] with David [the 3rd day of the
month], and a little lad with him” (1 Samuel 20:34, 35). David and Jonothan met
on the 3rd day of the month. Then David took a three day journey to where he
met Ahimelech the priest, asking for food.
“And the priest answered David, and
said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if
the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the
priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these
three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and
the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the
vessel. So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but
the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day
when it was taken away” (1 Samuel 21:4-6). The changing of the showbread only
took place on the Sabbath. The priest said that it was sanctified that same day
in the vessel. (Leviticus 24:8, 9). David departed from Jonathan on the third
day of the month. He told the priest that he had been traveling for three days,
and the day on which they met was a Sabbath day. That makes the 5th day of the
month a Sabbath day.
WLC response:
Leviticus 24:8-9 says that there had to be bread continually
on Yahuwah’s table (12 loaves in number); this is further supported by Numbers
4:7. So, the bread (12 loaves) was there on the table the whole time from
Sabbath to Sabbath. But on the Sabbath it was changed with new hot 12 loaves of
bread and the old 12 loaves were then and only then given to be eaten by the
priests. By giving hallowed bread to David from off Yahuwah’s table the priest
didn’t only err in giving that which was only allocated to be eaten by the priests
but he also broke another command by taking away 5 loaves out of the 12 before
the Sabbath day had arrived on the 8th of the month.
Objection #5:
Jesus healed the blind man on
Sabbath, the 23rd day of the month:
“In the last day, that great [3173 - Megas] day of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” (John 7:37)
I know some claim that this was the seventh day of the feast instead of the
eighth, but then why is it called “great”? And if the seventh day of the feast
is the last day, why is there a day following that is called “the eighth day”
(Numbers 29:35). The word great (Megas) is also used in John 19:31 where the
Sabbath that coincided with the first day of unleavened bread was called a
“high” (megas) day. It is clear to me that “the last day of the feast” was the
22nd day of the month, and the following day is when Jesus healed a man on
Sabbath.
WLC response:
John 7:2 to John
9:14. You can read the whole narrative.
Here is a short commentary…
7:37 – Yahushua spoke during
the last great day (John 7:2 says this was the feast of Tabernacles.)
7:43-53 – There was
contention between the people and the religious authorities. After which
every one went home.
8:1 – Yahushua went to the
Mount of Olives.
Some taught that the
Eighth day of the Feast, Tishri 22, is the last great day of Tabernacles.
Scripture apparently does not teach this. Leviticus 23:34-36 says
that Tabernacles begins on the 15th day of the seventh month and is a seven
day feast. Count the days…
15
16 17 18
19 20 21
The EIGHTH day was a holy
convocation, a day added to the seven day feast. The eighth day would be
the 22nd day of the seventh month. Let’s see what Scripture calls the day
after the last day of the feast.
8:2 – The next day (the
22nd of the month), Yahushua returned to the temple. (Why? We shall soon
see…) There, another lengthy debate took place…
8:59 – …After which Yahushua
was nearly stoned, but He passed through…
9:1 – as Yahushua left the
temple, He passed by a blind man….read John 9:14: “Now it was
the Sabbath when Yahushua made the clay and opened his eyes.”
Yahushua returned to the
temple because it was the Sabbath. The last day of the SEVEN day feast is
the 21st of the seventh month. The eighth day was the day
AFTER the last great day. This proves that the 22nd day of the
7th month was and is the weekly Sabbath, just like it says in Leviticus
23. A weekly Sabbath, not an annual Sabbath. And
Yahushua attested to this fact--without protest, we might add.
Yahushua, His disciples and
all of Israel observed this Sabbath, not as part of the seven day feast, but as
the EIGHTH day. The “eighth day” is sometimes used as a Hebrew idiom. It
means the weekly Sabbath in some instances in Scripture.
Nowhere in the Torah or
the prophets is the 8th day of this festival called the last great
day. And in fact, it is not called that in the NT either. Here is a
literal translation of how John 7:37 looks like?
And in the last day of
the great feast, Yahushua stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him
come to Me and drink.
The last day of a seven
day feast is the seventh day, unless one can come up with something that proves
the 7th really means 8th. The 8th day is
connected to the feast for sure, but can one prove from Scripture that it is
included as part of the 7 days of Tabernacles? We can’t cram 7 days in to
the 7 days from the 15th to the 21st. If one fits
an 8th day into that 7 day feast, then he/she is adding to
Torah. Deuteronomy 4:2.
The Passover lamb was
only prescribed for Abib 14. The seven lambs, a bullock, ram and goat are
prescribed for the day after Tabernacles, the eighth day. What’s the
problem? It was a special day on the calendar no different than Passover,
the first day of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, Trumpets, and Day of
Atonement. All these days had sacrifices that were offered in addition to
the regularly scheduled sacrifices. If the eighth day is part of
Tabernacles, then WHY the sacrifices did not drop down to 6 bullocks, kindly
see Numbers 29:12-35? And WHY weren’t the Israelites still
living in booths on that day?
Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths. Leviticus
23:42
We can’t ignore the
obvious, that Feast of Tabernacles is called a SEVEN day feast THREE times in Leviticus
23 alone (23:34-36, 23:39 and 23:41-42) in order to come up
with the above objection. The day after the last day of Tabernacles is
the 8th day, it was also the 22nd day of the month, not
the 23rd.
The 15th is a
Sabbath. The eighth day (22nd day of the month) was not part
of Tabernacles it is an additional day APART from Tabernacles, yet it is a
Sabbath every year.
Looks like this:
1 2
3
4
5
6 7 8
9
10 11 12
13 14 15
16
17
18
19
20 21 22
23
24
25
26
27 28 29 (30)
Objection #6:
Paul and the feast of Unleavened
bread:
Acts 20:6, 7 “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened
bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And
upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued
his speech until midnight.” When we count the days backward we find that Paul
actually traveled over the Sabbath, which was accidental, for he planned on
arriving in Troas before the Sabbath. It was 130 miles from Philippi to Troas,
a trip that could be easily done in two days going less than 3 miles per hour.
Paul made this same trip in two days at another time. (Acts 16:11, 12).
WLC response:
Unleavened Bread ends on
the 21st. The Sabbath is the 22nd. So how was
Paul going to get to Troas in two days and not travel on the Sabbath? Why
not just read what is there without adding anything.
This passage totally
destroys the notion of a satyrday Sabbath.
In Acts 20:5-7, Paul
took five days to get to Troas after the last day of Unleavened Bread, which is
Abib 21. So he arrived on the 26th day of Abib then stayed 7
days. We know that Passover is on the 6th day of the Israelite week,
followed by the 15th (the weekly Sabbath and first day of Unleavened
Bread). This passage is a stumbling block for those who cling to the
Gregorian calendar because there is no way to “create” or force the end of the
7 day stay to fall on the first day of the week successfully. We don’t
force anything; we accept it for what it says.
Please read Acts 20:5-7
and put these dates on the calendar.
These going before
tarried for us at Troas.
And we sailed away from
Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in
five days; where we abode seven days.
And upon the first day of
the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto
them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. Acts 20:5-7
Here is a Gregorian calendar
format with Abib 14 and Abib 15 in the appropriate places...
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15
16
17
18
19
20 21
22
23
24
25 26
27
28 29
30
1 2
3
4
5 6
Paul could have left on
the evening of the 21st (said he left after the days of Unleavened Bread) but
he could have left after the Sabbath (the 22nd). It matters not.
All that is necessary is for him to arrive in Troas 5 days after the last day
of Unleavened Bread. The number of actual travel days are not mentioned,
and not necessary to know. Unleavened Bread is over on the 21st “day” of
the first month. He arrived at Troas 5 days after Unleavened Bread
(arriving on the 26th of Abib). And at Troas they abode 7 days
(26-27-28-29-30-1-2) and he preached until midnight on the last night of his
stay (the night after the first day of the week), departing on the morrow (the
3rd). Is the 2nd day of the month (above) the first day of the
week? No, it is the 3rd day of the week.
So, since that little
exercise disproved the counterfeit Gregorian calendar model, some try to
manipulate the calendar so Paul CAN leave on the first day of the week.
Here is what THAT calendar model looks like...
1
2 3
4
5
6
7
8 9 10
11
12 13 14
15
16 17
18
19
20
21
22 23 24
25 26
27
28
29 30
1
2
3 4 5
6
They say that Passover
(Abib 14) must have taken place on a wednesday, forcing the weekly Sabbath to
take place on the 17th. Now when Paul leaves on the evening of the 21st,
arriving in Troas in 5 days (Abib 26), and abodes there 7 days,
(26-27-28-29-30-1-2) ready to depart on the morrow, the night he preached was
actually the first day of the week (at least on this calendar). Do you
spot the problem? It is highlighted in red (Abib 10 and the first day of
the next month). New moon days never fall on the weekly Sabbath. Ezekiel
46:1, Isaiah 66:23, II Kings 4:23.
Do you remember what
happened on Abib 10? The 10th day of Abib (the day to set aside the
Passover Lamb) is a work day. Abib 10 floats around on the Roman
calendar. Look above. By forcing the calendar to say what they
“believe”, they force Abib 17 to be the Sabbath that month. If the 17th
is the Sabbath, so is the 10th, but the 10th is always a commanded work day.
The 14th day of Abib is always
the preparation day for first day of Unleavened Bread. Matt.
27:62, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54--24:1, John 19:14, 31,42—John 20:1. Abib 14 floats on our calendar. The
fact is that the 10th, 14th and 16th of Abib are, without exception, commanded
work days. The barley could be harvested on the 16th after the
Wave Sheaf had been offered, Leviticus 23:9-14.
Abib 10, 14 and 16 all
float on the Roman calendar. If there is a continuous 7 day cycle, every
few years either the 10th, 14th, and 16th will fall on a satyrday.
Evidence: Abib 10 fell on a satyrday in 2003. The 14th fell on satyrday
in 2004 and 2008. Abib 16 fell on satyrday in 2002, 2006 and 2009.
There is no legislation provided to do these tasks a day early or late, these
work dates are fixed. And Yahuwah never has Israel do commerce or work on
a rest day. He is not the Author of confusion.
Isn’t it interesting how
the Father maneuvered His commanded work days in such a fashion that they would
totally disrupt and destroy all the calendars of apostate man? So, would
you like to see how Abib 15 CAN be the Sabbath and Paul CAN preach on the first
day of the week? No problem. The days of the week are in
green. Israel used ordinal numbers, not names.
1
2
3
4
5 6
Sabbath
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 8
9
10 11 12
13 14 15
16
17
18
19
20 21 22
23
24
25 26
27
28 29 30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 8
In blue, the new
moon days are a third category of day. They do not count against the week
(JUST like Ezekiel 46:1 says). The black numbers represent the working days. The Sabbaths are
in red.
In this calendar, Passover (Abib 14) can be the preparation day for the Sabbath
of Abib 15, the first day of Unleavened Bread, and Paul can be in Troas for 7
days and preach on the first day of the week, ready to depart on the
morrow. Unleavened Bread is over on the 21st “day” of the first
month. Paul arrived at Troas in 5 days (arriving on the 26th of
Abib). And at Troas they abode 7 days (26-27-28-29-30-1-2) and he
preached until midnight on the last night of his stay, departing on the morrow
(the 3rd).
Objection #7:
Joseph and Mary depart on the 22nd
day of the month:
Luke 2:43 “And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child
Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.”
WLC response:
The feast of Unleavened
Bread ended at sunset of the 21st. The days begin at
dawn in Scripture, so the Sabbath would not begin until the following sunrise,
Abib 22. Regardless of what the scholars say, the NT does not say that
they left immediately after the feast. What it does say is that they went
a “days journey”—at some point after the feast was over—which is a
reference to distance, not time—before they discovered Yahushua missing, then it
says that Yahushua was not found until 3 days later—a reference to time, not
distance.
Objection #8:
Sacrifices compared:
In God’s commands about sacrifices we find some very interesting data about the
weekly Sabbath. Notice what we learn.
Every day Lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 28:3
Every New Moon, New moon sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 28:11-15
The 7th New Moon 7th new moon sacrifices
+ New moon sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 29:1-6
Every Sabbath day, Sabbath day sacrifices (Sabbath day)
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 28:9, 10
The 15th of the 1st Month, 15th of 1st month sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 28:17-23
The Day of Pentecost, Pentecost sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 28:26-31
Day of Atonement, Day of Atonement sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 29:7-11
The 15th of the 7th Month, 15th of 7th month sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 29:12-16
The 22nd of the 7th Month, 22nd of 7th month sacrifices
+ lamb in the morning and evening. Numbers 29:35-38
Notice that every day has the
command for a morning and evening sacrifice, and on the special days there is
at least one extra sacrifice to be given, making them to have double-stacked
sacrifices. But there is one day that has a triple-stacked set of sacrifices
mentioned. On the first day of the seventh month they were to offer 1) feast of
trumpets sacrifices, 2) new moon sacrifices, 3) and the daily morning and
evening sacrifices. This is the only day that has a triple-stacked set of
sacrifices. The fact that the Sabbath sacrifices were not commanded to be
offered on any of the feast days proves that they do not always fall on a weekly
Sabbath, especially since the day of trumpets specifically mentions all the
sacrifices to be offered on that day when three types of days coincide. If
every annual feast day Sabbath was also a weekly Sabbath then three types of
days would coincide then too, and Sabbath sacrifices would have to be offered
along with the annual sacrifices and the daily sacrifices. This is convincing
proof that the weekly Sabbath did not always fall on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and
29th days of the month.
WLC response:
This is irrelevant.
If Yahuwah commanded certain sacrifices on certain days, that is His
privilege. Yahuwah has never been dependent upon man to establish the
sacrificial law, nor has He needed our approval for the order of His
sacrificial system.
The sacrificial system is
dependent upon the Calendar of Yahuwah, not the other way around as the some
seem to think it should be. The Calendar was established during Creation
week, the sacrificial system some time later.
Point 1: Numbers 28:16
says that the 14th was the Passover with no mention at all to the daily
sacrifices, does that mean there were no sacrifices on Abib 14th?
Point 2: In the seven day
feast for the unleavened bread and for the tabernacles there must have been a
Sabbath day within the 7 days, but in Numbers chapters 28 and 29 there is no
mention of Sabbath sacrifices for any of the seven days for the two feasts,
does that mean there were no Sabbath sacrifices during the 7 day feasts?
The important point is:
not because the sacrifices for the Sabbath were not mentioned for the 15th
of the 1st month and for the 15th of the 7th
month and for the 22nd of the 7th month, this meant that these
dates were not weekly Sabbaths. This is evident from Point 1 and 2.