Lunar Sabbaths (A personal testimony)

Transcription

1 Dear Brethren, Bro. Nader Mansour SAYS that the Lunar Sabbath is a dangerous doctrine but does not wish to go into fine details (for the sake of brevity). He also indicates that this is his personal testimony. May I ask how one can come to a conclusion, write about it, but not wish to get into details? How is this helpful to any truth-seeker that finds his "testimony"? In truth, his testimony is his opinion, little else, and he apparently does not wish to have his opinion dissected or questioned. Sorry. You do not get to publish a challenge on the internet of the beliefs of another group of people and then hide behind your keyboard without eliciting a response. Bro. Mansour is free to believe as he likes, but he is not free to question the beliefs of others without letting the accused face their accuser. So, Bro. Mansour, consider yourself served. You will get your day in "court", but so will those you accuse of false doctrine. If the prosecution is ready, you may begin. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I thank you for your attention. Mansour writes in a black font. I will respond in purple, red and blue, perhaps a little green. Dated: Dear brethren, Lunar Sabbaths (A personal testimony) Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. My purpose in this message is to give a brief personal testimony regarding the issue under discussion. When I was first introduced to this idea I found it both new and fascinating. It seemed to make good sense. It also seemed to present a very good argument in support of it. But it also brought into question the entire Advent movement and the platform of truth. [And if that platform is even slightly flawed, how magnified will it be 172 years later (as of this writing)?] So, not desiring to make a hasty decision on such a critical and decisive issue, I decided to study the matter out properly testing it with inspiration. [Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where does it say in Scripture, "To the law (Torah) and the testimony (of Ellen White), if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."? Might I suggest you test it with Scripture--you know, the ACTUAL Law and the prophets mentioned in Isaiah 8:20?] This examination confirmed my faith in the foundation of the Advent movement and that this lunar Sabbaths idea was false doctrine. The defense will soon reveal evidence that proves Bro. Mansour neither examined nor confirmed anything other than to prove what he already believed. Most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do. James Harvey Robinson.

2 There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance; that principle is contempt prior to investigation. Herbert Spencer In light of the fact that some seem to be taken with this idea I would like to share some of the things that helped me reach my conclusions. It may be, perhaps, that someone might be benefited by my experience before it is too late. [Or perhaps quite the opposite. It is true, the blind still follow the blind.] I just hope that none have made a final decision. We are admonished to sound the trumpet when we see danger approaching, and may this personal testimony be such at this time. Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. (Ezekiel 33:4, 5). Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, permit me to do likewise and sound the alarm. 1. Where does it say in Scripture that satyrday is the Sabbath? 2. Where does it say in Scripture that the Sabbath is every seventh day in succession, in an unbroken cycle of seven day weeks? Answer these two simple questions and this issue goes away. Simple as that. But there is a LOT more Every weekly Sabbath in Scripture that can be date identified falls on the 8thm, 15th, 22nd or 29th days of the month. There are no exceptions. This is not possible if satyrday is the weekly Sabbath. See study here: In Scripture, Abib 10, 14 and 16 are all commanded work days. Abib 10 is the day the Passover lamb was selected, and one had to be purchased if you did not own a lamb. This is commerce. Commerce does not happen on the Sabbath. Abib 14 is Passover. It is the preparation day for the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread (Abib15). Work was performed; work is forbidden on the Sabbath. Abib 16 is the day of wavesheaf (the morrow after the Sabbath--Leviticus 23:5-11). The barley harvest could begin after the sheaf was waved. Harvesting is work; work is forbidden on the Sabbath. Every 2-3 years, satyrday will fall on Abib 10, 14 or 16. Genesis 1:14 is clearly a calendar statement. Genesis 1:14 reveals that either the sun or moon will regulate the signs, seasons (mo'edim), days and years. The weekly Sabbath is called both a sign and a mo'edim. Psalm 104:19 flat out states that the moon was appointed to regulate the mo'edim. Leviticus 23:1-3 twice calls the weekly Sabbath a feast (mo'edim in Hebrew). Can you go outside, look at the sun and tell whether it is satyrday or the Sabbath? No.

3 In Scripture, New Moon days are a third category of day, never falling during the week, and also interrupting the seven day weekly count every month. Scripture calls the Sabbath the seventh day, but in context it is the seventh day of the week. It is never implied that it is every seven days in an unbroken cycle of 7 day weeks. The Battle of Jericho was a seven day battle/siege. War is work. Which day was the Sabbath? You cannot have a seven day segment of time (using the current pagan/papal calendar) without having a satyrday involved. In Scripture, satyrday worship is called idolatry. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I beg your indulgence. I should never make such a statement and not offer the court the evidence for such a charge... I admit it, Israel worshiped on satyrday. But you have borne the tabernacle of your moloch [king] and Chiun your images, the star of your G-d which you made for yourselves. Amos 5:26. Chiun is the Hebrew word for Saturn. But that does not mean their worship was acceptable to YHWH. In this verse Amos sees a day where Israel worships a star-god that they would make for themselves which means that Israel would have been in apostasy at that time. Stephen, in Acts 7:43 quotes Amos and is translated as Remphan, which is Greek for Saturn. Satyrday is ONLY a day found on the pagan seven day planetary week. Satyrday was the first day (not the seventh) of this pagan calendar week from at LEAST 800 B.C. and perhaps further back. The Father s calendar is found in the sun and moon (the two great lights), not in the planets. Why am I spelling it satyrday instead of saturn s day? Because Saturn and the Satyr are both linked to the same false system of worship. Do this word study with your concordance. Isaiah 13:21 says But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. Isaiah 34:14 In both cases, the Hebrew word here translated as satyr is Strong s Concordance H8163. It would seem that the Father stopped Israel s satyrday observance early on. Speaking to Israel after their deliverance from Egypt, YHWH said And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. Leviticus 17:7. Notice the word for devils (below).

4 And they shall no 3808 more 5750 offer 2076 (853) their sacrifices 2077 unto devils, 8163 after 310 whom 834 they 1992 have gone a whoring This 2063 shall be 1961 a statute 2708 forever 5769 unto them throughout their generations Same Hebrew word, H8163, Satyrs. Jeroboam and his sons were later cursed for leading Israel BACK into idolatry. II Chronicles 11:15 says And he [Jeroboam] ordained 5975 him priests 3548 for the high places, 1116 and for the devils, 8163 and for the calves 5695 which 834 he had made Same Hebrew word, H8163, Satyrs. Jeroboam brought back what YHWH had removed from Israel in Leviticus 17. And nearly every time Jeroboam s name is mentioned thereafter it is either prefaced or followed by the statement, who has made My people Israel to sin. Amos reminded Israel of their satyrday idolatry, Stephen repeated it and it got him killed. Brother Mansour, the pagan planetary week was specifically and exclusively designed to worship the pagan gods in the heavens. YHWH did not adopt the pagan planetary week to embed His Sabbath in, He has his own calendar. It is only tongue in cheek that I would ever try to convince you that you are worshipping Saturn, Chiun or Remphan. Clearly you are worshipping the Creator, but you are doing it on the wrong calendar. And while YHWH will wink at our ignorance for a while, He will not always remain patient when modern Israel is just as stiff-necked as ancient Israel. Bro. Mansour, do you wish to cross examine? I will share some of the evidence that convinced me that the lunar Sabbaths idea is dangerous error. I will not go into fine details (for the sake of brevity) but will provide a summary. My purpose in sharing this is not to start a debate over the matter. [Oh, it's too late for that my friend.] This is merely my personal testimony and it is up to everyone to take it or leave it as they see fit. Bro. Mansour, do I need to remind you that your opinion is of no value in this court? You brought the charges against the Lunar Sabbath, you do not get to offer your opinion. The prosecution is requested to present their evidence at this time, please. The lunar Sabbath idea is based on a number of principal arguments which if proven false will show the truth of the matter without going into every intricate detail. The defense could but will not object Your Honor. Please record for the court that the defense agrees with the prosecution, but the information offered by the prosecution will indeed be scrutinized with intricate detail.

5 One principal argument is that the 7th day Sabbath is based on a calendar of some sort. This is contrary to the fourth commandment which bases the Sabbath on the succession of days, not on any calendar. [Objection, Your Honor. Scripture says no such thing. All Your Word says is that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, it NEVER says that it is every seventh day in succession. Sustained.] The very fact that it is called seventh day means that it is based on the succession of days. God designed that there should be six days between each Sabbath. As soon as we start basing the Sabbath on a calendar (whether it be lunar, solar or astral) we immediately disrupt God s order and have a different number of days between one Sabbath and the next (no longer a consistent interval of 6 days). This is especially apparent at the transition from one month to the next. Thank you, Your Honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Are not ALL days a day on a calendar? Is it possible to have a day that falls outside of a calendar? The Sabbath is indeed the seventh day of the week. I submit that in the absence of ANY evidence in Scripture that the Sabbath is every seventh day in succession that the very fact that it is called the seventh day indicates that every weekly Sabbath is the seventh day OF THE WEEK. Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Bro. Mansour thinks to prove his point by suggesting that His Honor commanded that there only be six work days between each Sabbath. Since the Righteous Judge is not on trial here, may I demand of the prosecution that they provide their Scriptural evidence for this claim? I see. Since the prosecution has no evidence, I would like this accusation stricken from the record. Begging Your pardon, Your Honor, but it seems to me that if You had commanded, demanded or legislated that Your Sabbaths should be every seventh day in succession that You would not have established New Moon days. In the Codified Law, Ezekiel 46:1, it is readily apparent that the New Moon days are a third category of day, being neither work day nor Sabbath. In Ezekiel 46:1, the temple gate is shut during each and every one of the SIX working days, but it is opened each and every Sabbath and new moon. Last month, new moon was on a monday (when this court was in session). If the tabernacle were still here and I asked you, Would the gate have been open or shut?, how would you answer? If you say open because it is new moon day, I would respond that monday is a work day, it must be shut. If you agreed, Of course monday is a work day, it must be shut. I d reply, But friend, it is new moon, it must be open. The prosecution has no correct answer because they are applying a pagan/papal/roman/solar-only/man-made calendar to this Scriptural calendar event. In the Codified Law, I also offer Amos 8:5, Isaiah 66:23 and II Kings 4:23 as second witnesses that prove that the New Moon days are a third category of day, apart from the six common work days and weekly Sabbath.

6 Amos: The unscrupulous venders are seeking to cheat the Israelites, but it is Sabbath and new moon. Israel won't come out to buy their wares until it is a work day. Isaiah: We will worship YHWH on the Sabbaths and new moon days, not on work days. II Kings: The boy collapses in the field, his mother races out, scoops him up and runs inside. There the boy dies in her lap. So she runs upstairs, places the boy on Elisha's bed, then runs to her husband asking permission to take a donkey and a servant with her to go see the prophet. To which he inquires, It is neither New Moon, nor Sabbath, why do you want to go see him today? Where was the man? In his field. What was he doing? Working. Put the new moon day back in its rightful place in the lunar cycle, and suddenly (IF one is going outside and LOOKING at the Creator s clock--the lights in the heavens) the Sabbaths will be announced by quarter phase moons before the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th days of each lunar cycle. There is simply NO evidence in Scripture that the Sabbath is EVERY 7th day in succession. There is simply NO evidence in Scripture that satyrday is the Sabbath. Scripture says that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. Period. But whose week? The Creator's week or the pagan/papal planetary week? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I early asked you if individual days were part of a calendar. I would like to further ask if weeks are part of a calendar? Is not the Sabbath in question a day? Is it not also an intricate part of a week? Bro. Mansour, your witness. Another argument is that the seventh day Sabbath is part of the feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23:2, 3) therefore it must be determined by the moon just like the other feasts. But the truth is that the seventh day Sabbath is never said to be determined by the moon, but it is a distinct institution and therefore not governed by the moon (or month) like the feasts are. (See chapter 7 of the book History of the Sabbath by J. N. Andrews available at this link) May I beg the indulgence of this court and demand that the prosecution provide the Scriptural evidence for this claim? I see. Since the prosecution has no evidence, I would also like this accusation stricken from the record. Genesis 1:14 says that the two great lights would be for signs, seasons, days and years. This is a calendar statement, thus the calendar of Yah is written in the heavens. Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, and 20:20 all say that the Sabbath is a sign, using the SAME Hebrew word found in Genesis 1:14 (owth), meaning signal or beacon.

7 Leviticus 23:1-3 shows the weekly Sabbath to be the first feast (Mo edim--appointed times, set feasts) twice using the Hebrew word mo'edim. In 23:4 the Hebrew word mo'edim is then used to describe the annual feasts. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if the same Hebrew word is used to define both the weekly AND annual Sabbaths, then this should be applied evenly. If so, then the moon regulates not only the annual mo'edim, but also the weekly mo'edim. I would like to enter into evidence Psalm 104:19 which says that the moon will regulate the seasons (Mo edim--appointed times, set feasts). This alone is enough to prove that the Sabbath is by the moon, but it does not answer every possible question as to HOW or WHY that might take place. Yours is not to ask WHY. Either do (obey) or do not. The HOW will only be answered by going outside and looking AT the clock and watching for patterns. Another point made is that the first Sabbath (in creation) was based on the moon. This is pure speculation. The first Sabbath was based on the fact that it was the seventh day not on the moon of the fourth day! May I beg the pardon of this court and demand that the prosecution provide the Scriptural evidence for this accusation? I see. Since the prosecution can provide no evidence, I would also like this accusation stricken from the record. Seems odd that Genesis 1:14, Psalm 104:19 and Leviticus 23:1-3 prove that the Sabbath is based on the lunar cycle, but the first Sabbath was not. It also seems odd that the prosecution would think to enter this court and try to persuade the jury with an argument that is contrary to the Codified Law. In truth, if the Author of the Codified Law says in one place that the weekly Sabbaths are regulated by the moon, then ALL of them are. Since all of the weekly Sabbaths that can be date identified in Scripture fall on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th days of the month, then the very first month would produce the same result. `Looks like this... New Moon 1:1-2) Day 1 of week 1:3-5) Day 2 of week 1:6-8) Day 3 of week 1:9-13) Day 4 of week 1:14-19) Day 5 of week 1:20-23) Day 6 of week 1:24-31) 7 th day Sabbath 2:1-3) (30) In order for the sun and moon to be the hour and minute hand of YHWH's celestial time piece, the clock had to be in place from the very beginning. What was the first thing created during creation week? Light? No. Genesis 1:1-2 says heaven and earth.

8 What this means, and what it entails becomes clear based on what was done on the next day, the first day of the work week. And it is at this juncture where some folks refuse to see, even though it is ink on the page. And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light. And Elohim saw the light, that it was good: and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:3-5 There is only one light source in the universe that can divide Day from Night, the sun. Please note that if the sun was NOT lit on day one, how are there 3 numbered days before the 4 th week day of Creation? The Hebrew word day (yom) means heat as in from the sun. Since the Hebrew understanding of day requires sunlight, how were there 3 days before the 4 th day of creation week? According to Genesis 1:3-5, this separation of day and night is the sole responsibility of the one great luminary lit on that day, the sun. Since the sun was lit in Genesis 1:3-5, the moon was thus illuminated as the moon resides in the same heaven with the sun, meaning the sun, moon and stars were not created on day 4! Can this be proven from Scripture? Sure. Moses used two different words in the creation account. One means created from scratch (H#1254, bara) an example of which can be found in Genesis 1:1, the other (asah) doesn t. An example of "asah" can be found in Genesis 1:16. And God made (asah) two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:16-19 Created: בּרא H1254 bârâ, baw-raw, A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes): - choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat). See Genesis 1:1 Made: עשׂה H6213 âśâh, aw-saw, A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application: - accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress (-ed), (put in) execute (-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, [fight-] ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfil, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ([a feast]), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, practice, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be [warr-] ior, work (-man), yield, use. See Genesis 1:16

9 Asah means made from something, or advanced upon or appointed. The Hebrew word made would be used in this sentence; I made (asah) my bed this morning. The bed was not created from scratch this morning; it was already there, it was only advanced upon and made ready for use the next night. For example: He appointed (asah) the moon for seasons Psalm 104:19. Here David very nearly quotes Genesis 1:14, only he s very specific about the role of the moon. Genesis 1:14 says the two great luminaries in the heavens were created to regulate signs, seasons, days and years. Seasons here in Psalm 104:19 is the same Hebrew seasons found in Genesis 1:14; mo edim, meaning appointed times or set feasts. Leviticus 23:1-3 calls the weekly Sabbath a feast, using the same Hebrew word, mo edim. So, right from creation, the Sabbath has been regulated by a luminary in the heavens, not by a pagan/papal manmade calendar created for the express purpose of worshipping false gods. The simple fact is that time on earth began in Genesis 1:1-2, not Genesis 1:3-5. It is the movement of the sun, moon and stars that define time on earth. Also, it is a universal truism that without motion there can be no time. And the inverse is also true, without time there can be no motion. So, since time began on earth at the moment the Creator spoke heaven and earth into existence, what all did He create and set in motion at that time? Do you deny the absolute laws of the universe? You must deny them if you insist that the sun and moon did not exist until the 4 th day of Creation. Lunar Sabbatarians do not deny the universal Codified Law, we embrace it. The prosecution wants to hide behind what they believe and what they think is true. The defense wishes to stand on principle, on truth. In light of the evidence just presented, is it mere speculation for Lunar Sabbath keepers to consider that the very first Sabbath was ALSO based on the phase of the moon? If there was a New Moon at the beginning of the second month of earth's history, and a New Moon last month, what do you suppose the very FIRST month of earth's history began with? With New Moon in it's rightful place, the quarter phases announce the weekly Sabbaths on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th days of the month. Just like clockwork. Another principle argument is that the weekly cycle has not been a continuous one through history. But the truth of the matter is that history and prophecy say the exact opposite. The weekly cycle has continued down through history to our day (and will continue till the end). I would like to seek the mercy of this court and demand that the prosecution provide their Scriptural evidence for first two sentences in the above accusation? I see. Since the prosecution has no such evidence, I would also like this accusation stricken from the record. Thank you.

10 The defense would like to submit that we agree with the last sentence above. The weekly cycle established at Creation HAS continued down through history and will continue till the end, it is just not the pagan/papal week proposed by the prosecution. The prosecution would like to submit into evidence that the seven day Gregorian week goes all the way back to Creation, and hope to prove that this is the calendar of Scripture, but they cannot because there is no evidence to support such an accusation. For instance, if the day weeks are unbroken, they we should be able to go backward in time and find a fri-sat-sun crucifixion weekend. Your Honor, if it please the court, the defense would like to submit the following into evidence... Scholars have generally agreed that the only dates that the crucifixion could have taken place are A.D. 30, 31 or 33. The reason for these years is that there are other historical events that took place at known dates that must be taken into consideration and placed in the timeline of the events in the NT. Passover is a lunar event, the 14th day of the first lunar month. The moon's phases are not a secret and the lunar cycle can be determined in either the past or future with a great deal of accuracy. Passover is the 14th of the first month, but also occurs at the full moon. Any moon phase calculator will tell you that... Passover would have been on the pagan we-day in 27 A.D. It would have been on the pagan mo-day in 28 A.D. On the pagan su-day in 29 A.D. On the pagan th-day in 30 A.D. On the pagan t-sday in 31 A.D. On the pagan su-day in 32 A.D. And on the pagan th-day in 33 A.D. What this proves is that there were no fri-sat-sun weekend Passovers on ANY of the dates between 27 and 33 A.D. covering all the suspected years of the crucifixion. And the day after Passover in the year of the crucifixion was most certainly the weekly Sabbath, see Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54-56, John 19:31, which means that if satyrday is the Sabbath, friday would have been Passover. This proves that the pagan planetary week was not employed by Israel in the first century. They observed the Lunar-solar calendar established at Creation, a fact corroborated by historians and proved in Scripture. Sorry Bro. Mansour, but it is not your turn and I am not through with this witness.

11 The prosecution has already gone on the record saying that the historical record proves a continuous 7 day weekly cycle throughout history. The defense would like to submit the following into evidence. Satyrday has not always been the 7th day of the week. To assume that Israel observed the pagan seven day planetary week in the first century when Rome themselves did not is sheer lunacy. Rome did not officially adopt the seven day planetary week until A.D. 321 when Emperor Constantine became a christian. At that time, saturn s day was the 1st day of the seven day planetary week, not the 7th. Below is a sketch of the planetary week, circa 100 B.C. saturn s day, sun s day, moon s day, mars day, mercury s day, jupiter s day, venus day Rome ruled the world in the first century B.C., thus the Roman numerals, but this is not a Roman calendar. This is a bona fide pagan seven day planetary week as it existed from B.C., until A.D. 321 when Constantine venerated the day of the sun. You see, Constantine worshiped Mithra, the Persian version of the sun god. He did not want the day of the sun taking a back seat to saturn, so when he venerated the day of the sun all he did was bump satyrday from the coveted #1 position in the week all the way to the seventh day, which was vacated by all the other days moving up one position in the weekly cycle, permitting the sun s day to hold the preeminent position. The sketch above came from this clay calendar tablet (at left).

12 You see, the dirty little secret is out. You can count backward by seven all you want, but satyrday was not the seventh day of the week anywhere on the planet until A.D. 321, and then by virtue of Constantine, not the Creator Almighty, so it certainly was NOT the Sabbath of Israel at any time in earth s history. In the first century, Rome observed an 8 (EIGHT) day calendar week. They were identified as A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H. Below is an actual copy of a first century Roman calendar. At that time, the months of january and april had 29 days instead of 31 and 30 days (respectively) that they consist of now. In light of this historical evidence that contradicts the claim of the prosecution (that the record will prove that the weekly cycle has remained intact throughout history) the defense would like to allow the prosecution to recant and withdraw this accusation from evidence. It seems prudent to do so at this time since the calendar that the prosecution alleges contains the Sabbath of Creation fails to support their claim. Naturally, the weekly Sabbath command is still in effect, and the calendar established at Creation is STILL in commission, therefore the defense would like to submit to the court that the weekly cycle has indeed never been changed, it has remained intact throughout history, but that this week is NOT the seven day planetary week presented by the prosecution. The great God, in his days of creation and day of rest, measured off the first cycle as a sample for successive weeks till the close of time. [Lunar Sabbath keepers agree. The first week of the very first month of the first year of earth's history was preceded by a New Moon day, same as every month since then.] "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created."

13 God gives us the productions of his work at the close of each literal day. Each day was accounted of him a generation, because every day he generated or produced some new portion of his work. On the seventh day of the first week God rested from his work, and then blessed the day of his rest, and set it apart for the use of man. The weekly cycle of seven literal days, six for labor and the seventh for rest, which has been preserved and brought down through Bible history, originated in the great facts of the first seven days. {Ellen White, 1SP 85.1} The defense declines to cross examine. It's true. Every day of creation was accounted of Him, and on every day He generated or produced some new portion of His work. The time segment used when heaven and earth were created in Genesis 1:1-2 was New Moon. It was the beginning of ALL successive months. The Scriptural week ever since creation has been six work days and a seventh-day Sabbath. And this quote offers the definition of a single week. It does not mention successive weeks, it does not mention the relationship of the week to the month, it does not mention the role of New Moon in the Month. All this quote says is that the week (6 work days and a Sabbath) has existed since creation. Ask yourself the question: what does successive weeks mean? [It is obvious that the prosecution thinks "successive weeks" means sequential, but in light of the Scriptural evidence it means every week that follows.] What does till the close of time mean? [Just what it says. The weeks since creation, and the weeks in Scripture are 6 work days and a Sabbath, and will be thus until the end of time.] This statement is too plain but the lunar Sabbath idea turns it around to mean the opposite of what it says. This alone should be enough evidence. But God led me to further historical evidence confirming the same. I would direct the attention of all to a study of the books History of the Sabbath by J. N. Andrews and The Change of the Sabbath by G. I. Butler. Objection! The prosecution is using ONE definition of the word successive, the defense is using a different definition, but BOTH are proper definitions of the word successive. The issue here is which definition lines up with the evidence in Scripture. The prosecution has been given ample opportunity to prove that the weeks run "successively" without interruption, and not only have the failed to do so, they have not even offered a single text. Sustained. Thank you Your Honor. May I continue please? Nader Mansour is a Seventh-day Adventist. I have no quarrel with either him or his denomination. However, the prosecution is bringing into evidence the testimony of two Seventh-day Adventist ministers who believe that satyrday is the weekly Sabbath. Naturally, they will agree with the position of the prosecution, however their opinion will hardly be unbiased or without prejudice. And while the benefit of their testimony may be dubious at best, I am a firm believer in their first amendment right to the freedom of speech.

14 That said, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I will provide witnesses that will refute every word these gentlemen say. It is up to the prosecution and defense team to prove which position agrees with Scripture. The question will be who presents the better case. "The week, another primeval measure, is not a natural measure of time, as some astronomers and chronologers have supposed, indicated by the phases or quarters of the moon. It was originated by divine appointment at the creation - six days of labor and one of rest being wisely appointed for man's physical and spiritual well-being." - Bliss' Sacred Chronology, p. 6; Hale's Chronology, vol. i. p. 19. "Seven has been the ancient and honored number among the nations of the earth. They have measured their time by weeks from the beginning. The original of this was the Sabbath of God, as Moses has given the reasons of it in his writings." - Brief Dissertation on the first three Chapters of Genesis, by Dr. Coleman, p. 26. {Quoted in History of the Sabbath, p.31 by J. N. Andrews} [I cannot seem to locate the book of J.N. Andrews in Scripture.] This is nothing more than the supposition of a man convinced that his position is correct. It is not "evidence" in and of itself. It is ONLY evidence of what this man believes as he offers no evidence that his interpretation of a week is accurate or Scriptural. The defense has offered the ladies and gentlemen of the jury Scriptural evidence that the week is determined by the moon, and these authors concur... the Hebrew Sabbathon was celebrated at intervals of seven days, corresponding with changes in the moon s phases... Encyclopedia Biblica, p In the time of the earliest prophets, the New Moon stood in the same line with another lunar observance, the Sabbath. Ezekiel, who curiously enough frequently dates his prophecies on the New Moon describes the gate of the inner court of the (new) temple looking eastward as kept shut for the six working days, but opened on the Sabbath and the New Moon. Scribner's Dictionary of the Bible (1898 edit.), p. 521 The [early] Hebrews employed lunar seven-day weeks which ended with special observances on the seventh day but none the less were tied to the moon s course. Hutton Webster, in his book, Rest Days, page 254. It is a well-attested historical fact that the weekly cycle was observed, and the seventh day was kept sacred, by nearly all the most ancient nations of the earth besides the Jews. There are decisive evidences to show that the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Arabians, Greeks, and Romans, and even the Chinese, knew of the Sabbath, and at an early period regarded it as a sacred day. We may notice this point more fully hereafter, but will introduce brief evidences of it here. John G. Butler, a Free-Will Baptist author in his Natural and Revealed Theology, p. 396, says: "We learn, also, from the testimony of Philo, Hesiod, Josephus, Porphyry, and others, that the division of time into weeks and the observance of the seventh day were common to the nations of antiquity. They would not have adopted such a custom from the Jews. Whence, then, could it have been derived but through tradition, from its original institution in the garden of Eden?" {The Change of the Sabbath, pp. 20, 21, by G. I. Butler}

15 And all nations originally observed a lunar-solar calendar very similar to the one on Scripture, the one given to the Hebrews. The New Moon is still, and the Sabbath originally was, dependent upon the lunar cycle. Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, p Luni-solar calendar foundations of the Jewish calendar extend from the earliest verses of scripture. Natural, uniform motions of the heavenly spheres are the pivotal markers of time reckoning. The list of ancient characters mentioned in the Old Testament used this lunar-solar calendar system of time recording. Observation of lunar phases coupled with solar positioning graduated the lifetime ages of Adam and his descendants.... Changes in the appearance of the moon provided the seven-day week. Originating with ancient interpretations of lunar time, divisions of seven days separate the four basic lunar phases... Starting with a dark new moon, the moon gradually comes into view on following nights. In about seven days the first half of the moon is visible. The second half waxes until full moon at the end of two weeks. Lunar light reverses progression in the third week, waning to half visibility again. A fourth week completes the month, and visibility again diminishes toward a new moon. Completion of four lunar phases comprises the month. Ages of Adam, published in 1995, by Clark K. Nelson. I cannot say it any clearer than this. This man is not a Lunar Sabbath keeper, in fact, he is a Sunday keeper, yet he tells the truth. Gilfillan, in his large book on 'The Sabbath,' published by the American Tract Society, says: The Week From Antiquity "'Let it suffice, however, in a matter on which there is so general an agreement, to present the words of four eminent authors: "The septenary arrangement of the days," says Scaliger, "was in use among the Orientals from the remotest antiquity." "We have reason to believe," observes President DeGoguet, "that the institution of that short period of seven days, called a week, was the first step taken by mankind in dividing and measuring their time. We find, from time immemorial, the use of this period among all nations, without any variation in the form of it. The Israelites, Assyrians, Egyptians, Indians, Arabians, and, in a word, all the nations of the East, have in all ages made use of a week, consisting of seven days. We find the same custom among the ancient Romans, Gauls, Britons, Germans, the nations of the North, and of America." According to Laplace, "the week is perhaps the most ancient and incontestable monument of human knowledge." It would appear that the Chinese, who have no Sabbath, at one time honored the seventh day of the week.' Pages 364, 365. {Quoted in In Defense of the Faith, p. 95, by William Henry Branson} Immanuel Velikovsky discovered why. In his book, World's in Collision, you will discover that he learned that if you travel back to a certain time in history, all nations on earth at that time observed the same calendar as the one in Scripture, the one observed by the Hebrews. Twelve 30 day lunar months for a total of 360 days in the lunar-solar year. The weeks were not independent of the month as all nations observed New Moon in one way or another, containing 4 weeks inside each month.

16 They got this practice for the same reason the Babylonians were speaking the language of the Garden of Eden while building the Tower of Babel. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. No one thought to invent a new language when evil men started to migrate away from the Garden of Eden area, neither did they think to change the calendar established at Creation. And it was Divine intervention that both practices were put to a halt. YHWH confused the languages at the Tower of Babel, and He later dented His clock by changing the relationship between the sun, moon and earth. No longer was the sun on a perfect 360 trek about the earth and no longer was the lunar cycle a perfect 30 days in duration. Whatever club the Creator used, it moved the sun some 5.25 days further away (the current year is days long) and the moon a half day closer (the current lunar cycle is 29.5 days long). That the year was originally 360 days long is easy to prove. First of all, in prophecy, a day for a year totals 360 days in duration. Seems a bit odd that a prophetic year would be something other than the original year established at Creation, doesn t it? That, and there is an equation in Genesis that spells it out for us. Genesis 7:11 says that the flood began on the 17th day of the second month. Genesis 8:4 says the water prevailed upon the face of the earth until the 17th day of the seventh month. That is 5 months. Genesis 7:24 and 8:3 say that the water prevailed upon the earth for 150 days. 150 divided by 5 = 30. So there were 5 consecutive 30 day months in Scripture, which is not possible with the current relationship between the earth and moon. 12 x 30 = 360 So, we have solid Scriptural proof that the months were all 30 days in length. The lunar cycle is now 29.5 days rather than 30 day in length. Which equates to some months being 29 days long, some being 30 days long. Another point used to support the lunar Sabbaths is the use of the Spirit of Prophecy. This is one of the most obvious blunders of this idea. The only Sabbath supported by the Spirit of Prophecy is the Sabbath we have all kept for the past 100+ years! The defense agrees that the Adventist church has kept the same Sabbath for the past 100+ years, but it is not the Sabbath of Scripture, and it is not a true statement that there is only ONE Sabbath supported in the Spirit of Prophecy. Here Ellen White calls it like she sees it, and she names names I saw that G-d had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully. This enraged the churches and nominal Adventists, as they could not refute the Sabbath truth. And at this time G-d s chosen all saw clearly that we had the truth, and they came out and endured the persecution with us. I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land. The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments upon them, and they rose up and took counsel to rid the earth of us, thinking that then the evil would be stayed. Early Writings, p. 33

17 Adventists, even nominal ones (which means, in name only ) have already accepted the Sabbath. What Sabbath message could possibly incite rage among Adventists? I thought they were keeping the correct Sabbath? Please note that this is an end time event, and the ones with the Sabbath reform message are filled with the Father s Spirit, and that the Adventists could NOT REFUTE the Sabbath message. And finally, please note that Ellen White (even though she died before the time of the end) projected herself to the time of the end and included herself in the number that CAME OUT [of the Adventist church] to observe the correct Sabbath. The last final conflict is not going to be about Sabbath vs. sunday; it is going to be about the True Sabbath vs. satyrday. Remember, a counterfeit has to look a great deal like the original. Sunday, the first day of the week, looks NOTHING like the seventh-day Sabbath. But a spurious Sabbath, the seventh day of a counterfeit calendar, could generate sufficient hostilities. The defense would like to remind the court of Proverbs 18:13...He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. Perhaps the prosecution would like to reconsider their hasty statement about the Sabbath of the Adventists? Only the true Sabbath would generate this much heat, and only the true Sabbath would cause Ellen White to come out and join True Sabbath keepers in the face of severe judgment and scrutiny. When thinking men find that our restaurants are closed on the Sabbath, they will make inquiries in regard to the principles that lead us to close our doors on Saturday. In answering their questions we shall have opportunity to acquaint them with the reasons for our faith. We can give them copies of our periodicals and tracts, so that they may be able to understand the difference between "him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not." {Ellen White, CH 491.2} According to the Spirit of Prophecy the Sabbath = Saturday. But satyday will not enrage the churches and Adventists at the end of time. Everyone is going along peacefully right now--sunday keepers worshiping on sunday, satyrday keepers observing satyrday. But SOMEHTHING upsets the applecart, and it is not going to be satyrday because satyrday is the day that nominal Adventists observe. The new Sabbath truth enrages them because they can't refute it. Neither can Mansour. In CH, p. 491, paragraph 2, Ellen White testifies as to her understanding and practice. In Early Writings, p. 33, Ellen White recounts a vision she was given. One testimony comes from YHWH, one from a human. One statement agrees with the calendar established at Creation, one agrees with the pagan/papal calendar. Guess which Ellen White quote Lunar Sabbath keepers use as evidence? Isaiah 8:20. To the law [Torah] and to the testimony [of the prophets]: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

18 Another brother says it is only a few months since he has been enlightened in regard to the truth by reading a Review. He received the Signs of the Times also; and became convicted through reading these papers that Saturday was the Sabbath of the Lord. [Satyrday is the seventh day of the pagan/papal week, so to the ignorant, since this is the seventh day of the week it would SEEM to be the Sabbath of Scripture.] He felt that he must have something more than merely the light upon the Sabbath. He wanted to know some things for himself which had never been told him. He offered his first prayer forty miles from home while in camp. He sought the Lord then and there, and had come to this meeting to obtain further light and to follow it. This brother received the ordinance of baptism, and fully identified himself with this people. {Ellen White, RH, May 11, 1876 par.19} Did the Review & Herald offer any proof that satyrday is the seventh day of the Creation week? Or was the only case made was that satyrday is the seventh day of the week observed by nearly every nation on earth (the Gregorian calendar week)? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defense has shown and will continue to suggest that the ONLY reason why the prosecution and Adventists believe that satyrday is the Sabbath is because it is the seventh day of the calendar week they observe. It is no deeper than that--their tradition. A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it the superficial appearance of being right. Thomas Paine. This point is important to note. The entire church at the time (including the living prophet) taught that the Sabbath was on Saturday. Remember that this conclusion was reached by deep Bible study in the early days of our movement. This Bible study laid the foundation for all our doctrines including the Sabbath of course. Mrs. White said that the foundation was built by the Master Worker and must not be changed. Though new truth will come, it will never contradict the foundational truths. Thus, the lunar Sabbath theory must either abandon the Spirit of Prophecy or return to the true Sabbath. Keeping both is self-contradictory. Several things here. 1) Mrs. White was not a prophet. 2) Since when has the majority been right? 3) Yes, Scripture lays the foundation for the Sabbath, built by the Master Worker. 4) That foundation will neither be changed, nor contradicted. 5) Considering the inability of the prosecution to prove anything yet, they are hardly in a position to demand that Lunar Sabbath keeper abandon Spirit of Prophecy quotes that agree with their doctrine. These will be addressed in order. 1. I said that I did not claim to be a prophetess. I have not stood before the people claiming this title, though many called me thus. I have been instructed to say, I am God's messenger, sent to bear a message of reproof to the erring and of encouragement to the meek and lowly. With pen and with voice I am to bear the messages given me. The word given me is, You are faithfully to reprove those who would mar the faith of the people of God. Write out the things which I shall give you, that they may stand as a witness to the truth till the end of time. R&H,

19 To claim to be a prophetess is something that I have never done. If others call me by that name, I have no controversy with them. But my work has covered so many lines that I can not call myself other than a messenger sent to bear a message from the Lord to his people, and to take up work in any line that he points out. When I was last in Battle Creek, I said before a large congregation that I did not claim to be a prophetess. Twice I referred to this matter, intending each time to make the statement, I do not claim to be a prophetess. If I spoke otherwise than this, let all now understand that what I had in mind to say was that I do not claim the title of prophet or prophetess. Review and Herald, The prosecution wishes to present Ellen White as a prophet. Since we are in a court case now, Mansour can accuse Ellen White of anything he wants, but if she denies his accusation, then it is not true. 2. The prosecution wishes to trot out the idea that since the entire Adventist denomination thinks that satyday is the Sabbath, that it must be true, or at least this must be admitted as evidence in support of satyrday as the Sabbath. Since when as the majority ever been right? At Noah's ark? When Caleb and Joshua returned from spying out the promised land? When Gideon attacked an army of nearly 200,000 soldiers with 300 men? At the end of time? If you were a speculator watching these events, where would your money have been? Truth is not what I believe. Truth is not even what I know. Truth is Fact. I may not believe it. I may not know it. That does not change it. It is there nevertheless, waiting to be discovered and believed. Truth does not depend on the unsettled and changing opinions of men. It was truth before it was believed. It remains truth, whether it is believed or not. Reason does not originate or create it. It merely discovers it. Carlyle B. Haynes All error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because no one will see it. Gandhi 3. The foundation of the Sabbath of Scripture is Lunar. Has been since creation. Looks like this: New Moon 1:1-2) Day 1 of week 1:3-5) Day 2 of week 1:6-8) Day 3 of week 1:9-13) Day 4 of week 1:14-19) Day 5 of week 1:20-23) Day 6 of week 1:24-31) 7 th day Sabbath 2:1-3) (30)

20 4. Both the OT and NT prove the Lunar Sabbath. Philo and Josephus, first century Hebrew historians give account of the Lunar Sabbath, the Essenes wrote of a Lunar Sabbath, hundreds of other scholars and anthropologists have discovered and written of ancient Israel's Lunar Sabbath. Ellen White understood that a Sabbath message was coming that would enrage Adventists because they could not refute it. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the Lunar Sabbath is that end time Sabbath message. 5. Since the prosecution cannot prove that satyrday is the Sabbath (or disprove the Lunar Sabbath), the defense will use any and every reference we see fit that agrees with the Creation Calendar Sabbath. If a quote agrees with the Torah and the testimony of the prophets, there is light in it, we will use it to prove the Lunar Sabbath. If a quote disagrees with the Torah and the testimony of the prophets, there is no light in it, it is of no use to us. It is not the fault of the defense that the prosecution continues to use quotes that disagree with Scripture, having no light in them. The subjects of the Sabbath, the nature of man, and the testimony of Jesus are the great and important truths to be understood; these will prove as an anchor to hold God's people in these perilous times. {Ellen White, Testimonies Vol.1, 300.1} (Note: This was written in 1862 when the entire church kept the true Sabbath of the 4th commandment. This truth is an anchor for us in these times!) Neither proves satyrday is the Sabbath, nor disproves the Lunar Sabbath. Remember, also, that soon after the 1888 message was given we are told that Christ would have come had the message been accepted. The entire church at the time was keeping the seventh day Sabbath on Saturday. Were they wrong in this practice? How come Christ was going to return then? The vision Ellen White received that he could have returned "ere this" was received in 1896, meaning that 8 years after the 1888 debacle, the Kingdom could have been restored. And, yes, in 8 years, the entire denomination could have repented of the false Sabbath and been keeping the Lunar Sabbath. And according to the witnesses who were there, that is EXACTLY the outcome that was prevented by the stiff-necked leaders at that time. YHWH has shown the Adventist church the Lunar Sabbath, and they have rejected it at least 3 times: Adventism.pdf

21 If the 1888 message had been received, and Ellen White agreed with it, in short order, the Adventist church would have been keeping the feasts, it would have been learned that the feasts are regulated by the moon and shortly after that that the weekly Sabbath is the first feast, and also regulated by the moon. All this could have been accomplished in less than a year if the leaders of the church had not stood in the way. These brief evidences demonstrated to me that falsehood of the lunar Sabbath idea. This idea is not part of the foundation of truth built by Jesus Christ. It is dangerous in that it turns people from the true Sabbath of the fourth commandment to a false Sabbath of the moon. Please, brethren, beware lest Satan steal your crown. Let us hold fast to what we have received and heard. There is a serious warning to all of us regarding this issue. The following fearful prophecy is warning to all: If this is the best the prosecution can do, offer circumstantial evidence as a closing argument, well, so be it. Indeed, hold fast to that which you have received. Satyrday was never handed down to Adventism, it was assumed. They received that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, and even though they have NEVER had or received any evidence that satyrday was that seventh day, blind Adventist leaders will lead their blind parishioners and they will both fall in the ditch. The seventh-day Sabbath in Scripture is lunar, satyday was never been presented to Adventism as the Sabbath, Ellen White was never SHOWN this, it was assumed and has now become their tradition. So strongly that some are willing to reject the truth to maintain a lie. Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, "Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting." I asked who this company were. The angel said, "These are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up." I heard them cry with a loud voice, "We have believed in Thy coming, and taught it with energy." And while they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and then they would wail aloud. I saw that they had drunk of the deep waters, and fouled the residue with their feet-- trodden the Sabbath underfoot-- and that was why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting. {Ellen White, EW 36.2} Naturally, judgment will fall upon those who give up the true Sabbath of Creation. There will be no punishment for giving up a spurious Sabbath. And this quote does not say/prove that satyrday is the Sabbath nor does it disprove the Lunar Sabbath. When I read that I thought Thank you Lord! Keep me faithful, I don t want that to be me. Will that be you? I sincerely hope not. [My, how surely does misery loves company. Will the mice follow the pied piper to their demise or step out of line and think for themselves? Only time will tell.] How else do you think the devil will convince Sabbath keepers to give up the Sabbath?

22 Please don t fall for any idea that will lead you to give up the Sabbath that God restored to us as a people. Don t let Satan laugh at you! He knows which is the true Sabbath! Does anyone other than me see the irony here? The prosecution presents the Lunar Sabbath as a temptation that the devil will use to convince believers to give up the Sabbath, and they hold up satyrday observance as the great saving Sabbath truth. Yet Scripture calls satyrday worship idolatry. "Until the great decisive blow shall be struck, our efforts against commandment-keepers must be untiring. Satan (quoted by Mrs. White) {4SP 340.1} "But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must exert all our wisdom and subtlety to deceive and ensnare those who honor the true Sabbath. Satan (quoted by Mrs. White) {4SP 339.1} "So, let's create a dual counterfeit." Satan Only wisdom and subtlety could devise such a decisive snare as a dual counterfeit. Only the enemies of YHWH would accept an obvious counterfeit, but for the more elect, the Adversary has a not-so-obvious counterfeit. Which day do YOU keep holy? Sunday, the current first day of the pagan Roman/papal calendar Saturday, the current seventh day of the pagan Roman/papal calendar. I say current because these days were not always the first and seventh days of the week, respectively. As a side note, I find it interesting that we pronounce the n in woden s day (wednesday), but we don t for saturn s day (saturday). Have you ever heard of a satyr? The cloven footed half-man, half-goat the universal symbol of Satan himself? Sunday is the obvious fraud. Only the enemies of YHWH would observe sunday, in honor of the pagan sun-god. But every satyrday, of every week, of every year, Sabbatarians everywhere, in spite of themselves, worship on satyrday a day named after Satan himself, a day found exclusively on the pagan/papal calendar.