Lunar Sabbath Truth, Second Temple Worship

Transcription

1 I JUST clicked this article open, have not read anything but the title. No one has ever brought a successful argument against the Lunar Sabbath, and about-torah.org will not be the first. I have never heard of this ministry and have no ought against them. They will feel like I am attacking them, but if they would put some distance between themselves and my intended target (their false doctrines and false assumptions regarding the Lunar Sabbath) they will realize that I am not aiming at them. Any shrapnel wounds received will have to heal naturally. No doubt about-torah.org (AT.O) will testify that satyrday is the Sabbath and that the Sabbath is on a repeating and unbroken 7 day cycle, but they will offer no Scripture as evidence, instead they will offer nothing but their tradition. If I am incorrect, I will admit it and publish my hasty proclamation along with an apology. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you are my witnesses.

2 AT.O uses a black font other than the index in blue below. I will respond in orange (for a change) as well as some red, green and perhaps a little blue. Dated Introduction The Biblical Witness The Biblical Week The Lunar Week Pentecost & Shavuot The Logical Witness New Moon & Signs Kindling Fire The Historical Witness Philo Fallacy Secondary Contradiction Calendars Commentaries Conclusions Works Cited Note: Page numbers no longer accurate! Lunar Sabbath Truth, Second Temple Worship Interesting opening salvo. Here AT.O calls the Lunar Sabbath "truth", but the rest of this article will attempt to debunk it entirely. Me thinks snake hiss with forked tongue. Introduction Replacement theology has been the primary catalyst in the creation and implementation of new and deceptive doctrines. As a result, modern messianic theology is becoming fractured. One doctrine that is fracturing messianic unity is the Lunar Sabbath doctrine. Every Lunar Sabbath doctrine teaches that the Sabbath day should be seven days after new moon. The lunar Sabbath is a deliberate attempt to change times and laws. Therefore, lunar Sabbath promoters are fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 7:25 which states: "he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." AT.O does err, not knowing the Scriptures. I'm guessing AT.O has not read Isaiah 58:12 lately (or ever). And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. 2

3 Lunar Sabbatarians are not changing times and laws, we recognize that the original Sabbath HAS been changed by the Rome and we are restoring it to its former place. Daniel 7:25 is not about Lunar Sabbath keepers, it is about the fourth beast of Daniel's dream, which is generally acknowledged to be the papacy who indeed attempted to change times and laws. The papacy outlawed the feasts of YHWH and removed the second commandment and split the 10th commandment to maintain the 10, and they changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first. This is not rocket science, nor is it uncommon knowledge. How then is this charge accurately levied against Lunar Sabbath keepers? The Catholic Church abolished not only the Sabbath, but all the other Jewish festivals. Bishop T. Enright, CSSR, St. Louis, Missouri, If you want to know the days to keep, go to the Catholic Church, not to the Mosaic law, we have power to put down feast days, and we have power to institute feast days. Cardinal James Gibbons. He shall speak against the Most High and oppress the Most Holy ones of the Most High, THINKING TO CHANGE THE FEAST DAYS AND THE LAW. New Catholic American Bible, Daniel 7:25 [All emphasis my own] Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has the power to institute festivals of precept (feast days)? Answer: Has she not such power she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Satyrday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority. A Doctrinal Catechism, p. 174 Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act And the act is a mark of ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters. Letter, Cardinal Gibbons, In this age of rapid informational flow Lunar Sabbath teachers are finding fertile ground. Believers are being beguiled into acceptance of this false teaching. Good-sounding doctrines and charismatic teachers will turn people away from the truth. 2Timothy 4:3-4 says "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." It does not take a charismatic teacher to prove satyrday is not the Sabbath of Scripture. Just one who is not afraid to examine the evidence. To prevent deviation from the truth, we must test the spirit behind this doctrine. 1John 4:1 warns "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." Testing to see if the spirit behind the Lunar Sabbath doctrine is of God or is a false doctrine requires the use of biblical, logical and historical benchmarks. Using these three benchmarks will discern the truth and reveal the spirit behind the lunar Sabbath. 3

4 These are fair rules of engagement. We accept the challenge with the addition of the following. We are actually saying just about the same thing, just further explaining how Scripture instructs us to discern what is truth. 1. In Scripture: If I find 2-3 witnesses, texts saying the same thing, (Genesis 41:32, Deuteronomy 19:15, II Corinthians 13:1) then it is truth that I must admit and comply with. 2. In Scripture: If I find a single text saying "thus saith YHWH", (Deuteronomy 8:3b, Luke 4:8, Matthew 4:10) it is truth; it is my duty to obey His command whether there are 2-3 witnesses or not. 3. In Scripture: If I find a chain of texts where there is an unfolding of truth, one expounding upon the other, (Isaiah 28:9-10), this reveals truth that I am responsible for. For example, Genesis 1:14 says that the luminaries in the heavens regulate the seasons (Hebrew: mo'edim). Psalm 104:19 reveals that the moon alone regulates the seasons (mo'edim). Leviticus 23:1-3 calls the weekly Sabbath a feast (mo'edim). This is a chain of evidence that cannot be questioned. 4. If it is in the law [Torah] or the prophets, it is true, Isaiah 8:20. If something outside of Torah and the prophets agrees with the Torah and the prophets, neither adding nor diminishing aught (Deuteronomy 4:2), it is the straight truth. The standard listed in Isaiah and Deuteronomy (above) was given to trump Test 1 IF the 2-3 witnesses are false witnesses (speaking not according to the Torah and the prophets). 5. A doctrine or accepted belief that fails any of the above 4 tests means that it is NOT true. YHWH says that He will do NOTHING unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets, Amos 3:7. If the prophets are silent, then it did not come from YHWH. If there is no "thus saith YHWH, no 2-3 witnesses, no chain of inter-textual evidence and thus no support found in the Torah and the prophets, then it is my privilege to admit it and tell others that it has no foundation in truth. 6. Any historical evidence that agrees with Scripture (e.g. the Torah and the prophets) is acceptable as supportive evidence to the truth. Any historical record that disagrees with or contradicts Scripture, failing the first 4 tests above, is a lie in the highest order of magnitude. 7. If someone makes a statement, it does not matter if 1000 witnesses come later saying that he did NOT say such and such or did not MEAN such and such; the spoken word of the person in question (Almighty Yah, the prophets, you or I) takes precedence over that of all his defenders OR detractors. 8. If someone claims to be Messiah, or a prophet, or to have a special message for the body of believers, but fails to pass Tests 1, 2 and 3 above, then Isaiah 8:20 and Deuteronomy 18:18-22 (in essence, Tests 4 and 5) must be applied. If what they say doesn t come to pass or they speak not according to the Torah or the testimony of the prophets, fear them not, there is no light in them. 4

5 Included here are the tests that the New Testament (NT) authors recognized and taught their converts. John and Paul instructed their converts/followers to try the spirits (I John 4:1), to prove all things and hold fast that which is good (I Thessalonians 5:21), and also to search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things (that Paul taught them) were so, Acts 17:10-11). As silly as this might sound, the Carpenter from Nazareth never quoted a verse from the NT because the ONLY Scripture in existence during the first century was the Old Testament. In other words, the NT must meet the standard of the OT, not the other way around. In truth, if a NT writer does not meet the standard of the law [Torah] the testimony of the prophets, there is no light in this writing either. The Biblical Witness Consider Genesis 1:3-5 which states "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." This biblical passage makes clear that the first day began with the formation of light and the separation of light from darkness. [Wow, this is quite an admission. We agree, the day began with the formation of light. Time will tell whether they even understand what they just wrote.] After this first day God continues the creative process and on the fourth day God creates the sun and the moon. Genesis 1:14 19 declares "God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made 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." The Hebrew word translated as "made" in Genesis 1:16 is not the same Hebrew word used for "created". The word "Created" does not exist anywhere in the account of the 4th day of Creation. Created is the Hebrew word Bara (Strong's H1254) "made" is the Hebrew word Asah (H6213). Asah does not mean created from scratch like Bara does. Asah means made, like a person making a bed. The bed was already there it was not created from nothing, it was just rearranged, making it in the appearance desired. Asah means in English, advanced upon, or appointed, not created from scratch. The sun and moon were given their job description on the 4th day of the week. You advance upon or appoint something that already exists, they were not created from scratch on the 4th day of the week. The study at this link thoroughly explains and proves this claim: MoonRegulatesTheSabbath.pdf. So if the sun and moon were not created on day 4, then when were they created? I have intentionally withheld this information but I will reveal it on the next page. Any confusion you now have will be cleared up shortly. Thank you for your patience. 5

6 God continues to create until the creation is complete. God rests on the seventh day of creation. In Genesis 2:1-3 we read "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." The Biblical Week The following table graphically represents the creation week as stated in Genesis. AT.O does err, not knowing (and perhaps not reading) the Scriptures. They intentionally missed a Creation event. I say intentionally because they know full well that there is another "Day", but to present it here would undermine their teaching on the Sabbath. I was taught the same thing AT.O presented above, but I learned it is not true. Consider the following: time began on earth in Genesis 1:1-2, not Genesis 1:3-5 as presented above calendar model. We have been taught that time pieces (the sun, moon and stars) were supposedly not created until the 4th day, but how can this be? This flies in the face of the fact that there were 3 days of the week BEFORE the 4th day of Creation week, and the only light in the heavens that can regulate a day on earth is the sun. Read Genesis 1:5. The light was called day, the darkness was called night. What light seen from earth causes day and night? The sun. Clearly the sun was LIT on the first day of the week, so when was it created? Answer: Genesis 1:1-2, when YHWH created heaven AND earth. The clock of earth would have been created at the same time, not the minute hand created one day and the hour hand created several days later. The creation event recorded in Genesis 1:1-2 was a TIME consuming event, meaning that time began on earth in Genesis 1:1. The sun was counting days from the first day of Creation Week, and if the sun was lit on the first work day, then the moon was created at the same time the sun was. It does not matter whether you agree with me or recognize this, it does not change the fact that the sun, moon and stars were created at the same time the earth was created. YHWH took the next several days to move things around, getting them how He wanted things. The only thing "made" (established) on the 4th day was the job description of the lights in the heavens. In addition, consider the following. If the second month of earth's history began with a New Moon and last month began with a New Moon, what do you suppose the FIRST month of earth's history began with? New Moon. Please examine the calendar model above, AT.O does not recognize one. The True calendar of YHWH looks like this: 6

7 New Moon (Genesis 1:1-2) Day 1 of week (Genesis 1:3-5) Day 2 of week (Genesis 1:6-8) Day 3 of week (Genesis 1:9-13) Day 4 of week (Genesis 1:14-19) Day 5 of week (Genesis 1:20-23) Day 6 of week (Genesis 1:24-31) 7 th day Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3) The Lunar Week Lunar Sabbath doctrine ignores the creation week as described in Genesis and teaches that the Sabbath is supposed to occur seven days after the new moon. [Um, WHO ignored evidence during Creation week in Genesis?] As a result, Lunar Sabbath doctrine substitutes a Sabbath counting system that does not begin with day one of creation. Lunar Sabbath doctrine fails to acknowledge the biblical standard and implements a counting system based on the moon. This is a biblical fallacy. Genesis 1:14-19 clearly states that the moon was created on the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19 states no such thing. Please show the ladies and gentlemen of the jury using the underlying Hebrew that ANYTHING was created on day 4. If the sun was not created until day 4, please explain how there were at least THREE named creation days before it. According to Genesis 1:3-5, WHAT defines the day? LIGHT, as opposed to the darkness of Night. And neither day nor night can exist on earth without the light of the sun. We begin the Creation Calendar when time began on earth, Genesis 1:1-2. We recognize this segment of time for what it is, New Moon. AT.O does neither, therefore their accusation is without foundation. In reality the pot is calling the kettle black. This table graphically represents the week as stated in Lunar Sabbath doctrine. 7

8 Close, but no, this does not well represent the Lunar Sabbath calendar. New Moon is not the seventh day of the week. But because AT.O does not understand the Scriptural definition of New Moon, their mistake is understandable. According to Scripture, New Moon is not a week day. It is a third category of day. Ezekiel 46:1 says that the gate to the inner court is shut ALL 6 work day and open only on the Sabbath and new moon (the day one you are in reference to). Last month, new moon (day one) was on the pagan monday (at the time of this writing). So, is the gate to the inner court open or shut? If you say open, I will remind you that monday is a work day and YHWH says the gate will be shut for all 6 working days. If you agree and say that it must be shut, then I will remind you that it is new moon day and YHWH says that the gate must be open on new moons and Sabbath. Do you see a problem? The problem is the Gregorian calendar is a counterfeit calendar. There are only two categories of days with it, week days and Sabbaths. The Creation Calendar has three categories of days, new moon days, week days and Sabbaths. For the record, it is not an 8 day week. There are only 7 day weeks in Scripture. Day ONE (new moon day) does not count against the week, it is not a week day, (the gate is open not shut). Day one (new moon day) is a day of the month, the first one naturally, but is not a week day. Weird to our modern thinking, but it is the truth as it is in Scripture. Isaiah 66:23, Amos 8:5 and II Kings 4:23 are three more witnesses that the New Moon is never included in the week and is indeed a third category of day. 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 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? Yah s week or the pagan planetary week? YHVH did not finish creation and rest seven days after the moon was created. [They say it, but they can't prove it.] The first Sabbath day of rest occurred on the seventh day of creation not on the eighth day of the month. [They can't prove this either.] To observe a Sabbath based on the creation week, and not regulated by the moon, is to emulate YHVH's day of rest as He desires. 8

9 [To observe the Sabbath based on AT.O's presentation, which is regulated by the calendar whims and tradition of men, is to ignore New Moon, which YHWH included at the beginning of EVERY month. I know this is true, and AT.O knows it as well.] YHVH's day of rest was after the first six days of work. Therefore, it is not seven days after the new moon that is Holy. The seventh day of creation is holy, as Exodus 20:11 states "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." True, the Sabbath came after the first six work days. But first there was a New Moon segment, THEN six work days. And before I am accused of not being able to count, Exodus 20:11 DOES say that YHWH made "heaven and earth" in six days--and this phrase is certainly found in Genesis 1:1-2, meaning that this segment of time is included in the "six days" mentioned in Exodus 20:11. But the inclusion of the creation event in Genesis 1:1-2 would mean SEVEN days of work before the Sabbath, not six. So, how is this answered. Simple. Nothing was created on the second day of the week. Literally, NOTHING was created on the second day of Creation. The firmament is the empty space between the heavens and the earth. And please note that after every other creation event in the work week, the event is followed by "and Elohim saw the that it was good, and there was evening, and there was morning, day." Read Genesis 1:6-8. This phrase is absent from the creation account that records the events of the second day of the week. Why? Because not even YHWH can see "nothing". So if NOTHING was created on day 2, then everything WAS created in six days, not seven. No doubt many of you will take issue with this concept even though it precisely fits the narrative. In that case, let me offer another solution that is equally accurate, but just as damning to the conclusion AT.O is presenting here. Exodus 20:8-11 is indeed linking the Sabbath to the first week of earth's history. In this week, there were indeed six work days, concluding with the Sabbath. Since the 4th commandment is not taking into account the month or the entire year (or placing the Sabbath within these calendar segments), only the work week, naturally New Moon, which is a third category of day, not included in the work week, would be excluded in the narrative. Exodus 20:8-11 is NOT ignoring New Moon or implying that there was no creation event prior to the first day of the week, it is merely placing the Sabbath within the work week. BOTH of these statements accurately represent the details revealed in Genesis 1 to 2:1-3. Neither of them imply, prove or tolerate the idea that satyrday is the Sabbath or that the Sabbath is the seventh day in an unbroken cycle of seven day week. Pentecost & Shavuot An argument that will prove fruitless. 9

10 Consider Pentecost (Shavuot) and the Lunar Sabbath. Shavuot and Lunar Sabbath doctrine cannot be reconciled. [Not true, it is the ONLY Shavuot doctrine that follows the instructions given in Leviticus 23: Evidence forthcoming.] Counting of seven Sabbaths is commanded to determine the fiftieth day and when Shavuot is to occur. Leviticus 23:15-17 commands "ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD." This biblical passage clearly explains how to determine when the day of Shavuot will occur. The seven Sabbaths are not commanded to determine the 50th day. The seven Sabbaths are the first portion of the count. We are not commanded to number 50 days until after the seventh Sabbath. This passage says nothing about a 50th day, it says to number 50 days. The count began with seven Sabbaths complete (or complete weeks) not days. A week and a day are two distinct segments of time. Why AT.O and feast keepers like them start number days immediately after wavesheaf is beyond me. We are told to number 7 Sabbaths complete. At the end of this count the number on the table will be 7, not 49. And from the morrow after the seventh day shall ye number 50 days, not the 50th day. There is a difference. Lunar Sabbath doctrine creates its own standard based on Exodus 19:1. [This is a grave accusation, alleging that Lunar Sabbath keepers have added to Torah. An accusation I do not take lightly, nor (to the delight of the reading audience) sitting down. Again, I accept this challenge. The next few minutes will determine who is adding to Torah and who is accurately interpreting Scripture.] Lunar Sabbath keepers interpret Exodus 19:1 to mean that the children of Israel entered the Wilderness of Sinai on the fifteenth day of the third month. The Hebrew text of Exodus 19:1 does not state that they entered the wilderness on the fifteenth day of the third month. [That is correct, it says that Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai on the 16th day of the third month.] The Hebrew text of Exodus 19:1 would translate like this "the children of Israel arrived at the wilderness of Sinai on the Same day as the day that they came out of Egypt". The term same day does not imply that the Children of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Sinai on the same date that they came out of Egypt. The text in the passage shows that they arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai on the same day of the week that they left Egypt. In fact if it was the same monthly date of the fifteenth of the third month, the text would have specified the date similar to the way the fifteenth of the second month is specified in Exodus 16:1. "They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt." However, let's assume Lunar Sabbath doctrine is right and the Children of Israel arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai on the fifteenth of the third month. Exodus 19:1 says that Israel arrived at the area surrounding Mt. Sinai on the same day as the day that they came out of the LAND of Egypt. AT.O neglected to include this part of the verse. Were they diminishing ought from the law (Deuteronomy 4:2)? Probably not intentionally, but the result is the same. They are not telling the whole truth about the text (and the Sabbath) because they can't, for one of two reasons. 10

11 1. They don't know the truth. 2. If they told the truth, it would undermine their current Sabbath/Feast doctrine. 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. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which YHWH had smitten among them: upon their gods also YHWH executed judgments. And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth. And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. Numbers 33:3-6 Succoth is about 30 miles from Rameses, still well within the borders of Egypt. Israel left the land of Egypt the following day, on Abib 16 when they left Succoth and pitched in Etham which was on the border of Egypt and the Wilderness of Sin. Exodus 19:1 is flat out saying that Israel arrived at Sinai on the 16th day of the third month, the SAME DAY that they left the land of Egypt in the first month. And despite all the accusations that we are adding to the law, the Book of Jubilees agrees with our conclusion... And it happened in the first year of the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt, in the 3 rd month, on the 16 th of this month, and YHWH spoke to Moshe saying: Ascend to me here on the mountain, and I will give to thee the two stone tablets of the law and the commandments; as I have written them, thou shalt make them known. Jubilees 1:1. Israel's arrival date, the 16 th day of the third month is well past AT.O's count to Feast of Weeks falls on the 6 th, 7 th or 8 th of the third month (depending on who is counting). According to Lunar Sabbath doctrine the fifteenth day of the third month is a weekly Sabbath and is also the seventh Sabbath of the Omer. [Um, no. The 8th day of the third month is the seventh Sabbath from wavesheaf, not the 15th. I have NO idea where they came up with this notion. Kinda hard to argue against the Lunar Sabbath when you don't know what we believe, but then we have faced this before, from just about every one who opens their mouth before they examine the evidence. Proverbs 18:13.] If the fifteenth day of the third month is the seventh Sabbath as commanded in Leviticus 23:16 then the sixteenth day of the third month would be Shavuot. [Completely inaccurate.] However, when the Children of Israel entered the Wilderness of Sinai the first commandment of YHVH to them was to purify themselves for three days. This three day purification process is preparation for receiving the Torah from YHVH. When the three days of purification are added, Pentecost (Shavuot) would have occurred three days after the seventh Sabbath. [Amazingly enough, this is a correct statement. Although in the context of all their other false assumptions, I cannot figure out how they got this right.] Leviticus 23:16 commands that Shavuot (Pentecost) must occur the day after the seventh Sabbath. No, it does not. The day after the seventh Sabbath is the "morrow" spoken of in Leviticus 23:16. And FROM this morrow shall ye number 50 days. The KJV reads Even Unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, the Hebrew reads While From... 11

12 Please pay attention. When you actually READ what the verse says, the conclusion is self-evident... And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto YHWH. Leviticus 23: These are weeks as reckoned on YHWH s calendar, not the Gregorian (Roman Catholic) calendar. Yah s weeks do not count new moon days. See the Creator s Calendar study. 2. If you will read the context of the passage, the 50 days are numbered from the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, not from Wave Sheaf. Consider the following calendar 1st month wave sheaf > <1 st Sabbath complete <2 nd complete week 30 2nd month <3 rd complete week <4 th complete week <5 th complete week <6 th complete week 3rd month <7 th complete week morrow after > th Sabbath th month Shavuot is 50 days, from the morrow <= after the 7th Sabbath The Sabbaths are in Red, the New Moon days are in Blue. Please note as we said, the 8th day of the third month is the 7th Sabbath, so whatever their charge was going to be (based on their assumption that the 15th of the 3rd month was the 7th Sabbath), it will be false. Some have pointed out that ad or od (Strong s H-5704, H-5703) does NOT mean FROM the morrow after the 7th Sabbath, but H-4480 DOES. Guess where THAT word is? Leviticus 23:16 Even unto 5704 the morrow 4480, 4283 after the seventh 7637 sabbath 7676 shall ye number 5608 fifty 2572 days; 3117 and ye shall offer 7126 a new 2319 meat offering 4503 unto the LORD

13 Look at what Strong s says about H-5704 whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until). Leviticus 23:16 is about time, not space, so we ve been applying the word in the wrong manner all along. The Hebrew actually should be translated: WHILE FROM the morrow (after the) seventh Sabbath (shall ye) number fifty days (and ye shall) offer a new meat offering (unto) YHWH. The Fenton Translation is the ONLY translation that seems to be honest with this evidence: You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath that you bring the Wave-Sheaf, seven Sabbaths. They must be complete. Then after the seventh Sabbath, you shall count fifty days, when you shall present a new offering to the Ever-Living. Leviticus 23:15-16 There is also a chronological problem that occurs if the giving of the Torah occurred on the sixteenth day of the third month. [Not a problem, the Torah was not given on the 16th day of the third month.] The span between the fifteenth day of the first month and the fifteenth day of the third month is more than fifty days apart. [No kidding, but we are not counting days between the 15th day of the first month and the 15th day of the third month. The ONLY place you were instructed to count days is from the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. Also, the count begins on the day the sickle was put to the corn, and that day was Abib 16. So count seven Sabbaths from Abib 16, not Abib 15.] Lunar Sabbath doctrine clearly conflicts with the commandment in Leviticus 23:16 to "observe the fiftieth day as the feast of Shavuot." [The 50th day IS Shavuot. It is just not the 50th day from wavesheaf.] To rectify this problem some Lunar Sabbath doctrines teach that some days are not counted. [New Moon days are not counted when numbering seven complete weeks, because they are not week days. But we are not rectifying a problem when we do not count them. We don't count them because they are not week days, and no one was told to number days from wavesheaf any way.] However, as many as ten days must be overlooked to create a lunar doctrine calendar that allows Shavuot to occur on the fiftieth day. As a result, Lunar Sabbath followers are manipulating the calendar to prove Lunar Sabbath doctrine and not observing the commandment given for Shavuot in Leviticus 23:16. We don't manipulate anything. AT.O is manipulating (misrepresenting) what Lunar Sabbath keepers believe. Seven of the ten days AT.O refers to is because they falsely believe that WE believe that the 15th day of the third month is the seventh Sabbath. It is not, the 8th day of the third month is the seventh Sabbath. The other three days are the New Moon days that fall between the first and second month, and the second and third month. In reality, there could be 2, 3 or 4 New Moon days here, depending on whether it is a one or two day New Moon celebration between the months. Again, when numbering 7 Sabbaths complete (Hebrew idiom for 7 complete weeks) New Moon days are excluded, not being week days. The Torah and the prophets say so. True count found here: FeastOfWeeks.pdf. The following tables show how counting the Omer by the lunar Sabbath method fails. 13

14 See above. The very beginning of AT.O's description of the Lunar Sabbatarian's count to Shavuot is incorrect. The Sabbaths are NOT the first day of the week as depicted in the calendar model presented here.. At this point, I have no idea why they are presenting their argument in this manner. If I figure it out, I will let you know. Also, AT.O includes the New Moon days (days 1 and 30) in the weeks, which is contrary to what Scripture teaches. 14

15 Include the fact that they think to end Lunar Sabbatarian's seven Sabbath count on the 15th day of the third month and it is clear why the Lunar Sabbath confuses AT.O. They don't have a CLUE what Lunar Sabbatarians believe, so how can they argue against it? As you can see the counting of the Omer does not work with the Lunar Sabbath. [If you want to keep your readers from ever accepting the truth, just butcher the evidence in this manner. Should work like a charm.] Shavuot (Pentecost) is to be observed on the day after counting seven Sabbaths, making it seven weeks not 60 days. So Biblically speaking, the Lunar Sabbath doctrine is not proven, because it fails the test of the creation week in Genesis 1 and the test of Shavuot commanded in Leviticus 23:16. Therefore, in an attempt to make this doctrine fit the biblical pattern of counting the Omer, Lunar Sabbath keepers create special laws that state some days are not counted. There is not a Lunar Sabbath keeper alive that would try to prove their doctrine in this manner. Ignorance might be bliss, but to really keep your readers in the dark requires and agenda. Lunar Sabbath keepers won't admit that it would be much more beneficial for them to discard this doctrine. Because, it is not confirmed by the creation week of Genesis chapter 1 or the test of Shavuot as commanded in Leviticus 23:16. Next, let us examine the Lunar Sabbath doctrine's logic to discover if this doctrine can be proven logically. The Lunar Sabbath doctrine lines up perfectly with the evidence regarding Creation as well as the count to Shavuot. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, has AT.O successfully brought a charge against the Lunar Sabbath? With their penchant for butchering or overlooking evidence, would you want them representing YOU in court? 15

16 The Logical Witness Logically speaking Lunar Sabbath teachers build the foundation of their doctrine on Genesis 1:14, which states "God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" Genesis 1:14 literally translates as "let them be as signs". In other words, the sun and the moon are representations of the sign that YHVH is Master Of The Universe. [That is not what the verse says. AT.O does err, not knowing the Scriptures.] Lunar Sabbath doctrine interprets this passage from Genesis 1:14 as "let them determine the signs". In the first case the moon is the sign. In the second case the moon is to determine the signs. Assuming the moon is to determine the signs allows Lunar Sabbath teachers to associate the Sabbath with the moon. As a result, Lunar Sabbath doctrine teaches the moon is required for the sign of the Sabbath. For this associational logic to hold true it must apply equally to all uses of the Hebrew word for sign. Oh brother. First of all, AT.O does err, not knowing the Scriptures, and second, AT.O does not know anything about the Lunar Sabbath. That much has been established about 21 pages back. I will address AT.O's "let them determine the signs" accusation in a moment but first I want to set the table by defining exactly what Lunar Sabbath keepers believe and how we interpret the Scriptures (which were not fist written in English).. The next three paragraphs are Creation Calendar 101: Genesis 1:14 says that the two great lights would be for signs, seasons, days and years. Thus the calendar of Yah is 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. Psalm 104:19 says that the moon will regulate the seasons (mo edim--appointed times, set feasts). Leviticus 23:1-3 shows the weekly Sabbath to be the first feast (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. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, let's look at the Hebrew of the verse in question. "Let them be for sign's" comes from Strong's Concordance H1961 and H226, by themselves these two words say Be Signs. The letters are right to left in the manner of the Hebrews, but the words are left to right rather than right to left for sake of ease... Be: ה י H1961 (pronounced Hayah) Signs: א ת H226 (pronounced Owth) ha y ah 16 th w o

17 years days seasons signs be However, please observe how these words are spelled in Jay P. Greene's Interlinear Hebrew Bible. They are translated And let them be for signs, and for seasons and for days and years for a reason... years and days for and seasons for and signs for be (them let) and Every feast keeper admits that the moon regulates the feasts (mo'edim). That word seasons there is the Hebrew word mo'edim, which means set feasts, times appointed. Psalm 104:19 flat out says that YHWH APPOINTED the moon FOR seasons (mo'edim) using the same spelling as above ( ). If this verse indicates that the moon regulates the mo'edim, then when Genesis 1:14 says that the two great lights would be for signs, it means the SAME EXACT SAME THING. To top it off, Leviticus 23:1-3 twice calls the weekly Sabbath mo'ed, including it in the list of calendar appointments that are regulated by the moon. Of course there would be signs IN the sun and moon (sun turns dark, moon turns to blood), but these are not calendar mo'edim now are they? So while we admit that the sun and moon can be a sign in an of itself, the sun and/or moon will also regulate certain signs (in the calendar), like perhaps the weekly Sabbath--because Genesis 1:14 is the establishment of the Father's calendar. And He had the good sense to write it in the heavens where man cannot mess with it. In Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, and 20:20, the Sabbath is a sign (same word used in Genesis 1:14). After reading Genesis 1:14 again, either the sun or moon will be assigned (appointed) to be for the weekly Sabbath. Can you go outside and look at the sun and tell whether it is satyrday or the Sabbath? No, you cannot. New Moon & Signs The mark placed on Cain is also a sign, as Genesis 4:15 states "the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a sign upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him." The context of this passage clearly shows the sign of Cain is not associated with the moon and does not require the moon. [Oh, so NOW we are going to worry about context? We have been applying context all along. This argument fails because the "sign" put on Cain was not a calendar event like the ones listed in Genesis 1:14. The Sabbath is a calendar event, is it not?] Lets consider other passages specifically concerning covenants that God has established with men. For example, the sign of circumcision, which is a covenant between God and man, does not require the new moon as confirmation. [New moon is neither mentioned nor implied regarding the signs in Genesis 1:14. This also fails because circumcision is not a calendar event like the ones listed in Genesis 1:14. 17

18 The Sabbath is a calendar event, is it not?] Genesis 17:9-11 states "God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, you, and thy seed after you in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after you; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you." Genesis 17:11 is clearly similar in context, as well as wording, to the covenant of the Sabbath spoken of in Exodus 31:17. [Similar in what way? Is circumcision listed in Genesis 1:14 along with the other calendar segments?] "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day, he rested, and was refreshed." In the context of Genesis 17:9-11, as well as the context of Exodus 31:17, there is no mention of the new moon. [It is not the New Moon that is assigned or appointed for the mo'edim. Read the context of Psalm 104:19 again. This ain't rocket science and you are not stupid.] If Genesis 1:14 truly stated that the moon was for us to use to determine the signs, these other passages concerning signs would verify the significance of the moon. [Which is akin to saying that if a bird likes safflower seeds that ALL birds should like safflower seeds. While the American Cardinal loves safflower seeds, please try to get an eagle or an ostrich to eat them. WHAT exactly does the sign put on Cain or circumcision have to do with the different segments of the calendar? This argument is about as weak and as ill-conceived as they come.] The fact is that Genesis 1:14 states the moon is a sign. When compared to other Hebrew passages it is clear that scripture does not state that the moon is to be used to determine signs, such as the Sabbath. And why not? The Sabbath is called a sign; it is also part of the calendar of YHWH. Please notice that AT.O did not use the word season (mo'edim), rather they picked on sign. No body argues that the day is ruled by the sun or that the year is ruled by the moon AND sun (the sun brings time back to spring, and the New Moon of the first month in spring announces the new year). If all this verse said was that the two great lights regulate the signs and seasons, AT.O would have an argument, but this verse includes days and years, PROVING that this verse is defining the calendar of YHWH and how it works. Genesis 1:14 says that either the sun or moon will regulate the signs, seasons, days and years. OK, so AT.O does not like signs as an example. Let's try seasons. Psalm 104:19 flat out says that the moon was APPOINTED for seasons (mo'edim). Leviticus 23:1-3 twice flat out calls the weekly Sabbath a feast (mo'edim). So what is the context of THESE verses friends? Do the math, check your work, accept the answer as truth. Kindling Fire Lunar Sabbath doctrine also encounters logical problems concerning the lighting of fire on the Sabbath. [Logical problems? Logic has nothing to do with truth or whether something was commanded or not.] According to Lunar Sabbath doctrine, the seventh-day Sabbath occurs on the eighth, fifteenth, twenty-second and the twenty-ninth days of the month. The feast of unleavened bread starts on the fifteenth day of the month. Lunar sabbatarians declare the fifteenth day of every month is the weekly Sabbath. Therefore, fire should not be created on the fifteenth day of any month. The commandment in Exodus 35:2-3 says, "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day." However, the first day of the feast of unleavened bread occurs on the fifteenth day of the first month as Leviticus 23:5-6 commands. 18

19 "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD S Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." When the fifteenth day of the first month is a weekly Sabbath no one is allowed to kindle a fire. However, concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread Exodus 12:16 states, "in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you." Exodus 35:2-3 reads you shall not kindle a fire on the weekly Sabbath yet Exodus 12:16 states that you can do work concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread. When the fifteenth day of the first month is always a weekly Sabbath, Israel would never be allowed to kindle a fire for the preparation of the feast. Therefore, there would be no need for a commandment allowing food preparation on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Clearly, Lunar Sabbath doctrine is not logically supported by Scripture. Therefore, lunar Sabbath keepers create special non-scriptural laws to justify their doctrine. Ok, I see what they are trying to accuse us of. Not everyone catches this, good for AT.O for their observation. But they did not observe the context of the verse they are attempting to use against us. Let me set the table. We agree, Passover is the 14th day of the first month, the first day of Unleavened Bread is Abib 15, and no work, no food preparation and no fires (kindled) on the Sabbath. 1. Israel had been in Egypt for 430 years, partially while as invited guests, most while in captivity (Exodus 12:40). 2. While in bondage, they were forced to work every day (Exodus 5:13, 5:19). 3. That Israel had completely forgotten the Sabbath is self-evident. The very first time the word Sabbath is used in Scripture is in Exodus 16 (regarding the manna) a month after the exodus, where YHWH had to explain how the Sabbath worked by giving them an equation, work six days, rest the Sabbath. And some of them STILL did not get it, going out and looking for manna on the Sabbath. 4. The Sabbath command in Exodus 35:2-3 was given to Israel 3 months after the exodus. So, what can we make of Exodus 12:16? This is the verse that AT.O seeks to use as a club against the Lunar Sabbath. 5. In the month of their deliverance, according to Exodus 12:16, Israel is permitted to prepare food, but not work on Abib 15. According to the account in Exodus 16 (which calls the 15th of the second month a Sabbath) and Exodus 35 (which is clearly regarding the weekly Sabbath), Israel is NOT permitted to prepare food. The DIFFERENCE is that the command in Exodus 12:16 is one given to a people who had no idea what a Sabbath was or that Abib 15 WAS a Sabbath. Had they known EITHER, they would not have needed the command. They had been delivered in the middle of the night, they were told to make unleavened bread the day before, but they had not been told to make enough for two days because the next day was Sabbath. (What was a Sabbath?) 19

20 So, Exodus 12:16 is a ONE time exception. That's all. To come to any other conclusion is to accuse the Father of speaking out of both sides of His mouth, or of YHWH causing Israel to break the 4th commandment. Israel was JUST leaving Egypt and they did not know what a Sabbath was. Clearly Israel had NOT had time to prepare any food for Abib 15, and now they were leaving town forever. An even better argument here would have been that if Abib 15 was the Sabbath, why did Israel leave Rameses on the Sabbath, traveling about 30 miles to Succoth. The response to this argument (that AT.O did not submit) is that there is no such thing as a Sabbath day's journey in Torah; this is Talmud. Also, neither YHWH or Moses identified Abib 15 as the Sabbath at the time of the exodus, and Israel did not know what a Sabbath was. In addition, traveling as Israel did on the Sabbath of Abib 15, was not work. It was a victory parade. What Israel would have been doing if they had STAYED in Egypt, THAT would have been work. You cannot be judged guilty if you do not know it is a sin. The Historical Witness At this point Lunar Sabbath doctrine has failed the test using biblical and logical standards. [Only if you are suffering from complete sensory deprivation. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what "biblical and logical" standard has the Lunar Sabbath doctrine failed?] However, biblical and logical standards are not the only means available to test a doctrine. [True, there is a list on page 4 of how Scripture reveals how to determine truth. And which of THESE tests has AT.O successfully used against the Lunar Sabbath?] The historical standard is also a valuable tool in testing doctrinal beliefs. To discern fully the truth of the Lunar Sabbath doctrine requires examination of the historical statements proponents of the lunar Sabbath claim. Discerning the truth historically will require the use of as many primary sources as possible. However, when primary sources are not available it will be necessary to use secondary source material. Primary sources are sources written during the time period being historically evaluated. Secondary source materials are materials gathered, researched and written about after the period in question. Prior 300 C.E. (sic) very few primary source materials exist. However, lunar Sabbatarians often quote the primary source of Philo of Alexandria. Philo is a Jewish philosopher known to have lived from 20 B.C.E 50 C.E. Therefore, research and study in the teachings of Philo are required to see if Lunar Sabbath doctrine is historically accurate. Philo was also a Hebrew historian. He was chosen to represent Israel as a delegate of leaders that represented Israel before the Roman Emperor to complain about the harsh treatment received by Israelites from Roman soldiers. Had he held different doctrines than mainstream Israel, he would never have been chosen as a representative. The historical account is the most subjective, having some historical documents that agree with the Creation Calendar, while others disagree. The conclusion of the matter is that if it agrees with the law (Torah) and testimony of the prophets, then it can be used as a second witness. If it disagrees with the law and the testimony, there is no light in it. 20

21 Philo Fallacy Lunar Sabbath supporters quote Philo to prove that Yeshua and his disciples kept a lunar Sabbath. One quote that is often used comes from Philo's writings on The Special Laws I and states "The moon receives the perfect shapes in periods of seven days-the half-moon in the first seven days period after it's conjunction with the sun, full moon in the second." (Philo, p39, 178). The portion of this quote from Philo that Lunar Sabbatarians use is not the complete context. In context Philo is speaking of the new moon sacrifices that were offered. The exact quote from Philo's The Special Laws I states: "After he had ordered these things concerning the seventh day, he said that for the new moons it is necessary to offer ten whole burnt offerings in all: two young bulls, one ram, seven lambs. For since the month is perfect in which the moon makes its way through its cycle, he thought that a perfect number of animals should be sacrificed. The number ten is the completely perfect number which he most appropriately assigned to the animals which have been mentioned: the two young bulls since there are two motions of the moon as it continually runs its double-course the motion of waxing until full moon and the motion of waning until its conjunction with the sun; one ram since there is one principle of reason by which the moon waxes and wanes in equal intervals, both as it increases and diminishes in illumination; the seven lambs because it receives the perfect shapes in periods of seven days the half-moon in the first seven day period after its conjunction with the sun, full moon in the second; and when it makes its return again, the first is to half-moon, then it ceases at its conjunction with the sun." (Philo, XXXV, pp 38-39, ) In context Philo only states that the moon has a perfect cycle throughout all of the moon's phases. [AT.O does err, apparently not being able to understand what they read. The sacrifices have nothing to do with the calendar detail offered by Philo. That said, this quote does not specifically tie the week to the phases of the moon. But that information will be shared soon enough.] Philo also specifies that there is seven days between each lunar phase and for this reason seven lambs are sacrificed. Anyone who has observed the monthly cycle of the moon has witnessed the fact there are seven days between phases. Philo does not state that the seven day cycle of the moon is used to determine the seven day cycle of the Sabbath. [Oh, yes, he does. Not in this quote, but before you go putting words in Philo's mouth, you first need to know what he actually says.] Philo is only explaining the new moon sacrifices that were offered during the time of the Second Temple and why ten burnt offerings were offered. Philo makes it clear that the instructions concerning the sacrifices offered during the new moon were given after the orders were given concerning the seventh day Sabbath when he writes "After he had ordered these things concerning the seventh day, he said that for the new moons". Clearly, Philo shows that instructions concerning the Sabbath were given before the instructions concerning new moon. [In Scripture, the instructions for the Sabbath WERE given before those concerning the New Moon. What is your point?] Lunar Sabbatarians take Philo's quote out of context. [Oh? Can AT.O prove it?] Philo shows no connection between the new moon and the Sabbath. We need a second witness to verify Philo's intent. [Agreed, and I will offer them since AT.O did not.] Let's see if Philo ever speaks about the new moon and the Sabbath in the same contextual thought, thereby linking the observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath to the new moon. [Good idea.] But first, a word from the author. 21

22 According to Philo, the New Moon was counted as it perfects in its own configurations on each seventh day. Today, we call these quarter phases of the moon and they occur at the end of a seven day period. When Philo writes "seventh day" elsewhere in his writings, he is referring to the Sabbath. Above, he tells us that the moon perfects its own configurations on each seventh day. It was understood, that at the end each period of six work days there would be a weekly Sabbath. The Greek speaking Jews referred to the Sabbath as the seventh day or the sacred seventh day, while in the language of the Hebrews it was termed Shabbat, or the Sabbath. Continuing on with Philo: The Decalogue XXX (159), But to the seventh day of the week he has assigned the greatest festivals, those of the longest duration, at the periods of the equinox both vernal and autumnal in each year; appointing two festivals for these two epochs, each lasting seven days; the one which takes place in the spring being for the perfection of what is being sown, and the one which falls in autumn being a feast of thanksgiving for the bringing home of all the fruits which the trees have produced Let s look carefully at what Philo is saying. To the seventh day of the week He [the Father above] has assigned the greatest festivals, in other words the greatest (longest) festivals have been assigned to the seventh day of the week. Philo, keeping the same luni-solar calendar established in Scripture, calls the first day of each of these seven day feasts the seventh day of the week. Scripture says that both of the seven day feasts (Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles) begin on the 15 th day of their respective months. 1 Friend, the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath, is it not? It is the seventh day of the week EVERY year. If the 15 th is the weekly Sabbath, so are the 8 th, 22 nd and 29 th days of the month. Notice Philo did not say they would receive two holydays of festivals, but one, the 15 th. Satyrday Sabbath keepers insist that there will be a satyrday Sabbath that interrupts these seven day feasts, and indeed, if the Gregorian calendar were the calendar of Scripture that would be true. But Scripture says nothing of a [satyrday] Sabbath in the middle of these 7 day feasts. To prove the seventh day of the week is the same as the 15th, elsewhere Philo states, And this feast is begun on the fifteenth day of the month, in the middle of the month, on the day on which the moon is full of light, in consequence on the providence of Elohim taking care that there shall be no darkness on that day. 2 In other words, Philo is saying the weekly Sabbath begins these feasts, and is on the 15 th. This proves the Sabbaths by the lunar calendar is true and the Gregorian false because there is no way the weekly Sabbath can begin these two festivals on the 15 th in the 1 st and 7 th month each year, on a continuous seven day cycle presented by the Gregorian calendar we have today. 1 See Leviticus 23:5-6 and 23:34. 2 Philo s Special Laws II, The Fifth Festival, Section XXVIII (155) 22

23 Now, to offer the quotes that AT.O hoped did not exist, and they surely were not looked for, Philo gives a second witness in On Mating with the Preliminary Studies, XIX (102) For it is said in the Scripture: On the tenth day of this month let each of them take a sheep according to his house; in order that from the tenth, there may be consecrated to the tenth, that is to Elohim, the sacrifices which have been preserved in the soul, which is illuminated in two portions out of the three, until it is entirely changed in every part, and becomes a heavenly brilliancy like a full moon, at the height of its increase at the end of the second week. Please let what Philo just said sink in. His readers in those days understood that the weeks were by the moon, same as in Scripture, and that at the end of the second week there would be a full moon. This statement needs no interpretation and is impossible to misunderstand. The sacred seventh day of the week, which comes at the end of the second week of each month, is a full moon Sabbath (Psalms 81:3-6). AT.O would like for us to believe that the months were originally by the moon but the weeks were not. Philo was making a simple observation of how a person can be spiritually illuminated to a full brilliance just like a full moon at the height of its increase at the end of the second week. Friend, is there a Sabbath at the end of that second week? Philo did not count the new moon when counting out the weeks as calendars do today. This statement is very easily proven from the writings of Philo because he states in other places throughout his book that the full moon is on the 15th each month and he also separates the new moon from the weeks as a separate feast day. Writers today would instead count the new moon day in counting their weeks, but it is obvious from Philo that he did not. Philo recognized the same order of the month as is described in Scripture. New Moon days, week days, Sabbaths. The New Moon was not included in the seven day week. In agreement with (offered as a second witness, from the same era) Philo are the following quotes: The Essenes were also around during Philo s time. Please read this quote found among the fragments in the Qumran caves along with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Seventysix fragments of an astronomical text written in a cryptic alphabet record the phases of the moon divided into 1/14 ths of the full size of the moon. J. T. Milik has reconstructed a 14 line section based on fragment ii, It is entitled Phases of the moon (4Q317), part of which is found below [On the f]ifth (day) of it (the month), [tw]elve (fourteenths of the moon s surface) are covered and thus it [enters the day. On the sixth (day) of it] thirteen (fourteenths of its surface) are covered and thus it enters the day. On the seventh (day) of it [fourteen (fourteenths of its surface) are covered and thus] it enters the day. vacat [On the eighth (day) of it the firmament above its light is to be covered on the first of the Sabbath. vacat [On the ninth (day) of it one (fourteenth) portion (of its surface)] is revealed [and thus it entered the night]. On the tenth (day) of it [two (fourteenths of its surface)] are [revealed and it enters] the night. vacat On the ele[venth (day) of it three (fourteenths of its surface) are revealed] and thus it enters the night. vacat 23

24 This is utterly astounding. This statement flat out states that the 8 th day of the month is the Sabbath and at the same time very clearly describes the visible light upon the face of the moon as it waxes, linking the moon with the numbered days of the month including the Sabbath. Here is another translation of the same parchment (4Q317) done by another set of scholars On the eighth of the month [chodesh], the moon rules all the day in the midst of the sky...and when the sun sets, its light ceases to be obscured, and thus the moon begins to be revealed on the first day of the week. Wise, Abegg and Cooke, in their book The Dead Sea Scrolls, A New Translation, pp [All emphasis my own] The Dead Sea Scrolls are said to be the work of the Essenes. It is thought that their worn manuscripts were so sacred to the Essenes that they could not bring themselves to destroy them, so they placed the old parchments in clay pots and stored them in the Qumran caves to decay naturally. If the Essenes did NOT observe the same luni-solar calendar that ancient Israel observed, why does the first day of the week follow the eighth day of the month? The day BEFORE the first day of the week is the Sabbath! Here are a few more historical accounts of Israel s lunar Sabbath The first is found in the Talmud the Steinsaltz Edition, Volume XIV Tractate Ta anit Part II (1995 by Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications and Milta Books), pages It says the following regarding the destruction of Solomon s Temple in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar s army: Page 205: Then late on the day of the ninth, close to nightfall, they set the Temple on fire, and it continued to burn the entire next day, on the tenth. Page 206: When the Temple was destroyed for the first time at the hands of Nebuzaradan [the captain of the guard], that day was the ninth of Av, and it was the day following Shabbat, and it was the year following the Sabbatical Year... And similarly when the Temple was destroyed a second time at the hands of Titus, the destruction occurred on the very same day, on the ninth of Av. Guess what day the ninth day of Av was when Titus destroyed the temple? (The day after the weekly Sabbath, naturally.) If I ve done the math right, the ninth day of the month follows the 8th day of the month. Correct? If the 8th day of the month is the Sabbath, so are the 15th, 22nd and 29th days of the month. Still not convinced? In the second century A.D., proof that the Israelites were still keeping the Sabbath day according to the lunar week can also be found in the writings of Clement of Alexandria (circa A.D.): [Peter] inferred thus: Neither worship as the Jews...[for] if the moon is not visible, they do not hold the Sabbath, which is called the first; nor do they hold the new moon, nor the feast of Unleavened Bread, nor the Feast, nor the Great Day The Stromata, chapter 5). 24

25 This clearly indicates that at this time the weekly Sabbath was still dictated by the moon s course. Further, in vol. 6, chapter 16 of The Stromata, Clement plainly writes that in periods of seven days the moon undergoes its changes. In the first week she becomes half moon; in the second [week], full moon; and in the third [week], in her wane, again half moon; and in the fourth [week] she disappears. This is about as plain as it can get. Obviously, in Clement s day, the week (as kept by the Israelites) was still tied to the moon s phases and, by extension, the weekly Sabbath was also still tied to the moon! I'm sorry AT.O, you were saying? In Philo's The Decalogue, he comments on the ten commandments. Philo speaks extensively on the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment is the commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Philo states: "The fourth commandment has reference to the sacred seventh day, that it may be passed in a sacred and holy manner. [Another reference where Philo links the phrase "seventh day" with the Sabbath, lending further credibility to the quote near the top of page. 22.] Now some states keep the holy festival only once in the month, counting from the new moon, as a day sacred to God; but the nation of the Jews keep every seventh day regularly, after each interval of six days; and there is an account of events recorded in the history of the creation of the world, comprising a sufficient relation of the cause of this ordinance; for the sacred historian says, that the world was created in six days, and that on the seventh day God desisted from his works, and began to contemplate what he had so beautifully created: therefore, he commanded the beings also who were destined to live in this state, to imitate God in this particular also, as well as in all others, applying themselves to their works for six days, but desisting from them and philosophising on the seventh day, and devoting their leisure to the contemplation of the things of nature, and considering whether in the preceding six days they have done anything which has not been holy, bringing their conduct before the judgment-seat of the soul, and subjecting it to a scrutiny, and making themselves give an account of all the things which they have said or done;" (Philo XX, 96-98, p21-22). And, according to Philo, that FIRST quarter moon would have been there to announce that first Sabbath of earth's history, as well as the first Sabbath of every other month in earth's history. Philo says that Jewish people counted the Sabbath as it was counted in the six days of creation. [And Philo also says that the phases of the moon are tied to the week.] This passage from the The Decalogue also shows the Sabbath is not linked to the new moon at all. [But other passages do.] In fact, Philo affirms that the weekly Sabbath is a reflection of the week of creation and not a reflection of the new moon. [AT.O does err, not knowing Philo or his writings. Should any of us be surprised?] This passage also confirms that YHVH blessed mankind by allowing us to emulate Him by resting on the same day He rested. Philo lived during the Second Temple period, so we can see that Philo verifies the Second Temple period worship was in accordance with the Biblical understanding of the Sabbath as a reflection of YHVH and YHVH's creation rest. [That's correct. He did. The problem for AT.O is, Philo described a Lunar Sabbath.] 25

26 AT.O, either use all of Philo's comments that tie the moon to the weekly Sabbath or do not use his writings at all, because right now, you are abusing them. Yeshua challenged some of the man-made laws that had been established during his time. However, Yeshua never mentions the new moon when speaking about temple worship. [That is because everyone was observing the Sabbath that way.] Yeshua never states that they are not observing the correct Sabbath day. [That's because they weren't.] In fact, Yeshua confirms Jewish worship when asked by the Samaritan woman about true worship. Yeshua makes this statement, as John 4:22 confirms: "you worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." Yeshua affirms that the Jewish people of the Second Temple Period know who they worship. According to Philo, one of the worship practices of the Jewish people during Yeshua's time was the keeping of a Sabbath that was not determined by the new moon. Oh really? Then why did I just use Philo and other early century authors to prove that the Israelites during Yeshua's time were keeping the Sabbath according to the phases of the moon? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...what say you? Secondary Contradiction Secondary sources may also be beneficial when doing historical research. Secondary sources may include archeological analysis and anthropological analysis. Anthropological analysis generally studies a culture and how the culture functioned. [Agreed.] The research areas that anthropologists' study include religious practices and the calendar. Lunar Sabbatarians believe that at some point in history the religious calendar changed from using a lunar Sabbath calendar to a calendar where the Sabbath is independent of the new moon. That is because it did, just follow along. The New Moon is still, and the Sabbath originally was, dependent upon the lunar cycle. Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, p No quote can be clearer than this. AT.O has spent a great deal of time trying to prove that "the Jews" don't know anything about a lunar Sabbath, which does not explain this quote. Most scholars, archeologists and anthropologists do not wish to have their errors pointed out to them, so they examine the evidence BEFORE they speak. AT.O should strive to be that sort of man. the Hebrew Sabbathon was celebrated at intervals of seven days, corresponding with changes in the moon s phases... Encyclopedia Biblica, p The Hebrew month is a lunar month and the quarter of this period one phase of the moon appears to have determined the week of seven days. Encyclopedia Biblica, p And why have we never been taught any of this??? 26

27 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. In the article Shawui Calendar: Ancient Shawui Observance, we find confirmation of a radical change in YHVH s calendar. The [lunar]...calendar was used by all the original disciples of Yeshua... This original Nazarene lunar-solar calendar was supplanted by a Roman planetary week and calendar in 135 C.E. -- when the Bishops of the Circumcision (i.e. legitimate Nazarene successors to Yeshua) were displaced from Jerusalem. This began a three hundred year controversy concerning the true calendar and correct Sabbath. This intimate connection between the week and the month was soon dissolved. It is certain that the week soon followed a development of its own, and it became the custom -- without paying any regard to the days of the month (i.e. the lunar month) --...so that the New Moon no longer coincided with the first day [of the month ]. Encyclopedia Biblica, (1899 edit.), p the custom of celebrating the Sabbath every 7th day, irrespective of the relationship of the day to the moon s phases, led to a complete separation from the ancient view of the Sabbath... Encyclopedia Biblica, (1899 edit.), p The calendar was originally fixed by observation, and ultimately by calculation. Up to the fall of the Temple (A.D. 70), witnesses who saw the new moon came forward and were strictly examined and if their evidence was accepted the month was fixed by the priests. Eventually the authority passed to the Sanhedrin and ultimately to the Patriarchate. Gradually observation gave place to calculation. The right to determine the calendar was reserved to the Patriarchate; the Jews of Mesopotamia [Babylonian Jews] tried in vain to establish their own calendar but the prerogative of Palestine was zealously defended. So long as Palestine remained a religious centre, it was naturally to the homeland that the Diaspora looked for its calendar. Uniformity was essential, for if different parts had celebrated feasts on different days confusion would have ensued. It was not until the 4 th century A.D. that Babylon fixed the calendar Encyclopedia Britannica: Vol. 4, article Calendar. These imported [from Babylon] superstitions eventually led Jewish rabbis to call Saturn Shabbti, the star of the Sabbath, [and]...it was not until the first century of our era, when the planetary week had become an established institution, that the Jewish Sabbath seems always to have corresponded to Saturn s Day [Satyrday]. Hutton Webster in his book, Rest Days, p Thus the condemnation in Amos 5:26 was set in stone. 27

28 In Amos 5:26, the prophet is recorded as reminding Israel of their apostasy. Israel started worshipping Chiun, a star-god of their own making. In Acts 7:43, Stephen quotes Amos and is translated into Greek as saying Remphan, the star-god Chiun and Remphan are the respective Hebrew and Greek words for Saturn. The Sabbath of Scripture is based upon the lunar cycle. So Israel did indeed come to worship Saturn on his day, but at a much later date and not by Divine command. With the development of the importance of the Sabbath as a day of consecration and the emphasis laid upon the significant number seven, the week became more and more divorced from its lunar connection... Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: Vol. 10, 1943 edit. Article, "Week," p The four quarters of the moon supply an obvious division of the month...it is most significant that in the older parts of the Hebrew scriptures the new moon and the Sabbath are almost invariably mentioned together. The [lunar] month is beyond question an old sacred division of time common to all the semites; even the Arabs, who received the week at quite a late period from the Syrians, greeted the New Moon with religious acclamations. We cannot tell [exactly] when the Sabbath became disassociated from the month. Encyclopedia Biblica, 1899 edit., pp How is it that Scholars cannot tell when the Sabbath was disassociated from the lunar cycle while modern Satyrday sabbath keepers in general deny that the Sabbath was ever connected with the moon in the first place? The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider. Isaiah 1:3 Naturally, Lunar Sabbath keepers have found secondary sources that agree with the primary sources which agree with Scripture. Here is one DOOZY of a final quote... 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. The cloud is moving. We need either to follow or be left in the wilderness. Calendars 28

29 Research shows that two forms of a seven-day week originally existed. The first form was the seven-day Jewish religious cycle. [The first form was the week of Creation which predated Israel by about 2300 years and "the Jews" by about 4300 years (the Jews are not Israelites. See End Notes). All the patriarchs observed the Lunar Sabbath from Creation, and it was later adopted by the nation of Israel.] The other form of the seven-day week was the Babylonian week. [Babylon had a lunar-solar calendar that was similar to the Hebrew calendar. Learn more at: The Jewish seven-day week numbered the days consecutively starting at day one and continuing until day seven. [True, but don't forget that the Hebrew month began with a New Moon segment.] (1.) The Babylonian seven-day week named each of the seven days of the week after the planets, as page 34 of Time And The Calendars states, "Our seven-day week emerged in two forms, the Jewish religious cycle of seven days ending with the Sabbath or Day of rest and religious observance and the planetary week of astrological significance in which each day for the name of one of the seven planets known in antiquity, namely the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter (Jove), Venus and Saturn (Colson, 1926)." (O'Neil) (2.) Besides naming the weeks after the planets, the Babylonian week also used the moon to calculate the seven-day week. Page 482 of the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia states The idea of the week, as a subdivision of the month, seems to have arisen in Babylonia, where each lunar month was divided into four parts, corresponding to the four phases of the moon. The first week of each month began with the new moon, so that, as the lunar month was one or two days more than four periods of seven days, these additional days were not reckoned at all. Every seventh day (sabbatum) was regarded as an unlucky day."(cohen). (3.) As the Jewish people began returning from Babylonian captivity they brought with them the pagan idolatry of Babylon. One of the pagan practices that they returned to Israel with is the idea of a lunar-based week, as stated on page 482 of the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia which concludes "this method of reckoning time spread westward through Syria and Palestine, and was adopted by the Israelites, probably after they settled in Palestine."(Ibid) Please note before I write even ONE thing more. AT.O is trying to distinguish the Scriptural-Hebrew calendar from the pagan/babylonian calendar, yet they keep Sabbath at the end of a week that ADMIT is the pagan planetary week!!! Utterly astounding! Addressing the 3 numbered points I put in (parentheses) above The pagan/babylonian week was not arranged as listed above. A 7 Day Planetary Week Emerged where each planet controls the first hour of the day named after it. This system was brought into Hellenistic Egypt from Mesopotamia, specifically Babylon, where astrology had been practiced for millenniums and where seven had always been a propitious number ("lucky" 7). This pagan idea developed into a scheme among the Romans where certain days became connected with each of the seven planetary "gods." A connection of each day with one of the seven planetary gods began to spread through the Roman Empire around the turn of the first century. The earliest evidence of the beginning of the development of the planetary week was found at Pompeii, the amazing Roman city destroyed by a volcanic eruption during the final quarter of the first century. A wall inscription with the heading 'days of the gods' lists the planets in the order Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus. 29

30 Looked like this: saturn's day, sun's day, moon's day, mercury's day, mars' 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). You see, the dirty little secret is out. 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. 30

31 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 god 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 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). 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. 31

32 Let me share with you why I believe it is a good idea to examine the foundation of the day that most Sabbitarians call Sabbath. Watch for the bold blue font below because at least one particular scholar DOES believe that satyrday worship is linked to saturn worship (and worse), and he proves it VERY convincingly. Ever heard of 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. How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be Almighty, follow Him: but if Ba al, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. I Kings 18:21. Ba al is the obvious fraud, but what about the LORD? Every time you read LORD or GOD in all capital letters in Scripture, the underlying Hebrew is YHWH, the Creator s Name. Ba al means Lord in Hebrew. In Hebrew there is no deception, His Name is YHWH, (which is how the Hebrew reads) but in English there is no right answer from which to choose, both mean Lord. YHWH tells us to stop calling Him my Lord (Hosea 2:16-Baali means my Lord ). Friends, what we have here is a dual counterfeit; one is obvious, the other not-so-obvious. 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, satyrday Sabbatarians everywhere, in spite of themselves, worship on satyrday a day named after Satan himself. Very cleverly, the Adversary receives his worship every week, all year long, by sincere folks who believe they are following YHWH. Friends, what we have here is a dual counterfeit; one is obvious, the other not-so-obvious. Even if Saturday really is named after Saturn, don t think we are going to get off the hook so easily. Saturn worship is the oldest form of Satanism and is clearly and historically linked to Satyr, the horned goat. 32