Re:Ron's Date Question

 

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2008/ron530.htm

"Excuse my bluntness, but why is it so hard to agree on a date? 

To answer, "Because we do not know the mind of God".

 

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.  I Corinthians 13:12

 

Most of the dates you mentioned have something going for them to me, but what is the mind of God?

 

Remember back in Jesus' time the religious leaders couldn't agree on dates either for when they should celebrate Passover, Barley Firstfruits, or even Pentecost.  Today, many of us can't agree on the day of the week or even the year that Jesus was crucified.  From what makes the most sense to me though, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples in the tradition of the Galileans / Essenes on a Tuesday night as they did/do every year, (before the 15th of the 1st month when Barley is Abib).  The Sadducees and Pharisees celebrate Passover meal on the night of the 15th of Nisan.  (Remember that the days start at sundown in the Jewish calendar so the night of the 15th of Nisan would have been the start of the "day")  So we would have Tuesday night, the 14th of Nisan, Jesus celebrates the Passover meal Last Supper with the Disciples.  Wednesday day, the 14th of Nisan, Jesus is tried, whipped, crowned, crucified, dies, has side pierced, and is taken off the cross right before sundown.  During the afternoon around the same time as Jesus died, the lambs were being killed by the priests for the evening Passover meal.  Wednesday night, the 15th of Nisan, Passover meal for the Sadducees and Pharisees, Jesus is being encased / consumed by layers of strips of linen held together by, as the Bible records, the sap of one hundred pounds of aloes and myrrh, (John 19:39).  During the same period of time the body of the lambs are being consumed by the Israelites up till mid-night when the "Pass-over" was made originally by the death angel.  Consider Jesus, the first-born and only begotten Son of God, could have been laid in the tomb exactly on the anniversary of the passing over of the Death Angel who had killed the first born of the Egyptians. 

 

The next day, Thursday day, would have been the first day of Unleavened Bread.  Thursday night and Friday day would have been the second day of unleavened bread and the day the Pharisees would have celebrated First-Fruits and started the all important L'Omer or Omer count to 50 days to arrive at (Pente meaning 5) "Pentecost".  It would have also been the day of the Temple wave offering, (had the Pharisees been in charge of Temple worship instead of the Sadducees).  Friday night after sundown and Saturday day would have been the weekly Sabbath, and the second day of the Omer count to Pentecost for the Pharisees.  Saturday night, at mid-night, which for the Hebrew would have been the first day of the week as of Sundown, would have been exactly 3 full days and 3 full nights in the ground if He was buried at midnight.  At this time Jesus would have rose from the grave being the firstborn from the dead.  

 

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.  Colossians  1:18

 

This would have also been during or (in) the third day (of the Omer count to Pentecost) for the Pharisees.  This Sunday morning would have also been Firstfruits for the Sadducees.  The wave-offering of the first of the fruits of the Barley harvest would have been offered at the Temple in Jerusalem by the Sadducees.  Jesus rose during the Temple "firstfruits" Holy day and is our firstfruits.

 

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  I Corinthians 15:20

 

From all this we can see that the various times as calculated by Man have been used by God.

 

Let us start out with Jerusalem Unification Day as a significant prophetic marker.  We are in our 41st year since this event on June 7th, 1967 and soon there will be a full 41 years since this event.  But by whose calendar?  By the modern Hebrew calendar that was standardized by the Pharisee's, the 41st anniversary will be June 2nd, (Iyar 28).  So June 1st will be the last day before the "41st stripe".  By the Gentile calendar the 41st anniversary will be June 7th so the last day before the "41st stripe" would be June 6th. 

 

Many anticipate Jesus fulfilling a Hebrew Holy day at the Rapture just as He fulfilled previous Hebrew Holy days.  Pentecost is June 15th on the Eastern Orthodox Christian calendar and June 9th (Sivan 6) on the modern Hebrew (Pharisee-based) calendar.  One could make a case that a Sadducee today might consider June 8th as Pentecost.

 

But Pentecost is a Hebrew Holy day, the 50th Omer count day.  Ascension Day is a strictly Christian Holy day, the 40th Omer count day.  If Jesus is returning like He left, on the anniversary of the day He left, then we could look toward June 5th.

 

Many of us think that Jesus and the Holy Spirit already fulfilled all the Spring Holy days and we are now in the 2 day (2000 year) Church Age (Summer) before the Fall festivals that start with Rosh Hashanah (September 30th, 2008) as to when to expect the next event (the Rapture).  And then in quick succession comes Yom Kippur and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

 

One could also make an analogy with the time between Jesus' "generation" prophecy on "Palm Sunday" of the temple being destroyed on Av 9, 70 AD and our current generation after 6/7/67.  However, on the calendar, the destruction of the temple was not on the anniversary of this prophecy by Jesus but around 120 days later.  Add 120 days to June 7, 1967 and one arrives at October 5, 2008.

 

Also, if these past 2000 years of the "Church Age" are out of the total 6000 years taken as Man's lease on this planet before the return of Jesus Christ, then this would represent one third of the time.  Likewise, 120 days is one third of a 360 day "prophetic" year.

 

Much to ponder, much to watch.

 

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.  Revelation 3:3

 

I'd say that it is not that we are disagreeing among ourselves as much as we are disagreeing with ourselves.  We just don't know.  I think a logical case can be made for much more than just one date in the first part of June.  And should the Lord tarry for us, logical cases could be made for the end of September through the end of October.

 

 

Shalom,

Ted Porter