Dear Eliane B:
I'm writing in regards to your letters, posted on July 14th and July 28th.
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/july2019/elianeb714.htm
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/july2019/elianeb728-2.htm
There are some things that you should know regarding the Fenton translation, the lunarsabbath website and the HopeofIsrael website that you referenced in your letters. I found that most of what was written in your letters were quotes from those two websites and will be addressed last.
First, please read the proof that comes straight from the Bible that Pentecost was indeed celebrated in the third month.
Exodus 23 - 15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exodus 34 - 22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
Leviticus 23 - 15And 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: 16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 17Ye 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.
Numbers 28 - 26Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:
Deuteronomy 16 - 9Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. 10And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
As can be seen from Numbers 28 and Deuteronomy 16 they are to count off the seven weeks, then have the feast. There is no additional count.
2 Chronicles 31 - 3He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD. 4Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. 5And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. 6And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps. 7In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
The feast of harvest is the same as the feast of weeks. This is a feast that is celebrated at the beginning of the harvest season. It is celebrating the firstfruits beginning with wheat (corn) as shown in 2 Chronicles 31:5, and verse 7 shows that it began in the third month. The corn, wine, oil, honey, and all the increase of the field (this would include fruit, legumes, a second wheat crop, or anything else they had planted) is brought in as a firstfruits offering as they become ripe. The feast of ingathering (feast of tabernacles) is the feast that comes at the end of the harvest season.
The feast of weeks is a feast that comes after the seven weeks (49 days) have been counted off. The feast of weeks is the fiftieth day. That is why it is called Pentecost, which means fifty.
5704. ad - Properly, the same as ad (used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with) -- against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5704.htm
4480. min or minni or minne - above, after, among, at, because of, by reason of, from among, in, Or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural) {min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for men; properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as follows) -- above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4480.htm
4480. מִן (min or minni or minne) - 1223 Occurrences https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_4480.htm
4283. mochorath or mochoratham - morrow, next day. Or mochoratham (1 Sam. 30:17) {mokh-or-aw- thawm'}; feminine from the same as machar; the morrow or (adverbially) tomorrow -- morrow, next day. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4283.htm
Twenty-five times mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ is used to say: the next day, the morrow, the following day, etc. Please take a look at this.
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/mimochorat_4283.htm
Eliane, you quoted the following from the lunarsabbath website: The word "MIN" is a preposition which, when combined with other words, means "FROM." The person at that website mentioned the Koehler/Baumgartner lexicon, but he did not include a link to the definition or to the lexicon either, for that matter. The only options that I could find to check this source, would be to either download the entire lexicon, which would probably use up my very small data plan or buy the book, which, if new, would be very expensive. I had never heard of this lexicon until your post, but found that it was a German lexicon that was translated into English in 1953. Even if the guy from the lunarsabbath quoted the lexicon correctly, then the problem lies with the lexicon itself, considering the two Bible verses that show Pentecost in the third month.
I am confident that Strong's Concordance is accurate and reliable. After studying the meaning of the word "min/minni/minne", the word can mean "from", but not necessarily. It can also mean "above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from among, in". Also, the word "ad" can be future tense, but not always.
It is incorrect that the "mim" in "mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ" is not translated. Strong's Concordance shows the root word (4283) along with the definitions of that word, but the text analysis for Leviticus 23:15 and 16, clearly shows that the "mim" in "mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ" is indeed translated.
Leviticus 23 - 15And 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: 16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 17Ye 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.
What is being conveyed here is basically, "from this day until after that day".
There are twenty-eight Bible versions listing Leviticus 23:16 at the first link below and they all show a seven week count, and then the next day as the feast of weeks. The next three links also show seven weeks plus one day.
Twenty-eight Bible versions
https://biblehub.com/leviticus/23-16.htm
A facsimile of the 1560 Geneva Bible Translation showing Leviticus 23:15-16
https://archive.org/details/TheGenevaBible1560/page/n117
Levitcus 23:15-22 from the Torah
https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.23.15-22?lang=bi&aliyot=0
Commentary of Martin Luther regarding Pentecost
https://archive.org/details/precioussacredwr08luth/page/330
All of these translators did not get it wrong. They were not simply following tradition. The proof that supports Pentecost being celebrated in the third month can be found in Exodus 19:1 and 2 Chronicles 31:5-7.
"Traditions of Men" is a term that is often misused by people when they are presenting some new theory or idea. It is used to instill doubt in the reader. It implies that they are right and everyone else is ignorantly following the crowd, while not reading and studying the Bible for themselves. This term has been used deceitfully in many cases, and when it is, that is an abuse to the body of Christ.
It became a tradition to be baptized on Pentecost. The date was already set according to the Bible verses that I have already shown. It began to be called whitsunday because those being baptized dressed in white. Whit means white.
Ruth was a Gentile, but she converted to Judaism, thus becoming a Jew. She was redeemed by Boaz at the end of the wheat harvest. As Christians, we are neither Jew or Greek (Gentile), but a new creation in Christ and we are a type of firstfruits.
Galatians 3 - 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5 - 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
James 1 - 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Please do some research on Ferrar Fenton's translation. Considering the Biblical evidence of Pentecost being celebrated in the third month, his translation of Leviticus 23:16 is wrong. Another problem with his translation (among many) is that he claims that Jonah was in the hold of a ship called the "Great Fish" and there was a mistranslation in the Greek text. He also claimed that he confirmed this by reading the Hebrew text. I could see nothing in the Septuagint, or Hebrew text, or Jesus' own words in the New Testament that would lead me to believe that a ship picked him up and that he stayed in the hold of ship. What Jonah experienced, after he was cast into the ocean, was a miracle. Jesus compared Jonah's three days and nights in the whale's belly to His own death, burial and resurrection, another miracle.
Matthew 12 - 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
See below links to Fenton's interpretation of Jonah and the index.
https://thetencommandmentsministry.us/ministry/ferrar_fenton/pdf/jonah.pdf
https://thetencommandmentsministry.us/ministry/ferrar_fenton/pdf/
2 Timothy 3 - 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. https://biblehub.com/kjv/2_timothy/3.htm
Many of the things claimed by the guy (Arnold) from the lunarsabbath website are based on assumptions, and human logic and reasoning. He fails to offer any real proof and he says things that are contrary to the Bible. He does not seem to grasp that Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) is based on a Firstfruits offering. It is not based on the end of the harvest. There are other things that he has said that are wrong and that can easily be disproven from scripture.
Arnold tries to prove that Pentecost is in the fourth month and that Paul could have not reached Jerusalem in time for Pentecost if it was in the third month. He attempts to prove this by using math based on assumptions and his own reasoning. He makes the argument that Paul would have walked 3mph on the part of his journey accomplished on foot. In Paul's day, people were used to walking and a lot more physically fit than your average American. If they wanted to get somewhere, they did not necessarily walk 3mph. It was not uncommon for people to jog or travel at a slow run, like a long distance runner. He also made the assumption that they did not travel on the Sabbath, but did not prove it. The scriptures do not mention the Sabbath. The time it took their ship to sail from Patara to Tyre depended on current, wind direction, and wind speed. He claims that women and children accompanied them from Tyre and would have slowed them down. What the text actually says is that the women and children accompanied them (from the coastal city of Tyre) to the shore, at which point they said their farewells and got on a ship (Acts 21:5-6). He makes mention of an "old disciple" (Acts 21:16) that would have slowed them down. The word translated as "old" is Strong's #744 and means "original", not "old" as in elderly. Last of all, the Bible does not actually say one way or the other as to whether or not Paul made it in time for Pentecost.
744. archaios - of old, original. From arche; original or primeval -- (them of) old (time). https://biblehub.com/greek/744.htm
See the text analysis of Luke 1:7 and Luke 2:36. These show how a person would be described if he/she is elderly.
https://biblehub.com/text/luke/1-7.htm
https://biblehub.com/text/luke/2-36.htm
Below is another quote from his website. If you click on that link, he applies his own flawed human logic and reasoning, trying to prove his point.
"Go to http://lunarsabbath.us/id11.html and see that it is MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE for the children of Israel to have reached Mount Sinai in time for the traditional third month Pentecost."
The Bible verses that prove they arrived in the third month are shown below. Did Arnold not read these verses?
Exodus 19 - 1In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. 2For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. 3And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Quote from Eliane B and lunarsabbath guy: "In regard to your observation about the 40 days Jesus walked in Judea after His resurrection and Pentecost, there are authors who affirm that Jesus was seen during 40 days, but there were other dates that Jesus was not seen, which would count at least another 12 days".
I am at a total loss as to what the guy at lunarsabbath was trying to say in the above quote. It does not even make sense. Jesus was resurrected on Firstfruits and that was His first appearance to the disciples. His last appearance to them was on the fortieth day, at which time He gave them instructions and then ascended into the clouds. He was seen of the disciples within a forty day period of time, including the first day (resurrection) and the fortieth day (ascension). The Holy Spirit came down ten days later (not many days hence). To try to make it an additional fifty-nine days contradicts not only the Old Testament teaching on this, but Jesus' very words, "not many days hence". Fifty-nine days is many days.
Acts 1 - 1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
I visited the HopeofIsrael link that you provided and found that they were quoting some Jewish rabbis found in the Mishna. These writings are simply the various opinions of various rabbis. Their opinions do not mean anything, unless they are in agreement with the Bible. I decided to find out more about the HopeofIsrael website and found their "Articles of Faith" on their homepage. Surely, you have not seen this, but this is what they had to say about Jesus.
2. Yeshua the Messiah was a FULLY HUMAN BEING born from the union of his father Joseph and mother Mary (Luke 4:22; John 6:42). The appearance of the Messiah (Anointed One), a King and descendant of David, as chief HUMAN AGENT of YEHOVAH, will usher in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God here on this earth.
Please read the rest of what they believe on their "articles of faith" page.
http://hope-of-israel.org/articlesfaith.html
Eliane, we live in a time of great deception. We must check everything we read to make sure that it lines up with scripture and not only that, but we have to diligently search for any scriptures that the authors of these articles leave out, and believe me, that does happen.
1 Corinthians 11 -2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances (G3862), as I delivered them to you.
2 Thessalonians 2 - 15Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions (G3862) which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
In Colossians 2:8, the "tradition of men" that Paul is warning of is philosophy and vain deceit.
Colossians 2 - 8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition (G3862) of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. https://biblehub.com/text/colossians/2-8.htm
3862. paradosis - tradition, ordinance. From paradidomi; transmission, i.e. (concretely) a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law -- ordinance, tradition. https://biblehub.com/greek/3862.htm
Daniel 7 - 25And 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.
1 John 2 - 18Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
2 Timothy 3 - 13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Kimberly F.
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