Pentecost (5-21-07)
by Greg Adolphi (Internet)
This letter is in response to questions
“0056” and “0059”, which were published in Issue #33 and Issue #35.Greg Adolphi writes:
Dear Fellow Sabbath Keeper;
I have read your information on Pentecost. I understand the problems associated with determining the date and/or day in which to observe it. The conclusion I came away with after going back over scripture concerning Pentecost is that when the commandments to Israel were given for the times to follow God's Feast Days, they were all given specific Hebrew Dates with the exception of Pentecost.
Laura Lee writes:
And where exactly do you find that in the Bible? Isn’t it just an assumption on your part or because someone taught that to you for years?
Greg Adolphi writes:
If Pentecost was to be observed on Sivan 6 of every year, then God's commandment would have said so.
Laura Lee writes:
The Bible does show Pentecost being kept on Sivan 6. Please read the article titled: "Biblical Evidence in Support of a Sivan 6 Pentecost" found in Issue #20.
Greg Adolphi writes:
Thus Pentecost is to be determined as it was when Jesus was resurrected and presented himself (wave sheaf) before God on the 1st day of the week right after he was resurrected the day before, just before sunset as a fixed day of the week.
Laura Lee writes:
Biblical evidence shows that the wave sheaf was done on the day after the Sabbath of Passover which would be the 16th of Nisan (Abib). Please read the following letter from Issue #16: Pentecost, by Richard Kraft
Contrary to what some of you have been taught and believe there is no Biblical proof that Christ was presented as the wave sheaf on the first day of the week (Sunday) after his resurrection. If anyone reading this has proof that Christ was presented as the wave sheaf offering on the first day of the week after his resurrection, please send that proof in detail.
What the Bible really tells us is that Christ ascended to heaven forty days after he rose from the grave and that everyone who was there saw him go.
1. The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2. Until 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:
3. To 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:
4. And, 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.
5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7. And 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.
8. But 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.
9. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:1-11)
Since the wave sheaf was done on the day after Passover, Christ would not have been able to ascend to heaven on the day of the wave sheaf, because he was in the grave and there is no scripture showing Christ was presented as the wave sheaf on the first day of the week after his resurrection.
Greg Adolphi writes:
As in counting 50 days from the regular 7th Day Sabbath that precedes the wave sheaf offering, it will always fall on the 1st day of the week. If it were to be determined any other way, then God would have made it simple enough to say Pentecost should be observed on Sivan 6 and the same would be said of the wave sheaf offering to be associated with the first annual Days of Unleavened Bread Sabbath (Abib 15) to be held on the 17th day of the First Month of Abib (Nisan).
Laura Lee writes:
Well, that is not exactly true. Exodus 19 clearly shows them keeping Pentecost on the 6th of Sivan. Joshua 5:11 clearly shows them eating the grain of the land on the day after Passover which could not be done if they had not already done the wave sheaf offering.
Also in Leviticus 23:15 it says: “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 (weeks) shall be complete:”
You cannot do the wave sheaf offering on a Sabbath Day, and the First Day of Unleavened Bread is always a Sabbath Day. The only way they can be eating the grain of the land on the day after the Passover is if the Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread are the same day, which they are. Christ was the Passover Lamb or Sacrifice and He was crucified at the same time as the Passover Lambs. The Passover Lambs were then eaten on the 14th at even or at sunset, now making it the 15th of Nisan. The death angel Passed Over at midnight on the 15th of Nisan, which actually is why Passover is called Passover. The whole 24 hour period from sunset on the 14th going into the 15th until the next sunset which was the 15th going into the 16th was considered to be both the Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread. The Passover was always a Holy Day. The wave sheaf was always meant to be done on the 16th of Nisan and will always end with a Sivan 6 Pentecost. By doing the wave sheaf on Nisan 16, you will also never have a problem with which weekly Sabbath to count from, nor will the wave sheaf ever be done on a Sabbath (Holy Day). It clears up all confusion. You cannot find any scripture in the Bible showing they were using a weekly Sabbath to count from. It just is not there. See the article: Counting to Pentecost, by Arlan Weight which can be found in Issue #10.
Greg Adolphi writes:
But God said no such instructions, since Pentecost occurs on the 1st day of the week in relation to the wave sheaf being offered on a non-fixed Hebrew date, the same occurs for the Pentecost being set on a non-fixed Hebrew date, but it too is on a fixed day of the week as is the wave sheaf offering. Thank you for your web-site and have a great Pentecost. In Christ's Love, Greg Adolphi
Laura Lee writes:
The Hebrew date for the wave sheaf was always Nisan 16. The Hebrew date for Pentecost was always on Sivan 6. The dates you are using to count Pentecost from comes from the Sadducees a sect of the Jews which Christ never gave anyone any command to follow. The Sadducees did not even believe in a resurrection, meaning they never even believed in Christ. To follow the Sadducees in any non Biblical practice is the same thing as following a pagan in their non Biblical practices.
