Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

John D. Keyser

Herbert Armstrong, in his booklet Pagan Holidays or God's Holy Days -- Which?, wrote his opinion that the reason YEHOVAH God commanded us to count the days to Pentecost was as follows:

"All other holy days or festivals come on definite days of definite months. But this one annual Sabbath must be determined by counting. It is very simple and plain.

"It is of very grave importance that we figure the right day. This day, and this day only, is made holy by the Eternal Creator" (p.9).

Armstrong then went on to say that the Pharisees gained control of Jewish religious observations shortly after the middle of the first century, A.D. -- that prior to that time, the high priests of the family of Boethus, who were Sadducees, were in control, and points out that they counted Pentecost from the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and not as the Pharisees do, counting from the first High Holy day Sabbath. He also mentioned that the Samaritans and Karaites also counted like the Sadducees.

Herbert Armstrong was correct in pointing out that the Boethusians counted Pentecost from the weekly Sabbath. But he was absolutely wrong and incorrect to state that they controlled the Temple services and Jewish religious observances! He was in utter error to claim that the Pharisees did not control these functions until after the middle of the first century. Herbert Armstrong was no historian. He was fed false information, and therefore he came to an utterly false conclusion. Notice what Alfred Edersheim says about the Pharisees:

"It is, however, erroneous to suppose, either that their [the Pharisees] system represented traditionalism itself, or that Scribes and Pharisees are convertible terms, while the Sadducees represented the civil and political element. The Pharisees represented only the prevailing of, not traditionalism itself; while the Sadducees also numbered among them many learned men. They were able to enter into controversy, often protracted and fierce, with their opponents, and they acted as members of the Sanhedrin, although they had diverging traditions of their own, and even, as it would appear, at one time a complete code of canon-law. Moreover, the admitted fact, that when in office the Sadducees conformed to the principles and practices of the Pharisees, proves at least that they must have been acquainted with the ordinances of traditionalism. Lastly, there were certain traditional ordinances on which BOTH PARTIES WERE AT ONE" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p.313).

The Angus Bible Dictionary points out that the opinion of the Boethusians (Sadducees) means that every year Pentecost, or the "Feast of Weeks," would of necessity fall on a Sunday without exception! Notice!

"The Boethusians and the Sadducees in the time of the second temple, and the karaites since the 8th century of the Christian era, have taken 'Sabbath' in the sense of the seventh day of the week, and have maintained that the omer was offered on the day following the weekly Sabbath which might happen to fall within the seven days of the Passover. This would make Pentecost always come on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK."

Some people take exception to the fact that the "Sadducean" Pentecost falls on "Sunday," claiming that YEHOVAH God would never allow any of His Holy Days to fall on "the day of the Sun-god Baal"! Unfortunately for those who are bothered by this self-imposed irritant, a Sivan 6 Pentecost occasionally falls on a Sunday -- May 22, 1998 being a case in point! Not only that, but during the time of the Messiah -- and not until some time afterwards -- the days of the week in Palestine were not named, just NUMBERED. In fact, due to all the changes made to the calendar in the millennia since, and especially to the length of the week, we cannot even be sure what day of the week in the Biblical calendar today's "Sunday" fell on!

But is this reckoning of the Sadducees correct? If the "Sivan 6 Theory" is correct, then the phrase "the morrow after the Sabbath" in Leviticus 23:11 and 15 must be interpreted as "the morrow after the annual Sabbath" -- forcing the Wave Sheaf Offering day to always be on Nisan16. And, most importantly, verses 15-16 must then be interpreted in the following way: "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the first holy day, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven weeks shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh week shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD."

We find TWO different words for "Sabbath" in the Old Testament. The first is Shabbat, Strong's #7676, and refers to the WEEKLY REST or SABBATH -- NEVER to an annual Holy Day. The second is shabbaton, Strong's #7677, and refers to a special holiday (Strong's Lexicon, p. 112). We find shabbaton describing Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24), Tabernacles (23:39), the Last Great Day (23:39) and Atonement (23:32). The word Shabbat refers everywhere to the WEEKLY SABBATH day (23:2). While it is certainly true that the weekly Sabbath and the Day of Atonement both sometimes are described as a "Sabbath of Sabbaths" because of their special status among the other days, and in such cases the Hebrew employs both words Shabbat of shabbaton (23:3; 23:32), when only ONE WORD is used -- Shabbat -- it refers to the weekly Sabbath and when sabbaton is used it refers to the annual Sabbath. The point in saying this is that the phrase "morrow after the sabbath" in Leviticus 23:11 and 15 uses the word Shabbat -- NOT shabbaton!

Similarly, the original Hebrew prohibits the words Shabbat and shabbaton being translated "week" or "weeks." The Englishman's Hebrew Concordance (page 1235) shows every place these words are used. NOT ONCE do these words mean "week" or "weeks"! In other words, the Hebrew word for "Sabbath" NEVER means "week"!

The Hebrew word for "week" is Strong's #7620 -- shebuah. Once again, the Englishman's Hebrew Concordance shows that nowhere in the Bible does this word ever mean "Sabbath"! Bottom line: the Hebrew words for Sabbath never mean week, and the singular form can ONLY mean "weekly Sabbath"; and the Hebrew word for week NEVER means "Sabbath" -- whether in the singular or plural forms. Based on this alone, the foundation for a Sivan 6 Pentecost has proven to be very unstable!

Some, in their efforts to promote the "Sivan 6" Pentecost, point to Genesius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, which defines #7676 as "sabbath...perhaps a week, like the Syrian and Greek (Matt. 28:1) Lev. 23:15; compare Deu. 16:9." However, lexicons are Bible word dictionaries which contain the lexicographer's understanding of what words mean in Bible context. In this particular case Gesenius is in error -- Shabbat does NOT mean week. It means Sabbath. Deuteronomy 16:9, which uses a different word, #7620 shebuah, cannot be used to interpret Leviticus 23:15. Shabbat simply DOES NOT have the same meaning as shebuah -- check this out for yourself!

There is some evidence to show that the Sadducees controlled worship at the Temple in Jerusalem during the first century A.D. and up until the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Notice!

"From Herod to the Destruction of the Temple. Herod accepts and evens favors the Pharisees, taking care not to wound their religious scruples. In line with their anti-Hasmonean policy, they never champion nationalistic resistance movements aiming at eschatological salvation. They become enmeshed in various palace intrigues, however, and after Herod's death and the banishment of Archelaus, when the Sadducees REGAIN CONTROL, they no longer play a normative role. Yet their scribes remain popular as they legalize popular customs and beliefs, and the aristocracy does not attempt any forceful measures against them.

"Except under Salome Alexandra the Pharisees have the role of a minority up to A.D. 70 Their great period comes only with the fall of the hierocracy. When the capture of Jerusalem shatters the Sadducean ideal, Pharisaism provides the direction needed for reconstruction" (The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, article "Pharisees").

In The Historical Figure of Jesus, by E. P. Sanders, we find the following --

"Because of their devotion and precision, the Pharisees were respected and liked by most other Jews. In the Hasmonean period, the Pharisaic party had been a major political force. It was so no longer. Under Herod, no one else had any political power, and those who sought it were promptly executed. The Pharisees lay low....And in Jerusalem, after Archelaus was deposed, THE HIGH PRIESTS WERE IN CHARGE, backed by the awesome power of Rome. The Pharisees continued to lie low. They worked, studied, taught and worshipped. Probably they increased in general popularity, but they HAD NO ACTUAL POWER...the Pharisees had no public responsibility during the rule of Rome's governors. The high priest and his advisers were the responsible parties in the eyes of Rome. The Pharisees, however, were still around and they still commanded public attention....When conditions were right -- when they were no longer held in check by Herod or Rome -- the Pharisees stepped forward to play a substantial role in Israel's political and military affairs. But during Jesus' lifetime, they must be regarded as principally religious teachers and experts, deservedly popular and respected" (pages 45-46)

Researcher S. Gusten Olson comes to a similar conclusion:

"Josephus tells us that the Pharisees in the first century B.C. had such "power over the multitude, that when they say anything against the king or against the high-priest, they are presently believed," (Antiquities of the Jews, XIII, x)....The Sadducees, the priestly aristocrats, CONTROLLED THE TEMPLE WORSHIP and were the dominant party in the Sanhedrin. In the absence of Herod they were leaders in the State. Even though they rejected the added "traditions of the elders,"....They were apprehensive of any disruption of public order which might bring the Romans on the scene" (The Apostasy of the Lost Century, pages 27-28).

Scholar Samuele Bacchiocchi, after much deliberation, came to the conclusion that "at this point in my research I tend to support the reckoning of the fifty days of Pentecost from the first Sunday after Passover. My reasons are essentially three" --

"First, the phrase 'the morrow after the sabbath -- Shabbat,' which is used in Leviticus 23:11, 15 to designate the starting point of the countdown to Pentecost, could well refer to Sunday, because the term 'Sabbath' was ordinarily used for the seventh day of the week. In fact, this is the way the Greek version (Origen's Hexapla) understands the two passages. Two marginal notes to the two verses read, 'the day which is after the Sabbath' and 'the first day after the Sabbath.'

"The term 'Sabbath -- Shabbath' by itself is not used in the Old Testament to designate annual feasts. Only the compound expression shabbath shabbathon, usually translated as 'a sabbath of solemn rest,' is used to refer to the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:31; 23:32), but not to the feasts in general. The absence of any instance where the term 'Sabbath' is used by itself to designate an annual feast supports the view that the 'sabbath' of Leviticus 23:11, 15 is most likely the weekly Sabbath. In such a case, the 'morrow after the Sabbath' would be Sunday -- the day from which the seven weeks were to be counted" (God's Festivals in Scripture and History: Part 1 -- The Spring Festivals, pages 233-234).

Bacchiocchi continues:

"My second reason for supporting the Sunday to Sunday reckoning of Pentecost is the instruction given in Leviticus 23:15 to count 'seven full weeks.' The phrase 'seven full weeks' suggests seven complete weeks running from the first to the last day of the week, or as we would say today, from Sunday to Saturday. Even the name 'Feast of Weeks' suggests that the feast consisted of complete weeks. In this case the seven weeks would be counted from Sunday to Sunday" (ibid., page 234).

Bacchiocchi concludes by noting --

"My third reason is the consistent witness of the early Church that observed Pentecost from the Sunday after Passover to the Sunday occurring fifty days later. The fact that this dating of Pentecost was widely accepted without signs of opposition suggests that the early Christians viewed it as Biblically sound" (ibid., page 234).

We have seen some persuasive arguments for counting the omer to Pentecost from the day after the weekly Sabbath of Passover to arrive -- fifty days later -- at Pentecost on the day after a weekly Sabbath. However, before we become too elated and run with this method of counting, there are probably just as many opposing views to consider:

We read in the Bible dictionary Insight On the Scriptures, concerning Pentecost:

"Instructions for this festival [Pentecost] are found at Leviticus 23:15-21; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12. It was to be celebrated on the 50th day (Pentecost means "Fiftieth [Day]") from Nisan 16, the day that the barley sheaf was offered. (Le 23:15, 16) In the Jewish calendar it falls on Sivan 6. It was after the barley harvest and the beginning of the harvest of wheat, which ripened later than the barley. -- Ex 9:31, 32.

"The Israelites were not allowed to begin the harvest until the firstfruits of the barley had been presented to Jehovah on Nisan 16" (Vol. 2, page 598).

Further confirmation of this method of counting to Pentecost can be found in the book Prelude to Glory, by Wayne D. Leeper -- notice!

"In Jesus' day Pentecost was dated from the Passover Sabbath rather than the seventh-day Sabbath. Because of this method of dating, Pentecost would fall on different days of the week depending on the day on which the Passover Sabbath fell. The Passover Sabbath always fell on the fifteenth day of Nisan. On the next day, the sixteenth of Nisan, the people brought sheaves of barley to the temple to be presented as a 'wave offering'....This was done to satisfy the requirements of Leviticus 23:10. From the sixteenth of Nisan they would count fifty days which caused the Feast of Pentecost to always fall on the sixth day of Sivan, just as it does today" (page 232).

In a question and answer format, the book 1001 Questions and Answers on Pesach discusses the topic of counting the omer to Pentecost --

"464. But surely the Sadducees could argue that the Torah should have made it abundantly clear by using a phrase such as, 'From the morrow of the first day of the festival'! Can we point to any basic flaw in the Sadducean interpretation that it refers to the first Sunday ('morrow of the Shabbat') of the festival?

"There is a flaw because, according to their interpretation, the date of the commencement of the Omer always fluctuates, depending upon the occurrence of the first Sunday of the festival, it follows that the date of Shavuot (exactly fifty days later) will vary each year. This would make for an anomaly in the cycle of the festivals, for there is no other festival of the Jewish calendar whose date is not fixed for a specific day of a specific month. Of the two, it is only Pharisaic tradition, therefore, that is consistent in this respect" (Jeffrey M. Cohen, page 178).

Further confirmation of the Pharisaic method of counting is found in The Rod of an Almond Tree in God's Master Plan, by Peter A. Michas:

"At the time of Yeshua, the Jewish people followed the Pharisees and accepted their interpretation. Even though the Sadducees controlled the priestly aristocracy, the Pharisees controlled the observation of Temple rituals. Paul himself was a Pharisee who followed the Pharisaic interpretation and he ties Yeshua's resurrection to the First Fruits of the omer (I Corinthians 15:20, 23)....when it came to the wave offering of the omer, God did not designate a specific day of the month but referred to the day after the (Passover) sabbath as the day to offer the omer and to begin counting fifty days until Pentecost. Therefore, the date of Pentecost was dependent upon the counting of the omer, rather than being a fixed date" (pages 227-228).

We read in Antiquities of the Jews concerning the Pharisees:

". . . the Pharisees, who are one of the sects of the Jews . . . These have SO GREAT A POWER OVER THE MULTITUDE, that when they say anything against the king OR AGAINST THE HIGH PRIEST, they are presently believed. . . . the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the law of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them . . . concerning these things it is that great disputes and differences have arisen among them, while the SADDUCEES ARE ABLE TO PERSUADE NONE BUT THE RICH, AND HAVE NOT THE PEOPLE OBSEQUIOUS TO THEM, but the PHARISEES HAVE THE MULTITUDE OF THEIR SIDE . . ." (Josephus, Ant., XIII, x, 5-6).

While Josephus here seems to indicate that the gulf between the Pharisees and Sadducees is wide and insurmountable, there is evidence that the two groups agreed on some issues. Notice what Louis H. Feldman has to say --

"The Sadducees, though few in number, seem to have had considerable influence because their power base was the Temple and because they included men of the highest standing. Sadducean support of Jewish nationalism was undoubtedly a major attraction for the many influential Jews who joined the party....

"So long as the Temple stood, its vast treasury enabled those who controlled it to exercise considerable political, economic and religious power. We may guess that one reason the high priests of the Temple had such short terms of office was that the Romans would not tolerate the nationalism that was so integral a part of their Sadducean orientation. The Pharisees, on the other hand, recognized the value of the Pax Romana. The first-century Pharisaic sage Hanina Segan ha-Kohanim enjoined Jews to 'pray for the peace of the ruling power, since but for fear of it men would have swallowed each other up alive.'

"If the relationship between the Pharisees and the Sadducees was as bitter as would seem to be the case from Josephus and from later rabbinic writings, one wonders why we never hear of the excommunication of the Sadducees, especially in view of the fact that they refused to accept the Oral Torah, so central in Pharisaic thinking. On the contrary, the Pharisees and the Sadducees seem to have managed to serve together in the Temple and in the Sanhedrin. The fact that the Sadducees are not even mentioned in the voluminous works of Philo or in the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha would appear to indicate that the division between them and the Pharisees was not as sharp as one would gather from Josephus. Indeed, Josephus himself hints that the division was perhaps not so great when he reports that the Sadducees submit to the formulas of the Pharisees, since otherwise the masses would not tolerate them" (Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism, edited by Hershal Shanks. Pages 13 and 14, "Palestinian and Diaspora Judaism in the First Century").

This is not lost on Samuele Bacchiocchi, who also notes that there does not seem to be any controversy over dating Pentecost in early Christian literature -- notice!

"Surprisingly, contrary to the date of Passover which stirred up a bitter controversy, we find no trace of any controversy regarding the date of Pentecost in early Christian literature...the adoption and promotion of Easter-Sunday was strongly rejected by those Christians (mostly Jewish-Christians) who wanted to remain faithful to the apostolic tradition by observing Passover according to the Biblical date of Nisan 14.

"One would imagine that the same Christians who adamantly refused to adopt the Easter-Sunday date promoted by the Church of Rome also would also have refused to adopt the counting of the fifty days of Pentecost from the first Sunday after Passover. We would expect them to follow the traditional Jewish method of counting the fifty days of Pentecost from the day after Passover (Nisan 16), irrespective of the day of the week. Apparently that was not the case.

"How can we explain the absence of any opposition to the dating of Pentecost from the Sunday after Passover to the Sunday occurring fifty days later?" (God's Festival's in Scripture and History: Part 1, The Spring Festivals, pages 233-234).

How indeed!

This leads us into some very interesting possibilities.

Some claim the early New Testament Church was composed primarily of Pharisees and common people, who listened to and respected the Pharisees. That being so, continues the argument, the Pharisaic method of counting to Pentecost must have been employed. According to this argument the Sadducees were so far gone, spiritually, because they denied the resurrection from the dead, and argued with the Messiah over this teaching (Matt.22:23-28), that no Sadducees were in the early first-century Church and, therefore, their method of computation was not used. Because Yeshua said to them, "Ye do ERR, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God" (verse 29) this totally excluded them from being in the Church. Is this true? Were the Sadducees "so far gone" that none of them repented and joined the company of the saints? Instead of listening to the opinion of men, let's see what YEHOVAH's word, the Bible, has to say! Notice Acts 6:7 --

"And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a GREAT MANY OF THE PRIESTS were obedient to the faith" (RSV).

Since the priesthood was made up of Sadducees, this passage plainly shows that many of the Sadducees were "obedient to the faith." On the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D. Pharisees, Sadducees and those from many other groups were converted and became the foundation of the New Testament Church of YEHOVAH God (Acts 2:41).

In Luke 6:1 we find a clear reference to the Day of Pentecost. But what is interesting about this passage is that it refers to a Pentecost that is counted from the day after the WEEKLY SABBATH! Notice!

"Now it happened ON THE SECOND SABBATH AFTER THE FIRST that he [the Messiah] went through the grain fields. And his disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. And some of the Pharisees said to them, 'Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?' But Jesus answering them said, 'Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went into the house of God [the Tabernacle], took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those who were with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?' "

In the Revised Standard Version of the Bible a footnote to Luke 6:1 states that "other ancient authorities read On the second first sabbath (on the second sabbath after the first)." This is clearly a reference to the Day of Pentecost, as the rest of the above passage indicates. But what is interesting is the fact that it refers to a Pentecost that is counted from the day after the WEEKLY SABBATH! If it were counted from Nisan 16 (assuming a difference in the way the Pharisees and Sadducees counted to Pentecost) there would NOT be two Sabbaths in a row. What we see here in Luke 6:1 is what some people refer to as the "Sadducean" method of counting to Pentecost. So here is proof -- from the Bible itself -- that Pentecost fell on the First Day of the Week. Harold Hemenway, in his book Were the Feast Days Abolished?, makes this observation: "Even though the Pharisees were largely in control at the time of Christ, we still find that Luke 6:1 records the SADDUCEAN WAY of reckoning Pentecost by naming a particular Sabbath the "SECOND-FIRST Sabbath" (page 83).

The gulf between the Pharisees and Sadducees over counting to Pentecost begins to narrow when we delve into the Dead Sea Scrolls and discover what they say about the Holy Day observances during the Second Temple period. Strange as it may seem, we find evidence that the Pharisees, who controlled the Temple services and ritual, kept the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering on the First Day of the Week! Not only that, but there is also evidence they observed Pentecost on the First Day of the Week!

A number of texts dealing with chronology, the calendar, and the priestly courses, were uncovered in Cave 4 at Qumran. The following texts are liturgical calendars that give festival dates, in relation to the day of the week and according to the solar calendar, in the priestly course on duty in the JERUSALEM TEMPLE --

"Fragment 1 from Manuscript #325 (Mishmerot D): 'On the twenty-fifth of the month is the SABBATH of the course of Jedaiah, its responsibility includes the BARLEY [FESTIVAL] on the twenty-sixth of the month, ON THE DAY AFTER THE SABBATH (Sunday).'

"Fragment 1 from Manuscript #326 (Mishmerot E): 'On the twenty-fifth of the month is a SABBATH. On the twenty-sixth of the month is the B[ARLEY] FESTIVAL, [ on Sunday (DAY AFTER THE SABBATH)].' " (Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation, pages 317-318).

Then, in Fragment 4, Column 3 of Manuscript #320 (Mishmerot A) we read:

"On the first (day) in Jedaiah: the Waving of the Omer (this sentence is partially restored but the meaning is unmistakable): on Sunday in the week of the 2nd. course, falls the waving of the 'sheaf' ('omer), the first sheaf of harvested barley, as per Lev. 23:11, 15: 'the priest...shall wave the sheaf before the LORD....the sheaf of the wave offering.' "

Another fragment, from the same manuscript, mentions Pentecost --

"On the first (day) in Jeshua: the Festival of Weeks (i.e., on Sunday in the week of the ninth course, falls the Feast of Weeks, Exod. 34:22; Lev. 23:15-16, in Greek called Pentecost, 2 Macc. 12:32; Acts 2:1)" (Handbook of Biblical Chronology, pages 135-136).

These fragments agree perfectly with Luke 6:1 discussed above!

Here we have the Jerusalem Temple, supposedly under the control of the Pharisees, keeping a "Sadducean" Pentecost! Or, was the Temple really under the control of the Pharisees regarding the liturgical calendar? Or, is there ANOTHER explanation?

With the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. and the ending of the Temple services and ritual, the ecclesiastical Second Temple calendar was soon lost to most Jews. Due to their hatred of the Romans they did not adopt the calendar of their conquerors, but soon started using the luni-solar calendar of the Jews in the Diaspora. This included the New Year starting in the fall month of Tishri instead of in the spring month of Nisan or Abib. They did, however retain the observation of the New Moon crescent for determining the months. Since so little has come down to us regarding the Second Temple calendar and rites, the idea of a huge difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees over the counting of Pentecost may be exaggerated and may have grown out of Jewish tradition since the fall of the Temple in 70 A.D., and may not have any basis in fact during the time of the Messiah.

In Matthew 28:1 we find a plural form of the word "Sabbath" that is almost always translated into the singular form: "Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre" (RSV). If you consult the original Greek you will find that this verse should be translated as follows -- "After the sabbaths [plural], when it was growing light on the first day of the week..." (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures) Also, the phrase "toward the dawn of the first day of the week" is translated from the original Greek which literally says "to the [day] lighting up into one [first] of sabbaths" -- notice the plural form again.

Herbert W. Armstrong noticed the plural form of "Sabbath" in his booklet The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday but, unfortunately, he came to the wrong conclusion --

"A vital text proving that there were two Sabbaths in that week has been obscured by almost every translation into English. Only Ferrer Fenton's version has this point correct.

"Turn to Matthew 28:1. In the common versions it says, 'In the end of the Sabbath,' or more correctly, 'after the Sabbath.' Notice that both of these renderings use the singular -- Sabbath. But in the original Greek the word is in the plural. Fenton renders it correctly by saying, 'After the SABBATHS,' although the remaining part of the verse he has not translated quite correctly. In a footnote to this text, he says, 'The Greek original is in the plural, "Sabbaths" ' "(page 13).

At this point Armstrong jumps the tracks and plunges into the ditch by saying:

"According to Mark 16:1, Mary Magdalene and her companions did not buy their spices to anoint the body of Jesus until after the Sabbath was past. They could not prepare them until after this -- yet after preparing the spices they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment! (Luke 23:56.)

"Study these two texts carefully.

"There is only one possible explanation: After the annual high-day Sabbath, the feast day of the days of Unleavened Bread -- which was Thursday -- these women purchased and prepared their spices on Friday, and then they rested on the weekly Sabbath, Saturday, according to the commandment (Ex. 20:8-11)

"A comparison of these two texts proves there were TWO Sabbaths that week, with a day in between. Otherwise, these texts contradict themselves" (ibid., page 13).

Unfortunately, Armstrong's theory here is colored by his belief that the Messiah was put to death in the middle of the week (Wednesday), which makes him force scripture to fit this erroneous hypothesis. He is right, however, in stating that there were TWO Sabbaths that week -- but there was NOT a day in between -- they were BOTH on the SAME day!

These conclusions reached by Armstrong and others are TOTALLY UNTENABLE because NOWHERE do the gospels suggest that two Sabbaths intervened (one after another, with a day in between) between the day of the crucifixion and that of the resurrection. The whole scenario about the spices has once again been taken right out of context and twisted, pulled, pushed and stomped on to fit the Wednesday-Saturday myth that these people are trying to promulgate! Although we may never know for sure, the explanation for the apparent contradiction in Mark 16 and Luke 23 can be quite simple. Let's view these verses --

"That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and PREPARED SPICES and fragrant oils. And they RESTED ON THE SABBATH according to the commandment (Luke 23:54-56).

"Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome BOUGHT SPICES, that they might come and anoint Him" (Mark 16:1).

Obviously, in Luke 23, the women already had some spices on hand so they were able to start preparing them BEFORE the weekly Sabbath began at sunset. However, they realized they didn't have enough spices on hand to complete the preparation, so "when the Sabbath was past" they went out and purchased some more to complete the job. Nice and straight-forward -- no need to twist and distort the passages to mean something they clearly do not! For more information on this subject, read our article Was Yeshua the Messiah Really in the Grave for Three Days and Three Nights?

Now let's tackle the question of the "two Sabbaths" which, in principle, Armstrong has right! While it is true that the Sabbath in Matthew 28:1 is in the PLURAL, the proponents of the "3-day and 3-night" theory totally overlook the fact that there were TWO SABBATHS ON ONE DAY -- the weekly Sabbath AND the first high day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

When correctly translated, Matthew 28:1 should read: "After the Sabbaths, when it was growing light on the first day of the Sabbaths, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the grave." The phrase "when it was growing light on the first day of the Sabbaths" is translated from the original Greek which literally says "to the [day] lighting up into one [first] of sabbaths" -- notice the plural form once again.

The phrase "into one [first] of sabbaths" is a reference to the first day from which the omer count starts in the count to Pentecost -- which is made up of seven Sabbaths or weeks.

Charles A. L. Totten, in his The Gospel of History: An Interwoven Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John combines Matthew 28:1, Luke 24:1 and John 20:1 to come up with a very interesting rendering -- notice!

"And early after the-Sabbaths, it-being yet dark, -- in-the deep twilight of-daybreak, upon the first-day [of-the] first-week, of the seven Weeks, -- went Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, unto the tomb, bringing what aromatics they-had-prepared [and certain-others with them], to-see-unto the burial" (page 345, section 877).

The exact same thing can be found in Mark 16:2 where the Greek literally says: "And exceedingly early to the one [first] [day] of the sabbaths they are coming upon the memorial tomb..." which in the usual English translation reads "And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen" (RSV). We have to be very careful, the English renditions can quite often mask the true meaning of these verses in the original Greek.

The word "Sabbath" is also in the PLURAL in Luke 24:1 and John 20:1, showing that this particular weekly Sabbath was also a high day.

In the New Testament we find the Greek expression "the Day of the Sabbaths" mentioned three times. While many have claimed this phrase refers to the Day of Pentecost, it actually refers to the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15), yet it has been misunderstood and mistranslated as "Sabbath" (singular) in most English translations. Why is this?

Most people have completely overlooked the fact that these three passages in the New Testament refer to the Weekly Sabbath AND the first high (holy) day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! Let's go to John 19:31 in the Revised Standard Version and see what it says: "Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (FOR THAT SABBATH WAS A HIGH DAY)..." Now what "high day" could this be? My Bible references it to Exodus 12:16 -- the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! If this day had been a regular week day, John would have said, "FOR THAT DAY WAS A HIGH DAY." But, instead, he said" for that SABBATH was a high day"!

The first place the expression ("the day of the Sabbaths") is used in the New Testament is Luke 4:16. The Sabbath referred to in this verse was (as we have just learnt) not only the first annual high Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) but also the weekly Sabbath day! We read: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been reared; and, according to his custom on the day of the Sabbaths, he entered into the synagogue and he stood up to read" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).This verse clearly demonstrates that Yeshua's custom was to observe the first Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! He actually began his ministry, following his baptism, and temptation in the wilderness, which occurred just prior to the Passover, with this sermon delivered on the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) in 28 A.D. This is deduced from the fact that the temptation lasted forty days, and travel time from the wilderness to Nazareth would have made up the rest of the time leading up to the first day of Unleavened Bread.

The two other places where the phrase "the Day of the Sabbaths" is found is Acts 13:14 and Acts 16:13:

"They, however, went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia and, going into the synagogue on the ["day of the Sabbaths" -- original Greek], they took a seat (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

"And on the [day of the Sabbaths] we went forth outside the gate beside a river..." (ibid.).

Here we find Paul and his company celebrating the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) with Jews in a synagogue, and beside a river because this particular town did not have a synagogue.

Aside from the Bible, the fact that the weekly Sabbath was also the first high Holy Day (Nisan 15) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is understood by numerous researchers. Writes Alfred Edersheim in The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: "The Sabbath about to open was a 'high day' -- it was both a Sabbath and the second Paschal Day [Nisan 15], which was regarded as in every respect equally sacred with the first -- nay, more so, since the so-called Wavesheaf was then offered [the next day] to the Lord" (book V, page 613).

Jack Finegan also noticed this much overlooked fact -- "This day of Preparation for the Passover was also a day of Preparation for the SABBATH which, in this case, COINCIDED WITH PASSOVER DAY and thus was a 'high day' (John 19:31)" (Handbook of Biblical Chronology (Revised Edition), page 355, section 607).

Samuele Bacchiocchi writes of this scripture in his book God's Festivals in Scripture and History (Part 1) --

"It is interesting to note that in the particular year of Christ's death and resurrection, the two different methods of reckoning [i.e., the Sadducean and Pharisaic] concurred on the date of Pentecost. This is because, according to the Johannine chronology of the passion...Passover (Nisan 15) fell on a [weekly] Sabbath, and the offering of the wave sheaf on Sunday (Nisan 16). This fulfilled the Pharisaic interpretation of Leviticus 23:15, which counted the fifty days from the day after Passover (Nisan 16). Amazingly, it also fulfilled the Sadducean interpretation, which counted the fifty days from the first Sunday [actually, the First Day of the Week -- the term 'Sunday' was unknown at this time] after Passover" (page 170).

Not only did the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread fall on the weekly Sabbath in 31 A.D., but it ALWAYS fell on the weekly Sabbath! How do we know this? Because the weekly Sabbath is tied to the moon just like the Holy Days! YEHOVAH God outlined this truth to Moses and the Children of Israel when they came out of Egypt. After the ten plagues and the Exodus from Egypt at the end of the 12th and 13th dynasties, YEHOVAH God led Moses and the Israelites to the Wilderness of Sin where He revealed to them His TRUE Sabbath day. We read about this in Exodus, chapter 16 --

"And they departed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sina; and ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY, IN THE SECOND MONTH after their departure from the land of Egypt, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron. And the children of Israel said to them, Would we had died smitten by the Lord in the land of Egypt, When we sat by the flesh-pots, and ate bread to satiety! for ye have brought us out into this wilderness, to slay all this congregation with hunger. And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread upon you out of heaven: and the people shall go forth, and they shall gather their daily portion for the day, that I may try them whether they will walk in my law or not" (Septuagint version).

This passage highlights TWO main points, (1) the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron on THE 15TH DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH after leaving Egypt and, (2) YEHOVAH God was planning to test the Israelites to see if they would WALK IN HIS LAW OR NOT. The intriguing part of this whole passage is where Moses mentions THE EXACT DAY that the Israelites murmured against him and Aaron in the wilderness. NOWHERE ELSE in the narrative of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land is an exact date mentioned! This clearly indicates that this date was VERY IMPORTANT TO YEHOVAH GOD -- and that He wanted the Israelites to remember it. Also, on this same date, He was going to teach the Israelites something very important; He was going to test them and see if they would obey Him or not. What was this important lesson? Let's continue on with Exodus 16 --

" 'And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be TWICE AS MUCH as they gather daily.' Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, 'At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your murmurings against the Lord. But what are we, that you murmur against us?'....Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED IN THE CLOUD. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, "At twilight [between the two evenings] you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God." 'So it was that quail came up at evening and covered the camp..." (Verses 5-13).

This day -- the 15TH DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH -- was so important to YEHOVAH God that He appeared in the cloud before the Israelites, and then caused thousands (maybe millions) of quail to be blown into the Israelites' camp "between the two evenings," i.e. the afternoon of the 15th. WHY was this day so important to YEHOVAH? Writes Herbert W. Armstrong --

"I will show you that God was speaking to them [the children of Israel] on a SABBATH. It is evident that the Eternal first preached to men on the FIRST SABBATH. Adam was created on the sixth day of the creation week. Evidently he was created in the late afternoon, since the creation of man was the last act of creation on that day. When the sun had set, immediately after Adam's creation, God preached to him, offering him the GIFT of eternal life (through the tree of life), and warning [him] that the wages of sin is DEATH (Gen. 2:15-17).

"And here God is again preaching to Israel, through Moses, ON THE SABBATH" (Which Day is the Christian Sabbath. Ambassador College Press. Pp. 30-31).

Now let's continue with the narrative in Exodus 16:

"...and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.' "

And now YEHOVAH God starts to teach the Israelites about the Sabbath --

"So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted. And so it was on THE SIXTH DAY, that they gathered TWICE AS MUCH BREAD, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said: "TOMORROW IS A SABBATH REST, A HOLY SABBATH TO THE LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning!" ' So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, 'Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. SIX DAYS YOU SHALL GATHER IT, but on the SEVENTH DAY, which is THE SABBATH, there will be none.' "

As is normal with human nature, some of the Israelites went out on the seventh day looking for the manna (bread) --

"Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, 'How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has GIVEN YOU THE SABBATH; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.' So the people RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY" (verses 13-30).

We see here that, starting on the 15th day of the month, YEHOVAH God provided food for all the Israelites. Then, on the seventh day after the 15th, He did not provide any manna -- thereby showing that this day (the 22nd day of the month) was a SABBATH. Obviously, if the 15th was seven days before the 22nd, it too was a Sabbath day! This Herbert Armstrong clearly understood. We can see here that YEHOVAH God was revealing His weekly Sabbath cycle for the Israelites. If the 15th and the 22nd were Sabbath days, so too were the 8th and the 29th days of the month! So we here see a pattern -- the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th. What significance do these dates have? Just this -- THEY CORRESPOND TO THE PHASES OF THE MOON!! YEHOVAH God was showing the Israelites that His Sabbath days were to fall on the days of the month CORRESPONDING TO THE MOON'S PHASES, thus revealing that the weekly Sabbaths were to be observed using THE SAME CALENDAR or reckoning used to determine the annual Sabbaths or feast days!

Unfortunately, Herbert Armstrong never made the connection (to our knowledge) between these Sabbath days in Exodus 16 and the phases of the moon.

In the booklet Proof That Weekly Sabbath Days Are Determined By the Moon, author Arnold Bowen DOES make the connection -- notice!

"What about Joseph, he too was a ruler in Egypt and had power over all Egypt to enforce a Lunar Sabbath with no problem whatsoever. History records that both of these countries (Babylon and Egypt) at one time observed the Lunar Sabbaths. There are Historical records proving the Babylonian calendar was by the Moon, and the Egyptians were the first to abandon the Lunar calendar. We know that another Pharaoh arose who knew not Joseph, and the children of Israel were forced to abandon the rests of YHWH until the Father heard their groaning and once again gave them rest, and it was on a Sabbath (15th) when He delivered their shoulders from the burdens and their hands from the pots. Would it not make sense to restore the Sabbath that was lost under Egypt's bondage on the Sabbath, whether Saturday, Sunday, or the 15th? He later made His Sabbaths known to Moses and THEY WERE STILL ON THE 8TH, 15TH, 22ND, AND 29TH OF THE MOON [MONTH]. (Ex. 16)." -- page 43.

Regarding the Israelites' new understanding of YEHOVAH God's weekly Sabbath, Hutton Webster makes the following observations --

"The brief prohibitions of work found in the Pentateuch cannot be separated, by any subtleties of exegesis, from the numerous other taboos with which the institution was invested. The rest on the Sabbath is only one of the forms of abstinence in CONNECTION WITH LUNAR CHANGES; and if the Sabbath began as a festival at NEW MOON and FULL MOON, it may well have been observed BY THE ISRAELITES BEFORE THEIR CONTACT WITH CANAANITISH CULTURE" (Rest Days, p. 246).

Since YEHOVAH God set the weekly Sabbath to follow the phases of the moon, then it will always fall on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th days of the lunar month. Clearly, then, since the 15th is always a weekly Sabbath it, too, always falls on the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread since this Holy Day is always on the Nisan 15! For more information on YEHOVAH's Sabbath day, send for our articles, Have We Been Observing the Sabbath At the Wrong Time All These Years? and From Sabbath to Saturday: The Story of the Jewish Rest Day.

The apostle Paul himself was a Pharisee. He was brought up "at the feet of Gamaliel," who was one of the chief exponents of the Pharisees (Acts 22:3). Paul says he was "TAUGHT according to the PERFECT MANNER OF THE LAW of the fathers, and was zealous toward God" (same verse). He could not have said such a thing if he had been taught falsely or incorrectly concerning such a vital matter of the LAW as the proper date for observing Pentecost, could he? Of course not!

When Paul was brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin, because of his faith in the Messiah, he gave a resounding defense of his actions:

"But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other part Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I AM A PHARISEE, THE SON OF A PHARISEE: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude were divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God" (Acts 23:6-9).

Paul explained before king Agrippa, on a later occasion,

"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that AFTER THE MOST STRAITEST SECT OF OUR RELIGION, I LIVED A PHARISEE" (Acts 26:4-5).

Paul had lived his life as a STRICT Pharisee. He wrote to the Philippians, saying that he was

"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the LAW, A PHARISEE; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; TOUCHING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS IN THE LAW, BLAMELESS" (Phil.3:5-6).

The small sect of the Sadducees, however, supposedly taught a First Day of the Week Pentecost, counting from the weekly Sabbath day within or following the Passover feast. Since Paul was celebrating Pentecost on the First Day of the Week in Acts 16:13, it would seem he was following the tradition of the Sadducees! Yet, when Paul was brought before the council for judgment he cried out, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead" (Acts 23:6). How do we get around this dichotomy?

Now, if Paul had stopped observing Pentecost on the same date the Pharisees observed it, he could not have made his appeal saying he was a Pharisee! Such an appeal would have caused the Pharisees to consider him a traitor, a hypocrite, a slime-ball worse than the Sadducees! But when he made his appeal, the Pharisees in the audience defended him to the hilt. The account continues: "There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. 'We find nothing wrong with this man,' they said. 'What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?' The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks" (verses 9-10).

On the other hand, consider. If Paul had switched from the day observed by the Pharisees, to that kept by the Sadducees, then he would have made his appeal to the Sadducees, and they would have been the ones who would have defended him in the council!

If Paul had remained a Pharisee in most respects, but changed the day he observed Pentecost to Sunday, like the Sadducees, then both Pharisees and Sadducees would have condemned him viciously, considering him to be a traitor and heretic! So what is the answer?

Since Paul was a proud Pharisee and he obviously kept what has been termed "a Sunday Pentecost," then the Pharisees themselves must have been keeping a "Sadducean" Pentecost! However, since the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always falls on the weekly Sabbath, both groups observed Pentecost at the same time and the whole idea of differences and controversy regarding the counting to Pentecost vanishes right out the window!

In their argument against the stand taken by the Sadducees, some have insisted that we should follow the Pharisees because they sit in "Moses' Seat."

Even though some of the Pharisees during the time of the Messiah were wicked men, self-seeking, proud, arrogant and evil tempered, and guilty of many sins, as the Messiah himself stated very plainly in Matthew 23, where he called them "snakes," "fools," "blind," and so forth, yet these Pharisee adherents claim Yeshua never hinted, intimated, declared, or stated, that they had NO AUTHORITY concerning the Scriptures or the word of YEHOVAH God.

Rather, continues their argument, the Messiah told the multitudes, along with his own disciples --

"The scribes and PHARISEES SIT IN MOSES' SEAT: ALL therefore WHATSOEVER THEY BID YOU OBSERVE, THAT OBSERVE AND DO; but do not ye after their works [their own wicked deeds]: for they say, and do not" (Matt.23:2-3).

Notice, they say, "this is a plain statement -- a clear cut commandment. Yeshua did not mince words. He said we are to OBEY 'ALL' that the Pharisees commanded us to do -- not just part of, but 'WHATSOEVER' they told us to observe!"

Now is this true? Are we to follow the Pharisees blindly, regardless of what they said? And just what is "Moses' Seat"?

"Moses' Seat" is a symbolic, physical seat within ancient synagogues where the scribes or Pharisees would sit during services. It was a seat of authority and judgment within Pharisaical Judaism, usually beautifully and ornately carved and located in a prominent position within the synagogue. Archaeologists have found stone chairs in ancient synagogues in Hamath, Chorazin, En-Gedi and Delos next to where the law was kept, which served the same function. When reading from scripture, the reader would apparently sit in this chair and expound to the congregation.

When the scribe or Pharisee sat in Moses' Seat and spoke, it was received as the FINAL WORD -- similar to when a King or Pharaoh sat upon his throne for official decrees. A parallel today would be when the pope sits in "Peter's Chair" in the Vatican, as his seat of authority, and makes pronouncements "ex-cathedra" -- meaning that these pronouncements are infallible and to be taken by all church members as "gospel" -- no questions asked! Today, the pope elevates tradition to be equal with Scripture, even proclaiming the church's tradition to be essential to salvation. He is leading people astray just like the Phariesses and Sadducees and, as a result, is strongly condemned by Yeshua in Matthew 23!

Now it is a fact that every Greek translation of the New Testament has textual differences -- that NONE agree completely! Due to a misunderstanding, or mistranslation when the Greek gospels were being written, the words of the Messiah became confused in this instance. There is much proof that the gospels -- as well as other New Testament books -- were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, then later translated into Greek. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were all Aramaic-speaking Israelites. Their mother tongue was Aramaic -- NOT Greek, although they may have had a rudimentary understanding of Greek to conduct business with the authorities and strangers.

Up until recently, the only existing manuscripts of the gospels were Greek manuscripts. Because of this many have assumed that the gospels were originally written in Greek, and if Hebrew gospels ever existed they were either destroyed or lost over time. However, recent discoveries of a Hebrew Matthew add new light to the gospels by challenging some assumptions Christianity has adopted over the centuries, and helps answer some of the gospels' most problematic texts -- such as Matthew 23:1-4.

It so happens that a complete Hebrew text of Matthew's gospel was preserved in the body of a 14th century Jewish polemical treatise entitled Evan Bohar. The author of the treatise was one Shem-Tob ben-Isaac ben-Shaprut Ibn Shaprut, a Castilian Jewish physician living in Aragon. Although it has undergone considerable revision to make it more in line with the Greek and Latin texts, the Hebrew foundation of the gospel of Matthew is unmistakable. This Matthew is a HEBREW Matthew -- NOT a translation of Greek or Latin into Hebrew. There are numerous grammatical clues within the text that point to an original Hebrew construction -- probably copied from a earlier Hebrew manuscript. A good study of the Shem Tob Hebrew Matthew can be found in the book, Hebrew Gospel of Matthew by George Howard.

Regarding Moses' Seat in Matthew 23:1-3, Shem Tob's Hebrew Matthew gives us a completely different picture of Moses' Seat than given in the Greek originated King James Version. Following is an English translation of the Hebrew Matthew by Nehemia Gordon, a scholar who is a translator of the Dead Sea Scrolls and an expert in ancient Hebrew/Aramaic texts --

"The Pharisees and sages sit upon the seat of Moses. Therefore, all that he (Moses) says to you, diligently do, but according to their reforms (takanot) and their precedents (ma'asim) do not do, because they talk but do not do."

Takanot are "reforms that change Biblical law" and ma'asim are "acts or deeds that serve as precedent."

Yeshua, in his rebuke of the Pharisees and their traditions, compared their deeds and reforms with the deeds and reforms of the Samaritans in 2 Kings 17:34, adding even further weight to Shem Tob's version of Matthew 23:1-2. Notice!

"The Samaritans do "according to their statutes and their judgments" but "they do not do" according to the Torah" (translation by Nehemia Gordon).

What Yeshua is telling us in Matthew 23:1-3 is NOT to follow the scribes and Pharisees, but to DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM THEM! They follow their own ideas and opinions, contrary to Moses. We are to follow the explicit words of Moses and Scripture, without adding anything to them, or subtracting anything from them! By the time of the Messiah, those who sat on Moses' Seat had corrupted Moses' Seat, and had forsaken the true Laws of YEHOVAH God given through Moses. We are commanded to separate ourselves from all such corruption and evil, done in the name of YEHOVAH God.

Who, after reading the these verses from the Shem Tob, can defend tradition with it? What were the Scribes and Pharisees doing that was so strongly condemned? They read from the books of Moses (in his seat) when teaching in the synagogue, but then proceeded to levy their own burdensome unbiblical laws and doctrines (traditions) on the people -- corrupting them and leading them astray, such that YEHOVAH God's message was lost or incomprehensible! And this was accompanied by great and splendid shows of holiness and piety!

If there is ANY DISPUTE as to the time of observance of Pentecost, as there may have been between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, then Yeshua the Messiah -- the FINAL JUDGE and TRUE ARBITER of all arguments and discussions -- RULED THAT WE MUST OBEY THE LAWS OF YEHOVAH GOD THROUGH MOSES, and ignore and dismiss the ideas and conclusions of the Pharisees and, for that matter, the Sadducees also!

What could be PLAINER? Are some of you STILL deceived?

What does it take to convince you? What does it require to OPEN YOUR MIND? WHAT must we do to "pry open your brain," and install some TRUTH there? How can we help you empty your mind of the cobwebs of confusion, doubt, and error and falsehoods, that have lodged there, that have taken roost there, that have been fed into your brain by ignorant or false ministers, wicked false prophets and apostate teachers?

What will it take? Only YOU can make that final determination. YEHOVAH God will not do it for you. The Messiah will not FORCE you to admit the truth. He will force you to worship him, and even break your legs if necessary, to get you to bow before him -- eventually (Phil.2:9-11). But those who have to be forced, will inevitably be cast into the ever-burning LAKE OF FIRE for their final judgment!

The truth is, modern-day ministers who follow their teachings, are also following "doctrines of demons" (I Tim.4:1-2). As the apostle Paul warned, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel: for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed AS the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (II Cor.11:13-15).

However, the followers of the Pharisaic and Sadducean methods of computing Pentecost have TOTALLY overlooked the fact that the apostle John reveals that there were two Sabbaths on ONE day -- the weekly Sabbath AND the first high day of the feast of Unleavened Bread! This was so in 31 A.D., and has been so ever since!

In Leviticus 23:13, the Hebrew word for "count" is safar. There are several different, but accurate, meanings for safar. It is only Judaism which provides the internal history necessary to discover which meaning is intended to be understood in the Biblical text. Although safar can mean to count up the total in order to arrive at a sum, it can also just as easily and accurately mean to inscribe by making a mark, to enumerate, or to celebrate.

Judaism teaches that the intended meaning of safar in Leviticus 23:15 is "to ritually inscribe by celebrating, i.e., to inscribe to ritual celebration." Jewish author and historian Chaim Raphael, in his book entitled Festival Days: A History of Jewish Celebrations (c.1990, Grove Weidenfeld: New York), provides us with the key to rightly understanding the use of the word safar in Leviticus 23:15. He informs us that:

"In the Jewish practice, an Omer (sheaf) of the new barley was offered to the Temple every day after Passover to be 'waved' ceremonially by the priest. The Omer began to be counted daily from the second day of Passover for seven weeks, at which point the festival of Shavuot ('weeks') was celebrated. 'Counting the Omer' until the seven weeks were concluded became a recognizable stretch of Jewish life with its own traditions . . ." (p.69).

This same author adds:

"The seven-week period from Passover to Shavuot had a ritual in which a sheaf of grain from the new harvest was offered to the priest every day. Every offering was COUNTED OFF DAILY until the forty-ninth day, after which Shavuot was celebrated" (p.71).

It should be clear that this ritual of "counting" was performed EVERY YEAR, as a special adjunct to the Passover celebration, at which the spring harvest BEGAN, and continued for forty nine days, until Pentecost, when the spring harvest was COMPLETED! Since the spring harvest is a TYPE of the "firstfruits" of YEHOVAH's creation -- true converted people of YEHOVAH God, from the time of the patriarchs down to true Christians -- the period of time from Passover to Pentecost represents the TIME OF YEHOVAH'S SPIRITUAL SPRING HARVEST -- with Yeshua the Messiah, our Passover, being himself the "the firstfruits" from the dead unto YEHOVAH God (I Cor.15:20), "Christ the firstfruits" (verse 23); "afterward they that are Christ's AT HIS COMING" (same verse).

True Christians are they "which have the FIRSTFRUITS of the Spirit" (Rom.8:23). Paul spoke of a certain believer Epaenetus, "who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ" (Rom.16:5). The apostle James wrote, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures" (James 1:18).

At the Messiah's coming, he will MARRY the Church, the "firstfruits" (Rev.19:6-9), following the example of his Father, YEHOVAH, who "married" Israel when He came down to Mount Sinai on that first Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks (Exodus 19-20; 24:9-11). Thus the daily "counting of the omer" is a ritual which REFLECTS THE SPRING HARVEST OF TRUE CHRISTIANS and all the holy men and women of old who will be in the FIRST RESURRECTION, and who will "MARRY" the Messiah at his coming!

The vast, overwhelming majority of Christians do not even begin to realize or recognize this amazing, wonderful TRUTH! Every day, from Passover to Pentecost, when WE COUNT THE OMER, as we pray to YEHOVAH God, reciting, "This is the ___ day of the Omer," and continue on in our prayers, we are LOOKING FORWARD TO and ANTICIPATING JOYFULLY our coming UNION with YESHUA THE MESSIAH at his Coming! The daily "counting of the omer," then, beginning with the first Omer, representing the Messiah himself, risen from the dead, continues for forty nine days, or until Pentecost -- and spiritually symbolizes the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE CHURCH OF YEHOVAH GOD which have been "harvested" throughout the centuries and millennia leading up to the great day of THE MESSIAH'S COMING, when the Messiah will COMPLETE THE HARVEST OF FIRSTFRUITS, and then MARRY HIS BRIDE!

There is another wonderful truth that has been totally overlooked by modern Christianity -- and even the Churches of YEHOVAH God themselves -- and that is the awe-inspiring, mind-blowing RETURN of YEHOVAH GOD HIMSELF to this earth and to a NEW Temple in Jerusalem!

YEHOVAH God the Father's future universal role on earth in the form of the physical "Shekinah" presence is a major theme of the Old Testament. The establishment of YEHOVAH God's Kingly reign on earth requires several stages: first is the RETURN OF THE MESSIAH , the separation of YEHOVAH's true people and the building of the Third Temple, the wedding feast of the Lamb (the Messiah), climaxed by the RETURN OF YEHOVAH'S SHEKINAH PRESENCE. Finally, Satan must be chained, judgment must take place, and then Yeshua the Messiah will begin his rule as king and High Priest to his Father who will reside in Zion in the Third Temple!

In Titus 2:13 we are encouraged "to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, WHICH IS THE APPEARING OF THE SH'KHINAH OF OUR GREAT GOD AND the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah" (Jewish New Testament).

YEHOVAH the Father Himself will return to Zion in His Shekinah glory -- acting personally and directly to punish the wicked and rule as King of kings over all nations. This is the day we should be waiting for with increasing expectations and excitement as we count down to Pentecost!

What a wonderful truth! There is far more involved in "counting the omer" than most of us have ever realized! In the words of Pogo, "We have met the Omer, and it is US!"

It is also interesting to note that the "50 days" from Passover till Pentecost also represent a "Jubilee" period of days. A Jubilee "cycle" of years is 50 years, according to the Bible. YEHOVAH God says,"You shall count off seven weeks of YEARS -- seven times seven years -- so that the period of seven weeks of years gives you a total of forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the horn loud; in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month-the Day of Atonement -- you shall have the horn sounded throughout your land and you shall HALLOW the fiftieth year. You shall proclaim release ["liberty"] throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a JUBILEE for you" (Lev.25:8-10, Tanakh).

But in the case of Pentecost, or the Feast of Shavuot ("Weeks"), YEHOVAH says, "You shall count off seven WEEKS" (Deut.16:9). The book of Leviticus has it, "And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering -- the day after the sabbath -- you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete: you must count until the day after the seventh week -- fifty days" (Lev.23:15-16, Tanakh). Notice the fascinating similarity. Countdown to Pentecost is a "daily" TYPE of the countdown to the JUBILEE YEAR! On the Jubilee year Yeshua the Messiah will return to earth, and bring LIBERTY to its inhabitants, and marry his bride, the Church of YEHOVAH God. On the jubilee of Pentecost, we celebrate the completion of the spring harvest, and when the Messiah will marry his bride, the Church! So Pentecost typifies the return of the Messiah, to be followed by YEHOVAH God the Father -- the true Jubilee! We are to look forward expectantly to the feast of Pentecost, just as we look forward to the coming of YEHOVAH God the Father and the Messiah, to bring His government, His Kingdom, and His laws (Isa.2:1-4; Micah 4:1-4).

Interestingly, by "counting off" forty nine weeks, we count seven times seven weeks, symbolizing the TIME from the Passover (death and resurrection of the Messiah) till his Second Coming -- a time which spans the entire CHURCH AGE. The prophecy of Revelation points out that during this time span there are seven successive CHURCH ERAS -- the seven successive churches of Revelation, beginning with Ephesus, the apostolic age, and ending up with Laodicea, the present "End-time" degenerate and apostate final church era (Rev.2-3). Thus, applying this prophecy to the seven times seven "days" between Passover and Pentecost -- that is, between the Messiah's first coming and his Second Coming! -- we find that each of the seven churches of Revelation is given ONE SYMBOLIC WEEK to do its "work" -- its "heyday" of existence, if you will. The dominate Church of the first century was the apostolic church, called "Ephesus" -- the capital of the Roman province of Asia. The dominant Church during the "End Time" is that of Laodicea -- a city famed for its wool, physical riches and wealth, its medical industry, and for its "lukewarm" water supply.

As we count the "omer," therefore, each successive week it would be good to reflect on the history of YEHOVAH's Church down through the ages. The first week, Ephesus; the second week, Smyrna; the third week, Pergamos; the fourth week, Thyatira; the fifth week, Sardis; the sixth week, Philadelphia; and the seventh week, Laodicea.

As we near the end of the countdown, we should have rising expectations and increasing joy as we look forward to and relish and eagerly anticipate the FINAL DAY OF JUBILEE, ending all our trials and tests -- the final PENTECOST when Yeshua the Messiah will return, the saints will be resurrected and made immortal, and YEHOVAH's Spirit will be poured out upon all nations, and the knowledge of the LORD will begin to fill the earth (Rev.11:15-17; I Thess.4:16-17; Isa.11:9).

It was on the Day of Pentecost that YEHOVAH God first sent His Spirit upon men. After Yeshua was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples for forty days (Acts 1:3). Yeshua was slain on the Preparation Day, buried before sunset, was in the grave 3 days (Hebrew inclusive counting) and arose from the dead early on the morning of the First Day of the Week. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matthew 28:1). The omer, symbolizing those called of YEHOVAH -- the 144,000 -- the firstfruits, was offered that day. The First Day of the Week was, therefore, day one of the omer countdown. Beginning that First Day of the Week, therefore, Yeshua first appeared to his disciples, and did so for another 39 days, making forty in all, bringing us to the 41st day of the omer count.

Then Yeshua, being with his disciples, "gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but WAIT for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT" (Acts 1:4-5). This was the 41st day of the omer count; they still had nine days to go till Pentecost.

Notice! They were to "wait" for something, even as they were already "waiting" for and counting down to PENTECOST! Yeshua was making an oblique reference to the waiting they were already doing in counting the omer. Then what happened? "When the day of Pentecost came [or "was fully come," KJV], they were all together in one place [in the Temple, celebrating Pentecost!]. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole part of the Temple where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak in other tongues [languages] as the Spirit enabled them" (Acts 2:1-4).

YEHOVAH God poured out His Spirit upon men that day -- the first time in all human history! This was the BEGINNING of the New Testament Church of YEHOVAH God!

In the same way, when YEHOVAH God and the Messiah return to this earth, YEHOVAH says, "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on ALL people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will POUR OUT MY SPIRIT in those days" (Joel 2:28-29). The apostle Peter explained to the Jews in Jerusalem that the pouring out of YEHOVAH's Spirit on that Pentecost was in fulfillment of this prophecy in the book of Joel (Acts 2:5-21). Of course, this was actually a TYPE. The great fulfillment will occur just around the corner, at the coming Feast of Shavuot, when the "weeks are completed" of this present Age -- and the Messianic Age begins!

Those final "weeks" and "days" are ALMOST COMPLETE NOW! We are nearing the END -- and the time of our Spiritual REDEMPTION! Let us joyously, "count" the days, till the coming of that GREAT PENTECOST, when YEHOVAH God will pour out His Spirit on all people!

So far as I know, no Church on earth -- not the Worldwide Church of God, nor the Church of God International, not the Seventh Day Adventist Church, nor the Church of God Seventh Day, or any other Church, understands the significance and deep meaning behind the traditional "counting of the omer." This is undoubtedly NEW UNDERSTANDING! Let us thank YEHOVAH God for revealing it to us, and rejoice in understanding the amazing, incredible truth about the "Omer" -- the "firstfruits"!