Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

Pentecost -- The MYSTERY Solved!

John D. Keyser

The single verse of Leviticus 23:16 has been used by proponents of the Sadduccean Pentecost counting method to justify their "Sunday" or even a "Monday" Pentecost. This, they claim, is their "conclusive proof" that Pentecost should not be counted from the day after the fixed first annual holy day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

According to this group, the Hebrew word shabbat means exclusively the seventh day of rest -- and can never mean "week." For example, if you look up the word "Sabbath" in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, you will find that in the overwhelming number of cases it refers to the weekly Sabbath. On a few occasions it refers to a high holy day or annual Sabbath. In a few cases, it refers to the sabbath-year of rest, every seven years.

The proponents of the Pharisaic method of counting to Pentecost claim that the "Sabbath" of Leviticus 23:11 and 16 refers to the first day of Passover or the first day of Unleavened Bread -- the 15th of Nisan, which was a high Sabbath day of rest. According to this group, the Pharisees controlled the Temple worship during the time of the Messiah. This group claims that the word Sabbath can also mean "week." So who is correct?

What Does the Hebrew Word for "Sabbath" Mean?

The significance of the word Sabbath becomes apparent when you try to determine the beginning point of the 50-day count to Pentecost. Does this term refer to the weekly Sabbath, or does it refer to the annual Sabbath -- the First Day of Unleavened Bread?

In Leviticus 23:15-16 we find three references to the word Sabbath (or Sabbaths) -- notice!

"And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD" (NKJ Version).

In the Doctrinal Paper Pentecost and Its Observance -- published by the United Church of God -- we read the following --

"The English word 'Sabbath' or its plural 'Sabbaths' is translated from the Hebrew shabbath or its plural form shabbathoth. Although there are some translations that use the word 'weeks,' this is not the most common translation. In fact, in the King James Version (KJV) the word shabbath (or its plural shabbathoth) is only translated Sabbath and is never translated weeks. There is another word in Hebrew which is translated weeks. This can be found in Deuteronomy 16:9 and also in Exodus 34:22. The word used in these verses for weeks is shabuoth. The singular form of this word is shabua. In the King James Version, and the New King James Version this Hebrew word is never translated as Sabbath. In twenty occurrences in the KJV, this word is translated as 'week' (or weeks) nineteen times and on one occasion it is translated 'seven.' The Englishman's Hebrew-Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament makes this point quite clearly. The word shabbath can be found 108 times and in every instance it is translated Sabbath or Sabbaths and never weeks. According to this same source, the Hebrew word shabuoth is never translated as Sabbath, but is in every instance but one translated as weeks" (page 6).

Writes Richard C. Nickels in Pentecost is NOT on Sivan 6:

"The words for 'sabbath' and 'sabbaths' in Leviticus 23 are Strong's #7676, Shabbath and #7677, shabbaton. 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'!

"What is the Hebrew word for 'week'? It is Strong's #7620, shebuah. Englishman's Hebrew Concordance, page 1224, proves conclusively that nowhere in the Bible does this word ever mean 'Sabbath'! So the Hebrew words for Sabbath never mean week, and the Hebrew word for week never means Sabbath. The foundation for the Sivan 6 Pentecost Theory is totally false" (pages 2-3).

Comments Samuele Bacchiocchi --

"The Sadducees, however, supported by the Boethusians, the Karaites, and the Samaritans, took the word 'Sabbath' to mean literally the first Sabbath that fell during the week of Unleavened Bread [according to their calendar]. Support for this interpretation comes from the FACT that the word 'Sabbath' by itself is NEVER used in the Bible to refer to an annual feast. The Day of Atonement was designated by the compound expression shabbath shabbathon, usually translated as 'a sabbath of solemn rest' (Lev. 23:32; 16:31). This means that they 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 [according to their calendar]. Consequently, Pentecost for them always fell on the same day of the week, namely, Sunday [First Day of the Week]" (God's Festivals in Scripture and History, page 169).

Returning, now, to the United Church of God Doctrinal Paper, we find an interesting observation:

"It is interesting that in Leviticus 23, the discussion begins with a reference to the weekly Sabbath in verses 1-3. The term 'Sabbath' is not used again until we arrive at the discussion of the wavesheaf in verse 11 and then again in verses 15-16 referencing the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). The logical conclusion is that since there has been no reference to festivals being annual Sabbaths, but only to a weekly Sabbath, we are still dealing with the weekly Sabbath in verse 11 and again in verses 15-16. There is no precedent for concluding this to be a reference to the annual Sabbath. The first clear reference to a festival being an annual Sabbath in this chapter doesn't occur until verse 24 when we discuss the Feast of Trumpets. Here the Hebrew word is not shabbath as used previously, but rather another related word, shabbathon. The Day of Atonement is referred to in a phrase in verse 32 as "shabbath shabbathon," but at the end of the verse Israel is commanded to 'celebrate your sabbath.' The Hebrew word for Sabbath in this phrase, referring to the Day of Atonement is 'shabbath.' In verse 39, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Holy Day immediately following the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles [Shemini Atzaret -- Last Great Day] are referred to by the term 'shabbathon.' So, with the exception of the Day of Atonement reference, the word shabbath is arguably used only for the weekly Sabbath in this chapter. The difficulty is to determine with certainty which is being referenced in verse 15 -- is the term for the Sabbath here a reference to the weekly Sabbath or the annual Sabbath? The Hebrew term used in all four instances is shabbath (verse 3, verse 11, verse 15, and verse 16).

"In Leviticus 23 we must be consistent in our understanding of these verses. If we conclude that verse 3 is referring to the weekly Sabbath, then we have no reason to conclude that verses 11, 15, and 16 aren't referencing the same weekly Sabbath" (Pentecost and Its Observance, pages 6-7).

That sounds pretty logical! It would seem that since the word "Sabbath" is used three times prior to verse 15 in Leviticus 23, and since, in verse 3, the reference is clearly to the weekly Sabbath, and in verse 11 we have a similar construction to verse 15, then we must logically conclude that the only other clear mention of the Sabbath in Leviticus 23 (prior to verse 15) is in reference to the weekly Sabbath! In other words, WHERE is the transition to explain that the First Day of Unleavened Bread is also called a Sabbath? It would seem there is no location in the Old Testament where the First or Last Day of Unleavened Bread is called a Sabbath. Only in the New Testament (it seems) do we find a reference to the First Day of Unleavened Bread being a Sabbath -- notice John 19:31:

"Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away" (NJK).

More on this later.

This does not imply, of course, that the First and Last Days of Unleavened Bread are not Sabbaths! The point made is that such terminology is not seemingly used in the Old Testament to refer to these days. Consistency, therefore, would require acceptance of Leviticus 23:11, 15-16 as being references to the weekly Sabbath and not the annual Sabbath.

According to Richard Nickels,

"Mi-mohorat ha-shabbat occurs in Leviticus 23:11 and 15, and means 'from [on] morrow of [after] the Sabbath,' that is, the day after the Sabbath. This is the key phrase regarding the counting of Pentecost. From the Hebrew-English Interlinear Old Testament, by Jay P. Green, Sr., we see the Strong's numbers for the Hebrew.

"The Hebrew word for Sabbath, Shabbat, is Strong's number #7676. Shabbat is derived from #7673, shavath, which means 'intermission, desist from exertion, to cease, rest, celebrate.' A related verb is #7677, shabbaton, meaning 'the act of keeping the Sabbath, resting.' The Hebrew word for 'seven' is #7651, sheba or shibah, the word for 'seventh' is #7637 shebiyiy. As we have seen, the word for 'week' is #7620, shebuah which is not necessarily a 'perfect week' of Sunday [actually, First Day of the Week -- the term 'Sunday' was unknown to the Jews of the Messiah's time] through Saturday [actually, the Sabbath -- the term "Saturday" was also unknown to the Jews of the Messiah's time].

"In verse 15, 'seven sabbaths shall be complete [KJV],' the word for 'complete' is #8549, tamiym, meaning 'perfect, without blemish.' The literal words say 'seven sabbaths perfect.' There are seven PERFECT sabbaths that fall between the day of the wavesheaf until day fifty of the count toward Pentecost. What is a perfect Sabbath? Why, God's Holy Day, the seventh day of the week! Not an imperfect 'week' of just any seven days! Tamiym is used in verses 12 and 18 in reference to lambs offered 'without blemish.' Tamiym used with shabbat leaves us no doubt that Leviticus 23:15-16 means seven sabbaths, not seven imperfect weeks."

Continuing, Nickels adds --

"The inspired Hebrew in both verses 15 and 16 says SABBATHS, shabbatot (plural) not WEEKS, shebuat. Verses 15-16 say literally, 'seven sabbaths perfect they shall be to the day after the Sabbath [ha-shabbat] the seventh [ha-shebiyit] you shall number fifty [fiftieth] day.' Notice the unusual usage of the definite article 'the' (Hebrew ha). It is not just any Sabbath that is the day before day fifty of the count. But THE Sabbath THE seventh. Certainly this precludes counting imperfect weeks that do not run from Sunday [First Day of the Week] through Sabbath. Indeed, we are not told to count seven Sabbaths at all. We are told there will be seven perfect Sabbaths on the way to a full count of fifty days. And through the next day after the seventh perfect Sabbath, a Sunday [First Day of the Week], day fifty of the count toward Pentecost is completed.

"Notice the usage of shabbat elsewhere in Leviticus 23. Verse 3, in reference to the seventh day of the week, says literally, 'and on day the seventh, Sabbath resting, a gathering holy....' Verse 24 refers to the Day of Trumpets, a time of 'resting,' #7677, shabbaton. Verse 32 commands the Day of Atonement, 'Sabbath resting [shabbat shabbaton] it is to you...you shall keep your sabbath.' Finally, in verse 38, in reference again to the weekly Sabbath, Shabbatot, is used. Only in verses 11, 15 and 16 is the definite article 'the' (Hebrew ha) used. Why? Because although Trumpets is a resting and Atonement a Sabbath resting, only the weekly Sabbath is THE Sabbath. In Ezekiel 46:1, ha-shabbat is used to refer to every weekly Sabbath. Thus, the definite article ha used with Shabbat shows that this Shabbat is the weekly Sabbath, not the first annual Holy Day" (Pentecost is NOT on Sivan 6, pages 3-4).

According to those who believe the omer count should start on the day after the weekly Sabbath, the word for weeks, #7620 in Strong's Concordance -- shebuah, is not used at all in Leviticus 23 and we are NOT told to count seven weeks (shabutot) toward Pentecost. Instead, they claim, there are seven perfect Sabbaths, and we are to count the day after the seventh Sabbath -- not the seventh week! On day 50, therefore, we are to keep Pentecost, always on the First Day of the Week, which they equate to Sunday in the Gregorian calendar we keep today. Shebuah, they say, is used 20 times in the Old Testament, but only once, in Daniel 9:27, is shebuah used to refer to a perfect week of the First Day of the Week through the Sabbath. In all other cases, shebuah refers to any period of seven consecutive days.

Claims Richard Nickels,

"In referring to the first holy day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Abib (Nisan) 15, the word Shabbat is not used. We are merely told to have a mikra kodesh, a 'gathering holy.' And likewise the last Holy Day of the Feast, Abib 21, is not called a Shabbat, but a mikra kodesh. I have not found a single reference to Abib 15 being a Sabbath, nor any annual Holy Day referred to as 'ha-shabbat.'

"An investigation of the original Hebrew of Leviticus 23 absolutely precludes a Sivan 6 Pentecost. There is no evidence that mi-mohorat ha shabbat refers to anything other than the day after the weekly Sabbath" (Pentecost is NOT on Sivan 6, page 4).

Leviticus 23 (verses 9-21) is the Wave Sheaf and Pentecost section of what is called the "Holy Day Chapter" of the Old Testament. In fact, it is the only place in the entire Bible where we are given detailed instructions on how to count the omer to Pentecost. And yet, verse 11 does not explicitly say WHICH Sabbath precedes the Wave Sheaf Offering Day -- "day one" of the count to Pentecost. According to those who hold the "Pharisaic" viewpoint, this Shabbat was NOT the weekly Shabbat but the first annual Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread -- Nisan 15. However, the arguments we have just studied seem to prohibit this interpretation.

So which Sabbath does verse 11 describe? It has to be associated with the firstfruits of the harvest, which occurred during the spring in Palestine -- around the time of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread when the barley was ready to harvest. Does Leviticus 23:11 refer to the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread or to the first high Holy Day of Unleavened Bread -- Nisan 15? Let's examine what the proponents of the Sivan 6 theory have to say.

The Opposing View

William F. Dankenbring, in an article entitled Pentecost -- The Final Answer, takes an opposite viewpoint concerning the word "Sabbath" -- notice!

"What, then, about the word 'Sabbath' which some make such a huge point over? Can we prove that it also means 'week' or 'weeks'? What is the truth?...

"Now, as I have shown in other places, one way we can come to understand the Biblical usage of word is by studying related passages of Scripture, where the same subject is being discussed. Let us do this, for a moment, concerning the word 'SABBATH,' as used in Leviticus 23:11, and 15-16.

"First, notice what Moses was inspired to write in Leviticus, word for word:

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the SABBATH, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; SEVEN SABBATHS shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the SEVENTH SABBATH shall ye number fifty days . . ." (Lev. 23:15-16, KJV).

"Now the Jewish Scriptures, called the Tanakh, render these verses this way:

"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 . . ." (The Holy Scriptures, the New Jewish Publication Society Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text)

(Pages 2-3).

Not only does the Tanakh render these verses this way, but also the Septuagint --

"And ye shall number to yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day on which ye shall offer the sheaf of the heave-offering, seven full WEEKS: until the morrow after the last WEEK ye shall number fifty days, and shall bring a new meat-offering to the Lord."

The Revised Standard Version and The Jerusalem Bible go half way by stating:

"And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full WEEKS shall they be, counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the LORD" (RSV).

"From the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the sheaf of offering, you are to count seven full WEEKS. You are to count fifty days, to the day after the seventh sabbath, and then you are to offer Yahweh a new oblation" (The Jerusalem Bible).

Clearly, the King James Version states one thing; the official Jewish Scriptures (based on the Masoretic or Traditional Text of the Old Testament) and the Septuagint Greek Scriptures say unequivocally "weeks" and "WEEK" when the King James Version says "Sabbath" and "Sabbaths." The other two versions quoted above replace "seven sabbaths shall be complete" with "seven full WEEKS." Observes Dankenbring --

"If it were merely a matter of opinion, we could chose whoever we wanted to believe, I suppose. But human opinion has nothing to do with it! even if ALL translations said, 'Sabbaths,' in this case, but God inspired 'WEEKS,' then we should reject all translations and accept the truth of GOD!

"Many Bible scholars and Bible translations admit that 'weeks' and 'week' could be used in these verses, and they use these words. Others choose the word 'Sabbath' or 'Sabbaths' instead, but most of them admit it could go either way, based on textual evidence alone. Why, then, do some few self-styled 'scholars' claim, today, that the Hebrew word 'shabbat' HAS to mean 'SABBATH' AND CANNOT MEAN 'WEEK'?" (PENTECOST -- The Final Answer!, page 3).

The adherents of the Sivan 6 theory advance the argument that a parallel scripture in Deuteronomy 16:9 proves that "weeks" should be used instead of "sabbaths." Notice --

"You shall count seven WEEKS [Hebrew, SHAVUAH] for yourself; begin to count the seven WEEKS from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. Then you shall keep the FEAST OF WEEKS..." (NKJV).

The Revised Standard Version renders this verse in a similar fashion:

"You shall count seven WEEKS; begin to count the seven WEEKS from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the FEAST OF WEEKS..."

"It should be perfectly obvious to anyone," claims Dankenbring, "that these verses clearly show that the 'seven Sabbaths' referred to in Leviticus 23:15, and the 'seventh Sabbath,' actually refer to SEVEN WEEKS, and the SEVENTH WEEK!" Dankenbring goes on to say: "This passage of holy Scripture, inspired by God in the book of Deuteronomy, leaves no room for doubt or questions. It PLAINLY says 'SEVEN WEEKS'! The word translated 'WEEKS' here is shavuah, and all Commentators admit and agree that it always refers to WEEK and WEEKS, and not the Sabbath day!" (PENTECOST --The Final Answer!, page 4).

Dankenbring goes on to discuss the words Shabbat and shavua --

"Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, says of the Hebrew word 'SHABBAT' the following:

"Shabbat -- 1) to rest, to keep as a day of rest . . . The primary idea appears to be that of to sit down, to sit still . . . 2) to cease, to desist, to leave off . . . 3) to celebrate a Sabbath . . .

"Shabbath, const. state . . . 1) Sabbath, the seventh day of the week . . . 2) PERHAPS A WEEK, LIKE THE SYRIAC AND GREEK (Matt. 28:1) Lev. 23:15; compare Deut. 16:9." (p.804).

"This same authoritative lexicon says of the word "shavua," in Deuteronomy 16:9:

"Shavua. Dan. 9:27, Gen. 29:27, should be rendered 'the week of this woman) . . .a hebdomad, septenary number . . . l) of days, a week, Gen. 29:27, 28. Daniel 10:2, 'through three weeks' . . . the feast of (seven) weeks, Pentecost, so called from the seven weeks which were counted from the Passover to this festival, Deut. 16:9..." (p 800).

"This word always means weeks and never means 'Sabbath.' Therefore, when this word, and the word 'Sabbath,' are used in precisely the same way, in similar sentences, it is very obvious to all but the most blind that 'shabbat' in the Hebrew can also refer to a 'week,' or 'weeks.' As Gesenius points out, in both the Syriac and Greek languages, the word 'Sabbath' can also be translated 'week.'

"For example, in Matthew 28:1, we read, 'In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the WEEK . . .' The Greek word for 'week' here is SABBATON, THE VERY SAME WORD TRANSLATED 'SABBATH' in the first part of this very verse!

"The emphasis of Pentecost is on 'weeks.' It is called in the Scriptures, the 'Feast of Weeks.' The emphasis is not on 'Sabbath days,' at all, but WEEKS! As God instructed the Hebrews,

"Also 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 . . ." (Num. 28:26, KJV).

"On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the FEAST OF WEEKS, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work" (ibid., NIV).

(PENTECOST -- The Final Answer!, page 4).

So far Dankenbring's arguments seem quite logical -- what do you think? He now claims to show that the word Shabbat can refer to other than the weekly Sabbath or an annual Sabbath:

"Turn to Leviticus 25. Here we read of the 'Sabbath year' of rest for the land (verses 1-4). Even as the seventh day is a day of rest, God also ordained that year of rest for the land, so farmland is not worn out or depleted. Notice!

"But in the seventh year shall be a SABBATH unto the land, a Sabbath FOR THE LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vine (Lev. 25:4, KJV).

"But now notice verse 8:

"And thou shalt NUMBER SEVEN SABBATHS OF YEARS unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven SABBATHS OF YEARS shall be unto thee forty and nine years" (verse 8).

"Here we clearly see that the word 'shabbat' in the Hebrew can also refer to WEEKS -- in this case, WEEKS OF YEARS! Seven Sabbaths, or weeks, of years, would total forty nine years -- as this very verse clearly says!

"In this verse, the word 'shabbat' obviously CANNOT refer to the Sabbath day! It plainly refers to the number SEVEN, or WEEK. 'Seven SABBATHS of years' means seven weeks of years, or seven sevens of years -- the identical meaning that seven SHAVUA of years would have!!!

"Thus in Hebrew, just as in Syriac and in Greek, the word 'shabbat' can also refer to week or weeks -- there is simply no question about it! Of course, those who REFUSE to admit the truth, will stumble on in their ignorance and foolishness. As the old saying goes, 'There is none so blind as he who will not see.'

"The Jewish Scriptures, the Tanakh, very plainly translate this verse in Leviticus 25:

"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" (Lev. 25:8).

"How plain! How long will the foolish continue in their stubborn folly, and deny the truth right before them?" (PENTECOST -- The Final Answer!, page 5).

So there you have it -- both sides of the Pentecost question present some strong arguments to promote their understanding of the issue! Which side do you favor?

What the References Say

Both sides of the argument are well represented in the various reference works available today -- notice!

The New Bible Dictionary (article Calendar) states:

"In general, the Jewish calendar in NT times (at least before A.D. 70) followed the Sadducean reckoning, since it was by that reckoning that the Temple services were regulated. Thus the day of Pentecost was reckoned as the fiftieth day after the presentation of the first harvested sheaf of barley, i.e. the fiftieth day (inclusive) from the first Sunday after Passover (cf. Lv. 23:15f.); hence it always fell on a Sunday, as it does in the Christian calendar. The Pharisaic reckoning, which became standard after A.D. 70, interpreted 'sabbath' in Lv. 23:15 as the festival day of Unleavened Bread and not the weekly sabbath; in that case Pentecost always fell on the same day of the month (an important consideration for those in whose eyes it marked the anniversary of the law-giving) but not on the same day of the week."

The New Testament Era: The World of the Bible from 500 B.C. to A.D. 100 agrees:

"Immediately after the subsequent [weekly] Sabbath came the morning of the Day of First Fruits, which had to be observed by the presentation of a sheaf (Hebrew 'omer) in the Temple (Lev. 23:11) and which was also the day from which the Feast of Weeks, celebrated fifty days later, was calculated."

Encyclopaedia Britannica (1943) follows suit:

"Another interesting point of difference [between the Pharisees and Sadducees] is concerned with the date of Pentecost. The Sadducean hierarchy had its stronghold in the Temple, and it was only during the last 10 or 20 years of the Temple's existence that the Pharisees finally got control."

The New Bible Dictionary (article Pentecost) adds:

"The Sadducees celebrated it [Pentecost] on the 50th day (inclusive reckoning) from the first Sunday after Passover (taking the 'sabbath' of Lv. 23:15 to be the weekly sabbath); their reckoning regulated the public observance so long as the Temple stood, and the church is therefore justified in commemorating the first Christian Pentecost on a Sunday (Whit Sunday). The Pharisees, however, interpreted the 'sabbath' of Lv. 23:15 as the Festival of Unleavened Bread (cf. Lv. 23:7), and their reckoning became normative in Judaism after A.D. 70, so that in the Jewish calendar Pentecost now falls on various days of the week."

The Pharisaic understanding is promoted by the following publications --

Smith's Bible Dictionary (article Pentecost):

"From the sixteenth of Nisan seven weeks were reckoned inclusively, and the next or fiftieth day was the day of Pentecost, which fell on the sixth of Sivan (about the end of May)."

Prelude to Glory (Appendix C) agrees:

"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.'...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."

Insight On the Scriptures (article Pentecost):

"Instructions for this festival 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....The Israelites were not allowed to begin the harvest until the firstfruits of the barley had been presented to Jehovah on Nisan 16. Therefore, in Deuteronomy 16:9, 10 the instructions are: 'From when the sickle is first put to the standing grain you will start to count seven weeks. Then you must celebrate the festival of weeks to Jehovah your God.'"

The Jewish New Testament Commentary says:

"The name "Shavu'ot" comes from Exodus 34:22 and Deuteronomy 16:9-10, which, along with Leviticus 23:15-16, determine that the festival is to be seven weeks after the start of Pesach [Passover]."

God's Festivals in Scripture and History (Chapter V, Part 1) states:

"The offering of the first barley sheaf took place on the day after Passover...Since barley ripens a few weeks before wheat, the ceremony of the barley wave-sheaf offering the day after Passover marked the starting point of the fifty days countdown to Pentecost."

Both sides of the argument for starting the count to Pentecost are presented here by the various authorities. The question is -- which argument is correct? What do you think? Well, I'm going to really shock you -- remove the chair from underneath you! -- NEITHER SIDE IS WRONG, THEY ARE BOTH CORRECT!! Let me repeat, THEY ARE BOTH CORRECT!

They Are Both Correct!

They are both correct -- how could that be?

The proponents of both theories totally overlook 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!

That the day after Yeshua's death was a weekly Sabbath can be clearly demonstrated by Luke 23:56, which reads: "On SHABBAT the women rested, IN OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDMENT." What "commandment" is this? The FOURTH COMMANDMENT of course! In reference to this verse the Jewish New Testament Commentary makes this clarifying statement: "It is sometimes claimed that the New Testament says nothing about keeping the fourth commandment. This verse contradicts that claim, so it is important for a Jewish understanding of the New Testament. ON SHABBAT THE WOMEN RESTED, IN OBEDIENCE TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT (Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15; also Exodus 16). Of course they did! They observed Shabbat EVERY WEEK" (David H. Stern, p. 150). Obviously the WEEKLY SABBATH is the focus of verses 54 and 56 of Luke 23.

Now, having established the weekly Sabbath is the focus of these verses, let's go to John 19:31 in the Jewish New Testament and read what the apostle John has to say: "It was the Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on SHABBAT, since it was an especially important Shabbat." The New King James Version makes it clearer: "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the [weekly] Sabbath (FOR THAT [WEEKLY] SABBATH WAS A HIGH DAY)." What "high day" was this? My Bible references it to Exodus 12:16 -- the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! Now consider this -- if that day had been a regular week day, John would have said "FOR THAT DAY WAS A HIGH DAY." But he says "for that SABBATH was a high day"!

The fact that the weekly Sabbath day here mentioned was also the first high Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is understood by numerous researchers. Writes Samuele Bacchiocchi, "Rabbinical sources...indicate that the weekly Sabbath was called a "high day" when it COINCIDED WITH PASSOVER, because, as well stated by Charles C. Torrey, 'its inherent solemnity was greatly heightened by the celebration of the foremost feast of the year.'" (The Time of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, chapter 3). "This information," continues Bacchiocchi, "is important because it disproves the claim that the weekly Sabbath was never called or referred to as a 'high day.'"

H. L. Strack and P. Billerbec, in their book Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrash (Munich, 1922-1928) state that in later Rabbinic literature the seventh-day Sabbath is regarded as a "high day" if it falls on Nisan 15, and they show numerous examples in support of this.

Bo Reicke, author of The New Testament Era: The World of the Bible From 500 B.C. to A.D. 100 understood this when he wrote --

"Since a holy day was approaching (Mark 15:42), the Jews asked the procurator to have the bodies taken away (John 19:31-37). Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the Council, saw to Jesus' burial in a tomb that belonged to him...Immediately after the subsequent Sabbath came the morning of the Day of First Fruits, which had to be observed by the presentation of a sheaf (Hebrew, omer) in the Temple (Lev. 23:11) and which was also the day [Nisan 16] from which the Feast of Weeks, celebrated fifty days later, was calculated. On this morning some women sought to show their respect to the Lord by bringing spices and perfumes, but found that he was no longer in the tomb (Matt. 28:6; John 20:2)." -- Fortress Press, Philadelphia. 1981, pp. 187-188.

Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his series God's Festivals in Scripture and History (Part 1) expands upon his previous statement that the weekly Sabbath AND the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread coincided in the year of the Messiah's death -- notice!

"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).

The Bible dictionary, Insight On the Scriptures (article, Passover), noted the same fact --

"This word [pa-ra-skeu-e' -- 'preparation'] seems to mark, not the day preceding Nisan 15, but the day preceding the weekly Sabbath, which, in this instance [year of the Messiah's death], was 'a great one,' namely, not only a Sabbath by virtue of being Nisan 15, the first day of the actual Festival of Unfermented Cakes, but also a weekly Sabbath."

A plural form of the word "Sabbath" is found in Matthew 28:1: "After the sabbath, when it was growing light on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the grave" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures). If correctly translated this verse should read -- "After the sabbaths [plural], when it was growing light on the first day of the week..." Also, the phrase "when it was growing light on 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 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 count is made up of seven Sabbaths or weeks. This count always begins on Nisan 16.

The exact same thing is 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 English usage reads "And very early on the first day of the week they came to the memorial tomb..." (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

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.

What Day Did the Apostle Paul Keep?

On what day did the apostle Paul keep Pentecost? He told the Corinthians, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1). There are several clues in the Book of Acts, showing us that Paul observed the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread on the SAME DAY as all the Jews of his time -- notice!

"The men, together with Paul, now put out to sea from Paphos and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John withdrew from them and returned to Jerusalem. They, however, went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Psidia and, going into the synagogue on THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS, they took a seat. After the public reading of the law and of the Prophets the presiding officers of the synagogue sent out to them, saying: 'Men, brothers, if there is any word of encouragement for the people that you have, tell it.' So Paul rose, and motioning with his hand, he said: 'Men, Israelites and you [others] that fear God, hear...'" (Acts 13:13-16).

How clear! Paul was observing the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread on "THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS" -- the day when this Feast Day fell on the weekly Sabbath -- the very same day as the vast multitude of Jews did in the Jewish synagogues -- and, also, those who followed the Sadducees! That day was the day mentioned in John 19:31 that occurred at the time of the Messiah's death -- "for that [weekly] Sabbath was [also] a high day [Holy Day]."

On another occasion Paul observed "THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS" on the banks of a river, because there was no Jewish synagogue in the town. We read:

"Therefore we put out to sea from Troas and came with a straight run to Samothrace, but on the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, a colony, which is the principal city of the district of Macedonia. We continued in this city, spending some days. And on THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS we went forth outside the gate beside a river, where we were thinking there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women that has assembled. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira and a worshipper of God, was listening, and Jehovah opened her heart wide to pay attention to the things being spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:11-14).

What About the Messiah's Example?

Just in case you believe this is a coincidence, there are many other places in the four gospels that refer to a DOUBLE SABBATH day.

Paul said we are to follow him as he followed the Messiah. Paul observed Pentecost on the day after the weekly Sabbath that was counted from the day after the weekly Sabbath which happened, as we have seen, to always occupy the SAME DAY as the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread! The counting started on the First Day of the Week -- which was Nisan 16! This was how all the Jews started the omer count to Pentecost.

What about the Messiah?

Can we know what day he kept?

Indeed we can! He certainly knew what day to observe. What did Yeshua do?

Did he observe the very same day as all the Jews around him -- the day after the Sabbath, counting from Nisan 16 or the First Day of the Week -- the day the Messiah was resurrected from the dead?

Notice!

At the beginning of his ministry, right after the forty days in the wilderness, the Messiah went to his home town of Nazareth where he entered the local synagogue on the Sabbath day and began to read. Notice! "So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read" (Luke 4:16, New King James Version). If you check the Greek for this verse you will find the word "Sabbath" is in the PLURAL once again -- indicating a DOUBLE SABBATH, i.e. a weekly Sabbath AND a festival high day. Here's the literal translation from the Greek: "And he came into Nazareth, where he was having been reared, and he went in according to the custom to him IN THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS into the synagogue, and he stood up to read" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

Isn't that amazing? Yeshua not only went to the Jewish synagogue to preach, but he did it also on "THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS", when the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread fell on the weekly Sabbath! Not only did he do this the first Passover season after he began his ministry in 28 A.D., after fasting for forty days, but he did this "ACCORDING TO HIS CUSTOM" -- or, "AS HIS CUSTOM WAS." It was Yeshua's long-standing practice to observe this day -- and, by extension, Pentecost on the day after the weekly Sabbath (some 50 days later) -- and to visit the synagogue or Temple on those Holy Days, along with all the other Jews!

Some people have tried to say that Luke 4:16 refers to Pentecost (Feast of "Weeks"), but the time-frame is all wrong. Not only that, but in other parts of the New Testament the word "Pentecost" is used for this day -- see Acts 2:1, 20:16 and I Corinthians 16:8. Since this incident is right after the 40 days in the desert (wilderness) -- this is where the idea of the 40 days of Lent comes from -- this particular weekly Sabbath coincided with the first high day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that is, Nisan 15. The very passage the Messiah read from Isaiah 49 indicates it was the Passover season.

If the Messiah had been observing a DIFFERENT DAY, he would have been ALL ALONE, BY HIMSELF, in the synagogue or Temple! Yeshua, therefore, was preaching on "THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS" -- Nisan 15 and weekly Sabbath -- and on the day of Pentecost (which fell 50 days later on the day after the Sabbath) in the year of 28 A.D., when he commenced his ministry!

In every case where the word "day" is used, or implied by the context (such as in "THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS"), one and only one day is meant: the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath. If the Greek word for "Sabbath" is in the plural, then we should understand that two sabbaths -- an annual Holy Day AND the weekly Sabbath fall on the same day. Writes Harold W. Hoehner --

"Furthermore, to support their theory [those who believe in the Sivan 6 scenario] that John 19:31 ('the day of the Sabbath was great') points to a Passover Sabbath rather than a weekly Sabbath is unlikely. The Friday [better, Preparation Day] crucifixion better explains this by seeing that Nisan 15 FELL ON THE WEEKLY SABBATH, and hence in the year of Christ's crucifixion, that weekly Sabbath was indeed great" (Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, page 69).

To try to use the plural form of "Sabbath," found in Matthew 28:1, to support a "Wednesday" crucifixion, and a "Thursday" high Holy Day followed by a "Saturday" weekly Sabbath is totally untenable. When the term "Sabbath" is found in the plural form within the phrase "the day of the Sabbaths" in the New Testament, it refers to ONE day only and the events that fall within it, i.e. two sabbaths on the ONE day! There is no case for a Passover Sabbath which precedes the weekly Sabbath by several days.    

It is a fact that not only did the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread fall on the weekly Sabbath during the year of the Messiah's death, but it ALWAYS fell on the weekly Sabbath -- every year -- year in and year out! Why? Because the weekly Sabbath is determined by the phases of the moon, just like the annual Sabbath days! For more information on this, write 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.

Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his book God's Festivals in Scripture and History (Part 1) plainly states that "Pentecost described in Acts 2 fell on a Sunday [First Day of the Week] BY BOTH SYSTEMS OF COMPUTATION in the year of His [the Messiah's] death and resurrection" (page 170). What this clearly indicates is that the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread also fell on the weekly Sabbath during the Passover described in Acts 2. This is further proof that this occurred all the time -- every year -- year in and year out!

The Evidence of Exodus

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 --

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 Exodus 16 –  

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 – 

"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 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 article Creation Weekly Sabbath the author DOES make the connection, however he seems to have a problem with arithmetic!

"In Exodus 16:1-30 Jahwah brought Israel into the Wilderness of Sin (which means 'Moon') to teach them the set-time ordinance of the Weekly Sabbath. The keeping of the Sabbath was a test to prove Israel's obedience to Yahweh's torah/instructions. They entered the Wilderness of Sin on the second month AND THE FIFTEENTH DAY that they left Egypt. Counting six days: 2/15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 -- the Sabbath fell on the 21st day of the month. (Lunar weekly Sabbaths fall on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of the month)."

The author's arithmetic not withstanding, if you count seven days from the 15th you will arrive at the 22nd -- not the 21st! Since he mentions that the weekly Sabbaths fall on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days of the month, it seems evident that he is going by lunar observations. The miscounting of the days may be intentional to make the Exodus 16 account fit the author's own personal theory.

We have just shown that YEHOVAH's weekly Sabbath days fall on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th days of the lunar month. Since the 15th day of the lunar month of Nisan is the first holy day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread then obviously, this day falls on the weekly Sabbath!

Does the Septuagint Contradict Itself?

One of the chief supports for the Pharisaic interpretation of when to start the omer count from has been the Greek version (Septuagint) of Leviticus 23:11. Here we read: "...and he shall lift up the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you. On the morrow of the FIRST DAY[of Passover] the priest shall lift it up." That the "first day" mentioned here is the first day of Passover is universally recognized; however, verse 15 seems to throw everything into a quandary! Notice --

"And ye shall number to yourselves from the day after THE SABBATH, from the day on which ye shall offer the sheaf of the heave-offering, seven full weeks:"

The problem with this, notes Samuele Bacchiocchi, is that "the word 'Sabbath' in Greek, when used by itself, can mean ONLY the seventh day of the week, or the week as a whole, BUT NOT AN ANNUAL FEAST"! (God's Festivals in Scripture and History, page168). So, does the Septuagint contradict itself? No -- because the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always falls on the weekly Sabbath!

What About Josephus?

We find a similar supposedly contradictory scenario in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, where he writes:

"But on the second day of unleavened bread, which is the sixteenth day of the month, they first partake of the fruits of the earth, for before that day they do not touch them. And...they offer the first-fruits of their barley....When a week of weeks has passed over after this sacrifice, (which weeks contain forty and nine days,) on the fiftieth day, which is Pentecost...they bring to God a loaf..." (Book III, chapter X, 5 & 6).

This seems straight-forward enough. However, when we go to Book 13, chapter 8, 4 we find what seems to be a contradiction:

"Nicolaus of Damascus...writes thus :-- 'It was the desire of Hyrcanus the Jew, because it was such a festival derived to them from their forefathers, whereon the law of the Jews did not allow them to travel.'...for that festival, which we call Pentecost, did then fall out to be THE NEXT DAY TO THE SABBATH; nor is it lawful for us to journey, either on THE SABBATH-DAY, or on a festival day."

Once again, the Greek word for "Sabbath" can here ONLY refer to the weekly Sabbath and NOT an annual feast day. If the day of Pentecost fell the day after the weekly Sabbath, the omer count to Pentecost started the day after the weekly Sabbath! So, is Josephus contradicting himself here? Absolutely not! Why? Because the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread ALWAYS falls on the weekly Sabbath!

Why "Count" Pentecost?

Why does YEHOVAH God command that we "count fifty days" each year from Passover till Pentecost? Some have assumed that this was because the date had to be reckoned from the weekly Sabbath that fell on different days during the Passover week. This assumption, however, is simply not true.

The day of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai was also the day YEHOVAH God "married" Israel, and the nation became His "BRIDE." Thus the counting of the days till Pentecost assumes a very sacred, vitally important significance! It is as if we are literally "COUNTING THE DAYS" till the coming of Yeshua the Messiah, and the marriage of the Church to him! (Rev. 19:6-10). Are you, personally, "counting the days"?

Pentecost, the reaping of the first (spring) harvest, pictures the entire CHURCH OF YEHOVAH GOD, MADE WHITE, AND GLORIOUS, BECOMING THE LITERAL "FIRST FRUITS" OF YEHOVAH'S KINGDOM, AND BECOMING THE BRIDE OF THE LAMB OF YEHOVAH GOD FOR ALL ETERNITY!

Think about that! Let its awesome splendor sink into your mind. What a GLORIOUS FESTIVAL! The Christian's journey out of sin, pictured by Egypt, and out of bondage to Satan, pictured by Pharaoh, requires a "journey through the wilderness," and continual intervention and miracles by YEHOVAH God Almighty, to get us to our destination where the Laws of YEHOVAH God become written upon our hearts and minds, at the resurrection, and at the coming of our Lord to RESCUE his bride from the wrath of Satan and the destruction and devastation of the world!

What a JOYOUS FESTIVAL this ought to be to those of us who truly seek to obey YEHOVAH God, and keep His commandments! How wonderfully vital and deeply significant it is for us to observe this holy festival of YEHOVAH God Almighty UPON THE RIGHT DAY!!!

M'Clintoch and Strong continue:

". . . So intimately connected are the beginning of the harvest at Passover with the termination of it at this festival (Pentecost), that Pentecost was actually denominated, during the time of the second temple, and is called in the Jewish literature to the present day, 'THE CONCLUSION,' or, 'THE TERMINATION OF PASSOVER.' . . . It was, as we have seen, ESSENTIALLY LINKED TO THE PASSOVER -- that festival which, above all others, expressed the fact of a race chosen and separated from other nations. It was not an insulated day. It stood as the CULMINATING POINT of the Pentecostal season" (p. 928-929).

The apostles of Yeshua the Messiah knew which day Pentecost fell upon. They observed it along with all the Jews in Judea. The overwhelming majority all observed Pentecost on at the same time since the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread fell on the weekly Sabbath.

Says M'Clintoch and Strong:

"Those early fathers who were best acquainted with the Jewish tradition testify to the same thing, that the law was given on Pentecost, and that the Jews commemorate the event on this festival. It was therefore on this day, when the APOSTLES, IN COMMON WITH THEIR JEWISH BRETHREN, WERE ASSEMBLED TO COMMEMORATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE GIVING OF THE LAW FROM SINAI, and were engaged in the study of Holy Writ, in accordance with the CUSTOM OF THE DAY, that the HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED UPON THEM . . ." (ibid., p. 929).

Notice! The apostles observed Pentecost on the same day as their Jewish brethren. "In common with their Jewish brethren," who were also assembled in Jerusalem at that very same time to observe Pentecost, from regions throughout the Middle East, the apostles "were assembled to commemorate the anniversary of the giving of the law from Sinai," and were studying the Scriptures, as was "THE CUSTOM OF THE DAY."

Luke tells us, "When the day of Pentecost CAME, they were all together in one place" (Acts 2:1). At this very same time, devout Jews from around the world were assembled in Jerusalem.

"Now there were STAYING IN JERUSALEM GOD-FEARING JEWS from every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:5, NIV).

What were all these Jews doing staying at Jerusalem? Why were they there?

The answer is obvious: They were there, like the apostles, to CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF PENTECOST! These were "God-fearing Jews" -- not ungodly Jews, who had the wrong day! They were keeping Pentecost, just like the apostles were, ON THE VERY SAME DAY!

Let's face it. The evidence is absolutely overwhelming that Pentecost should be observed on the First Day of the Week, 50 days after the Passover festival begins! There is absolutely no evidence otherwise. It is amazing how people can remain mired in ignorance, steeped in error, when the TRUTH is so plain, so self-evident, so palpably strong and obvious!

What Will You Do About It?

Although William Dankenbring doesn't understand the fact that the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always falls on a weekly Sabbath, his concluding remarks to his article, PENTECOST -- The Final Answer, are worth repeating --

"What about it? This question deserves your careful consideration and serious investigation. This is no trifling matter of Biblical 'trivia' It is a matter which concerns the very COMMANDMENTS OF YEHOVAH GOD! Yeshua said that if we desire to enter into life, we must 'KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS' (Mat. 19:17). He said explicitly to the young rich man who asked him what good thing he must do to get eternal life,

"If you want to enter life, OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS" (Mat. 19:17, NIV).

"On another occasion, Yeshua said to his disciples, his true followers:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the LAW or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, NOT THE SMALLEST LETTER, NOT THE LEAST STROKE OF A PEN, WILL BY ANY MEANS DISAPPEAR FROM THE LAW until everything is accomplished" (Matt. 5:17-18, NIV).

"YEHOVAH's commandments were ordained for our eternal good and welfare. They are the commandments of LIFE. They are the way of LIFE. It is very important, then, that we observe them correctly, and keep YEHOVAH's holy days as He originally intended and commanded -- on the precise day He set aside for worship! If the apostles had not been gathered together on the right day to observe Pentecost, they would not have received the outpouring of YEHOVAH's Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

"If YOU do not observe Pentecost on the correct day which YEHOVAH God commanded, YOU will not receive the outpouring of YEHOVAH's Spirit to see you through these tumultuous, traumatic "last days"! Those who stubbornly refuse to obey YEHOVAH God, even when the truth has come to them, will be cut off from YEHOVAH, and have their names blotted out of the book of life. They will have no part in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God!

"Indeed, this is very serious business!

"Remember the words of the apostle Jude, who wrote so vividly:

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and EXHORT YOU that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith WHICH WAS ONCE DELIVERED unto the saints" (Jude 3).

"And remember YEHOVAH's words to the Philadelphia era of His true Church:

"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

"Behold, I come quickly: HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST, THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN.

"Him that OVERCOMETH will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches" (Rev. 3:8-13, KJV).

"Are YOU "contending earnestly" for the faith and truth ONCE DELIVERED?

"Are YOU holding fast to that original truth, so that NO MAN can steal your crown, laid up in heaven for you?

"Consider well what you have read here. Consider well the importance of observing Pentecost on the right, God-revealed day. Consider well the proofs set forth in this treatise. Your salvation, and eternal life in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God, could very well be at stake for you . It could mean suffering the wrath of YEHOVAH God, as "correction" from the Almighty, if you refuse to check into these things, and choose to put these things out of your mind, procrastinating, and "waiting for a more convenient season," to investigate these matters. Is your salvation worth checking up, going to a local library, and reading the available literature yourself? Is your salvation worth searching the Scriptures, and "proving all things" (II Thess. 5:21), as Paul said?

"Do you "love" the truth of YEHOVAH God?

"It is your own decision to make. May YEHOVAH God help you, and inspire you, to pray to Him for guidance, and to make the right decision!"

If we are diligent to respond to YEHOVAH God's commandments, we can claim the promise found in Psalm 111:10 --

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His praise endures for ever!" (RSV)

With YEHOVAH God's help we can grow in our understanding of His wisdom and of the significance of His commandments for all of us. Our observance of Pentecost on the fiftieth day after the WEEKLY SABBATH AND first HOLY DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD is based upon the firm foundation of Scripture.