One of the proofs that Herbert W Armstrong did not do an intensive 6 month study of the bible so that God opened up his mind in such a brilliant way just before starting on his "ministry" was the contradiction that he left in his wake.
On the one hand we have a guy that purported to have had a deep understanding of the Identity doctrine i.e. that modern day Britain is Ephraim of the Old Testament and about to go into captivity again; and then we have on the other hand a guy that has virtually no understanding of the Passover other than what millions already knew which was that the Passover was in some way associated with the Jews.
He did not work out the Identity doctrine we now know because it is a fact of life that he copied it from others-Allen being one. He also copied his Passover ideas from others who in this case also did not understand the subject and were also confused
Herberts lying generated one mass of confusion, which is still going on in the American offshoots today. One of the ideas that he propagated was that once the sun has set on a Friday, the Sabbath day has started. Believing that the Jews also understand this. This is simply not true. What the Jews say is that "Friday evening welcomes in the Sabbath" which is about as an accurate a description as one can give of it. A guide to Reform Judaism today by Roman page131 says The Sabbath is welcomed on Friday evening.
The Passover is a subject that we have avoided in the Countdown for discussion purposes because of the heat that is still being generated about it as a result of the confusion in Herberts and others wake.
According to Finch and his Passover Papers Herbert gleaned much of his teaching from C.O. And M.E. Dodds (Finch page 268)
Dodds stated that:
"The Lamb not only was to be killed on the Fourteenth (sic)
day, but also to be eaten on that self-same day (2 Chron. 30:15; 35:1), and here
is the text. Kindly recall it the next time someone tells you that the Passover
was killed on one day and eaten on another."
Well if you check out the text it says 2 Chron. 30:15-- "Then they killed the
Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month; and the priests and the
Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt
offerings into the house of the Lord."
Nothing about the lamb being eaten on the self-same day
here.
Then in 2 Chron. 35:1. Moreover Josiah kept a Passover unto the Lord in
Jerusalem; and then killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first
month.
Again nothing about the lamb being eaten on the self-same
day.
Then for those who have the Finch book on page 270 Dodds goes on to say that.
"The truth seeker should particularly notice that the fifteenth day is nowhere
mentioned in this entire (12th) chapter; so we cannot be so
presumptive to inject in it another day, foreign to the command. The fourteenth
is here, as everywhere else in the Scriptures, the Passover day. It was to be
kept, and it was kept, in its entirety on the fourteenth day."
Well that was Bible bashing if ever there was one.
We got a letter from a new reader that asked us when we kept the Passover and
we explained that we kept a later 14th early 15th
one and was quite confident in this area as are the Jews.
The reader then wrote back to say that they kept an all day 14th
and that we were wrong as the 15th is not even mentioned in the
entire chapter etc etc etc. So we wrote back:
Again many thanks for your letter of the 11th plus your other
material. Some of our readers do not even keep the Passover and frankly don't
care about it. Some keep a variety of Passovers so we have a mixture. Most
people are only interested in THE END.
You are correct in that the 15th is not mentioned in Ex.12. We
would be interested in anything to publish in the Magazine but it has to be
scripturally accurate. The material by "X" we have read before as he keeps in
touch. In fact "X" sent us a copy of Paul Finch's Passover Papers and we agree
with "X" that Paul should not have produced the book as it is so full of errors.
We came to the same conclusion about DAY as "X" did about 4 years ago, that
(and it really is a bit obvious that) morning starts the day and evening
finishes the day; but even an English farmer will tell you that bit of
information.
We also agree with "X" that the DAY is in fact 12 hours of daylight long at
the spring and autumn equinox.
Now if HWA got it wrong about the timing of the Passover
then who has it correct? The answer is God in the Bible and the Jews, and this
can be proven from the Bible.
So let's get down to some details. That is if you haven't screwed this paper
up by now. We will use this material to put into the Magazine.
Most people agree that the lamb was up and kicking and living on the
fourteenth day until about midday. After midday and right up until the evening
when the sun was about to go down the lamb could have its throat cut. So long as
the Israelites had put the lambs blood on the door posts, it did not matter
whether they had roasted the lamb early or later or even in the early part of
the night that immediately followed. For God said When I see the blood
I will pass over you EX 12:13.
The problem; it appears to be is; IS the night that God Passed
over, the night of the 14th which "X" would like you to
think or is it the night of the 15th which is what the jews believe
and we might add a growing number of Churches of God. And can it be proved
biblically. We will make the statement that night precedes day.
Night precedes day
Night Day (12 hrs)
Long 1st one Gen 1:2 Gen 1:5 evening and morning 1st
day
12 hrs 2nd one Gen 1:8 evening and morning 2nd day
12 hrs 3rd one Gen 1:13 evening and morning 3rd day
12 hrs 4th one Gen 1:19 evening and morning 4th day
12 hrs 5th one Gen 1:23 evening and morning 5th day
12 hrs 6th one Gen 1:31 evening and morning 6th day
14th night Ex 12:6 14th day kill lamb evening
15th UB Flesh of lamb Ex 12:8
15th midnight Ex 12:29, 42
15th night Lev 23:6 Feast UB :7 one 15th day
16th Two 16th day
17th Three 17th day
18th Four 18th day
19th Five 19th day
20th Six 20th day
21st Lev 23:8 Seventh 21st day
Lev 23:32 at even 9th day
10th night Lev 23:27 Atonement to even 10th day
Deut 16:6 at even
Num 33:3 out of Egypt 15th day
"X" has unfortunately taken a guess at whether night follows day or day
follows night. With a guess one has a 50/50 chance of getting it right. In "X"
case he got it wrong. So although we agree with him on the day we don't agree on
the position of night.
To use the night and day table. Even "X" reader agrees that after the
rebellion there was darkness on the face of the earth. He says millions of
years, we estimated it to be about 500 years but darkness was there at
the start. One very long night at the start or 1st night
This is followed by Gen.1:5 at the tale end of which is a 1st day of
12 hrs starting with morning and ending with evening.
Now we have to assume that the next night is the 2nd night of
darkness of 12 hrs because darkness is not mentioned again for a while because
God gets on with the work of mentioning recreation, it is at verse 8 that the
2nd day is recorded. So God is expecting us to use our noddle a bit
(the grey matter).
We next have the 3rd night followed by verse 13 the 3rd
day of 12 hrs.
Then comes the 4th night followed by verses 14-19 where the vast
expanding universe is put into place including the sun and moon on the
4th day. (Not millions of years ago)
The 5th night then came followed by verses 20-23 which supplied
moving things for mans entertainment in the 5th day.
The 6th night was then followed by making man and other things in
the 6th day verse 24-31.
This only gives an indication that night precedes day. We
require more proof. Now I will refer to "X"s article Which is the First
of Yahvehs yearly Festivals?
On page 12
Since the Israelites began an all day march out of Egypt on the
morning of the 15th , the day AFTER the Passover, (Num. 33:3) ask
yourself the logical question, WHICH DAY best meets the criteria for a HOLY
DAY?
We have now got "X" agreeing that the 15th existed even though it
is not mentioned in Exodus 12. And that they were marching out
after the Passover. You will also find in Leviticus 23:6,7 that
all future 15th days are to be the feast of unleavened bread and
verse 7 the first day (15th ) which is an HOLY CONVOCATION. Then in
the same breath, WHEN did they actually start eating the unleaven bread? ---THE
NIGHT BEFORE Ex 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that
NIGHT, roast with fire, and UNLEAVENED BREAD.
Again of itself this does not prove beyond any shadow of doubt that this
night was the 15th night. It merely shows that by the evening or the
end of the 15th day that the Israelites had been eating and able to
eat unleavened bread for getting on towards 24 hrs.
In fact the more we read of "X" work, we realise he is just trying to cover
too many subjects.
The Passover. There is two parts to the Passover.
1st is the part which the Israelites had to perform and the
2nd is the part which God performed. The 1st
part is to eat the flesh in that NIGHT, roast with
fire, and unleavened bread Ex 12:8 and last part of verse 11
and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's Passover. And the
2nd part is Gods part, verse 12. For I will pass
through the land of Egypt this night; and half way through verse 13. And when I
see the blood I will PASS OVER you and the plague shall not be
upon you to destroy you.
And what day is the, THIS DAY mentioned in verse 14? It is the
15th day, and all future 15th days are to be a
memorial, it is a FEAST. Lev 23:6 proves this. Even though it is not
mentioned in Ex 12; as the 14th day has gone, the next one is the
15th . Num. 33:3
Now the night is more heavily stacked as being in front of day. Not
totally proven yet but read on.
"X" has brainwashed himself into believing that night follows day so that
when God passed over at midnight "X" thinks it is the 14th night and
then all nights, follow days. After all he says in another part of his work;
is it not natural for night to follow day? Well yes "X", but
after you have had a good nights sleep, then it is natural for you to get up in
the morning or it is natural for the next day to follow the previous night.
Again his night following day idea breaks down on page 14 of
his work. This is where he gets confused.
Page 14, 5th paragraph
The opposite takes place on the Day of Atonement when
fasting begins on the 9th day at evening (Lev.23:27 and 32).
No "X" it is only your misinterpretation of night following
day that has been blown off track. God is still the same today as he
was in yesteryear.
Atonement follows the exact same sequence of NIGHT preceding day.
Everyone is happy with the idea that the 10th day this seventh
month there shall be a day of atonement. Lev 23:27 states that. Verse 32 then
goes on to say--It shall be a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall
afflict your souls: in the 9th day of the month at even, from even
unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.
Or to put it in modern language from the evening of the
9th day until the evening of the 10th day
is a Sabbath of rest. This is about 24 hrs of going without food. As the
10th day is still 12 hrs then the 10th night
before it must be 12 hrs. God does not say from the morning of
the 10th to the morning of the 11th .
So from the evening of the 9th to the evening of the
10th is a Sabbath. It is 24 hrs free from work and the 12 hrs of
daylight of the 10th is an holy convocation. When the evening of the
9th is over we go into the Sabbath night, and the scriptures are now
showing heavy balance in favour that this night is the night of
the 10th . Our reader of course does not like this he simply says
that the opposite of his belief takes place on the Day of
Atonement..
We believe that people can be forgiven when they say that when the
sun has set the Sabbath day has started. What they should say to be
technically correct is that the Sabbath NIGHT has started. And this is then
followed by the Sabbath day of 8 hrs or 16 hrs or whatever depending on the time
of the year.
Now for the Jews.
To "Prepare" for a meal, is not the actual eating of that meal! Christ was a
Jew, and the 12 Apostles were Jews! They "Prepared" the Passover lamb every
year, just like all of the other Jews! They took the lamb from the flock on the
10th of Nissan, just like all the other Jews! They kept it in
Captivity and prepared it for slaughter for 4 days, just like all the other
jews! They took it down to the temple to be killed by the Priest on the
afternoon portion of the 14th of Nisan, just like all the other Jews:
They took it home and roasted it, then ate it, at the start of the
15th of Nisan, just like all the other jews! They celebrated that
night as "the night to be much observed"(Ex 12:42) for coming out of Egypt, just
like all the other jews! They ate the un-leavened bread for "7 days" according
to the commandments, just like all of the other Jews!
Hence The Jews have the oracles of God, Romans 3:2 shows this. 1 Cor. 10:32
says offend not the Jews. John 4:22 shows that salvation is of the
Jews. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:11.
Luke 4:16 he went in to synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The
Jews have kept a Friday even to Saturday even Sabbath for the last two thousand
years or more and before that the tribe of Judah did. Showing that night
precedes Day.
We would like to thank Glen W. Myers of the USA for these last two paragraphs
on the Jews.
Next if you would like to turn to Acts.
Night Day
Acts 27:27 14th night Acts 27:33 14th day
Acts 27:27 But when the fourteenth night was come,-- and verse 33 says This
day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried...
These two scriptures show quite clearly that night precedes
day.
Lastly back in the Old Testament.
Merchants had been causing the tribe of Judah to profane the Sabbath by
bringing in goods on the Sabbath night. So Nehemiah told the Gate keepers to
close the gates.
Neh 13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be
dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be
shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the
Sabbath; and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should
no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day
VOSS. While he has written an interesting paper, the moon is what we go by as
it is. Everyone we know is happy that once the first white arc of the sun has
appeared over the horizon, that morning has started. When the last arc of the
sun goes down over the horizon, evening and day is finished. The same thing
applies to the moon only over a longer period of time. When the first arc of
light appears in the heaven at night, the next 12 hrs day is day 1 of the month.
When the last arc of the moon disappears in the heavens the month is finished.
At day 15 one will have a full moon. God gave the Israelites a full moon when
they came out of Egypt.
In fact if you are doing exactly as the scriptures plainly say in Ex 12 then
you are on the right track, the Appendix 6 on page 268 of Finch's book is only a
theory, HWA and his church no longer exists but as God would say; we have to --
Work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
There is no 12 hr Holy Convocation mentioned in the Bible on the
14th day .
There is however a final preparation day to prepare the
Passover lamb ready to be eaten in the early part of the 15th night.
Yours Sincerely
Alex Cain
Rather than face up to its true colours and admit of evil, human nature takes
the easy way out--like Hitler did when he ended his life with a cyanide pill as
the Allies surrounded Berlin.
While it is not possible for souls to suffer or be tortured
interminably in fantasy places such a Dante's inferno [in that men's souls are
not immortal and are not conscious after death. The Hebrew word
nephesh, signifies breath, or breathing, which ceases at death],
that does not mean that Yahweh does not intend to inflict a strong
measure of torment on the incorrigible, as Rev. 8, 9, 14, and 16
depict.
Yahweh has some surprises up His sleeve for every person over the last 2000
years who thought he could avoid the scenes of Revelation if they happened to
die prior to the end of man's era, prior to opening of those fateful
6th and 7th seals. Nor does it make sense that only the
wicked living at the end should be the only ones to go through it. The
apocalypse has a universal application, as we shall soon see.
Of course, the reality is that the wicked have earned their fate, having
stored this up for themselves, as we see in Rom.2:3-10..
"Do you think, O man, that you can judge others for doing the very things you
yourself are doing, and escape the judgment of Elohim... But after your hardness
and impenitent heart you treasure up [are hoarding] for yourself wrath against
THE DAY OF WRATH and revelation of the just judgment of Elohim, Who will be
paying each one according to his deeds: To those who by patient continuance in
well-doing are seeking for glory, honour and immortality, life into the Age: But
to those that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness--indignation, wrath,
tribulation, and anguish--upon every soul of
man that does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile."
Why would Paul be inspired to use four comprehensive words which
summarily describe the events of the book of Revelation if the fate of the
wicked is simply a Tower of Terror elevator drop into the bowels of the earth?
These words depict a protracted experience during THE DAY OF WRATH
described in that book.
We know from Rev.1:7 that when Christ comes back with
clouds, "Behold, every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced
Him"! This can only be possible if the wicked Roman and Jewish authorities
responsible for executing our Saviour are brought back to life
and consciousness from the grave, after repenting.
Job 14:12 says that "man lies down, and rises not, until the heavens be no
more." When the heavens depart like a scroll when it is rolled up (Rev. 6:14,
which is the 2nd coming, or the beam down), then they shall awake and be raised
out of their sleep. Notice that this passage does not say only the righteous
rise at this time, but men in general.
There have no doubt been various false scribes and theologians over the
centuries, who have added to the book of Revelation. Anyone who
has done this, John said in Rev. 22:18 that they would suffer the plagues that
are written in the book of Revelation! Notice:
"For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, Elohim
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."
How would this be possible, unless they have a second physical
life lasting several years at the end of the age?
The saints under the altar in Rev. 6:10-11 represent the tens of millions of
believers over the centuries who have been martyred for obeying the dictates of
their conscience. Their legacy is recounted in Foxes Book of Martyrs. In Rev.6
they cry out figuratively to Yahweh for vengeance against those who unjustly
persecuted and killed them. This would include all the citizens
and authorities of the Roman and Holy Roman Empires since the 1st
Century who were guilty of such crimes. They are told they must wait until their
brethren at the end of the age are martyred as they had been. This vengeance can
only be carried out if persecutors of the past are brought back to physical
life!
Surely I have given the church some perspectives and thoughts worth
meditating on as sincere seekers valiantly pursue a better comprehension of
eschatology, till we all say "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of Yahweh Elohim! How unsearchable are his judgments, and His ways
past finding out! And yet, the things that are revealed here in the above
scriptures belong to us and to our children forever (Deut. 29:29), and it is the
honour of kings to search out a matter (Pr. 25-2). Secret things belong to
Yahweh our Elohim, but the intimate secrets of Yahweh are for
those that fear Him and His covenant, to give them knowledge. (see Ps.25:4)
This paper should help us to make manifest the goodness and the severity of
Yahweh. But one admits this construction of things stretches ones faith; how
much more that of those unaccustomed to believing every word that proceeds from
the mouth of the Father. One can only speculate on what criteria separates those
raised from the dead after the Millennium (Rev. 20:5) from those resurrected
wicked ones destined to endure the plagues poured out on mankind at the
beginning of the Millennium.
We only know that since Yahshua's incarnation, ministry and passion on the
cross, men are in this dispensation far more accountable than ever before for
their attitudes and actions. Man's failure to soften and heed in the face of
Jesus Christ's incomparable testimony, has led to an even more egregious and
virulent form and display of evil and wickedness these last 2000 years, for
which there shall be a recompense. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed
in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." (Pr.11:31) The meek
shall inherit the earth once the wicked have been consumed out of it,
fertilizing it with their ashes (Mal. 4:3).
"For behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and
all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that
comes shall burn them up, saith Yahweh of hosts, that it shall leave them
neither root nor branch." (Mal. 4:1)
So we see that Revelation's warnings are for every generation, and her
plagues will be brought to bear upon those trusting in Babylon--her doctrines,
pleasures, and practices. May Yahweh help us to come out of this present world
system and false religion, lest we be partakers in her plagues (Rev. 18:4), and
taste the wine of the fierceness of Yahweh's wrath.
Alex Cain
Income 1998-99 bn Expenditure bn
Social Security 100
Income tax 85 Health & Personal Social Services 56
Nation Insurance 55 Education 38
VAT 53 Debt interest 30
Excise duties 36 Defence 22
Corporation tax 31 Law & order 17
Business rates 15 Industry, Agriculture & Employment 14
Council tax 12 Housing & environment 14
Other 46 Transport 9
Other 33
Debt interest is the money going down the drain to international bankers. The
amount thirty billion pound is insanity gone mad. From daily Telegraph Nov.4
1998
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This was the title of an article in the Sunday Telegraph Nov/29/1998. This
was preceded by a European hanging rope picture showing Mrs Thatcher hung;
followed by Mr Major also hung and then one large hanging rope waiting for Mr
Blair.
Britain has never been pro Europe. All the so-called level
playing fields ideas about business has proved a failure. Since 1975 it has cost
us something like 400bn only to see fat gutted MEP's sitting in opulent
surroundings. We have had something like 145,000 directives from Babylonian
Brussels (God only uses 10 commandments) that have been nodded through
Parliament, eroding our sovereignty and putting fishermen and farmers out of
business. Then the phantom of the single currency. No sooner will it appear then
the leaders of Europe will go for a World currency. Our debt
interest (usury) of 30bn shows how bad things are.
It is now time for Britain to pull out of Europe and return to her God. Or
else face horrifying captivity.
Dear reader.
Continued from page 9 of Cd 54