QUESTION ABOUT THE POSTPONEMENTS
On August 26, 2006, Harold Smith, Pastor of the Church of God Fellowship in Washington State, received a question about the Postponement Rules that he answered in a Queston/Answer sermon. It was the last question he answered that day.
Mr. Smith began by saying:
“As everyone knows, and if you don't you should, the Calculated Calendar, preserved by the Jews, has been continually under attack for decades by people who claim to be God's humble and obedient servants and yet, when they write, they don't write with a lot of humility, whatsoever. On different years there are multiple groups that meet one or two days earlier than the majority of the scattered church of God Some even meet a whole month later” http://cgfnw.org/SermonArchive/cgfnw1_hs.php
Mr. Smith then went on to say that a full moon is to be at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles and Unleavened Bread and, that he had personally observed such for the past 40 years whereby he knew he was keeping the correct Holy Days. Then he claimed that the Jews used the calculated calendar 500 years before Christ was born. His evidence was that economic records of sales written on stone proved the current Hebrew calendar with postponement rules was in use at that time. (He neglected to mention that the Jewish Talmud, used at the time of Christ, proves postponements were not part of the Jews calendar, but that's another issue.)
Then, Mr. Smith claimed that the Calculated Hebrew calendar with postponement rules was used in the 10th century B.C. by David and Jonathan because the next day after the conversation between David and Jonathan was the New Moon-Feast of Trumpets. They had a calendar and because they had a calendar, Mr. Smith claimed it was the calendar with postponements that the Jews use today.
After that, Mr. Smith correctly went to Gen. 1 and said that the calendar is based upon both moon & sun positions but then he jumped the track with the month/year beginning in the middle of the week. Weeks add up to months, by the way, so, Mr. Smith, may we ask, what did God do with the first half of creation week? Was the first half of creation week month one and second half of creation week month two? Maybe months six & seven?
Mr. Smith then explained the Molad, Astronomical Moon, New Moon but he did not even understand the dictionary definition of each term. He mistakenly assumed that the New Moon was when the crescent moon can be seen from Jerusalem. Actually, the New Moon is the Dark Moon. The month begins at the moment of darkness just like the day begins at sundown. About 15 days after the Dark Moon is the Full Moon. Each of those moon phases varies according to the rotation of the moon. The only constant and month defining moment is the instant of the Dark Moon-just like sunset each day is the defining moment of when a day begins.
Aside from the mis-information about what a moon is and what a moon is not, Mr. Smith used a common worldly crowd control tactic to maintain reverence from the brethren for the Calculated Hebrew Calendar.
If you listen to political campaign speeches you will hear the same sort of verbiage/voice inflections used by political parties to maintain their base of support. Children in school experience this method of crowd control when the teachers present the theory of evolution as fact, not fiction.
At the basis of all types of crowd control is the manipulation of emotion and loyalty. Few are the people who will stand when this “music” is played. Rather, when this “music” is played the average person will bow to it.
When each of us were called into the Truth, we had to learn to stand when this “music” was played by our friends and relatives. It was difficult but we did it.
Now, you may be wondering what is my point? Well, let me take Mr. Smith's opening remark to the question about postponements and substitute a different subject-a subject that we all agree with--Sabbath keeping:
“As everyone knows, and if you don't you should, the Day of Rest which is Sunday, preserved by the true Christians, has been continually under attack for decades by people who claim to be God's humble and obedient servants and yet when they write they don't write with a lot of humility, whatsoever. On different years there are multiple groups that meet a day earlier than the majority of the followers of Christ. Some, even keep additional days Holy through out the year”
Can you hear the “music”, now?
If we heard something like the above about the Sabbath, we would instantly know someone was trying to control our thoughts, beliefs and practices. We would instantly resist because we have proven that the 7th day of the week is the Sabbath and that Holy Days are to be kept.
When a COG minister uses this form of crowd control on brethren who are asking questions about the calendar, warning bells should be going off so loud in each person's head that the result is an instant headache. And, if warning bells are not going off, why not? Did you learn any other Truth via this kind of intimidation? God's Truth does not need intimidation to survive. But, error needs intimidation to spread.
Resist the pull to bow down to the music of calendar error. Check out the facts about the calendar and stand tall. Stand firm. Search out the facts behind the postponements and do it NOW!!! Your salvation hangs in the balance.
THE JEWISH TALMUD PROVES POSTPONEMENT RULES UNBIBLICAL
Many Churches of God believe that the Hebrew Calculated Calendar was a fixed calendar with the postponements in place during, and prior to, the First Century A.D. The historical fact is that postponements are a more modern invention. Below are some quotations from the Talmud:
1. Mas. Rosh HaShana 7a footnote 24: “In the time of the Second Temple THE CALENDAR WAS NOT FIXED. .”
2. Baba Bathra 121a footnote 6: “THE CALENDAR NOT HAVING BEEN FIXED, the dates of the New Moons and Festivals were determined by the court in Jerusalem on the evidence of witnesses who saw the 'birth' ...”
3. Menachoth 64a footnote 10: "Any who saw the new moon may transgress the Sabbath limits to go and give evidence before the court of the appearance of the new moon. AS THE CALENDAR WAS NOT FIXED the evidence of witnesses was a matter of the greatest importance for the determination of the dates of the Festivals."
4. Talmud - Mas. Menachoth 100b, Chapter X I I, footnote 12: This footnote reads: "The Day of Atonement. Where the Day of Atonement fell on a Friday the Shew bread was then baked on a Thursday."
NOTE: Present day Churches of God are taught that the Postponement rules are in place to prevent back-to-back Holy Day/Sabbaths. Talmud shows that Atonement could be on a Friday-the day before the weekly Sabbath. Today, many COG's delay the calendar to prevent a Friday Day of Atonement and believe the Jews always did it that way.
There are many more quotations in the Jewish Talmud that disprove postponements were being used by the Jews at the time of Christ. Therefore, the commonly held belief in many COG's that the Postponement Rules were always in place is totally false. For more quotes from the Talmud, see the Postponement research by Frank Nelte at: http://www.franknelte.net/Nelte_HTML/TALMUD01.htm
Did you know that both the Jews and the Arabs had a Holiday on September 23? Also the Churches of God, who followed the Jewish Hebrew calendar!!
Both religions will begin holy time marked by the crescent moon.
To the Jews, it's the Jewish New Year.
To the Arabs, it's the most holy month of Ramadan--a month of fasting.
http://www.holiday.net/ramadan/
Did you know that the Bible begins months with the New Moon, not the Crescent Moon?
"And It shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.11 Isa 66:23 (Isn't this saying from one month to another month and from one week to another week everyone will eventually worship the True God?).
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" Col 2:16 (does not say "crescent moon", why?)
"Blow the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.11 Psi 81:3 (Doesn't this verse refer to Feast of Trumpets that begins on the "new moon "?)
And, September 21, was the New Moon for the seventh month!
A "new moon" is the dark moon. The month begins with darkness just like the day begins at sundown. On the 4th day of creation week the crescent moon became visible.
On day ONE of creation week, a day began, the week began, the month began, and year began. It was the beginning of "time" as we know it.
According to the Bible, Feast of Trumpets is on the 1st day of the month (new moon) NOT, the 3rd day of the month (the crescent moon). So, why do modern COG's follow the crescent moon for a Holy Day and not the Bible's new moon?
What is some of the history of the crescent moon? (Do an Internet search & you'll be totally surprised--I sure was!!)
http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aaO60401a.htm
By the way, Yoga and Pilates products are designed with the crescent moon, as well.
http://www.crescentmoonyoga.com/
See http://www.postponements.com/id4htm - for help with this complex subject.
I hope you are motivated enough to study into this subject.
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