Monday, March 7, 2011

Recovering the Lost Sabbaths

Frequently the question is asked, "Would Yahuwah God really allow the knowledge of His Sabbath to be lost?" The answer as given in Lamentations 2:6 is: yes. "The LORD hath caused the solemn feasts (mo'edim) and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion."
This theme is expanded upon in Hosea, chapter two. Here the Lord is likening His people to an unfaithful wife who has gone whoring after other lovers. Yahuwah's people have been an unfaithful bride to their Lord. The prophecy of Hosea applies to Yahuwah's people today. We like to quote the beautiful promises in the second half of that chapter as applying to Yahuwah's people. These promises are precious. However, they must be looked at in context, and they are given in the context of Yahuwah's betrothed having been unfaithful to Him. Therefore, the punishment is: "I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts." (Verse 11)
The "new moons" is a clear reference to the calendar by which the Sabbaths are figured, just as in Isaiah 66:23: "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." The Seventh-day Adventist church has used this text to prove that the Sabbath will be kept in the new earth. More than that, this text proves which calendar will be used throughout eternity, because on the pagan, solar Gregorian calendar, the new moons are not even noticed and definitely do not begin the months.
It was by compromise with paganism that the early Christian church lost its apostolic purity. This opened the floodgates to all of the deceptions of Satan. By not valuing and preserving the truth, the people of Yahuwah lost it. When the truth of heaven is not cherished as it should be, Yahuwah removes it; He causes it to be forgotten.
Hosea 2:14+ reveals just how we have forsaken our heavenly Husband. It is by taking the names of Baal into our mouths and letting the worship of Baal structure our lives.
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her . . . And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi;1and shalt call me no more Baali.2For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them . . . And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. . . And I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.3
If "each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us"4then it is vital to look at this passage in light of the modern world. No one runs around claiming to be worshipers of Baal anymore. Verse 17 gives a clue just how this is to be applied: "For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name." The names of the weekdays: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc., are named after the planetary gods.
It is a curious fact of calendar history that the pagan, planetary week originally began on Saturn's day (dies Saturni). That was the highest day of the week. It was followed by Sun's day (dies Solis), Moon's day (dies Lunæ), etc. The pagans worshiped the seven planetary gods in the order they thought those planets orbited in relation to the earth. They thought that Saturn was furthest from the earth, so it held the preeminent position of importance, as the first day of the planetary week.5
planetary god stick calendar In this Roman stick calendar from the Baths of Titus,6the days of the pagan, planetary week are represented by drawings of the seven planetary gods. The first was Saturn's day which Sabbatarians have assumed corresponded to the seventh and last day of the Biblical week, the Sabbath. It was only later that the days of the week were rearranged with Sunday as the first day and Saturn's day as the seventh. The twelve signs of the zodiac can be seen in the circle in the middle, and they stood for the twelve months of the year, six of which were also named after pagan gods. 7
The months of the Gregorian year and the days of the planetary week are irreparably pagan. It is these to which the passage in Hosea is referring. When Christians arrange their lives and their worship days by a pagan, planetary calendar, the names of Baalim are taken into their mouths. It is impossible to find the correct Biblical Sabbath on a pagan, Gregorian calendar and in this the Creator is forgotten.
By restoring to the final generation the knowledge of His true method of calendation, Yahuwah is bringing them back to a primitive godliness. He says, "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." What wilderness? The answer is found in Revelation 12. Here is given a depiction of the true church, the Bride of Christ, as a woman who has to flee into the wilderness.8"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." (Verse 6)
When the pure church accepted the practices of paganism, the long night of the Dark Ages fell on her. The true church fled into the wilderness and there, after experiencing the desolation that comes from accepting other lovers, the Lord began to allure her back. The Protestant Reformation began restoring to her the light that had been lost. "The truth is an advancing truth, and we must walk in the increasing light."9The Father will advance no faster than His people can follow. Ever since the days of the Protestant Reformation, Yahuwah has been "alluring" His bride (the church) back to Him, winning her heart to her True Love by showing her His beautiful love and care for her.10
The knowledge of the luni-solar Sabbaths is now being restored to the remnant church. This understanding should affect any preconceived ideas of the time of trouble. The one belief shared by both liberal and conservative Seventh-day Adventists is that the United States government will be foremost in making an image to the beast (the Roman Catholic Church.) In simple terms: all are looking for a Sunday law. Keeping in mind that Ellen White was bidden to write Great Controversy in such a way as "to trace the history of the controversy in past ages, and especially so to present it as to shed a light on the fast-approaching struggle of the future," 11 is it possible that the Sunday law will again come disguised as a calendar change law?
Think about it. Satan's main target is Sabbath keepers. Everyone knows about Sunday closing laws and all have assumed that is the form the Sunday law will take. But if you were Satan, and your #1 enemy was expecting that plan of attack, would you not try and slip it past without their notice? Ellen White warned the church to be aware of Satan's devices. Just as soon as people become aware of one device, the father of lies gives it a new twist. It is vitally important that the church today be aware of Satan's deceptive devices because the final generation is charged with a special commission; a commission Satan is desperate to keep them from doing:
They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. (Isaiah 58:12)
Christ Himself, shortly before His death, also referred to this special group of people. The last chapter of the last book of the Old Testament contains this admonition:
Remember ye the law of Moses my servant . . . with the statutes and judgements. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse (Malachi 4:4-6.)
The disciples knew this prophecy. After Christ was transfigured and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him, Peter, James and John questioned: "Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?"12In other words, "If you truly are the Messiah as we believe, why didn't Elijah come first?"
Yahshua's response is very intriguing.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them." Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist. 13
In this exchange, the disciples and Christ were both referring back to the prophecy of Malachi which promised the coming of Elijah before "the great and dreadful day of the LORD." The disciples assumed He was speaking solely of John the Baptist, but actually "Jesus makes a distinction between the Elijah who is yet to come, and John who came already (Matthew 17:11.)" 14
The Elijah that was yet future to Christ's day would do something very important: he would "restore all things." (Verse 11) Restore what things? The answer is found again in Malachi 4: "Remember ye the law of Moses . . . with the statutes and judgments." (Verse 4) The repairers of the breach restore the law of Moses: it's statutes, judgments and principles of calendation.
Many people assume that the word "statute" applies strictly to sacrificial offerings that were done away with at the cross. However, a careful search of scripture reveals that the word "statute" is never used to apply to offering a sacrifice. On the other hand, it is frequently couched in the following phrases: "it shall be a statute forever," "it shall be a perpetual statute," and "this shall be an everlasting statute."
The work of restoration and reform carried on by the returned exiles, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, presents a picture of a work of spiritual restoration that is to be wrought in the closing days of this earth's history . . .
The spiritual restoration of which the work carried forward in Nehemiah's day was a symbol, is outlined in the words of Isaiah: "They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities." "They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isaiah 61:4; 58:12.)
The prophet here describes a people who, in a time of general departure from truth and righteousness, are seeking to restore the principles that are the foundation of the kingdom of God. They are repairers of a breach that has been made in God's law – the wall that He has placed around His chosen ones for their protection, and obedience to whose precepts of justice, truth, and purity is to be their perpetual safeguard.
In words of unmistakable meaning the prophet points out the specific work of this remnant people who build the wall. "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 58:13, 14.)
In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. God's remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of God. In clear, distinct lines they are to present the necessity of obedience to all the precepts of the Decalogue. Constrained by the love of Christ, they are to co-operate with Him in building up the waste places. They are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in. 15
May Yahuwah's people today restore "every divine institution," including His calendar, that the beauty of His law might be displayed before the world.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
1My Husband
2My Lord, a generic title for God or Baal.
3Hosea 2:14, 16-20, 23
43SM 338
5For a much more in-depth look at how the pagans assigned each of the 24 hours of the day to a planetary god based on their supposed position in relation to the earth, see How Did Sunday Get It's Name? by Robert L. Odom, Southern Publishing Association, 1972.
6R. L. Odom, How Did Sunday Get It's Name?, Southern Publishing Association, 1972.
7July and August were named after Julius Cæsar (who established the Julian calendar) and Augustus Cæsar (the Roman emperor mentioned in Luke 2:1-7.) September, October, November and December were number words: "seventh", "eighth", "ninth", and "tenth", respectively, as the Roman calendar originally began in March.
8A woman is always the symbol of a church. A whore is a corrupt church; a pure woman is the true church.
9E. G. White, Councils to Writers and Editors, 33.
10Revelation 12:1 provides a fascinating symbolic description of the true church. She is standing upon the moon. Feet are a symbol of possession (see Job 1:7 and Ruth 4:7 & 8). The significance of this text is very beautiful: the church is once again in possession of the knowledge of the true Sabbath and it provides her with an unassailable foundation.
11Ellen G. White, Great Controversy, xi, emphasis supplied.
12Matthew 17:10
13Matthew 17:11-13
14Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, KJV, footnotes to Malachi 4, by Spiros Zodhiates.
15E. G. White, Prophets & Kings, 677-678, emphasis supplied.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Loyalty or Disloyalty?

In the past …[Yahuwah] revealed his secrets to his prophets. The Omniscient looked down the centuries, and predicted through his prophets the rise and fall of kingdoms, hundreds of years before the events foretold took place. The present and the future are equally clear to …[Yahuwah], and he shows his servants what shall be. His voice echoes down the ages, telling man what is to take place. Kings and princes take their position at the appointed time. They think they are carrying out their own purposes, but in reality they are fulfilling the word …[Yahuwah] has given through his prophets. They act their part in carrying out …[Yahuwah's] great plan. Events fall into line, fulfilling the word the Almighty has spoken.
The unbelieving and godless do not discern the signs of the time. In ignorance they may refuse to accept the inspired record. But when professed …[followers of Yahushua] speak sneeringly of the means employed by the great I AM to make his purposes known, they show themselves to be ignorant both of the Scriptures and of the power of …[Yahuwah]. The Creator knows just what elements he has to deal with in human nature. He knows what means to employ to obtain the desired end. The …[follower of Yahushua] who accepts the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, will look at Bible history in its true bearing. The history of the Jewish economy from beginning to end, though spoken of contemptuously and sneered at as "the dark ages," will reveal light, and still more light, as it is studied.
alt Man's word fails; and he who takes the assertions of man as his dependence may well tremble; for he will one day be a shipwrecked vessel. But …[Yahuwah's] word is infallible, and endures forever. …[Yahushua] declares, "Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:18. …[Yahuwah's] word will endure through the ceaseless ages of eternity. …[Yahwah] lives and reigns. His glory is not confined to the temple made with hands. He has not closed heaven against his people. As in the past, so in this age, God reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets.
altThe image shown to Nebuchadnezzar in the visions of the night represents the kingdoms of the world. The metals in the image, symbolizing the different kingdoms, became less and less pure and valuable, from the head down. The head of the image was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the sides of brass, and the feet and toes iron mingled with clay. So the kingdoms represented by them deteriorated in value.
The result of making void the law of …[Yahuwah] may be seen in the increasing immorality of these several kingdoms. If the inhabitants had kept the fear of …[Yahuwah] ever before them, they would have been given wisdom and power, which would have bound them together, and kept them strong. But the rulers of these kingdoms made …[Yahuwah] their strength only when harassed and perplexed. Failing to get help from their great men, they sought it from men like Daniel, who they knew honored the living …[Elohim], and were honored by him. To these men they appeal to unravel the mysteries of providence; for they had so far separated themselves from …[Yahuwah] by transgression that they could not understand his warning. They were forced to appeal for explanation to those illuminated by heavenly light.
When the empire of Babylon was so strong and its influence so far-reaching that seemingly the most powerful foe could not take its scepter, Daniel, a man inspired by …[Yahuwah], prophesied that it would pass away, notwithstanding its apparent magnificence, and that a second would succeed it. He prophesied also that the second empire would be succeeded by the third, and that a fourth empire should arise, more fierce, more determined, and more powerful than any kingdom that had preceded it. As strong as iron, this kingdom would subdue and break in pieces all the nations of the world.
In spite of the warning he received, Nebuchadnezzar went on in his own strength, till …[Yahuwah] took from him the talent of wisdom, that he might be led to see and acknowledge that the …[Elohim] of Israel was able to create and to destroy. The kings who succeeded him failed to profit by his experience, and the kingdom of Babylon passed away because, in their prosperity, her rulers forgot …[Yahuwah], and ascribed her honor and glory to human achievement. So today, when men forget …[Yahuwah] and refuse to obey his law, they are humiliated. …[Yahuwah] tests them, and if they do not humble their hearts and confess their sins, they receive the penalty of transgression.
altThe Medo-Persian kingdom was visited by the wrath of …[Yahuwah] because in it his law was trampled underfoot. The fear of …[Yahuwah] possessed no power among the people. Wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption were the prevailing influences in this kingdom; and the kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt. They deteriorated because they cast off …[Yahuwah]. Forgetting him, they sank lower and lower in the scale. The vast empire of Rome crumbled into pieces. The church of Rome boasts of her infallibility, and of the power of her hereditary religion. But this religion is a horror to all who are acquainted with the secrets of the mystery of iniquity. The priests of this church maintain their ascendency by keeping the people in ignorance of the will of …[Yahuwah].
alt While representing the kingdoms of this earth, the image that was revealed to Nebuchadnezzar also fitly represented deterioration of religion. We grow weak morally and spiritually, just in proportion as we forget …[Yahuwah]. Those who claim to be Prot estants are not today what Luther was. They have left the old landmarks, alt and have depended on forms, ceremonies, and outward display to make up for the lack of purity and piety, meekness and lowliness, found in obedience to …[Yahuwah]. Sin is ruining nations today just as it has done in time past. Even leaders in the religious world have not a good conscience toward God.
Men need an intelligent knowledge of …[Yahuwah's] law. There is no true standard of righteousness apart from this law. By obedience to it the intellect is cultivated, the conscience enlightened and made sensitive. Righteousness exalts a nation. The words of the Bible, and the Bible alone, should be echoed from the pulpits of our land. This book is …[Yahuwah's] great director. It is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. It flashes its light ahead, that we may see the path by which we are traveling; and its rays are thrown back on past history, showing the most perfect harmony in that which, to the mind in darkness, appears like error and discord. In that which seems to the worldling an inexplicable mystery, God's children see light and beauty.
alt…[Yahuwah] speaks in his word, and fulfills this word in the world. We need now to seek to understand the movements of …[Yahuwah's] providence. Said Paul, "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night nor of darkness." 2 Thessalonians 5:4. …[Yahuwah's] people are not left to depend on man's wisdom. With prophetic guideposts …[Yahuwah] has marked out the way he wishes them to take. These great waymarks show us that the path of obedience is the only path we can follow with certainty. Men break their word, and prove themalt selves untrustworthy, but …[Yahuwah] changes not. His word will abide the same forever. Those who love and obey the law of …[Yahuwah] will meet with trial and temptation; but these are only what …[Yahushua] met, and he declares: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10: 27-28. If we hope and pray, and by faith trust his word, we shall be able to say, with Paul, "I am persuaded, that neither death nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of …[Yahuwah], which is in …[Yahushua our Master]." Romans 8:38-39.
Have we given ourselves up to do …[Yahuwah's] will? Are we transformed by the grace of …[Yahushua]? Some claim to be in …[Yahushua], while their special work is to make void the law of …[Yahuwah]. Shall we take their word for it? Shall we accept their assertions? How shall we distinguish …[Yahuwah's] true servants from the false prophets who …[Yahushua] said should arise to deceive many?--There is only one test of character,--the law of …[Yahuwah].
altThe Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were …[Yahuwah's] property. So the children of …[Yahuwah] in this age will bear the signature …[Yahuwah] has appointed. They will place themselves in harmony with …[Yahuwah's] holy law. A mark is placed upon every one of …[Yahuwah's] people just as verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the general ruin. …[Yahuwah] declares, "I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel 10:12. When men say that the law of …[Yahuwah] is abrogated by the testimony of the Fathers, they are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. Their word is not founded upon the teaching of the apostles and prophets. …[Yahushua] is not the chief cornerstone of their structure. John says, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4. Those who permit themselves to be deceived will, with the deceiver, feel the wrath of the Lamb.
With …[Yahuwah's] word before us, with the lesson of instruction we may there learn, there is no need for us to be deceived. We are living in a momentous period of this earth's history. The great conflict is just before us. We see the world corrupted under the inhabitants thereof. The man of sin has worked with a marvelous perseverance to exalt the spurious sabbath, and the disloyal Protestant world has wondered after the beast, and has called obedience to the Sabbath instituted by …[Yahuwah] disloyalty to the laws of the nations. Kingdoms have confederated to sustain a false sabbath institution, which has not a word of authority in the oracles of …[Yahuwah].
alt In the record of the vision given to John we read, "The dragon was wroth with the woman [the church], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17. Satanic agencies have made the earth a stage for horrors, which no language can describe. War and bloodshed are carried on by nations claiming to be Christian. A disregard for the law of …[Yahuwah] has brought its sure result.
The great conflict now being waged is not merely a strife of man against man. On one side stands the Prince of Life, acting as man's substitute and surety; on the other, the prince of darkness, with the fallen angels under his command. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of …[Yahuwah], that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:12-13."Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:10-11.
alt There will be a sharp conflict between those who are loyal to …[Yahuwah] and those who cast scorn upon his law. The church has joined hands with the world. Reverence to …[Yahuwah's] law has been subverted. The religious leaders are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. As it was in the days of Noah, so it is in this age of the world. But shall the prevalence of disloyalty and transgression cause those who have reverenced the law of …[Yahuwah] to have less respect for it, to unite with the powers of earth to make it void?--The truly loyal will not be carried away by the current of evil. They will not throw scorn and contempt on that which God has set apart as holy. The test comes to every one. There are only two sides. On which side are you?

By What Authority Doest Thou These Things?

alt"And ...[Yahushua] went into the temple of ...[Yahuwah], and cast out all them that bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves." Matthew 21:12.
...[Yahushua] drove the dishonest traffickers from the temple courts with heaven's authority flashing from his face. His voice spoke to the conscience and soul with the power of ...[Yahuwah]. "Take these things hence," he said; "it is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Matthew 21:13.
As priests and rulers looked upon the face of ...[Yahushua], terror took possession of them; for divinity was flashing through humanity. This was evidence that they had not looked for. They understood the meaning of his words, and, amazed and terrified, they fled from the humble, travel-stained Nazarene, as if he had been surrounded by an avenging army of heavenly beings. But as they hurried away from the sacred precincts, they found that they had received no bodily harm, and their terror-stricken souls began to recover. They said, We will return to the temple, and demand by what authority he is doing this work. But when they saw the work that ...[Yahushua] had been doing since their expulsion, they did not confront him with the assurance that they thought they would. They found the Saviour healing the sick and the dying. "The blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them." Matthew 21:14. On their ears fell the sound of rejoicing and the song of praise. In the very temple itself, children who had been restored to health were waving palm branches, and singing hosannas to the Son of David. Baby voices were lisping the praises of the mighty Healer. The people were rejoicing; for those among them who had been sick and dying were now restored to perfect health. But the lowing of the cattle and the bleating of the sheep were as music in the ears of the priests when compared with these sounds of rejoicing. Cattle sales meant money to them. But the gladness and joy of the people who had been restored gave them no satisfaction.
"Hearest thou what these say?" they asked ...[Yahushua]; and he answered, "Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" Matthew 21:16.
The scene at the temple was indelibly impressed upon the minds of the people who had come to attend the feast. What greater evidence than this could ...[Yahushua] give? If this could find no entrance into the hearts of these resisters of light; if such a scene as this did not bring conviction; if this light was not sufficient to drive away their prejudice and jealousy, what evidence could ...[Yahushua] give to pierce their rock-bound hearts?--Nothing that he could say or do would move their stubborn wills.
alt The night before his work of cleansing the temple courts and healing the sick, ...[Yahushua] had spent in prayer in the mount of Olives. "In the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." Matthew 21:18,19. The next morning, on his way again to Jerusalem, he passed the withered fig tree. "And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away. ...[Yahushua] answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Matthew 21:20.
The fig tree was covered with promising, pretentious leaves, but was entirely destitute of fruit. It represented impenitent Israel, who had failed to do the work of ...[Yahuwah]'s appointment. And not only does this lesson apply to the Jews, but in its terrible significance it reaches to every age, warning each soul of the sure result of profession without practice. Let professing ...[Yahushuaians] inquire into the meaning of the curse pronounced upon the fig tree. The tree was full of promise, but investigation revealed its barrenness. It bore no fruit; and because of this defect, words were spoken that caused it almost immediately to wither away.
altA fig tree is created to bear fruit; and if it does not do this, it is not fit for a place in the orchard. It is treated as a cumberer of the ground. So the ...[Master] created men and women to bear fruit to his glory and for the good of their fellow creatures, and he has provided them with every facility necessary to enable them to do this. By creation and by redemption we are ...[Yahuwah]'s. ...[Yahushua] came as our substitute and surety, that we might bear fruit for him. A probation has been granted us that we might not be like the fig tree, full of flourishing leaves, making great pretensions of success, yet destitute of good works.
After this ...[Yahushua] again entered the temple; and as he was teaching, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him with the question, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?" Matthew 21:23. They had been given unmistakable evidence of ...[Yahushua's]power. Amazed and terrified, they had fled from his presence, returning to find him healing the sick and the suffering, who were rejoicing, not only in the courts, but in the temple itself. And yet after passing through this wonderful experience, the Jewish rulers could ask ...[Yahushua], "By what authority doest thou these things?"
...[Yahushua] answered them by asking a question. "I also will ask you one thing," he said, "which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?" Matthew 21:25.
The priests and rulers were perplexed. "They reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered ...[Yahushua], and said, We can not tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." Matthew 21:26.
In his wonderful deeds of healing, ...[Yahushua] had answered the question of the priests and elders. He had given them evidence of his authority, which could not be controverted. But it was not evidence that they wished. They were anxious that he should proclaim himself as possessing divine authority, that they might misapply his words, and stir up the people against him. They wished to destroy his influence and put him to death. ...[Yahushua] knew that if this people could not recognize ...[Yahuwah] in him, they would not believe his assurance that he was ...[Anointed]. They had seen the sick healed, and the dead raised to life. They had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus after he had been in the grave four days. The moral supremacy of ...[Yahushua] was revealed in all his words, in every work of love and power, but they recognized it not. They thought to take him by guile, and cause him to speak something that they could use to his condemnation. But ...[Yahushua] not only evades the issue they hope to bring about, but turns the condemnation upon them. In the purity and self-denial of John's life, they had felt the power of ...[Yahuwah]. Conviction had been sent to every soul. If they would not heed John's warning, they would not heed the words of ...[Yahushua].
John had preached the coming of the Messiah. In trumpet tones the words of the forerunner of ...[Yahushua] had rung in their ears: "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the ...[Master] shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the ...[Master]; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the ...[Master]: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Isaiah 11:1-5. "He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. So shall they fear the name of the ...[Master] from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the ...[Master] shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the ...[Master]." Isaiah 59:16-20.
alt John came bearing witness of the One whose divinity they were now questioning. ...[Yahushua] himself had gone to the Jordan, not to repent of sin, but to fulfill every specification required of the sinner. The Baptist saw the Saviour walking at a distance, and his face lighted up. "Behold the Lamb of ...[Yahuwah]," he cried, "which taketh away the sin of the world." There ...[Yahushua] stood revealed before the people. The glory of ...[Yahuwah] descended upon him in the form of a dove like burnished gold, and the voice of the infinite One declared, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17.
...[Yahushua] reminded the priests and Pharisees of this recognition by ...[Yahuwah] of John's message and work. If you believe John to be a prophet, he said, why do you not believe my testimony? He told you plainly who I am. You have refused to do the work ...[Yahuwah] appointed you in revealing ...[Yahushua] to an apostate world. You refuse to believe in the Son of ...[Yahuwah]. You now ask me for my authority for cleansing the temple courts, which you have defiled. You profess to be anxious to know ...[Yahuwah's] will, but you reject the evidence given in such abundance.
alt If the rejecters of light in ...[Yahushua's] day had opened their hearts to the appeals of the Spirit of ...[Yahuwah], they would have sympathized with the purpose and work of ...[Yahushua]. They would have seen in him the antitype of all their sacrificial offerings. They would have been saved from the terrible doom pronounced upon them by the One who gave his life that they might live. Israel would have had a ...[Yahuwah] to deliver them from the bondage of the Roman yoke,--a ...[Yahuwah] who would have done more for them than a loving father could do for his child. ...[Yahushua] wept over the obdurate city, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matthew 23:37.
alt We have before us the example of the Jewish nation, who jealously cherished their self-righteousness. They had not that faith which works by love, and purifies the soul from all defilement. Let those who hear the message ...[Yahuwah] sends today beware lest they follow the example of the self-exalted Jews. ...[Yahuwah] does not propose to remove from our path everything that will create question in regard to the work of his servants. He gives ground for faith sufficient to convince the candid, sincere mind; but more evidence than this

Monday, December 20, 2010

By What Authority Doest Thou These Things?

"And ...[Yahushua] went into the temple of ...[Yahuwah], and cast out all them that bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves." Matthew 21:12.
...[Yahushua] drove the dishonest traffickers from the temple courts with heaven's authority flashing from his face. His voice spoke to the conscience and soul with the power of ...[Yahuwah]. "Take these things hence," he said; "it is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Matthew 21:13.
As priests and rulers looked upon the face of ...[Yahushua], terror took possession of them; for divinity was flashing through humanity. This was evidence that they had not looked for. They understood the meaning of his words, and, amazed and terrified, they fled from the humble, travel-stained Nazarene, as if he had been surrounded by an avenging army of heavenly beings. But as they hurried away from the sacred precincts, they found that they had received no bodily harm, and their terror-stricken souls began to recover. They said, We will return to the temple, and demand by what authority he is doing this work. But when they saw the work that ...[Yahushua] had been doing since their expulsion, they did not confront him with the assurance that they thought they would. They found the Saviour healing the sick and the dying. "The blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them." Matthew 21:14. On their ears fell the sound of rejoicing and the song of praise. In the very temple itself, children who had been restored to health were waving palm branches, and singing hosannas to the Son of David. Baby voices were lisping the praises of the mighty Healer. The people were rejoicing; for those among them who had been sick and dying were now restored to perfect health. But the lowing of the cattle and the bleating of the sheep were as music in the ears of the priests when compared with these sounds of rejoicing. Cattle sales meant money to them. But the gladness and joy of the people who had been restored gave them no satisfaction.
"Hearest thou what these say?" they asked ...[Yahushua]; and he answered, "Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" Matthew 21:16.
The scene at the temple was indelibly impressed upon the minds of the people who had come to attend the feast. What greater evidence than this could ...[Yahushua] give? If this could find no entrance into the hearts of these resisters of light; if such a scene as this did not bring conviction; if this light was not sufficient to drive away their prejudice and jealousy, what evidence could ...[Yahushua] give to pierce their rock-bound hearts?--Nothing that he could say or do would move their stubborn wills.
alt The night before his work of cleansing the temple courts and healing the sick, ...[Yahushua] had spent in prayer in the mount of Olives. "In the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." Matthew 21:18,19. The next morning, on his way again to Jerusalem, he passed the withered fig tree. "And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away. ...[Yahushua] answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Matthew 21:20.
The fig tree was covered with promising, pretentious leaves, but was entirely destitute of fruit. It represented impenitent Israel, who had failed to do the work of ...[Yahuwah]'s appointment. And not only does this lesson apply to the Jews, but in its terrible significance it reaches to every age, warning each soul of the sure result of profession without practice. Let professing ...[Yahushuaians] inquire into the meaning of the curse pronounced upon the fig tree. The tree was full of promise, but investigation revealed its barrenness. It bore no fruit; and because of this defect, words were spoken that caused it almost immediately to wither away.
altA fig tree is created to bear fruit; and if it does not do this, it is not fit for a place in the orchard. It is treated as a cumberer of the ground. So the ...[Master] created men and women to bear fruit to his glory and for the good of their fellow creatures, and he has provided them with every facility necessary to enable them to do this. By creation and by redemption we are ...[Yahuwah]'s. ...[Yahushua] came as our substitute and surety, that we might bear fruit for him. A probation has been granted us that we might not be like the fig tree, full of flourishing leaves, making great pretensions of success, yet destitute of good works.
After this ...[Yahushua] again entered the temple; and as he was teaching, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him with the question, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?" Matthew 21:23. They had been given unmistakable evidence of ...[Yahushua's]power. Amazed and terrified, they had fled from his presence, returning to find him healing the sick and the suffering, who were rejoicing, not only in the courts, but in the temple itself. And yet after passing through this wonderful experience, the Jewish rulers could ask ...[Yahushua], "By what authority doest thou these things?"
...[Yahushua] answered them by asking a question. "I also will ask you one thing," he said, "which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?" Matthew 21:25.
The priests and rulers were perplexed. "They reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered ...[Yahushua], and said, We can not tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." Matthew 21:26.
In his wonderful deeds of healing, ...[Yahushua] had answered the question of the priests and elders. He had given them evidence of his authority, which could not be controverted. But it was not evidence that they wished. They were anxious that he should proclaim himself as possessing divine authority, that they might misapply his words, and stir up the people against him. They wished to destroy his influence and put him to death. ...[Yahushua] knew that if this people could not recognize ...[Yahuwah] in him, they would not believe his assurance that he was ...[Anointed]. They had seen the sick healed, and the dead raised to life. They had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus after he had been in the grave four days. The moral supremacy of ...[Yahushua] was revealed in all his words, in every work of love and power, but they recognized it not. They thought to take him by guile, and cause him to speak something that they could use to his condemnation. But ...[Yahushua] not only evades the issue they hope to bring about, but turns the condemnation upon them. In the purity and self-denial of John's life, they had felt the power of ...[Yahuwah]. Conviction had been sent to every soul. If they would not heed John's warning, they would not heed the words of ...[Yahushua].
John had preached the coming of the Messiah. In trumpet tones the words of the forerunner of ...[Yahushua] had rung in their ears: "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the ...[Master] shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the ...[Master]; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the ...[Master]: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Isaiah 11:1-5. "He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. So shall they fear the name of the ...[Master] from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the ...[Master] shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the ...[Master]." Isaiah 59:16-20.
alt John came bearing witness of the One whose divinity they were now questioning. ...[Yahushua] himself had gone to the Jordan, not to repent of sin, but to fulfill every specification required of the sinner. The Baptist saw the Saviour walking at a distance, and his face lighted up. "Behold the Lamb of ...[Yahuwah]," he cried, "which taketh away the sin of the world." There ...[Yahushua] stood revealed before the people. The glory of ...[Yahuwah] descended upon him in the form of a dove like burnished gold, and the voice of the infinite One declared, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17.
...[Yahushua] reminded the priests and Pharisees of this recognition by ...[Yahuwah] of John's message and work. If you believe John to be a prophet, he said, why do you not believe my testimony? He told you plainly who I am. You have refused to do the work ...[Yahuwah] appointed you in revealing ...[Yahushua] to an apostate world. You refuse to believe in the Son of ...[Yahuwah]. You now ask me for my authority for cleansing the temple courts, which you have defiled. You profess to be anxious to know ...[Yahuwah's] will, but you reject the evidence given in such abundance.
alt If the rejecters of light in ...[Yahushua's] day had opened their hearts to the appeals of the Spirit of ...[Yahuwah], they would have sympathized with the purpose and work of ...[Yahushua]. They would have seen in him the antitype of all their sacrificial offerings. They would have been saved from the terrible doom pronounced upon them by the One who gave his life that they might live. Israel would have had a ...[Yahuwah] to deliver them from the bondage of the Roman yoke,--a ...[Yahuwah] who would have done more for them than a loving father could do for his child. ...[Yahushua] wept over the obdurate city, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matthew 23:37.
alt We have before us the example of the Jewish nation, who jealously cherished their self-righteousness. They had not that faith which works by love, and purifies the soul from all defilement. Let those who hear the message ...[Yahuwah] sends today beware lest they follow the example of the self-exalted Jews. ...[Yahuwah] does not propose to remove from our path everything that will create question in regard to the work of his servants. He gives ground for faith sufficient to convince the candid, sincere mind; but more evidence than this would never change the inward determination to resist light.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Daniel Warns of Calendar Change

The book of Amos contains an encouraging promise for the final generation: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7.) Outlawing Yahuwah God's calendar and substituting a pagan calendar in its place is a monumental change. Deceiving the Creator's people into worshiping on a false day, while thinking that they are keeping holy the true Sabbath, is a diabolical deception. Therefore, it would be reasonable to expect Yahuwah to give a warning in the Bible of such a significant, portentous event.

Yahshua Himself referred to this calendar change. His warning against this masterpiece of deception is given almost word-for-word in both Matthew and Mark:
Matthew 24:15, 16 – "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains."
Mark 13:14 – "But when he shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains."
There are not that many times the "abomination of desolation" occurs in Daniel. They are Daniel 8:11-13; 9:27; 11:30, 31; and 12:11. For an in-depth study of all of these passages and how it relates to the growing movement for calendar reform today, please read chapter 7, "Changing Calendars: the Abomination that Desolates," in The Great Calendar Controversy.

For the purposes of the present study, however, only Daniel 8: 9-14 will be covered.
In doing the expanded word study on Daniel 8, four resources were used:
1) The Key-Word Study Bible, KJV
2) Interlinear Bible: Hebrew, Greek, English
3) The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
4) The New Strong's Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words Daniel 8:9-14:
(Supplied words, as given in the KJV, appear in parentheses.)
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant (land).
10And it waxed great, (even) to the host of heaven; and it cast down (some) of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11Yea, he magnified (himself) even to (margin: against) the prince of the host, and by him the daily (sacrifice) was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12And a host was given (him) against the daily (sacrifice) by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced; and prospered.
13Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain (saint) which spake, How long (shall be) the vision (concerning) the daily (sacrifice), and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
It has been assumed that the prophetic books were largely uninfluenced by the sectarian creeds of the translators. People have reasoned that, because the prophecies were so difficult to understand, the translators were less likely to influence the translation, than in other areas of the Bible.
This assumption is not entirely accurate. Sometimes when the translators could not understand what a particular phrase meant, they would add a supplied word, in italics, just trying to make sense of the passage. One such instance is found in Daniel where "daily" is mentioned in the above quoted verses. The word "daily" means: perpetual, continuously without interruption. Not knowing what the word meant in that context, the translators supplied the word "sacrifice." It should not have been added. The word "sacrifice" only confuses the meaning of the texts.
The following is the result of looking up every single word/phrase in the passage. Words that are implied in the Hebrew are in italics; words that supplied (for clarity) are in parentheses. The supplied word "sacrifice" has been left out.
Daniel 8:9-14:
9And out of one of them came a little horn; and became very great, toward Egypt, the south, and toward the sun-rising, the east, and toward the Bountiful, the Supremely Splendorous, the Preeminent.
10And the little horn became great against the celestial bodies: the sun, moon and stars that revolve in the heights of the heavens. And the little horn made fall to the ground the sun, and moon, and the mass of blazing, shining stars who faithfully serve their Superior and trampled them (thus, destroying the knowledge of their function.)
11Even against the Master, (the Creator), the Ruler of the faithfully serving celestial bodies, he exalted himself and by him was presumptuously promoted the continuously-without-interruption (cycle of weeks, the counterfeit measurement of time) and (as a result) the foundation of the little horn's sanctuary was made whole, safe and secure.
12And the faithfully serving celestial bodies were delivered up, yielded and given up, (with the acceptance of) the continuously-without-interruption (calendar) because of stupidity and degeneracy: thus the little horn cast down truth and stability to the ground and the little horn worked and prospered mightily.
13Then I heard a certain Holy One speaking and said another Holy One to that one who spoke, "Until when the vision, the continuously-without-interruption and the apostasy, the moral revolt and religious rebellion which stuns, stupefies and devastates, to deliver up both the sacred, set-apart, hallowed day and the faithfully serving celestial bodies to be trampled underfoot, abasing it?"
14And he said to me, "For evenings/mornings: two thousand and three hundred; then vindicated, cleared, restored, cleansed and justified shall be the sacred, set-apart, hallowed, most holy day."
Just to clarify, here is the expanded word study compared, phrase by phrase, with the King James Version. KJV in bold.
Verse 9:
Expanded Word Study King James Version
(#259) And out of one of them
(#3318) came a little horn;
(a - #259; little - #4704; horn - #7161)
(Symbolically, "horn" is a "power.")
And out of one of them came forth a little horn,
and became very great, (and became great - #1430; very - #3499) which waxed exceeding great,
(#5045) toward Egypt, the south (#4217) and toward the sun-rising, the east (#6643) and toward the Bountiful, the Supremely Splendorous, the Preeminent. toward the south, and toward the east and toward the pleasant (land)./td>
The biggest difference between the two is that in the KJV, the word "land" is supplied. In the expanded version, "the Supremely Splendorous" is implied in the Hebrew. Because there is only One who can rightly be called "Supremely Splendorous" – Yahuwah, the supplied "land" was left off in the expanded word study. Verse 9 is saying that the little horn power is exalting himself against Yahuwah Himself.
Verse 10:
(#1430) And the little horn became great Against the celestial bodies, the sun, moon and stars that revolve in the heights of the heavens. (Against - #5704; the celestial bodies, the sun, moon and stars - #6635; that revolve in the heights of the heavens - #8064) And it waxed great, (even) (#5704) to the host (#6635) of heaven (#8064)
(#5307) And the little horn made fall (#776) to the ground (#6635) the sun, and moon, (#3556) and the mass of blazing, shining stars who faithfully serve their Superior and it cast down (some) of the host (#6635) and of the stars (#3556) to the ground (#776)
(#7429) and trampled them (thus, destroying the knowledge of their function.) and stamped upon them (#7429).
The grammatical structure between the two is a little different. The expanded word version follows more closely the Hebrew construction, whereas the KJV translated the passage in a sentence structure more commonly used in English.
Verse 11:
(#5704) Even against (#1430) Yea, he magnified (himself)
(#8269) the Master, (the Creator), the Ruler (#5704) even to (margin: against)
(#6635) of the faithfully serving celestial bodies, (#8269) the prince of the (#6635) host,
(#1430) he exalted himself (#7311) and by him was presumptuously promoted and by him the daily was taken away, (and by him was taken away - #7311; the daily (sacrifice) - #8548)
(#8548) the continuously-without- interruption (cycle of weeks, the counterfeit measurement of time)
(#4349) and (as a result) the foundation of (#4349) and the place of
(#4720) the little horn's sanctuary (#7999) was made whole, safe and secure (#4720) his sanctuary
(#7999) was cast down.
 
Verse 12:
(#6635) And the faithfully serving celestial bodies And a host
(#5414) were delivered up, yielded and given up, was given (him)
(#8548) (with the acceptance of) the continuously-without- interruption (calendar) against the daily (sacrifice)
(#6580) because of stupidity and degeneracy by reason of transgression,
(#7993) thus the little horn cast down and it cast down
(#571) truth and stability the truth
(#776) to the ground to the ground;
(#6213) and the little horn worked and it practiced;
(#6743) and prospered mightily. and prospered.
 
Verse 13:
(#8085)Then I heard Then I heard
(#259) a certain one
(#6944) Holy One saint
(#1696) speaking speaking,
(#559) and said and another saint said (and said - #559; another - #259; saint - #6918)
(#259) another
(#6918) Holy One

(#6422) to that one unto that certain (saint)
(#1696) who spoke, which spake,
(#5704) "Until when How long (shall be)
(#2377) the vision, the vision
(#8548) the continuously-without-interruption (concerning) the daily (sacrifice),
(#6588) and the apostasy, the moral revolt and religious rebellion and the transgression
(#8074) which stuns, stupefies and devastates, of desolation,
(#5414) to deliver up to give
(#6944) both the sacred, set-apart, hallowed day both the sanctuary
(#6635) and the faithfully serving celestial bodies and the host
(#4823) to be trampled underfoot, abasing it?" to be trodden under foot?
Number 6944, which is translated "sanctuary" in KJV can also be translated "holy, set-apart day." Both are correct.
Verse 14:
(#559) And he said to me, (#559) And he said to me,
(#5704) "For Unto
(#6153/#1242) evenings/mornings: (#505) two thousand
(#505) two thousand (#7969) and three
(#7969) and three (#3967) hundred
(#3967) hundred; (#6153/#1242) days:
(#6663) then vindicated, cleared, restored, cleansed and justified (#6944) then shall the sanctuary
(#6944) shall be the sacred, set-apart, hallowed, most holy day." (#6663) be cleansed.

The New Moon, When is it?

A profound sign that truth is present is when controversy abounds. Satan and all his agencies are well aware of the Festival Days and their proper calculation from the first visible sighting of the New Moon. He has long been a student of Scripture and knows the paramount importance of the luni-solar truth as set forth by Yahuwah at Creation. If this truth is once comprehended and received by the populace masses around the globe, like dynamite, it would blow His greatest demonic deception, into oblivion. This truth would cause Satan's counterfeit mountain of time (har mo'ed) to fall like a house of cards. At this pinnacle of time, nothing could impede the progress of Yahuwah's faithful followers more, than yet another undermining obstacle within the luni-solar calendar truth. Satan has once again masterminded an attack against the Scriptures' true calendar by creating confusion over exactly which lunar phase constitutes the true New Moon.
Many people when they first discover the Holy Appointed Festivals and the corresponding luni-solar calendar truth, find it disconcerting that there could be so many claims as to when the first visible crescent New Moon actually occurred. This will continue to be the case as long as Satan has the freedom to deceive. In spite of this apparent obstacle, there is abiding peace, knowing that Yahuwah knows the truth and will lead into all truth, those who seek and ask Him.
There are four opposing views as to exactly what constitutes the New Moon. Some believe the New Moon to be the dark conjunction lunar phase. Some believe the New Moon to be the first visible crescent lunar phase. Others believe the New Moon to be the full moon lunar phase. Still others believe the New Moon to be the last visible crescent lunar phase.
It is imperative to prayerfully consider the evidence for each viewpoint. The choice you make will determine when the seventh-day Sabbath is located. It must be realized that there is only one correct New Moon just as there is only one true seventh-day Sabbath. While each viewpoint has at least one credible point worth considering, the truth will be wrapped in the "weight of evidence".
Each individual must wrestle with Yahuwah in prayer knowing that:
  • He wants us to know truth. John 4:23
  • We have not, because we ask not. James 4:2
  • When we ask for bread, He has promised not to give us a stone. Matthew 7:9
  • Each "truth" is based on two or three principles of truth. Matthew 18:16
  • Christ Yahshua said, "Ye are children of the light, not of darkness." 1Thessalonians 5:5
  • It is a promise that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, but we must ask. John 16:13
new moon day - lunar phases and their heavenly positions (northern hemisphere)
lunar phases and their heavenly positions (southern hemisphere)
And when the debate is, they shall stand in my (hemispherical) domes, and shall consider and believe my laws; and they shall keep my commandments in all my solemnities, and they shall hallow my Sabbaths. Ezekiel 44:24 Wycliffe Bible of 1382

Principle #1: Ye are Children of the "Light"

The very first thing Yahuwah did in the creation week was to speak forth light out of the darkness. Then, during each daylight of creation, He created all that came to be. Absolutely nothing was created during the dark of night.
Throughout Scripture Yahuwah has used the contrasting principles of light and dark to teach His spiritual truths. "Darkness" was to represent infidelity, spiritual blindness and evil, while "light" was to represent "truth", spiritual understanding, and righteousness. Yahshua uses these principles over and over throughout His ministry.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 1Thessalonians 5:5-6
According to Scripture the night was divided into four watches. The moon, along with the position of the stars, was the guide to knowing each fourth part of the night:
  1. Evening Watch – commenced at sunset and its duration was one fourth of the darkness of night, ending at approx 9:00 P.M. Matthew 13:35
  2. Midnight Watch – commenced following the evening watch and ended at Midnight. Luke 12:38
  3. Cock Crowing Watch – commenced at midnight and ended at the cock crowing. Luke 12:38
  4. Morning Watch – commenced at the cock crowing and ended at sunrise. Matthew 14:25
Notice how these parameters of the "night" also define the boundaries of the "day". There can be no overlapping. The night ends as the new day begins at sunrise.
The term "Night Watch" was born out of the idea of watching for the first rays of a "new day" at sunrise. The focus was always on the "light"; looking for the "light"; ever seeking the "light". In this way a living illustration was created that expressed the value Yahuwah places on the light in contrast to the dark.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:20-21
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:23-24

Principle #2: "Truth" in Scripture is Synonymous with "Light"

  • Christ Yahshua said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12
  • "Ye are the light of the world". Matthew 5:14
  • "Let your light so shine before men" Matthew 5:16
  • In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:4
  • The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. John 1:7
  • "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:20
  • But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1Peter 2:9
  • But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19
Since sin began, and Adam and Eve were forced from the comfort of their garden home, Yahuwah has proactively continued to call His faithful out of darkness into His marvelous light. According to these scriptural principles, which lunar phase would fit His symbology, the dark conjunction phase or the first visible crescent after the dark phase? Remember, the lunar phase He appointed must represent truth as it beacons the New Year, the new month, the four successive weeks, along with His most holy and sacred seventh-day Sabbath. Can the darkest of all lunar phases even qualify for this task? Can darkness "beacon" anything?
It has been approximately 6000 years since creation. From a purely logical point of view, at a time when telescopes were non-existent, Yahuwah would have most likely placed His beacon of time to be a visible manifestation or sign. For something to be visible in a dark sky, it would have to be "light".
Webster's Dictionary Definition
beacon-- 1: a signal fire commonly on a hill, tower, or pole. 2: a lighthouse or other signal for guidance b: a radio transmitter emitting signals for guidance of aircraft 3: a source of light or inspiration. b: to shine as a beacon.

Principle #3: God Gave "Lights" to Beacon His Signs, Seasons,Days & Years.

But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Ephesians 5:13 In the beginning of recorded scripture Genesis 1:14-18 states:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14-18
  • Of paramount importance, notice that Yahuwah was making a distinction between darkness and light by separating them.
  • The "lights" are plural.
  • Let them be for signs: In an orchestrated dual action process, the sun and moon work together for signs and seasons specifically. This would not hold true for the New Moon if it were the dark phase or conjunction. This is because if you have a dark moon it is because the sun is not shining on it, as seen from our vantage point. Nothing is shining or working together, but all would be invisible in the darkness.
  • Pure light is the signature of Yahuwah and His creative power, and not darkness, or any mix of darkness with light. Therefore, something as important as the New Moon to beacon a month of His holy seventh-day Sabbaths must itself be of the "light".
  • There are "three" purposes of the sun and moon as they work in tandem: 1) To give "light" upon the earth. 2) To "rule", measuring time for the day and for the night. 3) To divide the light from the darkness. . .
The sun and moon were ordained by the Creator to work together in dual orchestration to separate the light from the darkness. This is a principle that Yahuwah continues to use as an illustration of the contrast between righteousness and sin, between good and evil. By its very nature, a dark conjunction lunar phase is not visibly able to either work together, or "divide the light from the darkness". But this is a requirement of the sun and moon as His beacons for signs in the heavens. It is, also, a consistent feature of truth and light. This shows that what Yahuwah set in motion during the first week of creation was to continue forever, both as a physical principle and as a moral symbol of truth.

Principle #4: William Miller and October 22, 1844

In the 1840's, William Miller, a student of prophetic time and a leader of a great religious awakening around the globe, believed the Lord was to return very soon. Together with Samuel Snow, they reckoned from Scripture and ancient Hebrew luni-solar calendation that the prophetic 2300 evenings and mornings were symbolic of literal years. They discovered that this prophetic period that began at the time of Artaxerxes' decree in 457 B.C., was to end in October 22, 1844. While this date was to clearly mark the anti-typical Day of Atonement and the cleansing of the Sanctuary on earth, it was wrongfully assumed by Miller that this marked the second coming of Christ Yahshua in the clouds of heaven. Because of this error as to the event to take place, they, along with all the believers world wide, experienced what is commonly known today as the "Great Disappointment of 1844".
The participants in this religious movement were Christians from all religious faiths and were called "Adventists" because they looked to the soon return or second "advent" of Christ Yahshua. The Seventh-day Adventist church was born out of this great disappointment, but was not officially organized until 1863. William Miller died in December of 1849 before the Seventh-day Adventist church was organized. Therefore, his teaching and preaching must not be confused with those of the Seventh-day Adventist church and vice versa.
William Miller and Samuel Snow were basing their detailed calculations of the fulfillment of the prophecy from the "first visible crescent" New Moon just as the Hebrew people of antiquity would have had to do. Otherwise, we would be recognizing either October 20 or 21 of 1844, instead of October 22. Later, Ellen White, a leader of the newly organized Seventh-day Adventist church, placed her stamp of approval from the Lord upon the date of October 22, 1844, but not upon the event the Millerites had believed was to happen.
All those teaching that the New Moon is the dark "conjunction" lunar phase, either don't know or reject the value of William Miller's calculations of October 22, 1844. This was referred to as the Seventh Month Movement, because the Day of Atonement is always on the 10th day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the luni-solar calendar. October is always the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. It was only Miller's calculated and pinpointed conclusion that received the stamp of approval by the Lord Yahuwah, as stated by Ellen White.  (Refer to article, "Millerite Use of the Luni-Solar Calendar" )

Principle #5: The New Moon, U.S.N.O. and N.A.S.A.

Much of the New Moon confusion today arises because both the United States Naval Observatory (U.S.N.O.) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N.A.S.A.) label the dark conjunction phase as the "New Moon". No doubt the same is true of all other nationally based astronomical organizations. These are the same organizations that, in many of their illustrated models, depict the lunar month as only 28 days in length. This is a contradiction of the detailed records they themselves keep in numeric form, which do show the lunar month to be 29 or 30 days in length. In this way they are speaking out of both sides of their mouths. All lunar months in recorded history have always been either 29 or 30 days in length. Anyone can check this out for themselves simply by making note of each phase over a 30 day period. When the lunar phase you start your count with comes back around again, then you know that you have completed your count on the previous day.
The real confusion lies in the records that are kept by these organizations where they consistently refer to the dark conjunction lunar phase as "New Moon", rather than the first visible horned crescent. However, all is not lost. Because of the consistency of these organizations, it is possible to calculate utilizing all the data given to determine when the first visible crescent New Moon for any given month would have been. The following example is from N.A.S.A. using the dark conjunction lunar phase for the year of Christ Yahshua's Crucifixion.
YearNew Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter
AD 31 Apr 10 11:32 Apr 18 15:06 Apr 25 19:59 p May 2 10:42

The year was A.D. 31 and the first month of that year was April. Since N.A.S.A identifies the Gregorian 10th day to be the conjunction, all we must do is add a day to arrive at the first visible crescent as viewed in the night sky following sunset on the 11th of April. The following day April 12 is then New Moon day, which is also the first day of the luni-solar month of Abib/Nissan. Since we know from Scripture that Christ Yahshua died on the 14th of the luni-solar month of Abib/Nissan, then we simply count to 14 and, therefore, arrive at Wednesday April 25, A.D. 31, as the day of Christ Yahshua's crucifixion.
luni-solar calendar overlapping julian-gregorian calendar april 31 ad
The following luni-solar calendar is for the entire year of A.D. 31 and begins in the spring in the month of Abib. The purpose of this illustration is multifaceted as it reveals the calendar used by Christ Yahshua, proclaiming Him to be the Messiah. To view the details of this illustration it is necessary to increase your screen visibility to 200%.
creator's luni-solar calendar
  • The first visible crescent New Moon announces that the following day is New Moon Day, and that a new month will begin.
  • The first visible crescent New Moon also announces New Year's Day to begin on the first day of Abib in spring.
  • The Full Moon was visible on the night of the 13th.
  • In this chart notice first how the Gregorian months float through this luni-solar calendar as depicted in black boxes. Then notice how the weeks and Saturday's float through this calendar that was kept faithfully by Christ Yahshua. The Sabbath that was kept by Christ even while in the tomb was according to this luni-solar calendar as you see in neat rows of dark blue.
  • Notice by the color coding that when the New Moon refreshes each new month, it also refreshes the weekly cycle. Every month the weekly cycle is broken by the New Moon day, which according to Ezekiel 46:1 is neither a week day nor a seventh-day Sabbath.
  • There are exactly 354 days in a regular twelve month luni-solar calendar year. (Refer to the gold text in the far right column.)
  • There are exactly 177 days from Abib 1 to Elul 30. Therefore, there are exactly 177 days from Tisrei 1 to Adar 29. It also appears that there are exactly 177 days within any seasonal grouping of a luni-solar six month period.
  • An Embolismic Year containing a thirteenth month is simply 354 days plus 30 days, which brings it to a total of 384 days.
  • Notice how the color coded rows of seventh-day Sabbaths connect the spring Feast of Unleavened Bread to the fall Feast of Tabernacles.

Principle #6: Waxing and Waning Lunar Phases Clarify Truth

There is not just one, but two reasons why the "dark conjunction" lunar phase is not only dark but also never visible. The first reason is phase related, as the sun only shines on the moon's back side as viewed from earth, in this way making the visible side dark. The second reason the "conjunction" phase is never visible is position related. This dark lunar phase cannot be seen because it comes between the earth and the sun at sunrise, similar to an eclipse. Both the phase and its position work together to insure consistency, thus it will never be visible. This is because each lunar phase is also bound by physical laws to its position in the heavens. Outside of latitude variation, each lunar phase consistently appears in its approximate longitude position every 29 or 30 days.
If the ancient Hebrews were to look for the dark "conjunction" phase as the "New Moon", they would have had to go out at sunrise and face the east looking for the moon, yet it would never be visible. The act of facing the sun at sunrise was considered an abomination to Yahuwah. This could have too easily been confused with sun worship. This is exactly opposite of what the Lord Yahuwah taught through the ceremonies of the Sanctuary. At sunrise, the priests were to face due west toward the Holy of Holies. What confusion might arise if they were also looking over their shoulders to get a glimpse of an invisible dark conjunction lunar phase?
In Yahuwah's mercy, the New Moon was to be announced by the trumpet blast on the evening prior to New Moon Day (first day of the month). This was for the purpose of allowing the people time to prepare for this Holy day after sunset, when it was dark. Because half of the months of any given year were 29 days in length, His people would have been just observing the seventh-day Sabbath during a 29th day month, prior to the setting sun. It was at that moment that the New Moon was announced by the blowing of the trumpet. The dark hours between the seventh-day Sabbath and the New Moon Day gave His people time to prepare for it. Remember, Yahuwah's ordained Sabbath and New Moon Days were only 12 hour periods which were observed from the sunrise to sunset. (For more on this subject see the article, "Sabbath Restoration: Three Months in a Row").
If the New Moon phase was the dark waning conjunction phase, which was to be viewed at the sunrise, there would be absolutely NO time to prepare for this Holy day, as the new day would be already upon them. The entire purpose of the trumpet blast was to announce the coming Holy day, allowing time for the people to prepare for it, both physically and spiritually.
Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full . . . . Psalms 81:3
Every 24 hour period of a lunar month the moon is on the average 45 minutes short of its previous position in the night or morning sky. The waxing phases occur during the first half of the month. This means that each night following sunset, the lunar phases display "more light" of the sun than the previous night. The waning phases which occur during the second half of the lunar month displays "less light" of the sun than the previous day. With this in mind, I have a question for you.
Question: Looking at the illustration on page 2 or 3, does the "dark conjunction" lunar phase receive more light than the previous night, as in the waxing phases, or does it receive less light than the previous day, as in the waning phases?
Answer: It displays less light as in the waning phases.
The reason this is so important to understand is because the dark conjunction phase has all the markings of a waning phase, it is therefore self-evident that it belongs to the end of the second half of the old month. It cannot be both part of the old month and part of the beginning of a new month. Since it appears to be in the waning category it cannot be a "new" refreshed or rebuilding lunar phase that signals a new month has begun. This darkest phase of the month is forever grouped with the waning phases as they, day by day, receive less and less light of the sun until it is completely void of light. By definition, the dark conjunction phase is a waning phase and always part of the second half of the old lunar month. Never can it be any portion of the waxing phases of a "new" refreshed and rebuilding month, as these alone are receiving more and more light with each phase than the preceding phase until the moon is full.
It is because of the importance and intrinsic nature of this dark conjunction phase, that by coming out of its darkness, the first visible crescent moon is dubbed with the term "new". It can only be "new" because the previous moon and month ended in the obscurity of darkness as if its own light had gone out. During the entire month, the lunar phases reflect a percentage of the suns light except for the last phase. This conjunction phase is the only lunar phase that is completely dark and absent of any reflecting rays from the sun from earths perspective. It is not until the next night that there would be any possibility of seeing a crescent moon coming out of it's darkness into the marvelous light. And sometimes it isn't until the second night that a horned crescent moon is actually visible. A visible crescent moon following a non-visible lunar phase has the most apparent markings, fitting all the criteria, for what Scripture defines as the New Moon.

Principle #7: End time Prophecy of Revelation 12:1

chaste woman and the whore of babylon In the end of recorded Scripture, Revelation 12:1 states:
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."  Revelation 12:1-4 KJV
"A halo of light and glory clustered about the time of Jesus' death and resurrection, immortalizing the sacred facts that he was the Saviour of the world." Early Writings, p. 197.
the cross 31 ad
It has only recently been discovered that this halo cluster of twelve stars is the self same one described in Revelation 12:1. It is this unbroken cluster of truth that adorns the head of this faithful and pure woman. She, alone, is symbolic of Yahuwah's faithful at the end of time, and is represented as standing on the moon, clothed with the sun, and with this halo of twelve stars above her head. Notice that the sun, moon and stars are each elements of time that make up the Creator's luni-solar calendar as He appointed in Genesis 1:14. It was this same luni-solar calendation system that was again highlighted, at the culmination of the fullness of time, by the Savor's death and resurrection.
1. Year – A.D. 31 7. Full Moon Day is the 14th or 15th
2. Season – Spring 8. Feast of Passover on the 14th
3. Month – Abib/Nisan 9. Crucifixion – 9th hour of death on 14th
4. Date of Month – 14th day 10. Feast of Unleavened bread on 15th
5. Day of Week – 6th day 11. High Sabbath Rest in Tomb on 15th
6. Preparation Day – 6th day 12. Resurrection Day/Wave Sheaf on 16th
For an in-depth study on these Twelve Criteria, see the article entitled "Twelve Criteria of the True Crucifixion Date" and the corresponding e-course.
Each of the celestial terms given in Revelation 12:1 are reminiscent of the Genesis Creation account. It is also significant that this verse depicts the moon under her feet because it signifies that the moon is "visible". Nothing can be illustrated if it is invisible.
Here is depicted a people who have proactively come full circle back to the pure calendation truths of Scripture. They worship their Creator in spirit and truth by following His ordained orchestration of the sun, moon and stars, which He placed in the heavens for signs, seasons, days and years. They have discovered that it is only these created celestial bodies in the heavens, working together, that beacon all His holy festival days, including the seventh-day Sabbath, rather than the calendar hanging on the walls as inspired by Rome.
This pure woman is presented in striking contrast to the harlot woman of Revelation 17 who rides the seven headed beast. This seven headed beast is the same one represented as seeking to devour the offspring of the pure woman. Clearly, something about the pure woman has made this second harlot woman who rides the beast extremely jealous and angry. So what does it all mean? Could these seven heads of the beast represent the continuous, uninterrupted seven-day-cycle of pagan origin? Is it possible that each of the seven heads are representative of each of the planetary gods that has been applied to the pagan Gregorian calendar week-day, and known as Sun-day, Moon-day . . . Saturn's-day, etc.? Is it possible that Satan, under the guise of these planetary gods, would utilize a false Roman calendar with its unbroken cycle of weeks to undermine and destroy the knowledge of the truths of Yahuwah? Would he think to attempt to set up his own counterfeit mountain of time (har mo'ed) so as to receive worship as Yahuwah? Remember Satan's strong and boastful declaration?
I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount (har) of the congregation (mo'ed), in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13-14
satan's counterfeit mountain of moed Throughout the entire Bible this boastful declaration of Satan trumps all others as he proactively seeks exaltation as Yahuwah, or in place of Him. The point that is really interesting is the method he chooses to reach his ultimate goal of "god status" and worship. Rightly, many have discerned that Satan would receive worship through a counterfeit holy day. However, it appears that Satan's ultimate goal was to create an entire "mountain" of counterfeit calendation, consisting of weeks, months, years, holy days, and seventh-day Sabbaths.
For most of us this is a new concept that Satan's ultimate achievement of "god status" would be reached via usurping a counterfeit "calendation mountain" in place of Yahuwah's "principles that rule in the heavens". So in dissecting Satan's declaration in Isaiah, what proof can be uncovered that reveals this was indeed his goal and whether it has been achieved yet? The first step is to find the meaning of the phrase "mount of the congregation", and then what is meant by the phrase "in the sides of the north".
Strong's Concordance:
mount - #2022 = har – mountain (literal or figurative)
congregation - #4150 = mowed, or moed -- an appointment; a fixed time; a festival; an assembly; tech. the congregation; the time, the place or the meeting itself; of the three meanings, the appointed time is most basic. The meaning of moed is fixed within the context of Israel's religion.
The "mount of the congregation" literally means Yahuwah's "mountain of appointed fixed time". His appointed fixed time system is used to locate His appointed seventh-day Sabbaths as well as His yearly holy Feast days. It has been discovered in Strong's Concordance that "seasons" = feasts = moeds. These can be referred to as Yahuwah's mountain of calendation of fixed time, and/or prophetic time. All the appointed Feasts (seasons or mo'eds), whether weekly or yearly, are reckoned by the New Moons of the luni-solar calendar.
Next, the phrase used by Satan, "in the sides of the North" at first glance appears to be rather vague. However, he was being most specific, which will be demonstrated shortly. It must not be forgotten that the battle between Yahuwah and Satan is waged over the hearts and minds of all those living on earth. Therefore, this illustration demonstrates earth with the points of the compass, which all the people scattered upon the earth hold in common.
In this illustration, notice that there are two objects relating to time, which are visibly rotating from east to west around the earth. These are the sun and the moon. They can be recognized from all points on earth exactly as Yahuwah positioned them to determine time 6000 years ago and can be described as "the principles that rule in the heavens". While throughout any given compassyear their location will vary slightly, it is an undisputed fact that our continued observation of them is that they appear to visibly be moving from east to west.
To all appearances from earth they remain permanently on the "sides of the north" from every locality. So without Satan actually using the terms "sun and moon" or "the principles that rule in the heavens", he is actually saying exactly the same thing by coining this new phrase—"in the sides of the north". It was no secret to Satan that Yahuwah's laws and dominion included the elements of timekeeping. This is self-evident in that he specifically declared that he would "sit on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north". From the Strong's definition above, Satan was clearly declaring that: He would sit on the throne of Yahuwah's mountain (har) of the appointed feast times (seasons and moeds), and rule over the whole earth via his counterfeit of all elements of timekeeping, and not simply the Sabbath which is only a single unit of time and only a by-product of the much larger counterfeit "mountain of time".
A logical conclusion to Satan's declaration is that since he was neither the creator of the time ordained sun and moon, nor was he the author of their orchestrated function. His only option was to author and legislate a counterfeit replacement. This he accomplished in slow increments over 2500 years beginning in 600 B.C. It has recently been discovered that Constantine did not change the sanctity of the Saturday Sabbath by moving it to Sunday. Shocking as this may be to some, within the Roman Empire, Judaism or Christianity, Saturday had never been the seventh-day on their calendars. The change occurred only after the length of the Roman week was changed from an eight-day week to a seven-day week. This change came to completion in A.D. 324 under the leadership of Constantine. He usurped to legislate a seven-day successive week cycle, a counterfeit of Yahuwah's New Moon month and weeks. In doing so he placed the solemnity on "Sun" day, in position of the first day, as the symbol of Rome's "sole" source of calendation. In contrast, Yahuwah's Holy seventh-day Sabbath was reckoned by the orchestration of both the sun and the phases of the moon, which only rarely cycled to cause the true seventh-day to fall on the Roman Saturday. “(Please see The Creator's Luni-Solar Calendar Outlawed and Pagan Origins of the Modern Calendar.)”
There are some historical records that speak of Jewish cities not engaging in battle on Saturday and, therefore, were taken captive. These were the Jews that had apostatized to the ways of the pagan gods. How can we know this? Those who remained faithful to Yahuwah's calendation and true Sabbath, He promised to protect from their enemies. The only time Israel ever went into captivity was because of her unfaithfulness to the Lord Yahuwah's commands. An additional proof of this is that prior to A.D. 324, Saturday had been the "first day" of the pagan Roman week. It had never occupied the place of the seventh-day of the Roman week until this calendation change occurred in A.D.324.
It was not until this counterfeit time system evolved that the teaching regarding – "unbroken chains of successive weeks have continued since Creation", was proclaimed. This is just another lie of the "hissing snake", promoting his counterfeit calendar or mountain of time, that he may be worshiped in place of the Creator Yahuwah. The unbroken chains of weeks concept is a mere 2500 years old, and not 6000 years old as previously thought. In other words the unbroken seven-day week cycles did not originate at creation.
The laws of God and the time of God were to be changed by this antichristian power . . . . In the prophecy it is plainly shown that this papal power would with deliberate intention change the law of God . . . . Signs of the Times 11/19/1894

In Conclusion:

The New Moon, (according to Strong's Concordance: chodesh #2320, #3394, #3842, #7720, #4582, #3391, #3376) is given approximately 300 times between Genesis and Revelation as compared to the seventh-day Sabbath which is given approximately 150 times. New Moons beacon the beginning of each new month according to Scripture, and were designed at creation to designate by its changing phases exactly when the true seventh-day Sabbaths will fall. Among all the lunar phases, the New Moon, according to Scripture, is the most significant lunar phase and of great importance to Yahuwah's calendation principles. This is because it beacons that a new month is to begin the following morning at sunrise, and begins the count for the entire month, as well as for the entire year. The Creator's luni-solar month and its corresponding weeks has been the ongoing target of Lucifer's unending attacks. For if the real truth were leaked out regarding the importance Yahuwah places on the "New Moon", Lucifer's mask would come off, and he would be exposed for the imposter and mastermind of deception that he is.
The count beginning at New Moon locates all the Lord Yahuwah's Holy appointed Feasts. According to Genesis 1, Exodus 12 and 16, and Leviticus 23, His Feasts are divided into two categories; the four weekly Sabbaths each month, and the annual appointed Feasts. Yahuwah's faithful will recognize that it was Moses who recorded all three of these vitally important accounts in Scripture. His faithful will discover that Exodus contains the pivotal record and time centric key that unlocks His calendation principles of both Genesis and Leviticus. It is in Moses' record of Exodus 12, 16, and 19 that the application of Yahuwah's "seven-day week" is made with regards to His months and years. It is only in the restoring of Yahuwah's calendation truths to Israel at the Exodus that the full calendation picture is given which presents the details of exactly how the Creator placed His ordained and holy seventh-day Sabbath as His most precious gem within the framework of His lunar cycle setting. (For more on this, refer to the article "Sabbath Restoration: Three Months in a Row" and the corresponding e-course.)
chaste woman and the whore of babylon
If you do not now fully recognize yourself and your doctrinal beliefs in the illustration and symbology of this pure woman of Revelation as she stands as a witness upon the moon, then prayerfully ask the Lord Yahuwah to help you change your predicament. The only other choice will be to belong to the symbolic harlot woman who continues to ride the seven headed beast. Saturday Sabbatarians have long held that they have never ridden the beast. However, Revelation 13:3 states otherwise as it says that, "all the world wondered after the beast." Saturday is not the antidote to wondering after the beast because Saturday Sabbatarians are included in the term all. Certainly all the world has wondered after the beast, but Yahuwah is now calling His faithful to come out from among her.
. . . And all the world wondered after the beast. Revelation 13:3 KJV
At a time when it is not popular to believe in the Creator's luni-solar calendar, its crescent New Moons, its Holy appointed Feasts days, or its sacred seventh-day Sabbaths, the Lord Yahuwah's still small voice is calling. He is now making up His number of faithful followers who will be willing to stand by faith upon His sure foundation. Amidst great opposition from all sides, these will take up their cross and walk in this new light of His oracles of Scriptural truth.