Reckoning backwards from Pentecost / Shavuot, Sabbath 5 Sivan, to First Sheaf, Sabbath 16 Nisan,
PERFECT AGREEMENT OCCURS with each and every other date, day and event mentioned in the Torah:
1, With the express mention of “the fifteenth day of the second month ... (till) the Seventh Day ... Sabbath” (Ex.16);
2, With the Exodus and Entering into the promised land (Ex.12 to 15) and its (later) categorical placement in the Fourth Commandment for reason of the Sabbath’s remembering and keeping.
John Lightfoot, in
'A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica - Exercitations upon the Acts', Point “IV, 1”, in order to induce that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies such as the Passover and Pentecost in every instance one day after the original date, says,
“The ambiguity of the words themselves ... when the day of Pentecost was fully come” may be either rendered, as we have done in the English ...; or as they in the Italian, “when it was fully gone”. So that the phrase leaves it undetermined ... and what is there could be alleged against it, should we render it in the latter sense?”
One could but marvel at such a great and dignified scholar reaching such conclusions for such reasons. But much can be “alleged against it”, such as the nature of the Sabbath Day, and its history, and its commandment; such as every particular fact and implication of plain chronology; such as the “sure word of Prophecy”! No! Pentecost / Shavuot HAD TO fall on the Sabbath Day and in Jesus’ fulfilling of it, DID fall on the Sabbath Day exactly and by no means after it.
As it happened to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, so the Shavuot first happened in the revelation-history of the Saving God. The Sabbath Day stands within that ESCHATOLOGICAL relationship to the history of Salvation and to God’s Eternal Covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ. The LORD’S APPEARANCE in Shavuot / Pentecost in saving and in judging GRACE, made of the Sabbath the LORD’S DAY. Although the Sabbath is also Law, it was given before the Law – it was given as GRACE, FIRST!
Says Lightfoot under point “III”:
“We can hardly invent a more fit and proper reason why upon this day they (the disciples / believers) should be ‘all with one accord in one place’, than they were so gathered for the celebration of “the Lord’s Day”. So that although we have adventured to call it into question whether the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the very day of the Jewish ‘Pentecost’ (Sabbath, CGE), yet have we not done it with any love to contradiction, but as having considerable reason so to do, and with design of asserting to “the Lord’s Day” (Sunday) its just honour and esteem for on that day, beyond all controversy, the Holy Ghost did come down amongst them.”
I have thought before this that I have seen everything!
Hardly a more inventive and adventurous design could be imagined than ‘the considerable reason’ Lightfoot claims of asserting to THE SUNDAY.
Lightfoot FULLY depends on NOTHING. The Scriptures contradicts his assertions every inch! Quote:
“III. As to the year, therefore, we are now upon, wherein Christ ascended, and the Holy Ghost came down; THE SHEAF-OFFERING WAS ON THE SABBATH DAY (Emphasis CGE.) FOR THE PASCHAL LAMB WAS EATEN ON THURSDAY (the night of the Sixth Day – ‘Friday’, CGE); so that Friday ... was the first day of the feast, the sabbatical, or holiday. And the following day, which was their Sabbath, was THE SECOND, on which the sheaf was offered whilst Christ lay in the grave. ...” (What a contradiction in essence! CGE)
PERFECT AGREEMENT OCCURS with each and every other date, day and event mentioned in the Torah:
1, With the express mention of “the fifteenth day of the second month ... (till) the Seventh Day ... Sabbath” (Ex.16);
2, With the Exodus and Entering into the promised land (Ex.12 to 15) and its (later) categorical placement in the Fourth Commandment for reason of the Sabbath’s remembering and keeping.
John Lightfoot, in
'A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica - Exercitations upon the Acts', Point “IV, 1”, in order to induce that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies such as the Passover and Pentecost in every instance one day after the original date, says,
“The ambiguity of the words themselves ... when the day of Pentecost was fully come” may be either rendered, as we have done in the English ...; or as they in the Italian, “when it was fully gone”. So that the phrase leaves it undetermined ... and what is there could be alleged against it, should we render it in the latter sense?”
One could but marvel at such a great and dignified scholar reaching such conclusions for such reasons. But much can be “alleged against it”, such as the nature of the Sabbath Day, and its history, and its commandment; such as every particular fact and implication of plain chronology; such as the “sure word of Prophecy”! No! Pentecost / Shavuot HAD TO fall on the Sabbath Day and in Jesus’ fulfilling of it, DID fall on the Sabbath Day exactly and by no means after it.
As it happened to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, so the Shavuot first happened in the revelation-history of the Saving God. The Sabbath Day stands within that ESCHATOLOGICAL relationship to the history of Salvation and to God’s Eternal Covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ. The LORD’S APPEARANCE in Shavuot / Pentecost in saving and in judging GRACE, made of the Sabbath the LORD’S DAY. Although the Sabbath is also Law, it was given before the Law – it was given as GRACE, FIRST!
Says Lightfoot under point “III”:
“We can hardly invent a more fit and proper reason why upon this day they (the disciples / believers) should be ‘all with one accord in one place’, than they were so gathered for the celebration of “the Lord’s Day”. So that although we have adventured to call it into question whether the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the very day of the Jewish ‘Pentecost’ (Sabbath, CGE), yet have we not done it with any love to contradiction, but as having considerable reason so to do, and with design of asserting to “the Lord’s Day” (Sunday) its just honour and esteem for on that day, beyond all controversy, the Holy Ghost did come down amongst them.”
I have thought before this that I have seen everything!
Hardly a more inventive and adventurous design could be imagined than ‘the considerable reason’ Lightfoot claims of asserting to THE SUNDAY.
Lightfoot FULLY depends on NOTHING. The Scriptures contradicts his assertions every inch! Quote:
“III. As to the year, therefore, we are now upon, wherein Christ ascended, and the Holy Ghost came down; THE SHEAF-OFFERING WAS ON THE SABBATH DAY (Emphasis CGE.) FOR THE PASCHAL LAMB WAS EATEN ON THURSDAY (the night of the Sixth Day – ‘Friday’, CGE); so that Friday ... was the first day of the feast, the sabbatical, or holiday. And the following day, which was their Sabbath, was THE SECOND, on which the sheaf was offered whilst Christ lay in the grave. ...” (What a contradiction in essence! CGE)