Paul did not keep the third month Pentecost

http://lunarsabbath.us/_wsn/page9.html you will be amazed.

DOING THE MATH MATHEMATICALLY PROVES PAUL KEPT PENTECOST BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL 50 DAY COUNT TO PENTECOST IN THE THIRD MONTH

This chapter will show that the apostle Paul did not keep the third month Pentecost because it shows him keeping Pentecost beyond the traditional 50 day count and not only Paul but thousands of believing Jews were also keeping Pentecost beyond the traditional 50 day count, talk about two or three witnesses! http://lunarsabbath.us/_wsn/page9.html really exposes the counterfit Pentecost. Now to the math.

We have Scripture that shows that Paul left Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and then travels to Jerusalem to keep Pentecost. It is approximately 1000 mi. from Philippi to Jerusalem and Paul has 50 days to be at the end of the 1000 mi. journey but he only has 18 days or less in which to travel the 1000 mi. according to the traditional Pentecost count.

I contend that it is IMPOSSIBLE for Paul to have traveled that distance in 18 days. You might ask, why 18 days or less, did he not have 50 days to make the trip to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost? The answer is yes, he had 50 days to make the journey but according to Scripture he only had 18 days of travel time because of the pinpointed days they were not traveling.

The Scripture clearly shows that there were at LEAST 32 of the 50 days where Paul was not traveling, and this leaves only 18 travel days to cover a distance of 1000 mi. Can it be done? Not with the traditional third month Pentecost count.

When you divided 18 days into 1000 miles you quickly see they would have had to average a little over 51 miles per day and when we read the Scriptures we see that they did not averaged 51mi. per day, as I will show later. About 100 of these miles were across land on foot. i.e. After they landed in Tyre, they wenet about 30 mi. from Tyre to Ptolemais and then on foot about 40mi. from Ptolemais to Caesarea and about 70 mi. from Caesarea to Jerusalem, totaling 110 mi.

We will now count the conclusive no travel days found in Chapter 20 and 21 of the book of Acts which conclusively proves Paul only had 18 days or less to travel the 1000 mi., I will explain the or less later.

For those that count the 50 days to Pentecost from the 16th of the first month/ABIB, when Paul sailed away from Philippi until he arrived at Jerusalem, I found that at least 32 of the 50 days were not traveling days, which were the six days of Unleavened Bread, 16th through the 21st, Acts 20:6, the seven days they abode at Troas, Acts 20:6, and at least three days at Miletus while sending up to Ephesus, which was over 20 mi. one way, Acts 20:17, and they also tarried seven days with disciples in Acts 21:4 and then abode one day with some brethern in verse seven of the same chapter for a total of 24 days, there are more but for simplicity and easy figuring, this will suffice enough to MATHEMATICALLY show the impossibility of a third month Pentecost.

The reason I say this is because the Apostle Luke records that they tarried MANY DAYS in Acts 21:10 and if we allow many days to mean as little as eight days, this brings us to 32 no travel days, not counting any of the weekly Sabbath no travel days, and there would be at least 3 that are not acounted for.

One Brother tried to claim that we should understand the many days as seven days, which still would still not help him in the traditional count, as you will soon see. Luke had already used the term seven days twice in the text and would have used it hear it that had been the case. Then the same brother claimed that Luke had forgotten how many days it was that they stayed at Caesarea and my answer to that was, the reason he had forgotten is because it was more than seven because we know that he remembered tarrying seven days at two different places and I can see how that if they had stayed at Caesarea 16 or 23, or even 39 etc. then Luke would not have remembered exactly how many days it was, but he would have remembered if it had been seven or less. There is one thing that we do know for sure, and that is that he remembered it was “MANY DAYS“, he did remember that much. I think I am being more than generous by only allowing eight days to represent the phrase many days and that is why I say that there were AT LEAST 32 no travel days.

I am not so arrogant as to say that I know exactly how many days they tarried at Caesarea but neither am I so naïve as to believe it was only seven days or less as the brother suggested. Just think if I claimed they tarried 14 days as one commentary suggests, this would take six more days off of the 18 travel days, leaving only 12 days to travel the required 1000 mi. that would be about 90 mi. per day, creating an even greater embarrassment to the traditional Pentecost keepers who count 50 days from the wave sheaf instead of 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath complete as prescribed in Leviticus 23:16.

The timing of Shaul’s stopovers from Troas to Caesarea had been largely dependent on the shipping schedules. But having disembarked at Caesarea, he could arrange his own schedule. For a man in a hurry to get to Jerusalem, this delay of several days (perhaps up to two weeks)seems strange”

The reason it seem strange to this commentary is because they have been conditioned to think the 50 days are counted from the wave sheaf instead of 50 days after the seventh Sabbath. The reason he said up to two weeks shows that he believes Pentecost is 50 days after the wave sheaf. Paul did not break his journey, but after reaching Caesarea, he is now in control of his schedule and does not have to depend on a ship captain or nature, winds etc. he knows what he can do on foot.

Another commentary says,

“A plain and full prediction of the sufferings of Paul, by a noted prophet,

“2. Agabus the prophet came to Caesarea from Judea; this was he of whom we read before, who came from Jerusalem to Antioch, to foretel a general famine,

Notice this commentary also does not understand why Paul could tarry many days but if they understood the true count to Pentecost they would realize that Paul had a prosperous journey to Caesarea and had rather spend these many days at Caesarea than to get up to Jerusalem over a week or two early.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, p. 517, this phrase in Acts 21:10

Did Paul and his companions, which included an old man and animals, accomplish the 51 mi. per day average? NO! Go to http://lunarsabbath.us/_wsn/page9.htmlfor scriptual PROOF that they only averaged 30 mi. per day.

if this is true and the prophet traveled up to Caesarea, this also indicates a many days say at Caesarea.v. 10 1. Paul and his company tarried many days at Caesarea, perhaps Cornelius was yet living there, and (though Philip lodged them) yet might be many ways kind to them, and induce them to stay there. What cause Paul saw to tarry so long there, and to make so little haste at the latter end of his journey to Jerusalem, when he seemed so much in haste at the beginning of it, we cannot tell; but we are sure he did not stay either there or any where else to be idle; he measured his time by days, and numbered them. ch. 11:27 …… It should seem as if Agabus came on purpose to Caesarea, to meet Paul with this prophetic intelligence. 3. He foretold Paul’s bonds at Jerusalem, (1.) By a sign, as the prophets of old did, Isaiah (and many others. Agabus took Paul’s girdle, when he laid it by, or perhaps took it from about him, and with it bound first his own hands, and then his own feet, or perhaps bound his hands and feet together; this was designed both to confirm the prophecy (it was as sure to be done as if it were done already) and to affect those about him with it, because that which we see usually makes a greater impression upon us than that which we only hear of.”

Then from Mitylene to Chios which appears to be about 80 mi. totals 230 mi. and eight traveling days if they made 80 mi. in one day. Then from Chios to Samos which is about 50 mi. totals 280 mi. and nine travel days. Remember the scripture only shows 30 mi. per day so I am being more than fair.

Then from Samos to Miletus which is about 30 mi. totaling 320 mi. and 10 traveling days.

The travel days were from Philippi to Troas covered approximately 150 mi. in 5 days. Another was the One day where Paul traveled 20 mi. from Troas to Assos which totals six travel days and 170 mi. Another of the 18 travel days was when they sailed from Assos to Mitylene which is 50 mi. totaling 220 mi. and seven traveling days.Then from Miletus to Coos which is about 60 mi. totaling 280 mi. and 11 travel days. Then from Coos to Rhodes which is about 50 mi. totaling 330 mi. and 12 travel days.

Then from Rhodes to Patara appears to be about 75 mi. totaling 405 mi. and 13 travel days.

We now have only five travel days remaining in which to travel the remaining 595 mi. and approximately 100 of these will have to be on foot as I will explain later.

Can it be done? NO! It cannot be done, it would take over five days just to travel the 100 days on foot.They would have to adverade about 120 mi. per day.

The next part of the timeline is from Patara to Tyre which is about 400 mi. but it does not say how many days it took them to get there, so I’ll just put this part of the timeline on hold for now and come back to it in a minute.

After landing in Tyre and finishing their course, they went to Ptolemais which is about 30 mi. where they abode one day with the brethren and I have already counted the one day with the no travel days above. Not sure what to do with this 30 mi. and the 40 mi. from Ptolemais to Caesarea and then 70 mi. from Caesarea to Jerusalem. But at any rate they only have five travel days remaining to travel 595 mi. and 100 of these miles will be by foot. How do we handle this, assuming I am correct in my count? It would take five days on foot just to travel the 100 mi. and you still have the 400 mi. trip by ship that we did not deal with above. According to the book Jesus and His Times, 1987, by The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY, page 193, people on foot averaged around 15 to 20 miles per day.

Using the above figures, we can do the math and see how long it took them to travel the 100 mi.

I didn’t even mention the possibility of weekly Sabbaths that might fall in a way to make a few more no travel days. Let’s say there seven sabbaths in 50 days and two of them would be covered in the two 7 days layovers which would leave five more no travel days and then there would be 37 no travel days instead of 32, leaving only 13 travel days days, in which to travel the 1000 mi., instead of 18.

If Paul left in just enough time to barely get there for service, like some preachers today, how would you account for all the devout Jews that were gathered there BEFORE PENTECOST? The historian Josephus even tells how they went up seven days early to purify themselves.

In Josephus wars of the Jews pg. 742 Ch 5- (290) “when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on theeighth day of the month Xanthicus [Nisan],” The foot note “e” in Josephus says that a week before Passover they went up to Jerusalem to PURIFY themselves, John 11:55 agrees with Josephus, quote:

The great crowds spoken of here could be referring to where The Elders says to Paul, “see how many thousands of Jews that believe”

John 11:55

“And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem BEFORE the Passover, to PURIFYthemselves“

I believe the many that went up before the feast were the devout Jews.

John 12:1 is also in agreement with Josephus. “1Then our Saviour six days BEFORE the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2There they made him a supper; and”

Remember how He went in and out the temple and back to Bethany each day before they took Him on the 14th These quotes and Scripture prove that normally the Jews went up to Jerusalem early before Pentecost and that’s why James said that they were zealous toward the Law, (Pentecost) and that is why they went up early.

Paul was no less devout than these Jews and besides it had been many years since he had been up to Jerusalem and he said he must by all means keep this feast that cometh up at Jerusalem. This statement shows that Paul was not going up just to be on time for Pentecost, but to witness and fellowship before Pentecost and the fact that he abode many days at Philips house shows that he had plenty of time to arrive at Jerusalem a week or two before Pentecost to accomplish his intent.

The book of Acts is telling us where they traveled to, but is not telling us how far and how long it took to get to each stop where the captain of the ship probably traded goods and took on goods and passengers at each stop and also allowed passengers to freshen up etc. I will explain and give history later how they stayed overnight and done most of the traveling during the day which was much safer.

The history I read shows ship sailed within sight of land and could easily pull into a town or village for Sabbath and then continue their journey afterwards and perhaps when they made the 140 mi. journey on land from Tyre to Jerusalem, they could have stopped alone the way for the weekly Sabbath, which is not mentioned in Scripture. Using this logic I could easily add more nontravel days making it even more impossible if there is such a thing, for them to have made the 1000 mi. trip in his little as 12 days or less But the fact of the matter is, without using any of the weekly Sabbath no travel days, it is absolutely impossible for Paul to have kept the traditional Pentecost 50 days after the wave sheaf so therefore he obviously kept the true Pentecost 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete according to Leviticus 23:16 and the many scriptural proofs and examples that I have given in other chapters.

I could have taken each stop and argued that they stayed longer at certain places because it does not say one way or the other and I could argue that it took time to locating ship going in their direction, days, and sometimes weeks, and I could have shown how Paul was not as a pony express rider who jumped off one horse and on to the next as if Paul had a ship waiting on him each time etc. but I knew that would not convince anyone but the mathematical aspect of it cannot intelligently be argued against. As the old saying goes, figures never lie and liars never figure.

If this were not enough I can also show that Paul arrived early enough before Pentecost to fellowship with the brethren and the next day go in unto James and all the elders and be advised of them that there were many thousands of believing Jews who had gathered early because they were zealous of the Law and Paul purifying himself seven days with some men that had a vow on them and show these thousands of Jews that Paul also walks orderly and keeps the Law. All this was at least seven days BEFORE Pentecost. Also the Jews from Asia saw Paul in the temple when the seven days was almost ended, probably near evenjng, they stirred up the people against Paul etc. my point is these Jews from Asia and this multitude of people should have been gone home seven days after Pentecost. Pentecost was not begun yet because when the soldiers took Paul to Caesarea, his accusers were to follow them down which they did AFTER five days Ananias the high priest and others came down to accuse Paul but why did they wait five days to do this unless they were busy keeping Pentecost at Jerusalem and after it was over they came down but not before it was over. All these things and many more to numerous to mention shows that Pentecost is 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete instead of 50 days after the wave sheaf. I believe I am not completly correct on my count but am too tired to corect it now but even giving a few more days and miles, it is still IMPOSSIBLE for them to have kept the traditional Pentecost.

The following information shows that even the Jewish Rabbis acknowledge the SECOND WHEAT HARVEST and is called the “new grain” wheat harvest each year, NOT the first wheat harvest. If they could only realize that the Scripture connects Pentecost with the second NEW GRAIN harvest, NOT the first.

The Jewish Rabbis recognize that there is ANOTHER wheat harvest in Israel, that comes AFTER the traditional wheat harvest. The following articles described several Rabbis instructing the people not to eat any wheat from this SECOND wheat harvest because the grain is considered NEW GRAIN or as they call it, chodosh grain. They instruct the people to save the spring wheat/new grain which is harvested in the summer until the following year.

You would think they would recognize that the Almighty instructed Israel that the firstfruits for Pentecost would be from the NEW GRAIN, yet they use old grain from the previous year, according to the following article.

The Spring Wheat Harvest Creates a Huge Dilemma for Jewish Rabbis.

There’s none so blind as he whom the Almighty has blinded and he that refuses to see.

The following will show just how blind some people are and show more evidence that the Pentecost NEW meat/grain offering had to be from the SPRING WHEAT which is harvested in the summer, 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath, Leviticus 23:16.

We all know or should know that Leviticus 23 teaches a NEW meat offering NOT an OLD one, is to be brought to the Almighty from the wheat harvest. The blinded Jews bring an OLD meat offering for the traditional Pentecost as you will see shortly.

The Rabbis teach that SPRING WHEAT that is planted in the spring and reaped four months later, in the summer can not be eaten until the following year because it is considered Chodosh/NEW grain/meat. Not realizing that the Almighty commanded A NEW GRAIN OFFERING which would be from the Pentecost wheat and therefore the spring wheat that is harvested in the summer is the true Pentecost wheat, but they don’t. They believe that anything planted during or after Passover cannot be eaten until after the next Passover wave sheaf has been waived.

According to this belief, the traditional Pentecost winter wheat cannot fit the requirements of a NEW meat/grain offering because it is considered OLD grain/meat because it is planted in the fall, and took root before Passover. Therefore there’s no way they can have a NEW grain offering of the wheat and unless there EYES are opened and they acknowledge the summer wheat harvest which produces the new Pentecost, there simply following tradition of men.

Even if they planted Winter wheat, it would NOT be considered a NEW grain/meat offering because it was planted before the Vernal Equinox and according to the Mishnah etc. it is considered old grain and the NEW grain/meat comes after Passover, in the summertime and that is exactly what the Scripture calls for but they are too blind to see because of their tradition etc..

The following web sites and definitions of new grain prove what I’m saying.

Here is an article by Rabbi Moshe who condemns eating NEW GRAIN (spring wheat) until the following year when it becomes old grain.

http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-yoshon-prepchodosh.htm

“Chodosh — the new crop of grain (spring wheat). Originally, chodosh was forbidden by the Torah until after Pesach (when it is then called yoshon, the old crop). Its status today outside of Israel is open to various opinions. Actual chodosh grain is prohibited even outside of Israel, but with the double doubt as to whether a product is made from winter or spring wheat and whether that spring wheat is from this year’s crop or last year’s, many authorities are lenient outside of Israel. All kashrus agencies require yoshon status for products of Israel.”http://www.kashrusmagazine.com/magazine.php?do=133

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshon we read,

In Judaism, Yoshon (Hebrew: éùï ; “old [grain]“) is a concept within Kashrut (the Jewish dietary regulations), based on the Biblical requirement not to eat any chodosh— grain of the new year (or products made from it) prior to the annual Omer offering on 16th Nisan.^[1]

In classical Rabbinic Judaism, this requirement was considered restricted to the five classical grains of Judaism -wheat, barley, oats, spelt, and rye; any of these grains that are too young to pass the requirement (and products made from them) are referred to in Judaism as Chodosh, meaning “new [grain].” Additionally, the Rabbinic interpretation requires grain to have taken root prior to the omer offering for it to become permitted; therefore, grains planted after Passover could only be consumed the following year.

See also http://www.tzemachdovid.org/thepracticaltorah/emor.shtml andhttp://www.fao.org/nr/water/cropinfo_wheat.html

And http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-yoshon-old_new.htm for full details. And athttp://www.ou.org/kosher/daf/advanced/yoshen.htm and http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-yoshon-prepchodosh.htm

Jewish Rabbis are discussing the problem and referring to the Mishnah etc. to prove that everything harvested after Passover is NEW meat/grain unless it was planted and took root before Passover and then it is OLD grain/meat and I believe the Scripture teaches it is supposed to be A NEW MEAT OFFERING. Had they not brought in another wheat harvest, they would not be having this dilemma.

Also remember that Lamentation 2:6 teaches that He would cause BOTH the Sabbaths AND feast days to be forgotten in Zion, and that is exactly what has happened.

I think the key to the whole thing is to remember that they were and are TWO wheat harvest in Israel. The Jewish Rabbis teach that the SECOND wheat harvest is the NEW GRAIN of the year and cannot be used until the next year. See http://www.kashrusmagazine.com/magazine.php?do=133 also see Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshon also see this one at http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-yoshon-prepchodosh.htm they ALL show that it is the SECOND wheat harvest that produces the NEW GRAIN, not the first wheat harvest. The Scripture connects Pentecost with the new grain offering, NOT the old grain.

Not only does Israel have winter and spring wheat but they also have winter and spring barley, oats, rye, etc.. Winter wheat is sown in the fall and harvested in the spring about two weeks after the winter Barley harvest and the spring wheat is sown in the spring and harvested in the summer about four months later and this is the harvest is found in Scripture for Pentecost wheat.

I hope this information help you to understand that there is a SECOND wheat harvest in Israel which is harvested about 50 days after the first wheat harvest and goes unnoticed because of the traditions of men. See my article on Pentecost at http://lunarsabbath.info/_wsn/page4.html

Brother Arnold