Hello, John and Doves,You deserve a response, if only for the desire to see all things put to rights [relax, the calendar is A-OK].Here it is: Pentecost 2012.Baruch HaShem Yeshua Ha Mashiach,Mike C.___________________________Eliane B (2 June 2012)
"To Michael Colunga - Re: "How to determine Pentecost--look at the calendar!""
Dear brother,
The fact that non-messianic Jews consider Pentecost the 6th of Sivan doesn’t prove that the present Hebrew Calendar is right. I think our reference must be the Word of God, not what the rabbis say.
Concerning calendar issues, Lamentations 2:6 says that God would cause Israel to forget His Sabbath. Not forget 'keeping His Sabbath' only, but forget 'His Sabbath', i.e., even when the correct Sabbaths take place. The present day that the Gregorian calendar labels as 'Saturday' is not the true Sabbath and this error definitely has impact on that calculation of Shavuot.
During the time of Christ, the Israelites were using the original calendar, handed down through Moses. The high priest, who was selected from the ruling Sadducee class, was in charge of declaring when a new month had begun. The Pharisees, whose “traditions of men” Christ so emphatically denounced, did not control the calendar. This is a very important point because the calendar in use today is a calendar devised by the Pharisees and justified by their oral tradition.
With the destruction of the Temple (70 A.D.) the Sadducees disappeared altogether, leaving the regulation of all Jewish affairs in the hands of the Pharisees. Henceforth, Jewish life was regulated by the Pharisees; the whole history of Judaism was reconstructed from the Pharisaic point of view, and a new aspect was given to the Sanhedrin of the past. A new chain of tradition supplanted the older priestly tradition (Abot 1:1). Pharisaism shaped the character of Judaism and the life and thought of the Jew for all the future.
As a result of the extreme persecution associated with any attempt to use the Biblical calendar, Hillel II, the last President of the Sanhedrin, created a reformed calendar. Declaring the new month by observation of the new moon, and the new year by the arrival of spring, can only be done by the Sanhedrin. In the time of Hillel II [4th century C.E.], the last President of the Sanhedrin, the Romans prohibited this practice. Hillel II was therefore forced to institute his fixed calendar, thus in effect giving the Sanhedrin’s advance approval to the calendars of all future years.
Many ancient Hebrew dates and interpretations have been corrupted. Even Jews admit that the true Calendar has been set aside: http://www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/jews-admit-qthe-true-calendar-was-set-asideq.html
End of story???
The other important thing to consider is that all grain offered by the High Priest either on the Feast of Firstfruits or on Shavuot must be from new grain only, that is, seeds (of barley and wheat) planted in spring, not in winter or fall. This is prescribed in Leviticus. It doesn’t refer to old grain, but to new grain only. Wheat seed planted in Spring takes 4 months to get ripe, not 3 months. Pentecost on Sivan 6th involves the offering of old grain not new grains. The religious authorities have changed everything.
Listen to our Lord, who says: “ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35)
If we really want to be good watchers, we must know when the true Pentecost really is and watch it every year. Scriptural Pentecost is on the 28th day of the 4th Hebrew month. In 2012 this date falls on July 18th. I’m not saying that anything will happen this year because nobody knows! I just want to share that Pentecost this year is still ahead.
Blessings to all,
Eliane B.