THE JERUSALEM SENTINEL

VOL.3 NO.2 ©1994

INTERNET EDITION


IN THIS ISSUE:

What Is Truth?

The Feast Of Tabernacles October 21 Thru 28, 1994

Feast Of Trumpets

From The Mail Box

Obituary

Exodus Update


WHAT IS TRUTH?

by Charles Kimbrough

We wish to thank all of you who wrote asking questions about the contents of the last issue of the Jerusalem Sentinel. A lot of you were stirred to action because of past beliefs or teachings that this Sentinel challenged. The scriptures say, "Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good." (1 Thes 5:21) We commend all of you for that zeal. The problem has been that most of us in the past did not PROVE ALL THINGS.

WHAT IS TRUTH? We were taught for doctrines so-called truths which were based on false FOUNDATIONS. Back in the early seventies, rumblings were coming through the church that Pentecost was in fact on Sunday and that the church was wrong in using the preposition "from" to determine the doctrine on this important Holy Day when they said it should be determined by counting on the day after Sabbath. THE TRUTH IS, we determine and count to Pentecost starting with the WAVE SHEAF offering day. The Messiah went to the Father on the first day of the week, after His resurrection. The wave sheaf is always harvested on the day after the Sabbath during the days of unleavened bread. JESUS, the WAVE SHEAF, had to be harvested on the first day of the week. IT IS NOT HARVESTED ON THE SABBATH AND THEN OFFERED ON SUNDAY. IT IS HARVESTED THE SAME DAY IT IS WAVED BEFORE THE ETERNAL. CHRIST HAD TO BE RESURRECTED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. Just like the children of Israel coming through the Red Sea are counted as first fruits.

WHAT IS TRUTH? The children of Israel were not free until Pharaoh died in the Red Sea. They still belonged to Pharaoh. It was the law in Egypt. GOD honored the law that was instituted by JOSEPH during the 7 bad years when the Egyptians gave all their money for grain. When the money was gone, in exchange for bread they gave their cattle, their horses, their flocks, their herds and then their land. THEN all of the Egyptians became servants to Pharaoh because JOSEPH gave them to Pharaoh (Gen 47:13-23). As the children of Israel were preparing to enter the Red Sea (EXO 14:13), MOSES SAID, "STAND BACK and see the SALVATION (FREEDOM) OF THE LORD". This was a physical salvation or "FREEDOM " just as JESUS' resurrection was a spiritual salvation or "FREEDOM" from DEATH. PHARAOH AND HIS DEATH REPRESENTED SATAN THE DEVIL AND THE OLD NATURE IN MAN. JESUS AND HIS RESURRECTION REPRESENTS THE NEW MAN, A SPIRITUAL MAN. That is the REAL reason we count Pentecost from the first day of the week, THE DAY JESUS WAS RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD.

The argument about whether Pentecost is on Sivan 6; counting from the day after the high Sabbath the 16th of Nisan/Abib, or on the day after the Sabbath in the days of unleavened bread is actually an argument of when the children were actually FREE and we have just answered that question. They were NOT FREE UNTIL PHARAOH DIED! WHAT IS TRUTH? As hard as it may seem to a lot of you, the children of Israel had only asked for three days journey and they left there in haste. Read all of the cogent scriptures, starting in EXO 4 THROUGH EXO 14 to get the true picture of their haste. THEY DID NOT SPEND A WEEK ROAMING IN EGYPT, THEY LEFT IN HASTE.

I would now like to address some of the most asked questions about the last Sentinel. QUESTION: What about Matt. 12:40; does it not say that Jesus would be in the GRAVE 3 days and 3 nights? ANSWER: THE TRUTH IS, IT SAYS,"As Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a great fish, so shall the son of man be 3 days and 3 nights in the HEART of the EARTH." The TRUTH IS, it does not say in the grave. The TRUTH IS, it says "as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish." To know THE TRUTH we have to SEE HOW "Jonah WAS" in the belly of the great fish. Notice, in Jonah 2:1, he prayed while in the fish's belly; and that prayer was Psalms 18:4-6. Read this Psalm and THE OTHER PSALMS THAT JONAH QUOTES and you will see that they refer to JESUS. Verse 5 talks about the reeds wrapped around his head, the crown of thorns on JESUS' HEAD. JESUS was not dead for the total time of that 3 days and 3 nights just as Jonah was not dead for the total of the time in the belly of the great fish. WHAT IS TRUTH?

Mat 12:40 nowhere talks about the day Jesus was crucified! I REPEAT, it does not talk about the day JESUS was crucified. There is only one set of scriptures in all the New Testament that does talk about THE DAY JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED, AND THAT IS THE 24th CHAPTER OF LUKE. LUKE TALKS ABOUT THE DAY and PINPOINTS THE DAY. Read and understand Luke 24:7 "saying, the son of man must be handed into the hands of sinful men, (GENTILES) AND BE CRUCIFIED, AND THE THIRD DAY RISE AGAIN." Then in verse 17 JESUS asks a question, "What manner of communications are these that you have with one another, as you walk and are sad?" In verse 18, they asked Jesus if He was a stranger in Jerusalem not knowing the things that had taken place there and come to pass there in these days. Then JESUS asked, "WHAT THINGS?" in verse 19-21, "they said unto him, Concerning JESUS of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and the word, before GOD and all people; and how the chief priest and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified Him. But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel, and besides all this, TODAY IS THE THIRD DAY SINCE THESE THINGS WERE DONE." The delivering into the hand of PILATE, the CRUCIFIXION, all happened 3 days before, COUNTING BACK FROM THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. The book of Luke does talk about the day Jesus was crucified and it was a THURSDAY, THE 5th day of the week. There is no way this can be stretched back to Wednesday. LET'S START BEING HONEST WITH THE SCRIPTURES. CHRIST was crucified on a Thursday and was resurrected on the first day of the week, while it was yet dark as it began to dawn. The earthquake and the descending of the angels, was the end sign of the three days and three nights.

WHAT IS TRUTH? What is meant by the "heart of the earth"? If you were to look up the word heart for its Biblical meaning, anyone would come to the EASY conclusion that it refers to the heart or the mind of man. CONTRITE HEART OR A STONY HEART ALL REFER TO THE MIND OF MAN. This SAME SEARCH of the word "EARTH" can refer to the earth which always includes the people, DUST you are and to DUST you will return.

When Jesus said, just before He died, "MY GOD, MY GOD why have you forsaken me?" was because GOD had turned his back NOT ON JESUS, BUT ON ALL OF HUMANITY. CHRIST WAS BURIED IN AND WAS COVERED BY A MOUNTAIN OF HUMAN FLESH; BURIED IN THE HEART OF HUMAN KIND. GOD SAW THE SINS OF EVERY HUMAN BEING THAT EVER LIVED AND COULD NOT LOOK UPON THE SIN. Just as Jonah was buried in a fleshly grave, SO WAS JESUS BURIED IN A FLESHLY GRAVE FOR 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS from the time he was condemned to death and handed over to Pilate until he was resurrected from the dead on the first day of the week while it was yet dark on a Sunday morning. (JESUS CARRIED THE SINS OF ALLMANKIND, WHICH ARE EARTH, ON HIS SHOULDERS, so to speak). SO SAYS YOUR BIBLE.

WHAT IS TRUTH? The book of LUKE is the chronological order of events in the New Testament (LUKE 1:1-4). What Luke is saying is that he has all the writings that were available, such as Matthew, Mark and others, in front of him when he set out to write an orderly account. That is a chronological order of events. Careful investigation of Luke will prove this to you. WHY IS IT THAT THE CHURCH REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE 24th chapter of Luke? Why? PRIDE!!

As hard as it may seem to SOME of you, the CHURCH of God has caused MASS confusion about the crucifixion and resurrection; in just the same way as was done on Pentecost. The church has made DOCTRINES OUT OF UNRELATED SCRIPTURES, trying to use Dan 9:27 to prove that Christ was crucified in the middle of the week when the scripture actually shows that the Messiah died at the end of the 69th week (Dan 9:26). Dan 9:27 talks about in the middle of the last 7 years of the SEVENTIETH WEEK OF DANIEL, THAT ARE YET TO BE FULFILLED. FINALLY, THEY did NOT SHOW THE END SIGN OF WHEN THE MESSIAH WAS RESURRECTED because there is NO sign ON the Sabbath. THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE SCRIPTURE THAT SHOWS CHRIST BEING RESURRECTED ON THE SABBATH. THE CHURCH MADE AN ASSUMPTION COUNTING FROM WEDNESDAY AND ACTUALLY SAID, "THEREFORE, HE HAD TO BE RESURRECTED ON THE SABBATH". Talk about adding to the scriptures!!!

WE hereby put out a challenge to all who read this, if anyone can show that what I have just quoted about the crucifixion and the resurrection is false, or can prove that Jesus was resurrected on the Sabbath, we will give A CERTIFIED CHECK FOR TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.

I repeat, show me by the scriptures that Christ was not resurrected on the first day of the week and show that He was resurrected on the Sabbath by the scripture and the check is yours!

ANOTHER QUESTION: Are you now advocating the keeping of Easter Sunday and Sunday worship? The answer to both is a LOUD NO! NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO! Jesus Christ was resurrected and went to the Father on the first day of the week and we count to Pentecost from the first day of the week. NONE OF THIS CHANGES THE DAY OF WORSHIP. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DAY OF WORSHIP. However, it does have a LOT to do with what the Bible says and THE TRUTH OF THE SCRIPTURES.

WHAT IS TRUTH? I have just listened to a tape from a man that I have heard many times on radio, television, seen in person at feast sites and at ministerial conferences who asked the question, "HOW MUCH BIBLE DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW TO BE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD?" This seemed to be an attempt by him to belittle any new knowledge. THEN HE ASKED, "HOW MUCH BIBLE DID ABRAHAM KNOW?" He was saying that because Abraham did not have the Bible, he didn't know much. Let me address the 2nd question first. The scripture says, GOD speaking to ABRAHAM, "Because you have OBEYED my VOICE and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws, THAT GOD WOULD PERFORM THE OATH WHICH HE GAVE TO ABRAHAM. WHY do people assume that we know more than ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB or any one else whom GOD TALKED TO DIRECTLY? In some areas we might know much less.

WHAT IS TRUTH? The hardest thing to do is admit we are or have been wrong. People get distraught and even belligerent about when Jesus was crucified, especially preachers who find out that some sacred teaching of theirs might in fact be wrong. Matthew 12:40 and their interpretation of it has become almost SACRED doctrine and on the same plain as the Sabbath. PRIDE gets in the way, after all is not God working through the spiritual head of God's church on the earth? This man has said that he was the spiritual head of the Church. Why can't we admit it when we are wrong? One person told me we could not be brothers as long as I BELIEVED THAT JESUS WAS RESURRECTED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

Any good Bible student worth his or her salt already knows we CANNOT establish TRUTH by one scripture. That is like trying to hang a door with only one hinge. Bible TRUTH IS ESTABLISHED by precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little. (Isa.28:9-13) One cannot make the rest of the scriptures over to try to make them fit their own interpretation of Matt 12:40.

WHAT IS TRUTH? THE BIBLE IS THE WAY God talks to us today, and with God's Holy Spirit we can all come into the knowledge of WHAT IS TRUTH. Is that not what PAUL tells us in 2nd Tim 2:15? "Study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of TRUTH", (THE WORD OF GOD, THE BIBLE). We know that in the world to come all of humanity will be taught from the BIBLE THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD, Rev 20:12.

HOW much Bible should you know? ALL THAT GOD GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND FOLLOW; JUST AS ABRAHAM UNDERSTOOD AND LIVED BY ALL THAT GOD TAUGHT HIM. AND THAT IS THE TRUTH!

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES OCTOBER 21 THRU 28, 1994

by Mark Carr

We urge all of you to join us for eight days of worship and fellowship. This year there will be two sites from which to pick. Arrangements have been made to hold the Feast of Tabernacles in beautiful Panama City Beach, Florida, AND Lake Worth, Florida. Both are attractive settings in which to keep God's Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. Make your reservations today by contacting one of the accommodations listed below.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a time to seek the Lord! God's people in Bible times probably spent more than a month every year traveling and attending the Feast. The purpose for these Holy Days are to separate us from our business cares and burdens, and to spend a few days exclusively worshipping God. The fall Feast days are the grand finale to a year of worship. It is a time that God COMMANDS us to come and glorify Him while at the same time we enjoy our family and friends! This is one of the gifts our Father has given us. We are told to worship, celebrate, rejoice and relax.

Those who gather at the Feast experience a spiritual closeness, a growth of knowledge and a strengthened relationship with God. Attending the Feast requires both spiritual and financial planning. If you've been remiss with the financial planning, it is not too late! There is still time if you put some money in savings each week, but start today! Each year we look forward to meeting new people and reunite with our friends from past years. Please make every effort to attend. If you are discouraged, come and be encouraged and revived! If you are strong in your relationship with God, come and grow stronger! If you think you cannot spare the time or expense, you are the very one that needs to come! We hope to see all of you there and we will pray for your safe trip.

Remember, this is a Holy Convocation (a summons from God) for you to appear before Him and worship. Please join us in this festive celebration. Ideas for planned events are welcome. A speaking schedule will be published later. If anyone has announcements or sermons they wish to give at Panama City Beach, please contact Charles Kimbrough @ (904) 382-0877, or Mark Carr @ (615) 922-5420. For Lake Worth, contact Neville Gilbert @ (407) 585-4580.

PANAMA CITY BEACH

Thursday night, October 20, at 7:30-9:30 P.M., we will have hospitality night with coffee and cookies. This will allow all of us to meet the new people and reunite with our friends from past years. There will also be a meeting for everyone planning to speak this year. If you have a sermon or a sermonette prepared, please make every effort to attend.

Please bring any musical instruments you play for song services and the talent show. If your children are planning to participate in the children's services (Sabbath School), please contact Mary Carr or Linda LeWallen at P.O. Box 70635, Knoxville, TN 37918 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so supplies can be ordered.

I think everyone will enjoy the Feast site this year. The response from the letter that was mailed showed that 90% of you wanted to be at Panama City Beach this year. With sunshine an average of 359 days a year and reasonably priced attractions too numerous to list, we can look forward to having a great time this year. A brief list of accommodations follows:

HORIZON SOUTH II Condominiums, 17462 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413, phone 1-800-334-4010. All condos come equipped with ovens, washers and dryers, refrigerators with ice makers, ceiling fans in each bedroom and living area, electric ranges, garbage disposals, and electric heat pumps. Most come equipped with microwave ovens. It has 2 king-size pools, 1 baby pool and a hot tub/spa. Tennis court, shuffle board, miniature golf, recreation room, pool tables, table tennis, sauna and an exercise room. 1 bedroom units are $225.60 a week, 2 bedrooms are $275.20 and 3 bedrooms are $324.00. This includes a 20% discount they are offering us. Call today for these prices.

LAGUNA BEACH CHRISTIAN RETREATS, 20225 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413, phone (904) 234-2502. Located eight miles west of Miracle Strip and Shipwreck Island Amusement Park, it is a quiet uncrowded area of the sugar white sandy beach on the Gulf of Mexico. They have dormitory or apartment style housing, volleyballs, 4 basketball courts, 9 swimming pools, 1 indoor heated pool, 4 camp stores and everything is air conditioned. Call David or John Haas for a brochure and reservations. They have offered us a special rate of $11.00 a night per person for motel rooms, dormitory rooms or houses.

CHATEAU MOTEL, 12525 Highway Alternate 98, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, phone 1-800-874-8826. Has basic rooms with 2 double beds. They also have efficiency rooms, mini-suites and 2-bedroom executive suites. Call for reservations. Rates are from $37.43 to $93.59 a night.

PIER 99 WATERFRONT, 9900 S. Thomas Dr., Panama City Beach, FL 32408, phone 1-800-874-6657. Has double rooms with 2 beds, or with kitchens, Single rooms with 1 queen-size bed, or hot tub, or with kitchen. Rates are $55.00 to 59.00 a night.

SUN GLO, 5401 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, FL 32408, phone (904) 234-2748. Has sleeping rooms (double bed and bath), regular 2 room (double bed, hide-a-bed, kitchen and bath), large 2 room (3double beds, hide-a-bed, kitchen & 2 baths), or suites (3 double beds, hide-a-bed, kitchen & bath).

BEACHCOMBER BY THE SEA, 17101 West Alt. Highway 98, phone 1-800-648-6681. Has singles, doubles, kitchenettes, cabanas, 1 & 2-bedroom apartments, and 2 & 3-bedroom executive apartments. Rates are from $25.00 to $49.00 a night.

There are many more to choose from depending on your budget and individual preferences. For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce and the Plaza or the Georgian.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

OCEAN OPRY SHOW, 8400 W. Hwy 98A (Front Beach Road), Panama City Beach, FL 32407, phone (904) 234-5464. The Ocean Opry music and stage show opened in 1978, providing wholesome entertainment for the whole family at Panama City Beach. Three generations of the now famous Rader family brings you not only a country music show but also old time rock-n-roll, heart warming gospel, moving patriotic music and mountain type bluegrass. All of this mixed with side-splittin' comedy for all ages provides an evening of southern style entertainment your family will never forget. Adults are 14.95, ages 5-7 are 7.50, children under 4 free. Group rates available.

EMERALD FALLS, 8602 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, phone (904) 234-1049. Emerald Falls is an exciting attraction with a wide variety of activities for the entire family. Choose from the ever popular Formula-K race track to the slippery slick track to the wet-and-wild bumper boats. They also have miniature golf, and an arcade room filled with all sorts of games to challenge young and old alike. Group rates available.

There are many boat tours available for sight-seeing, as well as crab trap operation, bird feeding, and deep-sea fishing. The glass bottom boat makes for an exciting trip.

LAKE WORTH

For those of you who choose South Florida, Neville Gilbert and the Lake Worth Church will be observing the Feast at the Lake Worth Holiday Inn. They are a loving and caring group who welcome everyone. Most of you who have observed the Feast with us will remember Neville and the Lake Worth members. Accommodations are listed below:

HOLIDAY INN-WEST PALM BEACH-TURNPIKE 7859 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, FL 33467, phone (800) 325-8193. Enjoy the best of Palm Beach in a quiet setting on six acres that has tennis courts, a garden pool and offers a complimentary round of golf. All 114 rooms have color TV, cable, phone and air conditioning. For a special rate of $39 contact Kathy Sisson and let her know you are with the Christian Church of God.

Attractions include boating, fishing, beautiful beaches, shopping, golf, polo, water skiing, skin diving, dog racing, helicopter tours, theater, Lion Country Safari and much more. But most important, fellowship with some of the most loving Christians you will ever meet. For more information, call Neville at (407) 585-4580.

GOD'S HOLIDAYS

by Mark Carr

FEAST OF TRUMPETS

This article is the fifth in a series that we are running in the Sentinel. Each article covers one of the days that God has set apart as holy. They are listed in Leviticus the 23rd chapter. When this series is completed the articles will be combined into a booklet, published and made available.

The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), is a Holy Convocation, a commanded assembly and a celebration to God. It pictures the return of Jesus our Messiah. It's celebrated on the 1st day of the 7th month, the month of Tishri. The number 7 symbolizes perfection and is integrated into God's calendar. The Sabbath is observed on the 7th day of the week, every 7th year is a Sabbatical year, and after 7 Sabbatical years a Jubilee year is observed. 7 weeks after Passover is Pentecost. The 7th month, Tishri, contains the most Holy Days of all the months, Trumpets, Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

God commands us to observe this holiday. We are supposed to refrain from any work and celebrate this festival with Him. Trumpets pictures the event that all Christians are waiting for, Jesus' return. "And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets." (Num 29:1) This is one new moon festival that all Christians must celebrate. Although we as a church have gotten away from celebrating the monthly new moons, we should realize that they were observed in Bible times. We should also realize that when Jesus returns we will observe the new moon with Him (Isa 66:23). There is no reason for us to miss this opportunity to explain to our children when it's a new month. We should show them that God operates on a different calendar than man. In my home we have a special meal or celebration each month. My youngest daughter checks the calendar with anticipation to find out when it will be. On the 7th month (Tishri), God commands everyone to observe a new moon, the Feast of Trumpets.

In Numbers chapter 10, God instructed Moses to make two silver trumpets. Verse 10 says that they were blown on the appointed feasts and at the beginning of the months. This would include the Feast of Trumpets. In the Bible, silver is often symbolic of redemption. Today the Jews blow a shofar to announce these events.

In Bible times when the people would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the fall holy days, the crops were harvested and it was time to celebrate with God and thank Him for His blessings. This year the Jewish calendar is off by a month and most people will observe the feast too early. Trumpets is a fall festival, observed after the harvest, but in 1994 most people will observe it on September 6th, not October 7th. This is still summer, the crops are not yet harvested and it is a full month too early. (Write for a free copy of our booklet, God's Calendar vs Roman Jewish Calendar.)

One day in the not-too-distant future, on the Feast of Trumpets we will witness the following: (1 Thes 4:16-17), "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 tells us that when Jesus returns the faithful dead will be resurrected and God's living servants will be changed. That is the day that I'm looking forward to; the day that I'll finally get to see my Messiah. I'll also see two other people whom I love very much that have died. I know they'll be in God's Kingdom and I cannot wait to see them again. We all have loved ones we will be with when Jesus returns and resurrects them.

Jesus describes what His return will be like in Matthew 24:29-31. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

There is a long period of time between Pentecost and Trumpets, just like it has been a long time since the church began in 30 A.D. Jesus warned us in the parable of the ten virgins not to lose faith and think that He would not return. Unfortunately, that's what is happening in the Church today. Are we ready for His return? More importantly, do we really look forward to it or are we happy with the way things are?

The Feast of Trumpets is the day of judgment for the believers. On the day that Jesus returns He will either be coming for you or He won't. That is the day that the church is judged and our fate is sealed.

FROM THE MAIL BOX

Thank you for being so ready to give advice and help. When I first wrote you it looked as though I would have to take Passover alone, but God worked it out much better than I ever could have imagined.

First of all my husband studied it out and with prayer and a lot of discussion came to see the 15th, end of the 14th as the Passover. Then we got a call from a Worldwide couple asking if we could keep the Night to be Remembered together. I said I saw the night as the Passover, she said they did too. So we planned to do it together. Well, they told some others who also saw it and soon we were nine. I called a CGI couple and they came as well, so now there were eleven of us. The hymn we sang that night was "Mine Eyes Upon the Lord Continually Are Set", I thought it would be appropriate.

All the Worldwiders were put out for keeping the Passover on the 15th; one of them was read out and marked. We had already left, going on five years for me. All had studied the subject a lot as we did. We are all in this way, but had never kept the Passover alone, (without the organization of the church) before. Thank you for your help. Canada

OBITUARY

Joe Williams Sr. age 67, passed away on May 5th at his residence after a lengthy illness. He is survived by his wife Lucille (Long) William, three sons, a sister, brother and eight grandchildren. He was a veteran of the Korean war. He was a longtime member of the Church of God, International.

Graveside services were officiated by Charles Kimbrough, Pastor of United Biblical Church of God in Homosassa, Florida, with prayer given by CGI minister Tom Williams of Ft. Payne, Alabama.

EXODUS UPDATE

by Mark Carr

Some of you have written in and asked for the source of our date of 1280 B.C. for the Exodus. The Encyclopedia Judaica lists this as the date that Israel came out of Egypt. We went with this date because we believe the Jews should know when this was. Why do so many Christians try to second guess them on historical matters? In all fairness I will admit there is a controversy about the date. Some argue it could have been in 1449 B.C. The point we were trying to make is the Passover lamb was slain on THURSDAY, Nisan 14, just like Jesus our Passover was crucified on Thursday, Nisan 14.

If the Exodus did take place in 1280 B.C., the date of the sacrifice would have been THURSDAY, April 14. For those who reject that date, it doesn't really matter. The date in 1449 B.C. is THURSDAY, April 6. Either way, it is on the SAME day of the week. The point we were trying to prove is that the sacrifice and Exodus is an exact pattern of the death and resurrection of our Messiah. The Lamb was slain on Thursday, Passover was on Friday and Israel was saved from the sea on Sunday morning just before dawn, the same time that Jesus was resurrected. That's what is important, not the number of the year.

There is another interesting date that the Encyclopedia Judaica gives that the Church has conveniently chosen to overlook. If there was one person who made an impact on Israel and influenced more lives than anyone before or after Him it was Jesus. Doesn't it make since that the Jewish people would know when he was crucified? After all it was in their capitol that it happened. They have no doctrinal axe to grind on this date and are a valuable witness as to the date. When I was reading the chart I will admit I got excited when it listed the year of the crucifixion in 30 A.D. That year Nisan 14 was THURSDAY April 4th.

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