For decades the Worldwide Church of God used a set calendar to determine the "official" start of the Old Covenant Holy Days the church kept. Other than the change of Pentecost, those dates stayed pretty much the same. Little did we know that simmering under the surface were little sub-group trying to get their calendar methods pushed to the forefront. It wasn't until the old Worldwide Church of God imploded in the most horrendous fashion did these groups emerge to the forefront feeling free to spread their message.
This year the various Churches of God offshoots are using 7 different calendaring methods to determine the date the Feast of Tabernacle should start. Seven different groups doing what they think is right in their own eyes, setting themselves apart from all the rest. This just goes to show that the church, even during its "glory days" was never really unified and today it is manifested as an open reality.
Here are the various calendars that the Churches of God are using (COG News is the source)
1) Jewish Calendar Principle followers: The Church of God 7th Day (HQ in Denver) and the Church of God 7th Day (Jerusalem) utilize the Jewish Calendar for the timing of the Lord’s Supper, which they observe on the evening of the 14th of Abib (Nisan). The Jerusalem church group does not acknowledge any other annual observances, but the Denver church allows its congregations and individual members to observe them if they so wish.
2) Hebrew Calendar Principle followers - most COG groups. Same as Jewish calendar EXCEPT for the following:
• The Biblical year begins on the 1st of Nisan (Exodus 12:2 and Deuteronomy 16:1).In order to reconcile using a calendar that calculates the holy days from the 1st day of the 7th month, the WCG wrongly taught that the Jews observe the 1st of Nisan as the beginning of the religious year and the 1st of the 7th month as the beginning of the civil year.In the Jewish Calendar, Rosh Hashanah is the 1st day of both the civil year and religious year and is a major holy day. Rosh Chodesh Nisan is merely one of the other 11 ‘new moons’.• Passover/Lord’s Supper should be observed on the 14th, not the 15th.• Pentecost/Shavuot is not on the 6th of Sivan, but rather 50 days from the Sunday within the festival, counting inclusively, (i.e. that Sunday is day 1 of the count, so the count is completed on a Sunday.)
Notice this telling comment from Herbert Armstrong on why he thought he could bind and loose things here on earth would be bound or loosed in heaven.
In an interview with WCG minister Jeff Booth in 1980, Herbert Armstrong declared that:“The title, and the keys, passed from chief apostle to chief apostle, from Peter to Peter. Each chief apostle was the new Peter. ‘Now I am the chief apostle, and I am the Peter’.”“Whatever I bind is bound in heaven, and whatever I loose is loosed in heaven.”“The Day of Pentecost is now on Sunday. But, since I had made the decision to observe Pentecost on Monday, for years the Day of Pentecost was actually on Monday.”
3) Day of the astronomical new moon [1st of April 2022], nearest to the vernal equinox [20th of March in 2022]
4) Day of the appearance of the crescent new moon [3rd of April 2022] – visible in the brief period between sunset and moonset – nearest to the Vernal Equinox [20th of March in 2022]. COG 7th Day Salem
5) Day of the astronomical new moon [1st of April 2022], following the vernal equinox [20th of March in 2022].
6) Day of the appearance of the crescent new moon [3rd of April 2022] – visible in the brief period between sunset and moonset – following the vernal equinox [20th of March in 2022].
7) Day of the appearance of the crescent new moon – visible in the brief period between sunset and moonset – in the month that the barley in Israel will be ready for harvesting by the Sunday after Passover (Leviticus 23:10-12). This date will likely be the 3rd of April in 2022.
The dates in 2022 for the seven main ‘Biblical’ calendars observed by the 7th Day Churches of God (within which there are a few variations) are shown in the table below. The dates for the 3 annual festivals (Exodus 23:14-16) are printed in green, and the 7 annual holy days are in red.
20 comments:
The super blessed "arbiter of truth" splinter that many expect to accelerate and break away from the crowd of splinters, and to act as the gatekeeper for the endtimes has not materialized. This means that nobody need worry about which of these seven calendars is correct, because obviously none of them are. While we're at it, we also need not worry which splinter's take on Armstrong prophecy is correct. It is plain they are all guessing on that as well, some of them even every other day at this point.
The world's getting worse every day, Armstrongism. All of you want the tithes (and some add outright extortion to this!). None of you has the correct understanding, None of you are of any help. You have all constantly lowered your expectations of the role you were told that God had for you in the end times. Everybody is now talking about a little remnant group, ala Gideon. Will the real, super-blessed true carrier of the mantle please stand up and make yourself known by the works HWA said you would be recognized by? I didn't think so!
‘Restricted groups like LCG, PCG and RCG….’
Creating here the perfect environment for a cult to thrive and survive in.
What a contrast to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
However I was delighted to see that the ‘Continuing COG’ has a Feast site a few hours drive from where I live in NZ.
Will they be doubly blessed to have Bobby boy visit?
I am tempted to take a day off and drive up for a visit during said Feastival.
I could walk around their ‘Feast’ gathering wearing a sandwich board with the words ‘Repent, doubly Repent Bob Thiel’.
For years I grappled with the calendar issue, finally decided God did have an unchangeable, fixed, calendar from creation based on Psalm 104:19 with the word "seasons" as a mistranslation and should be fixed/appointed times (Hebrew moed), and, I don't have the authority to make my own calendar because there is not enough information in the Bible to do so, and, came to believe God as of now gave His calendar to the Jews to preserve (Romans 3). Also: the FOT is at the end of the year (Ex 23:16; 34:22) and Ex 12:2 can read: "This month shall be unto you the chiefest of months (YLT), and shall be the most important month of the year to you."
For those who hate those postponement rules: I find it remarkable that the month Elul which is before the rule is applied has the same number of days every year no matter what is postponed.
“Old Covenant Rituals Lead COG Groups Into Using 7 Different Calendars For Determining Feast Dates.”
Satanic Rebellion Leads Numerous Little False Groups Into Massive Calendar Confusion
Herbert W. Armstrong taught many people in the Worldwide Church of God about the sacred Hebrew calendar.
Nowadays, all sorts rebellious, false, self-appointed leaders have raised themselves up to try to draw away HWA's former followers, and their wallets, after themselves. These little rebels disagree with HWA's teachings about the calendar, but cannot agree with each other either, and come up with numerous different ideas.
Years ago, when that sneaky rebel Norman S. Edwards left the Global Church of Rod with a stolen mailing list to try to start his own little business of disagreeing with HWA about such things as the calendar, he said he ended up with about 150 papers on his desk that people had written about the calendar -- and they all disagreed with each other.
Wow, were there that many different dates for Passover this year? Such confusion! Who author's such a thing?
I am surprised that there was nothing on some calendar that showed some splinter group observing the Feast of tabernacles, for example, a month later... As what happened back in the day when Solomon's son Rehoboam kept the feast in one 7th month, and Jeroboam kept the same feast in the 8th month: one whole month later.
Could it be that we have a situation today where there is "something new under the Sun?"
Time will tell...
John
This is a good thing! Now people have the ability to freely and openly discuss all the logical options worth diacussing. Instead of the past where the leaders just picked one because HWA said so.
Maybe we can start coming to conclusions based on truth and not traditition or peer preasure. But instead iron sharpening iron will result in more understanding instead of complacency.
All these churches splintered on the basis of birds of a feather flock together. These grouping also exist within larger churches, though not always visible. When these groups breakaway, it's not because of the religious technicalities given.
The new moon crescent should easily be seen tomorrow night, Sept 27….making it the first day of the seventh month…what’s so complicated about that..?? We have witnesses now all over the planet who report observations online instantaneously.
Tomorrow night at sunset will begin the Feast of Trumpets.
When people start living on the Moon and Mars , what calendar should they use? Lets fight it out now preemptively!
Why its not simple... Because you are a man not god. God decides the day of the feast not guess work, eye sight or consensus of observers.
Therefore it cant be based on observation. And it is not calculatuons either because that is purely devised by man because the starting date is a pure fabrication. Therefore it is not the Jewish calendar.
Since the moon and sun are very consistent calculations based on reality can predict consistent celestial movements they do not dictate them. This makes people think the Jewish calendar works the same way. But it doesn't.
That only leaves a few options left that are worth comparing.
AnonymousMonday, September 26, 2022 at 10:16:00 AM PDT
Why its not simple... Because you are a man not god. God decides the day of the feast not guess work, eye sight or consensus of observers.
Therefore it cant be based on observation. And it is not calculatuons either because that is purely devised by man because the starting date is a pure fabrication. Therefore it is not the Jewish calendar.
Since the moon and sun are very consistent calculations based on reality can predict consistent celestial movements they do not dictate them. This makes people think the Jewish calendar works the same way. But it doesn't.
That only leaves a few options left that are worth comparing.
You sound like a very confused person…what is your comment about observing the sunset to begin the seventh day rest…???
Did you ever read in scripture Gen 1:14…??
Anon, Monday, September 26, 2022 at 7:47:00 AM PDT, wrote:
"...The new moon crescent should easily be seen tomorrow night, Sept 27….making it the first day of the seventh month…what’s so complicated about that..?? We have witnesses now all over the planet who report observations online instantaneously.
Tomorrow night at sunset will begin the Feast of Trumpets.
******
Anon, how confident are you about your thought of Trumpets (not a Feast as others mentioned) and not even necessary solely about some return ("second coming" if you turn a blind eye to the 40-day period after Jesus returned to earth after being resurrected and visiting His Father in Heaven) of "another Jesus" to begin a 1,000 year reign on planet earth? After all, the Holyday is a memorial about, not one Trumpet, many TrumpetS...many events, lots of timing; is it not?
Some of my friends are observing the Holyday of TrumpetS today, Monday, 26 Sep.
Some of my friends will observe the Holyday of TrumpetS tomorrow, Tuesday 27 Sep.
Some of my friends will observe the Holyday of TrumpetS even later on Wednesday, 28 Sep.
And yes, some of my friends will even observe the Holyday of TrumpetS on Thursday, 29 Sep.
Anyone keeping TrumpetS a month later? Already kept it a month earlier?
Will Hurricane Ian affect some of my friends' plans to observe their TrumpetS?
Regardless, I am for my friends!
How much will it really mean to God, The God of the Old Testament (Acts 3:13), by the power of His Spirit, through His Son Jesus Christ (I Cor 8:6), which day you actually observe/observed when it comes to His Plan of Salvation to save all humanity and subsequently destroy Satan and his angels?
Time will tell...
John
I find it hilarious and also sad that certain legalistic COG groups have members driving around Israel right now looking along the side of roadways for stray barley to see it is ripe. Instead of looking in vast fields of it, they concentrate on barley alongside the road that has fallen off trucks, been dropped or pooped out by birds, or blown about by the wind. When they think they find a "ripe" kernel of barley they flip out and get on their cellphones to America where eager members are waiting to hear the good news. While these expedition crews are out scouring the hillsides, others sit with binoculars and telescopes trying to outdo the next person in seeing the new moon rise first. It's all a mockery. It is no wonder Christ did away from this extreme form of legalism and placed the focus on something better.
Calendar issues never cease to amaze me. Each view regardless of its origin is subjective, and there is no Biblical instruction on how to construct a calendar. When people claim 'the' Hebrew or Jewish calendar it cracks me up because there is no such thing, as there is no universal consensus even among those groups, and yet I've heard it preached my whole life that A principle function of Judaism was to protect and preserve God's calendar.
There is no 'letter to Gentiles' of any sort about keeping a calendar correctly.
The idea of keeping a 'correct' calendar is not far removed from arguing whether 87octane or 94octane is the correct fuel for a Tesla.
Gentiles/nations/heathens all kept the original calender, the sign from above, the MOON phases, which babylon copied and continue to add and subtract from it to this day. Now, Ishtar is kept by RCC/Jews around the same time, usually one month late or more. HIS SEASONS NEVER CHANGE! The Saturday keepers woke me up by having 4 different dates for the Feast of Tabernacles. The most confusing sects I ever encountered and the most polluted, to say the least.
Howling at the moon, The Church of God Latter Day Werwolves has assembled to find the fullest moon which will indicate the best feast ever.
Gen 1:14 says the sun and moon, both together, are for "moed" which is feasts. As in the times of the feasts in Lev 23.
God said HE decides the days of the feast using the sun and moon. Not a math formula fabricated from rabbi's and not someone guessing when they can see a part of the moon.
Jer 8:7
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.
Psa 81:3
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed/kece/full moon, on our solemn feast day.
The Jews will call the first day/new moon on wed/thurs then comes Saturday it's the 7th day, go figure!
I myself cannot think of a topic more boring than calendar quibbling, but I'm sure there are people out there who specialize in it.
The Jews will call the first day/new moon on wed/thurs then comes Saturday it's the 7th day, go figure!
The Jews don’t use the new moon for their calendar….they use the pagan calculated calendar including postponements….
Go figure…!!!
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