VOL. III, NUMBER 3

The Natzonal Magazzne ofAMBASSADOR COLLEGE

MARCH, 19'53

The TONGUES QuestionAre the Pentecost MANIFESTATIONS Being Repeated Today?Here is the PLAIN TRUTH about this burning question, plainly

stated. Read every word.

by Herbert W. Armstrong

Is "SPEAKING in tongues" the BIBLE

evidence of the baptism with theHoly Spirit;

Is this "baptism" for us today:" Whatis the Bible teaching about "TARRYMEETINGS")

In the year 1906, a new movementsprang up, known as the "Pentecostalmovement," which has swept this coun­try and others like- ~ pr~irif' fire.

Thousands have followed it. It hascaused thousands to wonder. Other thou­sands have been greatly troubled by it,while still other thousands denounce iras "wild-fire fanaticism."

What is the TRUTH~ Is this move­ment of God? Is it true, as they claim,that the "latter rain" of the Holy Spiritis now falling?

The Most Important Business ofThis Life

The most important business of thislife is the receiving of the true baptismwith the Holy Spirit.

But how few, today, understand whatthat baptism really is! Your eternal sal­vation depends upon it! Let us comevery humbly, prayerfully, to a study ofthis all-important subject.

This, we know, is one of the mostheated questions of the d~y. It is onefraught with prejudices on both sides.Let us remember that the Holy Spirit is,first of all, the Spirit of LOVE-of PA­TIENCE-of TOLERANCE. SO let us, ifpossible, come to this study, each ad­mitting that he may have been wrong,

and very humbly, prayerfully, seeking in­struction from GOD out of His Word.And let us see this study thru, to the end.

Salvation means, simply, the indwell­ing presence of the Holy Spirit. TheHoly Spirit is the very LIFE of God.Jesus said "that which is born of theflesh IS FLESH. Ye must be BORNAGAIN"-born of God's Spirit!

"But ye are not in the flesh, but inthe Spirit, IF so be that the Spirit ofGod dwell IN YOU. Now if any manhave not the Spirit of Christ, HE ISNONE OF HIS.... But IF the Spiritof Him that raised up Jesus from thedead DWELL IN YOU, He that raised upChrist from the dead shall ALSO quickenyour mortal bodies BY His SPIRIT THATDWELLETH IN YOU." (Rom. 8: 9-11 ) .

Unless, then, we have received theHoly Spirit, God's Spirit, God's LIl'E,

to dwell within us, we are LOST-utter­ly without hope of eternal life! Surely,then, the receiving of the Holy Spirit isthe most important business of this life!But what is the difference between "re­ceiring" and being "baptized by" theHoly Spirit?

Is PENTECOST Repeated inThis Day?

Let us, then, look prayerfully andwithout prejudice into God's Word.

Are the accompanying MANIFESTA­TIONS that rook place on the day ofPenrecosr-s-immediately following Je­sus' ascension to heaven-for you andme today? The modern "Pentecostal" or

"Tongues" movement is founded on theassumption that it is-and that themethod of receiving this experience or"blessing" is modern "tarry meeting."And that the only "Bible Evidence" ofthe ·"baptism of the Holy Spirit" is"speaking in tongues." On this assump­tion many would stake their lives!

So let us EXAMINE the original man­ifestations of that day, as described inthe Bible, and SEE whether they are be­ing repeated today. Perhaps a real sur­prise awaits us. Let us not ASsUME-letus PROVE ALL THINGS as God's Wordinstructs.

The only record of that tremendousoccasion is recorded in Acts 2:1-13. Letus carefully examine every incident thatoccurred that day.

1. "And when the day of Pentecostwas fully come, they were all with oneaccord in one place." Are the "Pente­costal" people of today in harmony and"one accord"? No, they are split upinto many fragments and segments, overdisputes among themselves.

2. "And SUDDENLY there came aSOUND from beauen as of a rushingmighty wind." Notice that on THAT daythere was a SOUND. Not a sound madeby the people, but this sound came['ROM HEAVEN. It sounded like a violentwind storm. Have you ever seen THISpart of the manifestations repeated to­day? Then notice, too, that this sound­the Spirir which caused them to speakwith rongues----came SUDDENLY. But to­day we see these people start to "work

Page 2

it lip GRADUALlY. Sometimes theytwist, and jerk, and chatter and mutter,repeating certain phrases over and over,until they work themselves into it. Buton THAT day, the Spirit that filled thosedisciples carne FROM HEAVEN, and SUD­DENLY!

3. "And it (the SOUND) filled all thehouse where they were sitting." Dosounds corning, not from people'sthroats, but from heaven, fill THEWHOT.F HOUSE where people are as­sembled today?

4. "And there appeared unto themCLOVEN TONGUES like as of fire, and itSAT UPON EACH OF THEM." Divided,flaming tongues APPEARED--they SAWthem! They carne and sat upon each ofthe disciples! Has any man living wit­nessed such a manifestation in this day?

5. "And they were ALL filled with theHoly Spirit." Surely no one has everheard of a modern "pentecost" meetingwhere ALL were filled, all at once, at thesame time, SUDDENLY, when the Spiritcarne with a great SOUND from heaven!

6. "And began to speak with othertongues, as the Spirit gave them utter­ance." Ah! Here, at last, some will besure to say, is a manifestation repeatedtoday! But wait! On this original day ofPentecost, ALL began SUDDENLY tospeak en these OTHER languages. Nowwhat bind of tongue-spe:<king was this?Was it UNKNOWN tongues? Was itthe kind that needed an interpreter?Was it like we see demonstrated today?Let us examine and see!

Verse 5 tells us there were dwellingin Jerusalem at that time devout Jewsout of every nation on earth. Word ofthis momentous experience went likewild-fire all over the city. A multitudeof these Jews carne rushing to the place.They were amazed. They marvelled. He­cause that,

7. "EVERY MAN HEARD THEM SPEAKIN HIS OWN LANGUAGE!" These Jews,from all nations, UNDERSTOOD what wassaid! Some were Parthians. Some Medes,Elarnires, dwellers in Mesopotamia,Rome, Arabia, etc. And they said, "Andhow hear we every man in our owntongue, wherein we were born?"

Now notice carefully. Every manheard THEM (Acts 1: 1'5) speak in HISown language! These disciples all speak­ing in rongues-c-ornsa languages­the languages of EVERY NATION underheaven. And EVERY MAN who came rush­ing in heard THEM-the disciples-speakin HIS OWN LANGUAGE! The Parthianheard THEM, ALL of them, speak the Par­thian language. But the Mede heard theSAME disciples speak the language of theMedes. Those from Greece heard theenure number of THEM-speakingGreek. THEY UNDERSTOOD what wassaidl

The GOOD NEWS

A Different Kind of Tongues!

Have you ever witnessed an experi­ence like this? Have you ever heardTHIS kind of "tongue speaking"? Canyou even find a description, in all theBible, where this same kind of mani­festation occurred at any other time?

True, they spoke with other tongueswhen the Holy Spirit first came uponthe Gentiles at the house of Cornelius(Acts 10). And in telling the Apostlesof it, Peter said "the Holy Spirit fell onthem as on us at the beginning," and"God gave them the like gift as He didunto us." (Acts 11: 15, 17). And thatsame GIFT is for you and me today!Praise God for that!

But it is not recorded, nor did Petersay, that the Holy Spirit at that time cameSUDDENLY from HEAVEN, like theSOUND of a wind-storm, appearing asdivided tongues of fire, or that men ofdifferent languages each understood allof them in HIS own language. Asidefrom being filled with the Spirit andspeaking in tongues, the nature of whichis not here described, there is no simi­larity between these two experiences.

It is true, too, that in one other re­corded case, and one ONLY, men spokewith tongues upon being filled with theHoly Spirit. That was when Paul hadbaptised the Corinthian believers andlaid his hands un them (Aus 19: 6) . Burthere is nothing to indicate similar ac­companying manifestations as upon theoriginal day of Pentecost.

So what must we conclude? ThePentecostal accompanying manifesta­tions are not being repeated today!

Hut if not, WHY nor?Is it not available for us today? No, it

surely is not! We have no word of con­demnation for these dear "Pentecostal"people, as they call themselves, becausethey are unable to repeat the same ac­companying manifestations as describedfor the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D.That will NEVER be repeated again! Itnever occurred before. and it never willagain.'

It was an EXPERIENCE unique in allhistory. It was the welcoming manifesta­tion of the advent of the Holy Spirit­the "other Comforter"-to this earthFROM HEAVEN.

An Experience Unique in History

During His ministry, Jesus said, "Hethat believeth on me, as the Scripturehath said, out of his belly shall flow riv­ers of living water. (But this spake heof the Spirit, which they that believe onHim should receive: for THE HOLYSPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN, becausethat Jesus was not yet glorified.) " (John7:38,39)

"The Holy Spirit was not yet given."How could men receive the GIFT before

March, l\._

(he GIFT had been GIVEN? The SPIRITcould not corne until Jesus had beenglorified. Speaking of the corning of theHoly Spirit, Jesus told His disciples, onthe eve of His crucifixion: "If I go notaway the Comforter WILL NOT COMEunto you; but, if I depart, I will sendhim unto you. And WHEN he is come,"etc. (John 16:7)

The Holy Spirit had not yet beengiven! It had not yet corne from heaven!Unless Jesus went to heaven, and wasglorified, it could not come!

Again, that same memorable night,Jesus said: "He dwelleth WITH you, andshall be IN you." (John 14: 17). Hewas WITH them, in the person of Jesus,but was, after the day of Pentecost, tobe IN them, thru the Holy Spirit. Andso, today, as the Scriptures say, "Christ INus, the hope of glory."

What happened upon the day of Pen­tecost was the fulfillment of Joel'sprophecy (Joel 2: 28-29) -the adventof the OTHER Comforter, the Holy Spiritto earth FROM HEAVEN, as Peter clearlyand plainly explained on that very day(Acts 2: 16-21).

And it was upon that day of Pente­cost, A.D. 31, eleven days after Jesushad ascended to heaven to be glorified,that the Holy Spirit, the "other Com­forter," came from heaven.'

AND THIS ADVENT l'ROM HEAVENWAS ACCOMPANIED WITH MIGHTY MAN­IFESTATIONS! The Spirit of God carnewith a SOUND as of mighty rushingWind! It came With the APPEARANCEof divided tongues of fire! And on thatoccasion, it filled all the 120 disciples,and spoke thru them in such mannerthat every man from every nation onearth HEARD in his own language.' Themiracle on that occasion was in theHEARING, as well as the speaking!

Let us realize the truth, and not try,in our human fleshly power, to COpyand imitate that one tremendous wel­coming manifestation! For truly we shallonly produce a counterfeit!

"Praying Down Pentecost"

Today we frequently hear those whodo not understand speak of "prayingdown another Pentecost." They exclaim,"It took Peter and the apostles ten daysto pray down Pentecost," and they urgeus to "tarry," and to "seek," and to beg,and to agonize, and to plead with Godto send down ANOTHER Pentecost-tosend His Holy Spirit from heaven again!

But the Holy Spirit CAME FROM HEAV­EN to earth on the day of Pentecost,31 AD. and-let us understand this­HAS BEEN HERE EVER SINCE!

All we have to do now is to OPEN UPOUR HEARTS, and to let (he blessed HolySpirit in! Today you need not plead

(Please continue on page 13)

Does EASTER Commemorate

the Resurrection?Here are SEVEN IRREFUTABLE PROOFS from history that theresurrection of Jesus was not on Sunday morning. that the crucifixion

was not on Friday.

by Herman L. Roeh

PART V

N o PROBLEM has caused moreconfusion and controversy thanthe time of the crucifixion.

Almost everybody has taken for grant­ed the "Good Friday-Easter Sunday" tra­dition, even though in the year thatJesus Christ died the passover 'was NOTON A FRIDAY!

Theologians have tried every way to

solve this contradierion of fact. Theyhave attempted to CHANGE the year of[esus' birth, they have attempted toCHANGE the year that He bogan hisministry, they have attempted toCHANGE the day of his death. and theyhave attempted to CHANGE the day ofhis resurrection,

Resurrection Sunday a Tradition

The common conception that the res­urrecrion occurred early on Sundaymorning is only a tradition. There wereno human eyewitnesses to the resurrec­tion. The only source of information towhich later church writers had accesswas the historic account revealed by theangelic messengers and preserved bythe gospel writers.

It was the "apostolic fathers" who be­gan to teach that the crucifixion occurredon Friday. Yer they admitted that theancient custom of fasting on Wednesdayprobably was derived from "the day onwhich Jesus was betrayed" and "onwhich the Sanhedrin decided to killhim"! (Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia ofReligious Knowledge. art. "Fasting." )

What an admission!These same teachers of the second

and third century greatly disputed aboutthe year of the crucifixion. They evenvaried from one and one-half years totwenty years in their dates of the lengthof Christ's ministry! What contradic­tions!

It's time we studied to see what reallyhappened.

The Evidence of Scripture

Before we examine the seven abso­lutely irrefutable proofs from history,let's note for a moment the evidence

from the Bible. Jesus was teaching hisdisciples, according to Mark's account,that he would "be killed, and after threedays rise again" (Mark 8: 31 ) .

Although the critics are in consterna­tion about what Jesus meant by the ex­pression "after three days," we needonly turn to jesus' own interpretation.These three days, at the completion ofwhich Jesus would rise, are explainedin Matthew 12: 38-40 to include threedays and three nights. Since Jesus inother scriptures also said that he would"rise the third day," it is obvious thatthe resurrection must have occurredprecisely at the completion of the thirdday following his burial.

Jesus was buried before sunset on theday of the crucifixion (Luke 25: 54) .Then the resurreerion must have oc­curred before sunset in the late Saturdayafternoon because when the womencame to the tomb, early the followingSunday morning, [esus had already risen.The angel said, "He is risen: he is norhere" (Mark 16:6).

Late Saturday afternoon being thetime of the resurrection, three days be­fore that would place the crucifixionon Wednesday, the preparation day.Thursday of that year must have beenan annual sabbath, the fifteenth ofNisan, the first annual sabbath in thedays of unleavened bread. So we wouldknow that that sabbath was nor neces­sarily the weekly sabbath, John was in:spired to call it a "high day" whichmeans an annual sabbath which may oc­cur during the week.

Mary picks up John's account by add­ing that AFTER THAT SABBATH, whichwas a high day, the women bought sweetspices to use in anointing the body of] esus (Mark 16: 1 ). This purchasing ofthe spices could nor have been on Thurs­day, the annual sabbath: it must havebeen Friday!

Having made their purchases, thewomen prepared these ointments "andrested the sabbath day according to thecommandment" (Luke 23: 56). Thiswas the seventh day sabbath uponwhich, near its close, Jesus was raisedfrom the dead. Thus the Bible proves

that the resurrection was not on Sunday,the crucifixion not on Friday. THEREWERE TWO SEPARATE SABBATHS THATWEEK!

Matthew 28: 1 Proves It!

A vital text proving that there weretwo sabbaths in that week has been ob­scured by almost every translation intoEnglish. Only Ferrar Fenton's versionhas this point correct.

Turn to Matthew 28: 1. In the com­mon versions it says, "In the end of thesabbath," or more correctly, "after thesabbath." Notice that both of these ren­derings use the singular-sabbath. Butin the original Greek the word is in thePLURAL. Fenton renders it correctly bysaying, "After the Sabbaths," althoughthe remaining part of the verse he hasnot translated quite correctly. In a foot­note to this text, he says, "The Creekoriginal is in the plural, 'Sebbaibs:"

Another Mistranslation

Another verse causing the Bible ap­parently to contradict itself is found inMark 16:9. When rightly translated thisverse does not prove that the resurrec­tion was on Sunday. In the commonversions, the comma is placed followingthe word "week" making it appear thatJesus had arisen on Sunday morning.But the use of commas in the Bible didnot develop until about fourteen cen­turies after this was written.

Here is the explanation. In the origi­nal Greek the phrase "early the first dayof the week" can be grammatically con­nected either with the words "havingrisen" or with the words "he appearedfirst to Mary Magdalene." The Exposi­tor's Greek Testament says the phrase"early the first day of the week" may beeither "connected with (having risen),indicating the time of the resurrection,or with (appeared), indicating the timeof the first appearance."

Other Scriptures, prove that it couldnot refer to the time of the resurrection.As it could refer to the first appearanceof Jesus to Mary (John 20: 14), thistext in Mark 16: 9 should have beentranslated. "Now having risen, early the

Page 4 The GOOD NEWS March, 1953

Herbert W. ArmstrongPublisher and Editor

first day of the week he appeared firstto Mary Magdalene."

Proof One: The CalendarTells WHEN

Sent free on personal request, as theLord provides. Address communica­tions to the Editor, Box 111, Pasadena.California. .

Copyright, March, 1953By Amhassador College

Age of Jesus at His Baptism

Jesus was anointed the Messiah in 27A. D., which was 483 years after decreeof Artaxerxes to restore Jerusalem. Thenext fact that we need to understand isthe age of Jesus when he was baptizedand entered upon his ministry.

The only historical account of thiswas written by Luke to Theophilus(Luke 1: 1-4). In this account it isplainly stated that when Jesus began his

may be calculated. These dates are soprecise that there can be no doubt thatthe passover upon which Jesus wascrucified occurred on Wednesday,April LS, A. 0. 31.

The first proof is the year in whichArtaxerxes issued his decree to restoreand build Jerusalem (Ezra 7). It is re­corded in Daniel 9: 25-26 that therewould be sixty-nine prophetic weeks(7 + 62) till the Messiah would come,after which he would be "cut ofI"­crucified-"not for himself' but for thesins of the whole world. Sixty nineprophetic weeks equals 483 years (69 x7).

When we determine the year in whichthis decree was issued, we can locate theexact year when Christ-the Messiah­began his ministry.

By figuring from the date of an un­disputed eclipse in the night followingthe 16th of July 523, as well as fromtwo other eclipses, it is possible to datecorrectly the reign of Artaxerxes. Hisfather reigned twenty-one years, accord­ing to the Canon of Ptolemy, and died 111

464 B. C. In the late summer of 464B. C. Arraxerxes began to reign. Hisfirst year would hence extend from 464B. C. to 463 B. C.

His seventh year-the year in whichhe issued his decree (Ezra 7: 8) -wouldextend from about the late summer of458 B. C. to the late summer of 457B. C. From the first month to the fifthmonth of God's calendar-from the lat­ter part of March to the latter part ofJuly, 457 B. C.-Ezra journeyed to ju­daea in the seuentb year of Artaxerxes.

And just 483 years later would bringus to A. D. 27-the year when the Mes­Jiah or Christ would appear.

Although the date of the issuance ofthis decree is amply proved from astronorny and the Canon of Ptolemy, his­torians often mis-interpret the facts tosuit their pet theories. Then theologiansquote from whatever historical sourcessuit them in order to change the truedate for the beginning of Christ's min­istry.

But the true date-457 B.C.-is ab­solutely fixed by astronomical observa­tion and by the Canon of Ptolemy, themost accurate record of hiJtory for thattime.

OTHER STATIONSWAIT-Chicago-820 on dial-l :00

P.M. Sundays.KMAC-San Antonio-630 on dial

-7:00 P..M. Sundays.

HEARD ON PACIFIC COAST:XERB-50,000 watts-1090 on dial

-7 :00 P.M. every night.XEOM-1580 on dial-6 :30 P.M.

every night.KALI-Los Angeles-1430 on dial­

7: 30 A.M. every morning.KBlA - Burbank - 1490 k.c.- 7: 30

A.M., week days, 9:30 A.M.,Sundays.

KXL-Portland-lO,OOO watts. 750on dial-2 :30 P.M., Sundays.

KPDQ - Portland - SOO on dial­8: 30 every morning.

KVI-Seattle-Tacoma-570, first ondial-1O:30 P.M. Sundays.

KVSM-S~n Fr~nciH'o-1050 on dial-3 :00 P.M: Sundays.

TO THE NATION & CANADA:XERF-1570 on your dial (extreme

top of dial) every Sundaynight, 7: 15 P.M. CentralStandard time.

XEG-1050 on your dial, every night,8 :00 P.M. Central Standardtime.

XELO-800 on your dial, every night,9 :00 P.M. Central Standardtime. (8 :00 Mountain Stand­ard time.)

Herbert W. Armstrong analyzes to­day's news, with the prophecies ofThe WORLD TOMORROW!

TO ALL OF EUROPE:RADIO LUXEMBOURG-4:15 P.M.

-Thursdays Luxembourg time.

AD. 29, Saturday, April 16A.D. 30, Friday, April 7A. D. 31, Wednesday, April 25A. D. 32, Monday, April 14A. D. 33, Friday, April 3

Several references give the passover,Nisan 14, as Monday, March 26 in theyear 31, but this is far too early. Theyear 30 was intercalary-it had thirteenmonths-thus placing the passover thir­ty days later in 31 A. D. The passovernever comes less than four days after thevernal equinox (March 21, today) andusually always not less than five days.But remember, in Jesus' day the equinoxdid not occur on March 21, but onMarch 23 because the Roman worldwas using the Julian calendar. Since atthat time March 26 was only three daysafter the equinox, it could not havebeen the passover. Hence in the year31 A. D. the passover was on Wednes­day-and this is THE ONLY POSSIBLE

YEAR in which Christ could have beencrucified as we shall now PROVE.

Proof Two: The Decree of Artaxerxes

There are seven basic dates fromwhich the exact year of Christ's death

RADIO LOG"The WORLD TOMORROW"

NUMBER 3VOL. III

Herman L. Hoeh, Executive Editor

Rod Meredith, Norman Smith,Raymond Cole, Marion McNair,Raymond McNair, Wayne Cole

Associate Editors

Calvin Allen, Campus Editor

Kenneth Herrmann, Science Editor

Dick Armstrong, Picture Editor

The national magazine of

AMBASSADOR COLLEGE

ministering to The Church of Godscattered abroad, and

reporting on campus happenings

Now let's examine the passover datesas Jesus died on the passover. We haveseen in previous articles that Jesus ob­served the true passover at the propertime-on the eve of the l-ith of God'sfirst month, called Nisan or Abib. Itwas the Jews in Judaea who were takingtheir own-the Jewish-passover a daylater than God commanded (John 18:28) .

On which day of the week did Jesusfinal passover fall? This simple questionhas perplexed theologians and historiansfor centuries, but the answer is so plaina child can understand it.

The passover is calculated by astron­omy as most everyone knows. The fol­lowing is a chart giving the dates ofvarious passovers (Nisan 14) whichoccurred about the time of the death ofJesus Christ. You can verify any ofthese dates by comparing Hasting's Dic­tionary. with the Encyclopaedia Biblica,and the Encyclopedia Britannica, article"Bible." None of these references arewholly accurate, however; but by put­ting all the facts together, these datesare the only possible conclusions.

March, 1953

ministry "he was about thirty years ald."(Luke 3: 23 ) .

If Jesus was about 30 years old in 27A.D. then he must have been born in4 B.C. as we shall now prove.

Proof Three: The Death of Herod

The time of Jesus's birth is important.Jesus was born before the death ofHerod the king (Mat. 2: 15 ). When didHerod die? Again the critics are in ut­most confusion because they have re­fused to weigh all the facts.

According to Josephus, the Jewishhistorian, Herod died, "having reigned,since he had procured Antigonus to beslain, thirty-four years; but since he hadbeen declared king by the Romans,thirty-seven". ( Antiquities, XVII, viii, 1 ) .

The two dates for the beginning ofHerod's reign are not disputed, but viv­en as 37 B.C. respectively (Ency. Bib ..p. 2026). Simple subtraction-whichthe theologians and critics seem unableto do. Herod died just prior to the be­ginning of spring in B.C. 3. Althoughhis death is commonly dated one wholeyear sooner (B. C. 4) it could not pos­sibly have occurred then. Neither wouldit have occurred later.

Why?Josephus mentions an eclipse of the

moon before the death of Herod. Thateclipse, as calculated, occurred March13, 4 B. C. Yet it was after this thatHerod went beyond the river Jordan tobe cured of his diseases. Finding thatthe physicians couldn't cure him, hestill revived sufficiently to return toJericho. There, he gathered together andcontrived the death of the principalmen of the entire Jewish nation. And asif this were not enough, Herod had hisson Antiparer killed five days before hisown death. Since these and otherevents occurred after the eclipse men­tioned by Josephus, that passover musthave been thirteen months later and notone month later. Thus Herod died inB.C. 3, the only date that agrees withall the known facts.

As Jesus was about thirty years oldin the early autumn of 27 A.D., then hemust have been born in the early autumnof B.C. 4, about a half year before thedeath of Herod. jesus could not havebeen born before this time, or he wouldhave been more than thirty years old atthe beginning of his ministry. Neithercould he have been born later in B.C. 2as some assume, for he would have beenonly twenty-eight years old. But Lukeplainly said that he was about thirtyyears of age.

When Did the Wise Men Arrive?

But what are we going to do withthe statement recorded in Matthew 2: 16

The GOOD NEWS

that Just before his death Herod had allthe children in Bethlehem killed "fromtwo years old and under"? This wouldappear to indicate thar Jeslls was hornone year earlier than he really was born.

Most people carelessly read this ac­count by assuming that Herod knew thedate of jesas' birth, They think he hadall the children killed because Jesusmust have been between one and twoyears old.

Think for a moment how illogicalrhis would be. Would a murderer likeHerod wait for at least one whole yearafter the Magi left hefore attempring rokill the child Jesus? Of course not.

The truth is that Herod did not knowthe time of [esus' birth. Notice whatthe Scripture said. As .IOUrt as Herodsaw that the Magi didn't rerum to himhe became very angry, ordering all thoselittle children butchered "from two yearsold and under, ACCORDING TO THE

TIME WHICH HE HAD exactly LEARNED

of the magi" (Mat. 2:16).Now what was the exact time that he

learned from the magi? Was it the dateof Jesus' birth?

No!Notice verse seven of rhis same chap­

ter: "Then Herod privily called themagi, and learned of them exactly thetime of ..." what? The birth of Jesus?No. But "o] the appearing star."

Of course.The wise men or Ill<lgi had come a

great distance from the East and the starhad appeared some time before thebirth of jesus in order for them to

prepare to make their journey to Beth­lehem while Jesus was still very young.Since the star appeared more than oneyear previously, Herod took no chancesbut had every infant killed up to twoyears of age.

Jesus was slightly less than six monthsold at the time of Herod's death. Thelatest possible date for the birth of Jesuswas the autumn of B. C. 4, before winterarrived (Luke 2: 8). This places thecommencement of the ministry ofChrist, thirty years later in the autumnof the year 27.

Proof Four: Temple UnderConstruction 46 Years

Here is another clinching fact.Jesus was about thirty years old when

he began his ministry in the autumn of27 A.D. The first passouer in his minis­try must have occurred the next spring,AD 7H It W:lS ar rhar rime rhar rheJews enid Iesus that the temple of Herodwas .already forty-six full years underconstruction (John 2: 20).

Herod began constructing the temple,after thorough preparation, in the lastpart of his 18th year according to Jo-

Page 5

sephus. Since he reckons this year fromthe spring of B.C. 37, the 18th yearwould be 20-19 B.C. The temple wasbegun in rhe months prece<1ing rhepassover, B.C. 19 t Encv. Bib., art."Temple" ).

Forty-six full years later would bringUS ro the beginning of A.D. 28, beforethe first passover in Jesus' ministry.

If the ministry of Christ began in anyother year than the autumn of A.D. 27,then the temple would not have beenexactly 46 years in building by the timeof the passover in the spring of the yearfollow ing

Proof Five: The Reign ofEmperor Tiberius

One of the most viral keys to thechronology of Christ's ministry-and yetone of the most universally misunder­srood dates-is the 15th year of the reignof Tiberius Caesar. Luke tells us thatJohn the Baptist began to preach in hisl Srh year (Luke 3: 1 ) .

When was this fifteenth year?The trouble arises from the fact that

there are at least two dates from whichthe reign of Tiberius Caesar may becoumed-the first begins with his beingmade co-ruler with Augustus Caesar,August, A.D. 11, and the second beginswith his sale rule three years later inAugust, A.D. 14. Luke could have usedeither date and been historically correct.But which one did he use?

To be consistent with all the otherfacts, Luke must have used A.D. 11 asthe beginning of the reign of Tiberius.In fact, for the word "reign" Luke usesa Greek word meaning "government" ingeneral, indicating that he did not meanhis sale emperorship, but merely hisbeing elevated to authority.

The 15th year of Tiberius wouldtherefore extend from the beginning ofSeptember AD. 26 to the same monthin A.D. 27. In this 15th year John theBaptist began to preach repentance allabout the Jordan River before Jesuswas baptized by him. lobn's ministryoccupied many months in which he pre­pared the way for Jesus. This provesthat Jesus did nor start his ministry un­ril about the autumn of A.D. 27, the ex­act time that Jesus was thirty years old.(Luke 7,:23.)

Proof Six: When Was PilateGovernor?

Notice how all these dates prove ex­actly rhe season of the year that Jesusbegan preaching.

The next record is JUSt as plain. Itproves that John the Baptist did notcome out of the wilderness to preachumil the beginning of A.D. 27, about

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Truth about Unclean Meatsby Raymond F. McNair

I T IS commonly taught that all foods-as this world designates foods­are fir for human consumption­

that we may eat anything we desire andit won't harm our bodies.

To suppOrt this idea, Paul's epistles areinterpreted to mean that we no longerhave to follow the teaching that certainmeats are not good for the human body.

But is this what Paul really taught?Let's turn to the beginning of the

14rh chaprer of Romans. Notice what heis writing: "Him that is WEAK in theFAITH receive ye ... For one believ­eth that he may eat all things, anotherwho is WEAK, eateth HERBS (VEGETA­BLES)." (Rom. 14: 1-2).

Of whom was Paul speaking? Ofthose who were VEGETARIANS only andof those who believed in eating meatsas well as vegetables and fruits.

Thus you see the apostle Paul COIl­

fronted wirh the same problem that weencounter today in carrying the gospelto the world. You would be surprisedat the number of people who do not eatMEATS or even any animal products­milk, butter, cheese, or eggs. Others havea meatless day, or days on which theyeat only fish.

False Teaching About Meats to Arise

We are explicitly told in scripturethat religious cult s would arise com­manding people to abstain from thosemeats which God created to be eaten bythose who know and believe the truth.

Notice whar Paul says in I Tim. 4: I-S. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,that in the latter times some shall DE­

PART from the faith, giving heed to St·

ducing spirits, and DOCTRINES OF DEV­ILS . . . COMMANDING TO ABSTAINfrom meats, which GOD HATH CREATEDTO BE RECEIVEO with thanksgiving ofthem which believe and kno1l' theTRUTH."

What is truth? "Thy word is TRUTH."(John 17: 17). So the Bible-God'sWord-reveals the TRUTH concerningwhich meats are good for food. Weshould not refuse any food which, ac­cording to the TRUTH, God created to beeaten. But does this mean that ALL meatsare healthful and fit food for the humanbody?

Notice I Tim. 4: 5. We are not to re­fuse any creature that "is sanctified (setapart) by the word of God and prayer."Christians are allowed to eat everyone ofthose creatures which have been SANC­TIFIE~Jet apart as fit for hu'man food.

Now WHICH meats has God sancti­fied for human food? The only passagesin all the Bible showing which meatsGOD SANCTIFIED are found in Leviti­cus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Here youfind that it is the "clean"-healthful­meats which are good for food. There isnot one single scripture showing thatGod ever set apart as fit for food anyunclean creatures-snails, oysters, clams,snakes, octopuses, skunks, rats, horses orswine. Yet people eat these creatureswithout fully realizing the harm theyare doing to their bodies.

Now lee's turn to the 14th chapter ofRomans again.

Vegetarians at Rome

In the second verse Paul speaks ofthose who are WEAK in the faith whoeat vegetables (herbs) only-who suc­cumbed to the teaching and doctrinesof "seducing spirits"-abstaining fromthose clean meats which God had orig­inally set apart in His word for man'snourishment.

The question confronting Paul wasnot that Christians in Rome contendedthe unclean animals had been cleansedby God-the common false assum-ptio«of today-but the real issue, accordingto verse two, was over the vegetarian be­lief held by some that NO MEATS what­soever should be eaten.

Paul was straightening the brethrenout on this matter, telling them thatnone of those clean meats which hadbeen sanctified by God should be re­fused. He pointed out to them, however,that it would be wrong for the vegetari­ans to eat meat if they had doubts aboutit, thereby defiling their weak con­sciences. For he wrote, ''. . . happy ishe that condemnetb not himself in thatthing which he allowcrh. And he thatdoubteth is damned if he eat, because heeateth not of faith: for whatsoever isnot of faith is sin.' (Rom. 14:22-23).

We must follow what we believe tobe right ACCORDING TO THE WORDOF GOD. This does not mean that ourconsciences always tell us what is right-not at alL We have to continuallystudy to learn what is right and wrong.But God thinks more highly of one whomight sincerely and conscienriously dothe wrong thing not knowing the fulltruth than he does of a person whowould do the right thing according tothe letter, but who really believes in hisheart that he was doing wrong. There­fore we must educate our consciences

according to the TRUTH-according tothe Word of God-so that our con­sciences will not misguide us.

Since Paul taught Timothy to distin­guish between those meats which Godcalls "clean" and "unclean," and sincehe would not have contradicted himself,he must have used the phrase "nothingis unclean" (Rom. 14: 14) to mean thatNONE of the clean meats is unclean ofitself, "but to him (the vegetarian) thatesteemeth any thing to be unclean, tohim it is unclean" but not to us whoknow that ALL clean meats are good forfood.

Nevertheless remember that we mustnot judge those who think meatsshouldn't be eaten. We should not eveneat meat if a true brother would stumble(Romans 14:20,21).

Everyone Has His Own Opinion

Apart from the word of God probablyno two people on earth would complete­ly agree as to what meats should be eat­en. Everyone has his own idea as towhat HE THINKS is right on this sub­jeer.

One believes in eating horse meat,another believes in eating snails or rat­tlesnake meat, someone else eats opos­sum, still others (especially orientals)esteem mice to be a delicacy, in someislands ocropus is a highly prized raredish, and of course millions like "thatdelicious roast pork"-to say nothing ofwhat is commonly referred to as "seafoods."

Did these ideas come from the Bibleor did they come from human customand tradition?

Bur just who designed the humanbody? Who is it that created all plantand animal life? Should not He, theirCreator, know what animals we shouldeat?

The answer is-yes! He, God theCreator, does know and has revealed toman which meats are good for him­which ones will provide the propernourishment to make him healthy.

A Common Objection

Some who haven't completely yieldedthemselves to God will likely retort, "Isrill believe everything is clean. Yessir-e-e-e, and you can't change me."

Maybe you do believe that, but yourbeliefs will not alter the TRUTH whenyou face God on the judgment day. Ifyou violate God's physical laws concern-

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God's Sacred CalendarThe Roman calendar on your wall originated with Julius Caesarabout 45 B.C. But God gave Israel a DIFFERENT calendar! lf7ithout

a knowledge of it you can not obey the Creator!

by Kenneth Herrmann

W HAT is the true calendar pro­vided by God? Has God left itup to each individual to follow

whatever calendar he pleases? Or isthere an accurate one which He has pre­served for us today?

How can we know the proper time tokeep Passover, the Feast of Tabernaclesand the other sacred days which Godcommanded for the church?

True Units of Time

The first evidence of God's calendaris found in Genesis 1: 14. The sun andmoon are "for signs, and for seasons, andfor days, and years."

The present Roman calendar does notmeet this qualification. It divides theyear in the dead of the winter. It dividesthe day in the middle of the night anditS month has no reference to the moon.lt couldn't be God's calendar.

What, then, is God's method of calcu­lating time?

The first unit of time revealed in theBible is rhe day. Six rimes in Genesis]the term "evening and morning" is used,always with the evening or dark partof the day preceding the morning or day­light part of each day. The day as re­vealed by God does not begin in themiddle of the night but at sunset.

This division of days was correctlyunderstood at Christ's time. When theSabbath was drawing to a close, thosewho wished him to heal them waited,and "when the sun was setting all theythat had any sick with divers diseasesbrought them unto him; and he laid hishands on everyone of them, and healedthem."

They understood when the day wouldcome to an end, though they were notaware of the fact that Christ would healon the Sabbath day also.

Could "the lights in the firmament ofthe heaven. . . divide the day from thenight" (Gen. 1: 14) unless the momentof sunset were used as the proper divi­sion of one day from another?

Notice what Mark also records: "Andat even, when the sun did set, theybrought unto him all that were diseased,and them that were possessed with dev­ils." They brought these people to Christwhen the Sabbath day was over, "whenthe sun did set" (Mark 1: 32 ) .

That a new day begins with nightfall

IS also confirmed by the description ofthe Day of Atonement occurring on thetenth day of the month. "In the ninthday of the month at even, from evenunto even, shall ye celebrate your sab­bath" (Lev. 23: 27-32). Notice that thetenth day began at the very close-theevening at sunset--Df the ninth day.

The exact moment for the end of aday is again revealed by a comparison ofLev. 22:7 with Lev. 15. Unclean indi­viduals were instructed to bathe andwere then considered clean when theevening came. "When the sun is down,he shall be clean" (Lev. 22: 7). A newday had begun at sunset, not at mid­night.

God wants you to begin the observ­ance uf His hulydays at sunset, nor inthe middle of the night according to aman-made watch.

The Origin of the Week

When did the period of time calledrhe week come into existence? Was itfirst revealed to Moses and rhe childrenof Israel when they came out of Egypt

'Far from it!Notice Genesis 29. For several hun­

dred years prior to the Exodus, Jacob,whose name was changed to Israel,served Laban seven years for each of histwo daughters, Rachel and Leah. Thatseven year period was termed a "week."So they already had the knowledge ofthe week as a seven day period. (Theyalso knew that a prophetic day might beused symbolically to represent a year­an important key to the understandingof Bible prophecy.)

The first time the word "week" occursin the Bible is in connection with Ja­cob's service to Laban, yet the first weekmentioned in the Bible was nearly overwhen Adam was created. The sixth dayof this first week came to a close withAdam's naming of the animals, his pres­entation with Eve and with God's com­mands concerning man's position andduties on the earth.

Six of the days of creation were past;yet there remained one thing which theEternal God had yet to make for man.Christ speaks of it in Mark 2: 27; "THE

SABBA TH was made for man, and notmall fur the sabbath." Cumpleting sixdays of physical creation, God rested onthe seventh day of this first week, blessed

it and set it apart for holy use. Thisweekly cycle of six days of labor and aseventh devoted to our spiritual needsbas never been broken and continuesfor us today. Write for Mr. Armstrong'sfree booklet, "Has Time Been Lost?" forproof.

Yes, those who observe the seventhday of the week, called Saturday today,are observing the same seventh day Godrested on, blessed and sanctified!

There is no basis from astronomy whythe week should be a period of sevendays. It does not divide evenly into themonth or the year. No signs in theheavens can be held accountable for itsorigin. THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE

WEEK IS PROOF OF THE TRUTH OFTHE SEVEN DAY CREATION WEEK OF

GENESIS 1 AND 2.The continual observance of God's

Sabbath kept man in the knowledge ofthis seven day unit of time. And the factthat the week has continued is strongevidence that God's Sabbath has neverbeen lost.

Spring Begins the Sacred Year

We have found that the new day be­gins just as the sun sinks below theborizon and that the week begins withthe sunset FOLLOWING THE SEVENTHDAY. This was true in Adam's time. Itwas still true over 4000 years later afterChrist's death when the day after theSabbath was the first day of the week orSunday (Matt. 28: 1).

But where does the Scripture give usinformation concerning the month andthe year? When were they first madeknown to man?

The Eternal God instructed Israel,while they were still in Egypt, when tobegin a new year. Why was this neces­sary? Weren't these facts known to thepatriarchs and followed by them? Theycertainly were. The reason for the reis­suing of this knowledge is that the de­scendants of Israel had been in slaveryin Egypt for two centuries after thedeath of Joseph and had lost contactwith the true God. They had lost· God'smerbod of keeping time. Only a fewmay have retained a partial knowledgeof these things.

Tu clarify matters for everyone, Godhad to reveal it. Concerning the springmonth of Nisan or Abib, God said:

Page 8

"This month shall be unto you the be­ginning of months: it shall be the fintmonth of the year to you." ( Exodus12: 2).

The first day of this month-whichoccurs at the beginning of spring-thenwould be the first day of the year. Thefirst month in God's sacred calendar isn'tJanuary which begins in the middle ofa dead winter,

The word month comes from theword moon. In Hebrew rhe word formonth when speaking of the calendar isthe same as for new moon or moon.God's months begin with the new moon.However, these months may seem tobegin a day or so following the actualnew moon because of certain specialconsiderations. The observation of thenew moon is to be made from Jerusalem,not from the North American continent.The seven to ten hours difference intime between Jerusalem and the partof the country you live in will make ac­tual observation of the new moon fromAmerica misleading.

More Evidence on the Month

You can prove that each month beganwith the new moon by comparing Num.28.11 with I Chronicles 23:31. Inevery instance the monthly offeringswere made on the day of the new moon.

In the second year of their exodusfrom Egypt, God commanded Israelconcerning the blowing of trumpets;"In the beginnings of your months, yeshall blow with the trumpets over yourburnt offerings." (Num, 10: 10). Con­cerning his holydays, he said, "In theseventh month, in the fint day of themonth, shall ye have a sabbath (resr ) ,a memorial of blowing of trumpets, anholy convocation." (Lev. 23:24). Inreference to this same day Psalms 81: 3states, "Blow up the trumpet in thenew moon, in the time appointed, onour solemn feast day." There can be nodoubt that the start of a new month isregulated by the moon. Each month be­gan with a new moon.

Do these months coincide with themonths of the Roman calendar? Not atall.

The date of the new moon on theRoman calendar may occur at any timeuf the month. The few moments re­quired to prove this to yourself will beprofitably spent. The astronomicalmonths God gave us average approxi­mately 29Y2 days, while the Romanmonths are close to 30Y:1 days on theaverage. The difference in length causesthe months of the true calendar to be­gin, in general, one day earlier each suc­ceeding month of the Roman calendar.

It is important to recognize that thedays of God's months seldom coincidewith those of the Roman calendar. The

The GOOD NEWS

Passover, for instance, being the: 14thday of God's first month varies fromabout March 26th to April 22nd over aten year period.

Thus we have established the dailycycle beginning at sundown, the week­ly cycle beginning at sundown follow­ing the Sabbath, the monthly cycle be­ginning with the new moon and theyearly cycle beginning in the springwith the first day of the month in whichthe early harvest would take place. Theday, month and year are easy to followby watching the sun in its daily path,the moon in its phases and the seasonsas (hey progress. The signs in the heav­ens were intended for this purpose. TheSabbath is remembered by its weeklyobservance.

There Are Complications

In setting up this true calendar, someminor complications do arise when anattempt is made to relate the day to themonth and the month to the year. Forexample, the length of time betweennew moons is slightly more than 29Y2days. To solve this, one month in gener­al has 30 days, the next 29. Minor ad­justments from this pattern take care ofthe remaining fraction.

In fitting the months inca the yearmore difficulties are encountered. Thetime required for the spring season toreturn each year is approximately 365~

days. Twelve lunar months make only354 days. Unless something were donethe calendar would slip about 11 daysbehind the seasons each year. This couldnot be allowed for the feasts throughoutthe year have a definite relationship withThe harvests. Note Lev. 23:4, "These arethe feasts of the LORD, even holy convo­cations, which ye shall proclaim in theirseasons."

The Passover had to be at the time ofthe early grain harvest for the highpriest waves a sheaf of the new graincrop on the morrow after the Sabbathduring the Feast of Unleavened Bread."Keep this ordinance in his season fromyear to year." (Ex. 13: 10). No othergrain could be cut until the wave sheafwas offered. (Check Ex. 23: 14-17,Deur. 16:9-16 and Num. 28:2 also.)

To keep the month in accord withthe year, God intended that a 13thmonth be added in certain years. Seventimes in a 19 year cycle this 13th monthmust be added to keep the year in accordwith the seasons. Then the cycle is re­peated.

Confusion or Order

The appearance of the new moon inthe western sky just after sunset is usedto determine the beginning of a newmonth. A keen eyed observer mightnote this first faint sickle a day earlier

March, 1953

rhau his neighbor. Is he justified instarting the new month with that daywhile his neighbor waits till the follow­ing evening? Can one man add' a 13thmonth to the year and another wait un­til the next year to add the correctingmonth. No. It would be confusion.

Is there to he confusion or order?Logic would require that some CEN­

TRAL AUTHORITY be guided in the taskof determining which months shouldhave the 30th day and which yearsshould have a 13th month.

Thi.r need for a true central authorityconcerning the calendar is absoluteproof that such authority existed. Addthe fact that God requires us to keepHis holydaYf today and we must con­clude that some SUCH AUTHORIlY ONTHE CALENDAR EXISTS FOR US TO­

DAY. God never fails to provide manwith knowledge that he must know andcan not find Out for himself.

While no mention is made in Scrip­ture concerning the need for somemonths to have 30 days and others only29 or that some years have 13 monthsand others only 12, the facts of astrono­my-the exact measurement of thelength of the day, month and year­taken with the commands of the Scrip­ture prove that this must be necessary.

Who Are the Calendar Specialists?

The perfect clock of the heavens isthe timepiece given by God to man. In­structions concerning its use were givenafter Israel came out of Egypt. Theywere only a repetition of earlier instruc­tions known to Adam, Noah and Abra­ham alike.

Certain men were given understand­ing in this matter so there would beorder rather than confusion. "Of thechildren of Issachar, were men that hadunderstanding of the times, to knowuba: Israel ought to do." (I Chr. 12: 32)God had commanded Israel to observethe holydays in their seasons and also indefinite months. To keep the seasons inaccord with the calendar year, a thir­teenth month had to be added every 2or 3 years. God did provide men withunderstanding as to when to add theseextra months. They understood when toadd a 30th day to a month regularlyhaving only 29, a necessity in keepingthe calendar accurate.

Thus we conclude that there weremen whose GOD-GIVEN AUTHORIlY IN

THE MATTER OF KEEPING THE CALEN­

DAR WAS RECOGNIZED AND FOLLOWED

BY ALL THE PEOPLE. God told Israelthe days to be observed but did not leaveit to the individual to devise his owncalendar adding an extra day to a monthor month to a year when it might pleasehim. Certain men specialized in this

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Are Babies "Saved"If They Die?

by Rod Meredith

GOD IS working out a great pur­pose in our lives which veryfew people understand.

We mortal human beings were notborn with perfect characters. We cameinto this world with a carnal mind whichfrom birth is enmity against God's way(Romans 8:8).

But God is developing perfect, spir­itual character in us through experienceand suffering. We have all heard the ex­pression, "Well, he certainly learned hislesson that time!" Experience is a greatteacher. We can profit from our mistakesif we "learn our lesson" and quit repeat­ing those mistakes.

Few Know What Salvation is

But most people find it hard to applythis principle to the spiritual realm be­cause they don't know what salvationreally is. God is not trying to save every­one now. Only certain ones are being"called." Salvation involves learning thatour own way is wrong, repenting of it,accepting Christ as Savior and acqui-ringGod's character to nc US to become sonsof GOd-MEMBERS of the GODHEAD---­and kings and priests under JesusChrist in the kingdom of God (Rev. 5:10) .

Failing to understand this, some peo­ple believe that little children and ba­bies are "saved" if they die. To justifythis teaching, they refer to Matthew 18'3-6 which reads, "Verily I say unto you,except you be converted, and becomeAS little children. ye shall nor enter intothe kingdom of heaven. Whosoevertherefore shall humble himself AS this

God's Sacred Calendar(Continued from page I:!)

field of astronomy. Their decisions, guid­ed by Scriptural instructions, were ac­cepted by the nation.

Is the Sacred Calendar Still Correct?

Has God's calendar been preservedintact for us today? If not, then in com­manding us to observe these holydays,God has asked us to do the impos.rible.If God's calendar is lost, God's com­mandments in regard to these feast daysare impossible to keep!

But since God doesn't command the

litt]« child, the same is the greatest inthe kingdom of h<:aven."

Notice that Jesus didn't say, "Chil­dren are converted and will be greatestin the kingdom." He was speaking tohis disciples, telling them to cultivatecharacrerisrics that little children oughtto have. He knew that a normal, well­trained child will be humble before hisparents and have implicit faith in theirlove, wisdom, and power to help him.Christ was simply pointing out that hisfollowers need this quality in order toinherit God's kingdom.

Christ repeated this same principlewhen he said, "Verily I say unto you,whosoever shall not receive the kingdomof God as a little child, he shall notenter therein" (Mark 10: 13-16). It isthe mature, converted Christian whothrough a lifetime of experience hum­bles himself as a little child, keepsGod's commandments and acquiresGod's character, who has a right to eter­nal life in the family of God and entersinto the gates of the eternal city (Rev.22:14).

God's great purpose is that we learnthe value of His ways through ex-peri­ence and trial and test and even suffer­mg. Even Christ, "though he were a Son,yet learned he obedience by the thingswhich he suffered" (Hebrews 5: 8). Be­fore giving lIS eternal life, with all ofits powers and responsibilities, God in­tends that we learn obedience to Hislaw-the right and happy way of life.

No Spiritual Growth

Little children have not had oppor-

impossible, THE CALENDAR IS PRE·SERVED~

To whom, was the responsibility com­mitted? The oracles of God were com­mitted to all Israel to be passed on fromgeneration to generation. Aces 7: 38speaks of the Israelites "who received thelively oracles to give unto us." Oraclesare communications from God. Thesewere given ro :,Il Israel, hoth the houseof Israel and [he house of Judah. Thehouse of Israel went into captivity in721 B.C. losing her idenriry and herknowledge of God. She did not preset-VI;ib« calendar or ibe Bible for us. Whodid.

tunity for this Jptrttual gro iotb, Theywere born mortal and have had noeternal life in them because they did notreceive the Spirit or life of God whichimparts eternal life. "But if the Spiritof him that raised up Jesus from thedead dwell in you, he that raised upChrist from the dead shall also quickenyour mortal bodies by his Spirit thatdwelleth in you" (Romans 8: 11). Littlechildren die without having been begot­ten by this Spirit, or life, of God.

We read that "God is no respecter ofpersons" (Acts 10: 34 ). Yet He permitsmany little children to die without know­ing the truth. Therefore, he would haveto raise them from the dead and givethem their first and only opportunity togain eternal life!

All people-young or old-who havedied in ignorance of God's laws andways will be given their opportunityfor salvation. This is the Great WhiteThrone Judgment described in Rev,20: 12-13.

The July 1952 issue of the "GoodNews" contains an article which fullyexplains this subject. If you are a newreader, write for the July 1952 issueimmediately so you can read the article"Is this the ONLY Day of Salvation?"

God deals fairly and equally withevery person. He does not have the hur­ried and confusing way of "saving" peo­ple that misguided preachers have imag­ined. We need time to "grow in graceand knowledge." Everyone, including lit­tle children needs character developmentwhich comes bei ore we inherit the pre­cious gi ft of eternal life.

The house of Judah went into cap­tivity in 604 B.C. but retained knowl­edge of her identity and her God. Rec­ognizing the fact [hat she had gone intocaptivity for breaking the Sabbath, Ju­dah became very strict in its observanceand retained ir for us today.

Notice what Paul asks himself:'What advantage then hath the Jew?"Then he answers in parr, "Much everyway: chiefly, because that unto themwere committed the oracles of Goa.'(Romans 3: I, 2) The Jews alone wereleft to preserve the Scripture. the Sab­bath AND THE CALENDAR. If rhev didnor fulfill this God-given commission.

Page 10

we have 110 real basis for calcularing theHoly Days of God.

Christ Followed Same Calendar

If the Jews did not preserve the law,could Christ have lived His early life inthe knowledge of it?

He accused the Jews of "laying asidethe commandment of God (to) holdthe tradition of men." (Mark 7: 8) Thecommands Jesus followed were the oneswritten in the Law-the Scripture theyhad preserved, yet refused to obey.

Had they not preserved the knowledgeof keeping time, as well as the Scrip­ture, Christ could not have observedPassover, Pentecost, the Feast of Trum­pets and the Feast of Tabernacles in theirproper seasons during His boyhood. Hecould not have lived a sinless life. Theauthority for keeping the calendar wasdelegated to the Jews and THEY DIDPRESERVE !T.

Here is absolute proof of Jesus' rec­ognition of the authority vested in thereligious leaders of Judah at that time.Christ kept the same Sabbath that Jewsaround him did. He observed the sameholydays, proving that they had a correctknowledge of time. In speaking of theScripture, He accepted the same Scrip­ture which had been entrusted to Israelby Moses and the Prophets. Christ rec­ognized that IN THESE POINTS thehouse of Judah had carried out its com­miSSIOn.

Are There Other Formulas?

Some sects disagree with the calendarwhich the Jews preserved and have de­veloped their own formulas for begin­ning the year. The "authorities" theyuse are the writers of profane history.

Some believe the ancient reckoningof Passover was from the actual sight ofthe new moon NEAREST the vernalequinox and cite Josephus, a Jewish his­torian, to indicate that Passover couldnever be earlier than March 20th, orlater than April 19th. Yet this sameJosephus is quoted in Hasting's BibleDictionary as saying the vernal equi­nox (March 21) always occurred inN isan. This means the year began withthe new moon PRIOR to March 21stand that Passover could be as earlv asMarch 5th bur not later than April '3rd.

Thus one writer quotes Josephus(Ant. I,X.5) to begin the year withthe new moon PRIOR to March 21st;another uses the same Josephus to provewe ought to take the new moon NEAR­

EST the same date; still another source,the Encyclopaedia Britannic», assertsthat the year ALWAYS began with thefirst new moon AFTER March 21st.

Writers of profane history only con­tradict themselves. They can not be de­pended upon to preserve this essential

The GOOD NEWS

knowledge. God has in no way usedthem to preserve His Sabbath or calen­dar.

Neither the oracles of God nor thepreservation of HIS times were commit­ted to writers of profane history.

The Jewish nation has preserved theScripture, Sabbath and calendar for useven though individuals in that nationlacking guidance from God have strayedfrom the truth on these issues.

From Observation to Calculation

At first observation was the chiefmethod for the determination of the be­glllnlllg of a new month or new year.Gradually, after years went by, a definitepattern began to emerge in the inser­tion of the extra days and extra months.For example, when weather did notpermit actual observation of the faintsickle of the growing new moon, thoseentrusted with the matter were able todetermine the correct day by astronomiccalculation. But observation continuedto be used in connection with calcula­tion by keen-eyed men stationed on theheights about Jerusalem to watch forsign of the new month.

So long as the people were in closecontact with one another observationwas satisfactory. Foreseeing world con­ditions ahead where the Church as wellas the Jews would be scattered, GOD

GUIDED THESE MEN TO SET UP A CAL­

ENDAR based on the laws of mathe­matics and astronomy-the very physi­cal laws God set in motion-s-a calendarthat could be prepared far into the fu­ture-for our day-one that would beACCURATE. NOT A NEW CALENDAR, buta mathematical continuation of the orig­inal one based on observations of thesigns of the heavens over a period ofnearly 2000 years; a calendar that wouldlead to order and harmony among God'speople in the matter of keeping time.

This Is Our Part

Understanding that God commis­sioned and required his people, theJews, to keep the calendar intact, wehave left only the problem of transfer­ring the dates from the true calendar ofGod to the present day Roman calendar.(Caution, do not accept the Jewishdates for Passover or Pentecost as theJews have departed from the Biblicalinstructions as to when these days mustbe observed.)

Lacking a Jewish calendar, or wishingperhaps to know the dates for comingyears one may use a somewhat moredifficult method. The dates for theFeast of Trumpets for the coming yearsare given in Web,rter's New CollegiateDictionary. This feast occurs on the Lst

day of the 7th month and the rest ofthe holydays in the year are quite easily

March, 1953

determined from the date of this feast.

How to Transfer the Dates

Let us calculate this year's holydays.From Webster's Dictionary we find thatthe Feast of Trumpets is Sept. 10th.This is the first day of God's seventhmonth.

Next let us find the first day of thefirst month. Rule one: Get the date ofthe Feast of Trumpets from a reliablesource. Rule two: The Feast is the 177thday after the first day of the year. (Threemonths of 29 days and three months of30.) You will find that March 17th isthe first day of the sacred year.

Rule three: The Passover day is thethirteenth day after the first day of theyear. This brings us to Monday, March30th. (Caution, all these days begin thepreceding evening.) The Passover serv­ice then should be held Sunday evening,March 29th. shortly after sunset, which isthe beginning of the 14th day of God'sfirst month. The seven days of Un­leavened Bread are March 31 throughApril 6.

Rule four: The day of the wavesheaf offering falls on the first day ofthe week (or Sunday) following thefirst weekly Sabbath (Saturday) duringFeast of Unleavened Bread. The date ofthe wave sheaf offering is April 5th.Though there is no observance of thisday it is of utmost importance in figur­ing Pentecost.

Rule five: Pentecost (meaning countfifty) is the fiftieth day after the day ofthe wave sheaf offering. This feast willbe on Monday, May 25th, this year.

Fall Feast Days

The next holyday, the Feast ofTrumpets, we found from the diction­ary to be Sept. l Orh or the first day ofGod's seventh month. Following this,"on the tenth day of this seventh monththere shall be a day of atonement"(Lev. 23:27). The tenth day of themonth, which is nine days after Sept.lath, brings us Sept. 19th, the Day ofAtonement, the fast day.

Then, "The fifteenth day of this sev­enth month shall be the feast of taber­nacles for seven days unto the LORD"

(verse 34). The fourteenth day afterSept. l Orh brings us to Sept. 24th (sun­set Sept. 23rd), the first day of thisFeast. It will continue seven days, Sept.24th through 30th, and the eighth day,Ocr. l st, is the high day following theFeast.

How very clear it is that God hasprovided mankind with His holy Calen­dar. He preserved that calendar throughthe Jewish people. Through them Godhas given you His sacred calendar soyou would be able to observe the daysHe commands.

ON THE CAMPUSFOLLOW'ING are articles uiritten by students on student activ­

ittes to give you the story of our iam-packed lires on the campus. We hope you won'tmind if we occasionally poke a little fun at ourselves-striving human beings are alwaysfunny-and no matter how serious minded, our frailties wink. The Campus Editor

Tobogganing!by Janette Spurlin

On Thursday afternoon, January 15th,Mr. Jack Elliott's physical educationclass went to the snow lines. From ourstudent residence at Mayfair we can seethis beautiful snow-capped mountainwhich is named "Mount Baldy." Thesnow remains on this mountain for aboutthree months our of the year.

We left Mayfair about one-thirty witheveryone packed into three cars. Afterdriving about an hour, we arrived inthe beauriful snow-covered mountains.And what a drastic temperature change

- we experienced! In Pasadena, we didn'teven need our sweaters, bur in thosemagnificent and majestic mountains, weneeded our heaviest winter coat.

On our way up we sropped and rentedtoboggans. When we arrived, everyonewas eager to get on his toboggan whichwas a sled made of a t hin board curvedupward and backward at the front end.After exploring around a while to finda suitable place, the fun began. For someof the students this W,lS a new and ex­citing experience. After several hoursof thrills and spills, everyone was tiredand ready to get back to Mayfair.

On our way back, we stopped alongthe route and Mr. Elliott treated us tosome hot chocolate. After all the exer­cise in the snow this was very tasty andrefreshing.

The next day brought the howls andlaughs. Some had a little trouble walk­ing and sitting comfortably. However,we all came our safe and sound and anx­iously awaiting our next trip to thesnow-line.

Comedies for Profitby Elva Russell

On the evening of January 19th at7: 30 p.m., several of the students, underthe direction of Professor TheodoreWalker, produced three one-act com­edies as a class project. We spent sev­eral class periods for rehearsals, plusmany hours practice outside of class,every minute of which was enjoyed tre­mendously by those of us who are inter­ested in dramatics.

Finally after weeks of preparation thegrear moment of expectation arrived!

The curtain was raised! In rhar instantsome of US felt raeher ill-at-case. Wefeared what would happen if we forgotour lines. Perhaps this "ill-at-ease" feel­ing could be defined as "stage fright."

But after walking onto the stage weforgot to be afraid! We could think ofnothing except the desire to play ourparts well and to make our listenerslaugh and enjoy themselves. We wantedthose who had come to see our perform­ance feel that the time had been wellspent. We hoped they would feel thattheir evening was both pleasurable andprofitable.

Professor Theodore Walker had adual purpose in producing these corn­edies, (1) For the pleasure and enter­tainment of other students, facultymembers and friends, and (2) for thepurpose of giving us training 10 speak­ing, enunciation, and expression. Thosemen God has chosen to be His futureministers must be capable of expressingthe truth, which he has revealed tothem, in a lively and interesting manner-in a way which will keep the congre­gation alert and interested in every word-they must be kept awake-s-otherwisethe word of God will go unheeded.

Each of these three humorous com­edies had a moral which we would alldo well to heed. The first of these playswas Aunt Caroline's pearls starring Nor­man Smith as Robert, Charlene Gloveras Jean, and Paul Smith as Jean's father.Regardless of how comical this playseemed at the moment, we all wenthome, realizing the seriousness of theplot involved. It taught us that weshould not accuse others falsely. We donot know what is in another person'sheart, We learned from chis that weshould not "judge according to appear­ances" as Jesus said in John 7: 24.

The second comedy was entitled"Easy Money." The cast included Em­mett Rushing as Velvet Joe, WayneCole as Harlem, and Doris Allen asDaffydil. This comedy involved a cer­tain group or class of people who haveforgotten that man must still earn his"bread and butter," his very existence­just as Adam did-by the sweat of hisface (Gen. 3: 19) .

People transgress God's laws in orderco get money and they think nothing ofit. They don't care how much they steal,lie, or cheat their neighbor-just so theyreceive the "almighty dollar," We learned

from this true-to-life story co trust noman. We can trust no man, because theheart of man is deceitful and wickedaccording to the Bible. However. wemust realize that certain duties muse beentrusted to people. We must put a cer­tain amount of confidence in people orrely upon them to perform variousduties.

"The Dummy" was the third and lastcomedy. Calvin Allen played the panof Roy Ulysses Hitchcock and Mary JoBurrow was Jane, his wife, Elva Rus­sell was Emma the maid, while GeneMichel played the part of Ted Manners,Mr. Hitchcock's friend. Kenneth Herr­mann was the officer.

Mr. Hitchcock was never at homeexcept when it came time to eat hismeals. He was never very considerate ofhis wife until a little incident causedhim to become aware of this fact. Mrs.Hitchcock made a dummy man to placein the home while her husband was gonebecause she was afraid of burglars. (Youshould have heard the laughter whenMrs. Hitchcock and Emma brought thisdummy onto the stage). When Mr.Hitchcock happened to return homeearly one night, he was shocked co seethe dummy because he thought it was amurdered man. Then realizing how lone­ly his wife must be, he began spendingmore time at home.

This comedy was very funny, yet therewas a good lesson in it also. The ob­servant person was taught that theyshould be considerate of others, and notto take them for granted. 1£ une is atrue follower of Christ he must "do untoorhers as you would have them do untoyou."

Between acts, Thomas Ham recited amonologue from memory which wascomical, yet realistic. It showed howmuch we criticize others, then turnaround and do the same thing. Jesustaught us that we should first removethe beam from our own eye, then wewould be able to see more clearly howto remove the mote from our brother'seye.

Those who saw these comedies pro­duced enjoyed them very much. After asuccessful production, we felt that ourtime had not been spent in vain uponseeing the happy and smiling faces ofthose who made their exit. It was reallyan evening of pleasure and profit. Every­one went home in a gay and happy mood

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-refreshed and ready to again beginpreparation for the great task which liesahead of us with zeal and determination.

Correction: In the article, "Poise to

Please," in the February issue of the"Good News," the product arrow rootwas misquoted. This product is a highlyrefined starch used as a thickening agent.The word should have been witch hazel.

Witch hazel is a natural product, theextraction of which may be used for theskin and serves the same purpose as anastringent to close the pores after wash­ing rhe face with a mild soap and rins­ing well. The condition of the skin isusually the direct result of the food youeat, as well as of the external care yougive u.

Truth About Unclean Meats(Continued from page 6)

mg what meats should be eaten, thenyou, and you alone, shall reap the fruitsof such violations-sickness, disease andperhaps premature death.

What About This Comparison?

Now just think a bit! God createdeverything-animate and inanimate. Hecreated all plant life. No one will dis­pute the self-evident fact that He createdonly a certain portion of the plants to beeaten. The poisonous plants are not tobe eaten-we can prove that, becausetheir poison reacts immediately.

In like manner God created all crea­tures that move and breathe, but only acertain poriion of that number were in­tended to be used by mankind for food.How absurd it is for anyone to thinkthat God intended man to eat all lle.rhjust because he had created them all!

God intended man to discover manyrhings for himself, but there arc certainfundamental truths revealed in the Bi­ble God's revelation to man-whichman needs to know and which he eithercould neuer discover for himself, orwhich would take so long to discoverthat he would have to suffer unneces­sarily before these laws or rules of lifecould be demonstrated. God made theselaws known to man rhrough his holyprophe~s. Among these basic truths re­vealed tel man were the laws of cleanand unclean meats which were given toprorecr man's physical health.

Anyone who has made an honest,thorough study of certain meats-espe­cially of the swine-should well knowthat pork in particular is not a healthfulmeat. Yes, this can be proved eventhough we throw the Bible out the win­dow.

But look how long it has taken forcertain men-doctors, athletic coaches-to learn that pork is not good food-

The GOOD NEWS

though many have not yet learned thislesson. Look at the untold inherited mis­ery and suffering that has resulted. Thiscould all have been averted had manheeded God's laws-the laws of cleanand unclean meats.

But some protester is sure to raiseup his voice and declare, "I don't be­lieve pork is harmful to the body-howcan it be?-for grandpa lived on porkand he died at 92, and old uncle Benlived to be 105 and he ate barrels ofpork."

The explanation to the above questionis simple and requires little considera­tion to reveal just how shallow suchreasoning is.

Consider! Two identical automobiles,purchased and driven off the assemblyline on the same date, are driven fora six months' period. One driver isvery careful to see that his car is giventhe best service possible when needed.He drives his car two thousand miles,never exceeding the speed limit dur­ing the entire six months, but yet hehas trouble with his car-has had It inthe garage many different times duringthat period.

The owner of the second car is a reck­less travelling salesman who drives hiscar ten thousand miles, often at exces­sive speeds, during this six months' peri­od, but never has to so much as turn atap on his car-never has to have a pen­ny's worth of repairs during the entiresix months' period.

Now just what does this prove:'It simply proves that one purchased

a good car-the other a poorly made car.It does not prove that abusing a carmakes it last longer, nor that handling acar properly will cause it to break downsooner.

Thus it is that many inherit at birth astrong constitution and in spite of eat­ing wrong foods, they live to be old­though not as old as they could havelived had they obeyed God. Others in­herit a weak constitution because forgenerations their ancestors have violatedGod's laws- (and remember, there areother health laws, beside those of cleanand unclean meats) -and even if theyobey the laws of health they cannotovercome in their lifetime the HARM thattheir ancestors have caused for genera­nons past.

What Was Christ's Example?

What did Christ teach concerning un­clean meats?

Perer, who had been with Chrisr dllr­

ing his three and one-half years ofearthly ministry, said in ACts 10: 14, "Ihave never eat,en anything thar is com­mon or unclean,' We know that Christis our perfect example lust as He wasthe apo stle: example-yet Peter, who

March, 1953

had faithfully followed His master dur­ing his ministry, answered, "I have nevereaten anything that is common or un­clean."

In this account Peter was told in atrance (verse 10) that he was to killand eat all manner of creatures and four­footed beasts. Did he immediately jumpto the hasty conclusion, as so many dotoday, that God meant, by this vision,that he was to eat unclean meats, or didhe DOUBT what God was trying to showhim by this vision?

Yes, Peter DOUBTED--he didn't knowwhat God was trying to reveal to him.Peter doubted in himself what this vi­sion which he had seen should mean(Acts 10:17).

Afterward when God had clearly re­vealed the true meaning of the visionto Peter, he exclaimed, "God hath (bythis vision) shewed me that I shouldnot call ANY MAN common or unclean."(Acts 10:28).

When Jesus Christ was on this earthhe went about doing only good. He didnor sin! He was our model of perfection.He never went about demolishing or de­stroying anything that should not be de­stroyed. Yet in the fifth chapter ofMark we read that Christ met a man whowas possessed of demons and that hecast the demons into a herd of twothousand swine, thereby destroying theunclean swine.

By this act Christ showed that swineshould not be used for food.

Did he do wrong by destroying thisherd of tWO thousand swine which wasworth a small fortune? If so he is atransgressor and if he is a transgressor,then he is disqualified as our Savior, andwe are without hope still flounderingaround in our sins!

Prophecy for the Future

What is the end of those who persistin eating that which God has forbidden-who wrest the Holy and sacred Wordof God to suit their own lusts-"WhoseGod is their belly"; (Philip. 3: 19).

The answer is found in Isaiah 66: 17."They that sanctify (set aside or sep­arate) themselves,. . eating SWINE'SFLESH, and the abomination, and themouse, SHALL BE CONSUMED together,saith the Lord." And who has the powerto revoke, alter, or in any way thwartthat which has proceeded out of themouth of the Eternal God?

Where will you cast your lot? Withthose who partake of the forbiddenfoods and ruin your health, and receiveGod's final judgment-to be destroyed-or will you obey God's perfect lawsand live more healthily, happily, andabundantly now and forever:' "Chooseyou this day whom ye will serve ..."(Iosh 24 IS)

March, 1953

T he TONGUES Question(Continued from paRe 2)

and beg and agonize for God to give youthis greatest of all Gifts. God needs nobegging! The Holy Spirit is HERE-andGod tells us in His Word He is moreWILLING to give us rhis Gift than weare to give bread to our hungry children.(Luke 11: 13). Today the Spirit ofGod is HERE-knocking on the door ofyour heart (Rev. 3: 20), and the way to

OPEN the door is to REPENT (Rev.3: 19), and He will come in, and abidewith you forever!

The Great Mistake!

Do you know the great mistake somany earnest people have been deceivedinto making? They are pleading withGod to GIVE them something that Heis pleading with them to RECEIVE'

This is their mistake:THEY ARE TRYING TO COPY AND TO

DEMONSTRATE THE PENTECOST MANI­FESTATIONS, INSTEAD OF FOLLOWINGTHE TEACHING GIVEN THAT VAY!

The MANIFESTATIONS of that daywere unique in all earth's history. Themanifestations of that day were the wel­coming manifestations of the advent ofthe "Other Comforter" to this earth fromheaven. But the inspired TEACHING ofPeter on that day is the reaching for thiswhole church age.

And Peter said "'REPENT, and BE BAp·TISEO!" and then "ye SHALL receivethe gift of the Holy Spirit." "'REPENTand BELIEVE," are the two conditions­and the ONLY conditions, to receivingthe great blessing of the baptism withthe Holy Spirit! And so Paul went"testifying both to the Jews, and also to

the Greeks, REPENTANCE toward God,and FAITH toward our Lord JesusChrist." And all who repented, and re­ceived Christ in faith, being baptised,DID receive the gift of the Spirit! Andso will we, codayl

The trouble today is that so manyare begging, agonizing, pleading, likeso many rebellious children begging andteasing a patent to let them have theirown way and give them some gift theydesire' God has told us plainly He willGIVE us the Gift if, and when, weSURRENDER, and BELIEVE. Why doesGod withhold the blessing to so manyearnest seekers? Because they keep beg­ging without SURRENDERING. We mustyield all the way!

None can receive the precious Spiritof God without coming to that place ofself -abasernenr, self-mortification, fulland unconditional SURRENDER, entirewiliingness to give up ALL for Christ­to come ALL the way out of the worldand its ways, customs, beliefs-to bewillinR to keep ALL of God's Command-

The GOOD NEWS

mentJ-to have the faith that will letthe Holy Spirit in!

God gives His Holy Spirit ONLY toTHEM THAT OBEY HIM! (Acts 5: 32) .

No, we need nor pray down anotherPentecost! But we do need to SURREN­DER, and that is where we fall down. Weare holding out on God' We still wantour own way!

This is not to say that no prayer atall is necessary, in order to receive thegift of God's Holy Spirit. On the con­trary, MUCH PRAYER is usually necessary.But it must be the RIGHT KIND ofprayer-not the persistent, nagging,pleading of a self-willed child to havehis own way, but the earnest prayer of abroken and contrite and repentant heart,thar confesses its own utter depravity,its own helplessness, its own deceit andwickedness, and, like David, pleads withGod to "create in me a CLEAN heart,o God: and renew a RIGHT spirit with­in me," (Ps. 51: 10) , confessing that ourheart is not clean, nor our spirit right.

It may take a great deal of prayer­of earnest supplication and prayer-tobring one to the place where he CANsurrender fully to God-to have re­vealed to him the things he must sur­render, which, perhaps, he himself doesnot fully realize-to be made thorough­ly WILLING to give up ALL for theblessed gift of life eternal thru the HolySpirit of God.

The Devil's COUNTERFEIT

Much has been written-thousandsof sermons preached---on the NEED ofthe baptism with the Holy Ghost. Muchabout "tongues," and "manifestations,"and the "signs following."

BUT LITTLE IS EVER SAID ABOUTTHE MANNER OR METHOD of receivingthis gift!

That is because people have had theireyes on the MANIFESTATIONS, and noton the TEACHING of the Jay of Pente­cost!

The method, unfortunately, has beentaken for granted by thousands-amodern method that has not been ques­tioned, or checked or proved accordingto the BIBLE teaching.

Is it not a self-evident fact that if weseek it a wrong way, we shall receive awrong thing?

Beyond doubt this modern "Pente­costal" movement has brought a vitalTRUTH once more to light-the truthof the need of the baptism with theHoly Spirit.

But do you suppose the Devil wouldbe content to deceive men on all otherquestions, and' then neglect to deceivethe many thousands of seekers after thebaptism with the Holy Spirit into aclever, a false, spurious MANNER and

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METHOD of receiving this most preciousgift of all-and therefore into actuallyreceiving a COUNTERFEIT instead ofthe genuine)

God's Word WARNS you and me thatSatan is going about, today, as a roaringlion, seeking whom he may devour,KNOWING HE HAS BUT A SHORTTIME. The church is asleep (Mat. 25: 5 )but Satan the adversary is on the job'Jesus warned us of false doctrines tharwould appear in these last days, and thatwould DECEIVE many.

"Oh, but Satan could never deceiveME," you say! Why, are YOU not seekingafter the deeper SPIRITUAL experiences>Perhaps spoken in "tongues"? You thinkYOU could not be deceived-it is onlythose who ate nor "spirirual" that are de­ceived.

Can't we see that Satan is a SPIRIT­UAL being? (Eph. 2: 2). He does notcome as a red demon with horns andtail, but as "'AN ANGEL OF LIGHT."He appears as an ANGEL-a SPIRIT,and as bringing LIGHT Those deceivedTHINK they have received marvelousnew LIGHT. They THINK they haveadvanced and been elevated to a HIGH­ER SPIRITUAL PLANE. And Satan hasmany MINISTERS. And they do not allcome preaching modernism, or coldspiritless doctrines ... they, too, comeas SPIRITUAL ministers, and "are trans­formed as rhe ministers of RIGHTEOUS­NESS." (II Cor. 11:14,15).

It iJ those progressing into the deep­er SPIRITUAL experiences whom Satanwill tempt and try the most, and WHOARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE to his decep­tions! That is, unless constantly ON

GUARD, and unless we refuse to followany but the TRUE SCRIPTURAL TEST.

You cannot trust your EXPERIENCES,because Satan, a spirit being, can givecounterfeit spiritual experiences, and bythem deceive any human soul!

"Beloved, BELIEVE NOT every .rpirit.but TRY the Jptrttr, whether they be ofCOD: because many false prophets aregone out into the world." (l John 4: 1).

What is TRUTH? Jesus said, "'THYWORD is Truth!" The BIBLE! SO, whenHe, the Spirit of Truth is come, and Heguides us into the TRUTH, He merelyguides us into a RIGHT understandingof the BIBLE! The BIBLE, and the BibleALONE, is the test.

"And when they shall say unto you,SEEK unto them that have familiarJpiritr, and unto wizards that peep andmutter; should not the people seek untotheir God? for the living to rhe r1ead?TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY:if they speak not according to THISWord. it is because there is no liRht inebem?' ( Isa. 8: 19-20).

The "law and the Testimony" is theOld and the New Testaments-the Bi-

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ble. TRY the Spirits! By what standard?The BIBLE!

Satan today is misleading, fooling, andcleverly deceiving thousands by giving"Impressions," or dreams or "visions,"until people say "the Lord told me" thisor that, and call their impressions "lead­ings of the Spirit." Remember, Satan is aspirit who can lead, as well as God. Wewrestle not against flesh and blood, butagainst WICKED SPIRITS in high places,and consequently God warns us that weneed on the WHOLE ARMOUR of GODthat we may withstand the WILES OFTHE DEVIL. (Eph. 6:10-18). And thatarmour Includes the shield of FAITH,and the sword of THE WORD OF GOD.EVERY Jpirit is not the HOLY Spirit.There are many false, seducing, uncleanspirits.

What About "TARRY Meetings"?

The METHOD of this modern "pente­costal" movement for seeking the HolySpirit is the modern "tarry meeting."

Are "tarry meetings" Scriptural? Is thisthe BIBLE method?

It must be remembered that there aremany different types of "pentecostal"people. And so their ways differ.

But with perhaps the majority ofthese people, the method is as follows:The "seeker," as he is called, must at­tend a "tarry meeting" along with other"seekers" and with those, where possible,who already "have their baptism" as itis expressed. The seekers are told to saysuch phrases as "Glory! Glory! Glory!"over and over. Constantly they are urgedto "say it a little faster." Variations ofthis phrase are "Hallelujah" or "Praiseyou jesus!" Constantly the "seeker" istold to keep it up, faster and faster; notto become discouraged. Sometimes theyare told to lift the arms above theirheads, and hold them there. When theybecome so tired they are unable to holdthem longer in the air, others will comeand suppOrt their arms. _

Time after time the seeker will cometo some of these "tarry meetings" re­peating the above formula, hours at atime.

In other forms of the "tarry meeting"a group of seekers assemble together,with, where possible, some who alreadyhave "received their baptism." Childrenmust be left at home. Only "seekers" arepermitted. All pray aloud at once, beg­ging God to give them the "blessing."For hours, often lasting until 3 or 4o'clock in the morning, they continueto beg, plead, and agonize.

Occasionally, perhaps after many ofthese "tarry meetings," one or more of acompany will begin to "speak intongues," and are then acknowledged byall as having received "their baptism."Nothing but "speaking in tongues" will

The GOOD NEWS

be accepted as the evidence of "thebaptism."

Does the Bible Command the"TARRY Mccting"?

Is this modern "tarry meeting" thetrue scriptural WAY, or heathenism?

Those who defend the "tarry meet­ing" with, perhaps, a great deal of heat,will quote the Scripture to the effect thatJesus COMMANDED us to "TARRY UNTILye be endued with power from on high."

This command of Jesus to "tarry" isfound in Luke 24:49. Pentecostal peo­ple invariably read this text thus: "TarryUNTIL ye be endued with power."Then they construe the word "tarry" tomean the kind of meeting describedahove.

But that is not what this text says atall!

RIGHTLY quoted, Jesus' command toHis disciples was. "tarry ye IN THECITY OF JERUSALEM until ye be enduedwith power FROM on high."

Jesus told them to tarry, not in a cer­tain MANNER, but in a definite PLACE-in the CITY OF JERUSALEM. Why doPentecostal people always omit thewords "YE," expressing TO WHOM thiscommand was addressed, and the words"IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM," tellingWHERE they were to "tarry"? And whydid Jcsus ask thcm to remain in the cityof Jerusalem?

Because the "other Comforter" hadnot yet come FROM HEAVEN-from "onhigh." And Jesus knew that WHENHe came, He would come first to thecity of Jerusalem. And so Jesus wasmerely instructing His disciples to wait,or remain, in Jerusalem until the dayof Pentecost, when, it had been ordained,the Holy Spirit was to come from heav­en·--"from on high"--to earth.

Now "rarrv" is an English word, trans­lated over 300 years ago. It is an oldEnglish word, formerly in popular usage,now seldom used. Today many mistakeits meaning. What does it mean? Itdoes not mean "pray." It does nor mean"supplicate." It does not mean beg, oragonize, or repeat words over and over.It does not mean a prayer meeting.

The dictionary says "tarry" means "toput off going or coming; linger. Toremain in the same place; abide; stay. Toawait; to delay; sojourn, stay."

The literal Greek, word for word,from the Interlinear Greek text is: "butREMAIN YE IN THE CITY OF JERUSA­LEM, till ye be clothed with power fromon high." How can we conceive the ideaof these modern "tarry meetings" fromthe scriptural command "REMAIN YE INTHE CITY OF JERUSALEM"?

But, protests the "tarry meeting" de­fender, it says in Acts 1: 13, 14, thatthe disciples "went into an upper room,"

March, 195.1

and "these all continued with one ac­cord in prayer andsupplication." Theassumption is that the disciples met ata certain house for this purpose-thatthey were there holding a "tarry meet­ing"-that they begged and pleadedwith God until He finally sent them the"blessing" from on high-and that weshould do the same thing. Often thestatement is made that "it took the disci­ples ten days to pray down Pentecost!"

The MEANING of "Pentecost"

One difficulty is that few know themeaning of the types of Leviticus 23.There we find instruction regarding theseven annual feast days, occurring at thethree different times of the year.

The first was the Passover, on the 14thof Abib, the first month of the sacredyear. On this day a lamb was alwaysslain. And so the crucifixion occurred ontbiJvery day. It was upon the 14th OfAbib, 31 A.D. that Christ, the Lamb ofGod, our Passover, was slain for us!

The second of these set feasts was"the feast of Firstfruirs," known as theday of Pentecost. This always had typi­fied the "Firstfruits" of the New Testa­ment Church. And accordingly, whenthe "other Comforter" came from heav­en-from "on high"-to bring forth rheFIRSTFRUITS of the New TestamentChurch, this tremendous event, to occurbut once in all eternity, was ordainedto take place ON THE VERY DAY OFPENTECOST, 31 A.D.!

Jesus well knew the Holy Spiritwould come from heaven on that veryday. So Jesus told His disciples theyshould be "baptized with the HolySpirit not many days hence." ( Acts1: 5 ). In the first chapter of Acts wefind the same instruction of Jesus as re­corded in Luke 24:49, this time inwords more plainly to be understood:"And. . commanded them that THEYSHOULD NOT DEPART FROM JERUSALEM,but WAIT, for the promise of the Fa­ther." (Acts 1: 4 ) .

So the disciples did nor "pray downPentecost." "Pentecost" is a DAY, not anexperience. And since it was ordainedthat the Holy Spirit was to come fromheaven TO JERUSALEM, and on tha: veryday. do you suppose that, if the discipleshad prayed and begged just a little hard­er, they could have "prayed Him down"a day or two sooner? Certainly not! Noteven an hour sooner!

"But," argues the tarry meeting advo­cate, "didn't the disciples all meet in anupper room, and continue there inprayer and supplication?"

Most assuredly, but WHY?Notice the scriptures! "And when they

were come in, they went up into anupper room WHERE ABODE both Peter,and James, and John, and Andrew, Phil-

March. 1<)S:\

ip, and Thomas. Bartholomew. 'lOdMatthew, James the son of Alphaeus,and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brotherof James. These all continued withone accord in prayer and supplication,"(ACts I: 14-14) , as they naturally wouldhave done, at so solemn a time.

Is there even a hint, in this text, thatthey were BEGGING or PLEADING withGod to give them the promised Com­ferrer? Rather, we know they weremerely WAITING there. as Jesus hadcommanded, in complete FAITH thatGod would keep His promise! Is thereso much as a HINT in this passage thatthey were saying words over and over,like the modern "Glory, glory, glory"?

Now notice. WHEN the day of Pente­cost was fully corne (and let us re­member Pentecost was a DAY, not anexperience), did they have to plead andagonize? No, but rather when this DAYhad arrived, "SUDDENLY there came asound from heaven as of a rushingmighty wind," and instantly "they wereall filled with the Holy Spirit:'

Once rhe "other Comforter" had comefrom heaven, there was no waiting­they were all filled AT ONCE!

Experiences AFTER Pentecost

Now that the Holy Spirit had COMEto earth, did those who honestly repent­ed, and believed, have to beg and pleadand agonize, and "tarry" before theycould receive the full baptism with theHoly Spirit?

There are just four other experiencesrecorded, subsequent to the day of Pen­tecost 31 A.D., of receiving the baptismwith the Spirit. Let us examine each.Let us see if there were any TARRYMEETINGS.

The next experience recorded isfound in the 8th chapter of Acts. Philiphad gone to Samaria. When they BE­LIEVED Philip preaching the things con­cerning the kingdom of God, and thename of Jesus Christ, they were bap­t ised. ( Verse 12 ) . Peter and Johncame to Samaria from Jerusalem (v. 14)and prayed for them, that they mightreceive the Holy Spirit (v. 15). Thenthey laid their hands on them ANDTHEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT(v, 17). There is no evidence of any"tarry meeting" here. No tongue-speak­ing mentioned. The people believed,were baptised, the apostles prayed forthem, laid their hands on them, and theyreceived the Spirit.

In the l Oth chapter of ACts we findthe experience at the Gentile house ofCor nelius. Peter was preaching to them.They already had repented, and merelywanted [0 be shown the way of God.Was there a "tarry meeting" here? No,while "Peter yet spake these words, theHoly Spirit fell on all them which heard

The GOOD NEWS

the word," (Acts 10:11). The HolySpirit had come from heaven on the dayof Pentecost, 31 A.D. Cornelius andhis house did not have to "pray downanother Pentecost," They did not haveto beg or plead or agonize. They hadsurrendered fully and unconditionally.When Peter came to reveal to them theTruth, and the Way, they did not beginto argue, or try to refute God's Word.They accepted it. And so, their heartsbeing ready aod subdued, "while Peteryet spake," they received the baptismwith the Holy Spirit!

And so can You, JUSt as quickly andsuddenly, IF, and WHEN, you are assurrendered as they were. There wassurely no "tarry meeting" here. No re­peating words over and over. Just realrepentance, and faith, the only TWOCONDITIONS.

The next experience is four.d in Acts19: 1-7. Paul came to Ephesus. He founda dozen disciples there. Paul asked themif they had received the Holy Spirit.The literal translation is not "since yebelieved," but "Did yc receive the HolySpirit WHEN ye believed?" Paul wellknew God had promised we should re­ceive the Spirit WHEN we have yieldedto the conditions.

They knew nothing of the Holy Spir­it. What was wrong? Paul immediatelydetermined to find out. Did he ask themhow long they had "tarried"? Did hetell them the difficulty was that theyhad not "tarried" or agonized enough?No, Paul began at the very LAST condi­tion, water baptism, to find our whatwas wrong. And there he found it! Theyhad been baptised only with John's bap­iism. That was baptism into the FIRSTcondition, repentance. They had notbeen baptised INTO CHRIST for theremission of Sins. And so Paul at oncetold them how to be baptised. Whenthey heard this, they did not argue orrebel. They humbly did as directed, andwere baptised.

And WHEN they were baptised, andWHEN Paul had laid his hands uponthem, the Holy Spirit came on them.WHEN the CONDITIONS of God's Wordwere fulfilled, they received God's Spir­it! And in this case, they spoke withtongues, and prophesied. There was notarry meeting here. No agonizing, ormeaningless repeating of words. Justyielding to God, and conforming toGOD'S conditions.

One other experience is mentioned-that of Paul. Read it in Acts 9: 1-22.Again there is no hint of anything likea modern "tarry meeting:' Just completesurrender, self-abasement, a willing, sub­missive conforming to the CONDITIONS.The Bible makes 00 mention of speakingin tongues at this time, altho later Paultold the Corinthians he spoke in more

Page IS

languages than allY of them.And so there is not one example in

Holy Scripture of a modern "tarry meet­ing"! Let us have a BIBLE REASON ofall that we ·do!

I remember one time a "pentecostal"preacher was urging me to attend aseries of these so-called "tarry meetings"where words were muttered repeatedlyover and over, and where the people de­liberately worked up their emotions,shouted, and went thru all the usualformula. I replied I could find no Bibleteaching or example for such a formulaor kind of meeting, and I wanted to doeverything the BIBLE way.

"You'll never get 'your baptism' anyother way, Brother," he asserted.

"Well," I replied, "whatever youpeople are getting in an unscripturalway contrary to the Bible is not the trueHoly Spirit PROMISED in the Bible, bura counterfeit spirit I don't want,"

Hear the warning thru Isaiah: "Whenthey shall say unto you, SEEK untothem that have familiar spirits (coun­terfeit spirits of demons) and untowizards that peep, and that MUTTER:, _ . TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTI­MONY (Old and New Testaments-theBIBLE): if they speak not accordingto this word, it is because there is nolight in them!" Yes, be sure you havea BIBLE reason for all you do!

NEXTMONTH: What is the "baptism"with the Holy Spirit? Very few know.This is the crux of the whole question.The startling, surprising answer will ap­pear in the April number.

Does EASTER Commemoratethe Resurrection?

( Continued from page 5)

spring time-and Jesus did not enterhis ministry until the autumn of thatyear.

Luke names Pontius Pilate as gov­ernor of Judaea when John received hiscall (Luke 3: 1). Pilate ruled for tenyears (Antiquities, XVIll, iv, 2). Manyhistorians give his dates as 26 to 36A.D., but this is a mistake. Pilate wasdeposed a few months before the pass­over at the close of his tenth year. Hehurriedly sailed for Rome to appeal toEmperor Tiberius. On his way newscame that Tiberius died. Therefore,since Pilate was in a great hurry to reachRome, he must have left shortly beforethe death of the Emperor which oc­curred in March, 37 A.D. Ten years be­fore this is A.D. 27 at the beginning ofwhich Pilate began his procuratorship,

Here is what the International Stand­ard Bible Encyclopedia says in its ar­ticle "Pilate": The assumed date forPilate is usually "from 26 to 36 A.D.

Pag .. 1(,

. By this reckoning Tiberius died onMarch 16, 37 A.D. Such a delay is incon­cei vable in view of the circumstances;hence, . , (he period of his procuraror­ship (is) 27;7 A.D."

Now nor ice. As Pilate was already the.l(overnor of Judaea before John's min­istry, the Baptist did nor begin preach­ing until rhe early months of 27 A.D.and Jesus in the autumn of that year.

Proof Seven: Herod's Marriage

The gospel according to Mark ex­plains that Chrisr began his ministryafter John was imprisoned. "Now afterthat John was put in prison, Jesus carneinto Galilee. preaching the gospel of thekingdom of God" (Mark 1: 14).

Now not icc WHY John was impris­oned. Matthew 14: 1-4 says It was be­cause Herod married Herodias, his broth­er Philip's wife. Therefore Herod didn'tmolest John unti] he had married her.When did this marriage occur?

The Nell' ScbaIJ-Herzog Encyclopediain its article on "Herod and His Family,"says: "In 27 A.D. he went to Rome,saw there the beautiful and ambitiousHerodias, his own niece and already thewife of his half-brother, Herod Philip,and although he had a wife living heproposed marriage to her."

From this date alone, THE MINISTRYOF .IEST;S COTi!.D NOT HAVE BEEN BE­

I'OHE the autumn of A,D, 27.We also saw that THE MINISTRY 010

JESUS COULD NOT HAVE BEGUN AFTER'TTlI' PASSOVEH in the spring of A.D.2R because the temple was already 46years in building. Therefore Jesus musthave begun to preach in the autumn ofA.D. 27. THERE IS NO OTHER DATE

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THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITHALL THE PHOVABLE FACTS.

To find the date of the crucifixion, weneed to find how long the ministry ofJesus lasted.

How Long Was the Ministry?

The prophet Daniel foretold that thelength of Christ's ministry at bis fintcoming-e-tc: confirm the new covenant-wou-Id be one-half of a propheticweek of seven years. In the midst ofthat prophetic week he caused the sac­rifices for sin to cease by offering him­self for the sins of the world. He was"cut off" in the midst of the week mak­ing the ministry at his first comingthree and one-half yean (Daniel 9: 2(,.

27 ).Now let's turn to the gospels to find

the proof that Jesus Christ's ministry

HOLY DAY CALENDAR

For 1953

Passover, after sunset, Sundav, March29th. .

Days of Unleavened Bread, beginningsunset, Monday, March 30th, end­ing sunset. Monday April 6th.Tuesday, March 31st and Monday,April 6th, are annual Sabbaths.

Pentecost, Monday, May 25th, begin.nirig previous sonse r.

Festival of Trumpets, Thursday, Sep­tember 10th.

Day of Atonement, fast day, Saturday,September 19th.

Festival of Tabernacles, begins sunset,Wednesday, September 23rd, endssunset, Thursday, October 1st.

March, 1953

was exactly three and one-half years.There would have to be three passoversduring the three years of his ministry,and a fourth on the last day of hisearthly life-the Crucifixion.

The first passover occurred in A.D.28 and is recorded in John 2: 23. Thenext nore of time is fou~d in John 4: 35which indicates a lapse of time of morethan eight months-bringing us to thefirst of December A.D. 28. It was onlyfour months until the next harvestseason which always began about theweek following the passover each spring-abollt the first of April.

In John 5: I Jesus again appears atJerusalem to celebrate a festival. AI­~hough the festival is not named, itprobably was the passover or a laterfestival in A.D. 29. Under no circum­seances could this feast have been anyof the autumn festivals of AD. 28 be'cause they fall in the months of Sep­tember and October-months whichwere already passed according to John4: 35.

Again in John 6:4 is another pass­over which brings us to the year 30 A.D.This was the third passover in Jesus'ministry. The fourth and final passoveris recorded by all the gospel writers(John 11:55).

This last passover completed a min­istry of three and one-half years-fromautumn of A.D. 27 to the Spring ofAD. 31-THE VERY YEAR WHEN THEPASSOVER LTPON WHICH CHRIST WASCRUCIFTED fELL ON WEDNESDAY.

Yes, history proves a myth, the tradi­tion that Jesus was crucified on Fridavand rose on Easter Sunday'

To be continued

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