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How to Count to Pentecost
Sermon by David C. GrabbeIn 1974, a quiet and ill-advised change was made to how Pentecost is counted, inadvertently aligning the toil of harvesting with a high holy day Sabbath.
Pentecost, Consistency, and Honesty
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSivan 6 is the date on which Pentecost falls when Passover falls on a Friday. In that year the weekly Sabbath is the 15th of Nisan, which is also the first day of Unleavened Bread, so Wavesheaf day is the 16th and the count of fifty days ends on Sivan 6. Sivan 6 is not a fixed date for Pentecost, however. It varies with the day on which Passover falls: Sivan 10 when Passover is on Monday, Sivan 8 when it is on Wednesday, and Sivan 12 when it is on a Saturday. Counting Pentecost from the day after the first day of Unleavened Bread, always the 16th, puts it on Sivan 6 every year. The Pharisees of Jesus' day and modern Jews count this way. That practice removes the reason for counting, because Pentecost would then have a fixed date like every other festival in Leviticus 23, and so it nullifies God's command to count each year. The count must begin from a day whose date changes with the day of Passover, which is the day after the weekly Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread. Sivan 6 is therefore correct only in years when Passover falls on a Friday.
Beware the Leaven
Sermonette byThe Jews establishes a fixed date for Shavuot in contradiction to the instruction for counting to Pentecost. This is part of the leavening of the Pharisees.
Counting to Pentecost: A Simple Approach
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAccording to the Scripture, the count to Pentecost must begin on the day after the Sabbath in the Days of Unleavened Bread, even in 'anomalous' years.
Why Count Fifty Days?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Bible has much to say about the number fifty, such as counting 50 days to Pentecost, the measurements of the Tabernacle, and the 50 year Jubilee.
Numbering Our Days
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe must allow God to show us how to carefully number our days in order to gain a heart of wisdom and develop a godly perspective upon our remaining time.
The True Meaning of Fellowship
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaWhen we examine two important connotations of the word 'fellowship,' we see that the meaning radiates far beyond the activity of talking with one another.
A Calendar Summary
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod gave us a calendar, assigning the responsibility for its maintenance to the nation of Israel, not to the church or private individuals.
Faith and the Calendar (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe issue is not mathematical or astronomical, but instead a matter of trust in God's faithfulness, authority, sovereignty, oversight, or ability to govern.
Of One Accord
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughConfusion and separation have been man's legacy since Eden. Christ is working to put an end to division, enabling us to be one with the Father and each other.