When Does the Countdown Begin?
by John W. Ritenbaugh
Forerunner,
"Personal," February 1994
Originally, I intended this column to be a monthly personal letter, but for several months what has appeared here has taken the form of an article. I thought I would change that this month and write a long overdue letter.
January was significant for me because this church passed its second anniversary on the 11th. Though I never even intended to start a church, now that it has operated for two years I cannot say that I am sorry. There have been joys and sorrows, good times and bad. But the joys and good times have outweighed the bad.
The joys have come primarily from witnessing people overcome, and also from watching the growth of our publications and the communicating skills of our contributors and speakers. To me, this indicates that the whole group is being lifted spiritually. Another joy is seeing us gradually come out of a governmental system that smothers participation and growth (except for a chosen few) and also promotes heavy-handedness in the ministry. If some of our activity sometimes seems almost anarchical, it is part of the price we must pay to give more voices an opportunity to be heard.
Recently, a minister who came out of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and formed his own church was bragging about his group, saying the other groups "are fading into the woodwork." He must not be talking about us because we are continuing to grow at the same pace we have maintained almost from the beginning. At the Feast of Tabernacles, I told you that we grew at a 13 percent rate over 1992, and we are still maintaining that pace.
Our growth has enabled us to hire another full-time employee! Our daughter Sharon will fill a host of responsibilities that Richard, Andy, Diane and I previously did. Sharon gained a great deal of office experience in the past six years working for four large corporations in Los Angeles and Charlotte. In her last job she was the administrative assistant to three executives just one step below the CEO in a commercial real estate development and management firm doing several hundred million dollars of business a year.
Her duties now include taping cassettes, mailing, answering the phones, doing secretarial work, designing office forms, updating our files and mailing lists, etc. She will tell you she has been kept busy! Her help has enabled Richard and I to turn more attention to writing and editing. I am beginning to feel as though I am "catching up." We are very pleased to welcome her to our growing staff!
Focus on God, Not HWA
We have come quite a way—and have a long way to go. We shall continue to devote ourselves to the way ahead. We do not need to pursue the work frantically, but a steady march toward the Kingdom of God will accomplish the task. We will have accomplished a great deal if we can make God an integral part of our lives through daily prayer, study, obedience to His basic law and conscious effort to overcome flaws in our character. This is not just so much trite religious talk but the heart and core of a life leading to the Kingdom of God!
If we do this, we cannot fail to make a pleasing witness for God because our lives will reflect the true worship of Him. Our lives may not be entirely flawless, but they will be a light that cannot be hidden. And this witness, after all is said and done, is the one that really counts. The witness of a well-lived life truly cannot be denied. Did you ever stop to think that a person can "preach the gospel" without even being converted? But a person cannot witness for God with his life unless he is truly a son of God.
You may have noticed that we publish or say very little that mentions the name of Herbert W. Armstrong or the WCG. It is not that I disrespect Mr. Armstrong—after all, we left the WCG to continue following the doctrines revealed through him. But I believe we cannot truly represent God in such a way that will honor Him unless we make Him, His Son, His Kingdom and His Word the focus of our lives. Any church that focuses on a man and his teachings, concentrates on an institution other than God's Kingdom or constantly promotes an "us and them" attitude is doomed to fail as a true witness of God. Their continued existence and growth in numbers means nothing in regard to a true witness. Although they bear fruit, over time that fruit is bound to range from mediocre to bad.
George Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it." Many large and "successful" religious organizations have formed themselves around a man (Lutherans), doctrine (Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist), government (Congregationalists, Presbyterian) and attitude (Pentecostals). Similar descriptors and organizational names could be cited.
One might say, "Well, all those organizations consisted of unconverted people. That won't happen to us." Did conversion stop the Corinthian church from dividing? Paul told them in I Corinthians 3:3, "For you are still carnal." They were converted, but carnal in their thinking! Did conversion stop the true church in the first century from degenerating until it virtually disappeared from view? These things happened because they lost their focus and drifted away.
In the opening to I John, one of the last books of the Bible written, this loss of focus is plainly seen. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full."
John wrote this to redirect the church's focus back upon the teaching that had come from Christ through the apostles. The Father, the Son and their Word are to be our focus, not "doing the Work." If our focus is correct, the Work will be done "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do" (Philippians 2:13).
Some of us continue to look back upon the WCG through certain publications in which others make statements regarding the doctrinal changes. Why? Perhaps we feel a wistful longing and hope that the WCG will change for the better. Or perhaps we are simply curious about the current events in that church. But remember where curiosity led the cat!
Either God laid our spiritual foundation in this century through Mr. Herbert Armstrong or He did not. We cannot have it both ways. From my own experience, I understand that we all need a period of grieving to sever ourselves from our former ties, but how long does that take? After it is over, why do we continue to look back? Do we realize the spiritual damage that looking back does to us?
What does looking back produce in us? First, it produces confusion—more than the normal confusion that arises when we confront a new situation. We know where that confusion comes from! Second, and far more subtly and seriously, it undermines our conviction and faith.
Jesus says, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). The WCG has been found wanting in spiritual truth. Their doctrines are a lethal mix of truth and error. A large segment of its people are confused and unsure. Why look back? What do they have to offer that will help us to glorify God?
Paul writes that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). If we are confused or harbor lingering doubts about whether we made the right move, it will hold us back from growing. The process is similar to what occurs when we drive to a place we have never gone to before, although we received directions on how to reach it. When we come to a fork in the road, we make a decision to turn one way or the other, but we are still unsure if our decision is the correct one. From that point on, until we are reassured by a landmark or a sign, we proceed tentatively, doubtfully, even fearfully. This process does not produce confidence and faith.
Counting Pentecost in 1994
As many of the longtime members are aware, the history of the church since 1974 has been one of constant turmoil. The spiritual state of the church has declined steadily. Is God telling us something through these events?
I ask this question because two doctrinal questions have arisen which I feel need fairly urgent attention. In sharing them with you, I am also requesting your input. As many of you know, some of us have been studying into the calendar, especially in relation to the "postponements." Though not directly involved in these matters, reading about the postponements led to these questions involving the date of Pentecost. Keeping Pentecost properly, as you know, involves counting from the Days of Unleavened Bread.
This year's placement of the holy days is a fairly infrequent one. Students of the calendar say it occurs on an average of once every ten years over the centuries. But this year, Passover is on the weekly Sabbath, March 26, making the first holy day of Unleavened Bread on Sunday, March 27, and the last holy day on the weekly Sabbath, April 2.
God gives the rule for counting Pentecost in Leviticus 23:15-16: "And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord."
In the context of counting, "the day after the Sabbath" absolutely demands that it refer to the weekly Sabbath because the annual Sabbaths always fall on fixed dates. Counting from the day after a fixed-date Sabbath will always result in a fixed date at the end of the count. Conclusion? There would be no reason to count. God would simply assign a date for Pentecost as with the other holy days. The weekly Sabbath's date, however, changes from year to year, making it necessary to count from the next day as God instructs.
To clearly state the rule, we begin counting from the day following the weekly Sabbath that falls between the two holy days of Unleavened Bread. That day will always be a Sunday and there is always only one weekly Sabbath that falls during the Days of Unleavened Bread. What is the date of that Sabbath this year? April 2, a double Sabbath because the last holy day also falls on that date.
If you are not already looking at a calendar, get one. And, while you are at it, get out the wallet calendar the WCG sent us. On which date would the wavesheaf offering be made this year? Sunday, March 27? First, this day does not follow a weekly Sabbath between the holy days of Unleavened Bread. Second, it is a high holy day on which no work is to be done. Each person who had a crop of grain ready to reap had the responsibility to cut a sheaf and bring it before the priest to be waved for acceptance by God. The farmer was then free to reap the remainder of his crop. Cutting the wavesheaf is part of the harvesting process and would be considered work.
Could the offering be made on Monday, the day following the high holy day? Hardly. First, it is not the day following the weekly Sabbath. Second, Monday does not fit the archetype: Jesus, the reality that the wavesheaf foreshadowed, was accepted before God on a Sunday (John 20:1, 17, 19). Third, if one counts beginning with Monday, it places the observation of Pentecost on the wrong day.
The only possibility left is Sunday, April 3. The previous day is a weekly Sabbath (as well as a high holy day), and it falls within the Days of Unleavened Bread, which do not end until sunset, April 2. Sunday, April 3, fits the archetype. Now, count seven weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9) from that date and to what date does it bring you? May 22. Now look at your wallet calendar. If yours is the same as mine, it reads May 15, one week too early! It is counted from the previous Sunday, March 27, which, as far as I can see, is not Scriptural.
Here is where you come in. What do you think? I have explained to you what my understanding is. Have I missed something that would explain why someone would count from the first Sunday of Unleavened Bread, a day that in this case is a fixed date, a high holy day on which no work is to be done and does not follow the weekly Sabbath that falls between the two holy days of Unleavened Bread? Please let me know.
Request for Input
The second question is related to the first. My inquiries into the calendar and the above subject has made me question whether the keeping of a Sunday Pentecost is scripturally valid. You might be thinking now, "There goes John, off on a tangent." But I am not a person given to going off on tangents. I have no agenda to change anything. If I had wanted to change something of this magnitude, I would have done it long ago in my own life.
Nor do I think I am spiritually unstable. But I am looking for truth, and I am beginning to understand some things that do not add up in the doctrinal paper on Pentecost I received in 1974 as a church pastor in the WCG. My recent search for information on the above subject is the first serious reading of that paper I have done since the first several months after receiving it.
I am researching this so seriously because when God re-established the major doctrines for His end-time church through Herbert Armstrong, the church kept Pentecost on a Monday. For about thirty-five years, it remained that way until its observation was changed to Sunday in 1974. Did Mr. Armstrong, though counting in the wrong manner, still arrive at the correct day for Pentecost in the 1930s? Did he, then, wrongly change it under the pressure of circumstance in 1974? Evidence indicates that the answer to both questions may be yes.
I would like as many of you who feel so moved to join with me in pursuing these subjects. We should first look into the correct day to begin the count for this year because I think it is the easier of the two, and the research it requires should lead into and clarify the far more serious second subject of a Sunday or Monday Pentecost. I will do what I can to supply you with material that may help your study. Perhaps once you receive this material, you can pass it on to others who are interested.
When you receive this, Passover will be less than two months away! Time is inexorably moving toward the return of Jesus Christ. Recent natural disasters continue to erode the economic stability and wear at the infrastructure of the United States. We are bombarded daily with moral degeneracy on the streets, in entertainment, business and politics. But let us keep our minds focused on where salvation is and look with hope as He moves to set the stage for His Son's return. I love you and thank you for your prayers and encouraging words.
© 1994 Church of the Great God
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Charlotte, NC 28247-1846
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