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Canonicity: The Council of Laodicea – Part 5

 

The council of Laodicea (~ A.D. 363) states in cannon 29:

Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord's Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.

Well, let’s take this on, shall we?

There is a claim that the New Testament distinguishes the Lord's Day from the Sabbath, and that the Lord’s Day commemorates the day of the Resurrection. First of all, the use of the word “Lord” has its own issue. 

Strong’s 1166 and 1167, defines the term ba’al as a master; hence, a husband, or lord.  The word that is translated as Lord in most English editions is the Tetragrammaton itself, which does not include any reference to being lord or master.

Husha (Hosea) 2:16
And it shall be at that day, says YAHUAH, that you shall call me Yish’iy (my man); and shall call me no more Ba’aliy (my Lord).

Now, of course, there is a second use of the word Lord (as compared to the word Lord) which has been put in place of the word Adonai. Strong’s describes its usage to mean sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine): lord, master, owner.  

So, when we speak of the Lord’s Day, are we discussing Ba’al, or Adonai?

Now there are several references to the Lord’s Day and the day of resurrection upon which our theologians rest to proclaim that Christian worship is properly set forth on Sunday (the day of the Sun) rather than on Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.  Let’s take a look.  We begin with

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 28:1
After the end of the Shabbat, as it began to draw near toward the Shabbat of the next day, came Miryam of Migdal and the other Miryam to see the sepulchre.

Now, what you read in most English versions of the bible instead says something like this:

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Well, we be havin’ a bit of discrepancy, don’t ya’ know?

The passage as set forth in the Eth Cepher is the most consistent with the Stephanus Textus Receptus, which does not use the phrase “the first day of the week” but uses the word sabbaton for the second time. This is not cognizable to those who have shut their ears to the hearing of the Torah.  How is it possible to have two Sabbath days in a row?  Before we answer this question, let’s continue with the scriptures offered as proof texts that the Lord’s Day is the first day of the week, which is admittedly Sun-day.

Marcus (Mark) 16:1
AND when the Shabbat was past, Miryam of Migdal, and Miryam the mother of Ya`aqov, and Shalom, bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning on the Shabbat of the next day, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Yet in most English translations we find the following:

Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

We have the very same issue again, where the phrase the first day of the week does not appear, but is interpreted from an inference.  Let’s continue:

Marcus (Mark) 16:9
Now YAHUSHA haven risen on the first Shabbat, he appeared first to Miryam of Migdal, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

Lucas (Luke) 24:1
It no longer being the Shabbat, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

Now again, this is not what you read in your English bible.  Instead you read as follows:

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

Yet, the phrase, the first day of the week does not appear; instead you find the word sabbaton. Let’s continue:

Yahuchanon (John) 20:1
It no longer being the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene came early when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher.

Compare with what is usually set forth:

John 20:1 The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and sees the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

Yahuchanon (John) 20:19
Then the same day at evening, being one of the Shabbathot, when the doors were shut where the Talmidiym were assembled for fear of the Yahudiym, came YAHUSHA and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.

John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Again, you have this phrase the first day of the week, which simply does not appear in the text at all. Given the content as actually set forth – being one of the Shabbathot, again is going to reveal to us the actual timing of all of these events.

Again, another proof text is offered; this time from the writings of Sha’ul:

Qorintiym Rishon (1 Corinthians) 16:2
Upon the Shabbat let every one of you lay by him in store, as YAHUAH has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Here is the Greek of this text:

κατα μιαν σαββατων εκαστος υμων παρ εαυτω τιθετω θησαυριζων ο τι αν ευοδωται ινα μη οταν ελθω τοτε λογιαι γινωνται

The first three words here κατα kata (pertaining to) μιαν mial (the first) σαββατων sabbaton (Sabbath) ... comments?

Ma’aseh (Acts) 20:7-11
And upon one of the Shabbathot, when the Talmidiym came together to break bread, Sha’ul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until mid-night. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Sha’ul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Sha’ul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Yet most English translations say as to verse 7 “And upon the first day of the week,” intentionally misleading the reader from the actual text, which clearly states that it was on Sabbaton, i.e., the Sabbath.  If you do not accept that this word Sabbaton means the seventh day Sabbath as practiced by the Jews, consider the next two passages:

Ma’aseh (Acts) 17:2
And Sha’ul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Shabbathot reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, 

Even other English editions agree:

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.

Ma’aseh (Acts) 18:4
And he reasoned in the synagogue every Shabbat, and persuaded the Yahudiym and the Yavaniym.

Again, other English editions agree:

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

So, if we examine the entirety of this discourse, we find a timeline that reveals the actual timing of the crucifixion.  Mattithyahu 28:1 sets the groundwork, because it discloses two Sabbaths (Sabbaton).  The use of the term Sabbaton, as we have discussed above, means Sabbath, and nothing else.  Two Sabbaths are therefore disclosed in this verse, as found in the underlying Greek, but not properly interpreted in any English edition other than the Eth Cepher.

This passage is only understood with a knowledge of the feasts – the seven moediym of YAHUAH.   Of the seven feasts of YAHUAH, Pecach (Passover), Matstsah (Unleavened Bread), Bikoor (First Fruits), Sheva’oth (Pentecost), Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Atonement), Sukka’oth (Tabernacles), only two are scheduled on the 15th day of the month: Matstsah is set on the 15th day of the first month, the month of Aviv (Nisan); and Sukka’oth, which is set on the 15th day of the seventh month, the month of Ethaniym (Tishrei). Given the terms of Chanoch (Enoch), the first day of Matstsah and the first day of Sukka’oth will always be on a full moon.  From time to time, when a total eclipse occurs over the moon, these full moons will be blood moons. 

Now, let us consider the timing of the crucifixion.  There is only one possible scenario for the timing of the crucifixion.  Let’s look:

The time of Passover / the Feast of Matstsah:

These are the only days of the week that the timing set forth in the gospels can take place.  As you see here, Mashiach spends three nights and three days in the tomb.  He is taken from the cross and placed in the tomb just before the high Sabbath of Matstsah.  Miryam and Miryam (M&M in the graph) visit at the close of Sabbath, just before the next Sabbath, which is first fruits or Bikoor, and find that Mashiach has risen. 

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 28:1

 

 

After the end of the Shabbat, as it began to draw near toward the Shabbat of the next day, came Miryam of Migdal and the other Miryam to see the sepulchre.

Marcus (Mark) 16:1

 

 

And when the Shabbat was past, Miryam of Migdal, and Miryam the mother of Ya`aqov, and Shalom, bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning on the Shabbat of the next day, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Marcus (Mark) 16:9

 

 

Now YAHUSHA haven risen on the first Shabbat, he appeared first to Miryam of Migdal, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

Lucas (Luke) 24:1

 

 

It no longer being the Shabbat, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

Yahuchanon (John) 20:1

 

 

It no longer being the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene came early when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher.

Yahuchanon (John) 20:19

 

 

Then the same day at evening, being one of the Shabbathot, when the doors were shut where the Talmidiym were assembled for fear of the Yahudiym, came YAHUSHA and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.

We have a bit of an interesting discussion here, because it appears that Miryam of Migdal was the first to discover the stone taken away, and returned with Miryam and Salome to confirm. All of these events, however, occurred after the close of Sabbath on Saturday.

When the timing of the crucifixion is understood, we can see that MASHIACH was placed in the tomb just shortly before the high Shabbat of Matsah began (Wednesday in the late afternoon), which placed Him in the tomb for exactly three nights and three days, his ascension taking place exactly 72 hours later, on the close of the Shabbat on Saturday, just before the Shabbat of Bikoor, or First Fruits, which always occurs on a Sunday.

Thereafter, Miryam and Miryam make their discovery.  This means the ascension took place on a Saturday, or the traditional seventh day Shabbat.  This is the only understanding that can be reached from the Greek text found in the gospels. 

The claim that the Shabbat must be abandoned in favor of Sunday does have a source, however, yet the book upon which it relies was never canonized by any of the councils.  Here is the relevant portion:

EPISTLE OF BARNABAS

Chapter 15 - The false and the true Sabbath

Further, also, it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Decalogue which [the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount Sinai, And sanctify the Sabbath of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart. Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12 And He says in another place, If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I cause my mercy to rest upon them. Jeremiah 17:24-25 The Sabbath is mentioned at the beginning of the creation [thus]: And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it. Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, He finished in six days. This implies that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifies, saying, Behold, today will be as a thousand years. Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. And He rested on the seventh day. This means: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day. Moreover, He says, You shall sanctify it with pure hands and a pure heart. If, therefore, anyone can now sanctify the day which God has sanctified, except he is pure in heart in all things, we are deceived. Behold, therefore: certainly then one properly resting sanctifies it, when we ourselves, having received the promise, wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord, shall be able to work righteousness. Then we shall be able to sanctify it, having been first sanctified ourselves.

Further, He says to them, Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure. Isaiah 1:13 You perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens.

 

For further reading...

What is Canonization?

Canonicity: The Septuagint – Part 1

Canonicity: The Synod of Jamnia – Part 3

Canonicity: The Council of Nicea – Part 4

Canonicity: The Council of Laodicea – Part 5

Qs and As on the Cepher Chanoch (Book of Enoch)

The Cepher of Chanoch (Book of Enoch) - its structure

The Cepher of Chanoch (Book of Enoch) - its credibility

Cepher Chanoch: On the veracity of the Book of Enoch

Cepher Chanoch: Understanding the Book of Enoch

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