Why
I believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the Sabbath Day ...
Beginning
2006 my sister Eunicé asked me to simplify
my views as elaborated upon over thousands of pages in ‘The Lord’s Day in the Covenant of Grace’.
Her request resulted in my ‘Lydingsweek –
’n Kronologiese Sinopsis van die Evangelies’, finished in 2005 in a about
three months after our 2005 Christmas holiday together. She told me it helped
her to see more clearly what I meant the Scriptures say on the Resurrection of
Christ and its date and time, as God saw fit to reveal to us his children.
Nevertheless, said she, it was still too long, and she (in 2008 shortly before
her death) asked me to summarise and explain it in even shorter format. I
answered her, there are many summaries of a few lines to a page at most,
scattered throughout the first three volumes. Her objection was it required too
much effort to find these summaries; I should simplify, and compress; create something
in its own ... for those unfamiliar with the truth.
It is
easier said than done in a more compact way than I have delivered on demand
from herself and others, but shall once again try to do as she requested. God’s
will be done in her life, which is threatened by a carcinoma of the brain, if
by this effort I may contribute to her comfort and joy in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God be with you always, my beloved sister; “Your
life is hid with Christ in God!”
9 May
2008, My dearest beloved sister, you have passed through now. O my soul, be at
rest! Your sister has peace and has begun tasting the joys of God’s Presence now.
What
resulted from Eunicé’s request, was the pamphlet, ‘The Last Week’. Being
virtually only but extracts from the Gospels, this short catechism I regard as
the culmination and essence of everything I have worked at and towards, all my
life. It gives me great satisfaction, and I thank God that she invited me to
attempt it.
Even
before her death and as soon as I began to realise she would not have the
energy to read and study anything anymore, I just after the Seventh Day
Adventists’ rude rejection (2008) of this little pamphlet, ‘The Last Week’,
came to the bitter conclusion, in order to proclaim the truth of my attempt, the
redeeming fact Christ rose from the dead on the Sabbath Day, I shall have to
resort to other ways than a courteous invitation to acquaintance with it.
In about
six weeks, during which few days Eunicé passed through, I for the first time in
my life read ‘The Desire of Ages’ by Mrs E.G. White, for myself. Again it was my sister Eunicé who shortly
before her end, had given me a copy, published under the title of, ‘The Passion
of Love’.
I assured
my wife, Susan, this is the first time, and will be the last time I shall enter
into conflict with the Seventh Day Adventists directly like this, and against
Mrs E.G. White. I had no idea what I would find in those pages of ‘The Desire
of Ages’. But it took me not long to find out! In less than six weeks I
finished my answer! The interested may find my findings in my four deliveries,
“Save the Sabbath”. I am still in conversation with Bob Ryan on the end
results.
I used
very bad language in the second last paragraph of the fourth delivery, and sent
it to the ‘Spirit of Prophecy Foundation’ and many others just like that. And
it bothered me. But I decided, no, I shall change nothing or retract nothing.
That was I, writing there. I’ll be the sinner I am and won’t pretend to be
better than I really am. Therefore those four deliveries are the end of the
matter as far as I am concerned. I’ll change or add or remove nothing. So that
my current retrospect on my critique of all the things involved in these four
studies, God willing, I shall publish on the Internet and by E-mailing,
separately and from scratch.
What came
to the fore in this last and first study of mine of Mrs White’s writings,
scarcely brought to light any new
‘light’
on the many issues. Three things though have been improved greatly:
(1) Clearer and finer definition and contraction
of more general specifics, firstly those of the visits to the tomb and
Appearances;
(2) Deeper and more comprehensive perspective
into, and on, essential matters, firstly that of the Father’s Presence in the
dying and rising of Christ;
(3) And a single technicality that demanded
closer attention, that of the importance and impact of the Pluperfect, ‘heistehkei’-“had
had stood after” in Jn20:11.
Still
other matters may find further consideration through ongoing discussions on my
“Save the Sabbath” studies.
Here ends
this interjection of 9 May 2008.
Why
then I believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the Sabbath Day ...
The
literal Written Word of God the Faithful Witness says in Matthew 28:1, “In the Sabbath”, KJV; “On the Sabbath”, RV. That says it; and says it
well enough for anyone graced with willingness to believe and obey.
But
looking at such an unambiguous declaration more carefully, one realises that
Mt28:1 cannot stand by itself; it has to be based upon “The Scriptures”, “The
Law”, as Paul has said, “For
I deliver unto you first of all that which I also received, HOW THAT CHRIST
DIED for our sins ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES; and that He was BURIED; and that
HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. ... Therefore ... SO
WE PREACH, and SO, YE BELIEVED.”
My second
reason therefore for believing Christ’s resurrection from the dead “In Sabbath’s-time”, is the eschatological truth
which entails ALL the Scriptures, from
the
Genesis account of the Sabbath’s Divine Institution, to Isaiah’s prophecy of
the Sabbaths’ worship of Yahweh on the ‘new earth’. Never do discrepancies
arise in the dispensations of God’s will and providence. If God in the
beginning “On
the Seventh Day rested”,
He during all time on the Seventh Day rested, and in Christ and through Christ
“finished
all the works of God”,
“In the
Sabbath”. It was and
is, God’s, Will, and Good Pleasure; it was and is, God’s, prerogative and right;
it was and is, God’s, Promise and Command. Never does God create the
expectation of a Sunday-resurrection; always has He created an expectation of
this Sabbath’s-Resurrection of Christ from the dead, even from the creation;
even from the words, “God
the Seventh Day rested”.
God’s ways are mysterious, yet clear for whomsoever through God’s grace believe
and will to follow.
“To make all men see
what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the
world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ to
the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might
be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God according to the
Eternal Purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord in
whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.” (Eph2:9-12)
“God had sworn with
an oath, that ... He would raise up Christ to sit on His Throne; David seeing
this before, spake of Christ,
that His Soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up (whereof
we are witnesses) therefore being by the Right Hand of God exalted and having
received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Spirit, He hath shed forth this
which you now, see and hear.”
(The
Pentecost converted saw the Church and its Day of Worship-Rest in Christ.)
“Also ye are risen with
Him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised Him from the
dead; and you, being dead in your sins ... hath He quickened together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses ... triumphing over principalities and
powers in it (His
resurrection). THEREFORE let no man judge or
condemn you in your eating or drinking (of Christ), or with regard to Feast of month’s or of
Sabbaths’.”
“For if Jesus had given
them rest, then not however after these things would He speak of another day (of salvation). THEREFORE there remains
for the People of God
(the Church) keeping
of the Sabbath Day, FOR, He having entered into His rest, Himself rested from
His works – as from His own, God!”
The
Sabbath is for the
Genesis
2:2, “On
the Seventh Day God ENDED his work which He had made; and He RESTED on the
Seventh Day from all His works which He had made.”
Exodus
14:13, “Fear
ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD which He will shew you today ... the LORD shall fight for
you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
Lv23:10-11,
“Then
shall ye bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest ... and the priest
shall wave the sheaf before the LORD to be
accepted for you
on the day after the Sabbath (of the Passover).”
Dt5:14, “The Seventh Day is the
Sabbath of the LORD your God ... The LORD brought
you out through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: Therefore the LORD your God
commanded you to keep the Sabbath ... Because
the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath
which He had sworn ... hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of
bondmen.”
Dt21:22-23,
Jos8:29, “If
a man have committed sin worthy of death and he be put to death and thou hang
him on a tree: His body shall not
remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day (for he that hanged is
accursed of God).” “The king of Ai he
hanged on a tree at eventide: and as soon as it became sunrise, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase
down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and
raise thereon a great heap of stones.”
2K11,
2Chr22, “On the Sabbath ... he brought the
king’s son, and put the crown upon
him and gave him the testimony: And they made him king, and anointed
him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king! ... And
they laid their hands on Athaliah ... and she
was slain.” In the Name of God Almighty, now read
1Corinthians 15:42-57!
2Chr29:16-17,
“The
priests went into the inner part
of the house of the LORD to cleanse
it, and brought out all the
uncleanness ... to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron. ... On the eighth
day of the first month they came to the porch of the LORD: So they sanctified
the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. ...
The song of the LORD began with trumpets, and all the congregation worshipped.”
So then,
why I believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the Sabbath Day ... as far as
the chronology of the last week of Jesus on earth is concerned. Let us move to the top of a page so that it
may contain what is needed only ...
Observe
the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the LORD thy God. Dt16:1
They
began on the first day of the First Month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of
the month came they to the porch of the LORD; so they sanctified the house of
the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the First Month they made
an end. 2Chr29:17
In the
tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb ... Your lamb
shall be without blemish. And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of
the same month ... and the whole assembly shall kill it in the afternoon. And
they shall take of the blood and strike it on to the two side posts and on the
upper door post ... And they shall eat the flesh in that night, and unleavened
bread with it; bitter they shall eat it. ... Ye shall let nothing of it remain
until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning, ye shall
burn with fire. Ex12:3-10
Date
1-7….Jn11;53-55
From that day; went unto country;
there waited
……….Mk10:32
Mt 20:17 In the way going up to
……….34 shall
mock, scourge, spit, kill Him; third day
He shall rise
8…….Jn11:55-56
9…….12:1 Six days before Passover where Lazarus
stayed; lunch
10,36 :12
Next day; palm trees; temple; late;
departed
11….
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
(Inserted 9 May 2008: See ‘The Last Week’ ...)
Gerhard
Ebersöhn
Unit 74
Keswick
Sunninghill