Publication date
3/1/13
Volume
34
Number
5
The WatchTower
The Coming Memorial Supper
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1913/5/1913-5-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXXIV 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y" 
MARCH 
1, 
1913 
NO.5 
MEMORIAL 
SUPPER 
of 
me."-l 
Cor. 
11:24, 
25. 
haye 
already 
seen, 
types 
of 
greater 
and 
grander 
occurrences. 
The 
choosing 
of 
the 
lamb 
on 
the 
tenth 
day 
typified 
how, 
if 
Israel 
would 
be 
blessed 
and 
recognized 
as 
the 
church 
of 
the 
first-born 
in 
the 
antitypical 
Passoyer, 
they 
must 
accept 
Jesus 
thf~n, 
five 
days 
before 
that 
Passover 
Feast, 
and 
four 
days 
before 
his 
crucifixion. 
And 
it 
evidently 
was 
on 
that 
very 
date 
that 
our 
Lord 
offered 
himself 
finally 
to 
that 
nation­ 
when, 
as 
their 
king, 
he 
rode 
into 
the 
city 
on 
the 
colt. 
(Com­ 
pare 
John 
12:12-16) 
They, 
however, 
neglected 
to 
receive 
the 
Lamb 
of 
God, 
were 
at 
once 
rejected, 
and 
ceased 
from 
being 
the 
typical 
iirst-born. 
The 
14th 
day 
(which 
this 
year 
[1913] 
will 
begin 
at 
6 
o 
'clock 
on 
the 
evening 
of 
Sunday, 
April 
20th, 
and 
last 
until 
6 
p. 
m. 
of 
the 
21st) 
was 
the 
day 
in 
which 
the 
Paschal 
lamb 
was 
to 
be 
killed 
and 
eaten; 
and 
the 
Hebrew 
counting 
of 
time 
(doubtless 
divinely 
arranged 
for 
thill 
very 
purpolle) 
permitted 
the 
eating 
of 
the" 
Last 
Supper" 
upon 
the 
same 
day 
that 
the 
Lord 
was 
crucified. 
The 
Passover 
supper 
of 
lamb 
and 
herbs 
and 
unleavened 
bread 
(fulfilling 
the 
Law, 
which 
was 
not 
ended 
until 
the 
cross) 
was 
eaten 
shortly 
after 
6 
p. 
m. 
Then 
followed 
the 
institution 
of 
the 
Memorial 
supper 
of 
bread 
and 
wine, 
representative 
of 
the 
body 
and 
blood 
of 
the 
anti 
typical 
Lamb. 
This 
thereafter, 
as 
often 
as 
the 
occasion 
returned 
(yearly), 
was 
to 
be 
observed 
by 
his 
followers 
instead 
of 
the 
eating 
of 
the 
literal 
lamb-as 
the 
commemoration 
of 
the 
anti­ 
typical 
Lamb 
and 
the 
greater 
passing· 
over 
of 
the 
antitypical 
first-born, 
which 
his 
blood 
effects. 
The 
waving 
of 
the 
barley 
sheaf 
of 
first-fruits, 
on 
the 
16th 
of 
Nisan 
(" 
the 
morrow 
after 
the 
Sabbath" 
or 
Passover 
Feast 
of 
the 
15th-Lev. 
23 
:5, 
6, 
11, 
15-17), 
typified 
the 
resur­ 
rection 
of 
Christ 
our 
Lord, 
as 
"the 
first-fruits 
of 
them 
that 
slept. 
"*-1 
Cor. 
15 
:20. 
The 
two 
wave 
loaves 
offered 
on 
the 
fiftieth 
day, 
Pente­ 
cost, 
represented 
the 
presenting 
of 
the 
church 
before 
God 
and 
its 
acceptance 
through 
the 
merit 
of 
the 
great 
High 
Priest, 
indicated 
by 
the 
anointing 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
at 
Pentecost. 
The 
church 
really 
is 
but 
"one 
loaf" 
(1 
Cor. 
10:17), 
the 
two 
loaves 
representing 
the 
same 
thing 
·as 
the 
two 
goats 
pre­ 
sented 
on 
the 
day 
of 
atonement. 
It 
indicated 
that 
although 
all 
presented 
were 
acceptable 
to 
God 
through 
Christ 
Jesus, 
he 
yet 
knew 
that 
an 
presented 
would 
not 
come 
up 
to 
the 
condition 
of 
faithfulness 
to 
the 
end. 
The 
two 
loaves 
rep­ 
resented, 
therefore, 
the 
two 
classes 
of 
the 
consecrated-the 
overcoming 
little 
flock, 
and 
the 
great 
company 
of 
the 
con­ 
secrated 
servants 
of 
God 
who 
do 
not 
make 
the 
"high 
calling" 
theirs, 
by 
overcoming 
the 
world 
as 
they 
might 
and 
should 
do. 
The 
method 
of 
calculating 
the 
date 
for 
Good 
Friday 
and 
Easter 
Sunday 
in 
vogue 
among 
Episcopalians 
and 
Roman 
Catholics 
differs 
from 
the 
foregoing 
in 
this: 
They 
celebrate 
as 
Easter 
Sunday 
the 
first 
Sunday 
following 
the 
first 
full 
moon 
after 
the 
Spring 
Equinox, 
and 
the 
preceding 
Friday 
is 
recognized 
as 
Good 
Friday. 
This 
method 
of 
counting 
was 
instituted 
by 
the 
Council 
of 
Nice, 
A. 
D. 
325, 
as 
instead 
of 
the 
Jewish 
method 
which 
we 
recognize. 
But 
the 
name 
"Pass­ 
over" 
continued 
to 
be 
used 
(not 
Eastert 
Sunday) 
for 
a 
long 
time; 
it 
was 
after 
Papacy 
had 
become 
established 
in 
political 
influence, 
and 
the 
ignorant 
pagans 
began 
to 
flock 
to 
the 
system 
which 
enjoyed 
the 
favor 
of 
the 
government, 
that 
the 
name 
"Easter" 
was 
substituted 
for 
"Passover," 
because 
about 
the 
same 
time 
as 
the 
Passover 
the 
pagans 
had 
been 
in 
the 
habit 
of 
celebrating 
the 
festival 
of 
their 
Easter 
goddess 
(Ger­ 
* 
Here 
is 
the 
strongest 
possible 
confirmation 
of 
the 
correctness 
of 
the 
position 
taken 
in 
Studies 
in 
the 
Scriptures, 
Vol. 
n.-that 
our 
Lord 
was 
not 
three 
full 
24·hour 
da~'s 
in 
the 
tomb, 
but 
only 
parts 
of 
the 
three 
days 
and 
nights: 
that 
he 
was 
crucified 
on 
the 
day 
corre· 
sponding 
to 
our 
Friday 
afternoon, 
and 
arose 
ou 
what 
corresponded 
to 
our 
Sunday 
morning. 
The 
showing 
of 
this 
type, 
that 
the 
Paschal 
lamb 
was 
to 
be 
killed 
sometime 
during 
the 
14th 
of 
Nisan, 
and 
the 
wave· 
offering 
of 
the 
sheaf 
of 
first-fruits 
",,,,s 
to 
occur 
on 
the 
16th, 
should 
settle 
the 
matter 
for 
all. 
It 
agrees 
with 
the 
repeated 
statement 
(1 
Cor. 
15:4; 
Luke 
24 
:46) 
that 
our 
Lord 
rose 
on 
"the 
third 
day, 
ac· 
cording 
to 
the 
Scriptures." 
This 
Scripture 
concerning 
the 
first· 
fruits 
is 
the 
only 
type 
which 
we 
recall 
as 
in 
any 
way 
pointing 
out 
the 
time 
of 
our 
Lord's 
resurrection. 
Then, 
too, 
the 
fact 
that 
history, 
as 
represented 
in 
the 
traditions 
and 
customs, 
points 
out 
G 
.. 
od 
}<'riday 
and 
Easter 
Sunday 
as 
celebrations 
of 
our 
Lord's 
death 
and 
resurrec· 
tion, 
should 
have 
some 
weight 
on 
so 
trivial 
a 
matter, 
unless 
some 
motive 
or 
reason 
for 
misstating 
the 
dates 
can 
be 
assigned. 
'rhe 
only 
Scripture 
seeming 
to 
oppose 
all 
these 
facts 
is 
the 
declaration 
that 
our 
Lord 
would 
be 
three 
days 
and 
three 
nights 
in 
the 
earth; 
and 
the 
only 
explanation 
that 
can 
be 
offered 
to 
this 
is, 
that 
the 
expression 
is 
used 
in 
a 
general 
and 
not 
in 
a 
specific 
manner, 
the 
nights 
being 
mentioned 
to 
preclude 
the 
idea 
of 
any 
cessation 
of 
death 
until 
the 
third 
day. 
Thus 
understood, 
the 
expression 
would 
signify 
that 
during 
portion. 
of 
three 
days 
a 
ld 
ni~hts 
our 
Lord 
would 
he 
in 
the 
tomb. 
At 
all 
events 
the 
evidence 
is 
overwhelming 
that 
he 
died 
on 
the 
14th 
of 
Nisan, 
and 
rose 
on 
the 
16th-the 
third 
day 
after. 
t 
The 
use 
of 
the 
word 
Easter 
in 
Acts 
12:4 
is 
a 
mistranslation; 
it 
should 
be 
rendered 
Passover.-See 
Revised 
Version. 
THE 
COMING 
"This 
do 
in 
remembrance 
The 
supper 
whjch 
our 
Lord 
instituted 
as 
a 
remembrancer 
of 
his 
great 
sacrifice 
for 
our 
sins, 
and 
not 
for 
ours 
only, 
but 
also 
for 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world, 
is 
striking 
in 
its 
appropriateness 
and 
its 
simplicity. 
The 
world's 
great 
men 
have 
always 
sought 
very 
different 
means 
of 
perpetuating 
their 
memories. 
In 
whatever 
way 
they 
would 
remind 
their 
followers 
of 
their 
merits 
and 
their 
greatness, 
it 
surely 
has 
not 
been 
by 
a 
reminder 
and 
commemoration 
of 
their 
death--especially 
if, 
as 
in 
our 
Lord's 
case, 
it 
was 
a 
death 
of 
ignominy 
and 
shame, 
a 
death 
as 
a 
malefactor 
and 
criminal. 
Another, 
more 
probably, 
would 
have 
left 
instructions 
for 
medals 
to 
be 
struck 
commemorating 
some 
of 
his 
mighty 
works-such, 
for 
instance, 
as 
the 
awakening 
of 
Lazarus, 
or 
the 
stilling 
of 
the 
tempest 
on 
the 
sea, 
or 
the 
triumphal 
entry 
into 
Jerusalem, 
while 
the 
multitude 
strewed 
the 
way 
with 
palm 
branches, 
and 
cried, 
Hosanna 
to 
the 
King 
I 
But 
our 
Lord 
chose 
as 
his 
remembrancer 
that 
which 
rep­ 
resented 
what 
was, 
in 
his 
and 
in 
God's 
estimation, 
his 
mightiest 
work-his 
Sin-offering 
on 
our 
behalf; 
and 
that 
which 
his 
real 
followers, 
and 
they 
alone, 
would 
appreciate 
more 
than 
any 
other 
feature 
of 
his 
mission. 
True, 
his 
followers 
would 
have 
appreciated 
something 
commemorative 
of 
his 
wonderful 
words 
or 
works, 
but 
the 
worldly 
also 
could 
have 
appreciated 
those 
things. 
But 
not 
so 
the 
value 
of 
his 
death 
as 
our 
ran­ 
som-sacrifice, 
the 
basis 
of 
our 
reconciliation 
and 
at-one-ment, 
which 
has 
never 
yet 
been 
fully 
apprehended 
by 
any 
but 
the 
consecrated 
little 
flock-the 
elect. 
And 
it 
was 
for 
these 
that 
the 
remembrancer 
was 
arranged 
and 
instituted. 
And 
though 
a 
Judas 
was 
present, 
he 
was 
given 
a 
sop, 
and 
went 
out 
from 
the 
others 
before 
the 
supper 
was 
ended; 
thus 
no 
doubt 
repre­ 
senting 
that 
in 
the 
close 
of 
this 
Age, 
before 
the 
little 
flock 
will 
have 
finished 
their 
part 
of 
having 
fellowship 
with 
their 
Lord 
in 
his 
sufferings, 
the 
sop 
of 
truth 
will 
have 
become 
so 
strong 
as 
to 
drive 
forth 
from 
the 
company 
and 
communion 
of 
the 
faithful 
all 
who 
do 
not 
rightly 
appreciate 
and 
value 
the 
ransom 
accomplished 
by 
the 
Lamb 
of 
God 
for 
the 
taking 
away 
of 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
world.-1 
John 
2 
:19. 
DATE 
OF 
THE 
PASCHAL 
SUPPER 
The 
date 
of 
the 
Paschal 
supper 
at 
which 
the 
Jews 
ate 
a 
lamb, 
commemorative 
of 
their 
deliverance, 
from 
Egyptian 
bondage 
and 
of 
the 
sparing 
of 
their 
first-born 
at 
that 
time, 
was 
of 
course 
calculated 
by 
the 
Jewish 
method 
of 
reckoning 
time, 
viz., 
lunar 
time. 
(Exod. 
12 
:2-14) 
Instead 
of 
dividing 
the 
months 
as 
we 
do, 
they 
allowed 
the 
new 
moon 
to 
mark 
the 
beginning 
of 
a 
new 
month; 
and 
the 
difference 
between 
the 
sun 
time 
(solar 
time) 
and 
moon 
time 
(lunar 
time) 
was 
equalized 
by 
always 
beginning 
the 
new 
year 
with 
the 
appearing 
of 
the 
new 
moon 
about 
the 
Spring 
Equinox. 
In 
celebrating 
their 
religious 
festivals 
the 
Jews 
still 
maintain 
this 
method 
of 
reckoning. 
And 
since 
our 
Lord, 
the 
apostles 
and 
the 
earl;}" 
church 
followed 
this 
same 
rule 
for 
determining 
the 
date 
for 
the 
annual 
celebration 
of 
our 
Lord's 
Last 
Supper, 
we 
also 
follow 
it. 
The 
first 
new 
moon 
after 
the 
vernal 
Equinox 
is 
reckoned 
in 
Hebrew 
almanacs 
this 
year 
(1913) 
as 
being 
April 
8th-prob­ 
ably 
Jerusalem 
observation. 
At 
6 
p. 
m. 
the 
day 
before 
begins 
the 
first 
day 
of 
the 
Jewish 
month 
Nisan, 
the 
first 
mcnth 
of 
the 
Jewish 
sacred 
year. 
Beginning 
with 
the 
1st 
of 
Nisan 
the 
Hebrews 
counted, 
and 
on 
the 
tenth 
day 
the 
Paschal 
lamb 
was 
chosen 
or 
selected 
from 
the 
flock. 
On 
the 
fourteenth 
day 
(the 
full 
of 
the 
moon*) 
Ilbetween 
evenings" 
(at 
any 
time 
between 
6 
p. 
m. 
of 
the 
13th 
and 
6 
p. 
m. 
of 
the 
14th 
of 
Nisan) 
the 
lamb 
was 
to 
be 
killed 
and 
eaten. 
On 
the 
fifteenth 
day 
their 
Passover 
Feast 
began, 
lasting 
seven 
days, 
the 
first 
and 
the 
seventh 
days 
being 
observed 
as 
specially 
holy, 
as 
Sabbath 
days, 
or 
II 
high" 
days. 
(Exod. 
12: 
16) 
On 
the 
sixteenth 
day, 
the 
orner 
of 
the 
first-fruits 
of 
the 
barley 
harvest 
was 
offered 
to 
the 
Lord, 
and 
fifty 
days 
after 
(Pentecost 
Day) 
they 
offered 
before 
the 
Lord 
two 
wave 
loaves.-Lev. 
~:; 
:17. 
These 
things 
done 
by 
the 
Jews 
every 
year 
were, 
as 
we 
* 
As 
the 
sun 
is 
a 
symbol 
of 
Christ's 
kingdom, 
so 
the 
moon 
sym­ 
bolized 
Israel 
as 
a 
nation. 
(Rev. 
12: 
1.) 
The 
12 
and 
sometimes 
13 
lunations 
symbolize 
the 
tribes 
of 
that 
nation. 
The 
moon 
was 
at 
its 
full 
at 
the 
time 
of 
Christ's 
crucifixion. 
There 
it 
immediately 
began 
to 
wane 
and 
waned 
for 
as 
long 
as 
it 
had 
previously 
increased. 
So 
Christ's 
death 
was 
the 
turning 
point 
between 
the 
two 
equal 
parts 
of 
Israel's 
history. 
See 
Studies 
in 
the 
Scriptures, 
Vol. 
II, 
p. 
218. 
As 
those 
Jews 
who 
were 
unclean, 
and 
hence 
could 
not 
keep 
the 
Passover 
properly 
in 
its 
proper 
season, 
were 
permitted 
to 
do 
so 
on 
the 
14th 
of 
the 
second 
month 
(at 
the 
full 
of 
the 
next 
moon-Num. 
9 
:8·13), 
the 
lesson 
tau~ht 
seems 
to 
be 
that 
all 
prevented 
(by 
ignor. 
ance) 
from 
accepting 
Messiah 
as 
their 
Redeemer, 
when 
offered 
to 
them, 
will 
have 
an 
opportunity 
of 
doing 
so 
when, 
in 
the 
times 
of 
res· 
titution 
of 
all 
things, 
their 
nation 
(moon) 
shall 
again 
be 
full 
of 
bless­ 
ings, 
in 
the 
latter 
harvest. 
[5191] 
(67-68) 
Vou. XXXIV BROOKLYN, N. Y., MARCH 1, 1918 No. 5 = THE COMING MEMORIAL SUPPER ‘¢This do in remembrance of me.’’—1 Cor. 11:24, 25. The supper which our Lord instituted as a remembrancer of his great sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world, is striking in its appropriateness and its simplicity. The world’s great men have always sought very different means of perpetuating their memories. In whatever way they would remind their followers of their merits and their greatness, it surely has not been by a reminder and commemoration of their death—especially if, as in our Lord’s case, it was a death of ignominy and shame, a death as a malefactor and criminal. Another, more probably, would have left instructions for medals to be struck commemorating some of his mighty works—such, for instance, as the awakening of Lazarus, or the stilling of the tempest on the sea, or the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, while the multitude strewed the way with palm branches, and eried, Hosanna to the King! But our Lord chose as his remembrancer that which represented what was, in his and in God’s estimation, his mightiest work—his Sin-offering on our behalf; and that which his real followers, and they alone, would appreciate more than any other feature of his mission. True, his followers would have appreciated something commemorative of his wonderful words or works, but the worldly also could have appreciated those things. But not so the value of his death as our ransom-sacrifice, the basis of our reconciliation and at-one-ment, which has never yet been fully apprehended by any but the consecrated little flock—the elect. And it was for these that the remembrancer was arranged and instituted. And though a Judas was present, he was given a sop, and went out from the others before the supper was ended; thus no doubt representing that in the close of this Age, before the little flock will have finished their part of having fellowship with their Lord in his sufferings, the sop of truth will have become so strong as to drive forth from the company and communion of the faithful all who do not rightly appreciate and value the ransom accomplished by the Lamb of God for the taking away of the sins of the world.—1 John 2:19. DATE OF THE PASCHAL SUPPER The date of the Paschal supper at which the Jews ate a lamb, commemorative of their deliverance, from Egyptian bondage and of the sparing of their first-born at that time, was of course calculated by the Jewish method of reckoning time, viz., lunar time. (Exod. 12:2-14) Instead of dividing the months as we do, they allowed the new moon to mark the beginning of a new month; and the difference between the sun time (solar time) and moon time (lunar time) was equalized by always beginning the new year with the appearing of the new moon about the Spring Equinox. In celebrating their religious festivals the Jews still maintain this method of reckoning. And since our Lord, the apostles and the early ehurch followed this same rule for determining the date for the annual celebration of our Lord’s Last Supper, we also follow it. The first new moon after the vernal Equinox is reckoned in Hebrew almanacs this year (1913) as being April 8th—probably Jerusalem observation. At 6 p. m. the day before begins the first day of the Jewish month Nisan, the first mcnth of the Jewish sacred year. Beginning with the 1st of Nisan the Hebrews counted, and on the tenth day the Paschal lamb was chosen or selected from the flock. On the fourteenth day (the full of the moon*) ‘‘between evenings’’ (at any time between 6 p. m. of the 13th and 6 p. m. of the 14th of Nisan) the lamb was to be killed and eaten. On the fifteenth day their Passover Feast began, lasting seven days, the first and the seventh days being observed as specially holy, as Sabbath days, or ‘‘high’’ days. (Exod. 12:16) On the sixteenth day, the omer of the first-fruits of the barley harvest was offered to the Lord, and fifty days after (Pentecost Day) they offered before the Lord two wave loaves.—Lev. £5:17. These things done by the Jews every year were, as we * As the sun is a symbol of Christ’s kingdom, so the moon symbolized Israel as a nation. (Rev. 12:1.) The 12 and sometimes 13 lunations symbolize the tribes of that nation. The moon was at its full at the time of Christ’s crucifixion. There it immediately began to wane and waned for as long as it had previously increased. So Christ’s death was the turning point between the two equal parts of Israel's history. See Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. II, p. 218. As those Jews who were unclean, and hence could not keep the Passover properly in its proper season, were permitted to do so on the 14th of the second month (at the full of the next moon—Num. 9:8-13), the lesson taught seems to be that all prevented (by ignorance) from accepting Messiah as their Redeemer, when offered to them, will have an opportunity of doing so when, in the times of res titution of all things, their nation (moon) shall again be full of blessings, in the latter harvest. [5191] have already seen, types of greater and grander occurrences. The choosing of the lamb on the tenth day typified how, if Tsrael would be blessed and recognized as the church of the first-born in the antitypical Passover, they must accept Jesus then, five days before that Passover Feast, and four days before his crucifixion. And it evidently was on that very date that our Lord offered himself finally to that nation— when, as their king, he rode into the city on the colt. (Compare John 12:12-16) They, however, neglected to receive the Lamb of God, were at once rejected, and ceased from being the typical first-born. The 14th day (which this year [1913] will begin at 6 o’clock on the evening of Sunday, April 20th, and last until 6 p. m. of the 21st) was the day in which the Paschal lamb was to be killed and eaten; and the Hebrew counting of time (doubtless divinely arranged for this very purpose) permitted the eating of the ‘‘Last Supper’’ upon the same day that the Lord was crucified. The Passover supper of lamb and herbs and unleavened bread (fulfilling the Law, which was not ended until the cross) was eaten shortly after 6 p.m. Then followed the institution of the Memorial supper of bread and wine, representative of the body and blood of the antitypical Lamb. This thereafter, as often as the occasion returned (yearly), was to be observed by his followers instead of the eating of the literal lamb—as the commemoration of the antitypical Lamb and the greater passing-over of the antitypical first-born, which his blood effects. The waving of the barley sheaf of first-fruits, on the 16th of Nisan (‘‘the morrow after the Sabbath’’ or Passover Feast of the 15th—Lev. 23:5, 6, 11, 15-17), typified the resurrection of Christ our Lord, as ‘‘the first-fruits of them that slept.’’*—1 Cor, 15:20. The two wave loaves offered on the fiftieth day, Pentecost, represented the presenting of the church before God and its acceptance through the merit of the great High Priest, indicated by the anointing of the holy Spirit at Pentecost. The church really is but ‘‘one loaf’’ (1 Cor. 10:17), the two loaves representing the same thing as the two goats presented on the day of atonement. It indicated that although all presented were acceptable to God through Christ Jesus, he yet knew that all presented would not come up to the condition of faithfulness to the end. The two loaves represented, therefore, the two classes of the consecrated—the overcoming little flock, and the great company of the consecrated servants of God who do not make the ‘‘high calling’’ theirs, by overcoming the world as they might and should do. The method of calculating the date for Good Friday and Easter Sunday in vogue among Episcopalians and Roman Catholics differs from the foregoing in this: They celebrate as Easter Sunday the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, and the preceding Friday is recognized as Good Friday. This method of counting was instituted by the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, as instead of the Jewish method which we recognize. But the name ‘‘Passover’’ continued to be used (not Hastert Sunday) for a long time; it was after Papacy had become established in political influence, and the ignorant pagans began to flock to the system which enjoyed the favor of the government, that the name ‘*Haster’’ was substituted for ‘‘Passover,’’ because about the same time as the Passover the pagans had been in the habit of celebrating the festival of their Easter goddess (Ger“~* Here is the strongest possible confirmation of the correctness of the position taken in Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. II.—-that our Lord was not three full 24-hour days in the tomb, but only parts of the three days and nights; that he was crucified on the day coerresponding to our Friday afternoon, and arose on what corresponded to our Sunday morning. The showing of this type, that the Paschal lamb was to be killed sometime during the 14th of Nisan, and the waveoffering of the sheaf of first-fruits was to occur on the 16th, should settle the matter for all. It agrees with the repeated statement (1 Cor. 15:4; Luke 24:46) that our Lord rose on ‘‘the third day, according to the Scriptures.’’ This Scripture concerning the firstfruits is the only type which we recall as in any way pointing out the time of our Lord’s resurrection. Then, too, the fact that history, as represented in the traditions and customs, points out Geod Friday and Easter Sunday as celebrations of our Lord’s death and resurrection, should have some weight on so trivial a matter, unless some motive or reason for misstating the dates can be assigned. The only Scripture seeming to oppose all these facts is the declaration that our Lord would be three days and three nights in the earth; and the only explanation that can be offered to this is, that the expression is used in @ general and not in a specific manner, the nights being mentioned to preclude the idea of any cessation of death until the third day. Thus understood, the expression would signify that during portions of three days aid nights our Lord would be in the tomb. At all events the evidence is overwhelming that he died on the 14th of Nisan, and rose on the 16th—the third day after. + The use of the word Easter in Acts 12:4 is a mistranslation; it should be rendered Passover.—See Revised Version. (67-68)

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