A 3-Days’ Journey to Mt. Sinai

A 3-Days’ Journey to Mt. Sinai
To help us discover the location of Mount Sinai, we must return to our earliest sources and follow the instructions which provide the distance from the eastern border of Egypt, as defined in the days of Moses, to Mount Sinai.

This evidence will begin to answer the question of whether or not the mountain of the eloahim could be as far away as the southern regions of the Sinai Peninsula, let alone somewhere in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, or Jordan.

3-Days’ Journey
According to our earliest sources, Mount Sinai was only a 3 days’ journey from the border of Egypt. For example, when Moses first met Yahweh at Mount Sinai, he was ordered to bring the Israelites “out of Mizraim (Egypt)” and bring them to this very mountain. At this point, Moses quotes Yahweh as having told him:

When you have brought forth the people (of Israel) out of Mizraim, you shall serve eloahim על ההר הזה (al ha-har hazah; upon this mountain). (Exod. 3:12)

This statement is our first indication that Mount Sinai was somewhere beyond the borders of Egypt, for it is only after Moses brings the Israelites “out of Mizraim” that they would “serve eloahim upon this mountain.”

Yahweh then tells Moses:

And you shall enter in, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Mizraim, and you will say to him, Yahweh eloahi of the Hebrews has met with us, and now let us walk, please, דרך שלשת ימים (derek shalshath yomim; a road of 3 days) into the wilderness and let us sacrifice to Yahweh our eloahi. (Exod. 3:18)

Josephus (late 1st century C.E.) writes regarding the above-mentioned conversation:

Howbeit he (Yahweh) charged him (Moses), AFTER he had brought the Hebrews out of Egypt, to come to that spot and there offer sacrifices of thanksgiving.¹

Philo (mid-1st century C.E.) adds that Moses was told:

Take with you (out of Egypt) also the elders of the nation (of Israel), and tell him (Pharaoh) that the people have received a command from me (Yahweh) to make a 3 days’ journey beyond the Borders of the country (of Egypt).²

Taken all together, these statements make it clear that Moses was to bring the Israelites “out of Mizriam (Egypt)” and then continue “beyond the borders” of that country for a distance calculated as walking “a road of 3 days,” i.e., “a 3-days’ journey.” At the end of this journey, Moses would arrive at Mount Sinai to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to Yahweh.

Demetrius the Chronographer, while commenting on how the unarmed Israelites were able to obtain weapons to fight the Amuleq at Rephidim as they approached Mount Sinai,³ writes:

Someone might ask how the Israelites had weapons since they marched out ἄνοπλοι (anoploi; unarmed).⁴ For they said that after they had gone out on a 3-days’ journey and made sacrifices, they would return. It appears, therefore, that those who had not been drowned made use of the other’s arms.⁵

The “others” are the Egyptians, whose arms came to the Israelites after Pharaoh and his army drowned in the Suph Sea.⁶

Confronting Pharaoh
Other passages support these details. For example, the book of Exodus informs us that both Moses and his brother Aaron confronted Pharaoh in the land of Mizraim, telling him:

The eloahim of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, we pray you, a 3-days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh our eloahi, lest he will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. (Exod. 5:3)

Josephus writes regarding this same encounter:

So he (Moses) went to the king (of Egypt) and urged him to let the Hebrews go to Mount Sinai to sacrifice there to the deity, for so he had commanded, and in no wise oppose his will, but to esteem his gracious favor above all else and permit them to exit.⁷

Accordingly, Josephus understood that Pharaoh had to give the Israelites permission to “exit” the country so that they could continue in the wilderness until they reached “Mount Sinai.” In Philo’s version, he states that when Moses and Aaron arrived in Egypt, they first spoke secretly to the Israelite leaders.

In the Wilderness
The story then continues:

After this they were now emboldened to talk to the king, and lay before him their request that he should SEND out of his boundaries the people to sacrifice. They told him that their ancestral sacrifices must be performed in the wilderness, as they did not conform with those of the rest of mankind, but so exceptional were the customs peculiar to the Hebrews that their rule and method of sacrifices ran counter to the common course.⁸

The book of Yashar, which used records from as far back as the 1st century C.E., similarly records that Moses told Pharaoh:

Now, therefore, send us, so that we can take a 3-days’ journey in the wilderness and there will sacrifice to him (Yahweh).⁹

This evidence again points out that Mount Sinai was a 3-days’ journey in the wilderness beyond the boundaries of Egypt and, therefore, in a region outside of Pharaoh’s control. Moses indicates that this particular wilderness, across which a 3-days’ journey was to be made, was not part of any wilderness region within the country of Egypt.

To demonstrate, at one point during the plagues suffered in Egypt due to the fact that Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, Pharaoh repented and gave partial permission.

The book of Exodus reports:

And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said: Go, sacrifice to your eloahi in the land (i.e., of Mizraim). And Moses replied: It is not agreeable to do so; for that which is seen as loathsome to the Mizraim (people) we offer to Yahweh our eloahi. See, (if) we offer that which is loathsome to the Mizraim before their eyes, will they not stone us? A road of 3 days (3-days’ journey) נלך (nalak; we will walk) into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our eloahi as he TOLD us. And Pharaoh said, I will send you away and you will sacrifice to Yahweh your eloahi in the wilderness; only do not go very far off. Pray for me (Exod. 8:25-28)¹⁰

Beyond the Borders of Egypt
This passage is fully supported by Philo, as cited above, who notes that the Israelites were to “make a 3-days’ journey beyond the borders of the country (of Egypt).” Nevertheless, Pharaoh did not want to let them go beyond his control, so he, at first, ordered them to sacrifice within the land of Egypt.

Nevertheless, Moses insisted the Israelites had to follow Yahweh’s instructions. Pharoah’s response was to agree but warned them “only do not go very far off,” i.e., do not go far beyond his border and his control. Therefore, the 3-days’ journey that Yahweh requested by the hand of Moses did not begin until one had actually left the borders of Egypt (Mizraim) and the power of Pharaoh.

Philo adds one more important dimension to the equation. As already pointed out, while the Israelites were at Rephidim, Philo reports that the Israelites “came within sight of the confines of the land οἰκουμένης (oikoumenes; inhabited with houses) and the outlying districts of the country in which they proposed to settle.

This country was occupied by the Phoenicians (i.e., Kanaani).”¹¹ Kanaan in the days of Moses only extended as far south as that part of the Negeb lying opposite Petra. Furthermore, Mount Sinai was only “short stages” from Rephidim.¹²

Philo then adds another important comment:

So, having received the authority which they (the Israelites) willingly gave him, with the sanction and assent of the deity, he proposed to lead them to settle in Phoenicia and Coelesyria and Palestine, then called the land of the Kanaani, THE BOUNDARIES OF WHICH WERE A 3-days’ JOURNEY FROM EGYPT.¹³

According to this statement, Mount Sinai was either on or very near to that part of the land of Kanaan “inhabited with houses,” for both the land of Kanaan and Mount Sinai were a 3-days’ journey from Egypt and one could see that part of Kanaan “inhabited with houses” from Rephidim.

From Where on the Border?
Most would assume that the 3-days’ journey began at the point on the eastern side of the Suph Sea where the Israelites exited from their crossing.

A closer look at Scriptures indicates otherwise. Yahweh first spoke to Moses regarding his mission to bring the Israelites out from the land of Egypt during the burning bush incident.

Of course, Yahweh knew that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and that the departure route would be out of the ordinary.

And I (Yahweh) am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. (Exodus 3:19-20)

On Abib 15, the day after Phasekh (Passover), Moses led the Israelites to Succoth, located about 11 miles north of Ramses on the east side of the Nile. On Abib 17, the pillars of cloud and fire arrived and began to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

And they took their journey from Succoth, AND ENCAMPED IN ETHAM, IN THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS. (Exodus 13:20)

And they departed from Succoth, AND PITCHED IN ETHAM, WHICH IS IN THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS. AND THEY REMOVED FROM ETHAM, AND TURNED BACK TO PIHAHIROTH, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol. (Numbers 32:6-7)

Moses knew the roads out of Egypt very well and recognized this route as the most logical and shortest exit. Therefore, it was expected that Yahweh would take the leading company of the Israelites across the area north of the Suph Sea to the eastern side, the area of Etham, which was in the wilderness.

But then Yahweh did something unexpected. He instructed Moses to turn back to the western side and travel south to where the Israelites would be trapped at Pihahiroth, a pocket between the mountains and the Suph Sea. This was all done to demonstrate the mighty wonders to be enacted by Yahweh before Pharaoh and his army

In fact, Yahweh also showed Moses and Pharaoh that it was the road to Etham where the exit out of Egypt and into the wilderness would normally be expected.

Therefore, the starting point for the 3-days’ journey would not be where the Israelites exited the Suph Sea, but it was at Etham, several miles north of the head of the Suph Sea. We will address the specific area in a forthcoming article.

Yelleq Mountain Range
So far, the evidence places Mount Sinai quite a distance from places like Yemen, the southern Sinai, and Saudi Arabia. Instead, it points to the northern Sinai in an area bordering on that part of the Negeb, representing the southern part of the land of Kanaan. The highest mountain range in that district is named Yelleq, which has its highest peak called Ra’s Abu Qurun (3,547 feet).¹⁴

Even though this study has determined that Ra’s Abu Qurun is not the exact location of Mount Sinai, it is evident that we will discover the true Mount Sinai within the very mountain range of Yelleq.

40 Days
One of the techniques used to confront the evidence of only a 3-days’ journey is the fact that, after crossing the Suph Sea (LXX “Red Sea”),¹⁵ Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 days before they reached the sacred mountain.¹⁶

By using the 40-day figure and even allowing for the fact that they did not travel every day, especially on the Sabbath days, it can be argued that it gave the Israelites enough time to go all the way to the southern end of the Sinai, or to the Negeb, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, or even to Yemen. However, this interpretation is a misapplication of the evidence, as it does not align with the historical context.

The Scriptures clearly state that Yahweh led the Israelites through the barren wilderness during this period, not because he was going directly to Mount Sinai, but rather, by a long way around because he was testing (proving) them, seeing if by experiencing the affliction of the desert they would continue to obey his voice and keep his commandments, statutes, and laws.

Indeed, periods of 40—whether days or years—were a common theme in Scriptures as a time of testing.¹⁷ The Israelites were to be a nation of priests.¹⁸ They represented Yahweh’s Assembly in the wilderness.¹⁹ Accordingly, as the apostle Saul (Paul) instructed Timothy, even the deacons in the Assembly must “first be tested, then let them serve, being unimpeachable.”²⁰

Josephus sums up this 40-day period before reaching Mount Sinai when he reports that Yahweh brought them into this part of the wilderness in order:

. . . to test their manhood, to see what fortitude they possessed, what memory of past services, and whether their thoughts would not revert to those services because of the troubles now in their path, so that he (Yahweh) was exercising them with these trials of the moment.²¹

Philo, likewise, reports that one of the reasons Moses led the Israelites on the road that he did was because Yahweh “wished, by leading them through a long stretch of wilderness country, TO TEST the extent of their loyalty when supplies were not abundant but gradually grew scarcer and scarcer.”²²

The Recognitions of Clement, as still another example, states:

After this, Moses, by the command of the deity, whose providence is over all, led out the people of the Hebrews into the wilderness; and, leaving the shortest road which leads from Egypt to Judaea, he led the people through long windings of the wilderness, so that, by the discipline of forty years, the novelty of a changed manner of life might root out the evils which had clung to them by a long-continued familiarity with the customs of the Egyptians. . . . On this account, leaving the short road which leads from Egypt to Judaea, Moses conducted them by an immense circuit of the desert, if haply he might be able, as we mentioned before, to shake off the evils of old habit by the change of a new education.²³

To demonstrate this principle of education, during the initial 40 days after leaving Egypt, Yahweh is said to have tested the Israelites at Marah to see if they would obey him,²⁴ then again in the “wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai,” where he also gave them manna to eat.²⁵ Then, once more, he tested them at Meribah, which is at Rephidim, where he gave them water from a rock to quench their thirst.²⁶

Regarding the above issue of the manna, Moses later told the Israelites, it was Yahweh:

. . . who in the wilderness fed you manna, which (food) your fathers did not know, in order to humble you and for the purpose of testing you to do you good at your latter end and (in case of) your saying in your innermost self, My power and the might of my hand have made this wealth for me. And you shall remember Yahweh your eloahi because it is he who gives to you the power to make wealth in order to establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as is this day. (Deut. 8:16-18)

Finally, after reaching Mount Sinai and seeing Yahweh come down upon the mountain in a terrifying manner, Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid because the eloahim has come in order to test you, so that his fear will be upon your faces so that you will not sin.”²⁷ The 40-day period of testing, as a result, has no bearing on the distance marked out as a “3-days’ journey.”

Three Days Away
The Hebrew expression חרך שלשת ימים (derek shalshath yomim; “a road of 3 days,” i.e., “a 3-days’ journey”) does not mean that the millions of Israelites would only spend three days walking in the wilderness.²⁸ Rather, it was a reference to a distance of march, either by the military or a caravan, much as the Assyrian term beru or the Persian parasang were used.²⁹ In Jonah, for example, the distance around the city of Nineveh and all its suburbs is defined as “a 3-days’ journey.”³⁰

A normal day’s travel for a military unit or caravan was roughly 20 to 25 miles.³¹ However, in some circumstances, depending upon the terrain, time of year, and climatic conditions, it could be as much as 30 miles.

J. D. Douglas writes:

In the East distances were commonly considered in terms of hours and days. Thus a day’s journey might be reckoned as 7–8 hours (perhaps 20–30 miles), but it was a somewhat indefinite expression appropriate to a country where roads and other factors vary greatly.³²

To demonstrate, during the late 5th century B.C.E., as reported by Xenophon, a Greek army that was retreating from the Persians took their march through Assyria northward along the Tigris River. Xenophon states that they marched 4 stages for 20 parasangs (about 70 miles), 6 stages for 30 parasangs (about 105 miles), and then 4 stages for another 20 parasangs (about 70 miles).³³

The total in this line of march, therefore, was 14 stages (or 14 days of marching) at 70 parasangs (about 245 miles). The average marching time in their retreat (which, of course, was committed with all due haste) was 17.5 miles per day. Yet the terrain, with its rivers and mountains, posed significant challenges, slowing their progress to some degree.

Herodotus (5th century B.C.E.), meanwhile, reckons an average day’s journey along the route from Sardis in Asia Minor to Susia in Persia, which crosses mountains, streams, and plains, to be 150 stadia, i.e., approximately 17.25 miles per day.³⁴ On the other hand, when one travels through the more open country of Scythia, this same author calculates 200 stadia per day, i.e., approximately 23 miles per day.³⁵

Itineraria Romana
For our purposes, a better picture is obtained from information dealing with the roads in the Sinai Peninsula. We begin by citing the ancient Itineraria Romana, which provides a list of stations along the coastal road of the Sinai and gives the distances between each in Roman miles. A Roman mile denotes a distance of 1,000 paces or 5,000 Roman feet. It is estimated to correspond to about 4,851 English feet,³⁶ some 429 feet shorter than an English mile (5,280 feet).

For the stations along the Palestim highway from Sile (Tzur), located close to modern El-Qantara in Egypt,³⁷ to Gaza in Palestine, we read:³⁸

Stations	Roman Miles
Sile (Tzur) to Magdolo	12
Magdolo to Pelusio (Pelusium)	12
Pelusio to Pentascino	20
Pentascino to Cassio	20
Cassio to Ostracena	26
Ostracena to Rinocorura (Rhinocolura)	24
Rinocorura to Rafia (Raphia)	22
Rafia to Gaza	22
Total	158 Roman miles (145.16 English miles)

In the time of Thutmose III of Dynasty XVIII, we are told that Pharaoh set out with his army on his expedition against Syria beginning from Sile (Tzur). He reached the city of Gaza, a trip of about 160 English miles, in 10 days.³⁹ His travel time results in an average daily march of 16 miles per day.

Yet Pharoah’s records do not reflect any reason for a forced march, thereby indicating a more cautious or slower pace for his rather large invasion force. Neither do we know how many days he rested at each station. Nevertheless, the evidence does show that his army travelled at a minimum of 16 miles per day.

Beginning in the latter part of the 4th century B.C.E., we have much better examples. It took Alexander the Great 7 days to march from Gaza, which was located in Palestine, to Pelusium in Egypt, a distance of about 134 Roman miles (123.11 English miles).⁴⁰ This renders us an average of about 17.58 miles per day.

Ptolemy, meanwhile, later made the march from Pelusium to a place located about 50 stades south from Raphia, the first city of Coele-Syria and Palestine, arriving on the 5th day.⁴¹ The distance was about 112 Roman miles (102.9 English miles) divided by 5 days, giving us a total of about 20.58 miles per day.

Finally, we have our best example from the 1st century C.E. During this period, Titus of Rome made a march from Pelusium to Rhinocorura (El-Arish), a distance of about 90 Roman miles (82.68 English miles) in 3 days.⁴² Therefore, he made the expedition, averaging about 27.56 English miles per day.

What is so important about this 3-days’ journey of Titus is that Pelusium laid on the ancient northeast border of Egypt and Rhinocorura set on the south side of the border of the land of Palestia proper. Palestia was counted as part of the ancient land of Kanaan and with this district one finds fertile land and settled regions, not bedouin travelers. It represents those parts of Kanaan “inhabited with houses,” as mentioned by Philo.

Philo Confirmed
Therefore, the words of Philo, who stated that this part of the land of Kanaan was a 3-days’ journey from the border of Egypt, is thus confirmed. Assuming good weather and 8 hours of travel time per day—intermixed with periods of rest, eating, and time to make and break camp—the Roman army of Titus marched at a rate of about 3.445 miles per hour.

This figure fits rather well with the conclusions of David Hughes. While discussing various routes that the Magi could have possibly taken to reach Jerusalem during the 1st century C.E., he remarks, “A fit man can walk easily at about three and a half miles an hour.”⁴³

These various examples reveal two things: First, it is clear that the miles-per-day ratio of the military gives us a minimum of 14.5 miles per day in the reign of Thutmose III to as much as 27.56 miles per day by Titus in the 1st century C.E. If we accept both the lowest and highest figures, a 3 days’ military march consisted of a journey of somewhere between approximately 43.5 (14.5 X 3) to 82.68 (27.56 X 3) English miles, the latter figure best representing the views of Philo and Josephus.

Conclusion
It is manifest that the 3-days’ journey by walking from the border of Egypt until one came to Mount Sinai is a measurement of an actual distance based upon normal travel time through that district.

On the other hand, the 40-day period, during which time Yahweh, in his divine guidance, led the Israelites circuitously through a harsh wilderness, was a planned extension of the trip designed to test the Israelites before they came to Mount Sinai to enter into a covenant agreement to serve Yahweh.

Meanwhile, military expeditions demonstrate that a typical journey through north Sinai would proceed at the rate of 20 to 28 miles a day, depending on the army’s size, weather, and other road conditions.

Therefore, the evidence reveals that the calculation for the 3-days’ journey began on the other side of the eastern border of Egypt, at Etham, an area north of the Suph Sea crossing located in the wilderness.

This means that Mount Sinai is located within a distance of about 90 miles from the area of Etham, west of the border of Egypt.

The mountain range that fits this criteria is none other than the one named Yelleq in the northwestern Sinai Peninsula. It is also evident that the true Mount Sinai is located within this mountain range. We will pinpoint the exact location of Mount Sinai in a forthcoming article.

Note: Adapted from a chapter of a forthcoming publication by R. Clover to be published by Qadesh La Yahweh Press.

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Footnotes:
Click for Bibliography and Abbreviations

1 – Jos., Antiq., 2:12:1.↩
2 – Philo, Moses, 1:14.↩
3 – Exod. 14:23-30; Wis.Sol. 10:20; Jos., Antiq., 2:16:6.↩
4 – For the Greek term , see GEL, 1996, p. 147, “generally, unarmed”; GEL, p. 74. Exod. 13:18, does not say that the Israelites went out of Egypt “armed,” as found in the Vulgate and popularly translated. The term חמשים (khamishshim; fifty[-wide]) means that they went out by “fifties,” i.e., in rows of 50 across (SEC, Heb. #2572; HEL, p. 89; CHAL, p. 109). The LXX of Exod. 13:18 also misunderstood the expression and gives “in the fifth generation.” The earlier writers, on the other hand, realized that the Israelites were unarmed.↩
5 – Demetrius, Chron., frag. 5. For the arms retrieved from the drowned Egyptians, cf., Exod. 14:23-30; Wis.Sol. 10:20; Jos., Antiq., 2:16:6.↩
6 – On the arms obtained by the Israelites from the drowned Egyptians, also see Exod. 14:23-30; Wis.Sol. 10:16-20; Jos., Antiq., 2:16:6 §349.↩
7 – Jos., Antiq., 2:13:4.↩
8 – Philo, Moses, 1:15:87. Colson, Philo, vi, loc. cit., renders the important part of his verse, “he should send the people out of his boundaries to sacrifice”; while Yonge, Philo, loc. cit., has “sending forth their people from his territories that they might sacrifice.”↩
9 – Yashar, 79:48.↩
10 – The animals that would be seen as loathsome to sacrifice by the Egyptians were cattle, and the Israelites were intent on sacrificing cattle as a freewill offering. The Egyptians held cows as sacred. As E. P. Evans writes, “The Egyptians worshipped two bulls, both sacred to Osiris, namely Mneuis at Heliopolis, and Apis at Memphis; the sign of the former was the sun, and that of the latter the moon” (ASEA, p. 14). Strabo, 17:1:22, states, “The Momemphitae (of Egypt) honor Aphrodite; and a sacred cow is kept there, as is Apis (a sacred bull) in Memphis and Mneuis (a sacred ox) in Heliopolis. Now these animals are regarded as gods, but those in the other places—for in many places, indeed, both in the Delta and outside of it, either a bull or cow is kept—those others, I say, are not regarded as gods, though they are held sacred.” For the Israelites to have sacrificed a bull, ox, or cow in front of the Egyptians would have caused a great outcry, especially as an offering to an eloahim considered alien by the Egyptians.↩
11 – Philo, Moses, 1:39:214.↩
12 – Jos., Antiq., 3:2:5.↩
13 – Philo, Moses, 1:29:163.↩
14 – Latitude/Longitude at 30.350472 N 33.523618 E (For 3,547 feet, see https://peakvisor.com/peak/ras-abu-qurun.html.)↩
15 – Cf., MT and LXX at Exod. 10:19, 13:18, 15:4, 22, 23:31; Num. 14:25, 21:4, 14, 33:10-11; Deut. 1:1, 40, 2:1, 11:4; Josh. 2:10, 4:23, 24:6; Judge 11:16; 1 Kings 9:26; Neh. 9:9; Ps. 106:7, 9, 22, 136:13, 15; Jer. 49:21; cf., Acts 7:36; Heb. 11:29.↩
16 – The Israelites crossed the Suph Sea on the 20th day of Abib, the 1st moon of the year and the last day of Phasekh (e.g., Seder Olam, 5; Yashar, 81:11-13; Philo, Moses, 1:30, who defines this festival meal as a αριστοποιεῖσθαι (aristopoieisthai; most virtuous meal); and cf., FSDY, 1, p. 148. They arrived at Mount Sinai on the 1st day of the 3rd moon (Exod. 19:1).↩
17 – E.g., for 40 years of testing in the wilderness, see Deut. 8:2, cf., Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33, 32:13; Deut. 2:7, 8:4, 29:5; Josh. 5:6; Neh. 9:21; Ps. 95:10; Amos 2:10, 5:25; Acts 7:42, 13:18; Heb. 3:9, 17; for three periods of 40 days and 40 nights of Moses on Mount Sinai, see Exod. 24:18, 34:28; Deut. 9:9, 11, 18, 25, 10:10; for the 40 days to spy out the land of Kanaan (being directly correlated with the 40 years of sojourning in the wilderness), see Num. 13:25, 14:34; for the 40 years of desolation for Egypt, see Ezek. 29:11-13; for the 40 days to test Nineveh before it would be overthrown, see Jonah 3:4; for the 40 days of testing of the messiah before he began his ministry, see Matt. 4:2; Mark 1:3; Luke 4:2; for the messiah being seen by the assembly and providing proofs for 40 days after his resurrection, see Acts 1:3.↩
18 – Exod. 19:3-6.↩
19 – Acts 7:38; cf., Exod. 16:1, 10, 17:1; Num. 13:26, 14:2, 35, 20:4, 27:14.↩
20 – 1 Tim. 3:10.↩
21 – Jos., Antiq., 3:1:4, said in reference to the Israelites being at Elim, cf., Exod. 15:27.↩
22 – Philo, Moses, 1:29.↩
23 – Recog. Clem., 1:35.↩
24 – Exod. 15:23-26, esp. v. 25.↩
25 – Exod. 16:1-36, esp. v. 4.↩
26 – Ps. 81:7, cf., Exod. 17:1-7.↩
27 – Exod. 20:20.↩
28 – We can only understand by the phrase “3 days’ journey” that a consistent and normal march of three days was intended.↩
29 – For the Assyrian beru, as an example, see JAOS, 45 (25), p. 229, “The beru is here not an exact surveyor’s measure of length, but naturally the distance covered in an average march of two hours (beru = double-hour), that is, between four and five miles in a straight line, depending upon the nature of the country traversed.” For the Persian parasang, see Rawlinson, Herodotus, 3, pp. 212-213, n. 7, “The truth is, that the ancient parasang, like the modern farsakh, was originally a measure of time (an hour), not a measure of distance. In passing from the one meaning to the other, it came to make a different length in different places, according to the nature of the country traversed.” A day’s journey, like these other ancient measures, represents distance traveled in a certain period of time more than a definite distance.↩
30 – Jonah 3:3; cf., Gen. 30:36; Num. 10:33.↩
31 – EBD, p. 267, believes it was “between 32 and 40 km.,” i.e., 20-25 miles.↩
32 – NBD, p. 297.↩
33 – Xenophon, Anab., 2:4:25.↩
34 – Herodotus, 5:53. A stadia (about 607 feet) X 150 = 91,050 feet divided by 5, 280 feet (a mile) = 17.244318 miles. A stadia was approximately 606 feet and 9 inches (NBD, p. 1324; DB, p. 741).↩
35 – Herodotus, 4:101. A stadia (about 607 feet) X 200 = 121,400 feet divided by 5,280 feet (a mile) = 22.992424 miles.↩
36 – DGRA, p. 171. ↩
37 – Tz-r-u, also called Zar-u, Thar-u, Djar-u, Tjar-u, Tjel, Silu, Zile, and so forth.↩
38 – Itineraria Romana, #171 together with #151–152.↩
39 – Breasted, Egypt, p. 409; ARE, 2:409.↩
40 – Arrian, 3:1; Curtius, 4:7.↩
41 – Polybius, 5:80.↩
42 – Jos., Wars, 4:11:5. Titus made a day’s march through the wilderness from Pelusium and the Pelusiac mouth of the Nile to a place near the temple of the Casian Zeus (i.e., the temple of Zeus-Ammon near the summit of Ras el-Kasrun (Mons Casius), a sandstone range adjoining Lake Sirbonis (Thackeray, Jos., iii, p. 197, n. j). The second day he marched to Ostracine, along the coast, and on the third day he came to Rhinocorura.↩
43 – TSBM, pp. 60-61. Hughes adds that even a clumsy inexperienced camel rider could make 30 miles a day. Yet we must keep in mind that the Egyptian day’s journey was not measured by everyone riding horseback or on a camel but, rather, a walking distance. A military or caravan moved at walking speed, walking along with their animals, not riding speed.↩

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Bibliography and Abbreviations

ARE = Breasted, James Henry. Ancient Records of Egypt. 5 vols. New York, Russell & Russell, 1906, reissued 1962.

ASEA = E. P. Evans, Animal Symbolism in Ecclesiastical Architecture, London: W. Heinemann, 1896

CHAL = A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. William L. Holladay. Based upon the Lexical Work of Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1971.

DB = Smith, William, ed. A Dictionary of the Bible. Zondervan Publishing House, Michigan, 1948.

DGRA = William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: John Murray (1875).

EBD = Easton’s Bible Dictionary, M. G. Easton, 3rd ed., published by Thomas Nelson, 1897

GEL = An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Founded upon the seventh ed. of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon. At the Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1961.

HEL = Hebrew-English Lexicon. Zondervan Edition, 1970. Catalog #6264. Samuel Bagster & Sons, LTD., London. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

JAOS = Journal of the American Oriental Society

Jos. = Flavius Josephus (37–ca. 100 C.E.)
— Antiq. Jewish Antiquities
— Wars History of the Jewish Wars Against the Romans

LXX = The Greek Septuagint.

NBD = The New Bible Dictionary. Ed. by J. D. Douglas. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1971.

SEC = Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, together with Dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek Words. Riverside Book and Bible House, Iowa.
– Heb. = A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible.
– Gk. = A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament.

TSBM = The Star of Bethlehem Mystery. By David Hughes, 1979

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Beginning the New Year – Part 1

Beginning the New Year – Part 1
When all superficial elements are removed, we find that the entire issue of when to start the year hinges on the instructions pertaining to the Khag of Ingathering and its tequphath (season of the year).

Preliminary Statement
The late Jews tell of four תקופת (tequphath) of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), each calculated as a period following one of the days of a תקופה (tequphah): the vernal equinox, the summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice.¹

It is also important for us not to confuse the occurrence of a tequphah (i.e., equinox or solstice) with the season (tequphath) although the same word is sometimes used in common speech for both.

To begin with, a tequphah (equinox or solstice), as spoken of by Scriptures, is a solar event, marking a point of passage of the earth around the sun. It represents a day wherein one of two visual effects occur.

1. A solstice day is a day when the sun, as seen along the earth’s horizon, reaches its furthest point of rising or setting either on the north or south.

2. On the day of an equinox, on the other hand, the rising and setting of the sun lies on the horizon precisely in the middle between the two solstice points. As a consequence, the length of the periods of daytime and nighttime on that day of the equinox are almost exactly equivalent.

The Tequphath
The Hebrew word תקופת (tequphath)—various transliterated as tekufath, tequfoth, tequfath, and so forth—is a form of the term תקופה (tequphah)—tekufah, tequfah, and so forth. Tequphah is itself derived from the word קופ (quph), meaning to, “go round.”² The term תקופה (tequphah) more precisely means, “a revolution, i.e. (of the sun) course, (of time) lapse:—circuit, come about, end”;³ a “circuit,”⁴ “orbit of the sun . . . circle of the year.”⁵

Continue reading “Beginning the New Year – Part 1” →

20. Passover – Christian Factions II

An important fact to realize is that there were eight basic premises concerning Passover, the seven days of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost which were almost universal and formed the foundation upon which the overwhelming majority of the early Christian assemblies, whatever system they followed, stood:

1. The Passover celebration was required for all Christians.¹

2. The Christian Passover was an innovation in that it did not require any ritualistic animal sacrifice.²

3. The Passover lamb of the Torah and its sacrifice was a typology of the death of the messiah, the true Passover lamb of Yahweh.³

Continue reading “20. Passover – Christian Factions II” →

18. Passover – Pentecost Clarity II

In our last post titled 17. Passover – Pentecost Clarity I we addressed the four approaches for keeping Pentecost. Of these four systems the oldest is the Aristocratic, which counted the 50 days from the day after the weekly Sabbath following Passover, Sunday to Sunday.

Its antiquity is demonstrated by the fact that both the ancient conservative Samaritan and Sadducean (Boethusian) priesthoods practiced the identical Pentecost system—this despite their loathing for each other.

This common approach among competing branches of the Zadokite priests reflects a common history, indicating that this system was used by the Zadokite priests prior to the fourth century B.C.E. (the time when the Samaritan schism took place).¹

Aristocratic System
These Aristocratic priests were “heirs to the old Zadokite tradition in Jerusalem.”² This Aristocratic system was later followed by the early Christian assemblies,³ demonstrating their belief in its antiquity as well.

Continue reading “18. Passover – Pentecost Clarity II” →

17. Passover – Pentecost Clarity I

As found with the celebration of Passover, there existed a great debate among the various Jewish factions, beginning in about the second century B.C.E., with regard to just how and when one was to count to the Khag of Shabuath (Weeks), also called Pentecost.

This debate was sparked by the fact that there is no direct statement found in Scriptures telling us exactly on which date one is to keep the Festival of Weeks.

Continue reading “17. Passover – Pentecost Clarity I” →

7. Passover – Jewish Factions

Different Jewish practices with reference to the Khag of Passover and the seven days of Unleavened Bread and the Khag of Shabuath (Pentecost) become overtly apparent in the mid-second century B.C.E.

During this period a great dispute was already under way among the Jews, not just over exactly how the nation of Judaea should observe these festivals but over the approach to religion itself.

This debate was fought between the two leading factions of Judaism: the Hasidic and the Aristocratic schools.

Continue reading “7. Passover – Jewish Factions” →

6. Passover – Pentecost Connection II

As we continue our discussion regarding the connection between Passover and Pentecost, we discover that there were three other requirements attached to the Festival of Weeks:
(1) appearing and being worthy, (2) rejoicing, and (3) remembering.

Continue reading “6. Passover – Pentecost Connection II” →

5. Passover – Pentecost Connection I

An important part of the celebration of Passover and the seven days of Unleavened Bread was the day on which the high priest waved the עמר (omer) of freshly cut grain in front of the altar of Yahweh as an offering.

This event occurred on the first day of the 50-day count to the חג שבעות (Khag Shabuath; Festival of Weeks).

As a result, for the Jews and later the Christians, the events associated with the 50 days of the Festival of Weeks (also called Pentecost) were regarded as an important facet of the Passover celebration.

Continue reading “5. Passover – Pentecost Connection I” →

Pentecost – A Yahwehist Perspective

Pentecost – A Yahwehist Perspective
As most are aware, the countdown to Pentecost, a.k.a. Festival of Weeks, begins on the day after the weekly Sabbath day which occurs during the 7-day Festival of Passover/Unleavened Bread.

The count which begins on the 1st day of the week culminates on the day of Pentecost 50 days later, also occurring on the 1st day of the week, Sunday.

A question that might be asked is, Does Yahweh even require us to observe Pentecost and if so, what does all this mean in the bigger picture? If you’re interested in finding out then just continue reading.

Before Mount Sinai
First of all it would be helpful to know if the laws, commandments, and statutes of Yahweh were kept before the Torah/Law (Old Covenant) at Mount Sinai was given in the Old Testament. Important to note is the fact that Abraham was blessed by Yahweh:

Because Abraham obeyed my (Yahweh’s) voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Genesis 26:5)

We should also recognize that the weekly Sabbath day and the Festival of Unleavened Bread (added designation of Passover instituted during the Exodus) were observed before the Torah at Mt. Sinai.

Besides the preexisting 10 commandments given in the Torah at Mt. Sinai are the preexisting statutes of the festivals:

Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD; as I commanded you, . . . You shall keep the FEAST OF HARVEST, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the FEAST OF INGATHERING at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the sovereign Yahweh. (Exodus 23:14-17)

Torah of Trust
Therefore, since Abraham was under the Torah of Trust and not under the works of the Torah of Moses made at Mt. Sinai, we, like Abraham, are required to keep the same laws, commandments, and statutes that Abraham kept.

Keep in mind, since the death of the messiah, we are no longer under the works of the Torah of Moses (Rom. 6:14-15; Gal. 2:16, 3:10, 23, 4:4-5, 5:18), but we are under the Torah of Trust of Abraham (Rom. 3:27-28, 4:1-16; Gal. 3:6-9).

And he (Abram) trusted in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

Additionally we know that Pentecost was still being observed after Yahushua the messiah’s death.

For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. (Acts 20:16)

Torah of Moses/Old Covenant
Now that we have some preliminaries out of the way, this study has utilized the chronological research regarding the Exodus to conclude that the Torah of Moses/Old Covenant was given at Mt. Sinai on the day of Pentecost. Just so happens that many ancient and modern researchers have determined the same conclusion.

It is important to note the reason for the Torah of Moses/Old Covenant:

Why then the Torah? IT WAS AN AUGMENTATION FOR THE SAKE OF TRANSGRESSIONS, until should have come the sperma (collective seed, the elect) to whom the promise has been made. (Galatians 3:19)

One must recognize that the Torah given at Mount Sinai was a marriage covenant between Yahweh and the nation of Israel which was brought about due to Israelite transgressions against the Covenants of Promise.

The Torah of Moses was used to teach the Israelites what sin (transgression) was, thereby revealing in written form the conditions of the earlier verbal Covenants of Promise (under Torah of Trust) made with Abraham. It merely put into writing those original conditions and augmented them with judgments.

Works of the Law
Nevertheless, the Israelites continued to break their marriage vows. As a result, under the condition to obey Yahweh’s voice, the Old Covenant was further augmented with what became known as the “works of the Law” thereby making it impossible for anyone except Yahushua to keep the Torah of Moses.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the trust of Yahushua messiah, even we have trusted in Yahushua messiah, that we might be justified by the trust of messiah, and not by the works of the law: FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)

New Covenant
The fulfillment of the Covenants of Promise will result in the making of the New Covenant (Torah of Trust) with the elect (σπερμα; sperma, collective seed) of the First Resurrection at the Festival of Pentecost (Galatians 3:19).

It is important to recognize that like the Old Covenant marriage at the Festival of Pentecost with the Israelites during the Exodus, the future New Covenant marriage/betrothal will take place at the Festival of Pentecost, only this time with the elect of the First Resurrection. It is also important to note that the consummation of this marriage/betrothal of the New Covenant will happen at the end of the Judgment Millennial Day (the 8th Millennial Day) when father Yahweh arrives.

Behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh, when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (Jeremiah 31:31)

Blessed are they which are called unto the MARRIAGE SUPPER of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9)

Unlike the marriage of the Old Covenant the elect will not break their marriage vows under the New Covenant.

But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their eloahim, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah 31:33)

New Covenant Not Established Yet
For those who believe that the New Covenant has already been established, the book of Hebrews, written after the messiah’s death, would indicate otherwise:

In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old IS READY TO VANISH AWAY. (Hebrews 8:13)

In other words there is an expectation for the New Covenant (Torah of Trust) to take effect over the Old Covenant (Torah of Moses) at some future time. That time is when the New Covenant is established with the elect (24 elders and 144,000) of the First Resurrection which has not yet occurred!

Decrees Against Us Nailed To Stake
Keep in mind that the Torah of Moses will be used for teaching purposes until the very end of the 8th-Millennial Judgment Day (Matthew 5:18). Fortunately Yahushua, upon his death and resurrection, has provided us a different path than that of the Old Covenant whereby we can bypass the “works of the law” and come under grace.

Blotting out the handwriting of DOGMASIN (DECREES) THAT WERE AGAINST US, WHICH WERE CONTRARY TO US, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his stake. (Colossians 2:14)

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Yahushua messiah. (John 1:17)

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the (works of the) Torah (of Moses), but under grace (Torah of Trust). (Romans 6:14)

Notice importantly that in Colossians it was only the “handwriting of decrees that were against us” and “contrary to us” that were nailed to the stake, not the ones that were good for us.

The evidence from Scriptures indicates that the Festival of Pentecost is prophetically pointing to the establishment of the New Covenant by Yahushua with the elect of the First Resurrection thereby fulfilling the Covenants of Promise made to Abraham under the Torah of Trust.

Let’s take a look at some interesting facts from the New Testament.

Day of Wave Sheaf Offering
Yahushua was killed on the afternoon of Abib 14, Thursday, of the year 30 C.E. He was resurrected and quickened before sunrise on Abib 17, Sunday, the first day of the week. This day also happens to be the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering, the day that begins the count to Pentecost on Sunday 50 days later.

Also on Abib 17, Sunday, Yahushua ascended to father Yahweh:

Yahushua said unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my deity, and your deity. (John 20:17)

Your attention will now be directed to the following verse regarding the account of Yahushua’s resurrection in the book of John:

Yahushua said unto her (Mary), Woman, why do you weep? whom do you seek? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said unto him, Sir, if you have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. (John 20:15)

Think for a moment. Could it be that the reason why Mary thought that Yahushua was the gardener was the fact that he had in his arms the cutting of the wave sheaf? According to the Torah of Moses, the priest was to wave the sheaf of firstfruits of the harvest before Yahweh on the day after the weekly Sabbath of Passover Week (Leviticus 23:10-11).

In order to wave the sheaf of firstfruits (barley) one would have to cut the barley. In effect, when one cuts the barley it is being killed.

Elect Are Wave Sheaf Offering
Also, could it be that the possible wave sheaf that Yahushua was holding was symbolically the elect of the First Resurrection?

For example, according to the book of Revelation at the end of the 3 ½ year Tribulation Period the 2 prophets of Yahweh will be killed and be resurrected 3 ½ days later.

If the wave sheaf offering also represents the remaining elect (including the 2 prophets) being killed after sundown of Abib 17 then 3 ½ days later would bring us to just before sunrise Abib 20, this day being the last day of Passover Week/Unleavened Bread and the very day of the First Resurrection!

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the deity of the earth. (Revelation 11:3-4)

And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our sovereign was impaled. (Revelation 11:7-8)

And after three days and an half the ruach of life from the deity entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake . . . (Revelation 11:11-13)

It is also interesting to note that Abib 20 is also the same day, just before sunrise, during which the Israelites passed through the sea in 1439 B.C.E. at the Exodus and the Egyptian army was destroyed! How do we know that? Going to have to cover that in another post, so patience is the order of the day.

Sacred Ruach Given
Regarding Abib 17, Sunday, of the year 30 C.E., the day of the omer wave offering, being the first day of the 50 days, also being the day of Yahushua’s resurrection, is when Yahushua breathed the sacred ruach upon his disciples.

When therefore it was late, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Yahushua came and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. . . . Yahushua therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive you the Sacred Ruach. (John 20:19-22)

Now it’s time to address Pentecost of 30 C.E.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Sacred Ruach and began to speak in other languages, as the Ruach gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of the deity.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean? (Acts 2:1-12)

According to Acts this was a partial fulfillment of a prophecy from the book of Joel:

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith Yahweh, I will pour out of my ruach upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my ruach; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of Yahweh come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. (Acts 2:16-21)

The Last Days
Pentecost in 30 C.E. occurred during the “last days,” the beginning of the “last days” commencing with the 5th millennium day of 8 millennium days, shortly after the start of the public ministry of Yahushua in 28 C.E.

The sacred ruach was poured out on the disciples with the result being that all the people of foreign nations could understand, in their own language, what was being said by the disciples. In regard to the other signs, they will also be fulfilled in the “last days,” during the 8th-Millennial Judgment Day.

The prophecy of the sacred ruach given on Pentecost cannot be missed as it applies to the First Resurrection and the elect. It is on this day that the marriage/betrothal of the lamb takes place with the elect along with their quickening into eternal beings.

They will have the gift of languages from the sacred ruach and their primary job will be to teach the nations, leading them to Yahweh during the 7th Millennial Rule of the messiah. The elect will continue with their job of teaching all the nations, all peoples from every nation having taken part in the Second Resurrection, during the 8th-Millennial Judgment Day.

Messiah Resurrects the Elect
It also cannot be missed that the elect are part of the body of Yahushua the messiah. The elect become united as one during the marriage/betrothal of the lamb. It is Yahushua who resurrects the elect on Abib 20, the last day of Passover Week/Unleavened Bread with the marriage taking place on the following Pentecost. Regarding Yahushua’s body Scriptures state:

The Jews then said to him, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?” Yahushua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Yahushua had spoken. (John 2:18-22)

Even the disciples understood the prophecy of the messiah and that it did not apply to the literal body of Yahushua. The reason being that Yahushua could not raise his own body, for he was dead. Father Yahweh raised Yahushua as Scriptures tell us.

Paul, an apostle not from men, neither through man, but through Yahushua the messiah, and Yahweh the Father, who raised him from the dead. (Galatians 1:1)

The Great Harvest
The goal for Yahushua along with the elect, his body, will be to lead as many people as possible to father Yahweh by taking part in the great harvest of the saved at the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the 8th-Millennial Judgment Day.

Before all this can happen the elect must be raised by Yahushua the messiah in the First Resurrection on the 7th and last day of Passover Week/Unleavened Bread. The elect will then be quickened into eternal beings and enter into the marriage of the New Covenant (Torah of Trust) with Yahushua during the Festival of Pentecost.

They will endeavor to help bring mankind to father Yahweh during the next approximate 2000 years, from the beginning of the 7th Millennium to the end of the 8th-Millennial Judgment Day when father Yahweh arrives to the earth to be married to his bride, New Jerusalem.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from Yahweh out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:1-2)

Much more can be said concerning this subject but we will have to continue our discussion in another post.

For more information regarding Pentecost and the Festival Days make sure you check out the publication by Qadesh La Yahweh Press titled “The Festivals and Sacred Days of Yahweh.”