Counsel #3 — The Lunar Calendar

Picture: Counsel #3 — The Lunar CalendarCCW 95.1

One of the biggest differences between the weekly and Lunar sabbaths is that the alleged Lunar calendar’s sabbaths fell on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th of the 30-day Lunar months. This monthly sequence is never actually stated in the Bible. While the first three do represent 7-day cycles, there were more than 7 days from the 29th to the 8th of the following month. This renders them incompatible with the Sabbath of the 4th commandment in Exodus 20:8-11. In fact, we have biblical evidence that God’s people worked on some of these days. For example: The Children of Israel traveled on the 15th at least twice^{[142]Numbers 33:3, Exodus 16:1} and even though the new moon sabbath (the 1st) is mentioned in Amos 8:5, we still see God’s people working or traveling on it.^{[143]Exodus 40:2, Ezra 7:9} This suggests that when the Bible does reference such sabbaths and they did not coincide with the weekly sabbath that strictly forbade work, they were simply holidays.^{[144]https://www.sabbathtruth.com/faq/advanced-topics/what-about-the-lunar-sabbath}CCW 95.2

“They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.” Numbers 33:3 NKJVCCW 95.3

“The inhabitants of Jerusalem… were solemnly warned against following their secular pursuits on [the Sabbath]. A blessing was promised on condition of obedience.”^{[145]‘If ye diligently hearken unto Me,’ the Lord declared, and ‘hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then…. this city shall remain forever.’ Jeremiah 17:24, 25.} Ellen White in Prophets and Kings, p. 411.2CCW 95.4

Reflect: How does the biblical evidence of God's people working on certain days challenge Lunar sabbath claims?CCW 95.5