I don't get the day differeance. What's the obscure referance the WT uses to set the memorial a day late?
Why a day behind Passover? Weren't the apostles celebrating Passover?
by wha happened? 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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sir82
Silly wabbit, Jews are apostate devil worshippers and thus have picked the wrong date; while the holy ones of the governing body have a direct link to holy spirit, and thus can pick the "real" date.
Actually, the WTS has some sort of "secret formula" that they don't let anybody else in on.
What they have put in print is "the 14th day after the new moon (as observed in Jersualem) closest to the spring equinox".
But yeah, I agree, it seems like if anybody would get the date for "Nisan 4" correct it would be the Jews.
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BluesBrother
For what it is worth, this is their explanation:
WT 1976 2/1 page 72/73
At least by 1880 Jehovah’s anointed worshipers had departed from Christendom’s practice of celebrating the Lord’s Evening Meal several times a year and they observed it only on Nisan 14 after sundown. From then till about 1919 the anointed Christians accepted the dates as established by the Jewish calendar for the determining of Nisan 14. They realized that the Jewish calendar listed “Passover” for Nisan 15, after sundown. Nevertheless, these anointed Christians arranged to celebrate the Lord’s Evening Meal on the night of Nisan 14, even as did Jesus. Still, these Christians used the Jewish calendar in accepting the determination of the month of Nisan for each year.
The modern Jewish calendar determines the beginning of their month of Nisan by the astronomical new moon. However, usually it is eighteen hours or more later when the first sliver of the crescent of the new moon becomes visible in Jerusalem. Each year, in recent times, the governing body of Jehovah’s witnesses has determined the actual new moon that becomes visible in Jerusalem, which is the way the first of Nisan was determined in Biblical times. For this reason often there has been a difference of a day or two between the Memorial date of Jehovah’s witnesses and the Nisan 14 date according to the modern Jewish calendar.
According to our present method of calculation, the Memorial date approximates the nearest full moon after the spring equinox. For example, in 1975 the Memorial date, as calculated fourteen days from the new moon (nearest the spring equinox) visible in Jerusalem, was Thursday, March 27, after sundown. Appropriately, there was also a full moon on Thursday, March 27, 1975. The date for Memorial in 1976, calculated by our present method, falls on Wednesday, April 14, after sundown. The full moon also occurs on this same date. So if, in the future, any of Jehovah’s people should be out of touch with the governing body, they could determine the Memorial date with fair accuracy from local calendars that show the first full moon after the spring equinox. The celebration would then take place after sundown of the day on which the full moon occurs.
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pixel
They ALWAYS have to go againts other people beliefs and activities. No matter what. Except wedding rings, baby showers, graduations, weddign anniversary...
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Tater-T
aren't they special?
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Tater-T
http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_calendar.phtml
looks like it should be the 25th
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St George of England
The date of the Memorial is nothing whatever to do with the full moon. It is, as shown in the WT76 above, 14 days from when the Boys in Brooklyn calculate the first sliver of the new moon can be seen in Jerusalem.
Despite what they say about it USUALLY being on a full moon, it is in fact more often than not, NOT a full moon. I once checked all the memorial dates from 1950 and compared these with the corresponding dates for the full moon.
Finally, Numbers 33:3 shows clearly that the Passover was on the 15th of the month, NOT the 14th.
George
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TD
The JW's celebrate their Memorial a day early even by their own reckoning of the Jewish calendar.
By JW reckoning, today (April 26th) is Nisan 13th. At sundown this evening, Nisan 14th will begin and JW's will celebrate their Memorial
Therefore, by JW reckoning, the entire daylight period tomorrow (April 27th) is still Nisan 14th.
Like St. George said above, this is in direct conflict with Numbers 33:3, which plainly says that the day after Passover was the 15th, not the 14th.
JW's base this almost entirely on the Johannine account, which implies that the last meal and the crucifixion took place before the Passover.
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QueenWitch
Wait...I thought the Passover came first and then immediately after was the bread and wine event. Jesus started something completely new and ended the Passover tradition on the same night.
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Larsinger58
I Googled and saw this. So apparently others date the passover as do the witnesses:
When is Passover in 2013?
Passover in 2013 will start on Tuesday, the 26th of March and will continue for 7 days until Monday, the 1st of April.
In the USA, Passover ends one day later, so in 2013, Passover will end on Tuesday, the 2nd of April.
Note that in the Jewish calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Passover on the sunset of Monday, the 25th of March.