Moriel Scottish Conference 2018 – Jacob Prasch – Gartmore – 3 Nov 2018:
Session 4 – Saturday 3rd November 2018
The Counting of the Omer (Hebrew: ספירת העומר, Sefirat HaOmer) begins on the second day, each evening after sundown, between sundown and midnight. The scriptures confirm that the Emmaus Road events happened on the first day of the week i.e. the day of the resurrection (Luke 24:1), not the second day: “Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:13). As they approached their destination they strongly urged Jesus: “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” (Luke 24:28-29). Gill surmised that it was around four or five o’clock in the afternoon. {2}
It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.… (John 20:18).
Again, the first day is emphasized in the scriptures! A Jewish day goes from nightfall to nightfall. Specific mention of the first day from the Jewish writer of John confirms that it was not yet nightfall:
According to Matthew Poole’s Commentary: “Luke expounds this verse, Luke 24:29, where the two disciples told Christ it was towards evening, and the day was far spent; for the Jews called the afternoon evening, as well as the time after sunset; and John tells us expressly, it was yet the first day of the week. This appearance is unquestionably the same mentioned in Luke, Luke 24:36.” {3}
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| Prasch’s white board |
Prasch shifts the Emmaus Road events to the second day of the Omer because it is crucial to his argument, or rather, his false eschatological concoction, by linking the Counting of the Omer to the tribulation. For a supposed expert on Judaism, I do not believe it is possible that Prasch has made a simple error!
Prasch: “The presence of the Lord in the churches is going to become more scarce as we proceed into the Omer.” (33:00 minutes) WHAT!!! (2 Corinthians 11:4; John 10:10).
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20).
“During the Omer they were in a transitional state.. He had not left them yet, the darkness had not come, but he was not around as much day to day as he had been. He shows up ten times on special events on certain days of the Omer..” (33:05 minutes).
There was no darkness after Jesus resurrection:
Prasch puts all the emphasis on the disciples, but the scriptures say: But their eyes were kept from recognizing him (Luke 24:16).
The Greek: but their eyes were prevented (ἐκρατοῦντο) from recognising him.
εκρατουντο verb – imperfect passive indicative – third person
Strong’s 2902: to be strong, rule {4}
“Mary of Magdala did not recognise Him (John 20:14), nor the disciples on the Lake (John 21:4). The same thing is evidently implied in Luke 24:37 and in Matthew 28:17; and it exactly accords with the clear indications that the Resurrection Body of our Lord was a Glorified Body of which the conditions transcended those of ordinary mortality. It is emphasized in Mark 16:12, where we are told that He was manifested in a different form from that which He had worn before.” {5}
“The antithesis is in Luke 24:31, διηνοίχθησαν, their eyes were opened.” {5}
Prasch refers to “despondency and disappointment” during the “future Omer” (supposedly the tribulation). There was no despondency or disappointment during the Counting of the Omereither in the Old Testament or in the New Testament. The Feast of Firstfruits: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Leviticus 23:14).
The Omer counts the forty-nine days between the Passover and Shavuot (Leviticus 23:15–16).The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day, not on the first day. In the Old Testament, an omer i.e. a measure of grain, was offered in the Temple on the second day of Passover (Pesach).
Pentecost is literally 50 days from the resurrection, coinciding with the day after Pesach, the day of the wave offering. The disciples disappointment and despondency was dispelled on the first day, the day of Jesus resurrection. (Mark 16:10).
During the tribulation there will not be despondency and disappointment. For many who are unprepared there will be anger and outright rebellion… many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. (Matthew 24:10). The mark of the beast will be implemented at some point, after which people will not be able to buy or sell. (Revelation 13:17). I think it will be too late for a “crash course” in bible prophecy. Believers will suffer terrible persecution and be put to death. (Matthew 24:9). After the Antichrist is revealed at the mid point of the 70th week of Daniel, things will change for the worse very quickly! (Matthew 24:9). The bible talks about it being too late for the foolish virgins with no oil. (Matthew 25:1-13). None of these events prophesied by Jesus Himself fits into an Omerscenario!
WORK or WALK?
Moriel Scottish Conference title: Work while you have the light… “for night is coming when no one can work.” The verse: “WALK while you have the light..” (John 12:35).
This is what we are up against with Prasch… he cleverly replaces just one word scripture and tags on half a verse – he then integrates it into his demonic end time teaching!
{1} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVQHLiFznxk&t=1485s
{2} https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/luke/24.htm
{3} https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/20-19.htm
{4} https://biblehub.com/greek/2902.htm
{5} https://biblehub.com/esv/luke/24.htm
{6} https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/leviticus/23.htm
Prasch clearly places the first day of the Omer as resurrection day. His point is that the Emmaus Road events happened on the second day, but they actually happened on the same day. Most scholars place the first day of the Omer as the resurrection day.
The day after the Sabbath of Passover is the Sunday of the wave offering, on the Feast of Firstfruits from which the “counting of the Omer” began that year. When one adds one day to the 49 days (7 weeks of weeks) in accordance with Leviticus 23:15 – on the year that Jesus went to the cross and rose – that year, Pentecost fell on a Sunday.
God bless.
From the Wikipedia article:
The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th of Nisan) for Rabbinic Jews (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform), and after the weekly Shabbat during Passover for Karaite Jews, and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, the ‘fiftieth day.’
The Passover would have either been on the Thursday or Friday. So then the Sunday (first day of the Jewish week, day of the resurrection) could have been the 2nd Omer?
Thank you Treena, I listened to all but the last 3 or so minutes of this and I was googling the omer and what he was saying was just so confusing and never giving any scripture reference that would have tied the two together in some way….other than the way he was forcing it. Your article brings much clarity and hopefully will save many from the confusion he causes.
Thank you for sharing. God bless you both.