HOW DO YOU COUNT? by Roswell F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 6, 1876

HOW DO YOU COUNT?

By Roswell F. Cottrell

In a public discourse, I promised to read every place in the New Testament where the first day of the week is mentioned. At the close a comment was made that I had omitted that place where it is said that “after eight days,” the disciples being met received another visit from the Saviour. John 20 : 26.

Let us consider this matter. It was “toward evening,” and that first day of the week, in the morning of which the women had gone to the sepulcher and brought back the news of the resurrection, was “far spent,” when the two disciples, with Jesus, arrived at Emmaus, sixty furlongs (more than eight English miles) from Jerusalem. Luke 24 : 29. After their supper was prepared, and they were seated at the table, their eyes were opened that they knew Jesus, and he vanished out of their sight. The same hour they arose and walked over about eight miles to Jerusalem, and found the eleven together, and told them the joyful news of a Saviour “risen indeed,” but they did not believe them. Mark 16 : 12-14. Then Jesus stood in their midst, and after saying, “Peace be unto you,” he upbraided them for their unbelief, showed them his hands, his feet, and his side, and then called for food and ate in their presence, all to convince them that the same Jesus that was crucified was really risen from the dead. Luke 24 : 36-43 ; John 20 : 19, 20. By the time all this was done that first day was nearly, if not wholly, past.

This was Sunday evening. Now let us count. Monday evening would be one day after, Tuesday two, Wednesday three, Thursday four, Friday five, Saturday six, Sunday seven, and Monday evening would be eight full days; so that Monday could be truly said to be after eight days. But how after eight days should mean more than seven days, I leave others to show. To show the Scripture use and meaning of such phraseology, the reader is referred to the fact that what two inspired witnesses expressed in the phrase, “after six days,” Matt. 17 : 1 ; Mark 9 : 2, another says was “about an eight days after.” Luke 9 : 28.

R. F. COTTRELL.