p. 131 | Questions Answered by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 15, 1883

Questions Answered.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

1. WHO was Jeshurun, in Deut. 32: 15? J. E. G.

The word is a poetical title of the people of Israel. It means "the upright," or "the chosen," from the verb yashar, "to be righteous." The Septuagint has in this passage, Iakob, and the Vulgate has dilectus. In Deut. 33 : 5, 26, and Isa. 44 : 2, the only other places where the word occurs, the Vulgate renders it rectissimus.

2. Please tell us how Jesus observed the passover before his death, and the Jews afterward. J. E. G.

We suppose that Christ's last passover is referred to. We shall, therefore, ask our correspondent to first prove to us that the Jews did partake of this passover after the death of Christ, and then we can very easily tell how they did it. We think that both Jesus and the Jews ate the passover supper at the same time—the time appointed at its institution. The only passage of Scripture which seems to contradict this idea is John 18 : 28, where it is said that the Jews "went not in to the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover." But by reference to Luke 22 : 1: "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the passover," we learn that the term passover is applied to the seven days during which they were to eat unleavened bread, as well as to the supper itself. And ceremonial defilement was to be avoided during the whole of this period. Therefore the Jews would not enter the Gentile court, even though they had eaten the paschal supper.

The opinion is held by many that Jesus and his disciples ate the passover the evening before the regular time; but this does not seem to us at all probable, because (1) Jesus was a Jew, and, so far as we have any knowledge, conformed to the customs of the Jews, and the requirements of the ceremonial law. (2) The only circumstances under which a change in the time of eating the passover was warranted was in a case of ceremonial defilement; and in that case it was to be eaten just one month later; not one day before. See Num. 9 : 6-11. (3) If Jesus had proposed to eat the passover at any other than the specified time, it would have occasioned surprise and questioning on the part of his disciples; but instead of this we find (4) that the disciples themselves came to Jesus and asked, "Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?" We cannot suppose that they would have taken the responsibility of departing from the usual custom. And as final proof that they prepared it at the appointed time we read (5) the time when they made this preparation was on the "first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover." Mark 14 : 12. The day on which the lamb was killed was sometimes called the "first day of unleavened bread," because on that day all leaven was to be put away from their houses. Authorities differ so widely concerning the time of the last passover, that no one is justified in speaking with great positiveness; and we will find in this case, as in all cases where there are conflicting opinions, and reasonable doubts in regard to any position taken, that the settlement of the question is of no practical importance any way. The practical truths of the Bible are so plain as to be understood by the simplest.

E. J. W.