Panel Discussions Q. Bakersfield, California — “How many days are there in the Jewish year? Why is there a difference w ith our calendar?” A. Some months on our calendar have 30 days, some have 31. February has 28, except during a leap year. Among the Jewish people a calendar, drawn up by the rabbis, is used. It varies between 29 to 30 days a month. They use a lunar-solar calendar. The em phasis, however, is upon the former because of their feasts. The Jewish calendar year is composed of 354 days. So at certain given times (as we make adjustments with a leap year) the Jewish calendar allows for an extra month. Our calendar is built on the solar system. We have 365 and one quarter days each year. Q.Visalia, California — “Does not Jesus- condemn public praying in Matthew 6 : 6 ? ” A. The verse reads, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward (recompense) thee open ly.” This does not declare that pray ing in the closet is the only place to pray. Jesus did tell us, “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypo crites a re : for they love to pray stand ing in the synagogues and in the cor ners of the street, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” The hypo crites were not trying to commune with God, they wanted to be seen of men. The secret is one’s heart atti tude toward the Lord. Q, Anchorage, Alaska — “Will the Old
Testament saints be included in the rapture?” A. To refer to Old Testament saints is the same as to say, Old Testament believers. What do we mean by rap ture? There are certain passages in the New Testament, beginning with John 14:1-3; 1st Corinthians 15:50 to 58; 1st Thess. 4:13 to 18; Phil. 3:20, 21; 1st Thess. 1:8-10; Titus 2:13. These passages reveal that in God’s wonderful time, known to Him alone, in His sovereign wisdom, there will come a day when all the believers, making up the body of Christ, will be taken to glory. The Bible says, “The dead in Christ shall rise first.” It is the catching away of believers, living and dead, when the Lord Jesus comes, not to earth, but to mid-air. We do not believe that Old Testament saints will be included in this glorious event. If for no other reason 1st Thessalonians says, “the d e a d in Christ.” That expression “in Christ” throughout all of the 27 books of the New Testament verifies that, “in Christ” is the position of believers in this dispensation. If Abraham is “dead in Christ,” then he is a mem ber of the church before the church is ever formed. Old Testament saints are resurrected before the visible coming of our Lord Jesus. If New Testament saints are in the same resurrection then this makes the church go through the tribulation, a view against which there are numerous passages and the whole teaching of the New Testament. Q. Norwalk, California — “How far should a Christian mother go in tak ing the initiative in the home concern ing Scriptural things for the profit of (continued on next page) 13
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