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Notice that this was the 10th day of Nisan--4 days before Preparation day of Passover which occurs just before the Feast of Passover. Actually the Feast occurs that evening, but according to Jewish time it is actually the next "day".
JESUS is OUR PASSOVER LAMB
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WHEN DID JESUS ARRIVE in BETHANY?
John's gospel says that Jesus arrived in Bethany 6 days before the Passover where he stayed at Lazarus' house and had dinner and it's logical to think that he would have spent the night and from there we know he arranged the triumphal entry which occurred on Nisan 10 which was 4 days before the day of Preparation. (I'll explain the missing day later.) The other Gospels didn't state when they arrived at Lazarus' house, only that they were approaching Bethany and Bethphage on the day of Triumphal Entry. It's also possible that Lazarus lived on the other side of Bethany and therefore Jesus had to pass through it to get to Jerusalem and it also seems logical that Jesus would have sent his disciples to Bethany for the colt being as it was up "ahead" instead of all the way to Jerusalem.
Bethany was 2 miles from Jerusalem (1), however, the Mt. of Olives was only a Sabbath day's walk from Jerusalem (see below) that means the Mt. of Olives, where Jesus retired the night he was arrested, was closer to Jerusalem than Bethany and Bethany would not have been within the distance of a Sabbath days walk from Jerusalem. Therefore when we hear that Jesus retired to Bethany for the night we know it was not on a Sabbath. If you will read Mark's account of the few days before the crucifixion you will see that Jesus traveled to Bethany sometime before the 10th, went to Jerusalem on the 10th, and returned to Bethany the next two nights and then back to Jerusalem at least as late as the 12th. Luke tells us, on what must have been the 13th, that Jesus taught in the temple each day and returned to Bethany each night. (luke 21:37) Therefore, being as we know the day of preparation couldn't have been a weekly Sabbath (because of the work involved) and Passover did not occur on a Sabbath either (see below) it was impossible for a Sabbath to occur from Nisan 10 through Nisan 16.
TIME of EVENING SACRIFICE
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The daylight part of the Jewish day was divided into two parts: from sunrise to noon and was considered "the morning" part of the day. From noon to sunset was the "evening" part of the day and therefore when scripture indicates the lamb was to be crucified "between the evenings" it meant half-way between noon and sunset, i.e., about 3 PM.
According to Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon of O.T. the word used in Ex. 12:6, # 6153 called 'ereb means:
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This is corroborated by the Mishnah in Tractate Pesahim by Danby, p. 144, where it says the Passover lamb was to be killed "Bain ehrev" . . . between the evening in its appointed time." And The Chumash by ArtScroll, p 351, Exodus 12:6 says, "the entire congregation of the assembly of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon". Josephus further corroborates the time of day of the sacrifices during a Passover feast in his "Wars of the Jews", Ch. IX: "So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour to the eleventh [3-5 PM],. . ."
This is the same time of day that Yeshua died on the cross according to Matt. 27:45-50, on the 9th hour, or about 3 PM.
PRESENTATION OF PASSOVER LAMB
According to Jewish tradition the lambs were to be presented for inspection to the priests in preparation of Passover. After the Lamb was selected they were to take it into their home for those 4 days and keep an eye on it and examine it for flaws. Being as Jesus is our Passover Lamb it seems logical that he would comply with this detail also.
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of the disciples ahead to get a donkey:
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The same day that the Jews were presenting their lambs to be inspected for the Passover we see our own Passover lamb presenting himself to the people of Jerusalem for inspection as their long awaited King. The people accepted him but their leaders did not. He himself was then examined for 4 days by the chief priests, teachers of the law, elders, Pharisees, Sadducees, and even Herodians, but they could not find fault with him and had to rely on false witnesses in order to get him convicted.
This event is one of the keys to figuring out the day of the week for the crucifixion. Notice all the work that is going on. If this would have been a Saturday they would have broken just about every rule regarding the Sabbath rest (see below).
WHEN WAS PASSOVER?
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All three Gospels state that "while they were eating" Jesus gave them instructions about the Lords Supper or communion. Therefore they were already eating their Passover meal when he performed the famous Last Supper rites and they are not one and the same as so many have supposed. Scripture doesn't say this but apparently Christ arranged for them to eat his last Passover meal 24 hours earlier than everyone else so he could spend the last day with them in a special ceremony where they would learn to commemorate that day in his memory.
Although I haven't been able to verify this it is claimed that there was a law in effect in the days of the crucifixion that allowed people to eat the Passover lamb early because of the enormous crowds of people that came to Jerusalem for the feast. This would also have allowed Rabbi's to arrange a meal for the purpose of rehearsing the details of the festival with one's closest disciples the evening before a major festival such as the Passover Feast. This would explain why there "appeared" to be two separate Passover meals being eaten.
I heard another explanation saying that they all had to be with their own families for the Passover Feast as the actual Passover meal was a family affair and not to be celebrated individually. However, I believe that it is closer to the truth that when they decided to follow Christ they gave up such family obligations which enabled them to fulfill the OT scriptures that speak about the Shepherd being struck and the sheep being scattered (Zech 13:7). If they had merely gone to eat dinner with their families they wouldn't have been considered "scattered".
Therefore, Christ must have celebrated the Passover with his disciples on the eve of Preparation Day--the evening before the day on which he was crucified. Keep in mind that sunset is the start of a new day therefore this would have taken place after sunset shortly after Nisan 13 changed over to Nisan 14.
PREPARATION DAY vs. PASSOVER DAY
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Apparently the word "Passover" can mean anything from Nisan 10 through the week following the first day of Unleavened Bread up to Nisan 21--much like our word for Christmas can mean the whole two weeks from Christmas Eve to the New Years holiday. This is one reason there are so many differences of opinion regarding the timing of the crucifixion. The best way to differentiate between the two days is what is occurring, i.e., are they preparing "for" the Passover or participating "in" the Feast of the Passover.
TWO DAYS BEFORE PASSOVER
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The Passover (Feast) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are two holidays that start on the same day, the 15th of Nisan, which was a High Holy day --a Holy Sabbath day of rest. There were only two days left by this time so they had to accomplish their plan quickly. (Keep in mind that the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread were eaten right after sundown on the 14th which would actually be the 15th according to Jewish time but actually the same day according to Roman time.)
RULES FOR SABBATH REST
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Please notice that not even donkeys were supposed to work on the Sabbath.
(Ex 16:29). |
The distance between Jerusalem and the Mt. of Olives was considered a Sabbath days walk therefore this distance was about 1,200 yards. (Acts 1:12) (2)
TWO SABBATHS DURING CRUCIFIXION WEEK
A lot of the confusion concerning the date of crucifixion arises from the fact that many don't understand that there were two Sabbath's during crucifixion week--one of them being a Passover which is also called a High Holy Sabbath. Both Sabbaths coincided near the time of Christ's death.
Matt. 28:1 says "After the Sabbath at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." However, J.P. Green's Interlinear New Testament indicates the word for Sabbath in this instance, #4521, is in the plural form, i.e., there were two Sabbath's that week. This phrase is translated as "after the Sabbath's" in some versions (4).
Luke's account of the burial (Luke 23:44-56) gives us a progression of events that indicate there had to be two Sabbath's involved:
2. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and got permission to bury Jesus. 3. Nicodemus helped out by purchasing 75 pounds of spices and they both prepared the body for burial before the Passover Sabbath began at sunset (John 19:38-42). 4. The women followed Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb and watched the proceedings of the burial then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes but rested on the Sabbath. 5. The women "bought" the spices after the Sabbath according to Mark 16:1). Being as the next day after the crucifixion (starting on that same evening) was the Passover Sabbath they would have had to wait 24 hours to purchase them unless the next day was also a Sabbath and then they would have had to wait 2 days. |
If Jesus had been crucified on Friday there would only have been one day in-between when Christ died and the first day of the week and it would have been a Sabbath. So where and when did they buy the spices?
If Thursday is Crucifixion day the next day is the High Passover Sabbath and the next day is the weekly Sabbath. Because of the back-to-back Sabbath's the women would not have had a chance to buy the spices until right after the weekly Sabbath in the evening (the beginning of Sunday at sundown). They would have had time to prepare them that night and took them to the grave the next morning (Sunday morning).
If Christ was crucified on a Wednesday then there is an intervening weekday between the two Sabbath's but then Christ wouldn't have risen until "after" the 3 day period because He had to rise on Sunday to fulfill the First Fruits and Wave Sheaf offering after the Sabbaths (see below) and the women wouldn't have gone to the grave to anoint his body if he arose on Saturday anyway because it was a Sabbath.
3 DAYS and 3 NIGHTS
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Mark 16:1 says the women arrived at the tomb just after sunrise which indicates that Christ arose from the dead either shortly before they arrived or sometime during the night after sundown the previous evening. Matthew 28:2 states that there was a violent earthquake when an angel rolled the stone away from the tomb. I believe the earthquake could be a possible indicator of when Christ arose from the grave--i.e., just before sunrise because there will be another great earthquake when he returns the 2nd time (Zech 14:4).
If Jesus was crucified and buried late on a Thursday (Jewish time) and rose again on Sunday sometime between Saturday sundown and sunrise early Sunday morning (Jewish time) that gives us two whole days and parts of 2 other days. Being as Jews consider part of a day a whole day it is very reasonable to assume that the 3 days and 3 nights in a tomb were fulfilled.
However, this isn't necessarily as precise a statement as we've been led to believe.
The expression "three days and three nights" is a figure of speech that was used during the biblical period and does not necessarily mean the same thing that it would mean to us today. When the disciples boldly claimed that Jesus had risen from the dead on the third day (Acts 10.40), no one disputed it. Therefore the phrase "three days and three nights" was obviously a colloquialism of that time and not to be taken literally.
RESURRECTION DATE
"When the Sabbath was over . . . Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb . . . But when they looked up they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away." And they were told, "He has risen" (Mark 16:1-6). Matthew 38:1 says "After the Sabbaths" as I pointed out before, and also mentions a violent earthquake.
Therefore, Christ rose after both Sabbaths on the first day of the week Sunday. This occurred 3 days after Nisan 14 on Preparation day so it was Nisan 17.
This is the same day the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians. God instructed them to anoint their doorposts with the blood of the lamb on the twilight of Nisan 14 and he would Passover them on the 15th (after sundown on the 14th) when he would strike down all the firstborn of Egypt. They were instructed to be ready to leave at daybreak on the 15th (morning of the 15th). (Ex 12:1-13) They then traveled day and night for the next few days first to Etham and then to Pi Hahiroth where they encamped by the sea. (Ex 13:20-14:2) After the Egyptians appeared the Lord parted the Red Sea all that night (Ex 14:21) from which the Israelites emerged on the other side as the day was dawning and at which time the sea covered the Egyptians. (Ex 14:27) This event is a shadow of the fulfillment of the day of First Fruits. (see below)
Therefore the people of Israel were "saved" by coming through the Red Sea on the same day of the year and same time of day that Jesus rose from the dead as the "savior" of all who will turn to him--Nisan 17, before dawn.
If you want to do some research on this I believe you will also find that the day the Ark rested on the mountians of Ararat also falls on Nisan 17.
FIRST FRUITS / WAVE SHEAF OFFERING
Right after God gave Moses the instructions for Passover he told them about the First fruits/Wave Sheaf offering:
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This day is very important because the Israelites were to start counting on this day:
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This day is called Pentecost which means fifty days. (Lev. 23:15-21) Compare what happened to the Israelites 50 days after they were "saved" from the Egyptians in Ex. 19:16-19 with Acts 2:1-8 50 days after Christ had risen.
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Therefore, Jesus fulfilled the offering of the first of the harvest as he was the "First Fruits" and he also fulfilled the day of Pentecost by giving the Holy Spirit to all believers. Jesus' fulfillment of this day proves that this holiday was not to be celebrated the day after the Passover Sabbath but on the weekly Sabbath following Passover, i.e., after both Sabbaths.
SUMMARY: WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY or FRIDAY?
Wednesday:
If Preparation Day occurred on a Wednesday then we have a whole day on Friday when they did not anoint the body which seems very strange because the next day would have been the regular Sabbath when they would have had to rest again. It was impossible for Christ to have risen on Saturday because that would mean that the women broke the Sabbath by going to anoint his body that morning and Nisan 10 would also have been a Sabbath and hundreds or thousands of people would have broken the Sabbath on that day by cutting palm branches. Christ also would have broken the Sabbath by making the donkey carry a burden. Therefore Christ couldn't have risen until the next day which would have been Sunday which would have entailed 4 days that Christ's body had lain in the tomb instead of 3. What Martha said to Jesus when he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead comes to mind: "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days" (John 11:38). Therefore the day of Preparation for Passover/Christ's crucifixion could not have occurred on a Wednesday.
Another reason this date is not acceptable is because it would have eliminated Christ rising on the day of First Fruits/Wave Sheaf which was the first day after the two Sabbath's, (see First Fruits above) i.e., this day obviously has to occur on a Sunday.
Friday:
If Christ had been crucified on a Friday then he and all his disciples would have broken the Sabbath by traveling to Lazarus' house on the Sabbath--see John 12:1. However if he died on a Thursday then the day after Christ arrived at Lazarus" house would have been a Saturday and this would account for his stay there an extra day.
Thursday:
Therefore, the only scenario that I can reconcile is that Preparation day was on Thursday because that makes both Nisan 10 (triumphal entry) and Nisan 17 (first fruits/Wave sheaf/resurrection day) and they both land on a day which was not a day of rest according to all the work that was involved on both those days and this also accounts for the two Sabbath's in between the time Christ was crucified and his resurrection.
Exodus 12:14 and Leviticus 23:21 tells us that these feast days are festivals that God's people are to commemorate "for all generations" wherever they live. I therefore would ask any Christians reading this to prayerfully consider whether they should do so.
Timeline
The following timeline basically follows Mark's Gospel which has the most detailed itinerary of Christ's last week. Each day starts at sundown-- according to Jewish time.
A dinner is served in his honor Jesus' feet anointed with Nard by Mary Chief priests and Pharisees plotting to arrest Jesus AM-on the way to Jerusalem Triumphal Entry People cutting palm branches Jesus riding the donkey Hallelujah to the King Passover lambs selected Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and curses it and the temple Jesus cleanses the Temple (could have happened on Mon.) Chief priests plotting to kill Jesus AM--on the way to Jerusalem Jesus curses the fig tree Jesus teaching at Temple early morning Jesus cleanses the temple (could have happened on Sun.) Chief priests wanting to kill Jesus Passover lambs checked for faults AM--on the way to Jerusalem Fig tree has withered Jesus teaches at Temple early morning Chief priests question his authority Passover lambs checked for faults Jesus speaks in parables to the Chief priests Chief priests make further plans to arrest Jesus. Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees question Jesus No more questions Olivet Discourse upon leaving temple A woman anoints Jesus' head with pure nard 2 days before Passover and Unleavened Bread AM--Jesus teaching at the temple early morning Chief priests desiring to arrest Jesus & kill him before Feast Passover lambs checked for faults Judas meets with the chief priests Jesus makes plans for an early Passover feast Eats the Passover Feast and the Last Supper around sundown Jesus retires to Mt. of Olives and Gethsemane to pray after dinner Judas brings soldiers and betrays Jesus with a kiss Jesus arrested and taken to the Sanhedrin False witnesses Jesus is condemned to death by Sanhedrin and beaten Judas returns the 30 pieces of Silver and kills himself Peter disowns Jesus at cockcrow watch--2:30 am Early AM Chief Priests take Jesus to Pilate Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Herod's soldiers ridiculed and mocked him Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate Pilate wants to release him The crowd shouts--Crucify him!! Pilate has Jesus flogged and hands him over to be crucified Soldiers beat Jesus Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus' cross (beam) to Golgotha Christ is Crucified at 9 AM From Noon to 3 PM the sky is dark Jesus dies at 3 PM Between 3-5 PM thousands of lambs are being slain for Passover Joseph of Arimathea requests Jesus' body from Pilate Joseph and Nicodemus prepare his body for burial 2 Marys watch his burial. Chief priests and Pharisees ask Pilate to put a guard on tomb Jesus is resurrected between sundown and sunrise Shortly after sunrise the women find the tomb empty Jesus meets with his disciples in Galilee that same day Praise the Lord! He is risen. |
Questions, and comments are welcome.
Lori Eldridge
graduated with a BA in English/Creative Writing 1995, EWU,
WA.
Proofreader and occasional author for PropheZine and Compass
magazines on the Internet.
3 years experience discussing doctrinal issues.
This paper is ©1997 by Lori Eldridge (All Rights
Reserved)
(Read
the
newer version of the article)
1. Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Vol. I, p 289,
2. Baker Encyclopedia, Baker Book House, 1988, Vol. II, p. 1879
3. The Jewish background of the Christian Liturgy, by W.O.E. Oesterly, 1925, pp 256-193.
4. Alfred Marshall's Parallel New Testament in Greek and English; and Ferrar Fenton's Translation
God Bless,
Lori
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"The words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. . . those who are wise will understand." (Dan 12:9,10). This is the time of the end.