Passover 2

An exacting more detailed explanation of passover

This page contains scriptural passages and other resources to help you decide for yourself what nights passover and the 
exodus began and should be celebrated. 

Even my wife and I disagree on this issue. I believe the evening of the first 6 hours of Nisan 14 is when "the passover" occurred, 
and she believes that the proper time to have passover is the evening of the first part of Nisan 15 because that's when the Jews 
now hold it, and did hold it in Jesus' time of 33AD; erroneously in my opinion. We hold communion on both the evening of Nisan 
14 as well as Nisan 15 each year to cover each's conclusions and disagreements of studying this issue.  We DO know when those 
days are each year. Nisan 15 is always a full moon and Nisan 14 is always a day before the full moon. This page will help you make 
those decisions for yourself. We have all the passages here for you to use in your decisions. The independant link above, 
 An exacting more detailed explanation of passover, along with the links to three other Christian churches further down who 
confirm our thinking and keep passover instead of easter I think pretty much settles the issue; just my opinion.

I have studied this issue of what really happened back in 1548BC (some put this date as late as 1461BC) versus what happened 
in 33AD (and this date could vary from 30AD to 33AD) when Jesus died, and what is being practiced and believed today, for several years now, each year when Passover arrives and Irina and I have our annual disagreement over when to celebrate it. . This year I 
decided to study the issue until I could settle the debate by going over every scriptural passage relating to it and as many available resources as time would allow.  What I discovered was disturbing, at least to me. The degree of friction that exists between Jews and Christians is one of those areas. Instead of trying to do God's will; both sides stick with traditional error. Jews don't even want gentiles 
to celebrate passover even though virtually all Jews celebrate it erroneously today, and most of us know Easter is pagan Christianity 
right along with Christmas St Valentine's Day and Halloween.

Most people don't care,  and take the "Hillary" position, "What difference does it make? (her famous statement about Benghazi)". 
I believe in God's realm it does make a difference both in what you should believe as well as what you practice, especially when 
the truth is available to you  and it comes to getting along with and respecting your fellow human beings whether they be Jew or 
gentile.  I believe this "indifference" exhibited by many is responsible for the statistic 
that only .1% to 2.5% of people who pass on make heaven at death. I do not take the position that ignorance and going along 
with the crowd is okay. 

Satan always tries to steer us away from the truth, to feed us lies and get us to disobey what God has asked of us. He allows 
close, but the goal is to get us to miss the mark of what God really asks.  The celebration of Passover as well as Easter is no 
exception. Today most celebrate neither at God's appointed time. We don't follow God's fourth commandment at God's appointed 
time either. Matthew 28:1 tells us without doubt when the weekly sabbath is; the day before the first day of the week. We know the 
first day of the week is Sunday, therefore Saturday is the 7th day of the week and is the weekly sabbath; and was up until a couple hundred years after Jesus' death.  So why do we go to church for sabbath on Sunday? Saturday to Sunday is one of Satan's great accomplishments and deceptions. See www.detailshere.com/sabbathissue.htm  for that issue. Unlike not knowing exactly when 
Jesus was born we do know exactly when Jesus was crucified (but not the exact year), in the afternoon at the end of Nisan 14. He 
was taken down off the cross and put in the tomb before the sunset at the end of Nisan 14 before Nisan 15 began, which began the Jewish celebration of the Feast of Unleavened bread erroneously combined with passover and the whole thing called passover.

The problem is that by that time in history the Jews were no longer celebrating the passover at the proper appointed time. The 
Jewish people, except for Messianic Jews, don't believe Jesus came the first time. They are still waiting for Messiah to come. 
They hold no association between the passover lamb sacrificed in 1548BC at the first passover and Jesus being sacrificed as 
the passover lamb in 33AD which bought us back from satan.  There is no pointing forward from the 1548BC passover to the 33AD sacrifice for them. They combined the passover event with the exodus celebrated as the feast of unleavened bread and call it all passover, erroneously. Outside of removing them from the bondage of slavery in 1548BC, passover has no modern meaning 
of Jesus being the passover lamb for them.

The focus of the night of passover on Nisan 14 in 1548BC was all about the lamb sacrificed whose blood was painted on the
doorposts to protect the Israelite's first born when the death angel of Satan passed over Egypt that night resulting in their release 
from the bondage of slavery. This pointing it forward to the 33AD passover  is extremely important. As Jesus as the sacrificial lamb 
who died and was resurrected from the dead took humankind back from Satan and released us from the bondage of sin. From 
Adam and Eve to 33AD; Satan owned humankind; lock, stock and barrel. From 33AD forward, we were free again. When the Jews 
don't celebrate passover separately and properly they are in denial that Jesus did this for us.

Here's what really happened in 1548BC for those wanting to save time and cut to the chase without doing your own 
homework.  At the end of Nisan 13 late afternoon or near sunset when Nisan 14 was beginning, the Israelites , per direction 
of God through Moses, sacrificed a lamb  and painted it's blood on the doorposts and lintels of each dwelling to protect them 
from what was coming. Exodus 12 covers this. They ate the lamb that evening with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Around 
midnight still near the beginning portion of Nisan 14,  the destroyer came and was allowed to kill all the firstborn of each household, 
including animals and livestock, that did not have the blood of the lamb painted on the doorposts. This applied mainly to Egyptians although it would have also applied to any Israelite who didn't have the blood of a lamb painted on his door-posts. This "passing 
over" by the angel of death sparing the Israelites is the event called passover which God commands us to remember, Ex 12:24.
 
At around 2am in the early morning Pharoh called Moses and Aaron and told them to get the Israelites the flock out of Egypt. 
The Israelites were instructed to stay in their houses until morning but to be prepared to leave in a hurry. Come daybreak the 
Israelites started to leave the land of Goshen, spoiled the Egyptians (took gold, silver and cloth raments the Egyptians gave 
them to hasten their departure) and assembled at Ramses, a short distance away, for the journey out of Egypt. This involved 
2-3 million people counting wives and children. At the end of Nisan 14 and the beginning of Nisan 15, beginning in the evening 
portion Nisan 15, the beginning of Nisan 15,  under the full moon of Nisan 15, the exodus began; an event separated by almost 
a full day from passover, the passing over of the death angel. People who believe the Israelites left on the exodus in the night 
time portion of Nisan14 shortly after Pharoh told them to go do not allow for the logistics of assembling and moving 3 million 
people out of Egypt.  Just the 12 hours, the daylight portion of Nisan 14, leaves insufficient time  for all these people to move 
out and assemble at Ramses for the journey out of Egypt. 

Leviticus 23:5-6  states we are to remember passover on Nisan 14 and the exodus (Feast of unleavened bread) on Nisan 15. 
It doesn't state to kill the lambs at the end of Nisan 14 and celebrate passover on Nisan 15 that became the Jewish practice later on.

Numbers 28:16-17  again confirms passover is on Nisan 14 and Nisan 15 starts the feast of unleavened bread (representing 
the exodus out of Egypt - a separate event).   

Numbers 33:3 says they departed Ramses on the morrow; the day after the passover,  which would be Nisan 15,   
Not the day of passover, Nisan 14. 

Deuteronomy 16:1 clearly states that Yahweh brought His children out of Egypt by NIGHT. If passover happened at midnight 
and they were supposed to stay in their houses before morning, where is the night part of that day to leave under? Clearly they 
didn't leave Egypt on Nisan 14 but at the beginning of Nisan 15. 

In Exodus 42, God designated THAT NIGHT  as a memorial for all generations to come. I believe He is speaking of the first 
twelve hour portion of Nisan 14 during which time the angel of death came over Egypt and not the evening of Nisan 15 when 
they actually started leaving Egypt from Ramses. 

Although there are no Jewish sites I can find to support the above scenario, since Jews don't separate passover from the 
exodus, the following Christian sites  who DO celebrate passover instead of Easter
DO agree with the above that passover 
happened on the night of Nisan 14 and the exodus began the evening of Nisan 15; separate events as depicted by Leviticus 23:5-6 and Numbers    


http://www.cbcg.org/franklin/Christian_Passover_Ceremony_2014-View.pdf
 
http://www.ucg.org/booklet/fundamental-beliefs/passover/  and
 
http://www.lcg.org  type "passover " in the search box, specifically
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/lcg/lcn/lcn-issue.cgi?category=LivingChurchNews&item=1390338933 

from http://rcg.org/books/ghdoph.html  
"On the 10th day of Abib (the first Hebrew month), Israel was to select an unblemished lamb. Four days later, on the 14th 
day of Abib, the lamb was to be killed. Exodus 12:6 says that it was to be killed “in the evening,” but the original Hebrew 
means “between the two evenings.” Some Bible margins plainly state this. The Jewish Encyclopedia explains that this is the 
period commonly referred to as twilight or dusk. This period is described as the time after sundown, but before full darkness 
has occurred. In other words, it was at the very beginning of the 14th that the lamb was killed—and soon thereafter, the blood 
of the lamb was sprinkled above the doorposts of the Israelite’s houses. At midnight, the death angel struck dead all the firstborn 
of Egypt. But God had told the Israelites, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you”—hence, the well-known term Passover."

My studies show the Jewish nation DID celebrate passover properly on Nisan 14  and not combine it with the exodus on 
Nisan 15 for sometime after the 1548BC passover. But then they stopped that when they changed over to temple celebrations 
instead of in home celebrations. This was man's change, not God's change. Leviticus 23:5-6 never changed.  This change of 
celebration time and combining passover with the feast of unleavened bread and starting the feast on Nisan 15 instead of Nisan 14 
continued up until the 33AD crucifixion and continues on today. This Jewish change of combining the rememberance of 
passover with the feast of unleavened bread representing the exodus is what makes the events of 33AD when Jesus 
became the passover lamb so complicated, as the Jews don't recognize Jesus as the passover lamb either.  That part of 
passover wasn't important to them, only the being freed from slavery in 1548BC. 

In 33AD Jesus and his apostles held their passover service the evening of Nisan 14 before everyone else did on Nisan 15.  
Why?  Because Leviticus 23:5 says that Nisan 14 is the day to hold passover; regardless of what the Jews did erroneously 
in that time period.  In fact Jesus and His apostles were the only ones to hold passover at the correct time. For those who claim 
it was just a regular meal; and a not a passover meal;
Matthew 26:18-19, Mark 14:14 and 16,   and Luke 22:8, 11, and 13 all address 
the fact this was in fact a passover meal. Later that evening in the night time portion of Nisan 14, Jesus prayed in the Garden 
Of Gesthemane, was taken by the Jewish sanhedrin thugs, found guilty of claiming to be God, blasphemy, taken to Pontius 
pilot, handed off to Herod, back to Pilot where He was beaten at the whipping post, then sentenced to be crucified when that 
didn't satisfy the Jews. In the daylight portion of Nisan 14 he carried the cross up the De La Rosa , was nailed to that cross at 
Calgary, and died in the late afternoon portion of Nisan 14 at the same time the Jewish passover lambs were killed in preparation 
for the upcoming feast of unleavened bread which at that point in time  included a rememberance of passover on Nisan 15 
instead of 14 as Lev 23:5 and 6 required.

Back to the point we know when Jesus died each year and why do we celebrate Easter instead of Passover. Easter came 
about when the church tried to combine the pagan celebration of Eostre, the pagan goddess of fertility (hence the chicks, and 
bunnies, and colored easter egg hunts, and chocolate bunnies and jelly beans) and tacked the resurrection onto it to make the 
celebration palatable to Christians. Easter is flat out pagan Christianity. And they started out celebrating easter on Nisan 14; 
not a week later as they do now. The date was changed to a Sunday a week later to distance themselves from Jewish practices; 
much like they changed sabbath from saturday to sunday much for the same reason.  Now keep in mind Nisan 14 isn't when 
Jesus was resurrected, but  sacrificed.  Also remember Satan likes to play the close game as long as you don't hit the mark. 
So today everyone celebrating the resurrection on a Sunday, a week later than God's commanded passover of Lev. 23:5 
satisfies that goal. So does celebrating the death of Jesus on  good friday when Jesus didn't die on a Friday. He died at the 
end of Nisan 14. And we DO know what day of the week that is each year. So why don't we celebrate it then? Why do we hold 
fast to traditional error we know to be known error? Like I said Satan has done a good job of confusing people so they don't 
know what they should be celebrating or when. Too many of God's people are lemmings, they go along with the crowd, church 
leaders go along with the crowd,  they don't question or research what is really right and what they should be teaching for fear 
of being chastised for non conformity and for fear of losing their congregation if they dared to  step out of the box and be 
considered outside the norm. 

The above is the truth as I have researched it with literally hundreds of hours of study to determine the truth.

Continuing on with additional info you can research
To further confuse the issue, God's day of sundown to sundown differs from our current day of midnight to midnight. 
In God's time, first, there are 12 hours of night, then 12 hours of day. Nisan 14 begins at 6 PM to 7pm  and lasts
24 hours until sundown at the end of the day part of Nisan 14  when Nisan 15 begins.  To further confuse the issue 
the terminology of "between the evens" is used.

Your lamb shall be without blemish..: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole 
assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Ex.12:5-6

The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
says, "The phrase ‘in the evening’ [literally, 
‘between the evenings’] means the period between sunset and darkness, ‘twilight’ (Ex. 12:6; KJV, ‘in the evening’)."  
Hmmmmm Is that telling us they killed the lambs after sunset on Nisan 14 before it got dark ? Yet other historical records 
state that between evens means just before sunset.

From http://www.yahweh.org/publications/fsdy/fs13Chap.pdf  
We get the definition of between the evenings as, ...the traditional interpretation adopted by the Pharisees and Talmudists
was that the first "evening" was when the heat of the sun began to decrease (like after 3 pm our today's time) and the second 
evening began at sunset. This site states that the Jewish practice is to slaughter the lambs in the afternoon of Nisan 14 near
 the end of Nisan 14 and have the passover meal at the beginning of Nisan 15; again contrary to Lev 23:5-6.

Midnight  when the angel of death passed over both Egyptian and Israelite houses is just 6 hours from when Nisan 14 begins, 
(or Nisan 15 begins if you conclude passover was 15 Nisan). But Leviticus 23:5-6 says passover is to be remembered on 
Nisan 14, not Nisan 15. 

This page will mess with your mind trying to figure this one out.  After literally hundreds of hours of study on the issue I support 
a Nisan 14 evening 1548BC passover and a Nisan 15 exodus and feast of unleavened bread. In 33AD I believe Jesus died on the afternoon of Nisan 14 before the sunset at the end of the daylight portion of Nisan 14 .The Jews celebrated passover in the 
early evening of Nisan 15 in 33AD. They slaughtered the lambs at the same time Jesus died in the afternoon portion of Nisan 14. 
No argument with the sequence of events in 33AD. What happened in 1548BC is where the questions arise.

But Jesus held the passover meal with His disciples in a room before He was captured in the evening of Nisan 14. 
Many try to say it was just a regular meal and not the passover meal but in Mathew, Mark and Luke it is called the passover meal.
Matthew 26:18-19  Jesus tells us that meal WAS the passover meal.
Mark 14:14 and 16   Jesus tells us again it was the passover meal
and Luke 22:8, 11, and 13 all address the fact this was in fact a passover meal.

The real question becomes, when did the exodus (represented by the feast of unleavened bread) begin; the morning of 
12 hours into nisan 14 or 15, or the beginning evening of Nisan 15?

The other historical glitch in the pudding is that the even though the Jews celebrated both passover and the exodus separately 
for many years after the 1548BC passover ; they then at some point in time combined both events into the feast of unleavened 
bread and called the whole thing erroneously passover - not distinguishing between the two events, ; and started the celebration 
on Nisan 15. This was going on in the time period of Jesus crucifixion.  So even though Jesus was not crucified at the time the 
passover lamb was in 1548BC, if you believe the angel of death passed over at midnight 6 hours into Nisan 14 instead of Nisan 
15, he was sacrificed at the same time the passover lambs were at the end of Nisan 14 for a Nisan 15 feast in 33AD.

Exodus 12:6 tells us the lamb to be killed for passover was to be held until Nisan 14 and it shall be killed in the evening. As 
the dark part of Nisan 14 precedes the daylight  portion of Nisan 14 , it is assumed by many this entails the first part of 
Nisan 14 and not the last.  But "even" could also mean the last hours of Nisan14. Was it killed in the afternoon of Nisan 13 
and eaten after sundown on Nisan 14? OR was it killed at the beginning Nisan 14 between sunset and darkness? OR, was 
it killed in the afternoon of Nisan 14 and eaten and the doorposts painted at the beginning of Nisan 15; that is the question.  
Scripture doesn't adequately answer this question.

Most everyone agrees the blood of this lamb was to be painted on the lintels and doorposts in the first 6 hours of Nisan 14 
or Nisan 15 BEFORE the angel of death came at midnight (Ex 12:29) and destroyed the firstborn of all who didn't have this 
blood showing. Exodus 12:22 commanded the Israelites not to leave their houses until morning. Exodus 12:24 states we 
are to observe this event forever. Ex 12:24 is NOT speaking of the exodus yet; but only of killing the lamb, painting it's blood 
on the doorposts, the death angel passing over and staying in their homes until daybreak. 

Pharoh summoned Moses that night after discovering the firsborn dead, including Pharoh's son, and told him to get his 
people out of Egypt. At daybreak the Israelites packed up their belongings and left Goshen as they spoiled the Egyptians 
(took silver, gold, cloth and other things the Egyptians gave them).  They assembled at Ramses during the daylight portion 
of Nisan 14 I believe, and then set out to Succoth on the exodus come evening of Nisan 15; exodus 12:37   Exodus 12:42 
says it is a NIGHT to be remembered, not a day to be remembered. 

Some say this all happened on Nisan 15, not Nisan 14. Leviticus 23:5 and 6 states the 14th day of the first month at even 
is the Lord's passover. It also says the 15th day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread and 7 days we must eat 
of unleavened bread.

Numbers 33:3 says they departed Ramses on the morrow; the day after the passover,  which would be Nisan 15,   
Not the day of passover. It doesn't say the 15th; it says the 14th. 

Deuteronomy 16:1 clearly states that Yahweh brought His children out of Egypt by NIGHT. If passover happened at midnight 
Nisan 15 and they were supposed to stay in their houses before morning, where is the night part of that day Nisan 15 to leave under? 

In Exodus 42, God designated that NIGHT  as a memorial for all generations to come. Which night? The night of Nisan 14 
or the night of Nisan 15. The Bible doesn't clearly say.

Leviticus 22:30 says on the same day it shall be eaten up ; ye shall leave none of it for the morrow. Does that mean if you kill it on the 14th you have to eat it on the14th?

And in succeeding passover celebrations in Deutoronmy 16: 6 they are told to sacrifice the passover at even at the going 
down of the sun? That to me means before sunset. As the going down of the sun is either at the end of Nisan 14 or at the end 
of Nisan 15, it raises the question, when was the 1548BC passover; at midnight on Nisan 14 or midnight Nisan 15? I told you this 
would mess with your mind.

From the website of www.lcg.org  under "Passover" - The tenth and final plague promised to be the most overwhelming of all. 
The LORD decreed that in one night the He would pass through the entire land of Egypt and every firstborn male in the land, 
both of people and animals, would be struck dead. Death was coming surely and inexorably. There was only one way of escape. 
That way was for the people of Israel to take yearling lambs and at dusk, when the 14 day of the first month began (not at
the end of Nisan 14)  each household was to slay its lamb. The father in each home was to put the blood on the doorposts and 
the lamb was to be roasted and eaten during the evening.

During the daylight portion of Abib 14 (Nisan 14), halfway through Nisan 14, the people gathered quickly together for their 
journey. Many of the treasures of Egypt were thrust upon them (Exodus 12:35–36). Finally, about sunset at the beginning 
of the fifteenth (Numbers 33:3; Deuteronomy 16:1), the Israelites began their long march. They could scarcely contain their 
excitement as they came out “with an high hand” (Numbers 33:3, KJV).

Jesus' death occurred on the afternoon of the 14th of Abib (Nisan 14) , the date of the Passover. We know this because it 
was the preparation day for the annual Sabbath that followed on the 15th, the first day of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened 
Bread (
Matthew:27:62;Mark:15:42 Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42.). Jesus was sacrificed at the same time as the Passover 
lambs at that point in time as the Jews had combined passover with the feast of unleavened bread and called the whole thing 
passover instead of keeping the passover and exodus separate as was commanded in Leviticus 23:5-6. In the passover of 
1548BC the lambs were sacrified at evening on Nisan 14th as the sun was going down at the BEGINNING of Nisan 14th; not 
at the end of Nisan 14 as was done by 33AD. Nisan 14 was set by God as passover, not the beginning of Nisan 15 which 
technically was supposed to represent the exodus; not the passover.  The passover and exodus were separate events  a day 
apart. Jesus and His disciples were the only ones eating the passover meal at the correct time; everyone else was a day late.
The Jews today celebrate passover a day late and still combine it with the feast of unleavend bread and call the whole thing 
passover.
In observing the Passover every year afterward on the same date, the Israelites were to recall this redemption in Egypt (while 
the Feast of Unleavened Bread that followed memorialized their deliverance from Egyptian slavery in the Exodus). Lev 23:5-6
From http://www.ucg.org/booklet/fundamental-beliefs/passover/ 

From http://www.cbcg.org/franklin/Christian_Passover_Ceremony_2014-View.pdf 
According to this site the Christian Passover is to be held after sunset on the 13th day of the first month, which is actually the 
evening and night of 14th day of the first month; called Nisan 14. Today the Jews do not keep a 14th passover at all. The Jewish passover is observed a day late and is combined with the Feast of Unleavened bread which starts on Nisan 15 and continues
for 7 days. In violation of the scriptural commands, the Jews have added an 8th day to their "passover" extending it to the 22nd 
of the 1st month. There is no distinction between passover and the exodus in the Jewish festivities.


Other resources
http://www.bibletrack.org/notes/resource/misc/Passover_day.html
It appears that it was standard practice to observe the Passover meal either way in the first century. I say so because there is never a question raised from Jesus' disciples about observing the Passover meal when they did, nor does John's gospel give us any explanation regarding why the Jews in John 18:28 observed the Passover meal the next evening. Strictly speaking, however, the scripture text we've observed seems to clearly indicate that the correct time to observe the Passover meal was when Jesus did, at the very beginning of Nisan 14 in the evening. After all, on how many issues from the Law of Moses were the Jewish leaders NOT confused about in Jesus' day? So, who are you going with? Jesus...or the ones who crucified him?

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/june2012/marilyna611.htm
If Passover was Nisan 15, the Israelite’s first-born would have died when the death angel came at midnight on Nisan 14. 
Lev 23:5.6 (KJV) says, "In the FOURTEENTH DAY of the first month at even (i.e., when Nisan 14 began at 6 PM on Nisan 13) 
IS THE LORD'S PASSOVER. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month (i.e., when Nisan 15 began at 6 PM on Nisan 14) 
is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD"( symbolizing the beginning of the exodus from Egypt under a full moon)  
To understand this correctly, we have to orient ourselves to the Hebrew day.  First, there are 12 hours of night, then 12 hours 
of day. Their Nisan 14 begins at 6 PM on Nisan 13 and lasts 24 hours. Midnight  when the angel of death passed over both 
Egyptian and Israelite houses is just 6 hours from when the 14th begins, not the next evening.

http://www.waoy.org/Nisan14Pass..pdf 
Here's a long disscertation that agrees Jesus was slain near the end of Nisan 14 but the last supper He and His disciples 
celebrated was not a passover mealand the passover started on Nisan 15. But Matthew, Mark and Luke DO call it a passover 
meal. I have a problem with this scenario and waoy.org's theology. 
Matthew 26:18-19  Jesus tells us that meal WAS the passover meal.
Mark 14:14 and 16   Jesus tells us again it was the passover meal
and Luke 22:8, 11, and 13 all address the fact this was in fact a passover meal.

http://www.waoy.org/17_Proofs_Why_Passover_is_Nisan_15.pdf 
Another document from the same group claiming the 1548BC passover lambs were slain at the end of Nisan 14 (between the evens of nisan 14 and nisan 15) , eaten early evening of Nisan 15, angel of death came over at midnight nisan 15, , Pharoh gave Moses the boot about 2am , the Israelites came out of their houses early morning, received spoils from the Egyptans and headed down the road in the daylight portion of Nisan 15. This scenario doesn't allow them time to gather 2-3 million people from their homes to  Rameses for the journey (not a one hour affair) nor does it give them time to receive spoils from the Egyptians, nor put them starting out under a full moon as they would be leaving mid day on Nisan 15 and not at the beginning of Nisan 15 during the night portion of the day.

http://www.cogwriter.com/passover_on_the_fourteenth_or_fifteenth.htm 
Good site, Shows John 13 is supportive of a nisan 14 passover. Apostle Paul teaches that our Saviour clearly kept Passover Himself the 14th right after sunset. Those who follow Jesus will do 
the same. Epiphanius recognized that Jesus HAD to be slain on the 14th of the month. 

When Was The Passover Lamb Sacrificed?

A controversy has existed for hundreds of years concerning the correct time of the Passover sacrifice. Was it at the beginning or end of the fourteenth of Abib? Many sources outside the Bible can be used to support both beliefs. However, following the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11, the Holy Scriptures should be our ultimate source for truth. This study will use only the Bible to arrive at the answer.

To begin with we must understand that Yahweh's plan of salvation existed before the creation of the worlds. That plan included the slaying of His Son Yahshua as we read in Rev.13:8 - "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Not only was it part of Yahweh's plan to provide His Son as the lamb, but Yahweh Himself was the one who bruised him as we read in Is.53:10 -" Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him; he hath put him to grief." Considering these two verses we must conclude that Yahweh bruised Yahshua, as His Passover lamb, at the exact time that He decreed the Israelites to kill their Passover lambs.

Yahweh is a mighty one of perfection and exactness. Would He not have slain His lamb at the correct time? Yahweh has an appointed time for everything whether it be the resurrection of the dead, judgement day, the day of Yahshua's second coming, etc. The appointed time of His Son's death was firmly established before the foundations of the world as well. It is this premise that must be kept in mind as we study the correct time for the Passover sacrifice.

Matthew tells us that Yahshua died about the ninth hour which is equivalent to 3:00 pm. (Mt.27:45-50). This time, then, would be the fulfillment of Ex.12:6 and the phrase "kill it in the evening" or more correctly "between the evenings." The Jews have always understood the first evening to begin at approx. 3:00 pm and the second evening to begin the moment the sun sets. Others believe the phrase "between the evenings" to mean from sunset to darkness or the time known as twilight. Interestingly, two Hebrew words were translated twilight in the KJV neither of which were ever used concerning the Passover. In addition, the Jews had another phrase (between the suns) that they used to denote the time between the setting of the sun and the appearance of any star (Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica - John Lightfoot, Vol. 3, pg.217).

The phrase "between the evenings" appears 11 times in the Hebrew text. Five of those pertain to Passover leaving us with six verses to examine and interpret its meaning. Ex.29:39,41 and Num.28:4,8 concern the morning and evening sacrifice which was offered daily. Since they all say the same thing we need only examine Ex.29:38-41 -" Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even : And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even , and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh."

Two lambs were to be offered each day; one in the morning and the other between the evenings. The word "one" in verse 39 is the Hebrew "echad" which can also mean "first" as in Num.29:1 - "And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you." The word "other" in verse 39 is the Hebrew "sheniy". According to Strong's Concordance it means "double ie: second." If the other lamb or more correctly, the second lamb, were sacrificed after sunset then it would be a new day making it the first lamb sacrificed. This is one reason the Jews always sacrificed the second lamb at 3:00 in the afternoon.

The next use of "between the evenings" is found in Ex.30:8 - "And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even , he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations." The Tabernacle was made from animal skins which means they would not allow much light to enter the sanctuary. If Aaron had waited until sundown to light the lamps he would not have had any light to see what he was doing. Lighting the lamps before sunset would make more sense. If Aaron had to light the lamps after sunset and offer the second lamb after sunset, when did he have time to offer the Passover sacrifice?

The last usage of "between the evenings" is found in Ex. 16:12,13 - I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am Yahweh your Elohim. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host." The word "even" in verse 12 is "between the evenings" and the word "even" in verse 13 is "ereb." Some say that ereb means sunset therefore "between the evenings" must be twilight. However, ereb and ben ha arbayim (between the evenings) are used interchangeably. Lev.23:3 uses ereb concerning the time of lighting the lamps and II Chr.13:11 uses ereb concerning the time of the evening sacrifice. Therefore the quails could have come into the camp by 3:00 pm and been eaten before sunset. Twilight only lasts approximately 40 minutes. If the quail didn't come in until sundown, how did the Israelites manage to catch, kill, clean and cook them before dark? Incidently, according to "Aid to Bible Understanding", Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1971, under the heading "Quail" it states that they often fly at night which brings into question the assumption that they came in at sundown to roost in the trees. Ex.16:13 says the quail "covered the camp" implying that they landed on the ground and not in trees. Since this was a miracle performed by Yahweh, He could have brought the quail in at any time. He did not have to bring them in at the normal roosting time of other birds.

"Between the evenings" means just that; a period of time that falls between two different evenings. Scripture undoubtedly teaches that evening begins the moment the sun sets. It then continues on towards morning. Scripture never states that a second evening begins when twilight ends. It does show that another evening can occur as early as 3:00 pm (ereb).

Those who believe the lamb was killed after the sun set beginning the 14th of Abib also say that the Hebrew phrase "ba ereb" always means the end of the day. However we find the same phrase used pertaining to the Passover in Jos.5:10 - "And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho." The Israelites kept the Passover at even (ba ereb) meaning at the end of the fourteenth. Deut.16:4,6 also uses "ba ereb" to show the sacrifice occurred at the end of the fourteenth. Deut.16:6 - " But at the place which Yahweh thy Elohim shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even , at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt."

. . . . . Therefore, when Deut.16:6 says," sacrifice the Passover at even (ba ereb), at the going down of the sun,..." it shows that "ba ereb" in this case means prior to sunset. . . . . .

It is also believed by some people that the word "until" in Ex.12:6 means "up to" or the beginning of the fourteenth. Ex. 12:6 - "And ye shall keep it (up, not in Hebrew) until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." The same Hebrew word also means "through till the end" as we see in Ex. 12:15,18 - "Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel . . .In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even." If "until" meant the beginning of the day then we would be permitted to eat leaven on the seventh day of the feast (Abib 21).

Notice also this crucial point; The Hebrew of Ex.12:18, "on the fourteenth day of the month at even," is the exact same phrase in Josh.5:10 declaring the time when Joshua kept the Passover. In Ex.12:18 it means the end of the 21st day and in Josh.5:10 it means the end of the fourteenth. Lev.23:32 shows this phrase to mean the end of the ninth day.  [  Here difference should be made between the “keeping” of the Passover in the sense of having it killed “at even” and in the sense of having it eaten after sunset in the night of the new day – with unleavened bread. Thus, unleavened bread is eaten the seventh time in the night or beginning of the 21st day and not on “the end of the 21st day”. CGE] 

It is often said that Ex.12:6-14 refers to Abib 14, especially the phrase "this night" in verse 12. If we understand that "between the evenings" (vs.6) means approximately 3:00 pm, then obviously "this night" must mean Abib 15. It all depends on your understanding of the meaning of "between the evenings." Notice, however, verse 14. "This day" (the day Yahweh passed over them) shall be a memorial ; and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast forever." Whenever Yahweh memorializes a day He does so by making it a Sabbath just as He memorialized His finished work of Creation, the Day of Atonement, Trumpets, etc. He also memorialized the day He passed over Israel by making it a Sabbath, Abib 15. That is why the term "feast" is used in this verse. The Hebrew word is "chagag" which was also used in Ex.23:14; "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year." A chagag is a special time of rejoicing and dancing. Certainly, Abib 14 cannot be considered a chag or chagag in any way. It is merely the day that the Passover lamb was sacrificed.

Let's look at a few more Old Testament verses. Deut.16:1 - "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto Yahweh thy Elohim: for in the month of Abib Yahweh thy Elohim brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." Since Moses told the Israelites not to come out of their houses until morning (Ex.12:22), some people assume that they came out of Egypt the following night, Abib 15. The phrase "brought thee forth out of Egypt" refers to the period of time beginning with the killing of Egypt's firstborn males. Ex.13:14-16 - "And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt , from the house of bondage: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that Yahweh slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt." That final act of Yahweh's strength is what delivered the Israelites or what "brought them forth." That act occurred at midnight on Abib 15. The following morning the Israelites left in a great hurry. They did not have time to leaven their bread (Ex.13:33,34). If the killing of the firstborn occurred at midnight on Abib 14 the women would have had at least ten hours to leaven their bread before they left at sundown.

It is taught that the killing and eating of the Passover Lamb takes place on Abib 14. Ex.12:43-50 outlines this eating concerning strangers. Notice verse 51, "And it came to pass the selfsame day , that Yahweh did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies." The "selfsame day" can only refer to the previous verses concerning eating. The selfsame day the Passover was eaten they came out of Egypt; Abib 15 (Num.33:3). Those that keep Passover at the beginning of Abib 14 believe it was eaten that night followed by the exodus the next night.

II Chr.35:1-19 recounts Josiyah's Passover. Verse 14 suggests the sacrifices and offerings took place hours before nightfall in order to complete them. Since twilight is only a period of approximately 40 minutes, how could they kill, bleed, clean and cook so many offerings and sacrifices in so short a time? This verse takes place after they had roasted the Passover offerings which would have taken several hours.

It is implied in verse 14 that the priests were busy with burnt offerings from before sunset until night and therefore, the Levites took charge of the passover lambs themselves. Yet, verse 11 implies that the priests sprinkled the blood [of the passover lambs] from their hands. Verse 14 then implies that after they finished sacrificing the lambs for the people [and by extension, after the priests finished sprinkling the blood for the people], the Levites began sacrificing lambs for themselves and the priests. Once the priests finished sprinkling blood they began offering burnt offerings until night.

Beginning of the 14th proponents use verses 16 & 17 to teach, "The whole service of the Passover [including eating] was observed that day (in one day) just as Moses prescribed; that is, on the 14th." (emphasis & brackets mine). The KJV says, "So all the service of Yahweh was prepared the same day to keep the passover..." Notice the difference in the emphasized words.

Moffatt's translation is often used to support that view. It says, "In this way, the whole service of holding the passover in honor of the Eternal and sacrificing burnt-offerings on the altar of the Eternal was carried out that day..." The phrase in bold type is not in the Hebrew. It simply says, "all the service of Yahweh was prepared the same day..." Moffatt's version leads one to believe that it is talking about a Passover service or ceremony whereas the Hebrew shows the service to be people prepared to conduct the passover ceremony. This can be seen by verses 2-5,10,14-16. Each family division had a specific service to perform and to prepare for. Verse 16 says that all those that had a service to perform were prepared the same day, Abib 14.

The last Old Testament verse we should read is Eze.45:21 . "In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten." This verse does not say "and a feast of seven days" thereby making a distinction between Passover and Unleavened. According to Strong's Concordance, Passover can mean either the festival or the victim (the sacrifice). Passover in this verse would refer to the festival. Verses such as Ex.12:6; Nu.9:5; and Lev.23:5 refer to the victim. Many people do not understand this and erroneously assume the killing and eating must take place on the same day. Once the Passover is sacrificed at the end of the fourteenth it is eaten as the first meal of the feast. . . . . . .

Between the Evenings

A correct understanding of this phrase is crucial in determining when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. We cannot use circular reasoning to arrive at its meaning. By that I mean, because Yahshua apparently ate the Passover at the beginning of Abib 14, we cannot conclude that "between the evenings" must be a time period prior to that supper, namely sunset or twilight beginning Abib 14. That is circular reasoning and poor exegesis.

There is firm historical support showing that the Hebrew phrase "ben ha-erebim" (between the evenings) was a time period between noon and sundown (See 'Historical Evidence to Support a Passover Sacrifice at the End of Abib 14'). There is virtually no historical evidence I know of to support that phrase meaning twilight. One can find many modern day commentators and Bible translators supporting that position, but their position is based on opinion, conjecture, and a misunderstanding of Hebrew thought on this subject. By 'Hebrew thought' I mean their beliefs as far back as three hundred years prior to Messiah Yahshua, not their thoughts after 70 C.E.. Although Jewish thought on this subject did not change at that time, some people believe it did.

The phrase in question appears eleven times in the Hebrew text. Five of those times pertain to the Passover.

Ex.12:6 - "And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening ."

Lev.23:5 - "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is Yahweh's passover.

Num.9:3 - "In the fourteenth day of this month, at even , ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it."

Num.9:5 - "And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel."

Num.9:11 - "The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs ."

The context of these scriptures are not very helpful in determining the meaning of "Between the evenings" (in bold print). The remaining six verses, however, are quite helpful.  [ If “kept” be understood for meaning “sacrificed” they are easily understood as referring to daytime before sunset. CGE ]

Ex.16:12 - "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am Yahweh your Elohim. The "flesh" the Israelites would eat "between the evenings" was quail (vs.13). The question is, if "between the evenings" means twilight, which is a period lasting approximately 40 minutes, how did the Israelites manage to catch, kill, clean, cook and eat the quail in that short time period? It is obvious that much more time is required to do all that. They may also have had to start fires to cook the quail. We shouldn't assume that they had fires ready in anticipation of the quail coming.

Ex.29:39,41 is repeated in Num.28:4,8 so we need only look at Num.28:4,8 to understand the next four uses of "between the evenings."

Num.28:4,8 - "The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even ;
And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even : as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it , a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Yahweh."

Both phrases in bold type are from the Hebrew "ben ha-erebim." These verses deal with the time of the evening sacrifice. Keep in mind that a Hebrew day ends at sunset as we study these verses.

First, the historical testimony of Josephus places the evening sacrifice at "about the ninth hour" or approximately 3:00 p.m. (Antiquities 14.4.3). This agrees with his statement that the Passover lamb was sacrificed "between the ninth and the eleventh hour" (Wars 6.9.3). Two different sacrifices, both occurring at about the ninth hour and both fulfilling the command to sacrifice "between the evenings."

Secondly, we have the clear meaning of two other Hebrew words to assure us of the meaning intended. The word "one" used in verse 4 is the Hebrew word "echad" which can also mean "first" as in Num. 29:1 and many other texts.

Num.29:1a - "And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation;" More importantly is the Hebrew word translated "other" in verse 8. It is "sheniy" meaning "double ie: second," according to Strong's Concordance. "Sheniy" is the most common Hebrew word for "second." If the "other" lamb, or more correctly, the "second" lamb, were sacrificed after sunset it would have been sacrificed on a new day making it the first lamb sacrificed that day. Both lambs had to be sacrificed the same day, the first one in the morning and the second one between the evenings or late in the day, but before sunset.

That leaves us with one verse left, Ex.30:8. Josephus says this was done at "sunsetting" (Antiquities 3.8.3). He does not say "sundown" or "sunset." This time period, in the Jewish culture, begins at noon. The sun begins setting at that time. It continues to set until it vanishes from sight beginning a new day. Ex.30:8 - "And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even , he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations."

The Tabernacle in the wilderness was made out of animal skins which means they would not allow much light, if any, to enter the sanctuary. If Aaron waited until sundown to light the lamps, he would not have had any light to see what he was doing. This would especially be true when the moon was not full. Lighting the lamps before sunset would make more sense. Also, if Aaron had to light the lamps, burn incense and offer the evening sacrifice after sunset, when did he have time to offer the Passover sacrifice? Twilight only lasts about 30 minutes.

Interestingly, Lev.23:3 uses the Hebrew word "ereb" concerning the time for lighting the lamps and 2 Chr.13:11 uses "ereb" for the time of the evening sacrifice. Therefore, ereb and ben ha-erebim are interchangeable as far as these times are concerned.

Conclusion: The weightier evidence, both historical and scriptural, is clearly in favour of "between the evenings" meaning a time period before sunset. Appealing to modern day commentators and translators is fruitless since support can be found for both views. History, however, cannot be refuted and neither can context.

Deuteronomy 16:6

"But at the place which Yahweh thy Elohim shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even [ba-ereb], at the going down of the sun , at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt."
Historical Evidence to Support a Passover Sacrifice
at the End of Abib 14

The Book of Jubilees - (2nd Century B.C.E.) -

"Remember the commandment which the Lord commanded thee concerning the Passover, that thou shouldst celebrate it in its season on the fourteenth of the first month, that thou shouldst kill it before it is evening, and that they should eat it by night on the evening of the fifteenth from the time of the setting of the sun."

"Let the children of Israel come and observe Passover on the day of its fixed time, on the fourteenth day of the first month, between the evenings, from the third part of the day to the third part of the night, for two portions of the day are given to light, and a third part to the evening."

"This is that which the Lord commanded thee that thou shouldst observe it between the evenings. And it is not permissible to slay it during any period of the light, but during the period bordering on the evening, and let them eat it at the time of the evening until the third part of the night, and whatever is left over of all its flesh from the third part of the night and onwards, let them burn with fire." (Each 'part' was approximately 4 hours long). 'Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English' by R.H. Charles, chapter 49.

This shows that, as early as two centuries before Messiah, there were Jews who believed the Passover was to be sacrificed at the end of Abib 14 and eaten on the 15th. This also shows that this practice did not begin after the destruction of the second temple in 70 C.E.

Philo - (early 1st century C.E.) -

"After the New Moon comes the fourth feast, called the Crossing-feast, which the Hebrews in their native tongue call Pascha. In this festival many myriads of victims from noon till eventide are offered by the whole people ... The day on which this national festivity occurs may very properly be noted. It is the 14th of the month ..." 'De Specialibus Legibus, 2,' 145, 149.

Again, these offerings took place at the end of the 14th. Philo wrote from about 20 B.C.E. to 45 C.E. So this would have been the practice in Messiah's day.

Another treatise ascribed to Philo, 'Quasestiones et Solutiones in Genesin et in Exodum,' states the time of the Passover sacrifice to be after 3 p.m.

Josephus - (late 1st century C.E.) -
"... accordingly, on the occassion of the feast called Passover, at which they sacrifice from the ninth hour to the eleventh hour , [3 p.m. to 5 p.m.] and a little fraternity, as it were, gather round each sacrifice, of not fewer than ten persons" War 6.9.3.

Josephus also wrote about the time of the evening sacrifice that was offered between the evenings as was the Passover.
"...but did still twice each day, in the morning and about the ninth hour [3 p.m.], offer their sacrifices on the altar;"
Antiquities of the Jews 14.4.3

This was the practice in the days of Pompey (65 B.C.E.). It continued this way until the destruction of the temple in 70 C.E.

Writing on the subject of offering incense as it was practiced in Moses' time, Josephus says;
"... but incense was to be offered twice a day, both before sunrising and at sunsetting ." Antiq. 3.8.3.

The phrase "at sunsetting" has led some to believe that incense and the evening sacrifice were offered originally at sunset, but later changed to mid-afternoon. Note that Josephus does not say "sunset" or "sundown", but "sunsetting." To a Jew, the sun is setting from noon until it disappears below the horizon. Even to an American today, the sun is continually descending until sundown. So Josephus does not contradict himself, nor does he teach that a change was made.

Septuagint - (3rd Century B.C.E.) -

Lev.23:5 gives a literal translation of the Hebrew "ben ha-erebim" (Greek: anameson ton hesperinon = "at between the evenings.") However, in Ex.12:6,12 and Num.28:4,8, ben ha-erebim is translated as "toward evening," (Greek: pros hesperan). Ex.29:39,41 translates ben ha-erebim as 'to deilinon' in Greek meaning "in the afternoon" or "toward evening."
This shows that the Hebrew phrase ben ha-erebim was understood to mean the evening at the end of the day approximately 300 years before Messiah.


Ezekielos - (approx. 90 B.C.E.) -
Ezekielos was a Jewish dramatist who composed a tragedy in Greek on the theme of the Exodus. He writes, "And let them be kept until the fourteenth day is bright ; then sacrificing them towards evening (you will eat them) all roast, together with (their) entrails."

Eustathius -
"Eustathius, in a note on the seventeenth book of the Odyssey, shows that the Greeks too held that there were two evenings, one which they called the latter evening, at the close of the day; and the other the former evening, which commenced immediately after noon . . ." McClintock and Strong, vol. VII, 1877, p.735. Irenaeus - (120 - 202 C.E.) -

"Of the day of His passion, too, he was not ignorant; but foretold Him, after a figurative manner, by the name given to the passover; and at that very festival, which had been proclaimed such a long time previously by Moses, did our Lord suffer, thus fulfilling the passover. And he did not describe the day only, but the place also, and the time of day at which the sufferings ceased, and the sign of the setting of the sun, saying: "Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any other of thy cities which the LORD thy God shall choose that His name be called on there, thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, towards the setting sun ." Ante-Nicean Fathers, Vol.1, pg. 473.

Although this source testifies from about 100 years after the temple was destroyed, I feel it is important. This was written at a time when weak Christians were avoiding persecution by forsaking the appearance of anything Jewish such as Sabbath observance. If the practice of sacrificing the Passover before sunset was a Jewish invention after 70 C.E., it most certainly would have been forsaken by Messianic believers at that time. But there is no evidence of that in Irenaeus's account.

Rabbinic Literature can also be added to this list of historical evidence, but since they are accused of changing the time of the Passover sacrifice, they won't be included.

All of the sources listed are unified in their support of "between the evenings" meaning at the end of the day. I have yet to see any historical documentation supporting a beginning of the 14th Passover. Most of the extra-Biblical support for that position comes from modern commentaries and translations written by people who did not understand Jewish thought on this subject.

Sadducees/Pharisees

It is often contended that Yahshua observed Passover the year he died according to the Sadducean way. It is said that, "as long as the temple stood, the Sadducees set the festival dates" and, eventually, Pharisaical changes were made. This view is primarily based on the commentaries such as, The New Bible Dictionary under "Pentecost."

Another comment in that same book is found on page 1054 under "Sadducees" - "Our sources are all hostile and inadequate for an accurate picture. They are Josephus...the Mishnah....the N.T. " In other words, we don't have any information concerning the Sadducees except from these three sources. None of these sources provides the view that the Sadducees set festival dates. On the contrary, they oppose that view. The N.T. only shows that the high priest was a Sadducee. So where does this view come from? Conjecture. Since the high priest was a Sadducee, it is assumed that the Sadducees had total control over the temple and festival dates. But if we honestly use the only information we have concerning the Sadducees, we see an entirely different picture.

Acts 22:3 says, "I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel (a Pharisee), and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers , and was zealous toward Elohim, as ye all are this day." Gamaliel would not have taught Paul the Sadducean way of counting.

Acts 23:6 says, "But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee : of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question." Not only was Paul taught by a Pharisee, his father was a Pharisee. It is doubtful he would have departed from the way he was raised.

Acts 23:9 says, "And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against Elohim." Paul had the scribes and Pharisees on his side. Notice he did not appeal to the Sadducees saying, "I count Pentecost and keep Passover just like you."

Phil.3:5-6 says, "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee ; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Paul declares that, not only is he a Pharisee regarding the law, but that he is blameless regarding it. He kept the law as the Pharisees taught him and was blameless as a result. What could be clearer?

Mk.12:24 - "Yahshua answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of Yahweh." The Sadducees had a very shallow understanding of Scripture because they were political puppets appointed by foreign rulers. They did not understand the concepts of a resurrection or angels, and neither did they understand how to reckon festivals.

Notice what the New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible says about the priesthood in the time of Messiah;
"The chief priests who are mentioned in the N.T. were the officiating high priest, former high priests still alive, and members of their families. They were an anomaly of the times. The law (Yahweh's Law) that regulated the succession to the high priesthood had come into abeyance through political confusion and foreign domination. High priests were made and unmade at will of the rulers."

Mt.23:2,3 says, "... The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." Yahshua did not say "the scribes and Sadducees." What is Moses' seat? Ex. 18:15-16 reads, "And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of Elohim: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of Elohim, and his laws." Yahshua declared that it was the job of the Scribes and Pharisees to teach Yahweh's laws and statutes, including reckoning festivals. Yahshua was not a hypocrite. If he taught us to observe the ways of the Pharisees concerning the Law, we can rest assured that he followed the Pharisees teachings as well.

Samaritan's

Those who support an early 14th Passover seem to take pride in the fact that the Samaritan's sacrifice the Passover lamb at twilight. Yet, they disregard the fact that it was the twilight between the 14th and 15th of Abib, not twilight beginning the 14th. Although the Pharisees were in error because of their over zealousness and hypocrisy, Yahshua supported them in their role as those who sit in Moses' seat (Mt.23:2,3). Scripture, however, paints a different picture of the Samaritan's. Consider the following;

John 4:21,22 - "Yahshua saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." Not only were they worshiping in the wrong location, they didn't even know what they were worshiping.

Ezra 4:3-24 - It was the Samaritans that were the greatest obstacle in rebuilding Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem. Later, they built their own temple in Mt. Gerizim.

The Samaritan religion developed as a result of Jeroboam's efforts at alienating the ten tribes from Yahweh's worship at Jerusalem. What they learned of Yahweh they learned from "Jeroboam's priesthood", not from the Levitical priesthood. Most of their history involves gross idolatry.

The Samaritan's reject all Hebrew Scriptures with the exception of the Pentateuch and possibly Joshua. They have rewritten these books in many areas. These rewritten books comprise the "Samaritan Pentateuch."

An exacting more detailed explanation of passover taken from 
http://rcg.org/books/ghdoph.html 
- this link also discusses the other Holy Feast Days 

The Passover

God told the Israelites to take a young lamb, without spot or blemish, to represent a type of Christ—the Lamb of God (John 1:29). This was always to be done on the tenth day of the first month of the Hebrew sacred year. Unlike all humanly-devised calendars that begin the year in mid-winter, this sacred year began in the spring, around the equinox, with the new moon.

 

Israel had also lost knowledge of the sacred calendar. Notice what God instructed: “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Ex. 12:2). As Christ’s sacrifice was the beginning of God’s Plan, the Passover was to be in the “beginning” month.

So many understand some aspects of Christ’s sacrifice, but do not see beyond it to the great purpose God reveals in each of the other Feast Days that follow.

On the 10th day of Abib (the first Hebrew month), Israel was to select an unblemished lamb. Four days later, on the 14th day of Abib, the lamb was to be killed. Exodus 12:6 says that it was to be killed “in the evening,” but the original Hebrew means “between the two evenings.” Some Bible margins plainly state this. The Jewish Encyclopedia explains that this is the period commonly referred to as twilight or dusk. This period is described as the time after sundown, but before full darkness has occurred. In other words, it was at the very beginning of the 14th that the lamb was killed—and soon thereafter, the blood of the lamb was sprinkled above the doorposts of the Israelite’s houses. At midnight, the death angel struck dead all the firstborn of Egypt. But God had told the Israelites, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you”—hence, the well-known term Passover.

The word Passover is found in the New Testament in a most powerful scripture. Paul wrote the Corinthians about how “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” This verse removes any doubt about who is the centerpiece of the Old Testament Passover observance. It was Christ—and this is one of our first great clues that the Old Testament Feast Days are directly linked to God’s Plan. The shed blood of the Old Testament lamb was a type of the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. Every professing Christian recognizes that Christ’s sacrifice is all-important to salvation. Why can they not see—or be willing to investigate—that the rest of His Feasts might also have great spiritual meaning to their observance?

Exodus 12:6 explains that the Passover lamb was to be killed “in the evening”—at dusk (official Jewish translation). We should briefly explain that some believe that the lamb was killed after noon (around 3 p.m.) on the daylight part of the 14th. It is then thought that it was eaten in the evening of the 15th, with Israel leaving Egypt the same night. This theory is impossible. Let’s understand why.

Deuteronomy 16:6 shows that the lamb was always slain as the sun was going down. Yet it was always eaten during the 14th, not after (Lev. 23:5-6). God does things exactly on time! The time is once a year, at night, in the beginning of the 14th of Abib—after the sun has set!

Returning to Exodus 12, verses 8-11 describe how it was to be roasted and eaten on the night of the 14th. Verse 12 explains how God would “pass through the land of Egypt this night, and…smite all the firstborn.” Verse 22 describes what the Israelites were to do with the blood from the slain lamb: “…strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.”

Make careful note that none were permitted to leave their houses during the night. Verse 29 states that “at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn.” Verses 30-31 explain that Pharaoh “rose up in the night” and called for Moses and Aaron to tell the Israelites to leave. The Egyptians tried to get rid of them (vs. 33) and the Bible records that the Israelites “borrowed of” (vs. 35)—or “spoiled” (vs. 36)—the Egyptian people.

This means that they took gold, silver, jewels and clothing upon demand. This took several, or even many, hours but it could not have been during the night since the Israelites were not permitted out of their homes during this time. Obviously, Israel’s seizing of these physical goods occurred during the daylight portion of the 14th. Since there were millions of Israelites and notifying them would have been an extensive task, more hours were required just to complete  this.

Exodus 12:10 adds proof that the people could not have left Egypt during the night that Pharaoh arose because they were to burn whatever “remained of it [the lamb]” in “the morning.”

Deuteronomy 16:1 adds another important corroboration of when Israel departed Egypt: “…keep the passover unto the Lord your God: for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night.” Clearly, this had to be the night of the 15th because Israel remained indoors through the night of the 14th.

Numbers 33:3 confirms that this was the 15th: “And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.”

Exodus 12:41-42 introduces the “night of the Lord to be observed…” Notice: “…even the selfsame day [the 15th] it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed.” (Verse 43 through the end of the chapter is a new section clarifying who was permitted to eat the Passover.)

The Passover was kept on the night of the 14th, but the night that was to be “much observed,” when Israel departed from Egypt by night, was the 15th. God intended that Israel remember their deliverance from Egypt through a special and separate celebration one night later.

The Old Testament Passover always preceded the annual Sabbath called the first Day of Unleavened Bread. This day was a High Day or a Feast Day to be celebrated each year, again, on the day immediately following the Passover. Notice Numbers 28:16-17: “And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast.” This Feast was the first Day of Unleavened Bread. Recall that Leviticus 23:5-6 said the exact same thing. The Passover is the 14th and the following seven days are the Days of Unleavened Bread.

The Days of Unleavened Bread

From the 15th through the 21st of Abib—a period of seven days—is a festival called the Days of Unleavened Bread. This means that only unleavened bread—bread made without yeast or other leavening agents—should be eaten every day for this one-week period immediately following the Passover. By the time of the New Testament, the Days of Unleavened Bread were generally spoken or thought of as eight days because leavening was usually put out of homes during the daylight portion of the 14th. Yet the seven-day unleavened bread period begins after the Passover—on the 15th.

The first and last of these days, the 15th and the 21st, were to be annual Sabbaths. While Leviticus 23:4 plainly includes Passover as one of God’s festivals, recall that Numbers 28:17 said, “And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast.”

Exodus 12:14-16 makes a critical distinction about the importance to God of the Feast kept on the 15th: “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses…the first day [15th] there shall be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day [21st] there shall be a holy convocation…

This passage makes plain that the Feast on the 15th was a memorial to God. He intended that this day (not the 14th as some claim) be a memorial—an annual reminder—that God had delivered Israel from Egypt. It was to be an “ordinance forever”—“throughout your generations.” The Days of Unleavened Bread are important to God, and this repeats what He said in Leviticus 23 about the permanence of this and His other Feasts. Remember that “holy convocation” means commanded assembly. God commanded that His people assemble on this day perpetually, throughout all generations—forever!

In verse 17, God drives home His purpose that this day be kept “forever.” But this verse also begins to explain why: “For in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall you observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever.” Some translations reflect that God intended this entire “period” as “an everlasting institution.” (Verse 24 also repeats the word “forever” in regard to the Passover.)

This ordinance was established before the law of Moses had been given. But why was it established?

Why the Days of Unleavened Bread?

Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread stand or fall together. Here is why. Passover depicts Christ’s sacrifice so that sin can be forgiven and removed. The Feast of Unleavened Bread does not foreshadow Christ’s sacrifice.

We ask: What point would there be in observing Passover if those who are cleansed turn right around and go back into sin? Egypt is a type of sin. The Days of Unleavened Bread picture God’s people being taken out of sin—and putting it away from their lives through obedience to God’s Law. This is a vitally important point. Consider. Passover is a one-day Feast. In one sense, it pictures a single event: The forgiveness of sin by the blood of Christ. The Days of Unleavened Bread are a seven-day period. They reflect duration of time, rather than a moment in time. The Christian practices putting sin out of his life as a way of life. God, through Moses, presented all of this institution to Israel before He ever gave a single word of the ceremonial and ritual washings and sacrificial laws referenced earlier!

No honest person can believe that God did not intend all those who serve Him to keep the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread as a perpetual, permanent institution. But why would God do this?

Eating unleavened bread pictures putting leaven—sin—from people’s lives. How do we know this? Does the Bible state this plainly? First notice: “And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day [15th], in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage…” (Ex. 13:3). This verse sets the stage.

Now we are ready to understand God’s great purpose for this Feast. Let’s see it clearly: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord…And you shall show your son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me [any Israelite parent talking to his child] when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s LAW may be in your mouth…You shall therefore keep this ordinance in His season from year to year [memorials are annual]” (vs. 6, 8-10).

This is an extraordinary and powerful verse! Keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread has to do with God’s Law being actively at work in our minds and hearts. Again, what is the purpose of Christ’s forgiveness for past sins if one continues practicing sin as a way of life? Of course God had to establish the ordinance—the statute—of the Days of Unleavened Bread as a follow-up to the keeping and meaning of His Passover! It is absolutely vital that you see and understand God’s mind—His purpose—regarding this Feast Day!

The reference to this Feast being a sign “upon your hand” means that it involves actions—our works. The phrase “between your eyes” connotes the mind—the will.

All human beings sin (Rom. 3:23). Christ’s blood forgives “sins that are past” (vs. 25). But people do not have the inherent strength to overcome sin by themselves. They must be delivered from it in the same way Israel was delivered from Egypt. Do you see this? Can you grasp more fully the meaning of this Feast?

We earlier referenced I Corinthians 5:6-8 when speaking of “Christ our Passover.” This New Testament passage expands upon Exodus 13. Let’s now read these verses in their entirety: “Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven [physical leaven], that you [the Christian] may be a new lump, as you [the Christian] are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven [physical leaven], neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness [spiritual leaven]; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

What could be plainer? Leaven and sin puff up the mind. Verse 6 condemns leaven. Paul even warned the Corinthians of this very thing when he said, in reference to sins committed there, “you are puffed up” (vs. 2). This phrase actually leads into verses 7 and 8.

Paul, in the New Testament, instructed the Gentile Corinthians to “keep the Feast,” immediately after reminding them that Christ was the Passover. Some believe that this only means spiritual leaven. But Paul did not “spiritualize away” the literal putting away of leavened bread from our physical “dwellings”—our homes. He emphasized removal of both “old (physical) leaven” and all forms of spiritual leaven—typified by malice and wickedness. Again, He commanded, “KEEP THE FEAST.” Christians keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread both physically and spiritually. Why does the professing Christian world ignore even this plain New Testament scripture?

The world—and human nature—do not want to obey God (Rom. 8:7). Many want to take the name of Christ—to call themselves Christians—but want no obligation   placed upon them to actually do anything (Luke 6:46)!

Putting Leaven Out

The world’s churches always leave Christ hanging dead on the stake. Millions of idols in churches and homes have branded this image indelibly into the minds of all who think of Christ as a “dead Jesus.” Yet Christ is alive in the third heaven, at His Father’s right hand, serving as our High Priest.

Notice: “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy [forgiveness for sins already committed], and find grace to help [to overcome temptation for any future sin] in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16).

I John 3:4 states that “sin is the transgression of the law.” Exodus 13:9 explained that God wants His Law in our mouths. He wants us practicing obedience to His commandments—practicing righteousness (Psa. 119:172). To observe the Passover without continuing to the Days of Unleavened Bread ignores our need to obey God—to stop practicing sin!

Almost all professing Christians believe that “Christ did it all for you,” and that you have no obligation  to obey God. This makes Christ’s sacrifice a license to sin. Yet, sin is what put Christ to death. Do we mock Christ’s sacrifice by continuing to do the very thing that brought His death? As Paul said, “God forbid”!

We read, in Exodus 13, that the memorial of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a sign. Exodus 31:12-17 reveals that the Sabbath is also a sign—between God and His people. Both the weekly and annual Sabbaths are rest days. Work is not permitted on these days. The Christian is called to rest from, not freely commit, sin. How plain, how clear, how obvious is the great meaning behind the Days of Unleavened Bread, which are signs pointing us to God!

Having pastored many thousands of people, I have witnessed numerous stories of people discovering pieces of bread, cookies and other leavened products in their homes after the Days of Unleavened Bread had begun. This is so true of sin, and how it creeps up on us and is found in places where we least expect it, after we thought it was all gone. Overcoming sin and putting it out of our lives is an on-going process.

The Clear Meaning

We have seen that Egypt is a type of sin. Certainly Pharaoh and his army are a perfect type of Satan and his spiritual army of demons. Supernatural intervention and help was the only possible way that Israel could escape their slave-masters, who kept them in bondage exactly as Christians are kept in bondage to sin by the “god of this world”—Satan (II Cor. 4:4).

Israel had to physically walk out of Egypt. This represents human effort to start the process of delivery from sin. But Israel had made their escape. Bondage was over. Freedom lay ahead. God was with them. No wonder Numbers 33:3 says that Israel left Egypt with “a high hand.” They did not need to fear as long as they depended on His continued miraculous help to sustain them.

But the parallel between Israel leaving Egypt and the Christian leaving sin holds additional lessons. Though still excited with the first flush of freedom, God’s assistance almost immediately became necessary when Pharaoh and his army (the devil and sin) fought back to stop them. Some Israelites became so frightened that they thought they were going to die, and cried out to God. Read Exodus 14:10: “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.

God heard the prayers of the frightened Israelites. Notice verses 13 and 14: “Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…for the Egyptians…you shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you.” This is true of Christians, if they turn their problems over to God. Verse 19 describes how God led Israel: “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.”

But verse 22 reveals how the completely unexpected and miraculous delivery took place when surrounded by impossible circumstances: “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” Christ taught His disciples that water is a type of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). Isaiah 55:1 adds, “everyone that thirsts, come you to the waters.”

God has repeatedly promised that He will never leave or forsake His servants. With His Holy Spirit within converted minds (Acts 2:38), such have His constant reassurance that He will guide, protect, strengthen and deliver them from their constant adversary—sin. Like the blood of Christ when it covers our sins, the waters of the Red Sea covered the armies of Egypt. When Christ removes our sins, like those armies, we literally “see them no more.

More reading resources
http://www.leaderu.com/theology/passover.html 
http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11933-passover
http://jewishvoice.org/messianic-education/jewish-roots/feasts/should-non-jewish-believers-celebrate.html 
http://www.oocities.org/genebrooks/exodus.html   

back to passoverpage