When did Christ die???
This is a page postulating that there was not sufficient time, 3 days and 3 nights, for Christ to be in the tomb from Friday evening until Sunday morning and that Christ really was crucified on a Wednesday in order to satisfy the passover timeline. Others conclude that a "part of a day" is the same as a "day" in Hebrew text and the 3 days and 3 nights issue WAS satisfied from Friday to Sunday. No matter which version you subscribe to; I think you will find the blow by blow details presented below; whether they started on a Tuesday or a Thursday rather fascinating. It's like a "you were there" report.
Another interesting website which agrees with the
Wednesday death and ties it in with exactly the time the lambs were sacrificed
for passover can be found at
http://www.yahweh.com/booklets/EASTER/easter.htm
I also have part of that posted here for
you.
And yet another here
see blow by blow timeline
of Christ's last day below
We have been
deceived all these years. However, you now have the truth.
Also see
Time
of Christ's Burial and The
Resurrection
also see http://www.thevictor.org/bowen/bowenpp.htm#tc_ch
for an independent corroborative version
and see also our page at Easter ;
a Roman pagan celebration NOT in timing with the Passover
The Truth; it is not what you
have been led to believe.
Roman Catholicism has dictated the
dates of many Christian events they invented and distorted
the meanings of others. Christians
who ought to know better continue
to celebrate Good Friday without ever questioning why. The fact is
that Christ was not crucified on Friday at all, nor did he rise on Sunday
morning as Christians
have been taught by Roman Catholics to believe.
Yet in spite of the
truth, we continue to cling to the traditions of men and
in so doing, miss the tremendous type and symbol contained in the historical
accuracy of the Passover. This page will attempt to correct error
while pointing to the Lamb of God as Savior.
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt 12:40)
According to tradition, Jesus died on the cross at 3:00 p.m. on Friday and raised very early Sunday morning. Many have wondered how three days and three nights can be compressed into such a short time span, especially since Christ was so clear in His statement in Matthew 12:40 . Most Christians simply ignore the obvious problem and hold the traditional view. Most commentators argue that ancient Jews reckoned a fraction of a day as a whole day; so they say that a very small part of Friday, all of Saturday, and a small part of Sunday can be figured this way. Jesus, however, was clearly stating that He would remain in the grave exactly the same length of time that Jonah spent in the whale's belly.
The solution to the
problem is clear: Nowhere in the Bible does it
say or imply that Jesus was crucified and died on
Friday. It is said that Jesus was crucified on
"the day before the Sabbath" (Mark 15:42 And now when
the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before
the Sabbath,)
The Jewish weekly Sabbath came on Saturday, commencing at sunset
the evening before. But what we forget is that the Jews had other Sabbaths
beside the weekly Sabbath. For example, the first day of the Passover week,
no matter what day that may be, was always a Sabbath (Exodus 12:16;
Lev 23:7; Num 28:16-18).
Knowing this, ask whether the Sabbath immediately following Christ's crucifixion
was the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) or the Passover Sabbath, falling
on the 15th of Nisan, which came on Thursday the year that Christ died.
Even though history should cause us to consider that our tradition is
wrong, our first hint that something is missing from our tradition is the
wonderful symbolism expressed in the Passover lamb. It was
not accidental that Christ died during Passover.
The Bible Itself tells us clearly when Jesus died.
John tells us plainly that the day on which Jesus was tried and
crucified as "the preparation of the Passover" (John 19:14). Christ
then was not tried and crucified before the weekly Sabbath
(Friday), but the day before the Passover Sabbath,
in that year falling on Thursday. Therefore, the
only conclusion we can make is that Christ was crucified on
Wednesday. John makes
this fact crystal clear. John's Gospel was written later than
other accounts and seems to clarify (for obvious reasons) areas that may
lead to possible error. One false impression that we have accepted by our
ignorance of Biblical truth is that Jesus ate the Passover at the regular
time of the Passover. To correct this false impression, John clearly
states that Jesus ate it the evening before and that He Himself died
on the cross at the very moment that the Passover lambs were being killed
"between the two evenings" on the 14th Nisan (Exodus 12:6). God's
real Paschal Lamb--Jesus--of Whom all other paschal lambs offered
through the centuries were only types, was therefore slain
at the very time appointed of God. He would not
therefore eat the Passover Lamb on the Passover
day, for He WAS the Passover Lamb on that day.
Everything
about the Passover Lamb was a picture of Jesus:
1. He was a Lamb without spot or blemish (Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be
without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep,
or from the goats.)
2. He was chosen on the 10th day of Nisan (Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:), for it was on the 10th day of the month, the preceding Saturday, that the triumphal entry into Jerusalem was made, and not on "Palm Sunday" as tradition suggests. This fact is made abundantly clear since Jesus came from Jericho to Bethany six days before the Passover (John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.) and that would be six days before Thursday, which would have been Friday that He made the trip from Jericho to Bethany. If the Roman Catholic Palm Sunday is historically correct, it would mean that Jesus made the trip on Saturday (six days before Friday) in violation of the Law(Exodus 16:29) which was interpreted to allow Jews to travel no more than 2,000 cubits on the Sabbath. Bethany however, was a Sabbath's Day Journey from Jerusalem (Acts 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. compare Luke 24:50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.) Jesus entered Jerusalem on "the next day" (John 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, and following verses).
It was also the same day that Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matt 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11). That evening (Friday night) Jesus and His disciples at dinner at Simon the leper's house. That same night (now Saturday, 10th Nisan--remember that the next day begins at sunset) Judas sold Jesus. This was an exact fulfillment of prophecy in Zechariah 11:12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. Exodus 12:3-6 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 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.
Jesus was killed on the 14th Nisan between the evens, just before the beginning of the 15th Nisan as sundown (Exodus 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.) We ought to accept what the Bible says: Jesus was not crucified on the Passover day but on "the preparation of the Passover," - the day before Passover, and that he was to be three days and three nights in the grave, and as "the preparation of the Passover" that year would be Wednesday and His resurrection early on the first day of the week, this allows exactly three days and three nights in the grave. It seems inarguably correct that Jesus died around sunset time on Wednesday. It seems inarguably correct that exactly 72 hours later, exactly three days and three nights, at the beginning of the first day of the week (Saturday at sunset), He arose from the grave.
When the women came just before dawn on Sunday morning, they found the grave already empty. There is no need to fumble with fractions of days or to twist our Lord's words to mean something other than what He said. The statements of Jesus were literally true. Three days and three nights His body was dead and lay in the sepulcher. He Himself however went into Paradise and declared that the perfect sacrifice had been made and then led the Old Testament saints out of that place and into the presence of God (1 Peter 3:18-19 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;)
If we take exactly what the Bible teaches, we see perfectly the marvelous fulfillment of prophecy and Old Testament typology. On the other hand, if we accept the Roman Catholic tradition, we rob Christ of essential glory. In fact, the traditional Good Friday/Easter Morning tradition not only robs Christ, it also neglects the clear teaching of God's Word, thus placing it beneath the traditions of men; a thing Jesus condemned (Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.)
Some object to this explanation by the Sunday morning statement of those in Luke 24:21 (But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done) by stating that if the crucifixion took place on Wednesday, Sunday would be the fourth day since these things were done.
The explanation is that "these things" mentioned by the men on the road to Emmaus were concluded on Thursday (Wednesday night). The first day since Thursday would be Friday, the second day, Saturday, and the third day would be Sunday, the first day of the week. This objection supports the facts. On the other hand, there is no way that "three days since" could be reckoned if Christ died on Friday. Some of the Scriptures that prove the facts are:
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
Matthew 26:61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
Matthew 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the
temple, and buildest it in three days, save
thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from
the cross.
Matthew 27:63
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while
he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Mark 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Mark 14:58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
Mark 15:29-30 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
Luke 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed
Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things
were done.
John 2:19-22 Jesus
answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and
in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years
was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
But he spake of the temple of his body. When
therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had said this unto them; and they
believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
In conclusion: There is absolutely nothing in favor of a Friday Crucifixion or any verses whatsoever to support it. On the other hand, everything Scripture offers on the time of our Lord's Crucifixion points to Wednesday. You may ask, "So What?" The answer comes when we understand the wonderful picture of the Lamb of God and how He became our Passover. There is nothing in Roman Catholic tradition that can possibly compare with the truth of God's Word.
I urge you to distribute this truth and teach it. I urge you to leave behind the traditions of men which hide the Glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ. N. Olson, Pastor Freedom Church Wolverine, MI
A blow by blow timeline of Christ's death.
Some Christians believe that Christ died on a Friday because the next day after his crucifixion was a Sabbath. But that particular Sabbath was not a weekly Sabbath, it was an annual Sabbath. See Jewish Holidays here . The problem with the "Friday burial hypothesis" is that the length of time from Friday evening to Sunday morning is not 72 hours (3 days and 3 nights); it is only 1 1/2 days.
There are not 3 full nights, but only one night - Saturday - and part of another night - Friday. There are not 3 full days, but only 1 day - Saturday; and we cannot count any daylight hours of Sunday because He was already resurrected before daybreak of Sunday. John 20:1 "On the first day of the week Mary Magdelene came to the memorial tomb early, while there was still darkness, and she beheld the stone already taken away from the memorial tomb."
So we cannot count any daylight hours of Sunday, and we cannot count any daylight hours of Friday either because his burial was FINISHED when it was already late at night. We need to have exactly 3 days and 3 nights because Jesus said that he would be buried "in the heart of the earth" for 3 days and 3 nights. Mathew 12:40 .."the son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights". This is the sign of Jonah, the only sign he would give that he is the true Messiah. Mathew 12:39 "A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the Prophet". Go to here for more info. We know that for Him to be the true Messiah, He must be inside the earth for three whole days and nights. That means not only dead , but BURIED. Counting back from Sunday morning 3 days and 3 nights we arrive at Thursday morning as the time of his finished burial. All we need to do is find out if all the passages of the bible fit into this time frame.
Sequence of Events:
1. Tuesday night around 7:00PM - Christ sits down to eat the passover meal with
his disciples. Mathew 26:19-20 "and the disciples did as Jesus
ordered them, and they got things ready for the Passover. When now
it had become evening, he was reclining at the table with the twelve
disciples."
2. Tuesday night around 8:00PM - Jesus washes the
feet of the disciples.
John 13:3-12 "He got up from the evening meal and laid aside
his outer garmets, and taking a towel, he girded himself. After that he
put water into a basin and started to wash the feet of the disciples and to dry
them off with the towel.... when now he had washed their feet and had put his
outer garmets on and laid himself down at the table again, he said to them
"Do you know what I have done to you?"
3. Tuesday night around 10:00PM - Jesus and his disciples go to the Mount of Olives. Mathew 26:30-31 "Finally, after singing praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them: all of you will be stumbled in connection with me on this night."
4. Tuesday night around 10:20PM - Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray for the first time. Mark 14:32-34 So they came to a spot name Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, " Sit down here while I pray," and he took Peter and James and John along with him..... and he said to them "my soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Stay here and keep on watch."
5. That night around 11:20PM - Jesus finds
the apostles sleeping.
Mark 14:37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to
Peter; "Simon, are you sleeping? Did you not have strength to
keep on the watch one hour?"
6. That night around 11:30PM - Jesus goes
to pray for a second time.
Mark 14:39 And he went away again and prayed.
7. That night (Wednesday now) around 12:30 AM,
Jesus goes to pray for a third time and finds the Apostles sleeping again.
Mark 14:41 And he came the third time and said to them," At such a
time as this you are sleeping and taking your rest! It is enough! The hour
has come! Look! The Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
8. That night around 1:30AM - Christ was
taken prisoner.
Mark 14:42-43 Get up, let us go. Look, My betrayer has drawn
near. And immediately, while he was yet speaking, Judas, one of the
twelve, arrived and with him a crowd with swords and clubs from the chief
priests and the scribes and the older men.
Mathew 26:47-48 ....Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great
crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and older men of the
people. Now his betrayer had given them the sign, saying: "Whoever it
is I kiss, this is he; take him into custody."
9. That night around 2:00AM - Jesus is
taken to Annas.
John 18:12-13 Then the soldier band and the military commander and the
officers of the Jews siezed Jesus and bound him. And they led him
first to Annas; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that
year.
10. Around 2:30 AM - Peter and another
disciple follow Jesus into the courtyard.
Mathew 25:58 But Peter kept following him at a good distance, as far
as the courtyard of the high priest, and after going inside, he was sitting with
the house attendants to the the outcome.
John 18:15 Now Simon Peter as well as another disciple was following
Jesus. That disciple was known to the high priest, and he went in
with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside
at the door. Therefore the other disciple, who was known to the high
priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
11. Around 3:00AM - Peter denies Jesus for
the first time.
Luke 22:57 ..."I do not know him, woman".
John 18:7 ... the servant girl, the doorkeeper then said to
Peter,"you are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He
said, "I am not".
12. Around 3:10AM - Peter sits down with them
around the fire.
Mark 14:48 ... and he (Peter) was sitting together with the house attendants and
warming himself before a bright fire.
13. Around 3:15AM - Jesus is questioned by the
chief priest.
John 18:19 And so the chief priest questioned Jesus about his
disciples and about his teaching.
14. Around 3:30AM - Jesus is mocked.
Luke 22.:63 Now the men that had him in custody began to make fun of him,
hitting him and after covering him over they would ask and say "prophesy,
who is it that struck you?"
15. Around 4:00AM - Wednesday - Jesus is
bound and sent to Caiaphas, the high priest.
John 18:24 Then Annas sent him away, bound to Caiaphas, the high priest who was
son-in-law of Annas.
16. Around 5:00AM - Peter denies Jesus for the second and third time.
Luke 22:59 ....and after an hour intervened, a certain other began
insisting strongly "for a certainty this also was with him, for a fact he
is a Galilean, but Peter said, "Man, I know not what you are saying".
John 18:25 ... Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. Then they
said to him,"You are not also one of his disciples, are you?" He
denied it and said, "I am not". One of the slaves of the high
priest, being a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said," I saw
you in the garden with him, did I not?" However , Peter denied it
again and immediately a cock crowed.
17. At dawn, around 6:00AM, still
Wednesday, - Christ is taken to the Sanhedrin.
Mathew 27:1 When it had become morning, all the chief priests and
the older men of the people held a consultation against Jesus so as to put him
to death.
Mark 15:1 And immediately at dawn the chief priests with the older men and
the scribes, even the whole Sanhedrin, conducted a consultation.
Luke 22:66 At length, when it became day, the assembly of older men of the
people, both the chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they haled
him into their Sanhedrin hall.
18. Wednesday morning around 7:00AM - Judas
returns the thirty pieces of silver.
Mathew 27:3-7 Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned
(by the Sanhedrin) felt remorse and returned the thirty silver pieces back to
the chief priests and older men... after consulting together they bought with
them the potter's field... (this was prophesied 500 years before this day)
19. Wednesday morning around 8AM - Jesus is
taken to Pilate where He is questioned.
John 18:28....they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Governor's palace (the
pretorium). It was now early in the day.
Luke 23:1 So the multitude of them rose, one and all, and led him to
Pilate.
John 18:29 Therefore Pilate came outside to them and said: " What
accusation do you bring against this man?"... So Pilate entered into the
Governor's palace again and called Jesus and said to him: "Are you the king
of the jews?"
Pilate interrogated jesus for a long time and
finding no fault in him went back to the crowds and told them. "I find no
crime in this man".
Luke 23:5-7 But they began to be insistent saying, "He stirs up the
people by teaching throughout all Judea even starting out from Galilee to
here. on hearing that, Pilate asked whether the man was a Galilean, and
after ascertaining that he was from the Jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him on to
Herod....
20. Wednesday morning around 9:30AM - Christ is
taken to Herod where he is again questioned for a long time.
Luke 23:8-9 When Herod saw Jesus he rejoiced greatly, for over a
considerable time he was wanting to see him because of having heard about him,
and was hoping to see some sign performed by him. Now he began to question
him with a good many words....
21. Wednesday morning about 11:00AM - Christ is
taken back to Pilate
Luke 23:11-12 Then Herod together with his soldier guards discredited him,
and made fun of him by clothing him with a bright garmet and sent him back to
Pilate. Both Herod and Pilate now became friends with each other on that very
day; for before that they had continued at enmity between themselves.
22. Wednesday morning around 11:30AM - Pilate's
wife tells him about the dream she had with Jesus.
Mathew 27:19 While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent him
a message, saying,"Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for last
night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him".
23. Wednesday morning about 12:00noon - Pilate is sitting at the judgement seat
in the stone pavement (Gabbatha) and the angry crowd asks Pilate to release
Barabbas and kill Jesus.
Mathew 27:20-23 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to
ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. But the Governor said to
them,"Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And
they said, "Barabbas". Pilate said to them,"Then what shall
we do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify
him". And he said," Why, what evil has he done?" But they kept
shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify him".
Mathew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but
rather a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the
crowd, saying," I am innocent of this man's blood; see to that
yourselves."
Mathew 27:25 And the people said." His
blood shall be on us and our children".
Luke 23:18 But with their whole multitude they cried out, saying;
"take this one away, but release Barabbas to us".
Mathew 27:26 Then did he release to them Barabbas, and having
scourged Jesus, delivered (Him) up that he may be crucified.
Pilate tried over and over to convey to the angry mob that he did not find in Jesus any cause deserving punishment. The angry crowd answered;"
John 19:12-13 ...if you release this man you are not a friend of Caesar, everyman making himself a kings speaks against Caesar. Therefore, Pilate, after hearing these words, brought Jesus outside, and he sat down on a judgement seat in a place called the stone pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was preparation of the Passover, it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews: "See your King!" ...at that time, therefore, he handed him over to them to be impaled.
This is a quote that tells us EXACTLY what time it was when Jesus was with Pilate at the stone pavement. It cannot be 6:00AM because we know Jesus was taken to the Sanhedrin about that time (dawn). It cannot be 6:00PM because it took Jesus 6 hours to die on the cross, and you would need to add the time it took Jesus to walk to Golgotha .... get nailed to the cross and the cross be lifted up. That would put his death into the early hours of the next day.
The explanation is that John is using the Hebrew
way of counting time; the first hour being after dawn, and therefore six hours
from dawn being noontime. Therefore the sixth hour in Hebrew time is 12:00PM
noon of our time. Also compare what is said by Mark 15:25; Mark is using OUR way
of reckoning time.
Mark 15:25 Now it was the third hour and they impaled him.
That leaves about three hours from the time of Pilates' arguing with the crowd at noon to the time Jesus is actually put up on the cross at around 3:00PM
24. Wednesday around 12:30 PM - Pilate
gives sentence to Jesus and Jesus is whipped.
Luke 23:24-25 So Pilate gave sentence for their demand to be met, he
released the man that had been thrown into prison for sedition, and murder and
whom they were demanding, but he surrendered Jesus to their will.
Mark 15:15 At that time, Pilate , wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after having Jesus whipped, he handed him over to be impaled.
25. Wednesday around 1:00 PM - Jesus is led
into the pretorium and is given a crown of thorns.
Mark 15:16-19 The soldiers now led him off into the courtyard, that is,
into the pretorium, and they called the whole body of troops together, and they
decked him with purpl;e and braided a crown of thorns and put it on
him. And they started greeting him, "good day you king of the
Jews." Also they would hit him on the head with a reed and spit upon
him and bending their knees, they would do obeisance to him. (Bow & curtsy
in pretend obeyance)
26. Wednesday afternoon around 2:00PM - Christ is given a cross to carry to be crucified.
Mark 15:20 finally when they had made
fun of him, they stripped him of the purple and put his outer garmets upon him
and they led him out to impale him.
27. Wednesday afternoon about 2:30PM - Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
for Jesus.
Mark 15:21 Also they impressed into service a passerby, a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he should lift up his torture stake (the cross).
28. Wednesday afternoon at 3:00PM - Christ is nailed to the cross and crucified.
Mark 15:24-25 And they impaled him and
distributed his outer garmets by casting a lot over them as to who takes
what. It was now the third hour, and they impaled him.
This is the text that tells us EXACTLY what time it was when Jesus was nailed to
the cross.
Mark 15:27 Moreover, they impaled two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.
29. Wednesday at 6:00PM - Darkness falls upon the earth.
Luke 23:44-45 Well, by now it was about the sixth hour, and yet darkness fell over all the earth until the ninth hour, because the sunlight failed; then the curtain of the sanctuary was rent down the middle.
Mark 15:33 When it became the sixth hour a darkness fell over the whole earth until the ninth hour.
The darkness that fell between 6:00PM and 9:00PM could be observed because that day, Nisan14 - the Passover Day, always falls in the spring around March or April of our calendar and there is always a full moon. At a time when no electricity existed, variations in the light were very obvious.
30. Wednesday night at 9:00PM - Jesus side is pierced, he dies, and an earthquake occurs and the curtain of the sanctuary is rent in two pieces (see www.detailshere.com/arkofthecovenant.htm to find out why the earthquake is very significant in proving that this man was truly born of a virgin - you'll never guess what crack opens up during this earthquake and what lies 25' down under him in a cavern. Where do you think all the blood and body fluids went when his side was pierced??? What's even more ironic is that his blood sample could not even be analyzed for genetic content before the advent of super electron microscopes in the 90's).
Mark 15:34-37 And at the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice,"Eli,Eli, lama sabachthan", which means when translate,"My God, my God; why have you foresaken me?" And for some of those standing near, upon hearing it, began to say; "See, he is calling Elijah" but a certain one ran, soaked a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and began giving him a drink, saying; "Let him be. Let us see whether Elijah comes to take him down. But Jesus let out a loud cry and expired.
Mathew 27:40-54 But the rest of them said; " Let him be. Let us see whether Elijah comes to save him." Another man took a spear and pierced his side, and blood and water came out. Again Jesus cried out with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit... and the curtain of the sanctuary was rent in two.....but the army officer and those with him watching Jesus, then they saw the earthquake and the things happening, grew very much afraid, saying,"Certainly this was God's Son".
Mark tells us exactly the time it was when Jesus died; 9:00PM Wednesday evening.
The major events of this day are listed in detail so the reader realizes that the hypothesis of the church that states Christ died on a Friday and he was crucified at 9:00AM in the morning and died at 3:00PM in the afternoon is an impossibility. He did NOT die on a Friday, he died on a Wednesday. he did NOT die at 3PM , he died at 9PM just like Mark 15:34-37 says he did. We know from reading the scriptures that it was already morning when Jesus was taken to the Sanhedrin. All the listed events from the time he was taken to the Sanhedrin to the time he was actually crucified cannot happen in three hours from 6AM to 9AM. Besides , this theory would contradict the statement made by the apostle John that it was the sixth hour (12:00 noon our time) when Jesus was with Pilate in the Gabbatha - John 19:13. It would contradict the statements made by Mark 15:24-25 that he was crucified at the third hour and mark 15:33-37 that he died at the ninth hour.
To continue the story from Jesus death to his
finished burial go to here
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Paradise/8459/time_of_christ_burial2.html
The following is
found at www.yahweh.com
in their free online publications , specifically the one entitled Easter at http://www.yahweh.com/booklets/EASTER/easter.htm
This is also a very thorough rendition of how Christ's sacrifice tied into the
exact timing of the passover sacrifices.
The Sunday Resurrection Lie!
Christendom teaches that the Messiah rose from His grave on Sunday morning and because of this, they say, they are worshiping on the day of His resurrection. There is, however, no Scriptural proof for this Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition. As we have seen throughout this booklet, the foundation for this tradition is in pagan antiquity, although this tradition is taught to deceived Christianity as Scripture. Was Yahshua, our true Savior resurrected on Easter Sunday morning? The answer is, NO!
There is a reason this world is confused as to when our Messiah was placed in His grave. The reason being that this whole world has rejected Yahweh and His Laws. Yahweh's Laws include Yahweh's Feast Days; Yahweh's Weekly Sabbath Day__the Seventh Day, plus the Seven Sabbath Days (Holy Convocations) which are shown in Leviticus Chapter 23.
Leviticus 23:2
Speak to the children of Israyl, and say to them; Concerning the Feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be Holy Convocations; these are My Feasts.
The world has rejected not only Yahweh's weekly seventh day Sabbath, but they have also rejected all of Yahweh's Feast Days (Holy Convocations) by replacing them with their own feast days which are condemned in the Holy Scriptures.
These Feasts are the Feasts of Yahweh; they are not feasts of the Jews, as many would say. Yahweh's Feasts are not done away with either, as many would like you to think. Yahweh tells us His Feasts are a Statute forever. This world, therefore, is not led by Yahweh's Holy Spirit, because they have rejected Yahweh, Who inspired the Prophet Hosheyah to say; ...Because you have forgotten the Law of Yahweh, I will also forget your children.
For more facts concerning Yahweh's Sabbath Days, please
write for information about how you may obtain our book, The
Sabbath...Every Question Answered! also request our free booklet, Which
Day Is The Sabbath Of The New Testament? Our free booklet, What
Yahweh's Feasts Mean To You, will
explain the significance of Yahweh's Feasts for His House—The House of Yahweh.
Don't Be Deceived!
In order for you to see through this great deception, it is vital that you understand the difference between Yahweh's Feast day Sabbaths and the weekly Sabbaths—the weekly
Sabbaths always fall on the Seventh Day, Saturday, whereas the Feast day Sabbaths can fall on any day of the week.
Most people today are deceived into believing that the Messiah was resurrected on Easter Sunday morning. They believe they are honoring His resurrection by celebrating an Easter sunrise service. This belief is based on the following Scripture from The King James Version which says:
Matthew 28:1 KJV—
In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre
False preachers will tell you this dawning toward the first of the week is at the time of day called sunrise. This is a false conclusion. This dawning toward the First Day of the week was actually at a time of day called sunset.
To know what time of day this Scripture is referring to, we must first know the time sequence in a day. Yahweh our Heavenly Father, the Creator of the day, tells us the time sequence of a day.
Genesis 1:5—
And Yahweh called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And the evening and then the morning were the First Day
Yahweh created a day to be an evening (darkness) first, and then the morning (light). Genesis 1:4-13 gives the story of the creation of the first three days in a week; each day was one night, then one day—which is one day, Yahweh's way. The first three days of creation were a time sequence of seventy-two hours, spanning one night, one day; one night, one day; one night, one day. This same principle applies to the time span in which Yahshua was in the grave.
The words coming from Yahshua's own mouth about His resurrection, were that He would be in the grave three days and three nights.
Mattithyah 12:40—
For as Yahnah was THREE days and THREE nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.Yahnah 1:17—
Now Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow up Yahnah. And Yahnah was in the belly of the fish three days AND three nights.
Even the critics admit that this means a period of seventy-two hours. They admit there were three twelve hour days, and three twelve hour nights in which Yahnah was in the belly of the fish. And just as distinctly, Yahshua Messiah said that He would be in the grave for the same length of time. Not only this, but Yahshua Himself gives us the length of time in a day.
Yahchanan 11:8-9—
8 His disciples said to Him; Teacher, the Yahdaim just recently tried to stone You, and You go there again?
9 Yahshua answered: Are there not TWELVE HOURS IN THE DAY? If any man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
The teaching of the majority of Sunday keeping Christianity is that the Messiah was put in the grave on Good Friday at sunset, and was resurrected at sunrise on Easter Sunday morning. But our Messiah said that the only sign He would give that He was the true Messiah, was the sign of the Prophet Yahnah—the sign that He would be in the grave three days and three nights. Can you get three days and three nights from Christianity's Time Sequence?
Friday Night__One Night
Saturday Day__One Day
Saturday Night__One Night
Resurrected Sunday at Dawn__No Day
There are two nights and one day in this time sequence. It should not be too difficult for anyone to understand that this was a period of about thirty-six hours—not seventy-two hours. Even a child can figure that there are not three days and three nights from Friday sunset to Sunday sunrise__yet Satan has caused the majority of people in this world to accept this lie.
If Yahshua had been placed in the grave on Good Friday evening at sunset, then His resurrection should not have taken place until Monday evening at sunset.
Was our Messiah confused, or is this whole world deceived as the Holy Scriptures say in Revelation 12:9? Satan has deceived this whole world. Could this lie of a Sunday sunrise resurrection be one of the ways by which Satan has so subtly deceived this world?
Yahshua knew how long He would be in the grave. There was no guessing or speculation. It was absolutely necessary that Yahshua Messiah fulfill this prophecy, or otherwise He would not prove to be the true Messiah. The true Messiah sent by Yahweh must have remained in the grave three days and three nights.
Yahshua did remain in the grave three days and three nights, proving that He was the true Messiah sent by Yahweh. Read Mattithyah 28:1 again for affirmation that the two Miryams came at the end of the Sabbath. Just after sunset, while it was still twilight, the two Miryams went to the sepulcher, and found it empty. The malak told them Yahshua had already risen and departed.
Other vital facts you must have in your mind are the facts about the sacrifice of our Messiah.
FACT #1 Our Savior was to be killed (sacrificed) at the time of the Passover.
Mattithyah 26:2—
You know that after two days the PASSOVERis celebrated as a Feast, but the Son of Man is betrayed before; prior to this Feast, to be sacrificed.
FACT #2: Our Messiah died as our sacrifice. He paid the death penalty for us that we may live (Romans 6:23). As our sacrifice, our Messiah is enabling us to keep Yahweh's Passover according to His ordinance.
FACT #3: The Messiah is our Passover Lamb.
I Kepha 1:18-19—
18 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver or gold, from your idolatrous way of life handed down to you by tradition from your forefathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a LAMB without blemish and without spot.Yahchanan 1:29—
The next day Yahchanan saw YAHSHUA coming toward him, and said; Behold! The Lamb of Yahweh Who takes away the sin of the world!I Corinthians 5:7—
Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened. For truly Yahshua our Passover was sacrificed for us.
FACT #4: Our Savior was sacrificed for us on the exact same day, at the exact same time the Passover lambs were being slaughtered on the temple mount. If this were not so, He could not be our Passover sacrifice.
This is a provable fact. Letting Scripture interpret Scripture we can understand the ordinance of the Passover Lamb, and the exact day it was to be kept up to.
Exodus 12:6—
And you must keep it until the Fourteenth Day of the same Moon: then the whole multitude of the congregation of Israyl shall kill it between the two evenings.
This lamb had to be alive on the fourteenth day, and then it was killed between the two evenings.
The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, edited by J.H. Hertz, page 254, explains the meaning of between the two evenings.
6. at dusk. Better, towards even (M. Friedlander); lit. `between' the-two evenings'. According to the Talmud, the `first evening' is the time in the afternoon when the heat of the sun begins to decrease, about 3 o'clock; and the `second evening' commences with sunset. Josephus relates that the Passover sacrifice `was offered from the ninth to the eleventh hour', i.e. between 3 and 5 p.m.
Leviticus 23:5—
On the Fourteenth of the First Moon, between the two evenings, Yahweh's Passover Sacrifice is to be killed.
The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, by Hertz, page 520, gives a clearer meaning of the Passover in this Scripture.
at dusk is the LORD'S Passover. Better, towards even is a Passover unto the Lord (Friedlander) i.e. a paschal offering in honor of the Lord.
The Passover lambs were slaughtered on the
temple mount on the fourteenth day in the afternoon. The man of the household
had the responsibility of killing this lamb for his family. The woman of the
household then had the responsibility of roasting, not boiling, this lamb until
it would be thoroughly done. This roasting process would take at least three to
four, or more hours.
Which Day Did He Rise?
Our Messiah fulfilled the Passover Lamb
requirement. Yahshua did not abrogate Yahweh's Laws in any way. Yahshua was
offered on the fourteenth day of
the First Moon between the two evenings.
Immediately after that sunset would begin the fifteenth day. Remember, Yahweh created days to begin and end at sunset. Sundown on the fourteenth would be the beginning of the first Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the fifteenth day.
Leviticus 23:6-7—
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same moon is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Yahweh; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
7 On the First Day you shall have a Holy Convocation; you shall do no regular work on it.
The world does not know the facts about the Feast day Sabbaths—one of which is that these Feast day Sabbaths can fall on any day of the week. With this fact firmly in mind we can then understand what is being said in Yahchanan Mark.
Yahchanan Mark 16:1—
And when THE Passover SABBATH WAS PAST, Miriam Magdalene, and Miriam the mother of Yaaqob, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that they might go and anoint Him.
This Sabbath was not the Weekly Sabbath! This particular Sabbath was the First Holy Day Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Luke 23:56—
Then they returned. Then they prepared spices and ointments. Then they rested the Sabbath Day according to the Law.
In these two Scriptures, we see that there are two Sabbaths spoken of. One Sabbath had already passed when they bought the spices. Then they prepared the spices they had bought after the Sabbath had already passed. Then they rested on the weekly Saturday Sabbath according to the Law of Yahweh.
By understanding these previous Scriptures
we know our Savior was not put into the grave on Friday before the Weekly
Sabbath. We know Yahshua was placed in His grave on Wednesday just before
sunset—before the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The diagram above shows the two Sabbaths that came in that one week. Now we know and understand it was before the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that Yahseph of Arimathea demanded the Body of Yahshua and not before the weekly Saturday Sabbath.
Yahchanan Mark 15:42-43—
42 By now, the first evening had come, and because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the Passover High Holy Day Sabbath,
43 Yahseph of Arimathea, an honorable member of the Sanhedrin, who also waited for the Kingdom of Yahweh, came, and went in boldly to Pilate, and asked for the body of Yahshua.
In Yahchanan Mark 15:46 it is stated that Yahshua's body was wrapped in linen and laid in a sepulcher. A stone was then rolled in front of the door. This burial was taking place on a Wednesday Afternoon, just before sunset, as Scriptures do prove.
Prove this for yourself. Count forward: Wednesday NIGHT, Thursday DAY, Thursday NIGHT, Friday DAY, Friday NIGHT, Sabbath DAY. There are three NIGHTS and three DAYS in this time sequence.
Our Messiah was not resurrected Sunday morning at sunrise. Yahshua rose Saturday Sabbath evening, which makes it exactly three days and three nights that He was in the grave, thereby fulfilling the only signs He gave that He was the true Messiah.
For an even greater indepth study of this most important truth concerning the resurrection of the true Messiah, please request our free booklets, Was The Resurrection On Sunday? and Yahweh's Passover & Yahshua's Memorial. Also write for information about how to obtain our books, Devil Worship...The Shocking Facts!, The Sabbath...Every Question Answered! and Deceptions Concerning Yahweh's Calendar Of Events.
For centuries, the Christian churches of this world have believed that our Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, died for our sins on Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday. Is there any truth to this belief? Can it be proven from the Scriptures? No! Worse, this belief has deceived Christians into accepting false doctrines like Sunday worship and Easter observance.
Was Christ telling the truth when He said, "After three days I will rise"? If not we have no Savior!
But our God does not lie! Here is the truth about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the greatest Man ever to grace this earth, died at about 3 PM on Wednesday, April 25, AD 31. A few hours later, as sunset was drawing on, He was laid in the newly hewn tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. On the weekly Sabbath, Saturday, April 28, exactly three days after His burial, God the Father resurrected His Son to eternal life.
How can we be so precise and dogmatic?
It would be foolish to make such astounding claims without proof. How can we know when these momentous events occurred?
They are written very plainly in the accounts of Jesus' death and resurrection in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Under the inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16), these faithful men recorded the words and deeds of their Lord and Savior for the benefit of all humanity. God, as the ultimate author of these accounts, desired all the pertinent details of His Son's life to be written down as a witness to mankind of His perfect life and His sacrifice.
All the clues, all the indicators of the dates and times of these events, are scattered "here a little, there a little" (Isaiah 28:10) throughout the gospels. Other significant tidbits are strewn among other books of the Bible, somewhat like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When the various pieces are put together with the remarkably complementary accounts of the gospel writers, the resulting time frame is unassailable.
We can know for certain when Jesus died and rose again!
Do We Need to Know?
Is it really important to be able to determine these events so accurately? Christians have lived and died for nearly two millennia. How important was this knowledge to their salvation? Is it even necessary for salvation?
It might be!
In themselves, these dates would be mere trivia if they had no connection to deeper spiritual truths. But this world's Christianity has based two of its most celebrated holidays on its reckoning of the events that occurred during that pivotal week. Good Friday and Easter Sunday, purporting to commemorate Jesus' death and resurrection, are founded on the assumption that our Savior was crucified on Friday and rose from the dead at dawn on the following Sunday.
"So?" one may say. "Isn't celebrating them at a fixed time of the year good enough? Doesn't that honor Christ?"
Not at all!
God is not to be mocked (Galatians 6:7)! In several places in the Bible, He states quite unequivocally that He is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:14-15)'He will not be worshiped like any other god (Deuteronomy 12:3-4, 30-31). When He instructed His chosen people Israel in the method of His worship, He warned them neither to add to what He had given them, nor take away from it (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; see Revelation 22:18-19).
For example, notice His terrible wrath when the children of Israel tried to worship Him through the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-9). They proclaimed "a feast to the Lord" (verse 5), but He would have none of it! He was so enraged at the people's idolatry that He considered exterminating the whole nation and starting over with Moses' family.
That same God'Yahweh, the Lord of the Old Testament'became Jesus Christ! Will our Savior be worshiped in any way that is based upon a lie? Certainly not! And this in no way takes into consideration the non-biblical (dare we say "pagan"?) traditions and customs that have taken over the commemoration of His sacrifice and triumphant victory!
Another of "Christianity's" false doctrines that is based upon their flawed reckoning of these events is "the Lord's Day." Catholic and Protestant churches around the world are full of sincere but deceived people who believe that Christ changed the day of rest from Sabbath to Sunday. How is He supposed to have done that?
By His resurrection!
If it were proved that He rose from the grave on the Sabbath, what would happen to the foundation of this doctrine? It would disappear! Their theologians would have only the flimsiest "proof texts" to stand on (I Corinthians 16:1-2; Revelation 1:10)!
Nowhere in the New Testament is the perpetual Sabbath covenant abolished (Exodus 31:12-17), for God made the Sabbath for all mankind (Mark 2:27). To the contrary, Jesus kept it (Luke 4:16), Paul kept it (Acts 17:2) and Gentiles kept it (Acts 13:42-44; 16:13)! The author of Hebrews writes boldly, "There remains therefore a rest [KJV margin: keeping of a Sabbath] for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).
So we can see very clearly that the correct dates for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ can become vital to our salvation.
The Sign
If Jesus rose from His tomb Sunday morning after being interred Friday evening, we have no Savior!
It is true! Jesus gave only one sign of His Messiahship:
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:38-40)
Why did the Pharisees ask Him for a sign? The answer appears in the section immediately preceding their request. Jesus had been preaching that "a tree is known by its fruit" (verse 33), so naturally, these Jews asked for a sign from Jesus to prove He was the Messiah! They wanted to see what fruit He would produce!
Jesus swiftly rebuked them because they had completely missed the point (verses 41-42)! To satisfy their curiosity, they wanted to see a miracle, but the fruit Jesus meant was repentance, good works and spiritual growth. He would make them wait to see the fruits of His ministry.
Thus He says, paraphrasing, "The only sign that will absolutely prove the truth of My message is one that I will have no control over. I will be exactly three days and three nights in the grave. I will be dead. I will not be able to resurrect Myself. So if God the Father resurrects Me after exactly three days and three nights, it will be proved beyond doubt that I am the Messiah."
He gave the same sign in other places to different audiences, each time using similar wording. In John 2:19-21, He says, "'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' . . . But He was speaking of the temple of His body."
To His disciples, He says, "The Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day" (Mark 9:31; 10:33-34; Matthew 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Luke 9:22).
Mark 8:31 phrases the same period somewhat differently: "And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." Even the chief priests and Pharisees remembered His sign. They tell Pilate after the crucifixion, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise'" (Matthew 27:63).
What Is Three Days?
Can we fit three days between Friday evening and Sunday morning? The general belief among "Christians" is that Christ meant parts of three days: part of Friday, all of Saturday, part of Sunday. But is that what He said?
One of the most important rules of biblical interpretation is to allow the Bible to interpret itself. The Bible often explains its symbols and defines its terms. Is there a biblical definition of what constitutes a "day" and a "night"? Yes, there is!
Jesus Himself supplies the definition in John 11:9-10:
Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.
The plain meaning is that He recognized the twelve hours of daylight to form a "day," and the corresponding twelve hours of darkness He called "night." Thus three days and three nights would be made up of six twelve-hour periods or 72 hours.
This is the same method He uses in the Old Testament'in fact, in the very first chapter of the Bible! "God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. . . . So the evening and the morning were the second day. . . . So the evening and the morning were the third day" (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13). Here are three days and three nights so clearly defined anyone can understand!
What about the sign of Jonah? Was the prophet in the great fish's belly for a complete 72 hours? The marginal note in Bullinger's Companion Bible for Jonah 1:17 reads: "Three days and three nights. The Hebrew idiom 'three days' can be used for parts of three days (and even of years): but not when the word 'nights' is added" (our emphasis). By the addition of "nights," the expression becomes more specific, precluding the idea of "parts" of days!
The differing expressions Christ used help to define "three days" even further. We already know "three days and three nights" refers to a 72-hour period. What about the other phrases? Do they mean the same?
é Jesus said He would rise "the third day." This narrows that period to no less than 48 hours and no more than 72 hours from His burial.
é He also said "in three days" He would rise. The outer limit for the duration of His stay "in the heart of the earth" could be no more than 72 hours.
é Two other times it is said that He would rise "after three days," meaning He must be in the grave at least 72 hours and not a second less!
When we compile all of these factors, we can reach only one definite conclusion: Jesus Christ was in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea exactly 72 hours to the second! If He was resurrected either earlier or later, we have no Savior because the only sign He gave would have failed!
He would be a fraud!
But we have assurance that "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). What God prophesies comes to pass (Isaiah 46:9-11). In this instance, His Word was fulfilled to the very second!
What Time of Day Was He Buried?
Now that we know that Jesus remained dead in the tomb for 72 hours, we can discard the traditional Good Friday'Easter Sunday scenario. It is simply not possible to fit three 24-hour days between them, especially if we are to believe He rose from the dead at dawn on Sunday!
Does this tradition'a dawn resurrection'have any basis in fact? If not, what time of day was Jesus raised?
Matthew, Mark and Luke are very specific about when Jesus died. John records only the time of the crucifixion (John 19:14-16). Luke gives the most succinct report:
And it was about the sixth hour [when He was crucified], and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commend My spirit.'" And having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:44-46)
Jesus remained on the cross for three hours before He died "at the ninth hour" (Mark 15:34; see Matthew 27:46). Since they were using the Hebrew method of counting the hours of the day from sunrise, the gospel writers indicate that Jesus was crucified around noon and died about 3 PM. They are remarkably unanimous on this point.
Mark continues the account:
Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. . . . And . . . he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. (Mark 15:42-43, 45-46)
Several points stand out in this passage:
é Evening was beginning'at best Joseph had only about three hours before sunset, when the Sabbath would begin. The task of preparing and applying the spices for burial required work, which is expressly forbidden on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-10). Additionally, Deuteronomy 21:22-23 demands that an executed criminal be buried before nightfall, and the Jewish law of the time required all dead bodies to be buried before a Sabbath or a feast day (John 19:31).
é Before he could take the body down, Joseph had to go before Pilate and receive permission. At first Pilate did not believe Jesus had died so quickly, so he called the centurion of the crucifixion detail to verify it (Mark 15:44-45). This delay must have taken at least a half hour.
é After being granted the body, Joseph went to a local shop and bought several yards of fine linen in which to wrap Jesus. With the help of Nicodemus, he then took the body down, wrapped it in the linen'along with about a hundred pounds of spices'and placed it in the tomb (John 19:39-41).
With all this activity and work between the various locations, Joseph and Nicodemus must have had very little daylight left when they finally rolled the stone over the entrance to the tomb. On this point all the accounts again concur; sunset was very near (Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31).
No one disputes that Jesus was laid "in the heart of the earth" at sunset. If, as we have shown, He was buried for exactly 72 hours, He was also resurrected at sunset'not at dawn!
The Preparation Day of the Passover
All four gospel writers mention that Jesus was tried, convicted, crucified and buried on a preparation day. Without any further clarification, one would assume that they meant a Friday, the weekly preparation day before the Sabbath. But can other days be considered preparation days as well?
Yes, indeed! God Himself gave the instructions about the use of the preparation day to the Israelites before they reached Mount Sinai (Exodus 16:23). The Jews later considered this to be so important that they made sure each of the holy days, which are also Sabbaths, was preceded by a preparation day. Since the holy days can fall on any day of the week, the preparation day can fall on any day of the week as well.
This is very relevant to the Passover. Not only is the Passover a festival in its own right, it also functions as the preparation day for a holy day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. According to the calculated Hebrew Calendar, Passover can fall on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sabbath.
Clearly, our Savior was crucified on a Passover day (Matthew 26:2). Thus, it was on one of these days of the week that Jesus was killed and buried.
But was the Sabbath in question the weekly Sabbath or an annual, holy day Sabbath? What can the Bible tell us?
John writes, "Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover" (John 19:14). The word "Passover" in this context requires some explanation. At some time before Christ's day, the Jews had begun calling the day of Passover and the following seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8) by the single name "Passover." This has caused great confusion for non-Jews, especially when they read the account of this particular Passover. But John 19:31 should clear up any confusion: "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day) . . ."!
So, without a doubt, Jesus was crucified on a Passover day, Nisan 14, and the Sabbath that followed was the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual holy day, a high day. This only makes sense, for the apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 5:7, "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us."
What Day of the Week?
Every year as Easter approaches, churches often proclaim on banners, marquees, signs, billboards and television, "He is risen!" It would probably be a good bet to wager that most of the members of these churches have really never studied the section of Scripture from which this quotation comes and its corresponding sections in the other three accounts.
We should not accept the traditional view so easily, and to find the truth, we must return to the story flow. The three synoptic writers (Matthew, Mark and Luke) record that Joseph and Nicodemus had an audience as they prepared Jesus' body. "And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid" (Luke 23:55).
If we continue in Luke's account, we get the impression that the women hurried to a spice shop, bought the spices and oils, prepared them and then rested on the Sabbath (verse 56). But we would be wrong!
We have to go to Mark 16:1 for some vital information: "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." Logistically, the sequence of events cannot be otherwise. If Joseph barely had time to bury Jesus' body before sundown, how much less time would the women have had to do all that they needed to do!
So the harmonized accounts show that when Joseph took Jesus down from the cross, the women followed him to see where he would place the body. They then returned to their lodging and observed the holy day Sabbath, the first day of Unleavened Bread. The day after the holy day, they went to a shop, bought spices and oil, took them back to their lodging, prepared them for use on the body and "they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56).
There were two Sabbaths within that 72-hour period!
These women bought and prepared spices "when the Sabbath had past" and then "rested on the Sabbath"! They rested twice: once on "a high day" and once on the weekly Sabbath two days later.
This can mean only one thing! Jesus was crucified and buried on a Wednesday, the holy day fell on Thursday, the women prepared spices on Friday and our Savior was resurrected at sunset on the Sabbath as the day ended! The events cannot be worked out any other way with the plain evidence provided in the Holy Scriptures!
Matthew 28:1 provides additional proof of two Sabbaths occurring that week. However, the Bible's translators, confused by the Greek wording of this verse, have consistently mistranslated it. Matthew writes, "Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn . . . ." The wording of the original text, though, reads, "after the Sabbaths"'plural!
The Wavesheaf
God restored several major truths to His church through the ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong. One of these is the understanding of the observance and types of God's festivals commanded in Leviticus 23. The world, without the revealed understanding of the holy days, has little idea what God is working out on this earth. But after careful study and observance of these days, we find that within the annual holy day cycle, God unveils His awesome plan of salvation for all mankind!
To summarize these festivals, the Passover reminds us of Christ's sacrifice, when He took our sins upon Himself. Unleavened Bread pictures a Christian's life-long task of removing sin from his life. Pentecost memorializes the giving of the Holy Spirit and looks forward to the reaping of the firstfruits of God's Family. The day of Trumpets signifies the second coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints. The day of Atonement shows Satan being bound during the coming thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, which is typified in the Feast of Tabernacles. Finally, the Last Great Day represents the Great White Throne Judgment period when all mankind will have an opportunity for salvation.
Few people realize, however, that Jesus Christ fulfilled another Old Testament festival upon being resurrected. This festival, in which a priest waved "a sheaf of the firstfruits of [Israel's] harvest" before the Lord, was held each year on the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:10-11). Thus, a priest would have conducted this wavesheaf ceremony on the day after Christ's resurrection.
During this period, according to the Mishnah, the sheaf to be waved in the ceremony was reaped from the field as the Sabbath ended and Sunday began. "R. Hananiah, Prefect of the Priests, says, 'On the Sabbath it [the barley] was reaped.' . . . On the Sabbath, he [the priest] says to them, '[Shall I reap on] this Sabbath?' They shall say, 'Yes'" (Jacob Neusner, The Mishnah: A New Translation, "Menahoth," p. 753-754). So, at dusk at the end of the Sabbath, the priest "put the sickle to the grain" (Deuteronomy 16:9). When was the sheaf waved? Histories of the time show that it was waved about the same time as the daily morning sacrifice, that is, about 9 am on Sunday.
The reaping and waving of the sheaf symbolized Israel giving the first and best of the harvest to God and its subsequent acceptance by Him. It is exactly this symbolism that Jesus fulfilled! As the weekly Sabbath was ending, exactly 72 hours from His burial, God resurrected Him from the dead! God "reaped" the first and best of His spiritual harvest (I Corinthians 15:23).
Yet, even so, Jesus had not fulfilled the entire ritual! Notice John 20:17, where the resurrected Christ is speaking to Mary Magdalene: "Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."'"
As the firstfruits of God's Family, Jesus had not yet appeared before the Father for acceptance as our Savior and High Priest! He had not yet been "waved"! The context of John 20 shows that it was still early in the morning, and most likely, shortly after Mary returned to the disciples, Jesus ascended to His Father's throne in heaven to be accepted as our Redeemer'at about the same time the priest waved the sheaf before God in the Temple. God fulfills His Word to the letter!
More Proof of a Wednesday Crucifixion
Daniel the prophet received an intriguing prophecy from the archangel Gabriel in Daniel 9:24-27. This passage is known as the Seventy Weeks Prophecy, for Gabriel gives a seventy-week time frame for the coming of the Messiah. He divides the first sixty-nine weeks into two periods, the first of seven weeks and the second of sixty-two weeks.
And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. . . . Then He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [the seventieth week]; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
The prophecy shows that the Messiah would die, "but not for Himself." That is in perfect agreement with the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ! He gave Himself to redeem us from our bondage to sin and death (Galatians 1:3-5; Ephesians 2:1).
Next, the prophecy says He would "confirm a covenant with many." Is this not what He did? Did He not become the Mediator of a new and better covenant (Hebrews 9:15)? When He instituted the new symbols for the Passover, Jesus says about the wine, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28; see Mark 14:24).
Then Gabriel prophesies that the Messiah would bring the need for ritual animal sacrifices and offerings to an end. The writer of Hebrews plainly states, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4). Christ's sacrifice was much more effective: "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).
The angel says the Messiah would accomplish this "in the middle [midst, KJV] of the week." Obviously, its primary meaning refers to the middle of the seventieth week, or literally, three and a half years, the exact length of Christ's ministry. However, as we have seen, God fulfills His prophecies perfectly. Not only did Jesus' ministry last for three and a half years, but He also died on a Wednesday, the exact middle day of a week!
Prophecy Pinpoints Year Too
What is so amazing about the often neglected Seventy Weeks Prophecy is that, not only does it give us a clue to the day of Christ's death, it indicates the year of His death as well! Of course, it is not as simple as looking up a fact in an almanac, but enough information is available to discover the year very accurately.
Gabriel says, "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks" (Daniel 9:25). The ending point is fairly plain: the revealing of the Messiah. But what is the starting point?
Historians know of at least four decrees made by the Persian emperors "to restore and build Jerusalem." Cyrus made one in 538 BC, Darius I made one in 520 BC and Artaxerxes I made two, one in 457 BC and one in 444 bc. Which one is the correct command?
All of them could fit the description in Daniel 9:25. All of them are concerned with restoring Jerusalem to its former function as the Jewish religious capital and trade center. But only one of them fits the time constraints, and this becomes clear when we work out the puzzle of the seventy weeks.
We have to do a little arithmetic to find the terminus for each of these decrees. The expression "seventy weeks" literally means "seventy sevens," and the year-for-a-day principle applies here (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:4-6). We must multiply seventy weeks times the seven years in a week of years, which equals 490 years. Gabriel, however, says it is only sixty-nine sevens "until Messiah the Prince." Thus, 69 x 7 = 483 years.
If we add 483 years to each of the dates of the decrees, what do we find? (Remember to add one year for crossing the non-existent year 0.)
é 538 BC + 483 years = 55 BC. No significant biblical event.
é 520 BC + 483 years = 37 BC. No significant biblical event.
é 457 BC + 483 years = AD 27. Jesus is baptized and begins His ministry.
é 444 BC + 483 years = AD 40. No significant biblical event.
God made it easy! We have only one choice!
Daniel 9:26-27 is very specific that the Messiah would work for three and a half years, half of a week, before being "cut off." When we add three and a half years to AD 27, we find that Christ's ministry ended in AD 31, the year of His crucifixion and resurrection!
The Passovers in the Gospels
If His ministry lasted three and a half years, then during this period Christ must have observed four Passovers, the final one being the day of His death. This last Passover is, of course, the best known and best documented of them all. Matthew and Mark, in fact, do not mention any others, leaving Luke and John as our only sources for the other three.
But do we find evidence of three others in the gospels? Yes, we do. It seems that John, writing his chronologically arranged account many years after the publication of the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, tried to highlight periods in Jesus' ministry that the others had not mentioned. So when we harmonize the four gospels, we can construct a solid framework of Christ's three-and-a-half-year ministry around the Passovers.
1. The Passover of AD 28 is mentioned in John 2:13 and 23. During this time, Jesus cleansed the Temple the first time and first mentioned the sign of His Messiahship.
2. Combining the next time reference in John 4:35 ("There are still four months and then comes the harvest") with Luke 6:1 ("Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first . . .") indicates Passover time in AD 29. The harvest Jesus spoke of was the spring harvest, occurring during the spring holy day season. The strange phrase "the second Sabbath after the first" describes either the second of the seven annual holy days of the year, namely, the last day of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:8), or the second of the seven Sabbaths that were counted from Unleavened Bread to Pentecost (verse 15). Without mentioning it directly, both of these choices show Jesus keeping a second Passover season during His ministry.
3. The third Passover, that of AD 30, is found plainly in John 6:4: "Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near." Jesus fed the five thousand (verses 10-14) and walked on the Sea of Galilee (verses 16-21).
4. Christ's last Passover, on which He was killed and buried, is attested to by all the gospel writers. It was so indelibly stamped upon their memories that they devote a combined thirteen chapters (15 percent of the gospels) to that one day!
Therefore, we see very clearly that the four gospels verify the three-and-a-half-year ministry prophesied in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy. This conclusively proves that Jesus died in AD 31 when, according to the Hebrew Calendar, Passover fell on a Wednesday, not a Friday!
Common Misunderstandings
Several verses in the gospel accounts, when taken alone, can seem to contradict the conclusions we have reached here. But when all the available evidence is gathered, they fit in quite well with a Wednesday crucifixion and Sabbath resurrection. In most cases, the true meaning of these verses depends on seeing what they really say without reading an interpretation into them. This is one of the cardinal principles of Bible study: The plain, commonsense meaning of a scripture is to be preferred over a more fanciful one.
Luke 24:21 is one of these misunderstood verses: "Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened." Two of the disciples, traveling to Emmaus, were conversing with the resurrected Christ, though they did not know it was He (verses 13-16). They were rehearsing what had happened in Jerusalem to Jesus by the chief priests and rulers of Judea (verses 18-20).
This conversation occurred on Sunday, the same day that the women, Peter and John had gone to the tomb only to find it empty. Yet these disciples heading to Emmaus say that it had only been three days, not four. How do we reconcile this to the facts that we have proved?
The key is in the repetition of the words "all these things," "these things" and "the things" of verses 14, 18-19 and 21. "Things" is modified by the disciples' specifying in verse 20 that they were speaking of the actions that "the chief priests and our rulers" had done to Christ. The fact that is often forgotten is that their ignominious actions against Him did not end with delivering Him to Pilate for crucifixion! Notice Matthew 27:62-66:
On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
The day after "the Day of Preparation" was Thursday, the first day of Unleavened Bread! These Jewish leaders went to Pilate on the holy day to "guarantee" that their Messiah would not rise from the dead! And with the guard in place and the tomb sealed, they felt certain nothing more would happen.
Thus, when the two disciples on the road to Emmaus say that Sunday "is the third day since these things happened," they are counting from the last despicable actions of the chief priests and Pharisees on Thursday, not Wednesday. Note that their words preclude a Friday crucifixion as well, since Sunday is only the second day from Friday.
Another verse that often causes problems comes from this last passage, Matthew 27:64, where the chief priests say, "Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day." Commentators say this proves that Jesus did not have to be in the tomb a full three days, but only parts of three days. However, they fail to recognize that the priests spoke this on Thursday, not Wednesday. They were asking Pilate to seal and guard the tomb at least through the Sabbath, when three days and three nights would have fully elapsed since Christ's death and burial!
A third problematic verse is Mark 16:9, translated in the New King James Version as, "Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared. . . ." The King James Version translates it, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared. . . ." Finally, The Interlinear Bible, in its word-for-word translation, renders it, "having risen And early on the first of the week, He appeared. . . ." Does this verse say the resurrection was early on the first day of the week?
Here is another instance of the translators mistranslating a verse because of their preconceived beliefs! The commentators admit the construction of the sentence is unusual, but refuse to acknowledge its plain sense. The literal translation, with only slight modification, gives the best rendering: "And having risen, early on the first day of the week He appeared. . . ."
The Greek form translated "having risen" (anastas, an active aorist participle) suggests an action completed prior to the time of the main verb, in this case, "appeared." Thus, Jesus was resurrected sometime before He appeared to Mary Magdalene early on the first day of the week. That is all that Mark is trying to say! Placing a simple comma after "rose" (NKJV) or "risen" (KJV) is the easiest way to resolve the matter. The words of the angel to the women, "He is risen!" (Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6) also give the sense that He was raised at some point prior to His Sunday morning appearances.
So we see that this verse neither proves nor disproves a Sabbath or a Sunday resurrection! The clues about when He really was raised from the dead'Sabbath at sunset'are found in other verses.
From Puzzle to Picture
Read more: http://cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/CGGBOOKLETS/k/419/After-Three-Days.htm#ixzz0lSqVZZIWIt is really no mystery! The authors of the gospels, honest men with a wonderful story to tell, gave us a straightforward account of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They gave us all the pieces of the puzzle we need to construct a clear, precise picture of those events. And when we have them in the correct order, they tightly interlock like a jigsaw puzzle. Everything fits perfectly when the puzzle is solved.
And in a way, this picture we have reconstructed throughout this booklet is only a detail of a larger puzzle we call "the truth." It expands to illustrate, not only the historical facts, but also the way of life that God has given us to live. As we saw, details like the death and resurrection of Christ serve to undergird the truths of the Sabbath and holy days, God's fulfillment of His Word, the work of God and Christ on our behalf and so forth.
Of course, beyond the details of His death and resurrection is the amazing fact that our Savior voluntarily gave Himself to be crucified to pay the penalty for our sins. His perfect life and sacrificial death paid for our imperfect and self-centered lives. As the author of Hebrews writes:
Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
It is for this second appearance that all creation eagerly waits (Romans 8:19). Just as Christ rose from the dead, so will His faithful disciples when He returns. On this Paul writes,
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. . . . For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:14, 16-17)
What a wonderful goal we have! Because we believe in Christ's awesome work on our behalf, and live according to His way of life, He has given us the potential to share eternal life with Him in the Kingdom of God! What a tremendous hope! What an incomparable future! What a wonderful God!
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