PASSOVER AND RESURRECTION WEEK
In this study I’m going to demonstrate to you that there were two calendars in use in the year Messiah died. One, the ancient priestly biblical calendar. The other calendar, the one used by the Pharisees and chief priests at the corrupted Jewish Temple services in Yahshua’s time. At the end of this study, if your spiritual eyes are opened, you may see that a third calendar was also in use in the Heavenly Temple.
First, we’ll see the old priestly biblical calendar. Matthew 26:1-2, 17-21 HRB “And it happened, when Yahshua finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples, 2You know that the Passover is coming after two days (Compare Mark 14:1, “after two days”; Luke 22:1) [Yahshua spoke this on Abib 13], and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified. . . “17And on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened (Compare Mark 14:12, “when they killed the Passover”; Luke 22:7, “on which the Passover must be slaughtered”) [Abib 14, per Torah], the disciples came to Yahshua, saying to Him, Where do you desire we should prepare for You to eat the Passover? 18And He said, Go into the city to a certain one and say to him, our Master says, My time has arrived; with you I will prepare the Passover with My disciples. 19And the disciples did as Yahshua ordered them, and prepared the Passover. 20And evening having come(Compare Mark 14:17-18; Luke 22:14) [date changed to Abib 15, CRUCIFIXION DAY!! This may be the most important phrase in this study, for it shows EXACTLY on which day Yahshua was executed.], He reclined with the Twelve. 21And as they were eating (Compare Mark 14:18c, “the one eating with Me”; Luke 22:15-16, Yahshua plainly stated “I EAT” and He would not EAT the Pesach lamb AGAIN until the Kingdom came), He said, Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” There is no doubt in my mind that Yahshua ate the Torah instructed sacrificed Paschal lamb at their last Passover supper together, during the early evening hours of Abib 15, on the biblical Chag HaMatzot, or Passover Feast, beginning the 7 days of Unleavened Bread. The above verses in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are precisely accurate when it comes to identifying these days of the first month of the Aviv barley, in the Crucifixion year.
The English word Passover in these passages, is the Greek word Pascha, Strong’s
# G3957, which comes from the Hebrew word pesach, Strong’s # H6453. The Greek word Pascha is used 4 times in this short passage, and since they all spoke Hebrew, they were actually saying the Hebrew word Pesach, and both the Greek and Hebrew word mean specifically the Passover lamb sacrificed in accordance with the Torah commandment. THE TIMELINE CONTEXT WAS SET BY YAHSHUA HIMSELF IN VERSE 2, and was repeated by Mark in 14:1, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE PESACH MEAL!! Was Yahshua confused about which calendar He was using and demonstrating for His disciples? Verse 2 was obviously spoken on Abib 13, a day He spent in Bethany with His closest and dearest friends. Verse 17 was obviously spoken on Abib 14, Yahweh and Yahshua’s true Preparation Day, stated plainly at the beginning of the verse. Verses 18-19 were carried out on Abib 14, Preparation Day. The English word prepare used in these passages is two different Greek words, meaning to prepare, or to make, substantiating that it was Abib 14, Preparation Day. These two days that Yahshua specifically mentioned in verse 2, elapsed BEFORE they sat down to eat the true Torah observant Pesach meal, the Chag HaMatzot, on the evening that began Abib 15, on the old priestly biblical calendar.
Whether or not you believe Passover is a 7 or 8 day Feast, verse 17 states plainly that they prepared the sacrificial Pesach lamb on Abib 14, Preparation Day, which is ALWAYS the first day of the Feast of Unleavened. The Feast goes from the 14th to the 20th or 21st, depending on how you believe, but the FIRST day of Unleavened Bread is always Abib 14, Preparation Day, making the eating of the Pesach meal ALWAYS on Abib 15 at evening at the close of Preparation Day. These obvious conclusions are made from a plain reading of these passages. No twisting, no appearances, no adding to or taking from these passages.
Yahshua prophesied to Peter in the night time hours of Abib 15 that Peter would deny Him. Mark 14:30 HRB “And Yahshua said to him, Truly I say to you that today, in this night, before a cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” Because of Matthew 26:20, we KNOW this night is Abib 15. Yahshua spent the night teaching, singing, and praying with His disciples. This night Judas betrayed Him and Yahshua was arrested by the corrupt religious Jews.
Because of Matthew 26:20, we KNOW that Yahshua’s trial occurred early in the morning hours of Abib 15. Mark 15:1 HRB “And immediately in the morning, the chief priests with the elders and scribes and all the Sanhedrin having made a council, and having bound Yahshua, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.”
Mark continues the Crucifixion Day timeline in Mark 15:25 HRB “And it was the third hour [9 am] and they crucified Him.”
The excruciating day continues in Mark 15:33-34 HRB “And it being the sixth hour [12 Noon], darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour [3 pm, delaying the Jewish Paschal lamb sacrifices at the Temple, according to their Pharisaic Jewish Calendar.]. 34And at the ninth hour [3 pm] Yahshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (Which being translated is, “My El, My El, why did You honor Me to be here?”) (Psa. 22:1)”
Then Mark 15:37-38 HRB “And letting out a great cry, Yahshua died. 38And the veil of the Holy Place was torn into two, from top to bottom.” You now have no excuse for not entering into Yahweh’s presence to worship Him through the precious blood of Yahshua.
Now we come to the close of Abib 15, Crucifixion Day. Mark boldly tells us which day of the week Abib 15 was that year and month of the crucifixion of Messiah, Mark 15:42 HRB “And it becoming late afternoon already, since it was the preparation, that is, the day before a Sabbath,” Mark clearly, boldly, and specifically tells us Yahshua’s crucifixion occurred on a FRIDAY, readiness day before the weekly Sabbath!!! How do we KNOW this? Because of Matthew 26:20, when Yahshua sat down to eat His last Pesach meal, the day had changed from Abib 14, slaughter the lamb day, to Abib 15, Chag HaMatzot and first day of the 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread! Now prepare your heart to discover a pearl of great price in the Gospel of Mark! Mark used a Greek word that is different from the word for “prepare” used by Yahshua and the disciples in the Matthew 26 narrative above. Mark used a word that means the readiness preparations made before the regular weekly Shabbat. How do we KNOW this? Look at the word he used for Sabbath. In the Greek it’s prosabbaton, meaning foreSabbath, Strong’s # G4315, USED ONLY THIS ONE TIME IN THE NEW TESTAMENT!!!MARK JUST IDENTIFIED FRIDAY READINESS DAY BEFORE SHABBAT! This is about as close as Mark could come to saying Erev Shabbat without actually saying Erev Shabbat!! This is the second great discovery of this study, after the Matthew 26:20 discovery. When you combine the revelation of Matthew 26:20 day change from Abib 14 to 15 with the Mark 15:42 Friday readiness day before Sabbath statement, and Luke 23:54 discussed below, we now have IRON CLAD PROOF that Yahshua was crucified on Abib 15, a FRIDAY, in the year of the Crucifixion!!! I am so grateful and so humbled once again by my Great Master Yahshua revealing these things to my simple old mind. It’s amazing what you can find in Yahweh’s Word when you study it with simple pure faith. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are perfectly synchronized on the biblical calendar, John’s events are perfectly synced with these same events, only on the Jews’ Pharisaic calendar, one day behind in the calendar count. Same events played out, just numbered on two different calendars, as you will see shortly! These are discoveries worth selling the field so you can purchase the pearl of great price!
Let’s continue the timeline in Matthew 27:57-58 (Compare Mark 15:43ff) HRB “And late afternoon having come, a rich man from Arimathea (Joseph by name) who also himself was a disciple of Yahshua, 58coming up to Pilate, this one asked for the body of Yahshua. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given.” Looking at this same scene in Luke 23, we see Luke included the same important detail that Mark did in Mark 15:42, but left out by Matthew. Luke 23:54-56 HRB “And the day was setting and the Sabbath was approaching(Compare Mark 15:42). 55And having followed, also the women who were accompanying Him out of Galilee, watched the tomb, and how His body was placed. 56And returning, they prepared spices and perfume [ON ABIB 15, CHAG HAMATZOT!!]. And indeed they rested on the Sabbath [weekly Sabbath, Abib 16], according to the commandment.” Wow, we KNOW from Scripture that Abib 15 is Chag HaMatzot as the 1st day of the 7 days of Unleavened Bread, but here we see in Luke that the weekly Sabbath FOLLOWED Abib 15, so Abib 15, Crucifixion Day had to have been on a Friday, just as Mark clearly and plainly stated in Mark 15:42, and Luke clearly and plainly just stated in verse 54!! Now back to Matthew’s timeline. Matthew 27:62-64 HRB “And on the next day,which was after the sunset[Abib 16, a Sabbath, per Mark and Luke], the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered with Pilate, 63saying, Sir, we have recalled that that deceiver while living said, After three days I will rise. 64Therefore, command that the grave be secured until the third day, that His disciples may not come by night and steal Him away, and may say to the people, He is raised from the dead. And the last deception will be worse than the first.” The Pharisees, chief priests, and Romans met and unwittingly plotted on the Sabbath, Friday night specifically, to secure the tomb for 3 DAYS, thus securing Yahweh’s timeline for the 3 DAYS to EXACTLY fulfill Yahshua’s prophecies!! I do believe their evil plot backfired on them! Ha ha ha.
So, from what we’ve learned in the passages above, we now see that Yahshua was actually crucified on Abib 15, Chag HaMatzot. Does that break any Scripture? I don’t believe so. Matthew 28:1 HRB “But after the Sabbaths [plural in the Greek, after Abib 15 and 16, Chag HaMatzot and weekly Sabbath], at the dawning into the first of the Sabbaths [plural in the Greek, the 7 Sabbath weeks to Shavuot, Pentecost], Mariam of Magdalene and the other Mariam came to look upon the grave.” Chapter 28 of Matthew shows that Yahshua was raised AFTER the Sabbaths. That would be AFTER the Chag HaMatzot Passover Feast Day of Abib 15 (obviously, since He was just laid to rest) and AFTER the weekly Sabbath of Abib 16 revealed in Luke 23:54-56 and Mark 15:42. Luke 24:1 HRB “And the first of the Sabbaths (The seven week Sabbath count to Shavuot) at dawn, while still dark, they came on the tomb, carrying spices which they prepared [prepared BEFORE and AFTER the Sabbaths, but we are NOT told on which DAY they came to the tomb]; and some were with them.” Both Matthew and Luke reveal in the Greek that the women came to the grave site with spices to anoint Yahshua’s body early, around dawn, during the FIRST WEEK OF SHAVUOT, NOT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, i.e. NOT NECESSARILY ON Sunday. Mark agrees with Matthew and Luke, Mark 16:1-2 HRB “And the Sabbath having passed [so we know this is AFTER Saturday, Abib 16], Mariam Magdalene and Mariam the mother of Jacob and Salome, bought spices[Sunday was FirstFruits celebration, so they probably purchased spices and perfumes on Monday], so that coming they might anoint Him. 2And at early morning on the first of the week[s] [plural in the Greek, Sabbaton, the first week of the 7 Sabbaths to Shavuot], they came to the cemetery as the sun was rising.” Mark 16:9 HRB “And having risen and now early on the first of the Sabbath count to Shavuot. He first appeared to Mariam Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.” Again, notice that the word day is not used in the Greek. Mark is just identifying that they are at the beginning, or first week, of the 7 Sabbath weeks to the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost. It would have been immensely helpful to us if the Gospel writers had identified the days of the week by number. It appears as if it could have been Sunday, Monday, OR Tuesday. We will show that it was on Tuesday morning about dawn.
Meaning, the Mariams arrived on the morning of Abib 19, before the rest and assembly day of Abib 20 or 21, depending on how you believe. Abib 19 was still at the beginning of the first week of the 7 Sabbath weeks until Pentecost. The Greek word for “day” is not in Matthew 28:1, Luke 24:1, Mark 16:1-2, 9, or John 20:1, so we do not know yet whether or not the Miriams arrived at the grave on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday morning. Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 23 seem to support Tuesday morning, BECAUSE Yahshua was in the grave 3 nights and 3 days, per His very own prophecies. The disciples would have celebrated First Fruits on Sunday, so they would not purchase, prepare, or go to anoint Yahshua’s body that day. Monday, they could have purchased more spices and perfumes and prepared everything they needed to anoint Yahshua’s body on Tuesday morning. But, by the time they arrived Tuesday morning, Yahshua was already raised up!!
Abib 14 = Thursday, Preparation Day – disciples prepare the sacrificial Pesach lamb, roast the lamb, and prepare the banquet room
Abib 15 = Friday, High Sabbath of ULB, Last Passover Supper (Thursday night), crucifixion day, 1st day of ULB, per Leviticus 23 – Yahshua buried in 100 lbs. of spices – disciples prepare more spices – 1st NIGHT in grave
Abib 16 = Sabbath – Weekly Jewish Sabbath – disciples rest – 1st DAY and 2nd NIGHT in grave – 2nd day of ULB
Abib 17 = Sunday – Jewish Day of First Fruits – disciples celebrate – 2nd DAY and 3rd NIGHT in grave – probably no spice purchases or preparation because of FirstFruits celebration. Yahshua said he’d be in the tomb 3 days and nights. 3Rd day of ULB
Abib 18 = Monday – 3rd DAY in grave, Yahshua raises up at end of day, which proves this day as the true DAY OF FIRST FRUITS on Yahweh’s calendar – disciples purchase and prepare more spices. 4Th day of ULB
Abib 19 = Tuesday – Mariams go to the tomb of Yahshua at dawn with more spices, but Yahshua is already raised up and gone – disciples celebrate ULB – 5th day of ULB
Abib 20 = Wednesday, High Sabbath for some believers, 6th day of ULB
Abib 21 = Thursday, High Sabbath, 7th and final day of ULB
Let’s turn now to the Book of John to learn more about this extraordinary week in history. John does something that the synoptic gospel writers did not do. He specifically tells his readers he is using the Pharisaic Jewish calendar in his Gospel, not the old priestly biblical calendar used by Yahshua and the disciples. John 5:1 HRB “After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Yahshua went up to Jerusalem.” John 6:4 HRB “And the Passover was near, the feast of the Jews.” John starts his crucifixion story six days before the Jewish Passover on the Pharisaic Jewish calendar, John 12:1 HRB “Then six days before the Passover, Yahshua came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died, whom He raised from the dead.” Apparently, Yahshua spent His last days of ministry with His close friends in Bethany. Isn’t it interesting that 6 days before Yahshua’s death on the Jewish calendar, Mariam anointed Yahshua’s feet for his burial and in Matthew 26 we saw another woman came and anointed His head a few days later, in Bethany, 2 days before His death on the biblical calendar. Ok, so let’s set the day of the month that John just identified for us, the Jewish Passover Feast on the Jewish 15th minus 6 days, means this day was Abib 9 on the Jewish calendar, and Abib 10 on the biblical calendar.
Moving forward on John’s timeline we come to John 12:12-15 HRB “On the next day [Abib 10 Jewish calendar, Abib 11 biblical calendar], coming to the Feast, hearing that Yahshua is coming to Jerusalem, a great crowd 13took palm branches and went out to a meeting with Him, and they were crying out, Hosanna! “Being, blessed is the One coming in the name of Yahweh, the King of Israel!” (Psa. 118:26) 14And finding a donkey, Yahshua sat on it, even as it had been written, 15“Do not fear, daughter of Zion Behold your King comes to you and is mounted upon a colt, the foal of a female donkey.” (Isa. 40:9; Zech. 9:9)” Yahshua, as the Lamb of Yahweh, was selected on EXACTLY the 10th of Abib, according to the commandment to select the Passover Lamb on Abib 10! He did this on the Jewish calendar, so His brethren the Jews would have the opportunity to recognize Him as the Jewish Messiah, as a SIGN, if you will. The people accepted and proclaimed Him as Messiah that day, but the chief priests and Pharisees blew their opportunity, again. Abib 10 on the Jewish calendar was the day all the religious Jews selected their sacrificial lambs, took them home to examine them for four days, before taking them to the Temple on the Jewish Abib 14, Preparation Day, to have them sacrificed before Yahweh by the priests. The Lamb of Yahweh was presented plainly to them on Abib 10, but very few recognized Him that day as their Messiah. Too bad for the hard hearted and spiritually blind. That’s why they still await their Messiah today.
Now, we move closer to the Jewish Feast of Passover, but according to John’s Gospel, it’s still not the Jewish Feast of Passover, which the Jews sit down to eat on their Abib 15, so now we will see the Last Passover Supper on the Jewish calendar occurring on Abib 14, but it is Abib 15 on the old priestly biblical calendar. We see Yahshua Feasting with the disciples and washing their feet, and Satan entering into Judas, and Yahshua prophesying about the cock not crowing again until Peter denies Him. Notice how John identifies this event happening on the Jewish calendar as 1 day before the Jewish Chag HaMatzot on Abib 15, Jewish calendar, John 13:1-2 HRB “And before the Feast of the Passover, Yahshua knowing that His hour had come that He should move from this world to the Father, loving His own in the world, He loved them to the end. 2And supper having occurred [Abib 14 on the Jewish calendar, Abib 15 on the biblical calendar, compare Matthew 26:20-21; Mark 14:17-18; Luke 22:14], the Devil having put already into the heart of Simon’s son Judas Iscariot that he should betray Him,” Please do not let this slip past you, the scene in John 13 IS the Chag HaMatzot Passover meal seen in the Synoptic Gospels on the biblical calendar Abib 15! John specifically states that this meal was BEFORE the Jewish Chag HaMatzot, or Passover Feast on THEIR Jewish calendar, Abib 14!! The translator used the Greek preposition “pro”, which means in front of or prior to. No question then that this meal occurred BEFORE the Jewish Chag HaMatzot Passover meal on their Abib 15. So we see clearly that the Jews were 1 day behind Yahshua and the disciples, who used the biblical Lunar conjunction calendar. The Pharisaic Jews were on the sighting of the first sliver of the New Moon crescent calendar, so that year, they were 1 day behind the biblical calendar! It is absolutely amazing to me how clearly John identifies the exact same events that the other Gospel writers do, but he emphasizes his use of the Jewish calendar dates. The events are undeniably the same events, Yahshua ate only ONE final Passover meal, Yahshua died ONLY ONCE, Yahshua was buried ONLY ONCE, Yahshua spent EXACTLY 3 NIGHTS AND 3 DAYS IN THE TOMB, Yahshua rose from the dead ONLY ONCE. And the Gospel writers were able to show all this drama using two different calendars, the Pharisaic Jewish calendar counting 1 day behind the old priestly biblical calendar. The calendar synchronization is astounding, precise, absolute, perfect.
Yahshua does much teaching in John 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, then the timeline continues late that night with Yahshua’s arrest in John 18:12-13 HRB “Then the cohort, even the captain and the guards of the Jews together, seized Yahshua and bound Him. 13And they led Him away first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest of that year.” The timeline continues in John 18:28 HRB “Then they led Yahshua from Caiaphas into the praetorium, and it was morning. And they did not enter into the praetorium that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.” John states it plainly here, it was the morning of Abib 14, Preparation Day on the Jews’ calendar, but we KNOW it is ALREADY Abib 15 on the Disciples and Yahshua’s biblical calendar! The Pharisees and chief priests did not want to defile themselves, because they desired to eat their Jewish Chag HaMatzot Passover Feast later that evening, beginning Abib 15 on their Jewish calendar, the 1st day of Unleavened Bread, on their Jewish calender! Please don’t miss this point made by John!! And remember what we’ve already seen, Yahshua and His disciples have ALREADY EATEN THE TRUE CHAG HAMATZOT PASSOVER FEAST THE EVENING BEFORE THE JEWS planned to, clearly revealing that this day is Abib 15 on the old priestly biblical calendar, but only Abib 14 on the Jewish calendar. So it is clear to any careful reader of the Scriptures, that the Jews were 1 day behind Yahweh, Yahshua, and the Disciples, as far as their calendars were concerned, in the year of the crucifixion. Yahshua used the Yahweh ordained lunar conjunction calendar and the Pharisaic Jews were using a sighting of the first crescent of the New Moon calendar!! We’ve already stated that John clearly indicated that his Gospel was using the Pharisaic Jewish calendar, as we saw in John 5 and 6 above.
John’s timeline continues in John 19:14 HRB “And it was the Preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, Behold, your King!” Now, it is about HIGH NOON on the Jews’ Preparation Day, clearly Abib 14 on the Jewish calendar, but we now KNOW that it is ALREADY Abib 15 on the biblical calendar, because the Master’s disciples prepared their lamb yesterday!
John’s timeline continues in John 19:31 HRB “Then, since it was Preparation, that the bodies not remain on the tree on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a holy day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they be taken away.” John clearly states that this day is the Jewish Preparation Day, Abib 14 on the Jewish first sliver calendar, and that the next day will be the Jews’ Chag HaMatzot of Abib 15, the Feast Day of Unleavened Bread, on the Jewish corrupted calendar. But notice that this day on the biblical calendar is actually Abib 15 and the next day, the weekly Sabbath, will be Abib 16. The Jews will eat their Chag HaMatzot Passover Feast on Abib 16, 1 day behind Yahweh and Yahshua’s biblical calendar!! Such obstinacy, arrogance, and blasphemy on their part. Do you see the connection John makes with Luke 23:54-56 HRB “And the day was setting and the Sabbath was approaching. 55And having followed, also the women who were accompanying Him out of Galilee, watched the tomb, and how His body was placed. 56And returning, they prepared spices and perfume [ON ABIB 15, THE HIGH SABBATH!!]. And indeed they rested on the Sabbath [weekly Sabbath, Abib 16], according to the commandment.” John also states plainly that the next day is the Sabbath, again verifying and proving that Yahshua was crucified on Friday!! This is the only way to know which day of the week Yahshua was crucified on. Mark, Luke, and John show us plainly that Yahshua was crucified on a Friday. We cannot calculate backwards with the Gregorian calendar, because the Gregorian calendar did not even exist then, and computer programmers may not make the 10 day adjustment that Pope Gregory made when he implemented the new calendar. We may be able to extrapolate with the Julian calendar. We’ll have to see if we can tie the crucifixion day down to a specific day of the week, month, and year on the Julian calendar. I’m pretty sure I’ve already done that in previous blog posts. And notice something else, back before the modern Jewish calendar, the Jews had no problem having Chag HaMatzot of Abib 15, on their Pharisaic Jewish calender, coincide with the weekly Sabbath, a situation the modern Jewish calendar tries desperately to avoid. Please get this in your mind, it is backward thinking to try and use modern calendar computer programs, calculators, and modern lunar observations and try to project our results back 2,000 years to prove which day of the week Yahshua was crucified on. It’s proper exposition and exegesis to use the Scriptures only to discover what the Scriptures clearly, plainly, and literally reveal as the day on which Yahshua was crucified. Sola Scriptura, Scripture only!!!!
Did you notice the women went home late Friday afternoon and prepared some spices and perfume in Luke 23? Look at John’s comment about spices in John 19:39-40 HRB “And Nicodemus also came, the one coming at first to Yahshua by night, bearing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one hundred Roman pounds. 40Then they took the body of Yahshua and bound it in linens, with the spices, as is usual with the Jews in burying.” Remember, the Miriams and all the disciples that followed Yahshua to the execution stake, saw where and how they laid Yahshua to rest. They KNEW He was already wrapped up in some 100 pounds of spices. Therefore, there was NO RUSH for them to run out and buy more spices and perfumes the day or two after Yahshua’s burial. They KNEW there was NO RUSH to go check on the tomb during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and on the Day of First Fruits, because Yahshua had been kindly and carefully taken care of by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two wealthy and elderly Jewish disciples!! This is important to help you let go of some old traditional beliefs about the day of Yahshua’s resurrection.
And here’s the nail in the calendar dispute’s coffin in John 19:41-42 HRB “And there was a garden in the place where He was crucified, and a new tomb in the garden, in which no one yet ever had been placed. 42There, then, because of the Jews Preparation day, because the tomb was near, they put Yahshua.” Do you see it? Right here in the burial passage, John AGAIN emphasizes that he was using the PHARISAIC JEWISH CALENDAR, which we have already demonstrated was one day behind the biblical calendar that Yahshua was using and demonstrating to us as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Compare verse 42 with verse 14 above. It was Abib 14 on the Jews’ calendar, but we KNOW it was Abib 15 on the biblical calendar, as was shown in Matthew 26:20 HRB “And evening having come, He reclined with the Twelve.” As soon as the sun had set and Yahshua reclined at table to eat the Chag HaMatzot Passover Feast with His disciples, we KNOW the DAY changed from Thursday at sunset to begin Friday and the DATE changed from Abib 14 to Abib 15!! This is irrefutable evidence that Yahshua died and was buried on the Chag HaMatzot of the biblical Abib 15, Feast Day of Unleavened Bread, a Friday in the year of crucifixion, which I believe was 33 AD. The word of Yahweh takes authority and precedence over any man made calendar, calendar calculator, computer calendar program, or modern lunar observational techniques.
John 20:1 HRB “But on the first of the Sabbaths (The seven week count to Shavuot), Mariam Magdalene came early to the tomb, darkness yet being on it. And she saw the stone had been removed from the tomb.” Notice again clearly, John does NOT say in the Greek, the first day of the week. The word day is NOT there in the Greek. Since Yahshua prophesied He would be in the grave 3 days and 3 nights, this must have been on Tuesday morning, Abib 19. Luke 24:1 shows that these women brought the spices they had purchased and prepared, but discovered they did not need, since Yahshua was already raised up before they arrived! This is Tuesday, Yahshua’s Appearance Day.
John 20:19 HRB “Then it being evening on that day [Appearance Day], the first of the Sabbaths (The seven week count to Shavuot), and the doors having been locked where the disciples were assembled because of fear of the Jews, Yahshua came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace to you.” Notice again that the word DAY is NOT used in this verse. We see here that John continues his timeline, but he was not as exact on identifying days as we would like, say, naming which day of Unleavened Bread, or which numbered day of the week he was on would have been very helpful. But John did tell us which week he was in, the first week of the Omer count to Shavuot. Thanks John. He was more concerned with seeing the Resurrected Messiah!! Wouldn’t we have been also? Amen!!
John 20:26 HRB “And after eight days, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. The door having been locked, Yahshua came and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you.” Here, John tells us what happened in the middle of the second week of the Omer count to Shavuot. John was not nearly as concerned with the timeline as we would expect today, but his purpose was clearly stated in John 20:30-31 HRB “Then truly Yahshua did many other miracles in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these have been written that you may believe that Yahshua is the Messiah, the Son of Yahweh, and that believing you may have eternal life in His name.” I hope you believe into Yahshua your Messiah today!!
I don’t see any more timeline references in the Book of John, but look at this passage in John 21:22 HRB “Yahshua said to him, What is it to you if I desire that this man remain until I return? You come and follow me!” Before Yahshua was crucified, He promised to return for His disciples, but look at the matter of fact way he speaks of it now! Yahshua is fully confident that He will return to earth. Folks, there is ALREADY a day appointed on Yahweh’s Sacred Calendar for Yahshua to return to earth! I hope you’re ready for it, because that day is rapidly approaching.
Now, we return to Luke’s account, but from Acts 1:1-9 HRB “Indeed, O Theophilus, I made the first report concerning all things which Yahshua began both to do and to teach, 2until the day He was taken up, having given directions to the apostles whom He elected, through the Holy Spirit, 3those who also to whom He revealed Himself while alive after He had suffered. With numerous signs for forty days He was being seen by them, and He spoke concerning the Kingdom of Yahweh. 4And while He ate bread with them, He charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father, Which you heard of Me; 5for John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days after. 6Then, indeed, coming together they questioned Him, saying, Master, do You restore the kingdom to Israel at this time? 7And He said to them, It is not yours to know times or seasons which the Father placed in His own authority; 8But when the spirit of Holiness comes upon you, you will receive the power, and you will be witnesses of Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. 9And saying these things, as they looked on, He was taken up in a cloud and He was hidden from their sight.”
Verse 7 shows us clearly that we cannot become dogmatic about crucifixion day, resurrection day, ascension day, or Yahshua’s ADVENT 2.0. We just do our best to see and understand what the Scriptures reveal to us. I used to believe that Yahshua ascended exactly 10 days before Feast of Shavuot. But if He did not rise from the dead until late Monday afternoon, then the 40 days mentioned here cannot be the first 40 days of the Hebrew Omer count. This is why Luke says they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from then, instead of stating exactly 10 more days until Shavuot! The Feast Days timeline is important, but since it is now only a shadow, the emphasis is always on what is Yahshua saying and doing?
We would now need two timelines, one to track the Omer count to Shavuot, and one to track Yahshua’s ascension day, since we know Shavuot is exactly 50 days from the Sabbath that occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I have built simple a spreadsheet that shows what we have learned in this study, ask for your copy today. If you received this study by email, the spreadsheet should also be attached.
I trust that my readers are mature in their faith. I am now going to propose something that could upset many Jewish and Messianic religious spirits. Meditating on what we have just learned, that Yahshua, our Lord, King, and Savior was perfectly keeping, demonstrating, and becoming, with His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, the EXACT Sacred Calendar of Yahweh, should not crucifixion/resurrection week EXACTLY reveal which day of the week in that year was the real, hidden, true Sabbath of Yahweh? Yahshua stated plainly that He would be in the tomb EXACTLY 3 days and 3 nights and rise on the third day, which could have been a split second before sunset on that third day. Also, since the Scriptures teach that Yahshua is the Firstfruits and our First born from the dead, then according to Torah fulfillment, did not Yahshua rise from the dead EXACTLY at the end of the Day of Firstfruits? And then, based on that truth and fact, would not the DAY BEFORE RESURRECTION DAY BE THE REAL, TRUE, YAHWEH CREATED SABBATH DAY!?! Hmmmn.
Yahshua died around 3 pm on the pure old priestly biblical 6th day of the week, or Friday, in our terms; His disciples rested on the next day, their Saturday Sabbath. Let’s count it out then. Friday night and Saturday day = day 1 in the tomb. Saturday night and Sunday day = day 2 in the tomb. Sunday night and Monday day = day 3 in the tomb. Meaning Monday, Resurrection Day, was Day of First Fruits on Yahweh’s Sacred Calendar. The day before Day of First Fruits then, according to Torah, is Yahweh’s holy weekly Sabbath, which was Sunday that year!!!! So now we see why Yahweh may not be upset with Christians worshiping on Sunday! Yahweh may have been hiding His holy Sabbath for these last 1,900 plus years, so it would not be defiled by corrupt Jews and Gentiles!! See, I told you we cannot become dogmatic about our religious calendar and timelines. Think on these things, but celebrate the Feast!
Have a wonderfully blessed Passover season this year of 2014.
Gene Benjamin II
April 11, 2014 AD