Summary

Summary
Contents Wussup Passion Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 12:3-6 is a key that unlocks the Biblical truth about Passion Week.

Exodus 12:3 - "Speak unto the congregation of Israel, saying, in the 10th day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb.."
Exodus 12:6 - "And ye shall keep it up until the 14th day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation shall kill it in the evening." (literally: "between the two evenings" cf. Numbers 9:2)

(note:  A Hebrew day was defined as beginning at sunset (even) and ending at sunset (even), thus "between the two evenings" means any portion of that day.)
". . . and the evening and the morning were the first day". (Genesis 1:5)
". . . from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath".  (Leviticus 23:32)

 

Israel was to identify the Lamb for Passover on a specific day: the 10th day of ABIB.  (Exodus 12:3)

 

To fulfill the Scriptures, The Triumphal Entry opened Passion Week and identified Yahshua as "King of the Jews" on the 10th day of the month.  (John 12:12-14)

 

The Passover lamb was to be killed on the 14th day of the same month.  (Exodus 12:6)

 

To fulfill the scriptures, Yahshua died as the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the same month; crucified as "King of the Jews".  (John 19:19-20)

 

Obviously, the traditional observance of Good Friday and Palm Sunday does not fit with the fact of Exodus 12:3-6.  Good Friday would be the 15th if Palm Sunday is the 10th.  

 

        15th -- Friday Crucifixion
        14th -- Thursday
        13th -- Wednesday
        12th -- Tuesday
        11th -- Monday
        10th -- Palm Sunday

 

But as we know, the Passover lamb was not to be killed on the 15th, but on the 14th of the month.

Just for arguments sake, let's just say Yahshua was crucified on a Wednesday.  When would that place the Triumphal Entry? 

        14th -- Wednesday Crucifixion
        13th -- Tuesday
        12th -- Monday
        11th -- Sunday
        10th -- Saturday (weekly Sabbath)
To defend a Wednesday crucifixion it would be necessary to defend the scripturally unsupportable position that the Triumphal Entry occurred on a Saturday, the Sabbath of the LORD.  Should that have occurred, where were the objections that surely would have occurred to the breaking off of Palm branches to strew in Yahshua's pathway (Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8), or the objections to Yahshua riding on the back of a donkey, forbidden clearly by the Sabbath commandment which specifies that you were to let your donkey (ass) rest on the Sabbath day? (Exodus 23:12, Deuteronomy 5:14, Matthew 21:2,5)

Therefore, the only thing to decide is:

        1)  Did the 10th (Triumphal Entry) occur on Palm Sunday, which would cause the 14th (crucifixion) to fall on a Thursday, or
        2)  Did the 10th (Triumphal Entry) occur on a Monday, which would cause the 14th (crucifixion) to fall on Good Friday?

(II Peter 1:18)  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

(II Peter 1:19)  knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

(II Peter 1:20)  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

A great deal of confusion has resulted from a private interpretation of two Greek words with well-established scriptural meanings in the following verse of Scripture.

Matt 28:1 - Now after the Sabbath (sabbatwn), toward the dawn of the first day of the week (mian sabbatwn), Mary Magdalene  and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre.

The two Greek words are:

  1. sabbaton  - In its several forms, occurs sixty-eight times in the Greek New Testament.  It is assigned Strong's number 4521.  Fifty-nine times it is translated "Sabbath, Sabbath day, or Sabbath days".  Nine times it is privately interpreted "week".
  1. mia -   Three hundred fifty-nine times "mia" (in its combined forms) is meaningful only when translated as a numeral "one".  Since the Bible has established its meaning 351 times as "one", a non-Biblical source should not be permitted to alter its meaning. For the same reason, "prwth" is never interpreted to mean anything other than "first" in all of its 160 occurrences.

The same verse, Biblically translated, becomes:

Matt 28:1 - Now at the conclusion of the Sabbath days (sabbatwn), toward the dawn of one of the Sabbath days (mian sabbatwn), Mary Magdalene  and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre.
The resurrection occurred early on "one of the Sabbath days" not on "the first day of the week".  The annual sabbath (holy rest day) (15th of ABIB) was followed by the weekly Sabbath (holy rest day).  The Lord's resurrection occurred at daybreak on the weekly Sabbath, thus on "one of the Sabbath days"; about 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning.


  1. Saturday (weekly Sabbath)                     (16th of ABIB)
  2. Friday Feast Day (annual Sabbath)       (15th of ABIB)
  3. Thursday  (Crucifixion)                           (14th of ABIB)
  4. Wednesday                                                (13th of ABIB)
  5. Tuesday                                                     (12th of ABIB)
  6. Monday                                                     (11th of ABIB)
  7. Palm Sunday (identified the Lamb)       (10th of ABIB)


Three days and three nights


Matthew 12:40 - "For as Jonah 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."

 

The text suggests 3 day-night sequences, not 3 night-day sequences.


The 3 days and 3 nights have been grossly misunderstood. The text reads: "three days and three nights". Still, most interpret the text to read "three nights and three days".  The exact wording is repeated twice in the text for emphasis.  Still, many insist that the time-period begins at night-fall (when Yahshua was buried) and ends at day-break (at His resurrection).  However, a closer look shows the time-period beginning at day-break (day one begins) and ends at day-break (third night ends).  As Jonah was taken captive alive by the great fish, so Yahshua began his captivity on the morning of his crucifixion when the chief priests and elders bound him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.


Matthew 27:1- When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

Matthew 27:2 - And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.


Day one of "three days and three nights" began with the day-light hours of Christ's suffering, crucifixion, death and burial.  This agrees with every Biblical reference to "three days" and "the third day".  His suffering, death, and burial, is associated with nearly every reference to "three days".


This then is the result of beginning the "three days and three nights" with the "day-light period" of Thursday (the day of Christ's trial and crucifixion):

FIRST DAY (as apposed to 'night')

(Day ONE of 3 days)

Thursday daylight

Trial and Crucifixion (ABIB 14).  This was the preparation day for the Feast of Passover when all Israelites had to prepare their houses by removing all leaven and prepare the Passover lamb by killing it.  Christ thus suffered, was crucified, died and was buried on the first of three days.

 

FIRST NIGHT

(Night ONE of 3 nights)

Began sunset Thursday 

The start of the Feast Day (ABIB 15). Yahshua was buried in Joseph's tomb and the women rested according to the commandment requiring that no work be done on the Feast Day. (Lev 23:6,7)

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SECOND DAY

(Day TWO of 3 days)

The close of the Feast Day ( Friday)

Yahshua remained dead in the tomb the Feast Day (ABIB 15).  The annual Sabbath (high day) drew to a close.

 

SECOND NIGHT

(Night TWO of 3 nights)

Friday night the weekly Sabbath began after sunset

A Roman guard is set to watch the tomb in anticipation of the third day. A seal is placed on the tomb Friday night.  Saturday morning (on one of the Sabbath days) Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb "while it was yet dark" and finds the stone rolled away and the tomb empty (John 20:1). (ABIB 16) This wasn't on "the first day of the week" (Sunday) as Bible translators have poorly mistranslated the Greek.  Yahshua rose Saturday morning before sunrise as it dawned toward "one of the Sabbath days" (the weekly Sabbath).  Just as God had ended his work on the sixth day (Friday) by putting the first man; Adam, into a deep sleep, piercing his side, and removing his rib to make Eve, so God again ended his work on the sixth day (Friday) by putting the second Adam into a deep sleep of death, having opened his side to remove blood (for atonement) and water (for purification) and by so doing, providing the bride of Christ with the rib of righteousness that she had need of (breastplate of righteousness).

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THIRD DAY

(Day THREE of 3 days)

Early, "the first hour of a Sabbath" (Mark 16:9) (literal Greek)  

(John 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.)

Yahshua appeared first to Mary Magdalene, who came to the tomb early Saturday morning with the other Mary, bringing spices to complete the burial process.  He said to Mary, "Do not hold onto me; because I have not yet ascended" (John 20:17).  Late that Sabbath day, approaching sunset, Yahshua appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus as they were returning from Jerusalem.*

*(What had they been doing in Jerusalem?  They were returning from temple services (the 'holy convocation')!  It was common during the three annual feasts (two lasting a week) not to have room in Jerusalem to house everyone safely.  For this reason, the Sabbath day's journey was likely extended for the benefit of the many journeying pilgrims.  Similar crowded conditions existed in Bethlehem at the birth of Messiah, when there was "no room at the inn".

On the road to Emmaus one of the two disciples said to him, "Is this not the third day since these things occurred?" Yahshua asked, "What things?"  The disciple responded, "What, you haven't heard?  How the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.  This is now the third day." Early that morning Mary had come to the tomb "while it was yet dark" and had found the stone rolled away.  Yahshua had been in the tomb one night (Thursday night), one day (Friday), and one more night (Friday night).  That totals one day and two nights.  Therefore, three days and three nights in "the heart of the earth" involved more than the short time he was dead in the tomb.  Obviously he was alive the third day and ascended the third night as the wavesheaf was "lifted up"; just as the firstfruit offering was waved before the LORD.

 

THIRD NIGHT

(Night THREE of 3 nights)

Yahshua appeared to the disciples again after sunset Saturday evening (ABIB 17) where the disciples were meeting together in the upper room for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).  He ate a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb after which he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, saying: "These are the words I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me." (Luke 24:42-45) The Bible study would have ended all too soon as the dawn of the next day approached, and "he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven (Luke 24:50,51)."  It was now Sunday.  The third night had ended.  This departure of Christ into the clouds fulfilled the wave sheaf requirements.  The 'wave sheaf' must be 'lifted up' and waved in the air.  The resurrection hadn't perfectly satisfied the visual conditions of the wave sheaf offering "before the LORD".  In fact, when he appeared unto Mary, he had not yet 'ascended' (John 20:17).  By waiting until the next day to be "lifted up", as Luke describes in Luke 24:51, he was able to become the wave-sheaf offering which followed the day of his resurrection. (Lev 23:10-12)

 

And so as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale (after which he ascended),

So too, was Yahshua 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth (after which he ascended).


Consider what this means . . .

The day of the resurrection is Saturday, NOT Sunday.  Every argument to sanctify Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection is vain.

Even as Jeremiah prophecied, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies" (Jer 16:19).  Lies can never sanctify us.  We can only be sanctified by the truth.  "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

 

 

The prophet Malachi, announcing the "Day of the LORD", says:

Malachi 4:4  Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Malachi 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Malachi 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

From Moses to Malachi, the hearts of the fathers beckon to the hearts of the children, to:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God (not the first day): in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

John 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

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