The Passover Lamb When did Jesus Die? In Light of the Bible By Perry Demopoulos B.D., Th.M., Th.D. (Missionary to Ukraine and Former Soviet Russia since 1992)
Preface Our practice has been and always will be to use the absolute, infallible word of God preserved in the Authorized Version of the King James Bible 1611 in the international language of English. We make no apologies for this especially to any Greek and Hebrew scholars of this Laodicean period of the church age. All of the modern translations have perverted and twisted many of God s words to prove their own heresies. Introduction The subject we are about to discuss is probably one of the most controversial subjects of Christendom. Among the ranks of all the professions of Christianity (that is, if you are to believe that Roman Catholicism and the Orthodoxism are Christian) the dozens of denominations have their private interpretations as to what Passover is, what it is not, who should celebrate it, and who should not. There are approximately 900 million Roman Catholics, and about 300 million Orthodox, most of which will die and go to hell. They are taught that good works, tradition, etc., are necessary for salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this age, the church age, salvation is a FREE GIFT, without any works (Rom. 4, Eph. 2:8, 9). In this little booklet we are going to take up the subject when did the Lord Jesus Christ die on the cross and when was His resurrection. The Most Popular View of the Day of the Crucifixion While Church tradition (Mark 7:13) commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, there are many debates over which day of the week Jesus died. Did Jesus really die on Friday? Or did he die on Wednesday evening? or Thursday? There are literally millions that have been taught because of tradition that Jesus died on Friday. Many others, such as a group of people called Fundamentalists claim that Jesus died on Thursday. They do not take the position of the Roman Catholic tradition. Neither will they go the other way and take the position and say that Jesus died on Wednesday. Why do Most People Believe Jesus Died on Friday? The view that Jesus died on Friday is based on the wording of Mark 15:42, which says that Christ's crucifixion occurred on the day of preparation, And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. Since the weekly, Jewish Sabbath is on Saturday, the Roman Catholic tradition taught that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Heretical, Alexandrian Mistranslation of the Synodal Text To make things more difficult translators of the Russian Synodal text translated the Greek word in Mark 15:42 and also John 19:42 as Friday Παρασκευή (pronounced 2
paraskewei). The Authorized Version of the King James Bible reads not Friday as the Synodal text does, but rather preparation And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! The King James Bible and Advanced Revelation As mentioned above, the confusion of teaching that Jesus died on Friday comes by misreading Mark 15:42 by making the sabbath the regular weekly Sabbath which is a Saturday. The key to interpretation of the Bible is the Bible itself by comparing scripture with scripture (1 Cor. 2:13). The key (Luke 11:52) that unlocks the truth in Mark 15:42 is located in John 19:31. According to the Authorized Version of the King James Bible the Sabbath was NOT the weekly Sabbath but an high day ; i.e., a special Sabbath, The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, [KJV] that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (FOR THAT SABBATH DAY WAS AN HIGH DAY,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Many commentators think that the words (for that Sabbath was an high day) as to mean the regular weekly Sabbath because it just happen to be during this yearly holiday that the high day was on a Saturday. But that is a lazy kind of interpretation of the scriptures. That won t do because the time length from a Friday crucifixion to Sunday morning does not make a complete three days. Let s first deal with what this high day was and next, determine the length of a day as outlined in scripture. That particular Sabbath or high day is explained in the scriptures in various places, Exodos 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. Notice how clear the scriptures speak concerning the Passover and the seven days that follow, ( the days of unleavened bread ). There are two other Sabbaths besides the weekly Sabbath that was on Saturday. Look at what Numbers 28:16-18 and 25 says - And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. In the first day [the 15 th, the day after the Passover, not Saturday] shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein And on the seventh day [that is the 21 st, the eight day after the Passover] ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work. (Numbers 28:16-18, 25) Make special note of the phrase an holy convocation and ye shall do no servile work. That means there would be two other holy days and no servile work (sabbaths) allowed besides the weekly Sabbath. So, we ve come to the scriptural conclusion that there would be THREE Sabbaths that particular time, because since Jesus was to die on the 14 th of the month, then would start the days of unleavened bread. The 15 th would be a Sabbath and also the 21 st would be a Sabbath (the first and seventh days after the 14 th ). That makes THREE 3
Sabbaths for their holiday. Again the scriptures confirm this In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. (Leviticus 23:5). See also Exodus 12:15. This verse is not only speaking of when the Jews were to slay the lamb, it is also in type speaking of the Lamb of God the Lord Jesus Christ and points to the future date of when the Lamb of God was to be slain, on the fourteenth. That is clear! Now note the Sabbaths on the fifteenth and twenty-first day of that month And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. [That is a Sabbath, but not Saturday!] But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day [that is the twenty-first day of the month] is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein (Leviticus 23:5-7). Now since the Roman Catholic Church has taught that there was only one Sabbath that week (being Saturday), that Jesus must have died on Friday. What we need to do now is locate on which days do the dates the fourteenth, fifteenth and twenty-first fall on. We will show that in the following charts. Friday or Preparation Unfortunately Friday is a mistranslation for a number of reasons. First of all, Jesus prophesied that he would be dead for three days and three nights before his resurrection: 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. (Matthew 12:40). Also, we will later establish the fact that Jesus, although He was seen after His resurrection on a Sunday morning, it was actually on the Saturday evening that He arose. So if that be true we will have to establish counting 3 full days from that point and going backward to find out just when Jesus died. Let s Establish the Length of a Day The Roman Catholic Church tries to force the crucifixion on a Friday by shortening the length of days. But that will not work. What we need to do is first of all establish the length of a day according to the scriptures and not according to traditions of men. After all, it was the Pharisees that thought that traditions of men were more important than the word of God And he [Jesus] said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition (Mark 7:9). Look at what Moses wrote concerning a day being a full 24-hours It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath (Leviticus 23:32). Notice that a full day is considered from the evening until the evening. The Lord does NOT cut short a day by making it a half of a day. The Holy Spirit makes it clear, from even unto even. That would be a full 24-hour day, technically from 18:00 till 18:00 the next day. 4
For another witness from the scriptures concerning how the Lord counts a day using light as a means to see 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 (John 11:9). Doctrinally Jesus was talking about Himself being the Light of the world, but practically speaking, when we talk about daylight, or light, a man has TWELVE hours of daytime. The other time is night time, another twelve hours. That equals a total of 24 hours to a full day. So when Jesus said 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 (Matthew 12:40) He was talking about a complete 72 hours. There are obviously NOT three days (36 hours) and three nights (another 36 hours) between Friday evening and Sunday morning. That would make only 1 ½ days, a total of 36 hours. Many brethren are blind to the fact what Jesus said in Matthew 12:40. He said three DAYS and three NIGHTS If you were to come visit somebody around 12:00 noon on Friday and stay there until noon on Sunday we would all say that you were there three days, but not three NIGHTS. You see, Jesus was very specific by saying, three days AND three NIGHTS. If you were to take the position of many of the Fundamentalists you still would not get a complete 3 days and 3 nights starting from a Thursday evening from 6 p.m. because from 6:00 p.m. Thursday to 6:00 p.m. Friday is one complete day of 24 hours. Then 6:00 p.m. from Friday to 6:00 p.m. to Saturday is the second complete day. And then from 6:00 p.m. Saturday to 6:00 p.m. Sunday would mean that the Lord rose again Sunday evening. That would not work out because Mary Magdalene and others saw the Lord Sunday morning (Matt.28:1-10). Resurrection and Appearance - two different time periods Also, it must be noted that just because the Lord appeared to those Sunday morning does not mean that that pinpoints when He actually arose. For example, the apostle Paul did not get revelation about the body of Christ until after his conversion (Acts 9). But that does not mean that the body of Christ did not exist, or began when Paul was saved. That is one of many heresies of Hyper-Dispensationalists. The body of Christ, technically may have been formed since the Lord died on the cross and members (1 Cor. 12:13) were added to it by the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost well before Paul was saved. The Jewish system of a day starts the evening (at 6:00 p.m.) before Gentiles start a day. That is based upon Genesis chapter 1 where it is written, And the evening and the morning were the first day, (v. 5), And the evening and the morning were the second day, (v. 8) And the evening and the morning were the third day, (v. 13) etc. You see, that is the Biblical method as to when a day starts. Now we see the importance of establishing 3 full 24-hour days, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. Games People Play 5
Now if that weren t enough sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers (Tit. 1:9) of this Laodicean period (Rev. 3:14-21), we re going to take a side-step just for a minute and have some fun to show what games people play, especially these dumb, Greek scholars who claim that they interpret according to their Greek texts. They do that for one reason, the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees are ENVIOUS of the INFALLIBLE Authorized Version of the King James Bible (1611) in the international language of English. Any and all Greek texts extant read Sabbaths (PLURAL) in Matthew 28:1 VOye. de. sabba,twn/ The word Sabbath here is pronounced sabbatone. It is in the genitive case and PLURAL in any and all Greets texts. But NONE of your modern translations in English, Russian or Ukrainian have the word in the plural. Check them out. I did 1.) The Synodal text 2.) The New Testament in Russian ( from the Greek British and Foreign Bible Society) 3.) The Word of Life (a modern translation) 4.) The Good New from God (translated for the Greek) 5.) Witness Lee s New Testament [claims to be from the originals] 6.) Jerome s Holy Letter [6 th century, Ukrainian translation] 7.) Ogienko 8.) Derkatch 9.) Etc. The word in the translations is in the SINGULAR. They all follow the KING JAMES BIBLE. Now THAT is AUTHORITY! Why didn t the Greek scholars stick with their Greek texts? Because they are HYPOCRITES! (Matt. 23:23). They are hypocrites because they claim the King James Bible translators were wrong in various places while these two-face hypocrites go against their own authorities as often as needed to protect their TRADITIONS. Any and all Greek texts show that there was MORE than one Sabbath that week. And we are proving that in this booklet that Jesus could not have died on a Friday as the Roman Catholic Whore (Rev. 17) teaches. There were two Sabbaths in one week (Thursday 14 th and Saturday 17 th ) and then the third Sabbath on the following Wednesday the following week as we mentioned on the 21 st, (the seventh day) of the days of unleavened bread. So this proves a great point about hypocrites and that is they will REJECT their own authorities - the Greek text as they say [although there are over 20 different Greek texts extant today] for the sake of their own TRADITION (Mark 7:13), that Jesus died on Friday as the Roman Catholic Whore has taught for many years. They simply reject Biblical truth at any cost. The Greek scholars have become their own authorities. They are become as gods (Gen. 3:5). The number 3 in this verse would represent the satanic trinity and the number 5 is the number of DEATH. We as Bible-believers don t need your or anybody else s Greek texts. We have the HOLY BIBLE, the holy scriptures (Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15) available for all countries in the international language of English. It consists of 66 Books as ONE COMPLETE UNIT and not just 27 books of some Greek New Testament which you choose and then 6
reject it where it would support a Biblical truth. But some of you are snakes (Matt. 23:33). You are a spiritual Roman Catholic whore at heart (Rev. 12:1-8). Now that is the game these Pharisees (saved or unsaved) play! They are like little children playing in the sandbox. Where the Greek agrees with the Authority of the King James Bible we will use it BUT WE DON T NEED IT; where any Greek text disagrees with the Authorized Version (1611) we simply throw it out. What the Holy Bible says WE BELIEVE IT no matter what any Greek text says. We have proved beyond a shadow of doubt using only ONE BOOK, the King James Bible, (without any Greek or Hebrew) that Jesus died on Wednesday and rose again on Saturday evening. Now let s get back to some more serious matters. Shall we! Charts to Further Explain When Jesus Died and Rose Again Below are some charts that explain and outline the days and events of the historical fact of the last Passover that the Lord Jesus Christ attended during His 3 1/2 year earthly ministry of His first Advent. Giving six months after His baptism which took place in the fall to the first Passover, (springtime) and three successive years for the next three Passovers shows that the Lord s earthly ministry (not including His post-resurrected ministry) during His First Advent was a total of 3 ½ years ending with the fourth Passover which took place in the springtime. Chart No. 1 shows that the Lord s death and resurrection took place in the springtime. Beginning of His ministry Fall Spring Spring Baptism to 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th Passover Passover Passover Passover (6 months)..(1 year) (1 year)......(1 year) Chart No. 2 shows the proper order of the days on a calendar. Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notice first that the days of a calendar start with Sunday as the first day of the week and not with Monday as former Soviet Russian calendars show. The reason for that shows their attitude against the Biblical account of the Creation Week (Gen.1:3-31; 2:1). 7
Saturday is the 7 th day of the week. To this very day the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, the 7 th day of the week as mentioned in the Law, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). The reason for that is because on the seventh day it was God Himself that ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made (Genesis 2:2). To the serious student of prophecy it is precisely here (Genesis 1) that God first mentions what day the Lord Jesus Christ would not only come (His first Advent) but also to die. Of course there are many other verses that would have to be read, studied (2 Tim. 2:15) and searched out (Jn. 5:39) throughout the Bible to see just how precisely the sixtysix Books of the Bible are put together into one unit by the Holy Spirit to make the holy scriptures (Rom. 1:2) so unique that there would be no other book in the universe like it. Now look at the following chart. Chart No. 3 shows the prophecy of the First and Second Advents of the Lord Jesus Christ. The top row shows each day of the creation week. The second row (going across) shows the 1000-year period stated in 2 Peter 3:8. Peter says that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. We learn that the FOURTH day would be the 4 th 1000-year. The third row shows each day of a regular week. Notice the fourth day lines up with WEDNESDAY, the middle of the week. Chart No. 3 1 st Day 2 nd Day 3 rd Day 4 th Day 5 th Day 6 th Day 7 th Day 4000 B.C. 3000 B.C. 2000 B.C 1000 B.C Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1 st Advent) 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light [the sun] to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day (Genesis 1:16-19). For the Jews, Saturday was a weekly Sabbath day. It was the SEVENTH day. So that is why Wednesday would be the day that is associated with the sun which was created on the FOURTH day the greater light to rule the day (v. 16). Not only that, look at what Malichi 4:2 says, But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 8
This verse tells us that the Sun [notice the capital S a reference to Jesus Christ] of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings That speaks of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Now don t you find the Holy Bible a rather interesting Book? This verse clearly states that the Sun is the Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore when you read in Genesis 1:19 evening and the morning were the FOURTH day that determined when Jesus Christ would come at His First Advent. That along with Sunday being the first day would determine and prove without a shadow of doubt that WEDNESDAY is the FOURTH day. Notice how the Holy Bible is scientifically put together. It is not by accident that the reference is Malachi is located in the FOURTH chapter and in the SECOND verse. The number FOUR would represent the FOURTH day (or 4 th 1000-year period) and the number TWO would represent the SECOND testament. Two is the number of DIVISION. The cross of Christ is a divider. If you don t make the proper divisions in the Bible you disobey the command in SECOND Timothy chapter TWO and verse fifteen Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Notice something else. If we were to reverse the 1000-year periods and start with the number 1000 (see chart No. 4) instead of 4000 years B.C. (as in chart No.3) then proceeded to the second day of the week which would be 2000 years, you get the following pattern Chart No. 4 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 1000 is like the 1st day of the week (Sunday) and also the date of the 11 th of that month on the Jewish calendar when Jesus was crucified. Next you have 2000 or the 2 nd day (Monday) which would be the 12 th of that month. Thirdly, 3000 or the 3 rd day (Tuesday) of that month. Fourthy, 4000 which would be the 4 th day of the week Wednesday, and so on. Everything lines up perfectly. By the time you get to the end of the week you come to the 7 th 1000 year. That fits with the Sabbath 1000 year of the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the literal throne of David in Jerusalem. The midst Now that the scriptures show that Wednesday is the middle of the week, let s look at what the Bible, (our final authority in all matters of faith and practice) says about middle, or midst. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (Daniel 9:27). 9
Note the words in the MIDST of the week. Of course we re dealing with Daniel s prophecy concerning the last week (the 70 th ) of the 7 year Great Tribulation and the antichrist who will break the covenant with the Jews. The antichrist would be the antitype of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the phrase and in the MIDST of the week would be the anti-type of a greater event, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore the words and in the midst of the week can have a dual application. It can also apply to the middle of a 7-day week, which would be WEDNESDAY. If that weren t enough, when Jesus died on the cross He was in the MIDDLE between two thieves. Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst (John 19:18) Chart No. 5 shows the last days the Lord Jesus Christ before and after His death. Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. 18 19 20 21 By now you should note the importance of numbers in the Bible, especially dealing with our subject at hand that the number seven is used quite often and it also has a very significant meaning. It means the number of COMPLETION. It is an odd number, therefore you always have a middle number with the same amount of numbers on each side. That is also exemplified with the candlestick, one of the items of furniture in the temple. The candlestick as one of the pieces of furniture in the temple shows a perfect balance. How many branches did the candlestick consist of? SEVEN! Note what Moses wrote in Exodus 25:32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side. Notice that the candlestick has branches. If there are three branches on the left side of the candlestick, and three on the right side, then Who would the middle branch represent? The Lord Jesus Christ for He is also called a BRANCH, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth (Jeremiah 23:5). In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land (Jeremiah 33:15). Sat. 10 10
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH (Zechariah 3:8). These verses obviously speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no possible way for Jesus to have died on a Thursday by the illustration of the candlestick, then the branches would have too many on one side and fewer on the other Proverbs 11:1says, A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. Again the middle branch would represent the Wednesday of the week when Jesus died. It could not have happened on a Thursday, that would make a false balance. He could not have died on a Friday, which would be way too late. A day-by-day detailed account of the Passion Week What we are going to do here is lay out each day and some of the events that took place before and after the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. 10 th SATURDAY (7 th day of the week) March/April Abib (Neh. 2:1) Nisan after the Babylonian captivity. 1. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb fulfilled the tenth day (Exod. 12:3). 2. In Exodus 12:3 the lamb should be kept until the 14 th day. Mary anointed the Lord Jesus the day before the triumphal entry (Mark 11:1-11; John 12:1-11). Then see John 12:12 On the next day (which would be Sunday). 11 th SUNDAY (1 st day of the week) Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 1. Sunday morning Jesus went to Jerusalem. (First appearance during this 4 th Passover of His 31/2 year ministry). A. Triumphal Entry - Matt. 21:4-11; Mark 11:7-11a; Luke 19:33-38. 2. Sunday evening He left Jerusalem and went to Bethany (about 2 miles east of Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho John 11:18) and slept there. Matt. 21:17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Mark 11:11b and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. 12 th MONDAY (2 nd day of the week) 1. Having left Bethany, Jesus cursed the fig tree on His way to Jerusalem (Matt. 21:18; Mark 11:12-14). 2. Jesus purified the temple (Matt. 21:12-16 Mark 11:15-18 Luke 19:45-46). (Second time to Jerusalem). v.12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 11
Mark 11:11a And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple Luke 19:45-47 3. In the evening he left Jerusalem and went back to Bethany (Matt. 21:17; Mark 11:19). 13 th TUESDAY (3 rd day of the week). 1. Tuesday morning, on their way to Jerusalem again, Jesus and the disciples saw the results of the cursed fig tree; (Matt. 21:20; Mark 11:20, 21 it was dried up by the roots ). 2. Tuesday morning He returned to Jerusalem (Mark 11:27 and they come again to Jerusalem ) This is His 3 rd appearance during His last Passover. Matthew 26:1-5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people (v. 5). They meant not on Thursday, their high day (John 19:31; Mark 15:42). After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread (Mark 14:1, 2; Luke 22:1, 2). 3. The disciples go out to choose the room for the supper on Tuesday, before 6:00 p.m. (Matthew 26:1 takes place Tuesday evening before 6:00 p.m.; Luke 22:1, 7). 4. Tuesday before 6:00 p.m. (Matt. 26:17-19) Tuesday evening after 6:00 p.m. Matt. 26:20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. Mark 14:17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve (Mark 14:17). Luke 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. The last supper took place on Tuesday evening (Mark 14:17-26; Luke 22:14-20). This is Tuesday after 6:00 p.m. which already begins Wednesday. This is the Passover feast of Leviticus 23:5. (The number 5 is the number of death). It says, at even which means in Luke 22:14 it was already after 6:00 p.m. According to the Jewish day, evening and the morning the day the Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples is the same day that He was crucified, although He wasn t crucified until Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The supper and His death are the same day. 14 th WEDNESDAY (4 th day of the week) midst of the week (Dan. 9:26, 27). 1. The trial took place in the early morning hours of Wednesday. Cf. John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! 12
It is 6 o clock in the morning, Gentile time. It was about this time that the Lord was whipped and beaten. 2. Jesus Christ hung on the cross from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Mark 15:25, 33-37) A. Very interesting to notice that the first time darkness is mentioned in scripture is in Genesis 1:2. It indicates that judgment had taken place, a flood. The cross means judgment. B. Jesus Christ dies on the cross, thus beginning the second Testament. This is the New Testament in His blood. The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was put in the tomb by 6:00 p.m. Wednesday making exactly three nights of twelve hours each (Wed., Thurs., Fri.) and three days (daylight) of twelve hours each (Thurs., Fri., and Sat.) in the tomb. The Lord rose from the grave bodily the first day of the week Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. (See Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, where the scriptures say evening and morning That means according to the Bible that the evening (6:00 p.m.) starts a day (18:00) and not 12:00 midnight, (24:00). 3. Passover was killed on this day, and eaten on Thursday. The feast of unleavened bread began with an annual Sabbath, which would have been from Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. through Thursday at 6:00 p.m. (Exod. 12:16; John 19:31). This would begin after Jesus was buried. 4. John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Mark 15:42-47; It was the Sabbath of the first day of the feast (Matt. 26:17). This Sabbath was not a regular weekly Sabbath (Saturday from our Friday 6:00 p.m. through Saturday 6:00 p.m.) but an annual Sabbath, (which was from Wednesday 6:00 p.m. through Thursday 6:00 p.m.) The inspired words contained within the parenthesis of John 19:31 reveal the truth. The first day of the feast of unleavened bread was an annual Sabbath (Exod. 12:15-20; Lev. 23:6-8; Num. 28:17-25; Deut. 16:3-8; Mark 11:12). Mark 15:42 And now when the even was come, (still the 14 th, of Wednesday) because it was the preparation, (still Wednesday) that is, the day before the sabbath (Thursday, 15 th ). The Passover was eaten after 6:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night (Num. 28:16, 17) which would actually start the 15 th, Thursday, or the 5 th day of the week. And that day was the preparation, (Wednesday till 6:00 p.m.) and the sabbath drew on (Luke 23:54) meaning the coming Thursday. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; (still Wednesday before 6:00 p.m.) for the sepulchre was nigh at hand (John 19:42). 13
15 th THURSDAY (5 th day of the week) 1. This day after the Passover starts the days of unleavened bread (Acts 12:2). Here the Jews were required to bring a different sacrifice than that of the Passover lamb. That is why Ezekiel specified seven days after a comma, which divides the passover sacrifice (one day) from the seven days ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten (Ezek. 45:21). The little pope Popechenko broke is fool neck on this verse and hasn t learned basic divisions by punctuation marks throughout the Holy Bible. 2. This also would be the High Day, annual Sabbath (which actually starts Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.). Now the next day, (Thursday) that followed the day of preparation (Wednesday), the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate (Matt. 27:62). 16 th FRIDAY (6 th day of the week) 17 th SATURDAY (7 th day of the week) 1. 3 full days and 3 full nights would complete on Saturday evening (Matt. 12:40). 2. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils (Mark 16:9). This would be the first part of the day (Saturday after 6:00 p.m.) starts already the first day of the week. 18 th SUNDAY (1 st day of the week) From Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset. The resurrection had already happened Saturday 1. Matt. 28:1 the women come about 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. 2. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun (Mark 16:1, 2). 3. Luke 24:1 very early in the morning 4. John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Supposed discrepancy There is yet one more verse that appears to be a discrepancy and needs to be discussed. The proponents of the crucifixion taking place on Thursday hold that Wednesday would be too early because of the following verse, 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 (Luke 24:21). The incident took place after the Lord resurrected from the grave. It was a conversation between two men and Jesus while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them (v. 15). They not knowing 14
that it was Jesus walking with them, one of them began telling the Lord what had happened Concerning Jesus of Nazareth (v. 19). The words and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done (v. 21) are a supposed mistake by many. The clear teaching of Scripture on the chronology of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection should not be overthrown by a casual conversation of two men with the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they considered a stranger (v. 18). They are not counting Sunday, since the day was not yet complete. The statement that they made is reference to the last full day (Saturday) since Christ s burial on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Conclusion In conclusion, you must face the facts of the Bible as compared to the traditions of men. There are a great many people, saved and unsaved, who believe that Jesus died on Thursday or Friday. Of course that is a hoax but nonetheless, if a person has been truly born again (John 3:3, 7) that person will go the heaven. It also must be mentioned that just because you know about the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ does not mean that you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally and are saved. Just because you may be religious and go to church and have been baptized, celebrate Easter or believe there is one God means that you are saved. The Bible says, Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble (James 2:19). So don t be deceived into thinking that salvation is equated with traditions of men. I was a Greek Orthodox raised in a home where tradition was a regular practice. During the time of Easter we would say, Jesus Christ is risen. Truly He is risen. We did that because it is tradition to say that. But simply having a mental assent to that truth does not mean you are saved. I was not saved until I was 27 years old, many years after I had already been going to a Greek Orthodox Church. I would have gone to hell while being an Orthodox if I hadn t heard a clear presentation of the Gospel and gotten saved. So likewise if you say Jesus Christ is risen, and don t know Him as your personal Saviour, your faith is vain and you are still in your sins and on your way to a Devil s hell to burn forever. You see, the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Church replaced the blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ [which is the ONLY means for you to be saved] with their own traditions to make you think that if you do good works and keep their traditions you will become good enough for God to accept you without you having any knowledge of personal salvation. You might say, Nobody can know for sure whether he is going to heaven or not! You see, you don t know for sure whether you are going to heaven or not because you don t know whether your good works will be enough for God to accept you. You say that good works are necessary to go to heaven and yet you yourself don t even know if your good works will get you to heaven. It is hypocrisy! It is a self-righteous attitude on your part. You have been deceived into thinking that you can t know. Therefore you tell others that they can t know. Just like any Roman Catholic, or Orthodox priest doesn t know and tells others that they can t know. That is exactly what my former priest told me. [See our tract Dear Priest a letter to a Greek Orthodox priest]. The Bible clearly states that you CAN know for sure. The apostle John wrote, These things have I written unto you THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE 15
ETERNAL LIFE (1 John 5:13). You see? Man s traditions say, You cannot know The Bible says, you CAN know. The difference is, man s way of salvation in the church age: good works, baptism, observing holidays, traditions, etc., do not save you. Therefore there is no revelation given as to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Biblical way of salvation is in a PERSON, the Lord Jesus Christ given as a free gift, not of works. That way of salvation is the true way. Contrary to man s traditions, salvation is a FREE GIFT that is given INSTANTANEOUSLY at the moment you trust the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one THE FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life. What do I need to do to be saved from Hell? In order to be saved you must first, acknowledge your sin of believing that good works (baptism, celebrating Easter, and going to church) are a means of salvation. No matter what amount of good works, tradition, and observing holidays will never wipe away your ugly sins. That s why you still don t know whether you ll go the heaven or not. Now listen, the most important thing about Passover is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins according to the scriptures. What does that mean to you? Absolutely nothing until you accept first of all from the heart that you are a guilty, hell-bound SINNER. There ought to be a guilt consciousness on your part concerning your sins. Do not try to justify yourself before a holy God that you are a good person. The only way out from under the curse of God and His wrath upon you right now is to realize that He took your place on the cross, shed His pure, precious blood, suffered the wrath of God and died a cruel death to pay the price for sin that YOU SHOULD PAY. But you CANNOT pay that price. No matter how much you say Christ has risen You still fall short, for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Secondly, having a mental assent to that fact about the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot save you. You must apply those Biblical facts to your own heart BY FAITH. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ only and not your works, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto SALVATION. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED. (Romans 10:9, 10, 13) You are to receive the fact that what Jesus Christ did on the cross was ENOUGH for you to be saved. He cried out on the cross It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. That means that there is nothing that you can add to what He did. Just simply trust Him by faith. That mean apply Him to your own heart by receiving Him as a free gift as the one and only offering for your sins. 16
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:8, 9). When a person receives God s righteousness, which is Jesus Christ and the Lord comes into your heart, THEN you will know by the witness of the Holy Spirit IN YOU, that you will go to heaven when you die. But until you have a change of mind and heart, that is, REPENT of your own self-righteousness, you will NEVER come to the knowledge of the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ, Who is eternal life. If you are not saved and are not sure that you will go to heaven when you die, why not trust the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from hell right now by saying something like this God, I know that I am a sinner guilty before you. I repent of my selfrighteousness. I don t want to go to hell when I die. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and rose again the third day. Wash me by your pure, precious blood. I want to be saved. I trust Jesus Christ right now as my own personal Saviour. Amen! Dear friend, if your prayer was sincere and honest and you have asked the Lord to save you please let us know. We would like to help you grow and learn more about true Biblical faith and how to grow spiritually. May the Lord richly bless you. Bible Baptist Church of Kiev e-mail: pdkjv1611@gmail.com websites: kjv1611rus.org harvestukraine.org/rus KJVpublications 17