Hello again
I continue to read with great interest your articles. In one relating to the Passover, you mention that Palm Sunday could have been the 10 Nisan. That may well be the case, but I wondered what your thoughts were on a Wednesday crucifixion. I believed that for many years - three days and three nights was the sign of Messiahship and there is no way you can get that time frame into Friday to Sunday.
However, I can see also that there is a picture of man's creation on the sixth day (Genesis 1), but then the 'first' man's 'creation' also ending on a Friday with the death of Jesus Christ - a rest on the Sabbath - and then a new creation starting on the eighth day (also the first day, of course). This, of course, makes the traditional Good Friday/Easter Sunday seem more reasonable.
Also - and maybe I am taking parallels too far with this one - circumcision was on the eighth day of a male boy's life. Could 'spiritual circumcision' emanate from the eighth day, too? The resurrected Christ and then seven weeks later, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost - both events on the eighth (the first, really) day of the week.
Any thoughts?
JPN Reply:
Hi,
Yeah, I believe Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, was the 10th Nisan. I believe He had to present Himself to the people on this day to fulfil the types in the Passover feast of Exodus 12. They had to 'inspect' this lamb of God until the 14th of Nisan to see that He was spotless, so He presented Himself to the people of Jerusalem during this time. So I'm a Thursday crucifixion man! : ) It isn't something that I think it critical and if I am wrong, so be it! Nothing really rides on it! But a Thursday crucifixion seems to fit. I read a book called "How Close are we?" by Dave Hunt and that had a couple of good chapters about it that made sense to me. I do believe strongly in Christ fulfilling the types of the Old Testament and if Palm Sunday was the 10th then Thursday was the 14th. And we know according to Exodus 12 that it was on the 14th that the lambs had to be sacrificed for the Passover feast. So that was when Jesus had to die to fulfil the type. Not a day earlier and not a day later. Thursday allows for the 3 days and 3 nights in the grave before the resurrection to fulfil the sign of Jonah. It allows for the 'high Sabbath' of John 19:31 when there were two Sabbaths in a row (a 'high' Sabbath on the Friday and the normal Saturday Sabbath). I just had a look and I saw a brief transcript on Dave Hunt's website which talks about it a bit more if interested:
http://www.thebereancall.org/content/should-we-be-celebrating-good-thursday-0
On other matters, I don't see that because man was created on the sixth day, Jesus had to die on the sixth day. It is possible but there isn't any actual need for Him to die on that day. Six is more the number of fallen man, not Jesus. But I do agree with the 8th day speaking of new life and resurrection. This is consistent throughout scripture and the name Jesus numerically in the Greek is 888. Other titles of Jesus are multiples of 8. And as you point out it was on the 8th day that Jesus arose and also when the Holy Spirit came. Also it was 8 people that were saved through the waters (picture of resurrection - 1 Pet 3:20). Have a look here if interested:
http://www.wordworx.co.nz/panin.html
All interesting stuff! : ) Thanks!
Hello.
I am confused regarding Jesus' resurrection on Nisan 17. If Nisan 14 began at Thursday twilight and ended Friday twilight,
Nisan 15 = Fri twilight to Sat twilight, then Sat Twilight to Sun twilight would be Nisan 16. Jesus was not in the tomb on Sunday the 16th. He had already risen. Yet your articles say the 17th was Resurrection Day.
Could you explain so that I can understand?
Thanks.
JPN Reply:
Hi,
thanks for the email. Firstly, good on you for thinking these things through and trying to check it all out. : )
You are thinking correctly except that you are one day out to begin with. Nisan 14 doesn't start at Thursday twilight but Wed twilight.
The last week as I understand it is as follows (Remembering that the Jewish days goes from sundown to sundown):
Saturday Evening - Sunday Evening = Sunday, Nisan 10 (this is when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday)
Sunday Evening - Monday Evening = Monday, Nisan 11
Monday Evening - Tuesday Evening = Tuesday, Nisan 12
Tuesday Evening - Wednesday Evening = Wednesday, Nisan 13
Wednesday Evening - Thursday Evening = Thursday, Nisan 14 (Passover, this is the day Jesus, along with the lambs, was killed)
Thursday Evening - Friday Evening = Friday, Nisan 15
Friday Evening - Saturday Evening = Saturday, Nisan 16
Saturday Evening - Sunday Evening = Sunday, Nisan 17 (the day Jesus rose, early Sunday morning, the feast of firstfruits!)
So the three days and three nights mentioned for Jesus to be in the tomb (remembering that according to Jewish reckoning. a part day or night constituted a day/night) are:
Days: Thursday (He died at 3pm before 'Friday' officially started at twilight), Friday, Saturday
Nights: Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Mar 16:9 Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week (Sunday), He first appeared to Mary...
Actually, I've found a good website page that goes into far more detail on this and also states why he doesn't believe either a Friday or Wednesday crucifixion work. Please have a look here:
https://www.tedmontgomery.com/bblovrvw/GoodThursday/index.html
Hope this helps and all the best.