DAY AFTER CRUCIFIXION A HIGH DAYã
Aristeo Canlas Fernando, Peace
Crusader
As proven in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/jesuscrucify.htm,
Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, the preparation day for the Jewish
Sabbath the next day. The summary of
dates determined is as follows:
|
Proleptic
Gregorian date |
Day of week |
Jewish date (Until
sunset of Gregorian date) |
Remarks |
|
August
17, 1 BC |
Friday |
Av
30, 3760 AM |
Crucifixion
of Jesus |
|
August
18, 1 BC |
Saturday |
Elul
1, 3760 AM |
New
moon; Jewish Sabbath and New Moon Festival |
It is only in the gospel of
John where it mentions that that Sabbath day after the crucifixion was a high
day. John 19:31 in the Holy Bible
(King James Version) states:
“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 a high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”
Other Bibles phrased that
high day as follows:
The
Bible (Revised Standard Version) –
“(for that Sabbath was a high day.)”
The
New Testament – “(for that Sabbath
day was an high day.)”
Good
News Bible – “(since the coming
Sabbath was especially holy.)”
The
Bible (American Standard Version) –
“(for the day of that sabbath was a high day)”
The
Bible (New International Version) –
“the next day was to be a special Sabbath”
Celebration – “(the next day was to be a special Sabbath.)”
Simple
English Bible New Testament – “This
Sabbath was a very important one.”
The New Testament by The Gideons International – “which was a specially important day”
New Testament in Contemporary English – “The next day would be both a Sabbath and the
Passover. It was a special day for the
Jewish people …”
That Sabbath day was really
a very important and an especially holy day for the Jewish people. What did John mean when he called that
Sabbath day a high day? What made that
Sabbath different from other Sabbaths?
The Jewish Sabbath (from
Hebrew Shabbat, “to rest”) is observed throughout the year every seventh
day of the week – Saturday -- in the Jewish calendar. This calendar is a lunar calendar with 29 or 30 days in a
month. Sabbath may occur on any day of the month, including the first day
and fixed-date holy days. The first day
of the month may be any day of the week, including Saturday. Not every
first day of the month is Saturday.
This is due to the fact that a seven-day week does not accord well with
a lunar calendar. If only the lunar month had 28 days, then Saturday
would occur on the same days of the month every month. However, it does not.
According to the Bible,
after God created the world, He rested on the seventh day. Sabbath is in commemoration of this original
seventh day (Exodus 20:11). God
commanded the children of Israel to sanctify this day of rest and dedicate it
to the Lord by abstaining from business and work, and engaging in worship and
study at home and in the synagogue.
In the Ten Commandments, it
is only the Jewish holy day of Sabbath that is commanded to be observed (Exodus
20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15). In
observing the Sabbath, the Lord commanded the Israelites to make offerings
(Numbers 28:9-10) as presented in Table 1 below.
To get ready to keep the
Sabbath (Saturday), the Jews make preparations on its eve (Friday, the sixth
day of the week); hence the day is called Preparation Day.
Aside from Sabbath, there
are other holy days that God commanded the Israelites to observe and make
offerings. These are New Moon Festival
(Rosh Hodesh); the pilgrim festivals of Passover (Pesach or
Pesah), Harvest or Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavuot), and
Tabernacles or Shelter (Sukkot); and the High Holidays of New Year
Festival (Rosh Hashanah) and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The
last five are the major Jewish holy days.
In ancient times, the New Moon Festival was a major festival but is now
considered a minor festival, and a lesser holiday—i.e. a holiday in which the
observance is few and not always defined (Encyc. Brit. 22:447).
All the dates when to
observe these holy days are fixed except Sabbath. These fixed-date holy days may therefore fall on a Saturday
except the Harvest Festival. If any of
these do fall on a Saturday, then it would be a double celebration making the
day a high day.
New Year Festival (on Tishri
1 and 2) and Day of Atonement (on Tishri 10) are now called High Holidays or
High Holy Days. The Bible does not link
these two major festivals but the Talmud does.
Including the days between these festivals, the 10-day period is
sometimes called yamin nora’im but is more accurately called Aseret
Yeme Teshuva (“Ten Days of Penitence” or “days of awe”.) Although these major festivals are called
High Holy Days, they are not the same as what Apostle John meant when he called
the next day after the crucifixion of Jesus a high day.
The Lord spoke to Moses to
tell the Israelites to present to God the required food-offerings that are
sweet-smelling and pleasing to Him. The
Lord instructed them to make offerings daily, on Sabbath, on the first day of
the month, during the pilgrim festivals of Passover, Harvest, and Tabernacles,
on New Year’s Day, and on Day of Atonement.
The offerings consist of burnt-offering, grain-offering and
wine-offering, and at times, sin-offering as tabulated in Table 1. The burnt-offering serves as the
food-offering (Numbers 28:19). The
offerings on the holy days are in addition to the regular daily offerings. Details of the laws about the offerings are
found in Chapters 1-7 of Leviticus.
Table 1. The offerings God commanded the Israelites
to make on their holy days (Source: Good News Bible).
|
Religious Holy Days |
Daily |
Sabbath |
|
When Held |
Every day |
Every Saturday |
|
Jewish Calendar Date |
Every date |
Every Saturday |
|
Gregorian Calendar Date |
Every Date |
From sunset of Friday to
sunset of Saturday |
|
When Offerings are
Presented |
Every day, one in the
morning and one in the evening |
Every Saturday |
|
Main Verses |
Num 28:3-8 |
Num 28:9-10 |
|
Other Related Verses |
|
Ex 20:8-10, 23:12,
31:12-17, 34:21, 35:2-3; Lev 23:3; Deut 5:12-15 |
|
Burnt-Offering (all
animals must be without defects) |
2 one-year-old male lambs |
2 one-year-old male lambs |
|
Grain-Offering (flour
mixed with olive-oil) |
1 kg with each lamb; one liter
of olive-oil |
2 kg |
|
Wine-Offering |
1 liter with each lamb |
Unspecified quantity,
assumed to be 1 liter with each lamb |
|
Sin-Offering (animal must
be without defects) |
None |
None |
|
Work Restriction |
None |
Yes (Lev 23:3; Ex
20:10-11, 23:12, 31:15, 34:21, 35:2; Deut 5:14 |
|
Holy Convocation |
None |
Yes (Lev 23:3) |
|
Trumpets to be Blown |
None |
|
|
Special Instructions |
The first lamb is offered
in the morning and the second in the evening |
Burnt-offering to be
offered in addition to the daily offering with its wine-offering (Num 28:10) |
The offerings every Sabbath
are in addition to the daily offering. On Sabbath, therefore, the total
burnt-offering consists of four one-year-old male lambs without defects, i.e.
2+2. And if Sabbath falls on the first of the month, as was the case on
the day after the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the offering consists of the
daily, Sabbath, and New Moon Festival offerings. There was much
preparation to do for such an especially holy day: eleven one-year-old male
lambs (2+2+7), two young bulls, and one ram to be killed for the
burnt-offering; 19 kg of flour (2+2+6+2+7) to be mixed with about 9.5 liters of
olive oil (1+1+3+1+3.5) for the grain-offering; 16.5 liters of wine
(2+2+4+1.5+7) for the wine-offering; and a male goat to be killed for the
sin-offering.
|
Religious Holy Days |
New Moon Festival (Rosh Hodesh) |
Passover Festival (Pesach) |
|
When Held |
1st day of
lunar month |
14th to 21st
of first month of religious lunar year |
|
Jewish Calendar Date |
1st day of
lunar month |
Present: Nisan 14-21 Before: 14th to 21st of
first month of religious lunar year |
|
Gregorian Calendar Date |
May fall on any date (see
Table 2 below) |
Present: Start between March 27 and April 25 Before: Any date |
|
When Offerings are
Presented |
1st day of
lunar month |
Each day for seven days |
|
Main Verses |
Num 28:11-15 |
Num 28:16-25 |
|
Other Related Verses |
Num 10:10, 29:6 |
Ex 12:14-20, 23:15, 34:18;
Lev 23:5-8; Deut 16:1-8 |
|
Burnt-Offering (all
animals must be without defects) |
2 young bulls, 1 ram, 7
one-year-old male lambs |
2 young bulls, 1 ram, 7
one-year male lambs |
|
Grain-Offering (flour
mixed with olive-oil) |
3 kg with each bull, 2 kg
with the ram, 1 kg with each lamb |
3 kg with each bull, 2 kg
with the ram, 1 kg with each lamb |
|
Wine-Offering |
2 liters with each bull,
1.5 liters with the ram, 1 liter with each lamb |
None |
|
Sin-Offering (animal must
be without defects) |
1 male goat |
1 male goat |
|
Work Restriction |
Yes, implied (Amos 8:5,
KJV) |
Yes, on 1st and 7th
days (Num 28:18, 25; Ex 12:16; Lev 23:7-8; Deut 16:8) |
|
Holy Convocation |
|
Yes, on 1st and
7th day (Ex 12:16; Lev 23:7-8; Num 28:18,25; Deut 16:8) |
|
Trumpets to be Blown |
Yes (Num 10:10) |
|
|
Special Instructions |
Above offerings in
addition to the daily burnt-offering with its wine-offering (Num 28:15) |
For 7 days, the above
offerings are in addition to the regular daily morning burnt-offering and wine-offering
(Num 28:24); only bread prepared without yeast is eaten (Ex 12:15, 23:15; Lev
23:6; Num 28:17; Deut 16:3,8). |
Religious Holy Days |
Harvest Festival or Pentecost (Shavuot) |
New Year Festival (Rosh Hashanah) |
|
When Held |
Part 1: Presentation of
first sheaf of corn on day after Sabbath Part 2: Seven full weeks
from Part 1 |
First day of 7th
month |
|
Jewish Calendar Date |
Part 1: Day after Sabbath during Passover Festival
(present) Part 2: Seven full weeks from Part 1 now fixed on
Sivan 4-5 |
Tishri 1 |
|
Gregorian Calendar Date |
Part 1: Between March 27
and May 2 Part 2: Start between May
15 and June 13 |
Between September 6 and
October 4 |
|
When Offerings are
Presented |
Day after Sabbath |
First day of 7th
month |
|
Main Verses |
Part 1: Lev 23:9-14 Part 2: Num 28:26-31; Lev
23:15-22 |
Num 29:1-6 |
|
Other Related Verses |
Ex 23:16, 34:22; Deut
16:9-12 (Part 2) |
Lev 23:23-24 |
|
Burnt-Offering (all
animals must be without defects) |
Part 1: 1 one-year-old male
lamb Part 2: 2 young bulls, 1
ram, 7 one-year-old lambs (Num 28:27); or 7 one-year-old lambs, 1 young bull,
2 rams (Lev 23:18, KJV) |
1 young bull, 1 ram, 7
one-year-old male lambs |
|
Grain-Offering (flour
mixed with olive-oil) |
Part 1: 2 kg Part 2: 3 kg with each
bull, 2 kg with the ram, 1 kg with each lamb |
3 kg with the bull, 2 kg
with the ram, 1 kg with each lamb |
|
Wine-Offering |
Part 1: 1 liter Part 2: Unspecified
quantity, assumed to be 2 liters with each bull, 1.5 liters with the ram, 1
liter with each lamb (Num 28:31; Lev 23:18) |
None |
|
Sin-Offering (animal must
be without defects) |
Part 2: 1 male goat |
1 male goat |
|
Work Restriction |
Part 1: Yes (Num 28:26) Part 2: Yes (Lev 23:21) |
Yes (Num 29:1; Lev
23:23-24) |
|
Holy Convocation |
Part 1: Yes (Num 28:26) Part 2: Yes (Lev 23:21) |
Yes (Num 29:1; Lev 23:23) |
|
Trumpets to be Blown |
Yes, implied (Num 10:10) |
Yes (Num 29:1; Lev 23:24) |
|
Special Instructions |
Part 1: New corn, whether raw,
roasted, or baked into bread, not to be eaten until offering is done (Lev
23:14) Part 2: 2 one-year-old
male lambs as a fellowship-offering (Lev 23:19); each family to bring two
loaves of bread presented to the Lord as a special gift (Lev 23:17); corn at
edges of the field left uncut for poor people and foreigners (Lev 23:22).
Above offerings in addition to the daily burnt-offering and grain-offering
(Num 28:31) |
Above offerings in
addition to regular burnt-offering for New Moon Festival with its grain-offering,
and the daily burnt-offering with its grain-offering and wine-offering (Num
29:6) |
|
Religious Holy Days |
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) |
Festival of Tabernacles or Shelters (Sukkot) |
|
When Held |
10th day of 7th
month |
15th to 22nd
day of 7th month |
|
Jewish Calendar Date |
Tishri 10 |
Tishri 15-22 |
|
Gregorian Calendar Date |
Between September 16 and
October 14 |
Start between September 21
and October 19 |
|
When Offerings are
Presented |
10th day of 7th
month |
Each day for seven days +
on 8th day (Leviticus 23:36) |
|
Main Verses |
Num 29:7-11 |
Num 29:12-39 |
|
Other Related Verses |
Lev 23:26-32, 16:29-34 |
Ex 34:22; Lev 23:33-43;
Deut 16:13-15 |
|
Burnt-Offering (all
animals must be without defects) |
1 young bull, 1 ram, 7
one-year-old male lambs |
Each day from 1st
to 7th day: 2 rams and 14 one-year-old male lambs + 13 young bulls
on 1st day, 12 on 2nd, 11 on 3rd, 10 on 4th,
9 on 5th, 8 on 6th, 7 on 7th; on 8th
day: 1 young bull, 1 ram, 7 one-year-old male lambs |
|
Grain-Offering (flour
mixed with olive-oil) |
3 kg with the bull, 2 kg
with the ram, 1 kg with each lamb |
3 kg with each bull, 2 kg
with each ram, 1 kg with each lamb |
|
Wine-Offering |
None |
Unspecified (Num 29:15) |
|
Sin-Offering (animal must
be without defects) |
1 male goat |
1 male goat on 1st
day (Num 29:16) |
|
Work Restriction |
Yes (Lev 16:29,31,
23:28,30,32; Num 29:7) |
Yes, on 1st and
8th day (Lev 23:35-36,39; Num 29:12,35) |
|
Holy Convocation |
Yes (Num 29:7; Lev
16:29,31, 23:27,32) |
Yes, on 1st and
8th day (Lev 23:35-36; Num 29:12,35) |
|
Trumpets to be Blown |
|
Yes (Num 10:10) |
|
Special Instructions |
No food eaten (fasting) (Num
29:7; Lev 23:32); the above offerings are in addition to the daily
burnt-offering with its grain-offering and wine-offering (Num 29:11) |
Live in shelters for seven
days (Lev 23:42-43); above offerings in addition to the daily burnt-offering
with its grain-offering and wine-offering (Num 29:16) |
In the Jewish calendar in
ancient times, the sighting of the new moon heralded the start of a Jewish
month. God instructed the Israelites to
celebrate the first day of the month as a joyful occasion in what is referred
to as the New Moon Festival or Rosh Hodesh (Hebrew: Head of the Month).
They are to blow the trumpets when they presented their offerings
(Numbers 10:10). The offerings mentioned
in the Torah (Numbers 28:11-15) are presented above in Table 1. During Old Testament times, this festival
was a major festival imposing abstention from business and work. The Jews visited the Temple of Jerusalem for
a special sacrifice and held a family celebration.
These days, however, it has
been demoted to a lesser holiday and is not celebrated or followed anymore as
it used to be. It is now considered a
minor festival on which fasting and mourning are not allowed. One reason may be due to fact that the Jews
were dispersed throughout the world and have adopted the calendar of their host
countries, which most likely is the solar Gregorian calendar. This may also be the reason why the true
meaning of high day is not fully understood anymore or has been lost.
The following verses from
the Holy Bible (King James Version) explicitly mentions the New Moon
Festival:
Numbers 10:10 – “Also in the day of your gladness,
and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow
with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your
peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am
the Lord your God.”
Numbers 28:11-15 – And in the beginnings of your
months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord;
two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;
And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil,
for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled
with oil, for one ram; And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for
a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savor, a
sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. And their drink offerings shall be half a
hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of a hin unto a ram, and
a fourth part of a hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of
every month throughout the months of the year.
And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, beside the continual
burnt offering, and his drink offering.
1 Samuel 20:5 – And David said unto Jonathan, Behold,
tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at
meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third
day at even.
Note: David lived
around 1000 BC. The tradition of
celebrating the New Moon Festival with the family was followed during David’s
time, more than 300 years from the Israelite’s emancipation from slavery in
Egypt. .
Amos 8:5 – Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Note: Amos
preached to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel about the middle of
the eighth century B.C. That is about
500 years from Exodus. The New Moon
Festival, as can be discerned from this verse, was a major festival with
business and work restriction like Sabbath.
Colossians 2:16 – Let no man therefore judge you in
meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the
sabbath days:
Note: Even during the time of the apostles, the
New Moon Festival was still
being observed after more than 1,300 years from
Exodus.
The Jewish calendar is a
lunar calendar. There are twelve months
in a year with 29 or 30 days in a month.
The time it takes for the moon to complete one revolution around the
earth is 29.5306 days. A lunar year
totals 354 days, which is about 11 days shorter than a solar year. The solar year is the time it takes for the
earth to complete one revolution around the sun, which is 365.2422 days. The Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar.
In order to keep the
festivals being celebrated in their proper season, a month of 30 days is
intercalated in the Jewish calendar every 3rd, 6th, 8th,
11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years in
a 19-year cycle. When this
intercalation occurs, the Jewish year is said to be a leap year.
These days, the same Jewish
calendar is used as the religious calendar and the civil calendar as shown in
Table 2. The religious year starts in
the month of Nisan while the civil year starts in the month of Tishri. In ancient times, the start of the religious
year may be anytime of the year because it was purely lunar. It was unaffected by the intercalation of a
month in the civil calendar. The months
were numbered 1 to 12. This is
explained more extensively in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/twocalendars.htm.
Also these days, the Jews
may shift by a day the beginning of the civil calendar (Tishri 1) in order to
avoid the Sabbath coinciding with a particular annual festival or fast
completely, thus avoiding potential conflict that could result in violating the
day or infringing it. For example, the
Day of Atonement must not fall on a Friday or Sunday, or the seventh day of the
Festival of Tabernacles must not be a sabbath.
Table 2 also shows the
earliest date and latest date in the Gregorian calendar when the Jewish month
can start. Note that Av may start
between July 9 and August 7. When Jesus
was crucified, the month of Av started on July 19, 1 BC. The first month of the religious year fell
on that month, which called for the celebration of the Passover Festival. The festival was held from August 1 to
August 8, 1 BC. The crucifixion did not
happen during the festival, but nine days after. It was on August 17, 1 BC (Av 30, 3760 AM). Please read the details in http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader/passover.htm.
Table 2. The earliest and latest dates in the
Gregorian calendar when the months of the present Jewish religious and civil
calendars begin.
|
Month |
Number of Days |
Religious Calendar |
Civil Calendar |
Earliest Start |
Latest Start |
||
|
Common Year |
Leap Year |
Common Year |
Leap Year |
||||
|
Tishri |
30 |
7 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
Sep 6 |
Oct 4 |
|
Heshvan |
29 or 30 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
Oct 5 |
Nov 4 |
|
Kislev |
29 or 30 |
9 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
Nov 5 |
Dec 3 |
|
Tevet |
29 |
10 |
10 |
4 |
4 |
Dec 5 |
Jan 2 |
|
Shevat |
30 |
11 |
11 |
5 |
5 |
Jan 3 |
Feb 2 |
|
Adar I (leap year only) |
30 |
- |
12 |
- |
6 |
Feb 1 |
Feb 11 |
|
Adar (Adar II in leap
year) |
29 |
12 |
13 |
6 |
7 |
Feb 1 |
Mar 13 |
|
Nisan |
30 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
Mar 13 |
Apr 11 |
|
Iyyar |
29 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
Apr 12 |
May 11 |
|
Sivan |
30 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
10 |
May 11 |
Jun 9 |
|
Tammuz |
29 |
4 |
4 |
10 |
11 |
Jun 10 |
Jul 9 |
|
Av |
30 |
5 |
5 |
11 |
12 |
Jul 9 |
Aug 7 |
|
Elul |
29 |
6 |
6 |
12 |
13 |
Aug 8 |
Sep 6 |
Table 3 tabulates the dates
when five Jewish religious holy days were celebrated or observed from 1989 to
1993. Note the dates when the New Year
Festival, for example, was celebrated: at the earliest on September 9 in 1991,
and at the latest on September 30 in 1989.
Table 3. Gregorian dates of five Jewish religious
holy days from 1989 to 1993.
|
Year |
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
|
Passover Festival |
Apr 20-27 |
Apr 10-17 |
Mar 30 – Apr 6 |
Apr 18-25 |
Apr 6-13 |
|
Harvest Festival |
Jun 9 |
May 30 |
May 19 |
Jun 7 |
May 16 |
|
New Year Festival |
Sep 30 |
Sep 20 |
Sep 9 |
Sep 28 |
Sep 16 |
|
Day of Atonement |
Oct 9 |
Sep 29 |
Sep 18 |
Oct 7 |
Sep 26 |
|
Festival of Tabernacles |
Oct 14-21 |
Oct 4-11 |
Sep 23-30 |
Oct 12-19 |
Sep 30 – Oct 7 |
Source: Dates and Meanings of Religious and Other
Festivals by Dr. John Walshe
Jesus was in the tomb for
three days and three nights as prophesied by Jesus, to wit:
Matthew 12:39-41 – But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign: and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: 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 men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
Another verse mentions about
the rising of Jesus from the dead after three days, to wit:
Mark 8:31 – And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Most other verses say it
will be on the third day that Jesus will rise again, to wit:
Matthew 16:21 – From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 17:22-23 – And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Matthew 20:19 – And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to
crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Mark 9:31 – For he taught his disciples, and said
unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall
kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 10:33-34 – Saying, Behold, we go up to
Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and
unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to
the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall\all
spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Luke 9:22 – Saying, The Son of man must suffer many
things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests, and be rejected of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third
day.
Luke 18:31-33 – Then he took unto him the twelve, and
said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written
by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles,
and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall
scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
The tomb was to be guarded
for three days or up to the third day, as narrated as follows:
Matthew 27:62-66 - Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Which is correct: Jesus will
rise after three days or Jesus will rise on the third day? Do they mean the same thing? Was “three days” changed to “third day” when
Easter was set to around March or April with reference to the vernal equinox in
325 AD? Was the change made to show
that the resurrection happened on the first day of the week (Sunday, based on
Jewish calendar)? The original
manuscripts have to be examined.
Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea, took the body of Jesus down from the cross, wrapped it in a linen sheet, and placed it in his own tomb, which had been dug out of solid rock and which had never been used. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away (Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42). The Holy Spirit told us that Jesus was really three days and three nights in the tomb. This means that when He rose, it was during the night of Monday, before midnight, and the tomb was discovered empty on Tuesday morning. The discovery of an empty tomb cannot happen on Sunday because that is only two nights and one day from crucifixion.
After three days and three nights, Jesus rose and appeared to His disciples for the next 40 days (Acts 1:3) before finally ascending to Heaven. The total number of days from crucifixion to ascension therefore is 43 days. When He was crucified, it was a Friday. When He ascended to Heaven, it was Saturday, a Sabbath day. Acts 1:12 mentioned that the disciples’ journey from mount called Olivet (where Jesus ascended to Heaven) to Jerusalem was “a sabbath day’s journey”. Why was the journey called “a sabbath’s day journey”? Why was the journey not just called “a day’s journey”? Because the journey really happened on a Sabbath. If one had to journey during a Sabbath day, it had to be short only. Mount Olivet was not that far away from Jerusalem.
The ascension happened on
Tishri 14, 3761 AM equivalent to September 29, 1 BC. Since it was Sabbath, they, about a hundred and twenty, stayed
together in a house (Acts 1:15) until the next day, Tishri 15, 3761 AM, the
first day of the Festival of Tabernacles, which was another day of rest. So there were two consecutive days of rest:
the Sabbath and the first day of the Festival of Tabernacles (Tishri 14-15,
3760 AM or September 29-30, 1 BC). This
is why Jesus commanded His disciples “that they should not depart from
Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4) and that they
“shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon them” (Acts
1:8). That power that was given them
was the gift to speak in tongues, which they were able to demonstrate during
the first day of the festival.
Acts 2:1 states that it was
Pentecost (Harvest Festival or Feast of Weeks or Shavuot) when this
happened. However, it was discovered
here that it was not during Pentecost but during the Festival of Tabernacles
when they received the gift of tongue (Acts 2:2-4). Acts 2:1 states “And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come”. This means that the first day of
the festival has finally arrived; “fully” meaning the day part of the first day
of the festival. There were devout
Jewish men from “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). They were Parthians, Medes, Elamites,
dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and
strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians (Acts 2:9-11). Why were there many people from different
lands in Jerusalem during the festival?
Because they were on a pilgrimage as commanded by God, to wit:
Deuteronomy 16:16 – Three times in a year shall all
thy males appear before the Lord
thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread,
and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear
before the Lord empty:
It was about the third hour
of the day, about 9 a.m., when they spoke to the pilgrims in their own
languages. The pilgrims were
amazed. Some mocked the followers of
Jesus as being drunk and “full of new wine” (Acts 2:13). Peter, standing up with the eleven, said,
“These are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the
day” (Acts 2:15). The Festival of
Tabernacles is the festival where one may indulge in wine because it is a
joyous occasion. This cannot be during
the Day of Atonement, which is a day of total fasting.
The Holy Spirit said to us
that this joyful mystery wherein God the Holy Spirit descended on His apostles
happened in order “to let the apostles feel the heat and flame of the fire of
the Holy Spirit, and in their hearts, the love to God will kindle. And in that way, the apostles would have joy
and enthusiasm, that they would perform their duties cleanly.” It was just timely that the gift of tongue
was given to the apostles on the day after the ascension of Jesus to Heaven and
on the first day of the Festival of Tabernacles when there were many pilgrim
Jews present in Jerusalem.
Table 4 illustrates the
events during the first three months of the Jewish religious calendar in the year
3760-3761 AM. The Roman numeral
represents the religious month number. The
day number of the month follows this.
So I – 30 means the 30th day of the first month of the Jewish
religious calendar.
Table 4. Dates in the Jewish civil and religious
calendars in the year 3760 AM and in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in the
year 1 BC.
|
Date in
Jewish Calendars |
Date in
proleptic Gregorian Calendar |
Day of Week |
Days From Cruci- fixion |
Remarks |
|
|
Civil |
Religious |
||||
|
Av
1 |
I - 1 |
July
19 |
Thursday |
|
Start
of religious year, New Moon Festival |
|
Av
2 |
I - 2 |
July
20 |
Friday |
|
|
|
Av
3 |
I - 3 |
July
21 |
Saturday |
|
Sabbath |
|
Av
4 |
I - 4 |
July
22 |
Sunday |
|
|
|
Av
5 |
I - 5 |
July
23 |
Monday |
|
|
|
Av
6 |
I - 6 |
July
24 |
Tuesday |
|
|
|
Av
7 |
I - 7 |
July
25 |
Wednesday |
|
|
|
Av
8 |
I - 8 |
July
26 |
Thursday |
|
|
|
Av
9 |
I - 9 |
July
27 |
Friday |
|
|
|
Av
10 |
I - 10 |
July
28 |
Saturday |
|
Sabbath |
|
Av
11 |
I - 11 |
July
29 |
Sunday |
|
|
|
Av
12 |
I - 12 |
July
30 |
Monday |
|
|
|
Av
13 |
I - 13 |
July
31 |
Tuesday |
|
|
|
Av
14 |
I - 14 |
August
1 |
Wednesday |
|
Start
of Passover Festival |
|
Av
15 |
I - 15 |
August
2 |
Thursday |
|
Passover
Festival |
|
Av
16 |
I - 16 |
August
3 |
Friday |
|
Passover
Festival |
|
Av
17 |
I - 17 |
August
4 |
Saturday |
|
Passover
Festival, Sabbath |
|
Av
18 |
I - 18 |
August
5 |
Sunday |
|
Passover
Festival |
|
Av
19 |
I - 19 |
August
6 |
Monday |
|
Passover
Festival |
|
Av
20 |
I - 20 |
August
7 |
Tuesday |
|
Passover
Festival |
|
Av
21 |
I - 21 |
August
8 |
Wednesday |
|
End
of Passover Festival |
|
Av
22 |
I - 22 |
August
9 |
Thursday |
|
|
|
Av
23 |
I - 23 |
August
10 |
Friday |
|
|
|
Av
24 |
I - 24 |
August
11 |
Saturday |
|
Sabbath |
|
Av
25 |
I - 25 |
August
12 |
Sunday |
|
|
|
Av
26 |
I - 26 |
August
13 |
Monday |
|
|
|
Av
27 |
I - 27 |
August
14 |
Tuesday |
|
|
|
Av
28 |
I - 28 |
August
15 |
Wednesday |
|
|
|
Av
29 |
I - 29 |
August
16 |
Thursday |
|
|
|
Av
30 |
I - 30 |
August
17 |
Friday |
|
Crucifixion
of Jesus |
|
Elul
1 |
II - 1 |
August
18 |
Saturday |
1 |
Jesus
in the tomb; Sabbath, New Moon Festival |
|
Elul
2 |
II - 2 |
August
19 |
Sunday |
2 |
Jesus
in the tomb |
|
Elul
3 |
II - 3 |
August
20 |
Monday |
3 |
Jesus
in the tomb; resurrection of Jesus – before midnight of August 20 |
|
Elul
4 |
II - 4 |
August
21 |
Tuesday |
4 |
Resurrection
of Jesus at nighttime of Elul 4; discovery of empty tomb at early daytime; 1st
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
5 |
II - 5 |
August
22 |
Wednesday |
5 |
2nd
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
6 |
II - 6 |
August
23 |
Thursday |
6 |
3rd
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
7 |
II - 7 |
August
24 |
Friday |
7 |
4th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
8 |
II - 8 |
August
25 |
Saturday |
8 |
5th
day from resurrection, Sabbath |
|
Elul
9 |
II - 9 |
August
26 |
Sunday |
9 |
6th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
10 |
II - 10 |
August
27 |
Monday |
10 |
7th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
11 |
II - 11 |
August
28 |
Tuesday |
11 |
8th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
12 |
II - 12 |
August
29 |
Wednesday |
12 |
9th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
13 |
II - 13 |
August
30 |
Thursday |
13 |
10th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
14 |
II - 14 |
August
31 |
Friday |
14 |
11th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
15 |
II - 15 |
September
1 |
Saturday |
15 |
12th
day from resurrection, Sabbath |
|
Elul
16 |
II - 16 |
September
2 |
Sunday |
16 |
13th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
17 |
II - 17 |
September
3 |
Monday |
17 |
14th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
18 |
II - 18 |
September
4 |
Tuesday |
18 |
15th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
19 |
II - 19 |
September
5 |
Wednesday |
19 |
16th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
20 |
II - 20 |
September
6 |
Thursday |
20 |
17th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
21 |
II - 21 |
September
7 |
Friday |
21 |
18th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
22 |
II - 22 |
September
8 |
Saturday |
22 |
19th
day from resurrection, Sabbath |
|
Elul
23 |
II - 23 |
September
9 |
Sunday |
23 |
20th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
24 |
II - 24 |
September
10 |
Monday |
24 |
21st
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
25 |
II - 25 |
September
11 |
Tuesday |
25 |
22nd
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
26 |
II - 26 |
September
12 |
Wednesday |
26 |
23rd
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
27 |
II - 27 |
September
13 |
Thursday |
27 |
24th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
28 |
II - 28 |
September
14 |
Friday |
28 |
25th
day from resurrection |
|
Elul
29 |
II - 29 |
September
15 |
Saturday |
29 |
26th
day from resurrection, Sabbath |
|
Tishri
1 |
III - 1 |
September
16 |
Sunday |
30 |
27th
day from resurrection, New Year Festival, New Moon Festival |
|
Tishri
2 |
III - 2 |
September
17 |
Monday |
31 |
28th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
3 |
III - 3 |
September
18 |
Tuesday |
32 |
29th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
4 |
III - 4 |
September
19 |
Wednesday |
33 |
30th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
5 |
III - 5 |
September
20 |
Thursday |
34 |
31st
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
6 |
III - 6 |
September
21 |
Friday |
35 |
32nd
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
7 |
III - 7 |
September
22 |
Saturday |
36 |
33rd
day from resurrection, Sabbath |
|
Tishri
8 |
III - 8 |
September
23 |
Sunday |
37 |
34th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
9 |
III - 9 |
September
24 |
Monday |
38 |
35th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
10 |
III - 10 |
September
25 |
Tuesday |
39 |
36th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
11 |
III - 11 |
September
26 |
Wednesday |
40 |
37th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
12 |
III - 12 |
September
27 |
Thursday |
41 |
38th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
13 |
III - 13 |
September
28 |
Friday |
42 |
39th
day from resurrection |
|
Tishri
14 |
III - 14 |
September
29 |
Saturday |
43 |
40th
day; Ascension of Jesus to Heaven, Sabbath |
|
Tishri
15 |
III - 15 |
September
30 |
Sunday |
|
First
day of Festival of Tabernacles, Day of rest, Speaking in tongues |
|
Tishri
16 |
III - 16 |
October
1 |
Monday |
|
Festival
of Tabernacles |
|
Tishri
17 |
III - 17 |
October
2 |
Tuesday |
|
Festival
of Tabernacles |
|
Tishri
18 |
III - 18 |
October
3 |
Wednesday |
|
Festival
of Tabernacles |
|
Tishri
19 |
III - 19 |
October
4 |
Thursday |
|
Festival
of Tabernacles |
|
Tishri
20 |
III - 20 |
October
5 |
Friday |
|
Festival
of Tabernacles |
|
Tishri
21 |
III - 21 |
October
6 |
Saturday |
|
Festival
of Tabernacles, Sabbath |
|
Tishri
22 |
III - 22 |
October
7 |
Sunday |
|
End
of Festival of Tabernacles |
|
Tishri
23 |
III - 23 |
October
8 |
Monday |
|
|
|
Tishri
24 |
III - 24 |
October
9 |
Tuesday |
|
|
|
Tishri
25 |
III - 25 |
October
10 |
Wednesday |
|
|
|
Tishri
26 |
III - 26 |
October
11 |
Thursday |
|
|
|
Tishri
27 |
III - 27 |
October
12 |
Friday |
|
|
|
Tishri
28 |
III - 28 |
October
13 |
Saturday |
|
Sabbath |
|
Tishri
29 |
III - 29 |
October
14 |
Sunday |
|
|
In which Jewish festival did
the crucifixion of Jesus most likely occur?
Was it really during the Passover Festival or was it during some other
time? Table 5 tabulates the Jewish
festivals in relation to the crucifixion of Jesus using Jewish calendar dates.
Table 5. Dates in the Jewish calendar when Jewish
festivals are held in relation to the crucifixion of Jesus.
|
Festival |
Crucifixion Date if Crucifixion Held the Day
Before/During a Festival |
Festival Date |
Date(s) 43 days After Crucifixion |
Was there a festival on or just after 43rd
day? |
|
Passover (Present Time) |
Nisan 13-20 |
Nisan 14-21 |
Iyyar 26-Sivan 4 |
Yes, Harvest – Part 2, New
Moon |
|
Passover (Ancient Times) |
Tishri 13-20 |
Tishri 14-21 |
Heshvan 26-Kislev 3 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Heshvan 13-20 |
Heshvan 14-21 |
Kislev 27-Tevet 3 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Kislev 13-20 |
Kislev 14-21 |
Tevet 27-Shevat 3 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Tevet 13-20 |
Tevet 14-21 |
Shevat 27-Adar I 4 or Adar
4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Shevat 13-20 |
Shevat 14-21 |
Adar I 26-Adar II 3 or
Adar 26-Nisan 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Adar I 13-20 (leap year
only) |
Adar I 14-21 (leap year
only) |
Adar II 26-Nisan 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Adar 13-20 (Adar II 13-20
in leap year) |
Adar 14-21 (Adar II 1 in
leap year) |
Nisan 27-Iyyar 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Nisan 13-20 |
Nisan 14-21 |
Iyyar 26-Sivan 4 |
Yes, New Moon and Harvest
– Part 2 |
|
|
Iyyar 13-20 |
Iyyar 14-21 |
Sivan 27-Tammuz 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Sivan 13-20 |
Sivan 14-21 |
Tammuz 26-Av 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Tammuz 13-20 |
Tammuz 14-21 |
Av 27- Elul 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Av 13-20 |
Av 14-21 |
Elul 26-Tishri 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
|
Elul 13-20 |
Elul 14-21 |
Tishri 27-Heshvan 4 |
Yes, New Moon |
|
Harvest – Part 1 |
Nisan 20-21 |
Nisan 15-16 |
Tishri 14 |
Yes, Harvest – Part 2 |
|
Harvest – Part 2 |
Sivan 3-4 |
Sivan 4-5 |
Tammuz 16-17 |
No |
|
New Year |
Elul 29 |
Tishri 1 |
Heshvan 13 |
No |
|
Day of Atonement |
Tishri 9 |
Tishri 10 |
Heshvan 22 |
No |
|
Tabernacles |
Tishri 14-21 |
Tishri 15-22 |
Heshvan 28-Kislev 6 |
Yes, New Moon Festival |
|
New Moon |
Elul 29 |
Tishri 1 |
Heshvan 13 |
No |
|
|
Tishri 30 |
Heshvan 1 |
Kislev 13 or 14 |
No |
|
|
Heshvan 29 or 30 |
Kislev 1 |
Tevet 13 or 14 |
No |
|
|
Kislev 29 or 30 |
Tevet 1 |
Shevat 14 |
No |
|
|
Tevet 29 |
Shevat 1 |
Adar 13 or Adar I 13 |
No |
|
|
Shevat 30 |
Adar I 1 (leap year only) |
Adar II 13 |
No |
|
|
Adar I 30 or Shevat 30 |
Adar 1 (Adar II 1 in leap
year) |
Nisan 14 |
Yes, Passover |
|
|
Adar 29 or Adar II 29 |
Nisan 1 |
Iyyar 13 |
No |
|
|
Nisan 30 |
Iyyar 1 |
Sivan 14 |
No |
|
|
Iyyar 29 |
Sivan 1 |
Tammuz 13 |
No |
|
|
Sivan 30 |
Tammuz 1 |
Av 14 |
No |
|
|
Tammuz 29 |
Av 1 |
Elul 13 |
No |
|
|
Av 30 |
Elul 1 |
Tishri 14 |
Yes, Tabernacles |
Table 5 shows that on or
just after the 43rd day from the crucifixion of Jesus, the pilgrim
festivals of Harvest Part 2, Passover, and Tabernacles, and the New Moon
Festival were to be held. It can be
expected that during a pilgrim festival, there would be many people from
different parts of the world in Jerusalem.
That cannot be expected during a New Moon Festival.
This possibility that Jesus was crucified during the
Passover Festival is negated by the fact that Part 1 of the Harvest Festival
had to be presented on a day after the Sabbath. Apostle John said that the day after the crucifixion was a
Sabbath and a high day. How could it be
a high day if Part 1 of the Harvest Festival happened a day after the Sabbath?
The 43rd day from crucifixion may also
fall on the New Moon Festival of the month of Sivan. This is discounted because
it is not expected for pilgrims from every nation to come to Jerusalem to
attend a New Moon Festival.
Table 5 shows the Passover Festival being held at
various months of the year. If we
assume that the crucifixion of Jesus happened sometime during the 14th-21st
in each of the named months, then the 43rd day would fall sometime
the end of the following month and early the month after next. The festivals that happened during this
period are the New Moon Festival and Part 2 of the Harvest Festival. The New Moon Festival is discounted because
it is not expected that people from different lands would be present in
Jerusalem on a pilgrimage during this festival.
The 43rd day from crucifixion would fall
on Part 2 of the Harvest Festival when the month of Passover was celebrated
during the month of Nisan (Nisan 14-21).
As mentioned earlier, this festival is discounted because Part 1 of the
festival falls on the day after the Sabbath.
How could it be a high day if the festival day is not a Sabbath
day?
There were 43 days from
crucifixion to ascension to Heaven of Jesus. On or just after the 43rd day was a pilgrim
festival. That pilgrim festival could
be the Passover Festival, Harvest Festival, or Festival of Tabernacles. That is why there were many devout Jews in
Jerusalem when the speaking in tongues happened. If we deduct 43 days from each of these pilgrim festivals, which
festival would that be? Could that
Sabbath following the crucifixion of Jesus coincide with the:
In addition, on the 43rd day from
crucifixion when Jesus ascended to Heaven, there were many devout Jews from
every nation in Jerusalem then.
Why? Because they were there on
pilgrimage attending the joyous pilgrim festival of Tabernacles, which started
on Tishri 15, 3761 AM, equivalent to September 30, 1 BC.
Among the festivals
therefore, only the New Moon Festival held on Elul 1, 3760 AM (August 18, 1 BC)
satisfies the conditions of a Sabbath following the crucifixion of Jesus being
a high day because:
One of the results of the
revelation of the Holy Spirit regarding the crucifixion date of Jesus uncovered
in this research is the true meaning of high day mentioned by Apostle John in
John 19:31. For the holy occasion of
Sabbath to be considered a high day, it should fall on a major Jewish holy day
which have fixed date (except Harvest Festival which is celebrated a day after
Sabbath). In this case, the Sabbath
following the crucifixion fell on the first day of the month when the New Moon
Festival was celebrated. The date was
Elul 1, 3760 AM equivalent to August 18, 1 BC.
It was a double celebration—the Sabbath and the New Moon Festival. Two holy occasions being celebrated on the
same day. The New Moon Festival was a
major holy day then but which has been demoted as a minor Jewish festival after
the fall and destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the dispersion of the Jews
throughout the Roman Empire.
The notable findings of this
research are:
Ø
High day means a
Sabbath falling on the major Jewish holy day.
Ø
Jesus was crucified in
August and not around March or April.
Ø
Jesus was crucified in
the Jewish month of Av and not of Nisan.
Ø
Jesus was crucified
after, not during, the Passover Festival.
Ø
Passover was migrating
through the seasons during ancient times and the time of Jesus.
Ø
Jesus was crucified on
1 BC and not around 30 AD.
Ø
Ascension of Jesus to
Heaven occurred on a Sabbath (Acts 1:12).
Ø
Speaking in tongues
happened at the Festival of Tabernacles and not at Pentecost.
Ø
The present calendar
should reckon the year from crucifixion and death of Jesus and not from His
birth.
This research proves and
confirms that the crucifixion date of Jesus of August 17, 1 BC (equivalent to
Av 30, 3760 AM) revealed by the Holy Spirit Himself is correct.
Note: Most, if not all, of the above verses were
quoted from the Holy Bible, King James Version.
ãAristeo Canlas Fernando 2002
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