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Did you know that there is no feast of Passover? Did you know that Passover is not called The Feast of Unleavened Bread? While it did become known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Many Jews today believe this to be true. Many believe that the "Feast of Passover" lasts 8 days. And the N.T. seems to validate this. But, if we look at what God said in the O.T., we discover that the Passover was to be a one-day observance, was not called a Feast and was observed the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread began.
Before I continue, I am doing this study to expose a glaring error, pointing out the problems with English translations. We will look at Lev 23:2-6.
The KJV reads, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy... vs 4, These are feasts of the LORD, holy convocations (assemblies) which you are to proclaim in their seasons... vs 5 In the 14th day of the first month, at even (twilight, sunset) is the Lord's Passover. vs 6 And on the 15th day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread...
When you read Lev 23:2-6, as it is translated, it seems to teach that Passover is a feast. And most English versions use the same rendering, except some use the word "festival" instead of "feasts." Most people, due to what they have been taught and believe when they read this section of the O.T., miss something very significant. ( Before I started to study, I also believed Passover was an 8-day feast, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) What is missed happens because already implanted in their mind is that Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are one and the same and that Passover is the first day of an 8-day "feast."
There are a number of verses in the N.T. that seem to promote the commonly held belief,
Lk 2:41 ...at the feast of the Passover.
Lk 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
Lk 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
Mk 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover...
Jn 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast that day...
Jn 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover...
This is another example of the "Power of Tradition."
There is an ongoing debate about which is the "Best Translation" or the "Best Bible Version" to use. Let me settle this once and for all. There is not one single Bible version that is the "end all" Bible that solves the problem. Everybody should own a number of different Bible versions, including a couple of study Bibles. At the endof this study, I will list my recommendations.
If you read Lev 23:2-6 in The Complete Jewish Study Bible, you will find this translation:
Lev 23, vs 2 Tell the people of Israel: 'The designated times of Adonai which you are to proclaim are my designated times...vs 4 These are the designated times of Adonai, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times. vs 5 In the first month, on the 14th day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Passover for Adonai. vs 6 On the 15th day of the same month is the festival of unleavened bread...
In the One New Man Bible, it reads:
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them,
"The appointed seasons of the LORD, which you will proclaim holy convocations, these are My appointed seasons...vs 4 These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, holy convocations, which you will proclaim in their seasons. vs 5 On the 14th of the first month at twilight is the Passover of the LORD. vs 6 And on the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened bread to the LORD...
Both versions do not use the word "feasts" or "festivals" in vs 2-4, showing that God did not designate Passover as a feast. Nor was it to be celebrated for 8 days. In vs 5, The Passover was to be observed. This was only for one day, one 24-hour period. In vs 6, we see that the very next day was the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was to be celebrated for 7 days. Passover was for one day and was separate from the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover was not the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Some may think, "So what, what does it matter? What's the big deal?" First, it matters because English translations should be as accurate as possible because this is God's Word, which God commanded that no man was to change or alter His Word! Deut 4:2, 12:32, Ezra 6:11, Pro 30:6, Rev 22:18-19. Second, it clears up any confusion about the timeline from the Last Supper until His death on the cross.
Whenever I teach or post a study, I have to assume that some are unfamiliar with the teaching, so I feel compelled to give background. Consider it a refresher lesson for those who are already aware.
Yeshua only used the phrase "three days and three nights" twice, Mt 12:40. People think that is a literal phrase indicating a 72-hour block of time. People get hung up on this and the verses that read "after three days,"
Mat 27: 63 Saying Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, 'After three days I will rise again.'
Mk 8:31 And he began to teach them many things...and be killed and after three days be raised again.
And that settles it, right? So Scripture only teaches that Yeshua would rise from the dead "after three days?" Which would mean that Yeshua would have to rise on the fourth day. Why do people believe this? Because it is a favorite trick of false teachers only to show the verses that "validate" the lie they are promoting and ignore other verses that contradict what they teach. But, there are more than two verses that teach Yeshua would rise on the third day:
Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples...be killed and raised again on the third day.
Mat 17:23 ...the third day he shall be raised again... Mat 20:19
Mk 9:31 ...and after he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mk 10:34 ...and the third day shall rise again.
Lk 9:22, 18:33, 24:7, 46.
The religious leaders knew that Jesus stated he would rise on the third day,
Mat 27:63-64 The chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate saying, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was still alive that 'after three days I will rise again.' Command therefore, that the sepulcher BE MADE SURE UNTIL THE THIRD DAY...
And then we have the verses that clearly state he did in fact, rise on the third day:
Acts 10:40 Him God raised on the third day.
1Cor 15:4 And that he was buried and rose again the third day.
These verses clearly show that Yeshua was raised from the dead on the third day, not after.
We must always remember that Yeshua was a Jewish man who spoke to Jewish people in Jewish culture. When he spoke, he would use Jewish figures of speech, which his listeners understood. The phrase "Three days and three nights" was a Jewish idiom that meant a certain period of time, longer than a day but shorter than a three day period. It had never meant a 72-hour block of time, a literal three days and three nights.
This brings us to how the Jewish people perceived time. In the Jewish culture, they considered that a "part" was a "whole." Meaning any part of a 24-hour day was considered a full day. If a Jewish man worked 1 hour on a Thursday and did nothing else, and if he was asked on Friday what he did on Thursday, he would reply, "Oh, I worked." We would clarify the answer by saying, "Oh, I worked for an hour on Thursday," but that is not how the Jewish people thought or spoke. When we read the New Testament, we enter into the Jewish world.
Another important factor is that in the Jewish culture, a day starts at sunset and ends at the next sunset. God established this in the creation:
Gen 1:3...And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Gen 1;8... And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. Gen 1:13,19,23, 31.
Everybody thinks that the "Last Supper" was the Passover meal. It wasn't! The Pharisees had changed the Passover meal and included things that God had not commanded the "Seder" would be done. Gen 12:1-11 explains how God commanded the Jews to do the Passover. First, the lamb wasn't to be killed until the evening time of the Passover day, Gen 12:6 And you shall keep it (tied) up...and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Since the timeline starts on Thursday, after sunset, the Jewish people were not to kill the lamb until it was getting dark, near sunset on Friday. Yeshua was hung on the cross at 9 A.M. and died around 3 PM on Friday, well before sunset.
In John 13: 1-2, Yeshua and the disciples were in the room and this picks up after Thursday's sunset had passed.
Now before the meal of the Passover...And supper being ended... They had eaten, but they had eaten before the approved time to eat the Passover meal, which was at least 18-19 hours away. Their meal was just an ordinary meal served like any other ordinary meal.
We know Yeshua and the disciples left the room, went to the Garden and then Yeshua was arrested. This was probably around Midnight or 1 AM, Friday. This was still the day of Passover, but no Jewish family had eaten the Passover meal yet.
John 18:28. We don't have an exact time when Yeshua was led away from Caiaphas, but we do know it was very early in the morning and no Jewish family had eaten the Passover meal yet.
Then they (The Jewish guards and crowd) led Yeshua away from Caiaphas unto the (Roman) hall of judgment. It was early and the Jewish guards did not enter into the judgement hall, lest they be defiled, so that they would be able to eat the Passover meal. This is hours after Jesus and his disciples had eaten their dinner. It wasn't time for the Passover meal yet, it was to happen later on that day.
John 19:14 (The sixth hour was noon.) And it was the preparation of the Passover (meal). About the sixth hour and Pilate said unto the Jews, 'Behold your king.' No one had yet to eat the Passover meal.
From the events that happened in the room where Yeshua and the disciples had eaten their supper the night before, it is obivious that a number of hours had passed. Yeshua told Judas to go do what he was going to do, Yeshua washed the disciples feet and then established what we call "communion" This wasn't a rushed time. They were reclining at the table while they had eaten. But God had commanded that the Passover meal was to be eaten while the people stood up, the men held staffs in their hands and the meal was to be eaten in a rush,
Exodus 12:11 And thus shall you eat it (Passover meal) With your loins girded up, your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand. You will eat it in haste. Yeshua being Yeshua, he would have eaten the Passover meal in the exact way God had commanded, regardless of how the Jews in those days practiced it. Yeshua's death and resurrection put an end to the Passover, along with all of the feasts.
So, based on how the Jews considered time, any part of a day was considered the whole day and how their days started at sunset, this is how Yeshua fulfilled the "Three days and three nights." Yeshua and the disciples enter the room and from sunset Thursday to sunset Friday is a "Jewish day" We see that Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, died and was buried before sunset Friday. So, to the Jews, even though Yeshua was only on the cross and died for a part of the time from Thursday sunset until Friday sunset, this would be considered a day. Sunset Friday until sunset Saturday would be two days. We know that Yeshua rose at some point after sunset Saturday before early Sunday morning. To the Jews, this would be considered the third day. The women came early Sunday morning, before sunrise, to take care of Yeshua's body, only to discover He had already risen, thus Yeshua rose on the "first day of the week."
Clear as mud, right? This is much easier to explain verbally than with the written word.
Anyways, these are bible versions I would recommend to anyone.
The Complete Jewish Study Bible.
The One New Man Bible.
The "So That's Why Bible."
The Thompson's Chain Reference Bible
The John MacArthur Study Bible.
The Expanded Bible
I would get one, or both of the first two mentioned because you really want to have a Bible version that teaches about the Jewishness of the New Testament. The next three are excellent study Bibles and the last one is a good commentary on the Bible, as you read the Bible. The information is right there in the text as you read Scripture.
Before I continue, I am doing this study to expose a glaring error, pointing out the problems with English translations. We will look at Lev 23:2-6.
The KJV reads, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy... vs 4, These are feasts of the LORD, holy convocations (assemblies) which you are to proclaim in their seasons... vs 5 In the 14th day of the first month, at even (twilight, sunset) is the Lord's Passover. vs 6 And on the 15th day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread...
When you read Lev 23:2-6, as it is translated, it seems to teach that Passover is a feast. And most English versions use the same rendering, except some use the word "festival" instead of "feasts." Most people, due to what they have been taught and believe when they read this section of the O.T., miss something very significant. ( Before I started to study, I also believed Passover was an 8-day feast, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) What is missed happens because already implanted in their mind is that Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are one and the same and that Passover is the first day of an 8-day "feast."
There are a number of verses in the N.T. that seem to promote the commonly held belief,
Lk 2:41 ...at the feast of the Passover.
Lk 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
Lk 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
Mk 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover...
Jn 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast that day...
Jn 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover...
This is another example of the "Power of Tradition."
There is an ongoing debate about which is the "Best Translation" or the "Best Bible Version" to use. Let me settle this once and for all. There is not one single Bible version that is the "end all" Bible that solves the problem. Everybody should own a number of different Bible versions, including a couple of study Bibles. At the endof this study, I will list my recommendations.
If you read Lev 23:2-6 in The Complete Jewish Study Bible, you will find this translation:
Lev 23, vs 2 Tell the people of Israel: 'The designated times of Adonai which you are to proclaim are my designated times...vs 4 These are the designated times of Adonai, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times. vs 5 In the first month, on the 14th day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Passover for Adonai. vs 6 On the 15th day of the same month is the festival of unleavened bread...
In the One New Man Bible, it reads:
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them,
"The appointed seasons of the LORD, which you will proclaim holy convocations, these are My appointed seasons...vs 4 These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, holy convocations, which you will proclaim in their seasons. vs 5 On the 14th of the first month at twilight is the Passover of the LORD. vs 6 And on the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened bread to the LORD...
Both versions do not use the word "feasts" or "festivals" in vs 2-4, showing that God did not designate Passover as a feast. Nor was it to be celebrated for 8 days. In vs 5, The Passover was to be observed. This was only for one day, one 24-hour period. In vs 6, we see that the very next day was the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was to be celebrated for 7 days. Passover was for one day and was separate from the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover was not the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Some may think, "So what, what does it matter? What's the big deal?" First, it matters because English translations should be as accurate as possible because this is God's Word, which God commanded that no man was to change or alter His Word! Deut 4:2, 12:32, Ezra 6:11, Pro 30:6, Rev 22:18-19. Second, it clears up any confusion about the timeline from the Last Supper until His death on the cross.
Whenever I teach or post a study, I have to assume that some are unfamiliar with the teaching, so I feel compelled to give background. Consider it a refresher lesson for those who are already aware.
Yeshua only used the phrase "three days and three nights" twice, Mt 12:40. People think that is a literal phrase indicating a 72-hour block of time. People get hung up on this and the verses that read "after three days,"
Mat 27: 63 Saying Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, 'After three days I will rise again.'
Mk 8:31 And he began to teach them many things...and be killed and after three days be raised again.
And that settles it, right? So Scripture only teaches that Yeshua would rise from the dead "after three days?" Which would mean that Yeshua would have to rise on the fourth day. Why do people believe this? Because it is a favorite trick of false teachers only to show the verses that "validate" the lie they are promoting and ignore other verses that contradict what they teach. But, there are more than two verses that teach Yeshua would rise on the third day:
Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples...be killed and raised again on the third day.
Mat 17:23 ...the third day he shall be raised again... Mat 20:19
Mk 9:31 ...and after he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mk 10:34 ...and the third day shall rise again.
Lk 9:22, 18:33, 24:7, 46.
The religious leaders knew that Jesus stated he would rise on the third day,
Mat 27:63-64 The chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate saying, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was still alive that 'after three days I will rise again.' Command therefore, that the sepulcher BE MADE SURE UNTIL THE THIRD DAY...
And then we have the verses that clearly state he did in fact, rise on the third day:
Acts 10:40 Him God raised on the third day.
1Cor 15:4 And that he was buried and rose again the third day.
These verses clearly show that Yeshua was raised from the dead on the third day, not after.
We must always remember that Yeshua was a Jewish man who spoke to Jewish people in Jewish culture. When he spoke, he would use Jewish figures of speech, which his listeners understood. The phrase "Three days and three nights" was a Jewish idiom that meant a certain period of time, longer than a day but shorter than a three day period. It had never meant a 72-hour block of time, a literal three days and three nights.
This brings us to how the Jewish people perceived time. In the Jewish culture, they considered that a "part" was a "whole." Meaning any part of a 24-hour day was considered a full day. If a Jewish man worked 1 hour on a Thursday and did nothing else, and if he was asked on Friday what he did on Thursday, he would reply, "Oh, I worked." We would clarify the answer by saying, "Oh, I worked for an hour on Thursday," but that is not how the Jewish people thought or spoke. When we read the New Testament, we enter into the Jewish world.
Another important factor is that in the Jewish culture, a day starts at sunset and ends at the next sunset. God established this in the creation:
Gen 1:3...And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Gen 1;8... And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. Gen 1:13,19,23, 31.
Everybody thinks that the "Last Supper" was the Passover meal. It wasn't! The Pharisees had changed the Passover meal and included things that God had not commanded the "Seder" would be done. Gen 12:1-11 explains how God commanded the Jews to do the Passover. First, the lamb wasn't to be killed until the evening time of the Passover day, Gen 12:6 And you shall keep it (tied) up...and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Since the timeline starts on Thursday, after sunset, the Jewish people were not to kill the lamb until it was getting dark, near sunset on Friday. Yeshua was hung on the cross at 9 A.M. and died around 3 PM on Friday, well before sunset.
In John 13: 1-2, Yeshua and the disciples were in the room and this picks up after Thursday's sunset had passed.
Now before the meal of the Passover...And supper being ended... They had eaten, but they had eaten before the approved time to eat the Passover meal, which was at least 18-19 hours away. Their meal was just an ordinary meal served like any other ordinary meal.
We know Yeshua and the disciples left the room, went to the Garden and then Yeshua was arrested. This was probably around Midnight or 1 AM, Friday. This was still the day of Passover, but no Jewish family had eaten the Passover meal yet.
John 18:28. We don't have an exact time when Yeshua was led away from Caiaphas, but we do know it was very early in the morning and no Jewish family had eaten the Passover meal yet.
Then they (The Jewish guards and crowd) led Yeshua away from Caiaphas unto the (Roman) hall of judgment. It was early and the Jewish guards did not enter into the judgement hall, lest they be defiled, so that they would be able to eat the Passover meal. This is hours after Jesus and his disciples had eaten their dinner. It wasn't time for the Passover meal yet, it was to happen later on that day.
John 19:14 (The sixth hour was noon.) And it was the preparation of the Passover (meal). About the sixth hour and Pilate said unto the Jews, 'Behold your king.' No one had yet to eat the Passover meal.
From the events that happened in the room where Yeshua and the disciples had eaten their supper the night before, it is obivious that a number of hours had passed. Yeshua told Judas to go do what he was going to do, Yeshua washed the disciples feet and then established what we call "communion" This wasn't a rushed time. They were reclining at the table while they had eaten. But God had commanded that the Passover meal was to be eaten while the people stood up, the men held staffs in their hands and the meal was to be eaten in a rush,
Exodus 12:11 And thus shall you eat it (Passover meal) With your loins girded up, your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand. You will eat it in haste. Yeshua being Yeshua, he would have eaten the Passover meal in the exact way God had commanded, regardless of how the Jews in those days practiced it. Yeshua's death and resurrection put an end to the Passover, along with all of the feasts.
So, based on how the Jews considered time, any part of a day was considered the whole day and how their days started at sunset, this is how Yeshua fulfilled the "Three days and three nights." Yeshua and the disciples enter the room and from sunset Thursday to sunset Friday is a "Jewish day" We see that Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, died and was buried before sunset Friday. So, to the Jews, even though Yeshua was only on the cross and died for a part of the time from Thursday sunset until Friday sunset, this would be considered a day. Sunset Friday until sunset Saturday would be two days. We know that Yeshua rose at some point after sunset Saturday before early Sunday morning. To the Jews, this would be considered the third day. The women came early Sunday morning, before sunrise, to take care of Yeshua's body, only to discover He had already risen, thus Yeshua rose on the "first day of the week."
Clear as mud, right? This is much easier to explain verbally than with the written word.
Anyways, these are bible versions I would recommend to anyone.
The Complete Jewish Study Bible.
The One New Man Bible.
The "So That's Why Bible."
The Thompson's Chain Reference Bible
The John MacArthur Study Bible.
The Expanded Bible
I would get one, or both of the first two mentioned because you really want to have a Bible version that teaches about the Jewishness of the New Testament. The next three are excellent study Bibles and the last one is a good commentary on the Bible, as you read the Bible. The information is right there in the text as you read Scripture.
