Thursday, April 1, 2021

Three Days & Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth: The Good Friday Myth

By Maria Merola אריאל 

© Copyright Double Portion Inheritance, September 2002


Many of us have been brought up in the church to believe that Yahuwshuwa (who many call Jesus) died on “Good Friday” and he resurrected on “Easter Sunday.” 

Well today, I am going to dismantle these lies, and show you how these deceptions prove to discredit him as the authentic Messiah.

In Matthew 12:38, the religious leaders of his day asked him for a “sign” to prove that he was their awaited Savior, (prophesied about by Moses and the prophets). 

Our Messiah’s response to their asking for a sign, proved to be the most astounding prophecy ever fulfilled in history.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 12:

39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Yownah (Jonah).

40 For as Yownah (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.

If he had not resurrected EXACTLY THREE DAYS & THREE NIGHTS (after being killed on the evening of Passover), then his prophecy would have failed, and this would have rendered him a false prophet, and not the true and genuine Messiah!

When the Christian Church teaches that he died on Good Friday, (and then resurrected on Sunday morning), the devil dances with glee, because he knows this makes him appear to be a false prophet!

We all know that you cannot get three days and three nights out of 36 hours. The devil wants to discredit Yahuwshuwa as the Messiah, thereby attempting to destroy the faith of millions. Since the devil failed to destroy our Messiah on the cross, he had to implement
Plan B, which is to sow seeds of doubt about the validity of the gospel accounts.

For the devil, this would mean that Yahuwshuwas victory over death, hell, and the grave was not won, and therefore, we are all doomed to eternal damnation. At least, this is what the devil wants you to believe!

This is why proving that Yahuwshuwa was in the heart of the earth for EXACTLY three days and three nights is crucial to our salvation!

Before I get into the meat of this study, we must first ask ourselves, “Why have we been conditioned to believe that Messiah was crucified on the sixth day of the week on Friday?”

The answer to this question is simple. The gospel accounts tell us that after Messiah was crucified, (and his body taken down from the cross), his followers were in a hurry to anoint his body with spices. Why were they in a hurry? Because at sundown, began a High Sabbath, called “The Feast of Unleavened Bread,” in which we are commanded not to do any regular work. This includes buying or selling (Leviticus 23:4-14). This was an ANNUAL SABBATH, versus the WEEKLY SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH.

This means that there were TWO SABBATHS between the time he was buried in the tomb, and when he resurrected on the seventh day of the week, (what we would today call Saturday):

1.) The Annual Sabbath: The Feast of Unleavened Bread was approaching, and thus, his followers were in a hurry to take him down from the cross and bury him before sundown. He died on the fourth day of the week (what we would today call Wednesday) at 3:00 p.m. (the 9th hour of the day). At sundown, the date changed to the fifth day of the week (what we today call Thursday), and this was the 15th day of the 1st Hebrew month of Abib (Nisan).

2.) The Weekly Sabbath: On the seventh day of the week (the weekly Sabbath), our Messiah resurrected just before sundown on what we today call Saturday in our western culture.

Those who are uneducated in the Mosaic Law (Towrah) see the word “Sabbath,” and they naturally assume that he was buried just before the weekly Sabbath, (what we today call Saturday). In John 19:31, it specifically tells us that this was not a regular weekly Sabbath, but an annual Sabbath:

Yahuwchanon (John) 19:31 The Yahuwdiym (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. 

What is a High Sabbath Day? The Greek word in John 19:31 used for high day, is megas, which means “great, mighty, large, high.This is the same holy day that is spoken of in Exodus 12:42:

Shemoth (Exodus) 12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto YHWH for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of YHWH to be observed of all the children of Yisrael in their generations.

Our Messiah was killed on the 14th day of the first Hebrew month known as Abib (Exodus 12:2 & 13:4). The Towrah commands that we kill the lamb on the 14th day of the first month in the evening. The Hebrew word for evening is “ereb,” which means “dusk.” 

He was nailed to the cross at 9:00 a.m., and he died at 3:00 p.m. It was getting close to darkness at 3:00 p.m., for they did not have daylight savings time in 1st Century Jerusalem. This means that at 3:00 p.m. in the month of April, it was already growing dark by this time.

Shemoth (Exodus) 12:6  And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Yisrael shall kill it in the evening

After the sun went down on the 14th of Abib, it then became the 15th of Abib, The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Remember, on the Creators reckoning of time (Genesis 1:5), a calendar date changes at sundown, not at midnight. It was Pope Gregory who caused the date to change at midnight in the year 1582. To learn more about when a biblical “day,begins, please see my other blog entitledWhen Does a Biblical “Day” Begin?

Right after our Messiah died on the 14th (Passover), he was taken down from the cross, and then buried before the High Sabbath, known as The Feast of Unleavened Bread:

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:

5  In the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is YHWHs Passover

6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto YHWH: seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 

7  In the first day you shall have an holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein

The day in which Yahuwshuwa’s crucifixion took place was called “The preparation day.” On the 14th day of Abib (Passover) we are commanded to prepare the Passover Lamb, and clean out all the leaven from our homes. Our Messiah was buried just before the sun went down on the 14th, and then it became the 15th of Abib, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

Since YaHuWaH introduced his divine calendar to us at creation in Genesis 1:5-16, a new calendar date was to begin at sunset. However, (as I already mentioned), Pope Gregory XIII caused the new date to change at midnight during his reign in 1582.

In Daniel 7:23-25, the angel told Daniel that “The fourth beast” (Rome) “Shall think to change times and laws.” And since Rome has been instrumental in altering the calendar of our creator, the result has been the distorting of many prophetic events. See my other note entitled: “Times, Seasons & the Thief in the Night.”

At the time of Yahuwshuwa’s crucifixion, Yisra’el (and the entire world) still acknowledged Yah’s standard of measuring time. Therefore, Yahuwshuwa was crucified and died on the fourth day of the week (what we today call Wednesday) at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and then he was buried at sunset, around 6 p.m. After sundown, the date changed, and it then became the 5th day of the week, (what we today call Thursday).

Since the day was almost over when he died, we don’t start counting “Three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” until he was buried, and the sun went down that Wednesday evening. The count of 72 hours (three days and three nights) begins on Wednesday night after sundown once he was in the grave.

*Explanation about the word “day” in the King James Version:

It is important to note that whenever we see a word in italics in the King James Version, it means that the word was not there in the original text. It means that the English translators added that particular word into the text to help the sentence structure flow better.

In order to help you see where the words are italicized in the King James Version, I will place into brackets, and highlight in red the italicized words for “day.”  This will bring clarity to many of the translation anomalies in the gospels which seem to confuse people about the timing of these events. 

At creation, YaHuWaH “divided” (separated) the 12-hour period called “light” from the 12-hour period called “darkness,” and he treated them as two separate periods.

In Genesis 1:4-5 we read: And Elohiym saw the light, that it was good: and Elohiym divided the light from the darkness. And Elohiym called the light [owr] Day, and the darkness he called [layil] Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

What is important to understand, is that the English translators called the 12-hours of light “day.” However, in Hebrew, it says that the light is called “owr,” meaning “illumination.” Why does this detail matter? Because the Hebrew word for “day” (yowm) can mean either the twelve-hour daylight period, or the 24-hour calendar date period. This causes confusion for some people, when they read our Messiah’s words in John 11:9 about there being “Twelve hours in the day.”

In both Hebrew (yowm), and in Greek (hemera), the word for “day” can mean either the 12-hour daylight period, or the 24-hour calendar date, which includes, morning, evening, and night. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the context of a particular scripture verse, to determine which period is being spoken of when we see the word “day” in any given passage. Additionally, by looking at the verse in the King James Version, we can always tell right away if the word “day” was there in the original text, because the KJV italicizes words that were added by the English translators. This is extremely important in being able to decipher the period called “day.” In some cases, “day,” means the twelve hours of daylight, but in many cases “day” means the 24 hour period combined.

In Genesis 1:5 people are often confused by the phrase And the evening and the morning were the first day.” They assume that the word “evening” means the same thing as “night” and that Elohiym was combining these two periods of “day and night” and calling the combination of the two periods “day.” 

Thus, we see that there were actually six 12-hour periods being spoken of in the prophecy of Jonah wherein our Messiah said that he would be “Three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” If he was speaking of three daylight periods, he would have only said “Three days in the heart of the earth.” 

You may be asking yourself “Why is this important?” It is important because some people would try to argue that he was in the heart of the earth approximately three days or “Inside of three days.” 

Many people rationalize that if one counts the day of his crucifixion (allegedly on Friday at 3:00 p.m.), the entire day counts as day # 1. The next illogical conclusion is that day # 2 was Saturday, and day # 3 was Sunday. You cannot come up with 72 hours from Friday evening to Sunday morning.

Some claim that even a fraction of the day counts as a 24-hour period, when reckoning the three days and three nights prophecy. The only problem with this logic is that YaHuWaH, our Creator always uses precise measurements when it comes to prophecy. He is perfectly accurate in all of his ways. 

From Friday evening at 3:00 p.m. until Sunday morning (when he allegedly resurrected) would mean that he was rendering a 36-hour period as “Three days & three nights.” However, our Messiah made a point of differentiating between “Three days & three nights,” describing six 12-hour periods. This means exactly 72 hours.


Hence, the reason why it is important to distinguish that there were 12 hours of daylight, and 12 hours of darkness to each period:

Yahuwchanon (John) 11:9 Yahuwshuwa answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walks in the day, he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world.
                                                                               

Yahuwshuwa rose again as the Sabbath was ending “After three days.” This is why he said that he is “Lord of the Sabbath.” The Catholic Church changed the Sabbath to Sunday, because they rationalize “Jesus resurrected on Sunday morning.” However, a careful study in the original language of the New Testament (Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek), will clear up this false notion of a Sunday resurrection.

What follows is a detailed and exhaustive study on the timing of the resurrection, conducted by a man named Roy Reinhold. Mr. Reinhold has done an excellent job of dissecting all four gospels and laying it out for us to see. You will come to the same conclusion that I did back in 2002, that our Messiah resurrected on what we today call Saturday (the seventh day of the week), just as the Sabbath was ending!

I will begin by quoting Roy Reinhold’s article below. I have taken the liberty to restore some of the sacred names in Mr. Reinhold’s article. The word “God” is restored back to Elohiym, “Jesus” to is restored to Yahuwshuwa and “Lord” is restored to YaHuWaH in the article below.

Biblical Proof Yahuwshuwa (Jesus) Died Wednesday & Rose on Sabbath: Good Friday is a Myth!
By Roy A. Reinhold


3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH

One of the most common questions asked by new Christians is, this:

“How could Jesus have been in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights if He died on a Friday afternoon and rose before sunrise on a Sunday?”

Most Christians duck the question, since at most they can only come up with one day and two nights (Friday nighttime, Saturday daytime, and Saturday nighttime in our measure of days). If they add in the Friday daytime they get two periods of daytime, even though Yahuwshuwa would have died in the late afternoon. This late afternoon death is consistent with the Passover lamb being killed between the two evenings according to the Mosaic Law. 

The lamb was killed between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the 14th of Abib/Nisan and prepared, because the 15th was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was an annual Sabbath observance. The first and last days of Unleavened Bread were annual Sabbaths in addition to the normal weekly Sabbaths. This search of the word is important, not because it affects salvation, but because it answers the questions posed on whether Yahuwshuwa kept His word, and whether the Bible is true in this matter. A legitimate concern and question for all followers of Messiah!

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:5-8 In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at evening is YHWH’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto YHWH: seven days You must eat unleavened bread. In the first day You shall have an holy convocation: You shall do no servile work therein. But You shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHWH seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: You shall do no servile work therein.

The above text confirms that the first and last days of the Feast of Unleav-ened Bread are annual Sabbaths, to be observed as a day of rest in addition to the weekly Sabbaths. These days would occur on the 15th and 21st of Abib/Nisan. 

The Passover meal was an important religious observance in which to remember that the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their houses kept them alive when the angel of death passed by, and that YaHuWaH had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. 

The Passover is a perpetual observance to celebrate, passing from death to life. These ancient events foretold the blood of Yahuwshuwa being spilled for our sins, and our passage from death to eternal life, by the everlasting covenant of the blood of Yahuwshuwa. They also foretold that Yahuwshuwa would die exactly on the 14th of Abib/Nisan and that the day following was an annual Sabbath.

What follows is a close examination of the biblical record, in which Yahuwshuwa was killed on the 14th of Abib/Nisan in the afternoon, and the next day was the annual Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We shall also see from the biblical record that this annual Sabbath did not fall on the weekly Sabbath, in the year that Yahuwshuwa died.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 12:38-40 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from you. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Yonah (Jonah): For as Yonah (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.

Mattithyahuw (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 sepulchre 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, You have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as You can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

The above verses show that Yahuwshuwa had openly taught that the major sign that he was the Messiah was that he would die, (and three days later), rise again. Even more clearly, he said that he would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This promise meant that 72 hours would pass from his death to his resurrection, and that this would be the sign for the Jews that he was who he said he was (the Messiah). The Friday crucifixion with a resurrection before sunrise on Sunday morning totals approximately 36 hours. 

If we understood Yahuwshuwa to mean that “within” three days and three nights he would rise again, then any period short of that would suffice. However, he taught that “after” three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, then he would rise again. This logically would necessitate the crucifixion on a Wednesday, then the daylight and nighttime periods of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday would be three days and three nights. 

We count from either his actual death shortly after 3:00 p.m. or from the time his body was laid in the tomb, shortly before the annual Sabbath began. I believe we should count the 72 hours from the time the body was laid in the tomb.

You’ll notice that the above text from Matthew 27, recorded that the chief priests met with Pilate the morning after the crucifixion to get permission to post a guard, and seal the tomb. The Bible records that this was the day after the day of preparation. 

This day of preparation is the 14th of Abib (Nisan), when the homes were scoured for any leavened bread within the house, and a preparation of food was made for the Passover meal, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:14, 31, 42].

Therefore, the grave of Yahuwshuwa was not sealed until the morning of the 15th of Abib (Nisan), on the annual Sabbath. In the text from John 19, we learn that the body of Yahuwshuwa needed to be removed from the cross, (because the Sabbath was about to begin), and that Sabbath was a high day or an annual Sabbath. 

This is consistent with the other verses, which teach that the day of preparation was the day that Yahuwshuwa died. Now we only need to determine whether the annual Sabbath and weekly Sabbath fell on the same day, which would lead us to the conclusion that Yahuwshuwa died on a Friday afternoon, shortly after 3:00 p.m. as commonly taught. If not, then He died on another day of the week.

Yahuwchanon (John) 19:31 The Yahuwdiym (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.

*Maria Merola’s Commentary: A High Sabbath was an annual Sabbath, not the weekly Sabbath. Therefore, this is speaking of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, not the weekly Saturday Sabbath.

Yahuwchanon (John) 19:39-40 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Yahuwshuwa by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Yahuwshuwa, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Yahuwdiy (Jews) is to bury.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 27:59-61 And when Yahuwceph (Joseph) had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Miryam (Mary) Magdalene, and the other Miryam (Mary), sitting over against the sepulchre.

Marqos (Mark) 15:46-47 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. And Miriyam (Mary) Magdalene and Miryam (Mary) the mother of Yahuwseph (Joses) beheld where he was laid.

Luqas (Luke) 23:54-56 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

In totality, the above verses together give us the complete picture of what happened after Messiah’s death; how His body was prepared for burial, and who observed this process. It is extremely important to notice that none of the above texts alone gives the complete story, and that you have to read all together to get the whole story. Joseph took Yahuwshuwa’s body after receiving permission from Pilate, bought a linen sheet, and bound the body with Nicodemus’ assistance. 

Nicodemus had brought a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, which they bound with the body. The tomb was near where he was crucified, and it belonged to Joseph, (who had carved this tomb out of rock). It was a new tomb that had never before been used. Also, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses accompanied the body from the cross, and watched the entire process of burial. 

When Yahuwshuwa’s body was laid in the tomb, then Joseph, (assisted by Nicodemus), rolled a large stone in front of the tomb opening and left. Finally, the two Mary’s left and prepared spices and perfumes, before resting on the Sabbath. Up until this point, we have no evidence that the annual Sabbath and weekly Sabbath did not fall on the same day as traditionally taught.

The next collection of verses will explore the role of the women in preparing spices and perfumes, with which they intended to anoint the body of Yahuwshuwa.

*Maria Merola’s Commentary: In the verses where the word “day” is italicized in the King James Version, the word “day”  is in brackets highlighted in red, to signify that the word “day” does not appear in the original text.

Luqas (Luke) 24:1-2 Now upon the first [day] of the weekvery early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 28:1-4 In the end of the sabbathas it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of YHWH descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

*Commentary by Maria Merola: It is important at this point to give an explanation of the word “dawn” in Matthew 28:1. Most people assume that he resurrected on Sunday Morning because of this verse in Matthew 28:1.

The problem with Matthew 28:1 is that the word “dawn” is a poor translation from Greek to English. If the English translators had realized that a new calendar date changes at sunset, they would have figured this out. 

We know that the “end the Sabbath” cannot be talking about Sunday morning at sunrise. The Greek word there for “dawn” is the equivalent of a word in Hebrew that means “a mixture of light and dark.” Hence, the word should really be “dusk” as the sun was going down.

The Strong’s Hebrew Concordance reveals that at sundown is the “dawning of the new day” at twilight or dusk:

#5399. nesheph neh’-shef from 5398; properly, a breeze, i.e. (by implication) dusk (when the evening breeze prevails):--darkdawning of the day (morning), night, twilight.

The Greek words are as follows:

#2020. epiphosko ep-ee-foce’-ko a form of 2017; to begin to grow light:--begin to dawn, draw on.

#2017. epiphauo ep-ee-fow’-o a form of 2014; to illuminate (figuratively):--give light.

You can see why the English translators thought that the word should be “dawn” (as in early morning, just before sunrise). The Greek word epiphosko can mean “....to draw on,” and it can mean “the beginning of something” as in the “the dawning of a new era.” 

For something to “dawn,” means that something new is approaching. The term is much broader than the English word that we use to describe “sunrise.”

Murdock’s Translation on e-sword has it translated correctly:

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 28:1 And in the evening of the Sabbath as it was dusk, as the first [day] of the week began to dawn, came Mary of Magdala and the other Mary, to view the sepulcher.

You will notice that Murdock is calling this time of day “dusk,” but he is saying that the “week” (Sabbaton in Greek) was beginning to “dawn” or to “draw on.” In other words it was not sunrise, but it was the end of the Sabbath at sundown, as the new week was approaching (dawning).

The MRC Translation on e-sword translates it like this:

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 28:1 Now late on the Shabbat, as it began to draw toward the first of the week, Miryam of Magdala and the other Miryam went to look at the grave.

Andrew Gabriel Roth who translated the Aramaic Peshitta also agrees with this interpretation. Here is what he says:

“Aramaic literally reads ‘b’ramsha din b’shabata’ or ‘in the evening of the shabbat.” What is true for dawning is also true for setting in the sense of ‘conclusion’ as is meant here....Murdock and Etheridge also confirm this idiomatic reading in their translations.”

*Continuing with Roy Reinhold’s Study:

Marqos (Mark) 16:1-4 And when the sabbath was past, Miryam (Mary) Magdalene, and Miryam (Mary) the mother of Ya’aqob (James), and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first [day] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

Yahuwchanon (John) 20:1-2 The first [day] of the week comes Miryam (Mary)  Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and sees the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runs, and comes to Shimone Keefa (Simon Peter), and to the other disciple, whom Yahuwshuwa loved, and said unto them, They have taken away YHWH out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

You may have to reread the above verses to notice that the women who had watched the body of Yahuwshuwa being laid in the tomb, prepared perfumes and spices. Then, the Mark 16 text says that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary bought spices AFTER the Sabbath, and prepared them. While the Luke 23 text states that the women prepared spices, and then rested on the Sabbath. This is consistent with an annual Sabbath on Thursday, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the weekly Sabbath on Saturday. 

We know that these are the same women, because the Bible verses all relate that Mary Magdalene was involved in all these events. However, two other Mary’s are mentioned, one the mother of James and Salome, and the other the mother of Joses. In all cases, Mary Magdalene was involved. Therefore, the women saw Yahuwshuwa’s body being laid in the tomb on a Wednesday afternoon; they rested on the annual Sabbath on Thursday, and bought spices on Friday. 

They prepared the spices on the 6th  day of the week (Friday) and then rested according to the commandment on the weekly Sabbath on Saturday. After the weekly Sabbath, they intended to anoint Yahuwshuwa’s body with the perfumes and spices. 

Therefore both intuitively, (and by evidence), we have proven that Passover was on the 4th day (Wednesday), that year, and that Yahuwshuwa did as he had said, which was to rise again after three days and three nights. What remains next, is to determine whether Yahuwshuwa rose as the weekly Sabbath was ending, or at sunrise on Sunday.

You’ll notice through a comparison of the four gospels, that Mary Magdalene and the disciples went to the tomb a number of times. In some, it was still dark, and in some it was already light. It wasn’t until it was light on Sunday that they actually discovered that He had risen; in the first visits, the tomb was empty. 

The above text in John 20, tells us of the first visit by Mary Magdalene (when it was dark), the tomb was empty, and she had not been told that Yahuwshuwa was risen; and only saw the stone rolled away. I will leave it to the reader to compare the applicable verses in the four gospels to reconstruct the various visits to the tomb. However, there is one verse which seems to tell us that Yahuwshuwa rose on the first day of the week.

Marqos (Mark) 16:9 Now when Yahuwshuwa was risen early the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to Miryam (Mary) Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

*Maria Merola’s Commentary: “Early the first of the week” is immediately following the Sabbath at sundown on Saturday evening. It is called Havdalah in Hebrew which means “Exiting the Sabbath.” The word “day” is not in the original text as indicated by the red highlighting, because it is italicized in the King James Version.

The above text would seem to conclusively prove that Yahuwshuwa rose early in the morning on the first day of the week, (what we would call Saturday evening). Some commentators have speculated that verses 9-20 of this chapter were later added since they weren’t in any of the early manuscripts. 

Whether or not that is true, the reader ought to know that the meaning of a verse may be altered by the addition of a comma or a deletion. The original text did not have these punctuation marks in the Greek text, therefore, they were added later. If a comma is added after risen, the verse takes on an entirely different meaning:

“Now after He had risen, early on the first [day] of the week He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.”

This change is not altering scripture since it was not written with punctuation marks. This makes the verse consistent with all four gospels.

In all the gospel accounts, Mary Magdalene visited the grave shortly after the Sabbath ended, and saw the empty grave with the stone rolled away. However, she did not see an angel, nor did she see Yahuwshuwa. It was later, (when the sun had risen on Sunday morning), that she came with Mary the mother of James and Salome back to the tomb, then saw an angel who told her that he had risen. That is when they saw Yahuwshuwa. 

One can imagine that Mary (the mother of James) asked Mary Magdalene, “Who would roll away the stone?” as they approached the tomb, since Mary Magdalene had not mentioned that she had been there earlier and saw the empty grave. 

Then, she went and told the disciples that she saw the angel, and saw Yahuwshuwa. What any reader should realize is that the Holy Spirit gave us the four gospels with fragments of the story in each, and it takes a study of all together, to arrive at the complete picture. The following verse clearly shows us that Mary Magdalene came to the grave as the weekly Sabbath was ending.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Miryam (Mary) Magdalene and the other Miryam (Mary) to see the sepulchre.

Bishop Papias was an early church bishop in Syria and he wrote that the book of Matthew was originally written in Aramaic, and then translated into Greek by the apostles. Irenaeus and Clement also mentioned seeing the original Aramaic of the book of Matthew. 

We have some precedence and evidence that at least some of the New Testament books were first written in Aramaic, and translated by the apostles into Greek, and Matthew is one of them. I say all of this because the Aramaic of Matthew 28:1 is much clearer than the Greek. A literal, word for word translation of the Aramaic directly to English is as follows (commas separate meaning of each word):

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 28:1 …in the evening, at Sabbath, when went up, the beginning (the dawning), belonging, to the last of, in the Sabbath, arrived, Miryam, the Magdalene, and Miryam, the different (the other), came to see, the tomb (the grave).”

It is obvious by repeating “The Sabbath” twice, that it is making the point that it was at twilight that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb. By stressing “The last of the Sabbath,” the verse drives home the point that this was Saturday evening, but that the twilight period still belonged to the Sabbath. 

There were no streetlights then, (and no flashlights), so if the full moon had not yet risen, then when it became dark, really fast. The two Mary’s had just enough time to look around and leave. No one can read the Peshitta Aramaic of Matthew 28:1, and mistake it for any other understanding, than that the Mary’s arrived at the tomb at twilight on Saturday evening and the stone had already been rolled away.

Why didn’t the two Mary’s try to anoint the body of Yahuwshuwa on Friday, since they had prepared the spices and perfumes on Friday before the weekly Sabbath began? It is because in Matthew 27:62-66, Pilate had given the Roman order to have the grave sealed on Thursday morning, and they had put the Roman seal on it, and posted guards until the 3 days were complete. 

Therefore, if the two Mary’s had tried to anoint the body on Friday, they would have broken the law, and been arrested. They waited until after the 3 days, so as to avoid arrest. The apostles were all in hiding at the time, fearing possibly of their own arrest, so it fell to the two Mary’s to anoint the body.

The fact is, that the Last Supper (celebrated with the bread and wine) by Yahuwshuwa and the disciples, took place on the evening of the third day of the week (what we would call Tuesday evening). He was crucified on a Wednesday, and was in the grave three days and three nights. He rose from the dead late on the Sabbath. Finally, he revealed himself to Mary Magdalene, and the disciples on the first day of the week, shortly after sunrise. Of course, this means that we have a Palm Saturday, and NOT a Palm Sunday. 

It also means that Yahuwshuwa performed the sign he said he would, and that Sunday being “The Lord’s Day,” is a fabrication of the bishop of Rome. Bishop Sixtus instituted this teaching at Rome shortly after the death of the Apostle John, and later Bishops of Rome perpetuated the error he brought into the church. In due time, even the keeping of the Passover (bread and wine remembrance), was outlawed with ex-communication.

*Maria Merola’s Commentary: 

Roy Reinhold makes a very strong case in the article above showing us that Yahuwshuwa rose again on the Sabbath, and was crucified on a Wednesday. No wonder why Satan has used the Catholic Church to change all these important dates! 

In the 3rd Century, Constantine, (the Roman Emperor), changed the Sabbath day to Sunday for the pagan “sun-god,” and this is why the Roman Catholic Church has had to change all other calendar dates, in order to force our Messiah to resurrect on Easter Sunday!

Pictured above is an artist depiction of what is often called “Palm Sunday.” 

In reality, this was not a on a Sunday. Our Messiah rode through the streets of Jerusalem on a Sabbath day, and it can be proven by counting backwards to the 10th day of Abib. The commandment in Exodus 12:3 is to select the lamb for Passover on the 10th day of the first month of Abib (Nisan). Counting backwards from Wednesday, (Abib 14), we land on the 10th of Abib, which was on the weekly Sabbath day!

As the Lamb of Elohiym, Yahuwshuwa was selected as the acceptable lamb for slaughter following the triumphal entry, when the chief priests met to determine his death on the Sabbath. He was laid in the tomb as the annual Sabbath was beginning. On the following weekly Sabbath, (as it was ending), Yahuwshuwa rose from the dead. This is consistent with his teaching that he is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” 

*Roy Reinhold’s article continues: 

There have been many noted believers in a Wednesday crucifixion, from the time of the early church until now. These include Epiphanus, Victorinus of Petau in 307 AD, Lactantius, Wescott, Cassiodorus, and Gregory of Tours. Later, Finis Dake and R.A. Torrey also believed in a Wednesday crucifixion. We now know that the Bible teaches a Wednesday crucifixion, so the reader now must face the facts of the Bible as compared to the traditions of men. 

At the same time, I say that this does not determine salvation, for I know that there will be millions who have believed the Friday crucifixion hoax and I will see them in heaven one day. Also, a superficial reading of the gospels does tend to lead one to the conclusion of a Friday crucifixion, when read separately, so one cannot blame the majority of believers for this false belief.

The learned reader might say that the Passover as kept today cannot fall on a Wednesday, in the Jewish calendar. That is the case today, but then neither does First Fruits (wave offering) or the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) occur on the first day of the week in the Jewish calendar. The reason is a matter of history. 

There was a controversy between the Phariseean and Sadduceean way of keeping these important feast days. At the time of Yahuwshuwa, the Sadducees were the high priests and kept the days according to our present Christian understanding from the Torah. 

For example, the Sadducees believed that First Fruits always fell on the first day of the week, which meant that Pentecost also fell on the first day of the week. While the Pharisees believed that First Fruits fell on the 16th of Abib (Nisan), the day after the annual Sabbath, leading to Pentecost on various days of the week. 

At the time of Yahuwshuwa, the Sadduceean keeping of the feasts was in effect, but after the dispersion, the more numerous and stricter Pharisees perpetuated their understanding of Judaism. They were the ancestors of modern day Orthodox Jews and are the keepers of the calendar today. Their rules have supplanted the days as kept in the time of Yahuwshuwa.

Yahuwshuwa (Jesus) was Crucified
On a Wednesday Afternoon (part 2)
By Roy A. Reinhold

As a result of receiving many e-mails concerning the article, “The Friday Crucifixion Hoax, Jesus died on a Wednesday,”  I’ve decided to add this part 2, to point out the explanation for ALL individual verses that readers have raised. There is not one verse that disproves the Wednesday afternoon crucifixion of Yahuwshuwa. While that’s a strong statement, you be the judge.

First, let’s review the scenario proven in part 1. The Last Supper was held on a Tuesday evening. On Wednesday the 14th of Abib/Nisan, Yahuwshuwa was crucified, and died late in the afternoon. Joseph of Arimathea received permission from Pilate and took down the body of Yahuwshuwa from the cross, probably with Nicodemus’ help. The scriptural record states that Joseph and Nicodemus worked together. 

Nicodemus had brought about 100 lbs. of myrrh and aloes. They wrapped the body in a sheet (shroud) and bound it with the myrrh and aloes. It was already getting dark, so they had to hurry, because the annual Sabbath was beginning, the first day of Unleavened Bread on the 15th of Abib (Nisan), which was a Thursday. 

Watching all this a short distance away were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses. Joseph had a new garden tomb that had never been used nearby. They laid the body of Yahuwshuwa in the tomb and rolled the stone over the entrance to the tomb. The next morning the Jewish leaders met with Pilate and received permission to seal and guard the tomb, so that his disciples couldn’t steal the body and say Yahuwshuwa had risen from the dead. 

They sealed the tomb and posted guards (on Thursday). The women including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Joses, and Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought spices on Friday and prepared them. They bought spices on the day after a Sabbath (the annual Sabbath), and after preparing them on Friday, rested on the weekly Sabbath on Saturday. 

As the weekly Sabbath was ending late on Saturday afternoon, Mary Magdalene and one of the other Marys’ came to the tomb to anoint the body. Since it was already almost dark, or was dark, all they saw was that the stone had been rolled away and nobody was there.

*Summary: Yahuwshuwa died on Wednesday afternoon and was laid in the grave as the annual Sabbath was beginning. He was in the grave Wednesday night, Thursday day, Thursday night, Friday day, Friday night, and Saturday day. Therefore, He was in the grave 3 days and 3 nights. He was resurrected late on the weekly Sabbath on Saturday. Therefore, He rose on the third day. Also, it was after 3 days and 3 nights. Those are the incontrovertible facts from the scriptural record.

I’d like to face the most troublesome verse first (Luke 24:21), that of the two men walking to Emmaus on Sunday, who were later joined by a stranger who explained all the scriptures to them. We know they were walking on Sunday, the first day of the week, because it is clearly stated so in Luke 24:1, where the sequence of events started.

Luqas (Luke) 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Yisra’el; and besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done.

Yes, the walk to Emmaus was on a Sunday, but it is a misunderstanding and a mistranslation that Sunday was the third day since the crucifixion. Instead of writing down the verse in Greek, (which most of you don’t know), I decided that I ought to use what others have shown concerning this verse (Luke 24:21), which will have greater weight with you.

The Greek word for “since” after “the third day” in Luke 24:21 actually means “away from.” Away from is the same as our “after.”

Yahuwshuwa died late on a Wednesday afternoon and was laid in the grave at sundown on Wednesday as Thursday was beginning. He was in the grave for three days and three nights beginning on Wednesday night, for a full 72 hours until Saturday night just before the sun went down.

He rose on the third day (72 hours from when he was buried). Sunday is therefore the 4th day. The actual literal Greek translation of Luke 24:21 is:

“But surely also together with all these things, it brings a third day away from which all these things occurred.”

Translators take the cumbersome literal translation and make it flow, taking some liberty with it, but trying to retain accuracy. The fourth day is “away from” the third day. So it is apparent that the verse is literally saying they were walking and talking after the third day, which was Sunday. However, have other translators understood this point too? Yes, let’s look at 3 of them. (Luke 24:21)

Moffatt Translation--by James Moffatt: “....but he is dead, and that is three days ago!”

The New Berkeley Version in Modern English-- Gerrit Verkugl: 

“Moreover, three days have already passed, since all these events occurred.”

The Syriac New Testament Translated Into English From The Peshitto Version -- James Murdock:

“...and lo, three days have passed since all these things have occurred.”

The Syriac Reading can be confirmed by 2 of the oldest manuscripts in Estrangelo: “… Aramaic: the Sinaitic Palimpset and the Curetonian Syriac…”

There is exceedingly ample evidence that the correct translation for Luke 24:21 is that the KJV should read, “Today is after the third day since these things were done.” As the information above shows, the oldest and multiple original manuscripts show that “away from” is the correct word for since, and shows us that they were talking about Sunday being the fourth day since Yahuwshuwa was laid in the grave. That troubled them; because he has clearly said many times that He would rise on the third day, after three days and three nights. 

He would fulfill the sign of Jonah, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the great fish, so Yahuwshuwa would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. These two disciples were challenged in their faith; because it appeared that Yahuwshuwa’s many prophecies concerning his being raised from the dead had failed. They were going back to Emmaus in defeat, when a stranger joined them. 

This stranger explained to them all the prophecies concerning the Messiah from the Tanakh (Old Testament). They did not recognize that it was Yahuwshuwa, the risen Messiah talking to them. Only when they sat down to eat and he blessed the bread and gave it to them, were their eyes opened and they recognized him as Yahuwshuwa. 

He then instantly disappeared from them. The next set of verses raised by readers all say the exact same, that he would rise on the third day. The answer is that he did rise from the dead on the third day, late on Saturday afternoon. First, a verse that tells us that he rose as the Sabbath was ending on Saturday afternoon:

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

The dawning of a new date in the biblical and Jewish day reckoning is at twilight as it is getting dark, not first light in the morning. The Sabbath ended at sundown, and the two Mary’s came to look at the gravesite after the Sabbath ended. Yahuwshuwa had already risen. 

Therefore, the Bible teaches He rose on the third day, on the Sabbath, regardless of what your tradition or any later creed states. Now let’s show all the verses where Yahuwshuwa said He would rise on the third day, or those afterwards that state He did rise on the third day.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 16:21 From that time forth began Yahuwshuwa to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Mattithyahuw (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.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 27:64 Command therefore that the sepulchre 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.

Marqos (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.

Marqos (Mark) 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luqas (Luke) 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Luqas (Luke) 13:32 And he said unto them, Go You, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I shall be perfected.

Luqas (Luke) 18:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luqas (Luke) 24:7 Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Luqas (Luke) 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.

Maaseh Schliciym (Acts) 10:40 Him Elohiym raised up the third day, and showed him openly;

1st Qorintiym (Corinthians) 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

All of the above verses state a prediction that he would be raised on the third day, or that some feared it coming true, or after-wards stated that it had come true. [Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64; Mark 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:7; 24:46; Acts 10:40; and 1st Corinthians 15:4]. 

The scriptural facts show that Yahuwshuwa rose from the grave late on the Sabbath, late on Saturday afternoon. This was 3 days and 3 nights AFTER He had been crucified, and it was also the third day. The first day being Thursday; the second day being Friday; and the third day being Saturday. 

Somehow we modern people have trouble juggling the concept of the biblical day running from evening tevening, with that of the civil day from midnight to midnight. 

Actually, Luke 13:32 above is often translated differently, where instead of the word “perfected,” they translate it as “reach my goal.”

The verse then tells the story of Yahuwshuwa saying that He would cast out devils and heal the sick for the next two days, and then reach Jerusalem on the third day. That’s what happened, and in context, the KJV translation is less satisfactory.

There are yet a few other verses that apply to the Wednesday crucifixion:

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 24:63 “…Saying, Sir, we remember that the deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days, I will rise again.”

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 26:61 “....able to destroy this temple of Elohiym, and build it in three days…..”

Marqos (Mark) 8:31 “....and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Marqos (Mark) 14:58 “...and in three days I will build another made without hands.”

Marqos (Mark) 15:58 “...to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days.”

Yahuwchanon (John) 2:19-21 “…and in three days I will raise it up.”

All these verses are answered the same way. Yahuwshuwa did rise from the grave on the third day, late on the Sabbath. He did rise after three days; Thursday, Friday, then Saturday. It was 3 full days and 3 full nights AFTER He died. There are NO verses that cannot be reconciled to the Wednesday afternoon crucifixion. The verse Yahuwshuwa so often referred to from Jonah, was where Jonah was in the great fish 3 days and 3 nights.

Yonah (Jonah) 1:17 Now YHWH had prepared a great fish to swallow up Yonah (Jonah). And Yonah (Jonah) was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 12:40 For as Yonah (Jonah) was three days and three night’s in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be.

Pastors are also fond of using allegories and allusions to teach a concept or doctrine, and perhaps Luke 2:46 ought to be a direct allusion to the 12-year old Yahuwshuwa being found AFTER 3 days.

Luqas (Luke) 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

Why should this story be a direct allusion to be used by pastors to teach the resurrection? 

Note that in Luke 2:41, that the feast they went to was the Passover. So Yahuwshuwa disappearing for 3 days was a direct showing of what would later occur in His life! 

And it was done at the same feast, and He did appear to His disciples who were to be the teachers. 

He had disappeared for 3 days and 3 nights from His parents as a 12-year old, and was found AFTER 3 days. In the same way, when crucified, he disappeared for 3 days and 3 nights through death, and was hidden from friends, family, apostles, and numerous disciples, and then revealed to them after 3 days!

*Roy Reinhold’s article ends & Maria Merola’s article continues from here:
            
There are a few more pieces of evidence that I have found which add more weight to Roy Reinhold’s research. The first piece of evidence that I want to present comes from the Jewish Talmud and it is called “The Forty-Year Miracle of Yom Kippur.” 

The main purpose of this piece of evidence is to establish exactly what year our Messiah was crucified. From the article below, we are going to learn that our Messiah spoke a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem exactly forty years before it happened. If we know that the Roman Siege took place in the year 70 C.E, and we know that our Messiah died 40 years earlier, that proves that his crucifixion took place in the year 30 C.E.

In the centuries following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 C.E.), the Jewish people began writing two versions of Jewish thought, religious history, and commentary. One was written in Palestine and became known as the Jerusalem Talmud. The other was written in Babylon and was known as the Babylonian Talmud.

We read in the Jerusalem Talmud:

“Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for YHWH always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the Temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open” (Jacob Neusner, The Yerushalmi, p.156-157). [the Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E.] 

A similar passage in the Babylonian Talmud states:

“Our rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For the Lord’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekel [Temple] would open by themselves” (Soncino version, Yoma 39b). 

What are these passages talking about? Since both Talmuds recount the same information, this indicates the knowledge of these events was accepted by the widespread Jewish community.

The Miracle of the “Lot” 

The first of these miracles concerns a random choosing of the “lot” which was cast on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The lot chosen determined which of two goats would be “For the YHWH” and which goat would be the “Azazel” or “scapegoat.”

During the two hundred years before 30 C.E., when the High Priest picked one of two stones, again this selection was governed by chance, and each year the priest would select a black stone as often as a white stone. But for forty years in a row, beginning in 30 C.E., the High Priest always picked the black stone! 

The odds against this happening are astronomical (2 to the 40th power). In other words, the chances of this occurring are 1 in approximately 5, 479, 548, 800 or about 5.5 billion to one! By comparison, your chances of winning your local state or municipal-run cash Lottery would be much more favorable!

The lot for Azazel, the black stone, contrary to all the laws of chance, came up 40 times in a row from 30 to 70 AD! This was considered a dire event and signified something had fundamentally changed in this Yom Kippur ritual. This casting of lots is also accompanied by yet another miracle which is described next.

The priests would also take a red ribbon (symbolizing sin) and tie half around the horn of the scapegoat and tie the other half to the temple door. The scape-goat bore the sins of the nation of Yisra’el. If YaHuWaH forgave them of their sins, the red ribbon on the temple door would miraculously turn white. This was done in front of a large crowd to show them they had Elohiym’s favor:

Yeshayahuw (Isaiah) 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says YHWH. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Since 30 A.D., the ribbon stopped turning white as snow; this is also recorded in the Talmud:

Yoma 39b “Our rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For YHWH’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekel [Temple] would open by themselves.”

There is only one possible explanation for this:

Because Yahuwshuwa ha’Mashiyach was the perfect sin sacrifice who died in 30 A.D!

Ibriym (Hebrews) 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Only His blood can truly atone for our sins and once He paid that price, animal sacrifice was worthless.

Ibriym (Hebrews) 10:4-6 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he comes into the world, he says, Sacrifice and offering you would not, but a body have you prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have had no pleasure.

This was all done as a rehearsal for things to come, so Yisra’el would recognize the true Messiah when He came. 

Yeshayahuw (Isaiah) 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? says YHWH: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

Another thing that is recorded in the Talmud is this historical mystery of the temple doors. The doors to the temple would swing open by themselves starting in 30 A.D. recorded in the Talmud:

Sota 6:3 Said Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai to the Temple, ‘O Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you will end up destroyed. For it has been said, ‘Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedar.

Lastly, the most important menorah lamp that was to remain lit at all times kept going out on its own accord. The priests went to all measures to insure it would stay lit but much to their futile efforts, the menorah kept going out. Yahuwshuwa died for our sins and just like the book of Hebrews tells us, the priesthood changed.

Messiah is now our High Priest and has given us access to the Father. It is also significant that the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D, exactly 40 years after Yahuwshuwa’s death. YaHuWaH gave Yisra’el 40 years to repent of their sins and to accept Yahuwshuwa as their Messiah. And when they did not, (in spite of all the signs he gave them), their probationary period ended in 70 A.D. and their temple and city was destroyed just as Yahuwshuwa prophesied.

Earnest Martin states: 

“In fact, we are told in the Talmud that at dusk the lamps that were unlit in the daytime (the middle four lamps remained unlit, while the two eastern lamps normally stayed lit during the day) were to be re-lit from the flames of the western lamp (which was a lamp that was supposed to stay lit all the time it was like the ‘eternal’ flame that we see today in some national monuments)...”

“…This ‘western lamp’ was to be kept lit at all times. For that reason, the priests kept extra reservoirs of olive oil and other implements in ready supply to make sure that the ‘western lamp’ (under all circumstances) would stay lit. But what happened in the forty years from the very year Messiah said the physical Temple would be destroyed? Every night for forty years the western lamp went out, and this in spite of the priests each evening preparing in a special way the western lamp so that it would remain constantly burning all night!” (The Significance of the Year C.E. 30, Ernest Martin, Research Update, April 1994, p.4).

For a better understanding of how our Messiah fulfilled the Passover Lamb, I recommend reading these two blogs at the links below:

Did Messiah Eat the Passover Before He Died?

Was it Passover or the Last Supper?

Another reason why proving a Wednesday crucifixion and a Sabbath resurrection is because we are commanded to honor the Sabbath day and to keep it holy (set apart). It is because YaHuWaH knew in advance that he was going to be raised from the dead on the weekly Sabbath, and that day would be victorious for us all!

Yahuwshuwa commands us to “keep his commandments” if we want to enter into life:

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 19:17 And he said unto him..... but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.

Was he speaking of the “Nine Commandments?” 

Or was he speaking of all Ten Commandments? 

Does he still expect us to keep the 4th Commandment? 

Let’s see what Messiah said:

Mattithyahuw (Matthew) 24:20 But pray You that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:

Luqas (Luke) 6:9 Then said Yahuwshuwa unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

YaHuWaH tells us that keeping his “Sabbaths” (Holy Days) are a “sign” between us and him throughout our generations. This means “forever:”

Shemoth (Exodus) 31:13 Speak you also unto the children of Yisra’el, saying, Verily my Sabbaths You shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that You may know that I am YHWH that does sanctify you.

Yechezqel (Ezekiel) 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths  to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am YHWH that sanctify them.

Yechezqel (Ezekiel) 20:20 And hallow my Sabbaths  and they shall be a sign between me and you, that You may know that I am YHWH your Elohiym.

You will notice that the verses above state that by hallowing his “Sabbaths” (feast days) we may “know” that he is YaHuWaH. In other words, we know him by the fact that we keep his appointed holy days! 

This is the ONLY thing that differentiates him from the other false pagan gods and impostors! 

It is by his holy days that we KNOW HIM!

Another important reason why a Wednesday Crucifixion validates Yahuwshuwa as the Messiah, is because he fulfilled Daniel 9:26-27, where it says that he would be “Cut off....in the midst of the week....”

Daniel 9:26-27 states that “In the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” 

Our Messiah was “cut off” (Daniel 9:26) literally in the midst of Passover “week,” and also in the middle of the last seven years of the 490-year prophecy. 

See the blog below to learn more about how our Messiah fulfilled this prophecy in Daniel:


The Summary:

The Roman Catholic Church invented “Good Friday!”

Our Messiah died on the 4th day of the week at 3:00 p.m. (what we would today call Wednesday). 

After 72 hours (3 x 24 hours), he rose again on the 7th day of the week (what we would today call Saturday evening). Our Messiah died at the 9th hour of the day (3:00 p.m.) and was buried before sundown on the 4th day of the week: 

*Wednesday Sundown to Thursday Sundown= 24 hours. 
*Thursday Sundown to Friday Sundown = 48 hours. 
*Friday Sundown to Saturday Sundown = 72 hours. 

This is why he declared in Matthew 12:8 “I AM MASTER OF THE SABBATH!” 

Some of you might be saying to yourselves “Who cares when he died & resurrected? The only thing that matters is that he died and rose again.” 

But it matters very much, because Yahuwshuwa (Jesus) commanded us to “SAVE LIFE ON THE SABBATH!” (Mark 3:4 & 6:9).

Therefore, he was “SAVING LIVES” by resurrecting on the Sabbath! 

The Seventh Day of the Week (Sabbath) is a “SIGN” of our Everlasting Covenant with YaHuWaH (Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12 & 20:20; Hebrews 4:4-9). 

Did you know that our Messiah, Yahuwshuwa (who many call Jesus) gave us only ONE SIGN sign to look for, that he was the prophesied Messiah? 

What was that sign? 

In Matthew 12:40, our Messiah said that he would be “THREE DAYS & THREE NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF EARTH,” before resurrecting from the dead! 

That’s exactly 72 hours from when he was crucified on the 4th day of the week! Some of you might ask “Why does this even matter?” 

Because if he had died on a Friday, and resurrected on Sunday Morning, that would’ve only been 36-39 hours, or 1.5 days in the Heart of the Earth! 

If our Messiah, Yahuwshuwa had not resurrected 72 hours after being crucified (according to his own prophecy), he would have been counted as a FALSE PROPHET! 

But Scripture records that 500 people witnessed the resurrection of Yahuwshuwa ha’Mashiyach (Jesus the Messiah)! 

In 1st Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul gives a list of people to whom the risen Yahuwshuwa appeared! 

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