Growing up, one thing that perplexed me for years was Passover. I was the child that ask questions that most adults categorized as “smarting off at the mouth”. I simply was not a blind faith kind of person, I needed truth. That’s the way my parents raised me, even though, I’m sure there was moments that they regretted it. So, one could imagine I had questions about Christianity that could not be answered and other questions that I knew not to ask because they wouldn’t be accepted kindly.
I have never not believed in YHWH. Although, I didn’t know His name at first, I knew He was real. Not because of what I was taught to believe, but because I could see spirits as a child. Good and bad ones. There was no question about it, we aren’t alone in existence, there is a spirit realm that is very much real and there is a central being who rules over it all. There are evil spirits and there are good ones and your spirit will know the difference in their presence. But as I learned religion, Christianity would teach things that would contradict truth even when it was written in black and red.
I believed that it happened, but the timeline was not making sense. How did he die on a Friday and be raised on a Sunday and that is 3 days. Three days by definition would be 72 hours long. Preachers have explained that Friday he went in the grave (Day 1), Saturday he was in the grave (Day 2), and Sunday he was in the grave but then rose (Day 3). This is scary wrong, and you know why? Because a distinct characteristic of a cult is something called “loaded language” where they change the definition of words or things to fit their narrative. Changing the definition of what 3 days is… that’s awfully cultish. But I don’t blame the innocent who were just naive to blindly follow.
So how did I reconcile this discrepancy? I read the Bible for myself. I know YHWH is real and I know Yeshua is the prophesied Messiah. What I needed to figure out was where the understanding was lost.
I went to each of the Gospels and got their account of how it went down. The key details, all four agree on. And that is the time of day and the literal day of events. They all agree that it was Pesach (Passover). They all agree that Yeshua prayed outside after the meal in the night right before betrayed. They all agree that Peter denied him 3 times while he was being mocked and hit by the elders when the rooster crowed. They all agreed that at sunrise the priests took Yeshua to Pilate. They all agree that on the day of preparation when Yeshua was crucified, it was darkness across the earth from starting at the 6th hour, and he was taken down around sunset time and buried. They all agree that the next day was Sabbath. They all agree that around sunrise on the first day of the week, Mary was at his tomb and Yeshua was not there. So, let’s work with these agreed upon facts and fill in the blanks.
We must start with knowing the law, statute, and commandments of the Covenant associated with Pesach. Exodus 12 details how the first Pesach was to go down and that it should be a memorial for them to keep it every year. Every year, on the 10th of Abib (Nissan), they are to take an unblemished lamb and separate it from the flock. On the 14th of Abib, they are the eat the lamb with bitter herb salad and unleavened bread. Then for seven days, 15th-21st, all are to each unleavened. Simply put on the 10th you separate your Passover lamb, the 13th is the day you prepare your meal, and the 13th at sunset is the start of the 14th day, at which time you take part in the Passover meal. While the Pesach meal was eaten on the 14th, the fest of Passover or Unleavened Bread begins on the 10th with the separation of the lamb.
Also important to note, not all Holy Feast days fall on a Sabbath day, but those that do are called High Sabbaths. Again, when a Holy Feast Day and a Sabbath day are on the same day, it is called a High Sabbath.
Now to the Gospels. And let’s start from the end of the story and work backwards.
He is Risen!
Matthew 28 opens with it being the end of the sabbath and just before dawn, on the 1st day of the week, when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Yeshua’s tomb. While on their way there, there was a great earthquake and an angel of YHWH descended from heaven and rolled the tomb’s stone back. The guards at the tomb passed out and the women arrived to the sight of the angel and the tomb empty. Matthew 27:52-53 says that after his resurrection, graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and went into the holy city.
Mark 16 opens with saying the sabbath had passed, it was very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun, on the first day of the week, when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to Yeshua’s tomb to anoint him. They arrived to the tomb to see the stone was rolled away. They went inside of his tomb and found a young man sitting on the right side. He told them Yeshua had risen.
Luke 24 opens with it was the first day of the week, very early in the morning, when the women who followed after Yeshua went to his tomb with spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away and entered the tomb to find Yeshua missing. Then two men stood by them and said the Yeshua has risen.
John 20 opens with saying it was the first day of the week and Mary Magdalene arrived at the tomb so early that it was still dark. She found the tomb stone rolled away. She ran back and got Simon Petere and John and they went back to the tomb and both men went into the tomb, saw it empty, left the tomb and both went home. Mary stayed sitting outside the tomb weeping when two angels appeared inside the tomb and said to her that Yeshua was risen. Then she turned around and Yeshua was standing behind her.
So, we can come to the conclusion that Yeshua had risen by the first day of the week in or near to the 3am and Sunrise time.
He is Crucified!
Matthew depicts the events surrounding Yeshua on the day of his crucifixion. Pilate has decided that Yeshua is innocent, but the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes to free Barabbas (a known murderer) and demand that Yeshua be crucified. Pilate states he is innocent of this crime and gives Yeshua to the people to be crucified. The people say that Yeshua’s blood be on them and their children. (The first time people claimed to be covered in the blood of Yeshua.)
The soldiers took Yeshua away and stripped him, put a scarlet robe and crown of thorns on him with a reed in his right hand, bowed before him, then mocked him, spat on him, took the reed and hit Yeshua on the head. They them removed his robe and clothing and led him away to be crucified. As they came out of that area, they found Simon the Cyrene and made him carry Yeshua’s cross to Golgotha. While naked on the cross between two thieves he was mocked yet and still. Starting at the 6th hour of the day, there was darkness over all the land until the 9th hour. When Yeshua gave over his spirit, there was an earthquake and the veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom. There were women ministering to Yeshua while his body was on the cross – Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
At evening a rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea begged Pilate for Yeshua’s body to bury him. Joseph wrapped his body in clean linen cloth, laid his body in his new tomb, and rolled a great stone over the doorway. Both women named Mary were there to see him be laid in the tomb. The next day was the day after the day of preparation. On the next day (which is the day after the 13th) the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate requesting there be someone in place to guard the tomb from Yeshua’s disciples.
Mark says that the chief priests moved the people to have Barabbas released and Yeshua crucified. Yeshua is then scourged by the soldiers and clothed in purple with a crown of thorns. They hit him on the head with a reed and spat on him and mockingly worshipped him. Then they removed the robe and redressed him in his own clothes. As they left that area, they instruct Simon a Cyrenian to carry the cross for Yeshua to Golgotha. It was the 3rd hour when Yeshua was placed upon the crucifix between two thieves. While on the cross he is still mocked by the chief priests and scribes. When the 6th hour came about, there was darkness over the whole land until the 9th hour. The veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom and at the 9th hour Yeshua cried out to YHWH and gave over his spirit.
There were women – Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James the less and Joses, and Salome ministering to Yeshua on the cross. Evening had come and it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath. Joesph of Arimathaea went boldly to Pilate for the body of Yeshua. Joseph wrapped Yeshua’s body in linen and laid him in a tomb and rolled a stone in front of the door. Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of Joses watched as Yeshua was laid in the tomb.
After Pilate has Yeshua go before Herod, Herod sends him back to Pilate and as an innocent man. Pilate says he will chastise Yeshua (to please the people) and then release him. The chief priests and rulers and the people said they would prefer Barabbas (a known murderer) released over Yeshua. Then they demanded Yeshua be crucified. Pilate sentenced Yeshua to death by crucifixion and as they led him away, they made Simon, a Cyrenian, carry the cross for Yeshua to Calvary. Yeshua was hung on a cross between two criminals. It was the 6th hour when darkness was over all the earth until the 9th hour. The veil in the temple was torn and Yeshua cried out to YHWH to receive his spirit. Yeshua’s acquaintances and the women that followed him stood there watching it all.
After Yeshua died, Joseph of Arimathaea, a city of Jews, went to Pilate and begged for the body of Yeshua. He took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in the tomb. That day was the preparation, and the sabbath was the next day. The women also followed after Joseph and say how Yeshua’s body was laid. The women returned and prepared spices and ointments and then rested on the sabbath.
Pilate tells the Jews that he finds Yeshua to be innocent. He reminds them that it is the tradition that during Passover, they release one of their people who is in prison. He offers to release Yeshua to them. The cried out for Pilate to release Barabbas the robber instead. Then Pilate took Yeshua and scourged him and the soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head and purple robe. The soldiers mocked him and hit him. Again, Pilate went to them saying, Yeshua was innocent and brought Yeshua before them. The chief priests then demanded Yeshua be crucified. Pilate said he would not do it and if they wanted it then should do it themselves.
Pilate took Yeshua away again to the judgement hall to question him. It was the preparation day for the Passover and the sixth hour. Pilate had determined that Yeshua was innocent, but the chief priests called for his crucifixion. Yeshua bore his cross and went to Golgotha where they crucified him between two others. The soldiers took his garments and coat and casted lots for them. Yeshua’s mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, Mary Magdalene, and John (the disciple who Yeshua loved) where there watching when Yeshua gave up his spirit. Because it was the preparation, bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day. That Sabbath day was a High Day.
After this, Joseph of Arimathaea sought Pilate for the body of Yeshua. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes worth 100 pounds weight. They took Yeshua’s body, wrapped it in linen clothes with the spices as Jews were buried, and placed him in a new tomb. It was near nighttime on the preparation day when they placed him in the tomb.
We can conclude that on the day of preparation, the 13th of Abib, Yeshua was placed on the cross at the 3rd hour and hung there in darkness from the 6th hour to the 9th hour, and that evening, before/at sunset, his body was laid in the tomb. The next day was Passover and a sabbath day.
He is Betrayed!
The feast of the Passover was in two days and on that day the Son of man would be betrayed to be crucified. The chief priests, scribes, and elders consulted to subtilty take Yeshua and kill him. They agree not to do it on the feast day as to not cause an uproar among the people. In Bethany, at Simon the lepers house, Yeshua is eating a meal with his disciples and others. A woman comes and anoints him with ointment that is worth a year’s wages. The disciples are baffled by it. Yeshua is blessed by it. And Judas Iscariot- one of the twelve disciples – is ticked, Judas goes to the chief priests conspiring to betray Yeshua. They gave Judas thirty pieces of silver for Yeshua.
It was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the disciples came to Yeshua, asking where they were to prepare to eat their Passover meal. They did as Yeshua said and made ready their Passover. Meaning it was the 10th of Abib, and they prepared the lamb by separating it. That evening they all sat down to eat dinner. During their meal they learned that someone among them was going to betray Yeshua that night. Yeshua then takes bread, blesses it and breaks it saying it is his body and gave it to his disciples to eat. He took a cup, gave thanks and said it was his blood and gave it to his disciples to drink. They sang a hymn and then left out to the mount of Olives. There he warns his disciples of what’s to come. They will all be scattered, Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows, and after he was be risen again, he will go before them into Galilee.
Yeshua goes to Gethsemane with his disciples and tell them to wait their while he prays in a different spot. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him. The three of them were instructed to stay at this new spot and pray there while Yeshua went a little further to pray. Three times he goes off and prays and comes back to them and they are asleep. After he wakes them the third time he informs them, it’s his moment of betrayal. Judas arrives with a crowd of chief priests and elders of the people carrying swords and staves. Judas kisses Yeshua so the crowd knew who he was. One of the disciples cuts the ear of the high priest’s servant. Yeshua told him to put his sword away. All of the disciples forsook Yeshua and ran.
Yeshua was taken to Caiaphas the high priest and Peter followed him. The chief priests asked for a true witness to testify against Yeshua. There were none. Instead, false witnesses testified against Yeshua and put him to death. They determine that Yeshua has spoken blasphemy and worthy of death. They begin spitting in his face and beating him with rods and the palms of their hands. Over the time of this illegal trial, Peter is questioned at three different occasions by a damsel, a maid, and a group of bystanders about his relationship with Yeshua. All three times Peter denies knowing Yeshua. After the third time he denied Yeshua, a rooster crowed. Peter realized what had happened, and he wept bitterly.
When the morning came all the chief priests and elders decided Yeshua should be put to death and they bound him and led him to Governor Pontius Pilate. Judas, seeing what did, repented, took the silver back to the temple, left and hung himself. The priest took the silver pieces and bought the potter’s field to bury strangers in it.
In two days was the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes sought to take Yeshua and put him to death, but they said not to do it on the feast day. In Bethany, at Simon the leper’s house, Yeshua is sharing a meal with his disciples and others. A woman anointed Yeshua with ointment worth 300 pence. The people in company were felt indignant. Yeshua was blessed. Judas Iscariot was ticked. Judas went to the chief priests to betray Yeshua and they promised to give him money.
The first day of unleavened bread, when they kill the Passover, Yeshua’s disciples wondered where they should eat the Passover meal. Yeshua gave two of them instruction on what to do, they carried it out and prepared the Passover. In the evening, Yeshua and his disciples arrived for dinner. There they learned that one of them would betray Yeshua. They because sad. Yeshua then took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying it was his body and they ate it. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples saying it was his blood and they drank it. They sang a hymn and left out going to the mount of Olives.
At the mount of Olives, Yeshua told them what was going to happen. They would all be offended because of Yeshua that night and after he is risen, he will go before them all to Galilee. Peter swore it wouldn’t happen to him and Yeshua said, Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. They continued together to Gethsemane and Yeshua told them to stay put. He called Peter, James, and John only to go with him. He told them to pray while he went further ahead to pray alone. Three times Yeshua goes to pray and comes back to find the three of them sleeping. The last time he woke them letting them know it was his time of betrayal.
Judas arrives with a crowd of chief priests, scribes, and elders who had swords and staves. Judas kissed Yeshua to mark him to the crowd of people who didn’t recognize Yeshua. One of the disciples cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. All the disciples forsook Yeshua and ran. One young man who followed Yeshua wore only a linen cloth. The men of the crowd grabbed ahold of him, and the young man’s linen cloth was removed from him. He ran away naked. They take Yeshua away to the high priest and Peter discreetly followed. The chief priest called for true witnesses to testify against Yeshua but there were none. Only false witnesses came forward. The high priest questioned Yeshua, and his response angers the priest because it refences prophesies by King David and Prophet Daniel (Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13). Yeshua is then condemned to death for blasphemy. They begin to spit on him before blindfolding, beating, and mocking him. Peter was beneath the palace during this time and one of the maids of the high priest questioned his relationship with Yeshua, followed by another maid, and then a little later a group of people. Each time Peter denies knowing Yeshua and each time a rooster crowed. Peter realized what happened and wept bitterly. In the morning, the chief priests consulted with the elders, scribes, and the council. They took Yeshua right away, to Pilate for trial.
The feast of unleavened bread, Passover, was coming soon. The chief priests and scribes sought how to kill Yeshua. Satan entered Judas and he went to the chief priests and captains to betray Yeshua unto them. They promised him money and he promised to hand Yeshua over in the absence of a crowd. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. Yeshua gave Peter and John instructions on where to prepare Passover for them so they could eat. The twelve apostles sat with Yeshua, and he told them that he desired to eat this Passover with them before he suffered. (His statement that he desired to eat the meal with them, implies that he does not get to eat it with them). Yeshua took the cup, gave thanks and had them divide the drink among themselves. Then he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. He said the bread was his body and the cup was his blood shed for them.
Yeshua tells them that the man who would betray him was at the table. They become a bit upset and discuss who would be the greatest, or chief, amongst the twelve of them. He prophesies things on spiritual value saying that they that continued with him in his temptation he appoints the kingdom and they that eat and drink at his table in his kingdom with sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. He then tells Simon Peter that Satan desires to have him and sift him as wheat, but Yeshua has prayed for Simon that his faith does not fail. He tells him that the rooster will not crow until Peter denies him three times on that day. Yeshua instructs them on how to carry themselves in his absence. They all then left out to the mount of Olives. Then he was at a certain place where he told them to pray, and Yeshua went a stone’s cast away from them to pray alone. When he returned to them, they were asleep. He woke them and asked them why they didn’t stay wake and pray.
As he was speaking Judas came with a crowd who had swords and staves, and he kissed Yeshua. One of the men with Yeshua cut of the right ear of the high priest’s servant. Yeshua touched his ear and healed him. Then they took Yeshua to the house of the high priest and Peter followed discreetly. A maid saw Peter inside and questioned if he was with Yeshua. He denied knowing Yeshua. After a little while another maid saw Peter and said Peter with one of Yeshua’s men, and Peter denied him again. About an hour later another said Peter was with Yeshua and he denied it a third time. Immediately the rooster crowed. Yeshua looked at Peter in that moment and left out bitterly weeping.
Yeshua was mocked, hit, blindfolded, stuck in the face, and verbally degraded. As soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together and led him to their council. They questioned Yeshua. Then they led him to Pilate and accused him of perverting the nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and calling himself King. Pilate found him innocent. They continued to accuse Yeshua and exposed that he wasn’t from that area but was actually from Galilee. So, Pilate sent Yeshua face Herod, who was over Galilee. Herod was also in Jerusalem, because it was Passover. Herod questioned Yeshua. He and his men of war mocked Yeshua and treated him with contempt. Then Herod dressed Yeshua in a gorgeous robe and sent him back to Pilate. Pilate and Herod because friends after this because they agreed on who Yeshua was.
Before the feast of the Passover, Yeshua ate dinner with his disciples. After dinner, the devil entered the heart of Judas Iscariot betrayed Yeshua. Yeshua then rose from the table, laid his garments aside and girded himself. He poured water into a bason and began washing the feet of his disciples and wiping them with the towel he was girded with. Peter argued with Yeshua saying he should not wash his feet. Yeshua said, if he didn’t wash Peter’s feet then better would not be part of Yeshua. So, Peter responded saying Yeshua should wash his hands and head also. Yeshua said he only need his feet washed. He said they will be clean, but not all are clean (talking about Judas). After Yeshua washed their feet, he got dressed again and began teaching them of himself.
Yeshua then told his disciples that one of them would betray him. They began to question who and Yeshua told John that the one who would betray him, he would give a sop with dip on it. Then Yeshua gave the sop to Judas, Satan entered into Judas, and told Yeshua told him to do what he had to do quickly. Everyone thought that Yeshua told Judas to go give charity or go buy something they needed because he was the treasurer. Yeshua then began teaching his disciples again and commanded that they love one another as he loved them. By how they love one another, all men will know that they are disciples of Yeshua. They all try convincing Yeshua of their loyalty, and he tells them of true and spiritual things, as well as things that were to come.
Then Yeshua looked to heaven and talked to YHWH. After he prayed, he went with his disciples to the garden over the brook of Cedron with his disciples. Judas then returned to them at the garden with a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees with lanterns and torches and weapons. Yeshua asked them, who are they looking for and they said, “Yeshua of Nazareth.” Yeshua turned himself over to them. Simon Peter drew a sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant.
The band of Jews led Yeshua away to Annas, the father-in-law to Caiaphas the high priest. Caiaphas had counseled the Jews saying that one man, Yeshua, should die for the people. Simon Peter followed Yeshua and so did another disciple, which Caiaphas knew. The disciple went in with Yeshua and Peter stood outside. The other disciple spoke to the damsel at the door and she let Peter inside. The damsel asked Peter if he was one of Yeshua’s disciples and he said no. The high priest Yeshua of his disciples and his doctrine. One officer felt Yeshua’s response was rude, so he slapped Yeshua. Annas had Yeshua bound and sent to Caiaphas.
Simon Peter was standing near servants and officers when they asked if he was with Yeshua. Peter denied it. One of the servants of Caiaphas was the kinsmen of Malchus. He said to Peter, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Peter denied again and immediately the rooster crowed. Then Yeshua was led away from Caiaphas and to the hall of judgement (where Pilate was), early in the morning so they would not be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
It is conclusive that Yeshua was betrayed near Pesach and given over to Pilate for trial at/near Sunrise before the day of preparation.
Prophesied Death
I have read the supporting scriptures where Yeshua prophesied his death and notice something so subtle that I hadn’t before. When read as it is, Yeshua says he will be betrayed, delivered unto the chief priests, condemned to death, delivered to the Gentiles where he will be mocked, scourged and spat on by them, and finally killed by crucifixion. After three days, he will rise from the grave. After three days of death? NO! After three days of all he said. After three days of enduring all of this which ends with his crucifixion and burial, and he will rise from the grave.
| Scriptures that support the claim that Yeshua was dead 3 days | Scriptures that support the claim that Yeshua was imprisoned 3 days | Scriptures that could support either claim |
| Mark 9:31 | Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:17-19 | Luke 24:6-7 |
| Mark 8:31, 10:33-34 | John 2:19-21 | |
| Luke 9:22, 18:31-33, 24:46 | Isaiah 53 | |
| Psalm 22 | Amos 8:9-10 |
Yeshua wasn’t in the grave for three days, he was in prison where he endured hell on earth. And on the High Sabbath day, his body rested in a tomb.
How often does the scriptures tell us that the dead men are the ones walking around. The dead are those who are outside of covenant with YHWH. The dead men are evil ones who do as they please. Yeshua said that the only sign the Pharisees would receive was the sign of Jonah. That Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days, and Yeshua would be in the heart of the earth for 3 days. The heart of the earth isn’t the grave. There is nothing living in the grave, it’s just empty bodies in them. The heart of the earth is mankind. Corrupted and uncovenanted mankind.
| Feast of Pesach | Separate the unblemished lamb on the 10th of Abib (Nissan) | Sacrifice the lamb at the temple on the evening of the 13th | When the sunsets on the 13th, it marks the start of the 14th day, at which time you should eat the Pesach meal | For 7 days, eat no leavened bread. The 1st day and the 7th day are Sabbath days |
| The Crucifixion of Yeshua | Yeshua, the sinless Son of YHWH, kidnapped and imprisoned on the 10th of Abib in the midnight hours | Crucified Yeshua on the cross on the evening of the 13th | Yeshua buried at sunset on the 13th, his body consumed by the earth on the 14th, Pesach day | Yeshua rested on the High Sabbath, from all that he had endured, and then he resurrected |
The scriptures point to Yeshua being betrayed on the 10th, imprisoned for three days where he endured mocking and assault from the chief priests, elders, and Gentiles, and on the third day, the 13th, he was crucified and buried. He was in the grave for the High Sabbath of Pesach, the 14th. Then, after being in the tomb for at least 24 hours and no more than 36 hours, Yeshua rose from his grave.