PASSOVER
THE WORK OF YAHSHUA IN EASTER
DID CHRIST DIE ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY OR FRIDAY?
© Carlos Padilla – March – Easter – Pasover 2008
“…This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…” (John 1:29).
Good Friday 21st March 2008 day of traditional Christian Passover and 23rd Resurrection Sunday. The day of Jewish Passover is the 14th of Nisan of this year, 5768 in the Jewish calendar; it should coincide with the full moon of Thursday 20th March, but this year it will be on the 19th of April since in the Jewish calendar has added the additional month of Adar to compensate this leap year in the moon and sun phases. In Revelation, Christ is the Light of the full moon which reflects the light of the sun on the Earth, in the midst of darkness; symbol of the light of God the Father in His Son on Earth in the midst of darkness. We are that light now, the Church, when reflecting the light of God in the world in the midst of the spiritual darkness: “…you are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is only one of the achievements of Yahshua as the Lamb of God, that we come out of darkness into His marvellous light.
Tradition however ignores Scriptures and therefore the words of Yahshua which announced that the special Passover which He would fulfil in Himself, would be the fulfilling of the work of His expiatory death in His crucifixion for the salvation of our souls for eternity, and that there would be three days and three nights until His resurrection, which does not coincide with a Good Friday crucifixion, unless we consider the words of Jesus as portions of each of the three days: “…And the third day He will be raised up…” (Matthew 17:23).
The majority of Christianity celebrates as the day of crucifixion Good Friday placing tradition before, which also got to celebrate Good Thursday as the day of crucifixion. Ignoring Scripture, History and God’s truth can leave us without the information that would take us to find hidden treasures of the History of Jesus Christ. Although the important thing is to celebrate the redemption death of Christ and His resurrection, whether Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, we can also study His Word which is the true source about the life of Jesus Christ – Yahshua.
In this Bible Study I will expose the importance of understanding the Lord’s Feasts in the Bible, not those of tradition; to open up to the believer the meaning of the death of the Son of God on the 14th of Nisan, and find the information to know if that year coincided with Wednesday, Thursday of Good Friday, the day before the 15th of Nisan, becoming the Lamb of the Passover, spending the 15th day in the sepulchre, the day called High Shabbat for the celebration of the exit of Israel from Egypt, Thursday, Friday and resurrected just at the end of the weekly Shabbat and the beginning of the first day of the week. Also that first day of the week, what we now call Sunday, it was also one of the seven following days called the Feast of the Unleavened Breads. The Textus Receptus original Greek was translated in the first version of the Bible of Casiodoro de Reina in 1569 in Matthew 28 vs1 literally: “…The first day of the Shabbats the morning of the first of the Shabbats came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre…” As the Law commands in Leviticus 23. Shabbats in plural, several holy days.
The history of the Passover in its spiritual meaning begins then in the exit or passing from a way of life to another by the hand of God, although historically it begins in Egypt, when God took the people of Israel out, freeing them from slavery, by the hand of Moses, and it also has a comparison with other people in the Bible, like Noah when he came out in the ark, or Abraham when he came out of Ur of the Chaldeans. After Egypt, it became part of the commandments and the holy feasts to be celebrated and kept until its fulfilment in Yahshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who would definitely fulfil, once and for ever in His own flesh, the atonement of sin, the delivery from sin by His Spirit in us, cleaning us with His blood. The culmination is therefore our own exit from our own past life without God, to the new spiritual life, once we have been born again by the faith in Christ and His redemptory work in the Passover, which has effect on us today.
Although the Passover was celebrated by the Lord and the Apostles in the upper room, really in the spiritual battle field, our Lord fought and accepted Passover in Gethsemane, the orchard of olives where He always prayed, when He accepted the cup of the chalice of our sins before He was betrayed.
HISTORY OF THE PASSOVER
EXODUS 12
“1And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2This month shall be your beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3Speak you unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.”
According to the law, a lamb is choose four days before the Passover, this is, the 10th, according to Scripture, and it is kept until the day of Passover. Jesus Christ fulfilled this command when He entered Jerusalem on the colt, the foal of a donkey, four days before, in the day that tradition calls Palms Sunday. Those four days from Palm Sunday until Passover, Jesus was with His disciples and with the people providing some of the deepest of His teachings, and exhorting Scribes and Pharisees who had departed from the truth, the same as the Passover lamb had to be four days with each family.
“4And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”
Without blemish is Yahshua, without sin. The eating of every man is the spiritual hunger which Christ fills by His Godliness.
Precious how the Lord preannounces that the blood of Christ will be the one covering the door of our houses, because He of whose blood we are talking, is who says: I am the Door. The Door with the mark of the Blood of the Lamb Christ.
“8And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and its entrails. 10And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remained of it until the morning you shall burn with fire. 11And thus shall you eat it; with a belt on your waist, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s Passover.”
Unleavened bread, the Word of God, the Holy Supper in the Bread of the body of Christ, having girded you waist in carrying the yoke of Christ, and the shoes on our feet, which is the Gospel, and your staff, which is Aaron’s rod, symbol of the Law of Christ. The bitter herbs are a symbol of the bitterness of slavery, which may also be spiritual. To eat in haste means the passion with which Christ is received.
“12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I Yahweh. 13And the blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
Oh brethren in Christ! never stop celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord, for the Glory and for our protection, be therefore holy in all your way of life, celebrating Holy Supper.
“14And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. 15Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
If we eat leavened bread of man´s doctrines, we shall be cut off, because the adultery that a bit of yeast brings, leavens all the lump and diverts the spirit of man from the straight path of Christ.
“16And in the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them… …21Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover. 22And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23For Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24And you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons for ever. 25And it shall come to pass, when you come to the land which Yahweh will give you, according as He has promised, that you shall keep this service. 26And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What do you mean by this service? 27That you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of Yahweh, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. 28And the children of Israel went away, and did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.”
The Passover preannounces the sacrifice of the Lamb of God which is Christ, to pay for the sin of mankind. “…Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth…” (1 Corinthians 5:7- 8).
MATTHEW 27
“62Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was still alive, After three days I will rise again. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be made secure 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. 65 Pilate said unto them, You have a guard: go your way, make it as secure as you can. 66So they went, and made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone, and setting a guard.”
On the 15th of Nisan the priests and Pharisees met before Pilate, and it was the preparation for the weekly Shabbat, at the same time as it was a High Day Shabbat because it was the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Breads, which that year coincided with Good Friday.
Three days were also prophesized by Hosea:
HOSEA 6
“1Come, and let us return unto Yahweh: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 3Then shall we know, if we follow on to know Yahweh: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
MATTHEW 28
“1In the end of the Shabbat, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
In Matthew 27:32-56 and in Mark 15:21-41 we find (from the rise of the sun until sunset 12 hours):
3rd hour Crucifixion – 9am.
6th hour Darkness until the 9th hour – 12:00 to 3pm.
9th hour Yahshua delivers the Spirit – 3pm.
9th until the 11th is the sacrifice of the Lamb of the Passover.
MARK15
“42And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Shabbat.”
Holy Supper or Passover the 14th at noon which is the 14th of Abib or Nisan, it would be Thursday evening (the days begin at sunset in the Jewish calenderer). In the morning (what we would call the next day) is the 14th when they judge Christ and crucify Him. Day 14th is the preparation of the Shabbat the High Day (15th first holy day of the Feast of the Unleavened Breads, see Leviticus 23:6-7) which is not the weekly Shabbat, and therefore there are two Shabbats, that may coincide one after the other, the one of the Feast and the one of the week. And remember that the Jewish days begin at sunset, since God made creation. And like that the six days of creation.
GENESIS 1
“5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
Note that the day is not a morning and an afternoon, but first is the afternoon and then the morning. This according to God.
JOHN 18
“28Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.”
JOHN & MATTHEW
CHAPTERS 12 & 14 RESPECTIVELY
“1Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”
Spikenard, very costly, means to pour our souls at the feet of the Lord, to lay down our lives for Him, to anoint Him for His sepulchre for the work He did for us.
CHRIST OPENS THE WAY TO THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER WHEN HE TORN THE VEIL OF THE HOLY OF HOLIEST
MATTHEW 27
“50 Jesus having cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up His Spirit. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.”
In King James Bible I found that the Text uses the word “rent” when referred to the veil in the place of “torn” and in the place of “split” when referred to the rocks. Immediately I checked the Greek text and indeed, I found the same verb (skhid’-zo) for both, with different verb tense. This means that, as well as the veil, it means His flesh as Paul would confirm, the rocks are His creation where He also enters. Yahshua is Lord of creation, not only of His flesh but also of the rocks of the Earth and has access to the Father’s Heart and to creation, and to our flesh as well as to our soul.
And the veil was torn from top to bottom of the holy of holiest or (Sancta Santorum) were the Ark of the Covenant was (in the first temple of Solomon, in the temple of Herod there was no Ark, because it was not found since the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar took it 2 Kings 24:13), that when the high priest came, it could be a testimony to him that the holocaust had already occurred (this time one that fulfilled all the sacrifices into one, the expiation) according to the Commandment (Leviticus 23, the Feasts of the Lord). The Jews knew by their tradition that when the High Priest came out of the Holy Place, once a year in the Expiation, just after the sacrifice of the lamb he would say: It is finished. And Christ said with a great effort in His long agony for love for us: It is finished “Tetelastai” in Greek, “Afikomen” in Hebrew (John 19:30). With this word and with the veil torn, Jesus Christ – Yahshua gave testimony in the Holy of Holiest and on the Cross that salvation was done for ever, that expiation for sins was fulfilled by the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world: (John 1:29 – 2 Corinthians 3:14 – Hebrew 10:2).
The high priest now had testimony that what he had done when he torn his clothes, now God who torn His clothes before him, that he might understand that the lamb that he was going to sacrifice had no validity any longer, nor was accepted, as God had sacrificed His Lamb, perpetual, without blemish, once and forever in the cross of Golgotha.
HEBREWS 6
“…as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enter into that within the veil; 20Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest for ever after the order of MELCHISEDEC”.
HEBREWS 10
“19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
The veil was torn giving us access to the Holy of Holiest, the heart of God the Father.
WHEN THE PRIEST HAS KILLED THE SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB OF THE PASSOVER HE SAYS: IT IS FINISHED. AND CHRIST SAID: IT IS FINISHED.
JOHN 19
“28After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst. 29Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up His Spirit. 31The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Shabbat day, (for that Shabbat day was a high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32Then came the soldiers, and break the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs: 34But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knows that he is telling the truth, that you might believe. 36For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37And again another scripture said, They shall look on him whom they pierced.”
LEVITICUS 23
“5In the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is Yahweh’s Passover. 6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Yahweh: seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7In the first day you shall have a holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein. 8But you shall offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein.”
CHRIST DIED ON THURSDAY AND NOT ON WEDNESDAY OR FRIDAY?
Although the majority of Christianity commemorates Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday by tradition, we must compare this tradition with the Scriptures and accept that Jesus never lies, especially when He said that He would rise again after three days and three nights. If we count, Christ was crucified on Thursday day of Passover, which initiates the so called Shabbat, which does not depend on the weekly Shabbat, but of the 14th of the month of Nisan, day of full moon; this gives us two Shabbats in that week of Passover. On the other hand, the Jewish day begins at sunset, therefore a Shabbat today in Israel begins at sunset on Friday. In the death and resurrection of Yahshua, the afternoon of the 14th Thursday was the beginning of the Passover Shabbat, which gives us one night, the night of Thursday.
During history, the people of Israel have had to adapt the celebration of the Feast, depending of the year and day in which the Passover is, as it varies each year, and the days between the two Shabbats, the High Shabbat and of the week. Christ was dead the part of the day of Good Friday which was the first day of the Unleavened Breads, and the second night. The third day was the weekly Shabbat, and its night, the third, which start at sunset of the weekly Shabbat until sunrise of Resurrection Sunday.
And resurrected just at the end of the Shabbat, in the beginning of Sunday, from 6 in the evening of the Shabbat, until 6 in the morning of Sunday. First we expose the information we have today, which is no other than the one in the Bible, plus some historical additional information, and then we will analyze how this information affects us spiritually. “…The Truth shall make you free…”
“…For as Jonas 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… Matthew 12:40.”
Jesus Christ was dead 3 days and 3 nights, and was raised already the first day of the week. He dies on Thursday 14th of the month of Nisan (Abib), when Passover begins in the afternoon, 15 Good Friday (High Shabbat). 16th Shabbat of the week, and at sunset is when the women bought the ointments to anoint the body of Jesus. 17th was Sunday or first day of the week, in the morning He is already raised. 17th in the afternoon He appears to the disciples still in the week of the Unleavened Breads. This is three days 15th, 16th, and 17th, and three nights 14th, 15th and 16th. Christ resurrects at the end of Shabbat, the first day He is no longer in the sepulchre, Resurrection Sunday or Good Sunday. Christ is who fulfils the Spiritual Shabbat. He dies at the threshold of the Shabbat and resurrects at the exit of the Shabbat, fulfilling the Shabbat in a double way and spiritually, as well as eternally, as it should be.
If Christ had died on Friday, only 2 days would have past, the half day of Friday and Saturday, and 2 nights the one of Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday. But He himself announces the 3 days and the 3 nights and fulfils the prophecy over himself which is in the Scriptures.
According to the study made by the Office of the Nautical Calendar of the Naval Observatory of the United States, the full moon, which is registered each Passover or 14 of Nisan, (Pesach), happened on a Wednesday at 20:00, already Thursday, of the month of Nisan on the year 30 A.D. year in which the majority of scholars believe that Yahshua was crucified, as well as that He was born the 4th before Christ, so He died at 3pm, when He was 33, according to tradition. Other scholars date His birth on the 6th before Christ.
According to all this information we find that Christ died on Thursday the 14th of Nisan (Preparation of the day called High Shabbat), not on Friday, and was dead three days and three nights, resurrecting at the end of the weekly Shabbat, beginning of the first day of the week, Good or Resurrection Sunday.
1st DAY THURSDAY 14TH OF NISAN. AT SUNSET IS THE BEGINNING OF THE JEWISH DAY 15TH OF NISAN.
1ST NIGHT THURSDAY. FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE. NOW FRIDAY 15TH OF NISAN.
2nd DAY GOOD FRIDAY 15TH OF NISAN. FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET, WHEN THE WEEKLY SHABBAT BEGINS.
2nd NIGHT GOOD FRIDAY WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEKLY SHABBAT. FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE.
3rd DAY SHABBAT OF THE WEEK 16th OF NISAN. FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET, WHICH INITIATES THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK GOOD OR RESURRECTION SUNDAY.
3rd NIGHT SHABBAT OF THE WEEK 16th OF NISAN. FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE OF GOOD OR RESURRECTION SUNDAY 17th OF NISAN AND FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. When Scripture says that Christ resurrected, fulfilling His resurrection spiritually just at the instant of the end of Shabbat and the beginning of the new week, Good or Resurrection Sunday.
Indeed there are two Shabbats, the day that begins Passover, High Shabbat and the weekly Shabbat. But also the week that followed this one, would also have, like today (Leviticus 23) two Shabbats, the seventh day of the Unleavened Breads, counting from the past Thursday, which would be on Tuesday, and then the weekly Shabbat.
Although another hypothesis exists which would be that the weekly Shabbat would coincide with the High Shabbat and Passover 15th of Nisan, which would be 2 days in one, not of 24h each but two days, one the weekly Shabbat and the other the Passover or High Shabbat, which some could say these are three days and three nights, being the death of Christ on Good Friday and keeping tradition. Everyone study the evidence and pray to receive wisdom.
THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, 72 HOURS DEAD AND RESURRECTED, ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE.
THE SHABBAT ACQUIRES SPIRITUAL MEANING AND ITS FULFILMENT IS TO ACCEPT THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST FOR US
Looking at this situation in the spiritual meaning, we are left with a thought, or revelation, or opening of the Scriptures that are exposed as follows:
The Fourth Commandment, the Shabbat, acquires a spiritual meaning, (for the Law is Spiritual, Romans 7:14) due to the fact that for God the true day of Shabbat is that day in which a man receives Him in his heart, and is the true day of rest, or Shabbat to that man, the day he knows God, and this day in which one knows and accepts the: “…Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!…” (John 1:29), because for the cause of the day of Passover, the Shabbat is celebrated, the High Shabbat, and this is the reason of the meaning of the Shabbat that God refers to: That He and we rest of the work of being created as sons of God and the celebration of the exit from slavery in the world, which mankind is under, to come and know Christ in freedom, that we might have day of rest or Shabbat in our souls, we that accept and fulfil in our souls the Spiritual Law, no longer by commandment but by our relation with God. It is under this situation that God rests in the seventh day of our spiritual life.
Therefore as instructed in the commandment: in Shabbat: “…in it your shall not do any work, you, nor your son…” nor any one in your house, with the exception of your wife, which is not mentioned, because spiritually the wife is our soul, which is reserved to do the spiritual service of the priesthood in the special intercession of Shabbat which is the day (or new era of our life, because what God seeks is that we live in Shabbat every day of our lives that we may carry our cross with Him, that we may share His yoke), day, or even better, life, that we must dedicate to God, to Christ, that He may see that:
First: we have accepted His sacrifice as the work that had to be done, and therefore we must not try any longer to achieve salvation of our souls by our own works, for as the Commandment says, you shall do no work, you, nor your son, nor any one in your house. This is the spiritual interpretation of this Commandment; it is not referred to good works, but to works of salvation, as salvation belongs to the Saviour, to Yah-Shua, the salvation of Yah.
Second: That He makes us free from being under the literal Law of religion, of the perfect religion given to man by God, not that we may live by it, but that we see that religion itself is a slavery, and slavery in Egypt, which is a symbol of the world and of the system of society governed by Satan, because the flesh cannot go under the Law, and if anyone considers himself perfect, because he is rich in spirit, he must become poor in spirit, because before God, the only thing with value is to love Him and to be humble, accepting the dependence that we have from our Creator and accepting that He has come to the world and has overcome death, and gives us resurrection for eternal life, because death is the great lie which Satan uses to cheat us, because we will all raise, and also as the Scripture says, “…fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).
Third: That we now have open access to the Father, as Christ has fulfilled in our souls the work of the Law, the commandment of the Shabbat, has made us clean in our consciences of dead works, and makes us desire to live in the presence of God, to walk by His hand, like Adam walked at the beginning. The veil has been torn by Christ, for those that receive Him and that walk by His hand to the Father. If the physical Israel accepts the Jewish Messiah, which is the Messiah of all nations on Earth, who does not belong to them, nor to western Christianity, they will not have peace, neither them in their land, nor the people of other nations, nor them in their souls, which are the promised land of God, where He lives until the new spiritual dimension of the Kingdom of God.
OTHER DAYS CALLED SHABBAT, THE PASSOVER. THE HIGH SHABBAT OR SHABBAT HAGADOL AND THE HOLY CONVOCATIONS
The day that begins with Passover acquired, for its great solemnity, the nature of a day of rest, or Shabbat as well as the seventh day of Passover which are the seven days of the unleavened bread. The days 15th and 21st of Nisan. It is important to understand that the reason of the holy convocations called Shabbats in the Law of God, teach us a meaning that God wants us to learn for the spiritual growth or our inner temple in the soul.
EXODUS 20 Y DEUTERONOMY 5
“12Keep the Shabbat day to sanctify it, as YHWH your God has commanded you. 13Six days you shall labour, and do all your work: 14But the seventh day is the Shabbat of YHWH your God: in it your shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your ass, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates; that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. 15And remember that your were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that YHWH your God brought you out from there through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore YHWH your God commanded you to keep the Shabbat day.”
The Commandment instructs that we shall keep the day of the High Shabbat, after the Passover so that we remember that we were servants in the land of Egypt. You will ask yourself; why apply this today? if it’s not the history of Gentiles, and the Jews celebrate the Passover (without Lamb). Precisely because on Shabbat, this is, in the Rest of accepting the Gospel in the Faith of the Spirit, we were brought out of the slavery of sin, and to a life without God, being slaves of a society and of a way of life and beliefs which were against God, and to our own spiritual freedom and blessing.
NUMBERS 28
“16And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of Yahweh. 17And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18In the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no manner of servile work therein: 19But you shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto Yahweh; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish: 20And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall you offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram; 21A several tenth deal shall you offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 22And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. 23You shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. 24After this manner you shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Yahweh: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. 25And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no servile work.”
This way we also find the seventh day of the feast which begins with Passover, also day of rest or Shabbat, the unleavened breads, which are a symbol of the day we have concluded our spiritual growth by learning to eat the Bread from Heaven which is Christ, “…nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth…” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8), without the leaven of religion; this means, we have learned in the Bible to know the Son of God out of tradition and of doctrines and men’s commandments, to come to know Him and begin a new life of blessing, guided by Him. Let us celebrate the Shabbats of the Lord, as well as the meaning of the weekly Shabbat, in Passover and the Unleavened Breads, and the Shabbats of Pentecost, and also have the Shabbat of the seventh month and the two Shabbats that follow in the Feast of the Tabernacles. Three main feasts, made of seven feasts in which the chosen days are days of rest, Shabbats in which no work shall be done.
The High Shabbat becomes the fulfilment of the Fourth Commandment in a spiritual way.
THE CONTINUOUS SACRIFICE IS TAKEN AWAY BY THE DEFINITIVE PASSOVER WHICH IS THE DEATH OF THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD
End of the continuous sacrifice, destruction of the temple in the seventy A.D. according to the prophecy of the Lord in Matthew 24 that there would be no stone upon another, and would begin in every one the construction of the new spiritual temple of the soul, that He makes possible by the baptism in which He immerses us, in His Holy Spirit, by the new spiritual birth.
The high priest tore his clothes because he was offended at Christ because he would lose his position, his linage is over, he is no longer high priest, because Christ becomes the High PRIEST according to the order of Melchizedek, and God tore his clothes, symbolized in the veil of the temple, symbol of the flesh of Christ, outraged because they did not accept His Son as the eternal sacrifice and the end of the sacrifice offered by the priest in the temple of stone.
A few years after, in the 70 A.D., the temple was destroyed by the troops of Titus. God allowed that His people wouldn’t have a place to sacrifice the Passover, because: Your are the temple of God. Christ said: “…not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2).
From that moment the continuous sacrifice was taken away, as it is changed for an Eternal and immutable one, once and forever. The access to the presence of God the Father, to the Holy of Holiest, the Heart of the Father remains now open, where Christ enters so that those that come to Him through the High Priest of humanity, that now is eternal; the Messiah, thanks to His Blood, those who accept the cleansing of their souls in this Blood, may forever eat of the Tree of Life, whose leafs are for the healing of the nations: Revelation 22:1 to 5, and accept God’s plan, and may also enter through the Door and know the Truth, and all this is in Christ, the Messiah Yahshua.
CONCLUSION
Good Friday, Wednesday or Good Thursday, as we have seen, Scripture provides enough information, which, together with the astronomic data that in fact our Lord fulfils His Word and it is totally possible that His death was on the 14th of Nisan, Good Thursday. Now, truth must not become a cause of division nor of separation of His Church, the people of faith that love God and have received Jesus Christ – Yahshua as saviour. I myself have changed my position after studying again this passionate matter about the day of the death of our Lord, and think that Good Thursday, instead of Wednesday fulfils better the Biblical Texts, its information, the Jewish traditions and the norms of the Feasts of Israel, and I have also contemplated the possibility that the Easter Shabbat could be the 15th of Nisan and were two Shabbats together, two days in one, which could fulfil the three days and three nights, and at the same time with the worlds: “…And on the third day will raise.” Tradition celebrates Good Friday in the majority of Christianity and we may all continue doing so, but we know that the truth provides us that Christ has fulfilled the 3 days and 3 nights before raising, between Good Thursday and the end of the weekly Shabbat when the first day of the week begins, according to Scripture, Good or Resurrection Sunday. Is Christianity in its totality will change its tradition, I doubt it, but let us all celebrate in our hearts the death and resurrection of Christ because it is His work of salvation, and we do it in peace and loving us to one another like He loves us.
The Passover is Christ, if we have Christ living in us we have fulfilled the Passover spiritually and have access to the Holy of Holiest, which is the Heart of God, that every day we may come to the presence of God to pour our soul, open the heart and the mind to God and feel loved by Him and may feel His presence next to Yahshua, our friend and beloved spiritual bridegroom. The result of all this Passover work that we have seen is the resurrection for eternal live in those of us who believe in the Son of God. The result, the salvation, liberation of condemnation of sin, the full spiritual life in the truth and in God’s love and joy in the body of Christ, and the RESURRECTION, free from death for eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
What is Passover for you today? We the Christians must feel saved by the work of Christ in the Passover, and must live according to this faith. To celebrate it we must take Holy Supper and accompany Christ in the Passover in our hearts, every time that we take it, especially in Passover, while we are on Earth. Remember that the night when He was betrayed, He took the bread, according to the celebration and He broke it and gave thanks and said: “…Take and eat of it all, because this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after the supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (Matthew 26:26-30). All of this had been done in this way since the Israelites came out of Egypt, but that Passover was special, would be done in a definitely spiritual and effective form for our salvation. For this reason and for love to our Lord Yahshua, we who love Him must take the bread and the wine in our homes.
So we must eat of the body of Christ and drink His blood, to be able to have access to the Heart of the Father, this is, to the Holy of Holiest, to His presence. To eat the flesh of Christ is to live how He lived, and to drink His blood is having accepted His sacrifice, His delivery for us. “…keep us our faith, Father, in Your Son Jesus Christ, Yahshua, that we remain waiting for the day in which You will come in Your kingdom…” This is the new Covenant with us in His blood. To preach the Spiritual Passover is the way to present the Passover to believers and non believers, as part of the Complete GOSPEL of Yahshua.
Let the anointing of the beloved Son of our God cover you all the time of the journey of your lives through this world, from which we have come out in our hearts, as of Egypt, and may we be saved by the power of God through the faith, to achieve salvation, until the coming of the great day of the Lord in which we will enter through His Passover to celebrate the eternal Shabbat in the resting of our souls, in the presence of God, in the new Jerusalem, the heavenly Zion, forever and ever. Amen!
