Greetings to everyone.
I am sending this to just about everyone I know to share with you some amazing facts about Easter that you likely don't know. For some there may be a few details that are familiar, but I think that much of this will surprise even the most seasoned Sunday School attendee. Trust me, you won't be bored. You may even be astounded.
To grasp the full significance of what happened 2000 years ago I need to tell you a few dusty old facts of history. Bear with me, it will be worth it.
There are seven Hebrew 'feasts' that God told Israel to observe, three Spring feasts, one in late Spring, and three in the Fall. He was quite specific to the details for when and how they were to be observed. Why? That's part of the surprise coming. We'll talk only about the first three now. In Leviticus He told them:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts."
Leviticus 23:1-2
Although some of the activities of the feasts involved eating or fasting, the word feast in Hebrew is Moed which means appointed day - so whenever you see the word, think date - not food. Continuing:
'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
Leviticus 23:3
Most of us know about the weekly Sabbath on our Saturday; remember - no work. But note the word convocation. This word is Miqra which means assembly and rehearsal. Why rehearsal? I'm just baiting you.
'These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight [lit. between the sunsets] is the Lord's Passover.
Leviticus 23:4-5
There's the first feast, Passover (Pesach) on Nisan 14 (think April). It is important to note that this and all Hebrew days start at sunset the night before. This confuses a lot of us when coordinating the calendars. I'll try to keep us straight.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall [also] be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.'"
Leviticus 23:6-8
There's the second feast, Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) - but this one is actually a week long starting the day after Passover. Note that no work was to be done on the first day. The next few verses are a bit detailed so I will underline what is essential for later.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the [Promised] land which I give to you, and reap its harvest [barley], then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your [barley] harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath [Sabbaton - weekly Sabbath] the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Leviticus 23:9-14
There is our third feast, Firstfruits (Yom Bikkerim). This feast is like our Easter (named after Ishtar the sun goddess) where it is always on Sunday, but not always on the same date. The feast of Firstfruits is to be the day (Sunday) after the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) that falls within the seven days. There are other historic and Biblical details that are needed but I will fit them in as we walk through the story.
So, let's begin the story starting on Sunday morning (this was Aviv/Nisan 10 that started the evening before). I will lead with what Jesus did and said, and follow with what was fulfilled in blue text.
Jesus, or as He was named in Hebrew, Yahshua, rode from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem on a donkey - probably through the Eastern Gate since this is the only gate that leads directly to the Temple mount. The crowd sang the Hallel from Psalms.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord [YHWH]!
Psalms 118:26
Earlier, the High Priest picked out the official lamb on the prescribed day (Exodus 12:3), Aviv 10, from a small town south of Jerusalem where all the sacrificial lambs were raised - all owned by the Pharisees! The town's name? Beth Lechem - House of bread - Bethlehem! As he traveled the crowds also sang, as customary, the Hallel.
Jesus/Yahshua stayed for four days in Jerusalem and taught and healed in the Temple where He was asked questions from the religious leaders. Even after His betrayal He was questioned by the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate.
When the High Priest arrived at the Temple he tied the lamb in the courtyard for public inspection for blemishes for four days before Passover.
On Wednesday evening, the start of Aviv 14, Yahshua and the disciples had supper in the upper room. It is traditionally taught that this was the Passover meal but they ate leavened bread [Grk. Artos] and John 18:28 tells us that the morning He was arrested they had not eaten the Passover yet.
Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many."
Mark 14:23-24
Yahshua used the wine to proclaim His new covenant. This new covenant cup was also representative of the cup shared by a groom and bride at their betrothal to seal their marriage covenant. By drinking of this cup in communion we are agreeing to be His bride!
Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Mark 14:25
Then Yahshua and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, where Judas betrayed Yahshua. He was taken to the Sanhedrin for questioning, and then...
When morning came... they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate.
Matthew 27:1-2
Although no fault was found in Him, Yahshua was scourged and crowned with thorns. He was taken to the 'Place of a Skull' and crucified at nine o'clock in the morning.
The High Priest took the sacrificial lamb, declared it to be without blemish, and bound it to the alter at nine o'clock in the morning.
Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was [translated into Greek and then English]:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, The King of the Jews, but He said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
John 19:19-22
Why were the chief priests complaining? Yes, what they said was true, but there was more.
As customary, the message was probably written with large first letters, or with only their abbreviations, so they would have looked like this (transliterated):
Yahshua HaNazarai Wemelek HaYehudim - [Hebrew]
Iesous Nazoraios Basileus Ioudaios - [Greek]
Iesvs Nazarevs Rex Ivdaiorvm - [Latin]
...or as commonly done, as just the abbreviations:
YHWH
INBI
INRI
So whether Pilate knew what he was doing or not, he publicly labeled Yahshua with the name of God - YHWH. Whenever you see LORD or GOD in all caps in your Old Testament, this is the Hebrew Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, YHWH, the name of God!
Before the Hebrew alphabet that was used then and today, Hebrew was written by Moses and David in a picture language called paleo Hebrew. In Genesis 1:1 God is called Elohim, but after creating man in 2:4 He is called Yahweh, transliterated YHWH. The pictures for the letters are:
Y - Hand
H - Window, See, Behold
W - Nail
H - Window, See, Behold
The meaning of the name of God is, "Behold the hand, behold the nail!"
Yahshua was nailed on the cross at 9 AM and stayed there until 3 PM.
The High Priest was required to stand from 9 AM to 3 PM while he performed his duties.
Yahshua' last words on the cross are "It is finished" (John 19:30). Although recorded in Greek as one word, Tetelestai, Yahshua spoke to the Jews in Hebrew and spoke this in Hebrew also as Tam ve'nishlam.
At the same time, the High Priest spoke "Tam ve'nishlam Shevach La'El Boreh Olam", which means, "It is completed and fulfilled, blessed be God, the Creator of the world." announcing the end of the sacrifice of Passover!
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split...
Matthew 27:51
Then, in front of the Priest, the veil, 60 feet high and 4 inches thick, was torn, top to bottom. God's message to the High Priest and all the other priests? You're fired! Your sacrifices are no longer needed. I have provided the final sacrifice of my son. Yahshua is now the High Priest and the only mediator between Me and man!
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high [Megas] day) [the first day of Unleavened Bread], the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
John 19:31-34
When John specified that "that Sabbath was a high day" he gave us the final proof. Jesus, Yahshua, did not die on Friday. There were two Sabbaths that year, the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread and the weekly Sabbath on Saturday. Our Good Friday tradition was born in ignorance of the Feasts of the Lord.
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:40
Yahshua said He would spend three days and three nights in the grave. Friday to Sunday is only two nights, one day, and about three hours.
Now after the Sabbath [Sabbaton - weekly Sabbath], as the first day of the week [Sunday] began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."
Matthew 28:1-10
Yahshua was raised from the dead the morning of Firstfruits, as the firstfruit of salvation and raised 'many' from the dead as the firstfruits resurrection! He took these raised saints to the Father as the offering and then returned to the disciples.
On the day of Firstfruits, the High Priest waived a sheaf of barley over his head as the firstfruits of the barley season.
But the story is not over yet. God also fulfilled the fourth feast, the day of Pentecost (Shavuot), fifty days after Firstfruits. On this day, 1500 years earlier, God gave us the Law (Torah - instructions) and 3000 were killed for their disobedience. Fifty days after Yahshua died for our sins, He gave us His Spirit and 3000 were saved because of their belief and obedience!
Are we seeing a pattern?
Among many reasons, the primary reason why God instituted His feast days were to be as signs and rehearsals for us to recognize the coming of His son! Yahshua fulfilled the prophecies of the Spring feasts to the day, and to the detail, as more proof to us all that He is the Messiah!
After two days [2000 years] He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.
Hosea 6:3
That's right, He is telling us that Yahshua will come twice - as the Spring and Autumn rains. And as He fulfilled the Spring feasts exactly on those days, in order, on Yahweh’s calendar, He will also fulfill the Fall feasts with His second coming exactly on those days! He didn't specify in this verse which year, but we know which days - and we are now in the morning of His third thousand year day!
He will execute “the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2) on Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets - the day also named “the day that no man knows the day or the hour”.
He will finish reading Isaiah 61, personally declaring the Year of Jubilee a second time on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
He will begin His millennial kingdom with the grandest birthday celebration of all time on Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles.
It is time to exclaim, Hallelujah! He is risen! Praise the Lord! He is coming very soon!
Have a meaningful Resurrection Day! May it be our greatest blessing - ever!
Tom
(:-{>
If you arrived here from a link, click here for the chapter index.