WHAT CONNECTION DOES EASTER HAVE WITH THE TRUE PASSOVER SEASON AND THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST? WHAT PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE DID THE ALMIGHTY HAVE IN CHOOSING THE 14TH DAY FOR THE PASSOVER? WHAT IMPORTANCE DID THE MOON AND THE SUN AS HEAVENLY BODIES PORTRAY DURING THIS SEASON? DID THE BELIEF THAT CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED ON FRIDAY AND ROSE ON SUNDAY HAVE ITS ORIGIN FROM BABYLON OR THE SCRIPTURES? WHAT IMPORTANT SCRIPTURE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS HIDDEN FROM THE ADVENT TEACHERS IN FORESHADOW THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST? HOW COULD THE CROWING OF A ROOSTER, USED TO REBUKE A PREACHER, SHOW GREAT ENLIGHT-MENT AS TO THE DAY CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED? IS WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY MANDATORY OR IS MAN TO WORSHIP ON THE SABBATH? READ THIS MESSAGE SHOW-ING HOW JEWS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT DISPENSATION HAVING ALWAYS OBSERVED THE SABBATH NOW VOLUNTARILY CHANGE THEIR WORSHIP DAY FROM THE SEVENTH DAY TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IN HONOR, LOVE AND DEVOTION TO THE CHRIST WHO CONQUERED DEATH, HELL, AND THE GRAVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK!
THE GOSPEL AND THE RESURRECTION ARE INSEPARABLE
Once again we are approaching this marvelous season of the resurrection. Nature itself will testify of this glorious occasion only at this time of the year. As we approach it we are made more keenly aware of the many programs of Satan aimed against the truth of the resurrection of Christ. Perhaps the most outstanding reason Satan has attempted to twist and confuse the belief of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is well stated by the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 15 where he emphasizes there is no other doctrine that concerns salvation from sin as effective as the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. Paul states (in another translation) your faith is squarely built upon this message—only are you saved if you keep in mind the true biblical teaching on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, I Cor. 15:2. According to Paul (I Cor. 15:2-4) the gospel of Christ that saves from sin is solely determined upon the true belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and verses 3 and 4 states that belief must be according to the scriptures, not according to impressive theological teachings which attempt with a verse or two taken out of context to promote false revelations. Perhaps this doctrine, as no other one alone, has been used to promote many of their teachings. Why does Satan especially pick on this doctrine? Simply because the doctrine of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ which, according to the scripture was accomplished in three days, affects man’s salvation as no other doctrine in scripture. What actually transpired in those three days will be one of the major issues discussed in this issue. Did you ever notice that each cult Always attacks the resurrection of Christ to promote their erroneous teachings?
SATAN USES EASTER TO SMOTHER RESURRECTION TEACHING
Get a firm hold upon yourself! This message is destined to explode in your face if you have allowed Satan to deviate you from the truth of the resurrection of Christ and those events which happened within these three days. Yes, you heard me correctly. Satan (not God) used this already established Easter season observed by pagans to cover and smother the resurrection truth of the Bible. Though the word EASTER has been a well accepted belief, accepted within the carnal church for centuries it is interesting to note that the word EASTER never once appeared in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures and certainly had nothing to do with the teaching of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, yet you will find it referred to once in the King James version of the Bible, Acts 12:4. This season was always referred to as PASSOVER and only once in all the translating of the word PASSOVER did the King James translators use the word EASTER to replace the word PASSOVER. Shocking as it may sound, This word EASTER has no connection with Christ or the resurrection. Not one saint in the old or New Testament ever referred to the word EASTER—no apostle of Christ ever referred to this as an EASTER season yet today this word is fully established and accepted within the so-called Christian church world. Practically every translation, encyclopedia or Bible commentary allows the word PASSOVER to remain, even in Acts 12:4 where the King James translators mysteriously substituted the word EASTER for the word PASSOVER. This was done because something which had been planted firmly within their thinking affected their translating of this verse. These translators had no Greek word which they could use to translate the word EASTER from in Acts 12:4. because the original text was PASSOVER and EASTER is not PASSOVER.
WHY KING JAMES TRANSLATORS PREFERRED EASTER TO THE WORD PASSOVER
Let it first be established in your mind that the word EASTER has no scriptural origin. It is plainly identified with that of a pagan origin. How did this word, “EASTER” find its way into the framework of the Holy Scriptures in order to be passed off as a scriptural word? Certainly not by any ordained gospel writer but through an error of the translators of the 16th Century while translating the King James Bible less than 400 years ago. It has been established and easily proven that the translators of the King James Version are at fault and not the gospel writer Luke, the original writer of the Book of Acts and the Book of Luke. Throughout the gospel writings and especially the Book of Luke not once is the word EASTER referred to—this season is always referred to as PASSOVER. How then did the word EASTER find its way into the Holy Scriptures? Easter, according to encyclopedias and biblical dictionaries, is derived from a woman’s name who was the wicked wife of Nimrod, founder of the Baal religion and great grandson of Noah. The woman ASTARE was also the mother of Tammuz (Ezek. a:14). -The Norse Ostara or Rostra (from which the Name “Easter” is derived)—its origin being Saxon (Anglo) they referred to this season in honor of this Babylonian goddess. Easter was a celebration observed on the first day of spring around March 21st at the beginning of the Vernal Equinox and was strictly pagan throughout all the East. Other nations referred to this season by various names but they all represented the same pagan goddess Astare, Nimrod’s wife. The celebration by the anglo-saxons during the season of Astare in commemoration of this goddess came on the first day of spring which was the time of the resurrection of nature itself. It was pagan in all of its rituals. The legends relating to Astare are far too lengthy to be covered in our message. We suggest a trip to the library and the use of the Encyclopedia Britannica and other works which are available on the subject. There you will begin to see the unfolded many forms of a deity and observances of the mother and child religion which extended from the Book of Genesis 10 and 11 into our religious culture and beliefs of today. Our main concern in this message is only in the Anglo-Saxon term EASTER since it was this pagan word and not another name for this occasion that found its way into the framework of the scriptures. I would say that anyone who would blot this word in Acts 12:4 from their memory and return the rightful word PASSOVER into its proper place would be doing the Word of God a great favor, especially since there was not one word in the original Greek text to translate the word EASTER from! Why did the translators of the King James version in the 16th Century render the word EASTER instead of PASSOVER? It only proves, beloved, that even in that century when the King James Version of the scripture was translated for the English speaking people there was still that Babylonian spirit clinging onto them from the Catholic era which had not been sifted out and came down through the Lutheran period into the Church of England. That spirit seemed to keep reaching out and giving favoritism and preeminence to some kind of deity. EASTER in its originality is pagan and from the scriptural setting of the PASSOVER it could have no reference whatsoever to a memory of a pagan goddess. What was the PASSOVER in the first place? Certainly it was not a commemoration to some heathen, pagan goddess. NO! The PASSOVER was the commemoration observance of that period of time when the Eternal God led Israel out of Egypt after having given the ordinance of the Sacrificial Lamb to the Israelite people at the setting of the sun on the 14th day of the month Abib, shortly before the beginning of the 15th day. Bear in mind, sundown with the Jewish people begins their day, while the Roman time is from midnight to midnight making their day a 24 hour period.
THE MONTH OF ABIB OR NISAN
Briefly, it is necessary to explain the Jewish month Abib which corresponds to our period of time with March 21st and carrying over into the first 20 days of April. According to Josephus the sacred year began in the latter of March and into what we now call April. On the Jewish calendar this is their first month which was referred to strictly as Abib until they were forced into the 70 years Babylonian captivity. Sometime after returning from Babylon, their language having taken on a different form or dialect, they began to refer to their first month as Nisan. Abib and Nisan are the same month and refer to the same scope of time. This is the month God chose for the Children of Israel to observe the slaying of the Passover Lamb shortly before their exit from Egypt. Once they had entered into their homeland they were to continue observing this PASSOVER season each year in commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt when the blood of the Lamb was sprinkled on the door-posts—remember how the death angel said, ‘When I see the blood I will pass over you.’ That still holds true today. Later this message deals more thoroughly with why the Almighty gave this month and this particular day for the PASSOVER observance for Israel. Why did God choose this particular 14th day of the month– why not the 17th or 18th. Why the 14th of Nisan? This we shall study. Truly, there is a beautiful reason why it had to be exactly on the 14th day and not another. Hebrew months as you recall are not months divided into Solar days such as Roman time found on Julian calendars of today. Roman years are Solar, taking in 365 days for the earth to travel around the sun and our months also are strictly Solar months, some consisting of 31 days others 30 days with February 28 except leap year which come every four years absorbing this extra day that is gained every four years. Not so on the Hebrew calendar! Each month contains 30 days which are regulated by the moon. In order to have some knowledge of the importance of this time factor we must understand that in the beginning of time in God’s original program everything within His universe was perfect. But possibly within the period of the flood the earth was somewhat affected, being pushed a little distance from the sun and in so doing it threw the earth and moon slightly out of correct relationship to each other as they began to go around the sun. Yes, no doubt, somewhere around that period the earth and the moon were thrown out of their proper relationship. Everyone is aware a perfect circle is 360 degrees, therefore in a perfect circle of 360 degrees God is making a perfect year which would naturally come out to be 360 days, divided into 12 month periods. The moon was meant to be used to measure months or spans of time. We can say from the time a new moon is observed until it has grown into a full moon then subsides to its last quarter, fading out getting ready to appear as another new moon it would be 30 days—it has always been referred to as taking 30 days or a period of one month. Does it not seem strange today that it requires a little over 29 1/2 days to make its fullness, revealing that somewhere it has been thrown out of continuity with the earth. If today’s measurement of time was exact with the sun it should take exactly 360 days for a year and the moon would split that entire year into 12-30 day cycles. This must be understood to understand why God gave the evening of the 14th day of Nisan or Abib for the Passover Lamb to be slain before the exodus of Egypt. I am sure everyone is aware that God has a purpose for doing all things. Certainly there was an excellent reason for Him choosing the 14th day of the month for this season. Hebrew month begins with the new moon while their day begins at sundown. Recall, from Exodus how the Passover was to be observed in the very evening time of the 14th day (Ex. 12:6-24) after the appearing of the new moon of the Equinox which means the sun at that time was crossing the equator bringing in the first day of spring. Spring is that season when new plant life resurrects from the long dead winter season. The new moon appears after the sun crosses the line, begins the marking of that month. Now it is true, today the calendars measuring time by the solar year are out of coordination 5 -1/4 days out of each 12 months. Also it is true even the Hebrew calendar will fluctuate through a period of years and it even proved necessary for the Hebrews to make an additional month onto their calendar to absorb this extra time, giving them one more month than the Roman calendar. Even today over a period of three years the Hebrews must add another month to their calendar to make up for this lost time which accumulated because the moon and the earth somewhere got out of proportion with the sun. Remember the PASSOVER in its true Biblical observance is Jewish. It stems from the Jews and will always remain so. It has never and will never be a gentile setting, therefore the Jews have never adopted a solar month but always a lunar month. We only make these few brief notes to show the importance of God choosing the 14th day of the first month on the Jewish calendar. MORE DETAIL LATER.
Since this message is going to contradict many writings in circulation today concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, this will be an excellent place to begin our message as a pivot point. The purpose of most of these teachings in circulation today is that Christ did not rise from the dead on the first day of the week but insist He rose on the Sabbath or prior to the Sabbath. These teachers do not accept Friday as the crucifiction day, but Thursday, while still others hold to the theory that the crucifixion came as far back as Wednesday. Most all of these teachings are advent in nature, aimed with one purpose and that is to try and prove that today in this grace age man should observe the Sabbath Day rather than the first day of the week which is represented by the new covenant (New Testament).
EARLY CHRISTIAN
There has been a diversity of sentiment, and of practice about the celebration of the Christian passover. From the time of Polycarp, the churches of Asia kept the Passover-day on the fourteenth day of the moon of March, whatever day that might happen upon, in imitation of the Jews; where as the Latin church kept it on the Sunday following the fourteenth day of the moon of March. Polycarp came to Rome and conferred with Anicetus on this subject; but neither of them being able to convince the other, they thought they ought not to disturb the peace of the church about a matter of mere custom. The dispute, however, grew warm under the pontificate of Victor, about A.D. 188, and the Asiatics continuing their practice, and Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, with the other bishops of Asia, having written to the pope a long letter in support of their opinion, Victor sent letters through all the churches, by which he declared them excommunicated! The other churches did not approve of this rigor, and not -withstanding his sentence, they continued in communion with those who still kept Passover on the fourteenth day of the moon of March. At the council of Nice, A.D. 325, the greater part of the churches of Asia were found to have insensibly fallen into the practice of the Romans. The council, therefore, ordained that all the churches should celebrate Passover day on the Sunday following the fourteenth day of the moon of March; and the emperor Constantine caused this decree to be published through the Roman empire. Those who continued the old practice were treated as schismatics, and had the name of Quartodecimans, or partisans of the fourteenth day, given them. Early church fathers state that the early Christians met and worshiped on the first day of the week because of Christ’s resurrection which occurred on this day of the week.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK— Mark 16:9
According to the four writers of the Gospels and the messenger of this age all stated that Christ arose from the dead on the first day of the week. Many try to approach this subject by looking toward the resurrection. In our lesson today we are going to start with the resurrection using it as a focal point to work from. Perhaps we can determine how long Christ was dead, when He was crucified, when the Passover Supper was eaten etc. The most contradictory points seem to be over the three days concerning Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Beloved, there is , one portion of scripture from the Old Testament in types and shadows that portrays the day of a resurrection. Why have these teachers failed to observe it? Why did the Holy Spirit hide it from their eyes? Why is He bringing it forth in this hour after all these teachings have made their circulation? Beloved, all the attempts that , teachers use today to prove Christ was not crucified on Friday and did not rise on Sunday always stem from the New Testament, but did you know that according to the Bible, there are several verses in the Old Testament that foreshadows this entire picture and proves beyond any doubt that Christ must raise from the dead one day after the original Jewish Sabbath or 7th day had passed, making Him to rise on the new day-THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK! The New Testament is the reality of what the Old Testament portrayed through type and shadow—all of which was to be fulfilled in Christ (Heb. 10:1.) Furthermore, this event was an important as a foreshadow of the real event which one day would transpire that the Jews once each year for 1400 years had been commanded to observe this as a yearly ordinance, rehearsing for the main event that for 1400 years was portrayed through types and shadows. Recall how Christ instructed the Pharisees on one occasion to search the scriptures (Old Testament) for in them ye think you have eternal life but they all testify of me. We know that the Lamb, the PASSOVER, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and I the wave offering the barley harvest offered on the day after the Sabbath all foreshadowed the Eternal Christ (Heb.) Yes, for 1400 years the Almighty God had Israel portraying the very day of Christ’s resurrection, when according to Paul’s revelation, he referred to him as the first fruits of them who slept, (I Cor. 15:20). The shame and pity of all of this after rehearsing 1400 years through this foreshadowing of the main event, Israel missed it. Yes, the event Israel had rehearsed so long for, they missed it at the close of 1400 years.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MOON DURING PASSOVER SEASON
Recall, the Passover lamb was slain late in the evening of the 14th day of Nisan, shortly before the 15th day would appear, when the moon would be full typifying (1) The moon represents Israel’s law age which came to a close 1400 years after God instituted it in the nation, Rev. 12: 1-2.Notice the moon was completely full on the 15th which was only hours after the Passover lamb was slain on the 14th. Our Passover Lamb was slain on the 15th of Nisan showing that God had permitted 1400 full years for the law age to be in operation. Now it had nothing more to offer the believer of that age. (2) The Passover Lamb was slain on the 14th to signify that God would allow Israel to have 1400 years of law dispensation, making the first day of Unleavened Bread which was a Holy Convocation Day to fall under a full moon. After the 15th the moon begins decreasing, foreshadowing that Israel after 1400 years had walked in all the light of the law age they could. Nothing more could be produced through their ceremonial establishments as they were now full for that which was foreshadowed through the law age was now in their presence in reality—it was Christ. Jesus the Lord God Himself manifested in flesh.
FORESHADOW OF CHRIST SEEN IN OLD TESTAMENT RISING THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (Lev. 23: 5.11)
Recall, the first day after the Lamb had been slain, was the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread lasting for seven days, God instructed Israel, “Ye, shall have an Holy Convocation, (Lev. 23:7) ye shall do no servile, meaning materialistic work. Remember this feast begins on the 15th day, causing their first day of the feast of unleavened bread to fall under a full moon. But ye shall offer an offering made of fire unto the Lord seven days in (or on) the seventh day is (also) another Holy convocation. (v-8) Remember, this was a rehearsal 1400 years before the main event. Ye shall do no servile work therein and the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, Speak unto the children of Israel and say when ye are come into the land which I give unto you shall reap the harvest. (Lev. 23:10) Watch very closely, the verse I want to plant firmly in your mind. (v-11) This verse portrays even to the day of the resurrection. The day following the Sabbath. Watch what God was doing 1400 years in advance through this ordinance—a foreshadow of something great. “When ye are come into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest” (think of it). The Passover season that they are to observe fell on the evening of the 14th day (Nisan) at the beginning of spring during the new moon. The spring month which was at the beginning of barley harvest. It was also Passover season. “Ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits or your harvest unto the priest. Notice this was to be 7 accomplished on the 16th day, they brought it unto the priest and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord.” Notice closely what day the priest would take this sheaf and present it unto the Lord. “And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow (meaning the next day) after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. The Sabbath to Israel is the 7th day of the week. Do you understand me? The Sabbath to Israel was the 7th day of the Hebrew week of days. But here the Lord said the priest was to wave this sheaf or bundle of the first fruits of grain unto the Lord on the following day after their Sabbath, which would place it squarely on the first day of the next week or new day on the morrow after the Sabbath which was Sunday or the first day of the week. Anyone reading the New Testament should know that Paul had to have scriptures somewhere to corroborate his statement in I Cor. 15:20-23 when he referred to Christ as the Firstfruits from among the dead. Lev. 23:10-11 is where Paul established his revelation that in reality Christ was that sheave offering of which this was only a foreshadow of the real event. Today, these men with their writings attempting to prove that Christ arose on the Sabbath day (or even before) to justify their Sabbath observance this takes Christ completely out of the chronological structure of these days. portrayed by the passover season where they would make it appear he did not rise on the first day of the week and bypass this all important scripture in Leviticus where God, in the very beginning, foreshadowed his plan of redemption for the human race though that passover season. (Consisting of the slain lamb and the 7 days of the feast of unleavened bread.) There the Almighty plainly in a ritual and shadow not only foreshadowed the resurrection of Christ, but even unto the very day he would come forth and that day corresponds beautifully with the Gospel writers, Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1. Otherwise, Christ could not be the firstfruits from the dead that Paul spoke of in 1 Cor. 15. It was from Lev. 23:10-11 where his revelation was established making Christ the first-fruits from the dead during that passover season and neither of these scriptures, I Cor. 15:20-23 or Lev. 23: 10-11 can be by-passed. These verses alone should be proof enough to settle our minds on the question of the actual day of resurrection when he became first fruits from among the dead even if we were to go no further. You should know that each Gospel writer did not lie when they wrote that Christ rose from the dead on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. It was already foreshadowed in the Old Testament and rehearsed 1400 years before it happened. Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week becoming the first-fruits of them who sleep. HERE STOOD THAT SHEAF OR BUNDLE CALLED THE FIRST FRUITS!
True, when Mary and Martha came to the tomb, according to Mark, it was EARLY in the morning (prior to the rising of the sun). We find that the tomb is open, but remember their day began at sundown the evening before. According to Leviticus the priest could not offer this sheaf offering unto the Lord until the next day after the Sabbath had fully passed (Sabbath ended at sundown before the first day of the week begun), the day after the weekly Sabbath, so according to both Old and New Testament scriptures we now see exactly upon which day Christ the first-fruits rose from the dead. Furthermore, I believe this gives us a pendulum or marker to work from which establishes a previous truth and blocks an error that is slowly creeping into the Bride of Christ of this hour. Here in the message we are ready to study why this Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Unleaven Bread came after the full moon. According to God’s ordinance in Lev. 23 once the Israelite entered into their land the PASSOVER LAMB was to be killed and observed with a great FEAST supper along with the slain LAMB, commemorating what God had accomplished for them in their exodus from Egypt when the blood was applied to the door-posts. That was not all, by any means, for beginning on the 15th day which began shortly after the Lamb was slain on the evening of the 14th a seven day FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD unto the Lord would be observed. We all realize Christ was our Passover Lamb).
WHAT THIS SEVEN DAY FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD REPRESENTED
Seven days they must eat unleavened bread! The passover was slain late in the evening of the 14th day just before the 15th day began. The 15th day began the seven days unleavened bread feast observance and for seven consecutive days after this sacrifice of the PASSOVER LAMB they must eat this unleavened bread. For 1400 years God foreshadowed His Church age. No, they were not required to kill a lamb each day, but they were required to eat unleavened bread seven days in succession in memory of the Lamb that had been slain. The 15th day was a Holy Convocation occasion. All though that day they were required to assemble together, fellowshipping and feasting around nothing but unleavened bread commemorating the Lamb, for it was the Lamb which caused them to remember what God had accomplished for them. After the first day of unleavened bread (which appeared under a full moon) was completed which came on the 15th day of the month, between that time and the last day of the feast they could go about doing their different types of work, but once again on the 7th day, the last day closing out the feast period, they were all compelled to come together and repeat the first days activities. Compare this to our age after our Lamb was slain. This setting must be thoroughly understood because it is during this season, 1400 years after its instillment, that Christ is slain and there can be no change in the setting of this particular passover season 1400 years later, which at this time was not a rehearsal. Did not Christ Himself teach He was the Bread of Life (unleavened bread) sent down from heaven and for the representation of seven days or seven church ages the true church was expected to eat nothing but this pure unleavened bread of God’s Word. According to Christ’s fourth parable in Matt. 13 which corresponds beautifully with the fourth church age. (Rev. 2:18-20) the woman took leaven and hid it in three measures of meal. This is where that beautiful type of the Feast of Unleavened Bread became defiled within the Gentile church age but note that on the 7th day of that feast all the believers were to return to the original events of the first day making the first and last day of the feast a Holy Convocation. Thank God in our Seventh (Church Age) day, the true church was to return to the true unleaven bread getting rid of all the leavened bread she had been misled to eat through the instruction of the woman Jezebel who felt herself to be a prophetess, (Rev. 2:20) represented at the endtime by the false church consisting of the Mother of Harlots. (Rev. 17:5). To the true church God sent His prophet and seventh church age messenger who we believe to be William Marrion Bran-ham, with the true unleavened bread just in time for the regathering of the 7th day or final day of the FEAST, when on this day according to the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD the people were to return to the fellowship and activity of the first day. Praise the Lord for His marvelous love for His restoring to the Bride of Christ the true unleavened bread. Yes, from the Old Testament for 1400 years the Jews through types and shadows of the seven great feast days were actually portraying the Gentile church that would be divided into seven periods after our PASSOVER LAMB, Jesus Christ had been killed.
FAVORITE SCRIPTURE AGAINST CHRIST’S RESURRECTION ON FIRST DAY
There are other scriptures that firmly stand behind this scripture that certain men have tried to twist and turn to make it appear Christ rose on or before the Sabbath (Saturday). One such scripture which seems to be a favorite is found in Matthew 12:40 where Jesus addressed the Pharisees when they required of Him a sign.—”Give us a sign that we may believe”. He said, “There will no sign be given unto you but the sign of the Prophet Jonah, as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale so shall the Son of Man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.” These teachers imply that He could be not one minute longer or shorter than 72 hours in the earth. Please keep in mind THE HEART OF THE EARTH! Friends, is it not strange that when Mark and Luke record this identical setting we do not find it recorded in the manner that Matthew stated it, but reads, “…as Jonah was a sign to Nineveh so is the Son of Man to this generation.” We do not show this to belittle the scripture but only to show that there are 3 other scriptures dealing with the same setting that read slightly different. These false teachers do not refer to Mark 8:12-13, Luke 11:29 or even to Matthew 16:1-4 again when he restates this setting which corresponds more with the other writers’ thinking. Remember friends, scriptures dovetail with each other but never battle.
Taking all the writers into consideration, Christ was not saying it was the fact Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights that was the sign to the Ninevehites. They were not out on the seashore waiting for the whale to arrive. Had Jonah walked down the streets of Nineveh announcing a whale had just vomited him up, they would probably have asked him if he knew any more good fish stories. That was not the sign to Nineveh! Luke 11:29-30 plainly states the sign to Nineveh WAS JONAH who had been commissioned of God with a message to go and tell Nineveh unless they repented destruction and judgment lay upon them. God had anointed him with that message! THE MAN HIMSELF WAS A SIGN TO THE NINEVITES!
No sir, they were not out there to witness him being vomited out of the whale’s belly. They had no idea how he had gotten there, whether by ship, raft or whatnot. The sign itself was not the fact that he had gotten there by a free ride in a whale, though we realize he had been in the whale’s belly, but being in a whale’s belly was not the sign. Jonah had something to tell the Ninevehites after he got there and it wasn’t a fish story. So if that be the sign of Jonah, I want you to know the Pharisees and the Sadducees were not standing out there on the hill watching to see if Christ would rise from the dead, NOT AT ALL The fact was this, AS JONAH WAS THE SIGN TO THE NINEVITES, SO WAS CHRIST A SIGN TO THESE JEWS. He was anointed with a message, Christ was assigned to the Jews of that day. It is what He was — HE WAS THE MESSIAH — it is what He said— THAT, IN ITSELF, WAS THE SIGN!
CHRIST HIMSELF—WAS THE SIGN
Recall these Jews did not even believe in Christ’s resurrection once it had been reported unto them, in fact they instructed their soldiers to report while they were asleep his disciples came and stole him away. (Matt. 28: 12-13) If they could not accept what they saw with their very eyes how could they believe on him to say that he had been dead etc., and unto this very day is the excuse still believed among the Jews that his disciples stole his body away. No, they don’t believe Christ arose from the dead on the third day, merely that his body had been stolen. So, being dead three days and three nights regardless of the argument is not the proof, In other words, to the Pharisees and the Sadducees it was the message delivered by him to that generation and the one who delivered the message was the sign unto them.
DOES MATTHEW 12:40—TEACH CHRIST MUST BE 72 HOURS IN THE GROUND?
Because Matthew 12:40 is worded in the manner that it is, these teachers will take that scripture regardless to what the other three writers have said concerning this same setting and absolutely try to make every other scripture prove this one scripture which they desire to use in order to promote their Sabbath teaching, that Christ must remain dead exactly 72 hours in order to constitute the fulfillment of that particular scripture, “As Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights so shall the son of man be in the heart of the earth.” Recently an article by one of these teachers fell into my hands, this writer calculated the time of 72 hours, not from the time of the death of Christ on the cross but from the time Christ was buried in the late evening. Perhaps as much as one and a half hours after the death when the sun was setting in the evening-time shortly before the Sabbath began. Notice carefully their calculation of 72 hours always begins from the time the body was buried in the tomb, never from the hour that life left the body on the cross. By spreading the days apart they deliberately insert another Sabbath day all because of a certain scripture found in John’s writing (John 19:31) showing there is a 72 hour period to expire. Well, may I say this, these teachers should begin counting their time when he died on the cross, because the body did not go into the heart of the earth, the body was buried in a cave a short distance from where he was crucified. It was the inner man; it was that deity of life that went into the heart of the earth, while the body lay buried in a cave. The very minute that body cried out, “My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me,” he gave up the ghost meaning life departed from the body. The body still hung on the cross, soldiers came and pierced his side, the sun was very low in the west, that body may have hung on the cross for as much as an hour and a half after the spirit of life left the body. But let me tell you according to other scriptures while that body hung on the cross, already in the heart of the earth here was one preaching to imprisoned spirits (I Peter 3:19-20). These teachers absolutely build themselves a trap within their own revelation when they attempt to prove these 72 hours begins from the tomb when there never was 72 hours involved in the first place. I’m only placing this in the message to show that they disprove the scriptures by making it sound that way by calculating their time from the hour that the body was buried and not from the time which he died. Christ died in the 9th hour of the 15th day which was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Watch, the very minute Christ gave up the ghost, the inner man, the real spirit of the man did not die, death was the separation of the life from the flesh of the inner man. That God, deity of life departed out of that flesh and went down into the very jaws of hell itself and began preaching to the imprisoned spirits. Hell, death and the grave, were condemned; He wrestled from Satan’s hands the keys (Meaning the authority) where faithful souls and spirits of men through the ages were being held in captivity. The spirit of Christ went into the heart of the earth preaching to the imprisoned spirits, snatching away the keys of death and hell and leading out those imprisoned spirits of Old Testament saints. It is true that when he did resurrect on the 3rd day he came forth triumphantly over the tomb and over hell itself. 40 days later he ascended up on high and led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. (Eph. 4:8-9) Yes, he had gloriously conquered but in order to do so his spirit had gone into the lower parts of the earth while his body remained silent in a tomb.
TEACHERS REVELATION PROVE THEY BELIEVE IN SOUL—SLEEPING
The fact these teachers calculate their 72 hours beginning when the body was buried never once making any mention of the inner man, the spirit of Christ who actually went into the heart of the earth proves by their own revela-tion they believe in soul-sleeping and soul-sleeping is not found in the scriptures. Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (11 Cor. 5:6-9) The Bible plainly teaches while the body of Christ was buried in the tomb, the spirit of Christ was most active in the heart of the earth. In their writings these teachers attempt to prove from Matt. 12:40 he must remain in the ground exactly 72 hours, not one second less not one second over the 72 hours, beloved, he had already been in the heart of the earth according to the real teaching of the scripture for no less than an hour to an hour and a half before their time actually begins to be counted giving him no less than 73 hours or more. (Mark 15:42-43) Again I emphasize it was not the body that went into the heart of the earth, the body was buried in a cave not more than 200 feet from the crucifixion spot. Recall in the garden nearby there was a tomb where no man had been laid-one can stand at the tomb and actually see the spot of crucifixion on Calvary’s hill. According to scriptures Christ was raised from the dead early in the morning on the first day of the week. (Mark 16:9) Furthermore, the scriptures are not trying to prove that Christ had to be dead 72 hours! Morticians and doctors tell us before 72 hours have expired corruption, which is the chemical decomposition of the flesh, has already set in within a body. Bodies will begin to bloat long before 72 hours. If you’re still hard to convince to run over an animal alongside a highway, see how long before that body starts bloating—not long—depending much on the climate. In Psalms 16: David said, Thou shalt not suffer or permit thy Holy one to see corruption, or come to the very breaking down of that. Now we realize once it comes to corruption, that means the chemical make-up of the body when the gases begin to form setting this in motion that goes beyond 72 hours into your 4th day. This will constitute the very words of Mary when Jesus returned to raise Lazarus from the dead-4 days he had been dead and by now he stinketh. (John 11:39). Allow me to reemphasize, we’re not trying to prove in this message that Christ had to literally be dead 72 hours, No sir, that is not the point in the scriptures, but we are proving in this message that he was crucified, buried, and was resurrected within the representation of 3 days and 3 nights. (Mark 15:42-46, 16:9) Yes, many will squawk and pull their hair declaring they were violating Matt. 12:40, we’re not violating Matt. 12:40! Is it not strange that these teachers who say we violate Matt. 12:40 think nothing that they must violate 3 or 4 scriptures by writers within this same setting in order to receive and teach their error? Always remember beloved, all scriptures must dovetail together. One scripture cannot fight another. According to Mark 16:2 and Luke 24:1 Christ has already risen early in the morning on the first day of the week,(one day after the Sabbath to fulfill Lev. 23:10-11). The Hebrews didn’t call their first day Sunday, to them it was just the first day of the cycle of days measuring time of 7 days. Knowing according to both foreshadow in Leviticus 23 and the gospel writings of the New Testament as to what day Christ arose, we are now going to approach the day when he was crucified and the setting around it.
DAY OF PREPARATION, FIRST DAY OF THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, HOLY CONVOCATION DAY, ARE ALL TERMS FOR THE SAME DAY WE CALL FRIDAY (Mark 15:42—Luke 23:54)
Always remember these Sabbath teachers are trying to use the scriptures to promote their ideas because the reading of John 19:31 in the manner it is, they think they have another link to fit their three days and three nights theory of Matthew 12 to help promote their Sabbath teaching. Eager to promote their theories they feel perfectly justified to make another Sabbath Day apart from the chronological order of days that are already mentioned previously in the three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Again because of their ignorance and blindness they have overstepped the scriptures by using this one scripture in John that refers to the Sabbath day as a HIGH DAY. You just watch Almighty God take that uneducated barnyard fowl and confuse the thinking of these educated teachers today. Using the one scripture in John because it is worded as it is, these teachers have tried to make the word HIGH DAY become another separate day or Sabbath Day apart from the weekly Sabbath. By spreading the number of days apart and calling Wednesday a HIGH DAY SABBATH they are able to easily derive 72 hours or fully 3 days and 3 nights to work with—three days and three nights according to the scriptures which they do not even need. Beloved, that HIGH DAY spoken of in John was none other than the 7th day Sabbath, not some day instituted in the middle of the week called the HIGH DAY.
HIGH DAY SABBATH—WAS IT SEPARATE DAY FROM REGULAR SABBATH?
This was this HIGH DAY SABBATH spoken of in John 19:31 a separate SABBATH from the one spoken of in Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:54? No, they are ONE AND THE SAME! Mark 15 and Luke 23 shows this is the SABBATH on which the people were commanded to rest—Luke 23:54 proves Jesus died on the day of preparation and was buried shortly before the SABBATH began. After resting on the SABBATH they go to the new tomb according to Mark 16:1-2, Luke 24:1 at the early hours when the sun had risen on the first day of the week. Mark 16:9 plainly states He arose the first day of the week. These teachers today who spread this HIGH DAY theory as being a separate SABBATH DAY from the weekly SABBATH violate every verse of scripture that we have recorded and many we did not record.
Notice especially Luke 24:21 tells of Christ’s appearance unto the two men on the road to Emmaus. They are not aware this is Jesus to whom they are speaking after His resurrection and are telling Him about the crucifixion—”And this is now the third day since it happened” (speaking of the crucifixion). Recall, Jesus died at 3 in the afternoon on the PREPARATION DAY. According to Mark 16:9-12, this is the second group Christ appeared to after He arose from the dead early the first day of the week. So, again this scripture proves that the HIGH DAY SABBATH of John 19 could not have fallen in the middle of the week, therefore, it would be impossible for these teachers to take scripture to help them bring about their SABBATH DAY teaching, that is, that Christ was resurrected on the Sabbath Day and therefore you should observe the day on which He was resurrected. That is exactly what we do! Christ arose on the first day of the week and we observe this day—Mark 16:9. What Constitutes a High Day? (1). It was the weekly Sabbath (2). Sabbath falls in passover season making it a double Holy Day. Sabbath was the day after the rooster crowed as a rebuke to Peter on the morning of the day of preparation—the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42, Matt. 27:62). Their argument is Christ could not have been crucified on Friday nor rose on Sunday because this would not constitute 72 hours. Beloved, they didn’t need 72 hours as we shall later see in this message WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE TEACH?
CHRIST KEEPS YEARLY PASSOVER-14th
Other advent minded historians through time have tried to argue that Christ did not eat the regular yearly 14th day Passover with his disciples. Their teaching is because he anticipated his death and knowing that his time had come he had an early Passover a day in advance to the regular Jewish Passover, (again this is derived from one statement) John 18:28—their argument is Christ instituted an earlier supper before the yearly Passover Supper on the 14th and it was from the earlier supper he instituted the Lord’s Supper to his disciples. This earlier supper is arranged for him by these teachers, not by the scriptures, that he might be crucified on the evening of the 14th, in order to absolutely coincide with the very day and hour on which the Passover Sacrificial Lamb was scheduled to be killed, again this sounds good but is it true? Start reading scriptures in Matt. 26 from the first gospel writer and see if it is true. Matthew picks up the story in Matt. 26:17 “Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came unto Jesus saying unto him, where wilt thou that we should eat the Passover?” Where will we (the disciples) prepare for thee to eat the Passover? Actually, this is closing out now the 14th day. It is just in advance of the 15th day. Christ is still alive. They know the Passover is coming up and they know when evening time comes the Passover Lamb will be killed. How can Christ eat the passover, spend a night on trial, and be crucified all in the same day of the 14th? He can’t and he wasn’t. He was crucified one day after the lamb was killed according to the scriptures. Remember in Matt. 26, It is already the evening of the 14th day when the disciples prepared the passover supper. The 15th day, which is the first day of the Unleavened Bread, is only hours away. Recall, you move quickly from the 14th day into the 15th which began the Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 straight consecutive days.” Notice this season is called both Passover Season and the Feast of Unleavened bread (Matt. 26: 17-18; Mark 14:12-12; Luke 22: 7-9-15). Understand, it is only terminology dealing with the same occasion “Where will thou that we should prepare for thee to eat the Passover” Recall he tells them to go into the city, there they will see a man coming from the water place, they are to follow him to his house and say “MY time is at hand I will keep the passover (not an earlier supper) at thy house with my disciples” down in the 20th verse “Now when the evening was come, he set down with the 12, yes on that evening of the 14th, the Lamb was killed, Christ was sitting with the 12, so he could not have been crucified on the 14th as these teachers claim could he? His death came on the 15th. Christ was killed on the Preparation day for the Sabbath, also it was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. Notice Mark quoted it almost word for word, Luke also deals with it, each gospel writer recalls how Judas had already began conniving with the high priest to betray Jesus. Mark 14:12 “the first day Unleavened Bread when they killed the Passover” (The first day of Unleavened Bread is used as an introductory period) “His disciples said to him where will thou that we go and prepare for thee the Passover to eat.” See the occasion? Luke says (Luke 22:7). Now the Feast of the Unleavened Bread drew nigh which is called the Passover. This shows plainly, beloved, we are dealing only with terminology. In the 7th verse Luke says, Now the day (has actually arrived) then came the day of Unleavened Bread and the Passover must be killed (these teachers want you to believe this was the day Christ was killed. But the Bible does not teach this). Notice Luke records who the disciples were—Christ sent into the city to locate the man and inquire the usage of his upper room. It was Peter and John! Please keep in mind John was one of the men that was sent, yet it is from John’s writing that occurring many years later around 95 A.D. that these teachers are trying to use two particular verses to question what Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote. Here they seek to arise and insert another day, for the Passover. Well, Beloved, John is one of the disciples mentioned here in Luke who inquired about the use of the house for the Passover Supper. I am sure that John, although he wrote many years later concerning the day Christ ate the Passover and was actually crucified, knew exactly when it was and that his writing would coincide exactly with the other writers. Remember Christ could not keep the 7 feast days, although he did keep the feast of the passover on the eve of the 14th.
BRIEF—RUNDOWN ON CHRIST’S LAST TWO DAYS ON EARTH NISAN 14TH & 15TH
Let’s dramatize this into a story form to make it have more interest. Visualize in your mind you’re back in time (centuries ago). The day is Passover day (Nisan-14) it’s rapidly coming to a close. The yearly Passover Lamb has been killed, the supper has been prepared-Jesus has taken his 12 disciples and gone to this banquet room to eat the Passover supper with his disciples. As he finishes eating this Passover Supper he institutes the Lord’s Supper, in memory of Himself. Christ shocks his disciples by saying, “ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO BETRAY ME.” (Judas had already in advance of the killing of the Passover Lamb secretly conspired against Christ with the priest and the chief scribes.) All of them began to ask, “Is it I Lord, Is it I?” Jesus answered the one that dips the sop with me the same is he. Immediately he sopped and handed it to Judas and said, “What thou doest go do quickly.” The scripture says immediately Satan entered Judas. This really shows where Satan took hold of Judas’ spirit, and all that was in his mind causing him to act days in advance of conniving and conversing with the chief priest and those to do this terrible thing. This spirit has really gripped Judas. His mind is definitely made up. Judas departs and begins to connive with the high priests. The scriptures said it was night, not only was it dark in Judas’s heart but on the outside it’s night for by now we are well into the 15th day which begins at sundown. (Matt. 26:17-25).
THE LONG DARK NIGHT OF THE 15TH
Isn’t it strange Matthew, Mark, nor Luke ever recorded the foot washing portion after Judas departed from the group? John, years later in his writings who didn’t go into great detail con-cerning the Supper, tells all we know concerning the foot-washing held after the Supper. This shows not one thing transpired with in that entire event that one of these gospel writers didn’t record. Properly fitting this together you have the true story of the long, dark night of the 15th of Nisan, the Preparation day for the Sabbath, the holy convocation day. Recall also it was the first day after the passover, making it a holy convocation day, and rest day. Supper being ended Jesus girded himself with a towel and washed the disciples feet. Notice the upper room scene takes us into a portion of two days. From the closing out of the 14th into the early night hours of the 15th day. NEAR 11 O’CLOCK Supper being finished, Jesus with his disciples departs from the upper room. Down across the city he goes according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke to a place called Gethsemane. John recorded that he resorted to Cedron. Cedron is the Valley where lays the Garden of Gethsemane just eastward from the Gate called Beautiful. The gate called Beautiful is entrance into the walled city onto the temple grounds. Cedron was the valley below the city. It was here Christ prayed in the garden when his sweat became as great drops of blood. Christ has walked approximately a mile to a mile and three quarters from the Upper Room in the home. (Recall this is the night hours of the 15th, shortly before what we would call midnight. Notice John is the only writer to record any of the events from the upper room unto the Valley of Cedron where he prays in the garden. Jesus related to his disciples all the teaching found in St. John 13, 14, and 15. Is that understood? That’s his conversation with them as he walks along, that mile and 3/4. As he walked along, they were entering deeper into the night of the 15th. Here he tells them he must go away, that there shall be a comforter to return, etc. All of the writings of John between the chapters 13, 14, 15 were the conversation he related to them from leaving the Upper Room until he arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane a short distance outside the walled city of Jerusalem. Departing from the Upper Room, Jesus related the scripture to his disciples “Smite the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.” (Zac. 13:7) Though he said “This night he was to be betrayed and all of you will be scattered and you will leave me.” Peter is the one to speak up saying, “Lord I’ll never leave you,” Watch I’m going to make a statement here, Jesus said “Peter, the cock will not crow until you have denied me thrice.” What time of day is it? They are now well into the night of the 15th day. Jesus said, “Peter this night the cock will not crow until you have denied me 3 times.” That didn’t mean the cock crowing would be two or three days later. Not even 24 hours later. How many know when roosters crow? Sunrise. Christ could have said “Peter before the sun comes up you’ll deny me thrice.” The old rooster does not wait till the sun is completely over the hill. When he sees light in the east, back goes his head and he crows. What the rooster sees, he crows about in order to awaken the others letting them know it’s daylight. Supper is over, they’ve had their foot washing, He’s already communicated with His disciples as they are walking toward the Valley of Cedron.
AROUND 12 P. M.
Having reached there, he leaves them, taking with him Peter, James, and John and he resorts a little further and says “Stay here and watch while I go yonder and pray:” He withdrew himself a little further and knelt down to pray only to return each time finding his disciples sleeping. (It is now late into the night of the 15th. No doubt the disciples were not used to being up so late.) After going away and praying for the 3rd time, he returns and says “Sleep on”. Meanwhile Judas who left the group hours ago, had gone before the chief priest and sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver is now leading a mob of Pharisees, Sadducees, soldiers etc. Notice THESE WERE NOT ROMAN SOLDIERS, they were Jewish policemen who have come to arrest Jesus. Judas would betray Christ with a kiss to identify him in the dark. Immediately, Peter drew forth a sword and removed the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus instructed Peter to put away his sword as he gently placed the ear back into its proper place. Notice this will be the very man only a few short hours later who shall confront Peter causing him to curse and deny his Lord as that rooster crowed at day break on the 15th, the preparation day for the sabbath. Again, let’s ask ourselves the question, what time of day was it when the angry mob came? Some TIME AROUND 1 O’CLOCK, It’s somewhere within the middle of the night. Jews did not refer to night time hours, only the Romans. THE JEWS CALLED IT WATCHES and the minute the sun goes down the day starts–they divide the night time into watches 3 hours per watch. From sundown to sunup which is approximately 12 hours there are 4 watches, 3 hours each, 6 to 9, 9 to 12, 12 to 3, 3 to 6 in the morning, Somewhere in the middle of the night Jesus has been arrested and immediately carried to Annas the high priest. The rest of the Friday night of the 15th Christ is on trial. Christ is taken to Anna’s home where He is questioned concerning His doctrine and disciples. Thursday had been the 14th, the Passover Day closes out at sunset. After his arrest every kind of false accusation is brought against him; Keep in mind Peter has followed them a far off—into the court area where he stood in the background watching the outcome of the trial. Not only Christ will be on trial, but also the faith of Peter shall be thoroughly tested. One of the maidens of the priest’s house came in. Peter was standing there warming his hands by the fire when suddenly she said, Aren’t you one of them?” Peter said, “No, I don’t know the man.” More time elapses—in came another woman. “You are one of His disciples!” Again Peter denies any knowledge of Christ. As they continue to accuse Christ of every false accusation trying to condemn him before Caiapas, who should come walking out about an hour later but the very servant of the high priest whose ear Peter had cut off, and said, “You’re one of them, your speech betrays you, you were there with him” Peter senses himself in a corner, something must be done to convince this man he is wrong. So he cursed. and said “I don’t know the man,” but as he did it was nearly daylight time for roosters to crow. Already we’ve practically come through the night hours of the 15th day, called Friday. The sun is just getting ready to peek over those Judean hills. Notice, the rooster never heard what Peter said, that’s not what made him crow! It was simply the time of the morning for him to crow. Back in the middle part of the night Jesus had told Peter the cock would not crow until you’ve denied me 3 times. Mark stated Jesus said “the rooster won’t crow twice, Peter, till you will have denied me thrice.” When that rooster crowed, Peter knew Christ:s prophecy spoken hours earlier had already come to pass. Immediately that old rooster crowed and the scriptures say Jesus turned and looked at Peter, not saying a word, just looking at him as if to say, “Peter what did I tell you?” In his heart Peter knew what had happened-just before the rooster crowed. Everyone should know roosters don’t crow until around sun up, especially those which didn’t live in a day when incubators and electric lights were used to raise hybrid chickens. Those old roosters were loyal to nature. They knew when to crow. But not this hybrid group today raised under the incubators and electric lights, they don’t know when to roost or when to get off and crow. Had Jesus lived in our day and he’d made this kind of a prediction about one of his disciples, certainly he would go according to the law of nature. It reminds me so much of these book-learned, school taught preachers of today. They’re educated and philosophised under all these hypothetical, artificial environments—poor souls–don’t even know if Christ has come the first time or whether he was born of a virgin birth, or whether his blood was holy blood or what it was. That’s why they act as they do! But, oh I tell you Jesus could depend on the old rooster. He wasn’t a hybrid! That old rooster wasn’t sitting out there under some shed just waiting for Peter to deny the Lord. Roosters only know to crow when the sun comes up. He goes on the roost when the sun goes down and comes off the roost crowing when the sun comes up. When he goes on the roost he hardly says a thing, but brother when he comes off the roost he announces to every one a new day has come. Peter, standing in the courtyard, warmed himself all through the night while Jesus was before Caiaphas. The night hours of the 15th are fading out as light in the east is breaking through when Peter makes his third denial of his Lord. That rooster crowed and Jesus turned and looked at Peter as if to say “What did I tell you” Peter remembered what the Lord said. He hung his guilty head, went out and wept bitterly. I have betrayed, I have denied My Lord. We pray as the rooster’s crowing did not only cause Peter to repent but it shall be a means of causing others who have erred from the scriptures to do the same. For it shall be the old roosters crowing that shall reveal the high day spoken of by John was not another inserted Sabbath day earlier during the week falling on Wednesday as some are propagating. It shall be proven from the scriptures, the fact the rooster did crow and rebuke Peter although roosters crow each morning there is only one time that one crowed after Peter denied his Lord- that was the morning of the Preparation of the weekly Sabbath which fell on the 6th day of the week.
It’s Friday morning, that long dark night of Nisan 15th is slowly dwindling away as the day part crept over the horizon bringing sun rays to the Judean hills, (Matt. 27:1-2 and Mark 15:1) the rooster has crowed: Peter has repented; Caiaphas has given his verdict; Jesus is accused guilty as charged. Next, Christ is brought immediately before the other high priest, the elders and chief scribes who also found him guilty. From the Jerusalem courts he goes before the Roman governor—Pilate, who declares him innocent of the charges.
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 6TH—THROUGH THE NINTH HOUR
John 19:13-14, In the early daylight hours of Friday morning, Nisan 15th, the chief priest and elders agreed he must be crucified. Crucify him, Crucify him—was their cry— Pilate at first tries to appease the flustrated, angry mob by reminding them of their yearly custom of releasing a prisoner during the Feast of the Passover. (Matt. 27:15-25) Who will you have me release unto you, Barabas or this one called Jesus? To Pilate’s immediate surprise the mob cried, release BARABAS, AWAY WITH THIS MAN, this impostor! Pilate began washing his hands in an attempt to free himself of the responsibility of a man’s blood who he knew in his heart was not worthy of any death penalty. His troubled wife, having just awakened from a dream, rushed into the judgment hall, slips over to Pilate and says, “have nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things this day,”—don’t get confused by the word day—she hasn’t taken an afternoon nap at 2:30 in the afternoon, her sleep had come while Christ was on trial that night. “I suffered many things in a dream concerning this man,” TIME: Early hours around 6 o’clock—the morning of Friday the 15th). Coming to the 13th verse, Pilate, having heard his wife, said to the angry mob who had already denied Christ as their King by accepting Caesar and saying away with him, Caesar will be our King.” Behold here is your king! Pilate is doing his best to rid himself of the responsibility of a man he could find no fault in. Furthermore, his wife’s dream star-red him in the face, Pilate is trying desperately to back out of this awkward predicament but the Jews continued to shout—”Caesar is our king, away with this thing.” John 19:13 “When Pilate therefore heard these things he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat.” Recall only a short time ago the rooster crowed at daylight-Pilate sat down in the judgment seat called the Pavement but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Je-rusalem was in preparation for two things, (1). The first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread. (2). The weekly Sabbath, which John referred to as a high day. Today was their preparation day. In only a few hours Christ shall be handing from the cross.
WHY THE JEWS WOULD NOT ENTER THE JUDGMENT HALL
“Lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.” Recall this is after the rooster has crowed. Here historians have see-sawed backwards and forwards through time over this verse. Notice Matthew, Mark, or Luke did not record anything concerning this, Christ’s party had already eaten the Passover supper hours before the rooster crowed, haven’t they? Already the Lord’s Supper has been instituted, through the night he’s been on trial, now he’s been delivered to Pilate’s Judgment Hall, but as he is taken to Pilate’s Judgment Hall, we find these chief Priests, etc., won’t enter in, their excuse is, “Lest they be defiled so they can not eat the Passover.” Those who do not know the setting will take this scripture and say Jesus simply anticipated his death therefore he instituted a supper in advance of his crucifixion and that’s the best answer they can give, BUT CHRIST DID NOT INSTITUTE A SUPPER IN ADVANCE, for remember it was on the evening of the 14th he ate the Passover with his disciples. They were now in the 15th day of the month, (the Passover Supper was on the closing of the 14th). We’re now into the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. The day they observe the commemoration of the Passover Lamb which was killed the night before by eating NOTHING BUT UNLEAVENED BREAD. (Why did these particular priests and elders refuse to enter into the Hall of Judgment lest they be defiled?) The reason was because there was an observance of 2 days for the Passover.
THE REASON FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF 2 DAYS
The ceremonies with which the modern Jew celebrates their Passover are described by “Leo” of Madena. Part Ill Chapter 3. (Edward Robinson Bible Encyclopedia: The feast continues for a week, but the Jews out of Palestine extend it to eight days, according to an ancient custom by which the Sanhedrin sent two men to observe the first appearance of the New Moon, who immediately gave notice of it to the chief of the council. For fear of error: they kept two days of the festival, one was called “dies latentis lunge”. The other “dies apparentis lunse.” These two days were observed due to the fact that perhaps there was an error in these men being able to properly identify the New Moon as to the time it did appear (often when you first see the New Moon it’s hard to tell whether it is one day old or in its first clay or just what. Often it depends much on how the weather has been), so to be in safe margin 2 days of the Festival are observed, the first day which according to scripture would be the legal Passover to be observed, but for fear there was an error in the observation of the New Moon which starts the New month, they would keep and observe the Passover the following day also (15th) which would automatically place it on the first day which Unleavened Bread was to be eaten, notice since returning from Babylon they kept 2 days of the festival—one was called dies latentis lunae the lunar meaning it’s a Lunar day, the other dies am parentis lunse and notice dies apparentis lunse takes secondary place from the first one. The dictionary declares this second day is secondary in position to the Licentus, which is the legal Passover(14th) but due to possible error in observation of the moon, they observed it the second time which was the evening of the first day of Unleavened Bread, (15th). This should better acquaint us with why these religious leaders refused to enter into the Hall of Judgment. Notice the other, dies apparentis lunse (15th), causing the first two days of the Passover and the last two to also be sacred, both free from labor and business, therefore adding themselves another day on to the end of the Feast of Unleavened Bread makes it stretch out over an 8 day period, so they would observe the first two days of the period as Passover Days and the last 2 days as Holy Convocation Days. Scripturally, we know that first day of Unleavened Bread was a Holy Convocation Day and strictly a rest day, where all ceased from labor, while also the 7th day was to be a Holy Convocation also where all labor ceased. According to Smith’s Bible dictionary the Sadducees and the Pharisees (which make up the Jewish Sanhedrin); differed as to the proper day. This difference came after the Jews returned from exile out of Babylon and the Sadducees returned into Jerusalem and Palestine from the Grecian realm of the exile. In other words, their split decision about this thing reminds one of the Democratic and Republican Party in the U. S. Congress–though here we are speaking about differences from a religious realm. Therefore 2 days were observed ONE BEING THE PROPER Passover, the second day being observed out of tradition and fear THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE PROPER OBSERVATION OF THE MOON IN COUNTING the days from the New Moon which appeared and began their new month. Two days were then observed because the Sadducees wanted to be different than the Pharisees. Our activity is on that following morning after the evening Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples. It is the 15th, being the first day of Unleavened Bread and being a Holy Convocation Day, no work is permitted. This evening of the 15th shall move out with a grand festival which will be celebrated around a Feast of Unleavened Bread in commemoration of the Lamb that has been slain during the same time the evening before. Yes, this is the day called the first day of Unleavened Bread. These religious leaders had sanctified themselves. Remember, this entire Passover Season is a Holy Season, naturally they don’t want to defile themselves-knowing the tradition of the Jews, we realize just speaking with a gentile defiled them, because it was the Passover Season they don’t even want to go inside the Judgment Hall for fear of being contaminated with the whole environment, it says here SO THEY COULD EAT THE PASSOVER, or then perhaps this Passover, spoken of in Verse 28 could also refer to the Grand Feast of eating Unleavened Bread beginning that evening in commemoration of the Passover Lamb killed the evening before—Because Matthew, Mark, and Luke introduced the entire season (of one week) referring to it as “That the day of Unleavened Bread came in which the Passover Lamb was to be killed” (Notice they put the day of Unleavened Bread in advance) showing they were introducing a season of days which began with the killing of the Passover. We would be as much justified wording it in that manner, since John – did not necessarily say these men are literally killing another Passover. Always they closed this first day of the Feast of Unleavened ; Bread with the Grand Feast in commemoration of the legal Passover that had been killed the evening before by song in honor to Jehovah who delivered them from Egypt where they reaped the benefits of the slain lamb and the blood being applied. That’s what each day of observance of the Feast was about in EATING THE UNLEAVENED BREAD it was pointing them back to the Lamb, for it was the blood of the Lamb that caused the death Angel to pass over them. Recall it wasn’t their eating Unleavened Bread that night which caused the Death Angel to pass over them! No! it was the blood. This only refreshed their memory causing them to look back, praising God for what he had accomplished for them in their obedience of applying the blood of this Passover Lamb to the door-posts, yet we must realize the Pharisees and the Sadducees of Jesus’ day were in much division as to which was the proper day each party would recognize as the true legal Passover—whether they wanted to say another Passover Lamb should be killed—if so, it will fall within the second position of days, and could never take the position of the first day Passover spoken of in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Remember this—the Passover we just read from in the 28th verse comes after the rooster crowed and not before. See how important it is to know when that rooster crowed? The recording of that rooster crowing is in all three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke the following morning after they had eaten the evening supper and it is after the rooster crowed that these religious Jews brought Christ to Pilate? Judgment Hall where they refused to enter for fear of being defiled and not be able to eat the Passover. Beloved, Jesus literally ate the legal Passover instituted by God, for he is none other than the God of the Passover himself. Certainly he’s not going to accept some Sadducees tradition, nor is he going to institute a substitute supper to commemorate his own memorial supper. He is the God of the Passover, and knows what day to observe it. I believe John knew what he was writing even though his gospel is written years later. I believe he knew because he was in the group of disciples who prepared the banquet hall, the very one recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke’s writings. The 6th hour finds these angry Jews openly denied Christ as their King before Pilate in the judgment hall “Behold your King: Angry insults came from the mobs as they cried, “away with him, away with him, crucify him.” Pilate questioned them. Shall I crucify your king? Pilate, trying desperately to free Jesus, takes him aside and asks, “Are you the King?” Jesus said, “for this cause came I into the world,” knowing already he has been rejected by the Jew, “My kingdom is not of this world, but for this cause came I into the world” Although Pilate was at a loss to find a spot against him, these Jews continued forcing the issue. Shall I crucify your King, Pilate asked? We have no king but Caesar—shouted the high priest. Then delivered he him therefore unto them (who?) that angry mob, to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. The meaning here is they delivered him unto them, that is placing him into the hands of the Roman soldiers who were under Pilate’s command. Pilate had been forced by the cry of the Jews, crucify him, crucify him, away with him, we don’t want him—Caesar is our King. Then delivered he unto them to be crucified. but it was the Roman soldiers who took and bound him. According to Mark’s account, Pilate sat in the judgment seat the 6th hour (Roman time), still quite early Friday morning. Nisan 15, was preparation day for the weekly Sabbath, also this week Friday was the first day of the 7 days of unleavened bread, commemorating the PASSOVER supper which was held late in the evening, closing the 14 of Nisan. After Pilate listened to all their arguments against Christ and had delivered him into the hands of the Roman soldiers for a season of humiliation, watch what happens (Mark 15:16). “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium and they called together the whole band. They clothed him with purple and platted a crown of thorns about his head, began to salute him—Hail, King of the Jew’s.” What terrible mockery now commences, open humiliation—by these merciless pagan soldiers of Rome in their horrible indecent act of stripping the Creator of his clothing: placing upon him a mockery robe of purple; forcing upon his sacred brow a painful crown of thorns while saluting him, Hail King of the Jews. Smiting his head with a reed, spit upon him, and bowing their knees in mock worship—Such open humiliation, such a horrible sight! Truly the devil had his hour…After his humiliation the purple robe was removed, His own clothes were again placed upon him: he was placed between two common criminals and led out to be crucified.
9 a.m.—John 19:18-24: THE CRUCIFIXION
“And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by coming out of the country, the Father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.” Watch, He is going up to Calvary up to Golgotha, “And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but He received it not: WHAT MEANETH THIS? The Roman’s custom was anytime a man was taken to be crucified or executed, he was given wine mingled with myrrh which was their way of doping them. In other words, it was just a way of druging them. By the time it took effect they would be nailed and hung on the cross therefore there wouldn’t be such extreme pain, but He refused it. Why would He refuse it? Because He is dying now for the sins of the whole world and He must bear the pain and the anguish of it all so He refused to allow His sense of feel to be numb. And it was the third hour when they crucified Him.” (9 o’clock.) Third hour in the morning meant 3 hours had now passed since the Pilate had said BEHOLD YOUR KING and the Jews declared Caesar was their King delivering Christ to be crucified. By the time the soldiers mocked and spit on Him, beating Him–disgraced and humiliated Him and led Him to Calvary, three hours had gone by. He goes on the cross the third hour of the day Hebrew time but it is 9 o’clock in the morning of the Jewish Preparation Day for the Sabbath–Friday morning daylight time 9 o’clock and it was the third hour and they crucified Him, the superscription of His accusation Was written over the head of it, As he hung there in open humiliation before humanity, the mob began shouting, “Save yourself, come on down, come on down, let us see you do something! Beloved, it had been terrible to sit in a chair, endure a crown of thorns, wear a kingly robe while being mocked at the same time, but now to hang on a Roman cross in misery, agony, and shame while continuing to hear these angry, mocking insults saying, you saved others, now save yourself. Come on down, let’s see you do something. Enduring this type of humiliation for another three hours. (Mark 15:33: Luke 23:44). “And when the sixth hour was come (which is 12 o’clock Friday high 1 noon but it is 6th hour Hebrew time of daylight) there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour”—of Hebrew time I which is 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Christ has faced every kind of humiliation when suddenly an eclipse or something came over the sun and the heavens became black from the sixth hour of the Hebrew day till the ninth hour which is 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Gross darkness covered the land. People began acting strange. You would also if you had been there. This angry mob who had walked by ridiculing, laughing and jeering changed their tune as the Sun refused to shine and the countryside fell into darkness. They began to shake with fear and at the ninth hour “Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by when they heard it, said, behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on a reed. Once again they attempted to drug him, but he turned it away and, 37th verse, “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” Mark 15:39 and when the centurion who stood facing him, saw that he thus breathed his last, said truly this man was the Son of God. (3 o’clock) and at that same time the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” Keep in mind, this Roman centurion was the commander of the troop who placed him on the cross, whose soldiers had mocked and placed a crown of thorns upon Christ. This centurion was the Roman captain over the troops who led him to Calvary. Yes, this is the centurion who only hours before had stood there enjoying himself when this same group of soldiers jammed that crown of thorns on Christ’s brow causing blood to run down over his face. Then they placed a reed in his hand. He saw them pull, and jerk at his beard, spit at him and everything, look at him now as he watches the heavens turn black and hears that loud voice cry out at the end of three hours when he breathed his last, he is heard to say, “surely this was THE SON OF GOD.” Luke 23:48 “And all the multitude who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breast.” Things have begun to settle down by Friday, 3 o’clock in the evening—some 24 hours after the Passover lamb was killed, getting ready for the Passover Supper. It’s now very late within the preparation day for the weekly Sabbath which shall begin around 5:30 to 6 o’clock. 6 o’clock comes at sundown which is less than three hours away from the beginning of the Sabbath. Always bear in mind the Jewish day begins at sun-down—Christ hung on the cross through the greater part of the daylight hours of Friday, while much of the night part of Friday was spent on trial. Although at three o’clock he is dead, yet he must hang on the cross some while longer. Notice Mark 15:42—his acquaintances who stood back, recognizes he is dead, something must be done. Soon the Sabbath (the high day) will be beginning according to John, bodies could not be left on the cross on this Sabbath Day, which begins at sundown (see also Luke 23:5056). It is a high day, a double holy day because it is in the Passover Season. The body must come down, shortly the Sabbath will begin.
4 p.m.-John 19:31-37:
They must move it in a hurry. There is not time to embalm it or make any preparation whatever for the burial, so watch, “Now when the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is the day before the weekly Sabbath–the day they were commanded to rest on, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.” And he consented for him to have the body, and so in the 46th verse “And he brought line 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.” Keep in mind at that time not a soldier had been placed to guard the tomb. Very strange! There had to be a reason why there was not a soldier put on guard at that time. One of the other writers stated that where he hung from the cross in a garden nearby there was a tomb where ne’er a man been laid and it corresponds exactly with that. The greater part of the day of preparation for the Sabbath has now been spent. A short time remains before the Sabbath was scheduled to begin. They take down the body, in haste wrap it in linen, and placed it in the tomb. (Mark 15:4247) “And rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Jesus beheld where he was laid.” (Luke 23:56) shows they return and bought spices while it was still yet time before the Sabbath began. When the Sabbath began they rested according to the commandment.
NOTICE WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SABBATH—Matt. 27:62-66
The Sabbath commandment came into effect at sundown, Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb shortly before that. May I say this, The Spirit of Christ had already gone into “her long before the body had gone into the grave, 3 o’clock Christ gave up the ghost and immediately went to fulfill I Peter 3:18-20. So this teaching we have previously discussed taken from Matt. 12:38-40 concerning the pharisees coming to Jesus asking for a sign, neighbor. These Adventists teachers take their theory trying to prove Jesus must be in the heart of the earth exactly 72 hours to constitute this verse. I know we have already discussed this but allow me in passing to say, if you try to prove that Jesus was dead 72 hours you tear down the entire continuity of the scriptures. To say Christ must be dead 72 1 hours would be to tear down no less than six scriptures all in perfect harmony which said he must rise the third day, yes, no less than six scriptures says he must rise the I third day while only one scripture is worded as recorded in Matt. 12 that would even indicate the slightest of anything else. Previously we dealt with this bringing all these scriptures into bearing. What do these 6 scriptures prove? Only that Christ is to die, be buried and rise the 3rd day, causing him to be dead the representative of 3 days and 3 nights. No less than 6 scriptures state plainly that Jesus said he must suffer and rise again the 3rd day, now beloved, Christ could easily come forth on the first day of the week and it be the third day, but he could never be crucified late Friday and rise early Sunday morning and be in the heart of the earth 72 hours. Later we shall show from the scriptures the 1st day was the third day. Notice if Christ was dead 72 hours which constitutes 3 whole days and nights he did not resurrect on the 3rd day, as the scriptures predicted he would have resurrected on the beginning of the 4th day, then we’re going to need at least one verse of scripture showing what hour and what minute beginning that 4th day DID HE RISE! Medical facts prove that the decomposition of the body begins breaking down before any 72 hour period expires, Psalm 16: declared “God would not suffer his Holy One to see corruption,” dead bodies bloat long before any 72 hours. Friend it is imperative we understand this biblical language, take for instance Daniel 7: Daniel says the 4th beast will devour the whole earth when it comes up. The Roman Empire did not devour the whole earth Siberia, Mongolia, Japan, China was never in the Old Roman Empire, Well then it didn’t literally devour the entire earth! We must understand biblical language though it certainly did deal with that which fulfilled God’s purpose and etc. So, Christ was dead only the representative of 3 days and 3 nights. Recall his trial began after that wild mob came for him in the garden, from the trial, to the cross, to the grave, (all on Friday) Christ rose early Sunday morning, he was dead the representative of 3 days and 3 nights. You can’t discard 6 scriptures stating “Thus it behoove Christ to suffer and die and rise again the third day.” Remember according to Luke 23:54 he was buried in the closing hours of Friday evening just before- the weekly Sabbath began which commanded they were to rest on while Mark 16:9 drives a nail in a sure place stating he raised early on the first day of the week, what else can you determine from the scriptures but a representative of 3 days and 3 nights. While this Sabbath was the day of rest, it was also the second day of the seven day feast and according to John’s writing it was a high day. A high day or a double holy day since falling in the Passover season. This is the sabbath the high priest came to Pilate asking for a favor. Matt. 27:62, declares Christ had already been buried the night of the sabbath and they were sometimes within the daylight hours on the sabbath thy. Though this particular scripture does not refer to the day as the sabbath day, only referring to it as the next day after the preparation, which according to Luke 23:54-56 shows it was the sabbath. Now the next day that followed the day of preparation, the chief priest and Pharisees came together unto Pilate (recall this is the second day Christ has been crucified, being buried in the late hours of the evening before the Sabbath which begins at sunset (verse 62). The chief priest and Pharisees came together unto Pilate saying “Sir, we remember that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again— watch this statement– (after) that would be 72 hours which after 3 days in representation, but watch after 3 days I will rise again. “Demand therefore that the sepulchre, (notice no soldiers have stood guard out there yet), be made sure until the third day. Can you understand this conversation, it’s Saturday the day after the preparation, Christ was buried on the preparation day late in the evening, killed on the preparation day before the Sabbath. Now in the daylight hour of the Sabbath they came to Pilate during the second day saying, that deceiver..said that after three days he would rise again, Pilate seal that tomb, notice it hadn’t been sealed! No soldiers were there, but these religious leaders knew that as soon as sunset did occur the third day would start. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day lest his disciples come by night, (not by day) and steal him away—saying unto the people He is risen from the dead, so the last error shall be worse than the first, (they were afraid that very night his disciples would come to fulfill his words. They wanted to take no chances, one night had already passed. (the night hours of the Sabbath). Keep in mind Pilate was the commander of the Roman troops who crucified him. Watch Pilate’s answer, Allow me to dramatize this. Already Pilate had washed his hands of that execution. Pilate looked upon that group of men as to say, YOU JEWS GET OUT OF HERE! YOU’VE AGGRAVATED ME TO DEATH OVER THIS WHOLE THING, I HAVEN’T SLEPT SINCE THE WHOLE THING STARTED, YOU HAVE A WATCH, (DO IT YOURSELVES). Wonder what he meant from that statement? Read it, Pilate said unto them ye have a watch go your way, make it as sure as you can. These Chief priests are Jews, talking to Pilate, they want Romans to SEAL THE TOMB, (GUARD IT). We don’t want that deceiver to come forth or his disciples to steal him away lest the last statement be worse than the first. Pilate says GET OUT of here, you’ve got a watch, do it yourself. What is meant from that statement? It’s the next day after the preparation (Sabbath) possibly only a few hours before the sun sets when the night hours begin constituting the beginning of the third day. They remembered how Christ had said the third day he would rise. Coming to Pilate they’ve asked for a guard. Pilate said, you have a watch meaning, you have your own soldiers. We are going to prove to you these were not Roman soldiers placed out there to guard the tomb. They were none other than Jewish (police) (soldiers) from their own police troops which conquering nations always allows their occupied territories to keep. “You’ve got your own soldiers, do it yourself, it’s your squabble, to prove this watch. So they went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone and setting a watch. When does the watch go into effect? Sundown is the first Jewish watch from 6 to 9 in the night. Nine to 12 was the second watch, 12 to 3 the third watch while 3 to 6, the next morning ends the fourth watch. From the time they sealed the tomb and accepted the first watch sundown has come, the third day starts with the night hours first. This begins that day the scripture emphatically declares was his resurrection day. Proving this was that third day he spoke of called Sunday or the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. The Sabbath ended with the (Jewish) soldiers being placed at the tomb. Read Matt: 28, . In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (meaning the night hours of the 1st day had already passed coming into the daylight hours of the next morning (this was the third day he spoke of so often). The first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre and behold there was a great earthquake and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled the stone from the door and sat on it. Matthew described the accounts and everything “And for fear of him the guards (of the tomb) shook and they became as dead men.
PROOF THIS 1ST DAY WAS THE THIRD DAY
When the women arrive at the tomb it is already open. (v.11). Notice as the women were on the way to the tomb some of the soldiers came into the city. Now to prove these were. Jewish troops and not Roman soldiers, notice where these soldiers reported unto, the high priest.Had they been Pilate’s troops thus would they have reported to the Centurion and Pilate–that’s the way the command would have come, but notice where these guards went. Now when they (women) were going, the whole sum of the watch came into the city and showed unto the chief priest all the things that were done. (No doubt it had been during the 4th watch). And when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel they gave much money unto the soldiers. Beloved these chief priests are not buying off Roman soldiers. Pilate said you have a watch, you have your own police force, go do it yourself. Pilate was sick and tired of the whole thing. Already he lost enough sleep over this, according to tradition Pilate eventually went insane over this experience. The Jews had to place their own troops out there. Where did this teaching begin that the tomb of Christ carried a Roman seal and was guarded by Roman soldiers? They had to do the sealing of the tomb.
SATAN’S LIES
The Jewish soldiers are paid to say, “While we slept on guard duty, his disciples came by night and stole him away.” If this comes to the governor (Pilate) we will persuade him to secure you. Is the chief priest buying off Roman Soldiers that has been issued by the Roman Governor? No Sir! It had to be Jewish Soldiers placed out there under the Jewish authorities. (Jews had many troops of soldiers) Remember their soldiers arrested Jesus in the garden. If this comes to the governor we will persuade him to secure you, so they took the money and did as they were told and this thing is commonly reported among the Jews unto this day. (Can you imagine what punishment would be given to Roman soldiers who slept on guard duty?) Time has come to not only drive a nail in a sure place but now we shall counter sink it. Beloved, we are ready with the words of the angel to absolutely prove this first day of the week (being Sunday) was the third day spoken of by Christ. The next day after the Sabbath coincides beautifully with the Levitical order Chapter 23 for just as the high priest always took this sheave offering (1st fruits) the next day after the Sabbath, it was the next day after the Sabbath the first fruits from the dead arose, to prove that JESUS CHRIST DID NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD IN THE EARLY NIGHT HOURS WHEN THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK WOULD BEGIN AT SUNDOWN, THE HIGH PRIEST WOULD NEVER OFFER THAT SHEAVE OFFERING UNTIL IN THE DAYLIGHT HOURS FOLLOWING THE SABBATH. Is that understood? NOT IN THE DARK HOURS when the day begins, but somewhere just prior to the real dawning of the daylight hours of the first day of the week the earthquake came, the angel rolled the stone away and Jesus came forth from the dead. These angels reminded the women of the statement spoken by Christ in Galilee Luke 24:6-9, how the third day he would rise, —What day did he arise? Find that day and you have the third day! Sunday was the third day verified by the scriptures. “And when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome had bought sweet spices that they might come (remember they brought these on Friday evening after his burial shortly before the Sabbath began) and they rested on the Sabbath day. They did not go to the tomb until the third day, early Sunday morning bringing their spices to do the very thing that they were unable to do because the hours were so late on the preparation day, and very early in the morning of the first day of the week they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun and there they found JESUS HAD ALREADY RISEN. PRAISE GOD! Yes he rose on the first day of the week Mark 16:19 and not on Saturday evening, and not on Friday! But the early morning hours of the first day! And the angel reminded the women how when Christ was in Galilee he told them it would be on the third day. Well the tomb was empty for Christ had risen from the dead. He ate the Passover late Thursday evening of the Passover day, stood trial the remainder of the night, and Friday morning was delivered to the Romans to be executed at 9 o’clock. From 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock he was on the cross, 3 o’clock he was dead, before sunset he was in the ground all through the Sabbath, was rest day – but just prior to the sun rising on the first day of the week in the daylight hours he had come forth. Now to conclude that the angel from heaven came to testify it was the third day. He was only in the heart of the earth for the representation of 3 days and 3 nights and not dead 72 hours for which there is no scripture for such a statement. These adventist teachers will say well if you believe in the resurrection in the manner we tried to present it, they will say that it’s Catholic, it is not Catholic teaching—it is scriptural teaching—it did not originate from Babylon..
AFTER THE RESURRECTION
Luke 24:45-46 “As he has appeared unto them and he began at the writings of Moses and at the Psalms and began to explain to them all the things concerning himself then opened he their understanding that they might under-stand the scriptures and said unto them “Thus it is written and thus it behooves Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.” Recall the angel’s presence at the tomb was to remind all that CHRIST HAD KEPT HIS WORD. There is no less than 6 scriptures that bear out the fact that he must suffer and rise again the third day, so if he arose the third day according to his promise he could not have been dead 72 hours, he would not have arose until the beginning of the fourth day and if we can say he arose the fourth day we must have a scripture to the hour and there is none—Scripture proves beyond any doubt he was dead only the representative of these three days and three nights. So as we close this message I want to thank you for hearing what God’s word teaches on a subject that Paul taught the gentiles was a subject affecting their Salvation. Several times have I heard Bro. Branham, God’s prophet and messenger to this age say Jesus was crucified on Friday and rose on the first day of the week. Certainly it is not a doctrine from Babylon but a precious Bible truth that must be brought back into the proper perspective as taught by the early church. Paul not even present at this hour testifies how by revelation he received that Christ died and was buried and rose the third day according to the scripture. Paul said he received this by revelation, yet there are those today who would have you believe they received a different revelation, Paul further says if an angel come and preach unto you any other doctrine than which I preach unto you let him be accursed. Gal. 1:8 and I Cor. 15: 1-4. The Bible verifies that he rose from the dead the first day of the week, when you take the first day of the week from the scriptures then you have become unscriptural. I don’t see how anybody who is honest-hearted with God can from a scripture-standpoint believe otherwise—If you have been misled on this great doctrine my prayer is to Almighty God—that this be a great help in your thinking.
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