two Sabbaths that week..

[pinacled]

Calendrical differences could be reconciled.

 

[MoreCoffee]

If Jesus said he would spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth then I'd expect him to spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

I see. So no metaphor in what he says about Jonah and the three days and nights it's all exact and precise and must come to pass exactly as written. But then why is baptism not also exactly as described in Acts 22:16 (having your sins washed away exactly and precisely as it is said) and why is baptism not what saves us as it is said in 1 Peter 3:21 (exactly and precisely as it is written) and why is it not necessary to be born of water and the Spirit exactly and precisely as it is written in John 3:1-5? How about when the Lord says "this is my body" that can't be a metaphor can it, given that three days and three nights for Jonah in the belly of a 'great fish' is exact and precise so the bread is not bread any more is it but the body of Christ just as he said. I think I ought to use the principle you're applying as widely as possible and see how many doctrines it will yield that many in this forum do not believe. No metaphors in the bible, nope not one. ... sorry, I know I am being a little biting here and you certainly do not deserve it because you're a rather good chap but I'll leave the text as it is because quite a few recent posters have made such a song and dance about not seeing "mother of God" in those exact and precise words in their English translations of the bible I thought a little excursion into the hermeneutics of their approach was in order. My apologies for picking your post as the forum for writing it. Now let's return to the passage that you're referring to and see what it says and if it is as precise and as exact as your approach to it suggests. It says:

"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." (Matthew 12:36-45)​

I made the words of Christ red so that we can concentrate on them and give some thought to the specific part that is the cause of this thread's theses; namely that three days and three nights is needed to accomplish the sign spoken of by the Lord. It's interesting that most commentators who deal with this passage see it like this:

Three days and three nights - It will be seen in the account of the resurrection of Christ that he was in the grave but two nights and a part of three days. See Matthew 18:6. This computation is, however, strictly in accordance with the Jewish mode of reckoning. If it had “not” been, the Jews would have understood it, and would have charged our Saviour as being a false prophet, for it was well known to them that he had spoken this prophecy, Matthew 27:63. Such a charge, however, was never made; and it is plain, therefore, that what was “meant” by the prediction was accomplished. It was a maxim, also, among the Jews, in computing time, that a part of a day was to be received as the whole. Many instances of this kind occur in both sacred and profane history. See 2Chron 10:5, 2Chron 10:12; Gen 42:17-18. Compare Ester 4:16 with Ester 5:1.​

(Albert Barnes Notes on the bible)​

Which seems a rather good explanation with sufficient backing from holy scripture.

It's of little practical difference exactly what day Jesus died and exactly what day he rose again. He told us to remember him, not commemorate the exact date he died and the exact date he rose again. But when the whole Good Friday to Easter Sunday routine gets trotted out and people talk of the "three days and three nights" while describing a time period that clearly isn't three days and three nights it just makes me wonder whether people are really thinking about stuff. It also provides handy ammo for people to chisel away at the faith of weaker Christians, using tactics like "they clearly got this wrong, what else did they get wrong?"

Bottom line for me, if we're going to do something we might as well do it right.

 

[visionary]

Wednesday.... Thursday evening... 1 night 1 day
Thursday ... Friday evening.. 1 night 1 day
Friday.... Saturday evening....1 night 1 day

3 days and 3 nights

Friday afternoon... Saturday afternoon ... 1 night and 1 day
Saturday afternoon... Sunday morning... 1 night.

That is not three days and three nights ..

 

[psalms 91]

Wednesday.... Thursday evening... 1 night 1 day
Thursday ... Friday evening.. 1 night 1 day
Friday.... Saturday evening....1 night 1 day

3 days and 3 nights

Friday afternoon... Saturday afternoon ... 1 night and 1 day
Saturday afternoon... Sunday morning... 1 night.

That is not three days and three nights ..

Absolutely right

 

[MoreCoffee]

Wednesday.... Thursday evening... 1 night 1 day
Thursday ... Friday evening.. 1 night 1 day
Friday.... Saturday evening....1 night 1 day

3 days and 3 nights

Friday afternoon... Saturday afternoon ... 1 night and 1 day
Saturday afternoon... Sunday morning... 1 night.

That is not three days and three nights ..

If it worries you so much then celebrate Good Wednesday

 

[visionary]

If it worries you so much then celebrate Good Wednesday

It wouldn't be called good wednesday. It would be called the Seder because it doesn't necessarily fall on wednesday every year.... Nisan 14 happens on any given day of the week in any given year. It just so happens that the year that Yeshua became the Passover Lamb, it was Wednesday.

 

[MoreCoffee]

It wouldn't be called good wednesday. It would be called the Seder because it doesn't necessarily fall on wednesday every year.... Nisan 14 happens on any given day of the week in any given year. It just so happens that the year that Yeshua became the Passover Lamb, it was Wednesday.

Your post has a very Jewish turn of phrase and a fairly clear lack of priority for the events of the Lord's life and death.

 

[Stravinsk]

I entertained this theory once, when I believed that Mark's and Luke's Gospels were completely legit and used them to work around the theory.

I noticed spices are mentioned. I have a thread on this in the Ask a Christian section if anyone wants to take a crack at it.

 

[visionary]

Your post has a very Jewish turn of phrase and a fairly clear lack of priority for the events of the Lord's life and death.

Yeshua is completely Jewish in every sense of the word [WORD]. He did nothing that was outside the WORD.

Everything is on the biblical time schedule. Even Judgment day... and the demons know it...

Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Yeshua knows by the feasts what time it is. He knew that there is a time for each feast to be fulfilled. As He said when invited to come to the Feast of Ingathering /Tabernacles [Sukkot]. This was not His time.

2 Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready....Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.


Yet as another feast approached ...

Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

How did He know that this Passover was the right Passover for Him to die? Did you know it was in fulfillment of the timed prophecy of Daniel? Did you know He had to die as the Passover Lamb was slaughtered on the altar in the Temple? Did you know that He was fulfilling the prophecies?

It is the same for the spring feasts as it will be for the fall feasts. I would not be surprised if they also have a 3 1/2 year ministry before they are fulfilled. I think it is time to study the fall feasts so that you know what is coming. In what order, ... and what to look for..

 

[visionary]

Until you have walked with God, in the close personal way that a prophet or an apostle would, it is hard to understand that some things which they say or write to be the Word of God. Pray that you have a richer experience with the Lord that will grant you the eyes to see, the ears to hear and the mind to understand the things as God does. God covers some understandings the prophets have for their sake. Some things are for the prophet's understanding and are based upon what they believe to be true at that time. The deeper truer meaning of the Word of God is for the next generation or/and the final generation depending on which generation is its fulfillment.

 

[visionary]

Do ye therefore, my children, observe the commandments of the LORD, and honor Levi and Judah; for from them shall arise unto you the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, one who saves all the Gentiles and Israel.

The altar of burnt offering was where the drama was played out, a shadow of Yeshua, our sacrifice daily in the earthly sanctuary. This drama is played out in your heart every day. Daily these sacrifices of your heart are your loving services to God. You are to daily sacrificing your way for His Way and to love him with all your heart, and with all your understanding, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which to God more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices which He has taken care of with His sacrifice of Self.

Just as the unblemished animals were sacrificed with the laying on of hands and the shedding of its blood, Yeshua comes to you as the Son of God and bore the condemnation of all your sins. Just as the sacrificial offerings were to take on all sins through the laying on of hands and confession and then their blood shed, He accepted all the sins of the world passed onto Him and bore the condemnation of these sins by shedding His blood on the cross. In this way, the altar of burnt offering is the altar of our heart. The fulfillment of the sacrificial services at the altar with the horn at every corner was fulfilled by His sacrifice.

It would not surprise me that at the time of the actual Passover sacrifice, when Yeshua gave up the ghost, the lamb selected as the Passover lamb that year was in the process of being sacrificed in the temple in Jerusalem and it escaped the knife. This temple service that God instituted was the only process that God would accept as a method to approach Him. It is the only way God would offer mercy and forgiveness to the sinner. Through the atoning blood of our Lord Yeshua, performed in ritual for years at this altar, do people get an inkling of how sacrifice removes sins from the sinner? You get closer to God and see that He will only be available through His blood ransom for your sins that you are able to be redeemed through His Way.

This is where the grace of God can be found, in the symbolic services performed, showing that a way made for reconciliation between you and a Holy God and it was in the shedding of the blood of His Only Begotten Son. Here is where you can place all the texts of Yeshua as the Lamb of God, sacrificed for you, for forgiveness of your sins. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Yeshua are you going to find salvation.

 

[visionary]

Everything has a time and place in prophecy and in its fulfillment, and you are to know not only where you are but what you are to be doing in this time so that you show not only God that you listened to His voice but also tell the world that it takes faith to walk the walk with God. It has been since the beginning and is the expectation of all for the great day when you manifest the character in Yeshua in you. When that is achieved this old world is over. So how can this are achieved? Did God lay out a plan for achieving the manifestation of the sons and daughter of God?

 

[visionary]

The most important aspects of Yeshua’s ministry in heaven are found in the fall feasts. Because of their prophetic nature, as seen in the spring time feasts fulfillment in Yeshua’s first coming, you will need to understand the fall feasts in the same light. You will start with the spring time feasts and then continue with the fall feasts.

Yeshua brought it to the disciples attention, which all followers of Him should heed...*“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

You will find Yeshua and His ministry spoken of prophetically in the Law of Moses [that which is written on parchment] and in the prophets and in the psalms. Therefore let no man therefore judge you in how you obey God whether it is in the food or drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days which the Lord has commanded His people to do.; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Yeshua. It is interesting to note that both the spring type feasts and the fall feasts must be started with the new moon.

To start either of these feasts, someone has to witness the new moon. There is no mention of the new moon for the spring feast other than it must be noted. But with great significance, the new moon for the start of the fall feast has to be with two witnesses. Prophetic time and its various calculations have been used to understanding Bible prophecies, but there are problems.

The Bible is full of prophecies concerning things that are suppose to happen at future times, but only rarely do those prophecies include dates or time periods which would allow the reader to know exactly when the fulfillment time has actually arrived. This is where the importance of being under the influence of the Holy Spirit indwelling, guiding you through the Word of God, turns you into another person, one whose mind can understand the mind of God and sees things the way that the Lord sees things. “And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and you shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.”

 

[visionary]

Many a believer gets frustrated with the task of trying to connect ambiguous prophetic statements with the proper historic events only to find a weakness in the theory later. Since a given prophecy is itself often subjected to various interpretations, there is typically a lot controversy about which, if any, historic events, organizations, religious groups, political parties, governments are the correct ones relating to the prophecy. The problem is compounded when attempts are made to explain ancient Bible prophecies in terms of new future fulfillments.

Do the terms that the prophets use, change with the times to mean something different that what was the prophet understood at the time when they wrote it down?
Yeshua understood this difficulty when He spoke about the prophecy of Isaiah. By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive. For those that are the fulfillment of the prophecy, they will not see that if they do not understand, see or perceive, then they will become the fulfillment and it will not be in a good way.

 

[visionary]

God’s plan for the salvation of humanity is shown by the seven feasts He gave to ancient Israel in Leviticus 23. God told the people of Israel to celebrate these feasts as "lasting ordinances." The seven feasts are patterns that describe the two comings of Yeshua. While most Jewish people still celebrate the feasts, it’s unfortunate that many don’t understand Yeshua’ fulfillment of them, and thus miss the Yeshua that was sent for their salvation.

It is unfortunate that most don’t study and learn about the feasts, let alone celebrate the feasts, for if they did then they would more clearly see how the feasts symbolize Yeshua’ work both for His first coming and His second. They could then better understand and praise God and rejoice in His plan for the salvation, for they would see His plan laid out in the feasts.

As you get into more detail, you will understand why so many of these Sabbaths are called "feasts” as they are truly wonderful spiritual food essential for the last days. Each feast is different and each is very beneficial for the body of the bride. The Feasts of the Lord have teachings that build upon each other.* Together they*progressively reveal how God works with humanity.

If you understand the rehearsals, then you will know what is your role is in the last drama that will involve the whole world will be. You can learn the role that God wants you to have, or you will be caught up in the greatest deception this world has ever seen. Just as His people*harvested their crops around these three Festival seasons, God's Holy*Days show you how He is harvesting people for eternal life in His*Kingdom. The harvest represents all who would put their faith, trust, and*confidence in the Messiah. *

I will try to show the accuracy in which Yeshua fulfilled the spring feasts at His first appearance. Few people understand that God follows a systematic plan, symbolized by*Feasts on their appointed course through our history and it is all to save all humanity by offering all people eternal life*in His Kingdom. It takes a step by step graduation of understanding in the workings of what it takes to remove sin from the sinner, the redemption process, and the end results of both the good and the evil in man.

 

[visionary]

Three times a year God commanded the people to come*to Jerusalem to celebrate the Festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and*Tabernacles.* All three of these festivals are agricultural harvest*Festivals.* Passover is the barley harvest.* Pentecost is the wheat*harvest.* Both of these Festivals are first fruits harvests before the*final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the*Festival of Tabernacles, which is the fruit harvest. It should lead you to believe the fall feasts will also have their fulfillment with His second coming. In understanding the rehearsals of the fall feasts and the implied implications of the reality involvement dealing with His second coming, you should then be better prepared for the end times, having a better understanding of where you are to spiritually be, spiritually better prepared for what is to come upon the earth, and truly closer to the Lord that He may protect you from what is soon to come upon the earth.

The Lord made a special announcement regarding three of the feasts in which there is a demand for everyone to attend and not miss. Three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles are you to gather. The basic meaning of the three festivals where it is mandatory for all men to appear before the temple of God are for the blessing contained within.
Pesach or Passover is known as the festival of freedom from bondage. It is freedom from the bondage of the Pharaohs of our life. Through the sacrifice and blood of our Lord Yeshua on the cross, you have freedom from sin. Sin is the leaven that you are to no longer to partake of and do.

Shavuot better known as the Feasts of Weeks or Pentecost is the festival of walking in freedom towards the Promised Land. At the first Pentecost people were given the Laws of God that are to govern our day to day life, as shown to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is also the time of the first fruits of the harvest of believers that received the Holy Spirit. Sukkoth or Feast of Tabernacles is the festival of fellowship and union with God [a “God with us” understanding]. As was illustrated in the forty years in the wilderness, with God dwelling with his people in the tabernacle and latter in the temple at Jerusalem, it is the ultimate goal of God to be with you. In the great ingathering, at the end of time, believers are the wife of the Lamb. It is forever that God wishes to have this union with man.

As you should have noticed, the Sabbath is not included in the cycle of seven festivals. The weekly Sabbath runs through the year. The weekly Sabbath stand alone as one of the commandments that is written in stone, as immutable as the other nine commandments. It is the unifying underlying significant commandment that God tells His People to Remember because of its significant role in the ultimate plan of God’s salvation for His people.

 

[visionary]

The Sabbaths are not called the Jewish Sabbaths, God calls them MY Sabbaths. You have significant reasons for studying the festivals as they are of God and are considered Holy Convocations. Convocations are like conventions where people are called to be at a certain time and place, and assembled with the understanding that they are to learn something that is important for their future health and welfare.

All festivals are a memorial of the historical events, prophetic indicating they have a future complete fulfillment, teach about the Yeshua our Redeemer’s work, and are agricultural in content representing Yeshua’s crop from the planting of seed to the last great harvest. All of the festivals teach you about your personal relationship with God and how a believer should grow in the knowledge of Yeshua, growing into maturity and into His likeness. Working our way through the whole chapter of Leviticus 23, the sacred ceremonial Sabbaths along with the Weekly Sabbath of the Lord’s are presented in order. Chapter 23 of Leviticus covers all seven feasts.

Leviticus 23:1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.

The Lord’s Sabbath
3 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD .

 

[visionary]

Today you have no problem with Yeshua as the Passover lamb but you have lost the prophetic value of what it truly means in the light of prophetic fulfillment. There is an appointed place for all this to occur. Yeshua knew this particular Feast of Unleavened Bread was his appointed time. Yeshua had been keeping all the feasts through out His entire life, studying it since He was old enough to understand and yet this particular year, this particular Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruit or Feast of Weeks and Pentecost were in His mind as the appointed time.

What was it about this particular spring time feasts that Yeshua knew were going to be prophetic reality? What did Yeshua know about these feasts and their timing, that He knew it was His appointed time? What did Yeshua see in the Spring Feasts leading Him to fulfill them the way that He did and not the way that the people of that time had hoped?

It was necessary, if he was to meet this particular appointment, that he go up to the appointed place, Jerusalem, the city of God's Temple. Preparations for the appointed time of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened/Bread began well in advance of the actual festival. This was especially so in Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem needed to prepare for a massive influx of pilgrims.

Back in those days, there were probably a lot of behind the scenes work that needed to be done, just like it is done today when everyone at home and on the main streets of town dresses up for the coming Christmas season. Prior to the festivals the different types of things that needed to be made ready from the individuals homes, to the church activities in preparations, to the city itself from the market place to the chambers of the rulers, major increase in activities were all for the coming event. Special ovens were probably built for roasting of the thousands and thousands of Passover lambs. Arrangements would have to be made for the accommodations and lodgings of all pilgrims arriving for this event. The Passover was one of three festivals that God commanded everyone was to attend, so this would cause even great gatherings that at other festivals held throughout the year.

Can you picture it, as the pilgrims approached the city from all over the world to keep the feasts, multitudes would end up converging until their throngs filled the roads into Jerusalem. Amid the multitude of conversations, there were probably voices singing psalms by those that were caught up in the moment and spirit of this festival. There will be those who are anxious to get there in time for the parade of Temple lambs that the priests will be bringing in from the fields of Bethelem, breed especially for this occasion. It brought joy to their hearts as they went up to Jerusalem to keep the appointed time in the appointed place. They are starting to line the streets, cutting branches to wave as the sheep go by. You can almost hear them breakout in songs from the Psalms for just the occasion.

 

[visionary]

Picture Yeshua and his disciples approaching Jerusalem, just as one group among a multitude of many groups. People were looking forward to the Messiah who would rescue them from the clutches of Rome just as Moses rescued them from the clutches of Pharaoh. During the first century, Judaism with all its various off shoots were expecting the Redeemer, tired of the Roman yoke, studying the scriptures and coming to the conclusion that prophetic fulfillment was close at hand, this festival was of more interest than in other years. The Messianic expectations were probably running at an all time high. In the celebration of Passover, also known as the Festival of Redemption, the people had hope in it’s soon fulfillment. It was probably a common belief at that time that redemption brought about by the Messiah, would take place at Passover. This Messiah, they believed would be like another Moses who would lead them out from under the bondage of the Rome this time. Word about Yeshua had spread throughout the land. The people were wondering if he might not be The One after all. So they were seeking for Yeshua, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?"

As Yeshua and his disciples came down the Mount of Olives in their approach to Jerusalem, the crowd of pilgrims realized who it was traveling in their midst. The throngs of pilgrims streaming into Jerusalem became a multitude throwing down their coats and branches to spread a path for Yeshua as he entered the city. Riding the colt, the crowd went wild with Messianic expectations; they burst into praise and song. “Hosanna” they cried. “Hoshiah na” means “please save” [us] or “save [us] now”. To the Son of David they gave praises to. Yeshua had questioned them early about the significance of the title “Son of David”. “Son of David” is better than “Son of Joseph” and both titles were Messianic terms. “Son of Joseph” [Messiah ben Joseph] was known as the suffering Messiah. “Son of David” [Messiah ben David] was known as the triumphant King. It was all the buzz in Jerusalem.

In Exodus chapter 12, are the instructions for the celebration of Passover. The children of Israel were to choose a lamb for the Passover sacrifice on the 10th day of the 1st month, four days before the actual slaughtering was to be done. Can you imagine the indignation the priests had when they did not get top billing received not the accolades they were use to? What would they be thinking knowing that Yeshua was ahead of them and receiving all the praise and attention?

 

[visionary]

In the chronology of the time calculations that Yeshua made His made His famous entry back into Jerusalem on the donkey, it was the time for Israel to choose their Lamb of God. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” They were claiming him to be the long awaited Messiah with their shouting. God instructed the people to choose an unblemished lamb. The people chose Yeshua as their Messiah. Unwittingly, they chose Yeshua as their Passover lamb on the day the lambs were to be chosen.

Yeshua spent the next four days teaching in the temple. During the time of the exodus, the lamb is taken into dwellings to be examined for four days to see if it is without spot or blemish. During the temple times the Lamb was led through Jerusalem to Temple and examined by the High Priest and chief priests for four days looking for spots or blemishes that would disqualify it from being THE Passover Lamb, as many other lambs would be sacrificed for various reasons, but there was only one Temple Passover Lamb. Yeshua enters Jerusalem on donkey and teaches in the Temple for four days after He cleansed the temple.

It is interesting that Yeshua cleansed the temple twice, once at the start of his ministry and once again at the end of His ministry. What is unique about the second cleansing is that he also didn’t allow the temple services to continue, He stopped them from carrying about their temple service duties. If you want to really get in trouble, stop people from performing their sacred duty. You have to understand what is in those ritual vessels. These were the offerings of sacrificial blood, first fruits, grain offering of thanksgiving and so much more. He was literally shutting down the temple services and they were indignant to the point of seriously considering murder.