The Passover And Days Of Unleavened Bread

The Passover was a momentous, divine, act of intervention in the
history of the Israelite nation. Beginning their deliverance from
bondage in Egypt after 430 years. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

WHENEVER YOU READ OR DISCUSS THE BIBLE YOU MUST THINK OF DAYS AS
ALMIGHTY GOD CREATED THEM, A DAY BEGINS AT SUNSET AND ENDS AT SUNSET
THE FOLLOWING DAY. SO ACCORDING TO GOD'S LAW, THE DAY STARTS AT NIGHT
FOLLOWED BY DAYLIGHT AND ENDING AT SUNSET. Not as man has changed it
to be, beginning just after 12.00am and ending the same time the
following day. One other point for those readers who may be unaware,
the month of Nisan is the same as the month of Abib moreover Almighty
God called the first month Abib in EXO 13:4. Nisan is first mentioned
in NEH 2:1.

The Passover was a day separate from the seven days of the `Feast of
Unleavened Bread', eight days total. The first and last days of
unleavened bread were Sabbaths, high days, the Passover was also a
preparation day for the first high day Sabbath. See LEV 23:4-8.

The Passover is first mentioned in EXODUS 12:11, and this was long,
long, before the Jewish nation ever existed. It was after the nation
of Israel had been in captivity in Egypt for 430 years and Moses was
chosen by God to bring the nation out of captivity. After many
miracles had been performed God spoke to Moses. I am printing most of
the relevant verses as some of you have never read them. READ THEM.

EXO 12:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt
saying, (KJV)
EXO 12:2 This month {shall be} unto you the beginning of months: it
{shall be} the first month of the year to you. (KJV)
EXO 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the
tenth {day} of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb,
according to the house of {their} fathers, a lamb for an house: (KJV)
EXO 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and
his neighbour next unto his house take {it} according to the number
of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count
for the lamb. (KJV)
EXO 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first
year: ye shall take {it} out from the sheep, or from the goats: (KJV)
DOES NOT MEAN `FIRSTBORN'-IT MEANS THE LAMB COULD BE FROM AS YOUNG AS
TEN DAYS OLD UP TO ONE YEAR OLD.
EXO 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same
month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall
kill it in the evening. (KJV)


Now this is where a lot of misunderstanding begins. Notice it says,
"And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month:"
Up until does not mean ON the fourteenth, it means up until the
beginning of the fourteenth day, which began at sunset on the
thirteenth. The verse goes on to say: "and the whole assembly of the
congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Each family or
group would kill their Passover lamb.

What this means is, the lambs were to be killed between the evening
of the thirteenth of Abib and the beginning of the fourteenth of
Abib. Evening being, just as the sun was setting, the last fifteen
to twenty minutes before it sets completely. Once it has set the next
day has begun, and there is a period of twilight before darkness.
I'll explain more about this later. THE PASSOVER WAS ON THE 14TH.

According to a book called, The Temple, by Alfred Edersheim, Updated
Edition, page 165.

I quote, "...from the contemporary testimony of Josephus (Jew. Wars,
6.423), and from the Talmudic authorities, there cannot be a doubt
that, at the time of our Lord, it (the evening) was regarded as the
interval between the sun's commencing to decline and his (it's)
actual disappearance." Last two bracketed inserts mine.

To clarify the point even further. If the Israelites had killed their
lambs on the fourteenth in the evening, then once the sun had set, it
would have been, ACCORDING TO GOD'S RECKONING, the start of the
fifteenth of Abib, and as you know, or will learn later, this was a
Sabbath. They were to eat the sacrificed lamb during the night of the
fourteenth, and were not to leave their houses, BECAUSE THE ANGEL OF
DEATH WOULD PASSOVER THEIR DWELLINGS AND SAVE THEIR FIRSTBORN FROM
PHYSICAL DEATH. God says the fourteenth of Abib is the day of
Passover not the fifteenth.

EXO 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike {it} on the two
side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they
shall eat it. (KJV)
EXO 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire,
and unleavened bread; {and} with bitter {herbs} they shall eat it.
(KJV)

It would take three to four hours to roast a lamb, depending on how
big it was, and then they had to eat all of it that same night. "And
they shall eat the flesh in that night." Which night ? The night of
the fourteenth of Abib, during that night, and in the morning they
borrowed from the Egyptians before leaving. This was prophesied to
Abraham, by God in GEN 15:12-14. It is also mentioned in EXO 3:19-22.

EXO 12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast
{with} fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
(KJV) WITH ALL IT'S EDIBLE PARTS INSIDE.
EXO 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning;
and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with
fire. (KJV)
EXO 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; {with} your loins girded, your
shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it
in haste: it {is} the Lord's passover. (KJV)
EXO 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and
will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and
beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I
{am} the Lord. (KJV)


EXO 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses
where ye {are}: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and
the plague shall not be upon you to destroy {you}, when I smite the
land of Egypt. (KJV)
EXO 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall
keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall
keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. (KJV)

The following is another place where confusion reigns. People, and I
include ministers, sometimes think that the, "Seven days shall ye eat
unleavened bread:" includes the Passover. IT DOESN'T! There was the
Passover on the fourteenth Abib followed by the first day of
unleavened bread on the fifteenth, which was also a Sabbath, known as
an high day. The sixteenth to the twentieth were normal days of
unleavened bread and the twenty first of Abib was the final day of
unleavened bread and it was also a Sabbath, an high day. An high day
meaning an extra or special Sabbath. There were eight days in all.

EXO 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first
day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth
leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul
shall be cut off from Israel. (KJV)
EXO 12:16 And in the first day {there shall be} an holy convocation,
and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no
manner of work shall be done in them, save {that} which every man
must eat, that only may be done of you. (KJV)
TAKE NOTE OF WHAT GOD SAYS HERE. THE ONLY WORK THAT COULD BE DONE ON
THAT `HIGH DAY' WAS EAT. BEAR THIS IN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO WHERE THE
ISRAELITES DEPARTED RAMESES.
EXO 12:17 And ye shall observe {the feast of} unleavened bread; for
in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of
Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an
ordinance for ever. (KJV)
EXO 12:18 In the first {month}, on the fourteenth day of the month at
even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day
of the month at even. (KJV)
`EVEN' ON THE FOURTEENTH (SUNSET) STARTED THE FIFTEENTH WHICH WAS THE
FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD.
EXO 12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses:
for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be
cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or
born in the land. (KJV)

EXO 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip {it} in the
blood that {is} in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side
posts with the blood that {is} in the bason; and none of you shall go
out at the door of his house until the morning. (KJV)
EXO 12:23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and
when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts,
the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer
to come in unto your houses to smite {you}. (KJV)
EXO 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all
the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh
that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that {was}
in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. (KJV)
EXO 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants,
and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for {there
was} not a house where {there was} not one dead. (KJV)
EXO 12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise
up, {and} get you forth from among my people, both ye and the
children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. (KJV)


I believe the Israelites set forth from Rameses on the morning of the
Passover day, the fourteenth of Abib, and this would certainly fit
with all of the preceding verses. EXO 12:8, 11-12, 16, 22, 29-31.
We must bear in mind what God told Moses in EXO 12:16, that the first
and last days of unleavened bread were to be holy convocations,
Sabbaths. They were to be days when, "no manner of work shall be done
in them, save {that} which every man must eat, THAT ONLY MAY BE DONE
OF YOU." They were to eat the flesh of the Passover, "in that night",
their loins girded, shoes on their feet, staff in hand, AND they were
to eat it in haste, and none of them were to go outside until the
morning. Why ? Because God was going to send His angel of death to
smite all the firstborn in Egypt and He knew it would cause an uproar
amongst the Egyptians, and it did. Pharaoh was so distraught he sent
for Moses and Aaron at night and told them, "get you forth from among
my people, both ye and the children of Israel;", and he also said,

EXO 12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and
be gone; and bless me also. (KJV)
EXO 12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they
might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We {be} all
dead {men}. (KJV)
THAT THEY MIGHT SEND THEM OUT OF THE LAND IN HASTE THAT SAME DAY.
EXO 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened,
their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their
shoulders. (KJV)
EXO 12:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of
Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and
jewels of gold, and raiment: (KJV)
EXO 12:36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the
Egyptians, so that they lent unto them {such things as they
required}. And they spoiled the Egyptians. (KJV)

Almighty God helped the Israelites to `spoil' the Egyptians as
prophesied, so with His help it would not have taken too long. And on
that same day, the fourteenth of Abib, during the remainder of the
daylight they left Rameses and travelled to Succoth, a distance of
about 24 miles, which is about as far as they could have travelled
considering they were herding their sheep, and cattle. They would
then have pitched their tents and baked more unleavened bread because
at sunset, the fifteenth of Abib began, which was not only the first
day of unleavened bread but was also a Sabbath, an high day. And
though as a nation they had lost track of the weekly Sabbath, Moses
would have made them rest on that Sabbath - high day as instructed by
God in EXO 12:16.

EXO 12:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to
Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot {that were} men, beside
children. (KJV)
EXO 12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks,
and herds, {even} very much cattle. (KJV)
EXO 12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they
brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they
were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they
prepared for themselves any victual. (KJV)
THEY WERE THRUST OUT OF EGYPT, AND COULD NOT TARRY.
EXO 12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in
Egypt, {was} four hundred and thirty years. (KJV)
EXO 12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and
thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the
hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. (KJV)
THE SELF-SAME DAY BEING THE FOURTEENTH OF ABIB.


EXO 12:42 It {is} a night to be much observed unto the Lord for
bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this {is} that night of the
Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their
generations. (KJV)
DO YOU SEE THAT ? IT IS A NIGHT TO BE MUCH OBSERVED UNTO THE LORD FOR
BRINGING THEM OUT FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT. THE REASON IT SAYS IT IS A
NIGHT TO BE MUCH OBSERVED IS BECAUSE THE PASSOVER CEREMONY COMMENCED
AT NIGHT AND THE ACTUAL PASSOVER TOOK PLACE ALSO.

Only NUM 33:3 seems to contradict what I believe is the truth of
the day the Israelites left Egypt. Perhaps one day God will open
someone's mind and heart to the truth of this.

NUM 33:3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the
fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover
the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all
the Egyptians. (KJV) THE FIFTEENTH WAS A SABBATH OF GOD.

The important thing is, it is not that day we are discussing, it is
the Passover itself which we are learning the truth of.

The following are the days related to the Passover and the feast of
unleavened bread, as stated by Almighty God in LEV 23:4-8.

LEV 23:4 These {are} the feasts of the Lord, {even} holy
convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. (KJV)
LEV 23:5 In the fourteenth {day} of the first month at even {is} the
Lord's passover. (KJV)
`AT EVEN' MEANING, THE SUN HAS SET ON THE THIRTEENTH AND THE
FOURTEENTH DAY HAS BEGUN. SO, "IN THE FOURTEENTH DAY" IS "THE LORD'S
PASSOVER" PARTAKEN. THE END OF THE FOURTEENTH DAY AT EVEN WOULD BE
THE START OF THE FIFTEENTH DAY AND THE PASSOVER IS NOT ON THE
FIFTEENTH.
LEV 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month {is} the feast of
unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened
bread. (KJV)
LEV 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall
do no servile work therein. (KJV)
THE FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD IS A SABBATH. (AN HIGH DAY)
LEV 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord
seven days: in the seventh day {is} an holy convocation: ye shall do
no servile work {therein}. (KJV)
THE SEVENTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD IS ALSO A SABBATH. (AN HIGH DAY)

These verses are all pertinent to the Passover.

NUM 9:4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they
should keep the passover.
NUM 9:5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first
month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the
Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
SOME PEOPLE ARE NOW THINKING THAT THIS VERSE CONTRADICTS EXO 12:6,
IT DOESN'T. THE PASSOVER WAS/IS ON THE FOURTEENTH, IT WAS THE LAMB
WHICH WAS KEPT UP UNTIL THE FOURTEENTH.
NUM 9:6 And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead
body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day:
and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
NUM 9:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man
of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead
body, or {be} in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover
unto the Lord.


NUM 9:11 The fourteenth day of the second month at even they
shall keep it, {and} eat it with unleavened bread and bitter
{herbs}.
NUM 9:12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break
any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover
they shall keep it.
NUM 9:13 But the man that {is} clean, and is not in a journey,
and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be
cut off from among his people: because he brought not the
offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear
his sin.
TAKE NOTE:- FOR TWO REASONS ONLY CAN THE PASSOVER BE CELEBRATED ONE
MONTH LATER.

NUM 28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month {is} the
passover of the Lord.
NUM 28:17 And in the fifteenth day of this month {is} the feast:
seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

DEU 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the
Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee
forth out of Egypt by night.
`BY NIGHT' MEANING, THE RITUAL WENT ON THROUGH THE NIGHT - BUT THEY
HAD TO STAY INDOORS UNTIL EARLY MORNING, SUNRISE.

DEU 16:6 But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to
place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even,
at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth
out of Egypt.
WHEN DOES GOD SAY THE PASSOVER SHOULD BE SACRIFICED ? "AT EVEN, AT
THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN." NOT AT THE SUN'S DESCENT BUT AT IT'S
ACTUAL GOING DOWN.

There are some other verses related to the Passover, JOS, 2KI, 2CH,
and EZRA, none of which conflict in any way.

For those people who still believe the Passover was to be killed late
ON the day of the fourteenth just prior to the fifteenth then
understand this. Once the sun had set on the fourteenth, it was then
the fifteenth of Abib, the first day of unleavened bread, A SABBATH.
So the Israelites would have gathered wood for the fires, eaten the
roasted lamb during that night, the following morning, still the
Sabbath, borrowed of the Egyptians, walked the 24 miles to Succoth,
ALL ON THE SABBATH ? They did not do this. Why am I so certain ?
Because Almighty God does not lie, does not change. He would not have
had them break His own Sabbath by taking from the Egyptians, by
working, gathering wood, packing their possessions, herding their
flocks, and walking 24 miles.

In view of what God says in the Old Testament, any church Jewish or
otherwise that teaches and observes the Passover ritual DURING the
daylight part of the fourteenth IS WRONG. Not because I say so, but
according to God and His word. DO NOT TAKE MY WORD AS TRUTH UNTIL
YOU HAVE CHECKED EVERY BIBLE REFERENCE AND STATEMENT FOR YOURSELF.

I hope the following graphic illustration will clarify the Passover
and days of unleavened bread as laid down by GOD. As you can see the
lamb was kept up until the fourteenth of Abib, and was killed between
the evenings. On the evening of the thirteenth of Abib, between the
sun starting to disappear below the horizon and it's actual setting.
Check the diagram against the bible verses.



PASSOVER <----------7 DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD.--------->
��������������������������������������������������������������Ŀ
� Abib � Abib � Abib � Abib � Abib � Abib � Abib � Abib � Abib �
��������������������������������������������������������������͵
� 13 � 14 � 15 � 16 � 17 � 18 � 19 � 20 � 21 �
�====SUNRISE============SUNRISE=============SUNRISE============�
� �Pass �Sabbath � � � � �Sabbath
� DAY � over �1st � � � DAY � � �Last �
� � �Day of� DAY � � � � DAY �Day of�
� �walked�Unleav� � DAY � � DAY � �Unleav�
Sun--� � to �ened � � � � � �ened �
sett EVENING�Succoth Bread� EVENING � EVENING � �Bread �
ing� lamb �day ending �day ending �day ending �day ending �
SUNSET killed====SUNSET==============SUNSET==============SUNSET=====�
�----TWILIGHT-------------TWILIGHT-------------TWILIGHT-------------�
13th � 14th � 15th � 16th � 17th � 18th � 19th � 20th � 21st � 22nd �
� �Pass �Sabbath � � � � �Sabbath �
NIGHT� over�NIGHT � NIGHT � � NIGHT �Last � �
� �begins� 1st � � � � � �Day of� �
� � �Day of� � � NIGHT� � �Unleav� �
� �lamb �Unleav� � � � � �ened � NIGHT�
� roasted� ened � � � � � �Bread � �
� & eaten�Bread � � � � � � � �
���������������������������������������������������������������������

REMEMBER, EVENING (SUNSET) STARTED THE DAY AND ENDED THE DAY. IT
STILL DOES, GOD DOES NOT CHANGE, NEITHER DO HIS CREATED LAWS.

Now you can see from the diagram, if the lamb had been sacrificed ON
the fourteenth of Abib, then after sunset it would have been the
fifteenth of Abib, the first day of unleavened bread, a Sabbath, and
none of the verses would fit. THAT'S NOT GOD'S TRUTH.

________________________________________________________________

NEW TESTAMENT.

And so to the subject of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread as
celebrated in the New Testament.

Once again confusion reigns, and the confusion in the first place is
caused because people think in man's time, and not God's time, as
they should do. The end result is, some people believe the Passover
is to be celebrated ON the evening OF the fourteenth, man's time,
and that is wrong. Even allowing for the changes made to the ritual
by our Lord Jesus and the observance of the Passover, in our times,
(not having to kill a lamb). The Passover is still to be observed on
the evening, after sunset, on the thirteenth of Abib, which is the
beginning of Abib fourteen, NOT the end of.

Another thing which causes lack of understanding and confusion is
because most people have never read the whole of the bible. If our
understanding is not built on a firm foundation then we can easily
be deceived or led astray, and this usually happens because of what
one is taught rather than what one reads for oneself.
MAT 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God. (KJV)
AND THAT MEANS BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.


Once again, before I write about the Passover events which took place
prior to the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, I must point out where a
lot of the confusion begins. We must understand that sometimes the
Passover tended to be grouped with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and
was called the first day of unleavened bread, as in MAT 26:17, and
MAR 14:12.

MAT 26:17 Now the first {day} of the {feast of} unleavened bread the
disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we
prepare for thee to eat the passover? (KJV)
MAR 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the
passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and
prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? (KJV)

Or sometimes the Feast of Unleavened Bread was called the Passover,
as in LUK 22:1.
LUK 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called
the Passover. (KJV)

It's understandable, that because the days of unleavened bread
followed the Passover day, that people could have grouped the days
under one name or the other. The important thing is that we know the
truth so that when we read any bible verse which refers to either the
Passover or the days of unleavened bread we understand more clearly.

In the time period prior to the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus we have
references as to how Jesus and the disciples prepared for the
Passover and where they ate the `Last Supper' and how our Lord Jesus
changed the Passover ritual or ceremony.

Now let's work our way through the following verses and see if they
contradict each other.

MAT 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these
sayings, he said unto his disciples, (KJV)
MAT 26:2 Ye know that after two days is {the feast of} the passover,
and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. (KJV)
MAT 26:17 Now the first {day} of the {feast of} unleavened bread the
disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we
prepare for thee to eat the passover? (KJV)
HERE WE HAVE MATTHEW USING ONE TERMINOLOGY IN VERSE 2 AND ANOTHER IN
THIS VERSE. WE KNOW OF COURSE THEY WEREN'T GOING TO EAT THE PASSOVER,
THEY WERE GOING TO EAT THE PASSOVER LAMB.
MAT 26:18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto
him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover
at thy house with my disciples. (KJV)
MAT 26:20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
(KJV)
IT WAS EVENING WHEN JESUS SAT DOWN TO SUPPER. EVENING, SUNSET WAS THE
START OF DAY. HE WOULD NOT HAVE SAT DOWN TO THE PASSOVER SUPPER ON
THE FIFTEENTH OF NISAN.
MAT 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the
mount of Olives.(KJV)
BESIDES SUBSTITUTING THE BREAD AND WINE FOR THE LAMB, AND INTRODUCING
THE `FOOT WASHING', THE LORD JESUS ALSO CHANGED THE, "and none of you
shall go out at the door of his house until the morning." EXO 12:22.

MAR 14:1 After two days was {the feast of} the passover, and of
unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how
they might take him by craft, and put {him} to death. (KJV)
THIS IS THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY.


MAR 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the
passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and
prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? (KJV)
YOU ARE AWARE NOW THAT THE PASSOVER WAS NEVER KILLED ON THE FIRST DAY
OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. YOU KNOW THAT ANY CONFUSION HERE WOULD COME FROM
GROUPING THE DAYS UNDER ONE NAME.

MAR 14:14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of
the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall
eat the passover with my disciples? (KJV)
MAR 14:26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the
mount of Olives. (KJV)
CONFIRMS MATTHEW 26:30.

LUK 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called
the Passover. (KJV)
THIS CONFIRMS THAT THEY DID CALL THE OVERALL DAYS BY DIFFERENT NAMES.
LUK 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover
must be killed. (KJV)
LUK 22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of
Olives; and his disciples also followed him. (KJV)

JOH 11:55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out
of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify
themselves. (KJV)
THE PASSOVER IS NOT JEWISH. IT WAS GIVEN TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL LONG
BEFORE THERE EVER WAS A JEWISH NATION, AND ANY CHRISTIAN CAN, AND
SHOULD CELEBRATE IT, IF ONE IS WORTHY. JOHN MAY HAVE USED THE TERM,
`JEWS' PASSOVER, BECAUSE LIVING IN THE PAGAN CITY OF EPHESUS AS HE
WAS WHEN HE WROTE THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, ALMOST 100 YEARS AFTER THE
DEATH OF OUR LORD JESUS, JOHN MAY HAVE FELT IT NECESSARY TO
DISTINGUISH. ANOTHER REASON MAY HAVE BEEN, SIMPLY BECAUSE HE GREW
UP CALLING IT THE JEWS' PASSOVER.
JOH 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash
the disciples' feet, and to wipe {them} with the towel wherewith he
was girded. (KJV)
THIS IS ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE PASSOVER RITUAL WHICH THE LORD JESUS
BROUGHT IN. TO TEACH US HUMILITY.

The following verse causes more confusion than any other because
knowing as we do that the Lord Jesus and His disciples had already
partaken of the Passover we now read, that it would seem, the
arresting Jews had not yet partaken of it.

JOH 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of
judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the
judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat
the passover. (KJV)
IT WAS EARLY MORNING ON THE FOURTEENTH OF ABIB.

Knowing how strict the Jews were in their observance of God's laws
and commandments one has to ask, why would they change God's law and
observe the Passover a day later ? The answer is, they didn't. And
to help explain JOH 18:28 and the reference to Jews defiling
themselves and not being able to eat the Passover, I again quote from
the book, The Temple. pages 170-171.

"We have already explained that according to the Rabbis (Chag. ii.1;
vi.2), three things were implied in the festive command to appear
before the Lord-- `Presence,' the `Chagigah,' and `Joyousness.'



As specially applied to the Passover, the first of these terms meant
that every one was to come up to Jerusalem and to offer a burnt-
offering, if possible on the first, or else on one of the other six
days of the feast. This burnt-offering was to be taken only from
`Cholin' (or profane substance), that is, from such as did not
otherwise belong to the Lord, either as tithes, firstlings, things
devoted etc. The Chagigah, which was strictly a peace-offering, might
be twofold. The first Chagigah was offered on the l4th of Nisan, the
day of the Paschal sacrifice, and formed afterwards part of the
Paschal Supper. The second Chagigah was offered on the 15th of Nisan
or the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. It is this second
Chagigah which the Jews were afraid they might be unable to eat, if
they contracted defilement in the judgment-hall of Pilate JOH 18:28."

The following verse supports what Alfred Edersheim wrote above, that
it was the second Chagigah, or second part of the Jews Passover, that
was being referred to.

JOH 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the
sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (KJV)
`AND ABOUT THE SIXTH HOUR', WHICH WAS ABOUT 12.00 NOON, DOES NOT FIT
IN WITH ANY OF THE SCRIPTURES WITH REGARD TO THE PREPARATION OF THE
LORD'S PASSOVER. MIDDAY CAN IN NO WAY, EVER, BE RELATED TO `EVEN' OR
`EVENING'.

We must understand that all of the bible writers were inspired. This
means that although Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were compelled to
tell the truth, they were NOT CONTROLLED. They were men who wrote
their bible gospels long after the event, they also wrote using their
own terminology according to their upbringing. Nevertheless, there is
no contradiction between their writings, only some differences in how
they described different events. So in JOH 18:28 I believe John was
truthfully but unthinkingly, talking about this Jewish Chagiga.

The IMPORTANT thing to consider is, who do you believe, and who's
teachings do you follow, those of GOD OUR FATHER, and OUR LORD JESUS,
or the misunderstood bible verses which SEEM to indicate that the
Jews celebrated the Passover a day later ? One more thing you should
be aware of is, there are some Jewish religions which today celebrate
the Passover on the eve of the fourteenth of Abib, which is the start
of the fifteenth of Abib. Obviously this is wrong according to God's
instructions. IF GOD SAYS THE PASSOVER IS ON THE FOURTEENTH OF ABIB,
WHICH HE DOES, THEN THAT IS THE DAY OF PASSOVER, NO OTHER.

NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! rule out the power of Satan. He has, without
question, deceived some Jewish religions into observing the Passover
a day later so that they in turn can deceive many more people into
doing the same. Especially in view of the fact that two bible verses
SEEM to substantiate this. This is what Satan does and how he has
deceived people into believing the weekly Sabbath is no longer in
force, or that the Sabbath is Sunday, along with his other lies such
as, Christmas, Easter, and the Friday crucifixion, ALL FALSE.

So remember what I said earlier about your understanding being based
on a firm foundation, it's not easy for him to deceive you then. We
should also know that ANY DOCTRINE OR TOPIC under discussion should
make sense throughout the bible, from Genesis to Revelation or in
whichever bible books it is written, not just in the chapter or book
you are reading at the time. Some doctrines and topics reflect on, or
have a direct bearing on, other doctrines or topics in the bible.



We must understand that although the Passover tended to be grouped
with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and was sometimes called the `1st
day of unleavened bread', MAT 26:17, MAR 14:12, or sometimes the
Feast of Unleavened Bread was called the `Passover', LUK 22:1, it,
the Passover, was separate from the feast of unleavened bread. The
Passover was on the fourteenth of Nisan and the seven feast days
started with a Sabbath on the fifteenth of Nisan and ended with a
Sabbath on the twenty first of Nisan. Those Sabbaths were known as
`high days'. We should also know that there were two Sabbaths in the
crucifixion week, the `high day' Sabbath in relation to the, `Feast
of Unleavened Bread', JOHN 19:31, which fell on the Thursday, and
also the weekly (Saturday) Sabbath.

There are some people who believe that the Jews celebrated the
Passover a day later than that which the Lord Jesus did because of
what JOH 18:28 says, THAT BELIEF IS WRONG. The Lord Jesus never
disobeyed His Father nor would He contradict the teachings of God's
bible, the KJV, seeing as He was instrumental in giving it to us.
The Lord Jesus celebrated Passover correctly on the fourteenth of
Abib according to LEV 23:5.

The reason I know that Jesus celebrated the Passover on the
fourteenth of Nisan is, that EXCEPT on the evening prior to the start
of the fourteenth of Nisan, no sacrificial Passover lamb could have
been offered in the Temple, and therefore no Passover supper
celebrated in Jerusalem. For the same reason I know the Jews
celebrated the Passover the same day as our Lord Jesus, and there are
other scriptures which substantiate this, MAR 15:42-43, LUK 23:50-54,
JOH 19:31. In these verses you will read that Joseph of Arimathea,
an honourable counsellor and a Jew, along with other Jews, craved or
begged Pilate for the body of Jesus. Why ?

Here's a thought. Although there were quite a number of Levitical
priests, they could never have equalled the number of families
requiring a Passover lamb, and was unlike the days of the early
Passovers, when each family killed it's own lamb. You've heard the
expression (many hands make light work) well, because of this, the
whole process would have been over very quickly. The priests however
would have required more time for the slaughter, and for this reason
they may have extended the `sunset period' thereby causing the
confusion there is on that topic also.

Now back to Joseph of Arimathea.

MAR 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the
preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, (KJV)
THE FOURTEENTH OF ABIB WAS THE PREPARATION, THE DAY BEFORE THE
SABBATH.
MAR 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also
waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate,
and craved the body of Jesus. (KJV)
THESE VERSES ARE QUITE CLEAR. ON THE DAY OF PREPARATION, THE
FOURTEENTH OF ABIB, JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA BEGGED THE BODY OF JESUS FROM
PILATE BECAUSE IT WAS `EVEN' AND THE SABBATH WAS DRAWING ON.

LUK 23:50 And, behold, {there was} a man named Joseph, a counsellor;
{and he was} a good man, and a just: (KJV)
LUK 23:51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of
them;) {he was} of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself
waited for the kingdom of God. (KJV)



LUK 23:52 This {man} went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
(KJV)
CONFIRMS MARK 15:43.
LUK 23:53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it
in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was
laid. (KJV)
LUK 23:54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
(KJV)
CONFIRMS MARK 15:42.

Joseph of Arimathea and the other Jews, must have partaken of the
Passover meal the same day as Jesus because he/they begged the body
of Jesus the day He was crucified, -the reason being, that `the
sabbath drew on'. MARK 15:42, LUK 23:54.

The Passover was a preparation day followed by the first day of
`Unleavened Bread' which was a Sabbath. If Joseph, and therefore the
Jews, had celebrated the Passover a day later, on the fifteenth, then
they would not have begged Jesus' body on the day He was crucified,
they would have begged it a day later. Why did he/they do this ? JOH
19:31 explains.

JOH 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that
the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for
that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and {that} they might be taken away. (KJV)

Here we have absolute proof that the day before the first day of the
feast of unleavened bread was the Passover, a preparation day. JESUS
DID NOT DIE ON A SABBATH, HE DIED ON THE DAY OF PREPARATION. The Lord
Jesus had died for us as our Passover lamb (the Lamb of God) on that
preparation day. Then JOHN says, "that the bodies should not remain
upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that day was an high day)".

Normally a crucified body was left for birds of prey or animals to
devour but the Romans made an exception for all Jews who were
crucified because of the law in DEU 21:22-23.

DEU 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he
be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: (KJV)
DEU 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou
shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged {is}
accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy
God giveth thee {for} an inheritance. (KJV)

I believe that what I have written proves the Passover was a separate
day from the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread and that it
was, and should be, observed when the sun has set on the thirteenth
of Abib, which is the BEGINNING of the fourteenth of Abib, and is in
accordance with God's law and instruction. It should be observed
exactly as it was in both the Old and New Testaments.

Remember what I said about ALL doctrines and topics having to fit in
with all other doctrines and topics throughout the bible ? Well
the following graphic illustration is one reason why I said that.
If the verses relating to the Passover and days of unleavened bread
do not fit with each other then they will never fit when it comes to
the actual crucifixion. Of course there are some people who believe
QUITE WRONGLY that the crucifixion took place on a Friday. THAT'S NOT
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES.



EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CRUCIFIXION

SABBATH
��FRIDAY�������SATURDAY���SUNDAY������MONDAY������TUESDAY��Ŀ
� Nisan 9th � Nisan 10 � Nisan 11 � Nisan 12 � Nisan 13 �
�����������������������������������������������������������Ĵ
�night� day �night� day �night� day �night� day �night� day �
�����������������������������������������������������������͵
� Jesus � Triumphal � Fig tree � Fig tree � Upper room�
�journeyed � entry into� cursed � dried up � reserved �
�to Bethany � Jerusalem � � � �
� Mark � John � Mark � Mark � Luke �
� 11:1-2 � 12:12-15 � 11:13-14 � 11:19-20 � 22:8-14 �
�John 12:1 � � � � �
� **** � **** � **** � **** � **** �
� Martha �Jesus wept �Jesus rtns � � � �
� prepared �over Jerslm�and casts � � �sun �
� supper �Luke 19:41 �out money � � �setting
� �Jesus obsvs�changers � � �����ij
� �Temple � � � �lamb �
�John 12:2 �Mark 11:11 �Mark 11:15 � � �killed
�������������������������������������������������������������

THE CRUCIFIXION AND LATER EVENTS

PREPARATION DAY HIGH DAY SABBATH
����WEDNESDAY�������THURSDAY��������FRIDAY�����SATURDAY�����SUNDAY��Ŀ
� Nisan 14 � Nisan 15 � Nisan 16 � Nisan 17 � Nisan 18 �
��������������������������������������������������������������������Ĵ
� night � day � night � day �night � day �night� day �night� day �
��������������������������������������������������������������������͵
� The | The � Jesus 1 night �Entombed 2 �Entombed 3 �Visits made�
�Lords |trial � and 1 day in �nights and �nights and �to tomb �
�supper |Luke � the tomb �2 days �3 days �While dark �
�insti- |22:66 � ******** � ******** � ******** �and at sun-�
�tuted | **** � Yearly High �Women bought�Earthquake �rise; and �
�Luke |Jesus � Day Sabbath �and prepared�opens tomb �Jesus is �
�22:7-14|cruci- � John 19:31 �spices to �and Jesus �alrdy risen�
� **** |fied; � ******** �anoint �resurrected�Mark 16:1-6�
�Judas |3 hours� Watch set and �Jesus' body �(before �Luke 24:1-6�
�betrays|drkness� tomb sealed �Mark 16:1 � sundown) �John 20:1-6�
�Christ |Mat 27 � Mat 27:62-66 �Luke 23:56 �Mat 28:1-7 � ******* �
�Luke 22| 34:50 � �`and rested � �Third day �
� 47-48 |Jesus � �the sabbath �Angels dec-�since watch�
� |entombed �day accord- �lare event �set and st-�
� |John 19� �ing to the �Mat 28:6-7 �one sealed �
� | 31-42 � �commandment'� �Luk 24:12-21
����������������������������������������������������������������������
Notice what MARK 16:1 and LUKE 23:56 says.

MAR 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
{mother} of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might
come and anoint him. (KJV)
THE SABBATH REFERRED TO WAS THE HIGH DAY SABBATH, NOT THE WEEKLY.

LUK 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and
rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. (KJV)

THIS WAS AFTER THE LORD JESUS HAD DIED. THEY STILL OBSERVED THE
WEEKLY SABBATH, WHICH IS SATURDAY. Jesus left His followers in no
doubt about His Sabbath.


If you trace the graphic below, lightly shade it black, and place it
over the graphic overleaf, lining up the `Entombed' on this with
`Jesus' on that, you will see more clearly the period which the Lord
Jesus was entombed.

����������������������������������������Ŀ
� Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice �
� � � �
� He was our Passover lamb. �
� � � �
� THE LAMB OF GOD. �
� Yearly � � Weekly �
� Sabbath � � Sabbath �
� (high day) � � �
� � � �
� � � �
� � � �
�������Ĵ � � �
---->�Entombed � �Resurrected�<---- Exactly
�just before �Preparation �just before� 72 hours
�sundown� � Day �sundown � later.
� � � � �
��������������������������������������������������

Not only does it all fit, it is also logical that Almighty God would
not only raise His son after resting on the Sabbath but also at the
start of the first day of the week, (sunset). A NEW BEGINNING.

EVENTS AFTER THE RESURRECTION

HIGH DAY
��MONDAY������TUESDAY�����WEDNESDAYĿ
� Nisan 19 � Nisan 20 � Nisan 21 �
�����������������������������������Ĵ
�night� day �night� day �night� day �
�����������������������������������͵
�Fifth day �Sixth day � Yearly �
� of � of � High Day �
� unleavened� unleavened� Sabbath �
� bread � bread � �
� � � �
� Exodus �Deuteronomy�Deuteronomy�
� 13:6-7 � 16:8 � 16:8 �
� � � �
� � � Exodus �
� � � 12:15-18 �
�������������������������������������

Now you have seen for yourself, if the verses relating to the
Passover, way back in the Old Testament, had not complimented each
other and fit in with those of the New Testament, then none of them
would have agreed with the events of the crucifixion, which were
prophesied in PSA 22, THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE IT HAPPENED.

One more thing of which I AM CERTAIN is that the Lord Jesus would not
have left His disciples, and followers in any doubt about such
important issues as the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments. THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS WERE WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD, and were a complete
document. They were special, so special that when the tablets were
broken by Moses, God asked him to make new tablets so that He could
re-write them, EXO 34:1.


Because I have digressed from the original topic, and have touched on
the crucifixion, I thought I should mention the following verse and
especially the part, "as it began to dawn toward the first {day} of
the week,"

MAT 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the
first {day} of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to
see the sepulchre. (KJV)

I personally believe it is because of misunderstanding the correct
Biblical use of the word `dawn' in this verse, along with a cursory
understanding of the Bible, that the confusion and wrong doctrines of
the crucifixion have been taught.

I believe we all tend to think of dawn as being early in the morning,
but that is not the only way the word `dawn' can be used. When used
as a verb, as it is in MAT 28:1, it can't possibly mean early
morning, because Matthew says, "In the end of the sabbath as it BEGAN
TO DAWN TOWARD the first day of the week." The first day of the week
started at sunset, not sunrise as we tend to think. When the women
went to the tomb in the evening following the weekly Sabbath, it was
empty, the Lord Jesus was already risen, the angel in MAT 28:6 says
so. Jesus said He would be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth, AND HE WAS. HE ROSE ON SATURDAY (THE SABBATH) NOT
SUNDAY.

Do you see how it all fits together ? Well so does the rest of God's
bible, with His help, through prayer, study, and most important of
all, His indwelling Holy Spirit. Please, please, do not just accept
my word, (although I know you won't be able to find anywhere in my
text where I have not quoted exactly from the bible) search the
scriptures for yourself, and study every day to find God's truth, not
man's.

_____________________

CONCLUSION.
����������

You are aware now, or should be, that the Passover and feast of
unleavened bread were NEVER Jewish, they were given to the nation of
Israel, to the twelve tribes of which only two and a half tribes
formed or became known as the Jewish nation only after they had
entered the `promised land'. The Passover was separate from the seven
days of the `feast of unleavened bread' which began and ended with a
holy convocation, Sabbaths, which were called `high days'.

I believe it's because the Jews are the only identifiable biblical
nation today, and the only nation which still observes the Passover,
that the terminology, `the Jews Passover' is bandied about so freely,
and written about, quite wrongly. It's for the same reason that most
churches and commentators use the term, `the Jews Sabbath' which is
also not true.

The Passover lamb was killed between the evenings, during the last
fifteen to twenty minutes it takes for the sun to disappear. From the
point when the sun appears to touch the horizon to the time of it's
total disappearance. I believe this time would have been extended by
the Levitical priests from about three o-clock in the afternoon until
sunset in order for them to complete the sacrificial killings.



The temple sacrifices ceased of course after the destruction of the
temple in 70 AD and the Passover reverted to being a domestic
ceremony. By this time of course the people would have grown up with
the idea that the Passover started about 3 o-clock in the afternoon.
Along with the wrong teaching of the start of the Passover ritual, or
when evening began, reference to the Passover and days of unleavened
bread were sometimes interchanged and the whole eight days referred
to by the name of `the Passover', or `the days of unleavened bread'.
NONE of these things change Almighty God's truth. The Passover and
days of unleavened bread were as He laid them down in LEV 23, and
although we are not to observe the `feast days' now, the Passover,
now known as the Lord's Supper, is still to be observed on that same
day, the fourteenth of Abib.

Abib means green ears, or ripening ears, and when the new moon of the
spring equinox was seen in conjunction with the green ears, in the
northern hemisphere, it was declared the first month of the new year,
ABIB. The orthodox Jews arrange their calendar accordingly, and make
whatever adjustments are necessary, in accordance with God's law.

So people of `God's Church' who try to obey God according to His word
and not according to man, NEVER fall in line with the `Easter'
teachings and observance, but instead seek out friends or a church of
the orthodox Jews in order to obtain a copy of God's calendar, or the
correct Passover date.

Abib starts God's new year, the green ears signify new life, the
bread of life, the Passover signifying the saving of the firstborn, a
new beginning for God's chosen physical nation Israel. The Passover
lamb, a forerunner to the ACTUAL `Lamb of God', our Lord Jesus. It
was roasted but none of it's bones were broken, He was beaten and
tortured and none of His bones were broken. The bitter herbs, were a
reminder of their slavery and misery in Egypt, and the unleavened
bread, a reminder of the haste with which they left Egypt. The whole
meal was eaten in haste so they would be ready for their departure.
Jesus was taken down from the cross, in haste, so He could be placed
in His tomb before the sun had set. They, the Israelite nation, were
in no-mans land for forty years, the Lord Jesus was entombed for
three days and nights. The first day of entombment was the start of
the high day Sabbath, and He was resurrected at the end of the weekly
Sabbath. He was and is the new beginning, the firstborn of the
spiritual nation of Israel.

REMEMBER ALMIGHTY GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND IT IS UP TO US TO PROVE
THAT, RATHER THAN WHAT CARNAL MAN DOES WHICH IS, TO CRITICIZE, FIND
FAULT, AND SOMETIMES EVEN RIDICULE.

The Passover in the Old Testament is an indication of the coming out
of, or overcoming sin, and being saved from physical death.
The Passover in the New Testament is an indication of the coming out
of, or overcoming sin, and being saved from spiritual death.

I thank God for the knowledge and ability to write this text, and I
hope and pray that it brings understanding to all who read it.

May Almighty God bless you and keep you in the palm of His hand.

Written by Richard W Hayes. 1st. April 1997.
3, Christie Avenue,
Christies Beach,
South Australia. 5165.