This article was taken from Marilyn Agee's site
"Prophecy Corner", and seems to answer the question
about Yeshua's spending 3 days and 3 nights in the
ground.IN HIM;
Rob in Fla.
My timing of the three days from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection, from Nisan 13 through 16, 3790 (April 6 through 9, 30 AD)
We must think in terms of Jewish days, not our days. If we think in terms of our days, we can skip one whole day in our thinking.Thursday, Nisan 13, 30 AD
At 6 PM on Nisan 12, the 24 hours of the Preparation of the Passover began. Midnight was at 6 hours. Morning began at 12 hours (6 AM). Time of the morning sacrifice was at 15 hours (9 AM), when Jesus was crucified. Noon was at 18 hours, when the Sun started going down, and the sky became dark. Between the two evenings began at 3 PM. Jesus died about 3 PM. Jesus was buried before 6 PM.
Friday, Nisan 14
At 6 PM on Nisan 13, the 24 hours of Passover began. Midnight was at 6 hours. Morning began at 12 hours (6 AM). Noon was at 18 hours, the Sun started going down. Between the two evenings was 21 hours (3 PM).
Saturday, Nisan 15
At 6 PM on Nisan 14, the 24 hours of Firstfruits began. Midnight was at 6 hours, the death angel came to kill Egypt's firstborn. Morning began at 12 hours (6 AM). Noon was at 18 hours, the Sun started going down. Between the two evenings was 21 hours (3 PM).
Sunday, Nisan 16
At 6 PM on Nisan 14, the 24 hours of Firstfruits began. Midnight was at 6 hours. Morning began at 12 hours (6 AM). Noon was at 18 hours, the Sun started going down. Between the two evenings was 21 hours (3 PM).
Lev. 23:5 says, "In the first month, on the FOURTEENTH of the month (Nisan 14), BETWEEN THE EVENINGS is the PASSOVER to Jehovah".
Since the Feast of Passover was originally on Nisan 14, one thing seems impossible. That is to think that the Passover lamb was sacrificed on Nisan 15, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as the Jews of today believe. For sure, the lamb had to be sacrificed, roasted and eaten before midnight on Nisan 14. Although unleavened bread is to be eaten on Nisan 14 as well as from Nisan 15 to 21, the passover lamb could only be eaten before midnight on Nisan 14.
If the Israelites in Egypt had waited to sacrifice the lamb on Nisan 15, all their firstborn would have died at Midnight, Nisan 14. The Egyptians were burying their dead as the Israelites departed Rameses on Nisan 15. Nu. 33:3 says, "they pulled up stakes from Rameses in the first month on the FIFTEENTH DAY of the first month. ON THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE PASSOVER the sons of Israel went out with a high hand, before the eyes of all the Egyptians."
I wonder why the Jews changed from calling the 14th Pesach (Passover) to calling the 15th Pesach, as on my Hebrew Calendar? Neither Unleavened Bread nor Firstfruits are marked on my calendar. Why? All the other main feasts are marked.
The morning sacrifice was at 9 AM. It seems reasonable to assume that the priest lighted the lamps at 3 PM, then proceeded to kill the second sacrifice of the day. I don't think he would kill the second sacrifice of the 14th at 6 PM, when the 15th began.
Ex. 34:25 says, "You shall not slaughter the blood of MY SACRIFICE with leaven, NOR SHALL THE SACRIFICE OF THE PASSOVER FEAST PASS THE NIGHT UNTIL MORNING" (the morning of Nisan 14, six hours after midnight). If the sacrifice was not kept past the beginning of the morning of Nisan 14, it could not have been kept until Nisan 15, which started 12 hours later.
In other words, none of the lamb was kept past the first 12 hours, called night, of Nisan 14. Separating the night of Nisan 14 and the night of Nisan 15 were 12 hours of day belonging to Nisan 14. To me, there is no way the lamb could have been eaten on Nisan 15.
Joshua 5:10-12 says, "the sons of Israel camped in Gilgal, and prepared the PASSOVER on the FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, AT EVENING (the beginning of the day), in the plains of Jericho. And THEY ATE THE OLD GRAIN OF THE LAND ON THE MORROW OF THE PASSOVER (Nisan 15, the Feast of Unleavened Bread), unleavened bread and roasted grain, in this same day (Nisan 15). And the manna ceased on the NEXT DAY (Nisan 16, the Feast of Firstfruits, time of Jesus' resurrection in 30 AD) after they ate of the old grain of the land (on Nisan 15)."
Nisan 15, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was "the morrow of the Passover". Therefore, the Passover could not be eaten on Nisan 15. It had to be eaten before midnight of Nisan 14.
The Last Supper was the night that began Nisan 13 (the Preparation of the Passover), which lasted 24 hours, 12 hours of night, then 12 hours of daylight. When Nisan 13 began, the 14th, Passover, was still 24 hours in the future.
John 13:1,2 says, "BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER (Nisan 13, Preparation Day, is before Nisan 14), Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should move from this world to the Father, loving His own in the world, He loved them to the end. And SUPPER HAVING OCCURRED (on Nisan 13), the Devil having put already into the heart of Simon's son Judas Iscariot that he should betray Him".
In the scripture above, the word translated "before" is "pro," a primary preposition; fore, that is, in front of, prior to. Jesus died on the day BEFORE the Feast of the Passover.
After the Last Supper on the night of Nisan 13, the Preparation of the Passover, the Feast of Passover was still future. John 13:29,30 says, "some thought, since Judas held the moneybag, that Jesus was saying to him, BUY WHAT THINGS WE HAVE NEED OF FOR THE FEAST; or that he should give something to the poor. Then, receiving the morsel, he immediately went out. And it was night" (the night that began Nisan 13, the day prior to the Passover).
John 19:13-16 says, "Then hearing this word, Pilate led Jesus out. And he sat down on the judgment seat, at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. And IT WAS THE PREPARATION OF THE PASSOVER (i.e., Nisan 13), and about the sixth hour (9 AM). And he said to the Jews, Behold, your King! But they cried out, Away, Away! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king except Caesar. Therefore, then, he delivered Him up to them, that He might be crucified".
There were two lambs sacrificed every day, one at about 9 AM, the other between 3 and 5 PM. In 30 AD, all twenty-four courses of priests had to serve at the temple during the feasts. At passover, there were thousands of lambs besides the usual morning and afternoon sacrifices to be slain before 6 PM, when Nisan 14 started. The priests couldn't get the slaughtering done unless they started at about 3 PM on Thursday, Nisan 13, the preparation of the passover, and that is about when Jesus died.
I see no way around this: that Jesus died about 3 PM on Nisan 13, the PREPARATION OF THE PASSOVER. Luke 23:43-46 says, "Jesus said to him (the believing thief upon a cross), Truly I say to you, Today (Nisan 13) you will be with Me in Paradise. And it was about the sixth hour (noon), and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour (3 PM). And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the Holy Place was torn in the middle. And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, "into Your hands I commit My spirit." And saying this, He breathed out the spirit."
Since the Passover lamb was a type of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and he died about 3 PM on the PREPARATION OF THE PASSOVER, it would be true to the type for the Passover lamb to be slain at 3 PM on the preparation of the Passover. Since there were so many lambs to be slain at the Temple, it seems likely that this took from 3 to 5 PM on Nisan 13 in 30 AD.
A Hebrew 24-hour day consists of 12 hours of night and 12 hours of day. There are four 3-hour watches in the night--6 to 9 PM, 9 PM to midnight, midnight to 3 AM, and 3 to 6 AM. The 12 hours of day are further divided into morning and evening. Gen 1:5 says, "God called the light, Day. And He called the darkness, Night. And there was evening, and there was morning the first day." I think the morning sacrifice was about 9 AM, the midpoint of the morning. I also think the afternoon sacrifice was about 3 PM, the midpoint of the evening.
Nu. 28:4: "You shall offer the one lamb in the morning (i.e., at 9 AM), and you shall offer the other lamb BETWEEN THE TWO EVENINGS" (i.e., at 3 PM) Jesus died "BETWEEN THE TWO EVENINGS." One evening, at the going down of the Sun, was from noon to 3 PM. The other evening, was from 3 PM to 6 PM.
Ex. 12:5-12: "A flock animal, a male without blemish, a yearling, shall be to you. You shall take from the sheep or from the goats. And it shall be for you to KEEP UNTIL (ad, until, or before) THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THIS MONTH. AND ALL THE ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL SHALL KILL IT BETWEEN THE EVENINGS (3 PM on Preparation Day, Nisan 13). And they shall take from the blood, and put it on the two side doorposts and on the upper doorpost, on the houses in which they eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in this night (between 6 PM and midnight on Nisan 14), roasted with fire (it takes about 3 hours to roast it), and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat it raw, or at all boiled in water, but roasted with fire; its head with its legs and with its inward parts. And you shall not leave any of it until morning. And you shall burn with fire that left from it until morning. And you shall eat it this way: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Passover to Jehovah. And I will pass through in the land of Egypt in this night (Nisan 14). And I will strike every first-born in the land of Egypt" (at midnight).
How did the food to be eaten on a Sabbath get prepared? Each Saturday Sabbath, Festal Sabbath, or combination thereof, had a PREPARATION DAY preceeding it. In 30 AD, Nisan 13 (Thursday) was The Big Preparation Day. Nisan 14, Friday, was Passover. Nisan 15, Saturday, was Unleavened Bread. Nisan 16, Sunday, was Firstfruits. Nisan 14, 15, and 16 were holy convocations, days of rest upon which no work was to be done.
These lambs typified Jesus Christ. He was our passover that was sacrificed for us (I Cor. 5:7). Since he was put on the cross at 9 AM (Mt. 27:45-50), I think the morning sacrifice was offered at 9 AM. Since Jesus died about 3 PM, I think the second lamb was sacrificed between the two evenings, about 3 PM. "Indeed, history shows that at the time of Messiah, the Jewish priests fulfilled God's command by offering the evening sacrifice between 2:30-3:30 in the afternoon" (http://users.aristotle.net/~bhuie/po-first.htm).
Jesus was crucified on the "PREPARATION OF THE PASSOVER" (John 19:14), on Thursday, Nisan 13. The lambs were killed between 3 and 6 PM in preparation for the passover meal, which came between 6 PM and midnight on Nisan 14. I see no possible way that Passover could be Nisan 15.