According to Jewish literal day reckoning, three days would have
gone by as He had said, and it would have been the fourth day, as
one would expect when these two disciples were speaking with the
Messiah.
The Protestant-conceived chronology of the period from the
sacrifice and resurrection of the Messiah is pure speculation based
on subjective reasoning.
By taking a general term for “preparation” and requiring it to mean
a specific day; and by claiming that the whole time of “3 days and 3
nights” means only a part – which is against the Jewish rules of
usage, the Protestants have constricted a period of three 24-hour
days into a sliver of the crucifixion day, the day following, and a few
hours of what they perceive to be the “third day.” Moreover, in
order to include the “third day”, they must force a Sunday morning
resurrection, which is also speculative and subjective.
At this point, Bacchiocchi spurns the Two-Sabbath argument as of
no account and hurries on his way to a conclusion for Chapter Two.
We will return to the “Two-Sabbath” theory in chapter 6 of this
writing. Because it is of great importance in clinching this subject,
we want to consider it at the end of these arguments.
In this chapter, we have observed that the argument that “a night
and a day” can mean only part of a day is groundless. Bacchiocchi
incorrectly used a rabbinical quote to “prove” his theory. The
Rabbi said that “a day and a night” was an Onah (a portion of
time). He said further, “a part of an Onah was as the whole”.
However, he did not say – and it would be ridiculous to make such a
statement – that the whole, “a day and a night” could be as a part!
That is what Bacchiocchi asks us to believe. The Rabbi’s quote
corroborates Bullinger’s statement, “But, when the number of
“nights” is stated as well as the number of “days”, then the
expression ceases to be an idiom, and becomes a literal statement
of fact.” For, the Rabbi tells us that a night and a day constitute
the whole portion.
In this alone, we have proof that the Messiah was in the tomb three
whole days. For, “after three days” supports this statement (as
Bacchiocchi readily agrees) and “on the third day” is but another
perspective of these events specifying a point in time rather than a
space of time. The resurrection would be after 3 whole days and
yet it would be on the third day!
In this chapter, we will look more closely at the preparation period
and see if there is ground for claiming that the preparation of the
New Testament surrounding the Passover period gives any
credence to, or requires that this interval of time had to be on a
Friday.
It is important to note that the Passover Feast can fall on only 4
different days of the week. Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and
Saturday are the only days, on which the Passover Feast, the 15th
of Nisan can fall. Therefore, while this information does not
eliminate either theory, it does show that Thursday is a possible day
of the week for the Annual Sabbath of Passover, or the first day of
Unleavened Bread.
However, as Saturday is also a possible day for the Passover Feast
of Nisan the 15th, one cannot rule out a Friday crucifixion by using
the “preparation before the Passover” rule, as one would then have
to prove that the Passover did not fall on Saturday of that year.
Bacchiocchi claims that the Bible uses #3904 to mean the
preparation before the weekly Sabbath, or in other words, Friday.
He says that the bible uses this word five times in the Gospels as a
technical designation for “Friday”.
Of course, this is subjective reasoning on Bacchiocchi’s part forced
on him because of his past and present orientation about when the
crucifixion and resurrection took place.
Actually, the bible uses this word six times in the Gospels, and in no
place can one confirm that it is referring to the day before the
weekly Sabbath, or Friday. The definition, given below from Online
Bible, does not even mention Friday as a possibility. The word is a
generic word that means preparation, and the idea of a specific day
of the week is not included in its definition.
Online Bible recognizes that preparation on the day before a feast,
as proper usage – see 3a) below.
The Liddell – Scott Lexicon listing below recognizes that in the
New Testament the word preparation #3904 is in reference to the
day before the Sabbath of the Passover – see III at the bottom.
*********************************************************
Online Bible:
3904 paraskeuh paraskeue par-ask-yoo-ay'
as if from 3903; TDNT-7:1,989; n f
AV-preparation 6; 6
1) a making ready, preparation, equipping
2) that which is prepared, equipment
3) in the NT in a Jewish sense, the day of preparation
3a) the day on which the Jews made necessary preparation to
celebrate a Sabbath or a feast
*********************************************************
GNM Morphology + Abridged Liddell – Scot Lexicon:
paraskeuh,n noun acc fem sing [LS] paraskeuh, para&skeuh,, h`,
preparation, Hdt., Att.; evn tou,tw| paraskeuh/j in this state of
preparation, Thuc.:-preparation of a speech, Xen.:-with Preps., evk
paraskeuh/j of set purpose, ma,ch evge,neto evk p. a pitched battle,
Thuc.; so, avpo. paraskeuh/j Id.; diV ovli,ghj paraskeuh/j at short
notice, offhand, Id.; evn paraskeuh/| in course of preparation, Id. 2.
a providing, procuring, pÅ fi,lwn kai. ouvsi,aj Plat. 3. an intrigue or
cabal, for the purpose of gaining a verdict or carrying a measure,
Dem., etc. II that which is prepared, equipage, Lat. apparatus, Plat.,
Xen.: an armament, Thuc., Dem. 2. generally, power, means, Thuc.
III. among the Jews, the day of Preparation, the day before the
sabbath of the Passover, N.T.
*********************************************************
Let us look at the six verses that use this word and see if they
mention anything about Friday or the sixth day of the week.
Matthew 27:62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation
<3904>, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
Mark 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the
preparation <3904>, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
Luke 23:54 And that day was the preparation <3904>, and the Sabbath drew
on.
John 19:14 And it was the preparation <3904> of the Passover, and about
the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation <3904>,
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.
John 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation
<3904> day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
The Greek of all of the above six verses has the same Strong’s
#3904 word that means <preparation>. The word <day> is not a
part of the connotation of this word’s meanings unless the context
requires it. John 19:14 refers to an interval of time, not a specific
day. It is referring to the 5-day period that began on the 10th of
Nisan and ended with sunset of the 14th of Nisan.
The other five passages refer to a specific day, and that day is
before a Sabbath. However, none of the five scriptures refer to
anything concerning whether the Sabbath was weekly or annual.
The context of these five scriptures does reveal that it was the
evening before the Sabbath when the Jews ate the Passover, which
is an annual Sabbath – but it could also be a weekly Sabbath,
sometimes referred to as a double Sabbath. However, as we have
seen above, the Passover Feast can fall on four different days of
the week. As Bacchiocchi leans toward Saturday and Bullinger
leans toward Thursday, we will consider each of these two days of
the week for the Passover Sabbath in question. However, we must
understand that the bible nowhere specifies that this preparation
day was the sixth day of the week. In other words, nothing in the
scriptures concerning the preparation day proves which theory is
correct.
Those of us who have observed the annual Sabbaths over the last
quarter of a century and longer, are well aware of the two theories
concerning when the count of the wave-sheaf began. Furthermore,
this theory is not something conceived during our time, but goes
back to the Sadducees and Pharisees.
The Sadducees believed that the following Scripture was referring
to the weekly Sabbath, and the Pharisees believed that it was
referring to the first annual Sabbath of the Days of Unleavened
Bread.
Leviticus 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted
for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
To the Sadducees, the word <Sabbath> in this verse meant the
seventh day of the week, but to the Pharisees the same word meant
the first day of Unleavened Bread, or the 15th of Nisan, regardless
of which day of the week it fell on. The fact that the Jews were
themselves torn between two opinions as to whether the word
<Sabbath> in this verse was a weekly Sabbath or an annual Sabbath
is clear demonstration that the Hebrew word used here for
<Sabbath> could be used to refer to both annual and weekly
Sabbaths. And this particular Sabbath is the very same Sabbath in
question so far as the two theories of which day of the week Nisan
15th fell on, in the year that the Messiah was hung on the tree.
Therefore, one cannot come to an arbitrary decision that just
because the bible uses the word <Sabbath> that it is referring to
the weekly Sabbath! Furthermore, considering that the context of
the fives scriptures in question is the day before Passover, one must
conclude an annual Sabbath. The question only remains as to
whether it was a double Sabbath. John uses the term “high day”
leaving no doubt that the Sabbath in question was an annual
Sabbath.
The following Scripture shows that Trumpets was a Sabbath, and it
too could fall on different days of the week.
Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh
month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of
blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
The following verse shows that Atonement – an annual day of
fasting – was a Sabbath, and it too could fall on different days of
the week.
Leviticus 23:32 It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict
your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall
ye celebrate your Sabbath.
The following verse shows that the first and eighth day of the Fall
Festival were Sabbaths regardless of which day of the week they
fell on.
Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have
gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven
days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a
Sabbath.
Therefore, the bible well establishes that the annual Holy Days are
Sabbaths. Moreover, as there was no difference for the word used
to refer to the weekly Sabbath and the annual Sabbaths, it is
necessary to define which day one intends by the context of the
Scriptures. We will get into the difference between the Hebrew
word #7676 and 7677 just a little later.
So far as the Sabbath that followed the crucifixion, there is no
doubt at all. It was the first day of Unleavened Bread, and
therefore an annual Sabbath! However, because this annual
Sabbath could also fall on a weekly Sabbath, we cannot tell from
the mentioning of the preparation day whether it fell on Thursday
or Saturday.
Probably most agree that the Sabbath in question did not fall on
Sunday or Tuesday, the only two other days that the first day of
Unleavened Bread could fall on. Nevertheless, the fact that it could
be a Thursday or a Saturday helps to keep alive the two theories of
when the crucifixion took place.
Does Mark prove that the Preparation was on Friday?
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Mark 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the
preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
There is no doubt that it was Sabbath-eve on the day before Nisan
15th. However, the question remains, “Was it the eve of an
Annual Sabbath only or the eve of a double Sabbath? There is
nothing in Mark 15:42 that tells us this detail! There are two
possibilities: #1) This Sabbath could have been the weekly Sabbath
and the annual Sabbath – a double Sabbath. #2) This Sabbath
could have been the annual Sabbath without being a weekly
Sabbath. However, it is impossible that this could have been only
the weekly Sabbath! Even if a Friday crucifixion were correct,
one would have to accept option number one above. There is no
question whatsoever that this Sabbath had to be the annual
Sabbath following the slaying of the Passover. All that remains is
whether this day was a double Sabbath.
The phrase, “it was the preparation, that is, the day before the
Sabbath,” tells us that the day was one on which they prepared for
the following day which was a Sabbath. Those who have never
observed the annual Sabbaths cannot understand that the day
before an annual Sabbath is much the same as one before a weekly
Sabbath – requiring a good deal of preparation.
Nothing in Mark 15:42, requires us to believe that the writer
references Friday. Moreover, while there is no doubt that the
Jews used this term for the weekly Sabbath, it does not rule out
that they also used the same term for an annual Sabbath.
In fact, as we saw above in the definition for the word 3904, the
same word used in Mark 15:42 for preparation, can refer to the
day before a weekly Sabbath or an annual Feast Day. The
Passover Feast was on the 15th of Nisan, so the day in question
qualifies as a day before which there was a day of preparation.
3a) the day on which the Jews made necessary preparation to
celebrate a Sabbath or a feast day.
The fact that the Jews commonly used the word “preparation” to
designate the day that fail before the weekly Sabbath or any day
that fail before an annual Sabbath does not prove that one cannot
use the word for other situations involving preparation. The
Greek word Strong’s #3904 is a generic word in the Greek
Language just as “preparation” is a generic word in the English
Language. We may establish this concept from the definitions of
the word given above from the Thayer’s Lexicon in the Online
Bible. The Liddell and Scott Lexicon gives the same information
with the addition that the word is used in the New Testament to
refer to the day before the Feast of the Passover.
No one disputes that “paraskeue” (#3904-preparation) may have
been commonly used to refer to Friday, but to say that one could
not use this word to refer to other specific days of the week or for
an interval of time involving more than one day is a different
matter entirely. Furthermore, Bacchiocchi was careful to not
make that claim. It is obvious that as the weekly Sabbath came
every seventh day whereas the annual Sabbaths came only 7 times
per year that it would be more common for Friday to be referred
to with the “preparation” designation, than one of the annual
Sabbaths. The weekly Sabbath was common in comparison to the
annual Sabbaths, which were not so common, for the weekly
Sabbath occurred over 50 times per year in a common Hebrew
year; whereas the annual Sabbaths occurred only 7 times per year
in the same calendar.
As stated earlier, the word day is not a part of John 19:14. The
word preparation expresses a different interval of time. As the
information under the following rubric (taken from What You
Should Know About the Passover) explains, the day of the week
was Tuesday, or the 13th of Nisan in John 19:14.
WHEN DID THE LAST SUPPER OCCUR?
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We have seen from the study above that the Last Supper could not
have taken place on the 15th. On the other hand, did it take place
on the 14th? No, it did not! At this point, we want to take you
into a study that will show that it was impossible for the Messiah
and His disciples to have eaten the Last Supper on the 14th!
Matthew 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these
sayings, he said unto his disciples,
2, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of
man is betrayed to be crucified.
In the above passage, we observe that it was two days until the
Passover. This would have been on the 12th. Therefore, it would
not have been earlier than the beginning of the 13th when Christ
ate the Last Supper with His disciples.
Notice what John 19:14 says:
John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth
hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John tells us that it was the sixth hour or 12 Noon when Pilate
released the Christ for execution.
Continue ...
When Does the
Crucifixion and
Resurrection Occur?
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