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Thursday, November 25, 2010

"THE PASSOVER FEAST", "THE WHORE" and "THE BEAST"

The Passover Feast, “The Whore”, and “The Beast”

A Bible Study That Examines The Scripture Concerning the Much Debated Issue of the timing of Yahoshua’s Death, Burial, & Resurrection!

By way of explanation; I have elected to use the English version of Jesus' Hebrew name throughout this Bible study. Thus Joshua = Jesus.

Greetings, my family, in the name of our Savior and Lord Joshua the Messiah! During the course of my research for a possible book, I am writing you this letter to share with you the conclusions that I have come to concerning some of the much debated issues of our Master’s death, burial, and resurrection. We will concentrate our focus on reconciling by “The Set-apart Scriptures” three seemingly conflicting issues:

1. The words of Joshua our Savior that He would be in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights (MattithYahu / Matthew 12:40)

2. The scriptures that claim that He rose from the grave on the third day (MattithYahu 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 27:64, Mark 9:31, 10:34, Luke 9:22, 18:33, 24:7, 24:46, Acts 10:40, 1Corinthians 15:4),

3. That Joshua prophetically fulfilled the significance of the first four of the annual “Set-apart Feasts of Yahweh” (Way yiqra / Leviticus 23) on the exact day and to the very second that the feasts were appointed to be fulfilled over a period of 55 "Scriptural" days (Genesis 1:5b).

Once we’ve discovered the exact timing of these events we will then examine the evil force behind all the misinformation regarding these events and how the entire world has come under a grave and strong delusion. For the purpose of brevity, I will simply state my sources, make my claims, and let you do the legwork for yourself. Before I begin, I would like to thank Yahweh for the revelation He has given me, by the Set-apart Spirit, from "The Scriptures", through prayer.

If I am in error concerning any of the following, I ask for His forgiveness and immediate correction. My motivation in sharing this is solely that Yahweh Eloah (the LORD God) will be glorified and that we may be edified. If I may be so bold, would you please pray with me before we begin? Heavenly Father, your only born son Joshua promised us that your Set-apart Spirit would lead us into all Truth. Please reveal to us by your Word the significance of this revelation and teaching that we may truly obey, love, and glorify you more and that we may love one another. In the name of Joshua the Messiah I pray. Amein!

None of us has all the answers or understands everything, especially when it comes to "the Scriptures". As I share my references, please beware that because of the day and hour that we live in that whereas they may be credible reference sources for documenting my findings they will probably also contain additional content that is completely false. In the words of Dr. Kent Hovind “chew the meat, spit out the bones”. It seems to be historically consistent, that as soon as any man comes into some enlightenment about the Word of Yahweh, or what they might think is the Word of Yahweh, they then proceed to organize and become yet another cult, religion, or denomination.

Before we can accurately understand the timing and significance of the Messiah’s death and resurrection, we have to establish the background information of the precise year in which He actually died. If one looks to the internet, you don’t have to search very hard to find out that there is literally hundreds of web sites that teach on this subject matter with their varying conclusions ranging from A.D. 28 - 34.

The overwhelming majority of empirical evidence demands a verdict of an A.D. 30 crucifixion. Please see “Secrets of Golgotha” by Ernest L. Martin it is 277 pgs. of very worthwhile reading. It is packed with practical understandings of the time period from Joshua’s arrest until His burial. It is also filled to the brim with the significance of the cross of Calvary and all that it symbolizes.

I came into a greater appreciation of the fulfillment of the sacrificial system in the Torah, in the person of the Messiah, through this one book than in my previous 26 years of "Christian" education combined. It is available for purchase on line @ www.askelm.com . Also, be sure to download his research paper, “The Chronology of New Testament Times” available free of charge @ ( http://askelm.com/prophecy/p950102.htm ).

Another insightful resource offering three very informative research papers on this matter of the A.D. 30 crucifixion is www.logon.org by Wade Cox. You can download at no charge all three papers @
( http://www.logon.org/english/s/p159.html ), for “The Timing of the Crucifixion”, also, ( http://www.logon.org/english/s/p013.html ), for “The Sign of Yonah and the Reconstruction of the Temple”, and finally ( http://www.logon.org/english/s/p250.html ), for “Reading the Law with Ezra and Nehemiah”.

There are literally hundreds of study resources available to study which year our savior died. Some of the arguments for the crucifixion to be in different years are actually pretty good. However, I have found the above to be the most informative and factual without being doctrinally driven; (i.e. trying to justify by whatever means most convenient an already established and adhered to doctrinal belief rather than trying to discover the truth). Thus, I was compelled to begin my search with an A.D. 30 crucifixion.

One would think, that once an A.D. 30 crucifixion was established beyond all reasonable doubt, that discovering the day of the week that the Passover fell upon, (the 14th of Aviv / Nisan, from Way yiqra / Leviticus 23:5), would be a snap. After all, isn’t this date firmly established by the counting from the new moon, and wasn’t this calendar that Elohim had established at the creation strictly adhered to by the Sadducees in Joshua's day? Please see, “God’s Calendar” @ ( http://www.ccg.org/english/z/p156z.html )

When one searches the internet for an A.D. 30 crucifixion, conflicting answers abound as to what day of the week Joshua was crucified. Why all the variance? Most of these web sites contain some sort of astronomical resource for their verification. Most of them are pretty credible resources that are non-biased in their information, like the department of the U.S. Navy for instance. So why all the confusion?

The answer is two fold. First, a few do not adhere to Yahrushalayim time. Thus, their result is tainted. Second, most “scholars” err in that they count the days from the new moon, which they define as being the appearing of the first light of the crescent. The counting of the days were to start from the conjunction! The main idea behind the keeping of “The New Moon Sabbath Feast” (2nd Chronicles 2:4) is the concept that Elohim is hidden and no man has ever seen Him. (Yahonan / John 1:18, 1Timothy 6:16, 1Yahonan 4:12)

The difficulty that “scholars” have with this is their refusal to believe that men who lived more than 3,500 years ago were capable of the math equations necessary to keep an accurate calendar. History reveals the Hebrew people were in fact expert mathematicians who were very capable of these and even much more advanced equations. In addition, the Hillel II calendar that has been kept, and modified multiple times, by Jewish Israelites since the 4th century A.D. is pure fanciful fiction based mostly on unbiblical traditions.

Please see the papers:
“The Golden Calf” @ ( http://www.logon.org/english/S/p222.html ) and “The New Moons” @
( http://www.logon.org/english/S/p125.html ).

Once all of the confusion about why all the different days are claimed by differing astronomical sources is cleared up, the correct answer appears. According to Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office in the U.K. Aviv / Nisan 14, A.D. 30. was a Tuesday evening/Wednesday. Thus, the Messiah over all was crucified on Wednesday April 5th A.D. 30.

The Messiah  and  his  disciples  ate  the  meal  of  the  preparation  together  at  the  beginning  of  the Passover  season  A.D. 30.  This  was  Tuesday  night,  and  the  next  day  was  Wednesday.  Much  confusion  has  risen  from  this  matter  because  of  the  wording  of  the  different  gospels.   Please  see  “The  Passover”  @  (www.logonorg/english/s/p098.html )  (as  well  as  other  insightful  documents  linked within,  including  “The  Lord’s  Supper”)  to  clear  up  any  confusion  that  you  (quite  understandably)  might  have  about  which  meal  it  was  that  Joshua  and  his  disciples  ate  prior  to  his  arrest. 

Another good resource that is helpful in understanding exactly which meal it was that Joshua and His disciples ate is the “The Messianic Believer’s First Response Handbook” by Rabbi Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky.  You can down load this book in pdf form off the internet.
( http://messianicart.com/chazak/Handbook.pdf ) For the most part this handbook is very worthwhile reading and I recommend it to every Messianic believer in Yahoshua.   

The author has a great deal of sarcasm in the tone of his writing, however that does not mean what he is saying is not true.  I am not endorsing this author to the body of Messiah, only this particular work, most of which I found to be insightful and useful as an apologetic tool to give a Scriptural answer to those who ask.  I have copied word for word from this book starting with page 109 and continuing to page 112.

Accusation”

“A perfunctory examination of New Testament texts reveals that the Books of Matthew, Mark and
Luke all agree that the Last Supper was actually a Passover Seder. Bearing in mind that Yahshua was
crucified on the very next day following the Last Supper, that would mean that according to all three
synoptic Gospels, Yahshua was crucified on the first day of Passover, or the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan (for example, if tonight were a Passover Seder, then tomorrow would be the first day of Passover).

The author of the Book of John, however, completely contradicts the first three Gospels and
maintains that Yahshua was crucified on the eve of Passover, or the 14th day of Nissan. The Book of John reads, “Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover Then he handed him over to them to be
crucified (John 19:14-16).” The implications of this stunning contradiction cannot be overstated because
both claims cannot be true. In essence, this is not the sort of inconsistency that can be explained away by missionaries insisting that the reason for the varying Gospel accounts is due to different perspectives of the Gospel writers. Yahshua was crucified either on the eve of Passover, which is the 14th day of Nissan, as John contends, or on the first day of Passover, which is the 15th day of Nissan, as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke maintain. Yahshua could not have been crucified on both days.”

Truth

There are several accusations here that if proven true by the anti-missionary, can prove to be
worrisome. However if we delve deeper into the texts, we will see that as always the anti-missionary has
either not done his homework, or has purposely misled. The statement was made that the “Last Supper
was actually a Passover Seder.” First of all, can we prove that Yahshua did not eat the Passover, but rather ate a Memorial Meal prior to the Passover? Moreover can we prove that this pre Passover Memorial Supper may have been His last, but was not Passover? Since Yahshua was the Passover Lamb, He could not by definition eat the Passover, since the Passover was slaughtered before the Passover on the annual Preparation Day. We cannot be too hard on the anti-missionaries ignorance here because many Christians make the same errors.

The Paschal Lamb had to be killed “between the evenings” on the day of the 14th of Aviv between
3-6PM or “bayn haarbayim” (Shemot/Exodus 12:6). This killing of the Passover on the 14th in the
afternoon is confirmed in Bamidbar/Numbers 9:5. The lamb was eaten from around 5 PM right on into
the night of the 15th. That is where most get confused. The eating occurred during the latter part of the
14th, and well into the 15th. That night after sundown was the 15th, making the actual completion of the meal on the night of the 15th, with the start during the late afternoon of the 14th.

With that background, we will see exactly what the synoptic gospels do say. We will see that they
do not contradict John's gospel, but rather perfectly match. In Luke 22:7 we see that the Memorial Meal
was to be held before the Preparation Day, or the day of the slaughtering of the lamb, because the
Preparation Day of the 14th was quickly approaching late on the 13th. Luke 22:7&13 makes it clear that the Memorial Meal was modeled after and called a Passover Preparation by Yahshua, then later in Luke 22:15 Yahshua officially states that the meal is not Passover. But, it will have to do this year, because of His death on the official annual Preparation Day “BEFORE my suffering.” In Luke 22:14 the hour had
come and Yahshua announced that despite His great desire and zeal to celebrate the true Passover with
them, He would not, and could not, celebrate with them this year as in prior years, due to His impending
and ordained suffering in Luke 22:15. This Memorial Meal would just have to suffice! 

Moreover in Luke 22:16 He states that despite His desire, the Father's will and the Father’s desire
has not allowed that. Therefore HE WILL NOT CELEBRATE PASSOVER WITH THEM THAT YEAR, or ever again for that matter, until He celebrates it with them in the coming Messianic Age or kingdom. Luke 22:15-16 cannot be clearer. Yahshua then did not eat the Passover that year. Nevertheless for preparation purposes He called it a Passover preparation, otherwise the disciples would not have known what He wanted prepared or what manner of meal He desired prepared. Since the Preparation Day is the afternoon of the 14th with the slaughter followed immediately by the meal late on the 14th turning into the 15th, He had the Memorial Meal on the night of the 14th just after the sunset on the 13th.

Now the anti-missionary has told you that the synoptic gospels teach that Yahshua ate the Passover on the first day of Passover, or on the night of the 15th. While the night of the 15th was the completion of the normal Passover meal that started late on the 14th, we can prove that Yahshua did not eat the Passover and that He was dead by the time Passover started, just like John said he was. Let’s end the confusion once and for all.

In Matthew 26:17 the Greek word normally translated first is protos. The word day is not in the
Greek text and therefore cannot read “first day.” Now the word protos can either mean first or
BEFORE. The translators due to their ignorance of Hebraic practice, almost universally translated the
word protos as first, rather than as before. Then to make matters worse, they added the word “day” not in the actual Matthew 26:17 text. By eliminating the word day and reading the verse with the understanding that protos can mean BEFORE, depending on the context, we see that Luke matches Matthew quite well, since both insist that Before Unleavened Bread started on the night of the 15th, Yahshua had eaten and been killed.

Now what about Mark? Can Mark line up with Matthew and Luke? Well surprise, surprise,
surprise! In Mark 14:12 the Word first is protos again which according to understanding YHWH’s
calendar has to mean before, and not the alternative rendering “first.” Here we have the word protos
followed by the Word for day, which is hemera. Mark 14:12 reads in the literal Greek, “Before Day
Unleavened!” “Before” the Day of Unleavened Bread, makes a whole lot more sense than “first”
day of Unleavened Bread. Just as importantly, it causes Mark to line up perfectly with both Luke and
Matthew. Yahshua was killed BEFORE the FIRST of UNLEAVENED BREAD!

Lets tackle John. Actually rather than contradict the synoptic accounts, John makes our point and
YHWH’s truth even clearer! In John 13:1 the word before the Festival of the Passover is guess what?
“Pro” meaning BEFORE, and is the root word and derivative from which protos is derived in the
other gospels. The word “pro” by itself is a primary preposition. Had the translators translated with
just a drop of “Leviticus 23 understanding”, all gospels would match as both “protos,” and “pro” would
be translated “before Passover” and “before Unleavened Bread”, since as we all have figured out by
now that Messiah Yahshua couldn’t be the Passover on the afternoon of the 14th, and later eat the
Passover on the night of the 15th, since dead men don’t each much! John 13:1 confirms that all this
activity took place prior to Passover night. Also the word in John 12:1 speaking of Yahshua visiting
Bethany before His death, is the word “pro” again meaning before Passover.

The Book of John rather than contradicting all three synoptic gospels, confirms all three with the
clear usage of pro the root of protos. The events described at the Memorial Meal by John are unique
insights into the actual details of the Memorial Last Supper, and provide a different look into the events of that night on the 14th just after sundown. The addition of those details only found in John, enriches the understanding, rather than contradicting the description of the events, mentioned in the three synoptic gospels.

John 19:14-15 beautifully nails down this understanding for us. In verse 14 we see Yahshua dying
BEFORE PASSOVER, officially beginning between 3-5PM by dying at 3PM during the normal annual
Jewish Preparation Day, when all the lambs were slaughtered. John 19:30 confirms this timing. Then the
clincher is found in John 19:31 where we see that Yahshua died on the Preparation Day of the Passover
lamb, not the “first day” of Unleavened Bread, but rather “protos” or BEFORE UNLEAVENED BREAD. John 19:42 reiterates that the death took place on the afternoon of the 14th, the traditional annual Preparation Day and time. John 18:28 and John 18:39 are both further clear confirmations that Yahshua was killed BEFORE “pro” or “protos” Passover, and both the Jews refusing to be “ritually defiled” by entering a gentile edifice, along with the releasing of a prisoner in honor of the “upcoming Passover”, are crystal clear pre Passover events. This understanding clears up both the Memorial Supper/Passover question, as it also sets in order the proper understanding of the events, and the actual dates of the Master Yahshua's crucifixion!

Now what was that, which Tovia Singer was saying about Yahshua being crucified on two different days?”
 
 ~ Thus concludes the words of Rabbi Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky. ~  


On  that  same  day,  (the  preparation  day,  Tuesday  eve./Wednesday  Nisan  14  in  accordance  with  the  Law  of  Moses  and  according  to  the “Talmud”  the  High  Priest  killed  and  offered  an  unblemished  lamb  sacrifice  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  Yisrael  at  approximately  12:00  p.m.  Jerusalem  time.

Thus,  Joshua  was  nailed  to  the  cross  at  9  a.m.  at  the  exact  same  time  the  daily  morning sacrifice  was  offered  in  the  temple. (Exodus 29:39,  Mark 15:25)  The  land  was  consumed by  supernatural  darkness  at  the  exact  same  time  of  the  annual  Paschal  lamb  for  the nation  of  Yisrael  (Exodus  12:6,  Matthew  27:45)  and  the  Messiah  cried  out,  “It  is finished!”,  at  the  exact  same  time  as  the  daily  evening  sacrifice.  (Matthew  27:45, 46  &  John  19:30)
The  “Talmud”  records  that  on  the  day  of  the  Passover,  to  the  very  minute,  at  the  same  time  the  daily  evening  sacrifice  was  slain  inside  the temple,  the  high  priest  of  Yisrael  declared  with  a  loud  voice,  “It  is  finished!”.  This  was  to  signify  that  all  the  Paschal  lambs  had  been  slaughtered  and  the  sacrifices  for  that  day  were  completed.  This  is  exactly  what  our  high  priest  declared  and  then  he  died.  (Mark  15:33-37;  Matthew  27:46-50)  This  fulfilled  the  prophetic  significance  of  the  Passover  Feast;  the  very  first  of  the  annual  holy  feasts  that  Joshua  has/will  fulfill  at  the  appointed  time.  (John  1:29;  36,  1st Peter  1:19)

Before  nightfall,  they  put  Joshua’s  body  in  the  tomb  of  a  rich  man  named  Yoseph  of  Arimathea.  There  is  a  profound,  "Scripturally"  logical,  and  very  much  "Scripturally"  symbolic  reason  why  Joseph  of  Arimathea  had  to  beg,  with  much  haste  and  persuasion,  for  the  body  of  our  Master. You  will  be  extremely  blessed  to  know  what  those  reasons  were / are.  I  shall  not  divulge  them  here,  but  rest  assured  they  are  worth  discovering  and  profiting  from  in  the  reading  of  the  book  by  Ernest  L.  Martin  listed  above.                                                        

The main reason that they had to bury Joshua before dark, was that the next day was a Sabbath unto Yahweh. This Sabbath was not just any Sabbath, this was the first Sabbath of 7 annual Sabbaths unto Yahweh. Elohim had ordained these Sabbaths to be held within and during “The Set-apart feasts of Yahweh” (Way yiqra / Leviticus 23:6-7). This can be proven very easily two different ways. The first is in a correct understanding of MattithYahu / Matthew 28:1.

The King James Version translators incorrectly translated the Greek word Sabbaton (Strong's G4521) to read Sabbath (singular) instead of Sabbaths (plural). Of course the plurality is referring to the annual Wed. eve. / Thursday Sabbath and then the weekly Friday eve. / Saturday Sabbath. It should read,

“In the end of the Sabbaths”, not “Sabbath”. 

This was probably done as a result of a strong conviction that the translators had in a conflicting worldwide religious tradition and not in malice. Like most mere men, they thought their personal belief about the matter was infallible. After all, they were in 100% agreement on this matter; therefore, the copyist must of erred. Thus, tradition won the day!


To further illustrate the bias of the King James translators, “Sabbatismos” (Strong's G4520), the singular form of Sabbath, is rendered as “rest” and not the Sabbath, which of course it is.  Protestants throughout the world did not keep the Sabbath set apart unto Yahweh and therefore they did not want to stir up the people to question whether or not they should obey Yahweh rather than men.   

“There remaineth therefore a rest (Sabbath) to the people of God (Elohim).”  Ibrim (Hebrews) 4:9
 
The second way to prove that Joshua was buried prior to the annual Sabbath, is by comparing the texts of Mark 16:1 and Luke 23:56. Mark 16:1 reads, after the Sabbath, the women bought and prepared the spices. Luke 23:56 reads, before the Sabbath, they bought and prepared the spices. The only way both of these texts can be reconciled is if they bought and prepared the spices after the annual Thursday Sabbath, on Friday, and before the weekly Saturday Sabbath, which would also be that very same Friday.

You will recall that our Messiah came to fulfill the Torah, therefore His sacrifice had to be a lawful one in every way. It was against Elohim’s Torah to leave a man, any man, hanging on a tree over night. (Debarim / Deuteronomy 21:21-23) (It does not matter if this was a conscious consideration on the part of the Hebrew rulers or not.)

If you believe that any of Joshua’s arrest, trial, judgment, and execution were in any way done apart from Yahweh’s Torah, then I highly commend to you the book by Ernest L. Martin that I’ve mentioned previously. Let me assure you, Messiah’s arrest, trial, judgment, and execution had to be lawful in every way. He came to fulfill the Torah!

“Think not that I am come to destroy the Torah or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the Torah, till all be fulfilled.” MatithYahu / Matthew 5:17-18

Messiah’s body was placed in the tomb just prior to the first day of the second feast, the seven day “Feast of Unleavened Bread” (Shemoth / Exodus 23:14-15 & Way yiqra / Leviticus 23:6). Unleavened bread is traditionally striped, then pierced and put in the oven for a very short time. Is this not a perfect picture of what our Master has done for us? Wasn’t He striped (1Kepha / Peter 2:24), and then pierced (Yahonan / John 19:37), and then put into the tomb that He may descend into death and hell, conquering them for us?! (Revelation 1:18) Joshua said, “I am the Bread of Life”. Paul said of Joshua that He was unleavened (without sin). (Yahonan 6:51; Mark 14:22; 1Corinthians 5:7-8) Joshua fulfilled the prophetic significance of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread”. The first three days and nights that someone died in the days that Joshua our redeemer walked the earth were called “days of weeping”. It was the custom to mourn for the dead three full days and nights. This was followed by four days of lamenting, thus making seven days. (Bereshith / Genesis 27:41, 50:10, 1Shemuel / Samuel 31:13, & Iyob 2:13) Joshua rose; turning our mourning and tears into joy and our lamentation into laughter and victory! (1Corinthians 15:54-57) (Mismore / Psalm 126:5)

Now, that we have established the year, the exact date, and the lawfulness of our Messiah’s crucifixion we will focus on Joshua’s resurrection. If we say that He rose on the first day of the week, even at the very beginning of Sunday, i.e. Saturday evening after sunset, we make "The Scriptures" contradict one another. We westerners with our Gregorian calendar mind set begin the counting of each day from midnight.

The Hebrew people however, even up until the present day, begin their counting of each new day from the setting of the sun. This understanding is derived from the special creation account in Genesis 1. Therefore let us count the days together in Hebrew: Wednesday eve./Thursday = day 1, Thursday eve./Friday = day 2, Friday eve./Saturday = day 3. So, if Joshua rose on Saturday eve./Sunday, He would have risen on the fourth day which we all know is incorrect. There are numerous scriptures that insist that the Son of Yahweh Elohim of hosts rose on the third day.

So, how do we reconcile this seeming contradiction as well as the prophetic fulfillment of “The Feast of the First Fruits”? Elohim clearly commanded this feast to be held on the Sabbath eve./First day during the week of Unleavened Bread. (Leviticus 23:9-11) The answer must be in "The Scriptures", but where? When the answer is as plain as the nose on your face, there is no need to make mention of it or point it out, it just is! My friends, we have all become theological idiots. We bare witness against ourselves to the dumbing down of true Messianic doctrine.

For example: a Yahudim / Jewish wedding feast is seven days. The scriptures (Shophetim / Judges 14:12) and their tradition are in agreement. In Yahonan 2:1, we read about Joshua and His disciples arriving on the third day. What third day? "The Scriptures" do not say. Why? Everyone in the first century knew that a Yahudim wedding feast was seven days. Unless the author had stated other wise, he must have meant the obvious, (at least it was obvious to everyone to whom he was writing in the 1st century, not to us today), it was the third day of the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. The intent was obvious, and the knowledge of the intent was universal in Yahonan’s day.

So it is with the day of Joshua’s resurrection. It was universal knowledge in the first century A.D. that Joshua had died at Passover, and been buried just prior to the seven day “Feast of Unleavened Bread”. Unless the authors had stated otherwise (which they didn’t) then Joshua must have risen on the third day of “The Feast of Unleavened Bread”, which was Friday eve./Saturday. Now I know that most of us have believed for forever that Joshua rose on the first day of the week, so this revelation is a real shock to almost everyone reading this right now. Please be patient with me as I continue to expound on the scriptures concerning this matter.

If Joshua was in the tomb for three full days and nights, as "The Scriptures" seems to say He would be, then He couldn’t have risen until late afternoon on Saturday. Even though seventy-two hours would have elapsed, thus making it impossible for Him to rise on the third day since His burial, it was still possible for Him to rise on the third day of “The Feast of Unleavened Bread”. This would have been late Sabbath afternoon prior to the beginning of the fourth day since His burial.

This conclusion would answer the seeming contradiction of how Joshua could have been buried for a literal three full days, and yet still rise on the third day. What about the scriptures that say He rose on the first day of the week? What about the fulfillment of the Sabbath eve./first day “Feast of the First Fruits”, you might ask? Again, the answer must lie in "The Scriptures".

Matthew 28:1a) records, “after the Sabbaths (plural) as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week”. We think of the dawn in our modern western thinking, as sunrise. The dawning (or the beginning) of a new day according to Bereshith / Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, is always at evening.

The word used for dawn in the Greek (“epiphoskousa”; Strong’s Concordance #2020) can mean either moonlight or sunlight, as opposed to other Greek words that only can mean the light of the sun, which the translator could have easily used instead. This would make sense because at this time of the month the moon would have been much fuller and appeared much earlier than at other times of the month.

Mark 16:2 records, “(at) the rising of the sun”. This could simply be a poor rendering of the word. It should have probably been translated (before) the rising of the sun, as we will soon see by comparing the other gospel accounts. In Luke 24:1, the original intent is that it was night (still dark out) (hours later than Matthew 28:1), and the sun had not come out yet by the time that the woman had returned to the tomb. We will cover this second trip that scripture indicates in just a moment.

Finally, Yahonan 20:1 makes it perfectly clear that it was dark when the women first visited the tomb. I think most can agree, even during the nights of a fuller moon, it can still get pretty dark outside. Even if any of these verses did record their events before sunrise as being after sunrise (which they do not), the theme is still 100% consistent. Joshua, the Son of Man, was already risen before they had arrived!

Before I cover the sequence of events from the resurrection to the fulfillment of the “Feast of the First Fruits”, permit me to address Mark 16:9. It is the only verse in "The Scriptures" that seems to explicitly say that Joshua rose on a Sunday morning. Please prayerfully consider this entire study text as a whole, and then consider that in the original manuscripts of "Scripture" there were no commas.

Mark 16:9 "And having risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Miryam from Maḡdala, from whom He had cast out seven demons."

Now, re-read the verse with the comma correctly placed after the word risen, instead of the word week. You see, by the misplacing of one comma, there is only one verse in the entire cannon of "Scripture", that actually states as a matter of fact, that Joshua rose on the first day of the week. By accepting this one verse and dogmatically insisting that the comma is placed correctly, then you must insist that every other scripture concerning the resurrection is a contradiction.

There are no contradictions in “The Set-apart Scriptures”! By carefully analyzing Mark 16:9 we can plainly see that it is Joshua’s appearing that is the subject of this verse and not His resurrection.

Now, I will attempt to share with everyone the exact sequence of what occurred from the time of the resurrection. Joshua rose on the seventh day Sabbath in the late afternoon. Didn’t Joshua say that He was the Master of the Sabbath? (MattithYahu 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5) Didn’t He teach that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath? (MattithYahu 12:12) Wouldn’t His resurrection, conquering death and hell for us, be the greatest good that has ever been performed on any Sabbath day?

Yahonan 15:13 teaches us,

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Yes, of course I realize that that this day wasn’t the day that Joshua died, but of what significance would His death be to us if he had not risen to life on the Sabbath? It was a day of rest. There would have been no eyewitnesses of the removing of the stone by the Heavenly messenger at the time of the earthquake except the pagan Roman soldiers keeping their post.

Now think about it. If you were the mother of Joshua the Messiah or Mary Magdalene, whom He had set free of seven devils, would you have waited any longer than you were obligated to by Yahweh’s Torah to tend to the body of the one you held in the highest esteem, especially if it were practical to do so, (i.e. sufficient light out at night due to the fuller moon of Nisan 18)? So, immediately the three Marys made there way to Joshua’s tomb as soon as the Sabbaths had come to an end. (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, John 20:1) They found the tomb empty and the stone rolled away.

(Matt 28:2-4, Mark 16: 3-4, Luke 24:2-3, Yahonan 20:1) Then they went and told the disciples. Kepha / Peter and Yahonan (Yahonan 20:2-8), along with the three ladies (Luke 24:2-3), returned to the Messiah’s empty tomb. Kepha and Yahonan left perplexed and bewildered. (Yahonan 20:9-10) Maybe together, but probably separately, (it is difficult to tell) the three Marys stayed, and all bore witness to the testimony of the messengers from Heaven. (Matt 28:7-8, Mark 16:5-7, Luke 24:4-11, Yahonan 20:11-13)

It seems that Mary Magdalene was the last one among the three to witness the messengers. This is why she is found lingering and alone in the garden, and it is also why she is the first to see Joshua resurrected. (Mark 16:9, Yahonan 20:14-18) Here in Yahonan’s gospel Joshua says to Mary Magdalene, “do not touch Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father”. Here is a major clue concerning the fulfillment of “The Feast of The First Fruits of Yahweh”. Joshua ascended into Heaven for a little while just like He told Mary He would.

After a short time, He then appears to the other women, later that same day. They are now on their way back to the disciples a second time to tell them of the vision of the messengers and their testimony that Joshua has risen. We know that he had descended back to earth from Heaven because this time these women could touch Him. (Matt 28:9) Afterward, the Messiah appeared to two men on the road to Emmaus. (Mark 16:12, Luke 24:13-32)

Once more we find a verse that the intent and meaning has been slightly obscured in translation. (Luke 24:21) The original intended meaning was (not counting today [Sabbath eve./first day] it has been three days since the completion of these events.) So, the first day from the completion of Joshua's death would be Wednesday eve./Thursday. The second day would be Thursday eve./Friday, and the third would be Friday eve./Saturday. Not only does this make sense, it is also the only way that this verse cannot be a contradiction to all the others. Please see,

( http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/3days3nights.html )

article 2, for clarity, and further insight about this encounter.

We have seen how we may reconcile by the scriptures that Joshua was buried for three days and three nights, and how He still rose on the third day, but what about the reconciling of the prophetic fulfillment of “The First Fruits Offering” by Joshua if He did not rise on Sabbath eve./first day? The first fruits of “The First Fruits Offering” was offered by the Aaronic High Priest at 9:00 a.m. on the first day of the week in the midst of “The Feast of Unleavened Bread”. (Way yiqra / Leviticus 23:11

Remember, Joshua told Mary not to touch Him. He said this because He was about to ascend into Heaven and present Himself as our High Priest at exactly 9:00 a.m. Yahrushalayim time. He was / is the perfect and unblemished first fruit of us, the body of Messiah, His first fruits offering. (1Corinthians 15:23)  Hebrews 9 tells us that the Father accepted Joshua’s offering on our behalf at this time. This was done so the most Set-apart place would be sanctified and we would be able to boldly enter in through prayer. (Ibrim / Hebrews 10:14, 4:16, 10:19)

Because of the nature of this offering it was absolutely essential that Joshua was not contaminated by human contact before the fulfillment of the priestly service was made complete. Please see the on-line "Scripture" study “The Wave Sheaf Offering” @ ( http://www.logon.org/english/S/p106b.html ) for further detailed analyses of this most significant point. We can plainly see that Joshua did fulfill the “Feast of the First Fruits Offering” for us all at the exact appointed time.

However, is there a second witness that can verify that this was the fulfillment of the feast and not the resurrection itself? We know from Leviticus 23, the “Feast of Shavuot” was to be celebrated exactly 50 days after the “Feast of First Fruits. (Leviticus 23:15-16) On Pentecost, at exactly 9:00 a.m., the Aaronic High Priest would offer the Shavuot offering that Yahweh Elohim had commanded. (Leviticus 23:17-21). This was to commence at 9:00 a.m. Yahrushalayim time.

The fulfillment of the feast of Shavuot (the fourth feast) came when Joshua our high priest poured out the offering of the Set-apart Spirit upon the first church at exactly 9:00 a.m. Yahrushalayim time. (Acts 2:15) Yahweh fulfilled both the “First Fruits Feast” and the “Pentecost Feast” exactly 50 days apart to the very second, Yahrushalayim time.

In conjunction with the performance duties of the Aaronic high priest, our high priest, Joshua, performed His duties on our behalf that all of the requirements of the sacrificial system that the law may be fulfilled. (Hebrews 10)

Some may rightly ask, why didn’t the three Marys go to the tomb on the sixth day (Friday) if they were legally able? This is a good question. There are at least two apparent answers:

1. It is understood that it was an all day task to purchase and prepare the burial spices. This of course would have made it impossible for them to have bought the spices at an open market after the weekly Sabbath sun set, (Saturday evening), and then prepare them, and then arrive prior to dawn, on the first day of the week, at Joshua's tomb.

2. Most importantly they legally couldn’t go into the tomb until Sunday, under Roman authority and law. They would have been arrested! Please see Matthew 27:62-66. This is yet another possible proof that Joshua must have risen on the seventh day Sabbath because the Roman military was under direct orders to keep watch and make the tomb secure until the completion of the third day! The Roman soldiers would have left as ordered after sunset on the Sabbath!

(A day by day Passover season time-line chart, with all scripture references, is available via e-mail upon request. Unfortunately, the format would not fit this blog site.)

Why, one might ask should the conclusion of this research make any difference to me? Friend, there is a very hideous and dark force that has been in operation in this world for a very long time. Rav Shaul (the apostle Paul) referred to it as “the mystery of iniquity”. (2Thessalonians 2:7) This evil has conspired to cause the whole world to believe that Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday are Scriptural realities.

The truth of the matter is that these dates are all wicked fabrications, and are all abominable substitutions, along with the Christ-Mass (Christmas) and New Years, for “The Set-apart Feasts” that our Master, Joshua commanded. (Way yiqra / Leviticus 23)

Please see the research papers:

“The Origin of Easter and Christmas” www.logon.org/english/s/p236.html and
“Article on Easter and Christmas” www.logon.org/english/s/p235.html .

“The Set-apart Feasts” that our Master established as one of the signs between Himself and His people, (Shemoth / Exodus 13:9,16; Yehezkel 20:12,20), wonderfully illustrate His plan of redemption for all and are to be held in esteem forever! (Shemoth 12:14,17&24, 31:13,16&17; Way yiqra / Leviticus 16:31, 23:14,21,31,41; Bemidbar / Numbers 10:8; Debarim / Deuteronomy 4:40; 5:29, 12:28, 29:29; 2 Shemuel / Samuel 7:24, Luke 22:19, 1Corinthians 5:8 & 11:23-26, Ibrim / Hebrews 13:8, 1Yahonan 2:17, YeshaYahu / Isaiah 66:22-23) Scripture, astronomy, and many extra-Scriptural historical sources have proven this statement.

Think about what we have reviewed so far for just one moment. We have seen how prophetically significant the first four feast fulfillments were in the person of Joshua the Messiah at the exact appointed time on each feast day. Can you show me, from “The Scriptures”, even one command of Yaheh of Hosts to substitute His set-apart Feasts with any other? Can you think of even one command from Yahweh to add additional Set-apart Feasts (i.e. religious holidays) to His calendar?

What do you suppose the prophetic significance of the next Set-apart Feasts to be fulfilled, “The Feasts of the Ingathering”, might be? For the benefit of the readers who do not know, they are, in order, Yom teruah or “The Feast of The Trumpets” (Way yiqra / Leviticus 23:24-25), Yom Kippur or “The Day of Atonement” (Way yiqra 23:27-32), and Sukkot or the “Feast of The Tabernacles” (Way yiqra 23:39-43). In addition, some believe, that the last day of Sukkot or “The Feast of The Tabernacles” commonly known as “The Last Great Day” is a feast in its own right and will prove to be of great prophetic significance.

Maybe it would be worth your time to study "The Scriptures" to understand the significance of these final feasts so that you may know how our Messiah will continue to fulfill each one, in order, at the ‘appointed times’, which is after all the intent of the Hebrew word for feast, ‘to keep an appointment'.

Messiah, Joshua still has appointments to keep on each feast day that all may be fulfilled!

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18

“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Messiah, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in Him.” Ephesians 1:10

It is my personal conviction that you can not fully understand and appreciate Yahweh's plan of reconciliation and redemption apart from “The Set-apart Feasts”. My prayer for all of us is that our eyes will be open to who “the whore” and “the beast” of Revelation 17 and 13 are. Understanding, that it was both who put these contrivances into place and has enforced them by the sword through the ages.

If Yahweh’s Set-apart Spirit has convicted your heart that you have believed a great deception regarding the death, burial, and resurrection of the Master Joshua, then let me assure you my friend this is just one of the very smallest of deceptions that “the beast” and “the whore” have fabricated to deceive us.

We have believed that we love the Father when "the Scripture" itself testifies we hate Yahweh. We say we love Him because we justify breaking His commandments by our traditions, and not by His Word, “The Set-apart Scriptures”.

HaSatan became the “elohim of this world” long before Joshua was made manifest in the flesh. (2Corinthians 4:4, Matt 4:8-9) Ever since he fell, he has been the enemy of the one true EL, and has done everything he can to destroy mankind, the body of Messiah, and our Father’s purpose. The only power he and his demons have is deception. He is the “Father of Lies”.

It was the monstrous dictator Adolph Hitler who once said, “the greater the lie the more people will believe it”. Yahweh help us to search and study the scriptures for ourselves, asking with an open mind/heart just how many more false beliefs do I, (have I), believed to be Scriptural, but in reality are just further abominable fabrications of “the beast” and “the whore”.

For some additional insights, please see the on-line publication: “The Anti-Christ” by Lawrence M. Nelson @ ( http://www.temcat.com/L-2-Prophecy-Library/MISC-AUTHORS/Antichrist.pdf ) and “The Mark of the Beast” @ www.logon.org , bible study #25. Also, I recommend “A Woman Rides the Beast” by Dave Hunt. The book and/or video are available for purchase @ ( www.chick.com ).

Also, please see the on-line publication “Smokescreens” by Jack Chick @ ( http://www.chick.com/reading/books/153/153cont.asp ) Finally, please see Alexander Hislop’s remarkable book “The Two Babylons” Please, remember the warning that you received at the beginning of this paper as you endeavor to study these resources.

Prior to the nineteenth century not many, but a few of the more serious scholars of "The Scriptures", around the world, knew who “the whore” and “the beast” of Revelation were / are. Many scholars throughout the centuries before them had also attained to the same knowledge and revelation. To them, it was oh so clear.

Around the nineteenth century however, the number of those few who continued to expose “the whore” of revelation dropped off, until there were nearly none by the mid-20th century. In the mean time, by the beginning of the 21st century, few can remember with any clarity “the beast”, its reign, and / or the mark he suffered the world to take! Even fewer still preach against “the beast”.

They have forgotten “the beast” and his mark, and he has been growing in strength and momentum ever since his seeming death in 1798. (Some scholars say 1814 while others 1850. While these disagree on the exact dates the reign of the beast began and ended they all agree on who “the beast” was and is!)

This is exactly what "The Scriptures" foretold would happen! (Revelation 13:14) “The beast” has been healing and recovering while his mark has been growing in strength and in numbers, (unprecedented world-wide popularity and acceptance), ever since he returned on the world scene just prior to the mid 1900s.

Now here is the greatest smokescreen of them all!!!!!!

The religious organization that is behind the public railing against the few who courageously identify “the whore” of Revelation, making all kinds of threats, accusations, and retaliations, most secretly, wants those who preach against “the whore” to make her the sole of their focus and determination just so long as they continue to forget “the beast” and his mark.

This was the plan of subtlety all along; long before it began to be enacted and come together in the mid 1800s. It is now a historical fact that all who expose and preach against “the whore”, and do not preach against “the beast”, have been sucked right into (probably and hopefully in ignorance) one of the most diabolical lies ever conceived by this insidious evil.

Without even knowing who they are or what they are doing these have all become servants of “the beast”, and even his very best prophets. Unknowingly, they preach for all to worship the beast and his image.

While meditating on Revelation 13:14-15 and what an image is, one of the things I thought of was a mirror image. When I compare the core false beliefs of this dark force, (that is “the whore” and “the beast”) and that of the Mainline, Protestant, Christian, Baptist, etc. churches in the world today, I see a mirror image.

Most “Christians” won’t because they really believe that the beliefs and values they share in common with “the whore” and “the beast” are genuinely of Yahweh. They refuse to see anything wrong with what “the whore” and “the beast” are doing or not doing (the sins of commission and omission) because they themselves are in agreement.

Therefore they either commit or omit many of the same sinful heretical practices. This is also the reason that those who expose “the whore” of Revelation will preach against some of the minor reasons that these saints were martyred by “the whore”, and “the beast”, for their faith in the one true El and his son Joshua, but will consciously omit the other more substantial reasons.

Their reasoning goes something like this: How could believing this doctrine or not believing this doctrine possibly be a reason to be put to death (martyred for Joshua) by “the whore”, and/or “the beast”? Why, I myself believe that to be true so how could it possibly be false?

The tragedy is that they think that the scriptures support their false belief system when they are actually in direct opposition to the scriptures, and in fact make themselves the enemy of Yahweh. I challenge anyone to show me "The Scripture", alone, one true doctrine that is also “the whore’s” or “the beast’s” doctrine, untainted and un-perverted in its teaching and / or application of the same.

If even for one moment you think that it is possible, it just goes to show how real the deception is, and almost no one recognizes it. Please reply anyway though, for my love for you would refute you so that you may come into agreement with and love the Truth enough to repent and make Him the Master of your life. Which is after all the very Truth referred to in 2Thessalonians 2:10. This similar thing happened in Messiah’s day.

He said to, (the equivalent of the modern day church leadership of His day, the Pharisees and Sadducees)

“you search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life”, “you do err”! (Yahonan 5:39, Matt 22:29, Mark 12:24)

Is anyone listening? Joshua is warning us today!

Error, error, error! Is anyone listening? Joshua is warning us today, repent, repent, REPENT! Listen, every assembly of Elohim! We are constantly listening and yet never hearing! We are constantly seeing but never perceiving! (Yehezkel 12:1-2) We are forever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth! (2Timothy 3:7) Does all this seem like just a bunch of cryptic messages by a raving mad man to you?

Then please let me ask some questions that truly need to be answered by an intellectually honest mind and heart:

1. The book of Daniel is a book this evil of which I have been alluding to, has on occasion directly but mostly indirectly tried to expunge from "The Scriptures" and discredit (many times successfully) down through the centuries. Which one-world leader (positionally), throughout history, more than any other, has had the power to single handedly change the world’s calendar, and the law, (meaning the Torah of Elohim including but not limited to the Ten Words of the Covenant, “The Ten Commandments”) and has over seen the killing and persecution of more saints than any other, (well into the hundreds of millions), thus, fulfilling Daniel 7:25?

Hint: the official title upon his bejeweled crown as well as numerous other titles he has bestowed upon himself = 666 in the Latin, the Greek, and the Hebrew when translated from each respective alphabet to their numerical equivalent. (Revelation 13:18) This is important and most significant because for most of the first 1600 years of the church “The Holy Scriptures” were primarily available in these three languages.

http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/666.htm

2. Why is Daniel 9:24-27 fraudulently manipulated so badly in the King James Version that one needs a PhD or its equivalent to make any sense of it whatsoever? For comparison and clarity please read the Revised Standard Version and especially the Moffat translations.

3. How come most Bible “scholars” today choose to completely disavow themselves from the standard of interpreting prophecy set in 2nd Peter 1: 20?

GOD has specifically revealed there are three ways to reckon time in the Bible. 1. A wage earner: A days work = a days wages. (Isaiah 16:14 & 21:16) 2. A prophet: 1 day = 1 year (Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34) 3. The Lord: 1 day = 1000 years (Psalm 90:4 & 2nd Peter 3:8-10. To ask the same question a more direct way. How come the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 are always interpreted to be a year for a day, (I agree), however the 1,260 days of Daniel 7:25, the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:13-14, and the days of Daniel 12:7,11&12 are normally falsely interpreted (?) to be a literal day for a day?

4. Why are all the beasts of Daniel 7 interpreted correctly to be succeeding world empires that immediately follow one after the other starting with Babylon and ending with Rome while the beasts found in Revelation 13 are privately interpreted by most prophecy “scholars” to be men and not the succeeding world empires that they are, immediately following one after the other from the time of Rome right up until the Coming of Joshua Christ?

5. Who has rewritten, edited, and then passed down our history and spiritual heritage to each one of us? Was our tradition and heritage passed down to us by those who were martyred for their testimony of Joshua Christ and of YAHWEH of Hosts, or by those that martyred them?

I am of no religious persuasion/denomination. I have no church or organization, nor do I desire one. I am simply a man who was questioned/challenged by another man (David W. Daniels), the head of operations at CHICK publications Ontario, Ca., to prove that all the claims of scripture concerning the timing of Joshua’s resurrection are correct.

Christ in fact rose on the third day after three days and three nights in the grave and in doing so he prophetically fulfilled the significance of each of the first four feasts that YAHWEH gave Israel/the church (Romans 9:6) at the exact pre-appointed time. I believe that I have met this challenge successfully by “The Scriptures”.

In doing so I have stumbled across the revelation of who “the whore” and “the beast” are and have always been. I have recently repented of taking “the physical mark” of “the beast” and worshipping “the beast”, (in ignorance of course). I have repented of my encouraging scores of others to take “the beasts” physical mark as well as break YAHWEH’s law (in ignorance again). Finally, I have repented of not loving YAHWEH of Hosts the majority of my life in the true and biblical sense. (John 15:9-14) I had been practicing spiritual fornication by breaking his law daily most of my life.

In essence, I have repented and become a Christian who has made the decision with my heart, mind, soul, and strength to love YAHWEH and his son Joshua. I have committed myself and my household to keeping His commands, and to not trying to figure out and decide anymore (on my own or with any man-made organized religious organizations help) which ones He meant for me to keep and which ones its ok to break, because it is justified by my keeping extra-biblical tradition.

In essence, I have made the quality decision to be the person that I had claimed to be all along, a Christian who believes the Bible to be the Word of YAHWEH. It’s just now that statement is no longer a lie. I am just now beginning to understand that our FATHER is holy and exactly what His holy nature requires of me as His son. (Acts 16:31)

All that I understood before concerning the character and nature of our FATHER and what He expects of me as His son can truthfully be called a 100% misunderstanding.

I love you all richly,

Robert A. McDuffie
e-mail: 7rapturesrobert@gmail.com
ph#(941)941-227-5433

Ps. The Psalm spoken by David prophesied, “The holy one would not see corruption.” Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27 & 31. If Joshua the son of YAHWEH had risen from the dead on Sat. eve./Sunday His body would have began to decay and would have seen the corruption of death. It is a scientific fact that the body visibly decays from 0-3 days from the time of death. It is also a fact that the presence of blood accelerates the bodies decay rate. Joshua’s body was emptied of most of His blood before He was buried, thus allowing for the maximum time factor of 3 days prior to His body seeing destruction and thus fulfilling prophecy by rising on the 3rd day!

Pss. “The Passover Feast, “The Whore” and “the Beast” continues in posts on this blog site under Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 Bible studies and "The Mark of God". Discover, who “the whore” and “the beast” are as revealed by the holy scriptures. Discover, what the “Mark” of “the Beast” is and what it means to “worship” “the beast” as defined by the holy scriptures.

http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2010/06/daniel-7-anti-christ-unmasked-part-1.html

http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2010/06/anti-christ-unmasked-part-2.html

http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2010/04/eternal-mark-of-kingdom-of-yahweh-god.html