Posted on 04/16/2003 5:39:27 AM PDT by RaceBannon
According to the Bible, the events of the lives of the Jews that were recorded in the Old Testament were recorded so that we as Christians would understand certain examples of how to live the Christian Life and the meaning of God’s plan for believers. While the ultimate meaning of these events was a mystery to the Jews, we as Christians have the fulfilled and finished Word of God revealed to us through Scripture.
In 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
It is necessary to examine the events of the distant past to come to the truth on what I believe is a serious subject related to Easter, Passover, and on just what day did Jesus die on the cross.
What I want to examine in this paper, is the relationship of the Passover to Christ’s death, and to settle the question once and for all: What day of the week was Jesus Christ crucified? Some don’t think this is important. I believe ANY doctrine that involves the Lord Jesus Christ IS important, and we should strive to be accurate. To do this, we must look at what God said of His feasts known to us as Passover and the Feast of First Fruits.
The Passover was the Feast instituted by God to teach the Jews of the coming final judgment against Egypt that would end in the release from slavery for the Jewish people. God told Moses that He would come down about midnight to kill the entire first born of Egypt:
Exodus 11: 4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. 6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. 7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
God told the Israelites He would kill the entire first born. God, however, told Israel that there was a way that they could escape punishment from this death, To do so, God instituted the Feast of the Passover; meaning a Feast of celebration and remembrance of the Day that God Passed Over them, leaving them alive, but Killing all the first born of Egypt and of those who did NOT follow God’s instructions.
In the Book of Exodus, we read of the Passover, the first Holiday commanded by God as given to the Jewish people.
Exodus 12 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Note here, that God declared this Holiday so profound, that the month that it was in, was to mark the beginning of a new year for the Jewish people. The month to celebrate the Passover was to now be the first month. The Jewish people in the start of their year were being told to remember God in a wonderful way.
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: 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. 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:
This is a significant point. The LAMB of the Passover must have been selected previously in order that the Jewish people knew they had a perfect lamb for this feast day, but it was this day, the 10th, that it was to be declared to be THE LAMB, the one they would sacrifice and eat.
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.
For 4 days, this LAMB was known to be THE LAMB until it was killed and eaten for the Passover. The Jewish day began at Sundown, so it was the 3rd day after the presentation that this LAMB was to be killed, to be eaten at the beginning of the Passover Day, which began at 6PM. This means that in order to have the LAMB killed and prepared for the meal at 6PM, the LAMB had to be killed beforehand. Jewish tradition is that the LAMB was killed around 3PM on the 13th of the month, dressed, and prepared for the Passover meal immediately after 6PM, the beginning of the Passover on the 14th.
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. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 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. 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.
Note here that the entire animal was to be eaten. Nothing was to remain. It had to be a total acceptance of the LAMB as a meal. The Jewish people were not to eat just the legs, or just the ribs, but the entire animal. This was the lesson taught to the Jewish people. God said to eat it all, and let none remain, and if your family was too small to at it all, have friends over to help you finish it.
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. 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. 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. 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.
Note here that after the Passover, there was to be deliverance. The people were to be ready, to move, to act on what God said, fully clothed, and with your shoes on. God was coming to enact judgment! What is also interesting, is that those who were obedient to God, would not have this judgment upon them, they would be PASSED OVER. God’s judgment would not affect them if they put the blood over their doorway in the manner God said. It was to be over the top and along the sides.
Some have said that the manner in which the blood was put on the doorway, was to brush the top post horizontally, and the side posts vertically. But notice something else from this verse:
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.
If a person just takes his hyssop branch and strikes the side posts and upper post, he would leave a mark of blood, but where would this mark be when we look at it? If a person is told to just walk up to a doorpost and told to leave a mark with a brush, that person will most likely leave a mark about shoulder high or chest high. If you told them to leave a mark on something overhead that they can reach, they will make a mark generally in the center. Imagine a doorway where someone told you to leave a mark on the posts on the side and one on the overhead beam, and what would these marks tend to form? A visual image might appear to the natural eye, forming a cross within the doorway that you just marked!
This first High Holy Day was again mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23.
Leviticus 23 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. 3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. 4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
It is important to note, here, that Sabbath Days were Holy Days, there was to be NO WORK done on those days. These days were to be HOLY UNTO THE LORD, DAYS OF REST, Days spent in prayer and worship.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s passover.
Note here the Passover begins at Evening.
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. 7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 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.
Note here something significant: The first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a HOLY DAY, it is a Sabbath. The rules apply to this day as to other days concerning the Sabbath regarding work, travel, and all behavior.
All this is leading up to something that has affected the Church for two centuries. All my childhood, I was taught that Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross was on a Friday, but is this what the Bible teaches? I believe that Jesus Christ was Crucified on Wednesday, the 13th, on the Day of preparation, the same day and about the same time as the lambs that were about to be eaten for the Passover meal.
In order to examine this, we need to go over again, from the Bible, the events that lead up to Christ’s Atoning death on the cross.
Some days of this time period are mentioned quite specifically:
Matthew 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.
Mark 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. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
What is obvious here, is that Jesus arose on the first day of the week, Sunday. We Christians know this as Easter Sunday. We Christians believe this is our Holiest Day for it is the day that Christ arose to prove the power of Christ over death. This power over death is what we look forward to as believers, to be with Christ in eternity, arisen with Him in new resurrected bodies.
In order to examine what day Jesus died, though, we obviously need to dig deeper. John the Baptist announced the Lord Jesus Christ to the world when Christ’s official ministry began at His baptism.
John 1: 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Note that Jesus is called the LAMB OF GOD. We have seen earlier, that it was a LAMB that was to be chosen to be sacrificed for the feast known as PASSOVER. John called Jesus THE LAMB OF GOD. If the Passover LAMB was to be a type of Christ, then there should be a connection between the death of the Lamb in the Passover feast and Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross.
The purpose of Christ’s death was foreshadowed in the death of the Passover Lamb:
Exodus 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. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
Christians understand the meaning of this as the Egyptians are the representing of Sin in the Believers life. When a person is Born Again, they pass under the Blood, they are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross for our sins, that we are no longer servants of sin, but alive unto God.
(Rom 6:17 KJV) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(1 Pet 1:18 KJV) 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Being a slave in Egypt is likened to being a slave to sin. When a person is Born Again, they are released from this bondage, being now a child of God. They are to approach this life with their clothes fully on, and their shoes on, just like the Jews were told to eat the Passover meal, fully clothed, and with their shoes on their feet, ready to move, ready to live for God. While the Believer will still suffer temptation and still sin, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for their sin, and the bondage of eternal punishment is over.
Knowing all this, what can we expect to find concerning Christ’s relation to the Passover? The Passover Lamb was presented to the people on the 10th day of the month. The Bible tells us this concerning what day Jesus was ‘Presented’ to the people of the land of Israel which we call PALM SUNDAY. However, we can determine other things from the Bible, and prove what day of the week Jesus was Crucified for our sins.
John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Yes, but after 6pm on Saturday, it's Sunday on the Jewish calendar, right? So He did rise on Sunday! Those early Christians weren't so dumb! :o)
I understand but it's actually bibically sunset that a new day begins. But be that as it may, biblically Passover was instituted as a separate feast from the days of unleavened bread. The clearest evidence is here:
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD'S passover.
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.
It's right there. Passover starts the evening (sunset) of Nissan 14, the beginning of the day. The Days of Unleavened Bread start at sunset at the beginning of Nissan 15. It runs for 7 days.
That means that in order to eat the Passover Lamb in the evening of the 14th, which begins at 6pm, which is the beginning of the Jewish Day, 6pm, the Lamb had to be killed on the afternoon of the 13th, in order for the meal to be prepared and eaten on the evening of the 14th,
The lamb was to be killed at the start of Passover, on the 14th of Nissan, at sunset. The 14th day started at sunset and that's when they were to kill the lamb. They had all night to cook it and eat it. There's no scriptural support that shows they killed it on the 13th.
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.
They were to keep the lamb until the 14th, at sunset. Then they were to kill it that evening, the evening of the 14th, after sunset.
Exo 12:18 KJV) 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.
The 14th to the 21st is one week, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be 7 days, that is clear from this verse what dates define that week.
Okay, so we have one verse that clearly says Passover is one feast and the days of ulb is a separate 7 day, right?
Yet as you pointed out in this verse:
Exo 12:18 KJV) 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.
It seems that the whole thing is only 7 days. That's a contradiction.
Now for this you're going to have to do some digging because it's not obvious. But Exodus 12:6 and Exodus 12:18 actually use two different hebrew phrases that are translated "even". And Strongs concordance lists them as the same word, BUT they are not. This can be proven by looking at the scroll at blue letter bible. If you carefully look at the hebrew wording and compare verse 6 to 12, you can see it's not the same hebrew word used for "even". I'm now going to quote from a doctrinal paper our church did on the OT passover.
The term “at evening” is used twice in Exodus 12:18. What is the meaning of this phrase? The Hebrew term here is quite different from the one found in Exodus 12:6. Why was Moses inspired to use a different term? The obvious reason is that he had a different meaning in mind. The phrase “at even” in the AV comes from the Hebrew ba- erev. It generally means “sunset,” although it can refer to the time of darkness—the evening (erev). By comparing Exodus 12:18 with Leviticus 23:32 we come to the conclusion that satisfies all the scriptures. There are only seven days of Unleavened Bread and the first day is the 15th (Leviticus 23:6). The term “at even” when interpreted to be sunset can be either sunset at the beginning of a day or sunset at the end of the day. We have a similar situation with our term “midnight.” Each year on December 31 at the stroke of midnight, a new year begins AND the old year ends. Exodus 12:18 is telling us that when the sun sets at the end of the 14th, the first day of Unleavened Bread begins. The last of the seven days will end when the sun sets on the 21st day of the month. This gives us seven days of Unleavened Bread (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21), just as we have one day of Atonement (9th day at even [sunset] until the 10th day at even [sunset]).
In other words, exodus 12:18 is counting from sunset at the BEGINNING of the 14th, to sunset at the END of the 21st...or 8 periods of sunset to sunset.
Okay, well what about not eating any leavened products on passover if it's not part of the feast of unleavened bread? The answer is that the passover meal was a sacrifice to God and anything leavened is not acceptable as a sacrifice:
Lev 2:11 Any food offering which you shall bring to Jehovah shall not be made with leaven. For you shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of Jehovah made by fire.
This is also borne out by Lev. 6:17 and Lev. 10:12.
Man this has turned out to be one long post. Lest you think that I was smart enough to figure out all this on my own, I wasn't. I've studied that doctrinal paper our church did and it makes sense, although there's always a chance of mistakes being made in interpretation.
Doctrinal papers on this subject are available on this page.
"Passover of Exodus 12 [updated]" contains more study than you'll ever want on OT passover, while "Passover of Exodus 12 (Appendix)" contains more indepth on the meaning of the Hebrew "even" as pertains to Exodus 12:6 and Exodus 12:18.
Good luck!
Thanks, I'm fairly well versed on it. :-)
Also, ask any Orthodox Jew what day the Lamb is Killed for Passover.
It is the 13th.
I really have no idea what time they kill the lambs today. In that doctinal paper it discusses how biblically Passover observance changed throughtout the centuries. When it came to slaughtering the lambs, I was primarily getting to the root of what God commanded at the institution of Passover.
Listen, I'm not trying to argue with you about this stuff. Like I said I agree with 95% of your post. I'm just pointing out where my understanding differs. Take it or leave it I guess. :-)
Okay, maybe we're just using different terminology. Biblically Passover IS the preparation day for the first day of Unleavened Bread. Remember how the bible shows that the day of Passover, which begins on nisan 14 did not have a commandment to rest? That means it's not a sabbath. But it is a preparation day for the high sabbath of the first day of unleavened bread which follows.
The new testaments uses the terms "passover" and "days of unleavened bread" almost interchangably.:
Luk 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
Even today Jews don't make much of a distinction between the two, but they are biblically separate.
So yes, in this verse:
Joh 19:14 And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, Behold your king!
"Passover" is what technically and biblically is the first day of unleavened bread, or Nisan 15:
Lev 23:6 and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Jehovah. You must eat unleavened bread seven days.
The preparation day for this IS the biblical passover day:
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD'S passover.
Understand? The death of Jesus MUST occur on passover, Nisan 14, that the original passover was killed. Must.
At the same time that the original passover lamb was killed (the beginning of Nisan 14 at sunset), Jesus had the last supper and instituted the remembrance of his death by the symbols of bread and wine:
Okay?
I'm mystified why you argue with this:
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD'S passover.
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.
It's not just me on this. Matthew Henrys commentary says about Passover:
"This was to be annually observed as a feast of the Lord in their generations, to which the feast of unleavened bread was annexed, during which, for seven days, they were to eat no bread but what was unleavened, in remembrance of their being confined to such bread, of necessity, for many days after they came out of Egypt"
And you are dead wrong to state that the Passover Meal was NOT eaten the NIGHT of the Passover, which would be immediately after 6pm Nisan 14,
I did not say that. I said the lamb was killed after sunset, at the beginning of Nisan 14. They had ALL night to cook and eat it:
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.
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.
As far as how hungry they were, God made sure that each family didn't have to hork down an entire lamb:
Exo 12:4 And if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take according to the number of the souls, each one, according to the eating of his mouth, you shall count concerning the lamb.
Many families might eat one lamb, depending on the family size.
it was, the Lamb had to be killed imediately before on the 13th, the day of preparation, in order for it to be eaten.
Okay, my evidence that the lamb was killed on the 14th, not the 13th is this:
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.
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.
These are two verses that clearly indicate that the lambs were killed on the 14th, at sunset (the beginning of the 14th).
Now as far as I can see, your evidence that they were slain on the 13th is because you deduced that. Yet the bible does not say that anywhere. It clearly says the 14th. Passover is focused on the 14th.
Thanks for your input, but it appears you are making your doctrine tell you what the Bible says, instead of letting the Bible tell you what your doctrine should be.
lol...I feel the same way about you! I'm showing you what are irrefutable facts and you seem to not want to hear them.
Well, I've been accused of worse. :-)
I didn't mean to offend you or make an enemy out of you. I'm sorry if I gave that impression. It's just that I too put a lot of time and effort into studying this particular issue and I feel strongly about.
The exact dates probably aren't that important. What is important is that Christ was sacrificed for our sins.
Enjoy!
Lots of men diesd onn the cross..the important thing is God raised Him bodily from the grave
1Cr 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Cr 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
1Cr 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain.
1Cr 15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
1Cr 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 1Cr 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins. </font color>
Absolutely correct! The Bodily Resurrection is the key to our faith. Not a spiritual resurrection, not a spiritual body raised from the dead, but Jesus' own human body, glorified, flesh and bone, raised from the dead.
Amen, and Amen!
Matthew 12
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 13: 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
Later...
Matthew 15: 32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
The next day...
Matthew 16 1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, "When evening comes, you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,´ 3 and in the morning, `Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.´ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.
We have the sign of Jonah, but no three days and three nights?? He had just fulfilled that part.
Now the sign of Jonah!
2 Kings 14:25 He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.
The restored boundaries of Israel! 1967!
A big little war
In June, 1967, there was a short, violent war between Israel and the Arab nations, called the Six-Day War. Israel prevailed, and captured the old city of Jerusalem, along with other territory. This is significant especially because the Israeli recapture of Jerusalem ended the "times of the Gentiles" spoken of by the Prophets. Jerusalem had been under Gentile domination for more than 2,000 years. Then it became, once again, a Jewish city, and events prophesied in conjunction with that began to occur.
At about the same time another event took place, which is only now being noticed by most of the world, but which is also an important event: The modern Messianic Jewish movement became a reality about the time of the Six-Day War.
For the first time in over 1,500 years, Jews generally were free to come to faith in Yeshua as their Messiah, and remain Jews. For the first time, there are Jewish congregations who believe in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. And, amazingly, non-Jews have joined these believing Jews in worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in a Jewish manner: there are as many "Messianic believers" (non-Jewish believers who adopt a Jewish lifestyle) as there are Messianic Jews.
http://www.quodlibet.net/lbaden-messianic.shtml
Galilee, Sea of: ( Mat 4:18; 15:29), is mentioned in the Bible under three other names. ( 1.) In the Old Testament it is called the "sea of Chinnereth" ( Num 34:11; Jos 12:3; 13:27), as is supposed from its harp-like shape. ( 2). The "lake of Gennesareth" once by Luke ( Luk 5:1), from the flat district lying on its west coast. ( 3.) John ( Jhn 6:1; 21:1) calls it the "sea of Tiberias" ( q.v.). The modern Arabs retain this name, Bahr Tabariyeh.
This lake is 12 1/2 miles long, and from 4 to 7 1/2 broad. Its surface is 682 feet below the level of the Mediterranean. Its depth is from 80 to 160 feet. The Jordan enters it 10 1/2 miles below the southern extremity of the Huleh Lake, or about 26 1/2 miles from its source. In this distance of 26 1/2 miles there is a fall in the river of 1,682 feet, or of more than 60 feet to the mile. It is 27 miles east of the Mediterranean, and about 60 miles north-east of Jerusalem. It is of an oval shape, and abounds in fish.
Its present appearance is thus described: "The utter loneliness and absolute stillness of the scene are exceedingly impressive. It seems as if all nature had gone to rest, languishing under the scorching heat. How different it was in the days of our Lord! Then all was life and bustle along the shores; the cities and villages that thickly studded them resounded with the hum of a busy population; while from hill-side and corn-field came the cheerful cry of shepherd and ploughman. The lake, too, was dotted with dark fishing-boats and spangled with white sails. Now a mournful, solitary silence reigns over sea and shore. The cities are in ruins!" This sea is chiefly of interest as associated with the public ministry of our Lord. Capernaum, "his own city" ( Mat 9:1), stood on its shores. From among the fishermen who plied their calling on its waters he chose Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and John, to be disciples, and sent them forth to be "fishers of men" ( Mat 4:18,22; Mar 1:16-20; Luk 5:1-11). He stilled its tempest, saying to the storm that swept over it, "Peace, be still" ( Mat 8:23-27; Mar 7:31-35); and here also he showed himself after his resurrection to his disciples ( 21). Jhn 21).
"The Sea of Galilee is indeed the cradle of the gospel. The subterranean fires of nature prepared a lake basin, through which a river afterwards ran, keeping its waters always fresh. In this basin a vast quantity of shell-fish swarmed, and multiplied to such an extent that they formed the food of an extraordinary profusion of fish. The great variety and abundance of the fish in the lake attracted to its shores a larger and more varied population than existed elsewhere in Palestine, whereby this secluded district was brought into contact with all parts of the world. And this large and varied population, with access to all nations and countries, attracted the Lord Jesus, and induced him to make this spot the centre of his public ministry."
Psalm 49:4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
harp
Hebrew for 03658 Kaf-Nun-Vav-Reish
Pronunciation Guide kinnowr {kin-nore'}
from a unused root meaning to twang
Outline of Biblical Usage
1) lyre, harp
AV - harp 42; 42
Hebrew for 03672 Kaf-Nun-Reish-Vav-Tav
Pronunciation Guide Kinn@rowth {kin-ner-oth'} or Kinnereth {kin-neh'-reth}
respectively pl. and sing. fem. from the same as 03658
Outline of Biblical Usage
Chinneroth or Cinneroth or Chinnereth = "harps"
1) the early name of the Sea of Galilee
2) a town and district in Naphtali near the Sea of Galilee
AV - Chinnereth 4, Chinneroth 2, Cinneroth 1
Hi Colleen,
In the Wednesday crucification scenario Wednesday night begins a sabbath, the first day of Unleavened Bread (or Passover depending on what terminology used). It doesn't refer to the regular weekly sabbath which being Friday evening.
These are annual sabbaths, holy days, as outlined in Leviticus 23.
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