- Feb 28, 2009
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THE PASSOVER FEAST and CHRIST'S PASSION
Three Old Covenant Holy Feast Days fell within a one-week period: Passover, Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits. In the 1stCentury this entire 8-day period was know as the Passover Feast or the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:1 & John 18:28). The celebrations of these Old Covenant Holy Days were prescribed by the Laws of the Sinai Covenant and are found in Exodus chapter 12, in Leviticus chapter 23 and Numbers 28. For more information please see the chart on "The Seven Sacred Annual Feasts Days of the Old Covenant" in the charts section of www.agapebiblestudy.com . Please note that the Jewish day began at sundown.The Week Preceding the Resurrection of Jesus Christ:
10th of Nisan (also known as the month of Abib/Aviv): fell on a Sunday, what we call Palm or Passion Sunday: This is the day the male lambs or kids are chosen (Exodus 12:3-6) for the Passover sacrifice. This is the day Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem (see Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19:28ff; John 12). John 12:1 identifies the day before Jesus rode into Jerusalem [Saturday] as 6 days before the Passover. In the ancient world when one counted a sequence, one counted from the day that started the sequence as #1'the ancients had no concept of a 0-place value. This is why it is said Jesus was in the tomb 3 days = Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as the ancients counted but this would be only two days as we count today. Therefore, counting as the ancients counted six days from Saturday Nisan the 9th would be Thursday, Nisan the 14th and the same day the Synoptic Gospels identify as the day of the Passover Sacrifice. The lambs chosen for sacrifice by each family on the 10th of Nisan must be visible for 5 days (4 days as we count) before the Passover Feast in order for everyone to observe the selected lamb's perfection. For 5 days Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God preached at the Temple in Jerusalem, where everyone could see Him.14th of Nisan (Thursday): Jesus sends Peter and John into Jerusalem to see that the room He has selected for the feast is prepared. Everything is ready. This is the day the lambs are sacrificed at the Temple (Exodus 12:6). The lambs were sacrificed at the hour of the second daily sacrifice (the Tamyid Sacrifice) at 3pm. The ceremony began at 12 noon when the second Tamid lamb of the daily sacrifice was brought out and tied to the altar. Exodus 12:6 should read "between the twilights" which is 12 noon. (see the chart on the Tamyid daily Sacrifice at www.agapebiblestudy.com). At the end of the ceremony the lambs or kids that each family brought to be sacrificed are taken home and prepared for the feast that night. The sacrificial animal was to be roasted whole, no bones broken. The next day began at sundown. At sundown it became the 15th of Nisan.
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