Holy Hormones Bible Study: Teaching — not Entertainment
Is the First day the 1st day?
FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD #1
Disclosure: I am not a Messianic. I’m a NT Saint who has been shown my OT Heritage.
Brace yourself! This is more of a teaching blog than an entertaining one. It may not be an easy read because there is more here than a normal, well adjusted person would generally want to know. But the time will be well spent. The detail which makes me a boring person brings the Bible alive for me. If, however, you happen to like what you read, there’s more to be found here.
[NOTE: Important words analysed below are identified with Hebrew/Greek transliterations into English and Strong’s Numbers so that whoever wants to can check them out — the recommendation is that you do. I use the Blue Letter Bible (https://www.blueletterbible.org/ BLB)]
Spring is coming
As the Northern Spring approaches our thoughts turn to the Crucifixion; and with that the perennial argument about Easter and Passover. It is not intended here to get mixed up in the robust debate but to try and diffuse the annual shouting matches by throwing the actual Written Word of the Living Word of God into the mix.
Methodology
It is intended the approach taken will follow the Big Mac Teaching Principle. If you try to eat a Big Mac by stuffing the whole lot into your mouth, you will surely die. However, if you take bite-sized pieces and chew them well, Big Macs may eventually kill you — but not today.
Do I expect to change anyone’s Belief?
Perhaps not. Like its later cousin, Covid Vaccination, the situation has moved long past logic and into the realms of emotion.
I’m not one of Iran’s morality police. It is hoped that the reader will see the value of the information so that you at least know why you do what you do.
Is this a series?
I’m not sure. Between now and the Day (whichever day you choose) there will be some bread cast on the waters. The number has yet to be determined.
Very brief background on the Lord’s Spring Feasts.
It is written in Leviticus 23
- On the 14th day of the first month in the Jewish Religious year (Nisan, alternative name Aviv), the Children of Israel were to offer the Lord’s Passover, described in detail in Exodus 12:1–11. (This won’t be covered here. If you are interested, you will become very familiar with it, yourself.)
- On the 15th day of the same month the Children of Israel were to begin eating Matzah bread (made without yeast) and carry on doing so until 21st Nisan.
- Both the days 15th and 21st are gatherings called by God, upon which there will be no work. These are called High Sabbaths in English but there is no Shabbat/Sabbath name given in the Hebrew Tanakh. (Acts 17:11. Always check what Brad Banardict says )
- Also, the day after Shabbat, after Passover (First Fruits) is also not designated a Shabbat/Sabbath. The difference between Shabbat (H7676) and Shabbatan (H7677) will be the subject of a future post in this series — promise.
- The Day of Preparation (14th Nisan is not a work-free day.) It is a very busy day hence, “Day of Preparation.” It is the day the Offering is sacrificed and dressed. The day of the Crucifixion.
There is a day out of place
14th Nisan is not one of the Lord’s Days of No Work (Named High Sabbath by KJV but, as shown, ‘Shabbat’ does not appear in the Hebrew of the Spring Feasts in Leviticus 23.)
There are three verses which cause cognisant dissonance concerning the days of the Crucifixion.
Mark 14:12 || Now on the first (G4413) day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”
Matthew 26:17 || Now on the first (G4413) day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
Luke 22:7 || Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.
Superficially, it appears that the Israelites have moved a feast that has been decreed by the Lord. This is pretty gutsy. But is it the OT Saints or the NT Saints who have done the switcheroony — unintentionally, of course. The narrative gets confusing if rigorous thinking and study is not applied.
Mark 14:12 holds the key
- FIRST (G4413) DAY
- Feast of the Unleavened Bread
- WHEN THEY KILLED THE PASSOVER LAMB
- “Where do You want us to prepare .. . ?”
First G4413, adjective, comparative superlative of before = first in rank, influence, honour, chief, principal.
Comparative superlatives occur in both Greek and English. They carry the flavour of Tall, Taller, Tallest. The easiest way to describe the concept is with a cartoon.
So the focus is not the first in a queue, it is the most important.
How do we know that?
WHEN THEY KILLED THE PASSOVER LAMB.
The Holy Spirit is leaning on the fact that there is no more important Day than THIS DAY.
So what?
The day that the Disciples asked about where to prepare the Passover meal was 14th Nisan. Exodus 12 stipulates that the actual Passover meal is to be eaten after sunset (actually starlight) immediately after 14th. That is 15th which is the first (ordinal number) day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Reiterating:
Forget the days of the week for now. It is the dates that are given in the Bible.
° 14th Nisan is not included in the counting of the days of the feast.
° The Last Supper was eaten on 14th Nisan.
° The Crucifixion was on 14th Nisan.
° The Passover Meal was eaten on Nisan 15th.
How do I know? The Bible tells me so.
One would hope that some of the haze is beginning to clear.
BUT THIS IS CONTROVERSIAL. YOU MUST CHECK EVERYTHING I SAY
The forgoing evidence has not been presented to convince any reader but to allow a personal decision to be made. There is much more to know about this subject. Perhaps you’ll pay another visit, sometime.
All Glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
(We all have a plank in our eye. It’s bigger than we think.)
