And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the
passover, Carl Hagensick Some topics in the Bible are recorded in sufficiently ambiguous or seemingly contradictory terms that they are open to multiple interpretations. One of these is the timing of the Last Supper as coordinated with the Jewish Passover. In the March/April 2004 issue of The Herald, a solution to the various texts in both the Old and New Testaments was put forward with the suggestion that the Last Supper was not a passover meal, but a meal that preceded that feast. Comments were received, both in favor of and in opposition to the view expressed in that article. This publication has been prepared to place before the reader the Scriptures which favor each of three different views of that meal. While the main issue is whether or not the Last Supper was a Passover meal, other matters are of necessity also considered in the thought-provoking essays which follow. Prominent among these are:
It is not our object to stir up controversy on this subject, but to look objectively at the support for each view. Therefore we have sought to have a proponent for each viewpoint utilize only the points in support of his views and not the weaknesses he perceives in any of the other views. In this we have achieved only partial success. The chart below illustrates visually some of the similarities and some of the differences between the views expressed in this presentation.
It is our desire that this booklet be read in the spirit
of dialogue and that it may help clarify the various issues involved in this
discussion.
The Passover Supper on Nisan 14 Now all these things happened to them [as] types, Rick Hill We are all familiar with the wonderful story of the exodus from Egypt and particularly the role the Passover had in that story. While we love to examine and harmonize all texts of Scripture related to this wonderful event, it is well that in so doing we keep the “big picture” in mind. So what is the “big picture”? By remembering the basic facts of the story we will keep ourselves on sure ground. First, it is called “Passover” because the firstborn of Israel were spared from death, i.e., they were “passed over” by the death angel on the night in which they ate the Passover meal. No one else was in danger of death that night, only the firstborn. This well pictures the passing over of the antitypical firstborn (the true church of God, the 144,000) during the night time of the Gospel age. The world of mankind in general is not in danger of the second death during this period, only the antitypical firstborn, the saints. Others do not yet have enough light, have not been released from Adamic condemnation, and therefore do not have that level of responsibility. Passover: What Day was the Supper? This has been a question for some time and it needs to be addressed in the proper manner. As in all such endeavors we should begin by approaching the throne of grace to seek for the Lord’s guidance in finding his truth and in setting aside our own preferences. Next we should gather those Scriptures that have a bearing on the matter. After examining those texts we should search for the most reasonable method of harmonizing them. Never force an interpretation into the Lord’s Word. If the matter does not become clear after diligent and prayerful consideration, let the matter rest for a while. Sometimes the Lord sees that in granting us the understanding too quickly we may be in danger of developing spiritual pride. It may take the remarks of someone else before the matter begins to clear up for us. When did Israel leave Egypt? What Say the Scriptures? “And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 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.”—Exodus 12:22, 23 What would happen to any of the firstborn of Israel if they came out from their houses during that night? They would die. What protected them from death? It was the blood of the lamb. This forms an unmistakable picture of the Lord’s people remaining under the blood of Christ until the night time of the Gospel age is over. If we were to leave the protection of being under the blood of Christ we would die the second death. “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 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 [literally: ‘between the evenings’]. … And they shall eat the flesh in that night.”—Exodus 12:5,6,8 The lamb pictures Jesus.
At first glance this seems fairly simple and straightforward. However, when we remember that the Jewish day begins at sunset, a question naturally arises: What is intended by the instruction that Israel was to eat of the lamb “in THAT night”? If they killed the lamb shortly after sunset, “that night” would still be on the 14th. If they killed the lamb during the daylight hours of the 14th, “that night” would be on the 15th. Then consideration needs to be given to the instruction that “Israel shall kill it in the evening [literally: ‘between the evenings’].” One Jewish tradition of “between the evenings” is briefly explained in a 1902 letter: “Between Evenings”—A Jewish View
If Jewish tradition concerning “between the evenings” is followed, the Passover supper would be the night of the 15th of Nisan. However, when we remember our Lord’s chastisement of Israel for giving too much weight to their traditions (Matthew 15:1-9), it seems better to leave tradition (even supportive tradition) completely out of the discussion. To be sure of our position, our answers can only come from the Word of God itself.
We note how this is used in the following Scriptures. “Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: but at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even [Strong’s #6153], at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.”—Deuteronomy 16:5,6 “And the evening [Strong’s #6153] and the morning were the first day.”—Genesis 1:5 The Hebrew wording of Deuteronomy 16:6, “at the going down of the sun,” is repeated in 23:11, and in 24:13 where the poor man’s clothing must be returned when the sun goes down, which evidently is not mid-afternoon but sunset. And clearly in the Genesis account “evening” does not refer to a time from 3:00 p.m. to sunset. What
Say the Scriptures about the Timing The correct understanding must include all Scripture. Let us then consider the Scriptures which seem to bear most directly on the timing of the events surrounding the first Passover and the exodus from Egypt. Here are some details of the type:
From these facts we should be able to determine that the Passover meal had to be eaten on the 14th, not the 15th. Since we know the Jewish day begins at sunset, it becomes an easy matter to narrow down what had to take place, and when. Let us see what happens when we try to make the case for eating the meal on either the 15th or the 14th. In both cases we focus only on those facts which directly impact the timing. We will use the Bible terms “Evening” and “Morning” as they were used in the creative week. Remember, the Jewish day begins at sunset, therefore ‘evening’ comes first, followed by ‘morning’ Case #1: Passover supper was eaten on the 15th.
Case #2: Passover supper was eaten on the 165th
By examining the above we see the problem more clearly.
How could Israel have left Egypt on the night of the 15th (which preceded
the morning of the 15th) while at the same time remaining in
their houses until the morning of the 15th? This is a physical
impossibility. Case #3: Passover supper was eaten on the 14th
We see there is no conflict between leaving Egypt on the night of the 15th and staying in the house until the morning on the night they eat the Passover meal because the two events take place on two separate days, the meal and remaining in the house on the 14th and leaving Egypt on the night of the 15th. Because Israel could not have been in two places at the same time (both in their houses while simultaneously leaving Egypt) on the night of the 15th, it seems that the question as to what night the Passover meal was eaten simply answers itself. Supposed Objections The suggestion has been made that since the Pharaoh called for God’s special representatives Moses and Aaron that night, that this in some way seems to prove that Israel did not (as the Scriptures say) obey the command of God to remain in their houses until the morning, or that God did not really mean it when he gave them this command; rather he meant that they should stay in their houses only until the death angel passed over them. The list of Scriptures given below contains every Old Testament reference where “until the morning” [Strong’s #5704 and #1242] is used. An examination of these verses should make it plain that “until the morning” means exactly what it says. We believe that any command from God must be taken seriously.
While all of these Scriptures associate “until the morning” with sunrise or morning light, Leviticus 19:13, Numbers, 9:15,16, Judges 6:28-31, 1 Samuel 14:36, and 2 Kings 7:5,9 seem to be more direct. Numbers 9:15,16 says, “At even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.” Thus, “until the morning” is clearly associated with the day, and not with any part of the night. Recent Events Help our Understanding In 2005 as hurricane Katrina approached the U.S. gulf coast, many saw the attempted evacuation of coastal cities, then saw it repeated again some weeks later when hurricane Rita hit the same area. Despite all of our modern roads and methods of transportation, there still were multiple problems to move that many people. Now consider evacuating two million Israelites from Goshen to Rameses in approximately twelve hours: no cars, no buses, no helicopters! The wonder is how Moses was able to accomplish this amazing task at all. It becomes even more amazing when we remember that they went with their flocks and their herds (Exodus 12:37,38). Remembering that sunset marks the end of one day and the beginning of the next, if this evacuation of Goshen was done in the morning of the 15th, how could they possibly make it from Goshen to Rameses, spoil the Egyptians and still leave Egypt from Rameses before sunset, as the Scriptures say, on the 15th? However, if this takes place on the morning of the 14th, as we contend, this gives them several more hours to get to Rameses because they do not have to be there prior to sunset. By leaving Goshen in the morning of the 14th they had nearly twenty-four hours to both spoil the Egyptians and to leave Rameses on the 15th. Other Supposed Objections The suggestion has also been made that the Land of Goshen and the land of Rameses are one and the same, based on the account in Genesis 47:11. But we should not overlook the fact that in the book of Exodus, God refers to the place where his children lived not as “Rameses,” nor as “the land of Rameses,” but as “the land of Goshen.” Thus in Exodus 8:22 and 9:26 God indicates a separation between Egypt and “the land of Goshen.” How appropriate that they should use Rameses as the place to gather and organize for the journey. Rameses was a “treasure [storage] city” (Exodus 1:11) which they were compelled to build. Since they were to “spoil” (really it was only receiving payment for their forced labor) the Egyptians, and Rameses was adjacent to the land of Goshen, we see the logic of gathering and organizing there. Another supposed objection is that Israel was told by God to “spoil” the Egyptians prior to the tenth plague: “Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.” (Exodus 11:2,3). “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:35,36). God gives the instructions for the “spoiling” of the Egyptians in chapter 11 and those instructions are executed in chapter 12. Lest we misunderstand this, the Lord gives the needed information in the above verses. In 11:2 is the instruction, in 12:35 is the carrying out of that instruction. In 11:3 we are told “the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians” (nothing about the Israelites actually receiving anything). In 12:36 he repeats this phrase and then adds “so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.” The contrast is clear. There is no indication in 11:2,3 that anything was actually received from the Egyptians. And so Israel “spoiled” the Egyptians after the tenth plague. Passover in the Days of King Josiah (2 Chronicles. 35:1-19) More help comes to us when we examine the Passover in the days of King Josiah. While the entire account is remarkable, we will focus on only some of the verses: “And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them. And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people. And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. … So all the service of the Lord was prepared THE SAME DAY, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josiah.”—2 Chronicles 35:11-14,16 In this account we see that the priests offered the burnt offerings until night. This cannot refer merely to sunset for that is a completely different word and always precedes the night. This is the same word used in Exodus 12:8,12,30,31. How does this relate to the timing of the Passover? The answer is found in verse 16 where we are told that “all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day!” What day was it? It was the day “to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings.” In other words, since the burnt offerings were being prepared up to night (i.e., after sunset and thus the beginning of a new calendar day) and it was the same day as the Passover, we conclude that the Passover was also the same day as the preparing of the burnt offerings and this work was being done after sunset. According to Josephus, in 70 A.D. they sacrificed over 250,000 animals in about two hours (from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.). By using this as a measuring rod we see that with the Passover in Josiah’s day there were about one sixth as many animals sacrificed (41,400—see verses 7-9), so there appears to have been enough time to complete the task between sunset and night. New Testament — The Jews’ Passover “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover” (Luke 22:1). “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 2:13). “And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves” (John 11:55). Why would John have made reference to “the Jews’ Passover”? Who aside from the Jews celebrated the Passover? We find in this an inference that what the Jews of our Lord’s day were celebrating was different than what Jesus and his disciples were celebrating. The meaning was not different; rather the Jews had once again become so entrenched in the tradition of the elders they had gotten the celebration mixed up with the feast of Unleavened Bread which was supposed to follow the Passover. With this in mind certain Scriptures become a little easier to understand. Consider: “Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead” (John 12:1). This was Sunday evening the 9th of Nisan, the day prior to his triumphant entry in to Jerusalem (see verses 12-15). Six days later would be Saturday the 15th. Our Lord and his disciples celebrated the Passover on the 14th of Nisan (sunset Thursday to sunset Friday). Why the difference? Because one was “the Jew’s Passover” and the other was “the Lord’s Passover” (Exodus 12:11). “I shall eat the Passover”
Was our Lord’s ‘Last Supper’ a Passover meal? This should be one of the easiest questions in the New Testament to answer. All we have to do is attend to our Lord’s own words. We find the account given in three of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.” (Matthew 26:17-19). “And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.” (Mark 14:12-16). “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.” (Luke 22:7-13). While this seems clear enough to many, there are some who still question just what is meant. With this in mind, let us more closely examine the Luke passage. Here we will insert our remarks [within square brackets]: “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover [not just any meal, nor any other feast] must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us [not just the disciples but Jesus and his disciples] the Passover [exactly what it says, the Passover], that we [Jesus and his disciples] may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith [Peter and John are here relaying Jesus’ own words to the goodman of the house; thus, if these words were untrue and it is not the Passover, Jesus would not be truthful] unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the Passover [at this point there can be NO DOUBT Jesus is declaring that he is going to eat the Passover] with my disciples [thus the meal they shared together was indeed a Passover meal]? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover [exactly what it says, the Passover].” (Luke 22:7-13). We should all remember that to be our Redeemer, Jesus had to keep the law (the measure of a perfect man’s ability). In Isaiah 53:9 we read prophetically of him: “neither was any deceit in his mouth.” If in the above texts our Lord said he was going to eat the Passover, but had never really intended to do so, then he would have deceived the goodman of the house. How then could he be said to have fulfilled the prophetic description of Isaiah 53:9? Let the reader consider the consequences to the plan of God if this were true. We conclude therefore the following:
Time Elements of the Passover George Tabac Exodus chapter 12 records how the Passover lamb of Israel protected the firstborn from death and resulted in Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. It is a beautiful type of Jesus being our antitypical Passover lamb, which will ultimately deliver not only the Church of the Firstborn, but all mankind, from Adamic death. As we consider the type and anti-type of the Passover, we will reflect on two of the perplexing issues that have faced brethren and biblical scholars for centuries. These are: 1) the time the Passover lamb was slain, and 2) our Lord’s Last Supper when he instituted the Memorial. The apostle John places the last supper the night before Israel slew their Passover lambs, whereas Matthew, Mark, and Luke seem to imply that the last supper was the Passover meal. Bro. Russell also recognized this inconsistency when he wrote: “Our lesson points us to the first institution of this memorial, indicating that it was celebrated on the day before the Passover proper began” (Reprints, p. 2771). We might think it is not too important because whichever view is correct our overall understanding of the plan of God is not affected. This is true. However, for years, many brethren have been troubled by this seeming lack of harmony. Bible Students realize that God’s word should be completely harmonious. Now recent translation clarifications have come to light which we believe make it possible to harmonize all the Scriptures in the type and antitype pertaining to this subject. Time the Passover Was Slain The first difference of opinion is the time of day the Passover lamb was to be slain. Israel was to take the Passover lamb into their homes on the 10th of Nisan. Then Exodus 12:6 says, “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.” This is the King James translation, which is incorrect when it says “in the evening.” It should actually be “between the two evenings.” Rotherham translates it: “So shall it be yours to keep, until the fourteenth day of this month—then shall all the convocation of the assembly of Israel slay it between the two evenings.” “Between the two evenings” is the correct translation of the Hebrew. This does not mean that every time “evening” or “even” appears it should be “between the two evenings.” The Hebrew for evening, or even, is Strong’s #6153, `ereb, used 134 times in the Old Testament. But in eleven of these cases “evening” is in the dual and preceded by the Hebrew beyn, Strong’s #996, which means between—thus “between the two evenings.” These eleven instances are Exodus 12:6, 16:12, 29:39, 41, 30:8, Leviticus 23:5, Numbers 9:3,5,11, 28:4,8. Rotherham correctly translates this phrase “between the two evenings” or “between the evenings.” What time of day is meant by “between the two evenings”? Most biblical scholars accept one of two conclusions:1 This follows the precedent of Genesis 1:5 which describes a creative day as “the evening."
A) The first evening refers to the sunset opening a new Jewish day, and the second evening refers to when it became completely dark. Thus the expression refers to the period sometimes called twilight. In this view “between the two evenings” means a period of time at the beginning of a new Jewish day. B) The second view is that the first evening was 12 noon when the sun began to set from high noon, and the second evening was at sunset ending the Jewish Day, about 6:00 p.m. Thus “between the two evenings” would be 3:00 p.m., as the Jewish day was drawing to a close. This is our view. It is difficult to prove with absolute certainty which view is correct from any one Scripture. Seven of the references to “between the evenings” refer to the time of the slaying of the Passover lamb. One, Exodus 16:12, refers to a time Israel would eat quail. Another, Exodus 30:8 (NAS), refers to a time Aaron would “trim” the lampstand.2 Any one of these Scriptures could be open to interpretation. However, we believe “between the evenings” refers to 3:00 p.m., near the end of the Jewish day, based on the combination of several biblical texts, history and reason. Here is the evidence: Two Daily Offerings
This Scripture yields the first evidence for what we believe is the correct view of “between the evenings” when the Passover was slain. It is between 12 noon and 6:00 p.m., namely 3:00 p.m.—the exact time our Lord died on the cross. The Historian Josephus. \ Josephus lived during the first century A.D., as did our Lord Jesus. He records that the daily sacrifice (“between the evenings” according to the Law) was offered at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). When referring to the siege of Jerusalem under Pompey in the first century B.C., he wrote: “Any one may hence learn how very great piety we exercise towards God and the observance of his laws, since the priests were not at all hindered from their sacred ministrations by their fear during the siege, but did still twice each day, in the morning and about the ninth hour, offer their sacrifices on the altar” (Antiquities XIV.iv.3). Thus he specifically corroborates that “between the evenings” was at 3:00 p.m. (This accords with Acts 3:1, where the “hour of prayer” is the ninth hour.) The Passover in Josiah’s Time. 2 Chronicles 35:1-16 records a Passover Judah observed in the days of King Josiah. The animals slain numbered 41,400. Verses 11-16 say, regarding the Levites, “they killed the passover ... and the Levites flayed them ... and they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance ... afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron ... So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover.” Notice: because night was approaching and there were so many animals to be slain by the priests, the Levites needed to help the priests by preparing the Passover lambs for the priests and themselves before the 14th ended. This implies they began slaying the Passover lambs in the afternoon of the 14th, for there was not enough time before night came (when the 15th would begin) for the priests to slay all the animals for the people, as well as slay and prepare for themselves. Whereas, if “between the evenings” began at sunset, and the Passover lambs were slain after 6:00 p.m., then it was already night, which ran from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. when the sun rose. The Evening Sacrifice in Elijah’s Day When Elijah confronted the priests of Baal at Mount Carmel, he allowed them to call upon Baal until “midday was past,” and continue “until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice4 (1 Kings 18:29). Thereafter Elijah addressed the people, repaired the altar of Jehovah, made a trench around the altar, laid wood on the altar and a bullock in pieces upon the wood, called down fire from heaven, had the prophets of Baal slain at the brook Kishon, then had his servant look out toward the sea seven times, until he saw in the distance a small cloud “like a man’s hand” (1 Kings 18:44), and ran before Ahab to Jezreel. Clearly, all of this took place during daylight hours, but following the time of the evening sacrifice. This is consistent with the time of the evening sacrifice being mid-afternoon, but inconsistent with an evening sacrifice following sunset. Yet the evening sacrifice, and the Passover lambs, were sacrificed at the same time of day—“between the evenings”—mid-afternoon. The Meaning of “Evening” The Hebrew word `ereb (“even”), used by itself, simply means the close of the day. It can refer to either the closing period, that is the afternoon, or the closing event, namely sunset. In either case it refers to the close of a day rather than the opening of a day.5 This seems clear from Leviticus 23:32, where the term is used to precisely identify the Day of Atonement, which was always the 10th day of the seventh month. “It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Notice that the 10th day begins at the “even” of day nine—the close of day nine. This observation is helpful in understanding Deuteronomy 16:6 which says the Passover was to be slain at even. “Thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going ... of the sun.”6 Because it is undisputed that the Passover was slain on the 14th day of Nisan, and it is clear from the Leviticus text above that “even” is the close of a day, it is apparent that this text means the Passover was sacrificed late on the 14th day. That “even” (`ereb) can mean the closing period of the day, when the sun begins declining in the west, explains Exodus 16:12,13. Verse 12 says the Israelites would eat quail between the two evenings (Hebrew), whereas verse 13 says the quail appeared “at even.” Here “even” refers to the afternoon. The quail were caught, cooked quickly, and were being eaten by the Israelites “between the evenings,” before the setting of the sun. Events of the 14th and 15th As we consider the various accounts of what transpired on the 14th and 15th days, let us follow the time elements of the events which occurred. We believe the events can be harmonized only with the following understanding: The Passover lamb was slain toward the end of the 14th day of Nisan at 3:00 p.m. (Exodus 12:6, “between the two evenings,” Rotherham). It was then prepared and roasted during the three hours remaining of the 14th day. The 15th day began at 6:00 p.m.
A key point to note is that the Passover lamb was only slain, dressed, and roasted on the 14th. The eating of the lamb with unleavened bread was actually at the beginning of the 15th. This is why the 15th is called a Feast Day, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They were literally feasting on the Passover lamb, slain a few hours earlier at the end of the 14th. Recall that with the lamb the Israelites were to eat unleavened bread. They were to eat the meal in haste, with staff in hand, all dressed ready to leave for a journey quickly (Exodus 12:11). After eating the Passover lamb, Egypt’s firstborn were slain at midnight, and Israel’s firstborn were passed over. Deuteronomy 16:1-3 says Israel began leaving Egypt that night. “Observe the month of Abib [later known as Nisan], and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, [even] the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life” (Deuteronomy 16:1-3). These verses confirm why Israel was told to eat the Passover all dressed, ready to leave Egypt in haste for a journey; namely that the Israelites began to leave that very night. At first this may seem to conflict with Exodus 12:22, which says none were to go out at the door of his house until the morning. Yet we know Moses and Aaron left their houses before morning when Pharaoh called for them. Evidently the point was that all had to remain under the blood until the death angel had passed by. Since this was at midnight, it was safe for Moses and Aaron to leave any time after that. Leaving at night might seem to conflict with Numbers 33:3 which says they left in the morning, after the Passover. However this is easily harmonized when we realize that after Egypt’s firstborn were slain at midnight, Pharaoh that same night called for Moses and Aaron and urged them to leave Egypt. “At midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from among my people” (Exodus 12:29-31). “It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations” (Exodus 12:42). Verses 31 and 42 say that the night Pharaoh told Moses to leave was to be observed for leaving Egypt. Leaving Egypt began at night when the Israelites’ release was granted. It could have been close to the morning daylight when Israel was informed by Moses. They gathered their belongings and left at daybreak of the 15th. That day was celebrated annually as a feast day to commemorate being passed over by the death angel, and released from Egypt. Exodus on the 15th Day Numbers 33:3 confirms Israel departed Rameses 7 } in Egypt on the 15th day. “So then they brake up from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the morrow [or morning8]: of the passover, came forth the sons of Israel with an uplifted hand, in the sight of all the Egyptians" (Rotherham). Notice—Israel departed in the morning hours immediately following the passing over of Israel’s firstborn. This confirms that the “passing over” of Israel’s firstborn, and the Exodus, were both on the 15th. However, some who think that the passing over of Israel’s firstborn was on the 14th, believe Israel used an extra day to plunder the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35,36) before leaving on the 15th day. But notice the rendering of the NAS. “Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing, and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians” (Exodus 12:35,36, NAS). That is, the Israelites had done this some time before the tenth plague. Notice Exodus 11:1-3. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague [more] upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians.” Since the plundering of the Egyptians took place before the tenth plague, there was nothing to hold Israel from leaving Egypt that very night/morning when the firstborn were slain. They left promptly. Numbers 33:3 says that day was the 15th.
All of this accords with the chart above—and not otherwise. For if the Passover lamb was slain at 6:00 p.m. at the beginning of the 14th, Israel’s departure “that night” would have been on the 14th. But Numbers 33:3 affirms it was on the 15th. The force of Numbers 33:3 induces some to suppose an 18 to 30 hour delay after the Passover, before leaving Egypt. In this case, why would they have been told to eat the meal “in haste,” dressed for a quick departure? Why the 15th was to be a Day of Perpetual Celebration The 15th day was to be a special feast day, a holy convocation, and sabbath. “In the fourteenth day of the first month [between the evenings] is the LORD’s passover. 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. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (Leviticus 23:5-7). If the 14th was the day Israel’s firstborn were passed over, and their deliverance from Egypt began that night, then why should the 15th be a special feast day, holy convocation, and sabbath? There is no question that the Passover lamb was slain on the 14th. But notice how Exodus 12:11-17 shows us that it was eaten, the firstborn were passed over, and the Exodus occurred, all on the 15th day—which is why that day was memorialized forever. 11“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. [From this verse alone we wouldn’t know if the eating was the 14th or 15th.] 12“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn ... 13When I see the blood, I will pass over you [the same night as the eating of the lamb]. 14And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD ... for ever.” [What day? The same day they ate the Passover and the death angel passed them over.] 15Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread ... 16In the first day there shall be an holy convocation ... 17for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.”—Exodus 12:11-17 Do we notice the import of verse 14 when it says “this day?” Let us concisely tie these verses together.
Three outstanding things happened in the same night —eating, being passed over, and leaving Egypt. Therefore that day was to be memorialized forever by a feast, convocation, and sabbath. These were all the same Jewish Day—namely, Nisan 15. Leviticus 23:5-7 affirms all this, by saying that day was memorialized by a feast and a holy convocation (or sabbath), on the 15th, the day after they killed the Passover lamb. Thus the Passover lamb was slain toward the end of the 14th day, then dressed and roasted for the Sabbath Day Feast following on the 15th. The Sabbath Day Feast actually consisted of eating the Passover lamb. What made the passing over and deliverance possible was the slaying of the Passover lamb at 3:00 p.m. of the 14th, which antitypically pictured our Lord dying at 3:00 p.m. on the 14th. His ransom sacrifice on the 14th ultimately brings deliverance not only to the Firstborn Church, but to all mankind. Feast of the Passover Three Scriptures refer to the Passover as a “Passover Feast.”
Exodus 23:14-16 gives only three feasts for Israel: “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year ... the feast of unleavened bread ... the feast of harvest ... and feast of ingathering.” Note there is no mention here of the feast of Passover specified in the three texts above. Those texts actually refer to eating the Passover lamb on the 15th day. The Passover lamb was the food feasted upon on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. In other words, the Passover Feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are one and the same. “Keeping” the Passover Four Scriptures in the King James refer to Israel “keeping” the Passover on the 14th day: Numbers 9:4,5; Joshua 5:10; 2 Chronicles 35:1,17; Ezra 6:19,22. The word translated “kept” is Strong’s #6213, `âsâh. It is used 2,633 times in the Old Testament; it is translated 171 different ways in the King James. Thirty seven times it is rendered “prepare” or “prepared.” “Prepared” is the correct thought in these verses and is used in almost every case by Leeser, a well known Jewish translation.9 The meaning of “kept” in Ezra 6:19-22 is clear from the context: “The children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth [day] of the first month. For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity ... And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy.” “Keeping” the Passover on the 14th day meant killing and preparing it so that it could be eaten on the 15th day as part of the seven day feast of unleavened bread. Unleavened Bread Eaten Seven Days Not Eight To further substantiate that the eating of the Passover lamb
was on the 15th, we want to recall it was to be eaten with unleavened bread
(Exodus 12:8). Then we are told of the feast of unleavened bread that was to
last seven days, from the 15th through the 21st (Leviticus 23:6).
If the eating of the passover lamb was on the 14th, then the total time Israel would have eaten unleavened bread would be eight days (14th through the 21st). Yet in every reference to how long Israel was to eat unleavened bread, and have their homes free of leaven, it always mentions only seven days, never eight. For example, Deuteronomy 16:2-4 (NAS): “You shall sacrifice the passover to the LORD ... You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste) ... For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.” (Exodus 13:3-7 affirms the same.) This means the Passover was not a separate meal on the 14th, but rather the main food eaten on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was the 15th 10 . Seven Day Feast Following the Death of the Passover
The Passover was killed on the 14th day, and the seven day feast followed on days 15 through 21. The first and seventh days were special sabbaths (Leviticus 23:5-8). The antitype is the death of Jesus on the afternoon of Nisan 14, followed by the Gospel age, which Revelation presents as seven periods of time—the seven stages of the Church. The Church was not feasting on the 14th day, picturing the Jewish age in which our Lord died near its end. Our spiritual feasting, appropriating Jesus’ ransom merit, began fifty days later at Pentecost, and continues through the Gospel age. The special sabbaths on days one and seven picture the early and latter rains of truth. The early rains showered on the Church through our Lord and the Apostles. The latter rains shower on the Laodicean Church from our returned Lord through Bro. Russell (Joel 2:23; James 5:7). The Last Supper—New Testament Corroboration The synoptic gospels agree that Jesus died on Nisan 14 at the ninth hour, 3:00 p.m. our time (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:44-46). Thus Jesus died as the antitypical Passover lamb at the exact same time Israel was to slay their typical Passover lambs. This timing is confirmed by the Historian Josephus. Referring to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D., Josephus said, “These high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover ... slay their sacrifices from the ninth hour to the eleventh”—3:00 to 5:00 p.m.11 In all of this the gospel of John agrees, as we will show. But there is an apparent difference between John’s record, and that of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John says the Israelites killed their Passover lambs after Jesus had the last supper, whereas Matthew, Mark, and Luke seem to say the last supper was a Passover observance. This apparent difference has caught the notice of Christian commentators for centuries. We believe this difference can now be reconciled. First, note that all the gospels refer to Nisan 14 as the “day of preparation.” Matthew 27:62, the day of Jesus’ death, was “the day of the preparation.” Mark 15:42, “it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath.” Luke 23:54, “that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.” John 19:42, “There they laid Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day.” The 14th was called the day of preparation because on this day Israel made preparations for the High Sabbath Feast, which began at 6:00 p.m. opening the 15th. Part of this preparation on the 14th was the slaying of the Passover lamb at 3:00 p.m., then dressing and roasting it in preparation for the feast to follow that night. The preparation day began with each household making a thorough search to rid their houses of leaven. There was an extreme penalty if any leaven was left until the 15th day. “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; but on the first day ye shall have [already]12 put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eateth leavened bread, that soul shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15, Leeser). In other words, leaven was removed on the 14th, before the feast began on the 15th. Another Jewish translation (the Stone Edition Tanach) says, “For a seven-day period shall you eat matzos, but on the previous day [the 14th] you shall nullify the leaven from your homes.” Thus the preparation day on Nisan 14, 33 A.D., included:
On this preparation day, well after Jesus had eaten the last supper, Jesus’ Jewish captors had not yet eaten the Passover. “Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover” (John 18:28). This text is explicit. The Jewish leaders had not yet eaten the Passover—that would be the following night. This is strong evidence that the last supper was not the normal Passover. Some brethren feel Jesus had to partake of the typical Passover in 33 A.D. order to keep the Law perfectly. It truly was obligatory for Jesus to keep the Law perfectly. However, in the year 33 A.D. when he died at the exact time the Passover lamb was to be slain, he died before the Passover meal was due. Instead, he fulfilled the type by dying on the cross as the antitypical Passover lamb at exactly the right time, 3:00 p.m. Events During the Last Supper John 13 describes events during the last supper. Verse one begins, “Now before the Feast of the Passover” (NAS). At the outset, John tells us the last supper was before the Feast of the Passover. During the supper Jesus spoke of being betrayed, dipped a sop, gave it to Judas, and said “what thou doest, do quickly” (verse 27, ASV). The others did not know “for what purpose” Jesus said this, some supposing because Judas kept the treasury, Jesus was saying to “Buy those things that we have need of against the feast” (verse 29). Thus again John tells us the last supper was before the Feast of Passover. But we need to harmonize these Scriptures in John with Matthew 26:17-21, Mark 14:12-18, and Luke 22:7-16, which seem to say the last supper was a Passover. All three passages begin by referring to the time as the first “day of unleavened bread.” Since the last supper was on day 14, and the feast of unleavened bread began on day 15, evidently this phrase refers to the preparations for the feast following, which included the removal of leaven. These passages say when the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare the Passover, Jesus told them, so they went and began preparations, as all Israel did on the day of preparation. This started with cleaning every speck of leaven from the room, getting bitter herbs, bringing the lamb they had chosen since the 10th day, and perhaps appointing someone to take it to the temple for killing at the proper time the next afternoon. Then we are told they all came together to eat. But note, nothing is said about this being the Passover meal. Epithumia Luke 22:14-16 then adds this important part: “And when the hour was come [for the evening meal], he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you.” Does this mean the last supper was a Passover meal? Possibly, but not necessarily. Several days before Christmas, we might say “I long to share this Christmas with you, but I won’t be able to”—referring to the approaching occasion. So with Jesus about “this” Passover. In fact, when we analyze the Greek word for “desire” in the Luke passage, it becomes apparent that Jesus was referring to the Passover planned for the next afternoon. It was this understanding that unlocked the harmony of the New Testament Scriptures with the time element of the type. Let’s see how! “With desire” is Strong’s #1939, epithumia. Professor Strong defines it as “a longing (especially for what is forbidden).” This word is translated in the King James as “lust” (or “concupiscence” which means the same thing) thirty-five times out of the thirty-eight times it is used, and three times of a good desire that cannot be fulfille13 Hence, in all cases, “a longing for that which is forbidden.” But why would Jesus use this word relative to the Passover—“longing for that which is forbidden”—when there are four other Greek words Jesus could have used that express intense longing desire that was not forbidden? Greek Words Meaning Good Desire
The reason Jesus did not use any of these words is that his longing could not be satisfied—it was in a sense forbidden—because he knew he would die before the scheduled Passover of the following night. To paraphrase Luke 22:15: “W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
