Prison
The following is from a 15th Passover keeper
THIS WRITE-UP IS ADDRESSED TO ALL PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT YESHUA THE MESSIAH (JESUS CHRIST) WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE JEWS ON A TUESDAY NIGHT, NISAN 14, AND THEN CRUCIFIED THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY MORNING AT 9 A.M. !
I originally wrote about this subject (on paper) back in 2-10-97, but decided recently that I would re-write it again into an e-mail article, and condense it abit.
The scriptures that got me started on this subject years ago was, Mark 15:25 and John 19:14.
Mark 15:25 says; 'And it was the THIRD HOUR, and they crucified him'.
John 19:14 says; 'And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the SIXTH HOUR: and he (Pilate) said unto the Jews,....Behold your King.'
When I read those two scriptures years ago, I saw that there was a "definite contradiction" from the way that I was being taught back then, and those two scriptures. There is NO-WAY that you can crucify a man at 9 A.M., (Mark 15:25) and STILL be holding trial for that man's crucifiction 3 hours later, on the SAME DAY at 12 Noon. (John 19:14)
I was a member of the Worldwide Church Of God for over 20 years, (1970-1992) and was always taught by that organization all those years that Christ was taken captive by the Jews at night, (around midnight) ON the 14th of Nisan, and then the very next morning at 9 AM., ON that same 14th of Nisan, he was taken out and crucified. According to John 19:14 etc., those teachings they gave me back then, were FALSE teachings !
A former minister in that WCG organization years ago named Fred Coulter, put together a book for everyone, that he called, "Harmony of The Gospels". In that book of his, he had a chart, which he called; "Jesus' Last Passover -- Nisan 14". His chart matched the teachings of the WCG back then, which showed Christ as being captured around mid-night, ON Nisan 14, and then crucified the following morning at 9 A.M., ON Nisan 14.
When I examined Fred's chart abit more closely, I seen that he had Christ standing in front of the "entire Sanhedrin Council" at 5 o'clock in the morning. I wondered at the time, why would the "entire Sanhedrin Council" meet that early, at 5 A.M, to hold or conduct a trial for a person? I wondered if the 70 members of the 'entire Sanhedrin Council' stayed up all night long, or whether they all got up out of their beds at 3 or 4 o clock in the a.m., just to be down at their meeting place by 5 a.m.? I wondered why their trial with Christ couldn't wait until everyone involved in it, got a little sleep, or until they could see where to walk without stumbling thru the darkness to their courthouse or to their meeting place? I also wondered back then, who rounded up those 70 members of the Sanhedrin Council in the middle of the night, if all of them didn't stay up all night. Those were just a few of the questions that came to mind back then, when I looked over Fred Coulter's chart, so I started doing a little Bible study of my own on the subject, to see if Fred Coulter's chart was correct or not.
When I read the scriptures Luke 22:66, and Matt. 27:1-2, and Mark 15:1, ---- I found out that those 3 scriptures tell us that it was "morning time" or "day time" when Christ was brought in front of the "entire Sanhedrin Council" for his 1st trial with all of them . I already knew that Christ was taken over to the high priests houses from midnight until morning time, but when I read those 3 scriptures, I realized that the actual trial of Christ with the 'entire Council', ( which consisted of 70 members) didn't occur or happen until it became "morning time" or "day-time".
I then began to ask myself, what time is "morning time" or "day-time"? Is it 5 a.m.? Is it 6 a.m.? Is it 7 a.m.?
Christ said in John 11:9,..."Are There Not 12 Hours In A Day?, so I already knew that the "daylight" portion of a Hebrew "day" was counted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m, which made up the 12 hours that Christ was refering to in that scripture, so I began to look up other Hebrew time-frames in the scriptures to see what they said as well, and here is some of what I found:
Hebrew time for "the Third Hour" = 9 A.M. (see Mark 15:25,---Matt. 20:3,--- Acts 2:15)
Hebrew time for "the Sixth Hour" = 12 Noon
(see John 19:14,--- Matt. 20:5,-27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, John 4:6, Acts 10:9)
Hebrew time for "the Ninth Hour" = 3 P.M.
(see Matt. 20:5, 27:45-46, Mark 15:33-34, Luke 23:44, Acts 3:1, 10:3, 10:30 )
Hebrew time for "the Tenth Hour" = 4 P.M. (see John 1:39)
I found out by reading those above "Hebrew Hourly Time-frames", that everyone of the apostles used "Hebrew Time-Frames" in all of their writings. I found NO "Roman Hourly Time-frames" in any of the apostles writings.
When I found out that Christ DID NOT stand in front of the "entire Sanhedrin Council" for his 1st trial with them until the "morning time" or until "day-time", I was then curious as to what time the 'entire Sanhedrin Council' normally got together to hold their trials for people, so I looked up the word "Sanhedrin" in the International Dictionary Of The Bible, and this is what I found;
SANHEDRIN
1) They could meet on any day, except the Sabbath Day and the Holy Days.
2) Their meetings "always" started with the morning sacrifice, and lasted until the time of the evening sacrifice, and that the morning sacrifices started at 9 A.M.
3) The meetings were conducted according to "strict rules", and were enlivened by stirring
debates.
4) To avoid any hasty condemnation, (where life was involved) Judgement was passed the same day, "Only if it was a Judgement Of Acquittal".
5) If it was a Judgement of Condemnation, (Death) ....It "Could Not" Be Passed Until The Day After.
6) For This Reason, The Cases Involving Capital Punishment, (Death) "Were Not" Tried On A Friday, Or On Any Day "Before A Feast Day".
According to the above strict rules of the Sanhedrin, they NEVER tried capital punishment cases on the day BEFORE a Feast Day, and it ALWAYS took '2 whole days' to condemn a man to his death back then. The 15th of Nisan was a 'Feast Day' for the Sanhedrin Council back then, so those that are out there teaching others that a death sentence was pronounced over Christ On the 14th of Nisan by that Sanhedrin Council, (or in just ONE single day) are spreading false information to people.
Fred Coulter, and the WCG, (and thousands of others out there) somehow think that the powerful Jewish Sanhedrin Council back then, violated "all" of their rules, and all of their regulations, (and even some of their religious beliefs) to capture, and to hold a trial for, and to condemn a Jewish prisoner to his death. They somehow think and teach others, that all of the rules, and all of the regulations, and all of the sanity, and all of the 'common sense' of that Sanhedrin Council, went suddenly out of their courtroom windows, with the capture of Christ.
To say that the entire Sanhedrin court system held a trial "before the sun came up", and on a day BEFORE one of their Feast Days, is to say that the Sanhedrin Court system went against "all their own rules". From what I have heard of them, the Sanhedrin Court System back then, was a highly respected court system, and Not some kind of a kangaroo type of a court system that needed to stay up all night long, violating everyone of their rules of conduct, codes, morals, and ethics etc., just so they could pronounce a death sentence over a prisoner.
When the scriptures say that Christ was brought before the "whole council" ( the whole 70 members of the Sanhedrin Council) in the "Morning Time" or at "Day Time", I believe those scriptures. Those scriptures DO NOT say "Night-Time" or "Before The Sun Came Up".
The Sanhedrin Court System condemned a lot of people to death back then, so why do people like Fred Coulter and the WWCG (and many others out there) think and teach people that the Jews in that Sanhedrin Court System back then broke everyone of their rules and everyone of their regulations, just to put on trial, and just to pronounce a death sentence upon one of their prisoners?
Here's a few questions that are directed at Fred Coulter, and the WCG, and the thousands of others out there, who think as they do on this matter.
Where is your scriptural "proof" that even one illegal trial took place against Christ back then?
Where is your scriptural ‘proof' that any of the rules of the Sanhedrin Council were broken? Where is your scriptural "proof" that a ‘night-court' or a ‘pre-dawn trial' was conducted by the Sanhedrin Council back then ? Where is your scriptural 'proof' that the Governor Pilate performed any illegal trials for Christ ? Where is your scriptural 'proof' that King Herod performed an illegal trial for Christ ?
Fred Coulter and the WCG, (and thousands of others) think that Roman Governors and Roman Kings of 2000 years ago, had nothing else to do in their lives back then, except to jump out of their nice warm beds at 3 or 4 a.m., and then rush down to their courthouses in the pre-dawn hours of the night, just because a bunch of mad religious fanatic Jews are outside their doors demanding it of them. Fred Coulter and the WCG (and thousands of others) think that Roman Governors and Roman Kings back then, had nothing else to do in their lives, except to wait breathlessly down at their courthouses at 4 or 5 a.m., just to begin some trials for a bunch of radical Jews, who didn't even have any appointments made with them for any trials.
Fred Coulter and the WCG (and thousands of others out there) want the rest of us to believe that Roman Governors and Roman Kings back then, loved their jobs so much, that they couldn't wait for the sun to come up to start their trials, or for normal business hours to start their trials. Why don't those same people (who believe that way) try banging on the door of their own Governors mansion at 4 or 5 a.m., without any appointments, and dragging a prisoner, and demanding a trial ? I would love to see them try it. They would end up being the prisoners, as I view it. My own 'common sense' tells me that a Governor or a King does not even start his official day of business until around 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning, and sometimes even later than that, depending on whether or not they had other matters to attend to that day, and depending on how they felt that day, etc.
Here's a few more questions (with some comments of mine) directed at Fred Coulter, and the WCG, and the thousands of others that are out there, who think as they do on this matter.
When the Governor Pilate went to bed on the night of the 14th of Nisan, did he have the knowledge about the capture of Christ by the Jews? When the Governor Pilate went to bed on the night of the 14th of Nisan, was he aware of the fact that he would have to wake up early to conduct a pre-dawn trial for Christ? Even if Pilate was aware of the captivity of Christ during the night by the Jews, (which I doubt very much) what purpose would be accomplished by conducting a pre-dawn trial for Christ? My guess is, that both the Governor and the King DID NOT even know about the capture of Christ, until they awoke the following morning. Also, how could the Jews have asked or petitioned Pilate for a pre-dawn trial, when the Jews themselves didn't even have Christ in captivity until around mid-night or after? At midnight or after, wasn't Pilate and King Herod fast asleep in their beds? At mid-night or after, wasn't most all of the people of Jerusalem fast asleep and in their beds, except for those who went out and physically captured Christ ? To assume that everyone stayed up all that night, just to capture and to question Christ is ridiculous! Just because the high Priest and a few of his servants, and a few others back then went without sleep that night, does not mean that everyone else back then did! My guess is, that the 70 members of the Sanhedrin lived throughout the city of Jerusalem, and were not directly involved with the capture of Christ. My guess is, that most all of the Sanhedrin members didn't even know what had transpired with the capture of Christ that night, until they awoke the following morning. The same could be said for the 'multitudes' of people who were involved in those 4 trials of Christ, could it not? The scriptures do not tell us either way, so 'common sense' prevails here. My 'common sense' tells me that most all of those people back then, who were involved in those 4 different trials of Christ, DID NOT stay up all night long, with-out sleep.
When one examines Fred Coulters chart close-up, they will see that he has the ‘1st trial' of Christ (with the 'whole Sanhedrin Council' ) starting at around 5 a.m., and the ‘2nd trial' of Christ (with Pilate) starting approx. 30 minutes later at around 5:30 a.m., and the ‘3rd trial' of Christ (with King Herod) starting at around 6:30 a.m., with King Herod sending Christ back to Pilate for the starting of his ‘4th trial' at around 7:30 a.m.. It then shows Christ being led away for his crucifiction at around 8:30 a.m., and then shows Christ being crucified at 9 a.m.
What's wrong with all those time-frames on Fred Coulter's chart? PLENTY !!!!
Trials are not conducted in minutes, as Fred and others out there would have us to believe. Trials take hours, and sometimes days to conduct to determine whether a person is guilty or innocent of the charges that are brought against them. Fred ‘crams' 4 different trials, with 3 different judges, at 4 different locations, with hundreds of happenings, with hundreds of people involved, etc. etc., into some 3 or 4 or 5 hour time-frame ! His ‘fast-tracking' of trials, does not match the scriptures, nor does it match ones 'common sense' !
Fred never addressed John 19:14 on his chart, and he never addressed Mark 15:25 on his chart, and he never addressed Luke 22:66 and Matt.27:1-2 and Mark 15:1 on his chart. Those 5 scriptures alone, DESTROY most all of Fred Coulter's time-frames on his chart.
Fred also didn't explain to everyone on his chart, HOW that 5 o'clock in the morning is ‘day-time' or ‘morning time', nor did he explain to everyone on his chart HOW that a Roman Governor, and a Roman King, and ALL 70 members of a Jewish Sanhedrin Court, and the 'multitudes of people', who were involved in those 4 different trials of Christ etc., ALL went with-out sleep on the night of the capture of Christ, nor did he explain to people in his chart HOW that ALL of those 'multitudes of people' (who were in Jerusalem at the time for the Passover season) ALL managed to jump out of nice warm beds at the very same time during the middle of the night, then rush down to their nearest courthouses for a bunch of pre-dawn trials, that MOST didn't even know about BEFORE going to bed that night, nor did he address the fact on his chart, that the normal meeting times for the 'whole Sanhedrin Council' to assemble on, was at 9 a.m., and not at 5 a.m., nor did he address the simple fact on his chart, that the 'whole' Sanhedrin Court System was governed by very strict rules that forbid them to condemn a man to death in less then 2 days, nor did he address the simple fact on his chart that the Sanhedrin Court never met on a day, (or held court) that was prior to a Feast Day!
Fred also ignored the simple fact on his chart, that it was the Romans who ruled the empire back then, and NOT any of the Jews, or the Sanhedrin Court System back then.
A Roman Governor or a Roman King back then, would 'Never' allow themselves to be bullied or pushed around by a bunch of religious fanatic Jews, into performing 'Fast Track Trials" in their courtrooms. The Romans were very disciplined in their court systems, and were not intimidated by the Jews or anyone else back then. To think that the Jews could just barge in on these men of great authority anytime they wanted to, is ridiculous and assinine thinking. The proper protocol and respect and appointments for trials were required of the Jews, just like everyone else had to do back then. Fred Coulter and thousands of others out there, would have us all to believe that the 70 members of the Sanhedrin and a multitude of mad Jews, went up to the door of a Roman Governors mansion back then, beat on his door before sun-up, rousting him out of his sleep, demanding that he perform an instant trial for all of them, with-out making any appointments for a trial, then 30 minutes later, they were banging on the door of King Herod demanding the very same thing to him. Keep in mind folks, that this was the same King Herod who had John the Baptists head cut off. (I personally would rather try waking up a junk yard dog, then to go up and bang on that man's door in the middle of the night, and waking him up) Not only would the proper protocol be required for all the Jews back then to see Pilate and to petition him for a trial, but Pilate himself had to follow Roman customs and protocol as well, to send Christ over to see King Herod for a trial.
According to the scriptures, Pilate and King Herod did not get along very well with one another prior to the exchange of Christ back and forth, so 'common sense' tells me that when Pilate sends the Jews and Christ over to see King Herod for a trial, he does so using the proper Roman protocol and procedures and respect. Pilate wanted to make points with King Herod, and not offend him, so I feel that he petitioned King Herod for a trial (for Christ) according to all the Roman customs back then for doing so.
Luke 23:12, says that the two (Pilate and Herod) became friends "that same day", due to the exchanging of Christ back and forth with each other. That one scripture alone, is enough proof for me, that the 4 trials (that Christ went thru back then) took more then just one day.
Luke 23:8-9, says that when King Herod finally gets to meet Christ, (the 3rd trial) he is very glad to see him, and he questions him with "many words". Those 'many words' would have to take more then just a few minutes. Herod found Christ fascinating, and Herod very much wanted Christ to perform some miracles for him, while there. Luke 23:10 says that the chief priests and the scribes stood up, and vehemently accused Christ in front of King Herod.
That one scripture proves that people were sitting down in Herod's courtroom, and proves that the accusers of Christ were even allowed to speak out in Herod's court room. That '3rd trial' of Christ with King Herod was not a 'fast track' trial either. It very well could have lasted for hours, as I now see it. After Herod realized that Christ would perform no miracles for him, and after Herod finally turns Christ over to his soldiers for some mocking and abuse, he decides to send Christ back to Pilate again. The abusing and the mocking of Christ by Herod's soldiers, could have easily lasted more then the 30 minutes that Fred Coulter allows on his chart for that '3rd trial', could it not? Just the trip from Pilate's place to Herod's place, could have easily been the 30 minutes that Fred Coulters chart allows for that '3rd trial', could it not? The 30 minutes that Fred Coulter allows on his chart for that '3rd trial' with King Herod, will never get my vote. When King Herod finally tires of Christ and the Jews, (and finds Christ innocent of all the charges that were brought against him by the Jews) he sends all of them back to see Pilate again, which of course, starts that 4th or 'final trial' of Christ. Again, did King Herod use the normal Roman protocol to send Christ and the Jews back to Pilate for that 'final trial', or did King Herod command his soldiers to deliver Christ back to Pilate, or did he simply command the Jews to take Christ out of his courtroom, and back to see Pilate again? The scriptures don't say either way, but which-ever way it was done back then, I strongly feel that it was done using the proper Roman protocol to do it. Anyone who thinks that Christ was ‘fast-tracked' from one trial to another, and from one court house to another, in a matter of MINUTES during the night-time or during the pre-dawn hours of the morning back then, (with-out any appointments for those trials in those courtrooms) better start producing the scriptures to prove that non-sense to me, because I think those kind of teachings are assinine.
Here's more reasons why I think that the '4th trial' of Christ (with Pilate) lasted for hours.
Pilate's wife said to Pilate in Matt. 27:19, that she had suffered many things in a dream
"that day" because of Christ, and told her husband not to have anything to do with Christ
because of those dreams. Pilate wanted very badly to release Christ, especially after his wife came to him and told her dream to him, and asked him to release Christ. But to avoid a riot, he bargains back and forth with the mad Jews, and even tries to offer them Barrabas instead of Christ. When the Jews rejected Barrabas and demanded the crucifiction of Christ, and when they told Pilate that Christ was making Ceasor look bad, (by saying that he was a king also) Pilate gets a pan of water, and washes his hands of the whole mess, and tells the Jews that the blood of Christ will be on THEIR hands, and not on his. It's about this time, that I believe that John 19:14 comes to pass, which plainly tells us that it was the ‘6th hour' (NOON) when Pilate finally makes his ‘final judgment' of Christ, and turns him over to his soldiers to BEGIN the crucifiction process.
The crucifiction process was not done quickly either. It took preparation and time also.
Christ was not crucified until 9 a.m. in the morning time, (Mark 15:25) so I now believe that AFTER the scourging, and AFTER the sentencing, and AFTER the abuse by Pilate's soldiers etc., Christ was taken to a nearby holding cell, (a prison) and kept OVERNIGHT until the following wednesday morning, (Nisan 14) when he was taken out of that PRISON cell (early) and crucified. (See Isa. 53:8)
Now, I am no expert on crucifictions, but the "scourging" process alone could not have been done in just a few minutes! To strip a persons clothes off of them, then tie that person to a post, then beat the hell out of that person with a cat-a-nine tails until they almost die from that beating, takes more then just a few minutes. The Roman soldiers loved to humiliate people before they crucified them, and Christ was no exception. Isa. 52:14 says that his vision and his form was "marred more then any man"! The next morning, (early) is when I think that Isa. 53:8 was fulfilled. I now believe that Christ spent his last night alive in a prison cell, awaiting the next mornings crucifiction. I now believe that they (the Romans) took Christ out of his prison cell early in the morning, (on the day of his crucifiction) and strapped that cross beam across his shoulders, then marched him thru the streets of Jerusalem with it, before marching him up the hill to be crucified at 9 a.m.. Due to his loss of blood during the night and from the terrible beating that he had received the day before, he was too weak the following morning to carry his cross beam, and that's why another man was made to carry it for him thru the streets of Jerusalem and up to his crucifiction site. (Matt. 27:32)
As you can see, the crucifiction process by itself took a long while, and not just a few minutes, as Fred Coulter and others out there would have us believe! The crucifiction process of Christ was even slower then normal, due to the two thieves (who were crucified with Christ) were going thru the very same process, at the very same time. My common sense tells me that all 3 were kept overnight in a prison cell at the same time, and all 3 were brought out of those prison cells in the morning at the same time, and all 3 were made to carry their cross beams thru the streets of Jerusalem at the same time, and all 3 were crucified at the same time !
The scriptures don't really tell us how many hours or days that Christ was kept in a prison cell (or a holding cell) by the Romans or by the Jews back then leading up to his crucifiction, but anyone who uses just a little 'common sense' with some of their brain cells, knows that the hundreds of happenings (from his last supper meal to his crucifiction) ‘Could Not' have been accomplished in just a 3 or a 4 or a 5 hour time-frame, as Fred Coulter's chart states, and as the WCG taught me, and as thousands of others 'still' believe and teach today.
I now firmly believe that Christ was taken captive by the Jews on the 10th of Nisan, and held OVERNIGHT in prison cells (or holding cells) by both the Jews and the Romans, til the 14th of Nisan. Exo. 12:3-6, are the scriptures that PROVE IT.
The Passover Lamb of Exo. 12: pictured Christ, did it not? The Passover Lamb of Exo. 12:, was commanded to be taken out of the flock ON the 10th of Nisan, and held (in captivity or in confinement or in a holding cell) until the 14th of Nisan, was it not?
The Sanhedrin Council (court) condemned lots of people to their death for different things back then, but as I stated earlier in this write-up, for the Sanhedrin to pronounce the death sentence over anyone, took 2 days or 2 different trials to do so. To await those 2 trials on those 2 different days, required an OVERNIGHT stay for all of those prisoners, did it not? I now firmly believe that Christ was kept OVERNIGHT in a holding cell or a prison, between some of his trials. Like I said before, the Jews could not just barge in on a Roman Governor or in on a King with-out any appointments or with-out any proper protocol or respect, so Pilate may or may not have received Christ right away for a trial, due to other obligations, and Christ could have very easily have been kept over-night in a prison cell awaiting his turn with Pilate. The same could be said of King Herod. The King could have been busy with other matters the day Pilate sent Christ over, and could have very easily detained him over-night in one of his prison cells. Even when King Herod finished with his trial with Christ, (3rd trial) he could have very easily kept him over-night in a prison cell, before he sent him back to see Pilate. This is all speculation of course, but when I read scriptures like John 19:14 and Isa. 53:8 etc., I am fully convinced in my mind, that Christ was kept OVERNIGHT somewhere in a prison cell back then, to fulfil those two scriptures !
Even if one ignores John 19:14, and ignores Isa.. 53:8, and ignores the fact that the apostle John used nothing but Hebrew 'hours' in his writings, or gives some other lame excuses for the understanding of those two scriptures,..... ‘common sense' rules on this matter.
For those of you out there, who ‘STILL' want to hang onto some of the false teachings that have come out of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) on this matter, then that's your choice, but you will never get me to believe in those false teachings again, or get me to re-join that 'organization of men' again! The more I study the scriptures and the bible concordances and the history books etc. on this matter, the more I realize that a lot of what I was taught by the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) years ago, was nothing but FALSEHOODS and LIES !
Since I wrote up my original letters on this subject back in 1997, I have received both positive and negative comments regarding this subject. The positive comments always seem to come from people who have an open mind to TRUTH, and the negative comments always seem to come from those that are still idolizing Herbert Armstrong and the false doctrines that he taught years ago, or from those who are 'still' making money off of all those false doctrines that he taught everyone years ago.
Since leaving the W.C.G. and some of it's off-shoot organizations, I have discovered many many errors and falsehoods in the teachings of Herbert Armstrong and his WCG organization. Man made 'organizations' tend to brain-wash the people to the leaders point of view, and if the leader is off-track on some of his beliefs and doctrines, then the whole man-made organization suffers from it. Herbert Armstrong (and his WCG organization) taught thousands of people years ago, that the 'last supper meal' (that Christ shared with his disciples) was ‘The Passover'. Because of that LIE that Herbert told back then, thousands of people today are 'still' in a state of confusion on this matter.
The ‘Last Supper Meal' WAS NOT The Exo. 12: Passover Meal !
Christ DID NOT eat the Exo. 12 Passover Meal, on the night that Judas betrayed him.
Those who teach people that Christ ate the Exo. 12 Passover Meal on the night of his betrayal, are teaching LIES to people !
Fred Coulter's chart, which he called ‘Jesus Last Passover'-- Nisan 14, should have been labled ‘Fred's Last Passover' or ‘Herbert's Last Passover' instead, because it certainly Was Not Jesus' Last Passover ! Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) Never ate the Exo.12: 'Passover' on the night of his betrayal ! The Exo. 12: Passover Meal was ‘Always' eaten on the starting of the 15th of Nisan, and 'Never' on the 14th of Nisan ! Ask any orthodox Jew in the world, or simply pick up a copy of the writings of Josephus, (a Jewish historian) and they all will verify that what I am saying to you here is true!
The "Passover Lambs" of Exo. 12, were always killed every year in the afternoon portion of the 14th of Nisan. The temple priests killed thousands of 'Passover Lambs' on the 14th of Nisan every year, and they all had to be killed and given back to the people that brought them, before the sun went down on the 14th of Nisan. The eating of those ‘Passover Lambs' was always done on the starting of the 15th of Nisan, (with the un-leavened bread and the bitter herbs) and should never be confused with the ‘killing of the Passover Lambs', that was done on the 14th of Nisan! Those are 2 separate incidents, and on 2 separate days!
The ‘Passover Meal' that was eaten on the starting of the 15th of Nisan, was eaten with the lamb, and with bitter herbs, and with ‘Un-Leavened Bread'! The eating of that Exo. 12 Passover Meal ALWAYS ‘started' the 7 Days of the eating of ‘Un-Leavened Bread'!
The Commandments of Exo. 12:15-19, and 13:6-7, and 23:15, and 34:18, and Lev. 23:6, and Num. 28:17, and Duet.16:3, ALL say to eat the Un-Leavened Bread for a total of "'7" Days.
The Worldwide Church of God (WCG) taught me and taught thousands of others, that Christ and his 12 disciples ate 'Un-Leavened Bread' at that 'Last Supper Meal' on the 14th of Nisan. NOT SO ! If Christ and his 12 disciples had eaten the ‘Un-Leavened Bread' at that 'Last Supper Meal', they would have sinned at that 'Last Supper Meal', because the 7 Days of Un-Leavened Bread started on the 15th of Nisan, NOT on the 14th of Nisan, and because the commandments say that it was to be eaten for a total of "7 Days", NOT 8 Days !
Somehow, Herbert Armstrong (and his WCG) always seemed to ignore the simple fact years ago, that Christ was raised as a Jew, and that he kept the very SAME Holy Days as did all the other Jews of his days, and ON the very SAME DAYS as all the other Jews of his day did, and that his parents went to Jerusalem every year to keep the Feast Days ON the very SAME DAYS as every other Jew of his day did back then.
Another BIG LIE that Herbert Armstrong (and his WCG) taught me and taught thousands of others years ago, was that Christ passed around MATZOS or an UN-LEAVENED BREAD to his disciples at that 'Last Supper Meal' of his! NOT SO !!
The ‘Last Supper Meal' Was A Regular Meal, Eaten With ‘LEAVENED BREAD' !
The 'Last Supper Meal' "WAS NOT" Eaten With UN-LEAVENED BREAD or with MATZOS !
The ‘Last Supper Meal' was a regular supper meal that was eaten by Christ and his disciples during the ‘Preparation Days' leading up to the Exo. 12 Passover Meal, and the type of bread that Christ passed around to his disciples at that 'Last Supper Meal' of his, ....was a loaf of Raised Bread, or ‘LEAVENED BREAD' !
Get out your Greek Lexicons and your Greek Concordances sometime, and you can very easily prove to yourselves, that what I am saying here to you is true. The word for 'BREAD' at
that 'Last Supper Meal',...is the word ‘ARTOS' . The Word ‘ARTOS In The Greek Means;
‘a Loaf of Raised Bread'. (LEAVENED BREAD)
The Greek Word For ‘Un-Leavened' Is ‘Azumos'. The word ‘Azumos' IS NOT USED in any of the scriptures that pertain to that Last Supper Meal. Christ ‘Did Not' pass around a matzo or a loaf of Un-Leavened Bread to his disciples at that Last Supper Meal. He used a regular loaf of ‘Raised Bread' or LEAVENED BREAD (as the symbol for his body) at that Last Supper Meal of his.
Another LIE that the WCG and Herbert Armstrong taught me years ago, and taught thousands of others years ago, was that ‘Leaven Pictures Sin' !
To prove to you that 'Leaven Does Not Picture Sin', simply turn your bibles to John 6:51-58.
Verse 51 says,....‘I am the living bread (ARTOS) which came down from heaven: If any man
eat of this bread, (ARTOS) he shall live forever. And the bread (ARTOS) that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world'.
Verse 53 says; ‘Then Jesus said unto them, verily verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the
flesh (represented to us thru LEAVENED BREAD) of the son of man, and drink his blood, (represented to us by a cup of Wine) ye have no life in you'.
Verse 54 says; ‘Who-so-ever eats my flesh, (represented to us thru LEAVENED BREAD) and drinketh my blood, (represented to us by a cup of Wine) hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day'.
If ‘Leaven Pictures Sin', then Christ came down from heaven 'With Sin', because the very same Greek word of ‘Artos' (a raised loaf of bread) is used in 'All' of the above scriptures.
Eating the wrong kind of 'BREAD' for the body of Christ, can really get a person in trouble, according to what the apostle Paul said about it in 1 Cor. 11:27-29, which states;
"Wherefore who-so-ever shall eat this bread (ARTOS) un-worthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord".
"For he that eateth and drinketh un-worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself,....Not Discerning The Lord's Body".
According to the above words of the apostle Paul, (and Greek concordances) a person can bring damnation to themselves, by Not discerning the Lord's Body. If one eats the wrong kind of bread to represent the Lord's body with, is that properly discerning the Lord's Body?
If a person eats a matzo cracker (an Un-Leavened Bread) instead of the ARTOS (the raised bread) that Christ used to represent his body with, could that act bring damnation to that person ? According to the above words of the apostle Paul, it certainly could.
To prove beyond a doubt, that the 'Last Supper Meal' WAS NOT the Exo.12: Passover Meal, a person simply needs to read John 18:28. It plainly shows us that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) was already in captivity by the Jews, and the Jews 'Still' Had Not Yet Eaten The Exo. 12 Passover Meal.
John 18:28 says; "Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgement 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".
As you can read for yourselves in John 18:28,---- The eating of the Exo. 12 Passover Meal had not yet arrived for the Jews yet, when they brought Christ over to see Pilate.
That one scripture alone proves to people, that the 'Last Supper Meal' (that Christ shared with his disciples), WAS NOT the Exo. 12: 'Passover Meal' , does it not?
Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) 'DID NOT EAT' the Exo. 12: Passover Lamb on the year that he was crucified. The Reason? "HE WAS THAT EXO. 12: PASSOVER LAMB !!
It wasn't Christ or the Jews back then who changed the date or the timing of the Exo. 12: 'Passover', .....it was a false prophet named Herbert W. Armstrong who tried to change the date and the timing of it !
Glen (wolfhunter) Myers