REF: TR7EN
This is a foundational question for understanding not only the death and resurrection of Yeshua, but also the precision with which the Scriptures are fulfilled. To understand it correctly, we must set aside tradition and return to the original design established in the Torah.
1. The Sign Given by Yeshua
Yeshua clearly declared:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
— Matthew 12:40
This is the only sign He gave. It is not symbolic in terms of time. It is exact:
- Three days
- Three nights
Therefore, it must be fulfilled literally.
2. The First Day of the Week
It is important to clarify:
- The first day of the week corresponds to what we know today as Sunday.
The Scriptures confirm:
“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they… came to the tomb… But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”
— Luke 24:1–3
When the women arrived on that day (Sunday), Yeshua had already risen.
3. The Biblical Calendar: Days Begin at Sunset
From Genesis:
“So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
— Genesis 1:5
This means:
- A day begins at sunset
- Not at midnight as in the modern system
This principle is essential for understanding the timeline correctly.
4. Firstfruits Always Falls on Sunday
The Torah establishes:
“He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
— Leviticus 23:11
This teaches that:
- The Feast of Firstfruits (Bikkurim) is always the day after the weekly Sabbath
- Therefore, it always falls on the first day of the week
- That is, it always falls on Sunday
The New Testament confirms:
“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:20
Yeshua is the perfect fulfillment of this feast.
5. Passover Does Not Always Fall on the Same Day of the Week
The Scripture says:
“On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover.”
— Leviticus 23:5
This means:
- Passover (Pesach) is always on the 14th day of the month of Aviv
- But it does not always fall on the same day of the week
This depends on the sighting of the new moon in Jerusalem near the spring equinox, which determines the beginning of the month.
6. A Key Clarification: “Between the Two Evenings”
Here is a phrase that often causes confusion:
“at twilight”
(Hebrew: בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם – bein ha’arbayim)
Many think this refers to two different days, but it does not.
In the Hebrew context:
- The first “evening” begins when the sun starts to decline (after noon)
- The second “evening” is when the sun fully sets
Therefore:
- “Between the two evenings” refers to the period between the sun’s decline and sunset
- Roughly between 3:00 PM and sunset
This is within a single day, not two.
7. Yeshua Died “Between the Two Evenings”
This becomes very significant in the Gospels:
“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.”
— Matthew 27:45
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”
— Matthew 27:50
The ninth hour is approximately 3:00 PM.
This shows:
- Yeshua died exactly during the time of “between the two evenings”
- The same time when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed
This confirms:
- His death was not random
- It occurred at the exact appointed time established in the Torah
8. The Specific Year of the Crucifixion
For the following to be fulfilled:
- Three days and three nights
- Resurrection on Firstfruits (Sunday)
Then in that specific year:
- Passover had to fall on a Wednesday
This is profound because for the sign of “three days and three nights” to be fulfilled exactly and align with the resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits (which always falls on Sunday), the crucifixion had to occur in a very specific year when Passover fell on a Wednesday. In any other year—when Passover could fall on a different day of the week—the timeline would not align in the same way. This highlights that the timing of these events was not random, but precisely aligned with the appointed times established by God.
9. Detailed Count of the Three Days and Three Nights
Remember, days begin at sunset.
Day 1
From Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset
- Night 1: Wednesday night
- Day 1: Thursday day
This day is a High Sabbath (first day of Unleavened Bread).
Day 2
From Thursday sunset to Friday sunset
- Night 2: Thursday night
- Day 2: Friday day
Day 3
From Friday sunset to Saturday sunset
- Night 3: Friday night
- Day 3: Saturday day
This is the weekly Sabbath.
10. The Key Moment: Beginning of Sunday
At Saturday sunset:
- The Sabbath ends
- The first day of the week begins
This means:
- Sunday begins at Saturday evening (biblically speaking)
11. When Did Yeshua Rise?
The Scriptures do not give the exact hour, but they do give clarity:
“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning… they did not find the body…”
— Luke 24:1–3
This implies:
- He had already risen before sunrise
- Likely sometime between Saturday night and early Sunday morning
12. Conclusion
Everything fits perfectly when we follow the biblical order:
- Yeshua died on Passover, between the two evenings
- He was in the tomb three days and three nights
- He rose on Firstfruits (Sunday)
This was only possible because:
- In that specific year, Passover fell on a Wednesday
The Friday-to-Sunday tradition cannot fulfill:
- The sign given by Yeshua
- Nor the timeline established in the Torah
13. Final Reflection
This study shows that God is exact in His timing.
Nothing happened randomly:
- The day
- The hour
- The appointed feasts
Everything was established in the Torah, and Yeshua fulfilled it perfectly.
Glossary
Pesach (פֶּסַח – Pesach)
Passover. The 14th day of the month of Aviv. Points to the sacrifice of the Messiah.
Shabbat (שַׁבָּת – Shabbat)
Day of rest. Can be weekly or a festival Sabbath.
Bikkurim (בִּכּוּרִים – Bikkurim)
Firstfruits. Always falls on Sunday, the day after the weekly Sabbath.
Bein ha’arbayim (בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם)
“Between the two evenings.” The period between the sun’s decline and sunset. The time when the Passover lamb was sacrificed.
All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV).
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God bless you,
Ed Silva
torahrooted@pm.me
