Hebrew Chronological Harmony of the Passion Week

By Andrew Petty

Days in the Passion week are identified as Sabbat HaGaDol, Passover, Preparation Day, Weekly Sabbath, and First Day of the Week. Time indicators progress through the week from six days before the Passover, the next day, when evening came, on the morrow, and two days before the Passover and Unleavened Bread.
A framework is constructed based on Jewish Holy days indicating complete harmony between the gospels. Events are then assigned to each day: travel between Jericho to Jerusalem, triumphal entry into Jerusalem, temple cleansed, fig tree withered, Jesus questioned by Jewish sects, Passover meal, crucifixion, First Day of Unleavened bread, royal burial, weekly sabbath, and wave sheaf offering.
Events prior to the Passion week show the custom of Jesus keeping all High holy days after the manner of Jewish traditions. The Last Supper is reviewed as a Seder Passover meal involving four cups. Each cup is attached to either exodus events, prophetic events, redemption, marriage proposal, or the crucifixion.
Gospel author Luke and old Testament prophet Daniel provide historical and prophetic information indicating a three-and-a-half-year ministry of Jesus, commencing in 27 AD, and a fall birth year in 5 BC. Passion and Exodus weeks are correlated giving consistency between new and old testaments. Length of a day is defined using Jesus own words, and burial clothes are discussed to discover the actions of Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the women who came to the tomb.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Petty
• Release date: Mar 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781732190924

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HEBREW CHRONOLOGICAL HARMONY OF THE PASSION WEEK

ANDREW JACKSON PETTY

Copyright © 2018 ANDREW JACKSON PETTY

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: THE FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER 2: THE EXODUS WEEK

CHAPTER 3: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

CHAPTER 4 PASSOVER SUPPER OR FAREWELL DINNER: Nisan 14th

CHAPTER 5: BURIAL AND RESSURECTION OF OUR LORD

CHAPTER 6: DANIEL’S SEVENTY WEEKS PROPHECY

CHAPTER 7: JOHN THE BAPTIST

CHAPTER 8: CRITQUE OF THE WEDNESDAY CRUCIFIXION

CHAPTER 9: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

All four Gospels chronologically outline events during the last week in Christ’s life. The Greatest Story Ever Told contains items to increase our faith when viewed through the eyes of a Hebrew background. Jesus is a Jew, His disciples are Jews, and the setting of the story is in a Hebrew culture. This book not only reviews the events of the passion of Christ but will explore the meaning behind those events. Why did Christ enter Jerusalem on the day he did? What is the significance of the withered fig tree? Is there a correlation between the original Exodus Week and the Passion Week? Was there a reason the Last Supper occurred on a particular date? Why wasn’t Christ stoned to death as opposed to being crucified on a cross? Is there more meaning to the Cup of Blessing than the glorious act of communion? Why did the ministry of Jesus last only three and one-half years? Was the resurrection on the first day of the week? What is the importance of the barley first fruits harvest wave sheaf offering? Are there any non-biblical early Christian documents placing the passion week events in a chronological historical order?

Answers to these questions and more are explained to help the reader appreciate the events found in the last week in the life of Christ. Additionally, we wish to construct a harmonious chronological Hebrew framework of the last week that will strengthen the claim of the Messiahship of Christ and showing complete consistency between the gospels. Prophecies are fulfilled; actions of individuals are placed in their chronological occurrence. It is hoped the constructed chronology of the Passion Week will help our readers appreciate the beauty of the true history found in the pages of the bible.

My goal in writing is to illustrate the infallibility, consistency, and historical accuracy of God’s word. We answer how the only sign of Jesus Messiahship was completely fulfilled, how Jesus passed the examinations as the true Lamb of God, to become the savior of the world. This study is the result of my investigation to understand to the best of my ability, with God’s help, the meaning and events of the Passion Week. Hopefully this book will bring you the joy I experienced in my journey through the pages of the Bible.

In any investigation, we all stand on the shoulders of those giants before us. Eugene Charles Callaway in his Harmony of the Last Week gave the initial time frame with connecting time segments such as: on the morrow, the next day, and six days before. W. Graham Scroggie in A Guide to the Gospels pointed out the lack of time necessary for all the events mentioned between the death and burial of Christ to take place. Brant Petrie in Jewish roots of the Eucharist explained the night of the Passover in Jewish terms. Alfred Edersheim explained some Jewish customs and practices.

This book gathers evidence for a 27 to 30 AD date for the ministry of Christ, three days and three nights in the tomb, a Sunday wave sheaf presentation of Jesus before the Father, and a royal burial for Christ. An understanding of a Hebrew framework is necessary to recover the sequence of events in the Passion week. The gospels are written in a chronological order as they are recorded.

CHAPTER 1

THE FRAMEWORK

Let this mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2: 5

Many investigators will ask was Jesus like the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots or some other Jewish group? This is a wrong premise because Jesus is not like any other group, but some groups had their minds open by God in like-mindedness of Christ to understand sacred scripture. To understand the mind of Christ we must turn to His word: How did He keep the Holy Days of the last week? To do so will provide a framework upon which to construct the history of the Passion Week.

Much has been devoted as to what events occurred on what days of the Passion Week. A proper understanding of the framework of God’s holy days must be understood to grasp a historical viewpoint. An understanding with respect the Jews had for the Sabbath will help fasten what is possible and not possible on the Jewish Sabbath. Jewish annual holidays vary on what day of the week they may fall upon because the Roman calendar is solar based, and the Jewish calendar is lunar based. The lone exception is the Jewish weekly Sabbath that begins at Friday sunset and ends Saturday at sundown.

All the Jewish Holy (high) Days are found in Leviticus 23. Traditionally the Passover season begins with the sabbath before the Passover, called Sabbat HaGaDoL. Historically the 10th of Nisan is the day the lambs were selected for the Passover meal. The first Holy Day is the Passover meal celebrated at night on the 14th of Nisan. The following daytime is the Passover day when the Egyptians were spoiled giving the Israelites payment of gold, silver, and clothing for their years of slavery (Exodus 12: 36). That day is identified as the preparation day for the beginning Feast of Unleavened Bread (Luke 23: 54; John 19: 42). The next nightfall commenced the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread which began with a grain offering (chagigah) on the 15th of Nisan with another holy meal and concluded on the 21st of Nisan. The 15th was the night the Israelites left Egypt with a great celebration (Exodus 13: 9).

Next is the wave sheaf offering of first fruits of the barley harvest which is celebrated on the day after the weekly Sabbath, by the Sadducees during the week of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23: 9-11).

The Pharisees celebrated the wave sheaf on the 16th of Nisan after the first day of Unleavened Bread. See chart 1.

CHART 1 SPRING JEWISH HOLY DAYS

THE HEBREW SETTING BEFORE THE PASSION WEEK Leviticus 23:1 The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, 2"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations— My appointed times are these:

The months before the last week in the life of Jesus are framed in the Gospel of John on the Jewish Holy Days of the Feast of Tabernacles, Last Great Day, Feast of Dedication, and finally Passover. Reflecting back to manna falling during the exodus, Jesus taught in Capernaum that His flesh is the true bread from heaven and drinking His blood