From time to time, readers inquire of us about which day is the true sabbath day. We have in our files material which makes a case for about five different answers to that question. We have read them all years ago.
We have concluded that if a person reads copious material setting forth one of those five different positions, he will probably conclude that it certainly is persuasive. Thus, since we fellowship (once a month) with our SK Fellowship group in Tennessee on Saturday, and then with our SKF group in central Georgia on Sunday, I take a day of rest on the Monday following.
We will not engage in debates on the subject. Our counsel is to do your own study, choose one and then adhere to that day as your sabbath day. If you want to conclude that it is Wednesday, we will not condemn/judge you for it. We may disagree, but we give that leeway in differences of opinion strongly held—after diligent study.
A less-widely-known controversy among Christians is the chronology surrounding the events leading up to the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior.
Some believers wonder how Jesus could have been “three days and three nights” in the grave when most of the universal Christian church (by which term “universal” we simply mean the church everywhere—not just in America) adheres to the belief that He was put to death on Friday and arose from the grave on early Sunday morning.
It’s a good question and some scholars have come up with answers to that seeming dilemma. It is not our purpose to outline all the positions on this question at this time.
However, we do wish to offer the perspective of Dr. Howard Rand on this subject. In our view, Dr. Rand was one of the most eminent Bible scholars of the 20th century. We have in our library almost everything penned by him.
Many of the articles he authored for his Destiny magazine over many decades have been reproduced as booklets or pamphlets, which we have also acquired over our years of study.
With this blog, we hereby commence a serialization of a pamphlet-size study he wrote on this topic. We are grateful to those at Destiny who have long ago given us permission to reproduce his works, and that of other authors from the bound volumes of Destiny magazine.
So, this is part 1 of From Crucifixion to Resurrection, by Dr. Howard B. Rand. Since Dr. Rand has used boldface type to set apart Scripture verses, we use only underlining and italics for our emphasis—unless otherwise noted. All comments in [brackets] are ours. For easier readability, we have also broken large paragraphs into smaller ones. QUOTE:
A study of the life and ministry of our Lord is worthy of the best efforts of every Bible student. The chronological sequence of His moves from the time He went up to Jerusalem, just before the final Passover, to His resurrection and then on to the ascension yields significant information, with supporting evidence of the facts, for those who desire such knowledge.
And with this detailed information one is far more intelligently informed concerning events surrounding the crucifixion, the resurrection and ascension and is better able to appraise the meaning of Pentecost and the birth of the Church.
Such men as the late Professor Charles A. L. Totten in the United States and S. B. Dimbleby, formerly Premier Chronologist to the British Chronological and Astronomical Association, London, England, have contributed interesting data establishing the year of our Lord's crucifixion and the calendar of that year. In this article we will follow their scholarly findings as to the chronology of the Crucifixion year.
The Hebrew Sacred Year starts with the month Nisan in the early spring. The first day of Nisan, the month Jesus was crucified in, fell — for the Crucifixion year — upon Friday, March 4th.
On this day the Jews began to congregate at Jerusalem preparatory to the coming Passover. The Chief Priests and Pharisees had issued a command that if any man knew where Jesus was they were to be informed, the purpose of this order being that they might then take Him into custody.
Six days later, Nisan 7th (March 10th and a Thursday), was the beginning of the last week of our Lord's ministry before the crucifixion. The crowds in Jerusalem had increased and speculation was rife as to whether Jesus would or would not come to Jerusalem for the Feast, for the command of the High Priests and Pharisees was now well known:
And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand....Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him." (John 11: 55-57.)
In the meantime Jesus and His disciples were moving towards Je
"And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging....And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me." (Luke 18: 35-38.)
Healing the blind man, Jesus entered and passed through Jericho:
"And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging." (Mark 10: 46.)
This second blind man was also healed, and as Jesus came to the place of the sycamore tree He looked up and said unto Zacchaeus who had climbed into the tree to see Him:
"Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house." (Luke 19: 5.)
Jesus and His disciples remained in Jericho that night in the home of Zacchaeus and, with sunset of this day, Friday began.
MARCH 11TH, NISAN 8TH, FRIDAY
In the morning Jesus departed from Jericho and came to Bethany six days before the Passover:
"Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him." (John 12: 1-2.)
Jesus remained here for the Sabbath (March 12th, Nisan 9th) and apparently spent the day quietly with the family of Lazarus:
"Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead." (John 12: 9.)
SUNDAY, MARCH, 13TH, NISAN 10th
This was Selection Day:
"In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house." (Ex. 12: 3.)
On this day a great multitude who had come to the feast hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem:
"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." (John 12: 13.)
Jesus had left the town of Bethany that morning and, having come to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, sent two of His disciples into the village for an unbroken colt.
The disciples found the colt and the owners allowed it to be taken to Jesus. He rode into Jerusalem upon this colt in fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy (Zech. 9: 9). The Pharisees were far from pleased at the acclamation He received:
"The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him." (John 12: 19.)
As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem He wept over it, saying:
"If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.
“For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." (Luke 19: 42-44.)
After entering Jerusalem, Jesus went into the Temple of God:
"And began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Luke 19: 45-46.)
The Chief Priests and the scribes retired, discomforted, from the experiences of the morning and met in solemn consultation to plan His destruction:
"And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him." (Luke 19: 48.)
It was at this time that Judas Iscariot came privately before the Chief Priests and asked them what they would give him if he betrayed Jesus into their hands.
Judas was promised money if he could arrange to betray Jesus into their hands so they could take Him while He was away from the multitude. Judas then joined the disciples to await the opportunity to carry out his plans.
Certain Greeks who had come up to Jerusalem to worship at the Feast desired to see Jesus and the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them:
"And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" (Matt. 21: 15-16.)
After this Jesus left Jerusalem and with His disciples went to Bethany. But Jesus had on this day officially entered Jerusalem as the Lamb of God and the chief Priests had selected Him on this very Selection Day as the victim to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. In the morning Jesus returned to Jerusalem. END QUOTE
(To be continued.)
END
