Was Jesus crucified on a Friday?
Jesus said that the ONLY sign He will give us is the sign of Jonah: 3 days and 3 nights!
Was He in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights?

THE PROMISED MESSIAH
The doubting Pharisee’s were asking Him for a SIGN – they required evidence as PROOF that he was the promised Messiah.

“But He answered and said unto them, ‘an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall NO sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonah. FOR AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE WHALE’S BELLY, SO SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS in the heart of the earth”, (i.e. grave) (Matt. 12:39).

Jonah 1:17,”…. and Jonah was in the belly of the fish THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS”.

Y’SHUAH offered this exclusive sign as evidence of His Messiah-ship. This evidence was not just the fact that he would be resurrected from the grave. No, His challenge claimed more, infinitely more….a RESURRECTION claim was issued with a specific TIME STIPULATION. If He could be proven wrong regarding this PERIOD OF TIME that He had stipulated to be in the grave; if He did NOT fulfil the sign of the Prophet Jonah exactly as to the time factor required before He would be “spewn” out of the grave by the Resurrection (as Jonah after three days and three nights was spewn out of the belly of the fish to become the saviour of Nineveh); then the enemy would have had the full right to call Him a liar and an impostor. He would then have had no claim to being the MESSIAH, the Saviour. Then you would be worshipping Him in VAIN, and you would be destined for eternal DEATH (hell) without a SAVIOUR!

Consider, please, the tremendous importance of this SIGN. Y’SHUAH staked His claim to being your Saviour upon fulfilling this Sign by remaining exactly THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE TOMB.

Can you wonder why the enemy has done his utmost to deny that the Saviour had really fulfilled the type (sign) of Jonah to the very letter? Can you wonder why the so-called “Christians” who had crept into the ranks of the early True Church at Corinth had tried to bring the whole of the Resurrection doctrine into dispute? (1 Cor. 15:12 – 20). Can you see why the Jews paid the Roman soldiers to give a FALSE account concerning the Resurrection? (Matt. 28:11 – 15). Can you wonder why modern teachers of the SAME lie are still trying to falsify the Resurrection Victory of the True Messiah? By these FALSE doctrines and traditions, Messiah is made out to be a LIAR and an IMPOSTOR – the very thing He intended to DISPROVE by giving this SIGN!

Surely, something is wrong in modern man’s explanation and belief of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection! How do the wise and prudent theologians know the Messiah was REALLY crucified on Friday and resurrected on Sunday?

The fact is: THEY DO NOT KNOW!. Nowhere does the Bible state anything like it. They are merely following TRADITIONS of men, and YAHSHUAH warns against “making the Word of the Almighty of none effect through your TRADITION” (Mark 7:13). They should be guided by the Bible and not tradition. The Bible in its original transcript DOES NOT say that Y’SHUAH was crucified on Friday and that He rose on Sunday!. Modern translators, however, are fast changing this and translate “Preparation day” (the True meaning of which we will shortly show in this study), to read with ‘Friday’, a fact for which they have NO authority! The reader may well assume that he has ‘Bible’ proof for the Friday-crucifixion theory in such a translation! But is this what the Scriptures REALLY tell us? From this instance, the reader should realise how important it is to use different Bible translations and refer to the oldest possible transcriptions.

THE SIGN OF JONAH
Jonah was a “type” of the Saviour to come. After 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the fish, he became the ‘saviour’ of the gentile city, Nineveh.

By referring to Jonah as a sign, Y’SHUAH pointed out that Jonah was a TYPE of the SAVIOUR Who would come for the WHOLE world. If the Jews took the trouble to look up the scriptural reference, they would have believed Y’SHUAH to be the Saviour, the promised Messiah. And if the modern-day teachers would study the Bible more closely, they too would not deny the fact that Messiah was in the grave for the full 72 hours that He stipulated. The Jews would not believe Him, neither does modern Christianity believe Him!

After Y’SHUAH had driven the money changers from the Temple in Jerusalem, “the Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ He answered, “destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it”… But He was speaking of the sanctuary that was His BODY” (John 2:18-21, Luke 9:22, 11:29-30, Mark 9:31, Matt. 17:22-23).

At His trials, Y’SHUAH was thus also accused of “claiming to destroy the Temple of the Almighty and rebuilding it in three days”. In this way, He was made out to be a revolutionist. This statement by the Messiah was taken seriously by the Jews. They consequently obtained permission from the authorities to seal the Sepulchre and place a watch. (Matt. 27:64).

BUT…, had the Jews known Who He really was, they would NEVER have tried to hold Him to the grave with their frail human devices of chains and locks! Had they known Who Y’SHUAH was, they would have realised that NO POWER on earth or in Heaven would hold Him in the grave. And yet, after all, hell broke loose on this earth as He blew out His last holy and innocent breath; while the earth was cast into three hours of darkness in the midst of day; as His POWER once more rocked the earth to snap man’s frustrated attempts to hold Him to the grave and the seasoned guards at His Tomb fell like dead men to the ground. YET, Satan could give man the courage to invent a lie! For a large sum of money (Matt: 28:12), the soldiers were bribed into saying that the disciples had stolen His Body from the grave! “The soldiers took the money and carried out their instructions, and to this day that is the story among the Jews” (Matt. 28:15).

Satan knew that he had lost and that the Resurrection had brought the final damnation upon himself and his children. He knows too that his time is short, but he does not give up so easily, neither has his hatred for the True messiah, Y’SHUAH, abated in any way! He planned very thoroughly and sent his ministers to infiltrate the Saints’ ranks in Corinth and start a movement against the RESURRECTION TRUTH, as stated previously! (1 Cor. 15:12). When blatant lies failed, the enemy brought in a MORE SUBTLE argument against the Resurrection, to deceive those who would not deny that the Messiah did arise from the grave, His subtle and persuasive ministers now claimed, “Yes, He did arise from the dead BUT NOT AS HE SAID He would, He was not in the grave for three days and three nights at all, you see, He was only there part of the time, really!”

How cunning is the father of lies? How subtle is his persuasion?

WHEN DID THE CRUCIFIXION TAKE PLACE?
We read in Mark 15:42-47 about the events on that afternoon of the Crucifixion. “And now when the even was come, BECAUSE IT WAS THE PREPARATION, that is, the day BEFORE THE SABBATH… and he (Joseph) bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen and laid Him in a sepulchre, which was hewn out of a rock”.

Does that not confirm the common belief that he was crucified on FRIDAY, seeing that Friday is the day BEFORE the Sabbath? We know that it states that His Body had lain in the grave just before the Sabbath broke, which is roughly at between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. then 72 hours forward would bring us to between 5 to 6 p.m. on Monday. By counting forward 3 nights, we also come to Monday for the Resurrection. This we cannot accept, as we read in John 20:1, “It was very early on the first day of the week (Sunday) and STILL DARK when Mary of Magdalena came to the Tomb”. Y’SHUAH HAD ALREADY RISEN EARLIER! (Also Luke 24:1; Mark 16:2).

On the other hand, again: IF He was risen on Sunday, as is commonly taught, then it leaves us with ONE-hour maximum for Friday (in the grave), plus 24 hours for Saturday, and a maximum of 12 hours for Sunday (reckoning from sunset to sunset). Whichever way we count, it leaves us with a maximum total of 37 hours, or ONE day and TWO nights in the grave.

THE LIE EXPOSED
Let us then start from the earliest time that we know (according to the Bible) that He already rose from the grave. From here, we will work BACK to find a rough starting point for the time of the Crucifixion. Let us presume, therefore, that He rose at roughly 5 a.m. on Sunday. According to John 20:1 and Mark 16:2, it was still dark, just as the sun was rising, when the women visited the grave and…, found it empty! He had ALREADY risen earlier… it may have been much earlier! Counting BACK 72 hours from here would bring us to roughly 5 a.m. on Thursday. Well, this also cannot be, for we know that He was buried just before SUNSET, which is between 5 and 6 p.m. Therefore, we must set the time back even further, seeing that we have scriptural proof that Y’SHUAH definitely did not arise later than sunrise on Sunday. He COULD therefore have risen much earlier than sunrise. This brings us to WEDNESDAY from 5 to 6 p.m. Could this have been the time that Y’SHUAH was crucified? Could it possibly have been on a Wednesday just before sunset?

But, you will say, remember that the next day was the Sabbath and Thursday most certainly is not the Sabbath. This is the very fact that has confused people. A fact that has completely been overlooked because Christians have LOST sight of the meaning of the sacred feast days and what they really typified. Thursday was NOT the Sabbath instituted at creation, the weekly Sabbath, BUT IT WAS A SABBATH THAT WAS INSTITUTED AT THE FIRST PASSOVER in Egypt! The Eternal instituted seven annual Sabbath days. (Lev. 23:15, 24, 32, 31 & 39) These annual Sabbaths were HOLY DAYS and HIGH days (Jo. 19:31), which could occur on any day of the week. They were to be kept forever. It is to these Sabbaths that the enemy has blinded people’s eyes. This Sabbath holds the key to the whole mystery! It had nothing to do with the creation of the Sabbath which is a weekly Sabbath. This Sabbath is to be kept only once a year. This SABBATH is the Sabbath that was the day after Passover. (Lev. 23; Ex. 12).

The Passover lamb was always killed on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Abib or Nisan. It was followed by the 7-day Festival of Unleavened Bread. This entire 8-day Festival became known as the PREPARATION DAY. The month of Abib was calculated from the appearing of the New Moon, and irrespective of which day of the week this occurred, the Jews would count 14 days from that day, which would then be the PASSOVER DAY. In other words, if the 14th of Abib fell on a Monday, then the next day, Tuesday, would be the ANNUAL SABBATH. It was also called the FEAST DAY, a HIGH day. This is the SABBATH which is under discussion here. In the Crucifixion year, the 14th of Abib (Passover or preparation day) fell on a WEDNESDAY, and the Thursday was the ANNUAL Sabbath day, a HIGH day.

All churches accept that the Passover lamb slaughtered yearly by the Israelites typified the TRUE Lamb that had to come. John the Baptist pointed to Y’SHUAH and said, “Behold THE LAMB OF THE MOST HIGH”. (John 1:29). All churches also believe that Messiah was crucified on Passover day. John testifies to this in John 19:14, “… it was the PREPARATION of the Passover (14th Abib) and about the 6th hour noon, and he said unto the Jews, ‘Behold your King’.

The Preparation day had started at sunset on Tuesday, and it was in this same evening that the Jews took YAHSHUAH captive (John 18:3). It was at this sunset that Messiah had the Last Supper with His disciples.

Further confirmation of these facts are also found in John 19:30-31, which describes the events that took place immediately after the Crucifixion: “It was Preparation Day and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the Sabbath – since that Sabbath was a day of the special solemnity (High Day)…. ” (John 19:30-31; Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:6) Sabbath means ‘Rest – and that Thursday was a SABBATH – a solemn Festive Day – a day in commemoration of Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt – Y’SHUAH now having become our Deliverer from our bondage in sin.

When these ANNUAL SABBATHS were celebrated, it could well happen that there would be TWO Sabbaths in that certain week – the annual Sabbath, which could fall on any day of the week and the WEEKLY Sabbath – These, two Sabbaths, in certain years, of course, could coincide – but otherwise, the weekly Sabbath (Saturday), was NEVER called a HIGH DAY, neither was it ever called a FEAST DAY.

There were two Sabbaths in the Crucifixion week wonderfully proven by two apparently contradictory verses in the Bible.

The 1st of these is found in Mark 16:1: “When the Sabbath was OVER, Mary (and others)… bought spices with which to go and anoint Him”.

The 2nd is found in Luke 23:56:

After His body had been laid to the tomb, “… they returned and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment”.

We shall first apply these statements to the commonly accepted Friday Crucifixion and Sunday Resurrection theory to see if it fits the picture. If Messiah was crucified on Friday, then according to the first verse, the women should have bought the spices on Saturday evening (i.e. ‘after the Sabbath). This would enable them to prepare it and go to the grave before sunrise on Sunday morning. But… read the 2nd verse! This states that they rested on the SABBATH after they had prepared the spices according to the Law! This would mean that the following day (Sunday) was also a Sabbath so that they could not have gone to the grave until after Sunday, But Luke 24:1 explicitly states that the women went to the grave ‘on the first day of the week’ (Sunday), before dawn! So this theory does NOT fit.

Let us try and fit these texts into the Wednesday Crucifixion theory. Y’SHUAH was laid to the grave just before sunset on Wednesday, which left very little time for the purchasing of spices as that evening was the start of the ‘High day’ Sabbath. The Bible is obvious on this point. (Mark 15:42; John 19:30,31). If indeed Messiah was crucified on Wednesday afternoon, the women would have had no time to purchase spices until Thursday evening, after sunset, i.e. after the close of the ‘High’ Sabbath, Indeed, the first-mentioned verse confirms this, “when the Sabbath was over…”, the spices were bought. According to the Law, they now could prepare these on Friday and, as confirmed by the 2nd mentioned verse, “…rest on the Sabbath” (Saturday). The first opportunity to go to the grave would then have been on Sunday morning. Wonderful proof of a double Sabbath in that eventful week and also of the Wednesday Crucifixion theory!

Even as with the sign of Jonah, so it is with the sign (type) of the LAMB. A SET TIME WAS STIPULATED. The Passover lamb was not a lamb that could be killed at random and at any time. There was a set time. The Law required for it to be killed on the 14th day of Abib and the next day had to be a HOLY DAY. (Lev. 23:5 and 6). If the lamb were killed on any other day than the 14th, it would most definitely not have been accepted by the Most High as His Passover!

The same applies to Y’SHUAH, Who became the True Lamb. The Apostle Paul said, “Y’SHUAH, OUR PASSOVER (Lamb), has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). If the Messiah were not crucified on the EXACT DAY that the Passover lamb had to be killed, he would also have been an Impostor. But, YAHSHUAH was crucified at the exact time of the year, and that is why He IS our Passover Lamb! Will He then fulfil the one type, that of the ‘Jonah’ – exactly as to the predetermined time of the year – but NOT fulfil the other type, that of ‘Jonah’ – where a set time was stipulated, namely ‘three days and three nights?

This was not only His CLAIM but also HIS CHALLENGE unto the whole of humanity; He promised to FULFIL the ‘type’. This He DID, despite the lies of Satan. For centuries people have blindly followed the lie of Rome in believing that Messiah arose on Sunday. There is absolutely NO Scriptural foundation for this belief. As they usually do, people will say that the two Mary’s came to the sepulchre on the FIRST day of the week and that they were told by the Angel that YAHSHUAH had ‘arisen’. How is that explained?

The answer is very SIMPLE. When the two women arrived at the grave just before sunrise (John 20:1; Mark 16:2), YAHSHUAH was ALREADY RISEN… earlier thus – and it was yet dark!

WHEN DID THE RESURRECTION THEN TAKE PLACE?
Seeing that He was buried at roughly 5 p.m. on Wednesday, then 72 hours hence will bring us to roughly 5 p.m. on the weekly Sabbath, Saturday afternoon.

It was, therefore a Sabbath resurrection and not as Rome says, a Sunday resurrection!

OTHER SINCERE OBJECTIONS
A. Mark 16:9, “Now when Y’SHUAH rose EARLY THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene”.

This could very well seem to mean that He was resurrected on Sunday. It COULD, however, also mean, “when Y’SHUAH was (ALREADY) risen early the first day… He appeared to Mary…” Indeed when He appeared to Mary, He has RISEN already! In fact, He was risen, late on Saturday afternoon, ‘AS HE SAID’ and as confirmed by the Angel at the EMPTY Tomb in the dawning hours of Sunday.

B. Matt. 28:1, “At the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week,” the women came to the grave, “And behold there WAS a great earthquake.” King James Version. This seems as if the Resurrection took place at the very time of their arrival. However, as confirmed in the margin of the reference edition, the correct translation should read, “And behold, there HAD BEEN a great earthquake…” (earlier thus – it does not say when exactly). By reading the Bible chapter in context, we note that just a few verses later, in verse 6, the Angel confirms, “He is NOT here….” The quake and Resurrection had ALREADY taken place EARLIER.

C. For the sceptic, there is one more proof, straight from the Bible – a specific time stipulation determining the exact time of the crucifixion some 500 years in advance. This time stipulation was given by the Prophet Daniel in a prophecy concerning the appearance and mission of the Messiah. This prophecy is recorded in Daniel 9:24-27. We read in verse 27, “And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.”

We received the following information from Dave Ready:

This prophecy is recorded in Daniel 9:24-27.
We read in verse 27, “And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.”

This statement affords nothing and reveals nothing when we talk about the death day and resurrection day of Jesus Christ! Let us examine facts and nothing else!

START: JESUS’ BIRTH
Because Herod the Great died just shortly before Passover Day in the year of 4 B.C. [this is historical and factual], we can know that Jesus was born at least 2 years before that time. Herod had to have been alive to give the order for babies 2 years and under to be killed. This means, then, that Jesus was born sometime around 8 B.C., 7 B.C. or 6 B.C. He could not have been born in any year after the year of 6 B.C. because He had to have been about 2 years old when Herod gave that order! Consequently, because Jesus Christ died in the year of 33 A.D. He had to have been at least 38 years of age when He died. He was 40 years old when He died as 40 was a significant numerical period of time in the Holy Bible.

The Jews always have started their sacred and secular years with the advent of a New Moon. Each of their months starts with the advent of a New Moon. When there is a Total Solar Eclipse taking place, there is a New Moon taking place. In fact, a Total Solar Eclipse cannot take place unless there is a New Moon present! And, in addition, a Total Lunar Eclipse cannot take place unless there is a Full Moon present! This is very, very important information!

Every competent historian and proven theologian will agree that Jesus Christ died in the year of 33 A.D. I agree with that belief and you should, also! It is a fact! Did you know that in the year that we have just mentioned, 33 A.D., there was a Total Eclipse of the Sun occurring in March? The actual time of the Total Solar Eclipse took place at 1049.2 GMT on March 19th. Now, let us look at that time and that date?

I am looking, now, at the 1997 World Almanac and Book of Facts. I am reading on pages 475 and 476. Page 475 directs me to a calendar number I should use for the year of 33 A.D. I must use the calendar number 5. This will be shown on page 476. Calendar number 5 on page 476 shows me that the 19th of March in 33 A.D. was on a Thursday. This is what I was seeking! A Total Solar Eclipse [and, consequently, a New Moon was present] was taking place!

Now, follow this very closely. 1049.2 GMT [England time] is the same as 1249.2 hours in the city of Jerusalem. In other words, if we were in Jerusalem at 10 minutes before 1 p.m. on March 19th, in 33 A.D., we would know that there was a Total Solar Eclipse taking place somewhere in the world. At that time, a New Moon would be starting!

For the Jews to see the start of the New Moon during one of their days, that day would have been started on the sunset before the New Moon started. That sunset would also have started their new month. In this case, that sunset would have been on the date of March 18th. That date would have been the start of Nisan 1! That is a fact! And, if you will check on page 476 of the World Almanac, you will see that March 18th was on a Wednesday.

Do you have it now? Nisan 1, in 33 A.D., started on Wednesday evening at sunset. That can be determined, ABSOLUTELY, because of a Total Solar Eclipse that took place when I have just mentioned. Nisan 14 starts 13 days after Nisan 1! If Nisan 1 is on a Wednesday, then Nisan 15 must also be on a Wednesday [this is 14 days later]. If Nisan 15 starts on a Wednesday, then Nisan 14 must start on a Tuesday! Nisan 14 is the Passover Day. Therefore, Nisan 14, the Passover Day, started on a Tuesday evening at sunset. FOLLOW THE NEXT PART VERY, VERY CAREFULLY!

Nisan 1 started at sunset on the 18th of March and ended at sunset on the 19th of March. Nisan 14, the Passover Day, started at sunset on the 31st of March [13 days after Nisan 1 started] and ended at sunset on the 1st of April. Jesus Christ was our Passover Lamb! He died at about the 9th hour [roughly 3:00 P.M.] on Passover Day, April the 1st. This was Wednesday afternoon that He died. Approximately 3 hours later, Joseph placed Jesus into his tomb. This was exactly at sunset on that Wednesday evening. Precisely 3 days and 3 nights later [exactly 3 full Jewish days and nights], He rose from the grave at sunset on Saturday evening to fulfil what He had stated about Jonah.

Yes, you have given much information, but you have left much missing. I have provided you with the exact proof of Jesus’ death day and resurrection day. Not one person can dispute the time of a Total Solar Eclipse! That is an astronomical and mathematical certainty and fact! And, any learned person knows that the Jews always start their days with a New Moon.
Dave Ready

Here is a clear indication that by His Crucifixion, He would end the system of animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. He would be the TRUE Lamb, and His life would be ‘cut off in the ‘middle of the week, Wednesday, to be the perfect sacrificial Lamb for our sins.

All Thanks be to Y’SHUAH, our eternal Redeemer and Saviour, the True and Perfect Lamb of the Most High.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Astronomical information comes mainly from Theodore Oppolzer. His Solar and Lunar eclipse sightings are from 1250 B.C. through 2050 A.D. They are, at the most, only 20 minutes off in their accuracy. Do you want to check out Oppolzer? Go to the library or the internet! ASTRONOMERS AND MATHEMATICIANS TODAY STILL USE HIS RECKONINGS!