Was there a Biblical change of day when Jesus sat and ate the Passover, and was there a change of day when Joseph came to the cross the first time?

Question

If there was a Biblical change of day when Jesus sat and ate the Passover, and there was a change of day when Joseph came to the cross (the first time), this would show major differences between what tradition and Scripture say about the chronology of our gospel stories. Reasonable people can disagree, and stand up or stand down on the hermeneutic results and effects their teachings.

To answer to answer this question correctly one must use an older word for word translation. One should know what between the (two) evenings means in Lev 23:5 and Ex 12:6. Both were about the Passover, but may not be limited to it. Only one of these two evenings can be the evening of Gen 1:5 & 1:14, as the change of days. The evening of Ex 12:18 appears to be the latter evening. Which one was the change of days, the first, or the latter? Answer if and where between the evenings can be found after the Exodus, or in the New Testament, and where? What does the Greek LXX say about the evening? And lastly, what does Josephus (a contemporary of Jesus) say about the evening?

Answer 1

In the Beginning.

God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And the evening (ereb), and the morning were the first day (Gen 1:1-5). God divided light from darkness by the lights in the expanse of the heavens (v14). The nighttime had no evening, nor morning. The sunset, as the divider of nights and days, is unnatural to and is insensible to suggest that each day unnaturally contains two daytimes and one nighttime: There is almost an hour of daylight after sunset; add the nighttime, and after the nighttime add another daytime divided by the daytime sunset, unlike Gen 1:14-18, where the end of Nautical Twilight, or starlight of heaven, divides night and day. The starlit night sky divided the night into four, three-hour watches; twelve hours. How can a sunset divide the days of Gen 1:14, or tell of God’s first day of the month? God’s evening (ereb), and morning were perimeters and part of the day, as the twilight of stars and planets divided night and day in Gen 1:14. Josephus tells us, “He divided the light from the darkness, calling the latter night and the former day and naming the morning and the evening the dawn of light and its cessation “ (Ant. 1.1.27-28). To understand a Bible change of days, at day’s end, it is not by sunset, nor by midnight, but by nightfall. Our answers must come from the Bible before giving way to Rabbis, Teachers, and Pastors, many who long to tell us the Bible isn't really saying what it appears to say. The New Testament's last days of Jesus were spoken of and lived like those of Moses.

The Evening of the Egyptians

During the captivity of the Israelites by the Egyptians, they worked as slaves in brick and mortar, seven days a week, from sunup to sundown. At this time the Hebrew evening of twilight, ereb, was redefined as sunset, measuring day’s end by Egyptians, based on 12-hour shadows of sundials taskmasters used to govern the productivity of the Israelites. Sunset evenings are found in both the Old and New Testaments, but not as a divider of days. Both evenings began in Lev 23:5 and Ex 12:6 (Heb), which say, “And, you shall keep your lamb (or your goat) until the fourteenth day of the same month, [Abib—Nisan], and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” In the margin or the footnote of Ex 12:6, in Bibles translated from Hebrew, it reads, Hebrew: between the evenings, of Nisan 14, pointing to night of Ex 11:4, 12:6-12, 29-31 & v42.

Between the Evenings.

Between two evenings (sunset and twilight), the Passover (not a day—12:21), was killed in daylight on the 14th, ending the 14th (like v32 did in Lev 23:27-32). Then, the Passover lamb was roasted to be eaten after evening (12:8-18), the same night Pharaoh thrust Israel out, the 15th: When they baked unleavened cakes of the dough, which cakes they brought forth out of Egypt. They were not leavened, for they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither did they prepare food for themselves to take (12:18-19 & 39), because the people took their dough before leavening it, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes, up on their shoulders (12:8, 11-18, 34 & De 16:2-3).

On the first evening of sunset, the Passover was killed. The starlight of the second evening, as pictured above, began the feast of Passover and unleavened bread. Only one of these two evenings can be the evening of Gen 1:5 & v14-19, to end the day of Nisan 14 and begin the 15th: Ex 12:18. The first evening began with bleating sounds of the Passover being killed in the moonrise, at a sunset of the Egyptian evening (Lev 23:5 & Ex 12:6). From the second evening at starlight (12:18), thousands of fires roasting the sacrifices of Passover painted the moon and starlight of Rameses red in smoke, ending the 14th (Ex 12:8-18, Nm 28:16-17). Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron by night, saying, “Rise up, and get forth from among my people, both you and the children of Israel and go. Serve the Lord as you have said.” It was the same night they ate Passover Ex 12:31 & 41-51). It was the first night of unleavened bread. They left Rameses on the morrow (in the morning, Nm 33:3-4).

There was no between two evenings in Genesis, nor before the Israelite slavery. Nor did between two evenings survive Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. Joshua didn’t use them (Jos 5:9-11), nor those afterward (2 Chr 30:15-18 & 35:1-16). Toward evening, ereb, the Passover lambs were killed. After evening they ate the Passover, on the first night of unleavened bread (Ex 12:8-18, Lev 23:5-6 & De 16:2-8). Many say the evening started about 3-5 p.m., but a Biblical foundation cannot be found. Some say Josephus said Passover was killed in the evening. Josephus didn’t say the Passover was killed in the evening. He said it was killed between 3-5 p.m. Josephus was not only quoting what his generation of the Jews did, but also what his Greek LXX said in Ex 12:6, “Kill the Passover toward evening.” That isn’t evening, and Josephus didn’t say that was evening. He did say what the evening was: “They blew the horn at the beginning of the seventh day Sabbath, in the evening twilight, and also at the end of the Sabbath” (Wars 4.9.12): So as to say, “They blew the horn when the preparation day ended, in the dark of evening” (Ant. 1.1.27-28).

The Greek LXX Supports the Hebrew Texts.

Patience please. (Here are the Old Testament, Greek LXX words about evening): a. toward evening, πρός εσπέραν. b. between the evenings, άνάμέσον των έσπερινών. And, c. from evening, αφ΄ εσπέορας).

In Greek, evening was called late, or twilight, the end of daylight, οψε or οψια, εσπέρα (toward evening πρός εσπέραν, and after evening αφ΄ εσπέορας), NT οψιας—opsios. In Jn 20:1, early was still dark, implying his day’s end evening in 20:19 means dark. The gates of Jerusalem closed before Sabbath, as it began to be dark (Neh 13:19); as the priests lit their lamps (Ex 30:8, Lev 24:3-4, Heb. & LXX). The unclean washed but were unclean until evening εσπέοραςc—after the daylight of between two evenings (Lev 22:6c-7).

The Greek Septuagint may tell us how the Jews, or Hebrews, were keeping days, times, and Sabbaths, and this may show us a consistency with the Hebrew texts, and if so it may also tell us what and when our gospels meant on the days Passover was killed, and when Jesus died. In the Greek, the children of Israel killed their Passover lambs toward eveninga (Ex 12:6a)—toward the latter evening of the 14th, of Ex 12:18c, before the day's end of Ex 11:4. This latter eveningc began the home, night feast of Passover and unleavened bread. On the 14th day of the first month, between the eveningsb is the Lord’s Passover (the sacrifice). Both evenings were of the 14th in Lev 23:5 & Ex 12:18c), and consistent with toward the latter eveningc of the 14th in Ex 12:18c, and the Hebrew of between two evenings in Ex 12:6. The Lord’s Passover was a sacrifice at eveningb, (Ex 12:6 & 12:21), before the night of the 15th (Lev 23:5-7 & Ex 12:18). The second eveningc was Ex 12:8-18c, the sacrifice roasted at night, to be eaten on the first of seven days with unleavened bread (De 16:2-8). The latter evening is the Hebrew evening of Gen 1:5 & 1:14; that of Ex 12:18c, Lev 23:5b & Jos 5:10c. The Lord passed over Egypt on the 15th at midnight (Ex 11:4, 12:31 & 12:42). After the evening of the 14th, the night roast of 12:8 shows the 14th (11:4), divided into the 15th, after eveningc (12:8-18c), as a change of days. The Lord’s Passover was killed toward the latter eveningc of the 14th, or between the evenings (Lev 23:5b-7), to eat the Passover at night, on Nisan 15 (Ex 12:18, De 16:2-8 & Mt 26:19-20).

The Biblical New Testament Passover of Jesus.

In the New Testament, no gospel calls the day the lambs were prepared, on Nisan 14 “the Passover” (Mt 26:17, Mk 14:12 & Lk 22:7). But all four gospels have called the feast day Passover (Mt 26:2 & v20, Mk 14:1 & v17, Lk 22:15 & Jn 12:1, 13:2 & 18:39). Passover was eaten on Nisan 15, as the 14th turned to the night of the 15th. On the 14th Passover was a sacrifice. On the 15th Passover was a feast (Ex 12:8-18). The Passover in Mt 26:2, Mk 14:1, Lk 22:1, & Jn 12:1 is the Passover of Mt 26:20, Mk 14:17, Lk 22:14, & Jn 13:2, 18:28, 18:39, showing John’s Passover to be the same as Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s; the day Jesus ate, was betrayed, and died on the cross.

Jesus Eats the Passover at Night, According to Ex 12:18.

So Jesus ate the Passover on the first night of unleavened bread, a Sabbath (Lev 23:5-7). The feast days were not ordinary days, like those at home for the Jews, where a day ended in the dark of evening with supper and tomorrow’s plans, and the night was unmentioned, and taken for granted, as starlight fled the early morning sunlight. Jesus colored the Passover with night before day in Mt 26:2, as Mark did about Jesus, on John's mention of Jesus coming to Bethany six days before the Passover:

• Wed., Mk 14:12-16.
• Thu., v17-15:41.
• Fri., 15:42-47.
• Sat., Lk 23:56 & Mt 27:62-66.
• Sun., Jn 20:1-19.

All the last days of Jesus are divided by an evening of twilight, at nightfall:

1. After Wednesday evening, Jesus ate, was betrayed and crucified, and died on the feast day: Wednesday night through Thursday daytime—the Passover (Ex 12:8-18, Mt 26:2 & 20-21, Mk 14:1 & 17-18, 1 Cor 11:23).
2. After Thursday evening, the second day of his death began—the preparation day before the Sabbath. Joseph came to the cross after evening came (KJV, Mk 15:42-43 & Jn 19:31-38).
3. After Friday evening, the third day of his death began—the Sabbath day. The sabbath drew on ἐπιφωσκούση, so the women of the cross rested on the Sabbath to keep the commandment (Lk 23:56).
4. After Saturday evening, (Late on the Sabbath, as it began to dawn ἐπιφωσκούση into the first day of the week, Mt 28:1), after 3-1/2 days of his death (Mk 8:31), on the first day of the week, in one of four watches of the night, Jesus rose from death to life—before the women, who followed him from Galilee (Lk 23:47-24:1) arrived in the dark, to their disappointment, to not find Jesus wrapped and laying in his tomb (Jn 20:1).

As we remember what we have read, the last days of Jesus, and his last day's chronology, of coming to Bethany six days before the Passover, we find them evening by evening, and sundial hour by hour of the daytimes of “the Jews” of our Bibles, but hardly in a paraphrased Bible like NIV or NLT.

Was there a Friday afternoon till sunset, a three-hour Sabbath, tomb rush to Joseph’s tomb?

According to Scripture, there was an evening in-between Jesus dying and Joseph and Nicodemus coming to the cross. There was an evening between Jesus’ last breath (Jn 19:30), and Joseph's night visit to Pilate (19:31-38 & Mk 15:42-43). The argument against this is that Jesus was crucified on Friday, the preparation day. If this was true one must justify with a real answer, how all these twenty-three things happened between Jesus dying at 3 p.m. and the "evening of sunset— 6:p.m."

1. After evening, the Jews went to Pilate from the cross (Jn 19:31-38, (1st trip)).
2. Then time passed for the Jews to wait for Pilate to appear and hear their case.
3. How long did it take for the Jews to be heard by, and get decided by Pilate?
4. Time came for the Jews to return from the City to the cross (2nd trip). 5. And how long for soldiers to come with weapons from the City to the cross, to break the legs of all three of those on the cross, as John and Joseph witnessed?
5. After this, also after evening, Joseph went to Pilate, to the City (a 3rd trip).
6. Then was the time Joseph and Nicodemus waited to be heard by Pilate.
7. Then time for Joseph and Nicodemus to persuade Pilate of their burial plan.
8. And time for the centurion’s call and his return to confirm the hour of Jesus’ death.
9. And time for Joseph to find and buy fine linen grave cloths in the City.
10. And how long for Joseph to return from the City to the cross (the 4th trip)?
11. And time for Joseph and Nicodemus to prepare everything at the cross. 13. And how long for Joseph to unnail Jesus and lower him from the cross? 14. And for Joseph to secretly cleanse Jesus’ wounds in aloe and wind him up?
12. How long to carry a wrapped Jesus from a secret place into Joseph’s tomb?
13. Time for Luke’s Galileans from the cross to stoop down and see how Jesus lay.
14. Time for the great stone to be set, and then for the stone to be sealed.
15. Time for the Galilean women at the tomb to grieve, cry, and pray together?
16. Time for the mourning, Galilean women at the tomb to linger and wonder. 20. Add the time for the women to return to the City to buy spices (the 5th trip).
17. And the time that the women took to buy sweet spices and ointments.
18. Then to descend to Gethsemane and cross Mount Olive, returning to Bethany.
19. How long to prepare ointments from sweet spices before the Sabbath began?

These events happened one after the other. No one was on the cross on the Sabbath. Most Christians believe all these twenty-three things were accomplished as Friday evening "approached," in the last three hours of the preparation day. If each event only took 15 minutes, they all would have taken almost six hours. But it all was a full day, the day after Jesus died. How long might the removal of the spikes and Jesus from off the cross have taken? or for Joseph and Nicodemus to cleanse Jesus’ wounds with aloe and myrrh and wind him up? Then move him to the tomb and bury him in his tomb? Or five trips between the City and the cross? Or the women’s to return to Bethany? Or for them to make ointments have taken? A real answer is required. With help, I couldn't cleanse and wind someone up in swaddling cloths in three hours.

Bibles like the NIV & NLT ignored the Greek in Mk 15:42-43 which says already evening came (no longer Passover). And “because it was the preparation, Joseph came there” (to the cross). Both are edited out in the NIV & NLT. They imply Joseph’s evening in Mt 27:57 & Mk 15:42 is approaching, as if it was the same end of afternoon approaching evening before Sabbath, that approached on the women a day later (Lk 23:54-56). If Matthew and Mark’s evening that Joseph came was approaching, and was the same as Luke’s 23:54 Sabbath evening approaching the women back in Bethany, how could the twenty-three events above fit between both approachings, in the same hour evening approached (when Joseph came to the cross and the women finished making ointments)?

Today’s NIV & NLT are changing 600 years of English for evening came: οψιας γενομενης, in Mt 27:57 & Mk 15:42-43, to say Friday evening approached, trying to give Joseph’s evening a future tense. What would Tyndale say? The Greek says evening came; οψιας, opsios, the evening, the close of day; γενομενης, genomenees, born, birth, became, came to be (See Mt 8:16, 20:1-16, 26:20, 27:57-62, & Mk 1:32, 4:35, 6:47-48, 11:11 & 19, 14:17, 15:42).

If Jesus died on Friday, the Sabbath preparation, and already evening came (pg. 35), it would be on the Sabbath when Joseph came, not the Passover, but the Sabbath. Joseph’s work at the cross began after evening, the Hebrew day after Jesus died.

When you read Mk 15:42: And already evening came, ηδη οψιας γενομενης…there came a man named Joseph, but you hear, And Friday evening approached…(NIV & NLT) there came a man named Joseph, you struggle with the views you began to read with. If this is true, the real story of the Bible becomes hard to read.

There was no Friday afternoon till sunset, three-hour tomb-rush to Joseph’s tomb. Joseph came to the cross after evening, not as Sabbath approached (Mk 15:42-43).