The Passover Picture of the Timeline of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus
According to Edward M. Reingold’s work, Calendar Book, Papers and Code, Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, April 3rd, A.D. 30, which corresponds to Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar. He rose again at the close of the Sabbath, on Saturday evening, April 6th, the 17th of Nisan.
This timeline aligns with the biblical requirements and the High Sabbath days mentioned in Leviticus 23:6-7, which were special Sabbaths that are separate from the weekly Sabbath.
Crucifixion – Wednesday, April 3rd (Nisan 14)
(John 19:31 KJV) “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken…”
Jesus was crucified at 9:00 A.M. and died at 3:00 P.M.:
- (Mark 15:25 AMP) “It was the third hour (about nine o’clock in the morning) when they crucified Him…”
- (Matthew 27:46 AMP) “About the ninth hour (three o’clock) Jesus cried… ‘My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?’”
- (Luke 23:44-46) Darkness covered the land until Jesus gave up His spirit and died.
Joseph of Arimathea, with Nicodemus, prepared Jesus’ body and placed Him in a tomb just before sunset, the beginning of Nisan 15, the High Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread:
- (John 19:38-42 AMP) “…they took Jesus’ body and bound it in linen cloths with the spices… there was a garden… and in the garden a new tomb… they laid Jesus there.”
Burial and Sabbath Rest
- Thursday, April 4 (Nisan 15): High Sabbath – Feast of Unleavened Bread.
- Friday, April 5 (Nisan 16): Regular preparation day for the weekly Sabbath.
- Saturday, April 6 (Nisan 17): Weekly Sabbath – Jesus rises at sunset, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits.
- (John 20:1 AMP) “On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early… and saw that the stone had been removed…”
Because Jesus was already gone, He must have risen at sunset, the beginning of the first day of the week, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits.
Recap: The Sign of Jonah Fulfilled
(Matthew 12:40 KJV) “For as Jonas 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.”
- Night 1: Wednesday night (6 P.M. – 6 A.M.)
- Day 1: Thursday
- Night 2: Thursday night
- Day 2: Friday
- Night 3: Friday night
- Day 3: Saturday
This timeline perfectly aligns with the Torah, the words of Jesus, and astronomical data for A.D. 30. The Passover picture reveals the perfect plan of God, carried out in precise detail through the Feasts of the Lord.
Though we have the Person of Christ, the picture still matters. There is much more to study and understand about the Passover and God’s redemptive plan revealed through the biblical feasts. In future posts, we’ll explore more of these prophetic pictures found in Scripture.
