Q. I have two questions for you: Can you detail the five separate judgments and tell us the time, place and purpose? Secondly, can you tell where Hades is and explain what happens there?
A. I don’t know that I would classify the judgments into five categories because several overlap so let’s deal with the judgment and the resurrection as a topic to simplify things. Hebrews 6.2 says that understanding these issues is an elementary principle of the Faith so it is an important issue. We know that all mankind has sinned and therefore deserve death according to the L-rd’s absolute holiness (Gen. 2.17, Rom. 3.23) and sin is the transgression of the Torah (1Jn 3.4). We choose to sin and we fall. The problem with those that teach that the Torah (law) has been done away with is that you don’t know what sin is anymore, and therefore how can one repent? If you think eating pork is allowed, you don’t know that it is sin. Most of humanity doesn’t even know what sin is, including those that supposedly represent the L-rd. Until there is that realization, there can be no repentance because we must turn away from sin, but we need to know what it is. So, an individual must judge himself according to the written standard, the Torah/Scriptures. Now, Yeshua knew that G-d’s word was true and we deserved death and if something wasn’t done, man would be lost. So He offered to G-d what we didn’t, a perfect life and just as we chose to sin, we can choose to believe in Him. As a result of G-d’s acceptance of Yeshua’s perfect life, evidenced by the fact He was resurrected, we can have the assurance that by placing our faith in Him we will also be accepted. All of this can be considered a “judgment” that has been ongoing. A believer has now passed from condemnation and now obeys the Torah as a way of life and instruction, with the assurance that he has forgiveness. Believers will appear before the L-rd in heaven, at what is called the judgment seat of Messiah and his works will be judged. What he did in obedience to G-d will be rewarded, what was done in the flesh will not. This does not have anything to do with salvation and righteousness that has already been accepted by the believer by faith/action as a free gift from G-d based on Yeshua’s perfect life having been “accounted” to us. This judgment seat will happen on Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001 from creation, in Heaven at the time of the “catching away” or Natzal, commonly know as the “rapture”. That takes care of the believers.
Unbelievers will die in their sin because they “don’t believe” and it is as simple as that. At the end of the Tribulation/birthpains Yeshua returns to Jerusalem on Yom Kippur. For five days (Tishri 10-15) all those that survived the Tribulation/birthpains will be brought before Him. Unbelievers will be brought first, judged and slain and their spirits consigned to Sheol/Hades to await their resurrection at the end of the 1000 Messianic Kingdom. They will appear before G-d for final sentencing and be consigned to Gehenna (hell) for eternity, along with all those who have died in unbelief going back to Adam. This judgment is called the Great white Throne judgment (Rev. 20. 11-15). The believers of the Tribulation/birthpains will go on into the Messianic Kingdom to live out the rest of their lives, pass away and their spirits go to heaven to await the end of the 1000 years and be resurrected, given glorified bodies that will go into eternity with all the other believers. At that time everything has been restored. Next week we will deal with your question about Sheol/Hades and discuss where it is, what it is, who goes there and what happens to it in the future.
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upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95)
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Q. Can you tell where Hades is and what happens there?
Q. Can you tell where Hades is and what happens there?
A. Hades is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew Sheol, which is the abode of the dead, or disembodied spirits called the Rephaim in Hebrew. Many mistakenly are taught that Hades is the grave, but not once is Hades /Sheol used for the grave, which is the word “kever” in Hebrew and “mneema” in Greek. The translators of the Septuagint never translated Hades as the grave. Look the word up in any lexicon and you will see that it is clearly the abode of the dead. The King James Version mistranslated the word Hades in every occurrence just like it did with Sheol. Hades is not death, that is the Greek word “thanatos” and they appear together in Rev. 1.18 where they are clearly not synonymous. Hades is not hell, the place of final punishment because that is the Greek word “gehenna”. Hades is not heaven, Greek “ouranos”, the place where the righteous go to await the coming resurrection. It is not the new heavens and new earth. So, we know what it doesn’t mean, so what is it. By the time of the New Testament period, the concept of Hades/Sheol had developed to the point where it was believed that Hades/Sheol had two compartments. One was called torment and the other Abraham’s bosom or paradise where the righteous went after death (Lk.16.19-31). It is believed that those who went there are conscious, converse, recognize others, in pain and distress, make moral judgments, not subject to physical needs of this life like marriage, planning and procreation. Before the resurrection of Yeshua, all those who died went there (Jn. 3.13). Paradise was the same as Abraham’s bosom. When Yeshua died, he went there for three days and three nights. On the feast of First Fruits he reentered the tomb and his body was changed and others were resurrected with him (Mt 27.51-53). He takes all those in Paradise to heaven with him (Eph 4.8-10) and that is where believers go after death today (Phil 1.23-24, 2 Cor 5.6-8). The wicked go to Hades/Sheol which is now one compartment to await the resurrection and the Day of Judgment (Rev 20.13-15). Hades/Sheol is described as being in the lowest parts of the earth, under the earth, the lower parts and so on. That is either literal or it is a figure of speech and it is not a part of this world and has an existence in another dimension. So, in conclusion, Hades/Sheol is the intermediate state between death and the resurrection where the wicked wait and are in torment. Hades is without paradise/Abraham’s bosom today and its inhabitants will one day be emptied into the lake of fire and gehenna (Rev 20.13-15)
A. Hades is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew Sheol, which is the abode of the dead, or disembodied spirits called the Rephaim in Hebrew. Many mistakenly are taught that Hades is the grave, but not once is Hades /Sheol used for the grave, which is the word “kever” in Hebrew and “mneema” in Greek. The translators of the Septuagint never translated Hades as the grave. Look the word up in any lexicon and you will see that it is clearly the abode of the dead. The King James Version mistranslated the word Hades in every occurrence just like it did with Sheol. Hades is not death, that is the Greek word “thanatos” and they appear together in Rev. 1.18 where they are clearly not synonymous. Hades is not hell, the place of final punishment because that is the Greek word “gehenna”. Hades is not heaven, Greek “ouranos”, the place where the righteous go to await the coming resurrection. It is not the new heavens and new earth. So, we know what it doesn’t mean, so what is it. By the time of the New Testament period, the concept of Hades/Sheol had developed to the point where it was believed that Hades/Sheol had two compartments. One was called torment and the other Abraham’s bosom or paradise where the righteous went after death (Lk.16.19-31). It is believed that those who went there are conscious, converse, recognize others, in pain and distress, make moral judgments, not subject to physical needs of this life like marriage, planning and procreation. Before the resurrection of Yeshua, all those who died went there (Jn. 3.13). Paradise was the same as Abraham’s bosom. When Yeshua died, he went there for three days and three nights. On the feast of First Fruits he reentered the tomb and his body was changed and others were resurrected with him (Mt 27.51-53). He takes all those in Paradise to heaven with him (Eph 4.8-10) and that is where believers go after death today (Phil 1.23-24, 2 Cor 5.6-8). The wicked go to Hades/Sheol which is now one compartment to await the resurrection and the Day of Judgment (Rev 20.13-15). Hades/Sheol is described as being in the lowest parts of the earth, under the earth, the lower parts and so on. That is either literal or it is a figure of speech and it is not a part of this world and has an existence in another dimension. So, in conclusion, Hades/Sheol is the intermediate state between death and the resurrection where the wicked wait and are in torment. Hades is without paradise/Abraham’s bosom today and its inhabitants will one day be emptied into the lake of fire and gehenna (Rev 20.13-15)
Q. I hear there are 613 commandments in the Old Testament. Are all these applicable to everyone, or do certain laws apply to certain people?
Q. I hear there are 613 commandments in the Old Testament. Are all these applicable to everyone, or do certain laws apply to certain people?
A. The laws and commandments of the Tanak have not been done away with as some teach, but they don’t apply to everyone just like any code of law. Many of the laws in the Torah apply when you live in the land. Tithing applies when you live in the land and it is agricultural and you paid them to the Levites. So, under the circumstances, tithing doesn’t apply today. If you aren’t a king, you don’t need to obey the rules for kings. If you aren’t a high priest, or a regular priest for that matter, you don’t need to follow those laws. If you aren’t a woman the same rule applies and so on. The context of the law will dictate whether it applies to you and whether it is “active” today. There is no Temple so the laws governing purity regulations and offerings don’t apply. Let me give you an example. The United States Constitution is active today, just like the Torah. Its laws governing citizens applies to me, voting rights and so on. But, I’m not the president so it’s laws governing presidents doesn’t apply. I’m not in Congress, so its laws governing members of Congress, re-elections and so on doesn’t apply. So, all the laws of the Torah may not apply to me, but I should know them because they teach about the Messiah, redemption, eschatology, worship, loving my neighbor and variety of subjects that will make me a better “citizen” in the Kingdom of G-d.
Q. Where is the proof Jesus and His disciples observed the Torah and taught others to do the same?
A. In Deut. 13.1-5 it says that one of the marks of a false prophet is he will teach others to follow different gods by telling them that they don’t have to follow the Torah. So, what you are asking is whether or not Yeshua and His students are false prophets. Well, let’s look at what they said themselves and what their enemies said. Matt. 5.17-19 says that Yeshua did not come to destroy the law, and He came to teach the law. John, a disciple of Yeshua said in 1Jn 2.3-4 that if we say we know G-d and do not keep the commandments, we are a liar and the truth is not in us. In Acts 6 Stephen is brought before the council and in verse 13 it says they brought false witnesses to accuse him. What were they accusing him of? They said he was teaching against the Temple and the Torah by saying Yeshua was going to destroy the Temple and change the customs that Moses handed down (Torah). Notice these are false witnesses, which means Stephen did NOT teach against the Temple and did NOT teach that the Torah was going to be changed, or done away with. That is Christian doctrine today, but Stephen never taught it otherwise it would not have been a FALSE witness. Actually, the first “martyr” was a Torah observant believer who was falsely accused of not obeying the Torah. Today, that is the normal testimony of so-called believers, but that would not have ever been the doctrine or the practice of Yeshua and the believers of the 1st century. I hope this helps.
A. The laws and commandments of the Tanak have not been done away with as some teach, but they don’t apply to everyone just like any code of law. Many of the laws in the Torah apply when you live in the land. Tithing applies when you live in the land and it is agricultural and you paid them to the Levites. So, under the circumstances, tithing doesn’t apply today. If you aren’t a king, you don’t need to obey the rules for kings. If you aren’t a high priest, or a regular priest for that matter, you don’t need to follow those laws. If you aren’t a woman the same rule applies and so on. The context of the law will dictate whether it applies to you and whether it is “active” today. There is no Temple so the laws governing purity regulations and offerings don’t apply. Let me give you an example. The United States Constitution is active today, just like the Torah. Its laws governing citizens applies to me, voting rights and so on. But, I’m not the president so it’s laws governing presidents doesn’t apply. I’m not in Congress, so its laws governing members of Congress, re-elections and so on doesn’t apply. So, all the laws of the Torah may not apply to me, but I should know them because they teach about the Messiah, redemption, eschatology, worship, loving my neighbor and variety of subjects that will make me a better “citizen” in the Kingdom of G-d.
Q. Where is the proof Jesus and His disciples observed the Torah and taught others to do the same?
A. In Deut. 13.1-5 it says that one of the marks of a false prophet is he will teach others to follow different gods by telling them that they don’t have to follow the Torah. So, what you are asking is whether or not Yeshua and His students are false prophets. Well, let’s look at what they said themselves and what their enemies said. Matt. 5.17-19 says that Yeshua did not come to destroy the law, and He came to teach the law. John, a disciple of Yeshua said in 1Jn 2.3-4 that if we say we know G-d and do not keep the commandments, we are a liar and the truth is not in us. In Acts 6 Stephen is brought before the council and in verse 13 it says they brought false witnesses to accuse him. What were they accusing him of? They said he was teaching against the Temple and the Torah by saying Yeshua was going to destroy the Temple and change the customs that Moses handed down (Torah). Notice these are false witnesses, which means Stephen did NOT teach against the Temple and did NOT teach that the Torah was going to be changed, or done away with. That is Christian doctrine today, but Stephen never taught it otherwise it would not have been a FALSE witness. Actually, the first “martyr” was a Torah observant believer who was falsely accused of not obeying the Torah. Today, that is the normal testimony of so-called believers, but that would not have ever been the doctrine or the practice of Yeshua and the believers of the 1st century. I hope this helps.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Q. One of the ladies in my Bible Study asked...
Q. One of the ladies in my Bible Study asked if God hears our prayers if we pray silently, or do we have to pray them out loud. Someone had told her that unless prayers are said out loud, they aren’t heard or answered.
A. God hears our thoughts as easily as our spoken words. The Scriptures are full of examples of both, and there are times when we pray silently, and there are times we are to pray out loud. Yeshua prayed out loud so others could hear, like at the tomb of Lazarus for example (Jn 11.41-42). But your question centers around silent prayer specifically, so let’s look at a few examples. In Gen. 24.34-45 we have the example of Eliezar who was sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. He comes to a well and silently asks the Lord to give him insight into who she might be. As he recounts the scene, he says that while he was speaking to himself (silently) Rebekah came and fulfilled what he was looking for. Another example is the story of Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.12-15. She is praying silently and Eli the High Priest notices her but can’t hear what she is saying only her lips were moving (v13). He inquires the nature of her prayer, she tells him and he tells her to go in peace that God will grant her request, and Samuel is born later. There is another example in Neh. 2.1-4 where Nehemiah is standing before the King, and he notices that Nehemiah is upset. He asks what is wrong, and what could he do to help, so it says Nehemiah “prayed to the Lord” (v4) and then tells the King what he wants. There is no indication in the text or context that Nehemiah’s prayer was anything else but silent. Lastly, we have another example in the Book of Lk 18.9-14. This is the famous story of the Pharisee who was praying in the Temple “thus to himself” ( v 11). And the story describes his prayer, and Gods response to it. So, it is quit clear in the Scriptures that God does hear silent prayers, and even knows what we need before we even ask.
A. God hears our thoughts as easily as our spoken words. The Scriptures are full of examples of both, and there are times when we pray silently, and there are times we are to pray out loud. Yeshua prayed out loud so others could hear, like at the tomb of Lazarus for example (Jn 11.41-42). But your question centers around silent prayer specifically, so let’s look at a few examples. In Gen. 24.34-45 we have the example of Eliezar who was sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. He comes to a well and silently asks the Lord to give him insight into who she might be. As he recounts the scene, he says that while he was speaking to himself (silently) Rebekah came and fulfilled what he was looking for. Another example is the story of Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.12-15. She is praying silently and Eli the High Priest notices her but can’t hear what she is saying only her lips were moving (v13). He inquires the nature of her prayer, she tells him and he tells her to go in peace that God will grant her request, and Samuel is born later. There is another example in Neh. 2.1-4 where Nehemiah is standing before the King, and he notices that Nehemiah is upset. He asks what is wrong, and what could he do to help, so it says Nehemiah “prayed to the Lord” (v4) and then tells the King what he wants. There is no indication in the text or context that Nehemiah’s prayer was anything else but silent. Lastly, we have another example in the Book of Lk 18.9-14. This is the famous story of the Pharisee who was praying in the Temple “thus to himself” ( v 11). And the story describes his prayer, and Gods response to it. So, it is quit clear in the Scriptures that God does hear silent prayers, and even knows what we need before we even ask.
Friday, April 21, 2006
When God Hears Prayers
Q. One of the ladies in my Bible Study asked if God hears our prayers if we pray silently, or do we have to pray them out loud. Someone had told her that unless prayers are said out loud, they aren’t heard or answered.
A. God hears our thoughts as easily as our spoken words. The Scriptures are full of examples of both, and there are times when we pray silently, and there are times we are to pray out loud. Yeshua prayed out loud so others could hear, like at the tomb of Lazarus for example (Jn 11.41-42). But your question centers around silent prayer specifically, so let’s look at a few examples. In Gen. 24.34-45 we have the example of Eliezar who was sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. He comes to a well and silently asks the Lord to give him insight into who she might be. As he recounts the scene, he says that while he was speaking to himself (silently) Rebekah came and fulfilled what he was looking for. Another example is the story of Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.12-15. She is praying silently and Eli the High Priest notices her but can’t hear what she is saying only her lips were moving (v13).
He inquires the nature of her prayer, she tells him and he tells her to go in peace that God will grant her request, and Samuel is born later. There is another example in Neh. 2.1-4 where Nehemiah is standing before the King, and he notices that Nehemiah is upset. He asks what is wrong, and what could he do to help, so it says Nehemiah “prayed to the Lord” (v4) and then tells the King what he wants.
There is no indication in the text or context that Nehemiah’s prayer was anything else but silent. Lastly, we have another example in the Book of Lk 18.9-14. This is the famous story of the Pharisee who was praying in the Temple “thus to himself” ( v 11). And the story describes his prayer, and Gods response to it. So, it is quit clear in the Scriptures that God does hear silent prayers, and even knows what we need before we even ask.
A. God hears our thoughts as easily as our spoken words. The Scriptures are full of examples of both, and there are times when we pray silently, and there are times we are to pray out loud. Yeshua prayed out loud so others could hear, like at the tomb of Lazarus for example (Jn 11.41-42). But your question centers around silent prayer specifically, so let’s look at a few examples. In Gen. 24.34-45 we have the example of Eliezar who was sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. He comes to a well and silently asks the Lord to give him insight into who she might be. As he recounts the scene, he says that while he was speaking to himself (silently) Rebekah came and fulfilled what he was looking for. Another example is the story of Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.12-15. She is praying silently and Eli the High Priest notices her but can’t hear what she is saying only her lips were moving (v13).
He inquires the nature of her prayer, she tells him and he tells her to go in peace that God will grant her request, and Samuel is born later. There is another example in Neh. 2.1-4 where Nehemiah is standing before the King, and he notices that Nehemiah is upset. He asks what is wrong, and what could he do to help, so it says Nehemiah “prayed to the Lord” (v4) and then tells the King what he wants.
There is no indication in the text or context that Nehemiah’s prayer was anything else but silent. Lastly, we have another example in the Book of Lk 18.9-14. This is the famous story of the Pharisee who was praying in the Temple “thus to himself” ( v 11). And the story describes his prayer, and Gods response to it. So, it is quit clear in the Scriptures that God does hear silent prayers, and even knows what we need before we even ask.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Question about Matthew 8:19-22
Question about Matthew 8:19-22
One aspect of this is Yeshua had an itinerate lifestyle, traveling and
"living out of a suitcase" if you will. If you were going to follow him
you may not have the cozy lifestyle of others. You will have to give up
many things that the world looks at as the goal of life, like a home,
family etc. But, another aspect to this is that the Kingdom of God was
being offered right there and then. Don't put physical things and cares
above the spiritual concerns of the Kingdom. There is a third aspect.
Where it says "allow the dead to bury", the word for dead in Hebrew is
"metta." But, the Hebrew word for "town" is "matta" and looks the same
in Hebrew, having the same letters but different vowels sounds. It is
possible that this is a confused word by the scribes translating this
and it should be "allow the town to bury the dead" which makes better
sense and that was the custom of the time. A fourth aspect is the High
Priests in the Temple were not allowed to bury their own family (Lev
21.11). What this man was saying to Yeshua was "I want to follow you,
but let me wait till my father dies." So, in summary here is what is
going on. The Kingdom of G-d is being offered, there is no time to be
concerned about physical things or family. You need to respond when you
have the chance. The things you are concerned about will take care of
themselves if you follow the L-rd and now is the time for salvation and
service. Don't put it off. Seek first the Kingdom, and all your physical
concerns will be taken care of.
One aspect of this is Yeshua had an itinerate lifestyle, traveling and
"living out of a suitcase" if you will. If you were going to follow him
you may not have the cozy lifestyle of others. You will have to give up
many things that the world looks at as the goal of life, like a home,
family etc. But, another aspect to this is that the Kingdom of God was
being offered right there and then. Don't put physical things and cares
above the spiritual concerns of the Kingdom. There is a third aspect.
Where it says "allow the dead to bury", the word for dead in Hebrew is
"metta." But, the Hebrew word for "town" is "matta" and looks the same
in Hebrew, having the same letters but different vowels sounds. It is
possible that this is a confused word by the scribes translating this
and it should be "allow the town to bury the dead" which makes better
sense and that was the custom of the time. A fourth aspect is the High
Priests in the Temple were not allowed to bury their own family (Lev
21.11). What this man was saying to Yeshua was "I want to follow you,
but let me wait till my father dies." So, in summary here is what is
going on. The Kingdom of G-d is being offered, there is no time to be
concerned about physical things or family. You need to respond when you
have the chance. The things you are concerned about will take care of
themselves if you follow the L-rd and now is the time for salvation and
service. Don't put it off. Seek first the Kingdom, and all your physical
concerns will be taken care of.
Saturday, April 8, 2006
Did Jesus resurrect on a Sunday morning?
Q.Did Jesus resurrect on a Sunday morning?
A.To answer that question, we need a little backround. Biblical days start and end at sundown. Yeshua was asked for a sign and the only sign he gave was the sign of Jonah, being in the belly of the great fish 3 days and 3 nightts. This means that Yeshua was going to be in the belly of the earth 3 days and 3 nights. These days are 24 hours. So, let's look at the chronology of this briefly. A more extensive look can be provided into Yeshua's last week, but we'll only look at the part in question.
Yeshua was crucified on Nisan 14, Passover, at 9am (Mk 15.1). Mk 15.33 -34 tells us that he died at 3pm. Now, Mk 15.42 says that it was a preparation day for a High Holy Day, the 15th of Nisan (Lev 23.6) not for the weekly Sabbath. There are 3 Sabbaths during Passover week.This is where many people make a mistake because they do not follow the Torah, but G-d does and so does Yeshua. He is buried by 6pm the 14th (Deut. 21-22-23) and in the grave Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16 th of Nisan until about 6pm. Matt. 28.1 says that it began to "dawn" towards the 1st day of the week.Remember, days start at sundown and the word "dawn" can apply to the moon coming up also. It was a full moon on the 15th so Yeshua comes out of the grave around 6pm as the weekly Sabbath ends.
There is no scriptural evidence for an early Sunday morning at the dawn of the sun resurrection. This is totally based on misunderstanding and paganism. Easter is a name after the the Babylonian goddess of fertility "Ishtar" and the rabbit, eggs, and basket all have sexual connotations to it and the searching for eggs is a fertility rite. Churches will have easter egg hunts and all kinds of pagan practices right along side of all sorts of talk about the resurrection and the death of Yeshua without even noticing what they are doing. I believe they are incapable of discerning the difference because they are dead. These practices should not even be mentioned among people who profess to believe in Yeshua, and maybe that is the issue, they don't believe. So, to answer the question, no, Yeshua was not resurrected on a Sunday morning as taught, but late Saturday afternoon, approximately 6pm. This brings us to several other myths about the crucifixion.
Yeshua did not carry the full cross, but most likey just the cross beam. Wood was to valuable so they used pieces over and over again. Crucifixion was an everyday affair. Pilate crucified 3 people this day, and the next day he probably did 3 more. The upright "stake" was already in the ground and the victim was crucified to the cross beam and then atteached to the upright piece. Another thing, he was not crucified on top of a hill, but along the road to Damascus just outside the gate that bears that name. The scriptures refer to people "passing by" on the road. The romans liked to do that to warn anyone coming into a place, or leaving, what the penalty was for coming against their authority. So, all thoise songs about a hill far away and movies you've seen with it on top of the hill are inaccurate. He was crucified just outside the Damascus gate, as you turn right to go to Damascus, down the road a bit, was the place of execution.
Another myth was he was buried in a shroud. He was wrapped like a mummy(see Lazarus). Linen strips were wound around him, leaving an open space at the face. When he resurrected, the empty cocoon was left behind and when you walked in the tomb, the outline of his body was seen, the linen hardened by the spices 3 days before, but as you approached and looked, there was no face and an empty cocoon of the linen wrappings. That's why the people believed immediately when they entered the tomb and saw they burial place.
A.To answer that question, we need a little backround. Biblical days start and end at sundown. Yeshua was asked for a sign and the only sign he gave was the sign of Jonah, being in the belly of the great fish 3 days and 3 nightts. This means that Yeshua was going to be in the belly of the earth 3 days and 3 nights. These days are 24 hours. So, let's look at the chronology of this briefly. A more extensive look can be provided into Yeshua's last week, but we'll only look at the part in question.
Yeshua was crucified on Nisan 14, Passover, at 9am (Mk 15.1). Mk 15.33 -34 tells us that he died at 3pm. Now, Mk 15.42 says that it was a preparation day for a High Holy Day, the 15th of Nisan (Lev 23.6) not for the weekly Sabbath. There are 3 Sabbaths during Passover week.This is where many people make a mistake because they do not follow the Torah, but G-d does and so does Yeshua. He is buried by 6pm the 14th (Deut. 21-22-23) and in the grave Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16 th of Nisan until about 6pm. Matt. 28.1 says that it began to "dawn" towards the 1st day of the week.Remember, days start at sundown and the word "dawn" can apply to the moon coming up also. It was a full moon on the 15th so Yeshua comes out of the grave around 6pm as the weekly Sabbath ends.
There is no scriptural evidence for an early Sunday morning at the dawn of the sun resurrection. This is totally based on misunderstanding and paganism. Easter is a name after the the Babylonian goddess of fertility "Ishtar" and the rabbit, eggs, and basket all have sexual connotations to it and the searching for eggs is a fertility rite. Churches will have easter egg hunts and all kinds of pagan practices right along side of all sorts of talk about the resurrection and the death of Yeshua without even noticing what they are doing. I believe they are incapable of discerning the difference because they are dead. These practices should not even be mentioned among people who profess to believe in Yeshua, and maybe that is the issue, they don't believe. So, to answer the question, no, Yeshua was not resurrected on a Sunday morning as taught, but late Saturday afternoon, approximately 6pm. This brings us to several other myths about the crucifixion.
Yeshua did not carry the full cross, but most likey just the cross beam. Wood was to valuable so they used pieces over and over again. Crucifixion was an everyday affair. Pilate crucified 3 people this day, and the next day he probably did 3 more. The upright "stake" was already in the ground and the victim was crucified to the cross beam and then atteached to the upright piece. Another thing, he was not crucified on top of a hill, but along the road to Damascus just outside the gate that bears that name. The scriptures refer to people "passing by" on the road. The romans liked to do that to warn anyone coming into a place, or leaving, what the penalty was for coming against their authority. So, all thoise songs about a hill far away and movies you've seen with it on top of the hill are inaccurate. He was crucified just outside the Damascus gate, as you turn right to go to Damascus, down the road a bit, was the place of execution.
Another myth was he was buried in a shroud. He was wrapped like a mummy(see Lazarus). Linen strips were wound around him, leaving an open space at the face. When he resurrected, the empty cocoon was left behind and when you walked in the tomb, the outline of his body was seen, the linen hardened by the spices 3 days before, but as you approached and looked, there was no face and an empty cocoon of the linen wrappings. That's why the people believed immediately when they entered the tomb and saw they burial place.
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