Friday’s No Good on Easter Island
Challenging Easter’s
Errors will land me on the
Island of Patmos.
~
When did we start favoring the convenient fables of our own design over the Grand Design and Word of God?!! The answer can be found most blatantly in the Christian holidays when we commemorate days of faith which have been superimposed over and distorted by pagan celebrations and customs. But the pagans aren’t to blame for the inaccuracies of Easter – Christians are.
For the sake of what feels “good” and seems right, we have subverted the greater awe of prophetic scriptures for the sake of subletting a version of the truth.
‘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.’ – Matthew 12:40
While many may recognize this scripture, it would seem that few actually apply it to the days we’ve set aside to observe Christ’s Resurrection. Years ago, I dared to count the days (and nights) from the evening of Good Friday to the early morning rise of the Son’s day – as ascribed by nearly all Christian denominations… and it didn’t add up.
I wasn’t bold enough at the time to bring it up to anyone – partly because I didn’t know anyone that I felt wouldn’t chastise or disown me for even asking such a question. But questions are the beginnings of revelation. Questions that are posed for better understanding of the Bible were never meant to be shelved because they allow the Bible – the Word of God – to speak for Himself.
But apparently, God’s Son – the Word of God made flesh – isn’t even good or accurate enough anymore.
I once read a USAToday article that actually addressed the chronological inaccuracies of Easter; but instead of chalking it up to human error, the author put the blame on Jesus:
“Others dismiss historical revisions and say Jesus simply misspoke. ‘To be technical, Jesus made a false prophecy, and that’s not something that most Christians would want to put that way,’ said Robert Miller, a professor of religion at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.’ ”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! So… let me get this straight… to preserve the tradition of Easter, this dude just coolly accused Jesus THE Christ of false prophecy?!! This dude, rather than believe that we’ve misconstrued truth in an attempt to celebrate a tradition (in true, religious form), thought it would make more sense to associate Jesus to an anti-Christ type movement. A movement, mind you, that Jesus Himself warned would be a sign of the end times along with the rise of antichrists:
‘For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.’ – Matthew 24:24 *
SIDE NOTE 1: Who are the elect? I’m glad I asked. It’s the Church. That is, the ekklesia – an assembly of people called out from the rest; referenced in Greek times in like manner to elected officials who are called out from the general population to govern.
SIDE NOTE #2: If you care to read it, there’s a book called Victorious Eschatology by Harold Eberle and Martin Trench that straightens out the “end time” scenarios we’ve managed to romanticize and fictionalize. There are many nuggets of truth revealed by these authors but I want to touch on an incident portrayed in the book that perfectly reflects what’s going on during our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.
The authors of this book were hosting a workshop that realigned the Word with the accurate facts of the end times when they were interrupted by a young lady – moved so much by their presentation regarding how the antichrist 1) is not mentioned in Revelation and 2) already made itself apparent at the end of days for the Old Covenant (~70 AD) – that she blurted out: “Don’t take my Antichrist away from me!”
This is where we are with Resurrection Sunday. We would rather embrace the traditional falsehood of a Good Friday to Sunday morning timeframe than the truths that state otherwise as we shout “Don’t take my Easter traditions away from me!”
What truths? I’m glad you asked because years ago, I asked for them myself.
Over a decade ago, when I had finally found the courage and proper setting to present this concern, I was surprised and joyful at the response. An ordained minister and man of God affirmed my suspicions and launched us into a Bible study to gather the facts regarding Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Before I proceed, I have to set a few disclaimers. I am still very much a student of this revelation. I have readdressed these facts every year heading into Resurrection Sunday to become more familiar with what was once unknown and foreign to me. As such, I encourage you to look at the scriptures with an open mind and see them afresh to repent from a former way of thinking as you piece together and accept the Word of God anew.
Second – I am not presenting this to denounce the observation of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Much like Christmas, although we recognize that December 25th is an overlay of pagan celebrations for the winter solstice and not the actual birthday of the Christ, it is important and good that we commemorate the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Here is a list of scriptures that provide meaningful clues regarding the timeline of “Easter”:
Matthew 12:40
The Length of Time Jesus CORRECTLY Prophesied He’d Be “in the heart of earth”*
Genesis 1:5
The Start of the Jewish Day (at sunset)
John 11:9
The Length of a Jewish day
Leviticus 23:4-5; Exodus 12:6
Christ’s Fulfillment of Passover Feasts (which places Jesus’ crucifixion shortly after His Triumphal Entry on a non-Friday) **
Luke 23:53-56; John 19:31
High Sabbath Day/Holy Day (which would’ve delayed the preparation of His body with spices by adding an extra day of rest between Christ’s death and the Sabbath Day which He, The LORD of the Sabbath, rose on)
** this will require some research on the lunar calendar which is still the base of the Jewish calendar
These are key scriptures from both the Old and New Testament that, although they require diligence that has taken me over many years to understand and accept, have reformed my appreciation for the truth behind Jesus rising out of the grave. THIS is what I would prefer to work at to rally and quicken my faith so that it would not remain stayed in the dead works of traditional hearsay and practices.
Counting backwards from the Sabbath of Jewish customs when we are told He rose and taking the aforementioned into account, Jesus would’ve died on what we call Wednesday and risen on Saturday evening – the seventh day Sabbath of the Jewish calendar. Lord of the Sabbath, indeed. I believe this is why He once plucked an ear (pun not intended, but effectual nonetheless!) of corn on the Sabbath – to prove a point to the nay-saying Pharisees and hint at the work He had yet to complete on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8). Let him/her who has ears hear, indeed!
There are no coincidences in the Bible. John 1:29 calls Jesus the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world for a reason. Passover, which was celebrated to remember how the people of God were saved from the plague of death that came upon their Egyptian captors recalls to mind the blood of a spotless lamb that was used to mark the doorposts of the Jews (Exodus 12:3-5), reminds us that Jesus knew no sin which allowed Him to be that spotless lamb. The breaking of unleavened bread, while commemorating a celebratory feast for the ensuing exodus of the people of God from captivity, is symbolically represented by the broken body of Christ – which He presented (together with the wine as His blood) at the Last Supper which we now commemorate with Communion.
These are the symbols and truths of “Easter” – not bunny rabbits and eggs.
This is what Hebrews 10:1 referred to when it said that the law was a shadow of the good things to come – cast in the presence of the living body of Christ.
Let him who hath ears hear the Word of God – not man. Let him then listen to the Word of GOD – not man. Let him then increase in faith according to Romans 10:17. Submitted by His humble servant – a workman trying to rightly divide the word of truth. SELAH.
~
Easter Bunny Ears
He who hath ears, hear –
Bunny rabbits have nothing
To do with Easter.
‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches…’
– Revelation 2:7
~
In the Shadow of the Son
a.k.a.
A Broken Body Cast
Christ’s broken body
Cast Itself as the shadow
Of all things to come.
~
‘The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.’
– Hebrews 10:1 NIV
– click below for further discourse regarding the TRUE timeline of Jesus’ death and resurrection:
http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/3days3nights.html
Click HERE to view and purchase the book featuring this blog and many others in VOLUME II of the On My Post: Recollections of a Social Media Maverick boxset. #AvailableOnAmazon
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