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Interpretations and Facts:
All quotes from Mr. Hunt's article will be in red italics: A minor clarification needs to be made here. The 70 years of captivity spoken of by Jeremiah concerned Judah and Jerusalem. Israel (the other 10 tribes) were already in captivity. While in a larger sense this judgment may have concerned all Israel the text does not specifically indicate this. Jeremiah 25:1-12 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; 2 The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying………………………. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith YHWH, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. 2 Chronicles 36:21 21 To fulfil the word of YHWH by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Daniel 9:24 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
7620 [;Wbv' shabuwa` {shaw-boo'-ah} or [;buv' shabua` {shaw-boo'-ah} also (fem.) shebu`ah {sheb-oo-aw'}Meaning: 1) seven, period of seven (days or years), heptad, week 1a) period of seven days, a week 1a1) Feast of Weeks 1b) heptad, seven (of years) "Nehemiah tells us that it was "in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king" (2:1) that he received the authorization to rebuild Jerusalem. When the day of the month was not given, the first day was intended." First, while the 1st day of the month may in fact have been intended the text does not state this. "There were several Artaxerxes, but only one, Longimanus, who ruled more than 20 years-from 465-425 B.C." 2nd and more importantly Longimanus was not the only “Artaxerxes” who ruled for more than 20 years. While this statement is not correct it is not even relevant to the discussion. The reason is that Nehemiah was governor under an “Artaxerxes” from the 20th until the 32nd year of the king. The relevant criteria then, is an “Artaxerxes” who rule for at least 36 years. There are 3 Persian kings who meet this criteria. Darius son of Hystaspes, 36 years 521 - 485 BC Nehemiah 5:14 14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
The date 1 Nisan 455 B.C. is not based on any contextual facts from the Scripture. At this time it is purely speculative. At the end of 69 of these "weeks" (7x69 = 483 years) "Messiah the Prince" would be made known to Israel (Dn 9:25) and then "be cut off [slain], but not for himself" (v. 26). Counting 483 years of 360 days each (the Hebrew and Babylonian calendar), a total of 173,880 days from Nisan 1, 445 B.C., brings us to Sunday, April 6, A.D. 32. The Hebrew calendar at least back until the time of Hezekiah was a lunar/solar calendar. It did not have 30 day months. Each lunar cycle was 29.53 days long. Most years then contained 12 lunar months of 354.36 days. Some years though contained 13 months of 383.89 days. (This extra month synchronized the lunar/solar calendar) To be completely factual the Hebrew “year” varied every 3 years or so from 12 months to 13 months. "On the fourteenth of Nisan, "the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it [the passover lamb] in the evening [between 3:00 and 6:00 P.M.]" (Ex 12:6). It was during that precise time period that Jesus died on the cross!" Mr. Hunt is correct in that the Passover lambs are killed on the 14th of Nisan. The Scripture is very clear. The historical records of Josephus and Philo also confirm this fact. Mr. Hunt’s next statement contradicts the clearly stated gospel accounts which show that Yashua (Jesus) entered Jerusalem on the same day the Passover lambs were being slain. If Yashua entered Jerusalem on the 14th of Nisan He could not have been killed at the same time the lambs were killed. Mark 14:12 12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? Luke 22:7-8 7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. Matthew 26:17 17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? John 13:1-2 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; The following statements in light of the verses above contradict the Scripture as well as Mr. Hunts statement further above that the lambs were killed on the 14th of Nisan. "The fourteenth of Nisan began, as Jewish days did, at sunset Wednesday evening. That night Jesus and His disciples had the "last supper" in the upper room where they were preparing to eat the passover the following night. Hurriedly taken down side streets, the prisoner was received into the citadel at "the third hour" (Mk 15:25), about 9:00 A.M., Nisan 14. All over Israel preparations were underway to kill the passover lamb, which was to be eaten that night."
"Thursday? Not "Good Friday"? Indeed not. Jesus himself had said, "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 [i.e., in that part of Hades known as 'Abraham's bosom']" (Mt 12:40; Lk 16:22). The gospel includes the declaration that Christ "rose again the third day" (1 Cor 15:4)." Yashua statement of “3 days and 3 nights” is a parable. As such its meaning is often not meant to be taken literally. Yashua Himself often chastised His disciples for taking His parables in a literal sense while not looking at them for the Spiritual meaning. The 2nd part of Mr. Hunt’s statement that Yashua rose again on the “3rd day” contradicts his understanding of the parable of 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth. If Yashua statement of 3 days and 3 nights in the “heart of the earth” was to be taken literally then He would have risen from the grave on the 4th day. Yet against this 1 parable of Jonah is over 11 statements from Yashua and the disciples that in fact Yashua rose on the 3rd day. One of the clearest statements which conclusively proves Yashua died on the 6th day of the week and rose again on the 3rd day is found in Luke 24. Yashua appears unto two of His disciples as they are on the way to Emmaus on the 1st day of the week. They stated this day (Sunday) was the 3rd day since Yashua was condemned to death and crucified. This places the crucifixion on the 6th day of the week. (Friday) Luke 24:1-2 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre……………….. Luke 24:20-21 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. "Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - does it really matter? Yes! The day of our Lord's crucifixion is of the utmost importance. If Christ was not three days and three nights in the grave, then He lied." Differences of opinion there will always be but I must take issue with this statement especially. There is no way Yashua lied. This is especially troubling since the statement is made by Mr. Hunt based upon his personal interpretation of a parable. If Mr. Hunt’s interpretation is incorrect then he is falsely accusing Yashua of lying. "Moreover, His death, to fulfill prophecy, had to occur at the very time the passover lambs were being slain throughout Israel. It is an astronomical fact that Nisan 14, A.D. 32, fell on Thursday." Which prophecy states that Yashua had to die at the same time the Passover lambs were killed? I am not aware of any such statement. Again this is personal opinion presented as fact. Yashua is clearly described as the “lamb of god which taketh away the sins of the world” but the Passover lamb was not a sin atonement sacrifice. The next day on the 15th of Nisan was when the sin atonement sacrifices where killed. This was on the “feast day” or the Holy Convocation. There are a couple of factual problems with this statement. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was in fact one of the only “Holy Convocations” feast days in which all work was not strictly forbidden. It is the only (Holy Convocation) feast day in which an exception was made for the preparation of food. 2nd the Feast of Unleavened Bread is not once called a Sabbath or Shabbathown in the Scripture. It is called a miqra or Holy Convocation but it is never referred to as a Sabbath or Rest. This presents an impossible obstacle to calling the 1st day of Unleavened Bread a “high Sabbath”. Exodus 12:16 16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. We have an awesome responsibility as believers to ensure we present the Scripture in an accurate manner. We also must be clear when we are presenting opinions and when are presenting facts. When the facts are not accurate it undermines the goodness of our message.
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