| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( B ) PASSOVER & FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD 1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. - Acts 12:1-4 Another bit of evidence which Luke writes in the book of Acts as regarding the issue of the correct translation of the word Easter, is contained in verse 3. Luke states that the period of time in which Herod vexed certain people of the church was a time frame of the days of unleavened bread. In both the Old and New Testaments, the Passover is revealed to be the first day of the week of unleavened bread. Though Passover is part of the seven day week of unleavened bread it does not encompass the full week, just the first day. Passover always occurs before the following 6 days of the feast of unleavened bread. As a result of this, the word Passover would clearly be an incorrect translation in verse 4. Simply because the context of verse 3 shows the time period to be the following days of unleavened bread. That is to say, the following 6 days which occur after the initial day of Passover during the week of unleavened bread. In light of this, the mentality of Herod keeping Peter in prison until after Passover is an invalid issue because Passover had already occurred. The following scriptures reveal the relationship and distinction of Passover with the rest of the 6 days which make up the week of the feast of unleavened bread; 5. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6. And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 11. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover. - Exodus 12:5-11 The Passover occurs on the evening, the time of the sun going down, on 14th day. Passover is part of the 7 day feast week of unleavened bread but does not encompass all of those days; 15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. - Exodus 12:15 In this scripture passage is revealed that the eating of unleavened bread, that feast, encompasses 7 days. A time frame of the 14th day on through to the 21st day. The Passover is the 14th day and the feast is the remaining six days, day 15 through day 21; 18. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. 20. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. 21. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. - Exodus 12:18-21 The 14th day in which Passover occurs and then the 15th day until the 21st day comprises the remaining six days of the feast week of unleavened bread; 4. These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. 5. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. 6. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. - Leviticus 23:4-6 Once again, the scriptures clearly show that it is on the 14th day at even when the Passover occurs. The rest of the week, from the 15th day to the 21st day, comprises the feast week of unleavened bread after Passover. These are the feast days, the 15th day onto the 21st day, to which Luke is writing in the 3rd verse of Acts 12. These are the remaining days of unleavened bread that continue on after Passover; 2. Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. 3. In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it. - Numbers 9:2-3 10. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord. 11. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12. They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it. - Numbers 9:10-12 16. And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord. 17. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. - Numbers 28:16-17 3. And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. - Numbers 33:3 1. Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. 2. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. 3. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. 4. And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. 5. Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: 6. But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. 7. And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents. 8. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work therein. - Deut. 16:1-8 Again notice in Deut. chapter 16, that the Passover occurs the first day in the seven day week of unleavened bread. But the Passover does not encompass the remaining six days of that feast week; 10. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. - Joshua 5:10 15. Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord. - 2 Chronicles 30:15 21. And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the Lord. - 2 Chron. 30:21 1. Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. - 2 Chron. 35:1 17. And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. - 2 Chron. 35:17 Notice the scripture writes of keeping the Passover and the feast. They are distinct as Passover occurs only on the 1st day of the feast week but both make up the 7 days of that feast week; 19. And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. 20. For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. 21. And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat, 22. And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. - Ezra 6:19-22 Notice in the gospels that the Passover is being prepared and kept on the 1st day of the feast week of unleavened bread. Jesus keeps Passover with His disciples on the 1st day of the feast of unleavened bread; 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? 18. And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. - Matt. 26:17-18 1. After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. - Mark 14:1 Once again notice as written in 2 Chronicles 35:17, Mark writes of the feast of the Passover and of unleavened bread. Thus, indicating that Passover is a particular and sole occurrence on the 1st day of the 7 day feast week of unleavened bread; 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? 13. And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15. And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. 16. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. - Mark 14:12-16 1. Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. � Luke 22:1 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. - Luke 22:7-8 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. - 1 Cor. 5:7-8 Keep in mind that when Christ kept the Passover with His disciples, He did not keep the entire 7 day feast week of unleavened bread. He kept only the Passover, that day prior to the remaining 6 days of the feast of unleavend bread. Also, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 says that Christ is our Passover who was sacrificed for us. Was Christs' crucifixion a lengthy 7 day ordeal ? No. It occurred on one day. Therefore, Passover, the day ( singular ), not day(s) ( plural ), occurred prior to the day(s) of unleavened bread. In conclusion, an understanding of the feast of unleavened bread and the placement of Passover, in addition to the fact that Herod persecuted the Christian church during the days of the feast of unleavened bread ( the days which occurred after the day of Passover ) are clear evidences that the correct translation in Acts 12:4 should be the word Easter and not Passover. Therefore, the KJV English translation of holy scripture has maintained the inerrant integrity and perfection of Gods' Word. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.reformation.org/saint_peter_and_easter.html http://www.ekkcom.com/easter.htm http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html http://home.computer.net/~cya/cy00096.html http://home.intekom.com/jason/4easter2.htm http://www.endtimeprophecy.net/EPN-1/Articles/Articles-Pagn/easter-1.html |