| 14th Nissan |
15th Nissan |
16th Nissan |
17th Nissan |
18th Nissan |
19th Nissan |
20th Nissan |
21st Nissan |
| Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
| Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
| Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
| Wednesday |
Thursday1 |
Friday2 |
Saturday3 |
(FF Sunday) |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
| Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
| Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
| |
The above table shows where the "morrow after the sabbath" (brown color) would fall within Passover; relative to which day of the week the 14th of Nissan fell on. The red color, of course denotes the weekly sabbath. To literally fulfill both, the 'three days and three nights" of Matt. 12:40, and the feast of firstfruits of Lev. 23:10-11: it would have been necessary for Jesus to have been crucified on Wednesday, the 14th; sealed in the tomb before sunset; and be resurrected before sunset on Saturday evening, the 17th; He would have came out of the tomb after sunset, just prior to the time the sheaf of firstfruits (FF) would have been cut by the temple priests.
We know from historical sources of the period, that the sheaf of barley for the wave offering, was cut between sundown and dark following the sabbath, and waved before the Lord the following morning , "the morrow after the sabbath" (Sunday). When the time came, priests from the temple went forth to cut the sheaf of firstfruits, carrying with them baskets and sickles. They were accompanied by a large contingent of people who followed them to the field. After their arrival, five questions were then put to the people, three times: (1) "Has the sun set?"; (2) "With this a sickle?"; (3) "Into this a basket? (4)"On this Sabbath?" (5)"Shall I reap it now?". Each time the people would reply with a resounding "Yes!!". The sheaf was then cut; taken back to the temple for preparation, and offered up early the next morning.
The resurrection therefore, is equated with the cutting and harvesting of the grain from the earth. The priests harvested the firstfruits of the natural grain; while God harvested the firstfruits of the true grain; planted three days before when the tomb was sealed (John 12:24). Though resurrected just prior to sunset, in the last moments of that sabbath day's light, Jesus did not appear to any of His followers until the next morning.
Deuteronomy 16:9 states, that the counting of the seven weeks was to begin, "...from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn." (after sundown, but before three stars appeared, following the sabbath). That being the case, Firstfruits would have been the first day of the seven complete weeks, which were to be counted; each of those weeks likewise ending with a weekly sabbath.
The immediate significance of these findings is: that no matter how corrupt they were, the Sadducees correctly understood that the sabbath mentioned in Lev. 23:11, was the weekly sabbath, and not the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as supposed by the Pharisees. Likewise, the "seven sabbaths" of Lev. 23:15-16 were weekly sabbaths, rather than representing the seven weeks which were being counted. Let the Scriptures, not tradition, teach us what is correct. Our emphasis shouldn't be on the fact that Jesus first appeared to the women on "Sunday morning" following His resurrection; but that His appearance was on the first day of the seven weeks to be counted towards the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), which also happens to fall fifty days later, on "a Sunday".
The ultimate significance of this is, that Jesus (the firsfruits, according to I Cor. 15:20-23) literally fulfilled this feast day (Matt. 28:1; Matt.28:6), on the first day of the seven weeks (a Sunday), by ascending to heaven and presenting Himself unto the Father (John 20:17); and possibly offering up the resurrected saints (Matt. 27:52-53) as the "sheaf" of firstfruits, at the approximate time the priest was offering up the omer in the temple in Jerusalem.
