When Was the Old Testament Passover Lamb Slain? Part 1

Well, as you know, a little over two months from now, we will once again be observing the Passover, which, of course, begins the spring festival season. And, of course, as we know also, the Passover reflects back on a number of events, which have actually generated a great deal of controversy as to how they all fit together, and when they occurred over the past 15 years, especially since the split up from the World Wide Church of God in 1995. Of course, we observed the Passover on the night of the 14th, when Christ actually instituted the New Testament Passover with His disciples. The 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar, the beginning of the 14th, right for sunset. Now, Orthodox Jews and some Church of God members observed it on the 15th.

Most of us celebrate as the night to be much observed, the night to be much remembered. So you have to ask a question, why do the vast majority of the Orthodox Jews observe their Passover center or Passover meal on the evening of the 15th?

On the evening of the first day of Unleavened Bread. Because they still do that today, and they have for the past 2,000 years.

And they claimed the Passover lambs were slain on the afternoon of the 14th, and then eaten on the evening of the 15th, and they teach that the Passover commemorates Israel's exodus out of Egypt. That's basically what Orthodox Jews teach.

But is that really what the Old Testament Passover celebrated? Does the Old Testament Passover really celebrate Israel's deliverance out of Egypt? Or does it celebrate something else?

Now, Jesus told His disciples to prepare to eat the Passover on the night of the 14th. As we do.

That is, at the very beginning of the 14th, just after sunset, instead of the night of the 15th, as the Jews do today.

And even as the Jews also did at the time of Christ.

You know, in fact, you look at the Gospel accounts, and even the Gospel accounts can be somewhat confusing, or very confusing, maybe. Let's just turn to a couple of them, just to look at here in the introduction. Turn to Mark 14. There are several scriptures I could turn to, but I'll turn to Mark 14 to illustrate how some things are written in a way in the Gospels where they can be confusing, even in the New Testament. Mark 14 and verse 12.

Here's what it says. I'm reading from the New King James. Old King James is similar. Mark 14, 12, it says, Now on the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, Well, where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?

Wait a minute. That's kind of what's that saying?

Wasn't the Passover lamb killed on the day of the Passover?

Not on the first day of unleavened bread?

And didn't Christ die in the afternoon of the 14th on the afternoon of the Passover day? And didn't Christ eat the Passover and institute the New Testament Passover service with his disciples on the evening of the 14th, sometime just after sunset, as the 14th day was beginning after sunset? See, if that was the case, then they would have had to have killed the Passover lamb just after sunset at the beginning of the 14th. They're going to eat it at that time. Why, then, does it say here, now on the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover lamb?

How do you explain that? What does that mean? How does that tie in? How does that fit with our understanding? And why did the Jews kill the Passover lambs on the afternoon of the 14th back at the time of Christ? Why did they kill their Passover lambs at right at the end of the day? And why did they kill their Passover lambs at right about the very same time that Christ died as the Passover lambs, laying from the foundation of the world? We know Christ died on the Passover day right around 3 in the afternoon. The very time the Jews back then were sacrificing their Passover lambs. Matthew 26, 17 also states very similar to what it says here in Mark 14, 12. Matthew 26, 17 also says, now on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?

See, it all seems very confusing. In fact, indeed, it is somewhat confusing, which is why some observed the Passover on the 15th. And they do that very sincerely.

In fact, I just want to make a comment here. I have a number of friends who do that very sincerely, and I honor their sincerity. And I honor the fact that they really are striving in their heart to follow what they believe is correct, because it is very confusing and it can be taken that way.

But the question remains, why do we, as the United Church of God, observe the Passover on the 14th, as was taught by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong many years ago?

I mean, I was confused by this myself for a number of years. But the one thing I always realized, well, Christ, and we know that Christ instituted the New Testament Passover at the beginning of the 14th. So regardless of anything else, that, to me, gave scriptural support for observing the New Testament Passover at that time, regardless of when the Old Testament Passover may or may not have been observed. But was Mr. Armstrong correct? And is the United Church of God correct today? Or are the Orthodox Jews correct, who observed the Passover on the 15th? See, Jews believe the original Passover lamb was slain on the afternoon of the 14th, and that Israel then ate it on the evening of the 15th, just before the death angel passed over at midnight on the 15th, according to the way they looked at it, causing them to then be forced to flee Egypt on the 15th. Thus, Jews say that the Passover then commemorates Israel's exodus out of Egypt, because they look at all those events having taken place during one day or one 24-hour period of time. However, that was not the position, as we know, of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, and it's not the position of the United Church of God today, or most of the other Church of God groups as far as that goes. Mr. Armstrong's position, in our position, has been that all those events took place not over one night, but over two nights, which is correct.

The position of Mr. Armstrong, the position of the United Church of God, and the other major Church of God groups, is that the Passover land was slain and eaten after sunset on the night of the 14th, as the 14th day began after sunset, and the death angel passed over at midnight on the 14th. We then teach that the Israelites remained in their homes that night, that night of the 14th, and didn't leave until the next morning. And then the next morning, they gathered together, they traveled and gathered together so they could all be assembled together to leave Egypt then, as the 15th begins, the first day of the month of the Red began after sunset that night. They went out of Egypt by night on the 15th. So the question then is, did the events surrounding the original Old Testament Passover and first day of Unleavened Bread occur over one day or one night, as the Jews believe, or did they occur over two nights, as Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong taught, and as we teach today, is the United Church of God. And the other major churches of God teach as well. So it's confusing.

So today I want to begin a series, and there's a lot of questions, a lot of things that have been confusing I'd like to try to clear up, at least to support why we believe the way we do, without discrediting or trying to be judgmental towards those who might believe differently, because it is very confusing. But today I want to begin a series in a six sermons to try to clear up the confusion surrounding the events of both the Old and New Testament Passover.

And I want to begin today by just looking at one specific question to start it out, to lay the foundation for this. It's a very, very controversial question.

When was the Old Testament Passover lamb slain? That's the question we'll look at today. And that's also the title for part one of my six-part series. My title for this particular sermon today is, When was the Old Testament Passover lamb slain? It's a very fundamental question, very important question. But first, I want to, since the Jews see things differently than we do, Orthodox Jews I'm talking about, I want to first ask this question. Could the Jews be wrong? Say, wait a minute. The Jews, how could the Jews have it wrong? How could they have gotten mixed up?

Why do they have their Passover center meal on the 15th? Wouldn't the Jews have it right?

I mean, how could they possibly be wrong?

Well, did the Jews recognize Christ as a Messiah? No, they didn't, did they? They had that wrong. Could they have also been wrong about the Old Testament Passover? And of course, if they were, then you have to understand, well, what happened? How did they ever get confused or get mixed up? We'd have to address that as well later on. But let me ask this question. Did Christ ever condemn the Jews? Describes and Pharisees specifically. Well, yes, He did on many occasions. What did He condemn them for? In what areas did Christ condemn the Pharisees and the scribes of His day?

Well, He condemned them in three overall areas. Let's turn to one Scripture, just to back a little ways from where you are now to Mark 7. And we can see where Christ condemned them in three overall areas. Mark 7, beginning in verse 5. We read verses 5 through 8. Verse 5, Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders?

Why do they eat bread with unwashed hands? So then Christ answered them, verse 6, and said, Well, did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites?

As it is written, This people honors me with their lips, referring to the scribes and the Pharisees, to the Jews of His day, to religious leaders.

This people arms me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things. You do.

Not liberating what those many other such things might be.

So here Christ condemns the scribes and Pharisees in three overall ways. Number one, He condemns them for being hypocrites.

Number two, He condemns them for teaching wrong doctrines.

He condemns them for teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

And number three, He condemns them for holding to their traditions.

He says, You reject the commandment of God, you may keep your tradition.

Now, He's talking about washing hands here, but He says there are many other such things as well.

So were some of the Jews of Christ's day also rejecting the commandment of God and teaching instead their tradition in regards to the Passover?

At least it's a legitimate question to ask based on what Christ says here.

Were they rejecting the commandment of God to eat the Passover on the evening of the 14th, and instead keeping their tradition of eating it on the 15th, even as they still do today? That's a good question to ask. Now let's go to the Old Testament, and for the remainder of the sermon we'll be addressing this particular specific question. When was the Old Testament Passover lamb killed? Let's go back to Exodus 12. Because it's here in Exodus 12 that God gives the instructions for the slain of the Passover lamb.

And we understand it. He's very specific on when that lamb was to be slain.

Exodus 12, beginning in verse 1, Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be your beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth day, on the tenth of this month, every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father a lamb per household. But if the household is too small for the lamb, let him then ask his neighbor next door to next to his house, and take it according to the number of the persons, according to each man's need, you shall make your account for the lamb.

So if it was too small of a household, and you could share the lamb with the house next door, then two households would come together.

Verse 5, Your lamb shall be without blemish.

Of course, that lamb symbolizes Jesus Christ and looks forward to Jesus Christ, who was without sin and without blemish of any kind. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.

You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. So it had to be no more than one year old. The tradition has it that it was eight days to one year old, no older than one year. So it was a very young lamb.

Verse 6, here's a specific instruction on when to slay it.

Now you shall keep it, when they picked it out on the 10th day, and then you shall keep it until the 14th day, till the Passover day, as we now call it.

You should keep it until the 14th day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.

Whether it was one household or two households coming together to kill their Passover lamb, says they should altogether kill it at twilight, according to what it says here. How are you from the New King James?

The New King James says at twilight. The Old King James says in the evening. But in the Hebrew, this is a very specific period of time.

The Jerusalem Bible renders it correctly, as do many margins also. The literal meaning of this term that says here at twilight or in the evening is between the two evenings. That's a literal translation of the Hebrew phrase here. It's translated twilight or in the evening. It is building means between the two evenings, and that's the way the Jerusalem Bible translates it. So the most accurate rendering would be, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the two evenings.

But the question is, what does that mean?

The Hebrew phrase, and I'm just going to give you the Hebrew phrase, and I'll spell it for you, it's Ben Ha'abarim.

Three words, B-E-N-H-A, and then A-R-B-A-Y-I-M.

I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly or not, but anyway, Ben Ha'abarim.

Now, that phrase has generally been interpreted in three ways, and the first interpretation is basically very, very few adhere to this first interpretation. As basically, this interpretation basically is rejected, and you can basically also show this cannot be correct, but I'll give it to you because one of the three overall ways that this phrase has been interpreted.

The first way that it's been interpreted, which is, again, very few that take it this way, but they interpreted that the first evening, so between the two evenings, so it's got to be one evening and a second evening, there are going to be two evenings that this lamb has to be slain between those two evenings. What are those two evenings? The first interpretation is that the first evening is sunset of the fourteenth, and the second evening is sunset of the fifteenth.

Now, with that interpretation, the Passover lamb could be sacrificed any time after sunset of the fourteenth, before sunset of the next day, any time during that 24-hour period. But again, very, very few hold to that interpretation.

A second interpretation, which is the interpretation of Orthodox Jews, is that the first evening is noon, when the sun has reached its highest point, what reaches Zenith, or highest point, and when it's just above the horizon, when it's beginning, it's downward descent, descent, right around noon or just afternoon.

That's the first evening. The second evening would be sunset.

So according then to that interpretation of this Hebrew phrase, here in Exodus 12, verse 6, the Passover lambs would have been killed between noon and sunset on the afternoon of the fourteenth, which is when the Jews killed their Passover lambs at the time of Christ. That's when they did it, between noon and sunset.

Now, here's the thing.

That was also about the precise time that Christ died and became the Passover lamb.

So you can then, from that understanding, you're not realizing when Christ died, and realizing when the Jews at the time of Christ were sacrificing their Passover lambs, you can make a very strong argument, very logical argument, could be made that Christ, as the true Passover lamb of God, would have died at the same time the Passover lambs were designated to be killed.

So why would Christ die some other time? If he died, it was planned ahead of time, he's going to die in the afternoon of the fourteenth, and that must be the right time when God designated for those lambs to be killed.

However, is that really the case?

Can you understand here now why there's been a lot of confusion over these things and why some people take a different view than what we have taken as a church and what Mr. Armstrong took?

Now, let's go to a third interpretation of this Hebrew phrase between the two evenings.

A third interpretation of Ben-Ha'abarim, or between the two evenings, is this.

That the first evening is sunset as the fourteenth day begins, and the second evening is total darkness.

Thus, with this interpretation, the Passover lambs would have been slain immediately after sunset at the beginning of the fourteenth, between sunset and the time that it became totally dark, or during the time of twilight, as the New King James Version has it.

Now, that time of twilight, around the time of the Passover in Jerusalem, lasts for up to as much as close to 45 minutes, which is plenty of time to see well enough to kill and bleed a young lamb of less than one year of age. And that's a very small lamb.

Now, 3500 years ago, when God gave these instructions to Israel by Moses, everyone would have understood exactly what this phrase meant.

They would have known the precise time it was. It would not have been any confusion.

But can we know today? That's the question.

Is it defined for us in Scripture by its usage? Can we look at how this phrase is used somewhere else? And from that usage somewhere else, can we then understand which interpretation of this phrase is correct?

And the answer is yes. Yes, we can. There is a place where it's used where you can look at that usage and understand what this phrase must mean, what that time period must be referring to.

But first, let's continue here in Exodus 12.

Exodus 12, verse 6.

You should keep it until the 14th day of the same month.

Again, I'm reading from the New King James. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of bishops will kill it at twilight.

And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.

Then they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire with unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. It says here they shall eat it with unleavened bread. Now, since they were to eat the flesh on that night with unleavened bread, would that not indicate, then, that this was the 15th?

It was the first day of unleavened bread.

I mean, you could make that argument as well.

What's this then? The first day of unleavened bread. Since they were to eat it with unleavened bread.

Well, you see, you have to let the Bible interpret the Bible.

As Isaiah 28, 10 tells us, it says there's precept must be upon precept, line up on line, hear a little, there a little. It all has to fit together. You can't just take one scripture and then come up with the understanding. It has to also fit with all other scriptures on the subject. All the pieces of the puzzle have to fit together to give you a complete picture that's harmonious.

So using that biblical principle, then we must not jump to conclusions or to adopt a position based on any one scripture alone.

All the pieces have to fit together. Let's continue here in Exodus 12, verse 8.

And this shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire, with unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs, as shall eat it.

And then verse 9 says, Do not eat it raw, nor boiled it all with water, but roasted in fire, it's had with its legs and its entrails.

And then verse 10 says, You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.

Now, that was seen to indicate on the surface that they stayed in their homes that night.

If they were still there in the morning, and if there's any left, then they would burn it before they left their homes that morning. That would seem to indicate that. See, God, how could they have done this if this was the night of the 15th, and if they then left Egypt right after midnight of the 15th? Well, if the death angel passed over at midnight on the 15th, and they left their homes right immediately, well, then how could they fulfill this Scripture of then, in the next morning, make sure if there's anything left the next morning, make sure you burn it. Well, you could argue, well, they had to burn it before they left at midnight. But this would indicate that that was not the case.

Now, that's a problem for those who advocate that the Passover was originally killed on the afternoon of the 14th and then eaten on the night of the 15th. That doesn't seem to make sense with that Scripture. You'd have to kind of reason your way around it. Let's go on to verse 11. But this verse here, verse 11 now tends to support the other position that everything happened in one night.

If they left immediately. Because it says in verse 11, And thus you shall eat it with a belt on your waist. They killed the Passover lamb. They ate it.

And then it says, you eat it with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You shall eat it in haste. It's the Lord's Passover. So this Scripture then on the surface would seem to support the Jewish position that they went out of Egypt on the same night. They ate the Passover lamb. They ate the Passover lamb. And on the same night, they ate the Passover. And then everything happened in one night. So you can understand now why there's been a lot of confusion. And why there's been different positions on when these events occurred. And how they all tie together. But there is another possible explanation for this Scripture.

And I don't want to give you the Hebrew words. I'll give you the number. You can look them up for yourself if you want to. But the Hebrew word translated haste here in this verse is number 2649 in Strong's concordance. It's a long word that I couldn't pronounce anyway. But it's 2649. And it does mean haste. In fact, it can even mean, if you look up at it in Strong's, it means hasty flight. So that was going to be like, wow, hasty flight. They had to eat that thing. They had to be ready to go.

When that death angel passed over, they took off that night and got out of there. Didn't wait till morning. And everything happened in one night. That's what it would seem on the surface to kind of indicate. But the Hebrew word translated haste there is also derived from a prime root Hebrew word, which is number 2648, the previous word. This one, this is 2649. It's derived from a number 2648, which also means that this haste is associated with fear and trembling.

It's a haste that's associated with fear and trembling. So in other words, the eighth that passed over that night with fear and trembling and with great sense of urgency. That can also be the meaning. And because that would be imagined, we can all imagine that being the case with what took place that night at midnight, with an angel passing over and killing all the first point of the Egyptians, and they heard the cry of those who were dying.

You can see that, boy, you have a little bit of fear and trembling and a sense of urgency when you heard all that going on. Going on in verse 12, because it tells us what happened. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I will exude judgment, for I am the Eternal.

Verse 13, Now the blood, the blood of that slain pass over lamb, the blood of the lamb should be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Now, you look at, you think about that, those events. Would that have caused you to eat the passover in haste with a sense of urgency, and with a feeling of a little bit of fear and trembling? I dare say it would. Might you even have been afraid to go out of your house at night? I dare say you would have. At the same time, God told them to be in a state of readiness.

As a monumental event was about to take place, it was going to affect all of them. Because they were told, as we said in verse 11, to eat it with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.

Now, that does not necessarily mean they left as soon as the death angel passed over at midnight, but it did mean that they had to be ready to leave, and they must have advanced preparations made for leaving. So, we have to look at all the events, and at all the scriptures associated with those events, in order to get the complete picture, which is what I'm trying to do here in this series of sermons.

But now, before showing the meaning of Ben-Abuim, or between the two evenings, by its usage elsewhere, I want to first address this question, because this is an important question. The Jews think the Passover commemorates their exodus out of Egypt, but is that really what the Bible tells us?

See, what does the Passover itself, specifically, commemorate? Very important question. Does it commemorate Israel's exodus out of Egypt? As Jews today proclaim. And the answer is no, it doesn't. It doesn't commemorate the exodus out of Egypt. What does the Bible itself tell us that the Passover commemorates the Old Testament Passover? What biblical event is commemorated by the Old Testament Passover? Going back to verse 11, you shall eat it with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, so you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. Why is it the Lord's Passover?

Verse 12, For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment, for I am the Eternal. Now the blood, verse 13, shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, what event would happen when God saw the blood of the slain Passover lamb on their doorposts?

And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the plague, the death plague of the firstborn, shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. When God saw the blood on the doorpost, He said, I will pass over you. The Passover commemorates just what it says it commemorates. It commemorates God passing over them and sparing them. Isn't that what Jesus Christ's blood does for us? He passes over our sins.

Dropping down to verse 26 and 27 also makes this very plain. Next to this 12 verse 26. And it shall be when your children say to you, what does we mean by this service? What does this Passover service mean? What does it commemorate? You all say it is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.

See, clearly the Passover does not specifically commemorate Israel's exodus out of Egypt, as most Orthodox Jews believe. That event, Israel's exodus out of Egypt is commemorated by the first day of unleavened bread and by the night to be much observed. The Passover on the other hand clearly commemorates God passing over the houses of the children of Israel and delivering them from the death angel. That's clearly what Scripture says. It's very clear. Now, since the Passover was designated by God to be on the 14th, as you read in verse 6 of Exodus 12, would not the events the Passover commemorates also have occurred then on the 14th? That seems logical. And most assuredly, those events did occur on the 14th, not on the 15th. They killed the Passover lamb right after sunset on the 14th. They then ate the Passover on that evening, and God passed over them at midnight on the 14th. All those events occurred on the 14th, as we'll see in the next sermon, actually. But let's now verify that by going back to our original question and just ask again, when was the Passover lamb killed? What specific time does the Hebrew phrase, b'na abarim, or between the two evenings, refer to? See, what specific time does it designate for the killing of the Passover lambs in the Old Testament? Now, the usage of that term, and clarify that for us, is found in Exodus 16, but before going to Exodus 16, I want to first go to Leviticus 23, which also gives us a key to understanding the usage of this phrase in Exodus 16. So first, let's go to Exodus chapter 23, which we're very familiar with. This summarizes all of God's holy days, but I want to specifically look at God's instructions for the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 23, let's go down and begin in verse 26, which is now giving instructions for the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 23, verse 26, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you. You shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Eternal. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make Atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day, who doesn't fast during that time, shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

Verse 31, you should do no matter of work. It should be a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings. So God here gives some very serious warnings about violating the Day of Atonement and his specific instructions on when to fast during that period of time. So God then gives him very specific instructions on when they're fasting on this day must begin and end. Verse 32.

It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month at evening. From evening to evening you shall celebrate your Sabbath. You shall afflict your souls or fast. So they were to fast on the tenth day of the seventh month, beginning on the ninth day of the month at evening, and then fast from evening to evening. New King James Version. The old King James says, at even and from even to even. So they were to fast from the evening of the ninth day to the evening of the tenth day. Now the important thing to remember from Leviticus 23.32 is that the word that's translated at evening here, at even, the Hebrew phrase is ba-arev, B-A, it's two words, B-A-R-E-V. And when you put that together and look at it, it means, as we understand it, we've all understood it this way, even the Jews understand it this way, that ba-arev means at sunset, basically, which is at evening or at even, it means at sunset, sunset to sunset, which is why we're always fast on the Day of Atonement from sunset to sunset.

Because, of course, sunset is the time that begins and ends each biblical day. So they were to begin their fast on the Day of Atonement as sunset as the ninth day was ending, as the tenth day was beginning, as the Day of Atonement was beginning, and they were then to end their fast 24 hours later at sunset at the end of the tenth day. The Hebrew word a-rev, just a-rev by itself, means evening, but it also literally means the entering, the entering, referring to entering the dark period of the 24-hour day or entering into darkness beginning at sunset. So, a-rev basically means sunset. Let's talk about sunset. So, from the from the video, verse 23 verse 32, we can see the this phrase a-rev basically means sunset. So, with that in mind, let's now turn to Exodus 16 to see the meaning of the Hebrew phrase, baha abarim, or between the two evenings, as it's used in Exodus 16. As we can see here now, by this usage and misunderstanding, we can understand then when that day began. Let's go to Exodus 16.

Exodus 16 beginning in verse 1.

And they journeyed from Elam, and all the congregations of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of sin, which is between Elam and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, although we had died by the hands of the Lord in the land of Egypt, we sat by the pots of meat, and we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out of into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will reign bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them whether they will walk in my law or not. Of course, he tests them on the Sabbath, as we know from the rest of this chapter. Verse 5, it should be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in. It should be twice as much as they gather daily. So on the sixth day of the week, they got twice as much as man or bread, and they would have to go out on the Sabbath day, then gather it. Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, verse 6, At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. Now, at evening here in the New King James is, again, Baal a rev. The phrase we just looked at a little while ago. Baal a rev, or basically at sunset. At sunset you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. Going on, verse 7, and in the morning you see the glory of the Lord, for here's your complaints against him, but what are we that you complain against us? Moses saying here. Verse 8, And also Moses said, This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening. He gives you meat to eat in the evening.

Why would God give them meat to eat? Well, in the evening. I should say, when? When would God give them meat to eat? Well, it says here, in the evening. And the Hebrew words translated, in the evening, are again, Baal a rev. Which we will give in Philippians 23, 32. We understand being at sunset. At sunset, God was going to give them meat to eat to satisfy their complaints. Going on, in verse 9, Then Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your complaints. It came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel speak to them, saying, At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. At twilight you shall eat meat, it says here. Now we just read that God would give them meat to eat beginning at sunset, at Barev, or sunset. And here in verse 12, God then says, They would eat that meat at twilight. The Hebrew phrase, here translated, at twilight in the New King James, is Bena Abarimah between the two evenings. Same phrase used in Exodus 12, verse 6.

Between the two evenings you shall eat the meat that I gave you beginning at sunset, at Barev. So what does this say?

Verse 13, So it was that quails came up at evening, at sunset, at Barev, or sunset, God gave them the meat He gave them was quails. So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp, and so on. But at evening, at sunset, or at Barev, God gave them quails, or meat to eat, just as He had promised. They then ate the quails, as it says in the previous verse, at twilight, or at Bena Abarimah between the two evenings is when they ate the quails, that God gave them beginning at sunset. So according to the usage then of this Hebrew phrase, Bena Abarim, it's used here in Exodus 16, 12, the first evening of this phrase began at sunset, not at noon. As Orthodox Jews believe, they say it will start at noon. But it's used here, it doesn't start at noon, it starts at sunset. So in the context they had then eaten, they had eaten that before morning, they'd eaten it up all that evening and ate it right away, because they ate it before morning, because then they were to then be filled with bread. This is the letter of verse 12. So as it's used here in Exodus 16, 12, the phrase between the two evenings is from sunset to darkness, just as Mr. Armstrong taught. That's how it's used here. That's how you would define it by its usage here in Exodus 16 verse 12. It's defined as being the time period between sunset and total darkness, the beginning of the political day, from sunset until it gets totally dark. So when then were the Passover lambs killed, according to the way this phrase is used here in Exodus 16 verse 12. Let's go back to Exodus 12 verse 6.

Again, you should keep it from the 14th day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight, at then-ah-abarim, or between the two evenings. And as it's used in Exodus 16, that would be between sunset and darkness at the beginning of the 14th day of the first month. That would be the logical conclusion by the way that phrase is used in Exodus 16. Then those lambs would have been sacrificed right at the very beginning of the Passover day, right after sunset as the Passover day was beginning. Not on the afternoon of the 14th is Orthodox Jews' claim according to their tradition. So you have to say then that their tradition is not according to the commandment of God in Exodus 12 verse 6. But you also then have to ask how why did the Jews... how when did they begin sacrificing the lambs in the afternoon of the 14th? Where did that start? How did that begin? That's something we have to address in another sermon. But also I just want to give this. Vine's expository dictionary of biblical words agrees with what I just said. Here's what Vine says under the word evening in their expository dictionary. It says, the phrase between the two evenings means the period between sunset and darkness. Twilight, as it's translated in Exodus 12, 6, and the New King James, and as it's translated in the evening, and the Old King James. So Vine says that phrase means between the period between sunset and darkness, just as it was defined by Exodus 16. So Vine agrees with Mr. Armstrong, agrees with position in the United Church of God and other Church of God, major Church of God groups, take today. So to properly then understand the events surrounding the Old Testament Passover, which Israel observed just before God passed over them, and just before God led Israel out of Egypt, is to first understand when the Old Testament Passover lands were sacrificed. They were killed during Ben-Ha'a Abouim, or they were killed between the two evenings. As we've seen, by the way, it's used in Exodus 16. That would be between sunset and darkness at the very beginning of the 14th day of the first month. Now, if you understand that properly, and you go to the New Testament, that fits. Others' interpretation doesn't fit with the New Testament. That fits with the New Testament, by the way, when we get there a little bit later on, a few summers down the road.

But if they were killed then at the very beginning of the 14th between sunset and darkness during that 40-45 minute time of twilight, what does that mean then in regards to when they were eaten? Well, Exodus 12, 8 says, they shall eat the flesh on that night. Exodus 12, verse 8, on the same night in which it was killed. So then, that there was killed the beginning of the 14th, right after sunset they had to eat at that same night, they had to eat that lamb on the 14th, not on the 15th.

So anyway, that's where you have to begin. You have to begin by trying to understand when you try to put all these events together. Again, like I say, it is very confusing, and I understand why some have understood it differently. It is very confusing, hard to put together, but I think when we get all this together and all the other scriptures, the whole picture will become clear and it will make sense, and all the pieces will fit together. So I'll end here for now, but again, many, many questions remain, and then maybe some questions even more I've just covered here. But next time, in part two, I want to cover the rest of the events which occurred on the Passover Day in the Old Testament, which then led into the first day of Unleavened Bread. And so next week we're going to cover Israel's first Passover and all the events surrounding Israel's first Passover to get further clarification.