The Passover ... When?

The Passover Service, bear in mind, is a memorial service, a memorial of the Saviour’s death: and as such, it should not be celebrated at any and every time men may think fit. Just as it was the prerogative of the Almighty to decide when His Son would die on Calvary, it is also His decision as to when the memorial of His Son's death should be held. In His law He has expressly commanded His people to keep the Passover in the first month of the sacred calendar, the month of Abib, also called Nisan. Alas, some groups, observe the Passover Service (commonly known as Holy Communion) every week, or every month or every quarter. Some believers even go so far as to observe it twice a day! Confusion reigns; all because the express directions of God concerning the Passover are ignored.

This article, however, is not about how often the Passover Service should be observed; rather it is about WHEN it should be observed. The Bible tells us that the Passover service should be held on the evening of the 14^th day of Abib, the first month in the sacred calendar.

But some will ask:
            When is the evening of the 14^th Abib?
            Is it the end of the 13^th Abib?
            Or is it the end of the 14^th Abib?

These questions are not as odd as may first appear, because a day according to the scriptural way of reckoning begins and ends at sunset and not at midnight as in the popular civil calendar. Therefore the evening of the 14^th Abib could be taken to mean:

1. The evening which begins the 14^th Abib; that is at the end of the 13^th
2. Or the evening which ends the 14^th Abib; that is the beginning of the 15^th

In (Genesis chapter 1) the first style of reckoning is used, for the record reads:

“The evening and the morning were the first day, ... the evening and the morning were the second day... the evening and the morning were the third day...”

You will notice in that chapter that the ‘evening,’ the dark part of a day, came first: it started the day. The ‘morning’ then followed. It would be incorrect, however, to conclude that in Scripture this is the only style of reckoning a day; because elsewhere we note that the ‘evening’ of a day can also mean the ‘end of the day.’ For example in (Leviticus 23: 32) the specifications for the Day of Atonement (10^th Ethanim) are given. Notice how the 10^th day is said to begin at the even (end) of the 9^th day.

Obviously in this passage concerning the Day of Atonement (which is the 10^th Ethanim) the phrase ‘ninth day of the month at even’ means the ‘end’ of the 9^th day not its beginning.   In other words the Day of Atonement begins in the evening (end) of the 9^th day and continues to the evening (end) of the 10^th day. This style of reckoning the evening as the ‘end of a day’ differs from the one used in (Genesis chapter 1.)

Another example where the evening of a day means its ‘end’ not its beginning is found in:

Exodus 12:

18: “In the first month, on the fourteenth (14th) 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.”

In this passage, like the one concerning the Day of Atonement, the term ‘even’ obviously refers to the end of the day and not to its beginning. Why obviously? The answer is, because the 21^st Abib is one of the days of unleavened bread. It is the last day of unleavened bread. It is a Feast day; so it must be included in that seven day count. The ‘even’ in this instance must therefore mean the end of 21^st Abib and not its beginning. Thus the seven days of unleavened bread are to begin at the evening or end of the 14^th Abib and continue in unbroken succession until the evening or end of the 21^st Abib.

If the word ‘even’ in this passage were taken to mean the beginning of the day, as reckoned in Genesis, then the seven days of unleavened bread would begin at the end of the 13^th Abib and terminate seven days later at the end of the 20^th Abib. This would effectively exclude the 21^st Abib as a day of unleavened bread: which is unacceptable; because we know from the Scripture quoted above and from (Leviticus 23: 6-8) that the 21^st Abib is the last day of unleavened bread; so it must be included in the seven day count. Therefore, to include the 21^st Abib in the seven day count, one must begin counting - as directed - from the end of the 14^th Abib. No other sensible conclusion is possible.

In view of these facts we may affirm that the ‘evening of the 14^th Abib’ is the end of that day; just as surely as we can affirm that the evening of the 9^th Ethanim is the end of the 9^th; and the evening of the 21^st Abib is the end of the 21^st. The Passover service, in other words, should be held after the sunset which ends the 14^th Abib. This same evening ushers in the first day of unleavened bread. Here is further proof of this fact from the New Testament.

• Matthew 26: 17
  • “Now the ‘first day of unleavened bread’ the disciples came to Jesus saying unto Him Where wilt thou that we prepare the Passover?”

• Mark 14: 12
  • “And the ‘first day of unleavened bread’ when they killed the Passover.”

• Luke 22: 7
  • “Then came the ‘day of unleavened bread,’ when the Passover must be killed.”

In conclusion we may say: the Passover service should be held in the evening (end) of the 14^th Abib, just after the sunset which ushers in the ‘first day of unleavened bread.’ This is the time the Saviour kept it in obedience to his Father's law. We would do well to follow His example.

The Passover Night

Passover In The Second month

I end here trusting that the Most High will bless you abundantly as you do His will by celebrating His Feasts; bearing in mind at all times that each and every one commemorates His mightiest acts in the program of our salvation.

AMEN!