Updated: The 2,000-Year Echo: A Startling Visual Comparison of the Astronomical Signs from AD 33 and AD 2032

 

I decided to do a little research; realizing that God has put signs in the heavens, I wondered if there were any similarities between the eclipses surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus on April 3, 33 AD and our projected end of the world date of Sept 5, 2032—the parallels are startling!

 

The images above and others below are the depictions of that research. Does the image above pique your interest? If it doesn’t, it should. What similarities do you see between the two sets of time periods AD 32-33 and 2032-33? In pondering that question keep in mind that the spring feasts of the Lord were fulfilled in the spring of 33 AD--in the midst of those eclipses. Will the fall feasts be fulfilled in the midst of another cluster of eclipses on feast days?

I asked Google to come up with a summary comparing the two sets of eclipses. (Note: AI is a technology that can be used for good or evil just like a screwdriver can.) 

The image provides a direct visual comparison between two highly concentrated periods of astronomical and biblical alignment: the ancient window of AD 32–33 and the modern window of 2032–2033.

 

It maps out a sequence of lunar eclipses (blood moons) and solar eclipses landing precisely on major biblical holy days. The top timeline establishes the "prophetic blueprint" during the years surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus, while the bottom timeline projects the upcoming alignments that will occur exactly 2,000 years later.

 

Striking Similarities

When placing these two timelines side-by-side, several profound parallels emerge:

 

The Spring/Fall Rhythm: Both periods feature a tight sequence of lunar eclipses emphasizing the spring feasts (Passover and Pesach Sheni) and the fall feasts (Sukkot).

 

The Feast of Trumpets Solar Eclipse: Both timelines are punctuated by a solar eclipse landing exactly on the autumnal civil new year—Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (1 Tishrei). In the ancient timeline, this occurred on September 12, AD 33. In the modern timeline, it occurs on September 23, 2033.

 

The 2,000-Year Echo: The most glaring similarity is the mathematical gap. The modern sequence mirrors the celestial behavior of the ancient sequence exactly two millennia later.

 

The Rarity of the Pattern

Because the biblical calendar is lunisolar, a single lunar eclipse landing on Passover or Sukkot is not statistically rare—those feasts always begin on a full moon.

 

However, the clustering of these events into a specific pattern is highly unusual. The rarity skyrockets when you introduce a solar eclipse exactly on Rosh Hashanah. Since Rosh Hashanah is the only feast that begins on a new moon, it is the only major feast where a solar eclipse can occur. Having a concentrated sequence of spring and fall lunar eclipses, perfectly capped by a solar eclipse on the Feast of Trumpets, happening in a two-year window that is exactly 2,000 years removed from the crucifixion timeline, is an exceptionally rare astronomical convergence.

 

Biblical and Prophetic Significance

As discussed earlier, celestial bodies in biblical literature are treated as prophetic timepieces (Genesis 1:14).

 

The Ancient Timeline (AD 32–33): This sequence carries monumental historical weight. It marked the end of Christ's earthly ministry, his crucifixion (Passover, AD 33), and the birth of the early church. The heavens practically framed these events with signs matching the prophecies of Joel 2 (the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood).

 

The Modern Timeline (2032–2033): Because the AD 32–33 sequence is viewed as the "master blueprint" of divine redemption, a mirror pattern appearing two millennia later is viewed by biblical scholars as a potential signal of a major prophetic culmination, the closing of an age, or the approach of the "Day of the Lord" associated with the blowing of trumpets.

 

Quite a nice summary, don’t you agree? I then asked it to expand the data to eclipses just before and after those years and to put it into an image.

Eclipses Before and After Adding to the Significance

 

These two-year windows do not exist in a vacuum; the years immediately surrounding them expand the pattern, adding density to the signs:

 

Expanding the Ancient Timeline (AD 31–35)

 

Before (AD 31): As noted previously, there was a partial lunar eclipse on Passover in AD 31. This turns the AD 32–33 spring sequence into a rare three-year consecutive run of Passover eclipses (AD 31, 32, and 33).

 

After (AD 34 & 35): The pattern echoes outward with a lunar eclipse on Purim in AD 34, followed by yet another Passover lunar eclipse in AD 35, showing that the entire half-decade was saturated with feast-aligned signs.

 

Expanding the Modern Timeline (2031–2034)

 

Before (2031): A lunar eclipse on Pesach Sheni (May 2031) precedes the 2032 alignments, creating a three-year run of spring feast eclipses leading up to 2033.

 

After (2034): The modern pattern technically extends into a larger 2032–2034 cluster. In 2034, there is a lunar eclipse on the Eve of Passover (April 3) and another perfectly aligned with Sukkot (September 28). This effectively completes a modern, extended "tetrad-like" sequence. 

Wow, that was some great work. I did notice an error and prompted it with this; “you made a mistake, sukkot in 2032 is on September 18 not October 18.” Here is the response and updated image. 

You are completely right, and that is a very sharp catch. I made a mistake by labeling October 18 as Sukkot.

 

On the official Rabbinic Hebrew calendar for 2032, Sukkot actually begins at sundown on September 19 (celebrated starting September 20).

 

The October 18, 2032 total lunar eclipse misses the standard observance of Sukkot by an entire month. Here is exactly why that date often creates confusion and why it ended up incorrectly labeled as Sukkot in those prophetic timelines:

 

The "One-Month Offset" in 2032

For a lunar eclipse to land on Passover or Sukkot, it must happen during a full moon on the 15th of the lunar month. In 2032, the total lunar eclipses occur on April 25 and October 18.

 

The Standard Rabbinic Calendar: In 2032, Passover is March 27 and Sukkot is September 20. This means both eclipses miss the major feasts by exactly one month. (The April 25 eclipse happens to line up with the secondary feast of Pesach Sheni, but the October 18 eclipse lands on a standard day in the month of Cheshvan).

 

The Equinox-Adjusted (Torah) Calendar: Many biblical astronomers and prophecy scholars argue that the modern Rabbinic calendar is mathematically "off" in 2032 because it places Passover before the spring equinox. If you insert a biblical leap month to push the start of the ecclesiastical year past the equinox (which was the ancient observation practice), the entire calendar shifts forward by 30 days.

 

The Result: On that adjusted calendar, Passover moves to April 25 and Sukkot moves to October 18. This sudden shift creates a "perfect" four-blood-moon tetrad for 2032–2033.

 

Because many modern prophetic charts use this adjusted calendar to maintain the unbroken tetrad pattern, October 18 frequently gets labeled as Sukkot. However, on the actual, standard calendar observed by Israel today, your correction is spot on: the feast is in September, and the October eclipse doesn't align with it.

 

Would you like me to generate a corrected image that updates the 2032–2033 timeline to reflect the exact standard calendar dates?

 

So, regardless of what comparison image you use they cause us to ask the question; do the eclipses surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion leave a blueprint for the future? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that since the spring feasts were fulfilled in the midst of the eclipses at major events surrounding the death burial and resurrection of Jesus at His first coming, that the fall feasts would be fulfilled in the midst of a similar pattern of eclipses at His second coming? 

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: Gen 1:14 

So, is this eclipse data a confirmation that the last 7 years began on October 13, 2025, as I have put forth? 

A Life Altering Prophecy Event Just Occurred and Nobody is Talking About It! The Peace Plan was Just Signed and the Last 7 Years Has Begun!

And what about the rarity, why do the 33 AD and 2032 eclipse clusters stand out?

What makes your specific comparison so compelling to eschatologists isn't the raw number—it is the exact 2,000-year mathematical echo between the crucifixion timeline and the modern timeline.

And that 2000-year mathematical echo is also another confirmation of the 2025 to 2032 hypothesis.

We are in the Dawn of the Third Day: The Date of the End of the World Revealed!

Update: Another thought crossed my mind; was there an alignment of eclipses on feast days surrounding the birth of Jesus?

Yes, there was!

Most Bible scholars place the birth of Christ in 1 or 2 BC, and the star of Bethlehem, which most believe appeared after the birth of Jesus, appeared on 8/11/1 BC. Thus, the birth of Jesus was also announced by an alignment of eclipses on feast days.

So, there we have it the birth of Christ, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus fulfilling the spring feasts, and the calculated date for the Second coming of Jesus which will fulfill the fall feasts all occurring in conjunction with an alignment of eclipses on feast days.

And as you have just seen, when we examine the alignment of solar and lunar eclipses with the biblical calendar, a breathtaking pattern emerges. God has historically used the canvas of the heavens to announce His most pivotal moments of redemption, and the data suggests He is doing it again!

The alarm rings loud

Come on now, Wake up

The many bosses have gathered

The deal has been signed

Daniel speaks loud

Twenty Five Twenty days before the feast

Don't hit the snooze...

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:36  

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The true nature and timing of the Day of the Lord.

The key events that must precede the rapture.

America's surprising end-times fate.

How to prepare for what is coming.

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The Date of the Crucifixion: April 1, 33 A.D.

In honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the nearness of Resurrection Day, here is another one from the archives.

One of the most debated topics involving Biblical chronologies has been the dating of the crucifixion of Jesus. The date of His crucifixion was foretold in Daniel 9:25,26

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, 

These passages tell us that Jesus the Messiah would be "cut off" or crucified after 69 weeks of time. What year was that?

Many have put forth various dates too numerous to mention ranging from the late 20s to the late 30s A.D. Without going into detail if one considers the decree of Artaxerxes which most place in either 444 or 445 B.C.--which is discussed in The Coming Epiphany--the accepted range for the birth of Christ, that He started his ministry when He was about 30, and the approximately 3½ year ministry of Christ, the only 2 years that are possible for the crucifixion are 32 and 33 A.D. The facts will tell us which date is the correct one.

The first issue that we must address is that some of the Biblical data concerning the timing of events surrounding the crucifixion and for that matter the resurrection seem to be in contradiction. For example, in Mt 28:1 it says

“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.” 

This verse indicates that Mary came to the tomb on the Sabbath or Saturday and thus Jesus rose from the dead on a Saturday. But in John 20:1 it says 

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” 

This verse indicates that Mary came to the tomb on a Sunday and that Jesus could also have arisen on a Sunday. So, we see that on the one hand the Matthew passage seems to indicate that Jesus rose from the dead on Saturday while the Mark passage seems to indicate that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. So, there seems to be a contradiction.

I assure you that there is no contradiction or error in the passages and that there is a logical explanation to the apparent contradiction. The explanation that reconciles both of these passages has to do with the different chronological methods used to mark the start of a day. 

Galileans started their day at sunrise and the Jews in Jerusalem started their day at sunset.[1] Matthew, Mark and Luke were written using Galilean timing and John was written using Judean timing. Thus, in the John passage above the first day of the week started at sundown and the following sunrise is when the day started in the Matthew passage. 

Mary came to the tomb just at the start of dawn just before sunrise, so in the Matthew passage which was written in reference to Galilean timing it was still Saturday because Sunday did not begin until sunrise and in the John passage, written in reference to Judean timing it was already Sunday because Sunday had started at sunset the day before. Thus, one can readily see how these passages are reconciled.

This dual timing is evident in other passages in the gospels also. Matthew 26:17-20 says; 

“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. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 20. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 

This passage indicates that Jesus and His disciples would eat and celebrate the Passover during what we know as the last supper. Now look what Jn 18:28 says: 

“Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.” 

And Jn 19:14 says “And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!” 

These verses in John indicate that the Passover had not yet occurred at the time of the trial of Jesus. So how could Jesus have eaten the Passover with his disciples as indicated in the Matthew passage and yet the Sadducees had not yet celebrated the Passover?

The answer is, as we have already seen, that the two groups used a different time reckoning. Thus the Galileans celebrated the Passover the day before the Judeans.[2] The Galileans day had started at sunrise and thus they would celebrate their feast that night. The Judeans, on the other hand, started their day at sunset and thus the Passover would not be celebrated until the next day. For a more extensive examination of the chronology of the Passion Week I would recommend reading Hoehner’s excellent and scholarly work, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ.

The reason for going over this information is that I wanted to establish the fact that Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14, the day of the Judean Passover. 

“Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.” 

Jn 18:28. This verse makes it clear that Jesus was crucified on the day of the Judean Passover. The day of Passover was always on Nisan 14. Thus, Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14 (Judean timing).

As a matter of fact, we also know the time of the crucifixion. We know from Mk 15:25 that the crucifixion began at the third hour, which was about 9 A.M. “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.” And it continued to the ninth hour, which is about 3 P.M. “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” Mk 15:33. 

We also know that Jesus died at about 3 P.M. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35. And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. 37. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. Mk 15:34-37.

On Passover day, Nisan 14, between 3-5 P.M. is the traditional time that observant Jews would sacrifice the Passover lamb for the feast of Passover. Thus the time of the death of Christ coincided exactly with when the Passover lambs were slain. 

That speaks beautifully to the fact that Christ is our Passover lamb. “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” (I Cor 5:7) These passages lead us to emphatically conclude that Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14, the day of the Judean Passover.

The next premise that we will establish is that Jesus was crucified the day before a Sabbath. In other words that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. It is quite evident that the day of the crucifixion was on a Friday. Several passages point this out. “And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,” (Mk 15:42) 

And yet another one; “And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” Luke 23:53-56.

The Sabbath was held on the last day of the week, which in Jerusalem the Sabbath ran from sundown, on what we call Friday to sundown on what we call Saturday. As we can see both passages indicate that Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath. Thus He was crucified on a Friday. 

Some claim that the Sabbath talked about in these verses refers to a feast day, which were also considered Sabbaths. Thus, they assert that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday in 32 A.D., the day before Passover, which was a Sabbath with Passover being on Thursday. 

This cannot be true. The reason that it is false is as follows; For the two years in question 32 and 33 A.D. we can examine the new moon data to see when the month Nisan started and then determine what day Nisan 14, Passover, fell on. The U.S. Naval Observatory had the new moon data listed for the years in question on their website. The data for the two years in question are as follows.


Year           Calculated Zero: (Julian)         (Gregorian)

32 A.D.                3/29 8 P.M.                 3/27 8 P.M.
33 A.D                3/21 10 A.M                3/19 10 A.M.

The dates and times above are for the calculated exact time of the new moon. The data on the website is given in Julian dates; I have converted them to Gregorian as listed above. All modern day dating is in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. But these dates are not the dates for the beginning of the month Nisan, but for the zero point of the new moon. 

Remember a Hebrew month did not start until the sighting of the crescent moon. Scientists have calculated that the new moon must be at least 11 degrees above the horizon to be visible in Jerusalem. Fotheringham calculated the time of the sighting of the crescent moon as listed below under Calc. Observed. He originally calculated the times in Julian; I have converted them to Gregorian. Thus, as indicated, if the crescent moon was observed at sunset, the next day, would be Nisan 1. I have also calculated Nisan 14 based on the Nisan 1 date.

Year       Calc. Zero   Calc. Observed   Nisan 1   Nisan 14

32 A.D.   3/27 8PM           3/29             3/30       4/12 (Monday)

33 A.D.  3/17 10 AM         3/18              3/19        4/1 (Friday)

(ALL DATES ARE GREGORIAN)

In the Gregorian calendar, which all dates above are in, Passover, which always occurs on Nisan 14, in 32 A.D. was on April 12, which was on a Monday, and in 33 A.D. it was on April 1, which was on a Friday. 

Thus, it is readily seen that 32 A.D. cannot be a possible date for the crucifixion. There is no way to reconcile a Monday crucifixion with clear Biblical facts about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ which place his resurrection as occurring on the first day of the week, Sunday. 

Those who claim that Nisan 14 was on a Wednesday in 32 A.D. have failed to take into account the Julian to Gregorian conversion and have transposed a Julian date onto a Gregorian calendar and have come up with the wrong day of the week.

Thus, with the 32 A.D. date eliminated we can conclude that Christ was crucified on Passover on Friday April 1, 33 A.D.

Some say that Christ could not be crucified on a Friday because of Mt 12:40 which says, “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.” 

They contend that Christ could not have been crucified on a Friday and still meet the qualifications for this verse because Friday would not have left enough time for the three days and nights. However, I assert that yes Christ was dead for three days and nights, and I also assert that He was crucified on a Friday. 

This apparent contradiction is easily reconciled when you consider two facts. First, in Hebrew counting any part of a day is counted as a whole day. This is called inclusive reckoning. Thus, the three days and three nights do not necessarily refer to 3 entire days consisting of 72 hours, though it could. But the term three days and three nights can refer to parts of three days and nights.

The second fact that we need to consider is the astronomical events that took place at the time of the crucifixion. What I am specifically referring to is recorded several times in the New Testament. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” (Mt 27:45). “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” (Mk 15:33). 

It is clear from these accounts that darkness was over all the land from about noon to 3 P.M. We know that a solar eclipse with the moon did not cause the darkness, because at the time of Passover there is always a full moon, and you cannot have a solar eclipse at the time of a full moon. 

Also from lunar data, which is also listed on the Naval observatory site, we know that on April 1, 33 A.D. there was a lunar eclipse. You cannot have a lunar eclipse and solar eclipse by the moon on the same day. So, what caused this darkness?

I believe that this darkness was caused by the sun actually setting, which was probably caused by a geo physical pole shift. There are several reasons why I believe this. One of the main reasons concerns the fact that the lunar eclipse that occurred on that day was recorded as being fully observed. Peter makes mention of this fact in Acts 2:20 “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” 

Here Peter implies that miraculously the moon was already turned to blood and the sun darkened at the time of the crucifixion. Also, the historical letter of The Report of Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, Which Was Sent to Tiberius Caesar in Rome record the full observance of a blood red moon, which occurs when the moon is eclipsed. “Now when he was crucified, darkness came over all the world, And the moon, which was like blood, did not shine all night long, although it was at the full.”

However lunar data tells us that the lunar eclipse should not have been fully observable in Jerusalem on that day. “On Friday 3rd (Passover) AD 33 [April 1 Gregorian] there was a partial lunar eclipse. It commenced, at 15h 40m local time in Jerusalem, and terminated at 18h 31m local time in Jerusalem. In normal circumstances this eclipse would not have been visible in Jerusalem at the time when it actually began, but the last traces of the eclipse would have been visible for about half an hour.[3]

The only way for Peter and others to have observed a full blood moon lunar eclipse was for a pole shift to have occurred. Another reason why it is believed that a pole shift occurred on that day was because of the worldwide shaking of the earth.

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53. And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. (Mt 27:50-54).

Historians also tell us that earthquakes were recorded in many other parts of the world at that time.[4] The historical account of The Report of Pilate the Governor says this And amid this terror the dead appeared rising again, as the Jews themselves bore witness and said that it was Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, and Moses and Job, who had died before, as they say, some three thousand five hundred years. And there were very many whom I myself saw appearing in the body, and they made lamentation over the Jews, because of the transgression which was committed by them, and because of the destruction of the Jews and of their law. The terror of the earthquake continued from the sixth hour of the preparation until the ninth hour.

It is theorized that earthquakes occur during a pole shift. There is evidence that throughout the history of the world the earth has undergone pole shifts. Even Einstein promoted this theory. Many believe a pole shift occurred at the time of the crucifixion and caused the darkness and the other anomalies that occurred from the 6th to 9th hour. Isn't this what Amos 8:9 tells us happened? And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

So if the darkness was caused by a pole shift then the sun would have actually went down and then after the darkness it would have rose again. That is why it was dark enough that the stars could be seen.[5] ( I recommend reading the fascinating article (pdf) "The Catastrope of the Crucifixion") 

So literally the day of the crucifixion was a day of 2 nights. Therefore, since Jesus was dead for part of that “darkness” it can be counted as the first night, then there was light for the about 3 hours between 3 P.M. and 6 P.M., that was the first day. The second night then ensued with the setting of the sun and then the second day followed the next morning. The second night and day was the Sabbath. Then the third night and then Jesus arose just after sunrise on the third day, which was Sunday morning. Thus, we have 3 days and 3 nights in which Christ was dead. Please see the chart below entitled "The 3 days and 3 Nights" for a pictorial representation of the data.

click to enlarge

There are many other supporting facts from history, which also support a Friday April 1, 33 A.D. crucifixion. Much supporting data comes from historian’s accounts of the crucifixion. Their accounts also support a 33 A.D. crucifixion and refer to other phenomena that occurred at the time of Christ’s passion. 

The Epistle of Pontius Pilate, which is a letter from Pilate to Tiberius Caesar. In the letter Pilate states that Jesus had been crucified. The date given at the end of the letter is “The 5th of the Calends of April.” 

Thus, this letter indicates that Jesus was crucified before April 5th. If this letter is to be regarded as authentic then it would also eliminate 32 A.D. as the date of the crucifixion because Passover was on April 12 in 32 A.D. This letter is part of the Apocrypha, which has not been accepted as canonical, but has been regarded as containing trustworthy historical information. The manuscript is owned by the British museum, they deem it as authentic.

Another reason some say that the crucifixion cannot be in 33 A.D. is because of what Luke 3:1-3 says. 

'Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

This passage cites the start of John the Baptist's ministry in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius. When was the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius? We know for certain that Caesar Augustus died on August 19, 14 A.D.; that is when the reign of Tiberius began. 

There are different methods for the reckoning of the years of a king’s reign. Using the accession-year system August 19 to December 31, 14 AD is considered the accession year and is not counted and then January 1 to December 31, 15 AD is considered Tiberius’ first year of reign. 

Thus, the fifteenth year would have been from January 1 to December 31, 29 AD. Using the regnal year method then Tiberius’ fifteenth year would have been from August 19, 28 AD to August 18, 29 AD. Taking both of these methods into account would yield Tiberius’ fifteenth year, and the start of John’s ministry to be between August 19, 28 AD and December 31, 29 AD. 

If you take into account that Jesus did not start his ministry at the same time as John, because John had already gathered a large following by the time Jesus started His ministry, but several months thereafter, and that the ministry of Jesus began in the fall, because half a year before Passover brings you to the fall; then you would have to conclude that Christ began His ministry in the fall of 29 A.D. 

With a 3.5-year ministry of Christ, that would bring you to the spring of 33 A.D. for the year of the crucifixion. The only way that you could come up with 32 A.D. as the year of the crucifixion was if you used the regnal method and had Christ begin his ministry about 1 month after John started his, which I do not think was likely. Therefore, to cite Luke 3:1-3 as conclusive evidence that Christ was crucified in 32 A.D. is not correct. I agree that it allows for that hypothesis but it more likely points to 33 A.D as the date of the crucifixion.

Luke 3:23 is claimed by some to indicate the crucifixion was in 32 A.D. It states, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.” 

This verse says that when Jesus was baptized, He was about 30 years old. Some take this to mean that Jesus was exactly 30 years old when he began His ministry and taking into account his birth date of 9/11/ 3 BC would have the start of His ministry in 28 A.D. and the crucifixion in 32 A.D. But Luke 3:23 only says that He was about 30 years old. I believe if He was exactly 30 years old then it would have said “He was 30 years old. 

It does not say that, it says He was about 30 years old indicating that Jesus’ age was near 30. Thus Luke 3:23 allows for several possible crucifixion dates. If one insists on maintaining that Jesus was 30 years old when He began His ministry, the 29 AD date still works. For if He was born on 9/11/3 BC then He would have been 30 years old from 9/11/28 to 9/10/29. 

Thus, He could have started His ministry in early September of 29 AD and still have been 30 years old, 3 and a half years later would have been Passover of 33 AD. (For an excellent article about dating the birthday of Jesus see Roy Reinhold’s article “Exact Date of Yeshua’s Birth at: http://www.ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Yeshua/yeshuabirth1.html

In summary, with the citing of the decree of Artaxerxes in 444 BC and then calculating forward 69 weeks (476 years, 25 days) you come to 33 AD for the year of the crucifixion. (Note: In The Coming Epiphany I show how the time of 476 years and 25 days comes to the exact day of the crucifixion.) 

Some cite the decree in 445 B.C. and come to 32 A.D. We showed by new moon data that 32 A.D. could not be the correct year because Passover (Nisan 14) was on a Monday in 32 A.D. And there is no way to reconcile a Monday crucifixion with the scriptural record. 

We also showed that scriptures cited by some to indicate a 32 A.D. crucifixion, upon proper analysis do not necessitate a 32 A.D crucifixion and also allow for a 33 AD crucifixion. From scripture we know that Jesus was crucified on Passover and on a Friday. 

Passover was on a Friday in 33 A.D. With a proper understanding of the “three days and nights” a Friday crucifixion is in agreement with the scriptural record. Many historical accounts such as the epistle of Pilate also indicate a crucifixion in 33 A.D. Since we have shown that all scriptural facts allow and point to a crucifixion on Passover Friday April 1st, 33 A.D. and that the new moon data only allows for 33 AD thus we have provided conclusive evidence that proves that the crucifixion had to take place on Friday April 1, 33 AD.

And what does all of this say infer for the end times? Since Jesus fulfilled the Spring Feasts during His first coming, so He will fulfill the fall feasts at His second coming.

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[1] Hoehner pp.88,9

[2] ibid. pp. 86,7

[3] The First Church of Rome, Appendix 1. The Catastrophe at the Crucifixion (pdf)

[4] Ibid.

[5] ibid

The Feasts of the Lord and End Times Prophecy

 

Image credit: The Feasts of Israel – Passover – Bible.org Blogs

Note: Out of all my 37 years of being in the ministry, this has been one of if not the busiest years ever. Not much time to post, so here is one from the archives.

Have you ever heard of the feast of Passover and its prophetic connection to the death of Jesus as the spotless Lamb of God? I am sure that you have. Did you know there are 6 other feasts of the Lord, and just as the feast of Passover had prophetic significance, so I believe the other feasts do also. 

In fact I believe that the spring feasts aligned with and were fulfilled by major prophetic events at the First Coming of the Lord Jesus and thus I believe the fall feasts will align with and will be fulfilled by major prophetic events involving the 70^th Week and Second Coming of the Lord. 

Therefore to help us establish a chronology of the 70th week we need take a more in depth look at the feasts of the Lord and their prophetic significance and implications. We will first examine the meaning of the word feast, which alludes to their significance. 

The Hebrew word translated ‘feasts’ means appointed times. The idea is that the sequence and timing of each of these feasts have been carefully orchestrated by God himself. Each is part of a comprehensive whole. Collectively, they tell a story. These feasts are also called ‘holy convocations’; that is they are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for ‘holy purposes.’^[1] 

God instituted seven yearly feasts for the Israelites to observe. There were four spring feasts and three fall feasts. The feasts, in calendar order with their associated Hebrew dates, are:

 

Spring Feasts (March to June) 

1. The Feast of Passover—14 Nisan

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread. 15 – 21—Nisan

3. The Feast of First Fruits—16 Nisan

4. The Feast of Weeks—50 days after first fruits.

 

Fall Feasts (September to October) 

5. The Feast of Trumpets—1,2 Tishri

6. The Day of Atonement—10 Tishri

7. The Feast of Tabernacles—15 – 21 Tishri

 

Not only are these feasts significant from a relationship standpoint between God and man, but they also have prophetic implications: 

These seven feasts typify the sequence, timing, and significance of the major events of the Lord’s redemptive career. They commence at Calvary where Jesus voluntarily gave Himself for the sins of the world (Passover), and climax at the establishment of the messianic Kingdom at the Messiah’s Second Coming...^[2] 

Paul alluded to this prophetic connection in Colossians 2:16,17 when he said. 

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 

Let’s expound upon this thought and see exactly how each feast points to a prophetic event. Without going into too much detail, we will summarize the prophetic implication of each feast. For a more thorough understanding of the feasts of the Lord, I would recommend Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal’s excellent book The Feasts of the Lord. 

1. The Feast of Passover points to Christ as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and was fulfilled when Christ died on the cross for our sins on Passover on Friday Nisan 14, 33 A.D. 

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread shows that Christ’s sinless body would not undergo decay, and was fulfilled when Christ’s body did not decay while in the grave. 

3. The Feast of First Fruits shows that Christ had power over death and was the first fruit of the resurrection and was fulfilled when Christ rose from the dead on the day of the feast of first fruits on Sunday Nisan 16, 33 A.D. 

4. The Feast of Weeks alludes to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the initiation of the historical church period and was fulfilled on Pentecost on Sivan 6, 33 A.D. 

It is clearly evident that the first four feasts were fulfilled at the time of Christ’s First Coming and thus we can reason that the last 3 feasts will be fulfilled in events surrounding Christ’s Second Coming. Let’s examine the three remaining feasts, which occur in the fall, and see how they may be fulfilled. 

The fifth feast, the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, is practiced as a two-day feast. 

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, literally "head [of] the year") is the Jewish New Year. The Biblical name for this holiday is called Yom Teruah (Hebrew: יום תרועה‎, literally "day [of] shouting/raising a noise") or the Feast of Trumpets… It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe")…Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei.^[3] 

I believe that since it is a two-day feast that it may have two separate and different fulfillments, one on the first day and one on the second.  One of the events I believe this feast may align with, though I am not dogmatic about this, is the rapture. The trump that is referred to at Christ’s coming to the clouds at the rapture may be a reference to the trumpet blown at this feast. 

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:30–31) 

The shofar blown on Rosh Hashanah is known as the last trump, which the apostle Paul mentioned in I Thes 4:16-17 and I Cor 15:52 in connection with the rapture. 

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This last trump of God will signal the beginning of the Day of the Lord in which the righteous will be delivered and the wicked will be judged. In fact, ancient Jewish tradition held that the resurrection of the righteous dead would occur on Rosh Hashanah with the blowing of the shofar (trumpet), which is why a shofar was engraved on Jewish gravestones. These two major occurrences signaled by the blowing of the trumpet are consistent with the historical use of the trumpet in Israel as explained by Marvin Rosenthal: 

The blowing of the trumpet in ancient Israel had two primary functions. The first was to call a solemn assembly; that is, when the children of Israel were to be summoned to God’s presence, the trumpet was blown (Ex 19:13,17,19; Num 10:2). And second, when Israel, under divine direction, was to go to war, the trumpet was to be blown (Num 10:9; Jud 7; Jer. 4:19-21).^[4] 

Kevin Howard has this to say about the judgment aspect of the Feast of Trumpets 

Rosh Hashanah was often referred to as Yom Ha-Din (“Judgment Day”) by rabbis since it began the Days of Awe, the traditional time of God’s judgment.^[5] 

The prophet Zechariah tells of the judgment that will transpire when the trumpet is blown: “And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south” (Zech 9:14). The benediction given for the last 2,000 years during synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah also speaks of the trumpet being blown at Rosh Hashanah at the Lord’s return, as explained by Kevin Howard: 

The benediction also speaks of the end of days when God will again reveal Himself through fire and the sounding of the shofar as He sends the Messiah: ‘The Lord shall appear over them; his arrow shall go forth like lightning. The Lord shall sound the shofar and march amid the storms of the south. (cf Zech 9:14)^[6] 

Another interesting fact about the Feast of Trumpets that correlates it to the rapture is that, in the ancient observance of the feast, no one knew the exact start of the feast. It always started on the first day of the Jewish year, which is the first day of the month of Tishri, but no one knew the exact day when a Hebrew month started. 

The Hebrew months start by the sighting of the new moon, and it was the job of the Sanhedrin to announce the beginning of the month when the new moon was observed. Of course, one could calculate an approximate time by counting 29.5 days since the last new moon, but it did not officially start until the Sanhedrin observed the crescent moon, and then declared it so. 

This correlates beautifully with the truth that no one knows the exact time of Christ’s return. Some even feel that Christ’s own words, “No one knows the day or hour” is a direct reference to this feast for this reason. In Jewish tradition Rosh Hashanah is also known as Kiddushin/Nesu'in or the wedding ceremony of the Messiah.^[7] 

In fact the practices involving the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony closely parallel the Messiah’s redemptive work. Pointing to the fact that the bridegroom/Christ will come for his bride—the church—at the rapture.^[8] Thus these facts are a strong indication that this feast may be fulfilled at the rapture and also since it has aspects of judgment, possibly at another event, namely Armageddon. 

Thus in conclusion; in regards to the prophetic significance of the 2 day feast of Rosh Hashanah. Since the feast involves aspects of deliverance and judgment and has rapture associations. I believe it is possible that this feast may align with the rapture of some unknown year, and the return of Jesus to the earth at Armageddon. 

The Feast of Trumpets also starts the time period known as the Days of Awe. The Days of Awe are a 10-day period between Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement in which observant Jews are to engage in a solemn time of self-examination. Tradition holds that these days are the last chance to repent before God’s judgment is finalized.^[9] 

Prophetically, I believe these days may be fulfilled when after the last trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets, which calls for a solemn assembly; Israel will assemble for seven days and will receive Christ as their savior on the eighth day, which will be the Day of Atonement. This may happen directly after the rapture when Israel and all the world see Jesus in the sky. 

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important holy day of the Jewish calendar. In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement was the day the High Priest made an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. This act of atonement brought reconciliation between the people and God.^[10] 

I believe this feast will align with the time after Israel repents and officially recognizes Christ as Messiah and will be saved. And when will this occur? Most likely after Israel flees into the wilderness after the abomination of desolation and after the rapture. 

The final feast is the Feast of Tabernacles and is associated with Israel’s time in the wilderness. 

Sukkot, Succot or Sukkos, Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles is a week-long biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei… The sukkah is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. ^[11] 

I believe this feast will align with the time when Israel will once again find themselves in the wilderness after fleeing the antichrist. And once again God will watch over and provide for them for 3.5 years.

 

Putting It All Together 

I view the prophetic implications of the fall feasts as follows: 

1. The Feast of Trumpets is practiced as a two-day feast that alludes to the return of Christ during the event known as “The Day of the Lord” in which the righteous will be raptured and the wicked will be judged. I believe this feast will start to be fulfilled at the beginning of the Day of the Lord when Christ comes to the clouds for His bride and will be totally fulfilled after God’s enemies will be vanquished at the battle of Armageddon and Jesus takes His throne in Jerusalem. 

Note: I am not dogmatic about the rapture aligning with Rosh Hashanah—I see other possibilities such as Pentecost, the day of Ascension, or at no feast at all. 

2. The Day of Atonement speaks of the shed blood of Christ and the substitutionary work it accomplishes in covering our sins and restoring us to fellowship with God. This feast will be fulfilled after Israel repents and recognizes Christ as Messiah and are saved on the Day of Atonement. 

3. The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day celebration in which the Israelites dwell in “booths” or shacks reminiscent of their journeying in the wilderness. This feast will be fulfilled when Israel will once again find themselves in the wilderness after they flee the antichrist after the abomination of desolation where God will protect and provide for them for 3.5 years. This feast may also align with the beginning of the Millennium in which God will dwell with man which starts with the marriage supper of the lamb. 

In summary this is the way I see it happening; 

Feast of Trumpets (1^st day): Rapture. 

Feast of Trumpets (2^nd day, years later): Armageddon.

Day of Atonement: Ethnic Israel will recognize Christ as Messiah and be saved. 

Feast of Tabernacles: Israel in the wilderness/beginning of the Millennium. 

I am certain that the fall feasts will have prophetic significance, whether or not I have all the details and nuances correct, I do not know. As the scriptures say, we see through a glass darkly. One thing is for sure, it is going to be fascinating to see how all this works out. 

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:36 

Have you had your epiphany? You need to be prepared for the end times! Read The Coming Epiphany;—Your Guide to Understanding End Times Bible Prophecy. 

Not sure that you will go to heaven? The end times are knocking on the door and so is Jesus. He wants to save you; will you let him in? Find out what you must do to be saved, click here. 

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[1] Howard, K and Rosenthal, M. The Feasts of the Lord. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. 1997.

[2] Ibid. p.14.

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah

 

[4] Howard, Rosenthal. p.26

[5] Ibid. p.110

[6] Ibid. p. 111

[7] http://www.linkjesus.com/rosh.htm

[8] http://lloydpulley.com/2008/12/14/the-ancient-jewish-wedding--a-picture-of-christ--his-bride-the-church.aspx

[9] Ibid. p. 108

[10] http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefeastsandholidays/p/dayofatonement.htm

[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot