Ronald Weinland

Because of Judaism’s rejection of the greatest Prophet God ever sent to this world, they also rejected Him as the Messiah—and as the true Passover sacrifice for all mankind.
As stated in the previous chapter, Judaism began to weaken following the destruction of the first Temple and the subsequent captivity in Babylon. Over the next few centuries, division and changes in beliefs crept in. By the time Joshua the Christ appeared, Judaism had splintered into various groups, each teaching doctrines that differed significantly from one another.

The history of Christianity follows a similar pattern—it has grown into vast numbers of organizations all with different teachings. Yet amidst this diversity, there is very little knowledge, focus, or teaching about Passover, let alone why it is so important in God’s plan and purpose for mankind.

This raises a sobering question:

Is it possible that traditional Christianity could be unwittingly rejecting the Messiah, just as Judaism did?

When it comes to Passover, there is indeed a vast amount of knowledge that is missing. That is not the fault of those who sincerely seek to understand what is true. But the ability to find and grasp that truth, even when it is recorded in the Bible, can be extremely difficult—and at times, nearly impossible—due to the confusion and traditions layered over it.

Although traditional Christianity acknowledges that Joshua the Christ was the Messiah and that He fulfilled the role of Passover, knowledge rarely extends beyond these basic facts.

Instead, far more emphasis has been placed on the traditions of Good Friday, Easter, and the idea of a resurrection on Sunday morning.

But this raises another critical question: Why is Easter elevated to such a high level of importance when God says absolutely nothing about Easter at all? Meanwhile, Passover—the very event God clearly established—is largely ignored or misunderstood.

The lack of understanding about why we need a Passover and what role it plays in God’s plan is the very root that led to the second phase of the greatest cover-up of all time. But before those truths can come into focus, we need to lay a foundation—a foundation built on essential knowledge that has been overlooked or misunderstood in traditional Christianity. Without it, the bigger picture will remain hidden.

God’s Purpose in the Passover
The purpose of the first Passover in Egypt was to provide a means to deliver the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt. It was also to save the firstborn from the death that would sweep over Egypt on that Passover night.

But even more importantly, the first Passover served as a shadow—a type of a far greater purpose that would be fulfilled later. The Passover of the Exodus had a physical fulfillment. It was also designed to teach of a spiritual fulfillment within God’s plan that would later come to pass.

In that story of the Exodus, the Israelites were commanded to choose a lamb that was without blemish, to kill it in the night of the fourteenth, and to apply its blood to the doorposts of their homes.

God said:

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt of both man and animal, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the ETERNAL. Now the blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague will not be upon you to destroy you, when I strike down the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13).

The Israelites’ belief in God’s warning—and their obedience in following His instruction regarding the lamb—was what protected them. When the plague of death crossed over all of Egypt, the blood on their doorposts was the sign that God said would cause death to pass over them. God saved their firstborn from death.

This should not escape anyone’s attention as to its greater fulfillment and spiritual meaning. The first Passover pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah, who would later be revealed as the Passover Lamb of God. It is about the sign of His blood that is needed in one’s life in order to be saved from death and instead receive everlasting life.

But what does that really mean?

The Need for Passover
The spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament observance of Passover is indeed about Joshua the Christ and how mankind can be saved from death. Unfortunately, this is not explained well within traditional Christianity. Why would God require a Passover Lamb as part of His plan?

God’s instruction for Israel to physically observe Passover each year—killing, roasting, and eating a lamb on Passover night—was always meant to teach about a spiritual Lamb. The physical ritual pointed to the future fulfillment of God’s plan: the sacrifice of Christ to save mankind from eternal death.

Few understand what the apostle Paul meant when he spoke of Christ being our Passover. He was speaking in the context of observing the Passover season that included the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that follows. If this cannot be clearly seen and understood, then it cannot accomplish in one’s life what God intends, and the true meaning and purpose of Christ’s sacrifice will remain hidden.

Paul wrote:

“Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

This was written by Paul about 22 years after the death and resurrection of Joshua. Yet many teachings in traditional Christianity claim that the Old Testament law was “nailed to the cross” and is no longer commanded by God. If that were true, why would Paul—long after Christ’s death—still be giving instructions to the Church about observing Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread? In fact, Paul not only mentions it—he commands them to keep it.

This brings us to the heart of the matter: Why does mankind need a Passover at all? When it comes to the idea that humanity needs to be saved from eternal death, there seems to be a lack of understanding about why this is the case. This ties directly into the reason we need Christ as our Passover. Ultimately, it’s about recognizing what disobedience to God’s ways and laws leads to. It’s about understanding the consequences of not following God’s instructions—how to live, how to worship Him, and even when we are to worship Him.

The need for Christ as our Passover Lamb is rooted in the simple yet profound truth: sin leads to eternal death. And only through the blood of the true Passover Lamb can that death be overturned.

It is evident that all life ends in physical death. However, God also shows that there is an eternal death—a judgment that results from unforgiven sin. We are about to explore this matter more fully.

Being Saved from Eternal Death is About the Penalty for Sin
Sin, as defined in the New Testament, is crystal clear:

“Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4)

Even well after the death and resurrection of Joshua the Christ, it is plainly stated that the law still exists, and that mankind is required to obey. Clearly, the law was not “nailed to the cross” as some claim.

The only portion of the law that was brought to an end after Christ’s death and resurrection was the Levitical law concerning temple service, duties of the high priest, rituals and animal sacrifices. In essence, those laws were indeed set aside because they were fulfilled by and through Joshua the Christ. Thus, when the New Testament speaks about changes in law, it is referring specifically to changes in the Levitical system—not God’s basic laws that define how mankind is to live.

When discussing the Feast of Unleavened Bread earlier, we saw that the Israelites were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes during the entire seven days following the annual observance of Passover. Only unleavened bread could be eaten during that time. While this was a physical observance, the Israelites did not yet understand its spiritual meaning.

Leaven (yeast) causes bread to puff up. Spiritually, this puffing up symbolizes pride, which in turn leads to sin. Through this symbolism, God teaches that sin must be put out of people’s lives.

When Paul instructed the Church, he explained that they were to purge out—put out—the old leaven, which is about putting out sin—so they could become a new, unleavened lump. Becoming a “new lump” is about having no spiritual leavening—free of sin.

After Paul spoke about removing the old leaven to become a new lump, he said, “…since you are truly unleavened.” This refers to the physical observance of the seven-day Feast, during which no leaven was to be found in their homes. While they were physically unleavened, the greater purpose is to strive to become unleavened spiritually—to be without sin. That can only happen after repentance and through the forgiveness of sin, which is made possible only through the shed blood of Joshua the Christ as the Passover Lamb.

This then led Paul to say, “Therefore, let us keep the Feast [Unleavened Bread], not with old leaven [not with sin], nor with the leaven [sin] of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Once again, it should be absolutely clear: Paul was affirming that the commanded observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was still to be kept. He was showing that the law concerning this Holy Day was not abolished. He was also showing the importance in the meaning of this Holy Day: one must be genuinely seeking to repent of sin, through the blood of Christ, to be free from the death penalty.

God Desires to Save Mankind from Sin
Can anyone be without sin in their life? Clearly, the answer is no. It is only because of Joshua the Christ, the true Passover Lamb, that anyone can be freed from sin and its penalty. That is why Paul stated, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” John the Baptist also added to this: “The next day John saw Joshua coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’” (John 1:29). These verses show that sin can only be paid for through the sacrifice of the Passover—Joshua the Christ.

This also confirms that everyone has sin in their life. If anyone were without sin, they would have no need for Joshua’s sacrifice—no need for His blood to be spilled to the ground on their behalf. Without sin, there would be no need for Passover.

John further emphasizes this:

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him [God], and walk in darkness, we are lying and are not doing [living] the truth. But if we walk in the light [in God’s word, in the truth], as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Joshua the Christ, His Son, is cleansing us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:6-9).

This reveals the purpose for why Joshua the Christ died as the Passover for mankind: His sacrifice made it possible to grant forgiveness of sins, thereby removing the penalty for unforgiven sin—eternal death. Through Joshua, it is possible to be cleansed from unrighteousness—from sin. This is stated in numerous ways throughout the New Testament.

Paul wrote:

“For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness [free from striving to live what is right]. What fruit [profit] did you have then in those things whereof you are now ashamed [being ashamed of sin]? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin [from being in bondage to sin, as a servant of sin], and having become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages [payment] of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Joshua the Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:20-23).

The sobering reality is this:

Either Joshua the Christ pays for one’s sins—or that person must pay for sins themselves.
However, a false concept has crept into religious teaching.
Many have been led to believe that unrepented and unforgiven sin results not in death, but in eternal punishment—an everlasting torment in some other place.
Yet this is not what God says. God declares that the payment for unrepented sin is death, not eternal torture. Death is the final judgment—the everlasting punishment. It is permanent.
It means that the individual will never live again, never be resurrected, and will remain dead forever. The judgment is not about being eternally punished—it is about receiving death as an eternal punishment.
Sign of the Blood of the Lamb of God
Forgiveness can only come after repentance. Yet forgiveness is only possible through the sign of the blood of Christ, which can be received into one’s life—thereby making it possible to be saved from death.

Paul wrote:

“In whom we have redemption [the payment of what is owed] through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

“But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from death through Him” (Romans 5:8).

God predetermined His plan and purpose for the creation of mankind long before the earth was ever created. In order to create a life form with the potential to exceed even the angelic realm, God designed that humankind would first exist in a physical life—not composed of spirit substance like the angels.

The reason behind these decisions—why God made us physical first—will be explained later. Once those reasons are understood, it will reveal just how incredibly awesome God’s work truly is—crafted with exact precision.

As part of His plan, God knew that everyone born into human life would have sin. Because of this, it was necessary not only to first form mankind physically—knowing that human nature would inevitably produce selfishness and sin—but to predetermine a way for mankind to be forgiven. This plan would be fulfilled through His Son, who would take on the full role and meaning for the Passover Lamb, so that one can be forgiven and not have to pay the price of death themselves.

From the very first Passover in Egypt, God made it clear that the Passover lamb had to be a lamb without blemish, chosen from among the flock. This physical requirement pointed to the greater spiritual meaning: the true Passover Lamb—Joshua the Christ—would be without blemish, without sin.

No one else who lived a physical human life could fulfill what He did. All others have sinned. But Joshua’s father was not a man—His Father was God. Because of this, Joshua was able to live a righteous life without sin, fulfilling perfectly the role of the unblemished Passover Lamb.

Peter describes this well when writing to the Church in the region of Asia Minor:

“Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, from your vain conduct received through the tradition from your fathers [the way of mankind, passed down from generation to generation], but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Who truly was predetermined [by God] before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these latter times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

Indeed, that first Passover of the Exodus was observed physically—with only a physical understanding, yet it represented God’s spiritual plan that would become fulfilled through Christ. When seen from this greater perspective, it becomes far more meaningful and beautiful in all that it reveals.

Christ’s Last Observance of Passover
By God’s own law, Joshua was required to observe the Passover exactly as outlined in the Old Testament writings. The last Passover He observed, before his death, was observed just as it had always been commanded: by killing a lamb at the beginning of Passover night, roasting it, and eating it with the meal once it was ready.

“Now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Joshua, saying to Him, ‘Where do you want that we prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ Then He answered, ‘Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, “The Master says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’ Then the disciples did as Joshua had arranged for them, and they made ready the Passover” (Matthew 26:17-19).

Thus, what many refer to as Christ’s “Last Supper” was far more than just a final meal with His disciples. It was the Passover meal of the lamb that was roasted and then eaten. At that time, most of Judaism was still observing Passover at the correct time.

However, translations into most languages mistranslate the accounts of that last Passover that Christ observed with His disciples. The confusion stems from the fact that traditional Christianity has not understood the instructions God gave to Israel: first, to observe the Passover day and then immediately after, keeping the next seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Their translations are mostly derived from changes that Judaism made later concerning the observing of Passover.

In the days of Joshua the Christ and for a short time after, most of Judaism still kept Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread exactly as they had been instructed. There was no confusion in the timing during that period. As one becomes more familiar with how Joshua and the disciples observed the weekly Sabbaths and the annual Holy Days—including Passover, it becomes much easier to read New Testament verses with correct understanding.

The correct translation just given of this account strikes out words that do not exist in the original text. This is an account that is speaking of the season of the Feast of Unleavened that had arrived and the first things they would begin doing to prepare for it.

The timing for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was just common knowledge amongst the Jewish people. They understood exactly when Passover was to be observed—because it had been kept faithfully since the time of Moses.

Joshua Instituted a New Passover Observance
When Joshua the Christ and His disciples were nearly finished with that last Passover meal, keeping it exactly as commanded in the Old Testament scriptures, God began to reveal more progressive revelation through Him.

This would be the final Passover observed in the traditional manner because of what Joshua was about to fulfill: He would become the true Passover for all mankind. Everything since that very first Passover observance in Egypt had been leading up to this moment—it was all about Joshua the Christ.

“Now as they were eating, Joshua took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat, this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘All of you drink of it. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom’” (Matthew 26:26).

The traditional observance of Passover—the killing, roasting, and eating of a lamb—was about to end. The old covenant was coming to a close, and a new covenant was being instituted. From this point forward, the fulfillment of Passover would no longer be through Levitical rituals but through Christ Himself.

The old covenant—centered on the Levitical system of rituals, sacrifices, temple services and priestly duties—was being brought to an end by what Joshua was about to fulfill. Indeed, that portion of the Old Testament Law—centered around the Levitical system—was being done away.

As Paul later explained:

“For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them [the fault was with the people], He says, ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD, I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (Hebrews 8:7-10).

It was at this Passover meal, that Joshua instituted a new way of observing Passover night. He revealed the new symbolism: breaking and eating a piece of unleavened bread and drinking a small portion of wine. These represented His body, broken for mankind, and His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

At this point, His disciples did not yet understand the symbolism. It wasn’t until after His death that they understood what He was telling them. They did not know what would soon take place, but Joshua, knowing that His death was imminent, knew He would fulfill the true meaning of the Passover as the Lamb of God.

From that time forward, Passover was to be kept each year in this same manner as a memorial of Joshua the Christ fulfilling the meaning of Passover. Eating a small portion of unleavened bread in such a ceremony is symbolic of Christ “being without sin—being unleavened” and His life being broken for mankind. Drinking the wine symbolizes the blood He shed as the true sacrifice for sin. Such a sacrifice could only be made by one who lived a life free of sin—one worthy of being the sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin.

Even decades later, after the death and resurrection of Christ, the Church was still observing Passover in this new manner. Paul reminded the Church of how to keep this annual observance. He stated it was to be in the same manner Christ first revealed it should be observed.

“For I have received of the Lord that which I have also delivered to you, that the Lord Joshua on the same night [Passover night] in which He was betrayed took bread [unleavened bread], and after He had given thanks He broke it and said, ‘Take and eat of it [a broken piece] for this is my body which is broken for you. Do this for a remembrance of me’ [as a memorial at every annual Passover]. After the same manner He also took a cup [of wine] after dinner [Luke 22:17-20] and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it [one drink on every Passover], in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming [announcing] the Lord’s death [the importance of Passover] until He comes.’ Therefore, whoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:23-27).

Joshua the Christ instituted that the annual observance for Passover was now to be kept in the manner He established for the Church. However, many today in traditional Christianity have changed it, observing what they call weekly Communion instead. The practice of weekly Communion is nowhere commanded in scripture. It deviates from Christ’s instruction to keep Passover as an annual memorial of His sacrifice.

Events Following the Passover Meal
The Gospel of John records:

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Joshua knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

This verse should not have to be explained if someone understands the timing of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. There is no Feast on the day of Passover. In Judaism, this time was often referred to as a season of Passover or even as the season of Unleavened Bread. Despite the general way people spoke of it, everyone at the time knew the distinction between the two observances and their proper timing.

This verse simply reveals that Joshua knew His time had come—the moment for His sacrifice as the Passover Lamb had arrived. Before the actual Feast of the season began, He would be killed, and His blood would be poured out onto the earth. And indeed, His blood was spilled to the earth as John later recorded:

“But when they [the soldiers] came to Joshua and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. For one of the soldiers had pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:33-34).

After Joshua instituted the new observance for Passover with His disciples, the story continued to unfold. He spent some time talking with and teaching them. Then late into that same night of Passover, He went out to pray—three different times. It was after He had finished praying, very late into the night, that soldiers came and seized Him.

Throughout the remainder of that night, and into the early morning hours, He was interrogated, mocked, and mistreated by Jewish leaders. Thus began the final events that would lead to His sacrifice as the true Passover Lamb.

Was Christ A King?
As the commotion and uproar in the very early morning hours grew, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, was summoned. Joshua was brough before him to be judged. The Jews first accused Joshua of blasphemy, a religious issue that Pilate wouldn’t care about. After questioning Joshua extensively, he found no fault in Him and wanted to release Him, but the Jewish leaders insisted Joshua be put to death. They used several tactics to pressure Pilate into authorizing this. The most notable one being that Joshua claimed to be the Messiah, a king.

“Then Pilate entered the judgment hall again, called Joshua, and asked Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Joshua answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?’ Joshua replied, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But presently, My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You not therefore a king?’ Joshua answered, ‘You speak that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’” (John 18:33-37).

For centuries leading up to this moment, the Jewish people had been looking for the coming of the Messiah. When Joshua arrived, both John the Baptist and Joshua Himself proclaimed that He was the Messiah. During His final entry into Jerusalem, crowds lined the streets, rejoicing at the arrival of the descendant of King David—the Messiah they had longed for. They believed their deliverer from Roman rule had finally arrived.

However, it was here, speaking with Pilate, that Joshua was explaining that His Kingdom was not yet—not of that time—that age. Though He had been anointed as the Messiah—the Christ—for His future role as King, the time to reign had not yet come, but it would.

Judaism had failed to understand from Old Testament writings that the Messiah would first come to suffer as He did in order to fulfill the meaning and purpose of Passover. As New Testament scriptures later reveal, Joshua the Christ will fulfill the greater meaning of the Messiah—the One anointed to reign as King—at His second coming. At that time, He will intervene in the affairs of mankind to prevent humanity’s self-annihilation and will establish a single-ruling world government, reigning for 1,000 years.

Joshua Had to Die on Passover Day
In order to fulfill the symbolism and greater meaning of the Passover, Joshua the Christ had to die during the daylight portion of the Passover day. God is exact in all His planning, and the fulfillment of His plan always follows precise timing. This is why timing is so important and why God’s instructions regarding it must be carefully followed.

Some have questioned, “If the Passover lamb in Old Testament observance was killed and then eaten on the night of Passover, why wasn’t Joshua killed that same night?” The answer lies in understanding the events that took place during the daylight portion of the Passover under the Levitical system of animal sacrifices. This is where so many, even in Judaism today, become confused and entangled in other ideas.

On Passover night, Joshua changed how that night was to be observed annually from that time forward. He Himself would fulfill the complete meaning and purpose of Passover during that very day.

Rather than continuing the ritual of killing, roasting, and eating a lamb, those who would follow Joshua the Christ were to partake of the new symbols He instituted—unleavened bread and wine—that pointed to Him as the true Lamb of God. The new observance that Christ instituted on that last Passover night replaced the old practice of eating of the lamb.

The symbolism of what Joshua instituted on that night pointed to the fulfillment that would occur during the daytime portion of Passover. Joshua would fulfill what is referred to as the “sacrifice of the Passover.” It is important to understand that the nighttime observance of eating the lamb was never referred to as a sacrifice.

Both modern Judaism and traditional Christianity have misunderstood this distinction regarding the “sacrifice of the Passover,” often confusing it with Passover night itself. They are not the same.

The eating of the lamb on Passover night symbolized the true Lamb of God who would come and fulfill everything the Passover represented. Just as the Israelites were spared from the death of the firstborn in Egypt, the nighttime observance Joshua instituted represented how death could pass over all mankind. This salvation would be offered through what He would fulfill during the daytime portion of Passover—through the spilling of His blood to the earth as payment for sins. Without forgiveness, that payment is death.

The nighttime portion of Passover represents the acceptance of Joshua the Christ as our true Passover—the Savoir through whom forgiveness is possible. That is because He made the ultimate sacrifice for the payment of sin by spilling His blood to the earth. The daytime portion fulfills the actual payment for sin—through the spilling of His blood.

However, many have never understood, or even question, why Christ had to die specifically in the afternoon on that Passover day. This issue of timing is a primary factor in the great cover-up. This knowledge is essential to grasping important truths about the Messiah. This missing understanding concerns the “sacrifice of the Passover”—knowledge that Judaism lost and traditional Christianity never possessed.

What is the “Sacrifice of the Passover?”
Most people who come across this expression simply read right over it without grasping its significance. It doesn’t immediately reveal its true importance, primarily because it is not being taught by the teachers of traditional Christianity, leaving people unable to appreciate its true meaning.

The “sacrifice of the Passover” has nothing to do with the lamb that was killed and eaten on the night of the fourteenth. That lamb was never referred to as a sacrifice offered to the Eternal. However, it was a powerful symbol pointing to the sacrifice that God Himself would give—His own Son, Joshua the Christ. In that sense, Joshua became the “sacrifice of the Eternal,” because it was God who gave Him for the benefit of mankind.

There is a profound difference between a sacrifice offered to the Eternal and a sacrifice of the Eternal (a sacrifice provided by God). The lamb killed and eaten on Passover night was never a sacrifice mankind presented to God. It was symbolic of what Christ would later fulfill.

The ultimate “sacrifice of the Passover” refers to what Joshua would fulfill through His own death—in the giving of His own life. This fulfilled yet another critical role in God’s plan contained within the Passover.

His sacrifice would complete what the Old Testament sacrificial system foreshadowed but could never accomplish: the removal of sin. On that Passover day, Christ was ending the old covenant and making possible a new covenant with mankind—one that could bring about true forgiveness of sin.

The reason most people do not already understand this is because Judaism eventually lost this knowledge and changed the true meaning of Deuteronomy 16. Early translators for traditional Christianity simply carried forward these misunderstandings of what Judaism changed in this portion of the Books of the Law, perpetuating the confusion.

“Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the ETERNAL your God. For in the month of Abib the ETERNAL your God brought you out of Egypt by night. Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the ETERNAL your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the ETERNAL chooses to place His name. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, even the bread of affliction. For you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste, that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. Now no leavened bread shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days. Neither shall there anything of the flesh, which you sacrificed the first day at even [ba ereb, at sunset], remain all night until the morning. You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates, which the ETERNAL your God gives you. But at the place which the ETERNAL your God shall choose to place His name in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came forth out of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 16:1-6).

This is the point at which Judaism eventually went completely off course, as was covered earlier. This passage has also been a stumbling block for traditional Christianity, stemming from a lack of understanding about the importance of exact timing in observing Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins immediately afterward.

Even though the translation of these verses is poorly done, the correct timing can still be understood if one has grasped the information that was covered in the first chapter. This concerns God’s specific instructions to the Israelites regarding the timing of the Passover observance and the subsequent seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. With this understanding, the truth becomes clear with everything that follows.

Just a reminder on how a biblical day is counted: it begins at sunset and ends at the following sunset. This means the ‘nighttime’ comes first, followed by the ‘daylight’ portion of the same day.

First, note that in the month of Abib, they were instructed to keep the Passover unto the Eternal God. All who understand the instruction in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23 understand this timing—Passover was on the fourteenth. They were to observe that entire day as God commanded. Beyond the nighttime portion’s significance, there were additional requirements for the daytime portion of the fourteenth, on Passover day. That is what Deuteronomy 16 addresses.

Translators lacked knowledge here—or perhaps deliberately mistranslated. Only the first sentence pertained to Passover itself, instructing them to observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the Eternal.

The remaining verses have nothing to do with the nighttime Passover observance where the lamb was killed, roasted, and eaten. That lamb on that night, symbolically represented Joshua the Christ who would come and give His life as the “sacrifice of the Eternal.” But the lamb from that Passover night was never referred to as the “sacrifice to the Eternal.” Not once—at any point—was a sacrifice ever offered to God on the night of Passover.

Instead, these verses concern the sacrificial system that had to be prepared on the afternoon of the fourteenth—on Passover day. Animals were to be killed, prepared, and made ready to offer in sacrifice to God. They were killed and prepared during the daylight portion of the Passover day. At sunset, the Passover ended, and a new day began. At the beginning of the fifteenth day, when the Feast of Unleavened Bread began, the animal sacrifices were to be offered to God.

Sacrifices could not be offered to God on Passover day itself. Instead, they were made after Passover day ended, once the annual Sabbath—the first High Day of the year—had begun. Hence the expression for these animals prepared during the afternoon of the fourteenth (Passover day) as the “sacrifice of the Passover to the Eternal.”

The Passover Day Totally Misunderstood
Early translations of Old Testament writings from Hebrew into Greek, and later into Latin, contain errors revealing the translators’ lack of knowledge and understanding about ancient Judaism and Old Testament law. The sacrificial system and timing involving Sabbaths is where errors appear, and without this correct understanding, mistakes were inevitable.

These mistranslations from Hebrew into Greek and Latin were perpetuated, becoming primary sources for translations into other languages. These works were then used to interpret and translate New Testament writings, all based on unclear or poorly translated scriptures from Greek and Latin Old Testament sources.

One area that has been especially misunderstood is the sacrificial system and how sacrifices were offered to God on annual Holy Days. It is not widely understood that animals were not only sacrificed to God but also eaten and feasted upon by the Israelites once a Holy Day began. The killing and preparation of these animals took place during the daylight portion that preceded the start of the Holy Day. Sometimes thousands of animals had to be killed and prepared. However, none could be sacrificed on the altar or cooked until after sunset, once the new day—and the Holy Day—had begun.

These verses in Deuteronomy 16 have nothing to do with the Passover night activities. That Passover lamb was not a sacrifice presented to God.

These verses describe multiple sacrifices to be prepared, specifying that these sacrifices were to come from both the flock and the herd. Today, the word “herd” can refer to goats, but biblically that was not the case. Sheep and goats are referred to as being of the flock, whereas the word translated as “herd” actually refers to cattle. A verse in Leviticus makes it clear about sheep and goats being of the flock:

“If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish” (Leviticus 1:10).

The Passover lamb, sacrificed on the night of Passover, could not be taken from a herd. The instruction for the Passover lamb was that it had to come from the flock of the sheep or goats. Cattle could be offered up as a sacrifice to God, but they obviously could not be used as a Passover lamb. So clearly, when the verses talk about the “flock and the herd,” they are referring to the sacrifices, which included cattle, made ready on Passover day.

Additionally, this “sacrifice of the Passover” could only occur in the location where God placed His name—at the Tabernacle location in the wilderness and later at the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. However, the killing and eating of the Passover lamb—the “sacrifice of the Eternal”—was always done in the people’s own homes, “within their own gates.”

Sacrifices made to God had to be conducted at His Tabernacle or His Temple—where God had placed His name. That’s why it says in verse 5, “You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates.”

The Israelites understood these instructions precisely. The time for these animal sacrifices could only begin once it was “even” (ba ereb—at sunset) on the Passover day, which is when the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin.

Another misunderstanding involves the expression about the sun “going down.” That is an incorrect translation. The Hebrew text simply says “going”—the word “down” was added by translators. Also, “going” here doesn’t indicate movement, but rather the result at a specific moment.

The addition of this word “down” used with “going” was to give the impression that this timing was to be at some moment when the sun was yet in the sky on Passover day, potentially even in the early afternoon. Then, as it is seen as beginning to move downward in the sky, it could then be described, falsely so, as the going “down” of the sun. This is incorrect.

The true meaning of the Hebrew word used is not about the movement of the sun across the sky. It refers to the moment the sun is no longer visible—sunset (ba ereb). The “going of the sun” means the sun has gone away—it has set. It is not describing motion or travel across the sky; it describes the result: the sun is gone—it is evening.

Joshua Fulfilled the “Sacrifice of the Passover”
The afternoon portion of the Passover was central to preparing for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That afternoon is when animals were killed and prepared for sacrifice and feasting after sunset.

Joshua the Christ had to fulfill what the daylight portion of Passover represented. He would fulfill the sacrificial system—what centuries of animal sacrifices under the Levitical system had symbolized but could never accomplish. Those countless sacrifices could never take away sins. Only the sacrifice of Joshua the Christ’s life could take away sin. The meaning of all that symbolism should be clear.

The apostle Paul explained this well in his epistle to the Hebrews:

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come [the sacrificial law foreshadowed things that were to primarily be fulfilled in Joshua—to be fulfilled in God’s plan later], and not the very image of the things [those sacrifices were not the fulfillment], can never with these same sacrifices, which they offered continually year by year, make those who came perfect [they could not remove sin]. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? [If perfection was possible by what they had sacrificed, they would not have to continually do the same thing over and over.] For then the worshipers once purged [cleansed of sin] would have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there was a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4).

Paul then continued by showing how Joshua Himself had quoted Old Testament writings from Psalms 40 that were prophetic about Himself. Through quoting this Psalm, Joshua revealed that God’s purpose for the sacrificial system was never to remove sin, but only to foreshadow what He alone could fulfill as the Passover sacrifice—that could take away sins. It would be through His sacrifice that sin could truly be forgiven.

Thus, by one offering—the sacrifice of the Passover—Joshua the Christ was killed in the afternoon period of Passover day to accomplish what the killing of thousands of animals could never achieve.

Paul continues:

”Therefore, when He [Joshua the Christ] came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You [God] did not want, but a body You have prepared Me [Joshua]. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.’ Then He [Joshua] said, ‘Behold, I have come. In the volume of the book it is written of Me, to do Your will, Oh God.’ Above when He said, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not want, nor had pleasure in them,’ which are offered according to the law [according to the law of the Old Testament Levitical sacrificial system], then He [Joshua] said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, Oh God.’ He takes away the first [takes away the sacrificial system and the Old Testament covenant] so that He may establish the second [that He fulfills it in Himself to establish a New Testament covenant]. By His will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Joshua the Christ once” (Hebrews 10:5-10).

Paul revealed here that the law of sacrifices under the Old Testament sacrificial system could not take away sin and that it did not fulfill God’s will and His plan for mankind. It was Joshua who came to fulfill that plan and purpose that the sacrificial system only foreshadowed. Paul quotes Joshua’s own words from Psalms 40—scriptures prophesied long ago about Himself and what He would fulfill in God’s plan to take away sins.

Paul continues:

“Now every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man [Joshua], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:11-14).

Through His death, Joshua the Christ fulfilled the sacrificial system. No further ritual sacrifices were needed. Christ fulfilled the true sacrifice of the Passover by giving His life’s blood on the afternoon of Passover day in 31 A.D., at the very same time that the Passover sacrifices were being killed in preparation for that first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

When any scripture speaks about God’s law no longer being in force or having been done away, it always refers specifically to the “sacrificial laws” and “laws pertaining to the Levitical priesthood.” Those would no longer be required because Joshua fulfilled them perfectly through His death. Joshua the Christ fulfilled the “sacrifice of the Passover” in the afternoon on Passover day.

The Dawning of the Daylight Portion of Passover
During the nighttime portion of Passover, Joshua observed the final Passover meal that would ever be kept under the old covenant. That old observance—the killing, roasting, and eating of a lamb—would no longer be required. He then instituted the new covenant symbols that would be required—partaking of the unleavened bread and wine, which picture the fact that He is the true Lamb of God.

Following the institution of these new symbols, the daylight portion of Passover began. It would lead to the most critical fulfillment in all of human history—the taking of Joshua’s life, as a soldier would ram a spear into His side and His blood would spill to the earth.

The unfolding of the events during this daylight portion of Passover marks some of the most important moments ever recorded. They are about the true sacrifice of the Passover—the sacrifice of the Son of God—made for the deliverance of mankind from sin, and for providing the only way for the penalty of eternal death to be removed.

This day will prove to be one of the most crucial in the true counting of time. It will reveal whether Joshua, or Jesus, is actually the true Messiah.