How can the day Noah's ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, the 17th day of the seventh month (Genesis 8:4), be the same date that Jesus rose from the dead if the latter was the 17th day of the first month?


Email Received:

I have really enjoyed your commentary on the Crucifixion of our Lord being on Good Thursday. You have done a very good job laying that out and I think you are spot on. Thanks for the hard work to lay that out.

In your Holy Week chart at the bottom of that page, you have Noah's ark landing on Mount Ararat on the 17th day of the month of Aviv. How can this be, though, since Genesis 8:4 indicates that this happened on the 17th day of the 7th month, yet Jesus was crucified and resurrected in the first month (Aviv)?

I just wanted to get some clarification about this. Maybe I am missing something in reference to Noah's ark on your timeline.


Ted's Response:

Thanks for your nice words. You have asked a great question, and I will provide you with the missing link. Note that in Exodus 12:1,2, God indicated to Moses that the count of the months was going to be offset six months:

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." (Exodus 12:1,2)

That is, Aviv would become the first month. Up to that point (as in Genesis 8:4), Aviv was the seventh month. From that point forward, Aviv has been the first month of the religious year, while Tishri was the first month of the civil year. So today, the first day of the Jewish year, on the civil calendar, is Tishri 1.  This calendar continues to be acknowledged by many Jews today, especially secular Jews, but it is not the one used by God.

God's act of offsetting the Hebraic calendar by six months was because the time had come for God to focus on showing Israel (and, later, all the nations) how the Messiah (Yeshua/Jesus) was going to fulfill the spring and fall feasts and holy days that God was about to implement.

This warranted a revolutionary change in the calendar. The spring holy days (which Jesus fulfilled at His first coming) would come in the first month (Aviv), and the fall holy days (which Jesus will fulfill at His second coming) would in the seventh month (Tishri).

So returning to your original question, Noah's ark came to rest on Mount Ararat on Aviv 17, which at that time was in the seventh month (Genesis 8:4). On that day, Noah's ark no longer was in danger of springing a leak and sinking, and his family no longer was in danger of drowning. They all were safe from danger and harm.

Likewise, Jesus rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits. In that year, this was on Aviv 17 and was the first day of the week. Because of this, all who are in danger of dying in their sins and being separated from God after death, can be saved from their transgressions, be resurrected, and spend an eternity with God.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

Actually, another fascinating account pertaining to Aviv 17 involves the lovely Queen Esther (Esther 2:7b). Ahasuerus, King of the Medo-Persian Empire, made her his wife (2:17). Esther was Jewish (2:5-7), but Ahasuerus was unaware of this (2:10a,20a).

A prominent nobleman, Haman, hated Esther's cousin and guardian, Mordecai. Haman wished to destroy Mordecai, as well as all of his people, the Jews (Esther 3:6). So Haman made a request to the king to exterminate the Jews, and the king gave his approval (3:8-11)—not realizing, of course, that his queen was a Jewess.

On Aviv 13, the plans to annihilate the Jews were written up as an official edict and sealed with the king's ring by Haman (Esther 3:12). (Interestingly, this probably was the same date that Judas Iscariot conspired with the chief priests to betray Jesus and hand Him over to them—Matthew 26:14-16.)

For portions of three days and nights, the distressed Queen Esther fasted (Esther 4:16c); and, on the third day (Aviv 16), she approached the king (5:1,2). She invited him and Haman to a banquet that very day (5:4). At the banquet, Esther invited them to yet another banquet the next day (5:6-8).

The following day (Aviv 17), during the second banquet, Queen Esther revealed to the king (in Haman's presence) the plan for the destruction, slaughter, and annihilation of her people, the Jews; and she exposed Haman as the instigator of the plan (Esther 7:1-6). That very day, Haman was hanged on the same gallows he had had built to hang Mordecai (7:10a).

So the Jews were delivered victoriously from their primary enemy on Aviv 17. It is noteworthy that the same words, "adversary" and "enemy" (7:6), used to describe Haman, also are used to describe Satan, from whose "edict of death" all believers have been saved as a result of Jesus the Messiah's resurrection on Aviv 17.

I assume you are aware of how Jesus has fulfilled and will fulfill these Hebraic/Jewish feasts, festivals, and holy days. If not, you can look through the lengthy Chapters 4 & Chapter 5 in the online book that I wrote in the early 1990s.


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