Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Is there a contradiction in the events around Yahusha’s resurrection?



The accounts of the Yahusha’s resurrection appear to be different in different basarah's/gospels. For example, Matthew seems to say that Mary Magdalene and the other Miryam came to see the tomb. (Matthew 28:2); whereas Mark says Miryam from Maḡdala, and Miryam the mother of Yaʽaqoḇ, and Shelomah came to the tomb (Mark 16:1), John says that Mary alone went to the sepulchre, and she saw that the stone was already taken away (John 20:1). Also, Mark speaks of “a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment” (Mark 16:5); whereas Luke says, “two men stood by them in shining garments” (Luke 24:4) John says two angels were sitting one at the head and the other at the feet (John 20:12). There are some other first blush contradictions as the Shabbath had passed (Matt 28:1), Mark says very early in the morning on the first day of the week they came to the tomb when the sun was risen (Mark 16:2) whereas Luke and John say they came at dawn while it was still dark (Luke 24:1, John 20:1). There are also a few things that seem a first blush contradiction. First let's see the scriptures from all 4 accounts of the basarah's.


Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, toward dawn on the first day of the week, Miryam from Maḡdala and the other Miryam came to see the tomb.


Mat 28:2 And see, there was a great earthquake, for a messenger of יהוה came down out of heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.


Mat 28:3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his garments as white as snow.


Mat 28:4 And the guards trembled for fear of him, and became like dead men.


Mat 28:5 And the messenger responding, said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek יהושע who was impaled.


Mat 28:6 “He is not here, for He was raised, as He said. Come, see the place where the Master lay.


Mar 16:1 And when the Sabbath was past, Miryam from Maḡdala, and Miryam the mother of Yaʽaqoḇ, and Shelomah bought spices, to go and anoint Him.


Mar 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. *(We will see Mark’s account in details in Hebrew later)*


Mar 16:3 And they said among themselves, “Who shall roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?”


Mar 16:4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was extremely large.


Mar 16:5 And having entered into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, wearing a white robe, and they were greatly astonished.


Mar 16:6 And he said to them, “Do not be much astonished. You seek יהושע of Natsareth, who was impaled. He was raised – He is not here! See the place where they laid Him.


Luk 24:1 And on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared,


Luk 24:2 and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.


Luk 24:3 And having entered, they did not find the body of the Master יהושע.


Luk 24:4 And it came to be, as they were perplexed about this, that see, two men stood by them in glittering garments.


Luk 24:5 And becoming frightened and bowing their faces to the earth, these said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?


Luk 24:6 “He is not here, but has been raised up! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galil,


Joh 20:1 And on the first day of the week Miryam from Maḡdala came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.


Joh 20:2 So she ran and came to Shimʽon Kĕpha, and to the other taught one whom יהושע loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they laid Him.”


Joh 20:3 Then Kĕpha and the other taught one went out, and they were going to the tomb,


Joh 20:4 and the two were running together, but the other taught one outran Kĕpha and came to the tomb first.


Joh 20:5 And stooping down he saw the linen wrappings lying, but he did not go in.


Joh 20:6 Then Shimʽon Kĕpha came, following him, and went into the tomb. And he saw the linen wrappings lying,


Joh 20:7 and the cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but folded up in a place by itself.


Joh 20:8 So, then, the other taught one, who came to the tomb first, also went in. And he saw and believed.


Joh 20:9 For they did not yet know the Scripture, that He has to rise again from the dead.


Joh 20:10 Therefore the taught ones went away again, by themselves.


Is there a contradiction as all four basarah's record differently? Many see this as a contradiction because they are fleshly and do not look at the passages closely. We must understand that the 4 basarah's /gospels are like the four faces of the cherubs which Ezekiel saw. They are also like the four rivers that flowed from Eden from one source. If you recollect the way to the tree of life was guarded by two cherubs which Yahuah placed at the two posts with the flaming sword which turned everyway. The cherubs in two were in many places in the OT heykal/temple.


Examples: on the ark of the covenant overshadowing the mercy seat (Exo 25:20), two faces of cherub (man and lion) on the inner walls of the Most set-apart place so that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side (Ezekiel 41:19)


Gen 3:24 and He drove the man out. And He placed keruḇim at the east of the garden of Ěḏen, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.


Eze 10:14 And each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a keruḇ, and the second face the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.


The four faces of the cherubs seen by Ezekiel is a reflection of who Mashiyach is? He is typified as the Angel of Yahuah who appeared in OT times (Yahuah rode on a cherub Psalms 18:10), he is the Son of Man who came in the likeness of man to pay the price for his sins, He is the Lion of Yahudah who overcame and he is the Eagle who devours its prey and at the same time on eagle’s wings brings his people unto himself (Exo 19:4, Deut 32:11). The Rock that followed them was Mashiyach (1 Corin 10:4). We don't have time to look at all scriptures but the ones mentioned is enough for a testimony of Yahusha.


The two cherubs with two faces with each face facing the palm tree on the wall depict a twofold witness to Mashiyach and the four cherubs with the four wheels (each cherub by one wheel) each having four faces represent the four basarah's and the imagery of Mashiyach portrayed through the basarah's. The Abary word for ‘wheel’ is ‘apan’ H212 and has the root word ‘pan’ which means ‘face’. The wheel in the midst of the wheel had the face of Mashiyach hidden in the basarah’s.


Eze 10:9 And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.


10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.


Hence at his resurrection Yahuah fulfilled in his wisdom by showing two angels one at his head and one at his feet indicating the cherubim's overshadowing the mercy seat ...i.e. the place where the Master was laid and now had risen. Now that we know the source of the 4 rivers which flowed from Eden, when we read the 4 basarah's with their different accounts the 4 rivers lead us to the source beyond the two posts where Yahuah placed two cherubs and the two flaming swords turning everyway to guard the way to the tree of life. The basarah's have to be reconciled as ONE to see the whole picture because the four faces are ONE FACE i.e. of Yahusha.


Now let's look at the four accounts in the four basarah's/gospel’s:


The first blush meaning will always seem that there is a contradiction but when you reconcile the events you will see the four faces compiling a single account of the testimony to Yahusha's resurrection.


Matthew records Miriam from Magdala and the other woman Miriam mother of Yaaqob came to the tomb at dawn (before sunrise). Mark records a third woman named Shelomah along with them while the Sabbath day crossed over at the rising of the sun (which we will look a little later in Hebrew). Luke records another woman (Luke 24:10) Yohanah and other women with them. Mark also records their emotion “Who shall roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?” and the time i.e. at the rising of the sun when they were at the tomb, and the stone was rolled away for it was very large. Matthew records the guards saw the angel rolling the stone away and there was an earthquake and he sat on it, they became as half dead. Only Matthew mentions the Roman guards who were present. This doesn't mean that Mark, Luke and John disagree with him. It just means that the guards weren't important in their account of what happened, so they skipped that detail. All four mentions that the stone was moved from the door before the women arrived. Only Matthew mentions how it was done: there was an earthquake and an angel rolled the stone back. Matthew mentions that the angel who rolled back the stone, sat on it and invited the women to enter the tomb and see that it was empty. Miriam Magdala may have seen the stone rolled away from a distance and had run to report to Kepha and the beloved disciple. The other three skip this event, only John records this. John records only Miriam from Magdala at the tomb while it was dark and when she saw the stone rolled away she ran and told Simon Kepha and the other beloved disciple that they have taken the Master away and both Kepha and the other beloved disciple ran to the tomb and the other disciple outran Kepha and they saw the tomb empty, and John 20:10 records the taught ones went away by themselves. It doesn't mean that John disagreed the other women also were with her when they came to the tomb while it was still dark. He was only focusing on the events surrounding Miriam Magdalene and hence only mentioned her. Note that John record's where Kepha and the other beloved disciple were when Miriam Magdala stooped inside the tomb, they had left by then and so did the other women who came to the tomb (John 20:10). He says the taught ones went away by themselves.


Joh 20:10 Therefore the taught ones went away again, by themselves.


Luke 24:10 records that the women came and told what they saw to the emissaries. While even Miriam Magdala's name is mentioned in Luke 24:10 there is a possibility she caught up with the other women who on their way back encountered Yahusha ha Mashiyach and were held back.


Luk 24:9 And having returned from the tomb they reported all this to the eleven and to all the rest.


Luk 24:10 And it was Miryam from Maḡdala, and Yohanah, and Miryam the mother of Yaʽaqoḇ, and the rest with them, who told this to the emissaries.


Mark records they (i.e. the other women, as Miriam Magdala had fled to tell Kepha and the other beloved disciple) saw a young man sitting on the right, wearing a white robe and he spoke with them, which could be taken as implication that there was someone on the left side as well (near the head) which he doesn’t record. Matthew doesn't record who were inside the tomb, he records that the women were invited to see where the Master was laid (Miriam was not at site as she ran away to report to Kepha and the beloved disciple). Luke records they (doesn't specify who) came early at dawn and saw the stone rolled away (but later in Luke 24:10 tells who had come at the tomb), Luke records two men stood in glittering garments and spoke with them. These two angels sitting at the right and the left stood up to speak with the other women. It began with the one sitting at the right (near the feet probably) seated and speaking while the same angel along with the other seated at the left stood by them and spoke with them.


What did they speak?


Luk 24:6 “He is not here, but has been raised up! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galil,


Luk 24:7 saying, ‘The Son of Aḏam has to be delivered into the hands of sinners, and be impaled, and the third day rise again.’ ”


Luk 24:8 And they remembered His words.


After this they left and Kepha and the other beloved disciple came running to the tomb and the other beloved disciple outran Kepha and came there first. Both of them saw only the empty tomb, they had no encounter with the angels. When they had left then came Mary Magdala at the tomb.


Joh 20:10 Therefore the taught ones went away again, by themselves.


Joh 20:11 But/Uau Miryam was standing outside by the tomb weeping. Then as she wept, she stooped down to the tomb,


Joh 20:12 and saw two messengers in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of יהושע had been laid.


Joh 20:13 And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “Because they took away my Master, and I do not know where they laid Him.”


Joh 20:14 And having said this, she turned around and saw יהושע standing, but she did not know that it was יהושע.


Don't be carried away with the word 'But' in John 20:11. The Hebrew scriptures have 'uau' mentioned there which should be translated as 'AND'. Remember Kepha and the other beloved disciple ran to the tomb when Miriam Magdala reported the missing body of Yahusha, she may have not run to cope up with them to arrive at the same time they were there, she came after all had left (John 20:10). Yahusha’s tomb was near to the place where they were gathered in the upper room for the fear of the Yahudi’s. It couldn’t have been far as it was the Preparation day and hurriedly they took down the bodies from the stake after breaking the bones of the robbers besides him and seeing that Yahusha was already dead they pierced him at the side from where flowed blood and water. Yoseph from Arimathaea asked Pilate for the body of Yahusha. Remember Pilate was in Yerushalam and heard Yahusha’s case in Yerushalam in the Roman Praretorium.


Matthew records the women left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and RAN to report to His taught ones. This shows they were there for a short time there at the tomb but were held up as they met the Master on the way.


Mat 28:8 And they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His taught ones.


Mat 28:9 And as they were going to report to His taught ones, see, יהושע met them, saying, “Greetings!” And they came and held Him by the feet and did bow to Him.


Mat 28:10 Then יהושע said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go, report to My brothers, to go to Galil, and they shall see Me there.”


And as they were on their way back they met Yahusha on the way and they held him by his feet and bowed down to him. Mary now arrived at the tomb (at what pace is not recorded) and stood there weeping outside the tomb and the sun had risen by them, as she wept she stooped inside the tomb she saw the exact two angels whom the other women had seen one at the head and one at the feet and while they told her ''Woman, why do you weep?'' she turned and saw Yahusha supposing him to be the gardener.


Joh 20:11 But Miryam was standing outside by the tomb weeping. Then as she wept, she stooped down to the tomb,


Joh 20:12 and saw two messengers in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of יהושע had been laid.


Joh 20:13 And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “Because they took away my Master, and I do not know where they laid Him.”


Yahusha revealed himself to her and told her not to cling to him as he had not yet ascended to the Father and asked her to testify to the disciples that he is ascending to the Father. Miriam Magdala came announcing to the taught ones that she had seen the Master. Note that she comes along with the other women announcing (Luke 24:10) that Yahusha is indeed risen. She may have caught up with the other women who were held back by the Master on the way back.


John only records Miriam Magdala coming to the tomb as his focus is on the separate events she went through than the other women while his silence on the other women coming to the tomb doesn't mean he denies the events that they encountered at the tomb.


Joh 20:17 יהושע said to her, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’ ”


Joh 20:18 Miryam from Maḡdala came announcing to the taught ones that she had seen the Master, and that He had told her this.


I have stated this before but for the sake of the reader I will share it again. While Matthew records 'after the Sabbath while the day was transitioning to the first day of the week'


Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, toward dawn on the first day of the week....


We will see Marks account in 16:1-2 verses in Hebrew as the English translation is incorrect.


The English translation states:


Mar 16:1 And when the Sabbath was past and ……


Mar 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.


Luke & John record on the first of the Sabbaths (showing the count of 7 Sabbath's from firstfruits to Shavout/Pentecost). The English translations are diluted here which say ‘On the first day of the week’ .If we take the English translation we must closely look at what time they came to the tomb (while it was still dark)


Luk 24:1 And on the first of the Sabbath, at early dawn, they came to the tomb


Joh 20:1 And on the first of the Sabbath, Miryam from Maḡdala came early to the tomb, while it was still dark


The events began with the women coming to the tomb early in the morning at dawn i.e. while it was still dark, while the Sabbath was just about to end. The day in scripture began from the first beam of sunlight transitioning the day, in this case from Sabbath to the first day of the week. Rabbinical Judaism observe the beginning of day from sunset to sunset. I have addressed this in detail in my study 'The Beginning of Day and the Time-keepers' here:


https://www.facebook.com/notes/%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/the-beginning-of-day-and-the-time-keepers/10214039320638390/


The proof of the text lies in Miriam Magdala and the other women coming to the tomb while it was still dark (as stated by Luke and John) and she ran to tell Kepha and the beloved disciple and came back, by the time the sun had risen transitioning the day from Sabbath to the first day of the week. There is no 'when' in Mark 16:2 and it was added by the translators to make sense (as they felt) whereas the verses should read


Mar 16:1 way’hiy/And there was ka’asher/when `abar/crossed over yom/day ha/of Shabbat, Miryam from Maḡdala, and Miryam the mother of Yaʽaqoḇ, and Shelomah bought spices, to go and anoint Him.


Mar 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun


'Wayahiy' is the exact same phrase used in Genesis 1 six times...example Gen 1:5


......And there was/Wayahiy evening and there was/Wayahiy morning, one day


Mark 16:1 And there was/Wayahiy when crossed over/abar the day of Shabbat, Miryam from Maḡdala, and Miryam the mother of Yaʽaqoḇ, and Shelomah bought spices, to go and anoint Him.


Mark is showing the day of Shabbat crossing over to the first day of the week in a continuous tense and that they came to the tomb very early on the first day of the week at the rising of the sun. It doesn't mean the sun had risen, what it means is their arrival was at the time the sun was just about to rise.


Yahusha tells Miriam Magdala not to hold on to him but to go and tell his disciples he is ascending to His Father and their Father and His Aluahym and theirs while the same evening the first day of the week he came indoors where all the disciples were gathered and showed them his hands and his feet


Joh 20:19 When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,and when the doors were shut where the taught ones met, for fear of the Yehuḏim, יהושע came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace to you.”


Joh 20:20 And having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The taught ones therefore rejoiced when they saw the Master.


Joh 20:21 Then יהושע said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”


These things will not make sense unless we understand Torah


Yahusha rose from the dead on a Sabbath and while Miriam stood there weeping the day had already transitioned to the morrow after the Sabbath and since he is firstfruits and early that morning the priests in the temple had yet to waive the sheaf offering which he was a fulfillment of (as it was the feast of Firstfruits), he told Miriam not to hold on to him.


Lev 23:10 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest.


Lev 23:11 ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it.


Lev 23:12 ‘And on that day when you wave the sheaf, you shall prepare a male lamb a year old, a perfect one, as a burnt offering to יהוה,


Lev 23:13 and its grain offering: two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to יהוה, a sweet fragrance, and its drink offering: one-fourth of a hin of wine.


Lev 23:14 ‘And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.


The same evening, he showed his hands and his feet to all his disciples gathered as during the course of the day the priests had already waived the sheaf offering of the firstfruits. Yahusha was indicating he is the fulfillment of the firstfruits as he is the firstfruits from the dead.


Luk 24:9 And having returned from the tomb they reported all this to the eleven and to all the rest.


Luk 24:10 And it was Miryam from Maḡdala, and Yohanah, and Miryam the mother of Yaʽaqoḇ, and the rest with them, who told this to the emissaries.


Luk 24:11 And their words appeared to them to be nonsense, and they did not believe them.


Luk 24:12 And/uau Kĕpha arose and ran to the tomb. And stooping down, he saw the linen wrappings lying by themselves. And he went away home, marvelling at what took place.


John records that it was only Miriam Magdala who told Kepha and the beloved disciple that they have taken away the Master. Luke 24:10-12 needs to be understood in the light of this that the one who first came (as recorded by John) was Miriam Magdala who ran and came and told Kepha and the beloved disciple that they have taken away the Master out of the tomb while the other women were still at the tomb. The other women after hearing the testimony of the angels came back and, on their way back, met Yahusha and they bowed down and worshipped him and were held by him on their way back. They came along with Miriam Magdala reporting the Master is risen.


Joh 20:2 So she ran and came to Shimʽon Kĕpha, and to the other taught one whom יהושע loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they laid Him.”


Luke mentions only Kepha arose and ran to the tomb, he doesn’t mention the timing of when he ran and on whose saying he ran, he also doesn’t mention the other beloved disciple running to the tomb. This doesn’t mean he didn’t accept John’s record of the other beloved disciple also running to the tomb and on whose report he ran. It also doesn’t make sense to believe that Kepha ran a 2nd time to the tomb to see what they said was true but rather he ran with the other disciple when Miriam Magdala brought the report that they have taken away the Master.


So the Luke passages have to be understood in the right perspective in harmony with the other basarah’s that Miriam Magdala first came in unbelief not knowing what happened to the body of Yahusha followed by Kepha and the other beloved disciple running to the tomb, then she came in with the other women testifying in belief of the risen Master to the eleven (as the other women were held by Yahusha on their way back) while Kepha and the beloved disciple already made their way back. The other disciples stood in unbelief. There is no contradiction in the passages if we see them in the right perspective of going back to the source by taking the testimony of all the four basarah’s to paint the complete picture.

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