1. The Day of the Cross – April 1st AD 33.

2. Clues:
Christ died 33.5 years after His birth.
It was on a Passover (Full Moon).
Passover must be in the Spring (after March 21st), with the sun in Aries (Josephus).
It was on a Friday (the day before the Sabbath).
The sun turned to darkness for 3 hours.
There was a lunar eclipse that day.

3. There is only one solution!
Friday April 1st AD33 in our Gregorian Calendar (April 3rd in the Julian Calendar used by the Romans at that time).
Therefore Jesus was born 33.5 years earlier in the Fall (October) 2BC.

4. Daniel’s 70 Weeks Fulfilled!
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks (70X7 = 490 years) are determined upon your people (Israel) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

5. This tells us that the Messiah would make atonement for sins and be ready to set up His Kingdom at the end of 490 years.
But what is the starting point?

6. v25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince ….
This decree is recorded in Ezra 7,
on Nisan 1st, in the 7th year of Artaxerxes.
* History tells us this was 458BC.
* Nisan 1st that year was April 3rd.
* Add 490 years and you come to Sunday April 3rd AD 33–the day of the Resurrection!

7. ‘The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord’ means literally ‘the Great and Manifest Day of the Lord.’ It is the Day of the Lord’s Manifestation in power and glory.
Daniel’s 70 weeks tells us that after atoning for our sins (April 1st), on the day of His resurrection (April 3rd) Christ was ready to set up His Kingdom.
However because Israel would not receive Him the Kingdom was postponed 2000 years.

8. Therefore 70th Week of Daniel (April AD26-33), the time of Messiah (John the Baptist and Christ) was cancelled and will be rerun as the 7 years of Tribulation (antichrist), at the end of which Christ will return in power and glory to establish His Kingdom (see Daniel 9:26,27).
The first run of Daniel’s 70 weeks ended with the Death and Resurrection of Christ (the Day of His manifestation in glory).
The second run of Daniel’s 70 weeks will end with the 2nd Coming of Christ the Great and Manifest Day of the Lord.

9. What are the signs of the Great Day of the Lord’s Manifestation
What are the signs of the Great Day of the Lord’s Manifestation. In other words what will happen just before?
Joel 2:31 “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible (manifest) Day of the LORD.”
Both these signs in the heavens happened on April 1st AD33!

10. The Sun turned to Darkness
"Now from the 6th hour there occurred darkness over all the land until the 9th hour“ (Matthew 27:45).
"It was now about the 6th hour, and darkness came over all the land until the 9th hour, the sun failing" (Luke 23:44-45).
Not a dust storm!
Solar Eclipse impossible (full moon, 3 hours)
Signified what was happening to Christ.

11. Amos 8:9 says, "On that day, says the Lord God, I will make the Sun to go down at noon, and darken the Earth in broad daylight."

12. IT IS IN THE ROMAN RECORDS
Julius Africanus:
"Thallus, in his third book of histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun - unreasonably as it seems to me. For the Hebrews celebrate the Passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Saviour falls on the day before the passover; but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun. And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is, at their junction: how then should an eclipse occur when the moon is almost diametrically opposite the sun?”

13. Phlegon’s Olympiades:
"In the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad (from July AD 32- June AD 33!), there was a great eclipse of the Sun, greater than had ever been known before, for at the 6th hour the day was changed into night and the stars were seen in the heavens. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nicæa."

14. Many ancient writers attest to this record of Phlegon
Philipon "And about this darkness -Phlegon recalls it in the Olympiads...Phlegon mentioned the eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of the Lord Christ, and no other (eclipse), it is clear that he did not know from his sources about any (similar) eclipse in previous times...and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius Caesar."

15. “Phlegon records that in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the 6th hour to the 9th, manifestly that one of which we speak.“
Origen: "Now Phlegon, in his 13th or 14th book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events . . but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions“
"And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place, Phlegon too I think has written in the 13th or 14th book of his Chronicles” and “He [that is, Celsus] imagines also that both the earthquake and the darkness were an invention, but regarding these, we have in the preceding pages made our defence, according to our ability,adducing the testimony of Phlegon, who relates that these events took place at the time when our Saviour suffered.”

19. The Moon will be turned to Blood.

20. Blood red Lunar Eclipse

21. Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the Tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

22. Acts 2:16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘ And it shall come to pass in the last days (afterwards), says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and daughters shall prophesy,Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapour of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, before the Coming of the Great and Awesome day of the LORD.
21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’

23. On the Day of Pentecost Peter was showing Joel’s Prophecy had been fulfilled, pointing to the signs (before and after) of the Day of the Lord.
Before: In the heavens-the sun and moon.
On the earth –earthquakes (witnessed by all there).
These came before the Day of the Lord’s manifestation (resurrection).
After: His resurrection was demonstrated by the empty tomb and appearances to many.
The Holy-Spirit poured out was the final proof Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled, Jesus is the Christ and that the Day of the Lord had come.
Therefore the Holy-Spirit has been poured out upon all. So we can all receive the Gift of the Holy-Spirit!

24. On one hand Joel 2 was fulfilled in Christ’s First Coming, when Christ rose on the Great Day of the Lord, but the final fulfilment awaits Christ’s Second Coming when He will appear in glory to set up His Kingdom.
God kept His appointment in AD 33 even if Israel missed it.
Then again the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood and the Spirit will be poured upon all flesh.

25.     Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

26. SUMMARY April 3rd 458BC. The 70 Weeks begin.
Sunday April 3rd 33AD – the 70 Weeks end.
The Day of the Lord’s glorious Resurrection.
Friday April 1st AD days before the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood, signifying Christ’s Atoning Death for us.
Soon the 70th Week of Daniel will replay, and on the last great Day Christ will return in glory.
Just before the moon will be turned to blood, then sun and stars will be turned off, so that when He appears His glory alone will light the earth!

27. The Cup
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words

28. He won the Victory and chose to drink it for us (otherwise we would have had to drink it).
John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the CUP which My Father has given Me?”
Matthew 26:52 Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than 12 legions of angels?

29. Matthew 20:21 He said to her, “What do you wish
Matthew 20:21 He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

30. From all these verses we can deduce:
We all have a CUP God gives us to drink.
Our CUP is God’s Will for our lives.
Our CUP involves both suffering (self-denial) and glory.
God will reveal it to us step by step and we have the choice to drink it or reject it.
Any suffering in our Cup is nothing compared to the glory, but to have the glory we must drink it all-including the suffering.
Jesus drank His bitter Cup for you (infinitely worse than anything you will have to drink).
Will you drink your Cup for Him and the world?