Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Our need for a Messiah.

As much as our ancient forefathers needed a mediator to interact between YHVH the Elohim of Israel and the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, so do we from the lost sheep of the house of Israel who are being called out of the Churches of the world, need a mediator to bring us back to the covenant relationship we had with Elohim together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, as explained in Hebrews 9: 11 – 15, in this way: ‘But when Messiah appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; (12) and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (13) For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to Elohim, cleansed your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? (15) And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.’

 

Since our forefathers were taken captive by Esau under the guise of the Roman Catholic Church and her protesting daughters, we from the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom YHVH scattered into the world because of idolatry, have lost our language, culture and any knowledge of the covenant relationship our fathers in the faith had with Elohim, we forgot what sin is and have as a result cursed ourselves and our children with the curses mentioned in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. In addition, we have been misled to believe that the Jews who obey the Torah are under the so-called ‘curse’ of the Law, whilst they are in fact above the Law by remaining Torah observant for the past almost 3,500 years, including to circumcise their sons at eight days old as a sign of the covenant. It was also for this reason that Rav Shaul went into the extensive explanation to the congregations in Galatia in Galatians 3: 13 - 20, saying: ‘Messiah redeemed us from the curse (or punishment due to us for our extensive disobedience to Torah for the past almost 1,800 years) of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— (14) in order that in Messiah Yahshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (15) Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. (16) Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Messiah. (17) What I am saying is this; the (sacrificial) Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by Elohim, so as to nullify the promise. (18) For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but Elohim has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. (19) Why the (sacrificial) Law then? It was added because of the transgressions; having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. (20) Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas Elohim is only one.’

 

Our forefathers who travelled to Europe and beyond committed a serious offense against YHVH and even though we know that Israel is our spiritual home, we are too impoverished by the multitude of our sins and spiritual adulteries, to assume that we may return to Him on our own merit. Since we started studying Torah, we have learnt that there is a specific provision made for us; Torah specifically teaches that if an Israelite loses his connection with his inheritance and is too deprived to buy it back, his kinsman may redeem it on his behalf. This is recorded for us in Leviticus 25: 25, as follow: ‘If a fellow countryman of yours become so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.’ An example of this may be found in the Book of Ruth in the Scriptures. The kinsman redeemer is according to the law of linage the designated person to purchase the property of an impoverished relative so as to keep it in the family. The house of Judah has returned to the land of Israel, which they lost temporarily because of mainly the sins of Manasseh who followed his father King Hezekiah up, as king over Judah as is recorded in 2 Kings 21: 16, in this way: ‘Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of YHVH.’  Even though Manasseh repented later in his life, his sins were considered so severe and YHVH did not relent from punishing Judah for it, as we read from 2 Kings 23: 26 & 27, as follows: ‘However, YHVH did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. (27) And YHVH said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’” But, the house of Israel which lost all their rights because they abandoned Elohim’s covenant altogether, need to have their place in Elohim’s country purchased back, if they want it to be lawfully and rightfully theirs once again.

The kinsman redeemer for the lost ten tribes therefore had to be someone who is even now totally devoted to the covenant with Elohim. As recorded in the correct translation of Hosea 11: 12 (KJV)[1], Judah is in such a position, so the kinsman redeemer would have to come from that tribe. This is how Yahshua our Messiah fits into the puzzle. The Messiah had to be a descendant of David and was therefore also from the tribe of Judah, as witnessed from Jeremiah 33: 15 & 16, in this way: “In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. (16) In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety; and this is the name by which he shall be called: YHVH is our righteousness.”  We read from Isaiah 49: 6, ‘He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up (from the dead) the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”’ We see consequently that Messiah will be the one responsible to bring back the house of Israel to their inheritance. He is absolutely indispensable to bring us back in repentance (Teshuvah) to the Father. Daniel prophesied the time frame when Yahshua would arrive on the scene in Daniel 9: 24 - 27, saying: “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make and end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy (set-apart) place. (25) So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. (26) Then after the sixty two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. (27) And he will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain (wave sheaf) offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction (the KJV reads:  the consummation, meaning the end time is here), one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.’ The year of Yahshua’s crucifixion and the Passover, can be confirmed by correlating the prophecy of Daniel 9 with the occurrence described in Ezra 7.

Daniel explained that there would be a time period of 70 prophetic ’weeks’ that is to say 490 prophetic days (a prophetic day for a week). The house of Judah did not observe the land Sabbath during the 490 years they lived in the Promised Land and were assigned 70 years (i.e. 490 years divided by 7) of exile in Babylon as punishment. We are also told that 69 of these ‘weeks’, i.e. 483 years would run from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah’s appearance. This decree of King Artaxerxes that begins the count of the prophetic ‘weeks’ is recorded in Ezra 7. Secular history makes plain that the Artaxerxes’ seventh year occurred in 458-457BCE.  The only question is whether or not the author Ezra or Nehemiah was figuring the years of Artaxerxes’ reign by counting from fall to fall or spring to spring.  A careful comparison of Nehemiah 1: 1 and 2: 1 shows that a fall-to fall reckoning was used.  Nehemiah refers to an event in the month of Kislev (December) of the 20th year of Artaxerxes, followed later by an event in the month of Nisan (April) in the 20th year of Artaxerxes. The only way that both of these events could have occurred in the king’s 20th year would be if the author was figuring the years of the king’s reign from fall to fall. This means that when Ezra 7 says that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem with the decree in the late summer (fifth month) during the 7th year of Artaxerxes and must therefore refer to 457BCE. If we come forward 483 years, this brings us to just before the fall festival season of 27CE.  This is the year during which Yahshua was immersed; He was about 30 years of age and His ministry began at the time when Yochanan the Immerser came to an end. Most researchers agree that His ministry lasted for 3½ years. He started His ministry in the fall (September/October) of 27 CE and was impaled in the spring of 31 CE. We know that Yahshua was crucified on the 4th day (or the middle) of the week and was resurrected three days and three nights later, at the end of the weekly Sabbath. This means that the Passover of 31 CE, the scripturally established time of His crucifixion, occurred on a Wednesday that week. (For interest sake: Yahshua was cut off in the middle of the week, or after a ministry of only 3½ years. It is also believed that He will cut the 7 year period of the Great Tribulation (short) in half, at His return; thereby accounting for the difference of one week (7 years) between the 69 and 70 ‘weeks’ prophesied in Daniel 9.) Both the British and U.S. Naval Observatories confirm that, that particular Passover occurred on the fourth day of the week (or Wednesday) that year. This agrees with the prophecy in Daniel 9: 27, which predicted that Yahshua would be cut off in the middle of the week. He was in the grave for three full days and three full nights according to His claim in Matthew 12: 38 - 40[2] and as witnessed of His resurrection in Matthew 28: 1 – 6[3]. Titus a Roman general overpowered Jerusalem on the 7th of September 70 CE. His soldiers burned the Temple against his orders, with the result that the gold in the Temple melted down into the temple stones. It took another seven months to remove the melted gold from the destroyed Temple building, bringing us to about the same time in 71 CE, when Yahshua was impaled 40 years earlier. Titus returned to Rome in the spring of 71 CE as may be confirmed by the date on the Arch of Titus at: http://web.mit.edu/course/21/21h.405/www/ArchesOfTitus/titus-art.html Yahshua predicted the destruction of the Temple in Matthew 24: 1 & 2, and added in Matthew 24: 34, saying: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  In Scriptural times a generation was said to be 40 years as may be read from Psalm 95: 10 and Hebrews 3: 9 – 10; from the spring of 31 CE to spring of 71 CE is exactly 40 years, which is in total agreement with what Yahshua said.

Zechariah even gives us Messiah’s name. The righteous Branch spoken about in Jeremiah 33: 15 refers to the Messiah.  In Zechariah 3: 8 & 9 he tells us that the name of ‘My servant the Branch’ is Joshua and in Zechariah 6: 11 & 12 Joshua is crowned. We read further from verse 13, “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of YHVH (meaning us, the congregation of called out believers), and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.” We who have been called from the Christian churches of the world need to realize that there is a major difference between believing in Yahshua the Messiah and the false messiah they came to believe in.  The one whom Christianity serve is the one who performed many miracles, but denied Torah, and is therefore not acceptable to Judaism in accordance with Deuteronomy 13: 1 – 3, as follows: “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, (2) and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them, (3) you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for YHVH your Elohim is testing you to find out if you love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.” Forty days after Yahshua’s resurrection, when He was about to ascend to heaven and He together with His disciples began climbing the Mount of Olives, His disciples became very excited since they knew that according to Zechariah 14: 14, the kingdom (of Elohim) would come when Messiah’s feet touches the same mountain. That is also why they asked Him at that time in Acts 1: 6 (last part) saying, “Master, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”  Yahshua replied in verse 7 & 8, saying to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; (8) but you shall receive power when the Holy (Set-apart) Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Yahshua’s parable of the prodigal son, who asked His father to give him his portion of his inheritance and then went and squandered it on living it up, pictures Ephraim, who is representative of the lost ten tribes. Judah is pictured by the Father’s eldest son, who remained with Him. Though YHVH had forsaken Ephraim for a time, He says of him in Jeremiah 31: 10, ‘And declare in the coastlands afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’” We need to understand that our heavenly Father is a merciful Elohim always prepared to forgive us, if only we humble ourselves and return to Him in repentance, as King Solomon wrote in Deuteronomy 4: 25 – 31, “When you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of YHVH your Elohim so as to provoke Him to anger, (26) I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you shall surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but shall utterly be destroyed. (27) And YHVH will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where YHVH shall drive you. (28) And there you will serve gods, the work of man’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. (29) But from there you will seek YHVH your Elohim, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. (30) When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you in the latter days, you will return to YHVH your Elohim and listen to His voice. (31) For YHVH your Elohim is a compassionate Elohim; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” We see in John 10: 11, Yahshua identified Himself to the Jews as being the ‘good shepherd’. Continuing in verse 16 of John 10, He also said to them: “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.” Yahshua was referring here to Ezekiel’s prophesy in Ezekiel 34: 23, as follows: “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.”

Yahshua never denied that He had come to restore the kingdom of Israel. Far from it! In fact all He did was to turn His disciples’ focus on finding the subjects of the house of Israel, as we read from Matthew 10: 5 & 6, saying: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; (6) but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yahshua also said to the Canaanite woman who asked Him to show mercy to her demon possessed daughter in Matthew 15: 24 “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In fact Yahshua was sending His disciples out to draw Ephraim back to the covenant that they forsook, as He was the Kinsman Redeemer for the prodigal tribes. The leaders in Yahshua’s community laid down four ground-rules in Acts 15 for new believers to follow at the beginning of their walk in the way of Elohim. The basics of Kashrut and niddah and the forsaking of idolatry and immorality were the first requirements for new believers. These are the things which today’s Christians do not even keep, let alone the fact that they ignore the very next qualifying statement in Acts 15: 21, in this way: “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” This is saying that repentance to full Torah observance is a process, where initially we follow the basic four ground-rules, and then as we learn about the Sabbath and Feast Days of Elohim, the wearing of tzitzit, and circumcision, we will eventually grow to a point where we are fully Torah observant.

Rav Shaul was a Pharisee and continued to call himself that long after he started following Yahshua (as per Acts 23: 6). Rav Kepha warned in 2 Peter 3: 16 that Rav Shaul’s letters should not be taken lightly, admitting that ‘as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.’ That is basically the story of Christianity over the past 1,800 years.  However, we need to understand that since we were separated from our Father, as well as from brother Judah, because of our sins of idolatry, that it was Yahshua who brought us back, as Rav Shaul explains at length in Ephesians 2: 11 – 22, saying: ‘Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— (12) remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without Elohim in the world. (13) But now in Messiah Yahshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (14) For He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (15) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances (or judgements), that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (16) and might reconcile them both in one body to Elohim through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (17) AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; (18) for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Elohim’s household, (20) having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yahshua Himself being the corner stone, (21) in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in YHVH; (22) in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of Elohim in the Spirit.’ Yes, it was the Father who called us out of the world, but it was because of Messiah’s sacrifice that we are able to be reconciled back to the Father. It is by immersion into Yahshua’s saving name that we are forgiven our past sins and given a portion of the Set-apart Spirit, thereby giving us access to the Father in prayer, but also to be ultimately resurrected (or changed) into spirit-born children of Elohim at the Messiah’s return one day as confirmed in Romans 8: 11, as follows: ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’.

According to Ezekiel 37, it will be YHVH who will ensure that once the fullness of the Gentiles have come out of the world and started keeping the Sabbath and the annual Feast Days of Elohim, eating only kosher foods and studying and obeying Torah, so much so that our conduct make our Jewish brothers jealous, that the two houses of Israel, will once more become one in His hand.  Yahshua died for the sins of the world, but also to be able to remarry His bride, whom He divorced because of idolatry, as witnessed in Roman 7: 1 – 4, in this way: ‘Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law of divorce and remarriage), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? (2) For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. (3) So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. (4) Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the law through the body of Messiah, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for Elohim.’ As mentioned in a previous sermon, that was why Yahshua’s dying words on the stake was ‘Kallah’ meaning ‘it is finished’ but also ‘My bride’. When He died He confirmed that because we died in immersion in Him, He will now be able to remarry us, His congregation of called out believers, who will be resurrected or changed, at His return to earth.

When we come to YHVH through the only door available to us, we should not be reluctant to confess Him to those who ask us about the hope that is within us, through Yahshua our Messiah. It is for this reason that Yahshua said in Matthew 10: 32 & 33, “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. (33) But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”  No matter who or what we believe Yahshua is, we need to be aware of what Rav Shaul wrote about Him in Philippians 2: 5 – 11, in this way: ‘Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Messiah Yahshua, (6) who, although He existed in the form of Elohim, did not regard equality with Elohim a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) Therefore also Elohim highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Yahshua EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Yahshua Messiah is Master, to the glory of Elohim the Father.’ This is quoted from Isaiah 45: 23, where we read: “I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, ever tongue will swear allegiance.”  We continue to read from verse 24 of Isaiah 45, “They will say of Me, ‘Only in YHVH are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame.”  It is important for those of us who are returning from the lost ten tribes, not to deny our Master and Savior, even when we are eventually allowed to join the rabbinical synagogue as returnees from the house of Israel once again.

We see from 1st Timothy 6: 16 that no one has ever seen or can see YHVH, as He is a Spirit Being. Yahshua our Messiah; the visible image of the invisible Elohim (as per Colossians 1: 15) is the only way in which we as flesh and blood human beings can relate to the Father. It is for that reason that Yahshua the Messiah will rule us during the millennium and will remain with us until after the great white throne judgment, as witnessed in 1st Corinthians 15: 22 – 28, in this way: ‘For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all shall be made alive (as spiritual children of Elohim). (23) But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruit(s), after that those who are Messiah’s at His coming, (24) then comes the end (ones), when He delivers up the kingdom to the Elohim and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. (26) The last enemy that will be abolished is death (as may be read from Revelation 20: 14, when there will not be any physical human beings prone to death any longer). (27) For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. (28) And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that Elohim may be all in all.’ Yes, Yahshua the visible image of the invisible Elohim will be around until all human beings have been changed into spirit-born children of Elohim.

Even though the Scriptures do not say so directly, but from reading Revelation 22: 1 – 4, it appears as if Yahshua the lamb of Elohim, will go back into the Father, from where He came (John 1: 18), as follows: ‘And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne (singular) of Elohim and of the Lamb (The footnote against the words the Lamb in the NASB reads: or the Lamb), (2) in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (3) And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; (4) and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.’ Nevertheless, you and I from the lost sheep of Israel need to decide: Are we going to accept (YHVH)’s offer of eternal life in the Promised Land through our Jewish Messiah, or are we going to choose a covenant of death and remain part of Churchianity. Think carefully about it!

 

[1] Hosea 11: 12, ‘Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with Elohim and is faithful with the saints.’

[2] Matthew 12: 38 – 40:’Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

[3] Matthew 28: 1 – 6: ‘Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (or Sunday), Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of YHVH descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow; and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Yahshua who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” The word "Dawn" (transliterated in Greek as "epiphosko") means to draw-on toward something, especially in terms of time. In Matthew 28: 2, we see that, immediately, as the new week had just begun and before the women could reach the tomb, an earthquake occurred when an angel of YHVH rolled back the tombstone covering the entrance. When the women arrived the grave was empty, very shortly after sundown on a Hebrew's Sunday, but still a Gentile's Saturday night, just like today.