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How Long Was Yahshua's Ministry? (Page 1 of 14)

Introduction When asked, most professing followers of Messiah believe that

He had a 3½ year ministry. When asked how they know that to be true, most stumble as to

why they believe that. What about you? One of my goals in life is to dig deep into the Bible. Not only to reinforce my current beliefs, but also to discover

and, if need be, act upon any revealed truths that may have been previously cloaked.

Recently read The Chronological Gospels: The Life and Seventy Week Ministry of the Messiah by Michael Rood.

It provided me a way to see Yahshua’s ministry from a perspective that synchronizes the 4 gospel accounts.

All 4 gospels present the life of Yahshua in differing facets; from unique perspectives.

No individual gospel presents the entire picture. Seeing these perspectives in relation to each other helps one to

see the bigger picture, and how each author alone did not offer all the information.

It provides, in the overall sense, a complete picture; how the ministry of Yahshua was precisely timed to fulfill all the prophesies announced previously about Him.

It also proved that the timing of events, and length of His overall ministry, was correct and was required to maintain prophetic fulfillment.

Yahshua is shown the Prophet, sent by Yahweh and mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15: Yahweh your Elohim will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.

That Messenger… the Logos… the Word… would eventually come.


Quest for the Truth As I’ve searched for hidden revelations, I’m reminded what

Yahweh told the prophet Daniel, near the end of his writings. Daniel 12:4: But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.

Daniel wrote down many end-time prophesies. Yahshua Himself referenced some of these prophesies to

describe the purpose of His earthly ministry, and how fulfilment of the prophesies of Daniel, and other prophets, was to occur.

For instance, in Matthew 24, Messiah accurately references Daniel 9:27 as He foretells the “Abomination of Desolation”. Matthew 24:15: Therefore, when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand).

He then goes on to describe how bad things will become. Matthew 24:16-21: 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take

anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his

clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are

nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the

Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not

been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

This prophesy came to life with the Roman sacking of Jerusalem a few decades after Yahshua’s earthly ministry was complete.


Those who heeded the warning were ready… and fled… others who did not heed the warning met the wrath of Rome.

But another fulfilment of this prophesy is to come. Matthew 24:22: And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

Unless Yahweh would intervene, those in Jerusalem, and in the entire world for that matter… the entirety of mankind… would be exterminated… by their own hands!

The book of Daniel is powerful in its content. It provides many prophetic announcements. Chapter 9 holds many. Some of those prophesies, I believe, have not always been

interpreted correctly. I wish to speak of one of these today. What I’m presenting today is not necessarily a CGI doctrine… it

is my own research into one specific area of the life of Messiah. I only ask that you review what I present today and determine

for yourself what value it has in your spiritual growth.

John’s Passovers Daniel 9:27 has been used by many to indicate the length of

Yahshua’s ministry. Inserted in this verse is “but in the middle of the week He shall

bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” English translators tend to capitalize the “He”; assigning it to

Messiah. This is to be interpreted by many as “Yahshua died after a 3½

year ministry for our sins and made the sacrificial system null and void.”

But is that true; at least the 3½ year ministry part? A few years ago, I pondered this question.


I had heard that there were 4 Passovers mentioned during the ministry of Messiah, primarily in the gospel of John. John 2:13: Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and

Yahshua went up to Jerusalem. This was after His 1st recorded miracle, where He turned

water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. This was also after His baptism by His close relative John

the Baptist (chapter 1). This is the 1st Passover mentioned.

John 11:55: And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. This was the final Passover He would celebrate as a human. The narrative carries over through chapter 19, so it a single

Passover we are dealing with here. John 6:4: Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.

This Passover is mentioned, but seems disjointed within the context of the surrounding text.

More discussion on this later. John 5:1: After this there was a feast of the Jews, and

Yahshua went up to Jerusalem. This has been identified by some as a 4 th “Passover” … but

is this true? The surrounding text does not validate this as a Passover,

but another feast day. All 4 gospel accounts mention the last Passover… the one where

Yahshua would die just short of it occurrence by the Jews. Matthew, Mark and Luke do not directly mention the other

three. Luke does mention Passover pilgrimages that the family made

when Yahshua was a child.


If we accept the argument of 4 Passovers in John, as listed above, then just over 3 years would be the minimum amount of time that Yahshua’s ministry could be.

Most believe it was 3½ years. The logic would actually sum up a 3¼ year (Christmas to

Springtime) ministry. Does that number matter? What more can we glean?

Closer Examination As mentioned previously, John 6:4 and 5:1 are considered by

many to be accurately interpreted as distinct Passover events. After all, the Bible is the word of Yahweh, and should be

considered infallible. If we look at the scripture… in its original language… used by

the original writers… I would agree. However, the Bible, in most modern English translations,

especially in the NT, has proven that man-made errors have crept in.

Some are honest mistakes… and some may be not-so-honest. For instance, Luke 22:7 says Then came the Day of Unleavened

Bread, when the Passover must be killed. This appears to be a translation error… perhaps not… but it does

indicate a problem of rendering concepts from one language to another.

There are numerous examples that we can cite. With that said, let’s examine the two areas in John where

Passovers are mentioned, directly or indirectly, where an error may or may not be made.

John 5 John is the only Gospel author who records the first Passover of

Yahshua’s adult ministry. This starts in John 2:13: Now the


Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Yahshua went up to Jerusalem.

During this time, several events occur before the supposed Passover of chapter 5.

First, while at the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread timeframe: John 2:14-17: Yahshua kicks out those who sold merchandise

in the temple and the moneychangers doing business there. John 2:18-22: Yahshua answers the Jews who were

demanding a sign to prove His authority for kicking out the merchandisers. He proclaimed for them to “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” speaking of the temple of His body, and that His disciples would understand after His resurrection.

The first 21 verses of John chapter 3 is where Yahshua met with Nicodemus.

Yahshua stayed in the Jerusalem area until the Pharisees got wind of his increasing popularity. John 3:22: After these things Yahshua and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.

After some Jewish consternation that His disciples were baptizing more people than John the Baptist, Yahshua left Judea and traveled north to the Samaritans. John 4:3-4: 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria.

He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. John 4:5-7: 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar,

near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Yahshua therefore, being

wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the 6th hour.


7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Yahshua said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

This where Yahshua announced, verse 24, that “Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

He also told her that He was indeed the Messiah (verse 26), after which He left for Cana of Galilee after 2 days. John 4:43-45: 43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went

to Galilee. 44 For Yahshua Himself testified that a prophet has no honor

in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him,

having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

Which feast was this? The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, of course! He continued His travels to Cana. John 4:46: So Yahshua came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine <back in chapter 2>. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

Yahshua would heal the man’s son… remotely… without actually visiting the boy… during this trip. It was called His 2nd

miracle. John 4:54: This again is the second sign Yahshua did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

After this Yahshua returned to Jerusalem for another “feast of the Jews”. John 5:1: After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Yahshua went up to Jerusalem.

Among other things, Yahshua healed a man with an infirmity of 38 years, which being on the Sabbath angered the Jews to the point they wanted to kill Him.

After being in Jerusalem for a “feast”, Yahshua directly returned to the Galilee. John 6:1: After these things Yahshua went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.


At this point the day-to-day records of Matthew, Mark and Luke commence.

Now... the question becomes… was the “feast” of John 5:1 a Passover, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

Think of all that happened since the Passover of John 2:13. If it were next year’s Passover, then not much happened for an

entire year, other than 1) the encounter with the Samaritan woman, and 2) the healing of the man’s son in Cana.

If that were true, then the apostles, who left everything to follow Yahshua, would be aimlessly walking around for something to happen for nearly an entire year! They would certainly become easily disillusioned.

Remember – the Bible tells us of the multitude of His works. John 21:25: And there are also many other things that Yahshua did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Also, consider the distance between the known activities of Yahshua between Jerusalem and Cana… 67 line-of-sight miles… more in the practical sense… probably closer to 100 to travel.

In those days people traveled on foot. It would take days… if not weeks… to make this travel… each direction.

Rather than a Passover… the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost… which occurs 7 weeks after Passover… fits perfectly as the unnamed Feast recorded in John 5:1-47.

John 6:4 An interesting situation presents itself when looking at John 6:4. On first glance it appears to be out of place with the surrounding

text. Remember, Yahshua just left what appears to be the Feast of

Weeks in Jerusalem, in John chapter 5.


John chapter 6 immediately has Him again in Northern Israel. John 6:1-3: 1 After these things Yahshua went over the Sea of Galilee,

which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His

signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Yahshua went up on the mountain, and there He sat

with His disciples. Then comes that verse which appears out of place. John 6:4:

Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Instead of leading into the time of summer, we shift to a time

almost a year into the future. Again, should we expect that almost an entire year has passed

and not a mention of the deeds of Yahshua? Additionally, look to the context of the verses that follow. The account of the feeding of the 5,000 on a hillside near the

Sea of Galilee is recorded in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, and the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John.

This is the only miracle that is recorded in all four Gospels. This event provides a synchronization marker; a quadruple

account of a single moment in time. In all four Gospels, the feeding of the 5,000 takes place at the

end of the summer when the 12 apostles return from their paired assignments throughout the villages of the Galilee. Matthew 10:1-14:12. Mark 6:7-6:31. Luke 9:1-9:10a. John 6:1.

You can see in the 1st 3 gospels the amount of activity that occurred with the disciples, and Yahshua Himself.


You will also note that the bread used to feed the people was leavened. John 6:5: Then Yahshua lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

The bread here is “artos”… leavened, not unleavened, bread. The 6th chapter of John records that the feeding of the 5,000 took

place 2 days before Yahshua taught in the synagogue at Capernaum (on the upper shore of the Sea of Galilee) on the Sabbath day.

On that Sabbath, Yahshua’s theme was on the subject of the Last Day and the Resurrection; the perpetual theme of Fall Holy Days. John 6:44-45: 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me

draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, “and they shall all be taught

by Elohim.” Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

The 7th chapter of John has Yahshua making plans to secretly go up to the Feast of Tabernacles. John 7:2, 10: 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up

to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. The 1st and 17th verses of John 6 says He was in the area of

Galilee… with John 6:4 right in the middle. It doesn’t really make any sense.

Inserted Text? The question then becomes… is John 6:4 valid? Did someone

insert it… after the original… for purposes other than maintaining the truth?

3 centuries after Yahshua’s earthly ministry was completed, Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, was the 1st to propose a 3½ year length of Yahshua’s ministry. Why?


For almost 300 years, so-called church fathers, mentioning the subject, either stated Yahshua’s ministry was “about a year” long… or never indicated it as a 3½ year ministry.

These included: Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen and Lactantius, all

of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, as well as Filastrius, Gaudentius, Evagrius, Onosius, Ephraem, and a half dozen other theologians cited by the Catholic Encyclopedia under “Chronology of the Life of Jesus Christ”.

All concurred that Yahshua’s ministry lasted “about a year.” Additionally, early manuscripts that survive to this day do not

include John 6:4. So then, the question becomes… why is it in there today?

Daniel’s Prophesies So then, what does “about a year” mean. Back to Daniel 9. The last few verses of this chapter have been,

in my opinion, misinterpreted for many years by many people. These have been viewed as directly related; at least from a

timeline standpoint. For instance, the 70 weeks mentioned in verse 24 is tied to the

69 weeks of verse 25, the 62 weeks of verse 26, and the one week of verse 27.

Could it be that; instead of being directly tied; that they are actually describing multiple prophesies? Daniel 9:24-27: 24 Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your

holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah


the Prince, there shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

26 And after the 62 weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.

Verse 24 definitely refers to Messiah, as does the 1st part of verse 26.

Verse 25 speaks of the time from the start of the effort to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, to the beginning of Messiah’s earthly ministry.

The 2nd part of verse 26, and all of verse 27, speaks of another individual… one who would come and bring mankind to the brink of utter destruction.

Most attempt to tie the all the “weeks” together to explain the prophesy.

However, does this mask their meanings? In the Hebrew, the word translated “week” is “Shaw-boo-ah”,

which is better rendered “sevens”. But “sevens” of what. It can be shown that exactly 69 sevens of

years; 483 years, occurred from the time that Artaxerxes gave the command to rebuild Jerusalem in Ezra 7, in the year 457 BC.

It concluded with the start of Yahshua’s ministry, when John the Baptist announced, “Behold! The Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!”. This occurred in 27 AD.


The “7 weeks” may refer to the time since Herod began to rebuild the temple: John 2:20: Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

But are the 70 weeks of verse 24, or even the 62 weeks of verse 26, related to the 7 + 62 weeks of verse 25? Many think so… or is there another explanation?

If we look at the 70 “sevens” in terms of days… not years… 490 total days… and look at the chronology of the ministry of Yahshua… using all 4 Gospel accounts… we see that exactly actual 70 weeks elapsed!

It begins with John the Baptist’s announcement and Yahshua’s baptism by John, and ends with the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the disciples at Pentecost in Acts 2… delivering the Comforter… the Holy Spirit… thus completing His ministry!

Yahshua’s earthly ministry and purpose was now complete… in 70 weeks!

How about the 1st part of verse 26? Following the chronology again… from His baptism to His death… Yahshua was dead after 62 weeks… actually in the middle of the 63rd week.

He was resurrected at the end of the 63rd week, and 7 weeks later… at Pentecost… brings us again to exactly 70 weeks!

Conclusion Incredible as it seems, the last 4 verses of Daniel 9 speak of 4

separate prophesies: The length of the overall ministry of Messiah (verse 24). The death of Messiah during His ministry (verse 26a). The year in which His ministry would begin (verse 25).

Remember, there were no punctuation, or verse/chapter separations, in the original writings.

This leaves the latter part of verse 26 through verse 27.


This actually speaks of the end-time Beast, who will cause the “Abomination of Desolation” that Yahshua referred to in Matthew 24.

He will begin this reign of terror in the middle of his covenant week; it will last 3½ years (Revelation 12:14) … 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5) … 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6).

The idea that Yahshua’s ministry was not 3½ years would be hard for many to want to believe.

The push for a 3½ years ministry is in fact a reality… for those who wish to push a false agenda; that of replacement theology!

It introduces suspensions, or gaps, in the sequence… or even justification for man-made adjustment to the laws of Yahweh!

Yet when we examine the timeframe closely, using all 4 Gospel accounts, plus the 1st part of Acts, we see that indeed His ministry did last 70 weeks; and that He was murdered after 62 weeks.

You might think “so what”? The “so what” is just this. Daniel 9, verses 24 and 26, are yet one more proof of the validity of your Bible, and that Yahshua was indeed what was claimed of Him… and continues to be today.

He is the “Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!”

And His ministry did in fact last … “about a year” … exactly as prophesied!

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