Throughout history many significant events especially dealing with Israel have occurred on 17 Nisan. The number seventeen means victory and this will be seen throughout the various events. The number seventeen as victory is seen elsewhere in scripture as well such as in Romans 8:35-39 gives seventeen things that will not be able to separate us from the love of Christ. (Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) At least seven significant events have happened on 17 Nisan. It is very rare that even two events happen on the same day in a nation’s history, yet we will see this happen over and over on 17 Nisan. We also saw how at least eight significant things happened on the 9th of Av throughout Israel’s history in my sermon Jewish tragedies on the 9th of Av, but on 9 Av it brings tragedy to Israel whereas 17 Nisan brings victory. It has been calculated that the odds of these seven major events all happening on this same day and all being good events on top of it is about 1 in 784 quadrillion. 784 quadrillion is 784 followed by fifteen zeros. Just like with the tragic events all happening on 9 Av is against all odds, so is it here on this date. The fact that Israel has two dates with so much significance proves again the existence of God and how he clearly is involved in the events of Israel and the lives of the Israeli people. No other nation or dates in history come close to having so many events let alone significant events all happen on the same day of the year. The month of Nisan was originally called Abib in scripture and was made the first month by God on the religious calendar to remember the Exodus from Egypt. It had formerly been the seventh month for Israel. (Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.) 17 Nisan normally occurs in April on our calendar. It is believed the name Nisan in Hebrew means “miracle”. If this is true then it is well named as we will see it takes a miracle from God to not only have seven significant events for Israel happen on 17 Nisan, but the events themselves are miraculous with the last being the most miraculous in the resurrection of Jesus.
The first major event that happened on 17 Nisan was Noah’s ark rested on the mountains of Ararat following a devastating global flood that killed all life on land that was not in the ark, both people and animals. (Genesis 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.) This verse says the seventh month when I said Nisan was the first month, but remember I said God had Moses change the calendar after the Israelites left Egypt so this became the first month. The ark resting shows how Jesus who was inside the ark with those on board had brought peace and rest. The ark finally had rest from the violence and sin outside and from floating around during the flood. The rest was a type of the sabbath which God gave man to worship him as well as rest the body and restore both physical and spiritual health. The ark resting brought victory from the flood and death for those on board. This first major event on 17 Nisan was not directly for Israel as Israel had not been made a nation yet, but it does have implications for Israel as well as all true Christians in showing how true rest can only come from Jesus. (Matthew 11:28 ¶ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.) This event happening on this day also shows how God is in control of everything and when they happen as well as showing that God based events off of the future Hebrew calendar which I believe was always the true calendar going back to Adam.
The second major event to occur on 17 Nisan was the Israelites entered Egypt exactly 430 years before they left in the exodus under Moses following the death of the firstborn in the tenth plaque against Egypt. (Exodus 12:40-41 40 ¶ Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.)
The third major event to happen on 17 Nisan was when the Israelites crossed the Red sea. As the Israelites made their escape from Egypt they became cornered at the Red sea surrounded by the sea on one side with mountains on the other with the Egyptian army blocking the only escape route back out. God used Moses to dry up the Red sea so that there was a wall of water on both sides and allowed the Israelites to cross over on dry ground to the other side and then God drowned the entire pursuing Egyptian army bringing victory to Israel. God had brought the ten plagues to Israel to get pharaoh to allow Israel to leave Egypt and now he destroys the pursuing Egyptian army. The Israelites left Egypt on the self-same day they had entered Egypt showing they had entered Egypt on 17 Nisan as well. By crossing the Red sea, the Israelites left Egyptian territory and crossed over into Arabia into what is now known as Saudi Arabia. (Numbers 33:1-8 1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover [still the 15th] the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth. [evening of the 15th]
6 And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. [evening of the 16th]
7 And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pi–hahiroth, which is before Baal–zephon: and they pitched before Migdol. [evening of the 17th]
8 And they departed from before Pi–hahiroth, [morning of the 17th since Jewish day started the previous sunset] and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.) We see from these verses in Numbers 33 it does not say 17 Nisan in the text, but how we can figure out the date from reading the verses and deciphering them. We need to remember when counting the dates that Jewish days go from sunset to sunset rather than starting at midnight like our days. We also need to remember that passover is on 14 Nisan so the morrow after would be 15 Nisan. (Exodus 12:5-6 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.) (Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.) (Numbers 28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.) As I previously mentioned, the Israelites left Egypt exactly 430 years after entering Egypt, both on 17 Nisan. We see how God fulfills his promises and delivers on them on the exact day that he says he will. These verses are in chapter 33 with the number 33 meaning promise as God promised to send his Son Jesus to save us and this will be seen later as Jesus would rise from the grave on 17 Nisan in the greatest event on this day or any day in history.
The fourth major event on 17 Nisan is the Israelites ate of the fruit of the land for the first time in the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. They ate of this fruit exactly forty years after they entered the wilderness. They had entered the wilderness on 17 Nisan after crossing the Red sea as we previously saw. God had said they would have to wander in the wilderness for forty years for not believing the two spies of Joshua and Caleb and we see God once again fulfills his promise to the exact day. (Numbers 14:33-34 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.) (Joshua 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.) (Joshua 5:10-12 10 ¶ And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month [14 Nisan] at even in the plains of Jericho.
11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, [15Nisan] unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12 ¶ And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; [16 Nisan] neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. [17 Nisan]) This eating of the fruit is symbolic of the first fruits that God would give them later in Jesus.
The fifth major event on 17 Nisan was king Hezekiah rededicated and opened the cleansed Solomon’s temple which had been defiled. The temple had long become neglected due to the sins and idolatry of the Israelites and Hezekiah who was a godly king ordered the cleansing of the temple so that it could once again be used to worship God and bring sacrifices to the LORD. The entire chapter of II Chronicles 29 gives details on this event. (II Chronicles 29:17-21 17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.
18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.
19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.
20 ¶ Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.
21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.) Verse 17 says they completed cleansing the temple or house of God on 16 Nisan and then verse 20 says Hezekiah rose early on what would be 17 Nisan to reopen the temple for the LORD and offer sacrifices.
The sixth major event on 17 Nisan was when God used Queen Esther to deliver the Jews from death at the hand of the wicked Haman. Haman was second only to the king in authority in the Medo-Persian Empire. Esther was a Jew who became queen after winning a beauty contest. Her cousin Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman so Haman convinced the king to pass an edict to destroy [kill] all of the Jews in the empire. Haman was given authority by the king to make this happen as king Ahasuerus did not know that Esther was a Jew as she had kept this hid from the king. Haman issued the decree on 13 Nisan with it to come into effect eleven months later on the twelfth month of Adar on the 13th. (Esther 3:8-13 8 ¶ And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.
10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
12 Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.
13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.) We see from these verses that the decree was issued on 13 Nisan. Mordecai saw the decree and told Esther about it. She told Mordecai that she would fast for three days and for him and all of the Jews there in the capital of Shushan to do the same. (Esther 4:16-17 16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.) Esther was willing to go before the king even without his permission which could mean her death. In those days anyone wanting to see the king had to have his permission including even the queen. Three days of fasting brings it to 16 Nisan. On the third day of 16 Nisan, Esther went before the king and was accepted by him. She requested that he and Haman come to a banquet later that day that she had prepared for them. The king and Haman went and Esther asked the king and Haman to return the next day on 17 Nisan for another banquet and this was agreed upon. (Esther 5:1-5 1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.
5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.) Haman was excited to be invited for a second day and told his wife who encouraged him to build a gallows to hang Mordecai on. Haman and the king come to the second banquet prepared by Esther on 17 Nisan where Esther finally tells the king her petition to have a law passed to stop the people from killing the Jews. Esther told the king she was a Jew and it was the wicked Haman who was behind the scheme. The king was very angry and order Haman hanged on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai and placed Mordecai second in charge instead of Haman and signed a decree to allow the Jews to kill anyone who tried to harm them. The Jews prevailed later on that day in the twelfth month, but it was Haman who died on 17 Nisan as God brought victory to the Jewish people. (Esther 7:10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.) (Esther 8:1-2 1 On that day [still 17 Nisan] did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.
2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.)
It is possible as one theologian mentioned that the seven sons of Saul were put to death on 17 Nisan, though scripture does not confirm this and I am not completely convinced of this. Saul’s sons were put to death because Saul had sinned in killing some Gibeonites whom Joshua and the leaders had made a pact not to kill. Saul killed the Gibeonites, yet he failed to kill Agag when he was commanded to by God. It is believed that Haman was a descendent of Agag, the same one who almost succeeded in having all of the Jews killed. This would never have happened if Saul had obeyed God when he was commanded to do so. The theologian states that the barley season in scripture is in the month of Nisan which is correct. He then says that II Samuel 21:9 says they were put to death in the first days of barley harvest. To me this shows it probably happened before the seventeenth, but I wanted to show the possibility of another event on 17 Nisan. If the deaths of Saul’s sons did happen on 17 Nisan this would show victory over Saul and his rebellion and sin. (II Samuel 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.)
The seventh major event to occur on 17 Nisan was the resurrection of Jesus. God under Moses instituted the feast of firstfruits, but this feast was not to be celebrated while the Israelites were in the wilderness. It was not to be celebrated until they entered the Promised Land. The Israelites were to offer to God the firstfruits of their harvest so that he would bless the rest of the crop season. Jesus rose from the grave on the feast of firstfruits as the firstfruits of resurrection. Jesus had to rise first from the grave so that others who were saved might also be able to rise from the grave at the rapture. (I Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.) (I Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.) The feast of firstfruits was always the day after a sabbath so it always occurred on a Sunday or the first day of the week and the Sunday that Jesus rose victoriously from the grave was 17 Nisan. (Leviticus 23:10-11 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.) The resurrection of Jesus brought the greatest victory as he gave us victory over death, sin and Satan for those who receive Jesus as their Saviour. This was the true firstfruits and victory that all of these 17 Nisan events pointed to. (I Corinthians 15:54-57 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.) If Jesus had never risen from the grave then we would still all be dead in our sins. (I Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.) We saw how Noah’s ark rested on 17 Nisan and just as God ended the judgment on the preflood world on this day as the waters began to recede, God also ended the judgment on the restored world as he proclaimed victory over a defeated Satan. Jesus brought the firstfruits of life on 17 Nisan. Matthew 27:52-53 shows how at the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins, then the graves of some saints in Jerusalem were opened, but then we see that these saints were not resurrected until after Jesus had rose from the grave as they could not be resurrected until Jesus was since he was the firstfruits of resurrection. The open graves remained open for three days and then after Jesus rose from the grave he brought forth these people from the grave who walked about Jerusalem telling people about Jesus. Those who were brought to life prior to Jesus rising from the grave, only died again as they had only been brought back to life in their physical body, but no one could have a resurrected body like Jesus until after he first rose from the grave and defeated death. (Matthew 27:52-53 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.)
We see how Noah’s ark and the Red sea represent baptism with Jesus and the ark as salvation only by Jesus with only the door of Jesus to enter that everlasting life. The Israelites ate the firstfruits of the Promised Land on this day showing God fulfilling promises as well as a promise of the future firstfruits of Jesus bringing us resurrection of our bodies. I have clearly shown how seven significant events all occurred on 17 Nisan. This is virtually impossible for all of these seven major events to happen on this day unless God is in control to make it happen. These seven events show proof of God just as eight significant tragedies occurring on the 9th of Av. These dates with these events could not happen without God controlling them. God clearly shows he is in control and how not only the Jewish nation is important to God and what affects the nation, but also God is concerned for all people of the world as he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for our sins, be buried, shed his blood for us to wash away our sins, and then to rise victoriously on 17 Nisan to bring everlasting life to those who will call upon him to save them as our firstfruits of resurrection. Bring victory over death today by calling upon Jesus to save you if you are not saved.
