Passover and the Day of Judgment:
A Lost Nazarene Tradition
By
James Scott Trimm
In the world of modern Messianic and Nazarene Judaism, we often associate the return of the Messiah and the final judgment with the fall feasts—Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. These mo’edim (appointed times) certainly have rich prophetic meaning and eschatological significance. But did you know that many ancient Nazarenes—the original followers of Yeshua as the Messiah—believed that the Day of Judgment would actually take place during Passover?
This belief comes to us from an ancient, now lost, text known as the Gospel according to the Hebrews.
What Was the Gospel According to the Hebrews?
The Gospel according to the Hebrews (GH) was an early gospel text, written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and used by the Nazarenes and Ebionites—Jewish followers of Yeshua who maintained Torah observance. Though the document itself has been lost to history, we possess about 50 quotations and fragments preserved through the writings of the so-called “Church Fathers” and medieval commentators.
The Third Century historian Eusebius wrote:
“And among them [doubted books] some have placed the Gospel according to the Hebrews which is the especial delight of those of the Hebrews who have accepted Messiah.” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3:25:5)
Likewise, Epiphanius referred to GH as “their Gospel” when describing the Ebionites, and Jerome confirmed its use by the Nazarenes and Ebionites alike.
Twentieth-century scholar Hugh Schonfield—no stranger to controversial research—gave the following assessment:
“Judged by ancient testimony alone it is indisputable that Hebrews has the best right of any Gospel to be considered a genuine apostolic production… Here is obviously a most valuable witness, perhaps the most valuable witness to the truth about [Yeshua]…” (Hugh Schonfield, According to the Hebrews, pp. 13–18)
Passover and the Resurrection of the Righteous
One of the most fascinating preserved references to this gospel comes from the Cateches celtique of the Breton Vaticanus Reginus, an obscure medieval text. It reads:
“These eight days of Passover, at which Messiah the son of God rose again, signify eight days after the recurrence of the Passover, at which the seed of Adam will be judged, as is proclaimed in the Gospel of the Hebrews; and for this reason the learned believe that the day of judgment will be at Passover, because on that day Messiah rose again, that on that day also the saints should rise again.” (Cateches celtique of the Breton Vaticanus Reginus, lat. 49; Studi e Testi 59, 1933, p.58)
This tradition is striking: it teaches that just as Messiah rose at Passover, so too will the righteous rise—and the world will be judged—during Passover. It implies a profound theological parallel between the Exodus of Israel, the resurrection of Yeshua, and the final redemption and judgment.
Why Does This Matter?
For modern Nazarenes, recovering these ancient beliefs isn’t just about historical curiosity—it’s about rediscovering the full picture of early faith in Yeshua as Messiah. The Gospel according to the Hebrews offers us a tantalizing glimpse into a version of the Yeshua tradition that was thoroughly Jewish, Torah-centered, and often quite different from later, Hellenized Christianity.
The idea that the Day of Judgment may come at Passover invites us to see this season not only as a time of historical remembrance and personal redemption but as a future moment of cosmic transformation. Just as the first Passover led to the liberation of Israel, and just as Messiah’s resurrection inaugurated the promise of eternal life, so too may the final judgment and resurrection of the righteous occur at this appointed time.
A Time to Reflect
As we prepare for the upcoming Passover season, let us remember that this appointed time is not just about what has happened, but what will happen. The seeds of ancient Nazarene belief—preserved in lost gospels and obscure writings—continue to bear fruit for those with ears to hear.
Chag Pesach Sameach—and may we be found ready on the Day of Judgment.
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