Three Days and Three Nights

[liafailrock]

-


Very impressive. Unfortunately that paragraph probably makes about as
much sense to the average person as one of Picasso's convoluted paintings.

● Matt 11:25-26 . . Jesus said: I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and
revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

/

Thanks for the compliment. Yes, I don't expect the average person to always follow what I say because all that science and math and such can be confusing, but the Lord only requires what's open such as the fact they started the firstfruits (which was prophetic of things to come) at sunset and that's all most people have to know. BTW, I love Picasso. A genius. I'm a Salvadore Dali fan, too.

 

[Webers_Home]

-
Probably nothing has earned Christianity as much shame and ridicule as the
Good Friday tradition.

With a little creative sophistry, and a stretch of the imagination, it's possible
to squeeze three days into the tradition; but no amount of stretching and
squeezing can account for three nights. Even a little kid who's no more
proficient with arithmetic than counting on their fingers can figure that out.

● Matt 11:25-26 . . Jesus said: I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and
revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

/

 

[ScottA]

The phrases I found when studying the bible are as follows:

the third day
after 3 days
within 3 days
3 days and 3 nights.

Those are the same scriptures I found such passages. None of them mandate the resurrection happens during the 3rd day, but rather a 3 day span of time. The third day passed and completed is considered the third day. The most precise passage is Matthew 12:40 when the Lord marks it out specifically.

Feast days and special days in the old testament revolved around the day itself, starting at evening or sundown. It makes no sense for Christ to be dead, say, half the a day and risen the other half. Either one or the other. Otherwise the feast celebrating his resurrection (Firstfruits) would not commence at sundown if he were dead yet. If he arose even Saturday afternoon say 3PM, God would still ordain the feast the next day considering that is the first day of his resurrection. In short, he'd have to arise at the time or just before Firstfruits commenced, otherwise the whole purpose of the ceremony is amiss. And again, if Christ arose sometime Sunday, God would have pushed the Firstfruits ceremony to Monday, but we don't see that.

Sure we do:

1 Corinthians 15:23
"But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."

 

[rstrats]

"ByGrace",
e: "Agree the opening post was a bit of a shamble. It may be interesting had it asked better questions etc"



As I said to bbyrd009, I've attempted to do that in several subsequent posts.

 

[Richard_oti]

Hi Rstrats,

As I also am not a proponent of a sixth day crucifixion, I do not know of any examples. Nor, I have been able to find any clear such example.

As I did not notice anyone mention this, I shall throw a 1/2 cent into this:

How long did it take for Joseph of Arimathaea to go to Pilate, get permission, buy new linen, return, remove the body from the cross, transport the body, wrap the body, and *then* place the body in the tomb? (cf Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15:42-46, John 19:38)

Thus, Jesus was in all probability placed in the tomb very near to sunset.

 

[rstrats]

Richard_oti

re: "As I also am not a proponent of a sixth day crucifixion, I do not know of any examples."

No problem. Someone new looking in may know of examples.

 

[rstrats]

Since it's been awhile, perhaps someone new looking in might know of examples.

 

[Davy]

Some Churches have the timing wrong because they listen to wolves in sheep's clothing and men's traditions.

Per John 19:14, Jesus was crucified on the preparation day at evening, the 14th of Nisan just before the passover at sunset.

(The Hebrew reckoning of a day and night is what was then used, the 24 hour day reckoned from sunset to the following sunset).

Per Matt.27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54, and John 19:31 & 42, Jesus' body was laid in the sepulchre on the preparation day just before the start of the 15th of Nisan at sunset. The 15th was to be the first day of the passover feast, and was to be held as a High Sabbath per Lev.23:7.

And Jesus rose sometime Sunday morning (first day of the week) after the regular weekly sabbath (reg. sabbath reckoning from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset).

In Matt.12:40, Jesus said His body would be in the tomb for 3 days and 3 nights. The time of His resurrection MUST fit that, no exceptions.

For the proper time of His resurrection to be sometime on the first day of the week, the count backwards reveals our Lord Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday Nisan 14 the preparation day, His body laid in the tomb just before sunset and then at that sunset the 15th Nisan began Thursday the high sabbath of the passover (not the regular weekly sabbath).

1st night (sunset to morning) = began at sunset on 15th Nisan, Thursday, the first day of the passover feast, a High Sabbath
1st day (morning to sunset) = day of the 15th Nisan, Thursday, the passover feast, still a High Sabbath. Not able to finish burial.
2nd night (sunset to morning) = Friday Nisan 16th.
2nd day (morning to sunset) = Friday day.
3rd night (sunset to morning) = Saturday, weekly sabbath start, Nisan 17th.
3rd day (morning to sunset) = Saturday day, weekly sabbath.
(sunset) - 3 days and 3 nights completed at sunset. Sabbath ended. Sometime after sunset Saturday Jesus rose on the 1st day of the week, Sunday.

Per Matthew 28:1, when the sabbath had ended on the first day of the week (Sunday), the two Mary's came to the tomb and found it open.

 

[rstrats]

Davy,

Since you're not 6th day of the week crucifixion advocate, you probably won't know of any examples.

 

[Davy]

Davy,

Since you're not 6th day of the week crucifixion advocate, you probably won't know of any examples.

You're right, since the 6th day crucifixion idea is nonsense.

All the Gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on the preparation day, which is the day before the passover feast per Leviticus 23. John 19 also shows they rushed to bury His body before sunset because at sunset Nisan 15th was to be a high day, meaning a High Sabbath, not the regular weekly sabbath. So if Friday was the preparation day Nisan 14 when Jesus was crucified, here's how it misses the 3 days and 3 nights requirement:

Friday - preparation day Nisan 14, Jesus crucified at evening just before sunset (actually He died at evening just before sunset, evening being the time requirement of Lev.23 for the passover sacrifice).
1st night - Friday sunset, Saturday starts, High Sabbath and also weekly sabbath, Nisan 15, first day of passover feast.
1st day - Saturday, still High Sabbath, Nisan 15.
2nd night - Saturday sunset, begins Sunday, first day of the week. Jesus rose sometime on the first day of the week, as both Mary's visited the tomb while it was still dark on the first day of the week (Sunday).
End.

3 days and 3 nights requirement not met, showing the Friday crucifixion tradition is in error.

 

[FHII]

I am amazed I never contributed to this thread because I have a different perspective about it.

I believe Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and ressurected on Saturday.

If we are going to discuss and consider 3 days and 3 nights (and assume it is true to the words) then a Thursday crucifixion/ Sunday morning doesn't work either. That would be 3 nights and 2 days. If you say a part of a day is equal to a whole day, fine... Then it was 4 days and 3 nights.

A Wednesday burial and Saturday ressurrection, however, works down to the hour and even possibly to the minute. Furthermore there are a few minute details that people often miss that can only lead to a Wednesday crucifixion.

The first road block is when he rose. Was it actually Sunday (being 6 pm on what we call Saturay and 24 hours from that). All 4 accounts state that when they aporoached the tomb, Jesus was already risen. Mark 16 says it was at the rising of the Sun. Luke 24 says it was very early in the morning. John 20 says it was yet dark. Matt 28 says they came IN the end of the Sabbath. Not after the Sabbath, but at the end of it as it began to dawn toward the new day.

"To dawn" doesn't mean "dawn" as in sunrise. It means to approach. All 4 gospels have one thing iin common: he was already risen when they came. I believe they came to the tomb right around 5:50 PM on Saturday... IN the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward Sunday (which starts at 6 PM). But even if it was at Sunrise, the fact remains he was already gone.

If Jesus rose between 3 and 6 PM on Saturday, exactly 72 hours earlier would be 3-6 PM on Wednesday. You cannot be that precise with a Friday or Thursday crucifixion.

I will now put forth 4 points to consider:

1. A Thursday or Friday crucifixion leaves a day or two days with no recorded activity. What happened on Monday and Tuesday? These days apoear to be empty, but not so if he was crucified on Wednesday.

2. Daniel 9:27 claims the messaiah would be cut off in the midst of the week. Daniel and his prophecies are tricky and there is much debate, but... Wednesday is the exact midst of the week.

3. Matt 27:62-66 says soldiers were set at watch. When? Would there be a need to watch the tomb during the Sabbath or the high Sabbath? The Pharisees asked for it. When? During the Sabbath?

It stands to reason they would not need to guard the tomb during the Sabbath and the Pharisees woud not have broken the law by asking. Thursday was the high Sabbath. Saturday was the regular Sabbath. The Pharisees asked on Friday and the tomb was guarded on Friday.

4. Mark 16:1 says the women bought spices after "the sabbath". Luke 23:56 says they prepared the spices and then rested on the sabbath.

I hope you caught that... They bought them after a sabbath and prepared them before a sabbath. If there was only one sabvath (Saturday) that is impossible. If there were two sabbaths back to back its still impossible because there is no time. But IF Thursday was one sabbath and Saturday the other, there is time to buy spices and prepare them. They bought and prepared them after the high Sabbath and before the weekly sabbath.

 

[rstrats]

Davy,
re: "You're right, since the 6th day crucifixion idea is nonsense."

I agree that it doesn't fit with the Messiah's prophesy. But I think that the majority of folks think that it did take place on the 6th day of the week. It is to them that the topic is really directed.

 

[Davy]

Davy,
re: "You're right, since the 6th day crucifixion idea is nonsense."

I agree that it doesn't fit with the Messiah's prophesy. But I think that the majority of folks think that it did take place on the 6th day of the week. It is to them that the topic is really directed.

I understand, but brethren I think would appreciate the events of our Lord's death and resurrection even the more if they understood that there is a Christian Passover, and that Jesus is our Passover Lamb sacrificed for us, like Apostle Paul said.

 

[rstrats]

Davy,
re: I understand, but brethren I think would appreciate the events of our Lord's death and resurrection even the more if they understood that there is a Christian Passover, and that Jesus is our Passover Lamb sacrificed for us, like Apostle Paul said."


Perhaps. Maybe you could start a new topic on that.

 

[Davy]

Davy,
re: I understand, but brethren I think would appreciate the events of our Lord's death and resurrection even the more if they understood that there is a Christian Passover, and that Jesus is our Passover Lamb sacrificed for us, like Apostle Paul said."


Perhaps. Maybe you could start a new topic on that.

That would create a stir, for sure.

 

[BreadOfLife]

Not sure why this topic gets dragged out of mothballs every Lenten season.
It shows a complete lack of faith in the Word of God.

For starters, the Jews reckoned any PART of a day as a WHOLE day. Furthermore - they counted a Day as being from sundown on the previous day to sundown on the next day. We see this in the OT, when Esther told the people to pray for 3 days and 3 nights before she was to address the King. She went to see the kin ON the 3rd day.

Jesus was buried BEFORE sunset on Friday = 1st Day (Friday)
He spent all say Saturday in the Tomb - 2nd Day (Saturday)
He rose on Sunday morning - 3rd Day (Sunday)

The Bible is CLEAR that He rose on the FIRST day of the week - SUNDAY (Matt. 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1).

Case CLOSED.

 

[rstrats]

BreadOfLife,
re: "Not sure why this topic gets dragged out of mothballs every Lenten season."

Actually the issue of this particular topic continues all year around.




re: "It shows a complete lack of faith in the Word of God."

How so?




re: "...the Jews reckoned any PART of a day as a WHOLE day."

Agree, as stated previously.





re: "Furthermore - they counted a Day as being from sundown on the previous day to sundown on the next day."

What is your point?




re: "We see this in the OT, when Esther told the people to pray for 3 days and 3 nights before she was to address the King. She went to see the kin ON the 3rd day."

Again, what is your point?





re: "Jesus was buried BEFORE sunset on Friday = 1st Day (Friday) He spent all say Saturday in the Tomb - 2nd Day (Saturday) He rose on Sunday morning - 3rd Day (Sunday)"

How do you account for the lack of a 3rd night?





re: "The Bible is CLEAR that He rose on the FIRST day of the week - SUNDAY (Matt. 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1)."

Those verses do not say when the resurrection actually took place. They only say that the tomb was empty when the women arrived. They don't say when it became empty.

 

[Jay Ross]

Hello

Perhaps we need to look at the event leading up to the Thursday when Christ was crucified and one little passage which sets the time for all of the events that sequentially unfolded from the time of this one event. The passage is John 12:1-3: -

John 12:1-3: - 12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Jesus on the Friday afternoon was walking up from Jericho towards Bethany and it would seem that he arrived just on or around the time of the sun setting, i.e. at the beginning of the Sabbath Day. This then means that the Passover Feast was on the Friday, counting forward six days.

From the accounts, we can deduce that Jesus' triumphant journey to the temple occurred in the evening during the twilight time of the first day of the week, after the sun had set at the close of the Sabbath Day. Jesus rode the ass to the Temple, entered, and then went back to Bethany because the light was failing fast.

We can argue about the length of time that Jesus was "dead" in the grave, but the scriptures clearly indicate that Jesus died on the cross around 3:00 pm on the Thursday afternoon with enough time to place Him in the refurbished tomb before the sun set which heralded the start of the Passover feast that night, after the day of preparation. The scriptures also clearly states that on the morning of the first day of the week, that the stone sealing the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away and that the tomb of empty except for the burial clothes.

I think that scripture provides the evidence on how long Jesus was dead and in the grave. Any discussion on our part as to precisely how long it was and as to whether the prophecies concerning the length of time Jesus was in the Grave were precisely fulfilled is pure ignorance on our part and our willingness to argue over such a trivial matter.

Shalom

 

[BreadOfLife]

re: "It shows a complete lack of faith in the Word of God."
How so?

Because the Bible says that Jesus rose on Sunday - not any other day.

re: "Furthermore - they counted a Day as being from sundown on the previous day to sundown on the next day."
What is your point?

Because some of you are saying that there HAD to be 3 days and 3 nights, which shows a complete ignorance of Jewish culture AND Scripture.

re: "It shows a complete lack of faith in the Word of God."
How so?

Because the Bible says that Jesus rose on Sunday - not any other day.

re: "We see this in the OT, when Esther told the people to pray for 3 days and 3 nights before she was to address the King. She went to see the kin ON the 3rd day."
Again, what is your point?

If you don't know - then you're not paying attention to the conversation . . .

re: "Jesus was buried BEFORE sunset on Friday = 1st Day (Friday) He spent all say Saturday in the Tomb - 2nd Day (Saturday) He rose on Sunday morning - 3rd Day (Sunday)"
How do you account for the lack of a 3rd night?

There didn't need to be a third night.

I gave you the OT example of Esther who told the people to pray for 3 DAYS and 3 NIGHTS.
They didn't pray for 3 nights - but their mission was fulfilled.

re: "The Bible is CLEAR that He rose on the FIRST day of the week - SUNDAY (Matt. 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1)."
Those verses do not say when the resurrection actually took place. They only say that the tomb was empty when the women arrived. They don't say when it became empty.

The stone was rolled back on Sunday and not before.
There was a Roman guard post - remember??

You're making things up that just aren't there . . .

 

[FHII]

I gave you the OT example of Esther who told the people to pray for 3 DAYS and 3 NIGHTS.
They didn't pray for 3 nights - but their mission was fulfilled.

Totally wrong. They were told to fast 3 days. Night amd day. Not to pray. Ester and here handmaidens did the same.

On the 3rd day she went to the king. But she didn't say she would go after the fast:

Esther 4:16 KJV
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.

Second... There are many different styles of fasting. But they all have a prescribed time. A full day fast is from sunrise to dark. Other sources say its until the first stars appear. On source pinned it down to 25 hours. In whichever case, this fast was 3 full days and nights. Ester gping to the king had nothing to do with the length of the fast.

That IS Jewish custom and I challenge you to show me anywhere that a full day fast was fulfilled by a partial day counting. Using your line of thinking, a Jew could bwgin a fast on Monday at 5 pm and end his "3 day and night" fast on Tuesday at 7 pm.... I don't think thats going to fly!

"3 days and 3 nights" is not a Jewish idiom either. Calling it one doesn't make it one. I looked at 3 websites on Jewish idioms and its never mentioned.

Don't take my word for it... Look at this web site:

http://m.tzion.org/site/articles/threedays.html

"

1. It is claimed that the reference in Matthew 12:40 is an idiom in attempt to explain away the three days and nights. However, phrases which include the words "and night(s)" are not considered to be idioms. (see "The Companion Bible", App. note #s 144 & 156 on Matthew 12:40) Therefore using the phrase, "days and nights" removes the phrase from the realm of idioms and causes the understanding to become three literal twenty four hour periods of time."