The Lord said, "three days and three nights..."
He did not say, "three days and two nights..."
Neither did He say "two days and two nights..."
Three days and three nights would require at least a
'day - night - day - night - day - night' sequence.
A Study on the Declaration of the
“Three Days and Three Nights”
in the Death and Resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
a. Christ declared, "For as Jonas was
three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Mt 12:40.
- "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must… suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again
the third day." Mt 16:21,
- What period of time is needed to best accommodate the
‘three days and three nights’ period repeatedly mentioned by Christ, and believed by both His enemies, as well as His own disciples?
- Please note a SIMPLE and PLAIN fact, Christ repeatedly used the specific phrase, 'three days and three nights' and not the more general term ‘three days’. The latter could possibly mean part of day 1, the whole of day 2, and part of day 3 – thus squeezing out at the most 3 ‘days’ and two nights… which would contradict Christ's statement and make him a LIAR.
b. Does the phrase mean 3 complete 12hr days and 3 complete 12hr nights, as some would insist? Or is the phrase to be understood in its daily common usage? The former would be too technical, and can hardly fit the facts surrounding the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the latter, then it must meet the phrase
‘three days and three nights’ in a reasonable common sense manner and still fit all the facts of the account.
A. Consider some of the fixed factors and known facts:
1. The biblical and Jewish way of reckoning 24hr day.
a. Genesis 1:5 "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." Please note that it says, 'And the EVENING (the beginning of the 12hr night, 6pm - 6am) and the MORNING (the beginning of 12 hr daylight, 6am -6pm) were the first day.'
- Adam was made towards the end of the 6th day, before the 7th evening began. Adam's first 24hr day on earth was an evening (6pm-6am) and a morning (6am-6pm) of the 7th day, the last day of the week, the weekly sabbath of the physical creation (Adam began his life with a day of rest; his first day of existence was a Sabbath!)
- The biblical and Jewish manner of reckoning a 24hr day is from evening 6pm to the next evening 6pm, a 12hr night, and a 12hr day. For example, the seventh day begins on the sixth day evening at 6pm and ends on the seventh day evening 6pm, 'and the evening [6pm-6am] and the morning [6am-6pm] were the seventh day.'
- The modern manner of reckoning a 24hr day is from midnight to midnight. For example, Saturday begins from 12 midnight on Friday to 12 midnight on Saturday - with the clumsy and unbiblical idea of two 6hr nights (12midnight-6am and 6pm -12midnight) and one 12hr day (6am-6pm).
- Modern manner of reckoning one 24hr day is: 6hr night + 12hr day + 6hr night = One 24hr day.
2. Passover fell on Nisan 14
a. In the year Christ was crucified, 31AD, the Passover day stretched from our Wednesday evening 6pm to Thursday evening 6pm. Christ ate the Passover meal with His disciple in the early hours of Nisan 14, Wednesday evening after 6pm.
- Later in the night Christ was betrayed and later arrested at the garden of Gethsemane. Early Thursday morning, the Sanhedrin had begun the whole process of condemning and crucifying Christ, Mt 27:1.
- Christ was hurriedly condemned and crucified at the 15th hours of Nisan 14, i.e Thursday 9am, Mk 15:25. The reason for the haste is that the next day, Friday, was the Preparation Day, the annual sabbath day (mistaken by many as the usual weekly Saturday Sabbath!), being the first day of the 7-Day Feast of Unleavened Bread - Lev 23:5-7, Mr 15:42, Lu 23:54, Jn 19:14, Jn 19:31.)
- Thursday 6am-6pm was the day when 'these things were done,' Lk 24:21. Friday was the first day, Saturday was the second day, and Sunday morning was the third day
SINCE these things were done!
b. There was utter darkness in the land from 12noon to 3pm on Thursday when Christ was already crucified on the cross, Lk 23:44. At about 3pm, the precise time the evening sacrifice was being killed for sacrifice, Jesus yielded up His spirit. Shortly after 3pm Joseph of Arimathea came to claim the body of Christ, and Christ was given a simple and hasty 'burial' before 6pm - John 19:40-42.
- Circumstances permitted that - there was a new tomb nearby. The reason for the haste was that Thur. 6pm to Fri. 6pm was Preparation Day, the annual 'high day' sabbath, the day following the Passover. Jn 19:31.
3. The women bought and prepared the spices for the burial
a. Luke 23:56 'And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid. And they returned [from the burial], and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.'
- Joseph BOUGHT fine linen for Jesus’ burial. Because of haste, there was no time to do the proper embalming for burial.
- These women [bought and] prepared spices and ointments after they had returned from the hasty burial on Thursday evening, before the beginning of the Preparation Day, the annual 'high day' sabbath, stretching from Thu 6pm – Fri 6pm.
The 'sabbath day' spoken of here is the annual 'high day' sabbath following the Passover, and not the weekly Saturday sabbath, which is the day following the Preparation Day - read Mark 15:42, "And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath." These women observed the annual sabbath of the Preparation Day - the first day of the 7-Day Feast of Unleavened Bread.
b. Mark 16:1-2 'And when the sabbath (singular) was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome,
had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week [literally 'the first of the sabbaths (plural)], they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.'
- The sabbath in verse 1 is the sabbath before the first night/day of the week, the regular weekly sabbath from Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm. They had bought [past perfect, an action preceding another past action] sweet spices after the 'burial' on late Thursday afternoon. Immediately after was the Preparation Day, followed by the weekly sabbath (Friday 6pm-Saturday 6pm).
- Therefore these women waited for the morning of the first of the sabbaths, beginning at Sunday 6am morning, the first 12hr 'day' (Sunday 6am-6pm). The morning of the first sabbaths (Sunday 6am-6pm) was preceded by the evening (Sat 6pm-Sunday 6am) of the first sabbaths. These women were all prepared and ready before they went to sleep in the evening of the first sabbaths, They arose and went to the tomb early Sunday morning, the first sabbath day of the new covenant ushered in by the resurrection of Christ.
4. Passover was followed by the Preparation Day, an Annual Sabbath
a. John 19:31 'The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”
b. Mt 27:62 "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate." And the day that followed the day of the Preparation is the weekly sabbath day. These religious leaders had known that according to Jesus' claim, He would rise in the period between Saturday 6pm - Sun 6am, so they posted elite soldiers to guard the tomb THAT night!
c. Mr 15:42 "And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath," When the evening 6pm was come, the Passover Day is over, and the Preparation Day began. And this Preparation Day was the day before the weekly sabbath day. So we have the sequence of THREE DAYS –
the Passover Day, the Preparation Day (the annual Sabbath), and the weekly Sabbath day.
d. Lu 23:54 "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment."
- The day following the burial on Thu (before 6pm) was the Preparation Day, beginning at Thu 6pm. So as the evening was approaching 6pm, the annual sabbath of the Preparation Day was drawing nigh.
e. Jn 19:31,42 "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day, [the annual Sabbath day]) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away...There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."
- The Preparation Day, the day following the Passover, was drawing nigh, and the bodies should not remain upon the cross. Therefore the haste. And 'by chance' there was a brand new tomb close by, all ready for Christ. The day after the Preparation Day was the weekly sabbath day. See next point.
5. Read carefully the reason for the hasty Entombment
a. Mark 15:42 'And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,'
THREE separate days are mentioned here. 'The even was come' speaking of the ending of the Passover Day, and the beginning of the next day, Nisan 15 which begins at Thu 6pm. This was the 'Preparation Day,' the day before the regular weekly Sabbath Day.
- The Preparation Day before the weekly sabbath mentioned here is the ANNUAL sabbath, the day after the annual Passover, i.e. the first Holy Day of the 7-day Feast of the Unleavened Bread. The Passover was followed by the 7-day Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Preparation Day being the first. Lev 23:5-7.
 |
| Pick your choice and live with the implications | | | |
|
6. Daylight in Israel in April
Those who believe that Christ rose around Saturday 6pm may wish to know that in Israel, the sun sets around 7pm and later in early April.
And the sun rises around 6.30am in early April.
The "night" of the first day of the week begins at Saturday 6pm.
The "day" of the first day of the week begins at Sunday 6am
Christ rose on the "day" of the first day, shortly after Sunday 6am, THAT IS, the first "day" of the first night/day day of the week.
7. What the Chief priests and the Pharisees understood
Consider this:
Mt 27:62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Let's assume that the chief priests and Pharisees do understand words about days and nights.
The chiefs priests and Pharisees UNDERSTOOD Christ as claiming He will rise DURING the Saturday night. They DID NOT believe his claim; they just wanted to pre-empt a hoax and prove Jesus a liar! Thus, they wanted a watch set for the whole of the Saturday night, "lest his disciples come by night."
Therefore, they made "the sepulchre SURE UNTIL THE THIRD DAY" = right up until Sunday morning.
When did the resurrection occur - during which watch did it occur? Many say it happened EVEN before the first watch practically had begun - i.e. around 6pm. In April, the sun sets at 7pm and after in Israel!!! Also, the sun rises around 6.30 and later in April.
I believe it is right at the end of the fourth watch, while the tomb was still guarded by the Roman soldiers!
Mt 28: 11 ¶ Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
This gives a very good indication that the resurrection took place at Sunday dawn. The watchers who had witnessed the resurrection went into the city to report what happened.
It is well-nigh impossible that the resurrection to take place on early Saturday evening, and then the soldiers came to report the resurrection to the chief priests more than 12hrs later on Sunday morning, the same time the women went into town to tell the disciples about the resurrection!
B. Some conclusions
1. The events can be summarized as below:
a.
Nisan 14 evening (Wednesday beginning 6pm... ) Passover ‘evening’ (6pm-6am)
- Passover meal with the disciples. Betrayed and arrested at night.
-
Nisan 14 morning (Thursday 6am-6pm) Passover morning
- Trial and condemnation and crucifixion began in the early morning, 6am to 9am. (Mt 21:7)
- Christ was crucified at 9am
- There was great darkness over all the land between 12noon - 3pm (Mark 15:33).
- Christ yielded up His spirit at about 3pm [the hour of the afternoon sacrifice].
- Christ was speedily taken down from the cross and hastily entombed nearby just before 6pm
- This is the first DAY of the 3d3n. [This was the day these things were done' Lk 24:21]
b.
Nisan 15 evening and morning (Thursday 6pm - Friday 6pm. The Preparation Day)
- in the tomb: first NIGHT and second DAY of the 3d3n.
c.
Nisan 16 evening and morning (Friday 6 pm... Saturday 6pm, the weekly Sabbath day)
- in the tomb: second NIGHT and third DAY of the 3d3n
- Mt 27:62 "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.64 Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."
- Sometimes during the day of Sat 6am -Sat 6pm, these enemies of Christ secured the permission to have the tomb made secured and guarded for the Saturday 6pm-Sunday 6am period.
- This action gave plain evidence of their understanding of Christ's words of 'three days and three nights' and taking them very seriously. Their action also gave evidence that if there was any truth in Christ's claim, He would rise in the night of Sat 6pm -Sun 6am... therefore the tomb was to be made sure UNTIL the
third - third - third day since 'these things were done’, i.e.
- They knew that the night (Sat 6pm-Sun 6am) after the third ‘12hr day’ was the watershed, where their war would be won or lost! They knew Christ would not rise any earlier than Sunday at 6am or any later without breaking His own words. Three days and three nights END by Sunday 6am.
e.
Nisan 17 evening (Saturday 6pm - the end of the weekly sabbath)
- This is the beginning of the evening of the first of the new covenant sabbaths. The tomb was sealed and guarded, made as secured as the enemies knew how in order to discredit Christ.
- Christ was in the tomb from Saturday 6pm to just BEFORE Sunday 6am: therefore the third NIGHT of the 3d3n. Christ rose 'after the sabbath was past, and WHEN it began to dawn toward the morning of the first of the sabbaths.'
- Towards the morning of the first of the sabbaths means the dawn on Sunday morning, after the third night of the 3d3n.
2. The statement 'To day is the third day since these things were done' was made on Sunday morning
a. 24:1 'Now
UPON THE FIRST DAY of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.'
- 24:7 'Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and
THE THIRD DAY rise again.
- 24:13 'And, behold, two of them went that
SAME DAY to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.'
- 24:21 'But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this,
TODAY IS THE THIRD DAY since these things were done.'
b. The evening/night (Sat 6pm-Sun 6am) of the first day of the week was already past.
The disciples were walking with the Lord later that same day, Sunday, long after the rising of the sun, and they explicitly stated that the first day of the week was the "third day SINCE these things were done." These logical words were uttered in Sunday daylight, requiring those things to have been done on Thursday afternoon.
3. A Credible Proposal Reckoning of the 3D3N (day followed by night)
a. Therefore working BACKWARD, we will have the following [work from bottom up may be easier!]
- Sun 6am - Sun 6pm:[the third day SINCE these things were done' Lk 24:21]
- Sat 6pm - Sun 6am:[the night the tomb was securely guarded]. Christ rose just after the end of the third night. Therefore it was the
THIRD NIGHT.
- Sat 6am - Sat 6pm:
THIRD DAY [the second day since these things were done' Lk 24:21]
- Fri 6pm - Sat 6am:
SECOND NIGHT
- Fri 6am - Fri 6pm:
SECOND DAY [the first day since these things were done' Lk 24:21]
- Thu 6pm - Fri 6am:
FIRST NIGHT
- Thu 6am - Thu 6pm:
FIRST DAY [THE DAY CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED AT 9AM, 'YIELDED UP THE GHOST' AT 3PM. ENTOMBED BEFORE 6PM. PERHAPS ALL THAT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST DAY. [This was the day these things were done' Lk 24:21]
b. Some may object that the day Christ was crucified MUST NOT be counted as the FIRST DAY of Christ's 3D3N. However, with the above reckoning, there are three DAYS and three NIGHTS, just as Christ has repeated, with the relevant facts of Scriptures accounted for. And Christ did rise on the THIRD DAY as He repeatedly insisted, and as understood and taken seriously by enemies and disciples alike.
Those who want to make 3 days and 3 nights as no less than 72 hrs, then let them do the reconciling. To me it is easier to take the few hrs day plus 2 12hr-day and 3 12hr-night as the most sensible common sense usage of 3 days and 3 nights. This is much less difficulty than reconciling the FOURTH day as the THIRD day.
c. "The third day since" trace us back to Thursday, not Wednesday. In my understanding, Thursday afternoon 3pm (time Christ died) to Sunday morning before sunrise - fit a common sense usage of 3 days and 3 nights. The difference between THIRD day and FOURTH day is a difference of one whole day. A 2 12hr-day plus a few hours and Christ's 3 12hr-day has a much less difference to reconcile with!
4. The Messy Alternatives Reckoning of the 3N3D (night followed by day).
Some believe that '3 days and 3 nights' requires that those things were done on Wednesday
- Wed 6am - 6pm: [This was the day these things were done' Lk 24:21]
- Wed 6pm - Thu 6am: FIRST NIGHT
- Thu 6am - Thu 6pm: FIRST DAY [the first day since these things were done' Lk 24:21]
- Thu 6pm - Fri 6am : SECOND NIGHT (alt 2 - first night)
- Fri 6am - Fri 6pm: SECOND DAY [the second day since these things were done' Lk 24:21]
- Fri 6pm - Sat 6am : THIRD NIGHT (alt 2 - second night)
- Sat 6am - Sat 6pm: THIRD DAY [Fri 6pm - Sat 6pm, the third day 'since these things were done.'
But these words were said in Sunday daylight, not on Saturday daylight.
- Sat 6pm - Sun 6am: FOURTH NIGHT (alt 2 - third night)
- Sun 6am - Sun 6pm: FOURTH DAY [the fourth day 'since these things were done.'] ??????
These four days are consecutive: Passover, annual high sabbath, weekly sabbath, the first day of the week. To make Christ's burial on Wednesday evening and His resurrection shortly after Sat 6pm, the proponents of this view need to INSERT an extra day between Passover and the annual high sabbath.
In the first alternative reckoning, Wednesday was the day those things were done. Then those words, ‘Today is the third day since these things were done’ would have to be said on Saturday!!! But those words were said on Sunday late morning. Sunday would be the ‘fourth day’ since those things were done. And since Christ rose at the dawn of Sunday... he would have been in the tomb 4 nights and 3 days! This objection is answered by the suggestion that Christ rose shortly after Saturday at 6pm. Still the words 'third day since...' cannot fit!
The traditional and popular of Christ’s entombment on Friday evening [‘good Friday’ alternative] and resurrection on Sunday early morning have insurmountable facts and evidence against it. It is a position of willful ignorance, going against plain facts… a position of popish tradition... too puerile as to deserve refutation.
5. The resurrection of Christ MARKED the end of the old covenant sabbaths, and the dawning of the new covenant sabbaths
a. Matthew 28:1-2 declares PLAINLY, "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it."
- Literally, they read: "In the end of the sabbaths (plural - sabbatoon), as it began to dawn towards the first of the sabbaths (plural - sabbatoon) - i.e., 'in the end of the old covenant sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the first of the new covenant sabbaths, inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ, the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. The Sun of Righteousness has risen.
b. 'Began to dawn toward the first of the sabbaths' is the beginning of the MORNING of the Sunday, the first of the sabbaths of the new covenant. The EVENING of the first day of the week started at 6pm the previous day.'
- The resurrection and the opening of the tomb marked the 'dawn toward the first of the sabbaths of the new covenant.' This happened on early Sunday morning. It took place on the first day (in contrast to 'evening') of the week, the Sunday! This plain and simple fact is beyond any doubt.
- The resurrection and opening of the tomb took place when the Jewish sabbath was passed, Mark 16:1-
2. It marked the end of the old covenant sabbaths!!! The opening of the tomb and the attending great earthquake marked the time of Christ's resurrection. Christ's death was accompanied by an earthquake, Mt 27:51. It is not surprising that His resurrection is marked by a great earthquake too. The earth trembled at His death, but the earth rejoices at His resurrection!
Let Christ be true and every man a liar who disagrees with His 'three days and three nights' statement about his death and resurrection.
