three days and three nights

Participant

Quote (OneoftheLordsGenerals @ Mar. 16 2006,18:38)

I have not allowed emotion to control, nor have i been ingrained to believe such. I don't care what day it was, i am happy that it happened. In Matthew 12:40 I see what you are saying, although in Matthew 16:21 it says on the third day. So does that mean that there is a contradiction in the Word of God or are these statements the same somehow.
I am glad that there is agreement with each other with the three days and nights and agreemnet on the third day. But there are more important matters of the Body of Christ than to be in agreement with each other on smaller less trivial things. In Mark and John Jesus speaks of destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days.
The point is there are souls out there who don't know about salvation, yet here we sit in discussion about little trivial things. Doctrine that has nothing to due with our salvation. For that reason I am praticing what i preach. I am leaving this forum and letting it not be a distraction from those out there who are losing the fight that God has helped me win. I will post my leaving on a main site for all to see. Good bye to all.

I agree the point is he died for our sins and arose again. In the long run whether it was Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday it won't make a difference to your salvation. However, to say we shouldn't discuss this topic as it is trivial, I would disagree. As I understand it the point of this forum is to try to obtain what is the truth. This is an excellent example of something accepted by the vast majority that appears to be incorrect. I believe it is these inconsistencies in what we say compared to what the scriptures say that create stumbling blocks for those that read one thing and hear another.

An important question to ask is are we seeking for truth or defending our position on a topic? I have come to believe it was Wednesday since it harmonizes with all of scripture.

"Destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days". Since he would have died at the end of Wednesday, Thursday would have been the first day, Friday the second day, and He would have risen at the end of Saturday that would have been the third day.

"Luke 13 says he would reach his goal THE THIRD DAY". This scripture has nothing to do with the death and Resurrection but with His traveling to Jerusalem (as I understand it).

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. The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was an Holy Convocation or High Sabbath and is always on the 15th of Nisan, meaning it was on different days of the week from year to year. (see Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:3-7; Numbers 28:17). On the year Christ was crucified the 15th of Nisan fell on a Thursday so it was the High Sabbath.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(matt. 12:40). What did Jesus mean when He said 3 days and 3 nights if he didn't mean just that.

If we're reasoning together to arrive at the truth then as I see it if you want to maintain a Friday for the death of Jesus then we need to have a different explanation for Matt. 12:40

NOTE: Thursday is also a possibility if 15th of Nisan was on a Friday

March 21, 2006 at 4:30 am#11931

kenrch

Participant

Quote (OneoftheLordsGenerals @ Mar. 16 2006,18:38)

Why were you lied to. The truth is the truth. Do you believe that bunny rabbits lay eggs? Do you enjoy being deceived?

The question isn't IF Jesus was resurrected! Every christian knows that or they wouldn't be christians. Why were we deceived? Why would they go "out the way" to teach such a blatant lie other than the fact that Easter is a pagan day of worship.

You can't get away from it the truth stands.

March 25, 2006 at 9:16 pm#12012

Participant

OK, let's follow the BIBLE here…..(YOU look up the verses, I'll just plunk them out there at you!)
1. Christ made his last entry into Jerusalem on Sunday (what we call Palm Sunday).
2. “After two days was the Passover.” Add two days to Sunday and you get Wednesday, the day on which Christ was crucified.
3. The day after the crucifixion was a SPECIAL Sabbath, not the regular weekly Sabbath. (First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.)
4. The women bought/prepared spices (an all day job)…had to have done this on Friday (only “business day available).
5. Saturday was the regular Weekly Sabbath.
6. Christ was resurrected before sunrise on Sunday Morning.

Matthew 12:39-40 requires, in the Hebrew, three nights and three day period spent in the tomb. ONLY way you can get this is to start with a WEDNESDAY crucifixion, place him in the tomb just before sunset, he spends three nights/days in the tomb, and is resurrected before the next night-time period expires. Fits perfectly, no problem. John 8:31, in the Greek, requires three full days (24 hour period) in the tomb, and once again, the only way you can get this is to start on Wednesday afternoon.

Or, for those who are “research challenged:”
http://www.bible-truth.org/WhatDayDidChristDie.html
http://www.ucg.org/booklets/JC/dieandlive_crucified.htm

March 26, 2006 at 5:38 pm#12023

sandra

Participant

My questions,both related to three days? My first question, Jesus preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, as did Paul, thus making the Sabbath Day, Saturday, would it not? Or did the Lord change the Sabbath Day, even though that is one of the ten commandments? The other question, Jesus in one gospel Luke 23:43 , says, “today, shalt thou be with me in paradise” Matt:27;44, says, “the thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth”, in other words they attacked Jesus. Mark:15;27, John: 19;18, mention the thieves. My question, how could it be true that Jesus would say to the thief, this day? when He wouldn't have been there himself? And further, these gospels contradict one another do they not?

March 26, 2006 at 7:44 pm#12025

Participant

Quote (sandra @ Mar. 26 2006,17:38)

the weekly Sabbath Day is Saturday, what many do not understand is that there are a few other Sabbaths in the course of a year. One of these is the First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and it floats around being on a different day every year. In the year Christ was crucified it fell on a Thursday.

I believe that prior to Christs resurrection all those who died having faith in God were held in paradise, When he died He went and set the prisoners free. Both the thieves and Jesus died on Wednesday prior to sundown so they were both in paradise that day.

Scripture never contradicts itself, if it appears that way then we are misinterpreting it. The thieves were dieing and at first they both probably went along with the crowd but as they grew closer to death I'm sure they were reflecting on what was coming and at least one of them put his faith in the Christ. This is speculation but it gives an example of one way it could have happened.

March 26, 2006 at 10:15 pm#12028

sandra

Participant

Speaking Truth, Thank You for your responses. Matthew 27:44 does appear to contradict, Luke: 23;43, wouldn't you agree? I know you say scripture does not contradict itself, so explain? What you are saying that one of the thieves ends up repenting towards the end when at first he was reviling the Lord?

March 26, 2006 at 10:49 pm#12029

Participant

There's another thread on this here.

I'm with Friday :cool:

March 26, 2006 at 10:58 pm#12031

Participant

Quote (sandra @ Mar. 26 2006,22:15)

It's one possibility

March 26, 2006 at 11:22 pm#12034

Participant

Quote (Sammo @ Mar. 26 2006,22:49)

There's another thread on this here.

I'm with Friday :cool:

Hey Sammo
Could you explain then what Jesus meant when He said 3 days and 3 nights if he didn't mean just that?

March 26, 2006 at 11:33 pm#12035

Participant

I go into that in the thread – basically the Jews counted inclusively, so Friday, Saturday, Sunday would have been described as 3 days.

I didn't dream that up for myself – you can look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting. It's fairly well established I think.

It's likely that the phrase “three days and three nights” is just an emphatic way of saying “three days” – so it's not talking about literal periods of light and darkness. I think I mention that in the thread too.

March 27, 2006 at 12:26 am#12037

Participant

Quote (Sammo @ Mar. 26 2006,23:33)

I go into that in the thread – basically the Jews counted inclusively, so Friday, Saturday, Sunday would have been described as 3 days.

I didn't dream that up for myself – you can look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting. It's fairly well established I think.

Sorry Sammo,
I cannot agree with changing or ignoring the words of Jesus.

Mat 12:40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three DAYS and three NIGHTS in the heart of the earth.

I'm open to discussing the topic, I used to believe it was on Friday also, but if you look at all the scripture together (without changing it) it leaves only one possibility.

March 27, 2006 at 1:07 am#12038

Participant

Hi seekingtruth

If it's a matter of a figure of speech, as I'm suggesting, then this has nothing to do with changing or ignoring the words of Jesus.

I've got some notes on this at home, will dig them up tonight. (On a scale of big issues to little issues, this one's little.)

God bless
Sam

March 27, 2006 at 10:04 am#12045

Participant

Quote (Sammo @ Mar. 27 2006,01:07)

Hi seekingtruth

If it's a matter of a figure of speech, as I'm suggesting, then this has nothing to do with changing or ignoring the words of Jesus.

I've got some notes on this at home, will dig them up tonight. (On a scale of big issues to little issues, this one's little.)

God bless
Sam

I agree the day he died is a small thing but I'm concerned for you. Jesus was always very careful with His words and I cannot begin to believe that He would even use a “figure of speech”, that would misrepresent the truth. Especially with it being so specific on 3 nights. The Bible admonishes us to be careful of every word we speak.

March 27, 2006 at 11:15 am#12047

Ramblinrose

Participant

Sandra

Luke 23:43 (NASB) says, “And he said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise’”, indicating that Jesus will be with the malefactor in Paradise later that same day. But if the comma is moved to the other side of “today,” an entirely different emphasis results: “Truly I say to you today, you shall (in the future) be with me in Paradise.”

Hope that helps.

March 27, 2006 at 6:03 pm#12051

Participant

Quote (Sammo @ Mar. 27 2006,06:33)

I go into that in the thread – basically the Jews counted inclusively, so Friday, Saturday, Sunday would have been described as 3 days.

I didn't dream that up for myself – you can look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting. It's fairly well established I think.

SAMMO…..Sorry to interrupt, but you have one small problem here. Matthew 12:39-40 is given in the Hebrew inclusive of “days/niths,” which actually should be “nights/days,” but we won't quibble about that. The point is, the Hebrew specific prophecy, which relates back to jonah, ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES three full NIGHTS, and three full DAYTIME periods to be spent in the tomb. Do a little research…the facts given in the N.T. lead straight to WEDNESDAY, not Friday.
I gave a couple references earlier….check them out, and go from there.

From a secular point of view, Josephus recorded the earthquake that hit on the day of crucifixion, and that has been traced to AD 31…..and guess what, in AD 31, Passover was on a Wednesday (amazing ain't it)! Also, the U.S.Naval Observatory has researched the AD 31 issue, and there was an eclipse that day, and, guess what…AD 31 is the ONLY YEAR (for several years in either direction) where Passover fell on Wednesday. Biblically or by secular confirmation, Wednesday was the day of crucifixion, as more and more churches are coming to admit.

In addition to the references I gave earlier in this thread, you might want to also check out the following:
http://www.baptistpillar.com/bd0492.htm
http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/3days3nights.html

Please keep in mind that the “Sabbath” that followed the day after crucifixion WAS NOT the “regular weekly Sabbath,” it was a SPECIAL/HIGH SABBATH, as always follows Passover, the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread: See John 19:31.

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.” Leviticus 23:5-8

The above text confirms that the first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread are annual Sabbaths, to be observed as a day of rest in addition to the weekly Sabbaths. These days would occur on the 15th and 21st of Abib/Nisan. The Passover meal was an important religious observance in which to remember that the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their houses kept them alive when the angel of death passed by, and that God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. The Passover is a perpetual observance to celebrate pasing from death to life. These ancient events foretold the blood of Jesus being spilled for our sins, and our passage from death to eternal life, by the everlasting covenant of the blood of Jesus. They also foretold that Jesus would die exactly on the 14th of Abib/Nisan and that the day following was an annual Sabbath.

What follows is a close examination of the biblical record, in which Jesus was killed on the 14th of Nisan in the afternoon, and the next day was the annual Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We shall also see from the biblical record that this annual Sabbath did not fall on the weekly Sabbath, in the year that Jesus died.

March 27, 2006 at 6:08 pm#12052

Participant

QUOTE FROM ABOVE: “Luke 23:43 (NASB) says, “And he said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise’”, indicating that Jesus will be with the malefactor in Paradise later that same day. But if the comma is moved to the other side of “today,” an entirely different emphasis results: “Truly I say to you today, you shall (in the future) be with me in Paradise.” END QUOTE.

Where does the “,” go here? There was no punctuation in the text originally (punctuation being invented in, what, the 13th-16th century?). The verse may well mean that Christ simply told the thief that he would end up in paradise. [WHERE you place the “comma” makes a big, big, difference!] Consider:
I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.
Completely different meanings, all due to that little “comma,” which didn't even exist in the text until somewhere around the 13-16th centuries.

March 27, 2006 at 8:11 pm#12055

Participant

Quote (seekingtruth @ Mar. 27 2006,10:04)

But the Bible is full of figures of speech? I really don't see what the problem is – it's hardly a revelation that not every word in the Bible is to be understood literally

As it happens I forgot all about this last night – sorry – can't really take any further part until I dig them up tonight. I'm quite happy to be wrong on this, but I remember being convinced at the time.

March 27, 2006 at 8:46 pm#12057