Three days, three nights...

[Nada]

Bible student,
Let's see what we can agree on.

We agree that the Jewish day begins at sundown (which is conveniently described as 6pm) and carries on round to the next sundown, 6pm.

This description of a 24 hour day does not, however, distinguish between what we call 'light' (day) and 'darkness' (night) As it says in Genesis, 'And the evening and the morning were the first day.' So the evening to the morning is NIGHT (12 hours), and the morning to the evening is DAY (12 hours).

The question is whether or not Jesus spent three days (or part of) and three nights (or part of) in the tomb. If he did, then I would say that he fulfilled the scripture and the sign of Jonah.

Passover Eve - Jesus is taken off the stake/wooden beam at just after 3pm. His body is then placed in the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea before 6pm. We will count this as DAY 1 ( a part of). He spends the first NIGHT in the tomb. As you say, this is now the Sabbath. Having spent Sabbath night in the tomb, he then spends the Sabbath DAY in the tomb up until 6pm. He then continues in the tomb into the first day of the week. This is NIGHT 2, which at 6am becomes DAY 3. It is still the first day of the week, up to 6pm.

At 6pm on the first day of the week, we begin NIGHT 3, which is when I believe Jesus was resurrected. This is because Jesus fulfils the law; the law relating to the wave offering made by the priest for the firstfruits of the harvest.

There is no indication anywhere in scripture that we should not take 'three days and nights' not to mean three days (or part of) and three nights (or part of).

It certainly makes no sense to me to accept the traditional view that Jesus was crucified on Friday but was resurrected by early morning on Sunday. At a stretch, you can get three days and two nights. But it is impossible to get three days and three nights.

I would say that you're on very shaky ground if you think you can claim other literal interpretations without accepting the sign of Jonah as one also.

I'm interested to know where you agree and disagree.

It is the same with Jonah and the three days and three nights.They are not literal.It refers to portions of a day.Once you understand how the Ancient Jews used their days and nights, it becomes easier to understand fully.Here is something to help you understand.

There are times when the Hebrews used ‘day and night’ to mean only a portion of a solar day of 24 hours. For example, 1 Kings 12:5, 12 tells of Rehoboam’s asking Jeroboam and the Israelites to “go away for three days” and then return to him. That he did not mean three full 24-hour days but, rather, a portion of each of three days is seen by the fact that the people came back to him “on the third day.” At Matthew 12:40 the same meaning is given to the “three days and three nights” of Jesus’ stay in Sheol. As the record shows, he was raised to life on “the third day.” The Jewish priests clearly understood this to be the meaning of Jesus’ words, since, in their effort to block his resurrection, they quoted Jesus as saying: “After three days I am to be raised up,” and then they requested Pilate to issue a command for “the grave to be made secure until the third day.”—Mt 27:62-66; 28:1-6; note other examples in Ge 42:17, 18; Es 4:16; 5:1.

Day — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Notice how the Pharisees describe it as three days.

Matthew 27:62-66. 62 The next day, which was after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together before Pilate, 63 saying: “Sir, we recall what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I am to be raised up.’ 64 Therefore, command that the grave be made secure until the third day, so that his disciples may not come and steal him and say to the people, ‘He was raised up from the dead!’ Then this last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them: “You may have a guard. Go make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the grave secure by sealing the stone and posting a guard.

It is just as described in 1 Kings 12:5 At this he said to them: “Go away for three days; then return to me.” So the people went away.

1 Kings 12:12 Jer·o·bo′am and all the people came to Re·ho·bo′am on the third day, just as the king had said: “Return to me on the third day.”

It is portions of a day,not three literal 24 hour day nights.

 

[Redemptionsong]

Hi Bible Student,
I recognise that portions of a day can constitute a day. That's not the point. You still have to account for three days and three nights, even if they are only portions of a day!

I am saying that you are missing ONE NIGHT. In your explanation, you don't have a portion of the third night accounted for! Or are you dismissing this third night altogether?

I would also like to hear at what time you think the resurrection took place.

 

[deeoracle]

Maybe all of this is just a story that means something else- so many confusing accounts

 

[Nada]

Hi Bible Student,
I recognise that portions of a day can constitute a day. That's not the point. You still have to account for three days and three nights, even if they are only portions of a day!

I am saying that you are missing ONE NIGHT. In your explanation, you don't have a portion of the third night accounted for! Or are you dismissing this third night altogether?

I would also like to hear at what time you think the resurrection took place.

You don't have to do anything.All you have to do is trust in God's Word.As I explained,our interpretation of what a day constitutes today is not the same as what was meant in ancient Jewish times.If you carefully study what the time portions mean it is easy to see

Nothing is missing.

I do not know what time the resurrection took place.It was before morning on Sunday for sure because the body was already gone when the two Mary's got to the tomb.

The important thing to consider here is that God's Word is valid and correct.Jesus was in the grave or tomb for 3 days as it was prophesied.It was paralleled with Jonah's account.It happened and it's like it says.

Now if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty of it,I would suggest you pray,read and study all the info I have given you about the time vales according to Jewish standards.I have tried to explain it to you but you seem to have some trouble understanding still.It's ok,it can break ones head, but eventually you will understand it.I studied it for quite some time before I finally got it

 

[roger1440]

I think Matthew’s Jesus wants he readers to focus more on Jonah’s prayer then the amount of time Jonah was in the belly of the fish or the amount of time Jesus was in the grave. That is the sign Jesus gave.

 

[Redemptionsong]

I don' think so. If you really believe God's word, you'll realise that God's words are not used casually.

Please read back over my posts with care. I am fully aware of what the Jewish understanding of a day is. What you appear to be missing is that it was not the morning of the Sunday that the women arrived at the tomb. It was the early morning of the second day, which was still the FIRST OF WEEKS.

Jesus must have been resurrected sometime during the night when the priest made a wave offering over the firstfruits. This was the second day of Passover, in the evening.

 

[Nada]

I don' think so. If you really believe God's word, you'll realise that God's words are not used casually.

Please read back over my posts with care. I am fully aware of what the Jewish understanding of a day is. What you appear to be missing is that it was not the morning of the Sunday that the women arrived at the tomb. It was the early morning of the second day, which was still the FIRST OF WEEKS.

Jesus must have been resurrected sometime during the night when the priest made a wave offering over the firstfruits. This was the second day of Passover, in the evening.

You are incorrect.The Sabbath began on Friday at 6pm.That is why Jesus had to be rushed into the tomb.No work could be done during the Sabbath.Not even preparing bodies to be buried.Once they got him in and it was done ,it then became the Sabbath at 6pm.So, from 6pm Friday until 6pm Saturday, was the Sabbath.It ended at 6pm Saturday,which would technically make it sunday now,according to Jewish time standards.After 6pm on Saturday is when the Pharisees obtained a guard from pilate to make sure no one would steal the body of Jesus.So in between the time from 6pm until around 6am was when Jesus was resurrected.It did not turn monday until 6 hours later,which would be 6pm.This can be verified by reading the scriptures.It says once the Sabbath was over, and the first light came, that's when the two Mary's went to the tomb to find the body missing.This was sunday morning come first light.From the time of Jesus being put into the tomb on Friday at around 6pm until Sunday morning at around 6am is only around 36 hours.It is 3 days according to Jewish time standards but technically only around 36 physical hours.

Here is the passage that proves without a doubt it was sunday morning at first light.

Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

It says "After the Sabbath.." --The Sabbath is on saturday.

"at dawn" means first light,in the early morning.

"on the first day of the week" means Sunday.

 

[Redemptionsong]

Bible Student,
The passage you have quoted from Matthew 28:1 is wrongly translated.

I believe you have access to Bullinger's critical lexicon and concordance of the New Testament. Look up the word 'day' and tell me whether or not it is to be found in the Greek. I think you'll find it is missing.

Then look up the word 'week', and you will discover it is not meant to be 'week' but 'weeks'.

So this passage that you use as a proof text is actually not saying 'the first day of the week' but 'the first of weeks'. It means something entirely different.

We then have to ascertain whether or not the sabbath was the weekly sabbath. It may have been the sabbath that begins the festival.

 

[Nada]

Bible Student,
The passage you have quoted from Matthew 28:1 is wrongly translated.

I believe you have access to Bullinger's critical lexicon and concordance of the New Testament. Look up the word 'day' and tell me whether or not it is to be found in the Greek. I think you'll find it is missing.

Then look up the word 'week', and you will discover it is not meant to be 'week' but 'weeks'.

So this passage that you use as a proof text is actually not saying 'the first day of the week' but 'the first of weeks'. It means something entirely different.

We then have to ascertain whether or not the sabbath was the weekly sabbath. It may have been the sabbath that begins the festival.

You are still incorrect.I just looked it up in the Emphatic Diaglott which is the best known translation of the Greek scriptures and it says exactly what I said.Week not weeks.First day of the week.Look for yourself.Here is the link.


https://archive.org/stream/emphaticdiaglott00wils#page/n123/mode/2up

Here is also the greek interlinear so you can see for yourself it says the same thing.

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/28-1.htm


Here it is in the NWT bible

Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, when it was growing light on the first day of the week, Mary Mag′da·lene and the other Mary came to view the grave.


http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/b/r1/lp-e/nwt/E/2013/40/28

 

[Redemptionsong]

Well, we clearly disagree on this issue. As far as I am concerned, the NWT is not to be trusted. I work from the Received Text in Greek. Bullinger is absolutely correct when he states that the word DAY does not appear. You should also check it out in a concordance such as YOUNG's or STRONG's. You'll find the word DAY does not appear under Matthew 28:1.

Clearly you haven't even read the link you've provided. It also places the word DAY in parentheses!

 

[Redemptionsong]

Bible Student,
The words of Jesus in Matthew 12:40, and of Jonah, in Jonah 1:17, are very precise - 'three days and three nights'. If I am not to take these as meaning THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS (or even PART OF three days and three nights) what am I to understand?!

 

[allright]

Put in tomb before sundown Friday 1/2 day
Saturday night day 1 day
Sunday night day 1 day
Monday night 1/2 day Jesus rose before sunrise

 

[Redemptionsong]

allright,
I agree with you allright.
But Monday is not the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK for a Jew. This is why Bible Student is objecting to Monday as a possible time of resurrection. SUNDAY is the first day of the week for a Jew.

 

[allright]

Correction

In his book "Chronological Aspects for the life of Christ" 1977 Harold Hoehner shows there were two ways of recognizing time at the Lords time on earth. The Galileans and Pharisees reckoned their day from sunrise to sunrise. Assuming the Gospels writers used this method the Passover meal would have been on Thursday night

Friday day night 1 day Jesus buried before sunset
Saturday day night 1 day
Sunday day night 1 day Jesus rose before morning

 

[Nada]

Well, we clearly disagree on this issue. As far as I am concerned, the NWT is not to be trusted. I work from the Received Text in Greek. Bullinger is absolutely correct when he states that the word DAY does not appear. You should also check it out in a concordance such as YOUNG's or STRONG's. You'll find the word DAY does not appear under Matthew 28:1.

Clearly you haven't even read the link you've provided. It also places the word DAY in parentheses!

Amazing how you only mentioned the NWT and not the Emphatic Diaglott, or the Greek Interlinear Greek translation source from Hub.You do not seem to understand that it makes sense with that word in it.It fits because of the way the wording appears in translation.

For instance,it says this at 28:4 in Strong's, 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead [men]. Men is also in parenthesis but you know it belongs there to render the translation properly.

And again here. 28:13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him [away] while we slept."Away" is placed there to render it properly.

Here are several other translations of MATTHEW 28:1


After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

New Living Translation
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

English Standard Version
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

New American Standard Bible
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

King James Bible
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 sepulchre.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.

International Standard Version
After the Sabbaths, around dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to take a look at the burial site.

NET Bible
Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But on the eve of the Sabbath, when the first of the week was dawning, Maryam Magdalitha and the other Maryam came to see the tomb.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
After the day of worship, as the sun rose Sunday morning, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Jubilee Bible 2000
Now well along on the sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first of the sabbaths, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

King James 2000 Bible
At 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.

American King James Version
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.

American Standard Version
Now late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Douay-Rheims Bible
AND in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.

Darby Bible Translation
Now late on sabbath, as it was the dusk of the next day after sabbath, came Mary of Magdala and the other Mary to look at the sepulchre.

English Revised Version
Now late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Webster's Bible Translation
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.

Weymouth New Testament
After the Sabbath, in the early dawn of the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre.

World English Bible
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
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You seem to be stuck on your own reasoning, and do not want to admit you are actually incorrect.It is interfering with your understanding.

It's ok to be incorrect from time to time.This is one of them.It is when you come to understand the truth that one grows in learning what is actually being said.

You should know that the Emphatic Diaglott of Greek Translation published in 1864 used the Vatican Manuscript as a source.It dates to the 4th century.There is also the Codex Sinaiticus that dates to the 4th century.It was discovered in 1844.The only other older manuscripts are the Dead Sea scrolls.The DSS date between the 4th century B.C.E.to the 4th century C.E.The DSS were discovered in 1947.

 

[Nada]

Bible Student,
The words of Jesus in Matthew 12:40, and of Jonah, in Jonah 1:17, are very precise - 'three days and three nights'. If I am not to take these as meaning THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS (or even PART OF three days and three nights) what am I to understand?!

All you have to do is pay attention.Here is some more info for you.Pray to God and beg Him for an accurate knowledge of the truth.Then read this please.

If Matthew 12:40 means three complete twenty-four-hour days, when would Jesus have been buried? Counting back seventy-two hours from early Sunday morning, we would come to early Thursday morning. But since Jesus died about 3:00*p.m., he would have had to be laid in the tomb on Wednesday afternoon. (Matt. 27:46, 50) The Bible account regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, however, in no way suggests that the period involved extended all the way from Wednesday to Sunday. Let us, then, examine the evidence.

The reason the women went to the tomb was to grease Jesus’ body with spices. They bought some of these spices immediately after the sabbath. (Mark 16:1; compare Luke 23:56.) Which sabbath could this have been? If Nisan 14 had extended through Wednesday afternoon, this would make Thursday, Nisan 15, the first day of the Festival of Unfermented Cakes and hence also a sabbath day. (Lev. 23:5-7) The next sabbath would have been the weekly sabbath, starting on Friday evening and running to Saturday evening, since the Jewish days began at sundown.

It does not seem reasonable that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome would have purchased spices immediately after Nisan 15 (Thursday evening, according to such reckoning) and then waited until early on the morning of Nisan 18 (Sunday) to go to Jesus’ tomb. That would have been more than three and a half full days since the death of Jesus. Any greasing with spices would have been of very little value for the corpse then. (See John 11:39.) It would also appear strange indeed for the women to allow Nisan 16 (a day that would not have been a sabbath) to pass by without doing anything and then to rush to the tomb as early as possible on Sunday morning, Nisan 18.

In view of these factors favoring a period of less than three full days between Jesus’ burial and resurrection, the question arises: Why could Jesus say that the “Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights”? (Matt. 12:40) This is because the expression “three days and three nights” can refer to parts of three days, as is clearly shown at 1*Samuel 30:12, 13. Under the heading “Day,” The Jewish Encyclopedia says: “In Jewish communal life part of a day is at times reckoned as one day; e.g., the day of the funeral, even when the latter takes place late in the afternoon, is counted as the first of the seven days of mourning; a short time in the morning of the seventh day is counted as the seventh day; circumcision takes place on the eighth day, even though of the first day only a few minutes remained after the birth of the child, these being counted as one day.” Accordingly, as Bible commentator Lightfoot observes, three days and three nights “included any part of the first day; the whole of the following night; the next day and its night; and any part of the succeeding or third day.”


WOL

 

[Nada]

Put in tomb before sundown Friday 1/2 day
Saturday night day 1 day
Sunday night day 1 day
Monday night 1/2 day Jesus rose before sunrise

Monday has no place in this if the holy scriptures makes it very clear that Jesus was not in his tomb on sunday morning when the two Mary's went to the tomb at first light.Sunday is not the Sabbath day.Saturday is.

 

[Nada]

allright,
I agree with you allright.
But Monday is not the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK for a Jew. This is why Bible Student is objecting to Monday as a possible time of resurrection. SUNDAY is the first day of the week for a Jew.

We agree on something after all.

 

[Nada]

Correction

In his book "Chronological Aspects for the life of Christ" 1977 Harold Hoehner shows there were two ways of recognizing time at the Lords time on earth. The Galileans and Pharisees reckoned their day from sunrise to sunrise. Assuming the Gospels writers used this method the Passover meal would have been on Thursday night

Friday day night 1 day Jesus buried before sunset
Saturday day night 1 day
Sunday day night 1 day Jesus rose before morning

It seems you are guessing and trying to understand brother.Just pray,read and study the entire passage first.

 

[Redemptionsong]

Bible Student,
All that you have proved from your long list of Bible references is that many versions make the same mistake. Only two versions correctly leave out the word DAY; the Aramaic Bible in Plain English and the Jubilee Bible 2000. All the others present us with an interpretation of the scripture - which helps with understanding, so long as it's correct! In this case, however, it's an unnecessary inclusion. And remember, this is not some bias that I have. I usually read from the KJV which also includes this mistake.

My second point needs to be made very clear. I ACCEPT part of a day as counting as a day. I also ACCEPT part of a night as being a night. But according to your calculations there is no third night. This error has nothing to do with how the Jewish day is calculated, and scholars such as Lightfoot are, in my opinion, wrong to dismiss it.

If we're going to come to an understanding of events in an exact and accurate manner, it will be necessary for both of us to use the Jewish reckoning and not resort to the Gentile days of the week. I think this only adds confusion. It also introduces pagan gods!

So, let's stick to what the scriptures reveal.