![]() The traditional Jewish calendar of the firstĬentury AD was lunar, in which the first day of each month was determined by until Sunday when Crist was resurrected would be "one day and one night." From the Jewish point of view, it would make "three days and three nights" from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.Return to Sol Invictus The Death of Jesus Friday would be considered "one day and one night." Any time after 6:00 p.m. The "three days and three nights" in reference to Christ's period in the tomb could be calculated as follows: Christ was crucified on Friday. Custance points out that, "It is generally believed that this method of reckoning was originally based upon the fact that in the week of Creation, the first day began with a darkness which was turned into light and thereafter each 24-hour period is identified as 'the evening and the morning'- in this order (Genesis 1:5,8, etc).(5) The Jewish day starts at 6:00 in the evening. The Babylonian Talmud (Jewish commentaries) relates that "The portion of a day is as the whole of it." (3) The Jerusalem Talmud (so designated because it was written in Jerusalem) says, "We have a teaching, 'A day and a night are an Onah and the portion of an Onah is as the whole of it.'"(4) An Onah simply means, "a period of time." Any part of a day was reckoned as a complete day. Any part of a period was considered a full period. The Jewish writers have recorded in their commentaries on the Scriptures the principle governing the reckoning of time. The phrase "after three days" and "on the third day," are not contradictory, either to each other or with Matthew (12:40), but simply idiomatic, interchangeable terms, clearly a common mode of Jewish expression.Īnother way to look at "three days and three nights" is to take into consideration the Jewish method of reckoning time. ![]() Joseph imprisoned his brothers for three days in verse 18, he speaks to them and releases them, all on the third day. Just as clearly, Genesis (42:17) shows this idiomatic usage. That the expression "one day and one night" was an idiom employed by the Jews for indicating a day, even when only part of a day was indicated, can be seen also in the Old Testament.įor example, 1 Samuel says "For he had not eaten bread or dunk water for three days and three nights," and in the next verse, "My master left me behind. If the phrase "after three days," had not been interchangeable with "the third day," the Pharisees would have asked for a guard for the fourth day." After the Pharisees tel Pilate of the prediction of Jesus, "After three days I will rise again," they ask for a guard to secure the tomb until the third day. ![]() Matthew (27:63) gives weight to this idiomatic usage. This can be seen from the fact that most references to the resurrection state that it occurred on the third day.Īlso, Jesus spoke of the resurrection in John (2:19-22), stating that He would be raised up in three days (not the fourth day). Jesus is recorded as saying, "The Son of Man will rise again after three days," and "He will be raised again on the third day"(12:40)- expressions that are used interchangeably. Since this is clearly not three full, 24-hour days, do we have a problem of conflict with the prophecy of Jesus in Matthew? (12:40) In other words, he was in the tomb two full nights, one full day, and part of two days. This puts Jesus in the grave for part of Friday, the entire Sabbath, and part of Sunday. The accounts of His death and resurrection as given in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John indicate that Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday, before sundown, which is the beginning of the next day for the Jews, and resurrected on the first day of the week, which is our Sunday, before sunrise. Many people have questioned the accuracy of Jesus' statement that "just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."(12:40) They ask, "How could Jesus have remained in the tomb three days and three nights if He was crucified on Friday and rose on Sunday?" The following excerpt from a book by Josh McDowell called "The Resurrection Factor" provides a good explanation for this alleged contradiction: How can you squeeze three days and three nights between Friday afternoon (3:00, or the the 9th hour) and Sunday morning? This would have to force a different interpretation of Jonah's time in the whale. but Jesus said in Matthew that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so Jesus would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. You have mentioned that the Bible talks of Jesus rising on the first day of the week. Next Question Previous Question List of All Questions Question #168 How can you squeeze 3 days and 3 nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning?
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