Three Days and Three Nights?
“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.” Matthew 12:40
“Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.” Matthew 27:63
“And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Mark 8:31
The above three references clearly state that the Lord Jesus Christ would rise from the dead after three days. A simple calculation of three days into hours equals a total of seventy-two hours.
Tradition states that the Lord was crucified on Friday, died about 3 p.m., was entombed by 6:00 p.m., and rose on Sunday morning. No type of calculation can be used to make the time period between Friday evening and Sunday Morning equate to three days (72 hours). The most that can be figured is two nights and one day.
In the Greek, the word translated three in these verses means, “three.” It does not mean two and a half, two and a third, or anything else; it means three. Either tradition is wrong, or the Bible is wrong.
Using only the Bible as a guide it can be clearly shown that the Lord was not crucified on a Friday, and He did not rise on a Sunday. It can be shown that by celebrating “Good Friday” and “Easter” one is in fact following the traditions of men over the Word of God. (Mark 7:8)
In the Jewish order of reckoning time the night preceded the day. “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” Genesis1:5
A full day is reckoned as going from one evening to the next evening. “It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Leviticus 23:32
The Jewish sabbath is believed to be on Saturday, but any practicing Jew will tell you that the Jewish sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday (“from even unto even”).
When was the resurrection?
Tradition tells us the resurrection was on Sunday morning. Can this point be proved by the scriptures? Or, does the Bible say something different altogether?
“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. 2 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. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:1-6)
Please note, carefully, a few points about these verses. Verse one tells us that it was in the end of the sabbath (Saturday), as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (Sunday). It was not yet Sunday. Remember, Beloved, the Jewish way of reckoning time: from even until even - evening until evening. They arrived at the end of the sabbath (late Saturday), before the new day (Sunday) had dawned. This would have been anywhere between sundown (about 6:00 p.m.) on Saturday (after the sabbath) to before sunrise (about 6:00 a.m.) on Sunday.
The wording of John 20:1, makes this point even clearer. “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”
“While it was yet dark,” in Jewish time, is considered the preceding day. Mary Magdalene arrived during Saturday evening or night, before Sunday had even dawned. Read the scriptures again for clarification.
In verses 5 and 6 (Matthew 28) the angel addressed the two Marys, saying, “He is not here: for he is risen...” Verse 2 does not say, or imply, that the angel rolled the stone away for the Lord’s sake, as He had already risen. The rolling away of the stone was for the two Marys sake. (“Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”)
If our Lord was resurrected on Saturday evening, according to the scriptures, then when was He crucified? In keeping with the order of Jewish time and counting back three days and three nights from Saturday evening, what day do we come to? The Saturday evening/night was not a complete one so it cannot be counted. Saturday (day) = 1 day, Friday (night) = 1 night, Friday (day) = 2 days, Thursday (night) = 2 nights, Thursday (day) = 3 days, and Wednesday (night) = 3 nights. Total = 3 days and 3 nights, as the scriptures say. (If counting backward is confusing, then count it forward beginning from Wednesday evening – remember an evening and a day equal one twenty-four hour period)
The scriptures show that the Lord rose on a Saturday evening and not Sunday morning. By counting backward from Saturday we come to Wednesday. Tradition says the crucifixion was on Friday. Is this “Friday” view supported by scripture?
What time did the Lord die?
“And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” (Luke 23:44-46)
Continuing with the Jewish reckoning of time, the ninth hour is in reference to the ninth hour since daybreak (the equivalent of our 3:00 p.m.). This tells us the hour, but what was the day?
When was Christ crucified?
John 19:31 tells us that when the Lord was crucified it was on the day of preparation. The Jews call the day preceding the sabbath, “the preparation day”. But doesn’t this bring us back to Friday, again? Or does it? Does the verse give any further indication of the timing?
“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.” John 19:31
The key in the verse that shows us this “preparation day” was not for the weekly sabbath is the reference to a “high day.” The Passover always began on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nissan (April), and the day following was always a High Day Sabbath.
“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. 5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” (Leviticus 23:4-7)
Note verse 5, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.” Note verse 7: “ In the first day (the fifteenth day of the month)... ye shall do no servile work therein.” Therefore it is established, by scripture, that this 15th day of April was always a sabbath, regardless of the day of the week. This is the High Day Sabbath mentioned in John 19:31. This scripture clearly shows that the Lord was crucified on the day before this High Holy Sabbath – the preparation day for the Passover, and not on a preparation day for the weekly (Friday/Saturday) sabbath.
The Lord ate the passover with His disciples in the early evening hours of Tuesday (the Jewish Wednesday the 14th – evening and morning make a day). Then He went to the garden of Gethsemane and was arrested and tried. The next day, in the morning (still Wednesday the 14th), He was crucified and later, before sundown of the same day, was buried.
“There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.” (John 19:42)
Count from Wednesday evening to Saturday evening and you will get three whole nights and days. Wednesday (night) = 1 night, Thursday (day) = 1 day, Thursday (night) = 2 nights, Friday (day) = 2 days, Friday (night) = 3 nights, Saturday (day) = 3 days. Total = Three days and three nights; as the scriptures clearly teach.
Does all this matter? To many professing Christians the answer is, sadly, no. But these things should be seriously considered, especially in light of the question, is Easter a Christian holy-day?
All Biblical quotations are from the King James Version
The following books and tracts may further add to this essay and help clarify any points that may be clouded:
Hislop, Alexander: The Two Babylons
Blanton, Raymond: The Easter Lie
Blanton, Raymond: Easter or Passover?
Berean Independant Baptist Church:
201 W. Front St. Liberty, SC 29657 (864) 843-9817
(Also a source for excellent Christian tracts.)Becker, R. F: The Truth About Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, and Easter
Mt. Zion Publications
2603 W. Wright St. Pensacola, FL 32505 (904) 438-6666
(Also many Christian resources – all free – write for listing)
