Three days and three nights

This is one of the most disputed points about the Lordship of Jesus and the accuracy of His statement in

(Mt. 12:40): which says; “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” KJV.

 

There are three acceptable explanations of this and they are as follows.

 

 

1. The Jewish method of recording time provides the key to understanding Jesus statement that He would be in the heart of the earth 3 days and three nights.

The Jews started counting today as day one and tomorrow as day two, WHEREAS we today use (Modern Roman time) start counting today as Zero and tomorrow as day one. It is important to note that both Jews and Romans of the first century counted the days EXACTLY the same way, where today is one and tomorrow is day two. Jesus did die on Friday after 3PM (St. Jn. 19:31) and was raised some time on Sunday morning just after 6 AM and it would have been counted as three days and three nights by the the Jews and the Romans.

In the Jerusalem Talmud (cited by Lightfoot) it is said 'that a day and a night together make up a (day), and that any part of such is counted as the whole." Lange's Comm., p. 226.

(Mt. 12:40) Three days and three nights] Our Lord rose from the grave on the third day morning. In the computation in this verse, the part of the day on which he was crucified, and the part of that on which he rose again, are counted as an entire day; and this, no doubt, exactly corresponded to the time in which Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Our Lord says, As Jonah was, so shall the Son of man be

, Evening and morning, or night and day, is the Hebrew phrase for a natural day, which the Greeks termed nuxyhmeron, nuchthemeron. The very same quantity of time which is here termed three days and three nights, and which, in our modern day calculation really, is only one whole day, a part of two others, and two whole nights. It is however termed three days and three nights in the Jewish calculation of time. Many examples might be produced, from both the sacred and historical writings to support of the propriety use of the expression #1In the book of Esther: (Es 4:16,5:1)KJV “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house”,

 

 

2. #2. (Leviticus 12:2-3) says;…….. “boys are to be circumcised on the eight day.

It is common knowledge, that the Jewish practice was to circumcise exactly one week after the child was born. If born on Sabbath, he was circumcised on the Sabbath. If born on a Tuesday, he was circumcised on the following Tuesday.

This proves that the Jewish time system counted what we call one week or 7 days, as 8 days.

1. Thus a Friday - Sunday duration was three days.

#2 There is also the belief of the double Sabbath in that week as stated below.

“In the period of time between Christ's death and His resurrection there were two Sabbaths.  The first one was the annual Sabbath on Nisan 15 (Passover Feast), and the second one was the weekly Sabbath that fell on Nisan 17.  There was a day between those two.”

#3 This one states that Jesus was sacrificed/crusified on a Thursday instead of the traditional Friday

ascended on high is a straightforward reference to Jesus’ ascension. Christ returned to heaven victoriously, as God. In His triumph, Jesus had defeated and took captive our spiritual enemies: the devil, death, and the curse of sin.

His work of Redemption was completed on the cross and there was no need for any further suffering. ( Heb. 12:2) heb. He confirmed that when He said; “it is finished”(Jn. 19:20)

Researched and compiled by Rev. George Pryor M. Th.

Pastor Emeritus

revgap@gmail.com

Website; www.revgeorge.net

Special Note:

There is no question that if Jesus’s timing did not match that of His day, The Pharisees would have jumped all over him claiming, he was a false prophet.

Rev. George Pryor M. Th.

Pastor Emeritus

revgap@gmail.com

Website: www.revgeorge.net

updated 06/08/24