Three Days and Three Nights

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
The Guard at the Tomb (Matthew 27)
commentary view 1-
Matthew 27
"62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”



Caller:
I was wondering about the three days and the three nights you find where like Jonah's in the belly of the whale, so shall the Lord be in the belly of the earth?

Pastor Doug: Yes that's found in Matthew chapter 12. It's a prophecy that Jesus makes talking about the sign of Jonah. Were you wondering how was Jesus in the tomb three days and three nights?
Caller: Yes I hear a lot Ministers, they use inclusive reckoning and stuff like that and I was wondering what your opinion on it was.
Pastor Doug: Well I'm going to come at this from a different point of view and so bear with me. This is a very important issue. Matter of fact, I wrote a book on the subject. I wrote an article actually, and it's called The Sign of Jonah. If you call the Amazing Facts office or you call our resource number, tell them you'd like the article called The Sign of Jonah and it has much more than I can share in a brief answer here.
But, in essence, there's only one place in the Bible where Jesus addresses this. And He says in Matthew chapter 12 verse 40, 'As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth' - and people immediately do some mental calculations. And they say, 'Okay Jesus died Friday, that's why they call it Good Friday. He spent Friday night in the tomb, Saturday night in the tomb, and He rose Sunday. Well that's two nights and a part of three days. No way in the world is it three nights. How can the Bible accurate?' And I've had people who have given up their faith in the Bible. They try to move the date of the Crucifixion, all kinds of gymnastics trying to deal with this Scripture.
Well let me come at it from a different angle. There is a major misconception here regarding the heart of the earth. Everyone's assuming that means the tomb but if you let the Bible explain itself, nowhere else in the Bible is the heart of the earth called the tomb. For instance, in Matthew when we say the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in Heaven' - that's how the King James renders it - does that mean Thy will be done in the tomb?
Caller: No.
Pastor Doug: No. When Jesus said the prince of this world comes, He was speaking of the devil. When Jesus said as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish or the whale, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, He wasn't talking about the tomb or vault. He was talking about the heart of the earth meaning the clutches of the world.
You see, every time the mob tried to destroy Jesus or stone Jesus or throw Him off a cliff through His whole Ministry, He was untouchable. He walked right through their midst, He disappeared, He became invisible they never were able to harm Him in any way because He was under His Father's protection. But in the Garden of Gethsemane Thursday night when He said quite specifically, 'Now is the hour of darkness...' then the mob came. They tied Him up, they beat Him, and He began suffering for the sins of the world.
See He didn't start suffering for the sins of the world when He was on the Cross and the nails pierced His flesh. The suffering began in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was taken from place to place and beaten and mobbed. He went from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate again. He went from Caiaphas to Anna and back to Caiaphas and - He was just drug all over the place during that period - and being mocked and whipped and thorns on His head and, He was suffering for the sins of the world. He was a captive to the devil the same way Jonah went wherever the whale went. See Jonah was a captive to the whale. He was in that dark, hopeless environment for three days and three nights the same way that Jesus was in the clutches of the world, the clutches of the lost world, for three days and three nights.
Caller: Ohh.
Pastor Doug: When He prayed the third time, 'Not my will Thy will be done', and He said to His disciples you can sleep on because now is the hour of darkness - He made it very clear - this is the starting point. The mob came. He told Peter put away your sword this is why I came into the world. From Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night He was taking the penalty for our sins, which is punishment and death, not just death - punishment and death. And He suffered and He died, starting Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday. So that's the crux of that misunderstanding. It has nothing to do with the tomb.

commentay view 2
Sir, please consider this for the fulfilling of the scriptures. Jesus was crucified on Wednesday afternoon the Passover day, the 14th day of the first month. The passover is not considered a Sabbath according to Lev 23 and work is allowed, but the following day, the first day of unleavened bread is considered a sabbath day. The first and last day of the feast are. So the passover was also a preparation day for the following sabbath day ( feast day sabbath not weekly sabbath). So Jesus was in the tomb Wed, Thur and Friday night and rose somewhere between Saturday afternoon ( a full 72 hours after his death) and early Sunday morning. In Mark 16 it says the women bought spices after the sabbath day. This was after the feast day sabbath of the 15th that they bought them. The couldn't have bought them and prepared them after the weekly sabbath because they arrived at the tomb very early in the morning while still dark."

Many search Scriptures for eternal life. Many search the Scriptures
Maybe you should include the scriptures where the guards were paid to keep their mouths shut when they couldn't find HIS BODY
 

prove-all

Senior Member
May 16, 2014
5,977
400
83
63
buried before sunset and also risen before sunset or during twilight,
but in any case BEFORE the next day had started.
To 'draw on' does not mean it was already the next day.
not sure what is the question, sorry if i did not explain right.
there is 2 twilights in a day , and would be 12 hours of dark between,
or 12 hours of light between them[or depends on seasons]

Christ was laid in the tomb and it was sealed before dark or at,
by the end of the 3 days later, at this same time before dark, or at.

no not the morning sunrise twilight here at all.
sunrise service is not taught in the bible.
sorry i should have calledl it dawn
-


54And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

-John explains what is High day, not the regular sabbath.
the passover day was the preparation of the feast.

Joh 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 High Day here is the First Day of Unleavened Bread...
 
Last edited:
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
A good understanding of the phrase the metaphor ; "heart of the earth" is needed to understand the suffering of Christ . It began Wednesday in the garden shown by Christ asking to take away the cup of suffering the father strengthened Christ to finish the mutual work of both. The three days is not in respect to the tomb, alone. Again the work of pouring out His Holy Spirit as if it was blood that demonstration began on Wednesday.
 

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
A good understanding of the phrase the metaphor ; "heart of the earth" is needed to understand the suffering of Christ . It began Wednesday in the garden shown by Christ asking to take away the cup of suffering the father strengthened Christ to finish the mutual work of both. The three days is not in respect to the tomb, alone. Again the work of pouring out His Holy Spirit as if it was blood that demonstration began on Wednesday.
Yes it is

HE had to descend so as to ascend so as to fill all things and so as to be over all things created so as to have the PREEMINENCE AS THE FIRST in all things pertaining to man as THE SON OF MAN/THE SON OF GOD
 

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
Where was HE those 3 days and 3 nights in the "heart of the earth"
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
Yes it is

HE had to descend so as to ascend so as to fill all things and so as to be over all things created so as to have the PREEMINENCE AS THE FIRST in all things pertaining to man as THE SON OF MAN/THE SON OF GOD
I agree with the preeminence doctrine.

He had to descend to a place of suffering like that of Jonas which is defined as hell. This is where Jonas suffered for three days. Coming out of the fish unto dry ground would in respect the His appearing on the Sunday, the beginning of new era of Sabbaths.

Christ as the Son of man, His body did not see corruption. God who is not a man as us cannot die.

The scriptures shows him seating to indicate he was working pouring out His spirit as if it was blood. the flesh profited for nothing.
We can see how the two verses work together .

Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

The same manner same reasoning in the parable below.

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was
“as it were” great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:42

Many take that work typified as suffering ( heart of the earth) and make it literal blood as if the flesh did profit.
 

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
I agree with the preeminence doctrine. He had to descend to a place of suffering like that of Jonas which is defined as hell. This is where Jonas suffered for three days. Coming out of the fish unto dry ground would in respect the His appearing on the Sunday, the beginning of new era of Sabbaths. Christ as the Son of man, His body did not see corruption. God who is not a man as us cannot die.The scriptures shows him seating to indicate he was working pouring out His spirit as if it was blood. the flesh profited for nothing. We can see how the two verses work together .Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.The same manner same reasoning in the parable below. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was “as it were” great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:42 Many take that work typified as suffering ( heart of the earth) and make it literal blood as if the flesh did profit.
Jonah really has nothing to do with it other than to understand that THE STRONG MAN has come and the world continues to ask for a sign
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
Where was HE those 3 days and 3 nights in the "heart of the earth"
In the beginning of His three day and three nights work of faith as a labor of his He was in the garden alone suffering for our sin,(God put the disciples asleep to show the work cannot be shared with the flesh of creation)

The next day he was in the cross and finally they put his body in a tomb. He was in several places that make up the phrase; "heart of the earth".
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
Jonah really has nothing to do with it other than to understand that THE STRONG MAN has come and the world continues to ask for a sign
Jonas a perfect example gives us the understanding that Christ had to be alive in order to suffer the tribulation of what scripture calls hell. We are not saved by his death, it only shows he gave spirit life. Literal blood without the Spirit has no life to offer. Hell represents suffering in the Spirit.

THE STRONG MAN has come and the world continues to ask for a sign.
 

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
In the beginning of His three day and three nights work of faith as a labor of his He was in the garden alone suffering for our sin,(God put the disciples asleep to show the work cannot be shared with the flesh of creation)

The next day he was in the cross and finally they put his body in a tomb. He was in several places that make up the phrase; "heart of the earth".
Please explain that to the men of Nineveh who will stand in the judgement who will condemn this generation because they repented at the words of Jonah

But ONE GREATER than Jonah has come
 

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
If there be ANY OTHER WAY

Christ knew that HE was walking into Jerusalem to willingly lay down the life

HE knew that scriptures must be fulfilled which say that the CHRIST must suffer and then enter into HIS GLORY (the glory ehjch HE had with the FATHER even before the world ever was)


which is why when HE began to tell Peter more about what HE must suffer and Peter said No, this will not happen

HE rebuked him severely and said you do not have the WORK OF GOD in mind
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
Please explain that to the men of Nineveh who will stand in the judgement who will condemn this generation because they repented at the words of Jonah

But ONE GREATER than Jonah has come
I would offer. To the ones that heard the gospel and believed God they will not come into condemnation they had passed from death to eternal life. It made Jonas angry but it pleased God who worked in them to both will and do His good pleasure .


Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
 

miknik5

Senior Member
Jun 2, 2016
7,833
588
113
I would offer. To the ones that heard the gospel and believed God they will not come into condemnation they had passed from death to eternal life. It made Jonas angry but it pleased God who worked in them to both will and do His good pleasure .


Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Are we professing Jonah to a lost world?
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
Are we professing Jonah to a lost world?
No just the parable using Noah that points to Christ. Its the last sign and wonder we can use to represent the gospel.
 

Placid

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2016
316
36
28
Hi,
I am a late comer to this topic, and it has probably been answered from history and from the Scripture already, --- but we have answered it before and in case it is not clear, this may help. --- The sign was given in Matthew 12:
39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 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."
Again in John 2:
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"
19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
 
The Passover was celebrated on the 14th of Nisan, and the Feast of Unleaven Bread went from the 15th to the 21st.
--- They identified that the 14th of Nisan that year was a Wednesday. --- And John said in John 19:
31 "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs."

So the Wednesday, as well as being Passover, was also the Preparation Day for the Special Sabbath. --- This was why they needed to take the men off the crosses before sunset, which was the beginning of the next day, Thursday, with the night that started, at Sunset.

--- You can calculate the three days till Saturday evening at sundown. --- The Saturday night was really the beginning of the first day of the next week. --- So it covered three days and three nights, and a little more till nearly daylight.
 
Let's look further at the Scripture in Matthew 27:
59 "When Joseph had taken the body (of Jesus), he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed."

--- That was wednesday afternoon before sunset. And it continues in Matthew 27:
62 On the next day, (Thursday) which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
63 saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’
64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first."
65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."
66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
--- So, until the third day (and night) the guard would be set and the tomb sealed, and it would be "Off Limits" for anyone for three days.
 
Then it picks up the story before sunrise on the first day of the week in John 20:
20 "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb."
And again it says in Matthew 28:
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
--- So the time of the earthquake and rolling away the stone, was perhaps an hour before daylight, and the angel created his own light. --- It says:
4 AND THE GUARDS SHOOK FOR FEAR OF HIM, AND BECAME LIKE DEAD MEN.
 
7 (The angel said) And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead,
11 Now while they were going, behold, 'some of the guard' came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.

--- Notice, the guards didn't go to their headquarters, but went to the chief priests, --- then this happened:
12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 saying, "Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’
14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure."
--- There was collaboration between the Government and the Pharisees, that they could bribe the guards, and say, "If this comes to the Governor's ears, we will secure you." --- They would likely pay off the governor too.
--- The penalty for soldiers sleeping on the Job would be death.
 
Placid
 

rstrats

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2011
723
42
28
Placid,

Since you're not a 6th day of the week crucifixion advocate, you probably won't know of any examples. Perhaps someone else who's new looking in will know.
 

rstrats

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2011
723
42
28
Does anyone think that Matthew 12:40 is using common Jewish idiomatic language of the time?
 

Placid

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2016
316
36
28
Hi rstrats,

Quote: Does anyone think that Matthew 12:40 is using common Jewish idiomatic language of the time?

Response: --- These verses are from the Amplified Bible, which gives extra explanation of certain words. Matthew 12:
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be]."
39 But He replied and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;
40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
 
--- To follow the events of the days after the crucifixion, it is easy to read what happened, and I believe the Scripture 'as it is written' in Matthew 27:
62 On the next day, (Thursday) which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
63 saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’
64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first."
65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."
66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
 
So if we trust that the Jews and Romans could both count the three days, --- then the tomb was sealed and the guard set from Thursday morning till Saturday night or Sunday morning, and it said again in Matthew 28:
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week (Sunday) began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
 
--- After the guards recovered and realized what was happening, they went into the city in Matthew 28:
11 Some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 saying, "Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’
14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure."
15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed;
 
Notice how the Pharisees and the Roman soldiers collaborated in taking the bribe and lying about what happened.


 

rstrats

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2011
723
42
28
Placid,

Any particular reason for quoting my question in post #378 and then responding with non-applicable comments?
 

Placid

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2016
316
36
28
Hi rstrats,

Quote again: Does anyone think that Matthew 12:40 is using common Jewish idiomatic language of the time?
 
Response: --- The meaning of the word 'idiom' is, 'a phrase with a meaning other than that logically derived from each word in it.'
I had given the context from the Amplified Bible and I think it is understandable.

--- I don't believe this phrase --- 'three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,' was ever used to apply to any other event than Jesus being in the tomb from Wednesday before sunset till Sunday morning before sunrise.

Sorry if you were looking for another answer, but I believe what the Scripture says.
However, your question is open for others to answer.