THE THREE NIGHTS AND THREE DAYS

Rev.C.J McKnight

WEDNESDAY ABIB 14 – DAY OF PREPARATION – DAY OF CRUCIFIXION BURIED BEFORE SUNDOWN SO AS TO NOT DESECRATE THE HOLY CONVOCATION WHICH COMMENCED AT SUNDOWN.

THE THREE NIGHTS AND THREE DAYS.

THURSDAY (night and day) 15 – SPECIAL SABBATH – FIRST FULL DAY

FRIDAY (night and day) 16 – SECOND DAY

SATURDAY (night and day) 17 – WEEKLY SABBATH –

THIRD AND LAST DAY RESURRECTED AFTER SUNDOWN AT THE CLOSE OF THE HEBREW SATURDAY OR SABBATH.

CHRIST OUR PASSOVERA. Christ offering himself on Calvary was the fulfillment of the Passover lamb and the feast of Passover. 1 Cor.5:7B. The Passover lamb was slain on the FOURTEENTH day of the month of Abib/Nisan, or the first month of the Levitical year. Ex.12:31.

The Hebrew day started at sundown, first the night time and then the day time.a. Pilate; Behold your King. Jn.19:14 This was at the sixth hour of the night (or the Gentile midnight). Note, they came to take Jesus with lanterns and torches. Jn. 18:3.b. On the morning of the FOURTEENTH day delivered to Pilate. Mk. 15:1c. Nailed to the cross at the third hour. 9 AM. Mk.15:25d. Darkness at midday, the sixth hour of the day. Mk.15:33e. Gave up his spirit at the ninth hour. 3 PM. Mk.15:34-37f. Removed from the cross and entombed at EVEN, late afternoon. Mt.27:57 The bodies had to be removed before sunset. Jn.19:31a.g. It is noteworthy that Jesus was on the cross six hours. Darkness came at the SIXTH hour. Six is the number of man. Christ died for mankind.

C. THE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE TOMB.1. The sign of the prophet Jonah. He spent three days and three nights in the great fish. Jonah 1:17 The time is strongly emphasized.2. Jesus spent a full THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS or seventy-two hours in the grave. Mt.12:40 This is not a Hebrew idiom involving parts of three days.3. There are two Sabbaths involved in the week of crucifixion. a. The day after the day of preparation or the Fifteenth day of Abib was a special Sabbath. Jn. 19:31 It was called an holy convocation Lev. 23:6.b. The second Sabbath was the regular weekly Sabbath.Jn. 20:1 Mary came while it was yet dark, not at sunrise, and the tomb was already opened. Christ was buried on the day of preparation sometime before sunset. He was raised from the dead sometime after the sunset of the weekly Sabbath or Saturday. EARLY, would be the ninth or tenth hour of the night or three or four AM.c. The day following the day of preparation they came to Pilate requesting a guard on the tomb for three days. Mt.27:62-64 Thus attesting to the three nights and three days. Jesus was crucified on Wednesday. 

HE IS RISEN!!!!!! GOOD FRIDAY?The following quotations are found in the book; Difficulties in the Bible. Author. R.A. Torrey.The first fact to be noticed in the proper solution is that the Bible no where says or implies that Jesus was crucified and died on Friday. Page 101.John tells us in so many words, in John 19:14, that the day on which Jesus was tried and crucified was the day of the preparation of the Passover (RV). that is , it was not the day before the weekly Sabbath (Friday) but it was the day before the Passover Sabbath, which came that year on Thursday. That is to say, the day on which Jesus died was Wednesday. Page 102.Furthermore, it has been figured out by the astronomers that is the year 30 AD , which is the commonly accepted year of the crucifixion of our Lord, the Passover was kept on Thursday April the 6th., the moon being full that day. Page 104.

JESUS DIED ABOUT SUNSET ON WEDNESDAY. Seventy two hours later, exactly three days and three nights, at the beginning of the first day of the week (Saturday at sunset). He rose again from the grave. Page 104.Christ offering himself upon Calvary was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover Lamb and the Feast of the Passover. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Cor.5:7 God is meticulous in all of his workings. The type must fulfill preciously the anti-type. Jesus, God’s Lamb must be sacrificed
at the time of the offering of the Passover lamb. The Passover lamb was slain on the FOURTEENTH day of the month of Abib/Nisan, or in the first month of the Levitical year.

The Hebrew day commenced with the setting of the Sun. First the night and then the day.    It was on the night of the DAY OF PREPARATION that he was taken captive, for they came for him with lanterns and torches. John 18:3. He was in Pilate’s judgment hall when Pilate said to the Jews; Behold your King. It was the sixth hour of the night, or the midnight hour of the DAY OF PREPARATION. John 19:14.In the morning of the DAY OF PREPARATION Jesus was brought again to Pilate. Mk.15:33. The third hour of that day, or about Nine AM he was nailed to the cross. Mark 15:25. The sixth hour, or midday, darkness came upon the land. Mark 15:33. He gave up his Spirit, into the hands of his Father at the ninth hour or 3PM. Mark 15:34-37.According to Hebrew custom the bodies had to be removed from the cross and entombed before sunset. John 19:31a. Jesus was removed from the cross at EVEN or late in the afternoon. Mt. 27:57.It is noteworthy that Jesus was on the cross six hours and that darkness came at the sixth hour.

Six is the number of man. Jesus performed a perfect atonement for all mankind, for the whosoever will.Jesus was a full three days and there nights in the tomb. He declared Jonah and his experience would be the only sign given. Mt. 12:40.   Jonah spent three days and three nights in the stomach of the great fish, a full seventy two hours. Jesus was three days and three nights in the tomb, or a full seventy two hours. This measurement is not An Hebrew idiom involving parts of three days and nights but clearly is a complete three day and night period of time.The key to understanding the week of crucifixion and the day on which Jesus died is in the fact that this was a week of two Sabbaths. Following the DAY OF PREPARATION (Abib the fourteenth) was the DAY OF PASSOVER (or Abib the fifteenth). This day was a special Sabbath or an Holy Convocation
Lev.23:6 This is recognized by reading John 19:31.

The fifteenth day of Abib was an HIGH or Sabbath day. It is the first Sabbath of the week of crucifixion and fell on Thursday of that week.   Another important fact in determining that Jesus was Crucified on WEDNESDAY is that the leaders of the Jews came to Pilate requesting a special guard be placed at his tomb for the three days and three nights. Mt.27:62-64. On the day of resurrection Mary came to the tomb WHILE IT WAS YET DARK (Jesus had risen before sun up). Early would indicate the ninth or tenth hour of the night, or three or four AM. Jesus was crucified on WEDNESDAY on the DAY OF PREPARATION. Was laid in the tomb about sunset on that day.
He rose from among the dead sometime after sunset after the third day which would have been on The Sabbath day or Saturday after sunset.

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