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THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS
IN THE TOMB

Study by
Ray Cutts
from writings of
Ralph Woodrow

 

p 1 -- Timeline of the three days and three nights that our Lord lay in the tomb:

p 2 -- As I was studying this very important subject, I found that Ralph Woodrow gave a clear understanding of the Wednesday crucifixion day. He says in his book, Babylon Mystery Religion, pp. 142-149:

Most of us have assumed that Jesus died on "Good Friday" and rose from the dead early on "Easter" Sunday morning. Since Jesus said he would rise "the third day", some count part of Friday as one day, Saturday as the second, and part of Sunday as the third. But when we take a closer look at the scriptures, we find that Jesus spoke of the time period between his burial and resurrection as three days AND three nights. From Friday afternoon until Sunday morning is not three days and three nights! What then is the correct explanation?

When the Pharisees came to Jesus asking for a sign that he was truly the Messiah, he told them that no sign would be given them, except the sign of the prophet Jonas. "For as Jonas was THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS in the whale's belly;" he answered, "so shall the son of man be THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS in the heart of the earth" (Mt. 12:38-40; Jonah 1:17).

In other verses, Jesus said he would rise "the third day" (Mt. 16:21; Mk. 10:34; Lk. 24:7). There is no contradiction - as some have supposed - between this expression and the term "three days and three nights." Both expressions are used interchangeably in the scriptures. Turning to Genesis, for example, we read that "God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening (darkness) and the morning (light) were the FIRST DAY... and the evening (darkness) and the morning (light) were the SECOND DAY... and the evening (now three periods of night) and the morning (now three periods of light) were THE THIRD DAY" (Gen. 1:4-13). Here then is an example of the term "the third day" counted up and shown to include three days AND three nights.

Bearing in mind that Jesus rose "the third day", let us notice that Sunday is not the third day after Friday: One day after Friday is Saturday, the second day after Friday is Sunday, and THE THIRD DAY after Friday is Monday! Mark 8:31 says that Jesus would "be killed and AFTER three days rise again:" Let us count

p 3 -- these days. If Jesus was killed on Friday, and then after one day the resurrection took place, it would have been on Saturday; after two days would have been Sunday; and after three days, it would have been on Monday. It seems evident then that there is something wrong with the wide-spread belief about Friday as the day of the crucifixion or Sunday as the day of the resurrection - or both!

Since there are twelve hours in a day and twelve hours in a night (John 11:9, 10), "three days and three nights" would equal 72 hours as the time element between our Lord's burial and his resurrection. But was this time element EXACTLY 72 hours?

According to the scriptures, Jesus was in the tomb NO LESS than 72 hours. He was in the tomb for "three days and three nights" and he arose "after three days" (Mt. 12:40; Mk. 8:31). We see no reason to figure this at any less than a full 72 hours. On the other hand, according to the scriptures, Jesus was in the tomb NO LONGER than 72 hours. Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and IN three days I will raise it up... he spake of the temple of his body." The time element here expressed could not be any more than 72 hours, for if it was, then Jesus would not have risen IN the third day. In fact, even one minute more than 72 hours would have been in the FOURTH day, since 72 hours is the full total of time in three complete days and nights!

Therefore, since the scriptures indicate that Jesus was in the tomb no less than 72 hours and no more than 72 hours, it seems definitely implied that the time element was exactly 72 hours. If this is true, it is certainly not out of line with the fact that God is a God of EXACTNESS. He does everything right on schedule. Nothing is accidental with him.

It was "when the fulness of the time was come" - not one year too early, or one year too late, but right on time - "God sent forth his Son" (Gal. 4:4). The time when he was to be anointed was foreordained and was spoken of by the prophet Daniel, as was also the time when Jesus would be "cut off" for the sins of the people. Those who tried to kill him before this failed, for "his time was not yet come"! And not only was the year and time of his death foreordained, but even the very HOUR was a part of the Divine plan! "Father", Jesus prayed, "the HOUR is come..." (John 17:1).

Now since there was an exact time for Christ to be born, an exact time for his anointing, an exact time for his ministry to begin, and an exact time for his death, it should not be regarded as inconsistent to believe that there was also an exact time period that was to elapse between his burial and resurrection - 72 hours exactly.

p 4 -- Bearing this in mind, we can now understand what time of day that the resurrection took place! Since Jesus was in the tomb three days and three nights (72 hours), we know that the resurrection took place at the same time of day that he was buried - only three days later. In other words, if he was buried at dawn, then he would rise exactly at dawn - three days later. Or if he was buried at noon, then his resurrection would take place at noon. If he was buried in the evening, then his resurrection would take place in the evening - three days later. If we can find out what time of day that Jesus was buried, we will automatically know what time of day he rose!

The Bible tells us that Jesus died shortly after "the ninth hour" or three in the afternoon.  1   (Matt. 27:46-50; Mk. 15:34-37; Lk. 23:44 -46). According to the reckoning of time in the Bible, each day ended and a new day began at sundown (Lev. 23:32). And since our Lord was crucified on the "preparation", the day before the "high day" Sabbath, special measures were taken to be sure that his body was removed before sundown - before the high day Sabbath began:  "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, for that Sabbath was an HIGH DAY, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away... but when they came to Jesus... he was dead already" (John 19:31-33). He was then taken down from the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea "for the sepulchre was nigh at hand" (John 19:42). These things took place "when the even was come" - the Greek word here translated "even" is "opsios," meaning, in the "late afternoon" (Mk. 15:42).

Therefore, since the resurrection of Jesus was to take place three days later, but at the same time of day as when he was buried, we know what time of day he arose! He was buried in the late afternoon, so of course his resurrection took place in the late afternoon - three days later. We know for certain that the resurrection did not take place at sunrise - as is sometimes assumed - for Jesus wasn't buried at sunrise! This is also evident from the fact that when visitors came to the tomb as the next day was dawning, the tomb was already empty (Mk. 16:2). Nor did Jesus rise during the night, for he was not buried during the night! He was in the tomb three days and three nights, but he rose the third DAY - not at night!

 1  -- Daylight hours in the Bible are divided into four divisions, beginning at sunrise and ending at sundown. The third hour would be 9 AM, the sixth hour 12 noon, the ninth hour 3 PM, and the twelfth hour 6 PM.

p 5 -- On what day then was the resurrection? The Bible tells us that when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early on the first day of the week, "it was yet DARK", and Jesus was NOT there (John 20: 1, 2). The gospel writers tell of several different visits made by the disciples to the tomb on that Sunday morning. In EVERY instance, they found the tomb EMPTY! An angel said: "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said" (Mt. 28:6).

Therefore, since the scriptures indicate that Jesus rose before sundown, and since he was not in the tomb early Sunday morning, we can conclude that the resurrection took place late in the afternoon of the day before. According to this, the resurrection was late on Saturday afternoon.

But doesn't the Bible somewhere say that Christ rose on the first day of the week - very early in the morning? The Bible tells us that the first day of the week was when the disciples discovered that he was risen - Mt.28:1-6; Mk.16:2-6; Lk.24:1, 2; John 20:1, 2 - but not one of these verses teaches that this was the time of the resurrection! In each instance the tomb was empty! He was already risen!

Some have thought, however, that Mark 16:9 teaches that the resurrection was early Sunday morning. Here is the verse: "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils:" But this verse does not say that Jesus rose on the first day of the week. Look at it closely. Does it say that early on the first day of the week that Jesus was "rising" or that he "did rise" at that time? No! It says that when the first day of the week came, he "WAS RISEN." This is the past perfect tense; that is, he was already risen.

The Greek word here rendered "was risen" is "anastas" and has the meaning of "having risen", indefinitely in the PAST. Neither the Greek or English wording of this verse indicates that Christ rose early in the morning of the first day of the week. Instead, he was already risen.

Note:  When the Bible was originally written, commas (and other punctuation marks) were completely unknown. Punctuation marks were invented by Aldus Manutious in the Fifteenth Century. Since the original manuscripts had no punctuation marks, the translators placed commas wherever they thought they should go - based entirely on their beliefs. In Mark 16: 9, notice where the comma is placed: "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene." Placing the comma here seems to connect the first day of the week with the time of the resurrection. But, if the comma had been placed after risen, it would read like this: "Now when Jesus was risen, early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene..." Is the scripture explaining the time of the resurrection OR the time when Jesus appeared to Mary? The context, other verses, the fact that "was risen" is the past perfect tense - these things all indicate that the first day of the week is when Jesus appeared to Mary, not the time of his resurrection. This would have been more clear to every reader it the translators had placed the comma after risen, instead of after week. Let us remember that it is the words of the Bible that were inspired by God, but the punctuation was later added by men and is subject to error.

p 6 -- A study of Mark 16:9 (note) and the following verses through verse 14, shows that Mark is telling of the various appearances that Jesus made on the first day of the week. The context makes it clear that he is not explaining which day the resurrection took place.

When Sunday morning came, our Lord was already RISEN, having risen late in the afternoon of the day before. On which day then was the crucifixion? Since we believe that Jesus did fulfill his sign, we can count back three days which brings us to Wednesday as the day of the crucifixion. Would this make three days and three nights between the burial and resurrection of Christ? Yes. Let us count the days and nights and see. Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night - three nights; also Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - three days. This would make a total of exactly three days and three nights or 72 hours.

One day after Wednesday would be Thursday. Two days after Wednesday would be Friday, and "the third day" after Wednesday would be Saturday. Here then is perfect scriptural harmony! Jesus was buried on Wednesday just before sundown; he rose Saturday just before sundown. Truly he fulfilled his sign of three days and three nights, rising the third day.

 

Some have been confused about Luke 24:21, which records the words of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel", they said, "and beside all this, to day is the THIRD day since these things were done." Now because Jesus appeared to these disciples on the first day of the week (Lk. 24:13), and this was "the third day since these things were done", would this not indicate that Jesus died on Friday? No! One day "since" Friday would have been Saturday; the second day "since" Friday would have been Sunday, and the THIRD day "since" Friday would have been Monday! Obviously this verse is no proof for a Friday crucifixion.

The disciples mentioned that it was the third day since "these things" were done. They talked about "ALL these things which had happened" (verse 14). They were talking about more than just one event. No doubt "these things" included the arrest, the crucifixion, the burial, and the setting of the seal and watch over the tomb. All of these things were not "done" - were not completed - until Thursday. Jesus, we have noticed, was crucified on "preparation" (Wednesday). "The next day (Thursday), that followed

p 7 -- the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: So that the last error shall be worse than the first:" And for this reason, the tomb was sealed and guarded (Mt. 27:62-66). So then, "These things" were not fully completed - were not "done" - until the tomb was sealed and guarded. This happened, as we have already seen on Thursday of that week, the high day. Sunday was truly "the third day since these things were done", but not the third day since the crucifixion.

Since Christ was crucified on the day before the Sabbath, we can understand why some have thought of Friday as the day of the crucifixion. But the sabbath that followed our Lord's crucifixion was not the weekly Sabbath, it was an annual Sabbath - "For that Sabbath was an HIGH DAY" (John 19:14, 31). This Sabbath could fall on any day of the week.

We believe the scriptures indicate that in the year Jesus was crucified that the high day sabbath came on Thursday. He was crucified and buried on the "preparation day" (Wednesday), the next day was the high day Sabbath (Thursday), then Friday, followed by the weekly Sabbath (Saturday). With this interpretation, we can understand how it is that Christ was crucified on the day BEFORE the Sabbath, was already risen from the tomb when the day AFTER the Sabbath came - yet still fulfilling his sign of three days and three nights! All of this becomes clear when we understand that there were TWO Sabbaths that week - the annual high day sabbath and the weekly Sabbath.

A careful comparison of Mark 16:1 with Luke 23:56 provides us with further evidence that there were two Sabbaths that week - AND that there was a common work day between these two sabbaths. Let us notice first, Mark 16:1: "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him" (A. R. V.  l   ). This verse plainly states that it was AFTER the sabbath that these women bought their spices. The other verse, however, states that they prepared these spices and AFTER preparing them, rested on the sabbath. "And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56).

 l   -- The King James Version is the only translation (of many we have checked) that uses the indefinite "had bought". All others have correctly rendered this as "bought."

p 8 -- The one verse says that it was AFTER the Sabbath that the women bought spices; the other verse says that they prepared the spices BEFORE the Sabbath. Of course they couldn't prepare the spices until first they had purchased them! Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? But it's not! It all becomes clear when we remember that there were TWO different Sabbaths that week! Jesus was buried just before sundown on Wednesday; Thursday was the high day Sabbath; and "after" this Sabbath - on Friday - the women "bought" their spices and prepared them. After preparing the spices, they rested on the weekly sabbath. Then going to the tomb on the first day of the week,   they found the tomb empty. Jesus was not there! He had already risen! Truly Jesus fulfilled his sign of three days and three nights. With this interpretation, the various terms used and the gospel accounts become complementary, not contradictory.

I also found that in Matthew 28:1 it states:    "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." As Matthew clearly states, this was still in the sabbath hours. Further to this, in reading The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, on the same text it states,    "Now late on Sabbath, as it was getting dusk toward the first day of the week...". It is plain to see from this that when the women came to the tomb late on Sabbath, Christ was already risen late on Saturday, the Sabbath. (emphasis mine)

Continuing:        R. A. Torrey, a noted evangelist and Bible institute dean, years ago mentioned this truth about the three days and three nights. Since this was not the generally held position of his denominational brethren, he was speaking from conviction and not convenience. This makes his words in this connection especially significant.

In his book Difficulties and Alleged Errors and Contradictions in the Bible (written in 1907), Torrey said:           "... According to the commonly accepted tradition of the church, Jesus was crucified on Friday... and was raised from the dead very early in the morning of the following Sunday. Many readers of the Bible are puzzled to know how the interval between late Friday afternoon and early Sunday morning can be figured out to be three days and three nights. It seems rather to be two nights, one day and a very small portion of another day.

"The solution of this apparent difficulty proposed by many commentators is that 'a day and a night' is simply another way of saying 'a day', and that the ancient Jews reckoned a fraction of a day as a whole day... There are many persons whom this solution does not altogether satisfy, and the writer is free to confess it does not satisfy him at all. It seems to me to be a makeshift...

"... the Bible nowhere says or implies that Jesus was crucified and died on Friday. It is said that Jesus was crucified on 'the day before the Sabbath'... Now the Bible does not leave us to speculate

p 9 -- in regard to which sabbath is meant in this instance... It was not the day before the weekly sabbath (that is, Friday), but it was the day before the Passover sabbath, which came this year on Thursday - that is to say, the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified was Wednesday. John makes this as clear as day...

"To sum It all up, Jesus died just about sunset on Wednesday. Seventy-two hours later... he arose from the grave. When the women visited the tomb just before dawn in the morning they found the grave already empty...

"There is absolutely nothing in favour of Friday crucifixion, but everything in the Scriptures is perfectly harmonized by Wednesday crucifixion. It is remarkable how many prophetical and typical passages of the Old Testament are fulfilled and how many seeming discrepancies in the Gospel narratives are straightened out when we once come to understand that Jesus died on Wednesday, and not on Friday" (pp. 104-109).

 

END of Study. TOP

2002