Neto wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 8:12 am
JohnHurt wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 8:00 am
Christ said:
Matthew 12:(40) 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.
If Christ died and was buried on Friday evening, and then rose on Sunday morning, how is that 3 days and 3 nights?
John
It is an old argument, one with all sorts of explanations on both sides. A fellow translator of ours believed that the Passover meal with his disciples was on Wednesday, and that his death was on Thursday. Special days in the Jewish religious calendar were also called "Sabbaths', so it is very difficult to exactly pinpoint the exact timing. What we CAN know, is that it was God's timing in his over-all plan of salvation. It is more important for us to recall what he did for each of us, than to be fixated on the exact human time table. (Just my opinion, of course.)
If Christ was killed on Thursday, and buried Thursday evening, and arose Sunday morning, that is 3 nights and only 2 days. It still does not fit.
What we all believe to be the truth will not ever fit Christ's prophecy, because our belief could be based on the wrong assumptions, namely that Christ arose on Sunday morning.
If you open your mind to discover the truth of what Christ said in Matthew 12:40, and read the Resurrection passages in Matt 28 and elsewhere, then you will understand that the tomb was empty on Sunday morning, and Christ had already arisen the Saturday evening before.
It is very plain if you read the texts with an open mind, and listen to what they said, namely "He is not here, for He is risen" Mt 28:6.
If Christ was buried in the evening, then He had to arise in the evening, 3 days and 3 nights later, just like He said.
If He was buried on Wednesday at evening, then He arose on Saturday at evening.
But here is why our minds are closed:
If Christ really arose on Saturday evening, then there is no valid reason for worshiping Christ on Sunday. And there is no valid reason for the celebration of Easter on Sunday, which was established by the First Council of Nicaea.
That is why Matthew 12:40 is ignored, and we are asked to concentrate on what He did for us, and not to worry about the details of His Doctrines. We have all made the mistake of worshipping Christ, without listening to what He actually said or told us to do. Luke 6:46.
Thank you for your response. If you can come up with any scenario that puts Christ "3 days and 3 nights" in the heart of the earth, I am interested. It is something I struggled with for a very long time, and it finally opened my eyes.
John
"He replaced the teachings of Christ with his own opinions, and gave us a religion based on the doctrines of men."