Most Christians believe that Jesus died on Friday at 3 pm and resurrected before sunrise Sunday (~ 6:00 AM Standard Time), which is elapsed time of 40 hours, less than 2 days; but Bible repeatedly says "3 days & 3 nights"
[Mat 12:40 KJV] "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."
Is "3 days & 3 nights" merely an idiom, a shorthand expression, that we mis-interpret, as it wasn't meant to be literal?
If Jesus died Friday at 3 PM, that might count for a part of a day for day #1, Friday night is night #1, Saturday day is day #2, Saturday night is night #2, Sunday morning is some part of day #3, but we are still missing a third night in this cockeyed accounting. From Friday afternoon to Sunday sunrise, there is no reasonable interpretation to get 3 days & 3 nights.
In the Old Testament, Esther calls a fast for 3 days and three nights in Esther 4:16, so as to prepare for Esther going before the King. In Esther 5:1, Esther goes before the King on the 3rd day (ie. not after the 3rd day is over). Therefore to count properly, as defined by the Bible, we must have at least a part of the day or night to count it.
This same counting as Esther used is also used for the 8 days after birth for the male baby circumcision (Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3; Philippians 3:5); even if just a minute of a day remains, it counts as a full day.
This is similar to parking garage fees of today: $4 per hour, or any part thereof. If you overstay by 1 minute, you pay for a full additional hour.
Even here, Friday 3 PM to Sunday sunrise cannot be stretched by any means, into 3 days and 3 nights.
Erroneous Explanation #1
Some people try to propose that the new day starts at sundown, and so then you have a part day on Friday, full 24 hrs for Saturday, and then assumes that Sunday starts at sundown Saturday, so that is allegedly "3 days".
[Luk 23:54 KJV] 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
The phrase "...and the sabbath drew on." (same Greek word, epiphōskō G2020 as Mat. 28:1 used) means that the night feast of Passover was coming to an end, and it was just before Saturday sunrise for the high sabbath of Unleavened Bread. Therefore when Jesus was placed in his tomb "in the heart of the earth", Friday was well passed away, therefore we can't count any of Friday.
Therefore we only have part of Saturday to count, even worse than most realize.
Therefore, this is still not "3 days and 3 nights", so it also requires the misleading and erroneous explaining away of this biblical text as an idiom, so as to enshrine the customs of the Church Fathers. This is strongly reject.
However, this mediocre explanation also creates numerous conflicts in the Bible, as I will show below.
Erroneous Explanation # 2
Others try to be creative with the definition of "heart of the earth", by conveniently re-defining it to mean "incarceration, judgement, crucifixion, death, burial) where he remained until his resurrection on Sunday morning".
Everybody agrees that Jesus was already risen before the dawn Sunday morning (Mat. 28:1).
Counting backwards, Sat. night is Night #3, Sat. day is Day #3, Friday night is Night #2, Friday day is Day #2, Thurs. night is Night #1, Wed. day is Day #1. Therefore Jesus would have to be in His tomb on or before sunrise Wednesday morning.
Therefore the Last Supper was Monday evening. Jesus was arrested on Monday evening. Preparation Day (before Passover starting at sundown) would be Tuesday. Jesus was crucified on Tuesday Preparation Day, and died at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, and was in His tomb just before sunrise on Wednesday morning.
That's certainly different from a standard Good Friday dogma.
Erroneous Explanation #3
Many suggest that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday, so as to create 3 full days and 3 full nights, then resurrection on Sunday morning at or before sunrise Sunday morning. I know, I used to be in this camp.
This assumption is defeated by the actions of the women. They were highly motivated to do everything possible to honor Jesus.
If we assume Jesus died at 3 PM Wednesday, then the gaining of permission to collect His body, arranging for the tomb, it all took precious time. As we see above, Luke 23:54 says they got Jesus into the tomb before sunrise the next day after His crucifixion. There was insufficient time to properly care for His body. Passover started at sundown Wednesday, the day Jesus died, and continued till sunrise the next day, when the high sabbath Unleavened Bread began. If the men barely got Jesus in the tomb before sunrise Thursday, and no work is allowed on the high sabbath Thursday, the women were barred from doing their duty immediately, they had to wait. On Friday, they could have washed and properly buried Jesus, but the didn't, they waited till Sunday sunrise.
Why wouldn't the women due their loving duty for Jesus' body on Friday, rather than Sunday?
It is suggested that the crucifixion did not occur on a Wednesday.
What is the truth?
I suggest Jesus was crucified on Preparation Day, dying at 3 pm (ie. the 9th hour, by ancient Biblical reckoning), with Passover beginning at sundown on that same Preparation Day.
Based solely on the Bible, I suggest Jesus died on Nisan 14, Preparation Day, which is likely equivalent to Thursday April 15, 32 AD, according to today's Gregorian calendar system.
We assume 32 AD, as there was a Blood Moon Triad on the high Jewish holidays that year, and the Sun and Moon are in Aries in that year.
We assume Nisan 14 as that is the biblical date for Passover, and April 15th would be the Full Moon in that year according to NASA astrological model calculations.
The sequence of events, according to the Bible is:
- Jesus asks the disciples to make preparations for Passover, as a group in the Upper Room, in Jerusalem.
- Disciples prepare the Upper Room.
- On Wednesday evening, Jesus & disciples gather in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, communion, exposure of a traitor, footwashing.
- Judas leaves early so as to betray Jesus
- Jesus and 3 disciples retire to the garden to pray and watch.
- Judas returns late Wednesday night with soldiers, so as to betray Jesus, then arrest him.
- Jesus taken to the Chief Priest's residence, Peter follows.
- Jesus is questioned, accused, mocked, & assaulted. Peter denies Jesus 3 times, then the cock crows as the sunrise approaches Thursday morning.
- Jesus is taken to Pontius Pilot, then Harrod, then back to Pilot, then sentenced to death by crucifixion at noon Thursday, which is Preparation Day, before Passover begins at sundown.
- Jesus is beaten, flogged, and mocked.
- Jesus dies at about 3 PM Thursday, Preparation Day, prior to Passover at sundown.
- Jesus' followers seek permission to receive Jesus' dead body.
- Passover begins at sundown Thursday.
- During Thursday night (Passover night), Jesus' body is eventually taken down off the cross, then transported to the tomb.
- Jesus is in His tomb, the heart of the Earth, on or just before Friday sunrise, as Passover is coming to an end, and the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread is about to begin, in accordance with Luke 23:54.
- Roman guards arrive and seal the tomb door Friday morning, during the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread.
- Jesus' body rests in His tomb for 2 full days and a few moments of a third day, so as to meet the same Biblical definition of 3 days & 3 nights, as used by Esther, and for circumcision.
- Jesus is resurrected on or before sunrise on Sunday morning.
Jesus died at 3 PM (ie. Biblical 9th hour), at exactly the correct time, with all of the Passover lambs.
Josephus tells us that 256,500 animal were typically sacrificed at the Jerusalem Temple between the 9th and 11th hour on Preparation Day (Bellum Jud., Book VI, Chapter 9, Verse 3), https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/war-6.html ) so Jesus died right on-time as a Sacrificial Lamb of God.
Jesus' gave up the Ghost while on the cross at 3:00 PM.
Psalm 68:18; Zechariah 9:11;1 Pet 3:18-19, 1 Pet. 4:6, and a few other verses allude to Jesus entering the underworld (ie. "Harrowing of Hades") so as to preach His Gospel to those who died before He did, and those that accept the Gospel and believe in Him, He raised to Heaven with Himself. This may count for time served in the "heart of the Earth".
Therefore, counting from the moment of Jesus' death, Thursday afternoon is a part day, counting as Day #1 per Esther's counting method. Thurs. night is Night #1. Friday day is Day #2, Friday night in Night #2. Sat. day is Day #3. Sat. night is Night #3. Therefore we have 3 days and 3 nights, fully meeting Jesus' self-prophecy of Mat. 12:40, if counted by Esther's count method.
On the Road to Emmaus
- Mat 27:51 the ripping of the Temple veil, the darkness, & the earthquake.
- Mat 62:62-66 going to Pilot on the High Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (ie. after Passover was over), and the securing of permission for the Roman guard and seal on the stone door for Jesus' tomb.
God's Day Starts at Sunrise
Luke 23:53-54 tells us that Jesus was placed in His tomb just before sunrise of the High Sabbath Unleavened Bread, which most likely occurred as of sunrise Friday morning, at first light. Multiples proofs provided above.
[Luk 23:53-54 KJV] 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
Here are the same verses with Strong's Numbers turned on:
[Luk 23:53-54 KJV] 53 And[G2532] he took[G2507][G0] it[G846] down,[G2507] and wrapped[G1794] it[G846] in linen,[G4616] and[G2532] laid[G5087] it[G846] in[G1722] a sepulchre[G3418] that was hewn in stone,[G2991] wherein[G3757] never[G3756] man[G3764] before[G3762] was[G2258] laid.[G2749] 54 And[G2532] that day[G2250] was[G2258] the preparation,[G3904] and[G2532] the sabbath[G4521] drew on.[G2020]
As you can see, "drew on" in KJV is the English translation for Strong's G2020.
Note in the Bible's Greek source text, Luke used the word "epiphosko", Strong's G2020, meaning "to dawn, begin, shine forth; used of the reckoned commencement of the day, to be near commencing, to dawn on. G2020 is only used twice in the Bible: Mat 28:1, Lk. 23:54;
Both of these verses also help prove that God's day begins at sunrise, not at sunset as practiced by Jews & Muslims today.
It is suggested that the Jewish & Muslim custom of starting a day at sundown is a relic adopted from Babylon, thus becoming a "custom of the elders", rather that being compliant with the Bible.
Ref.: R.A. Parker & W.H. Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology, Providence, R.I., 1956,
https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/babylon/downloads/babylonian_chronology_pd_1956.pdf
If God's day truly began at sunset, then it could not still be Preparation Day as it dawned towards the sabbath (ie. the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread), as declared in Luke 23:54.
Similarly, if God's day truly began at sunset, it could not still be Sabbath as it dawned towards the first day of the week, as described in Mat. 28:1.
In the alternative, both Mat. 28:1 and Luke 23:53-54 are exactly true and fully correct if God's day begins at sunrise.
I believe the Bible is God-breathed, written by men as inspired by God. God promised to protect His word from corruption, or passing away. Therefore, the Bible is one of our few sources of truth; most everything else is frail human opinions, often biased, coloured, or deceived.
For 13 additional proofs that God's day begins at sunrise, see:
https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html?m=1
Mat. 28:1 tells us that the women came to wrap the body of Jesus early on Sunday morning, just before sunrise, but Jesus' body was already gone, as He had risen.
From Friday sunrise to Sunday sunrise is exactly 3 days & 3 nights in the heart of the earth, exactly as Jesus said He would.
Please explain the above to every Christian you can find, so that they know the truth.
*** Updated 2025-04-04, 2025-4-22 ***
Index: God's Day: When does it Start?
2019-5-17
2019-5-27
2019-9-28
2022-08-22
2024-4-21
