In 3 Days, After 3 Days, or Both?

In my last post, I suggested that the spiritual awakening that is going on right now in the hearts of a few believers in every nation around the world was directly linked to the resurrection of Christ. I compared the resurrection story, according to the gospels, linking to the scripture in 2 Peter 3:8-9,

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

We are seeing the signs of the end of the age being fulfilled all around us. At the same time an amazing spiritual awakening is touching the hearts of a remnant of believers throughout the world, all at once. The church is considered "the body of Christ", and we are in the early hours of the third millennial "day" since Christ died, and so I concluded that this awakening was a "resurrection of the Body of Christ". I have found that the best subjects to write about are researched in reverse: where you have an idea that strikes you suddenly, and then do some homework to check it out, and get a resounding confirmation that you're thinking on the right track. The last post was like that. I had assumed that the Nicene Counsel had written the Apostles creed, but when I found out the truth (that the apostles creed was written in the 1st century with "resurrection of the body" and the Nicene Creed was written 200 years later, when the Holy Spirit anointing was gone, the term "body" changed to "dead")...when I found that out, the concept I had made even more sense.

Recently, Thomas brought up Jesus' words in Matt 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."

He pointed out that if Jesus was talking about his resurrection, than my concept was a thousand years ahead of us, and not going on right now, because we are in the early hours of the "third day" since Jesus died. Thomas raised a good point. but when he brought it up, I had just finished a long and difficult exchange with Dan, and was feeling attacked, so my quick responses didn't completely explain what that verse is talking about, and how my teaching could be considered valid. If I am teaching in a way that contradicts the overall story of the scripture, then my teaching is worth nothing. But thankfully, the Bible is full of explanations.

The most important way to find answers to the deep questions we have, is to seek out those answers ourselves, and to remain in prayer. Thankfully, the truth is available to all who will seek it. Seeking the truth is hard work, but it's not an impossible task. You don't have to know everything in order to recognize the truth. And the more of it you do know, and embrace it, the more free you become from the influence of deceivers (so it's worth the effort). Also the more truth you encounter, the more love you have for it.

First, I will reinforce the concept of God's remnant and Jesus raising up in the third day, and then we will read what is supposed to happen after the third day. Thomas was correct in pointing out Matt 12:40, and asking the needed question. That verse is a "technicality", in that it is "a detail meaningful only to a specialist". However, we are called to study the scriptures in order to show ourselves approved to God, so we should all be studying the scriptures continuously, looking to the scriptures (and prayer) directly as the best resources for finding answers to our questions.

I will use the gospel of Matthew and the book of Hosea to plead my case, but there are certainly more verses that discuss this topic, buried like gems throughout the scriptures. Matt 16:21,

"From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."

This verse introduces the concept of the personal resurrection of Jesus would happen in the third day, not after the third day. (but something will certainly happen after the third day). Matt 17:22-23,

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them,“The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Again, this is saying that the resurrection will happen in the third day, not after. Now as far as the Passover Sabbath goes, I have done a little homework (thanks to leads given by Sandra and Thomas), and found that Passover is the holiday which comes immediately before the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus was not betrayed on the passover, because his conspirators were afraid that the people would riot against them. Matt:26-2-5 starts with Jesus telling his disciples:

“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

In the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first and the last days are considered Sabbaths. The days in between are not. Although they are part of the celebration, work can be done. This is significant. The conspirators needed to get rid of Jesus, but they were afraid of the people. What better time to strike than when the people were mostly pre-occupied with the week long feast of Passover? They couldn't do it on the opening feast day, because no one was allowed to work that day (neither Judges, nor Chief Priests, nor Elders). But they could do it after sun set on that day, in the middle of the night, while most of Jerusalem was sleeping. Matt 26:17 makes it clear that the Last Supper was on that day.

Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

The rest of Matt 26, gives the account of Jesus' betrayal. Matt 27 opens up the next morning, and it is on that day that Jesus is sentenced by Pilot and crucified. Jesus died in the "9th hour" of that day, which is three hours before the beginning of the "day of preparation". The Jews counted their days from evening to evening. Matt 27:57 says that when Jesus was crucified, he was buried that evening, and the next morning the elders and priests convinced Pilot to place a seal on his grave. The next day was the Sabbath. Since the Last Supper was shared on the special Sabbath of the Unleavened Bread Feast, and he was crucified the next day, it would be impossible for the Sabbath before his resurrection to be a double sabbath.

So he was buried and sealed in one day, he remained in the grave for the next day (the sabbath), and his resurrection was discovered the morning of the third day after his death. Now, it should be noted that none of the gospels give an account of the actual resurrection. All of the accounts are of discovering the empty tomb. But even though no one knows the hour of his resurrection, and none of us were there to witness it personally...there is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was alive again before the 72 hours of "three days and three nights" were up, and that he was dead for two full days, before being resurrected within the third day after his death. In that case, since Jesus wasn't a liar, he must have been talking about something else in Matt 12:40, when he says that "the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth".

My view is that Christ wasn't talking about his resurrection in that passage, but was instead talking about the future of the church, and his own future. Since we are flesh, and come from the "dust of the earth", and Jesus is in the hearts of his believers, he has been in "the heart of the earth" since he died, and will continue to be there even after he returns to rule the earth for 1000 years of peace. So that prophecy will not be fulfilled until after that 1000 years is over. We have an extra day ahead of us, where the body of Christ will be resurrected, and both head and body will remain in the heart of the earth, to rule together...this I believe to be "the last day" that Jesus spoke so much about. Hosea 6:1-3 also has a great promise for God's people. That is the promise that I shared in my last post.

Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

So the restoration will come after two days. Then for a thousand years, Satan will be bound, Christ will rule this earth, and there will be peace and joy like never before. After that thousand years Satan will be loosed, there will be one more war, and then this heaven and this earth will be judged and done away with (and replaced with a new heaven and a new Earth).

Please read through Revelation 20-21 to confirm that this is what the scriptures teach will happen. In Mat 12, Christ is talking about the days leading up to final judgment. The sign that will be given to those who demand a sign is this: the presence of Christ in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. (the entire history of the real church, including the next 1000 years). Judgment will come for all immediately after that appointed time. Matt 12:38-42

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 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. 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. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. After his death, his mind and his spirit have lived on in those who belong to him. This will continue, even in the earth's new state of existence, after Jesus the head comes back to the Earth, for the next day and the next evening. Only after three days and three nights will the final judgment come. But we are eagerly awaiting what is happening now, because it signals the deliverance of the church, and victory that was promised for the last day.