Three Days and Three Nights. Sabbath or Sunday?
It began with my own personal realisation and journey seven-years ago that something was very seriously wrong with the traditionally-assumed and accepted, Christian, (the) orthodox view of the Friday to Sunday crucifixion and resurrection chronology.
The most timid of concerns should prove conclusively that the Biblical template of three-days and three-nights, which includes a high (Passover) and weekly Sabbath cannot chronologically accommodate a Friday to Sunday Passion.
Matters further compounded through diligent study of the original biblical Greek and Hebrew texts that the traditionally held understanding and view of the Passion chronology upheld by church dogma is fraught with inconsistencies, very poor translations and is polar opposite to what scripture actually teaches.
Friday to Sunday Passion? Three Days, Three Nights?
One of my Bible students many years ago asked, ‘Bobby, excuse me, but how do we squeeze three-days and three-nights into a Friday afternoon to Sunday morning epoch? I thought, I recalculated, I morphed different ideas, contorted, and stumbled at his questioning and finally strung together an incoherent and terse explanation that I dare not to repeat, in short, it was a bogus attempt, trusting that no further questions on the same theme would ensue, and hoped for a prompt conclusion and exit of the subject at hand.
I had personally considered this many years previously, concluding that the Almighty can of course more than take care of his own book, his written account, his covenant promises, the translators, the printed word and its exposition, and I thought no more about it, albeit, brushing the subject matter aside yet with still no conclusion.
The question continued to bother me as time passed, haunted me, got under my skin, and wouldn’t leave me alone, it pressed upon me sorely, knowing intrinsically after these many years of ‘being in the way’ this relatively simple mathematical, calendrical conundrum could be such a stumbling block to me and it would appear to many others.
I became resigned and determined myself to seek and search out the answer. If His Word is true I thought, if this Word I had come to rely on, if this Word I had committed to so many years ago was true, there could be no schism in its framework and no contradiction between text and tradition.
Corrupted Texts and Traditions.
In almost a generation, yup, a generation I had never, ever really studied scripture, the Bible. I mean studied it for myself! That may be a shock to many. Yes, I may have pored over a few readings, a devotion in the morning or the occasional vesper and sermon. The ‘New Testament’ maybe some, but the ‘OLD Testament’ never, that part had all be done away with, abolished as some pastors, ministers and preachers will tell us, so, there was never, ever any need to go there, that had all been fulfilled at Calvary and had conveniently passed away into oblivion with a clever swipe of dispensationalism.
During travel and in-between business trips I became an avid Berean, just as in Acts 17:11 . . . examining the Scriptures every day to see what was true. I sought Rabbi Google and listened and watched everything on the subject related to three days and three nights, when was the crucifixion, when and what day was the resurrection, was Christ in the grave three days and three nights in a desperate, now fervent attempt to crack this cryptic puzzle. I came to learn how our Father will always reward a diligent seeker, . . . You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, Jeremiah 29.13.
Not an easy subject – not for the faint of Heart.
A totally new vocabulary started to form, a wealth of treasure lay in wait as I flipped the dusty pages many had forgotten and were told by those in authority to forget. Key elements, cipher keys if you will unlocked themselves as the pattern and design laid out as our foundation dove-tailed with what we had deemed the ‘new’ and now, only essential. Inseparable and continuous in their nuance, divided only by poor translation, and contrivance.
The three days and three nights cipher slowly revealed itself, the correct cycle of the biblical day played an indispensable role, the essential seven appointed times of the creator, the way-points that point to Messiah, and what he will do and when he will perform all came into sharp focus.
Accused, but not forsaken, shaken but not stirred.
It changed the dynamic of my fragile, non-scriptural belief-system that I had held dearly for so many years. How many times have we heard it said and preached from the pulpit, discussed at that cosy little Bible class, that as Christians ‘sin’ cannot touch us, we rise above it I heard one pastor state, Jesus our saviour has paid it all no matter how we live, Jesus has done it all, so we don’t have to and yet scripture plainly states that we define sin and incorrect behaviours in his sight by the commandments. 1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. https://biblehub.com/greek/458.htm. It was time for me to admit I was wrong, had entertained beliefs that were corrupt and dangerous. It was a time of turning, teshuva, as I have come to learn.
I must implore you at this point dear reader, carefully consider, the established church teachings today that you trust in has hidden the truth from you, while claiming and proclaiming it is offering it.
Church dogma has over the millennia established their own self-appointed hierarchy of priests, illegally demanded tithes, changed the biblical Sabbath to a Sunday, corrupted texts and translations, sanctified unclean foods making all foods clean, established pagan holidays instead of the sanctioned set-apart days. Search the scriptures. This may come as a shock to many just as it dawned upon our family. Search the scriptures, ask questions, not sure something is right, STOP, if not, your spiritual walk with whom you think is the messiah, may turn out to be just a hay and stubble replica. Shalom.