Jesus said no sign shall be given, except the sign of Jonah.

After Jesus was crucified, was the sign of Jonah fulfilled ?

Did Jesus spend 3 days & 3 nights in the earth ?

When did the resurrection occur ?

What are the Bible answers (and insights) to questions like these ?

For as Jonas [Jonah] was three days and three nights in the whale's belly [quoting Jon 1:17 ]; so shall the Son of man [Jesus speaking of himself ] be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [in the sepulchre (tomb)]."  (Mat 12:39-40, Mat 16:4, Luk 11:29)

For the 3 nights, between a Friday crucifixion (commonly called good Friday ?) and a Sunday resurrection, we have Friday night and Saturday night.  But that is only 2 nights.  To satisfy the requirement for 3 nights, we need to include Thursday night as well.

3 nights:  Therefore, with a Thursday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection, we have Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night, as the required 3 nights.  The Bible describes, and answers our questions below concerning, this scenario.

Alt-1) Even though Jesus died on the cross at about 3pm in the afternoon (ninth (9th) hour of daylight since sunrise), the Bible indicates that it was after sundown and in the evening before Jesus' body was placed in the earth (in the sepulchre (tomb)).  (After evening was come (Mar 15:42, Mat 27:57).)  Given this data, it would mean that Jesus' body spent none of Thursday's daytime in the earth, so we would not be able to count Thursday as one of the required days.

Alt-2) Jesus' resurrection could have been shortly after sunrise on Sunday, which provides for Jesus' body spending a few minutes of Sunday's daytime in the earth (Mar 16:2, Luk 24:1).  This would enable us to count Sunday as one of the required days.

Alt-3) If the reference to "days" is to all or part of 24-hour Bible/Jewish days (and the reference to "nights" is to all or part of 12-hour  nights), then Sunday qualifies for day#3 (anytime after Saturday at sundown and before Sunday at sundown).  Using this definition, Jesus' resurrection could have been before sunrise on Sunday (Joh 20:1).  This would enable us to count Sunday as one of the required days.

3 days:  Therefore, with a Thursday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection, we have Friday (daytime), Saturday (daytime), and Sunday (a short interval of daytime after sunrise, or including some nighttime before sunrise), as the required 3 days.  The Bible describes, and answers our questions below concerning, this scenario.

With a Thursday crucifixion (in which Jesus is killed (or dies) about 3pm), and with Thursday ending at sundown Jewish time, Friday is clearly the 1st day after this event, Saturday the 2nd day, and Resurrection Sunday is clearly the 3rd day after this event occurred.

On Resurrection Sunday one of Jesus' disciples, on the road to Emmaus,  makes the following statement about the crucifixion: "to day [Resurrection Sunday] is the third day since these things [Jesus being condemned to death and crucified] were done."  (Luk 24:21)  (Friday is the 1st day, Saturday is the 2nd day, and Resurrection Sunday ("to day") is the third day since Thursday's crucifixion.)

Other Biblical "third day" references in the new testament include:  Mat 16:21, Mat 17:23, Mat 20:19, Mat 27:64, Mar 9:31, Mar 10:34, Luk 9:22, Luk 13:32, Luk 18:33, Luk 24:7, Luk 24:21(above), Act 10:40, 1Co 15:4.

Other Biblical "three days" references in the new testament include:  Mat 26:61, Mat 27:40, Mar 14:57-58, Mar 15:29, Joh 2:19-22("he spake of the temple of his body").

Other Biblical "after three days" references in the new testament include:  Mat 27:63, Mar 8:31.  Since these references are to when Jesus was crucified or killed, after which there was about 3 hours of Thursday daytime remaining, then "after one day" (after Thursday) could refer to Friday, "after two days" (after Thursday & Friday) could refer to Saturday, and therefore "after three days" (after Thursday & Friday & Saturday) could refer to Resurrection Sunday.

(Remember that Julian/Gregorian/Civil/conventional calendar days begin (and end) at midnight, but Bible/Hebrew/Jewish calendar days begin (and end) at the sundown before midnight (evening begins at sundown).  On all calendars nights end at sunrise, and mornings begin at sunrise.)
 

Julian Calendar	Bible/Jewish Calendar	Nights & Days	Events (OT=Old Testament, NT=New Testament)	.
Apr 5, Wednes- day	FD6pm= 1471937 Nisan 14, 4030 FY Thursday(5th) Passover Crucifixion Preparation  (for High Day    Sabbath)	evening   NIGHT   sunrise	OT: Nisan (1st month) 14 at even is the Lord's passover (Lev 23:5). NT: 8-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover 1st day (Mat 26:17) Jesus kept the Passover (The Lord's Supper) at evening (Mar 14:12-17)	.
midnight Apr 6, 30 AD Thursday JDnoon= 1732111				. . .
		morning   DAY   sunset	Custom to release one at the passover (Joh 18:39) Jesus put upon cross between 9am & noon (Mar 15:25, Joh 19:14) For even Christ our passover [lamb] is sacrificed for us: (1Co 5:7) About the 9th hour (3pm) Jesus dies (Mat 27:46-50, Mar 15:34-37) It was the preparation (day before a high day sabbath) (Joh 19:31) Alt-1) Jesus' body taken down, wrapped, laid in sepulchre before sunset (before evening).  (No verses supporting this.)	.
				.
	FD6pm= 1471938 Nisan 15, 4030 FY Friday(6th) DAY#1 High Sabbath Feast of UB#1 Preparation   (for Saturday     Sabbath)	evening   NIGHT    #1   sunrise	When the [Friday] even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the [Saturday] sabbath (Mar 15:42, Mat 27:57) Alt-2) Jesus' body taken down, wrapped, laid in sepulchre (Mat 27:57-60, Mar 15:42-46, Luk 23:50-54, Joh 19:38-42) Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, watch (Mar 15:47, Mat 27:61, Luk 23:55)	.
midnight Apr 7, 30 AD Friday JDnoon= 1732112				.
		morning DAY    #1   sunset	OT: Nisan 15: 7-day feast of unleavened bread begins (Lev 23:6) OT: The 1st day ye shall do no servile work (sabbath) (Num 28:18) NT: this sabbath day was an high day (not a Saturday) (Joh 19:31)	.
				.
	FD6pm= 1471939 Nisan 16, 4030 FY Saturday(7th) DAY#2 Sabbath Feast of UB#2	evening NIGHT    #2 sunrise		.
midnight Apr 8, 30 AD Saturday JDnoon= 1732113				.
		morning DAY    #2 sunset	chief priests and Pharisees ask Pilate to secure the sepulchre until the third day (Mat 27:62-66) Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, rested on the sabbath day according to the commandment [Saturday Sabbath] (Luk 23:56)	.
				.
	FD6pm= 1471940 Nisan 17, 4030 FY Sunday(1st) (8th day of wk) Day#3 Resurrection Feast of UB#3	evening   NIGHT    #3   sunrise	As it began to dawn, there was a great earthquake (angel rolled back the stone from the door of the sepulchre) (Mat 28:1-2) Alt-1,3) Jesus' body resurrected before sunrise?, when it was yet dark (Joh 20:1)	.
midnight Apr 9, 30 AD Sunday JDnoon= 1732114				.
		morning DAY    #3   sunset	Alt-2) Jesus' body resurrected after sunrise, very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun (Mar 16:2, 9)           Resurrected after sunrise, very early in the morning (Luk 24:1) Angel: He [Jesus] is not here: for he is risen, as he said. (Mat 28:6) to day is the third day since Jesus' crucifixion (Luk 24:21)     (Sunday is the third day since Thursday's crucifixion)	.
				.
	FD6pm= Faulstich Day#  (integer=6pm (sundown))  (beginning of Creation Day#8 6pm =1) JDnoon= Julian Day#  (integer=noon)  (Day #0=Jan 1, 4713 BC) FD@6pm(Babylon) + 260173.125 = JD@3pm UT(GMT) FD@6pm(Jerusalem) + 260173.15 = JD@3:36pm UT(GMT) FD@6pm(Egypt) + 260173.167 = JD@4pm UT(GMT) 4030 FY= Faulstich Year# since Creation Week (beginning of Creation Day#8=Nisan 1, 0 FY)			.

 
 

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