The question of the resurrection and how many days Yeshua was in the grave between his death on the cross and the resurrection day frequently comes up during this time of the year.ย ย The specific question is:ย “Yeshua said he was going to be in the earth (buried) for three days and three nights. If he died on Friday and rose on Sunday morning, how is this three days and three nights?”ย Let’s examine a few Scriptures and the Rabbinic literature and try to answer this question.
ืกืคืจ ืืจืืฉืืช ืคืจืง ืืย ืืย ย ืึทืึถึผืึฑืกึนืฃ ืึนืชึธื ืึถื-ืึดืฉึฐืืึธืจ ืฉึฐืืืฉึถืืช ืึธืึดืื: ืืย ย ืึทืึนึผืืึถืจ ืึฒืึตืึถื ืืึนืกึตืฃ ืึทึผืึผืึนื ืึทืฉึฐึผืืึดืืฉึดืื ืึนืืช ืขึฒืฉึนืึผ ืึดืึฐืืึผ ืึถืช-ืึธืึฑืึนืึดืื ืึฒื ึดื ืึธืจึตื:ย ย ืืย ย
Bereshit / Gensis 42:17-18ย ย “And he put them all in custody for three days. 18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God”ย (NASB)
ืกืคืจ ืืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืย ืืย ย ืึทืึทึผืึฒื ืึผ ืึตืึถึผื ื ึนืึทื ืึตืึถึผื ืฉึดืืึฐืขึทืช ืึธืึดืื ืึทืึฐืึดื | ืึทึผืึผืึนื ืึทืฉึฐึผืืึดืืขึดื ืึทืชึดึผืงึฐืจึทื ืึทืึดึผืึฐืึธืึธื ืึทืึทึผืึผืึผ ืึฐื ึตื-ืึดืฉึฐึนืจึธืึตื ืึถืช-ืึฒืจึธื ืึตืึธื-ืึถืึถืฃ ืจึทืึฐืึดื ืึฐึผืืึนื ืึถืึธื: ื
1 Kings 20:29ย “For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. ” (NASB)ย
ืกืคืจ ืืืจื ืืืืื ื ืคืจืง ื ย ืย ย ืึทืึนึผืืึถืจ ืึฒืึตืึถื ืขืึนื ืฉึฐืืึนืฉึถืืช ืึธืึดืื ืึฐืฉืืึผืืึผ ืึตืึธื ืึทืึตึผืึถืึฐ ืึธืขึธื: … ืืย ย ืึทืึธึผืึนื ืึธืจึธืึฐืขึธื ืึฐืึธื-ืึธืขึธื ืึถื-ืจึฐืึทืึฐืขึธื ืึทึผืึผืึนื ืึทืฉึฐึผืืึดืฉึดืื ืึทึผืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืึดึผืึถึผืจ ืึทืึถึผืึถืึฐ ืึตืืึนืจ ืฉืืึผืืึผ ืึตืึทื ืึทึผืึผืึนื ืึทืฉึฐึผืืึดืฉึดืื: ืื
2 Chronicles 10:5 ย “And he said to them, ‘Return to me again in three days” (NAS) and verse 10:12 states “So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, ‘Return to me on the third day.” (NASB)ย
ืกืคืจ ืึถืกึฐืชึตึผืจ ืย ืืย ืึตืึฐ ืึฐึผื ึนืืก ืึถืชึพืึธึผืึพืึทืึฐึผืืึผืึดืื ืึทึฝื ึดึผืึฐืฆึฐืึดืื ืึฐึผืฉืืึผืฉึธืื ืึฐืฆืึผืืึผ ืขึธืึทื ืึฐืึทืึพืชึนึผืืึฐืืึผ ืึฐืึทืึพืชึดึผืฉึฐืืชึผืึผ ืฉึฐืืึนืฉึถืืช ืึธืึดืื ืึทืึฐืึธื ืึธืึนืื ืึทึผืึพืึฒื ึดื ืึฐื ึทืขึฒืจึนืชึทื ืึธืฆืึผื ืึตึผื ืึผืึฐืึตื ืึธืึนืื ืึถืึพืึทืึถึผืึถืึฐ ืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืึนึฝืึพืึทืึธึผืช ืึฐืึทืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืึธืึทืึฐืชึดึผื ืึธืึธึฝืึฐืชึดึผืืย ื:ืย ืึทืึฐืึดื ื ืึทึผืึนึผืื ืึทืฉึฐึผืืึดืืฉึดืื ืึทืชึดึผืึฐืึทึผืฉื ืึถืกึฐืชึตึผืจ ืึทืึฐืืึผืช ืึทึฝืชึทึผืขึฒืึนื ืึทึผืึฒืฆึทืจ ืึตึผืืชึพืึทืึถึผืึถืึฐ ืึทืคึฐึผื ึดืืึดืืช ื ึนืึทื ืึตึผืืช ืึทืึถึผืึถืึฐ ืึฐืึทืึถึผืึถืึฐ ืึนืืฉึตืื ืขึทืึพืึดึผืกึตึผื ืึทืึฐืืึผืชึนื ืึฐึผืึตืืช ืึทืึทึผืึฐืืึผืช ื ึนืึทื ืคึถึผืชึทื ืึทืึธึผึฝืึดืชื
Esther 4:16 ย “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.'” And in 5.1: “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. ” (NASB)
ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืย ย ืย ย ืึทืึดึผืชึฐึผื ืึผ-ืืึน ืคึถืึทื ืึฐึผืึตืึธื ืึผืฉึฐืื ึตื ืฆึดืึปึผืงึดืื ืึทืึนึผืืึทื ืึทืชึธึผืฉึธืื ืจืึผืืึน ืึตืึธืื ืึดึผื ืึนื-ืึธืึทื ืึถืึถื ืึฐืึนื-ืฉึธืืชึธื ืึทืึดื ืฉึฐืืืฉึธืื ืึธืึดืื ืึผืฉึฐืืืฉึธืื ืึตืืืึนืช:ย ืืย ย ืึทืึนึผืืึถืจ ืืึน ืึธืึดื ืึฐืึดื-ืึทืชึธึผื ืึฐืึตื ืึดืึถึผื ืึธืชึธึผื ืึทืึนึผืืึถืจ ื ึทืขึทืจ ืึดืฆึฐืจึดื ืึธื ึนืึดื ืขึถืึถื ืึฐืึดืืฉื ืขึฒืึธืึตืงึดื ืึทืึทึผืขึทืึฐืึตื ึดื ืึฒืึนื ึดื ืึดึผื ืึธืึดืืชึดื ืึทืึผืึนื ืฉึฐืืืฉึธืื: ืื
1 Samuel 30:12-13ย “He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. 10:13 David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?” He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. ” (NASB)
In Bereshit / Genesis 42:16-18, the Scripturesย state theyย are releasedย (ON that day) on the third day.ย In this example from the Torah, being held in prison “for three days” meant only up until the “third day” or at some point “into the third day.”ย In 1 Kings 20:29, the Scriptures state that “for seven days” the were encamped and on the seventh day the war began.ย In this case seven days of encampment meant only “in the seventh day.”ย ย In 2 Chronicles 10:5, the Scriptures stateย that they are to return to Rehoboam in three days and it happend on the third day they returned, this “in three days” was equivalent to “on the third day.”ย ย In the book ofย Esther 4:16, the Scriptures sayย that Esther asked to not eat or drink for three days, day and night, and then in verse 5:1 it says that Esther got dressed and went before the king on the third day.ย In this case, interestingly,ย “on the third day” is equivalent to “for three days, nightย and day”. ย In 1 Samuel 30:12, the Scriptures say that he had not ate or drank water for three days, andย this had happened three days ago.ย The Tanach providesย Hebrewย idioms that express theย “three day” picture where the third day, three days and three nights, are all equivalent and are used synonymously to indicate the same period time of three days.
As a result of all the various examples given in the Tanach, there exists a similar idiomatic expression that is used in the mindrashic literature.ย Take for example Midrash Rabba on Bereshit / Genesis 65, Part 1.
ืืืจืฉ ืจืื ืืจืืฉืืช ืคืจืฉื ื ื ืกืืื ืย ื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืืฉื ืืืจืื ืืช ืขืื ืื ืืชืื (ืืืฉืข ื) ืืืืื ื ืืืืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืงืืื ื ืื ืืื ืืคื ืื, ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืฉืืืื ืืชืื (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื) ืืืืืจ ืืืืื ืืืกืฃ ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื, ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืืจืืืื, ืฉื ืืืจ (ืืืืฉืข ื) ืื ืืืชื ืฉืื ืฉืืฉืช ืืืื, ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืืชื ืชืืจื, ืฉื ืืืจ (ืฉืืืช ืื) ืืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื, ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืืื ื, ืืืชืื (ืืื ื ื) ืืืื ืืื ื ืืืขื ืืืื ืฉืืฉื ืืืื ืืฉืืฉื ืืืืืช, ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืขืืื ืืืื ืืืชืื (ืขืืจื ื) ืื ืฉื ืฉื ืืืื ืฉืืฉื, ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืชืืืืช ืืืชืื, ืืืชืื ืืืืื ื ืืืืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืงืืื ื, ืืืื ืืืณ ืฉื ืืกืชืจ (ืืกืชืจ ื) ืืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืชืืืฉ ืืกืชืจ ืืืืืช ืืืฉื ืืืืืช ืืืช ืืืื, ืืืืื ืืืืช, ืจืื ื ืืจืื ืืื ืจืื ื ืืืจื ืืืืืช ืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืืชื ืชืืจื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืืืืช ืืืงืจ, ืืจืณ ืืื ืืืจ ืืืืืช ืฉื ืืื ืฉืืืฉื ืฉื ืืืจืื ืืืื ื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืืจื ืืช ืืืงืื ืืจืืืง, ืื ืจืื ืจืื ืขื ื ืงืฉืืจ ืืืจ, ืืืจ ืืืื ืฉืืืชื ืืงืื ืฉืืืจ ืื ืืงืืดื ืืืงืจืื ืืช ืื ื ืฉื.
Notice the correlations that are made between Joshua, Jonah, Esther, Ezra, and the third day of the giving of the Torah in Midrash Rabba on Bereshit.ย (Note these examples are the source material for the Scripture verses shown above.)ย The understanding on the three days of Jonah that are used to correlate differing events to Jonah 1:17 (‘in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights‘) in addition to other Scriptures provides answers to our question on whether Yeshua was in the grave three days and nights as stated in Matthew 27:63.
Matthew 27:63 “”Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still aliveย that deceiver said, `After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give theย order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. “ (NASB)
According to Scripture and the rabbinic literature, three days and nights are equivalent toย up ‘until the third day’ and does not meant that Yeshua had to remain in the grave upย ‘untilย the fourth day.’ย The question was:ย “Yeshua said he was going to be in the earth (buried) for three days and three nights. If he died on Friday and rose on Sunday morning, how is this three days and three nights?”ย Based upon the Scriptures, having died on Friday prior to 6:00pm (they removed his body from the cross before sundown, note this is customary with the Jewish day begining at the evening on sundown)ย and raising from the grave the evening of Saturday.ย This would constitute raising from the grave on the “third day” both rabbinically andย Scripturally is consistent with “three days and three nights” as stated by the leaders in Matthew 27:63.
Therefore, Yeshua was indeed in the grave three days and three nights, and it was on the third day that God raised him from the grave overcoming death and the grave.ย Praise the Lord for such a wonderful Savior and and awesome God!
