The 5th scientific proof that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sabbath morning: Jesus Christ personally made it clear not only to his disciples but to all people on earth how long he would be dead or in the grave. He never made a mystery or a confusion out of it, but called 3 times the word "sign" [Greek sémeion = a sign, miracle, indication, mark, token, a proof] for the Pharisees and for the whole visible and spiritual world. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

„Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.' 39 But he answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just 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'“ [literally Greek kardia = in the heart; Strong n. 2588; a sign, miracle, indication, mark, token. i.e. „in the heart of the earth 3 days and 3 nights" (Mt 12:38-40).

Question for the pastors: How would Jesus have had to express it differently in the ancient Greek language if He really meant „3 days and 3 nights“? Answer: There is no other option!

However, the world hates the Sabbath and hates the truth. Therefore, even many Christian pastors try to defend the unbiblical Good Friday and Easter Sunday theory with all their might. They all deny the sign of the Messiah and make Jesus a liar who supposedly did not know what He said and did NOT mean „3 days and 3 nights“. Yeshua haMashiach, the Word of God, is supposedly incapable of speaking correctly and supposedly unable to count the „3 days and 3 nights“ correctly? Jesus is supposed to be such a bad mathematician, where even children can count better? Very bad joke. The Bible does not speak of a turbo resurrection or a quick resurrection after just 1.5 days instead of „3 days and 3 nights“. It is not Jesus who is confusing the world, but some Christians because they don't like what Jesus said.

The world prefers to make the sign of the Messiah a sign of the Pope and shorten the period by half so that everyone can celebrate the pagan Sunday, the holiday of those who crucified Jesus.

Although all this is so easy to understand, most churches and pastors think that the women came to the tomb „on a Sunday“ morning. They don't believe the literal statements of Jesus Christ and the evangelists (=the Bible), but they prefer to believe the statements of people: the catholic popes (Catholics, Evangelicals, Free Churches...), Ellen White (Adventists), Charles Russell (Jehovah's Witnesses) and Herbert W. Armstrong (Church of God with many splinter groups), because they want the Sunday, which was not mentioned even once in the whole Bible. The glorification of Sunday is pagan. They all make Jesus a liar because they believe their religious church leaders more than Jesus and they all deny the sign of the Messiah (this means: „3 days and 3 nights“), the most important sign in the history of the universe. Do you also deny this sign?

Some Christian churches claim that the phrase "3 days and 3 nights" must mean exactly 72 (3x24) hours (see church opinions). But this is a mistake. If God had meant 72 hours, He would have written it, but He deliberately did not. When Jonah was in the water and was swallowed up by the sea creature, this must not have been exactly at the transition from the night phase to the day phase to the exact second, but it must have been sometime during the day (apparently in the afternoon), for with the Israelites a day that had begun was considered as a day and a night that had begun as a night. So we have to differentiate between the astronomical lengths of day (about 12 hours) and the events on a day. Example: If a child was born at the time of Jesus at 5 p.m. (the 11th hour of the day), i.e. 1 hour before sunset, then after three calendar days everyone says that he has been alive for "3 days and 3 nights". Nobody complains about the fact that actually 11 hours of the first light day are missing, because from 6 pm after sunset the night begins. When determining the eighth day, which is important for circumcision, it was also unimportant at what time a baby was born on the first day, it always counted the started day as the first day, completely independent of the time at which the event occurred (day of birth).

In all countries of the world, a day that has begun is considered to be a day or the first day. At the time of Jesus it was no different. The parable of the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16), which Jesus himself mentioned, serves as an example. While some of them had been working since early in the morning (3rd hour = 9 a.m.), others were only hired around the 11th hour (i.e. at 5 p.m.). Consequently they "worked only one hour" (v. 12), because the night, and therefore the next day, began at about the twelfth hour of the day, that is, at 6 p.m. But all workers received the same daily wage (v. 9f). So Jesus did not say that they had to work exactly from sunrise and also not that all of them had to work the same amount to get the daily wage. Jesus himself counted a day that had begun as one day, regardless of the number of hours, even if it was only one hour. Now we imagine the following: If all the workers had all worked the same number of hours on the two following days, they could all say "we worked 3 days and 3 nights" or "we were all in the vineyard 3 days and 3 nights", but this does not mean that they all worked the same number of hours. They would all have a different number of hours actually worked, even though they would all have worked "3 days and 3 nights". This example of Jesus impressively proves that for Jesus and for the Jews a day that had begun was counted as "one day" or "first day". This is the same with us today, and almost all theologians and Bible commentators agree that for the Jews a day that had begun was counted as the first day, as the Bible proves not only by the example of the workers in the vineyard, but also in other places (e.g. the comparison 2Chron 10:5 with 2Chron 10:12 and Ester 4:15-17 with Ester 5:1). Also in the Talmud a day that has begun counts as a day.

Therefore, the 3 hours of the light-day (the bright phase on a calendar day) on which Jesus was dead is considered the first day of the "3 days and 3 nights". Some Christians only refer to the time when Jesus' body was actually in the tomb. Most Bible experts assume that Jesus was in the tomb for at least one hour on the 14th of Nisan because the people involved in the funeral had to prepare for the Passover meal and the High Sabbath (15th of Nisan). But even that is not a problem, because even if Jesus was in the tomb only one hour or even a few minutes before sunset, it would still be the first day of the "3 days and 3 nights". It should be noted that people had to bury Jesus quickly because of the following High Sabbath, since the heavy work of closing the tomb with the heavy gravestone could not be done at all on a High Sabbath. Moreover, they had to go home in time to prepare for the high Sabbath. The 3 hours between Jesus' death and sunset are a long time, especially since the tomb was in close proximity: "So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there" (John 19:42).

The important Jewish Encyclopedia (1906), which can be read free of charge on the Internet, gives a clear definition under the keyword "day":

„…In Jewish communal life part of a day is at times reckoned as one day; e.g., the day of the funeral, even when the latter takes place late in the afternoon, is counted as the first of the seven days of mourning; a short time in the morning of the seventh day is counted as the seventh day; circumcision takes place on the eighth day, even though of the first day only a few minutes remained after the birth of the child, these being counted as one day…“.

According to this clear Jewish definition, the first light-day, on which Jesus was dead and in the tomb, is therefore clearly considered to be the first of the "three days and three nights". So even if Jesus had only been in the tomb for one hour (nobody knows the exact time) on the 14th of Nisan, this would clearly be the first day that Jesus was in the tomb. Jesus himself never spoke of 72 hours, since he knew that he would be in the tomb already on the 14th of Nisan. This is a big difference. 

Now it becomes clear that although Jesus did not have to have been "in the heart of the earth" for exactly 72 hours, the length of his stay in the tomb must undoubtedly at least have had a share in all "3 days and 3 nights", for it was not 3 days and 2 nights, but three at a time. The exact number of hours, however, cannot be biblically substantiated by anybody, it is pure speculation in which we should not participate. Although the time when Jesus died (3 p.m.) is known, the exact time when he lay in the tomb and when he rose from the dead has not been communicated biblically. It is clear, however, that the resurrection must have been at the latest at the end of the night phase of a weekly Sabbath, because at the dawn of the following light-day on that same Sabbath, the fourth light-day would already begin, on which Jesus would be in the tomb. That was not the case. Once again, if a baby is born only an hour or even a few minutes before sunset, this day is considered the "first day". It is exactly the same with the counting of the time after Jesus' death or the time when the body is in the grave.

Some theologians suspect 72 hours and only begin to calculate from the night of the 15th Nisan (see examples). However, by doing so they simply misappropriate the duration of Jesus in the tomb on the 14th Nisan, so that He would consequently be in the tomb longer than announced. They also overlook the fact that Jesus did not say that he would be in the heart of the earth on „3 nights and 3 days", but that the sign of the Messiah was that he would rise from the dead after „3 days and 3 nights“. So Jesus himself calls the day first and not the night. According to Jesus' own words we must begin to reckon from the first light-day (14th Nisan) and not from the first night (15th Nisan). Otherwise Jesus would have said that the sign of the Messiah will be after "3 nights and 3 days". Jesus did not make a mistake in His statements but the theologians make mistakes.

Jesus himself defines the length of the day and a night as 12 hours each:

"Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him" (John 11:9-10).

What did Jesus talk about in the whole context? He did not talk about events on a particular day, but about how long it is bright on a particular day, i.e. how long the eye can see the light while walking. That is very important. The statements in the Old Testament are also clear:

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day... And the evening and the morning were the second day.... And the evening and the morning were the third day" (Gen 1:3-13).

In Israel the calendar day was divided into evening (night) and morning (light-day) (see Day). So when Jesus speaks of "3 days and 3 nights", he does not mean "2 days and 3 nights" and also not "3 days and 2 nights", but: "3 days and 3 nights". But a light-day is only on the day of the equinox exactly twelve hours long. Otherwise it is either longer or shorter on all days of the year. Therefore, a distinction must be made between [1.] the astronomical length of the day and [2.] the events on one day by counting an event on one day as the first day (e.g. the birth of a child or the parable of Jesus of the workers in the vineyard). The Israelites divided the light-day into twelve hours throughout the year, regardless of whether mathematically there were fewer (winter) or more (summer) bright minutes.

The only sign of Jesus' legitimation as Messiah was not a great miracle of nature, nor fire or mighty thunder from heaven, but rather the very quiet three-day rest in the "heart of the earth" with the subsequent resurrection (Mt 12:38-40). Jesus Himself spoke of "three days and three nights." He did not speak of less and also not of more and exactly after this period the sensational resurrection from the dead was to take place, which was to be the sign of the Messiah for the whole world. But it is just this extremely important Messiah-sign that some priests and pastors want to erase completely. This is no joke, for with this they are saying that Jesus was not dead for "3 days and 3 nights" (Mt 12,38-40), but only for 1.5 days (Friday evening to Sunday morning), and so He would have lied to all people worldwide. Every Christian and every priest or pastor must question himself: am I teaching what Jesus said or am I twisting his clear words just to proclaim what my church says? Whoever rejects the sign of the Messiah also rejects Jesus. Satan has a great interest in covering up the sign of the Messiah, because he does not want people to know that Jesus really rose from the dead "on a Sabbath" morning, because otherwise nothing would speak for keeping his Sunday holy.

Hardly any other biblical passage has been so twisted and reinterpreted in various church circles as that of Mt 12,38-40, yet the statements are very easy to understand. Every child knows what is meant by them, only the theologians have a problem, because they wish for a different day of resurrection. From this scriptural passage alone it is plain to see that the tradition of Good Friday and Easter Sunday cannot under any circumstances be biblically justified. It is clear: If Jesus had been brought to the tomb on Friday evening, then it would have been impossible for him to have risen from the dead already on Sunday morning, as he would have been in the grave for only 1.5 days. Conversely, he would have had to be buried earlier than on Friday in order to be resurrected on a Sunday. It would be possible to argue if Jesus had only spoken in general terms of "3 days" (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), but in order to exclude precisely these discussions and arguments from the outset among all Christians, Jesus spoke exactly of "3 days and 3 nights". More questions? Additionally he mentioned the "sign of Jonah", which all Jews and Christians understood. Jesus could not have expressed it more clearly. According to Jesus' own statements, a Good Friday crucifixion and Easter Sunday resurrection is therefore completely impossible:

Even if Friday (3 hours) and Sunday (a few seconds or minutes) should very generously be counted as the third light-day, there is still a whole night missing in which Jesus should have been in the tomb! But Jesus was "3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth."

The alleged resurrection of Jesus on a Sunday morning is a pagan tale. This false doctrine was set up with the aim that Christians should adopt the same holidays of those who murdered our Lord Jesus and at the same time distance themselves from the Day of God (the Sabbath) and the calendar of the Bible. This has worked out very well because there are still many pastors worldwide who defend Sunday with all their might, even if they have to twist the words of the Son of God. Why should Jesus abolish the holy day of his father (the Sabbath) and make it a preparation day for the new holiday (Sunday) of his own murderers? Why should Jesus speak of "three days and three nights" when he could simply say "on a Sunday"? (see examples in Greek). And why, instead, does He speak seven times of "one of the Sabbaths" (see Interlinear) and even of "early on the first Sabbath", that is, the first Sabbath of a series of seven Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost? No, Jesus did not make a mistake, His word is understood in the Greek text by every child who knows the calendar of God. Just as there is the first Sunday in Advent until Christmas, so for 3,500 years there has been the first Sabbath until Pentecost. Only those who hate the Sabbath and the truth want to erase the Sabbath from the Bible and replace it with Sunday. Many pastors talk about how much they love Jesus and what they do for Him, but in reality they despise Him because they twist His clear words and mislead the children of God to a different Sunday Gospel. The true love for Jesus is shown in the following of his pure word in the basic Greek text. As could be shown in the other chapters, there were and are very many Bibles worldwide that have been correctly translated. They speak of the fact that the women came to the tomb "on a Sabbath" morning or "on a Saturday" morning. This means on the other hand that it must have been after "3 days and 3 nights", as Jesus said. 

Many Christians cannot understand this because they ignore other important time-related information in the New Testament, see the chapters: [1] no Sunday, [2] a Sabbath, [3] no Friday, [4] intermediate day.

Some religious leaders of the Seventh-day Adventists, who do not want to question the spirit visions of Ellen White (alleged crucifixion on Friday, resurrection on Sunday) and who have a poor knowledge of ancient Greek, make it very simple for themselves; they have namely put forward the absurd theory, then "3 days and 3 nights" allegedly should not mean the duration of Jesus' stay in the grave, but the entire time of suffering, which began from Thursday night. This false doctrine is very easy to refute, because according to this it would be "3 nights [not 3 days] and 2 days" (the resurrection already took place before it became light), of which Jesus never spoke, and certainly not of a not exactly defined "time of suffering". What kind of sign is this supposed to be? To avoid these discussions and interpretations of the theologians from the beginning, Jesus additionally reminded of the sign of Jonah and where was Jonah? Jonah was the "3 days and 3 nights" not beside the fish and also not on the fish, but IN the fish thus IN the belly of the fish or as it says in the Greek text literally "IN the belly [body cavity] of the sea monster" (Mt 12,40). In the same way, Jesus was not to do anything on earth, but to be IN the burial cave, literally to be "IN the heart of the earth 3 days and 3 nights" (Mt 12:38-40). The Hebrew text in Jonah is about Sheol, that is, the Greek Hades, the abode of the dead, and not about a life on earth above Hades. What would this have to do with Jonah? Answer: nothing at all. "IN the heart of the earth" does not mean "above [or at or beside] the heart of the earth," nor does it mean "life on earth." Otherwise the evangelists and all persecuted Christians would also be "in the heart of the earth" and what would that have to do with the sign of Jonah? Some Christians were in prisons etc. much longer, but still were not "IN the heart of the earth" like Jonah; this would also have no relation to the resurrection as the most important sign of all. And there is a clear reference to Sheol/Hades (the grave or more precisely the abode of the dead) and not to life on earth. This is again an example of how Adventists turn around the words of Jesus and the men of God (the evangelists) who wrote the NT just to believe the extra-biblical visions of a woman (Ellen White). 

There were and are many theologians, priests and pastors of different churches who repeatedly claim that Jesus spoke only symbolically of "3 days and 3 nights" (Mt 12:40). But why do they say this? The answer is clear: Because Jesus' clear statement does not fit into their church doctrinal concept of the Sunday resurrection and they therefore invent excuses to twist Jesus' words in a pious way. Many evangelical churches and even the Seventh-day Adventists (including Ellen White) have also joined the teachings of the Catholic Church and deny the sign of the Messiah in order not to create conflict and to avoid having to set themselves apart. With this they misinterpreted the clear statements of Jesus and spread another gospel, according to which Jesus is said to have been in the grave only half of the time, i.e. 1.5 days (about 37-39 hours). They portray Jesus Christ as a man who allegedly would not have been able to express himself clearly and plainly, and use a meaningless idiom, thus not only confusing people all over the world, but even lying to them. No, there is no compromise, either Jesus and the evangelists tell the truth or the the theologians do. Both cannot be right at the same time, because they are completely contradictory. Should the Son of God not be able to express himself clearly? Symbolic is only for people with a poor knowledge of the Bible, who do not know the calendar of God; the others who know the calendar know immediately what Jesus meant. 

Jesus knew exactly what he said and what he did not say. If he had only spoken of "3 days", many interpretations would have been possible, but when Jesus speaks of "3 days and 3 nights", he means it and there is no discussion! The Bible is written for simple people and they can understand Jesus' words very well, much better than some studied priests and pastors who reinterpret and twist His word and talk about half the time. Just as the serpent in Genesis 3:1 questioned God's Word, so the priests and pastors follow their example and sow doubt and question the statements of Jesus with the words: "yes, should God really have meant 3 days and 3 nights? No, Jesus certainly did not mean that, he only meant half of it, namely 1.5 days". Satan has succeeded in making almost the entire world not believe Jesus, but the churches and sects.

Let us ask another way: If Jesus really meant "3 days and 3 nights", how would he have had to tell us? Answer: Exactly the way he said it. It is not logical that His "3 days and 3 nights" should really mean "not 3 days and not 3 nights". What should be expressed symbolically? It doesn't make any sense. As hard as it may sound, some pastors prefer to make Jesus a liar instead of giving up their own teaching. Many are not even aware of the meaning of their words. Anyone who today twists and reinterprets the words of Jesus and confuses and misleads people just because it does not fit into his traditional church doctrine will have to answer for it in judgment before God (Matthew 12:37). Will he then use the same argumentation and say to Jesus, "You didn't mean it, did you? Then Jesus will say: "yes, I meant it exactly as I said it, just as it is written in the Bible, namely after three days and three nights."

The exodus from Egypt was in the middle of the week and Jesus died in the middle of the week. The Bible gives an amazing information in connection with the heavenly bread (manna), from which we can see that the day of the week on which the first Passover lamb was slaughtered at the time of Moses also fell on a Wednesday. 

"On the fifteenth day of the second month, after they had gone out of Egypt" the whole congregation murmured against Moses in the wilderness (see Ex 16,1-32). 

On the 15th of Nisan (PASSOVER) the people of Israel went out of Egypt and exactly one month later, on the 15th of Iyyar, the people began to accuse God and complain. The people had no faith in the loyalty of God and were therefore senselessly afraid of starving. But God gave them the manna, the bread from heaven, from the coming day (16th Iyyar). 

However, the day before the Sabbath double the amount should be collected. Only a weekly Sabbath can be meant by this "Sabbath", because the seven annual Sabbaths (High Sabbaths) were ordered by God later. So it happened in this manna week. The following day (16th Iyyar, Sunday) was the first of the six days on which the bread (manna) could be collected. But on the 6th day (21st Ijjar, preparation day) God gave twice as much bread, because the Sabbath rest (22nd Iyyar) followed. Since the Nisan has 30 days, we can count back exactly to the 14th Nisan and come to a Wednesday. Many Christians overlook these passages, but God knew exactly why He gave us this information. We can be sure several times that Jesus was not crucified on a Friday. The manna reckoning back is by no means a new insight, for this is described for example in the book of Everett W Purell (True story about the sign of Jonah, 2007) and many others. The first Passover lamb at the time of Moses was slaughtered on a Wednesday at 3 p.m., just as the last Lamb of God (Jesus) was killed on a Wednesday at 3 p.m. Jesus' death fulfilled the Passover lamb sacrifice in a sensational and perfect way, on the exact day and at the exact time. 

So we have many proofs that the 14th Nisan (the day of Jesus' crucifixion) was not Friday but Wednesday. Jesus did not confuse us with meaningless words, but he really meant that his sign of the Messiah would be that he would be "3 days and 3 nights" in the heart of the earth (Hades, Sheol). There is even evidence of this in the Old Testament (more Info).

Besides the phrase "3 days and 3 nights", the Bible also uses other expressions, namely "in 3 days", "on the 3rd day" and "after 3 days". At first sight, this seems to be a contradiction. Bible critics like to take the various statements made by the evangelists as an opportunity to mock the biblical word. But if they had studied the day and night definitions of the Bible and the different use of these idioms by Jews, Greeks and Romans, they would have no problems at all. It is always important to note what a statement refers to. There is no contradiction between the statements of the evangelists, the only contradiction is between the churches of today and their translators. 

In order to understand what Jesus and the others involved meant by these phrases, we must think like the Jews at the time of Jesus, for they never had a dispute about the time of Jesus' resurrection. Matthew even uses all 4 phrases in his gospel, he shows that all people knew exactly what was spoken of and what was meant. When talking about the "third day", it is always important to consider what a statement refers to. When it comes to time specifications, a distinction must be made between the:

Calendar days (= the full calendar days, 24 hours):

1. on which Jesus was dead

2. AFTER the death of Jesus

Light days (= half the calendar days (12 hours at daylight, cf. Jn 11:9):

1. on which Jesus was dead 

2. AFTER the death of Jesus 

It is always about the connection and it is to distinguish between the calendar and light days when Jesus was dead and the calendar and light days AFTER Jesus' death:

The Bible itself gives several helps to understand the facts: Jesus was crucified at the 3rd hour (9 am). He hung on the cross for 6 hours and died at the 9th hour (3pm). He died on the preparation day (14th of Nisan) and „The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate...“ (Mt 27:62). So the „day following the Preparation Day“ is the High Sabbath (15th of Nisan) and this is „the first day AFTER the Preparation Day“ or "the first day AFTER the death of Jesus.“ It is also „the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.“ After this day (High Sabbath) comes the second day AFTER Jesus' death and then the third day, etc. Consequently, the third day is „the third day AFTER the preparation day" or „the third day AFTER Jesus' death“ or „the third day of the feast.“ And exactly „on the third day“ Jesus was supposed to be resurrected, as he said: „The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise“ (Lk 24:7). When is the third day after His death? If Jesus had risen on the preparation day, Luke would have said „the same day.“ If Jesus had risen the day after the preparation day, Luke would have said, „the next day,“ or „the first day after His death,“ or „after one day.“ If Jesus had risen on the day after next, He would have said „on the second day after His death.“ Thus it is clear what is meant by the third day, namely the third calendar day AFTER Jesus' death.

Jesus was alive during the whole night of the preparation day, but by the end of the light day (we mean the bright phase of a calendar day) of that same preparation day he was dead and in the tomb. Therefore the FIRST Light-Day after Jesus' death was already the SECOND Light-Day after Jesus' death. So it has to be distinguished exactly, because „after three days“ can mean either after 3 full calendar days or only after 3 Light-Days. „On the 3rd day“ the resurrection took place, therefore it can only have been on the third calendar day AFTER Jesus' death. But the third full calendar day already contained the 4th Light-Day on which Jesus was dead. Therefore Jesus had to resurrect still in the night phase just on this third calendar day AFTER the crucifixion, at least shortly before the sun rose on the fourth Light-Day. The women knew this very well, so they went to the tomb „while it was still dark“ (Jn 20:1) and were at the tomb „very early when the sun rose“ (Mk 16:2). The women did not make a mistake, but they knew to the minute when the „3 days and 3 nights“ were over.

It is particularly interesting that the preparation day included a three-hour darkness that reminded of a night. After Jesus' death it became light again and in the remaining three hours of the day Jesus was dead and was laid in the tomb. It is perfectly clear that this first three hours of the Light-Day must be counted as the first Light-Day. The Roman phrase „after three days“ in (Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:34) means the same as the Jewish and Greek phrase "on" or literally „in the third day“ (Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Lk 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:7,46). Only Mark spoke of „AFTER 3 days“ because he meant the Light-days (cf. the vineyard workers), and this day was the third calendar day after Jesus' death. Now it also becomes clear what the emaus disciples meant when they said, „and about all this, today is the third day that this has happened“ (Lk 24:21). They meant the third calendar day AFTER Jesus' death.

There are also some Christians who think that in the everyday language of the people often a day begins in the morning and continues into the night (or until the next morning). So they calculate the first day from Wednesday morning, and Saturday morning would then be the end of the „third day“. This perspective is not a problem either, because in terms of content nothing at all changes in the sign of the Messiah („3 days and 3 nights“). The colloquial (slang) language does not create any contradictions, but of course the Sabbath day always begins at sunset: 

And now another important fact about "the third day", which is not considered by many Christians. Every year there is the seven-day festival of unleavened bread. Those who know the calendar of God know that the expression "first day" means the first day of the feast, that is, the high Sabbath on the 15th of Nisan. The day after is "the second day" (16th Nisan) and the "third day" (17th Nisan) is of course the "third day" of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. By the expression "the third day" the Hebrews thus meant the third day of the feast. This is the day on which Jesus was supposed to rise from the dead, and this is the day on which He actually rose from the dead, namely "on the third day" of the feast, "early on the first Sabbath" (Mark 16:9). This is very easy to understand. In 2020, the Passover feast had exactly the same sequence of days as in the year Jesus was crucified (see calendar illustrations and the calculation of the 7 Sabbaths to Pentecost at the following Link). 

The „third day“ of the seven-day festival of unleavened bread. In 2020 there was exactly the same sequence of days as in the year in which Jesus was crucified and in which He rose from the dead after „3 days and 3 nights“: 

As has been clearly shown, there are many ways of looking at the Word of God from different standpoints. Nevertheless, there are no contradictions, but all perspectives complement each other. Jesus "fulfilled the sign of the Messiah", He rose from the dead after "3 days and 3 nights", "on the third day", "early on the first Sabbath".

The Jewish-Greek historian Flavius Josephus (* 37/38 in Jerusalem; † after 100 probably in Rome) reports that on the third day of the calendar after his death Jesus came back to life and appeared to the disciples. It is one of the most important non-biblical testimonies about the Messiah:

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, 9 those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; 10 as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day" (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, chapter 3,3; Source)

There is some disagreement among theologians as to when the first light-day of the "three days and three nights" when Jesus was "in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:38-40) should be dated. Some count the first day already from the time when Jesus died (i.e. from the 9th hour = 3 p.m.); others only from the time when Jesus was laid in the tomb. But the exact time is pure speculation. Therefore, the yellow bar shown in the figure below can also be shifted back a little on the 14th Nisan (1st light-day), but before the beginning of the 15th Nisan. These are only insignificant subtleties, however, because it is much more important that both the death of Jesus and his burial and the closing of the tomb took place already on 14th Nisan, i.e. before it became dark and the feast Sabbath (15th Nisan) began. Normally these works had to be completed one hour before the beginning of theHigh Sabbath so that people could prepare for the feast and participate in the Passover meal.

These different opinions are not important, because even if it were only a few minutes before the High Sabbath (15th Nisan), this first light-day would still count as the first of the "3 days and 3 nights". However, it can be assumed that the tomb was closed at least one hour before the beginning of the 15th Nisan, because the women and the believers had to be in their houses before sunset because of the High feast Sabbath, otherwise they could not participate in the Passover meal and would thus violate the law. A night walk of the women on the High Sabbath is not to be assumed at all, since otherwise all would miss the Passover meal.

Between Jesus' death on the cross and the beginning of darkness there were at least 3 hours to bring Jesus to the nearby grave. Nevertheless there are also theologians who do not count the first day of Jesus' stay in the tomb from the preparation day (14th Nisan), but only from the beginning of the first night phase of the High Sabbath (thus from the 15th Nisan). This would mean, however, that the tombstone would have had to be moved on the High Sabbath, which would be completely unacceptable, since such heavy work was strictly forbidden on the Great Feast Sabbath. It would also mean that all persons present at the burial would have to leave home only after dark, that is, already on the High Sabbath, and that therefore not a single person present at the burial would have been able to participate in the Passover meal, which is to be classified as a violation of the feast day order. All these points make it clear that Jesus' body must have already been in the tomb on the 14th Nisan, so the 14th Nisan is the first light-day on which Jesus was "in the heart of the earth", and this is completely independent of whether it is already counted from the time of Jesus' death at the 9th hour (3 p.m.) or only from the time when Jesus' body lay in the tomb.

But even if someone would only calculate the "3 nights and 3 days" from the High Sabbath on, even then it could only mean that Jesus was resurrected "on a Sabbath". This would not be in the night phase of the Sabbath, but immediately at the beginning of the light phase of the Sabbath (in the morning), since with the Jews a day that had begun was already considered a day. Even then Jesus would not have been crucified on Good Friday and would not have risen "on a Sunday." However, this calculation is not possible either, because Jesus never spoke of "3 nights and 3 days", but of "3 days and 3 nights". He is the Son of God who controls the forces of nature and he knows what He says and what He does not say. 

There is disagreement among scholars as to what exactly is meant by "in the bosom of the earth" [literally: in the heart of the earth] in connection with Mt 12:40. There are two different positions. The one thinks that this refers only to the time in which the body of Jesus was in the physical rock tomb, and the other means the entire period of time in the spiritual tomb (the whereabouts of the dead) immediately after his death on the cross. According to this, on the day he was crucified, Jesus would thus be a whole three hours "in the heart of the earth." If, however, only the point in time - in which the body of Jesus actually lay in the tomb - was meant, then this would still be on the day of preparation (14th Nisan), but it would be less than 3 hours, since he had to be taken down from the cross and brought to the nearby rock tomb before.

These differences of opinion result from different translations of important words of the basic Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible. Moreover, insufficient distinction was made between the spiritual and physical whereabouts of the dead. For example, the 1984 German Luther Bible translates Jonah 2:2 (this passage prophetically refers to Jesus) as follows: "I cried out from the mouth of death and you heard my voice". But in the original Hebrew, this passage offers much more information, for it says literally: "from the belly of Sheol. There is a big difference. Even worse than Luther is the King James Bible (KJV): "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice." The English Standad Version (ESV) is much better: “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Jonah was therefore three days and three nights in Sheol. What is Sheol? Christians who study the Word of God more intensely have no problem understanding it and know immediately what is meant by it. The word Sheol appears several times in the Old Testament and always means the whereabouts of the dead (but not the hell). They wait there until their resurrection or until their judgment before God. Sheol is an invisible spiritual place. In contrast, the physical tomb is visible, in which the body either crumbles back into dust in the earth (Gen 3:19) or lies at the bottom of the sea or is burnt to ashes and then buried or set up somewhere else as an urn.

The ESV makes it clear: "out of the belly of Sheol I cried." So it's about the inside of Sheol, it is defined as: "realm of the dead, underworld and grave (but in no case "the hell").

Besides the term "the bosom of Sheol", the Bible also knows the "bosom of Abraham" as a metaphor for the whereabouts of the righteous dead. After his death, the righteous Lazarus "was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom" (Lk 16:22). Since the spirit of man enters into Sheol, Sheol is a spiritual place and not a physical one, even if in colloquial language it could also be generally referred to as "the tomb". Jesus was not concerned with what people would do with his body after his death, but he was mainly concerned with emphasizing that he would resurrect after "3 days and 3 nights", that is, after his death, which would be a great sensation. A dead person comes back to life. A person leaves the Sheol (the whereabouts of the dead) and comes back to earth alive. A sensation after 3 days and 3 nights.

Sheol (Hebrew, OT) = Hades (Greek, NT)

The Hebrew word Sheol corresponds to the Greek word Hades in the New Testament and also means nothing other than the spiritual abode of the dead. It appears for example in Acts 2:27, where Psalm 16:10 is quoted and prophetically refers to Jesus. The ESV Acts 2:27 translates very well, the KJV again very bad:

ESV: "For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption."

KJV: "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

All scholars agree that this passage prophetically reports about Jesus. In the language key of the Elberfeld Study Bible, Hades is explained as "the whereabouts of the deceased. It corresponds to the Old Testament Sheol. Both words have often been translated unhappily in various Bibles with hell, grave or pit, so that readers have been confused. However, Hades never means the external grave or the eternal abode of the damned, but the realm of the dead." It is therefore a place where the dead (or their spirit) stay temporarily until the resurrection (Jn 11:24). This is why Jesus Himself spoke several times of sleep in connection with the condition of the dead (Mt 9:23-26; Jn 11:1-45). However, when Christians use the bad KJV, then they can never know in what condition the dead are right now.

A person who dies immediately goes to Hades (or Hebrew Sheol), regardless of when his body is placed in a physical grave by his relatives. Otherwise, a person who is left dead on the surface of the earth or in a house would never enter Hades. This is of course impossible.

At the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles it is emphasized what was important to God: "God raised him [Jesus] up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it..." (Acts 2:24). Then, in verse 27, Psalm 16:8-11 is quoted: "For you [God] will not abandon my [Jesus] soul to Hades, or let your Holy One [Jesus] see corruption" (Acts 2:27). And verse 31 is even clearer: God "foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses." The KJV is inaccurate here, as it hides the words "Sheol" (Ps 16:10) and "Hades" (Acts 2:27,31). Some translations generally refer to both words as the "realm of the dead." It is clear that Jesus was already in the realm of the dead (hades, sheol) immediately after his death and not only from the time when his body was laid in the grave. For the people of that time, this realm of the dead lay "in the heart of the earth", because this is where all the dead wait for the coming resurrection and judgment. Even if the body of a deceased lies on the surface of the earth, even then his spirit is already "in the bosom of the earth" or in Hades/Scheol. 

In the Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT) basic text it is clearly about the spiritual whereabouts of the dead and not about a grave (or hell) or death itself. The ESV has translated these verses much better and is therefore clearly understandable: "For you [God] will not abandon my [Jesus] soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption" (Ps 16:10).

With regard to the resurrection of Jesus, the Bible clearly does not speak of a tomb built by men, but of Sheol and Hades. So Jesus should not be left behind in Hades and his body should not decay. These are clear statements, and these prophecies have been fully fulfilled. Jesus was "three days and three nights" in Hades (no more and no less) and his body did not decay. But Jesus was also "three days and three nights" in a physical grave, because he was already laid there on the 14th Nisan and not only on the 15th Nisan. The exact time of the burial and closing of the tomb was not mentioned in the New Testament, as this is not important. So Jesus was in Hades for 3 hours on Nisan 14th, but less than 3 hours in the rock tomb.

Only God and Jesus have the access and the keys of Hades (Rev 1:18), a spiritual place to which no living person can reach. But the grave of a human being on earth is a geographical place to which every human being can go.

Rev 1:18: "I [jesus] died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades" (ESV).

After death, people enter the spiritual Sheol (=Hades) and remain there until their resurrection or judgment. Jesus, as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1Cor 15:20), they remained "3 days and 3 nights" (Mt 12:38-40) in the Sheol/Hades. Death could not hold him there (Acts 2:24), his spirit came back into his body so that he could not see decay (Ps 16:10; Acts 2:27). It was exactly as prophesied (Ps 16:10). And Jesus lives until today, not as a Christmas baby in a manger, but as the mighty Son of God and He sees everything that happens here and he knows everything that every person thinks. He also sees all those who falsify His word and bring a pagan Sunday resurrection into the Bible.

The comparison of the above-mentioned passages (e.g. Jonah 2:2-3; Ps 16:10; Acts 2:27,31) with the Gospel of Matthew proves that with the "heart of the earth" in Mt 12:40 clearly the Sheol/Hades was meant. This is also the decisive point, for it proves that Christ was indeed dead. For some people have made the evil assertion that Jesus was not really dead at all, and that he had recovered in the tomb. No, the Bible does not only speak of the "grave" or "tomb", but of "Hades" and "Sheol". So there are no discussions. The Old and New Testament Bible clearly refutes interpretations of some people who claim that Jesus was not really dead. What counts is not where the unimportant perishable body is, but where the important spiritual substance of a person is and what becomes of it afterwards.

Jesus did not say that "His body" would lie the "3 days and 3 nights" in the earth or in a rock tomb, but he spoke quite consciously of the fact that He would be (by this is meant the totality, thus also his spirit) "in the bosom of the earth", that is, in the interior of the earth, that is, in Hades, a dwelling place of the dead. Strictly speaking, Jesus' body has not even been buried in the earth, but has merely been placed in a nearby rock cave, where it should have been anointed after 3 days, possibly carried to another grave, as some suppose.

"And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb"  (Mt 27:59-61).

In the gospel of John we are told about what was most important for Jesus:

"Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,[c] and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken" (Jn 2:19-22;  cf. also Mt 26:61; 27:40).

And when was the temple of his body broken down? This was not only in the rock tomb, but clearly already when Jesus died on the cross (on 14 Nisan at 3:00 p.m.). It was Jesus' intention to rebuild his body after its destruction in 3 days and 3 nights, that was the sign of the Messiah and the 3 hours of the preparation day (14thn Nisan) are without the slightest doubt the first day on which His body was broken off and in which His spirit was in Hades. It was not important for Jesus from which minute after his death his body would lie in the grave, therefore this information is not mentioned in the NT, but it was about the fact that he was dead for 3 hours on the preparation day, His body was broken off, so He was dead.

From numerous passages it is clear that Jesus was not concerned with what people will do with His body after His death, but that He died and will rise again in exactly three days after his death.

"For he [Jesus] was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him" (Mk 9:31-32).

it was clear to all that this refers to the time of his death and never just to the time when he was in a tomb. Also all passages in which the three days are mentioned always refer to the time already from his death until his resurrection (Mt 16:21;17:23; 20:19; 26:61; 27:40,63-64; Mk 14:58; 15:29; Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; Lk 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:7,46; Jn 2:19-20; Acts 10:40; 1Cor 15:3-4). The tomb was also to be guarded "until the third day" (Mt 27:63) and not "until the fourth day", so the light-day of the 14th Nisan was already included in the calculation.

Shortly before his death Jesus said: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last" (Lk 23:46). Jesus did not care what people would do with his body after his death, but that his spirit came into the hands of God immediately after his death, because only He can bring him back to life. David also said "Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God" (Ps 31:5). This is nothing other than a paraphrase for Sheol or Hades in the heart of the earth, the place of the dead who are waiting for the time of their resurrection by God the Father. They are completely in the hands of God and only God can raise them.

However, also those Christians who think that the expression "in the heart of the earth" only meant the time in the physical tomb, that is to say in a geographical place, find no contradiction, nevertheless, because also in this case Jesus was clearly already in this rock tomb on the day of preparation (14th Nisan). When Joseph rolled the large stone in front of the tomb, this must have been without doubt before the High Sabbath (15th Nisan), because such heavy work was by no means allowed on the feast Sabbath, all scholars agree on this. The only difference would then be that Jesus was not 3 full hours in the tomb, but a correspondingly shorter period, which nobody can name exactly. But the most important thing is that even in this case it would still be the preparation day, and since the Jews count a day that has begun as a day, this day would also have to be considered the first day on which Jesus was "in the heart of the earth", even if it was only an hour or perhaps only a few minutes.

Those who think that Jesus was in the tomb for three full days and three full nights, that is to say for a total of 72 hours (see church opinions), and that the counting begins only after the preparation day (that is to say, from the High Sabbath), must admit that Jesus would then have to be in Sheol/Hades for 75 hours (72+3) rather than 72 hours. Strictly speaking, this would then be on four days (and not on three), because the three hours after Jesus' death until the beginning of the Sabbath on the 15th Nisan must not simply be ignored or concealed. According to this, Jesus would be in the rock tomb for three days and three nights, but he would be dead in four days, since he had already been dead for three whole hours on Nisan 14. Therefore the 72 hours are impossible, unbiblical and illogical. Jesus never said that he would be dead in four days and none of his disciples ever meant it. God does not lie to us, all the times are correct.

Conclusion: The discussion about the hour from which the first light-day should be counted is completely pointless, because the only important is that it was the "first day" when Jesus was dead AND in the grave. It is unimportant whether the full 3 hours in Sheol/Hades are counted or the one hour (or even only a few minutes) in the closed tomb. Either way Jesus was 100% dead and in the grave on the 14th of Nisan and that counts as the first light-day. The Jews have always counted the started day as the first day. For comparison: If a baby is born at the end of Nisan 14, just before Nisan 15 begins, then Nisan 14 counts as a birthday (it is still Light-Day) and not the day after (the dark period begins). The 14th Nisan has to be counted as the first light-day, that's why Jesus did not say that he would be "3 nights and 3 days in the heart of the earth", but "3 days and 3 nights".

Jesus himself made it clear several times what was important to him. He was concerned with the period of time in Hades (i.e. when he was dead) and not what people do with his body and when they put his body into the grave. Man consists of spirit and body and the spirit of Jesus was certainly not in the rock tomb, because it was in Hades, the abode of the dead.

Besides Jesus, two other men were crucified and one of them said:

"And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise”" (Lk 23:42-43).

Jesus' words are clear, but unfortunately many do not understand what is meant by them. The confusion surrounding the word "paradise" also arose because the translators of the Septuagint translated the "Garden of Eden" in Genesis (Gen 2:8) with the Greek word "paradeisos." This is not wrong, but by doing so, some people disregarded the double meaning of this word and thought only of the earthly paradise and overlooked the designation of the actual whereabouts of the righteous dead. 

The word paradeisos (Greek παράδεισος, Strong No. 3857) was already known in ancient cultures and literally means a "delimited area" or "enclosed park", which was also called "garden" or "park" or generally "paradise." It has a double meaning, because on the one hand it describes the visible enclosed area, a magnificent garden or park, and on the other hand it also describes the invisible one, namely the glorious abode of the righteous dead who are waiting for the resurrection to eternal life "at the last day". 

As could already be clearly shown above, the dead are in the Hebrew view in Sheol (Hebrew) or in the Hades (Greek). Both terms mean the same thing, namely the whereabouts of the dead who are in the tomb, or deep in the earth, that is to say "in the heart of the earth" (εν καρδια της γης en kardía tes ges) (Mt 12:40). But Jews and Greeks have divided Hades even more precisely into at least two chambers (some sources even give up to 7 subdivisions):

1. The prison, the place of the wicked dead, where the souls of those who have lived a selfish sinful life against God reside. This place was painted in Greek mythology as a place of enormous agony. But the Bible does not speak of torture, but of the sleep of the dead. Only after the resurrection to judgment will the evil people who are not written in the "Book of Life" (Rev 20:15) be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20; 20:14-15); with a fire that no one can extinguish (Mt 3:12; Mk 9:43,48; Lk 3:17). Here, as punishment for their evil works, they will experience "eternal damnation" (2Thess 1:9), that is, eternal death. The Bible knows the second death, but not eternal life in a terrible hell. This is only the fantasy of the Greek philosophers and some church teachers, who wanted to extort money from the faithful for the forgiveness of sins through fear-mongering.
2. The paradise (gr. paradeisos), the place of the righteous dead who died in God and wait for their glorious resurrection. This area was also called "Abraham's bosom" (Lk 16:22) and there was an unbridgeable gap (Lk 16:23,26) between the two chambers. Here are the people who are written in the Book of Life, waiting for their resurrection to eternal life. 

The NAS Greek Lexicon describes the word paradeisos as follows: "The part of Hades which was thought by the later Jews to be the abode of the souls of pious until the resurrection: but some understand this to be a heavenly paradise" (The New American Standard (NAS) New Testament Greek Lexicon is based on Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, plus others).

Similarly, Wikipedia very correctly writes the whereabouts of the righteous dead: "In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an abode of the virtuous dead. In Christian and Islamic understanding, Heaven is a paradisiacal relief. In old Egyptian beliefs, the otherworld is Aaru, the reed-fields of ideal hunting and fishing grounds where the dead lived after judgment. For the Celts, it was the Fortunate Isle of Mag Mell. For the classical Greeks, the Elysian fields was a paradisiacal land of plenty where the heroic and righteous dead hoped to spend eternity. The Vedic Indians held that the physical body was destroyed by fire but recreated and reunited in the Third Heaven in a state of bliss. In Buddhism, paradise and the heaven are synonymous, with higher levels available to beings who have achieved special attainments of virtue and meditation. In the Zoroastrian Avesta, the "Best Existence" and the "House of Song" are places of the righteous dead. On the other hand, in cosmogonical contexts 'paradise' describes the world before it was tainted by evil."

Now, when Jesus said to the man that he would be with Jesus "in paradise", it is the greatest consolation a person can ever receive, because it means that this person will participate in the resurrection to eternal life! This does not mean that he immediately lives eternally as a spirit and his soul immediately roams about, but that he is in the abode of the righteous dead until his resurrection. First, Jesus had to resurrect after "three days and three nights", as the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1Cor 15:20-2; 1Thess 4:13). With the expression "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Lk 23:43), Jesus makes it clear that He meant the time of His stay in Hades and not the time of His stay in the rock tomb. This is also confirmed by Acts 2:31: the prophet "foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he [Jesus] was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption." Psalm 16:10 is quoted here, where it says: "For you [God] will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one [Jesus] see corruption." So it was clearly a question of how long Jesus would be dead, that is, in Hades. That was the sign for all people. The sign of the Messiah was the silent period of "three days and three nights" and the resurrection of Jesus exactly after this period.

Since there was no punctuation in the original Greek text, some theologians have claimed that the literal Greek text in Lk 23,43 does not in reality mean

"Truly, I say to you  today: you will be with me in paradise", but

"Truly, I say to you: Today you will be with me in paradise".

So, they shift the colon and want to ignore with that the whereabouts of the dead in Hades and claim that the deceased live in Paradise immediately after their death already. Jesus was not concerned with an immediate life in a beautiful paradise, but with the Spirit going to paradise (the abode of the righteous dead), where both await the glorious resurrection. 

"αμην (Truly) σοι (to you) λεγω (I say) σημερον (today) μετ (with) εμου (me) εση (you will be) εν (in) τω (the) παραδεισω (paradise)" (Lk 23:43).

But both opinions do not produce any contradiction, for Jesus and the man on the cross were in any case in Paradise, the abode of the righteous dead, but only Jesus rose from the dead first, while the other man is still waiting for his resurrection, according to the resurrection order described in 1Thess 4 and 1Cor 15. The man on the cross could not have heard a more beautiful message. It is a very positive place, which is also mentioned in 2Cor 12:3-4 and Rev 2:7.

The religious leaders at the time of Jesus knew that Jonah was indeed "three days and three nights" in the belly of the fish. They did not doubt that either. They did not speak of 72 hours, but it was clear to all that his stay in the fish had to be at least "3 days and 3 nights" without being able to give the exact number of hours. The Israelites knew the many Old Testament Bible passages where days and nights were mentioned and they never questioned a single day or night. Examples:

• At the time of the Flood, God said to Noah: "For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground... 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights" (Gen 7:4-12). Who can claim here that even one day or one night was missing?
• When the Israelites received the Law on Mount Sinai, "Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Ex 24:18; 34:28; Dt 9:9-11-18-25; 10:10).
• "And he [Eliah] arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God" (1Kings 19:8).
• Job's friends "sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great" (Job 2:13).
• David and his soldiers found a young Egyptian "and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights... He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago." (1Sam 30:12-13).
• Jesus fasted "forty days and forty nights" (Mt 4:2). It is interesting to compare the statement of the evangelists, because Matthew writes that Jesus fasted "forty days and forty nights" (Mt 4,2), but Mark and Luke speak exactly of "forty days" (Mk 1:13 and Lk 4:2).

Which pastor now takes it upon himself to assert, with all the biblical passages mentioned above, that even a single day or night was missing? Why should the Word of God be doubted solely in relation to the time Jesus spent in the tomb? Did God want to confuse people or lie to them? No! All statements about the many biblical passages about days and nights are hardly doubted by the experts. The only passage is that from Mt 12:40 - but not because there is a translation problem here, but just because it does not fit into the church doctrinal concept of the supposed Sunday Resurrection of Jesus. That is the only reason! 

We should not falsify the Word of God and leave the sign of the Messiah as Jesus himself said. He is telling the truth, but many pastors are the liars by distorting His word, because this is the only way they can come away from the biblical resurrection Sabbath and as a replacement to their beloved unbiblical resurrection Sunday. By twisting the words of Jesus and the evangelists, they want to turn something pagan and unbiblical into something holy and biblical, and so lead the children of God away from the old calendar of God to the new Catholic calendar. They want to force us to celebrate the holidays of Jesus' murderers and to despise the holidays of our God (who created the world). 

There was never a turbo-resurrection of the Lord desired by many Christians in favor of the pagan holiday Sunday. Jesus cannot possibly have been resurrected "on a Sunday morning", there are far too many contradictions in the whole Bible for that, as already shown in the previous chapters and not only concerning the "three days and three nights":

There are some theologians who want to prove their view that Jesus was supposedly not in the tomb for „3 days and 3 nights“ (Mt 12:38-40) with the book of Esther. On closer inspection, however, there is no contradiction to be found; on the contrary, this book proves the accuracy of the other passages. Esther sent a message to Mordecai:

Esther 4:1-4: „When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.“

Esther 4:15-17: „Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for 3 days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.“

Esther 5:1-2: „On the 3rd day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight...“

It should be noted that many people had already begun fasting on the first day (Est 4:3) even before Esther had ordered the three-day fast (Est 4:16), which proves that a day begun was counted as a day. Esther came to the king on the third day (Est 5:1) of the fast to seek his favor when the people were still fasting, and on the very night of the fast the king could not sleep and read in the books that Mordecai had saved his life and decided to reward him for it. There is no contradiction. The fast had achieved its goal and after these 3 days (Est 5:8) of fasting and praying, when the second meal was prepared, the king had Haman, the enemy of Israel, hanged.

Esther did not say that she would pray „3 days and 3 nights“ in her room, nor that she would only go to the king „after 3 days and 3 nights“, but that the people should fast for her „for 3 days“ (Est 4:16), namely at the exact time when she was with the king in order to gain his favor for the people. Since the Jews (and we too) considered a day or part of a day to be a day, this passage is even proof that Jesus was actually „3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth“ (Mt 12:38-40). It must also always be noted whether a calendar day (24 hours) is meant (in which case fasting could begin at the start of the calendar day at night) or a day of light (12 hours), i.e. the section of the calendar day on which sunlight can be seen.

In contrast to Esther, however, Jesus clearly said that he would be „3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth" and would therefore only leave the tomb afterwards (Mt 12:40). Esther was therefore talking about something different from Jesus and the one cannot be compared with the other. Jesus' words are so clear that they could not be any clearer. The book of Esther never abrogates the words of Jesus and does not contradict them! As you can see, some theologians misuse the book of Esther to twist the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and declare them invalid. We will not go along with this. 

 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil"

(1Thess 5:21-22)

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them"

(Epheser 5:11)