Did Yeshua Spend Three days and Three Nights in the Grave Prior to the Resurrection?

1027

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 ื‘ืจืืฉื™ืช ืคืจืง ืžื‘ย  ื™ื–ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึถึผืึฑืกึนืฃ ืึนืชึธื ืึถืœ-ืžึดืฉึฐืืžึธืจ ืฉึฐืืœืฉึถืืช ื™ึธืžึดื™ื: ื™ื—ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึนึผืืžึถืจ ืึฒืœึตื”ึถื ื™ื•ึนืกึตืฃ ื‘ึทึผื™ึผื•ึนื ื”ึทืฉึฐึผืืœึดื™ืฉึดืื™ ื–ึนืืช ืขึฒืฉึนื•ึผ ื•ึดื—ึฐื™ื•ึผ ืึถืช-ื”ึธืึฑืœึนื”ึดื™ื ืึ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 ืžืœื›ื™ื ื ืคืจืง ื›ย  ื›ื˜ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึทึผื—ึฒื ื•ึผ ืึตืœึถึผื” ื ึนื›ึทื— ืึตืœึถึผื” ืฉึดืื‘ึฐืขึทืช ื™ึธืžึดื™ื ื•ึทื™ึฐื”ึดื™ | ื‘ึทึผื™ึผื•ึนื ื”ึทืฉึฐึผืื‘ึดื™ืขึดื™ ื•ึทืชึดึผืงึฐืจึทื‘ ื”ึทืžึดึผืœึฐื—ึธืžึธื” ื•ึทื™ึทึผื›ึผื•ึผ ื‘ึฐื ึตื™-ื™ึดืฉึฐึนืจึธืึตืœ ืึถืช-ืึฒืจึธื ืžึตืึธื”-ืึถืœึถืฃ ืจึทื’ึฐืœึดื™ ื‘ึฐึผื™ื•ึนื ืึถื—ึธื“: ืœ

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™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื ื‘ ืคืจืง ื™ ย ื”ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึนึผืืžึถืจ ืึฒืœึตื”ึถื ืขื•ึนื“ ืฉึฐืืœึนืฉึถืืช ื™ึธืžึดื™ื ื•ึฐืฉืื•ึผื‘ื•ึผ ืึตืœึธื™ ื•ึทื™ึตึผืœึถืšึฐ ื”ึธืขึธื: … ื™ื‘ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึธึผื‘ึนื ื™ึธืจึธื‘ึฐืขึธื ื•ึฐื›ึธืœ-ื”ึธืขึธื ืึถืœ-ืจึฐื—ึทื‘ึฐืขึธื ื‘ึทึผื™ึผื•ึนื ื”ึทืฉึฐึผืืœึดืฉึดืื™ ื›ึทึผืึฒืฉึถืืจ ื“ึดึผื‘ึถึผืจ ื”ึทืžึถึผืœึถืšึฐ ืœึตืืžึนืจ ืฉืื•ึผื‘ื•ึผ ืึตืœึทื™ ื‘ึทึผื™ึผื•ึนื ื”ึทืฉึฐึผืืœึดืฉึดืื™: ื™ื’

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  ืœึตืšึฐ ื›ึฐึผื ึนื•ืก ืึถืชึพื›ึธึผืœึพื”ึทื™ึฐึผื”ื•ึผื“ึดื™ื ื”ึทึฝื ึดึผืžึฐืฆึฐืึดื™ื ื‘ึฐึผืฉืื•ึผืฉึธืืŸ ื•ึฐืฆื•ึผืžื•ึผ ืขึธืœึทื™ ื•ึฐืึทืœึพืชึนึผืื›ึฐืœื•ึผ ื•ึฐืึทืœึพืชึดึผืฉึฐืืชึผื•ึผ ืฉึฐืืœึนืฉึถืืช ื™ึธืžึดื™ื ืœึทื™ึฐืœึธื” ื•ึธื™ึนื•ื ื’ึทึผืึพืึฒื ึดื™ ื•ึฐื ึทืขึฒืจึนืชึทื™ ืึธืฆื•ึผื ื›ึตึผืŸ ื•ึผื‘ึฐื›ึตืŸ ืึธื‘ึนื•ื ืึถืœึพื”ึทืžึถึผืœึถืšึฐ ืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืœึนึฝืึพื›ึทื“ึธึผืช ื•ึฐื›ึทืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืึธื‘ึทื“ึฐืชึดึผื™ ืึธื‘ึธึฝื“ึฐืชึดึผื™ืƒย  ื”:ืย  ื•ึทื™ึฐื”ึดื™ ื€ ื‘ึทึผื™ึนึผื•ื ื”ึทืฉึฐึผืืœึดื™ืฉึดืื™ ื•ึทืชึดึผืœึฐื‘ึทึผืฉื ืึถืกึฐืชึตึผืจ ืžึทืœึฐื›ื•ึผืช ื•ึทึฝืชึทึผืขึฒืžึนื“ ื‘ึทึผื—ึฒืฆึทืจ ื‘ึตึผื™ืชึพื”ึทืžึถึผืœึถืšึฐ ื”ึทืคึฐึผื ึดื™ืžึดื™ืช ื ึนื›ึทื— ื‘ึตึผื™ืช ื”ึทืžึถึผืœึถืšึฐ ื•ึฐื”ึทืžึถึผืœึถืšึฐ ื™ึนื•ืฉึตืื‘ ืขึทืœึพื›ึดึผืกึตึผื ืžึทืœึฐื›ื•ึผืชึนื• ื‘ึฐึผื‘ึตื™ืช ื”ึทืžึทึผืœึฐื›ื•ึผืช ื ึนื›ึทื— ืคึถึผืชึทื— ื”ึทื‘ึธึผึฝื™ึดืชืƒ

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 ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ืœย ย ื‘ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึดึผืชึฐึผื ื•ึผ-ืœื•ึน ืคึถืœึทื— ื“ึฐึผื‘ึตืœึธื” ื•ึผืฉึฐืื ึตื™ ืฆึดืžึปึผืงึดื™ื ื•ึทื™ึนึผืื›ึทืœ ื•ึทืชึธึผืฉึธืื‘ ืจื•ึผื—ื•ึน ืึตืœึธื™ื• ื›ึดึผื™ ืœึนื-ืึธื›ึทืœ ืœึถื—ึถื ื•ึฐืœึนื-ืฉึธืืชึธื” ืžึทื™ึดื ืฉึฐืืœืฉึธืื” ื™ึธืžึดื™ื ื•ึผืฉึฐืืœืฉึธืื” ืœึตื™ืœื•ึนืช:ย  ื™ื’ย ย  ื•ึทื™ึนึผืืžึถืจ ืœื•ึน ื“ึธื•ึดื“ ืœึฐืžึดื™-ืึทืชึธึผื” ื•ึฐืึตื™ ืžึดื–ึถึผื” ืึธืชึธึผื” ื•ึทื™ึนึผืืžึถืจ ื ึทืขึทืจ ืžึดืฆึฐืจึดื™ ืึธื ึนื›ึดื™ ืขึถื‘ึถื“ ืœึฐืึดื™ืฉื ืขึฒืžึธืœึตืงึดื™ ื•ึทื™ึทึผืขึทื–ึฐื‘ึตื ึดื™ ืึฒื“ึนื ึดื™ ื›ึดึผื™ ื—ึธืœึดื™ืชึดื™ ื”ึทื™ึผื•ึนื ืฉึฐืืœืฉึธืื”: ื™ื“

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.

ืžื“ืจืฉ ืจื‘ื” ื‘ืจืืฉื™ืช ืคืจืฉื” ื ื• ืกื™ืžืŸ ืย  ื ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ื•ื™ืฉื ืื‘ืจื”ื ืืช ืขื™ื ื™ื• ื›ืชื™ื‘ (ื”ื•ืฉืข ื•) ื™ื—ื™ื™ื ื• ืžื™ื•ืžื™ื ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ื™ืงื™ืžื ื• ื•ื ื—ื™ื” ืœืคื ื™ื•, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืฉื‘ื˜ื™ื ื›ืชื™ื‘ (ื‘ืจืืฉื™ืช ืžื‘) ื•ื™ืืžืจ ืืœื™ื”ื ื™ื•ืกืฃ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืžืจื’ืœื™ื, ืฉื ืืžืจ (ื™ื”ื•ืฉืข ื‘) ื•ื ื—ื‘ืชื ืฉืžื” ืฉืœืฉืช ื™ืžื™ื, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืžืชืŸ ืชื•ืจื”, ืฉื ืืžืจ (ืฉืžื•ืช ื™ื˜) ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ื™ื•ื ื”, ื“ื›ืชื™ื‘ (ื™ื•ื ื” ื‘) ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื™ื•ื ื” ื‘ืžืขื™ ื”ื“ื’ื” ืฉืœืฉื” ื™ืžื™ื ื•ืฉืœืฉื” ืœื™ืœื•ืช, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืขื•ืœื™ ื’ื•ืœื” ื“ื›ืชื™ื‘ (ืขื–ืจื ื—) ื•ื ืฉื‘ ืฉื ื™ืžื™ื ืฉืœืฉื”, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืชื—ื™ื™ืช ื”ืžืชื™ื, ื“ื›ืชื™ื‘ ื™ื—ื™ื™ื ื• ืžื™ื•ืžื™ื ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ื™ืงื™ืžื ื•, ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ื’ืณ ืฉืœ ืืกืชืจ (ืืกืชืจ ื”) ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ื•ืชืœื‘ืฉ ืืกืชืจ ืžืœื›ื•ืช ืœื‘ืฉื” ืžืœื›ื•ืช ื‘ื™ืช ืื‘ื™ื”, ื‘ืื™ื–ื” ื–ื›ื•ืช, ืจื‘ื ืŸ ื•ืจื‘ื™ ืœื•ื™ ืจื‘ื ืŸ ืืžืจื™ ื‘ื–ื›ื•ืช ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืžืชืŸ ืชื•ืจื” ืฉื ืืžืจ ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ื‘ื”ื™ื•ืช ื”ื‘ืงืจ, ื•ืจืณ ืœื•ื™ ืืžืจ ื‘ื–ื›ื•ืช ืฉืœ ื™ื•ื ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ืฉืœ ืื‘ืจื”ื ืื‘ื™ื ื• ืฉื ืืžืจ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™ ื•ื™ืจื ืืช ื”ืžืงื•ื ืžืจื—ื•ืง, ืžื” ืจืื” ืจืื” ืขื ืŸ ืงืฉื•ืจ ื‘ื”ืจ, ืืžืจ ื“ื•ืžื” ืฉืื•ืชื• ืžืงื•ื ืฉืืžืจ ืœื™ ื”ืงื‘ืดื” ืœื”ืงืจื™ื‘ ืื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!

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Dr. Duane D. Miller received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron Ohio. He is currently a Chemical Engineering Researcher. Duaneโ€™s research expertise has focused upon functional materials development for the control, conversion, and release of process gases in Energy production technologies. His R&D interests include computational chemistry, developing novel technologies for converting biomass to fuels and studying their fundamental interactions during the chemical conversion process. His past experience includes sorbent development for pre- and post-combustion CO2 and SO2 capture, selective absorption of H2S from methane streams, O2 capture for oxy-fuel combustion, photocatalytic reduction of alcohols, NOx reduction catalysis, the development of oxygen carriers to combust fossil fuels (CH4 and coal) for the chemical looping combustion processes, and the extraction of rare earth elements using patent pending sorbents. His research expertise has focused on operando-characterization using Infrared, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to observe the nature of the catalytic active sites and reaction intermediates under realistic reaction conditions, allowing direct correlation of molecular/electronic structures with catalyst performance during Gas-Solid / Liquid-Solid Adsorption and Photocatalytic Processes with real time online analysis of reaction products using ICP-MS and mass spectrometry. His current work involves a multi-disciplinary approach to developing, understanding, and improving the catalytic gasification of coal and methane, high temperature chemical looping combustion, and the catalytic decomposition and gasification of biomass and coal using novel microwave reactor.โ€‹ He has been studying the Hebrew Scriptures and the Torah for 20+ years and sharing what he has learned. The studies developed for MATSATI.COM are freely to be used by everyone, to God be the Glory!