Podcast: Play in new window | Download
There are prophecies the Messiah would be raised from the dead, but where is the resurrection of Jesus prophecy in the Old Testament? Is there an Old Testament prophecy of resurrection on the third day? Read or listen to this chapter from A Father Offers His Son for answers.
Table of contents
The text in this post is from A Father Offers His Son: The True and Greater Sacrifice Revealed Through Abraham and Isaac, and the audio is from the accompanying audiobook. I am praying God uses the book and audiobook to exalt Christ and strengthen people’s relationships with Him!
Psalm 16 is a messianic psalm, which means that even though David wrote it, we can read it as though Jesus is speaking. In verse 10, he says, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Peter quotes this verse in Acts 2:27, and Paul quotes it in Acts 13:35 as prophecies of Jesus’ resurrection. Isaiah 53:10 also prophesies of Jesus’ resurrection:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
Jesus did not have physical children (seed), but He has spiritual children. Isaiah says He will see these children after He has been killed—“bruised… put to grief… [made] an offering.” Jesus would die, but the Father would “prolong His days,” referring to His resurrection.
While most Christians know it was prophesied that Jesus would be raised from the dead on the third day, few Christians can find the prophecy in the Old Testament. Why is that? When Jesus fulfilled prophecies, the New Testament often quotes the Old Testament verse that contains the prophecy. For example:
- Matthew 1:22-23 references Isaiah 7:14—“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translates as, ‘God with us.’”
- Matthew 2:5-6 references Micah 5:2—So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
- In John 13:18, Jesus referenced Psalm 41:9—“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’”
The difficulty with the resurrection is the New Testament does not quote any Old Testament verse identifying the prophecy that it would take place on the third day. Is it possible there is no such prophecy? No:
- In Luke 24:46, Jesus said, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.”
- In 1 Corinthians 15:4, Paul said, “[Jesus] was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Jesus said, “It is written” in the Old Testament that He would “rise [on] the third day.” Paul said “the Scriptures” prophesied, not just that Jesus would be raised, but on “the third day.” Where is this prophecy? There are three possibilities.
Jonah Is a Resurrection of Jesus Prophecy in the Old Testament
The Book of Jonah was written about 760 BC. Almost eight centuries before Jesus was born, Jonah served as an amazing “sign” of His death, burial, and resurrection. When the religious leaders asked for a sign in Matthew 12:39-40, Jesus rebuked them saying:
“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For 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.”
Jesus said Jonah served as a “sign” of His death, burial, and resurrection.
Jonah’s “Death”
Jonah 1:17 says: “The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
The language takes our minds to the New Testament where the same words are used of Christ. Jonah “died” when the fish swallowed him.
Jonah’s Burial
He was “buried” while in the fish. The imagery in the verses is so strong you could almost wonder if Jonah is alive or dead. For example, Jonah 2:2 records:
And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.”
We would expect Jonah to say, “Out of the belly of the fish I cried,” but he said he was in Sheol. Sheol is not heaven or hell. Instead, it is the temporary abode of the dead until people are resurrected to their eternal homes in heaven or hell. The Greek New Testament parallel is Hades, which makes the typology with Jesus very strong because Jesus was in Hades while He was buried: “[David] spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31). Continuing the burial imagery, Jonah 2:6 says:
“I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.”
You would expect Jonah to say the water closed behind him, but instead, he says, “the earth.” This is not the language of burial in the ocean. This is the language of burial in the ground. The pit is a synonym for Sheol and Hades, and Jonah expected to be “brought up,” or raised, from the pit. He looked forward to his resurrection, just like Jesus looked forward to His resurrection! Jesus said, “You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Acts 2:27).
Jonah Was “Raised” on the Third Day
Jonah’s “resurrection” occurred in verse 10:
So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
When Jonah came out of the fish, he probably felt like he came back from the dead and was given new life. Like Jesus, Jonah was “buried” for three days and three nights, and he might serve as a prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day.
Hosea Contains a Resurrection of Jesus Prophecy in the Old Testament
Hosea 5:14-6:2 records the second likely prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. God speaks in Hosea 5:14-15:
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
I will return again to My place
Till they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
These words sound harsh, but they serve the beautiful purpose of turning Israel back to God. The people respond in Hosea 6:1-2:
Come, and let us return to the LORD;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
The words about being “[raised] on the third day” take our minds to Christ. Although these verses discuss Israel, the complete fulfillment is in Jesus. He is the ideal Israel according to Isaiah 49:3:
And He said to me,
“You are My Servant, O Israel,
In Whom I will be glorified.”
Israel: God’s Son
Israel is also called God’s son:
- Exodus 4:22—“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.”’”
- Hosea 11:1—“When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”
The New Testament shows these verses about Israel serve as prophecies of Jesus. Matthew 2:14-15 quotes Hosea 11:1:
When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
These verses about Israel look forward to Christ. That is also the case with Hosea 6:2, which goes beyond Israel’s rebirth to Christ’s resurrection. First Peter 1:10–11 loosely says, “all the prophets testified of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.” They might not have been aware of the future reality of their words, but they are fulfilled in Christ. Regarding “He will raise us up,” Adam Clarke said, “These words are supposed to refer to the resurrection of our Lord. The original, yekimenu, has been translated, ‘He will raise him up.’”1 The words “may live in His sight” are like Isaiah 53:10, which says, “He shall prolong His days.”
The Veil and Jesus’ Body Torn
The context wonderfully supports Jesus being in view. The words, “I will tear… He has torn” look to Christ’s body “torn” on the cross. When He died, “the veil of the temple was torn in two” (Matthew 27:51). Hebrews 10:20 says we have access to God “by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” The veil was a picture of Christ’s body that when “torn” gave us access to God. The words “He has stricken” point to Christ Who was “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4).
The words, “He will revive us… He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight,” are a suitable prophecy because Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). There is a close relationship between Jesus and His people, who are called “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27). The resurrection of His body is their resurrection: “We shall be [united together with Him] in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5).
Isaac Is a Resurrection of Jesus Prophecy in the Old Testament
Genesis 22:4—Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
Genesis 22 is one of the most unique types in the Old Testament because while others foreshadow Christ’s death or resurrection, Abraham and Isaac foreshadow Christ’s death and resurrection, with a confirmation in the New Testament:
- Hebrews 11:17 prefigures Christ’s sacrifice through Isaac.
- Hebrews 11:19 prefigures Christ’s resurrection through Isaac.
Genesis 22:4 is not only referring to the day Abraham arrived at Moriah. The verse also identifies the day Abraham received Isaac back from the dead. Hebrews 11:17 says:
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son…
Twice it says Isaac was “offered up,” drawing a parallel between him and Jesus Who was “offered up for our sins” (Romans 4:25). Second, Isaac is given the same title as Jesus: “only begotten son.” Hebrews 11:18 says:
Of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called”…
This quote from Genesis 21:12 identifies Isaac as the promised son Abraham’s descendants would come from, as opposed to Ishmael. Hebrews 11:19 says:
Concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
The words “raise him up, even from the dead,” create the imagery that Isaac was resurrected. When Abraham received the command to sacrifice Isaac, he was so committed to obeying; it was as though Isaac died to him. This was the first day. Abraham reached Mount Moriah “on the third day.” He ascended the mountain to sacrifice his son, and when the Angel of the Lord stopped him, it was as though he “received [Isaac]” back from the dead. This occurred “in a figurative sense,” because Isaac did not physically die.
The Greek word for “figurative” is parabolē, which is related to our English word “parallel.” It means, “a placing of one thing by the side of another, juxtaposition.” Of the fifty times the word occurs in the New Testament, forty-six times it is translated as “parable.” Jesus’ parables were physical stories placed alongside spiritual realities. The physical story of Abraham and Isaac illustrated the spiritual reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the third day.
52 Responses
An Islamic scholar once challenged anyone to quote any scripture from the Old Testament that supports the claims of Jesus’ resurrection. This article clearly answered all the questions about Jesus Christ’s 🙏 triumph over death. Now I understand why the secrets and mysteries of God are revealed to those that fear him and that the carnal man cannot receive the things of God for they are foolishness unto him. No one can decipher this truth and revelation except the Holy Spirit lives in you.
Thanks Scott 🙏
Hi Austin,
You are welcome. Thank you for letting me know that my post ministered to you. God bless!
Hello Gary,
The most reason Christians (I don’t like the word) have NO clue to any dates. For one reason it is the same as it has always been, the Jews temple was burned to the ground in 70ad and the records of all male’s (first born’s) were kept in the temple records. These records would include the tribe from which one came, the birthdate, the circumcision according to the law of childbirth, it would also include the date one began in the priesthood which was normally began around 19/20 years old. If one knows these dates it can be figured as to other things mentioned in the scriptures, including the birth, death and resurrection. It can also be determined the end of our 2 days and our 3rd day. Blessings
Sharon,
Thanks for responding to Gary. God bless!
Christ b: Tishri 1, 3737 // September 12/13, 25bce
d: Nisan 14, 3786 // April 19, 26 ad
r: Sivan 6, 3786 // June 9, 26ad
The year 3786 was a High Sabbath, a Jubilee.
There is more if you are interested, signs, with scripture.
Sharon,
Thanks for sharing this and you’re welcome to share more if you would like.
Pastor Scott,
Thank you so much for this. Bless You.
Hello Tiana,
You are welcome. I’m thankful it ministered to you.
Scott and everyone,
Jesus SAVED us by showing us THE WAY to be AT ONE with AGAPE (Spirit Parents) LOVE for every INDIVIDUAL BEING. Simply put, you were born so God could Love another Being.
Evolution is to adopt a SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE, while on earth, and see even our perceived ENEMIES as our forever Spirit Siblings. Each of us must become AWARE and REALIZE the undeniability of Righteousness and Loves TRUTHS. Eventually, each of us will willingly ‘rise from the ashes of confusion’ and ‘see the light’ of RIGHTEOUSNESS and LOVE. Con-fusion is a temporary condition within the no boundaries of eternity. Fusion is inevitable. The lost are bound to be found.
MARK 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but ONE, that is, God. Jesus is a messenger from our Spirit Parents. ‘At one with’ means ‘on the same page with’ or ‘in agreement with’.
We have temporarily become individual mortal beings so we can discover, evolve and become emotionally intelligent immortal beings forever!
To your Spiritual Parent(s), you are quite literally priceless!
Love and hate were destined to be 100% challenged but eventually 100% understood.
To have successful eternal relationships forever, Love had to be exposed now.
Love is far more than simply an unexplainable feeling.
Understanding why Love cares is all-powerful!
Waters wonder is revealed when it quenches thirst. Love quenches an even greater thirst!
To our Spirit Parents, you and I are lost (not understanding so not trusting Agape Love, yet). We are in need of becoming found (being ‘at one’ with our Source Agape Loving Energy)!
‘Lost’ means not yet understanding or felt being Love(d) 100%, yet.
‘Found’ means understanding you are being Loved 100%.
Heaven is not a gate you enter. Heaven is a perfect Love waiting for you to know then be ‘at one’ with.
Ed,
You quoted at least one verse from the Bible, which leads me to believe you believe the Bible, or at least part of it. I have to tell you that most of your comment cannot be found in Scripture and conflicts with most of Scripture. I’m almost not sure where to begin. Are you saying agape means spirit parents?
Can you tell me what you mean by spirit parents? Also, do you see any Bible verses to support this idea?
Scott,
Very helpful, thank you!
Lynda,
You are welcome. I’m blessed the post ministered to you.
Scott,
Thank you for your writings as I can tell and feel your passion from God is 🔥
What you have done to Gary is planted the seed of Christ in he’s heart, and I can tell that Gary wants to believe and theology teaches us that everyman has a sense of God sooner or later Gary will see what we see and a mere date will have no conclusion or meaning when the love of Christ has been revealed to Gary…
Gary,
Read the bible God will speak to your heart ♥ and he will answer all of your questions intimately just you and him you don’t need us; God has drawn you to him you know this! It’s him who draws you to his son, he loves you he always has, and has been waiting for you Gary, he knows you every hair on your head.
Deuteronomy chapter 29 verse 29 will answer your question about the dates and if it was recorder or not it will become irrelevant after you read this, but really get into it and absorb what God is saying, and remember Gary God is a spirit if you wish to speak to him, you must not with your mind but your heart will lead you to him spiritually.
Thanks, Scott, for all of your hard work, and may God be with all of he’s people.
Rocco,
Thank you for the encouragement and for directly addressing day. God bless!
Hello Mr. LaPierre,
This article has given me a different perspective on the book of Jonah specifically and in addition to the other claims you wrote about. In addition, I did read most of the comments about dates concerning Christ, and I will say that, proving Christ’s divinity through dates isn’t as important as deciding where you would like to spend your eternity, and thinking about those we love and encouraging them to make that same discussion. The Word of God tells us that “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
I believe that your readers are one step away from their Jesus experience! 🙂
Nothing is by coincidence, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30
Could shed some light on the dates of our Savior 🙏🏽.
Hello Ladana,
I’m glad my post ministered to you. If I understand you, you are saying that dates pale in comparison to recognizing Jesus is the Messiah and putting your faith in Him? If so, I completely agree.
Do you perceive the presence of the resurrected Jesus within you, Scott?
Gary,
I highly discourage people from going by feelings as they come and go and can be deceitful. We need to hold to the truths in God’s Word. To me, it is not an issue of what I feel or experience day-to-day. What matters is what God says in Scripture.
On what date did the Resurrection occur? Thanks.
Hello Gary,
Using Daniel’s Seventy Weeks it seems like April 5 A.D. 33 is the date of Jesus’s resurrection.
Hi Scott,
“It seems” sounds like you are guessing.
Three hours of total darkness, a great earthquake, the veil of the Holy of Holies rips down the middle, angels descend from heaven to appear to and talk to several people, dozens if not hundreds of graves are shaken open, the dead in those graves come back to life and walk the streets of a major city of the Roman empire, God the Creator rises from the dead and appears to over 500 people, often in large groups and then levitates into the clouds in front of one of those groups…yet… no one bothered to record the date of this earth-shattering event. Don’t you find that odd?
Hello Gary,
Yes, I said “seems,” because we don’t know for sure. Here’s one article on a site I trust explaining the dilemma: How is the date for Easter determined?.
The date of Jesus’s resurrection is insignificant, compared to the reality of the Resurrection. If God wanted us to know the date, we would. What matters is that it happened versus when it happens.
You forget that the Jews had a different calendar than the Romans did. For most purposes, we use a modified Roman calendar. I can tell you that it was Nisan 16 of the year 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.
Andrew,
Good point. Thanks for engaging Gary. I appreciate others helping in the conversation.
Christians claim that a man who lived 2000 years ago is the creator of the universe, ruler of the cosmos, and that after his public execution, he rose from the dead and appeared to over 500 people. Yet they don’t have the dates of his birth, his death, his supernatural resurrection, or any of the post-death appearances to crowds of dozens and even hundreds of eyewitnesses. Not one single date.
And we are not talking about the Stone Age. People kept records in the first century of the Roman Empire. They weren’t cavemen. They weren’t idiots. Don’t Christians claim that first century Jews were meticulous about keeping records?
Why don’t Christians know the date of birth of the “King of Kings”???
Gary,
I responded to your other comment. Here’s another article explaining the dilemma: How do we determine the date to celebrate Easter?
I am assuming there is some point behind your comments and the emails you are sending me. Would you like to share it?
Good morning, Scott. Thanks for replying to my comments.
My point is this: Christians don’t know the exact date or even the year of the birth of their Lord and Savior, the King of Kings, the ruler of the universe. Mary, his mother, either didn’t bother to tell anyone in the Church, the Church didn’t find his birth date that important and forgot, or she forgot. All of those options seems very unlikely. If the Romans could remember the exact birthdates of their kings (Caesars), I would think Christians would consider it important to remember theirs.
But maybe you are right. Maybe Jesus’ birth date is not important. But surely the exact date of his death and resurrection would be remembered, right? No. Christians do not know the dates of these two events either. They are forced to guess. Why? We are not talking about the Stone Age. People kept records in the first century. Christians claim that first century Jews were meticulous record keepers. Allegedly they remembered several of Jesus’ very long sermons word for word and recorded them. So are we really to believe that these meticulous record keepers forgot to record the birthdate, date of death, and most importantly of all, the date of the Resurrection???
Come on, Scott. If any other religion made such fantastical claims about their god but couldn’t provide records that demonstrate the exact year of these alleged events you would laugh and hand wave away their preposterous claims. Why? Answer: Because their story has all the markings of a legend! So why do you believe the Christian stories? They too have all the markings of legends. Jesus may well have existed, but the stories about him have all the markings of legends.
Here is my point:
Gary,
First, you claim that we don’t know the exact date. I gave you the suspected date. No, we don’t know for sure, but it is likely accurate. I gave you links to two posts explaining why we can’t hold to the date with absolute certainty.
Second, Christianity is not built on the certainty of a date or dates. You are looking at one small factor and using it to cast doubt on all of Christianity. That is absurd. It would take more than the absence of a date or two to discredit Christianity.
Third, no, the date of His death and resurrection also is not required for Christianity to be true. The death and resurrection themselves are required for Christianity to be true.
Fourth, no, the account of Jesus’s life does not have all the markings of a legend. What legend completely changed our world? What legend led so many first Century Christians, and others throughout church history, to die for what they believed in?
How do you know Abraham Lincoln lived? You never saw him. You believe because of the historical evidence and the effect his life had. The same is true with Jesus. The historical evidence and the effect His life had is evidence.
“The death and resurrection themselves are required for Christianity to be true.”
Correct, but what is the evidence that a first century brain-dead corpse was resurrected and appeared in bodily form to over 500 people.
–No one recorded even the year of this fantastical, earth-shattering event, let alone the exact date.
–We have not one single, undisputed eyewitness statement of anyone describing seeing a walking, talking resurrected fist century body. Not one. The closest thing Christians have is the statement of Paul of Tarsus in Galatians in which he states, “have I not seen the Christ”? No description whatsoever of what he allegedly saw. I know Christians will argue that experts are wrong about the non-eyewitness status of the Gospels, but it doesn’t matter. The fact remains that the eyewitness status of these authors and of the stories within their books is DISPUTED. Disputed evidence is not good evidence.
Imagine someone claiming to be an eyewitness to an auto accident, but a significant percentage of experts are of the opinion that the witness in question was 1,000 miles away on the date of the accident! The testimony of this witness is not going to be taken seriously. And that is exactly the type of evidence that Christians have! Expert contested, disputed testimony.
The fact that a supernatural tale has a lot of believers is not evidence that the tale is true. Just look at Islam, Hinduism, and Mormonism. Just because the believers of a supernatural tale are willing to die attesting to the veracity of that supernatural tale is not evidence that it is true. Christians assume that the disciples were either lying or telling the truth. There is a third option: The sightings of Jesus involved illusions, delusions, and false sightings. The disciples sincerely believed that Jesus had appeared to them. But they were sincerely MISTAKEN.
Gary,
If I am understanding you, it sounds like it comes down to evidence of Jesus’s resurrection and without a date (although I did provide you with a likely date) you don’t believe there’s enough evidence.
There’s lots of evidence in Scripture, such as the empty tomb, the women who were witnesses, the large number of people who saw the resurrected Christ, the apostles’ spiritual transformations, Paul’s conversion. These are evidences in Scripture that I’m guessing might not have much credibility with you, but there are plenty of evidences outside of Scripture. Take for instance the number of individuals willing to be martyred for their faith in those early centuries, the history of the church itself including its spread and effect on the world. There is also Sunday worship which is continued for the last 2000 years and shows no sign of stopping. There’s early church father’s writings. These evidences and others have no natural explanation. If the resurrection didn’t cause the growth and spread of Christianity, then what did?
The “evidence” you claim is in Scripture is not corroborated by ANY non-Christian source, Scott.
If conservative Christians are correct that there exist multiple written eyewitness sources which record a day in the first half of the first century CE in which three hours of darkness occurred in a major city of the Roman Empire (Jerusalem), in the middle of the afternoon, accompanied by a great earthquake which ripped the Temple veil in two and shook open dozens if not hundreds of graves, AND, the dead within those graves reportedly came back to life and roamed the streets of the city, all on the same day that a major Jewish messiah-pretender is personally tried, convicted, and executed by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate…why don’t ancient or modern historians acknowledge these dramatic events in their history texts as historical facts?
“They are biased against the supernatural!” conservative Christian apologists will often counter.
Really??
–The execution of a famous person by another famous person does not involve the supernatural.
–Eclipses of the sun do not involve the supernatural.
–Earthquakes do not involve the supernatural.
–Tombs being cracked opened by an earthquake do not involve the supernatural.
Yet this three hour long eclipse of the sun (nor the accompanying earthquake), allegedly witnessed and recorded by multiple Christian eyewitnesses, is not found in the writings of any non-Christian author or historian in Antiquity nor is it found today in public university history textbooks as an historical fact! Why, conservative Christians? Bias against the supernatural?? You can’t blame bias against the supernatural because the above events have occurred frequently throughout human history without anyone claiming supernatural involvement!
“But there are records of eclipses of the sun in the first half of the first century AD. One of these could be the eclipse mentioned in the Gospels,” conservative Christian apologists will respond.
No. It was a THREE HOUR total eclipse of the sun. Total eclipses of the sun last less than eight minutes. No one but a complete moron would confuse an eight minute eclipse with a three hour eclipse. If there had been a three hour eclipse of the sun one day in the early first century CE, someone, somewhere, would have recorded this fantastical, un-heard of solar event. But no one did. Not the Romans. Not the Egyptians. Not the Greeks. Not the Mayans. Not the Persians. Not the Chinese. No one recorded a three hour total eclipse of the sun!
“Well, the authors were probably embellishing the amount of time, ” some apologists will then claim.
Aha! So, dear conservative Christian apologist, you admit that the Gospel authors were embellishing their stories! Excellent observation! Now, what other parts of this tall tale did they embellish??
These preposterous claims are not found anywhere in the non-Christian writings of Antiquity. Modern history text books do not record these alleged events as historical facts because there is no corroborating evidence for these Christian claims. These claims are only found in Christian texts, written by authors whose admitted agenda was “so that you might believe” and whose identity and eyewitness status is hotly contested by scholars. Bottom line: If these fantastical events did occur on one weekend in the first half of the first century CE, there should be some corroborating evidence. But there isn’t.
The evidence for the Resurrection is poor, poor, poor.
This story has all the characteristics of a tall tale. A legend.
Gary,
You wrote:
I said that the evidences in Scripture would probably not have much credibility with you, so I gave you other evidences. You are saying history doesn’t support Christian martyrs? There is no evidence for a Christian church over the last 2000 years? You think the early church father’s writings are imaginary?
Also, you said there is no evidence from historians. Josephus is at least one historian records Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection.
You mentioned other people not recording the eclipse, such as the Mayans and Chinese. I’ve always thought the eclipse was localized as is the case with all eclipses. I’ve never heard of an eclipse that blocks out the sun…for everyone on the earth.
No, I do not think the authors were embellishing the amount of time. I think, as Luke wrote in the introduction to his gospel, that they were striving to provide accurate historical accounts under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Both the Talmud and the writings of the Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote about Jesus and his death. Do some looking online and you can read it for yourself. There are others but those are two that I know of. These are things you could have found yourself but I suspect you are not looking for reasons to believe. Rather, you are looking for reasons to doubt. Sincerely search and you will find them…and Him.
Ernest,
Thank you for sharing those thoughts with Gary as well as pointing him toward those resources. God bless!
Hello my Brother,
Wishing you are doing well. Don’t forget that our Lord is always praying at any time for us. Challenge is just a test.
Hello Kerolos,
Nice to hear from you. Thank you. I hope you are also doing well. God bless!
Thank you. The article as well as the comments are enlightening! Jesus is the very Word itself – He is the Word. He places great importance on every jot and tittle, and by each word jot and tittle he reveals Himself to us who study the Word. So it makes perfect sense that the whole, taken together, is the prophecy of suffering and resurrection in triumph.
Betty Ann,
You are welcome. It blesses me that my material help to you. You said that very well in your last sentence. That is a great way to view the Bible as having one Author.
Here is a more extensive explanation of my previous comment:
‘All three of these days, the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the sixteenth are called festivals by Philo. The fourteenth is called Pascha and begins at noon until evening. The fifteenth is a holy day and is the first day of unleavened bread. These days are called the Paschal feast, and the day following the fifteenth is also a festival when the sheaf of first fruits is brought to the altar. (Philo, Special Laws II, xxvii–xxvix)’
These three days help us to understand this Scripture by the apostle Paul, ‘For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.’ (1 Cor.15:3-4).
That is to say, that Jesus was crucified on the 14th day in the Passover week when the Passover lambs were slain in the Temple. Jesus was buried on the 15th day, which was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, which was a holy Sabbath day. On the 16th day, the ‘morrow’ after this holy Sabbath day, the sheaf of firstfruits was waved in the Temple; on this day, Jesus was raised from the dead.
These days originate from the following Scriptures of Leviticus 23: “In the first month on the fourteenth of the month, toward evening [between the two evenings] is passover to the Lord.” ‘And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day a holy convocation shall be to you; any servile work you shall not do.” “…then you shall bring the sheaf of the first of your harvest unto the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for your acceptance; on the morrow after the rest day [the first day] the priest shall wave it.” (Lev.23:5; 6-7; 13-14, Joseph Magil Hebrew version)
Earlier in the same letter to the church of Corinth, the apostle Paul writes of the fourteenth and fifthteenth days: “For Christ our Passover lamb was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor.5:7-8).The apostle Paul speaks of the 16th day in this same epistle to the church of Corinth: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruit of the ones having fallen asleep.” (1 Cor.15:20)
Hello again Thomas,
Thank you for explaining in greater detail.
I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with Philo, you mentioned in your previous, as well.
You did a fantastic job concisely explaining how each of these feasts, Passover, Unleavened bread, and Firstfruits look forward to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. If you’d like to listen to the sermons I preached on this, please let me know. God bless!
To understand the third day one must read what the apostle Paul writes, “he was crucified according to scripture, was buried, and raised again the third day.” The 14th day was the Passover, the 15th day was the first day of unleavened bread and is a Sabbath holy day, the 16th day is the waving of the firstfruit in the temple. Jesus was crucified on Passover, buried on the 15th day, and rose again on the 16th day, the third day as the firstfruit from the dead. The first two days are recorded in the gospels, the third day is explained by the apostle Paul as being the firstfruit from the dead. These three days are outlined in Lev.23 as well in the writings of Philo, the first century Jew of the Torah.
Hello Thomas,
A few years ago I preached on the seven feasts in Leviticus 23. It was a blessing for me. I taught that each of the feasts look forward to Christ, including in the ways you described. In particular, the Passover looked forward to Christ as our Passover Lamb, that he was buried during Unleavened Bread, and that he was the Firstfruits of the resurrection. If you are saying that the first three feasts also serve as a prophecy of Christ being raised on the third day, I agree with you. Thank you for sharing this!
Bravo, Scott. Very astute typological interpretations of a difficult context: his burial and resurrection. Both Jesus and Paul clearly state these matters as prophesied. So, if they are anywhere, these are the passages. Jonah clearly, through Jesus’s own words. Good work!!
Brian,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I’m glad you agree :-). God bless!
Sorry, I have to agree with Roger. The fact is that there is no specific scripture that discusses the Christ suffering and being raised on the third day. However, when you take all of the Messianic prophesies and put them together, especially the ones specifically mentioned by Jesus (i.e.- Jonah), it makes it clear that the Christ would be crucified (Isaiah), be entombed three days, etc. That is what Jesus is saying in Luke 24:46; it’s the combination of scriptures, not just one. The references you give to Genesis and Hosea are, as Roger says, a real stretch. But I sure give you credit for trying!
T.K. Paoli,
Thank you for reading and commenting.
There is no difficulty finding versus prophesying the Messiah would die. You said a combination of scriptures (versus one scripture) make clear that he would be raised on the third day. Can you please Tell me what verses you are referring to, because you believe the verses I mentioned are a stretch?
Anyone who has read Lev.23:5-11 carefully will see that there are three specific days in the first three days of Passover week. The 14th day (which is the day the Passover lamb is sacrificed), the 15th day (which is the first day of Unleavened Bread, and a high Sabbath day, following Jesus’ death and burial before sunset), and the 16th day which is the morning after the high Sabbath day, when a sheaf of firstfruits were waved in the Temple.
Jesus was raised from the dead on the 16th day, the third day according to the Scriptures of Leviticus 23:5-11. And he rightfully is called not only the Passover lamb who was slain on the 14th day, but is also called the ‘firstfruits from the dead’ who was raised on the 16th day of Passover, which in that year was a Sunday.
Michael,
This is fantastic, thanks so much for sharing this. God bless!
Wow, you can connect the dots and make any picture you would like with scripture.
Roger,
Thanks for reading and commenting.
If I understand you it sounds like you think some of the prophecies are a stretch? Can you let me know specifically what didn’t sit well with you?
Thanks,
Scott
As with many other writings there is one truth that God intends that all understand so they can be of one mind, or unified.
Hello B. Goddard,
I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused by your comment. Is the gospel the one truth you are referring to that God intends all understand? If so, this allows us to be of one mind or unified with believers, but it does divide us from unbelievers. Jesus spoke numerous times about the division the gospel causes. If you mean something besides the gospel, please let me know.