In the preface to this article Bro. Gill states: “These pages were written without any notes or corrections — written in haste. There are many repetitions for which I make no apology. My one aim was to make the subject clear. If you seek the truth concerning Him of whom I
write it will be a blessing to you. I urge your careful, prayerful study.”.
INTRODUCTION
Many people believe our Lord was crucified on Friday and rose from the grave on Sunday morning — that He was in the grave two nights and one day, or about thirty six hours. This is the teaching of the Catholic Church and is accepted by many others without any attempt to know the truth of God’s Word.
Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mt. 12:40; Jonah 1:17)
Very clearly we see the “Friday to Sunday” theory does not fulfill the words of our Lord — one is 36 hours — the other is 72 hours.
Several years ago I decided to find the truth of God’s Word on this important subject regardless of the study required — to find “what saith the scriptures?”
In the following pages I give you the result of a long, careful, open study of God’s Word. I challenge you to study it with an open mind — to check me with the Word of God.
I will show you that Jesus did not enter Jerusalem on Sunday — so there is no “Palm Sunday.” He was crucified on Wednesday instead of Friday — so there is no “Good Friday.” He rose Saturday evening instead of Sunday morning — so there is no “Easter Sunday.”
A STUDY OF THE REGULAR SABBATHS
1. Exodus 16:23-30. The Sabbath first commanded to
Israel.
2. Exodus 20:8-11. The fourth commandment —
Three Days and Three Nights”
Or
Jesus In The Grave Seventy-Two Hours
By L. F. Gill
“Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.” The seventh day of the week was always a sabbath. Nothing ever altered this. There were a number of special Sabbaths in connection with the Feasts but these were in addition to the regular Sabbaths. It was possible for Israel to have three Sabbaths in a week — one regular Seventh- Day Sabbath, and two special Sabbaths in connection with the Feasts.
The Seventh day was always a Sabbath.
Every Sabbath day — whether the regular seventh day or the special feast day or the special feast day Sabbath— was a holy day. No labor could be performed.
3. Exodus 31:12-17. The Sabbath is a sign between the Lord and Israel. It is a type of the Israelite Kingdom
(See Heb. 4).
“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation.”
Remember this — you will need it. Just fix in your mind that each seventh day was a sabbath — a holy day — an holy convocation — a day in which there was no labor.
A STUDY OF THE SPECIAL SABBATHS OBSERVED BY ISRAEL
God not only commanded Israel to observe the regular “seventh day” Sabbath but He also commanded a number of special Sabbaths in connection with the great feasts. Study Leviticus 23. In verses 5-8 we find that in the first month the 15th and 21st were Sabbath days.
Verses 23-32 tells us the 1st and 10th days of the seventh month were Sabbaths or holy convocations. You readily see these two Sabbaths were not seven days apart. Then in verses 33-39 we find that the 15th and 22nd of this seventh month were also Sabbaths.
So, in the seventh month in addition to the regular seventh-day Sabbaths there were four special Sabbaths — the 1st, 10th, 15th, and 22nd. Remember — all these special Sabbaths in Lev. 23 were on fixed days of the month.
Always they came on a certain day of the month regardless of the day of the week. This is very important.
Study it until it is clear to you.
A SPECIAL SABBATH ALWAYS FOLLOWED
THE PASSOVER
1. Exodus 12:3-6, 18. The Passover lamb was selected on the 10th day of the first month (Nisan — our April). The lamb was kept until the 14th. It was killed and eaten on the night of the 14th of the same month. “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s Passover” (Lev. 23:5).
The Passover was always eaten on the night of the 14th of the first month.
In reckoning the time remember — while our day begins at midnight, their day began at sunset. To put it in our terms let us say, their day began at 6:00 P.M. — that is our 6:00 P.M. So they ate the Passover in the early or first hours of the 14th — just after it began at 6:00 P.M.
Jewish historians tells us they always killed the lambs in the late evening or last hours of the 13th — just before the 14th began at 6:00 P.M.
2. The 15th or day following the eating of the lamb, was always a Sabbath or holy convocation. It is important to see that this 15th day of the month was always a Sabbath regardless of the day of the week. Leviticus 23:5-7 reads, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at
even is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord; seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
In the first day (15th) ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” This plain passage fixes — once and forever — the fact that the 15th or day following the eating of the Passover was always a Sabbath or holy convocation.
This is important to see for here many have been confused. The Gospels make it clear that our Lord was crucified on a day before a Sabbath. Without any study of the Scriptures many have taken it for granted this was a regular Saturday-Sabbath and therefore He had to be crucified on Friday.
This is the result of failure to study.
Here it is in a “nut shell.” Jesus ate the Passover in the first hours of Wednesday the 14th — just after 6:00 P.M. (We would call this Tuesday night). Then He went to the Garden — was arrested — tried — and the next day crucified — still Wednesday the 14th.
He was crucified on the same day in which He ate the Passover.
Then at 6:00 P.M. Wednesday evening the 15th began — this special Passover Sabbath. Now study John 19:31 which reads, “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs be broken, and that they might be taken away.”
It is all so clear.
This high Passover Sabbath — the Highest of all the year — would begin at 6:00 P.M. and they must hasten the removal of the bodies. Work could be done on the 14th but no work on the 15th. Note this also, the 14th (day He was crucified) was called the preparation or preparation day. It was the preparation for this highest of all Sabbaths.
The 15th — this high day — was the day that was called the “Passover.”
Study this until it is clear to your mind.
HOW LONG WAS THE BODY OF JESUS IN THE GRAVE?
Those who accept the “Friday to Sunday” theory of His burial say He was in the grave part of Friday, all of Saturday and part of Sunday and this accounts for the three days. This is a weak effort to “explain away” the plain words of God.
When a “theory” is at variance with the plain Word — change the theory — not the Word.
In Matthew 12:40 Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
If we had no evidence of when He was crucified or when He rose I would still say He stayed in the grave three full days and three full nights — a full seventy two hours — for His Word never fails (Mt. 24:35).
Any theory that does not account for the three days and three nights of His word is false.
If He was in the grave only from Friday evening till Sunday morning His Word failed.
In these words Jesus makes Jonah’s stay in the whale a type of His burial. In Jonah 1:17 we read, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Words cannot be plainer than these.
Any school boy can read these words and tell you how long Jonah was in the fish — three days and three nights — 72 hours. Who will dare make these plain words of God mean less than that?
Then Jesus had to be in the grave 72 hours to fulfill the type of Jonah.
In several places Jesus said He would rise the third day or that on the third day He would rise (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; Mk. 8:31; 10:34). Those who hold the “Friday to Sunday” theory make much of this — that He would rise the third day — which they say was Sunday. But a little
study of Matthew 27:62-64 will reveal very clearly that the “third day” meant the same as “after three days” — the third day was “after three days” had expired — at the end of 72 hours.
Now let this be a fixed point — Jesus was in the grave 72 hours. He had to be — for He said He would be — His Word cannot fail.
When did our Lord rise from the dead? This point is very clearly fixed by the Word of God — to open minds. Matthew 28:1 (King James Version) reads, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
Matthew 28:1 (American Standard Version) reads, “Now late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
Matthew 28:1 (Moffatt’s Translation) reads, “At the close of the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.”
Forget the “theory” — let God speak.
At the end of the Sabbath — Late on the Sabbath — at the close of the Sabbath — just at 6:00 P.M. when the first day of
the week began — these two women came to look at the tomb.
God fixes the time of this visit definitely.
It was just at the time when the regular Sabbath closed and the first day of the week began — definitely at 6:00 P.M. Saturday.
Note that this was a regular Saturday- Sabbath for it was followed by the first day of the week — this was not a high Sabbath.
As you continue reading Matthew 28:1-8 you find what these women saw at 6:00 P.M. Saturday evening.
They saw the earthquake and the angel roll back the stone, etc. They heard this angel announce that Jesus was risen from the dead. They were invited to see the place where the Lord lay, etc.
You cannot read this passage with an open mind and not be convinced that Jesus rose from the dead at the close of the Sabbath as the first day of the week dawned or began.
God very definitely fixes the very minute of His resurrection.
Now bear this in mind — Matthew records the visit of the women on Saturday evening — at the close of the Sabbath — at 6:00 P.M.
Mark, Luke and John all record the visit of the women the next morning — early Sunday morning — about daylight.
The two visits are not the same.
Saturday evening the two women came to see the tomb. Sunday morning they came with spices to anoint His body. It is all so clear when you let the Word mean what it says instead of trying to make it “fit a theory.”
Just read it and believe it as God wrote it.
