Three Days and Three Nights - PART 77

Three days and three nights. This phrase is used 11 times in the scriptures and each time it is in connection with His resurrection. Matthew16:2; Matthew17:23; Mark 9: 31; 10:34: Luke 9:22: 18:33: 24:7,46; Acts 10: 40; I Cor. 15:4; Mark 8:31 and in Matthew 12:40. In the latter scripture, the time was to be three days and three nights. If we interject the above collective references we find that upon the third day He was to arise again. Jesus said that "in three days, I will raise this temple up."

Please note that if we believed the presentations that some are making, whereby they present that Jesus was to be three full days and three full nights in the tomb, He then would have been resurrected in the fourth day. This would mean that His body entered corruption, whereas the scripture declare that the Spirit of God would not allow His Holy One to enter the phase of corruption.

After reading Leviticus 23, we see that the offering of first fruits typified the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. (I Corinthians 15:12-23 elaborate on this point). The first fruit had to be offered on the first day of the week of Sabbaths. Every Sunday is not the first day of the week of Sabbaths. Jesus was sacrificed once and there is only one offering for sin - once and once for all.

Indeed, just because there are some who want to offer their own version of events does not qualify them to mistakenly re-offer Jesus. It is simply impossible because Jesus offered up Himself as a Son. In actual fact, on the first day of the week of Sabbaths, Mary misidentified Jesus as the gardener. It was not until she heard Jesus' familiar voice that she realise it was the Lord. At the time, Jesus said to Mary, “Touch me not for as yet I have not ascended." Yes, JESUS was still on His purposed mission to accomplish our total deliverance. The prophecy, not yet complete, was still being fulfilled in order to expedite the wave offering required in/by Leviticus chapter 23. That is, there needs to be a priest. Jesus steps into His promised priesthood as a man, that promise being, “You are a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec."

Now He, as the "one mediator priest" ascended, presenting Himself as the sacrificial lamb of God without blemish. He is offering up Himself. He is offering His own sacrificed body to Himself the Eternal Spirit, thereby establishing the everlasting testament paid for in full. He did so with the sacrifice of His own blood, which is the life giving blood of the Holy Spirit that had flowed in the veins of His holy child Jesus.

Jesus our priest offered Himself. The only begotten son who had sacrificed Himself to be accepted on our behalf. We know without a doubt, that with that sacrifice God is well pleased. We also know according to the scriptures that Jesus appeared in many forms that first day of the week of Sabbaths. Still, no one was allowed to touch Him. No touching UNTIL the three days and nights criteria was fully satisfied.

But Mary at the tomb, at least initially, did not recognise Him. Also, the two on the road to Emmaus did not recognise Him. In fact, none recognized Jesus until He was made known to them in the breaking of bread, where upon, as the scriptures state, Jesus disappeared from their sight. It was toward even on the first day of the week of Sabbaths that Jesus appears to them in a locked room where they were hiding for fear of the authorities. This time Jesus told them to handle Him and see that a spirit has not flesh and bones. The Priest’s sacrificial offering of Himself as a Son accepted. It is at this point that the completion of the three days and three nights are fulfilled. JUST PRIOR TO that which is called EVEN which is 6pm.

So let's reflect on how the time transpires in days that we can understand. Sunday 6pm to Saturday 6pm. - a period of one day - “which in effect was the first day of the week of Sabbaths." Saturday 6 pm to Friday 6pm (one day) which in effect was the normal weekly Sabbath. Friday 6pm to Thursday 6pm (one day) which was the high day Sabbath. Thursday 6 pm to Wednesday 6pm (Preparation day, crucifixion, burial, obtaining spices, Lord’s Passover introduced).