THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS
Christ said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, it is of vital importance that we understand fully that statement.
Let’s begin at Christ’s death on the cross firstly.
Shortly before His death, Christ committed His Spirit to the Father because He was going to die.
Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.
Christ died once.
Rom 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
When He died on the cross His soul also was poured out unto death.
Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
His physical body was marred.
Isa 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
Christ died Wednesday afternoon around 3 pm.
Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.
Mat 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
He was buried in His tomb before sunset.
Luk 23:50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.
Luk 23:51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.
Luk 23:52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Luk 23:53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.
Luk 23:54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
The following scripture confirms that the Sabbath was near, time was of the essence to have Jesus buried before the sabbath.
Joh 19:42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
CHRIST WAS RESURRECTED ON THURSDAY the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread sometime between midnight and sunrise.
It is almost certain that Christ was resurrected at the same time of day, as the Israelites left Egypt. This event occurred between midnight and sun up, they left in the morning but it was still dark. So Christ would have been resurrected after midnight but before dawn on the 1st day of Unleavened Bread.
He descended into hell Thursday morning and was there three days and three nights. He was there Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night. He was raised from there on Sunday morning.
The time of His rising coincides with the time of day the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they crossed the Red Sea, all night, and this was completed as God watched them in the morning watch.
Thursday morning, the 1st day of Unleavened Bread, before going into the heart of the earth, He was resurrected to consciousness and folded His burial clothes. This event is evidence that Christ was alive and well in His tomb prior to descending to Hades or Hell.
Joh 20:7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
He was now in a physical form, He then descended into the heart of the earth. Both His spirit and His soul were given back when He was resurrected to life in the tomb.
Mat 12:40 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.
Eph 4:9 (Now this, “HE ASCENDED” what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Christ was not killed in hell. His soul and spirit were not affected.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Mat 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Christ’s soul was not destroyed in hell.
Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.
Christ was in the heart of the earth or Hell for three days and three nights. He went there for a specific purpose, He had a job to do in hell.
He preached to the disobedient spirits which were in hell.
1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared,
Previous to this time Christ was not able to do this. He did not have the power to withstand some of the mighty evil spirits.
Notice in the next scripture the Prince of Persia withstood Christ, and Michael came to help Him.
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
But after His crucifixion angels, authorities and powers were subject to Him.
It is interesting to note that when Christ died on the cross he said “it is finished”. This is speculation on my part, but it would make sense if Christ was referring to the power and authority that Satan had over Him before He qualified by living a sinless life and therefore taking over as all powerfull.
1Pe 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
On Sunday morning He was raised to a physical state.
Luk 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
The Father raised the soul of Christ.
Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.
But Christ raised His own body.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
When Christ was raised on Sunday morning He was not raised back in His burial tomb. He first saw Mary Magdalene in the garden near His tomb, so it is possible this is where He was raised to.
Mat 28:6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Luk 24:5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
Also notice this very important fact, Christ was not raised from a state of death, but raised from the place of the dead…..Hell, this is the prison for those spirit beings awaiting judgment, eternal punishment.
Jud 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
Now back to when Christ was raised. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. The following scripture states clearly that Christ was raised on Sunday morning.
Mar 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
This is the first encounter as Mary was not allowed to touch Christ because He had not ascended to the Father.
Joh 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
The three days and three nights has been revealed in these end times. What amazing knowledge for the Laodicean Church. Now we know and understand the meaning of what exactly happened during these very important days. Christ was not lying dead in a tomb for three days and three nights, He was raised and descended to hell, which is the place of punishment for disobedient spirit beings. He was there preaching to these disobedient spirit beings, now with all authority and all power. He had qualified to rule with power and authority, proving His obedience to God the Father, and giving His precious life for all mankind. How wonderful it is to know the truth of these important days.