Now we use the name "Easter" as we all assume that this refers to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. As we all know from our church celebrations that the Friday afternoon was the crucifixion, and before the sunrise Sunday morning was the resurrection. I kept recalling that Jesus said 3 days & 3 nights in Matt 12:40. I kept counting and coming up short no matter how we do it. Also, complicated by the fact that God begins Day 1 at sunset - the Jewish days which they still keep. Genesis 1:5. When Jesus said 3 days and 3 nights, he is dividing the 1st day, 2nd day, etc. as we do today because he mentions "night" or darkness and refers to "day" as light. Now when he refers to day, night - does he mean a complete day or night? All we have to do is examine Jonah and notice that he requested to be thrown overboard after much discussion why the seas were so rough. So, it appears as it was daytime with all this activity but they did find Jonah asleep. Was that night then? So we have Jonah 1:17 Jonah 2:1 and notice Jonah 2:2. Notice 3 days and 3 nights again, not 3 nights and 3 days - just as Jesus said. Also, the Gospel and Acts mention Jesus rising the third day 14 times. So does this mean during the 3rd day or must 3 days be completed before they refer to it as this being the 3rd day? What was their meaning of this lingo? We will assume for now that it has the same meaning as today's lingo - the 3rd day not being completed is still regarded as the 3rd day. The best to do is superimpose all events on a time scale diagram. However, we must assume that Jesus' prophecy is the standard and all our interpretations are secondary. Jesus can't be denied regardless of our traditions. He warned of this in Matt 15:6 Mark 7:13

We first examine the Church Tradition in the diagram. The typical Friday sabbath leaves us short even if we do count the last few daytime hours of Friday as a day. We are missing a night since he rose Sunday by sunrise. At first, I guess we all thought there would be no contradiction to Jesus so we ignored it and never counted the days and nights. The tradition was observed so much, we thought that the Friday sabbath was the initial day.

However, John 19:31 comes to the rescue. Here we check the Internet, concordances other sources for a "high sabbath" day. So this was not referring to the weekly Friday sabbath day but another? The best source for this was Century One Bookstore. We suggest reading this for some better understanding background and their time schedule. Notice the Nisan is a month (1st) of the Jewish Calendar, our months of March-April? This appeared to be the best documentation and easy to accept except Webster says that "no simple perpetual calendar can be constructed." The calendar is lunar solar, has leap years mostly 3 and one 2 for a 19 year lunar cycle and different than our 4. Some months have 29 or 30 days depending on a leap years. Some years have 353-355 days, others 383-385 days/year. I wouldn't begin to sort this out but leave it to the Jewish scholars. How can they be that accurate to pinpoint the exact day?

Considering Century One Bookstore plotted in the diagram, we see that we have the crucifixion on Wednesday, then the yearly sabbath Thursday as the "high" sabbath day - Hebrews 9:25. Sunset Thursday to sunset Friday is the day that two Marys prepare the spices during daytime hours Friday, rest on the weekly sabbath Friday night, then they see him on Sunday near sunrise. They reference Mark 16:1 and Luke 23:56 as they purchased spices and ointments after the yearly sabbath to anoint Jesus after the Friday sabbath. So the women didn't want to do this in the dark Saturday night, they would do it during the daylight hours. Just like women, afraid to roam around a grave at night! Now don't take offense ladies, it shows how truthful this account must be.

Let's look at these ladies more in detail. Using our own product Sequi-Verse, topics #272 - #274, there is much to discuss. In a brief summary, Joseph of Arimathaea was later joined by Nicodemus who brought 100 lbs of myrrh and aloes. They both wrapped Jesus with clean linen and spices and placed him in that new tomb and rolled the great stone in the doorway. Now consider that hauling 100 lbs of spices, Nicodemus was fairly strong. Joseph helped him and they both probably rolled the stone downhill as it was a great stone so must be rounded to roll. They both probably pried it with a tree branch to start the roll.

Later, when the chief priests and Pharisees met with Pilate, he told them to secure the site. Matt 27:66 They set a watch but notice, they didn't move the stone as they thought it was sufficient. However, since the stone didn't fit the doorway exactly, they didn't try to jiggle it to fill possible voids because the stone was too heavy? They sealed the voids in case a body could fit through, and steal Jesus. If they wanted to replace the stone, they probably would have to roll it up hill as we suggested. So instead, they sealed any openings. How did they do it? Maybe they used smaller rocks, tree branches and mud that dry hardened? Later on Sunday morning, the ladies commented who would roll away such a stone, but at least they had some dawn light to work with.

The two Marys that followed the two men observed all this also as the tomb was nearby. Notice, that in Luke 23:56, they went home and prepared their spices. You would think that when they saw 100 lbs of spices wrapped with Jesus, it would be enough but knowing women, again, especially two of them, had to add their own touch. The men probably didn't do it to their satisfaction - typical. Now the point is, do you think they waited all the time until Thursday night, possibly Friday daytime to prepare the ointments? Since this all occurred right after spring (vernal equinox), the time of sunset was after 6PM. Actually, the article references 6:30 - 6:45 PM as the possible sunset. That would give the men and ladies over 3 hours to take Jesus, wrap him up, place him in the nearby tomb, roll the stone and go home. I suggest this could have been done before the next day's annual sabbath. Now Mark 16:1 and Luke 24:1 states that the Marys had bought the spices that they had prepared. The Luke 23:56 account stated again that they returned from the tomb and prepared the spices. They already had the spices and would have done this when Jesus was taken down from the cross but the men took Jesus with their own 100 lbs of spices and the ladies followed the men and Jesus instead. The Interlinear Greek-English by Berry, (almost a duplicate of the Greek Textus-Receptus) is usually my best verse source translation, states Luke 23:56 as "And having returned they prepared aromatic's and ointments, and on the sabbath remained quiet, according to the commandment." The conjunction and meaning 2 tasks, almost simultaneously? Or today we might say - " ... and they having returned to prepare ... Notice the sequence of action no-action verbs: return - prepare - quiet (rested). These were all close in occurrence and consecutive. They were ready to go before, but went after the sabbath(s)? Does this suggest that the two sabbaths were back to back or else that reference to sabbath is plural here? Actually, Century One Bookstore suggests that the original Greek suggests "sabbaths". It appears there was no break in between sabbaths where they purchased the spices. Is there any more evidence that might support 2 sabbaths separated by a non-sabbath day?

Look at the diagram again. The two Marys were always intent to keep the sabbath. Now even by chance that they didn't prepare the spices Wednesday before evening, they could have done so after the 1st sabbath ended Thursday near 6PM and prepared the spices by light at night then raced to the tomb Friday morning, before the weekly (2nd) sabbath, as they did early Sunday morning. They would have had over 12 hours of daylight Friday to accomplish this. You know they wanted to anoint Jesus with the spices ASAP but blew it when the men took over. Also, why would they wait until Sunday morning when they could have done this Friday morning, much earlier, as they missed the initial burial when it should have been done that proposed Wednesday? Were they going to unwrap the linen that men had done and apply their own spices or just add them to the outside? Maybe it was God's plan for them not to be allowed to do this. Anyhow, let's suggest that's why they didn't attempt to do this daytime Friday? It wasn't that they became lax, they couldn't because the sabbath's were back to back Day 2 and Day 3 in the diagram. Otherwise, daytime Friday was still available by the Century One Bookstore theory unless Friday was still in the period of the annual sabbath. In the diagram, it shows that only Sat night was available - a no no for women. So with some daylight Sunday morning, it was their first chance, even before sunrise, in the dawn hours to be on the road with their spices. Now the Compromise Scenario comes into focus.

Notice now that in Matt 27:62, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate, ordered men to seal the tomb and set a watch. Did they do this the day after the preparation of the sabbath, which is the sabbath day? So did they break the sabbath because the next day they realized that someone could steal Jesus from the tomb and had to be stopped regardless? Now the Century One Bookstore could have used this as a great argument that they did this between the sabbaths but doesn't the text say they did this on the sabbath? Saying not sabbath (1st) directly, because they wouldn't have waited till the 2nd sabbath because too much time would have elapsed?. They could have done this better between the 1st and 2nd sabbath, then all would fall in place and Century One Bookstore may be right, neglecting the women and spices. If only the verse said the day after the sabbath instead of the day after the preparation. The Interlinear Greek and RSV say the same. I have heard that many of the chief priests' own rules were broken in their trial of Jesus so likely, they followed up ASAP even the 1st morning after - during the high sabbath day. Was that verse "the day after the preparation" reworded and put there to mollify that they broke the sabbath rather than say - on the sabbath day ...? This wording makes it not as noticeable at first because you are force to think that through and at first might miss their great infraction? Anything to keep the rumor down that if Jesus rose, this will be far worse for them than while he was alive with them? Disregard the sabbath?

Looking at the diagram, the Century One Bookstore states that Jesus was in the tomb exactly 72 hours but notice, that Jesus died at 3PM. Now they have him rising right before sunset Saturday. This would make it likely 75+ hours. Why do they have him rising before sunset, because that would have his body yet dead in part of the 4th night which might contradict Jesus' own statement "3 nights"? So using their same logic, why wouldn't they count part of the day of his crucifixion as part of the 1st day?

Now Jesus didn't say 3 complete days and 3 complete nights to fulfill his word. This is why we went to Jonah to see if he would help. Notice Jesus and Jonah said 3 days and 3 nights not 3 nights and 3 days. So his death started in the day and it should be counted there as the initiated sequence of days/nights, even if the day was in part but continues until the cycle is complete.

Now back to rising the 3rd day, does the 3 days have to be complete before we say this is the 3rd day? Today we would say no - that this is the 3rd day. If it has the same meaning then, according to the Century One Bookstore, that Sunday would be into Day 4 in the diagram. Day here meaning, beginning at sunset as opposed to components of a Day with night (darkness) and day (light), as Genesis 1:5 stated. So if the event of our salvation started on Thursday afternoon, then Sunday daytime would be in the 3rd Day since it took place. Actually, after 3PM Sunday, it would still be called the 3rd Day until sunset. While on the road to Emmaus, Jesus joins Cleopas and Simon (Peter). In Sequi-Verse topic # 282, Luke 24:21, the reference to this is the 3rd Day still holds and this appears to be the last reference to this day being the 3rd Day. Then after a few more exchange of sentences, Cleopas and Simon asked Jesus to stay with them as it was almost evening, therefore well after 3PM.

If we look at the diagram, the Compromise Scenario seems to best fit all events without much at all contradictions to the scriptures, only the calculated or best guessed dates of the yearly sabbath. To add a final point, lets look at something else, the earthquakes. Matt 27:51, Matt 27:52, and Matt 27:53. This occurs right at his death during daytime (3PM) since the sun also became dark. Is it possible, that even though the body of Jesus remained, the Holy Ghost with his soul was already in action, raising a few saints before he went to hell for the keys? He went to the heart of the earth. See our Sermon The Bottomless Pit to know what it may be like there. In Matt 28:2, the angel moved the stone and there was also an earthquake. So his resurrection right before sunrise may have caused the earthquake. The stone was rolled to let the women in, not to let Jesus out as he could pass through any medium as he did later. When Jesus returns, there will be another earthquake as he lands on the Mount of Olives Zech 14:4. So when his physical died, soul & spirit left, raised some dead, Jesus' body resurrected new and when he returns again, all hinting his great events by earthquakes. The Century One Bookstore suggests that he was resurrection right before sunset Sat night. So what did he do then, wait around till morning there? He worked timely and rapidly when he accomplished it all. In Psalms 16:10, David is talking about his soul and this must also apply to Jesus since his soul Satan had no right to keep as he met him there in hell. Also confirmed by Paul in Ephesians 4:9 and Col 2:15.In Rev 1:18, he states that he has won this victory and has the keys to prove it. The rest of Psalms 16:10 reveals that Jesus' body would not see corruption or decay as was to happen on the 4th day - suggesting that to have Jesus die during daytime Wednesday, it would be just over 3 days as suggested by Century One Bookstore. In John 11:39, Lazarus started to stink on the 4th day. We're talking 3 days of hours here (72) as death decay has no regard for partial day time lines here, only total time (72+ hours). This refutes the chart's depicting of 75 hours.

If you now accept the Compromise Scenario theory, then we would shift the Day1 - Day4 test by one day to the right so Day 2 becomes Day 1, Day 3 becomes Day 2 and Day 4 becomes Day 3. Also, the thin red line there could also be eliminated as the 3rd night may not be a partial night but count as a complete 3rd night because of the sunrise earthquake sign signified Jesus' bodily resurrection. In respect to the Marys with the spices, they would have taken their spices but the men stole the show. That is they had Jesus and their own spices while the women pondered what to do? Once the action started, they were swept into it and ignored what they should have done and followed them. So to make up for this and add their final touch, they tried to do this ASAP and only Sunday morning was available but too late. However, Jesus has even a better plan for them. It was that they would forget their spices so they would return and try again. This time, a morning earthquake, the stone is rolled away by an angel, Jesus' body is gone and then they see Jesus in his new person. Whatever happened to their spices then? Also, that day, they became the first evangelists and had to preach to an unbelieving few - Jesus' disciples. What a comeback for the females. Women preacher's who didn't usurp authority over the men because at that time, the men had no authority because they didn't even believe or remember Jesus' 3rd day quote mention over and over to them. Jesus gave them that authority to preach.

In summary, the Church Tradition schedule must be rejected - sorry, except for their celebration of the resurrection Sunday morning - I hope only because the Anti-Christ changes times in Daniel 7:25. Constantine continued bad customs in the name of Christianity, did he mess with the calendar also or is that left for later? To deny the work Jesus did in the heart of the earth is insulting. The last day there, he took the keys of death, hell and the grave. You Christians celebrating only 2 days there cut his work short? This was ignorance winked at but what about now?

New light was shed by Century One Bookstore and helped quite a bit but possibly went too far. Satan has many devices, and I see it over and over, he has partial truths on one side, partial truths on the other, pits one group against the other. So as each is defending their correct part, they are subconsciously reinforcing their false belief part and Satan just laughs. I will show more examples of this in the sermon Satan's Schemes.