Featured The crucifixion-resurrection timeline: A third view

It's also a Friday crucifixion view, but doesn't require a figurative approach to 3 days and 3 nights.

Jesus said,

Matt. 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.​

The Wednesday crucifixion view takes the 3 day and 3 nights literally, but fudges on clear third day passages, like those in Luke 24. It ends up making Sunday the fifth day (forth if you delay counting until Wednesday night).

The traditional Friday crucifixion view correctly holds that Sunday is the third day since the crucifixion, but then interprets the 3 nights idiomatically. Very problematic considering the word night has a distinct meaning from day (Gen. 1:5) and Jesus assigned a specific number to the word.

The third view, and correct view I'm convinced, focuses on the phrase "heart of the earth." Both of the previous views have something in common. They both view the phrase "heart of the earth" as a reference to death and the grave. I think this is their downfall.

In this third view, heart of the earth, instead, refers to the time Jesus spent under the judgment of earthly authorities (heart of the earth). This started Thursday night in Gethsemane and ended Sunday morning—exactly 3 days and 3 nights.

Jesus compared his time in the heart of the earth to the time Jonah spent in the belly of the whale. Jonah was in captivity during that time. He was subject to the authority of the whale, so to speak. Christ's captivity to the ruling authorities parallels nicely with this.

In fact, there are some fascinating parallels that come to life between Jonah and Christ with this view. Just as Jonah willingly allowed himself to be thrown into the sea and whale's belly, so Christ willingly gave himself over to human authorities on Thursday night. That parallel only works with this last view.

In addition, heart of the earth, is never used as a reference to the grave anywhere else in the Bible (isn't found in the Bible anywhere else, in fact). There's the phrase under the earth which makes more sense. This clearly means underground. But heart of the earth seems to imply something different. There's a a phrase in the OT referring to the heart of Egypt, which refers to the rulers of Egypt. I suspect heart of the earth has a similar meaning.

This view solves all problems. No need for the strained Wednesday timeline, nor strained idioms regarding 3 days and 3 nights.

You can read more about it here:

What did Jesus mean by 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth?

and here:

Jesus, three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, not tomb

 

What I know is that Jesus had to be given over and crucified Friday (the sixth day of the week) if Sunday (the first say of the week) is the third day. Very simple and straight forward.

Luke 24:20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.​

Cleopas doesn't even mention the burial in this passage. It's actually the third day since the handing over of Christ in the morning. "...since all this took place."

 

Well, actually no, there are many reasons Friday has been the traditional view. One is that Friday is preparation day for the Sabbath. The main reason is that Sunday is the third day since the handing over and crucifixion of Jesus (not burial of Jesus), making Saturday the second day and Friday the first day.

The primary reason Friday has been doubted is because of the view that the heart of the earth means the grave, which forces us to a day before Friday. My contention is that the grave interpretation is in error. And if it's in error, their is no longer any reason for an elaborate complex and confusing Thursday or Wednesday scenario. Everything works out perfectly. All other timeline passages lead to Friday. "It is the third day since all the took place."

 

You're still ignoring the main reason why the crucifixion has to be Friday. You deny the preparation day is Friday because if it is, that means the crucifixion is Friday. But that's not the argument. The argument is Sunday being the third day since the giving over of Jesus (not just the burial).

 

The other problem with pre-Friday views is the definition of day. Day is defined in Genesis by God himself. It is the daylight portion of the day/night cycle. If the giving over of Jesus was Thursday or Wednesday, you have too many days—4 if Thursday, 5 if Wednesday. Only a giving over on Friday gives us Sunday as the third day.

 

We'll get to that. But first, please define morning biblically. What exactly is morning, according to the Bible? When does morning start? This is extremely relevant to your above question.

 

I'm not following this. Please clarify if you could. I just want to make sure I understand before replying.

Here's a modern translation, BTW:

Mark 15:42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.​

Not that the KJV is different, but I can see where it might seem to imply sundown would usher in the preparation day. But in actuality, Mark tells the current day is the preparation day, which is why they needed to hurry and be done before sundown.

Edit: or maybe I'm wrong on this, actually. I'm not sure yet. Maybe you can convince me.

But I can see where this is a debate: already approaching vs. already come.

 

Here's the Wednesday view, where they interpret the heart of the earth as the grave and need 72 hours of grave time. It is from the jewish perspective of days starting in the evening. In this view he's actually placed in the grave just prior to the 1st night and raises just after the 3rd day. But it accounts for the full 72 hours, 3 days and 3 nights.


When I believed heart of the earth was a reference to the grave, I liked this view, despite it's problems.