GERHARD EBERSOEHN:
"You say Jesus was bodily in the grave three days long."
JOHN HENRY:
No, I say the Lord Jesus was bodily in the tomb for all or part of 3 periods of daylight and three periods of nighttime, three days and three nights.
Matthew 12: 40: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
There was both a literal physical fulfillment of His word as stated above, and a literal spiritual fulfilment when His spirit was also "... three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" in paradise, also called Abraham's bosom:
Luke 23: 39-43, 46: "And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. ... 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."
Luke 16:19-26: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
The Lord Jesus went back into paradise again after this just before His ascension back to Heaven and took the spirits of all the Old Testament saints with Him to Heaven:
Ephesians 4: 8-10: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)"
"You say Jesus was bodily in the grave three days long."
JOHN HENRY:
No, I say the Lord Jesus was bodily in the tomb for all or part of 3 periods of daylight and three periods of nighttime, three days and three nights.
Matthew 12: 40: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
There was both a literal physical fulfillment of His word as stated above, and a literal spiritual fulfilment when His spirit was also "... three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" in paradise, also called Abraham's bosom:
Luke 23: 39-43, 46: "And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. ... 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."
Luke 16:19-26: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
The Lord Jesus went back into paradise again after this just before His ascension back to Heaven and took the spirits of all the Old Testament saints with Him to Heaven:
Ephesians 4: 8-10: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)"