سم الله الرحمن الرحيم
'In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
A
Predicting that Jesus will stay in tomb for three days and three nights
:
The summary of your reply in page (6) of your message, line (9) states: So Jesus raised on Sunday, in (the third day). Three days means three parts of such three days i.e. (Part of Friday + Saturday + part of the Sunday). In the past, they used to consider a part of day as one day. That is the way Christians understood it, and also, the Jews who addressed Jesus, and we nowadays also understood it like that. But what about the three nights mentioned by Jesus: (... and three nights, so shall it be ..... and three nights). How do you calculate these three nights!! It is Friday night + Saturday Night + a missing night which is Sunday night!...
Predicting that Jesus will stay in tomb for three days and three nights
:
The Jews asked Jesus to let them see a sign. Mathew 12: (38-Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39- But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40- For just 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).
Such statement is common in all bibles and was mentioned in most of them. Mark mentioned it in (8:31, 9:31 and 10:34).
It is mentioned by Luke with significant difference, which is: Luke 11: (29- And as the crowds were thronging together, He began to say, This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30- For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation). The three days mentioned also by John (2:19).
In the Book of Jonah we read the story of Jonah as the following
:
Jonah 1:17 (Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights)
Jonah 2 (1- In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me 10- and the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land).
In order to fulfil such prophecy, the one who was crucified should remain in his tomb three days and three nights; however, the Bibles mentioned that the crucified person was taken from the cross Friday’s evening (The day of crucifixion), and then
:
(When evening had fallen, since it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath. 43- Joseph, the honorable member of the Council, from Arimathea, who was also himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came; and gathering courage, he went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44- And Pilate marveled that He had already died, and calling to him the centurion, he questioned him whether He had been dead long. 45- And when he found out from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46- And Joseph purchased a piece of fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the fine linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which was hewn out of rock and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb). (Mark 15:42-46)
The disciples and followers of Jesus found the tomb empty in the early hours of Sunday Dawn.
Matthew 28: (1- Now late on the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave….. 5- And the angel answered and said to the women…. 6- He is not here, for He has been raised).
John 20:1 (Now on the first day of the week, Mary the Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was yet dark and saw the stone taken away from the tomb)
By calculating the days and nights, we find the following
:
- The number of days spent by the dead person in his tomb is 1 day only (Saturday).
- The number of nights spent by the dead person in his tomb is just two nights (Saturday night and part of Sunday night).
Accordingly, it is impossible to fulfill the prophecy of staying in the tomb for three days and three nights.
Cont ….