When Was Messiah's Resurrection?

This Sunday, many will be celebrating Easter, or, as many call it, "Resurrection Day," to celebrate the Resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. It is commonly believed that Messiah was buried on the Sixth Day, (Friday), shortly before the Sabbath and rose from the dead on Sunday. However, this is highly unlikely. The idea that Messiah rose on "Easter Sunday," is not supported or found in Scripture.

Is it important to know the days when Messiah was buried and when He resurrected? Well, Messiah Himself seemed to think so, as well as His disciples and the prophets. According to Scripture, it's important that we understand that the resurrection of Messiah is a matter of important Biblical Messianic prophecy that actually qualifies Yeshua as the Messiah. Thus, one of the most important prophecies regarding His resurrection is what is called "The Sign of Jonah." As Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, so the Messiah would be resurrected three days after His death. Messiah Yeshua said that He would indeed fulfill what is called the Sign of Jonah, qualifying Him as the Messiah spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures:

"For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights" - Mt 12:40.

If Messiah was to fulfill the Sign of Jonah, then it is very unlikely that He was buried on Friday and rose on Sunday. For Messiah to fulfill this prophecy He would've had to have been in the tomb three full days and three full nights. Yet, according to popular teaching He was in the tomb less than two days. According to Jewish anti-missionaries Yeshua is a false prophet, because apparently He wasn't in the tomb three full days and three full nights. However, the reality is that He was in fact in the tomb three full days and three full nights.

So, was Messiah buried on the Sixth Day (Friday), shortly before the Sabbath? No He wasn't. He was actually buried on the first day of Passover (Pesach), which is a Sabbath, but not the Sabbath. The first day of Pesach (Passover) is called a "High Sabbath" or a "Festival Sabbath."

The Apostle John actually explains this:

"It was the Day of Preparation, and the next day was a festival Shabbat. So that the bodies should not remain on the execution stake during Shabbat, the Judean leaders asked Pilate to have the legs broken and to have the bodies taken away" - Jn 19:31.

Messiah Yeshua was more than likely buried on the Fourth and Fifth day of the week (Wednesday evening) and rose at the closing of the Sabbath, which is the First Day of the Week (Saturday evening and not Sunday morning at sunrise). Biblical days are reckoned from sunset to sunset, not midnight to midnight. Therefore, the first day of the week is equal to Saturday evening after sunset and not Sunday morning after midnight. As a matter the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) supports this very fact. It was still dark when Miriam Magdala, went to the tomb, indicating that it was not "Sunday," but the "First Day" of the week, according to the Hebrew calendar, and not the Gregorian calendar.

"Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it is still dark, Miriam from Magdala comes to the tomb. She sees that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb" - Jn 20:1.

This also, means that Messiah had risen long before the sun had risen. The Gospel of Matthew affirms this:

"Now after Shabbat, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Miriam of Magdala and the other Miriam came to look at the tomb" - Mt 28:1.

"But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Yeshua who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying" - Mt 28:5-6.

In order for Messiah Yeshua to qualify as the Messiah, He needed to fulfill the Sign of Jonah. If we adhere to the common belief that He was buried on Friday and rose on Sunday, this disqualifies Him. Jewish anti-missionaries are quick to point this out.

As it is written, "Come, let us return to Adonai. For He has torn, but He will heal us. He has smitten, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us. On the third day He will raise up, and we will be in His presence" - Hosea 6:1-2.

And it is also written, "Now, Adonai prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" - Jonah 2:1.

In the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant), Messiah Himself, said that He would be the One Who would fulfill these prophecies found in Hosea and Jonah. He revealed to His disciples that both of these prophecies pointed to His death and resurrection, which would happen on the Third Day:

"And He said to them, 'So it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day'" - Luke 24:46

"For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights" - Mt 12:40.

If Messiah Yeshua had indeed risen from the dead according to modern theology, (on Easter Sunday), after being buried on a Friday, this would actually disqualify Him as the Messiah. In addition, according to anti-Missionaries, this would also make Him a false prophet, since He didn't fulfill the sign of Jonah, or the prophecy of Hosea. This is because, Messiah had to be in the ground three full days and three full nights. Modern teaching suggests that He was actually in the ground less than two days. This does not agree with any Messianic prophecy, and is contrary to Yeshua's Messiahship.

However, if we rely on the Scriptures in the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant), (rather than rely on the traditions of men), we will see that Yeshua is indeed the Messiah, and that He did in fact fulfill all Messianic prophecy.

"It was the Day of Preparation, and the next day was a festival Shabbat. So that the bodies should not remain on the execution stake during Shabbat, the Judean leaders asked Pilate to have the legs broken and to have the bodies taken away" - Jn 19:31.

Messiah was crucified on Passover, He was buried during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. Adonai gave us His Feasts not only so that we would know how to worship Him, but to also reveal to us the Messiah:

“Speak now to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so you may know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you" - Ex 31:13.

Every Feast has a Sabbath. This is why Adonai says, "Surely you must keep by Shabbatot (Shabbaths)." This is not referring only to the Seventh Day Sabbath, but to all the Feasts, since they reveal to us His Salvation, which has come in the person of Messiah Yeshua. Easter and "Resurrection Day," are feasts and traditions that were instituted by men. These feasts are neither prophetic or Messianic.

Trust in the Scriptures, for they are the Words of Adonai - and, He will reveal to us all that we need regarding the Messiah and His salvation.

"But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" - I Cor 15:20.

* Resurrection chart is credited to John J. Parsons, of Hebrew4Christians