From Koinonia House

EVIDENCES OF JESUS CHRIST’S RESURRECTION

“I claim to be an historian. My approach to Classics is historical. And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of ancient history …”
E. M. Blaiklock - Professor of Classics, Auckland University

The Resurrection of Christ is the most powerful event in history.  It has affected the last 2000 years of history and politics, from peasants to kings to nations.  Christianity has spread across the entire world, into every country and into a vast number of ethnic groups and languages. Billions of people have experienced the life-giving, healing, forgiveness and freedom offered by God because Jesus Christ conquered death and rose again from the grave.

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:12-22 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15:12-22 The Resurrection of the Dead [12]Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13]But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14]And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15]We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16]For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17]And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18]Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19]If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. [20]But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21]For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. [22]For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (ESV)
that without the resurrection of Christ, the Christian faith is useless. “And if Christ be not raised,” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

There are many skeptics who disregard the resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth as a fable.  However, the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is extremely strong, even to the point of converting some who sought to disprove it:

The Empty Tomb: Though well-trained Roman soldiers guarded the tomb of Jesus Christ, it was empty 3 days after Jesus’ death as Jesus had repeatedly foretold (Matt 12:40 [show/hide]Matthew 12:40 [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. (ESV)
, Mark 8:31 [show/hide]Mark 8:31 Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection [31]And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (ESV)
).  The guards had fled (a death penalty offense). The massive stone had been rolled away, and the body was gone – and was never produced by the enemies of the Christians.  The linen grave clothes in which the Jews bury their dead were still in the tomb, undisturbed. From the Jewish historian Josephus to a compilation of 5th-century Jewish writings called the “Toledoth Jeshu”, even Jewish sources and traditions admit that the tomb was empty.  The body was never found.

Living Witnesses:  There were a multitude of witnesses who saw Jesus Christ alive after his death.  The disciples, the travelers on the road to Emmaus and a number of women all spoke to Jesus alive. Thomas doubted until he was able to put his fingers into Jesus’ wounds (John 20:26-27 [show/hide]John 20:26-27 [26]Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." [27]Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." (ESV)
).  He later spread the Gospel all the way to India.  The apostle Paul tells of 500 people to whom Jesus appeared at one time, most of whom were still alive and available for questioning when Paul wrote his letter  (1 Cor 15:6 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15:6 [6]Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. (ESV)
).  When several people testify in a courtroom that they witnessed an event, and their accounts are found consistent with each other, their testimony is considered factual information.  Jesus Christ was seen alive many times by hundreds of different people over the course of forty days after his death (John 20-21 [show/hide]John 20-21 The Resurrection [20:1]Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2]So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." [3]So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4]Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5]And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6]Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, [7]and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. [8]Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9]for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10]Then the disciples went back to their homes. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene [11]But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [12]And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13]They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." [14]Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15]Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." [16]Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17]Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" [18]Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her. Jesus Appears to the Disciples [19]On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20]When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21]Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." [22]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23]If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." Jesus and Thomas [24]Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25]So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." [26]Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." [27]Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." [28]Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" [29]Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." The Purpose of This Book [30]Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31]but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples [21:1]After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. [2]Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. [3]Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. [4]Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5]Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." [6]He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. [7]That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. [8]The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. [9]When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. [10]Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." [11]So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. [12]Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. [13]Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. [14]This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. Jesus and Peter [15]When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." [16]He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." [17]He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. [18]Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." [19](This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." Jesus and the Beloved Apostle [20]Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" [21]When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" [22]Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" [23]So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" [24]This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. [25]Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (ESV)
, Acts 1:3 [show/hide]Acts 1:3 [3]He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (ESV)
).

The Disciples:  Christ’s followers, who had been fearful and who had run away when Jesus was arrested, were completely changed after the Resurrection and became courageous witnesses.  Peter, who had denied knowing Christ when recognized by a simple servant girl, became the powerfully bold leader of those who had seen Christ alive, speaking to the thousands gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Shavuot – Pentecost.   A person may die for a lie if they do not know it is a lie.  But people do not give their lives up and face severe persecution to spread a lie they themselves invented.   The fact that the disciples willingly suffered beatings and persecution and death is strong evidence that they had actually witnessed the resurrection they refused to stop telling people about.

Saul of Tarsus:  A devoutly religious Pharisee, who persecuted the Church and had Christ’s followers thrown in prison, Paul had his life absolutely changed by his encounter with Christ.  He became a devoted follower of Christ himself, spreading the Gospel throughout Turkey and Greece in the face of beatings and shipwrecks and imprisonment and, finally, execution.

“If the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.” - F. F. Bruce, Manchester University

Skeptics’ Arguments Against the Resurrection:

The Hallucination Theory claims that the witnesses who met the resurrected Jesus were all ”seeing things” - they were hallucinating.  However, this goes against common sense as well as psychological principles. Five hundred people do not all hallucinate the same thing.  Jesus appeared to many people at many different times.  Also, the body was never produced.

The Swoon Theory argues that Jesus did not die – that he simply fainted from loss of blood and exhaustion.  However, this also goes against common sense.  The Romans were professionals who severely whipped Jesus, hung him on a cross, and then stabbed him in the side with a spear to make sure he was dead. He was in the grave for three days, wrapped head to foot in a burial cloth, without food or water or medical treatment.  When he appeared to his disciples he was completely whole and healthy and his appearance inspired awe and worship that lasted throughout the rest of the disciples’ lives.

The Disciples Faked the Resurrection: Discouraged, fearful fishermen and former tax collectors, whose teacher had been viciously murdered, were in little position to take on a detachment of trained Roman soldiers guarding the tomb.  They would have had to create a fantastic plan in order to fight off or bribe the professional soldiers, raid the tomb, unbind the grave clothes from Christ’s body, take the body away, and hide it where nobody would ever find it. The Roman soldiers faced death if they failed in their guard duty, and the disciples had little money for bribing anybody.  Many people would have had to be involved in the conspiracy, and all those involved would not only have known the truth, but would know that they were risking meeting the same fate as their recently crucified leader. And what purpose could it possibly serve, if Jesus were dead?  They would have had nothing to gain.  Their leader was gone and they would have only faced persecution and death for their invented resurrection story.

And again, the disciples’ attitudes completely changed after the Resurrection and especially after Pentecost. They became bold and courageous in spreading their message, fearless of beatings or imprisonment. They never sought to fight Rome or to establish any position or kingdom or authority for themselves.  They had nothing to gain, physically speaking.  They simply went about the known world, telling their story in spite of persecution and suffering, poverty and ridicule. Their message quickly spread across the Middle East and Europe and even into Asia without any military conquest or political support involved - and in spite of strong opposition. Only belief and hope based in the reality of their experiences would have produced such dedication in the lives of Christ’s followers.

Perhaps the greatest evidence today of Christ’s resurrection is the work that he is still doing in the lives of every day people.  In the name of Jesus, people are still being healed emotionally and physically and spiritually by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Sinners are being freed from the burden and pain and shame of sin – sometimes immediately, sometimes after long years of steady work by the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Hearts are being mended and lives are being turned around.   The best evidence today is the faithful follower of Christ who can say, “He saved me, and I am not the person I used to be” just as the apostles testified 2000 years ago.

[For more in-depth coverage of the above arguments, as well as many further evidences and related information, please see the links below.]

Related Links:

• Evidence for the Resurrection - Leadership U
• Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Leadership U
• The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? - F.F. Bruce
• Evidence and Answers On Many Issues Related to Christianity - CARM - Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
• His Unfamiliar Face - Koinonia House
• The Jesus Tomb - Koinonia House
• Reflections of His Image: Pride vs. Humility - Koinonia House

From Koinonia House

Technical > Resurrection > A Quantum Hologram Of Christ’s Resurrection?

An Easter Surprise: A Quantum Hologram of Christ’s Resurrection? 1. A more complete description of event horizons would require a background of quantum gravity, such as M-theory, a new limit of supersymmetric string theory in which 11 dimensions of space-time may be identified. by Chuck Missler

Dame Isabel Piczek—a Hungarian trained particle physicist and internationally renowned monumental artist—has apparently uncovered hard, scientific evidence that Jesus Christ did, in fact, rise from the dead.

The object of her study is a simple piece of ancient fabric known as the Shroud of Turin.

The Most Studied Artifact in History

The Shroud of Turin is arguably the single most studied artifact in human history. It is a piece of ancient linen measuring 14 feet 3 inches long by 3 feet 7 inches wide. The bloodstained surface of the Shroud is marked with a negative image of the undistorted front and back sides of a naked man who appears to have been severely beaten and crucified—an ancient Roman form of torture and execution.

For centuries, based on the Gospel accounts, many Christians have believed that Christ’s body was wrapped in the Shroud when He was placed in a borrowed tomb in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

In 2004, Dame Piczek became fascinated by the total absence of distortion of the Shroud image, a physical impossibility if the body had been lying on solid rock. Piczek’s work strongly suggests that the image of Jesus was projected as a quantum hologram onto the cloth as His body underwent the process of Resurrection.

“The entire Resurrection process is akin to the Big Bang creation of the universe when something was created from nothing,” explains Piczek. “You can read the science of the Shroud, such as total lack of gravity, lack of entropy (without gravitational collapse), no time, no space—it conforms to no known law of physics.”

Dame Piczek created a one-fourth size sculpture of the man in the Shroud. When viewed from the side, it appears as if the man is suspended in mid air (see graphic, below), indicating that the image defies previously accepted science. The phenomenon of the image brings us to a true event horizon, a moment when all of the laws of physics change drastically.

Dame Piczek contends that the image was created in an infinitesimally small fraction of a second and its formation was absent of the effects of gravity.

The Physics Behind the Holographic Image

Dame Piczek explains the complicated physics behind the image on the Shroud: “As quantum time collapses to absolute zero (time stopped moving) in the tomb of Christ, the two event horizons (one stopping events from above and the other stop-ping the events from below at the moment of the zero time col-lapse) going through the body get infinitely close to each other and eliminate each other (causing the image to print itself on the two sides of the Shroud).

In general relativity, an event horizon is a boundary in space-time, most often an area surrounding a black hole, beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer. Light emitted from beyond the horizon can never reach the observer, and anything that passes through the horizon from the ob-server’s side appears to freeze in place.

Attempting to make an object approaching the horizon re-main stationary with respect to an observer requires applying a force whose magnitude becomes unbounded (becoming infinite) the closer it gets.

The description of black holes given by general relativity is known to be only an approximation, and it is expected that quantum gravity effects become significant near the vicinity of the event horizon.1 It is this apparent suspension of gravity that underlies Dame Piczek’s analysis.

“According to the nature of event horizons the dead body must have left its image on the two surfaces of the event horizons. At the time of the explosion (when time stopped) of the event horizons these images were ejected onto both sides of the Shroud, with the body hovering parallel to the event horizons. This explains why the image shows a dead man, not the risen body, and also explains why the image is negative (went from a positive body image to the negative image like a camera film negative). This indicates how the image got onto the cloth.”

If confirmed, this discovery is expected to yield a totally new perspective on the very “singularity” attributed to the Creation of the universe in the first place. Piczek’s discovery—and those of other scientists and re-searchers who have studied the Shroud—is presented in The Fabric of Time, a television documentary and DVD from Grizzly Adams® Productions.

Three-Dimensional Hologram

Also featured in the film, The Fabric of Time, is a three-dimensional, anatomically accurate hologram of a crucified man. Working independently of Piczek, a team of Dutch scientists led by Dr. Petrus Soons used laser technology to convert two-dimensional photographic negatives of the image on the Shroud.

Among the several discoveries from the holographic image was the identification of the two coins placed over the eyes. These appear to be “widow’s mites,” minted in 29 A.D. in the reign of Tiberius (and which, due to their diminutive value, were not circulated outside of Israel.)

The DVD copies of The Fabric of Time include 3-D glasses to better view and appreciate the holographic images.

This documentary film is based in part on the following books: The Shroud of Turin by Ian Wilson (Doubleday); The Blood and the Shroud by Ian Wilson (Orion Publishing Group); and, the Shroud of Turin: An Adventure of Discovery by Mary and Alan Whanger, M.D. (Providence House).

This DVD is certain to stimulate a great deal of discussion as we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ during this coming Passover season!

The Fabric of Time - DVD - VariousHave scientist discovered a Quantum Hologram that gives us a message of Hope? Have scientists actually been able to produce a full three dimensional image of Christ? Click for more information - DVD

From Koinonia House

Technical > Resurrection > The Day Of Debt

Friday or Wednesday? The Day of Debt by Chuck Missler

The observances of Good Friday and Easter Sunday have perpetuated the traditional chronology that the crucifixion took place on a Friday, and that the Lord’s body was buried on that day at about 6:00 p.m., and that he rose from the dead early on the following Sunday morning.

There are some, however, that feel this tradition is at variance with the Scriptural record.  The traditional view seems to conflict with certain prophetic and legal facts.

“Three Days”

One of the problems is reckoning “three days” between Friday evening and Sunday morning.  I was once co-hosting a national TV show which had the famed apologist John Warwick Montgomery as a guest.  This issue came up, and John rendered the traditional rationalization, pointing out that the Jews reckoned a partial day as a whole day.

I turned to my co-host and explained, “You must remember that John is an attorney, and that’s the way they bill!”

(John almost fell out of his chair laughing - he hadn’t realized that I was well aware of his distinguished legal background.)

But the difficulty remains.  Our Lord’s definitive statement is one of the problems:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.   -Matthew 12:40 [show/hide]Matthew 12:40 [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. (ESV)

The mention of nights, as well as the number of days, makes it hard to render this as simply an idiomatic rhetorical device rather than a statement of fact.

Further, when Paul declares the resurrection of Christ to be “according to the Scriptures” in 1 Corinthians 15:4 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15:4 [4]that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (ESV)
, if this isn’t an allusion to Jonah 1:17 [show/hide]Jonah 1:17 A Great Fish Swallows Jonah [17] And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (ESV)
, then where else?  (Perhaps, in Genesis 22 [show/hide]Genesis 22 The Sacrifice of Isaac [22:1]After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." [2]He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." [3]So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. [4]On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. [5]Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." [6]And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. [7]And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" [8]Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. [9]When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. [10]Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. [11]But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." [12]He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." [13]And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14]So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." [15]And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven [16]and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17]I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, [18]and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." [19]So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. [20]Now after these things it was told to Abraham, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: [21]Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, [22]Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." [23](Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. [24]Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. (ESV)
, the three days between the “death” of Isaac - when the commandment came - and his “return” to Abraham may have been the macrocode, or typological allusion, that Paul might have had in mind.¹ )

Intensifying this controversy was the “three days” issue at the trial of Jesus.

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, [yet] found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. -Matthew 26:59-61 [show/hide]Matthew 26:59-61 [59]Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, [60]but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward [61]and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'" (ESV)

What did Jesus really say?

Destroy this temple, [of His body] and in three days I will raise it up.  -John 2:19 [show/hide]John 2:19 [19]Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (ESV)

The same phrase reoccurs in the gospels a dozen times.² It also seems to frequently reoccur in prophetic patterns.³

The Sabbaths

Nowhere in the Gospels does it assert that Christ was crucified on a Friday.  In Mark 15:42 [show/hide]Mark 15:42 Jesus Is Buried [42]And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, (ESV)
, it refers to “…the day before the sabbath.”  This may be the root of the misunderstanding.

The Jews had other sabbaths in addition to the weekly shabbat (Saturday).  In addition to the weekly sabbaths, there were seven “high sabbaths” each year, and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the 15th of Nisan, was one of them.⁴

Further, Matthew 28:1 [show/hide]Matthew 28:1 The Resurrection [28:1]Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. (ESV)
should read, “At the end of the sabbaths ,”⁵ (which is plural in the Greek), implying there was a plurality of sabbaths that week.

If Passover, the 14th of Nisan, fell earlier in the week, the 15th could have been any day prior to Saturday, the weekly sabbath.  “When the sabbaths were past” would, of course, be Sunday (actually, Saturday after sundown), in accordance to the Feast of First Fruits.  (Some hold to a Thursday crucifixion on a similar basis.)

The 17th of Nisan

Jesus had declared that He would be in the grave three days, and yet was to be resurrected “on the morrow after the sabbath,” on the day of the Feast of First Fruits.⁶

It is interesting that the authorities, anxious to get the body off the cross before sundown, unknowingly were fulfilling God’s predetermined plan, “according to the Scriptures.”⁷

Noah’s flood ended on the 17th day of the 7th month.⁸ This month becomes the 1st month at the institution of the Passover.⁹ Our new beginning in Christ was on the anniversary of the Earth’s “new beginning” under Noah!

Israel’s new beginning, the crossing of the Red Sea, is believed to have been on the 17th of Nisan.  Also, in their flight after Passover, Israel retrieved the body of Joseph from his tomb.  After Passover, Jesus was retrieved from another Joseph’s tomb on this date.

The Jericho Journey

Another problem with a Friday crucifixion is John 12:1 [show/hide]John 12:1 Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany [12:1]Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. (ESV)
: “Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany…” (from Jericho).  If the Friday view can be accepted, then six days earlier was the weekly shabbat , and on this day such a journey was legally out of the question for a devout Jew.

Summary

As for the Friday or Wednesday issue, there are many good scholars on each side of this controversy.  I personally have become rather cynical toward any tradition that is not supported by Scripture.

Good Friday is the “traditional” view.  The Wednesday crucifixion is known as the “reconstructed view.”  This article is intended to stimulate study and constructive conversation during this precious season.  One attempt to reconcile the chronology of the entire week is shown in the inset boxes [Friday-Tuesday] and [Wednesday-Sunday].

The important thing is that the tomb was empty .  The authorities made sure that this was indisputable. Indeed, He is risen!

The most important chapter in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 15 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15 The Resurrection of Christ [15:1]Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2]and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. [3]For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4]that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [5]and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6]Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7]Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8]Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9]For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10]But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [11]Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. The Resurrection of the Dead [12]Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13]But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14]And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15]We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16]For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17]And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18]Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19]If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. [20]But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21]For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. [22]For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. [23]But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. [24]Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. [25]For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26]The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27]For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. [28]When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. [29]Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? [30]Why are we in danger every hour? [31]I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! [32]What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." [33]Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." [34]Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. The Resurrection Body [35]But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" [36]You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. [37]And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. [38]But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. [39]For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. [40]There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. [41]There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. [42]So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. [43]It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. [44]It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. [45]Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [46]But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. [47]The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. [48]As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. [49]Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. Mystery and Victory [50]I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51]Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52]in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. [53]For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. [54]When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." [55]"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" [56]The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57]But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58]Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (ESV)
.  We encourage you to study it very carefully.  (Also, note our special briefing packages, Agony of Love and From Here to Eternity.)

*  *  *

Next month we’ll explore the issue of “The Seventh Day.”  Anyone who thinks that it’s simple to resolve the “Sunday Sabbath” hasn’t studied it.

The Easter Story - DVD - Chuck MisslerMost reasonably informed Christians are well aware that many of the traditions that surround the Christmas holidays have pagan origins and very little correlation with the actual events as recorded in the Bible. Click for more information - DVD

1. Hebrews 11:17-19 [show/hide]Hebrews 11:17-19 [17]By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, [18]of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." [19]He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. (ESV)
   ; Genesis 22:2-4, 8, 14 [show/hide]Genesis 22:2-4 [2]He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." [3]So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. [4]On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. (ESV)
   .  See Cosmic Codes , Chapter 12 for a exposition of this astonishing “Macrocode.”
2. Matthew 27:40 [show/hide]Matthew 27:40 [40]and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (ESV)
   ; 27:63; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Mark 8:31 [show/hide]Mark 8:31 Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection [31]And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (ESV)
   ; 9:31; 10:34; 14:58; 15:29; Luke 9:22 [show/hide]Luke 9:22 [22]saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." (ESV)
   ; 18:33.
3. The deliverance of Isaac after three days at Abraham’s offering, Genesis 22 [show/hide]Genesis 22 The Sacrifice of Isaac [22:1]After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." [2]He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." [3]So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. [4]On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. [5]Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." [6]And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. [7]And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" [8]Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. [9]When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. [10]Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. [11]But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." [12]He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." [13]And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14]So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." [15]And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven [16]and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17]I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, [18]and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." [19]So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. [20]Now after these things it was told to Abraham, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: [21]Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, [22]Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." [23](Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. [24]Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. (ESV)
   ; the crossing of Israel after Passover, etc.  Also prominent in Joseph’s prophecies (also introducing the bread and wine!) Genesis 40:12-19 [show/hide]Genesis 40:12-19 [12]Then Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. [13]In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. [14]Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. [15]For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit." [16]When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, [17]and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head." [18]And Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. [19]In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head--from you!--and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you." (ESV)
   ; (Cf. 42:17!); Moses’ darkness upon Egypt three days, Exodus 10:22, 23 [show/hide]Exodus 10:22 [22]So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. (ESV)
   ; three days without water in the wilderness, Exodus 15:22 [show/hide]Exodus 15:22 Bitter Water Made Sweet [22]Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. (ESV)
   ; Paul was without sight for three days, Acts 9:9 [show/hide]Acts 9:9 [9]And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (ESV)
   .
4. Exodus 12:16 [show/hide]Exodus 12:16 [16]On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. (ESV)
   ; Leviticus 23:5-7 [show/hide]Leviticus 23:5-7 [5]In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover. [6]And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. [7]On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. (ESV)
   ; Numbers  28:17.
5. Jay P. Green, The Interlinear Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody MA 1985, p.766.  Also, C. I. Scofield, Scofield Study Bible , notes on Matthew 28:1 [show/hide]Matthew 28:1 The Resurrection [28:1]Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. (ESV)
   :  The term is plural in the Greek.
6. Leviticus  23:10-11.
7. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15:3-4 [3]For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4]that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (ESV)
   .  See our briefing package, The Feasts of Israel, to explore the prophetic implications of these amazing elements of God’s plan for mankind.
8. Genesis 8:4 [show/hide]Genesis 8:4 [4]and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. (ESV)
   .
9. Exodus 12:2 [show/hide]Exodus 12:2 [2]"This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. (ESV)
   .

From Koinonia House

Technical > Resurrection > His Unfamiliar Face

A Biblical Mystery: His Unfamiliar Face Zechariah 12:10 [show/hide]Zechariah 12:10 Him Whom They Have Pierced [10]"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (ESV) . by Chuck Missler

After Jesus’ resurrection, why did people always seem to have difficulty recognizing Him? We can’t help but notice something strange about Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances.

Sunday Morning

That early Sunday morning, even Mary fails to recognize Jesus at first.¹ She mistakes Him for the gardener-until she hears His voice. She was no casual acquaintance: a few days earlier she washed His feet with her tears! Why didn’t she know who He was until she heard His voice? It seems that “Mary!” prompted her recognition.²

Sunday Afternoon

Later that afternoon, Jesus joined two disciples on the Emmaus Road, and for seven miles He gives them an Old Testament Bible study.³

Although “their eyes were holden that they should not know Him,” the Bible doesn’t really explain what this means.⁴ In any case, they did recognize Him when He broke the bread at dinner. (This itself is odd, since it was the role of the host-not the guest-to break the bread.) Their tip-off was in viewing the nail prints in His hands. (They confirmed this later that evening.)

Sunday Evening

These two disciples join the gathering that evening in the upper room and confirm His appearance, emphasizing that it was in the breaking of the bread that they realized who He was.⁵ Why not during the seven-mile walk? What is going on here?

When Jesus ultimately emerges in their midst, we find them all terrified.⁶ Astonished, of course, but why frightened? For some reason they don’t recognize Him until they examine His wounds! Why?

The Galilean Breakfast

Perhaps the most puzzling thing occurs later at the Sea of Galilee.⁷ When they join Him for that early morning breakfast on the seashore, John makes the strangest remark: “And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.”⁸ What does that mean?

A Possible Clue

We should remember that the Bible is a single, integrated message — 66 books, penned by over 40 authors over thousands of years, but in which every detail is there by supernatural engineering. Thus, we also need to recognize that:

the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed;

the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.

There are many surprising insights and details in the Old Testament which amplify the New, including some astonishing physical descriptions.

A familiar example is Psalm 22 [show/hide]Psalm 22 Why Have You Forsaken Me? To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. [22:1]My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? [2]O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. [3]Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. [4]In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. [5]To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. [6]But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. [7]All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; [8]"He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" [9]Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. [10]On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. [11]Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. [12]Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; [13]they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. [14]I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; [15]my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. [16]For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet-- [17]I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me; [18]they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. [19]But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! [20]Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! [21]Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! [22]I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: [23]You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! [24]For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. [25]From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. [26]The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! [27]All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. [28]For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. [29]All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. [30]Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; [31]they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
, which reads as if it were dictated by Jesus Himself as He hung on the cross. He describes His pain, the piercing of His hands and feet;⁹ He quotes the taunts of the crowd¹⁰ and observes the parting of His clothes,¹¹ etc. The Psalm even opens and closes with His first and final words from the cross.¹²

Another such passage is Isaiah 53 [show/hide]Isaiah 53 [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
.¹³ This passage, sometimes called “The Holy of Holies of the Old Testament,” highlights the implications of the cross as eloquently as any of Paul’s epistles. In Isaiah 52:14 [show/hide]Isaiah 52:14 [14]As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind--
, however, it specifies that the extent of the abuse left Jesus hardly even looking human.

Yet another most disturbing detail appears a page earlier:

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. Isaiah 50:6 [show/hide]Isaiah 50:6 [6]I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

This seems to indicate that the Roman soldiers ripped off His beard! No wonder His friends had trouble recognizing Him!

I had an occasion some years ago to work with a software specialist who wore a very full beard. One day he came to work with it shaved off. I almost didn’t recognize him! It is surprising what a difference a single feature like that can make.

(And this didn’t involve any scar tissue or other evidences of abuse resulting from treatment received at the hands of vicious Roman soldiers.)

An Emblem of Love

I am reminded of a young mother whose face was badly disfigured. Her little girl was continually ridiculed by the children in school because of her mother’s appearance. (You know how cruel children can be.)

When the little girl was old enough, the mother explained to her that when she was a baby there was a dreadful fire in the apartment and, although the mother was able to save the little girl, the mother herself suffered very severe burns in the process. From that day on, the little girl was no longer embarrassed about her mother. Every time she looked into her mother’s face it was a reminder of just how much she was loved.

Is it possible that, in addition to the nail prints, there were additional scars-perhaps where His beard used to be-that caused their difficulty in recognizing Him? Are they still there? Does Jesus still bear the marks of His humiliation?

In the Book of Revelation, John is propelled forward in time some several thousand years and is granted a vision of the throne of God. In Revelation 5 [show/hide]Revelation 5 The Scroll and the Lamb [5:1]Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. [2]And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" [3]And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, [4]and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. [5]And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." [6]And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7]And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. [8]And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9]And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, [10]and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." [11]Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, [12]saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" [13]And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" [14]And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. (ESV)
we find “the lamb as it had been slain,” apparently still bearing the scars of the cross.¹⁴ They say that the only man-made things in heaven are His scars.

When Jesus returns to rule Israel, He proclaims, “And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced.”¹⁵

The marks of His humiliation are also the marks of His glory. Furthermore, I’m sure the most significant aspects of the cross were not the physical or physiological aspects. I believe it will take us an eternity to even begin to understand what it cost Him that we might be with Him.

He was born of a woman so that we could be born of God.
He humbled Himself so that we could be lifted up.
He became a servant so that we could be made co-heirs.
He suffered rejection so that we could become His friends.

How precious our Redeemer is! Have you really thanked Him lately?

1. John 20:11-18 [show/hide]John 20:11-18 Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene [11]But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [12]And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13]They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." [14]Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15]Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." [16]Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17]Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" [18]Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her. (ESV)
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2. John 20:16 [show/hide]John 20:16 [16]Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). (ESV)
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3. Luke 24:13-32 [show/hide]Luke 24:13-32 On the Road to Emmaus [13]That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, [14]and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. [15]While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. [16]But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. [17]And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. [18]Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" [19]And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [20]and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. [21]But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. [22]Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, [23]and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. [24]Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." [25]And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26]Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" [27]And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. [28]So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, [29]but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. [30]When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. [31]And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. [32]They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" (ESV)
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4. Luke 24:16, 31 [show/hide]Luke 24:16 [16]But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (ESV)
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5. Luke 24:35, 39 [show/hide]Luke 24:35 [35]Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (ESV)
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6. Luke 24:36, 37 [show/hide]Luke 24:36 Jesus Appears to His Disciples [36]As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" (ESV)
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7. John 21:1-12 [show/hide]John 21:1-12 Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples [21:1]After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. [2]Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. [3]Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. [4]Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5]Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." [6]He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. [7]That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. [8]The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. [9]When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. [10]Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." [11]So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. [12]Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. (ESV)
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8. John 21:12 [show/hide]John 21:12 [12]Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. (ESV)
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9. Psalm 22:16 [show/hide]Psalm 22:16 [16]For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet--
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10. Psalm 22:7, 8 [show/hide]Psalm 22:7 [7]All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
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11. Psalm 22:18 [show/hide]Psalm 22:18 [18]they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
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12. Psalm 22:1 [show/hide]Psalm 22:1 Why Have You Forsaken Me? To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. [22:1]My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
    : “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?” (The only time He didn’t call Him Father!) Cf. Matthew 27:46 [show/hide]Matthew 27:46 [46]And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (ESV)
    ; Mark 15:34 [show/hide]Mark 15:34 [34]And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (ESV)
    . Psalm 22:31 [show/hide]Psalm 22:31 [31]they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
    : “He hath done this”; or, better, “It is complete,” “It is finished.” Tetelestai: “Paid in full.” John 19:30 [show/hide]John 19:30 [30]When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (ESV)
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13. Beginning, actually, at Isaiah 52:13 [show/hide]Isaiah 52:13 He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions [13]Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
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14. Revelation 5:1-5 [show/hide]Revelation 5:1-5 The Scroll and the Lamb [5:1]Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. [2]And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" [3]And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, [4]and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. [5]And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." (ESV)
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From Koinonia House

Technical > Resurrection > The Agony Of Love

Medical Aspects of The Crucifixion: The Agony of Love by Dr. Mark Eastman

On the evening before His crucifixion Jesus was gathered with His disciples in the upper room, sharing with them some of the most intimate truths of His entire ministry. As He discussed the love of the Father and His love for His disciples he declared:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 [show/hide]John 15:13 [13]Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (ESV)

Though they did not realize it at the time, the disciples were only hours from the practical realization of this truth. One of the subtle evidences of the supernatural origin of the Biblical text is that astonishing events are often described in extremely brief narratives.

This is perhaps best illustrated in the matter-of-fact way in which the crucifixion of Jesus Christ-the most pivotal event in the history of the universe-is described in the Gospel accounts.

After Jesus was examined and declared to be without fault by the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate, he delivered Him to be judged by the assembled crowd. When the opportunity arose to decide the destiny of Jesus, the crowd and the Jewish leadership cried out saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” ¹

The horrifying events of the next six hours were preceded by the simple words:

Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. John 19:16 [show/hide]John 19:16 [16]So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. The Crucifixion So they took Jesus, (ESV)

“Great Drops of Blood”

The physical suffering of Jesus began in the Garden of Gethsemane on the evening before His crucifixion. While the disciples slept, the Gospel of Luke records that the LORD “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”²

The notion that someone could actually sweat blood seems contrived. However, there is a rare but recognized condition called hematohydrosis, in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to express blood. This usually occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress. Jesus wasn’t sweating blood because he was afraid of the physical pain of the cross. Indeed, the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus looked forward to the cross:

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 [show/hide]Hebrews 12:2 [2]looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV)

The Trials

After Jesus’ arrest they led Him away to the High Priest Caiaphas, where the Scribes and elders were assembled. During this inquisition we are told that “some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.”³

Beatings about the face received by a blindfolded individual cause even worse trauma because the victim cannot “roll with the punches.” In the hours that followed Jesus received two additional beatings at the hands of Roman soldiers.⁴ Severe disfigurement of the face would certainly have resulted from the brutal treatment. It is likely that the eyelids were swollen shut as a result of such beatings. This was done in fulfillment of Isaiah 52:13-14 [show/hide]Isaiah 52:13-14 He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions [13]Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [14]As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind--
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Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

The Scourging

After His trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus was scourged (flogged) by the Roman guards. This process typically involved a whip with numerous leather thongs, 18-24 inches long, with bits of metal, bone or glass embedded in the leather. At times they would use an iron rod to beat the prisoner. According to Jewish custom, a prisoner was usually flogged 39 times (Forty minus one was a sign of Jewish mercy!)

Scourging was an extreme form of punishment. The skin on the victim’s back was usually shredded, thus exposing the underlying muscle and skeletal structures. Severe blood loss and dehydration were the rule. Many victims died from such scourging.

After the scourging of Jesus, the Roman soldiers beat Him a second time with their hands and with a reed. Then they put on him a “crown of thorns.”

Jesus had not drunk since the night before, so the combination of the beatings, the crown of thorns, and the scourging would have set into motion an irreversible process of severe dehydration and cardiorespiratory failure. All of this was done so that the prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled:

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. Isaiah 50:6 [show/hide]Isaiah 50:6 [6]I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

And:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 [show/hide]Isaiah 53:5 [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Crucifixion

Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 b.c. It was “perfected” by the Romans in the first century b.c. It is arguably the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our term “excruciating.” It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals.

The most common device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, which consisted of an upright pole permanently fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, usually weighing between 75-100 lbs. Victims of crucifixion were typically stripped naked and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. In Jesus’ case this was done in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18 [show/hide]Psalm 22:18 [18]they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
, “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

As a gesture of “Roman kindness” the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic was refused by Jesus.⁵ Consequently, He bore it all! The Apostle Peter stated of Jesus:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 [show/hide]1 Peter 2:24 [24]He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (ESV)

The victim was then placed on his back, arms stretched out and nailed to the cross bar. The nails, which were generally about 7-9 inches long, were placed between the bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna) and the small bones of the hands (the carpal bones). (Figure 1.)

The placement of the nail at this point had several effects. First it ensured that the victim would indeed hang there until dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this point would sever the largest nerve in the hand called the median nerve.

The severing of this nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to severe burning pain the destruction of this nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. Furthermore, by nailing the victim at this point in the wrist, there would be minimal bleeding and there would be no bones broken! Thus scriptures were fulfilled:

I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Psalm 22:17 [show/hide]Psalm 22:17 [17]I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me;
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20 [show/hide]Psalm 34:20 [20]He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

The positioning of the feet is probably the most critical part of the mechanics of crucifixion. First the knees were flexed about 45 degrees and the feet were flexed (bent downward) an additional 45 degrees until they were parallel the vertical pole. An iron nail about 7-9 inches long was driven through the feet between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones. In this position the nail would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, but the resultant bleeding would be insufficient to cause death.

The Catastrophic Result

The resulting position on the cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which results in a slow, painful death. Having been pinned to the cross, the victim now has an impossible position to maintain. (Figure 2)

With the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim must bear his weight with the muscles of the thigh. However, this is an almost impossible task-try to stand with your knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes. As the strength of the legs gives out, the weight of the body must now be borne by the arms and shoulders. The result is that within a few minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders will become dislocated. Minutes later the elbows and wrists become dislocated. The result of these dislocations is that the arms are as much as 6-9 inches longer than normal.

With the arms dislocated, considerable body weight is transferred to the chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, in order to exhale the victim must push down on his feet to allow the rib muscles to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot push very long because the legs are extremely fatigued. As time goes on, the victim is less and less able to bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation of the arms and further raising of the chest wall, making breathing more and more difficult.

The result of this process is a series of catastrophic physiological effects. Because the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation of the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to diminish and the blood carbon dioxide (CO₂) level begins to rise. This rising CO₂ level stimulates the heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO₂.

However, due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver more oxygen and the rising heart rate only increases oxygen demand. So this process sets up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand-which cannot be met-followed by an ever increasing heart rate. After several hours the heart begins to fail, the lungs collapse and fill up with fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation combines to cause severe dehydration. That’s why Jesus said, “I thirst.”⁶

Over a period of several hours the combination of collapsing lungs, a failing heart, dehydration, and the inability to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues cause the eventual death of the victim. The victim, in effect, cannot breath properly and slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe cardiac stress, such as crucifixion, a victim’s heart can even burst. This process is called “Cardiac Rupture.” Therefore it could be said that Jesus died of a “broken heart!”

To slow the process of death the executioners put a small wooden seat on the cross, which would allow the victim the privilege of bearing his weight on his buttocks. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a cross.

When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing him to suffocate in a matter of minutes. At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus said, “Tetelastai,” meaning “it is finished.” Then He gave up the ghost. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of Him was broken!

How Should We Then Live?

I realize that it is difficult to read of the details of Jesus’ physical sufferings. And yet, when we realize that He looked forward, on our behalf, to the cross, we are overwhelmed with His practical demonstration of love and, hopefully, a personal realization of our unworthiness. How should we then live? I believe that the Apostle Paul said it best:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 [show/hide]Philippians 2:5-11 [5]Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6]who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7]but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8]And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9]Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10]so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11]and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

1. John 19:6 [show/hide]John 19:6 [6]When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him." (ESV)
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2. Luke 22:44 [show/hide]Luke 22:44 [44]And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (ESV)
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3. Mark 14:65 [show/hide]Mark 14:65 [65]And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards received him with blows. (ESV)
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4. Matthew 27 [show/hide]Matthew 27 Jesus Delivered to Pilate [27:1]When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. [2]And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. Judas Hangs Himself [3]Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [4]saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." [5]And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. [6]But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money." [7]So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. [8]Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. [9]Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, [10]and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." Jesus Before Pilate [11]Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so." [12]But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. [13]Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" [14]But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. The Crowd Chooses Barabbas [15]Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. [16]And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. [17]So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" [18]For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. [19]Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." [20]Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. [21]The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." [22]Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" [23]And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified [24]So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." [25]And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" [26]Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. Jesus Is Mocked [27]Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. [28]And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, [29]and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" [30]And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. [31]And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. The Crucifixion [32]As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. [33]And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), [34]they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. [35]And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. [36]Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. [37]And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." [38]Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. [39]And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads [40]and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." [41]So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, [42]"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. [43]He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" [44]And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. The Death of Jesus [45]Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. [46]And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [47]And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." [48]And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. [49]But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." [50]And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. [51]And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. [52]The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, [53]and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. [54]When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" [55]There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, [56]among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Jesus Is Buried [57]When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. [58]He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. [59]And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud [60]and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. [61]Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The Guard at the Tomb [62]The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate [63]and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' [64]Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." [65]Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." [66]So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (ESV)
   ; Luke 23 [show/hide]Luke 23 Jesus Before Pilate [23:1]Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. [2]And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king." [3]And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." [4]Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man." [5]But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place." Jesus Before Herod [6]When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. [7]And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. [8]When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. [9]So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. [10]The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. [11]And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. [12]And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. [13]Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, [14]and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. [15]Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. [16]I will therefore punish and release him." Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified [18]But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas"-- [19]a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. [20]Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, [21]but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" [22]A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." [23]But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. [24]So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. [25]He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will. The Crucifixion [26]And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. [27]And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. [28]But turning to them Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. [29]For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' [30]Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' [31]For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" [32]Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. [33]And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [34]And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. [35]And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" [36]The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine [37]and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" [38]There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." [39]One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" [40]But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41]And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." [42]And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." [43]And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." The Death of Jesus [44]It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, [45]while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. [46]Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. [47]Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" [48]And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. [49]And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Jesus Is Buried [50]Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, [51]who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. [52]This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. [53]Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. [54]It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. [55]The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. [56]Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (ESV)
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5. Matthew 27:34 [show/hide]Matthew 27:34 [34]they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. (ESV)
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6. John 19:28 [show/hide]John 19:28 The Death of Jesus [28]After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." (ESV)
   .

The Agony of Love - Chuck Missler What really happened at the crucifixion? How can one who is immortal die? How can eternity be compressed into six hours? What really held Jesus’ body to the cross? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

From Here to Eternity - Chuck MisslerOur physical bodies are made up of about 17 elements - the same 17 that are found in the ground. Jesus’ resurrection body was transformed to transcend time and space. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Romance of Redemption - Ruth - Chuck MisslerWhat does this famous love story from the Old Testament have to do with the Feast of Pentecost? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Footprints of the Messiah - Chuck MisslerWhat Old Testament Bible Study is mentioned twelve times in one book of the Bible, is given by seven different people and is almost never given today? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Feasts of Israel - Chuck Missler / Dan StolebargerThe Feasts of Israel, set by God, are not only commemorative in a historical context, but are also prophetic. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

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Technical > Resurrection > Six Hours In Eternity

Physics and the Bible: Six Hours in Eternity by Lambert Dolphin Lambert Dolphin, Physicist

In considering the material and physical realms of the universe-the subject of our last two studies-we have not yet raised the issue of the nature of time and eternity. Let’s touch on this as we meditate on the meaning of Easter and the death of Jesus on the cross.

In the Garden

The night Jesus was betrayed closed a long, full day after his final Passover meal with his disciples. In the Garden of Gethsemane that same night, Jesus endured a terrible emotional and spiritual ordeal in prayer before His Father. The writer of Hebrews records this: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered….” (Hebrews 5:7,8 [show/hide]Hebrews 5:7 [7]In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. (ESV)
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“There-with only Peter, James and John nearby-Jesus experienced a protracted period of excruciating torment of spirit which found expression in groanings… and streaming tears, and ended in a terrible sweat, almost like blood. There is a great mystery here. Jesus seems to face the experience with puzzlement and deep unrest of heart. For the first time in his ministry, he appeals to his own disciples for help, asking them to watch and pray for him. He confesses being deeply troubled in his spirit. Each of his three prayers questions the necessity for this experience and each is addressed to the one who could save him from death.

“Luke tells us that before the third prayer, an angel was sent to strengthen him… His cry to the Father was one of such desperate need that the Father answered by strengthening him through an angel. But when the angel had finished, the third and most terrible experience began. The author implies that Jesus faced the emotional misery which sin produces: its shame, guilt and despair. He felt the iron bands of sin’s enslaving power. He was oppressed by a sense of hopelessness, total discouragement and utter defeat. He is anticipating the moment on the cross when he would be forsaken of the Father, since he would then be bearing the sin of the world as though it were his own.

“The very thought of it crushed his heart as in a winepress. No sinner on earth has ever felt the stain and shame of sin as he did. He understood exactly the same feeling we have (in much lesser degree) when we are angry with ourselves and so filled with shame and self-loathing that we cannot believe that God can do anything but hate us for our evil. Jesus knows what that is like. He went the whole way and took the full brunt. We will never pass through a Gethsemane as torturous as he did. He saw our sins as his own, and thus fulfilled beyond any other priest’s experience the ability to deal gently with others’ sins since he was so fully aware of the sense of personal defilement sin leaves.” (Ray C. Stedman, Commentary on Hebrews, http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/hebrews2/)

The Crucifixion

After the prayer in the Garden, Jesus was up the rest of that night, without sleep, enduring cross-examination, scourging, beating, cruel mockery and unspeakable brutality. He was already greatly weakened when he carried his cross, stumbling, early the next morning to the place of crucifixion alongside the main public highway-probably just outside the Damascus Gate.

Medical doctors and forensic experts have written books about the common Roman form of execution-death by crucifixion. Often the dying process took several days. The nailing of hands and feet forced the victim to push up against the weight of his own body to take a single breath.

In the hot sun, terrible thirst ensued and death came, in most cases, from suffocation amidst great pain. The victim was also naked and humiliated-death on the cross was reserved for the most wretched of all criminals.¹

A superficial reading of the gospel narratives concerning the death of Jesus will show that He was nailed to the cross at 9 o’clock in the morning, and was dead by 3 in the afternoon. It would seem off hand that his ordeal, terrible as it was, was completed in a mere six hours. This, however, is not the full story. We must look behind the scenes.

What Happened on the Cross?

Paul in his letter to the Colossians tells us about invisible events taking place, beyond the physical realm and outside of our ordinary space-time continuum, during the dying of Jesus on the cross: “…in Christ all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him.” (Col 1:19-22 [show/hide]Colossians 1:19-22 [19]For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20]and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. [21]And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [22]he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (ESV)
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When He died for us on the cross, Jesus met fully the onslaught of demons, fallen angels, and all the power of evil forces in the heavens, disarming all of them completely-because “in Christ God was reconciling all things to Himself.” Jesus’ victory over man’s greatest enemy - death - is boldly announced in the letter to the Hebrews: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” (Heb 2:14,15 [show/hide]Hebrews 2:14 [14]Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, (ESV)
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It is for the final outworking in history of Satan’s defeat at the cross that we now eagerly await. What is the completed work of Christ on the cross in the eternal time frame will come to pass in human history at God’s appointed time on our earthly calendars. Time, you see, does not “flow” at the same rate nor has the same “content” in heaven as it does on earth.

The Lamb of God

The greatest mystery of Christ’s passion concerns the transaction in eternity that took place between the sinless Son of God and His heavenly Father. Jesus was, for the first three hours on the cross, our Great High Priest. From noon till 3 P.M. (during which time a strange and terrible darkness came over the earth-Luke 23:44 [show/hide]Luke 23:44 The Death of Jesus [44]It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, (ESV)
), the High Priest became the Sacrifice. In being made sin for us, in literally taking the sins of the world upon Himself, Jesus became a vile and loathsome thing, cut off from God and man-not just in time but also in eternity.²

The work of Jesus on the cross, as far as we are concerned, is completely finished. Jesus is not now hanging on a cross. He has been raised from the dead, and sits in heaven, fully in charge of the universe as a resurrected man. One man, one son of Adam, Jesus the Lord is now living in glory and He is presentlyin charge of the universe. But in another sense, if we could step into eternity and view an eternal being such as the Son of God experiencing all things - if we could see things from the vantage point of heaven-we would perceive that a part of the eternal God must suffer forever, outside of time, because of human sin.

All the obvious physical pain of Jesus, recorded by observers who wrote the Bible, was but the prelude to His real outside-of-time suffering, which involved being cut off forever from the Father’s love and presence. Jesus was consigned to carry our sins out of the universe; He had to go to hell on our behalf, as it were. Jesus was banished forever like the scapegoat of the Old Covenant Law (Lev 16:10 [show/hide]Leviticus 16:10 [10]but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. (ESV)
).

We live in fallen and mortal bodies, able to die. Jesus was not like us-He had known no sin, his body was sinless and He need not die. Yet, by His own choice, He became sin by absorbing evil into his own person. It was no mere mortal who bore our sins, but the Son of God Himself, He whose basic existence is and always was to live in eternity. Jesus carried our sins out of time and into eternity.

A paradox concerning the nature of time and eternity is the possibility that neither heaven nor hell are yet populated-all believers reach heaven at the same “time.” The dying thief, Stephen the first martyr, the Apostle John-and all the rest of us-may arrive in heaven at precisely the same “instant.” When a person in our time frame dies, he or she leaves time and enters eternity and “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” that person “time travels” instantly ahead to the event called the Rapture. By the way, if heaven is still empty, except for Jesus, as seen from our vantage point in time, prayers to Mary or St. Jude or any of the saints are pointless. As far as eternity is concerned, we may all get to heaven at the same “time.”

To confuse you even further I might add that in another sense all believers are already in heaven in spirit and soul, though not in body (see Eph 2 [show/hide]Ephesians 2 By Grace Through Faith [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. One in Christ [11]Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- [12]remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13]But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14]For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15]by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16]and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17]And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18]For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)
and Heb 12:18-29 [show/hide]Hebrews 12:18-29 A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken [18]For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest [19]and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. [20]For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." [21]Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear." [22]But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, [23]and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, [24]and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. [25]See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. [26]At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." [27]This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. [28]Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, [29]for our God is a consuming fire. (ESV)
). Without our new resurrection bodies, however, we cannot experience heaven in all its fullness. Yet, since heaven surrounds us on all sides, we are really already there in spirit. All that is lacking is the transformation of our perishing outer bodies!

The Eternal Aspects of the Cross

Paul the Apostle wrote in his Corinthian letters about the “fellowship of Christ’s sufferings” and of making up in his own body what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body; that is, the church. He spoke of “always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus might be revealed in us….”

Paul said these things long after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven where He now rules, His work on the cross having been completed and finished. The Apostle understood that there is an aspect of the cross that is, indeed, eternal. The crucifixion was one of those important points in our one-dimensional time frame when eternity broke through the normal flow of history and changed everything forever, sending ripples backwards and forwards in time.

There are other hints about Jesus in eternity. He is spoken of in the book of Revelation as the “Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” Peter writes, “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake.” (1 Pet 1:18-20 [show/hide]1 Peter 1:18-20 [18]knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, [19]but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. [20]He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you (ESV)
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Without in any way diminishing the work of Christ on the cross as finished, completed, and accomplished in space-time and in history, it is possible to say that a part of God suffers eternally for man’s sins. From Scripture we learn that a holy God must ultimately be just. He must ultimately remove evil in all its forms from His presence. Those persons who have permanently rebelled against His gracious mercy cannot cease to exist after death, but remain eternally conscious in a place of everlasting, endless punishment. And the loving God who created us surely suffers infinitely more than any human parent when a beloved child refuses the good and chooses a path leading to hurt, harm and self-destruction. Surely it must be grievously painful for God (who is love) to be denied the opportunity to give of Himself to the objects of His love.

And no man can suffer more than Christ has already suffered; nor are our sufferings, however great, something Christ has not already experienced.³ “God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance,” says Paul (Rom 2:4 [show/hide]Romans 2:4 [4]Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (ESV)
). “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:28, 29 [show/hide]Hebrews 12:28 [28]Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (ESV)
) The same fires which heal, purify and warm the righteous are the consuming, everlasting burnings of Gehenna-where beings who refused to become the human persons they were designed to be must finally endure the “backside” of God’s love-which is hell. C.S. Lewis gathers all this up very well in these words from Mere Christianity:

“God is going to invade this earth in force. But what is the good of saying you are on his side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else-something it never entered your head to conceive-comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us, and so terrible to others, that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back, to give us that chance. It will not last forever; we must take it or leave it.”

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The Easter Story - DVD - Chuck MisslerMost reasonably informed Christians are well aware that many of the traditions that surround the Christmas holidays have pagan origins and very little correlation with the actual events as recorded in the Bible. Click for more information - DVD

1. For descriptions of the crucifixion itself, see “A Physician Testifies About the Crucifixion,” C. Truman Davis, MD; “Medical Aspects of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ,” David Terasaka, MD; and also, “The Crucifixion of Jesus.” Online links in my library, http://www.ldolphin.org/sixhours.html
2. The aspects of time and eternity as they enter into the sufferings of Christ on the cross are discussed in detail by Arthur Custance in his book, The Seed of the Woman, available online (http://www.ldolphin.org/custance). These paradoxical concepts of time and eternity are also explained by Ray Stedman in an article which can be found at http://www.ldolphin.org/time.html
3. Other Bible passages on this subject are Isaiah’s foreview of the Messiah and His sufferings given in Isaiah 52:13-53 [show/hide]Isaiah 52:13-15 He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions [13]Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [14]As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- [15]so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
   :12. Psalm 22 [show/hide]Psalm 22 Why Have You Forsaken Me? To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. [22:1]My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? [2]O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. [3]Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. [4]In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. [5]To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. [6]But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. [7]All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; [8]"He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" [9]Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. [10]On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. [11]Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. [12]Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; [13]they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. [14]I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; [15]my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. [16]For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet-- [17]I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me; [18]they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. [19]But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! [20]Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! [21]Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! [22]I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: [23]You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! [24]For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. [25]From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. [26]The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! [27]All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. [28]For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. [29]All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. [30]Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; [31]they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
   , written by King David, is also about the sufferings of Messiah on the cross, which did not occur in our time domain until a thousand years later.

The Agony of Love - MP3 Download - Chuck Missler What really happened at the crucifixion? How can one who is immortal die? How can eternity be compressed into six hours? What really held Jesus’ body to the cross? Click for more information - MP3 Download

From Here to Eternity - MP3 Download - Chuck MisslerOur physical bodies are made up of about 17 elements - the same 17 that are found in the ground. Jesus’ resurrection body was transformed to transcend time and space. Click for more information - MP3 Download

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Technical > Resurrection > Dinosaur DNA Recovered

Jurrasic Park Revisited: Dinosaur DNA Recovered by Chuck Missler

Many of us who have enjoyed the creative writings of Michael Crichton over the years were also intrigued by his book (or the blockbuster movie) Jurassic Park, which explored the feasibility of cloning prehistoric animals from the DNA captured, in this case, by a prehistoric mosquito encapsulated in amber. Provocative entertainment, indeed!

Now, it seems, researchers appear to have isolated a bit of dinosaur DNA from some bony remains in an 1,800-foot-deep coal mine in Provo, Utah. Most dinosaur studies are based on bones that have been mineralized into hard stone, but this appears to be an actual bone that once supported a dinosaur. The genetic material matches no living mammal, bird, or reptile.

While some doubt that the bone is necessarily that of a dinosaur, it is regarded as the oldest DNA recovered from a vertebrate to date. However, it could be from another extinct prehistoric species such as a reptile, turtle, or whatever.

The discovery is only a small fragment of one gene, and Scott R. Woodward, lead microbiologist of the team from Brigham Young University, said he has no plans to follow the plot of Jurassic Park and to attempt to clone a living animal. But the very idea has interesting Biblical implications to the astute observer.

Resurrection Bodies?

The very idea that an ancient living animal can be recreated from its genetic history coded in a single DNA molecule should give us a provocative insight into the potential technology of immortality and the resurrection!

Where do our resurrection bodies come from? The specific atoms that make up our bodies are, of course, subject to decay after death. The proverbial dilemma of Christians eaten by cannibals are also a case in point. Obviously, all hydrogen, carbon and oxygen atoms are fungible: God doesn’t have to use any specific ones even if He had in mind a life cycle such as the one that presently sustains us.

Paul deals with some of these issues in the chapter that many consider to be the most important chapter in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15 The Resurrection of Christ [15:1]Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2]and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. [3]For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4]that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [5]and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6]Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7]Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8]Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9]For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10]But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [11]Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. The Resurrection of the Dead [12]Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13]But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14]And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15]We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16]For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17]And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18]Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19]If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. [20]But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21]For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. [22]For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. [23]But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. [24]Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. [25]For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26]The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27]For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. [28]When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. [29]Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? [30]Why are we in danger every hour? [31]I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! [32]What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." [33]Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." [34]Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. The Resurrection Body [35]But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" [36]You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. [37]And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. [38]But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. [39]For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. [40]There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. [41]There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. [42]So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. [43]It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. [44]It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. [45]Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [46]But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. [47]The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. [48]As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. [49]Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. Mystery and Victory [50]I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51]Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52]in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. [53]For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. [54]When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." [55]"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" [56]The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57]But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58]Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (ESV)
. Believing in the resurrection is no more difficult than believing in a harvest. A seed is buried and subsequently brings forth new life–in fact, new life far more glorious than the homely seed that was buried!

Another familiar example is the lowly caterpillar, struggling in what to him is a two-dimensional universe until he is finally reconciled to a humble cocoon, only to re-emerge as a glorious butterfly, able to enjoy a truly three-dimensional existence!

The Physics of Immortality

The real you (soul, spirit) is software, not hardware. It is temporarily resident in your present hardware: your present body. But software has no mass. It can even be transmitted invisibly through the air waves. ¹

We know from modern physics that time itself is a physical property, subject to mass, acceleration, and gravity. This is one of the most profound implications of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity (for more information see our Audio Book, Beyond Time and Space).

Since the real you is “software,” not hardware, it has no time dimension. The real you is eternal. The big question is: Where are you going to spend eternity–in the presence of God, or in eternal separation from Him?

Frank J. Tipler, an internationally prominent mathematical physicist, has recently concluded (using only the laws of physics and mathematics) not only that God exists but that all life is destined for resurrection!² (While I personally disagree with much of his book, this turnabout for a professed atheist is interesting.)

1. See the Audio Book, The Architecture of Man.
2. Frank J. Tipler, “The Physics of Immortality,” Doubleday, New York, NY, 1994.

The Creator Beyond Time & Space - Chuck Missler and Dr. Mark EastmanWhat are the implications of the current upheavals in traditional cosmology, astronomy, and physics? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Beyond Time and Space - Chuck Missler Are there more than four dimensions to physical reality? Is it possible to traverse time as well as space? Is there a reality beyond our traditional concepts of time and space? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Architecture of Man - Chuck MisslerWhat is the pattern of our internal system design? If God really indwells us, why do we behave the way we do? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Beyond Coincidence - Chuck MisslerIs our universe some kind of cosmic accident or is it the result of careful and skillful design? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

From Here to Eternity - Chuck MisslerOur physical bodies are made up of about 17 elements - the same 17 that are found in the ground. Jesus’ resurrection body was transformed to transcend time and space. Click for more information - Audio Cassette