In the Heart of the Earth

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Contents

ix......................Prefacexi......................Introduction1.......................Chapter 1 - The Context and the Method1.......................Introduction1.......................The Setting, Jonah's First Letter6.......................The Method11......................Chapter 2 - Three Days and Three Nights12......................Jonah and the Whale12......................Inclusive Reckoning13......................But Jesus Said ...15......................Is "a Day and a Night" Equivalent to "a Day"?16......................In the Heart of the Earth17......................Jesus and Jonah Compared18......................Where Was Jesus for the Three Days and Three Nights?19......................A Word Study of "Heart"21......................A Word Study of "Earth"21......................An Important Clue22......................The Start of the Three Days and Three Nights25......................The End of the Three Days and Three Nights25......................The Time Period is Not the Most Important Aspect of the Sign29......................Chapter 3 - His Resurrection on the Lord's Day29......................Question 1: When Does the Bible Say the Resurrection Occurred?29......................Question 2: How Did "Thine Holy One" Not "See Corruption"?30......................Question 3: How Was the Passover Lamb Not to be Left Until Morning?31......................The Bible Says "Sabbaton"32......................Common Usage of "Sabbaton"33......................Resurrection Texts39......................Verses Concerning Spiritual Meetings40......................A Word Study of "First Day of the Week"41......................Word Genders43......................A Verse Concerning Fasting43......................Sabbaton Means Sabbath43......................Summary45......................Chapter 4 - The Timing of the Spring Feasts45......................Passover46......................Factors in the Timing of Passover Observance48......................References to the Preparation Day51......................The Wednesday Crucifixion Theory52......................The Feast of Unleavened Bread53......................A Word Study on "Sabbath" in the Old Testament54......................The Feast of First Fruits56......................A Word Study of "After"57......................The Passover as Israel Left Egypt58......................Pentecost61......................Chapter 5 - The Chronology of Events of Jesus' Last Week61......................The Lamb Kept in the Home64......................Summary of Events During the Days of Examination65......................Timing of the Supper at Simon's House65......................Timing of the Crucifixion and Death67......................Events From Jesus' Death to Resurrection70......................How Long Did All These Events Take?70......................The Sabbath Starts; the Resurrection71......................The Guard Requested72......................Why Did the Women Come to the Tomb?72......................When Did the Women Come to the Tomb?76......................More Questions77......................Chapter 6 - The Thoughts of Many Hearts Revealed78......................The Sign They Wanted79......................The Sign Jesus Offered81......................The Heart of Man83......................The Heart of the Earth in Jesus' Parables - The Second Letter87......................"That the Thoughts of Many Hearts May be Revealed"88......................"Out of the Abundance of the Heart" - Case Studies94......................What About You? What is in Your Heart?95......................Chapter 7 - The Heart of the Matter95......................Did Jesus Die On the Wrong Day?97......................Why Would God Allow This?98......................The Character of God Further Revealed99......................Jesus' Words While on the Cross108.....................The Father Suffered Too111.....................Liar, Lunatic or Lord?112.....................Liar, Lunatic or Like Him?112.....................Satan is the Destroyer113.....................What is God's Role in Destruction?114.....................God Does Not Use Force115.....................The Heart of the Matter119.....................List of Appendices120.....................Appendix 1. Variations in Use of the Word "Even" as in Evening121.....................Appendix 2. Cases of "Kardia" Translated "Heart" as Understood in this Study122.....................Appendix 3. Some Thoughts About Inspiration123.....................Concordances123.....................How Could God Allow Translations of His Word to Contain any Errors?124.....................Does this Make the Bible Unreliable?126.....................Appendix 4. Possible Counts of the Days from the Feast of First Fruits to Pentecost128.....................Appendix 5. "The Graves of the Saints Were Opened"131.....................Appendix 6. Jesus' Anointing132.....................Appendix 7. "He Saw and Believed"132.....................Burial Customs133.....................The Shroud of Turin134.....................What Did Peter and John See?138.....................Appendix 8. Didn't Jesus Rest in the Tomb on Sabbath?139.....................Appendix 9. There Goes Sunday Sacredness139.....................He Rose on His Day140.....................How Should We Celebrate the Resurrection?141.....................Appendix 10. "Destroy this Temple"144.....................Appendix 11. Abraham and Isaac and Three Days146.....................Appendix 12. Reference Table of Original Words Investigated147.....................References149.....................Scripture Index153.....................Summary of Findings and Conclusions155.....................Additional Information

Chapter One

Introduction

Context is always important when attempting to correctly understand scripture. Context includes both the immediate setting of the passage and the larger setting of the Bible as a whole with which it must be in harmony. Therefore it is necessary and very helpful when trying to understand particular words to examine how they are used elsewhere in scripture. This is the most significant method of analysis used in this book; that of letting the Bible define its own terms and interpret itself. Words change their meaning over time and our understanding of passages can easily be affected by our understanding of the word meanings. This method of study will be described later in this chapter.

To properly understand this important Bible passage in Matthew chapter 12 it is especially important to be familiar with the setting. This is described here in a narrative as it might have been written by one of Jesus' disciples whom I have named Jonah. The writing of Jonah's letter to a friend was set shortly after and concerning the events described in Matthew chapter 12. It follows, with some modifications, the text of Matthew. In Chapter Six, there is a second letter from Jonah in which he similarly relates the events of Matthew chapter 13, which further help to understand the passage. (Note that, in this letter by Jonah, pronouns referring to Jesus are not capitalized.)

The Setting, Jonah's First Letter

Greetings my dearest Julius,

If you remember, we met briefly here in Jerusalem and I promised to write to you. I'm sorry that probably three new...