Tommy Mann

Each year around Easter I hear people ask the same question: How was Jesus dead for three days? After all, Friday night to Sunday morning hardly constitutes three days. This has led to some confusion, causing some to speculate that Jesus either died earlier in the week, or that Scripture got the event wrong. First of all, we need to stress that the Bible teaches the Resurrection would occur on the third day, not in three days. Who decided that Jesus needed to be in the tomb for a minimum of 72 hours in order for Scripture to be accurate?  Consider Matthew 16:21, which predicted Jesus would, “be killed and be raised the third day.” Also consider that Matthew 17:23, 20:19, 27:64, Mark 9:31, 10:34, Luke 9:22, 18:33, 24:7, 24:21, 24:46, Acts 10:40, and 1 Corinthians 15:4 all teach the Resurrection on the third day. This is easy to reconcile. Jesus died and was buried on Friday before sundown, marking the first day—not 24 hours, but the first day. Saturday was the sec...

      In Part 1 we saw that David and Solomon led the nation to build a temple. Although some comparisons are fair, it is not really accurate to say that the temple was like “church.” This temple existed as a way for mankind to appease God’s wrath.      The temple, which was built according to God’s specifications, had an outer courtyard where each person was allowed to come for a sacrifice. But inside the temple, in the Holy Place, only the priests were allowed to go. At the back of that room was a large veil—a 60 foot high, 4 inch thick veil—that led into the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies). Only the high priest could enter that room, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement.      On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the high priest would offer a sacrifice on behalf of the entire nation. This did not forgive sins (“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4), ...