The GREATEST 3 Days and 3 Nights... The SIGN of JONAH

And even as Jonah was in the belly
of the huge fish
3 days and 3 nights,
so shall the Son of Man +
 be in the heart of the earth
3 days and 3 nights.
Matthew 12:40
Green's Greek Interlinear

Let's count:
Crucifixion occurred on  a "Wednesday" at 9 a.m.; the sky was darkened at noon; the battle was finished at 3 p.m. exactly. Thus, at 3 p.m. Wednesday began ...
the first NIGHT in the heart of the earth:
First DAY in the heart of the earth: "Thursday" day.

Second NIGHT in the heart of the earth: "Thursday" night.
Second DAY in the heart of the earth: "Friday" day.

Third NIGHT in the heart of the earth: "Friday" night.
Third DAY in the heart of the earth: "Saturday" day.

Resurrection: at 3 p.m. exactly, Saturday... Precise to the minute, as GOD always is.

The Sisters did not see HIM+ , however, until early, early Sunday morning , before dawn. They did not see HIM+ at the precise moment of His+ Resurrection; HE+ was already risen ! The stone had already been rolled away when they arrived at the tomb.

CHRIST'S first words from His+ Cross were to His+ FATHER:

"FATHER, forgive them;

for they know not

what they do."

O Holy LAMB of GOD, receive our worship. We love THEE+ for Thy Sacrifice, O Blessed Savior+... Thy+ great sacrifice that covers all of our sins and ignorances.

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto My+ sorrow which is done unto ME+, wherewith The LORD hath afflicted in the day of HIS fierce anger. Lamentations of Jeremiah 1:12.

O Holy LAMB of GOD, we worship THEE+ and praise THY+ Name for bearing such sorrow --- the sin of the world --- for us, miserable sinners all; we bless THEE+ for Thy+ compassion towards mankind, towards us, towards me.

But I+ am a worm , and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. Psalm 22:6

O Holy LAMB of GOD, we bless THEE+ for carrying the reproaches that should have fallen upon us from GOD .  We bless THEE+ and love THEE+ for being unjustly despised of the people ... when we should be justly despised by GOD for our sin-filled nature. We thank THEE+, O Holy ONE+.

All they that see ME+ laugh ME+ to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head. HE+ trusted on The LORD that HE would deliver Him+; let HIM deliver Him+, seeing HE delighted in Him+.  Psalm 22: 7, 8 and Matthew 27: 42, 43

O Precious LAMB of GOD, we love THEE+ with all our heart. We do not set THEE+ at nought; nay, we defend THEE+ with everything inside of us. We defend THEE+ before men who speak against THEE+ and before the invisible, unseen beings that try to accuse THEE+. We go against THEE+ in nothing.

We praise THEE+ and we offer praise to Our GREAT HOLY FATHER Who delivered THEE+ with a mightier victory than what mankind could foresee. Amen. 

Passover Meditation #26 for the Lenten Season 2012

~  ~  ~  The Door of the Cross ~  ~  ~

And everyone

living and believing into ME+

shall not ever die,

forever.

Do you believe this ?

John 11:26 Green's Greek Interlinear

WHAT ?  

We all know Christians who have died and have seen their lifeless body of clay at a funeral. We have witnessed those lifeless forms, so dearly beloved, being lowered into the ground and buried.

Didn't they die ?

NO.

NOT IF THEY WERE TRUE CHRISTIANS.

They simply left this location, leaving behind their vessels of clay which had CONTAINED and limited them to this earth, just like JESUS left HIS+ tired Body on the Cross.  A company of angels escorted them (Luke 16:22) through this demon-infested atmosphere and into the Presence of The LORD in the Heavenlies.

NO.

They didn't die.

They merely shed their lifeless, under-the-curse Adamic, earthly form .... but only for a season... just like JESUS left His+ Adamic Body for a short season.  Of course, their season is longer than 3 days and 3 nights, but nonetheless, it is only for a season ... if they did not die in their sins, without JESUS, without hope. 

Then, BEHOLD! Their earthly body will come forth out of the grave --- be it in ocean, earth, or ashes, it matters not to The LORD of Creation --- INTACT, HEALTHY, STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, and GLORIFIED like unto His+ Body !  

For our citizenship

is in Heaven,

from where

we also wait

for a SAVIOR+,

The LORD JESUS CHRIST,

WHO+ will transform

our body of humiliation,

for it to be conformed 

 to His+  Glorious Body,

according to the working

of His+ Power,

even to subject all things

to HIMSELF+.

Philippians 3: 20, 21 

When does this glorious event occur ?

As HE+ is returning to earth

with His+ Heavenly Armies

... and...

with the Company of Saints in Heaven,

the Saints' glorified bodies

will suddenly arise,

uniting

with their living spirits and souls. 

BLINK !

In a moment, a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet... this change will occur.

After that --- also in a moment -- we who are "alive" yet upon this earth will be transformed and join the resurrected Saints and Our LORD ,

meeting HIM+ in the air as HE+ is returning to reclaim this earth from satan.

HE+ will destroy the darkness that covers the earth with the brightness of His+ Appearing.

What manner of CHRISTIANS then ought we to be ?

Passover Meditation #25 for the Lenten Season 2012 ( #24 repeated )

~ ~ ~ The Door of the Cross ~ ~ ~

I+

I+ AM

The Resurrection

and

The LIFE:

he that believeth

in ME+,

though he were dead,

yet shall he live.

John 11:25 Green's Greek Interlinear

How could those already dead believe in JESUS the CHRIST ?

Some, we know, did: Simeon the devout man awaiting the Consolation+ of Israel and Anna the prophetess of great age, who were both present in the Temple at His+ Dedication, John the Baptist, Joseph, the guardian ( Gowra, Aramaic) and husband of Mary. Perhaps Lazarus also, Mary and Martha's brother, believed in HIM+ since his sisters evidenced a strong belief in HIM+ as MESSIAH+. These all died knowing HIM+ ...but before Our LORD'S own death and resurrection.

Here, as recorded in John 11:25, Our LORD is looking ahead at what happened in those 3 days and 3 nights HE+ spent in the heart of the earth. (Mt. 12:40)

Well, what DID happen down there?

Sheol, the Old Testament word for "hell," was divided into 2 parts in the heart of the earth. One part was for the unrighteous ones who died in their sins. The other part was called "Abraham's Bosom" (See Luke 16:22).

[ Now, just a note on Abraham's Bosom. In the Old Testament, the bosom was configured as a CAVITY, a carrying-place. It was where one held to his chest things of value. Womenfolk would carry food and other precious items in their aprons, wrapping up the corners of their aprons around the items like a sack and carry the load CLOSE TO THEIR BOSOM. Thus, "Abraham's Bosom" in the heart of the earth was a CAVITY in the earth, filled with precious souls who had died in RIGHT standing with GOD.]

Our LORD spent 3 days and 3 nights down there, in the heart of the earth PREACHING to the DEAD who had died long before JESUS Our LORD was sent to the earth.

How do we know this?

Scripture tells us this

in 1 Peter 3:18, 19:

For CHRIST also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that HE+ might bring us to GOD, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but made alive in the SPIRIT; In which also HE+ went and preached unto the spirits in prison.

This Scripture tells us that JESUS Our LORD died a natural death in the flesh. When HE+ died, HE+ left His+ physical Body on the cross to be buried.

Now, we know The LORD JESUS never went into a jail, a prison, to preach. HE+ preached in many places, but never in an actual civil prison run by the Roman government, who had the authority over the prisons in Israel.

But rather, HE+ HIMSELF+ went in His+ SPIRIT into the heart of the earth... to preach to the dead !

Now THIS tells us some interesting facts:

   • "Death" was a prison from which no-one EVER left

    • it was located in the heart of the earth

   • the dead are simply gone unto ANOTHER PLACE ( either pleasant or bad)

   • the dead are not obliterated even though their bodies of clay are buried in the ground as "lifeless"

   • nor is their consciousness erased

   • nor have their emotions ceased

   • nor is their intellect diminished

Some OTHER Truths of GREAT interest are here also:

     • JESUS was intensely ALIVE the instant HE+ closed His+ eyes in death. We know this because HE+ had said... "It is accomplished, FATHER; into Thy HANDS I+ commit My+ SPIRIT."

     • HE+ left His+ dead, physical Body for 3 days and 3 nights

     • HE+ descended into the heart of the earth, into Sheol ( hell )

     • HE+ was not punished in hell but entered as a VICTORIOUS SAVIOR sent by The FATHER

     • HE+ asked no-one's permission to ENTER into the realm of the dead

    • HE+ asked no-one's permission to LEAVE the realm of the dead...

     • HE+ was busy for 3 days and 3 nights, as The FATHER sent HIM+ down there to preach.

Well, what did HE+ preach to this captive audience who could NOT leave the realm of the Dead ?

HE+ preached

the Good News !

I Peter 4:6 continues from the above Scriptures cited:

For unto this cause ALSO THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO THE DEAD that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but MIGHT LIVE according to GOD in the SPIRIT. Green's Greek Interlinear

 

O Great REDEEMER+, O THOU+ Who+ had and still has the keys of Death and Hell, I thank THEE+ for dying on that mean Cross in order to break down the gates of Sheol, Hades, and hell in order to bring Life to those who had not the chance to hear the GOOD NEWS before they died.

Forgive me for forsaking the task of sharing this GOOD NEWS of victory over death with others.

Please forgive me of burying this "talent" entrusted unto me and keeping the GOOD NEWS locked up within my smug heart.

Forgive me for fleeing from my responsibility before GOD and man.

Cleanse me of the sin of Self-Preservation and help me instead to labor to Preserve those heading into Eternal Torments in hell and from thence, into the Second Death in the Lake of Burning Fire.

Help me , LORD JESUS, to proclaim this Victory over death, hell, and the grave to the Un-saved, the Lost, the Un-Redeemed amongst my family, friends, acquaintances, and even to strangers.