V RaptureChrist Newsletter
March 1, 2011

There are some who believe that Christ died on Friday night and was resurrected on Sunday morning. If so, Christ is not our Messiah because he told us he would be in the belly of the earth THREE days and THREE nights..

When the Pharisees asked Christ for a sign, he said that the only sign he would give is the sign of Jonah -- that he would be in the belly of the earth three days and three nights like Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Matt 12:39-40
He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Friends, this is a very important sign. It is the only sign he said he would give. If the devil can convince you that Christ did not keep his word, then you have no savior.

We believe that Christ kept his word and that he literally was inside the burial cave 72 hours.

Please check out our files Time of Christ Burial
and Sign of the Messiah.

There are those who say he was not really dead. We know that Yeshua was dead when he was taken from the cross. This is because a Roman soldier pierced Yeshua's heart with a sword, and Pilate got another soldier to check the body before he gave it to Nicodemus.

Probably the body of Yeshua began to heal before it entered the tomb.That means he was probably alive and breathing most of the 72 hours when he was inside the tomb. During this time his body was repairing. That means there was no rigor mortis and the body was flacid when it was being wrapped in burial cloth. Rigor mortis starts three hours after death. It ends 72 hours later after enzymes degrade the muscle structure. We know that this did not happen to Yeshua because prophecy states that the Messiah would not see corruption.

Psalm 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hades; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption

One week after the resurrection, Yeshua's body was still healing. In fact, he still had the nail marks which he showed to doubting Thomas.

John 20:24-29
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The prophecies were fulfilled. His body did not see corruption, but it was three days and three nights in the belly of the earth.

God introduced Passover at the time of the exodus from Egypt. The sacrifice of a lamb was to protect the Israelites from the avenging angel that passed over each house.

Every year at the time of Passover, the Jews would sacrifice an unblemished lamb to pay for their sins. The lamb was symbolic of the sacrifice of the MESSIAH who would come.

Christ is our Passover lamb that died for our sins. This is why Yeshua is known as the lamb of God.

During the last Passover, Christ told his apostles that the wine symbolized his blood and that the bread symbolized his body.

Luke 22:14-20
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat THIS PASSOVER with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I WILL NOT EAT IT AGAIN UNTIL IT FINDS FULFILLMENT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I WILL NOT DRINK AGAIN OF THE FRUIT OF THE VINE UNTIL THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

From the above passage we learn the following things:

1 Yeshua is not eating a last supper; He is eating a last Passover.

2. He said he would not eat Passover again "until it finds fulfillment in the Kingdom of God." Does he mean in Heaven?

3. No, because he says, "I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes."

That means he will eat the Passover with us when the Kingdom of God comes to this earth.

4. Yeshua also says, "Do this in remembrance of me." He tells us that we must keep celebrating Passover every year on Nisan 15, not many times a year, not in the morning, not every Sunday, or whenever we please.

The Seder meal is always in the evening of Nisan 15 which begins at sunset and there is always a full moon.

Christ asks that we celebrate Passover every year in memory of Him. This is so we can have eternal life.

In fact, Yeshua says:

John 6

47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me has everlasting life.

48I am that bread of life.

49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and THE BREAD THAT I WILL GIVE IS MY FLESH, WHICH I WILL GIVE FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD.

52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Therefore, we should continue to celebrate Passover every year in memory of Him.