Jesus died and rose from the grave. This you already know is one of the central themes of the New Testament.
And for hundreds of years, many have either assumed or been told that Jesus died on a Friday afternoon, was placed in a tomb Friday evening and then was resurrected sometime around sunrise a day and a half later on Sunday morning.
But you may be surprised about what the Bible actually says concerning the timetable of these important events.
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"If people would just crack open their own Bibles, they'd realize that not only are the words Friday and Sunday absent, but the widely perceived time frame is not possible if you believe the actual words of Jesus Christ," says Joe Kovacs, author of the best-selling book "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told."
TRENDING: TV news anchor taken off air after who she quoted during live broadcast
In "Shocked," Kovacs, a staunch defender of the Holy Bible, probes the day Jesus really died and the day He actually rose from the grave, all based on what the Bible itself has to say, not what centuries of misinformation and man-made tradition have led millions to believe.
"In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Himself said He would be in the grave for 'three days and three nights,'" Kovacs explains. "And in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus taught his disciples that He would rise from the grave 'after three days.' Even a child could tell you that between Friday evening and sunrise Sunday morning, you cannot count 'three days and three nights,' as well as 'after three days.'"
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Listen to Joe Kovacs explain how Jesus died on a Wednesday and rose on a Saturday (8 minutes) |
Many people also assume Jesus died on a Friday, because the Bible says the Savior died on a day before the Sabbath.
But what they don't often realize is that there are two different kinds of Sabbaths mentioned in the Bible. Not only is there is the weekly day of rest, but there are also annual days of rest, and those can fall on any day of the week, not just Saturday.
"The Bible actually tells you that the Sabbath day approaching as Jesus was dying was an annual Sabbath, not the regular weekly Sabbath," says Kovacs."And as far as Jesus rising at dawn on Sunday, the first day of the week, people often forget that Jesus' followers only found an empty tomb that morning. Jesus came back to life at some point before that and was already gone."
These are just the beginning of the clues to determine when Jesus actually died and when he rose from the grave, and are explained in detail in "Shocked by the Bible."
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The only place on Planet Earth you can get a personally autographed copy of "Shocked by the Bible" is right here at WND. Don't
wait another second to find out God's truth without the spin. Stand up for the
absolute, amazing truth of Scripture!
In "Shocked by the
Bible," Kovacs also explains that if people just read for themselves without any
preconceived notions, they'd quickly discover:
- "Three Wise Men" are never mentioned in the story of Jesus' birth, and no wise men at all
are shown present at the manger scene the night Jesus was born. (They showed
up later at a house when Jesus was a young child)
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- The Bible doesn't outright declare the day, month, year or even season Jesus
was born
- There's no mention of a Christmas tree or any tree in the gospels recording
Jesus' birth. However, there is a custom mentioned in the Old Testament that
shows people decorating trees with silver and gold.
You might be astounded to find out what God says about such a practice
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- Noah brought a lot more than just two of certain animals aboard the Ark
- The word "Easter" has vanished from modern Bible translations
- God sought to kill Moses, shortly after telling him to lead the Israelites
to freedom
- Jesus did not come to make everyone understand His message, and personally
said so
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- Jesus made personal appearances in the Old Testament
And these are merely the beginning of hundreds of facts that will stun even
those who thought they had a strong knowledge of the Bible.
"If you've never been into the Bible, or even if you have, there's no need to
fear," says Kovacs. "I make it quick, easy and fun for you to find out the
juiciest, most interesting stuff that never seems to get mentioned in church.
And I'm not talking about trivial facts and difficult names no one can
pronounce."
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"Shocked by the
Bible" has become an instant smash since its release, hitting No. 1 in
three Bible-related categories several times on Amazon.com with readers giving it
high praise, and the author being interviewed on dozens of radio shows.
![]() "Shocked by the Bible" skyrocketed to the No.1 spot in three Amazon.com categories several times since its release |
It reached the No. 1 spot on the WND Best-Seller list several times.
International demand has even led to a deal to have "Shocked" translated into
the Korean language.
"If you think you really know the Bible, better think again," warns Fox News'
Bill O'Reilly. "Your parents never told you this stuff was in the
Bible," adds radio
talker and author Melanie Morgan. WND founder Joseph Farah simply says,
"'Shocked by the Bible' is nothing short of genius."
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Kovacs, the executive news editor of WND, has written countless reports in his 25-year news career. Many have
focused on biblical issues such as chariot wheels
said to be found in the Red Sea, searches for Noah's Ark and
the Ark of the
Covenant, and controversies over Christmas and
Easter holidays
as well as the Saturday-vs.-Sunday
Sabbath.
He has received many awards for news excellence from the
Associated Press and United Press International. He's run television,
radio and print
newsrooms in the U.S., as well as Budapest, Hungary. Kovacs is also regarded as
one of the premier creative headline writers in the news business today.
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To interview Joe Kovacs, author of "Shocked by the Bible," please contact him.
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Related column:
Newsweek and
Bush: Bible morons