The term "began to dawn" defines the time. the term "dawn" is the present
participle of _epiphosko_ which means "to shine forth" or "dawn" indicating
light was present, ie. that this was early Sunday morning . Mark's gospel
tells us that the resurrection was "early" the term _proi_ which is defined
as "at daybreak between 5:00 A. M. to 6:00 A.M.
Christ was crucified on the day of preparation for the Sabbath (paraskeue)
which is the technical term for "Friday"
The problem is that the term three days and nights is an Semetic idiom that
means three days inclusive. Other uses of this idiom are I Samuel 30: 12
compare with verse 13 where it was only three days since he had fallen sick,
not four. and Esther 4:16 where Esther says she will fast three days and
three nights and yet on the third day she goes to the king, not the fourth day.
At 10:17 AM 10/1/97 -0500, you wrote:
>I am trying to find out at what part of the day the "dawn" was in Jesus'
>day. Matthew 28:1 states "Now after the sabbath, as the first day
>of the week began to dawn..."
>
>Since the first day started at sundown Saturday night, it would appear
>to me that the point in time that they are referring to would be the
>night portion of sunday...and not in the morning as we consider it to be
>now.
>
>It would appear to me that they got to the tomb just as the sabbath
>ended (late saturday night) as the sabbath restrictions had just lifted
>and Sunday was now beginning. I find it hard to believe that they would
>sleep all night considering what had just happened if they were free to
>go to the tomb when the sabbath ended. It seems to me that they went
>there on "our" saturday night to find that he had already risen....it
>seems to me from all the scriptures that he did not rise on sunday. But
>was crucified on Thursday and rose on Saturday. I have traced the
>events of passion week and I can not make a friday crucifixion fit the
>passages.
>
>thanks for your help. Also, do you know what the word for Cherubim is?
>I know that we think it is an angel but I find more evidence that it is
>in fact a planet, reference Ezekiels passages about the wheel and how it
>moves, it describes our solar system perfectly. Also in studying the
>tabernacle and its designs and how the heavens are his footstool it sort
>of makes you wonder. I had read something that stated that the word for
>Cherubim had been misiterpred and it actually meant orbit.
>
>
Kevin W. Woodruff, M.Div.
Library Director/Reference Librarian
Cierpke Memorial Library
Tennessee Temple University/Temple Baptist Seminary
1815 Union Ave.
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404
United States of America
423/493-4252 (office)
423/698-9447 (home)
423/493-4497 (FAX)
Cierpke@utc.campus.mci.net (preferred)
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http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~kwoodruf/woodruff.htm