After Three Days, In Three Days, Three Days, The Third Day and The Third Day Removed

'After Three Days', 'In Three Days', 'Three Days',
'The Third Day' and 'The Third Day Removed'

After three days

meta treis hemeras

μετα τρεις ημερας

Key:
To understand "after" used with a specified number of "days", add an extra day. "After three days" is simply "the fourth day"

Compare OT:
Josh. 2:16 three days. . after that. . .go

Josh. 3:2 after three days

Dan.1:5 three years.. . .after that stand (LXX)

2:40-51
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple

Main OT comparison:
Hosea 5:1-6:3
6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up

In three days

en trisin hemerais

εν τρισιν ημεραις

Key:
In the New Testament, the term is used only with reference to the building of the "temple". Jesus told the Jews that after it was destroyed, he would rebuild it in three days. He was using that building as an analogy for his own body but they took him literally and later accused him of threatening to destroy their temple.

John 2:13-25
19-20 Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
"Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days"

Three days

hemeras treis

ημερας τρεις

Key:
Three is the Bible number for punishment or testing. Jonah was punished for 3 days and nights and Jesus was in the tomb that long because our sin was placed on him. Over and over, those who go without food for 3 days straight are considered to be in danger of dying.

Mat. 15:32-38
32 the multitude . . . continue with me now three days . . . have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
Acts 9:9
And [Paul} was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Cp. Jonah 1:17
. . . Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights

The third day

te trite hemera

τη τριτη ημερα

Key:
Only context can tell us the length of time referred to by this simple term. It can mean three full days when an event happened at the end of that period. In the case of Jesus' burial, "the third day" is never used in a way that would prevent a resurrection at the very end of "three days".
The value of Old Testament comparisons:
Spacious arguments have been offered comparing those two expressions using Old Testament texts. Those comparisons are not trustworthy.

1 Cor 15:3-4
[Paul:] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Third day away from which

triten hemeran aph ou

τριτην ημεραν αφ ου

Key:
Luke 24:21: The perspective of the speaker is uncertain. Experts agree this idiom cannot be neatly put into English. The single occurrence prevents comparison to other texts; A partial match is found at Luke at 13:7, where several similarities occur.
Word order does not indicate the meaning; Greek sentences may be arranged for emphasis or other reasons. Some translators put "away from" before "third day" in English, showing that the speaker saw himself moving away from the time Jesus had predicted as the target for his resurrection. All in all, translation of this verse depends too heavily on the bias of the translator.

Luke 24:21
Moreover, three days have already passed, since all these events occurred. --New Berkeley Version in Modern English

. . . today is after the third day since these things were done.--See here

. . . three days [have passed] since all these [things] happened. --From Aramaic Peshitta text; see here

Compare Luke 13:7

	Old Testament	Old Testament	Old Testament	Old Testament
	Hosea	Hosea	Hosea	Hosea
	5:1-6:3 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight

	New Testament	New Testament	New Testament	New Testament
1. Jesus' Birth / Early Life
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
Jesus in the temple at 12			2:40-51 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple

2. Jesus Begins His Ministry
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
Marriage feast at Cana				2:1-11 1 the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee
Short trip to Capernaum				2:12
1st cleansing of the Temple				2:13-25 19-20 Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up . . . Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.
Jesus and Nicodemus				3:1-21
Jesus & the Samaritan woman				4:5-42
Jesus arrives in Galilee	4:17		4:14,15
and welcomed by the Galileans				4:43-45 43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
Jesus anointed by Mary at Bethany	26:6-13	14:3-9		11:55-12:11

3. Jesus' Galilean Ministry
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
Jesus' calls Peter, Andrew, James, & John	4:18-22	1:16-20	5:1-11
The People demand a sign	12:38-45 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

4. Jesus travels outside Galilee
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
Jesus feeds 4000	15:32-38 32 the multitude . . . continue with me now three days . . . have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.	8:1-9 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
Jesus proclaimed Messiah @ Caesarea Ph.	16:13-20	8:27-30	9:18-21
Jesus predicts death/resurrection. Peter rebuked	16:21-28 21 began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must . . . suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.	8:31-9:1 8:31 he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and [of] the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.	9:22-27 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
The transfiguration	17:1-9 1-2 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and . . . was transfigured before them	9:2-10 2 And after six days Jesus taketh [with him] Peter, and James, and John . . . and he was transfigured before them.	9:28-36a 28 about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray
"Elijah" explained	17:10-13	9:11-13
Jesus predicts death/resurrection again	17:22-23 22-23 The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised	9:30-32 31 The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day	9:43-45

5. Jesus' in Perea and Judea
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
Jesus journeys to Jerusalem	19:1-2	10:1a	9:51	7:2-10
Denouncing the Pharisees	6:23		11:37-54
Discourses by Jesus			12:1-59
"Except ye repent"; Jerusalem has been a fruitless fig tree for the past 3 years			13:1-9 7 behold these three years away from which I am coming seeking fruit on this fig tree. . . [The first three years of Jesus' ministry to the Jews is over. He pictures God as a vineyard owner looking back with disappointment at a three year period in which he was constantly looking for figs on a certain "fig tree" but did not find them. So he is about to cut that tree down. Cp. Jeremiah 8:20.]
In Jerusalem Feast of Dedication				10:22-39
Jesus warned to leave, due to Herod			13:31-33 32 Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected.
Jesus' "Oh" Jerusalem	23:37-39		13:34-45
Jesus travels beyond the Jordan				10:40-42
Jesus predicts his death the 3rd time	20:17-19 19 shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify [him]: and the third day he shall rise	10:32-34 34 shall mock him, and scourge him, and spit upon him, and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again	18:31-34 33 they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again

6. Jesus' Last Week & Death
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
The Triumphal Entry	21:1-11	11:1-11	19:29-44	12:12-19
Jesus predicts His death again, and the Jews plot to kill him	26:1-15 2 Ye know that after two days is [the feast of] the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.	14:1-2 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him . . . Not on the feast day	22:1-2
Judas betrys Jesus	26:14-16	14:10-11	22:3-6
Betrayal and Arrest (around midnight?)	26:47-56	14:43-52	22:47-53	18:2-11
Jesus' trial by the Jewish Court:
Trial before Annas				18:12-14, 19-23
Trial before Caiphas	26:57	14:53	22:54
	26:59-68 61 This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.	14:55-65 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.	22:63-65	18:24
Jesus led to the cross	27:31-34	15:20-23	23:26-33	19:16-17
Jesus' first 3 hours on the cross	27:35-44 40 Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself.	15:24-32 29 that passed by . . . Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days	23:33-43	19:18-27
Jesus last 3 hours on the cross	27:45-50	15:33-37	23:44-46	19:28-30
Jesus' body buried by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus	27:57-60	15:42-46	23:50-54	19:38-42
The women watch at the tomb	27:61	15:47	23:55-56
Tomb is secured by the Roman guard	27:62-66 63 we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command . . . that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day
7. Jesus' Resurrection
	Mat.	Mark	Luke	John
The Empty Tomb
The women visit the tomb	28:1	16:1
The Women find the tomb empty	28:5-8	16:2-8	24:1-8 7 Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.	20:1
Peter and John run to the tomb			24:9-12	20:2-10
1st Appearances of Jesus Sunday
Other Sunday Appearances
To the two on the Emmaus' Road			24:13-32 21 third day away from which these [things] came to be [The man is looking back at all the events that were predicted to happen. He is not aware that Jesus arose from the dead. It is getting later and later on the first day of the week and each passing hour puts more distance between where the man now is and the earlier time at which he expected the resurrection to take place. Now that a considerable time has passed since that third day ended, the window of opportunity has closed and the man expectations are dashed on the rocks of fate. Compare Luke 13:7]
Report of the two/Appearance to Peter			24:33-35
To the Disciples in the Room			24:36-43	20:19-25 19 Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the Sabbaths [first day since the Sabbath]
Appearance 8 Days Later				20:26-31 26 eight days after [the Sabbath mentioned in v. 19] again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst
Other Appearances
To the 7 at the Sea of Galilee				21:1-25
To 500 at one time (I Cor. 15:6)
To the 11 in Galilee	28:16-20
To James, Jesus' brother (I Cor. 15:7)
Appearance to the Disciples in Jerusalem			24:44-49 46 Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day

	Acts	Acts	Acts	Acts
	1:3-8 3 being seen of them forty days, and speaking	9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
	10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly	21:7 came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day	24:1 after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders	25:1 after three days [Festus] ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
		28:7 Publius . . . received us, and lodged us three days courteously.	28:11 after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.
		28:12 landing at Syracuse, we tarried three days	28:13 came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew	28:17 [in Rome] after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together
	1Corinthians	1Corinthians	1Corinthians	1Corinthians
	1 Cor 15:4 that he was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
	Galatians	Galatians	Galatians	Galatians
			1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
	Hebrews	Hebrews	Hebrews	Hebrews
			10:16 This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts
	Revelation	Revelation	Revelation	Revelation
	2:10 the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days	11:9 they . . . shall see their dead bodies three days and an half	11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them

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