I've read the theory regarding the 2 different days for Passover before. I read the link you posted and there are holes all through it. One big one is the 72 hr theory and raising at 3 PM on Shabbat. We know for a fact (because we have 2 eyewitness on the road to Emmaus), that He dies on a Friday and raised on Sunday. Also, it was night time when He rose...read the verses regarding the guards at the tomb.
Well, the Lord our God is a God of order and not disorder. So I do not think Jesus was mathmatically dysfunctional to not mean 3 days and 3 nights. Three days and three nights = 72 hours exactly. 1 hour within a 12 hour day cycle would be based upon the amount of daylight available for that day. So an hour was not 60 minutes back in Biblical times (like it is today). Jesus gave us a clue to the standard of time keeping back then because He said there are 12 hours in a day (John 11:9). So the minutes in 1 hour would be less or more based on the amount of daylight for that day. For according to daylight savings for Israel back then, there was not perfectly 12 hours of daylight always. Yet, Jesus said there were 12 hours in a day. Also, 24 hours within a day would not change, as well. So there were 24 hours within a day back in Biblical times as there are today.
Anyways, in order to understand
Luke 24:21, we have to look at the motivations behind what the two disciples are actually saying. Re-read this chapter and put yourself in the mind of a detective for a moment and think about the two disciples mood and what they might have been thinking. Put yourself in their shoes. If what you suggest is true, the two disciples could not think the prophecy for Jesus to rise on the third day had failed yet because the third day was not over yet. For if what you say is true, then they would be jumping the gun in being all upset before they could give the prophecy a chance to fulfill itself. They would at least give Jesus the benefit of the doubt in showing up on the third day to them at some point. But seeing Jesus did not appear to them on the third day of the Saturday Sabbath, they were having doubts about Christ's prophecy on the following first day of the week (Sunday). They were all sad because they were leaning towards the thinking that Christ failed to keep His promise because they did not see Him on the third day as they were expecting.
The statement in
Luke 24:21 where Cleopas, a disciple says, "
today is the third day since these things happened" fits. To say the "
third day since" means the same thing as the "
third day after". How so?
Well, if you were to look at the origin of the word "
since" it has the word "
afterward" in it's definition.
Online Etymology Dictionary
Also, if you were to look at the word "
since" in the King James Online Dictionary, it also defines it as "
after."
SINCE - Definition from the KJV Dictionary
In other words, the Jews understood that "
three days after" is the same as saying the "
third day"; And seeing the English word "
since" can be understood as "
after", it is saying "
three days after"
To put it to you another way, it would be like a person telling you that they were going to keep a promise within three days and they would fail to keep it. Let me give you an example: Let's say Rick told his older brother Steve (Who plays college football) was going to join the football team after graduation and that there was only three days Rick would have in order to sign up. Now, lets say Rick promised his brother that he was going to sign up at least by the last third day after graduation. That he was going to sign up sometime between these three days but he was going to absolutely do so by the third day as a part of his promise. Now, lets say Rick failed to keep his promise and did not sign up by the last third day for the team. The conversation between Rick and Steve could easily go like this,
Rick: "Steve, I hate to break this to you but I did not sign up on the third day as I promised." "Maybe I can talk to the coach and he can make an exception or something."
Steve: "Dude! Today is three days after all these things are done already!" "You can't sign up after three days!" "You know coach Brown will not go for such a thing and you know it!"
In other words,
Luke 24:21 says the same thing.
Luke 24:21
"But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since [three days after] these things were done."
Let's examine this.
"But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel."
They had doubts. Why would they doubt if the three days was not over yet?
"Today is the third day since (after) these things have been done."
What things were to be done?
Well, one of the major things that needed to be done was Christ's resurrection!
For
Luke 24:7 are the very words of Jesus that prophesied His promise to them. His promise was that He was going to rise three days later; And He kept that promise (Just not in the way they were expecting).
Summary: Jesus died on Wednesday afternoon and was laid in the grave as the annual Sabbath was beginning. He was in the grave Wednesday night, Thursday day, Thursday night, Friday day, Friday night, and Saturday day. Therefore, He was in the grave 3 days and 3 nights.
Side Note:
Oh, and here are a few Modern Translations that render Luke 24:21 a little more clearly.
Moffatt Translation–by James Moffatt “….but he is dead, and that is three days ago!”
The Bible in Basic English Version says, “In addition to all this he has now let three days go by from the time when these things took place;”
James Murdock Translation has it, “And lo, three days [have passed], since all these things occurred.”
The New Berkeley Version in Modern English– Gerrit Verkugl “Moreover, three days have already passed, since all these events occurred.”
The Syriac New Testament Translated Into English From The Peshitto Version — James Murdock “…and lo, three days have passed since all these things have occurred.”
The Syriac Reading can be confirmed by 2 of the oldest manuscripts in Estrangelo Aramaic: the Sinaitic Palimpset and the Curetonian Syriac.
ASV Luk 24:21 But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass.
BBE Luk 24:21 But we were hoping that he would be the Saviour of Israel. In addition to all this he has now let three days go by from the time when these things took place;
CEV Luk 24:21 We had hoped that he would be the one to set Israel free! But it has already been three days since all this happened.
Lamsa NT Luk 24:21 But we were hoping that he was the one to save Israel; and behold, it is three days since all these things happened.
Interlinear Bible Hebrew Greek says the following.
But (4594) with all (575, 3739, 5023) these things (1096) third (235) this (1135) day (5100) comes today ( 1537,2257) since these things occurred(1839, 2248, 1096)
NLT (New Living Translation) renders
Luke 24:21 as saying "three days ago." (Meaning, three days after).
As for the testimony of the guards:
Scripture does not say they seen Jesus. They only seen the "Angel of the Lord" descend from Heaven to roll the stone away. This does not mean the "Angel of the Lord" needed to roll the stone away so as to set Jesus free. Remember, Jesus did not need to use doors or windows to enter a home. So He would have had no trouble phasing through the tomb wall late at night when the guards were sleeping. Granted, Jesus could have made Himself invisible to them if He wanted to. For at another time, Jesus disappeared into a crowd when the Pharisees were seeking to stone Him. But for the sake of argument, lets say Jesus was released when the stone was rolled away by the "Angel of the Lord." First, Jesus could have resurrected within the tomb before the time of when the stone was rolled away. Second, even if Jesus was perfectly resurrected at the time of when the stone was rolled away, Jesus would have left the tomb at the "End of the Sabbath." (Matthew 28:1). The Earthquake took place and the Angel of the Lord rolled the stone away before the "End of the Sabbath." This means that it would have been before our Saturday at sunset. So Jesus was resurrected at the latest on Saturday late afternoon. However, to perfectly line up with His death, Christ would have resurrected at 3:00PM.
Sources used:
Prophecy Truths -- 3 Days & 3 Nights pt 2
The Road to Emmaus-Proof to Support Easter Sunday-NOT!