Paul wrote that “Christ died for our sins [and] was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Old Testament doesn’t just prophesy that Jesus would die and be raised; it also prophesies that he would be raised on the third day. Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day? There are four possibilities.

Table of contentsThe Gospel's Two Essential ElementsFirst, Jesus Died for Our SinsPsalm 22 Prophecies of Jesus' DeathIsaiah 53 Prophecies of Jesus' DeathSecond, Jesus Was Raised from the DeadWhere Is the Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day?The Feast of Firstfruits Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayHosea Contains an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayIsrael as a Type of ChristThe Veil and Jesus’ Body TornJonah Is an Old Testament Prophecy (or Sign) of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayJonah's "Death" and BurialJonah Was "Raised" on the Third DayIsaac Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayDon't Try not to BelieveFootnotes

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Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)? Four possibilities exist.

Growing up we had a handful of movies on VHS tapes. I feel old knowing some of you don’t even know what VHS tapes are. One of the movies we had was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I don’t know how often I watched this movie, but it was a lot. Let me tell you how it ended.

The dying Khan activated a bomb that would blow up his ship and the nearby Starship Enterprise, finally delivering his revenge against Captain Kirk. The Enterprise’s engine was damaged, so it couldn’t enter warp speed and escape the explosion. With the lives of all the crew in jeopardy, Spock entered the nuclear reactor to restore power to the warp drive so the ship could escape. In the process, he was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation.

When Kirk realized Spock was missing, he ran to the engine room, where he saw his friend within minutes of death. Spock used his last words to ask Kirk if the ship was out of danger. Then he said, “The needs of the many outweigh…” Kirk interrupted to say: “the needs of the few,” showing he learned from his logical friend. And then Spock added, “Or the one. I have been and always shall be your friend.” Spock made the Vulcan salute, which Kirk mirrored, uttered, “Live long and prosper,” and then died. Spock died for his friends, and our minds could even go to Jesus’s words:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

You don’t have to worry about Spock, though, because he only stayed dead until the beginning of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Spock rose from the dead, and the filmmakers wanted to make him look so much like Jesus there was even an empty coffin complete with nearby burial clothes paralleling Jesus’ empty tomb and burial clothes.

Resurrections are common in fiction. J.R.R. Tolkien has a clear resurrection in The Lord of the Rings. The wizard, Gandalf the Grey, dies only to return to life as the more powerful Gandalf the White.

Tolkien’s friend and fellow author, C.S. Lewis, has a clear resurrection in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Aslan the Lion, a picture of Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, sacrificed himself to save Edmund. Then, Aslan returned to life and defeated his enemy, the White Witch, I suspect picturing the way Jesus’s death and resurrection defeated the devil.

The Gospel's Two Essential Elements

I might sound like a fan of resurrections in fiction, but I wouldn’t say that’s the case. My biggest problem is that, with only a few exceptions, people are borrowing from Christianity without being Christian. There are allusions to Christ, but there’s no Christ. Nobody will be saved from these portrayals because they lack ...