Simon Peter Sutherland

For Simon Peter Southerland

INCLUSIVE COUNTING PROOF

Here are some proofs of inclusive counting from the internet.

1. The clearest Biblical demonstration of inclusive counting is in the New Testament (see Acts 10:30 where a period of 72 hours is reckoned as “four days ago,” not “three”), but an Old Testament example is in 2 Kings 18:9-10.

2. The battle of Samaria lasted from the fourth to the sixth year of Hezekiah, which is equated with the The siege seventh to the ninth year of Hoshea, and yet the city is said to have been taken “at the end of three years.” In modern usage we would say two years, by straight subtraction. Obviously the Bible writer reckoned inclusively (years four, five, and six totaling three years).

3. A Hebrew boy was circumcised when “eight days old” (Genesis 17:12), that is, “in the eighth day” (Levites 12:3). Similarly Luke speaks of circumcision “on the eighth day” or “when eight days were accomplished” (Luke 1:59; 2:21). Evidently “when eight days were accomplished” (or “at the end of eight days,” RSV) does not mean eight full days from the date of birth, but eight inclusive.

4. Jeroboam II of Israel succeeded his father Jehoash in the 15th year of Amaziah of Judah (2 Kings 14:23), and Amaziah “lived after the death of Jehoash … of Israel fifteen years” (2 Kings 14:17). A modern reader would mentally add 15 to 15, reaching Amaziah’s 30th year, yet Amaziah reigned only 29 years (verse 2). Inclusive reckoning is again the most logical explanation, since 15 years, inclusive, from the 15th year is the 29th, in which he evidently died.

5. There are other examples. When, at the death of Solomon, Rehoboam was petitioned to lighten the tax burden, he told the people to depart “for three days” (1 Kings 12:5) and then return for his decision “after three days” (2 Chronicles 10:5). They came “the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day” (1 Kings 12:12; cf. 2 Chronicles 10:12).

6. Jesus said in Luke 13:32 And he said unto them, 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.

7. Exodus 19:10-11 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

8. Esther asked the Jews of Shushan to fast, and by implication, to pray, for her before she went in to the king unbidden, and then she approached the king “on the third day” (Esther 4:16; 5:1). Obviously a period of “three days” ended on the third day, not after the completion of the three days, as we would reckon it.

9. The Pharisees did not call a high day “the Sabbath”. They called it “a Sabbath”. All days called “the Sabbath” in the New Testament (39 times in the Greek text) referred to the weekly Sabbath.

10. An Egyptian inscription recording the death of a priestess on the 4th day of the 12th month relates that her successor arrived on the 15th, “when 12 days had elapsed.” Today, we would say that when 12 days had elapsed after the 4th, the date would be the 16th.

11. The Greeks followed the same inclusive method. They called the Olympiad, or the four-year period between the Olympic Games, a pentaeteris (five-year period), and used other similar numerical terms

12. The Romans also, in common usage, reckoned inclusively; they had nundinae (from nonus, ninth), or market days, every ninth day, inclusive, actually every eight days, as indicated on ancient calendars by the letters, A through H.

13. Modern vestiges in the West are the phrase “eight days,” meaning a week in some European languages;

I hope these help.

14. Also, read John 4. In that chapter Jesus meets the Samaritan woman whom gives a drink of water. In verse 40 says Jesus abode in her village for two days (John 4:40) and yet in John 4:43 it claims that Jesus departed after two days. I can prove elsewhere that “after three days” which appears in Mark three times in reference to Jesus’s resurrection was equivalent to “the third day” in Matthew and Luke.

15. John 20:26 says, “after eight days” the disciples were again gathered in the room when Jesus appeared amongst them. Scholars claim “after eight days” was an expression meaning a week later (i.e. Sunday to Sunday). Again, inclusive counting.

16. It is important to note that Mark 8:31, 9:31, and 10:34 claim Jesus would rise “after three days”. Yet, when you compare the same accounts in Matthew and Luke in a good Harmony of the Gospels you will see “after three days” is interchangeable with “the third day”.

 17. Here is a definition of day from the Jewish Encyclopedia. jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5007-day