In two different books of the New Testament there is recorded a three-hour time of darkness during the period of Christ’s crucifixion:
Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour, Mark 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Luke 23:44-45 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
During the final three hours of Jesus’ life, when He was on the cross, an unusual darkness struck the land, which was NOT an eclipse of the sun.
This darkness was most definitely the result of God’s directed intervention. The eclipse could not have been a natural solar eclipse for the following three reasons:
1. The maximum duration of a total solar eclipse is seven minutes, not three hours.
2. Because of the latitude of Jerusalem the maximum duration of seven minutes for an eclipse is even less.
3. A solar eclipse can occur only at a new moon, but we know that Jesus was crucified at the time of Passover.
Matthew 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
Matthew 26:2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Mark 14:1 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 by craft, and put him to death.
Mark 14:2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Passover occurs at the time of a full moon.
Exodus 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.
Leviticus 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Darkness lasted from the sixth to the ninth hour after Jesus’ death. While there is still light coming from the sun shining on earth during an eclipse, the scripture says that the darkness that fell could have been greater than an eclipse currently falling on Earth. The accounting of the darkness places the earthquake, the rending of the veil and the resurrection of the saints during the time of this profound darkness.
If the earthquake, the rending of the veil and the resurrection happened during the event, how could anyone claim to have seen all the events taking place simultaneously, unless they were in close proximity to each event?
A more fair question would be: how could anyone see anything during the darkness event?
Written by: Charles E. Cohenour Jr.
The Saints Arose 