What Old Testament prophecies connect to the events in Matthew 28:1? Matthew 28:1 in Focus “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.” Why “After the Sabbath” Matters • Genesis 2:2–3 – God rests on the seventh day; the completed Sabbath points ahead to Christ finishing His redemptive work before the new-creation morning. • Leviticus 23:10–11 – The sheaf of Firstfruits is waved “the day after the Sabbath,” foreshadowing the resurrection on the first day of the week (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20). • Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” The “day” celebrated in Israel’s worship prophetically finds its fullest meaning in Resurrection Sunday. Third-Day Promises • Hosea 6:2 – “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.” • Jonah 1:17 – Jonah’s three days in the fish prefigure Messiah’s time in the grave (cf. Matthew 12:40). • Genesis 22:4 – On “the third day” Abraham sees the place of sacrifice, introducing a pattern of deliverance on the third day. Victory Over the Grave • Psalm 16:10 – “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.” • Isaiah 53:10–11 – After suffering, the Servant “will prolong His days.” • Isaiah 26:19 – “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!” Light at Dawn • Psalm 30:5 – “Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.” • Malachi 4:2 – “For you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” Dawn imagery in both passages anticipates the literal sunrise that accompanies the women’s visit. Women as First Witnesses Foreshadowed • Psalm 68:11 – “The Lord gave the command; a great company of women proclaimed it.” The psalm’s picture of women announcing victory prefigures Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. • Judges 4:9 – Deborah prophesies that “the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman,” hinting that God often entrusts key testimony to faithful women. Stone Imagery • Psalm 118:22 – “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” The rejected Stone connects to both the sealed stone at the tomb and the risen Cornerstone. • Daniel 2:34–35 – A stone “cut out, but not by human hands” breaks human kingdoms, picturing the resurrected Christ whose tomb stone is rolled away by divine power. Prophecy Snapshot Old Testament texts that illuminate Matthew 28:1: 2. Genesis 22:4 4. Psalm 16:10 5. Psalm 30:5 6. Psalm 68:11 8. Isaiah 26:19 10. Hosea 6:2 11. Jonah 1:17 12. Daniel 2:34–35 13. Malachi 4:2 Together these passages weave a prophetic tapestry that finds vivid fulfillment when, “after the Sabbath, at dawn,” the women approach an empty tomb and history’s brightest morning begins. |
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