I would like to examine the claim written in a book and taught in the highest Colleges and Seminaries. Here is their evidence:

Milestone 19: The Lord Descending in Power upon Sinai on the Third Day “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, for on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people’ ” (Exod 19:10–11). “He (Moses) said to them, ‘Prepare for the third day; do not go near a woman.’

So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes … so that all who were in the camp trembled … and the whole mountain quaked” (Exod 19:15–18). “Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us or we will die’ ” (Exod 20:19). Exodus 19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.

For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.

Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day.

For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’

When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.” Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”

But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ” Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Exodus 20 And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’ ” Israel’s encounter with the Living God at Sinai forever marked the people of the covenant. The coming of God was so powerful that all Israel cried out for a mediator between God and man (Exod 20:19; cf. Heb 12:18–21). The Lord descended upon Sinai with thunder, lightning, and earthquake. The people trembled with the fear of death as God spoke his holy law—all on the third day.

In the fullness of time the earthly Jerusalem would come to resemble Mount Sinai in Arabia, according to the Apostle Paul. The “present Jerusalem” was in spiritual bondage, corresponding to the covenant of Sinai (Gal 4:24–25). John likewise tells us that Jerusalem, the city where the Lord was crucified, had become “spiritual Egypt” (Rev 11:8).

And so it was altogether fitting that God would likewise demonstrate his power once again on the third day. It came about that on the third day, when it was morning, there was a great earthquake (Matt 28:2) as the angel of the Lord descended upon Jerusalem, the spiritual “Sinai.” The angel’s appearance was like lightning (Matt 28:2–3). The Roman guards, who held sentry before the tomb, shook with fear and became as dead men (Matt 28:4).

Gage, W. A. (2011). Milestones to Emmaus: The Third Day Resurrection in the Old Testament (pp. 49–51). Warren A. Gage.

(Exodus 19:10–11, 15–18; Exodus 20)

Gage’s Claim: Warren Gage presents the giving of the Torah at Sinai as another powerful “third day” theophany. God commands the people to prepare for three days. On the third day, the Lord descends upon Mount Sinai with thunder, lightning, fire, smoke, and an earthquake. The people tremble and beg Moses to be their mediator. Gage sees this as foreshadowing the greater third-day event: the resurrection of Jesus, when God again demonstrates His power, this time through the risen Messiah.

The Raw Hebrew Text – Plain Reading

Exodus 19:10–11, 16–18:

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow… for on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.’ … On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain… and the whole mountain quaked greatly.”

This is the dramatic moment when Hashem gives the Torah to Israel at Sinai. The people become a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). The “third day” here is preparation time for the covenant — not a hidden prophecy of a future individual resurrection.

Applying the Method from Adam, the Blueprint of Creation, and the Tree of Life

We begin with Rabbi David Fohrman’s questions from A Book Like No Other (Eden series):

1. Why two special trees when God only forbids one?
2. Why command Adam to eat from all the trees (including the Tree of Life)?
3. Why does Eve identify the wrong tree as forbidden?

These point us back to the original blueprint: humanity created fundamentally good, the Tree of Life (Torah itself — Proverbs 3:18) never lost, and the path of repair is always open through teshuvah.

How did we get from these Garden questions to the claim that Sinai’s third day points to Jesus’ resurrection?

Dr. Robert Carter’s Four Questions Applied to Gage’s Claim

1. How did the claim arise? The claim arises from taking the numerical phrase “third day” (a common Hebrew idiom for a short time/preparation) and reading it typologically through the lens of the New Testament (Luke 24; 1 Corinthians 15).

2. What does the full picture actually show? Sinai is the covenant moment when Israel is called to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6) and a light to the nations. The thunder, lightning, and fire demonstrate God’s power and holiness so the people will fear Him and keep His commandments. There is no death-and-resurrection sequence, no individual dying Messiah, and no replacement of Israel. The “third day” is preparation for receiving the Torah.

3. Was there enough time and continuity? The Jewish people, who have preserved the Torah for over 3,300 years, have always understood Sinai as the giving of the covenant to Israel, not as a hidden prophecy of an individual’s future resurrection. The Christian typological reading developed centuries later.

4. Does the reading match the original blueprint? No. The blueprint shows Israel as Hashem’s servant and light to the nations. Nathaniel Jeanson’s genetic research and the Kohanim marker confirm the preserved lineage from Abraham and Aaron. The Torah was never meant to be replaced — it is the Tree of Life itself.

Israel as Hashem’s Servant – Consistent Proof from the Tanakh

The Torah’s blueprint is clear: the 12 springs at Elim represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and the 70 palm trees represent the seventy nations Israel is called to redeem and minister to. Israel is a nation of priests for the world.

This identity is consistent throughout the Tanakh:

• Exodus 19:5-6 — “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
• Isaiah 41:8-9 — “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen…”
• Isaiah 42:1 — “Behold My servant, whom I uphold…”
• Isaiah 43:10 — “You are My witnesses… and My servant whom I have chosen.”
• Isaiah 43:21 — “This people I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.”
• Isaiah 44:1 — “Jacob My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen!”
• Isaiah 49:3 — “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
• Isaiah 49:6 — “I will make you as a light for the nations…”
• Deuteronomy 32:8-9 — The nations are divided according to the sons of Israel; “Jacob is the portion of His inheritance.”
• Genesis 12:3 — “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Israel is not replaced. She is the servant through whom the nations are blessed.

Verdict on Milestone 19

Sinai is the majestic moment when Hashem gives the Torah and establishes Israel as His kingdom of priests. Gage turns the “third day” preparation into a foreshadowing of Jesus’ resurrection. The raw Hebrew text, the consistent witness of the Tanakh, and the preserved blueprint do not support this reading.

The original blueprint stands. Israel remains Hashem’s servant and light to the nations. The Tree of Life (the Torah) was never lost. The path of teshuvah remains open.

The silence when asked for clear, plain-text receipts from the Tanakh continues to speak.

1. Israel as Hashem’s Son / Firstborn Son

• Exodus 4:22 — “Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn.”
• Hosea 11:1 — “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.”
• Jeremiah 31:9 — “For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”
• Deuteronomy 32:6 — “Is He not your Father, who created you?”
• Deuteronomy 14:1 — “You are the children of the Lord your God.”

2. Israel as Hashem’s Bride / Wife

• Jeremiah 2:2 — “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, when you followed Me in the wilderness.”
• Isaiah 54:5 — “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name.”
• Hosea 2:19-20 — “I will betroth you to Me forever… in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and mercy.”
• Ezekiel 16 — The entire chapter is an allegory of Israel as God’s bride (from infancy to unfaithfulness and eventual restoration).
• Song of Songs — Traditionally read as the love between God and Israel.

3. Israel as Hashem’s Servant

• Isaiah 41:8-9 — “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen…”
• Isaiah 43:10 — “You are My witnesses, declares the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen.”
• Isaiah 44:1-2 — “But now hear, O Jacob My servant, Israel whom I have chosen!”
• Isaiah 49:3 — “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
• Isaiah 42:1 — “Behold My servant, whom I uphold” (often understood collectively as Israel).

4. Israel as Hashem’s Witness

• Isaiah 43:10 — “You are My witnesses, declares the Lord…”
• Isaiah 43:12 — “You are My witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God.”
• Isaiah 44:8 — “You are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me?”

5. Other Relational Titles

• Kingdom of Priests & Holy Nation — Exodus 19:5-6
• Treasured Possession — Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 26:18
• Light to the Nations — Isaiah 42:6, 49:6
• Portion / Inheritance — Deuteronomy 32:9

Summary

The Tanakh consistently portrays Israel in an intimate, covenantal relationship with Hashem:

• Son / Child — ~15+ references
• Bride / Wife — ~20+ references (especially in the Prophets)
• Servant — ~30+ references (especially in Isaiah)
• Witness — Multiple strong declarations

This is not occasional language. It is the dominant relational framework of the Hebrew Bible. Israel is not replaced or superseded — she is the servant, the witness, the beloved child and bride through whom the nations are to be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

This directly contradicts the Christian claim that the “true Israel” is now the Church. The original blueprint preserved in the Tanakh is clear: Israel remains Hashem’s chosen servant.

Hazan Gavriel ben David