
Our Torah Does Not Teach This
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4)
Gage, W. A. (2011). Milestones to Emmaus: The Third Day Resurrection in the Old Testament (p. iv). Warren A. Gage.
(2 Samuel 1:1–16 – On the third day after returning from battle against the Amalekites, David learns of Saul and Jonathan’s death and executes the Amalekite messenger.)
Warren Gage presents this episode as another “third day” moment of a life-and-death decision. David returns from defeating the Amalekites, stays two days in Ziklag, and on the third day, an Amalekite messenger arrives with news that Saul and Jonathan are dead.
The messenger claims he killed Saul at Saul’s own request. David, mourning, orders the Amalekite executed for raising his hand against “the Lord’s anointed.” Gage sees this as validating David’s kingship (ending the rival house of Saul) and foreshadowing Jesus’ third-day resurrection: triumph over all rival claims to the throne and the final destruction of death itself.
From the Tanakh’s plain Hebrew text, historical context, and Jewish interpretive tradition, this milestone does not prophesy or typify Jesus’ death, burial, and third-day resurrection. It is a straightforward account of political transition, mourning, and justice in the shift from Saul’s dynasty to David’s.
1. The “Third Day” Is Simple Chronology, Not a Theological Resurrection Marker
- 2 Samuel 1:1–2: David returns from slaughtering the Amalekites, stays two days in Ziklag, and “on the third day” the messenger arrives with torn clothes and dust on his head.
- This is narrative timing—realistic pacing for travel and news reaching Ziklag. There is no death-and-resurrection sequence. Saul dies in battle on Mount Gilboa. The messenger is executed for claiming to have killed God’s anointed. David mourns deeply.
- No burial, no rising, no “life from death.” The third day marks the arrival of bad news and the execution of a liar, not divine vindication or resurrection.
2. The Story Is About Kingship Transition and Justice, Not Messianic Prophecy
- The core event is the end of Saul’s house and the confirmation of David’s right to the throne (as Samuel had prophesied). David shows respect for Saul as “the Lord’s anointed” by executing the Amalekite who claimed to have killed him.
- Jewish tradition (Rashi, Radak) emphasizes David’s righteousness and humility—he mourns Saul and Jonathan despite Saul’s persecution of him. The execution upholds the principle that no one may harm God’s anointed, even if the king is rejected.
- No classical Jewish commentary treats this as a resurrection-type passage or links the “third day” to a future Messiah’s rising. It is political and moral history in the early monarchy.
3. Gage’s Typology Is Creative but Forced
- Gage connects David’s triumph over the rival house of Saul on the third day to Jesus ending all rival claims through resurrection and destroying death.
- While David is a type of Messiah in Jewish thought (the ideal king), this specific episode is about succession after civil strife, not a preview of crucifixion and resurrection. The text has no language of “rising,” “life from death,” or eschatological victory over death itself.
4. Broader Pattern: “Third Day” as Narrative Device
- As in previous milestones, “three days” is a common biblical interval for travel, waiting, or decisive action. It is not inherently a resurrection code. The Tanakh uses it for many purposes (e.g., preparation, recovery, battle timing) without tying it to a unified “third day doctrine.”
Conclusion on Milestone 14
2 Samuel 1 is a poignant account of mourning, justice, and the painful transition of kingship. The “third day” is a chronological marker, signaling the arrival of tragic news and David’s decisive response. It teaches respect for God’s anointed and the cost of civil conflict. Gage’s reading retrofits New Testament theology, turning a historical succession story into a typology of resurrection. The Tanakh itself gives no warrant for seeing a Messiah who dies for sins, is buried, and rises on the third day here.
This continues the consistent pattern across Gage’s milestones: a numerical coincidence (“third day”) is elevated into prophetic foreshadowing, while the original text and Jewish tradition emphasize human drama, justice, and national history.
The Mystery of Eden
In the Garden of Eden, God places two trees before Adam, the blueprint of all creation: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
In his groundbreaking series A Book Like No Other, Rabbi David Fohrman asks three powerful questions we must sit with before rushing to answers:
- Why are there two separate trees in the garden?
- What is the relationship between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge?
- What is the true purpose and function of each tree?
The Torah contains 5,845 verses, and right at the beginning, we are faced with this mystery. Instead of jumping to conclusions, let these questions stay with you. Go back into the Garden. Let the Torah speak for itself.
Hazan Gavriel ben David










