If Friday represents the death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and Sunday represents His glorious resurrection, then what does Easter Saturday represent?

I dislike using the term ‘Easter’ because it derives from Ishtar the pagan demon Queen of Heaven. However, almost all societies and churches call it by this name, so for the sake of simplicity and clarity, I will use the term ‘Easter’. I would prefer to call Good Friday ‘Crucifixion Friday’ or ‘Atonement Friday’. I would also prefer to call Easter Sunday ‘Resurrection Sunday’, but what then do I call the Saturday of the Passover weekend?

Traditional denominations usually call it ‘Holy Saturday’, the Coptic church calls it ‘The Saturday of light’, or ‘Joyous Saturday’, and the Philippine Roman Catholic church calls it ‘Black Saturday’ and commemorates it with a sort of funeral service. So, what then are we supposed to commemorate on the Saturday between Crucifixion Friday and Resurrection Sunday?

The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that Jesus descended into Hell where the devil tortured him until He had paid both physically and spiritually for the sins of humanity. The Word of Faith and some Pentecostal teachers have adopted this and added that Jesus was then ‘born again’ from spiritual death on the Sunday. This would make Easter Saturday a black Saturday indeed, but they base this erroneous understanding on several scriptures taken out of context (Acts 2:27 Romans 10:6-7 Ephesians 4:8-9, and 1 Peter 3:18-20) and a particular reading of the Apostles Creed that was written in AD 390.

On Earth, that Saturday must have been dark indeed. The dead body of Jesus lay partially embalmed in a cold tomb. The disciples had no idea that He would rise again the next day and they must have been terribly distressed and confused. Their Messiah was dead, hope was gone, and the Jewish leaders would surely be coming after them. Black Saturday, a funeral day to end all funeral days!

However, in Heaven, something glorious was happening! In Colossians 2:13(b)-15 Paul writes about Jesus Christ, ’having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross’. The language he used here is similar to that adopted in the military court’s marshal of his day. Here is the scene in Heaven as I deduce it to have been:

Be blessed today as you celebrate the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice tomorrow as you revel in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the grave!