Why did jesus appear for 40 days?
Prophet Jonah, Russian Orthodox icon from first quarter of 18-th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." ( Acts 1:3 ) It is interesting how often the Scriptures refer to a fortyday period. There are nine different forty-day periods noted in Scripture (the phrase itself occurs seventeen times), and it may be noteworthy that forty days is 1/9 of the original (and prophetic) lunar/solar year of 360 days (note Genesis 7:11 ; 8:3-4 ; Revelation 11:2-3 ). Thus the total of the nine forty-day periods equals the ideal year. The periods are as follows: the intense rainfall at the Flood ( Genesis 7:12, 17 ); the first giving of the law ( Exodus 24:18 ; Deuteronomy 9:9, 11 ); the second giving of the law ( Exodus 34:28 ; Deuteronomy 9:18, 25 ); the searching of Canaan by the fearful spies ( Numbers 13:25 ; 14:3