Lent: Why Forty Days?

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In Sacred Scripture, the number forty is a sign of penance:

  • God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Gen 7:4 – by the way they only ate fish on the ark, not meat)
  • Moses spent forty days fasting on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18)
  • The People of Israel people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33)
  • Elijah spent forty days and forty nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
  • Jonah prophesied forty days of judgment for Nineveh to repent (Jonah 3:4).
  • Jesus fasted for forty days days in the wilderness, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2)
  • Jesus was also in the tomb for about forty hours.
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Lent: Why Forty Days?

by


In Sacred Scripture, the number forty is a sign of penance:

  • God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Gen 7:4 – by the way they only ate fish on the ark, not meat)
  • Moses spent forty days fasting on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18)
  • The People of Israel people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33)
  • Elijah spent forty days and forty nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
  • Jonah prophesied forty days of judgment for Nineveh to repent (Jonah 3:4).
  • Jesus fasted for forty days days in the wilderness, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2)
  • Jesus was also in the tomb for about forty hours.
Posted on
Category: Uncategorized
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Comments Policy: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic. If your comment contains a hyperlink to another site, your comment automatically goes into "Comments Purgatory" where it waits for release by way of moderation.