p. 244 | Question by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 10, 1875

Question.

By John Norton Loughborough

A Mr. M., of San Francisco, raises a query relative to Christ's testimony concerning the sign of Jonas the prophet, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Matt. 12 : 40. The query is, how it can be claimed that Christ was crucified on Friday and rose on the first day of the week, if he was three days and three nights in the sepulchre.

This question has been raised, by several persons, and we will give our answer through the SIGNS, for the benefit of all. It often happens that what appear to be contradictions and difficulties in the Scriptures, after all, arise more from our understanding of certain texts than from what the texts themselves declare. To bend the plain statements of the Bible to agree with our ideas of obscure texts cannot certainly be the correct mode of interpreting the Scriptures. It is certainly more proper and reasonable to so interpret the obscure texts as to agree with the plain statements.

In the case before us, the whole difficulty lies in placing an interpretation upon the words concerning Jonas which makes them teach that Christ was three nights in the grave, which it is at once discovered could not be the fact if he was crucified on our Friday, and was raised again upon our Sunday. Without further examination the conclusion is taken that Christ either was not crucified on Friday, or if he was he must have been raised as late as our Monday morning.

Now, who knows that these words respecting Jonas refer to the time Christ was to lie in the grave? The text does not say so, but it is inferred to be so. But according to the philosopher Locke's rule "the right of drawing inferences is equal on all sides, and his inferences are entitled to the most weight that are drawn in harmony with plainly stated facts."

In the matter of the day of Christ's death and resurrection what are the plainly stated facts? On what day was Christ crucified? "The Jews, therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." John 19 : 31. Luke says, "That day was the preparation and the Sabbath drew on." 23 : 46. Mark says, "Now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath." Matt. 15 : 42.

The above is abundantly sufficient to show that the day of Christ's crucifixion was the day before the Sabbath. Now, on what day did he rise? Matthew says, "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." Then comes a record of the fact of Christ's rising from the dead. Of his resurrection Mark says, "Now, when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils."

Putting the above texts together we have a plain statement of Christ's crucifixion on the day before the Sabbath, and of his resurrection on the day after the Sabbath. It is not possible to get three nights between his death and resurrection; and to force a construction upon an obscure text, making an inference therefrom conflicting with the plain statements of the above Scriptures, does not look like the true mode of Scripture interpretation.

Again, let us look at some of the predictions made by Christ respecting his resurrection. Matthew records this language, "From that day forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." Matt. 16 : 21; see also Matt. 17 : 23; 20 : 19; Matt. 10 : 34; Luke 9 : 22, and 18 : 33. Here are six plain statements that he was to rise on the third day from his crucifixion. We admit, that to have three full nights between his death and resurrection he would rise on the fourth day from his crucifixion.

Those disciples who accompanied Christ on his way to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection, speaking of Christ's resurrection said, "To-day is the third day since these things were done." Luke 24 : 21. Paul also in speaking of the resurrection says, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. 15 : 3, 4. In these scriptures we not only have a plain statement that Christ rose on the third day, but we have also Paul's interpretation that this is the plain meaning of the Scriptures.

The question now arises, what is meant by Christ's being three days and nights "in the heart of the earth." Of course no one can claim that "heart of the earth" means the center of the earth, for he was not there. Even his burial was in a sepulchre on the surface of the earth. I would suggest that there are many scriptures in which the people are spoken of as the earth. Jeremiah in reproving the wicked said, "Hear, O earth, behold I will bring evil upon this people." Jeremiah 6 : 19. Again, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." Jer. 22 : 29; see also texts in which the people are called earth : Ps. 50 : 4; Deut. 32 : 1; Isa. 1 : 2.

I would suggest as a meaning of this text, that which will not conflict with any of the plainly stated facts concerning Christ, but which, on the other hand, harmonizes with them all, that, as Jonas was for three days and nights under the control of the whale, carried by him whithersoever he listed, so Christ, for three days and nights was in the hands of the wicked, carried about and controlled by them as they listed.

Let us try this. He was betrayed into their hands on the same as our Thursday night, crucified on Friday, and in the sepulchre till first-day morning. Thus you get the three nights, Jewish reckoning, and also three days, namely : a part of the night and the day of the sixth day, all of the seventh day and the night part of first-day. Let us follow that course and principle of interpretation which produces a harmony in the Bible if it demolishes all our theories. J. N. L.