IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.
“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. This passage of Scripture has in the past been made the basis of one of the greatest objections brought by skeptics against the word of God, and even now many are troubled to harmonize it with other declarations of the Bible. It is a fact generally acknowledged and clearly established, that our Saviour lay in the tomb but two nights; yet many contend for the three nights, and, in trying to harmonize the Scriptures upon the point, take some strange positions. One class contend for the whole seventy-two hours; but in doing so they have the Saviour rise on the same hour of the day in which he was buried; namely, late in the afternoon, or near sunset. But as he was first seen early in the morning of the first day of the week, it is inferred that he must have risen on the previous day, which was the Sabbath. With this view, Christ must have been put in the tomb as early as Wednesday. Another class do not contend for the full time—only the three nights. Because, say they, the text just as certainly says three nights as three days, and if the phrase “three days” means some part of each of those days, so “three nights” must mean some part of each of those nights. Therefore, this class will have the Saviour buried Thursday. It would seem that the advocates of these views must have overlooked some very plain points of scripture; for we find our Saviour while talking with his disciples (and when he was alone with them he spoke plainly. Mark 4:34) saying repeatedly that he should be killed, and be raised the third day. See Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Mark 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:22; 18:33. And we have also the statement from the two that went to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection that that was the third day since he was crucified. Luke 24:21. Just what is meant by the expression “third day” can be determined by the use made of it in the Scriptures. Christ said, “Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and do cures to-day, and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” Luke 13:32. Also in the account of Paul’s voyage from Caesarea to Rome, Luke says (Acts 27:17–19) that they undergirded the ship, the next day they lightened it, and the third day they cast out the tackling; thus making the day of undergirding the ship the first day of the series. In recording the events of the crucifixion day, Luke says, “And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.” Chap. 23:54. And Mark says, (chap. 15:42), “It was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath.” Now, making the preparation day the first in the count, the Sabbath would be the second, and the first day of the week the third, which makes perfect harmony between the declarations of Christ and the subsequent statements of the evangelists. But, says the objector, you have only two nights in the count, and what will you do with the text at the head of this article? for our Saviour says he shall be in the heart of the earth as long as Jonah was in the whale’s belly, and the record testifies that Jonah was there three days and three nights. In examining the text, there are some things to be taken into consideration: (1) To whom the words were addressed; (2) The language used in the address; and (3) The meaning of the expression, “heart of the earth.” In the first place, we learn that the words were addressed to the scribes and Pharisees, and it is said that Christ ever spoke to them in parables. Matt. 13:34. The Pharisees were supposed to understand the symbols of the Hebrew language (see Ps. 78:1–3), hence our Saviour addressed them in that manner. In speaking of the heart of any object, it is taken for granted that the center is meant. Certain it is that the heart is not at the surface. If earth in the text is to be taken literally, it certainly must mean its center. But we dwell upon the earth’s surface, and not at its center. Then was Christ ever in the heart of the earth? Is there any proof that he was put down into the earth at all? We read that he was put in Joseph’s “new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock.” Matt. 27:60. The word earth occurs many times in the Bible when it can be taken in no other than a figurative sense. We give a few instances, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken.” Isa. 1:2. “Hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.” Deut. 32:1. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa. 45:22. Nothing is plainer than that the earth referred to in these texts must mean the people. Again, we read in Mark 1:5, concerning the work of John in the wilderness, “And there went out unto him all the land of Judea.” It is evident that the people are referred to, and not the land. At the time referred to in the text, no people could more appropriately be styled the “heart of the earth” than the Roman nation. They had pushed their conquests until they were recognized as the heart and center of all the powers of earth. All other nations had become tributary to them, and even the parents of our Lord responded to the summons of the Roman emperor to appear and be enrolled for taxation. Luke 2:1–5. Christ was delivered by Judas into the hands of the soldiers the same night that he ate the passover with his disciples, which was the evening before the preparation day, and continued in their hands until he was crucified. Then a guard was placed before the tomb, which guarded his body until he was raised and released from their power. It is just as true that the Saviour was in their power from the time of his betrayal until his crucifixion as it is that he was in their power while in the tomb. No power on earth could have taken him until the appointed time arrived for him to be delivered up, and no power could hold him after the summons was given for him to come forth. The case of Jonah was the same. The fish had no power to take him until he was delivered up; and when he was again placed on the land, he was as safe from danger as before starting on his perilous journey. So if Christ was delivered into the hands of the people the evening before the preparation, which would correspond with our Thursday evening, and remained in their power until his resurrection, then there is some analogy between his case and Jonah’s, and we see no difficulty in finding the three nights spoken of in the text, nor will we be out of harmony with other scriptures in making the above application of the text.