Matthew 12:40 by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 25, 1911

By Editor

3517 — Matt. 12:40

Will you please explain Matt. 12:40? How will you harmonize it with Luke 23:53-56; 24:1-4? Subscriber.

It is impossible for us to see anything out of harmony with those texts at all. We do not know what our subscriber wishes harmonized. We do not know that there is any particular need of quoting the texts, because they can be easily read. The first declares that Jonah was to be a sign of our Lord, and the second scripture refers to the death and resurrection of our Lord. Presumably the trouble is over the expression "three days and three nights." The term "day" is used with a great deal of latitude and meaning in the Scripture. Parts of three days and three nights, would be spoken of in a general way as three days and nights. Now in the first place there is absolutely nothing in the Bible that would warrant the construction that some put upon that passage, that the three days and three nights means seventy-two hours. They simply mean, in a general way of speaking, parts or the whole of three days, or a period of time in which some part of each of three days is included. There is absolutely nothing in the Scriptures which warrants us in saying that "the heart of the earth" means the grave. It is the only place in the Word where just such an expression occurs; and for us to say that that means the grave, is arbitrary interpretation. Why may it not mean just as well "in the power of the rulers of the earth," the very heart of which was Rome at that time, and include in that time the apprehension, trial, and sufferings of our Lord previous to His death? When He was arrested He said, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." That occurred on what would be our Thursday night, or the first part of the day Friday. Later in that day He was crucified. He rested in the tomb on the Sabbath; and in the middle of the third day, which was the first day of the week, He arose from the dead. At the very close of that first day of the week we find the disciples saying to Jesus, "Today is the third day since these things were done." Very much more might be said. See the book entitled "Questions and Answers," pages 28 to 34, in which each text mentioning this period is examined.