Matthew 12:40 by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 11, 1912

By Editor

3775 — Matthew 12:40

How can Matt. 12:40 be explained, in view of the record that Jesus died and was buried Friday afternoon and was resurrected early Sunday morning?

If one will read the record concerning our Lord's betrayal, death, and resurrection, he will find an expression used again and again, in varied form—"in three days" or "within three days," "three days," and "after three days"—all used with respect to the same period of time. It will be noticed that Matt. 12:40 does not say that as Jonah 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 grave, but "in the heart of the earth,"—within the power of the darkness of earth, the rulership of earth. That would take from the time of our Lord's betrayal to His resurrection, which includes at least part of three days and the whole of another. Nothing more is implied in the text by "three days and three nights," as shown by the very usage of these terms in the Gospel. Three days and three nights after the time when our Lord was betrayed, or on the third day after that, He was brought from the grave. He met with His disciples on what would be our Thursday afternoon, the first evening of that day beginning at about three o'clock. He was crucified twenty-four hours from that time. For about thirty-six hours He was in the tomb, or another full day and part of the next. But parts of days are counted as full days in general terminology, and both prediction and fulfilment are met in this understanding of the scripture. Much more might be said, but we think these hints will be sufficient. See "Questions and Answers," pages 28-34 inclusive.