{Matthew 12:39} But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Matthew 12:40} For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of the Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.{Matthew 12:41} The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
{Jonah 1:17} Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
{Jonah 2:2} He said, "I called because of my affliction to Jehovah. He answered me. Out of the belly of sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
Some claim that there is a discrepancy in the Bible's account since Jesus had proclaimed that he would be dead for three days and three nights. The claim appears to be that if Jesus was buried at sundown on Friday and raised Sunday morning near sunrise he would have been in the tomb over only two nighttime periods (Friday and Saturday) and one daytime period (Saturday) for a total of approximately 36 to 38 hours, not the three days and three nights that Jesus spoke as the "sign of Jonah". And thus, it is claimed that the Bible contradicts itself, and cannot be depended upon.
There are two things to note here: (1) Jesus did not say that he would be dead for three days and three nights; this is simply the general assumption placed on his words. What he said is that he, the Son of the man, David, would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. (2) Even if Jesus meant "heart of the earth" to mean in death, we need to note that this terminology could be viewed as purely idiomatic, and thus implied that he would be in the heart of the earth "till the third day." The proof of this is kind of usage may be found in Esther 4:16; 5:1; Genesis 42:17,18; 2 Chronicles 10:5,12.
We should note that the elders and chief priests had demanded of our Lord a sign of his authority. However, we should also note that their motive was evil, not sincere. Indeed, they already had many "signs" from Jesus but chose to ignore them. (John 10:32,33) Jesus, evidently while in Galilee (Matthew 13:1), had just healed a withered hand, and cast out a devil, but their reaction had been to hold a "council against him. how they might destroy him, and to accuse him of casting out devils 'by Beelzebub.'" (Matthew 12:10-14, 22-24) While in Jerusalem, Jesus had healed one who had been blind from birth (John 9:14,16), as well as one who could not walk. (John 5:9-13) These religious leaders had the testimony of these, but what was their response? They came up with a plot to put Lazarus also to death because by reason of him, many of the Jews believed jn Jesus. (John 12:10, 11) Jesus rebuked that wicked generation of Jewish leaders, calling them 'vipers. hypocrites, whited sepulchres.' -- Matthew 23:1,33.
Nevertheless, we should not read into Jesus' statement recorded in Matthew 12:40 something that is not there. Jesus used the event of Jonah's being in the belly of the whale as a sign concerning the time when he would be, not in death, nor in the grave, but in the 'heart of the earth'. Obviously, however, the term "in the heart of the earth" is not a literal expression. The heart gives the power of movement to the body. If our heart stops beating we no longer have any power to move. Nor should we necessarily look for parallels to every event of Jonah while in the belly's fish to have a corresponding fulfillment in the three days and three nights in which Jesus was in the heart of the earth. For instance, Jonah repented while in the belly of fish and prayed concerning his repentance; Jesus had nothing to repent of. Jesus was not buried in any literal "heart" of the earth but was laid in a cave tomb dug into the face of a hill. But, as pointed out, he did not actually stay in that tomb for three days and three nights, but he was there for parts of three days and two nights.
When Jonah was in "the belly of the fish" he was not dead. The scripture says that he was in the belly of sheol; yet he was not literally in sheol, the realm of death or condition of being dead. (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10) However, he was as good as dead, and thus it was as though he were already in sheol. What was true of Jonah is that he was no longer in control of his own movements. Where the fish went, Jonah went. The normal free functions of Jonah's life had been taken away, and he was as good as dead, and had no miracle occurred, he would have indeed died and gone into the oblivious condition of sheol.
There are two things to note here: (1) Jesus did not say that he would be dead for three days and three nights; this is simply the general assumption placed on his words. What he said is that he, the Son of the man, David, would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. (2) Even if Jesus meant "heart of the earth" to mean in death, we need to note that this terminology could be viewed as purely idiomatic, and thus implied that he would be in the heart of the earth "till the third day." The proof of this is kind of usage may be found in Esther 4:16; 5:1; Genesis 42:17,18; 2 Chronicles 10:5,12.
We should note that the elders and chief priests had demanded of our Lord a sign of his authority. However, we should also note that their motive was evil, not sincere. Indeed, they already had many "signs" from Jesus but chose to ignore them. (John 10:32,33) Jesus, evidently while in Galilee (Matthew 13:1), had just healed a withered hand, and cast out a devil, but their reaction had been to hold a "council against him. how they might destroy him, and to accuse him of casting out devils 'by Beelzebub.'" (Matthew 12:10-14, 22-24) While in Jerusalem, Jesus had healed one who had been blind from birth (John 9:14,16), as well as one who could not walk. (John 5:9-13) These religious leaders had the testimony of these, but what was their response? They came up with a plot to put Lazarus also to death because by reason of him, many of the Jews believed jn Jesus. (John 12:10, 11) Jesus rebuked that wicked generation of Jewish leaders, calling them 'vipers. hypocrites, whited sepulchres.' -- Matthew 23:1,33.
Nevertheless, we should not read into Jesus' statement recorded in Matthew 12:40 something that is not there. Jesus used the event of Jonah's being in the belly of the whale as a sign concerning the time when he would be, not in death, nor in the grave, but in the 'heart of the earth'. Obviously, however, the term "in the heart of the earth" is not a literal expression. The heart gives the power of movement to the body. If our heart stops beating we no longer have any power to move. Nor should we necessarily look for parallels to every event of Jonah while in the belly's fish to have a corresponding fulfillment in the three days and three nights in which Jesus was in the heart of the earth. For instance, Jonah repented while in the belly of fish and prayed concerning his repentance; Jesus had nothing to repent of. Jesus was not buried in any literal "heart" of the earth but was laid in a cave tomb dug into the face of a hill. But, as pointed out, he did not actually stay in that tomb for three days and three nights, but he was there for parts of three days and two nights.
When Jonah was in "the belly of the fish" he was not dead. The scripture says that he was in the belly of sheol; yet he was not literally in sheol, the realm of death or condition of being dead. (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10) However, he was as good as dead, and thus it was as though he were already in sheol. What was true of Jonah is that he was no longer in control of his own movements. Where the fish went, Jonah went. The normal free functions of Jonah's life had been taken away, and he was as good as dead, and had no miracle occurred, he would have indeed died and gone into the oblivious condition of sheol.
Similarly, Judas Iscariot, evidently at some time before the passover meal the day before Jesus died, went to the Jewish leaders to make a deal to turn Jesus over to them. (Luke 22:3-6) It appears that from that point on, Jesus was as good as dead. Jesus knew of Judas' treachery; later he stated to Judas, ""What you do, do quickly," Jesus recognized that he was as good as already dead. He was, in effect, already in the heart, the control, of the earth. Thus, he stated, "The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." (Mark 14:41) This was the night before he was arrested. When he was arrested, he exclaimed, "this is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Luke 22:53). Therefore, we conclude that he, the day before he was arrested, Jesus entered into "the heart of the earth," but, although one could say that he was as good as dead, he was not yet actually dead in sheol. Accordingly, Jesus had eartlier told his disciples of "that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day." Jesus was actually raised on the third day after he was killed, (Matthew 16:21) However, the "three days and three nights" in which Jesus is in the "heart of the earth" appears to cover not only the time he was dead, but they began when Judas started his betrayal of Jesus.
While the Jewish leaders did not fully understand Jesus' words (Matthew 13:13-15; John 8:14,43), they did understand that Jesus claimed that he would be raised from the dead after three days, for they told Pilate "that deceiver said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise again,'" and desired his tomb to be guarded allegedly to avoid his disciples from stealing the body to make the claim appear correct. Pilate replied, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can." And then we read: "So they went, and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them." (Matthew 27:63-66) And the very ones assigned to ensure there would be no fraud, observed that "the angel of Jehovah descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men." (Matthew 28:2-4) This was reported to the chief priests and elders, who then bribed the guards with a "large amount of silver" to change their story and claim the disciples had stolen Jesus' body, thus indicating the effect that this promised "sign" had upon their evil hearts. Therefore, the ones who falsely accused Jesus of being a deceiver proved themselves to be deceivers. -- Matthew 28:11-15.
And, yet, for those whose hearts were not entrenched with evil motives, what a piece of convincing evidence that the sign of Jonah had been fulfilled! The same guards which they had set to ensure against fraud testified of the truthfulness of Jesus' words! Rather than accept this "sign of Jonah", however, the actions of the Jewish leaders actually made manifest the wickedness of their heart, that they were of this wicked generation! Nevertheless, for those whose hearts could receive it, the sign of Jonah was truly convincing, and the testimony of the disciples is still convincing to this day. And it could be reasoned on more deeply. Paul tells us, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." -- 1 Corinthians 15:20.
Jesus paid the full price to buy back what was lost in Adam, that is, death (lack of sentiency), and, as far as his humanity is concerned, that death was eternal, even as the condemnation upon Adam was eternal death. The eternal condemnation upon Adam and through him upon the human race would have remained eternal, had it not been for the corresponding offsetting price paid by Jesus. -- Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6.
This brings us to the latter parts of Jesus' statements pertaining to the condemnation of the evil generation during the day of judgment by the Ninevites. We remember that Jesus' death and resurrection results in two resurrections in the "last day": one is of the believer of this age, who is resurrected to life, and the other is of the unbelievers who are resurrected to judgment. (John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44; 11:24; 12:47,48; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:6,11-13) The people of heathen Nineveh in the Judgment Age, in the Millennial Age, he assured them, would rank higher than they, for the Ninevites did repent at the preaching of Jonah, while Jesus spoke of those who did not repent at the preaching of a greater than Jonah. The Queen of Sheba had journeyed afar to hear Solomon's wisdom; yet these who were in the presence of a greater than Solomon failed to realize or, probably more correctly, did not appreciate who this was, and proclaimed his message to be a fraud.
While the Jewish leaders did not fully understand Jesus' words (Matthew 13:13-15; John 8:14,43), they did understand that Jesus claimed that he would be raised from the dead after three days, for they told Pilate "that deceiver said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise again,'" and desired his tomb to be guarded allegedly to avoid his disciples from stealing the body to make the claim appear correct. Pilate replied, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can." And then we read: "So they went, and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them." (Matthew 27:63-66) And the very ones assigned to ensure there would be no fraud, observed that "the angel of Jehovah descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men." (Matthew 28:2-4) This was reported to the chief priests and elders, who then bribed the guards with a "large amount of silver" to change their story and claim the disciples had stolen Jesus' body, thus indicating the effect that this promised "sign" had upon their evil hearts. Therefore, the ones who falsely accused Jesus of being a deceiver proved themselves to be deceivers. -- Matthew 28:11-15.
And, yet, for those whose hearts were not entrenched with evil motives, what a piece of convincing evidence that the sign of Jonah had been fulfilled! The same guards which they had set to ensure against fraud testified of the truthfulness of Jesus' words! Rather than accept this "sign of Jonah", however, the actions of the Jewish leaders actually made manifest the wickedness of their heart, that they were of this wicked generation! Nevertheless, for those whose hearts could receive it, the sign of Jonah was truly convincing, and the testimony of the disciples is still convincing to this day. And it could be reasoned on more deeply. Paul tells us, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." -- 1 Corinthians 15:20.
Jesus paid the full price to buy back what was lost in Adam, that is, death (lack of sentiency), and, as far as his humanity is concerned, that death was eternal, even as the condemnation upon Adam was eternal death. The eternal condemnation upon Adam and through him upon the human race would have remained eternal, had it not been for the corresponding offsetting price paid by Jesus. -- Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6.
This brings us to the latter parts of Jesus' statements pertaining to the condemnation of the evil generation during the day of judgment by the Ninevites. We remember that Jesus' death and resurrection results in two resurrections in the "last day": one is of the believer of this age, who is resurrected to life, and the other is of the unbelievers who are resurrected to judgment. (John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44; 11:24; 12:47,48; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:6,11-13) The people of heathen Nineveh in the Judgment Age, in the Millennial Age, he assured them, would rank higher than they, for the Ninevites did repent at the preaching of Jonah, while Jesus spoke of those who did not repent at the preaching of a greater than Jonah. The Queen of Sheba had journeyed afar to hear Solomon's wisdom; yet these who were in the presence of a greater than Solomon failed to realize or, probably more correctly, did not appreciate who this was, and proclaimed his message to be a fraud.
Studies by Others:
Three Days and Three Nights by F. A. Acheson
Three Galileans by Carl Hagensick
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