If I did not believe in spiritual warfare considering such question as “How many days was Jesus in the tomb?” would convince me.
This is because such questions are indicative of the veil that hangs over the eyes and minds of unbelievers. That the Bible is read, considered, dissected like no other written text surely says something about the continuing warfare.
Let us begin with Matthew 12:39-40 in considering what the Bible reports as to how much time Jesus spent in the tomb, as Jesus states:
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
This is of the utmost importance since Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights Jesus would be entombed for as long.
Commonly speaking:How long is a day?12 hours.How long is a night?12 hours.
Thus, three days and three nights equal 72 hours.
It is very important when considering any text to take a moment to envisage exactly what is being communicated, how it works in the real world, what it looks like.
Let us momentarily employ the calendar that reckons 24 hour periods that begin and end at midnight since this is common.
What does it mean that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights?
At 11:59:56 PM Jonah is standing at the edge of the boat.
At 11:59:57 PM Jonah is falling towards the sea.
At t 11:59:58 PM Jonah falls into the mouth of the great fish.
At t 11:59:59 PM Jonah is swallowed.
And precisely at 12:00:00 AM Jonah reaches the belly.
Then he is there until the next midnight-one day and night.
He is there until the midnight after that-two days and nights.
Then he is there until_:
At 11:59:56 PM the great fish beaches itself (assuming it came inland that far).
At 11:59:57 PM the great fish begins to regurgitate Jonah.
At t 11:59:58 PM the great fish opens its mouth.
At t 11:59:59 PM great fish proceeds to vomit Jonah.
And precisely at 12:00:00 Jonah hits the sand.
Thus, only in this way could it be claimed that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights-right?!?!
Who thinks this way? Who, but someone desperate to find fuel for the fires of their unbelief, could even imagine placing such restrictions upon any language?
Let us slow down because it may seem ridiculous but perhaps they have a point or two:
What does this say about biblical literalism?
Nothing.
To take something literally mean that we take it as it is intended: a historical reference is taken as such, symbolism is taken as such, proverbs are taken as such, poetic language as such, straightforward saying as such, etc.
How do we know how it is to be taken?
Primarily, and as exampled by the midnight to midnight example, in a common sense manner. This is tantamount to someone saying “Ok, let’s go-on the count of three_” and you say, “Wait, wait! Do you mean: one, two and go on three or: one, two, three and then go?” I have actually heard this, somewhat jokingly, at softball games when the winning team meets at home plate to declare their victory by shouting the team name “on the count of three.”
Moreover, if need be, we could point out that flexibility is not only common sense but is biblical:
And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined (1st Kings 20:29).
Was it “for” seven days on “on the” seventh?Contradiction!No.
Merely common language and common sense.
So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed_
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day (2nd Chronicles 10:5, 12).
Was it “after” three days on “on the” third?Contradiction!No.
Merely common language and common sense.
Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day_
Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace (Esther 4:16; 5:1).
Was it “for” three days on “on the” third?Contradiction!No.
Merely common language and common sense.
Now, what did Jesus say about His time in the tomb?
As we saw above, He said, three days and three nights.
Yet, He also said,
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”_
But He was speaking of the temple of His body (John 2:19, 21).
Also,
The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day (Mark 9:31).
Was it “in” three days on “the” third?Contradiction!No.
Merely common language and common sense.
Thus, we can describe how long Jesus was entombed in three ways:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
6th day, 7th day, 1st day
14th, 15th, 16th of the Jewish month Nisan
In referencing the 6th day, 7th day, 1st day of the week we are referring to a system which reckons days as beginning and ending at sundown.
Therefore:
Friday before sundown was the 6th day of the week, the 14th of Nisan.
Friday sundown until Saturday sundown was the 7th day of the week, the 15th of Nisan.
Saturday sundown until Sunday sundown was the 1st day of the week, the 16th of Nisan.
As we have seen “in,” “the,” “for,” “on the,” “after,” is irrelevant to common language and common sense.
He was entombed three days.
Jesus did not have to be in the tomb starring at his watch and thinking “Come on sundown!”
The Bible is expected to present a scenario in which in the course of normal human events actions are to be performed to the nano-second. When this happens the Bible is being asked to present humanity in unrealistic terms and requirements are being placed upon it to which no ancient or modern text are expected to adhere-nor should they be supposed to adhere.
The question as to how many days Jesus was in the tomb is turned into a big issue when some seeks to find problems where there are none and when they tell themselves that the Bible has failed on some point and yet, in the end they only end up discrediting themselves whilst leaving the Bible unscathed.