4]

Whether Christ Was in the Tomb Only One Day and Two Nights?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ was not in the tomb during
only one day and two nights; because He said (Matt. 12:40): "As Jonas
was in the whale's belly three days and three nights: so shall the
Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights."
But He was in the heart of the earth while He was in the grave.
Therefore He was not in the tomb for only one day and two nights.

Obj. 2: Gregory says in a Paschal Homily (Hom. xxi): "As Samson
carried off the gates of Gaza during the night, even so Christ rose
in the night, taking away the gates of hell." But after rising He was
not in the tomb. Therefore He was not two whole nights in the grave.

Obj. 3: Further, light prevailed over darkness by Christ's death. But
night belongs to darkness, and day to light. Therefore it was more
fitting for Christ's body to be in the tomb for two days and a night,
rather than conversely.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Trin. iv): "There were
thirty-six hours from the evening of His burial to the dawn of the
resurrection, that is, a whole night with a whole day, and a whole
night."

_I answer that,_ The very time during which Christ remained in the
tomb shows forth the effect of His death. For it was said above (Q.
50, A. 6) that by Christ's death we were delivered from a twofold
death, namely, from the death of the soul and of the body: and this
is signified by the two nights during which He remained in the tomb.
But since His death did not come of sin, but was endured from
charity, it has not the semblance of night, but of day: consequently
it is denoted by the whole day during which Christ was in the
sepulchre. And so it was fitting for Christ to be in the sepulchre
during one day and two nights.

Reply Obj. 1: Augustine says (De Consens. Evang. iii): "Some men,
ignorant of Scriptural language, wished to compute as night those
three hours, from the sixth to the ninth hour, during which the sun
was darkened, and as day those other three hours during which it was
restored to the earth, that is, from the ninth hour until its
setting: for the coming night of the Sabbath follows, and if this be
reckoned with its day, there will be already two nights and two days.
Now after the Sabbath there follows the night of the first day of the
Sabbath, that is, of the dawning Sunday, on which the Lord rose. Even
so, the reckoning of the three days a