e world. But to confirm our faith
regarding the truth of His humanity and death, it was needful that
there should be some interval between His death and rising. For if He
had risen directly after death, it might seem that His death was not
genuine and consequently neither would His Resurrection be true. But
to establish the truth of Christ's death, it was enough for His
rising to be deferred until the third day, for within that time some
signs of life always appear in one who appears to be dead whereas he
is alive.

Furthermore, by His rising on the third day, the perfection of the
number "three" is commended, which is "the number of everything," as
having "beginning, middle, and end," as is said in De Coelo i. Again
in the mystical sense we are taught that Christ by "His one death"
(i.e. of the body) which was light, by reason of His righteousness,
"destroyed our two deaths" (i.e. of soul and body), which are as
darkness on account of sin; consequently, He remained in death for
one day and two nights, as Augustine observes (De Trin. iv).

And thereby is also signified that a third epoch began with the
Resurrection: for the first was before the Law; the second under the
Law; and the third under grace. Moreover the third state of the
saints began with the Resurrection of Christ: for, the first was
under figures of the Law; the second under the truth of faith; while
the third will be in the eternity of glory, which Christ inaugurated
by rising again.

Reply Obj. 1: The head and members are likened in nature, but not in
power; because the power of the head is more excellent than that of
the members. Accordingly, to show forth the excellence of Christ's
power, it was fitting that He should rise on the third day, while the
resurrection of the rest is put off until the end of the world.

Reply Obj. 2: Detention implies a certain compulsion. But Christ was
not held fast by any necessity of death, but was "free among the
dead": and therefore He abode a while in death, not as one held fast,
but of His own will, just so long as He deemed necessary for the
instruction of our faith. And a task is said to be done "at once"
which is performed within a short space of time.

Reply Obj. 3: As stated above (Q. 51, A. 4, ad 1, 2), Christ rose
early when the day was beginning to dawn, to denote that by His
Resurrection He brought us to the light of glory; just as He died
when the day was drawing to its close, and nearing to darkness,