Matthew 12:38-40
“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:”
King James Version · the opening — all 3 verses are below
Jesus citing Jonah as the sign of his burial and resurrection on the third day.
Read the whole passage — all 3 verses (KJV)
12:38Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
12:39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
12:40For as Jonas 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 heart of the earth.
Fulfillment References
Matthew 28:6 Luke 24:46 Acts 10:40
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalJesus gives the sign of Jonah — 'as Jonas 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 heart of the earth.' His death, burial, and resurrection are the one sign He offers; the prophet swallowed and restored typifies the Lord Jesus, God in flesh, buried and risen for our salvation.
JewishJonah's deliverance from the fish is read of God's mercy and Israel's mission; the resurrection application is not part of Jewish interpretation.
CatholicJonah as the great type of Christ's death and resurrection (so the Fathers and the liturgy); the only 'sign' given to an unbelieving generation.
ProtestantA direct prediction of the three days in the tomb and the resurrection, with Jonah as type — the decisive sign of Christ's identity.
AcademicMatthew develops Jonah typology; the 'three days and three nights' has generated much discussion over reckoning against a Friday-to-Sunday timeline.
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Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.