'... the sign of the prophet Jonas.  For 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' (Matt. 12:39,40).

The resurrection of Christ is also set forth in symbol.  For example,

in the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing, one bird is killed and

another bird is touched with its blood and let loose into an open field, the

two birds together setting forth both the death and the resurrection of the

One Who alone can cleanse from the leprosy of sin.  A notable example of the

place that resurrection holds in the purpose of God is that of Isaac.  In

Hebrews 11 as in Romans 4, the apostle stresses the place that resurrection

occupies in the typical nature of the birth of Isaac:

'Through faith also Sara herself received

strength to conceive seed,

and was delivered of a child when she was

past age, because she judged

Him faithful Who had promised.  Therefore

sprang there even of one, and

him as good as dead, so many as the stars

'Accounting that God was able to raise him (Isaac) up, even from the

dead: from whence also he received him in a figure' (Heb. 11:11,12 and

'Before Him Whom he believed, even God, Who quickeneth the dead ...

being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead ...

Now it was not written for his sake alone ... but for us also, to whom

it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord

from the dead' (Rom. 4:17,19,23,24).

We can go back earlier than the book of Genesis, namely to that of Job,

where the question is asked, 'If a man die, shall he live again?' which is

immediately answered by the words of faith and hope:

'All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the

work of Thine hands'.

'For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the

latter day upon the earth, and after I shall awake though this body be

destroyed, yet out of (i.e. by means of) my flesh shall I see God: Whom

I shall see for myself' (Job 14:14,15; 19:25,26,27, revised

Elihu assured Job that because of the Ransom, God is gracious, delivers from

going down into the pit, and as a consequence, his flesh shall be fresher

than a child's, he shall return to the days of his youth (Job 33:23-25) which

promise was fulfilled in Job's case, as can be seen by reading the last

chapter, for not only was Job restored, but his daughters were fairer than

any in the land, one being named Keren-happuch or 'Paint-box'.

Another symbol of resurrection and one adopted by Paul in 1 Corinthians

15, is the 'firstfruits'.  In the outline of the festal year, given in

Leviticus 23, we read:

'When ye ... shall reap the harvest ... then ye shall bring a sheaf of

the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest ... to be accepted for