What sign did Jesus give to the evil and adulterous generation?
The only sign given was the sign of the prophet Jonah: as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so the Son of man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This points downward to the heart of the earth, not upward.
Les explains that in Matthew chapter 12, verse 38, they asked for a sign, and He answered that an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so the Son of man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Les connects this with paradise in the Old Testament economy: because Christ’s atoning blood had not yet been shed, animal blood could not atone but only covered sin, so the Old Testament believer could not go up into God’s presence but went down into paradise. Everything concerning paradise in the Old Testament economy until after Christ’s resurrection was down in the center of the earth.
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:
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.