watcher, that is just spiritualizing the plain meaning of the scripture. I always wonder why so many people come with these off-the-wall interpretations of scripture.
The heart of the earth does not = the Jesus being handed over to the sinners.
The thief who was crucified next to Jesus said, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said, "truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
How Jesus make such a promise to this man when they both died that very day?
The answer is, just as when Lazarus and the rich man died, their spirits went to Sheol/Hades, which is where Abraham was, with the spirit of Lazarus taken to Abraham's side (bossum). The area of sheol/Hades was dived up into two areas, with one side being a place of comfort/paradise which is were Abraham and Lazarus were and the other area was a place of torment in flame, which is where the rich man was.
When Jesus said, "today you will be with me in paradise," it was the comfort area of Sheol/Hades that he was referring to. When both Jesus and the thief died, their spirits departed and that is where they went to.
There is no way that the Lord being in the heart of the earth can be interpreted as being handed over to sinners.
These are the words of Jesus regarding the third day...
Mar 9:31 KJV For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Note:...this begins when he was delivered into the hands of men...then killed...then rise again.
Mar 10:34 KJV And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Including mocking, scourging, spitting...
Luk 9:22 KJV Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
To suffer many things, rejected of chief priest, elders, scribes...
Thats what he prophesied...
Then Jesus said this....
Mat 26:45 KJV Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take
your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
The hour is at hand...
The beginning of the fulfilment of what he prophesied...
He begins to be swallowed by the heart of the earth...
Begins the suffering of Jesus...(you can look at this as Jonas was swallowed by the fish alive then he suffer., but that is not what meant by Jesus as the sign..the sign is only three days and three nights)
And coincidentally thats your first night...