Jesus did not design that the skeptical Jews should discover the hidden meaning of his words, nor even his disciples at that time. After his resurrection they called to mind these words he had uttered, and they then understood them correctly. They remembered that he had also said that he had power to lay down his life and to take it again. Jesus was acquainted with the path his feet had entered upon, even unto the end. His words possessed a double meaning, referring to the temple at Jerusalem as well as his own material body. {2SP 122.1}

Jesus ønskede ikke, at de vantro jøder skulle forstå hans ords skjulte mening, ej heller at disciplene skulle forstå dem på denne tid. Efter hans opstandelse erindrede de disse ord, som han havde sagt, og da forstod de dem ret. De kom ihu, at han også havde sagt, at han havde magt til at hengive sit liv og til at tage det igen. Jesus var bekendt med den sti, hans fødder skulle træde lige indtil enden. Hans ord havde en dobbelt betydning: de henviste til Jerusalems tempel så vel som til hans eget legeme.