Posted on 08/29/2025 5:55:42 PM PDT by RaceBannon
This is the first sermon I ever preached from a pulpit in a Church.
I have a ministry to the homeless in Greenville, SC and also in the local jails.
Forgive me for speaking so fast, it was supposed to be only 30 minutes, but it is 45.
Mt 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Mt 12:39 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: Mt 12:40 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.
Mt 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here.
Jesus said this to a Jewish audience that he knew would be familiar with the story of Jonah and the mercy of God toward the Ninevites. Matthew 12 begins with Jesus and his apostles picking corn to eat on the Sabbath Day. Local Pharisees saw this and confronted him about the breaking of Sabbath law.
Ex 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Ex 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: Ex 20:10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: Ex 20:11 For [in] six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
These Pharisees would have had this passage in mind when they saw Jesus eating the corn. Jesus rebuked them and recounted how David ate the showbread as described in the following passage:
1Sam 21:3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give [me] five [loaves of] bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 1Sam 21:4 And the priest answered David, and said, [There is] no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 1Sam 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women [have been] kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 1Sam 21:6 So the priest gave him hallowed [bread]: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Christ’s rebuke of the Pharisees included how while the showbread was for the priests only, the priests allowed David and his men to eat the bread if they were not defiled with women. Christ also reminded the Pharisees that the priests profane the temple on the Sabbath Day with an offering:
Num 28:9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
Christ then declares that he is greater than the temple itself: Mt 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple. Mt 12:7 But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. Mt 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Christ’s call for mercy and not sacrifice Is the center of the gospel; that men and women must cry out to the Lord and turn to him, that in his mercy to men, God will save them!
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Several miracles are recorded in Matthew Chapter 12, such as the man with the withered hand that Jesus healed: Mt 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
Mt 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. Mt 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out? Mt 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Mt 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
This angered the Pharisees and when their anger had grown to a dangerous level, Christ performed another miracle in escaping from those who wish to do him harm and then healed people as he left.
Mt 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. Mt 12:15 But when Jesus knew [it], he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
The fulfilled prophesies here in the next passage are important to my message:
Mt 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, (Isaiah 42:1-4) Mt 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. Mt 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. Mt 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. Mt 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. The coming of our Lord was not just a fulfilled prophecy towards the Jewish nation but to fulfill prophecy to the world and the prophecy that is mentioned here contains how he’s not doing this for the purpose of drawing attention to himself but to prove that he is a holy and just and loving God in offering salvation to all who believe.
He is not asking them to announce that there is a healing service, he’s telling them to not say anything. The result of the work that He is doing will bring about a trust that is given to Him through His name from the Gentile World.
In the continuation of his divine nature being presented, Christ healed a demonically possessed man who had been made blind and dumb by the demon and was freed from that: Mt 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
The people responded that he must be the Son of God but the Pharisees responded by committing a great blasphemy against our lord by declaring:
Mt 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said, This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Christ rebuked them for such a thing and answered them directly:
Mt 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: Mt 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? Mt 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? therefore they shall be your judges. Mt 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
The book of Matthew, chapter 12 includes such acts of mercy and kindness that God showed that people of Israel that did not include the necessity of demonstrations of following the law by the exact letter or by the need to sacrifice nor using the calling down of fire upon those who insulted The Lord. Matthew chapter 12 verse 31 through 32 explains the depths of God’s mercy and adds in something that the followers of Jewish law would not have emphasized from Torah, that God is a god of mercy Before he Is a God of the insistence of works and sacrifice:
Mt 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mt 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.
This passage is a passage that I use in my secret ministry and also with the homeless downtown when I want to describe to them the mercy of God and how He is willing to forgive you of any sin that you are guilty of except one, unbelief. If He is willing to forgive Everything except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then what is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
In John 16, we read: Jn 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Jn 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Jn 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; Jn 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Jn 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Jn 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Jn 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. Jn 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.
According to verse 13-14, the job of the Holy Spirit is to point you to Christ! So, what would blaspheming the Holy Spirit be? I believe it would be rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart, convicting you of sin, righteousness, and judgement and therefore refusing to believe what God said concerning sin in your heart and your need of salvation.
------------------------------------------------------------
All of that was the introduction to something that began with a question I asked myself once, “Just how far did Jonah walk to get to Nineveh when he came out of the fish?”
When we compare Scripture with Scripture and ask a simple question to fill in the blanks, and apply that curiosity to Jonah being a sign for the Jewish people and the world about Christ’s 3 days and nights in the tomb, I believe that it is more than just the 3 days in the fish or 3 days in the tomb and much of the answer is found in what we just looked at in Matthew chapter 12.
Mt 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Mt 12:39 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: Mt 12:40 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. Mt 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here. Mt 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.
Jonah was from a town in the land belonging to the tribe of Zebulun near a famous town known as Nazareth:
Josh 19:10 And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: . . . Josh 19:13 And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah–hepher, to Ittah–kazin, and goeth out to Remmon–methoar to Neah;
The dwelling place of Jonah is listed as Gath-Hefer in 2 Kings:
2Kgs 14:23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, [and reigned] forty and one years. 2Kgs 14:24 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 2Kgs 14:25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gath–hepher. 2Kgs 14:26 For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, [that it was] very bitter: for [there was] not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. 2Kgs 14:27 And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
The prophet Elisha had predicted this time of prosperity for the northern Kingdom in 2 Kings 13:
2Kgs 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. 2Kgs 13:15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 2Kgs 13:16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand [upon it]: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. 2Kgs 13:17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened [it]. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed [them]. 2Kgs 13:18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took [them]. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 2Kgs 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed [it]: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria [but] thrice.
The exact time that Jonah served is not mentioned but we do have the particular king mentioned, Jereboam, son of Nebat, so we do have a time span from scholars with Thomas Ice claiming 780-775 BC, p81 in his book “CHARTING THE BIBLE CHRONOLOGICALLY”, and John Walvrood’s estimate of Jonah’s mission being 150 years before the fall of Nineveh of 612 BC placing Jonah in Nineveh in 762 BC, p287 in his book, “Every Prophesy in the Bible” among others.
According to Thomas Ice, the northern 10 tribes fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, p86, which would mean Jonah would have preached his message of repentance a full generation before the judgement of the northern 10 tribes. We do not have an exact for his mission. It is believed by some that Jonah served as a prophet during the reign of Shalmaneser IV of Assyria thru Asher-nirai V.
https://www.generationword.com/audio_series/jonah.html
Jonah was told by God to go to Nineveh in judgement, to tell them they were to be destroyed by God for their wickedness:
Jon 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Jon 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
The harshness of the Assyrians would have been known to all of Israel and Judah, and the very thought of God being merciful to such a people should have been considered absurd, yet Jonah knew that God is a God of mercy, and knowing how the Assyrians are harsh taskmasters, Jonah was offended that God wanted him to preach of the coming destruction of Nineveh while believing that God would be merciful to them!
Jon 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jon 1:4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Jon 1:5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. Jon 1:6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
This next passage appears to show a short discourse that in reality would have been more detailed, for the shipmates understood that the calamity upon them was because of Jonah himself and his disobedience.
Jon 1:7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Jon 1:8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? Jon 1:9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Jon 1:10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. Jon 1:11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. Jon 1:12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Jon 1:13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Jon 1:14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. Jon 1:15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Jon 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. From this passage it appears that the men of the ship became believers in Jehovah, and rightly sacrificed for their thanks and to honor the Holiness of the Lord who just saved them.
Knowing also, since we come from a Christian nation, we know of the prophesies concerning Christ in the New and Old Testament. In the New Testament, John the Baptist declares:
Jn 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. We also know that Jesus was killed in time for the Passover, and if Jesus is the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world, it should be important to connect various passages to practices concerning the first passover in Exodus 12:
Ex 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth [day] of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of [their] fathers, a lamb for an house: This day became known as the day of presentation, the 10th of the first month, with the Passover being on the 14th. It is possible, but not stated in Scripture, that the time period from when Jonah stepped in the boat in Joppa and the time it took to where the men would have thrown him overboard was as long as 4 days.
These mariners would know the seas, would have read the skies, known the currents in the areas they sailed and therefore they would not have set sail if they thought a major storm was ahead of them. It is possible then that the length of time in the boat was 4 days before the storm was so bad that they implored Jonah to admit his disobedience and then be thrown overboard.
This would fit in a way, with the Passover practice, that the lamb to be killed and eaten would be presented on the 10th day and then killed in the evening of the 14th day, and that Jonah being 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the great fish would be a prophetic example of Christ’s 3 days and nights in the tomb. Keep in mind, Palm Sunday in our Christian mind would be 4 days before Passover.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
The previous verses showed a guilty man fleeing from doing God’s will, the guilty man confessing his sin and explained how his death would bring safety to the mariners. His death was considered murder by the shipmates because they sin of Jonah was not directly against them but God Himself. After confessing their fault to God and imploring for their bloodguilt to not be held against them for throwing him overboard, Jonah was sent to what they believed was his sure death.
Several interesting parallels occur when we consider a few things:
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
While these men are sinners as all men, they were guiltless in what they did and what was happening to them, but Jonah was known to God as the guilty one, and his death brought life to the men in the boat, and because of his presentation of he being a prophet before God, Those men made sacrifices to Jehovah God indicating they became believers because of Jonah’s apparent death which kept them safe.
While Jonah’s death was not an atoning death as if a sinless animal because as a sinner, he would not be worthy of dying for sin, there is a similarity between Jonah and the “Scape Goat” of Leviticus 16:
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Jonah was selected to be sacrificed, the men of the ship all prayed for forgiveness for their sins, they believed on the Lord through Jonah’s preaching, and as they were the men to do the work executed the judgement of throwing Jonah into the wilderness of the sea, they were the “fit men” to lead that goat to the wilderness.
Our Savior was killed in a similar way; He was carried to the outside of the town, killed for the people, and bore all their iniquities in His death. Jonah’s preaching to the shipmates and being thrown overboard brought salvation to the mariners and forgiveness of sin, also.
There is discussion about whether Jonah died inside the great fish or was kept alive.
Jonah 2
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
If Jonah was dead, how could he pray?
Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, [and] thou heardest my voice.
Do dead men cry out to the Lord? Lazarus heard the rich man in Luke 16: 19-31 cry out to God, but was God lending a helpful ear?
Jonah 2:3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Jonah 2:5 The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.
If Jonah was alive, what corruption would he face? Does this verse mean he died?
Jonah 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
If the soul fainting is what brought Jonah to his senses, was he still alive? It is my belief that Jonah was kept alive by a miracle of God, if not, his testimony of what his experience during his death would be the only one recorded in Scripture. It is my opinion that the following verses show that Jonah lived, and fulfilled his obligation to obey the Lord as one of His prophets.
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the Lord. Jonah 2:10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land].
The question comes up here, how far is it from Joppa to Nineveh? The Bible is silent on this issue and does not give us a timetable in which his walk to Nineveh occurred.
We would have to assume Jonah was spat out at the place of origin for the Bible is silent. The distance from Joppa (Jaffe) is 1355 kM, or 842 miles.
If the sign of the prophet Jonas represents more than just 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale and the 3 days and nights in the tomb, does it include the time to Pentacost, also? We have already considered the 4 days of presentation of the Passover Lamb as being possible in our timeline to the throwing of Jonah in the water and the crucifixion of Christ. If the journey from Joppa to Nineveh represented the 50 days until Pentacost, the journey would require about 17 miles a day walking. Not many of us could walk 10 miles in one day!
The distance above from Jaffe (Joppa) to Mosul, the city that borders Nineveh, is by two roads and represents major highways. In ancient times, improved roads were rare and would be limited to areas that had access to water for animals and humans for drinking, maybe farmers who sold food, (who would need water, too).
The distance from Tel Aviv area, near Jaffe (Joppa) to Aleppo, Syria is about 500 Km or 314 miles. From Aleppo to Mosul, (Nineveh), is 534 Km or 332 miles. That’s over 600 miles combined, walking on trails and ancient trade routes in need of food and water.
My point here is that the sign of the prophet Jonah, how much of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was it to be similar to? A 600 mile walk over 50 days on unimproved roads is quite a feat of over 10 miles a day walking, looking for food and water. I believe that this time period is possible to be included in the calling of the sign of the prophet Jonah being compared to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Chapter 3 Jonah’s arrival in Nineveh has often brought comments from commentators that he would be bleached white, clothes torn or ragged, smelling like a fish’s belly, this also is not in the Bible, but due to the response of the men in the ship we can safely assume that Jonah was asked where he was going and why on his journey. Certainly someone would be faster, may have spoken with him, and if he told them of the impending doom of Nineveh, they would have repeated his message to any who would hear, either in faith or scorn. Jonah’s testimony of him serving the only God, the God of Israel would precede him.
Jonah 3
Jonah 3:1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Jonah 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. Jonah 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. Jonah 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Jonah 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. Jonah 3:6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Jonah 3:7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: Jonah 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands. Jonah 3:9 Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
True to His nature, God repented of His righteous judgement and showed righteous mercy to a people who did not deserve it.
A passage comes to mind when I read this:
Jer 18:7 [At what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy [it]; Jer 18:8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. Jer 18:9 And [at what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant [it]; Jer 18:10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
The promises of the coming redeemer to Israel were also to the world. The God of creation is the God of the whole Earth and the promised redeemer was for all men. In these following verses, God explains to Isaiah and Malachi a part of the plan of God to unite Jew and Gentile in God’s perfect plan:
Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Isa 42:6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; Isa 66:19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
Mal 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name [shall be] great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense [shall be] offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name [shall be] great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
Our God we follow is the same God Jonah follows and is the same God that the people of Nineveh should follow:
Isa 54:5 For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the Lord of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. This same God has the authority to judge and forgive, and when He forgave Nineveh, He did so because He is a just and loving God. The people responded to a message of righteousness, most surely from a man who said more than a few words, but as clear to the city of Nineveh as to the mariners on Jonah’s most expensive boat ride.
Jonah 4 Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. Jonah 4:2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Jonah 4:3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live. Jonah 4:4 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?
Can you imagine that Jonah was not angry at himself for not trusting God, but that he was angry that God forgave wicked people? The attributes of God being gracious, slow to anger, of great kindness, these were things that made Jonah mad? The longer a Bible believing Christian worships the Lord we see those things as the attributes of God that we count on for ourselves.
This message of Jonah being called a sign to the Jewish people can be summed up like this:
1. While Jonah was disobedient to the Lord, and therefore in sin, he can never be used to fully explain a connection to the Passover Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, but his time of travel before his death and his witness to the mariners on the voyage became a presentation of the God of Israel who they placed their trust in, and his death, by being thrown in the water, the wilderness, he became their sacrifice for sin which once Jonah was outside the boat and in the water, their storm stopped and their open praise of the only God of Heaven. Jonah’s time of travel before being thrown overboard could therefore be compared to the 4 days of presentation of the lamb to be sacrificed.
2. Jonah being immediately swallowed by the great fish and kept for 3 days, praying to the Lord while there, recognizing his state and then ending up repenting and vowing to serve the Lord is the first comparison people make when they think of Christ’s words concerning Jonah being the sign given to Israel.
3. Jonah’s time of travel to Nineveh on foot could have been the 50 days until the feast of Pentecost in which God’s Holy Spirit poured out mercy and grace to all who believed.
In all this, a Jewish prophet ended up doing what God said, which led our God to show what a merciful God He really is, and not only that He is the God of the Jews, but of the Gentiles, also.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Rom 3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Rom 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Jonah
One of The All Time Great Evangelists!
Amen!
He had an awful lot of converts!
I have always wondered what Jonah’s ultimate fate was.
Anyone know?
Good question. He’s mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, but that and the Book of Jonah is about all the OT scriptures he’s mentioned in.
Bible is silent.
Bkmk
Its a witness to those needing something more than what they are able to perceive in the spirit.
I believe the sign of Jonah is the timing element of 3 days and 3 nights and sets the accounting for the 14th day of Nisan (Passover) to the 17th day of Nisan (Firstfruits) which Jesus would fulfill to the precise day and hour.
This also has the witness of a numerical day/date count connecting Daniel Chapter 9 and the Seventy Weeks Prophecy as revealed by Gabriel which also connects to the destruction of the Temple in August of 70 AD and is again a witness to what is missing from the timing of the transgressors (Israel) coming to the full (fullness of their allotted time) far into the future after the punitive measures of the Law against them has resolved to their return.
Jesus told Israel:
“Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Luke 19:42
Jonah was puked out of the great fish right onto the beach in front of a couple Assyrian priests. This was important because their lead god is a huge fish. When Jonah told them he needs to see their king right away they readily did as he requested. He seemed to be a gift from their god, otherwise he probably would have been stabbed with a spear for making that request.
Please explain that.
Where in the world did you get that?
DT45:
Good question. He's mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, but that and the Book of Jonah is about all the OT scriptures he's mentioned in.
RB:
Bible is silent.
Who's to say, what antecedents end up on the Far Side:
Matthew 16
1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Scripture according to Veggie Tales.
The Shepards Chapel program mentioned that Assyrian priests saw Jonah appear from the fish. But I do not see that in the book. We just finished all the minor prophets. I am going to watch it again on youtube to see what Pastor Murray was talking about.
If the sign of the prophet Jonas represents more than just 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale and the 3 days and nights in the tomb, does it include the time to Pentacost, also
......
Christ spent 3 days entering Jerusalem, cleansing the temple teaching and preaching.
(10th Day, 11th Day, 12th Day)
Christ didn’t spend those evenings or nights in Jerusalem. He left Jerusalem each evening.
Christ then arrived to Jerusalem for the Last Supper on the 13th night, where He was betrayed, and arrested.
That was the first of 3 ‘Nights’ in Jerusalem.. (they were preceded by 3 ‘Day’ in Jerusalem).
The first ‘Night’ in Jerusalem was on the 13th Day.
The day after He was betrayed, the 14th Day, He was tried, convicted, sentenced and crucified, on Passover.
Although that was an entire ‘day’ as we could call it, He would call it darkness, and He called the Dark, Night.
The 2nd ‘Night’ in Jerusalem was His death and burial as the Passover Lamb, 14th Day.
The next Night was the Sabbath of the 15Th day where the Author or Life laid dead in the tomb.
The Good News is He was raised and there was an empty tomb on the 16th Day in Jerusalem.
And the Gospel was pumped out from Jerusalem, the Heart of the Earth, to he entire world.
And Ninevah repented when they were warned. Jonah traveled through Ninevah for 3 Days, as Christ did.
Jerusalem was given 40 years, and they did not listen to Him.
A greater than Jonah came and they rejected Him.
Christ spent 3 Days (10th,11th,12th) and 3 Nights (13th,14th,15th) in the Heart of the Earth, Jerusalem.
And because The Heart of the Earth did not accept the warning from a greater than Jonah, 40 years later, it was sacked.
It was 6 days in His Passion Week, 3 of them ‘Day’ and 3 of them ‘Nights’ from triumphant entry to His burial rest, that led to His Resurrection,that was the sign that Heart of the Earth, Jerusalem, and its inhabitants and leaders,rejected.
What day was Jesus crucified?
......
Easy answer.
According to the Old Testament scriptures, He was crucified on the day Israel was supposed to kill the Lamb they selected on the 10th, and kept it till the 14th, when they were to kill it.
See Exodus 12
-3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the 10th day of this month each man must select a lamba for his family, one per household. 4If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly.
5Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6You must keep it until the 14th day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.
So, what day was Christ crucified?
Passover, the 14th Day of His 1st month, in accordance with the scriptures.
What day is that on the Beast’s calendar?
It isn’t really on the Beast’s calendar, because the 10th Day of His 1st month and the 14th Day of His 1st month isn’t on the Beast’s calendars.
What day did Christ enter Jerusalem?
The 10th Day of His 1st month, in accordance with the Old Testament scriptures.
What day was that this year on His calendar? The same day it is every month of His calendar..
What day was Passover on His calendar? The same day it is every month of His calendar.
He changes not.
Trying to use the Beast’s system and try to harmonize it with the scriptures, creates what the bible says ‘satan deceives the whole world’.
The 10th Day isn’t even His 1st work day of His 2nd work weeks in His calendar months.
Something the Beast tries to counterfeit with its ‘ Sun day’, yet with the scriptures, things match up every month perfectly.
The Beast really has changed times and law as predicted.
go to the link.
I even made charts.
that didnt answer anyone’s question.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.