Jonah & Christ

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If we're not careful, the time element can become a red herring while the
real issue-- the issue that matters most --is Jonah's resurrection.

● Matt 12:40 . . Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of
a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth.

That should be accompanied by this next passage so there's no mistaking
what Jesus was talking about.

● John 2:18-22 . .Then the Jews demanded of him: What miraculous sign
can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?

. . . Jesus answered them: Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in
three days. The Jews replied: It has taken forty-six years to build this
temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?

. . . But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from
the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the
Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
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● Jonah 1:17 . . The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah
was inside the fish three days and three nights.

FAQ: Was Jonah alive in the fish?

A: Yes. (Jonah 2:1)

FAQ: The whole time?

A: No; and in point of fact; unless Jonah was deceased at some point, then
his adventure tells us little of any real significance.

FAQ: So you think Jonah died in the fish?

A: Jonah 2:5-7 strongly suggests that he drowned prior to being swallowed
by the big fish; which fits perfectly with the fact that Jesus was dead before
his body was entombed; viz: neither man was buried alive.

Jonah's prayer from within the fish speaks of a prayer that he prayed while
drowning, and also about a prayer that he prayed while incarcerated in
sheol; a total of three prayers; each one prayed from three separate
locations and under three different circumstances: in the sea, in sheol, and
in the fish.
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At some point in his nautical adventure Jonah went to a place called sheol
(Jonah 2:2) which he sited at the roots of the mountains. (Jonah 2:6)

Well; the roots of the mountains aren't located in the tummies of fish, no;
they're located down deep in the Earth. So, the only way that Jonah could
possibly be at the roots of the mountains while in the belly of a fish at the
same time was for the man and his body to part company and go their
separate ways.

And then there's Jesus . . .

● Matt 12:40 . . As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a
huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth.

Now when you think about it; Jesus' corpse was never in the heart of the
Earth. It wasn't even in the Earth's soil. His corpse was laid to rest on the
surface of the Earth in a rock-hewn tomb.

So the only way that Jesus could possibly be in a tomb on the surface of the
Earth while in the heart of the Earth at the same time; was for the man and
his body to part company and go their separate ways.
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Just before being cast ashore, Jonah prayed thus:

● Jonah 2:6 . . You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.

The Hebrew word for "pit" in that verse speaks of putrefaction.

The very same Hebrew word is located in Ps 16:8-10 --which Acts 2:25-31
verifies is speaking of putrefaction; viz: Jonah 2:6 tells of the prophet's flesh
just as Ps 16:8-10 and Acts 2:25-31 tell of Christ's flesh. In other words:
Jonah 2:6 tells of Jonah's resurrection; which is precisely the sign that Jesus
intended.

So then, just as Jonah's soul was not left at the bottoms of the mountains,
Christ's soul was not left in the heart of the earth. And just as Jonah's body
was not left to decompose in the fish, neither was Christ's body left to
decompose in the tomb. And just as Jonah came back from his grave within
three days and nights, so Jesus came back from his grave within three days
and nights.

If none of this were so, then Jonah's experience would be a pretty useless
parallel to Christ's.
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[christophernyc]

Thank you for your commentary on Jonah. I am currently doing a deep dive into his story (no pun intended) and am trying to determine the details. Most of all I am grateful for your comparison of Jonah and Jesus. That's what I am most interested in as well.

Something I am not convinced of is that Jonah actually died. I think his experience may just be a symbolic death, which I do not think has to minimize the significance or meaning in any way. It's just that Jonah not completely and fully dying is on par with other biblical parallels to Jesus in the OT where the person comes close but does not actually die. One example is Isaac who was the son being sacrificed on the altar, which compares to Jesus being sacrificed on the Cross. There was only one more step left before Isaac would have died, and it was then God told Abraham, "Stop." So it alludes to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross up to a point. The only ultimate sacrifice would come fully once Jesus Christ was here.

You have spent more time on this than I have at this point, it seems, but I am not sure Jonah actually experienced a full physical death. I think he comes close - perhaps just one step away - but does not actually die.

Anyway, open to hearing your thoughts. Thanks again for your post.