Skeptics have long been inclined to treat the story of
Jonah's experiences in the belly of the great fish as a seaman's
yarn. Many pulpiteers even laugh at the account of Jonah's
experiences as suitable only for the credulous and not for
wise "Higher Critics." Nevertheless, the Great Teacher refers
to Jonah and his experiences in the belly of the great fish, and
those who believe the Scriptures will seek no better ground
for their faith in the story than this. The exceptional character
of Jonah's experience constituted him a type of Jesus, who, in
death, was swallowed up of the earth, as was Jonah by the
fish; and as our Lord was liberated from his prison house, so
was Jonah. R4785:2
Suggestions regarding typical character of Jonah.
R3568:1-5*
Jonah -- A type of Jesus. R4785:2
A sharp contrast to the other prophets along several lines: His
character, disobedient and ignoble; his mission, to a heathen
city; his success, unparalleled; his predictions, failed.
R3568:2*
Perhaps, in his disobedience and fleeing from God,
representing Adam, and hence also our Lord Jesus, who took
the sinner's place. R3568:2*
Nevertheless a prophet of God, whose predictions at another
time came true. (2 Kings 14:25) R3568:2*
He was from Gash-Hepher, in Galilee; a fact contradicted by
the Pharisees in John 7:52 when they wished to gain a point
of argument. R3568:2*
Nineveh -- A great city outside the pale of Jerusalem and,
therefore, at that time outside the lines of divine favor.
R4785:3
Foreshadowed the world in the Millennial age. R3568:2*
Their wickedness -- Their iniquity had come to the full,
and for them to live longer would be unwise. R4785:3
There is a limit to the divine permission of evil. R4785:3
Rose up to flee -- Might represent Adam in his
disobedience. R3568:2*
A great wind -- May represent Satan, the "prince of the
power of the air." (Eph. 2:2) R3568:3*
Tempest in the sea -- Representing the lawless mob which
clamored for Christ's death. R3568:2*
The ship -- May represent the Roman government.
R3568:4*
Lay not upon us -- Might represent Pilate. R3568:4*
Innocent blood -- "I am innocent of the blood of this just
man." (Matt. 27:24) R3568:4*
They took up Jonah -- Representing in this the Lord Jesus.
R3568:4*
And cast him forth -- Representing Christ's crucifixion.
R3568:4*
Applicable to some extent to the members of Christ's Body.
One government after another, like the Romans, has been
compelled by God's nominal people to exterminate them, to
cast them overboard. R3568:4*
The men -- The crew might represent Pilate. R3568:4*
Offered a sacrifice -- As the crew prayed to be considered
innocent, so Pilate washed his hands, declaring his innocence.
R3568:4*
Had prepared -- Prepared a special fish, either at the
moment or long in advance. R4785:2
A great fish -- A special fish, not necessarily a whale.
R4785:2
To swallow up Jonah -- A type of Jesus, who was
swallowed up of the earth. R4785:2
While the throats of the majority of whales seem too small to
admit a man, they are quite elastic. The great sulphur whale,
of enormous size, is said to have a throat capable of
swallowing a skiff. R4785:2
It has been reported that a sailor, overboard, was swallowed
by "a great sulphur whale," but after several hours escaped.
Another seaman had a similar experience during a whaling
voyage. R4785:2, R3373:4
Three days and three nights -- Typifying our Lord's stay
in the tomb and his resurrection on the third day. Also the
fifth, sixth and seventh 1000-year days, during parts of which
the Church was in the tomb. R3568:5*
Parts of three days. OV362:2
Important because this alone, of all the types, gives the exact
length of Jesus' entombment. R4603:5
"He hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he
will bind us up. After two days he will revive us: in the third
day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." (Hos.
6:1-3) R92:6*
What is true of the glorification of the Church of Christ, as to
time, has been shown to be true also of the restoration of
Israel. R92:5*
Jonah prayed -- This prayer holds a type of the history of
the nation of Israel since Jesus left their house desolate.
R92:5*
The belly of hell -- Sheol, oblivion, death--not torment.
E374; OV362:2; R4603:2
Grave-belly, sheol-belly. SM520:1; OV362:2
The belly of the fish was, for a time, his tomb. R2599:2,6
Jonah had been in hell and came out. Also true of Christ,
whose "soul was not left in hell." (Acts 2:31) HG556:5,
HG735:1*
Vomited out Jonah -- The Christ resurrected. R3568:5*
Jonah the second time -- Jonah would then represent the
great prophet, and Nineveh, the world. R3568:5*
Forty days -- May indicate the 1000 years of the world's
trial time. R3568:5*
Often associated with a time of trial: Israel's 40 years in the
wilderness; Christ's temptation of 40 days; the Jewish and
Gospel Harvests, 40 years each. R3568:5*
possibly prophetic or symbolic time, a day for a year.
R4785:5
Herd nor flock -- It was commanded that the brute beast
should participate in this fast before God. HG508:5
Beast -- Not, as some say, the Negro, but the "herds and
flocks" of verse 7. R3044:4; HG508:4
God repented -- God's purposes do not change. He never
repents of them, but he does change his conduct. He was
pleased to have the Ninevites turn from their sins to hearty
repentance. R4785:6
He did it not -- We understand that God, knowing the end
from the beginning, knew that the Ninevites would repent and
that he would not blot them out in 40 days in accordance with
Jonah's preaching. R4785:5
Jonah did not really fail. The old, the wicked Nineveh did
perish. In its place came repentant Nineveh. So with the
world. The wicked shall be destroyed, but all can have their
wickedness cleansed and be spared. R3568:5*
It displeased Jonah -- Jonah was more interested in
himself and his own reputation than in the Ninevites and their
interest. R4785:6
The Lord's servants must not be so. R4785:6
How much greater is the compassion of the Almighty than
that of his human servants. R4785:6
Perhaps, in his murmuring, only a practical lesson; perhaps
representing a class that poses as God's mouthpiece, but who
do not like the "Millennial nonsense" of having Nineveh
spared. R3568:6*
May picture the nominal church in this Harvest time.
R3568:5*
Prepared a gourd -- May be a picture of the image of the
beast. R3568:5*
And the sun -- May illustrate the Gospel, the truth.
R3568:6*
Pity on the gourd -- The Lord taught Jonah a lesson
respecting his sympathy for a gourd, an inanimate thing, and
his lack of sympathy for the Ninevites. R4786:1
Similarly, many have sympathy for flowers, birds, animals,
etc., but become angry at the suggestion that God will not
eternally roast people. R4786:1
Spare Nineveh -- Spare the poor world in the Times of
Restitution. R3568:5*