Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.
Jonah 2:10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Yes, the fish “qo” in the Hebrew or spued or vomited out Jonah. Or as stated in the King James Version, “vomiteth“…
Provincetown, Massachusetts: A local lobster fisherman, Michael Packard, was gulped by a humpback whale while collecting lobsters on a routine dive.
As Packard stated, “(I) felt a huge bump and everything went dark. I realized, oh my God, I’m in a whale’s mouth and he’s trying to swallow me. And I thought to myself OK, this is it. I’m finally, I’m gonna die.
“I just got thrown in the air and landed in the water. I was free and I just floated there. I couldn’t believe… I’m here to tell it.”
Packard escaped with only a few bruises and no broken bones. He estimates he was inside of the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds. He was released from the hospital on the same day.
Packard was rescued by his ship mate Josiah Mayo who witnessed the whale spitting out his captain.
Scientific experts have weighed in on the incident. It is ridiculously rare for a human to be eaten by a whale. Peter Corkeron, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium says it is a 1 in a 1,000,000,000,000 (trillion) proposition.
Jesus confirms the reality of a fish swallowing a man whole and living to tell about it. As far as Christ is concerned, this is a historical fact.
Matthew 12:39-40 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
And the critic asks, “How can a man survive three days and three nights inside of a fish or whale?”
God provides. There was plenty of provision and chum inside the stomach of the creature. It may not have been five star dining, but there was likely piles of food for Jonah as well as the host fish or whale.
To the critic, deal with it. It happened…
Jonah 1:17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
It is easy to become overwhelmed by SO many things in our lives. From personal situations to global unrest. From sickness to politics. From stress to natural disasters. Where do we have our eyes, our minds, and our hearts fixed? When we’re focused on Jesus, the bad stuff doesn’t affect us in the same way, because He, being with us ALWAYS, gives us that perfect peace, the peace that transcends all understanding, peace that only He can give. Where is our focus?
Think about the time that the disciples were with Jesus and he fed 5,000 men (women & children weren’t included in the count, but were definitely there, so the total of people fed that day could be 30,000 or more) with just five small loaves of bread and two fish from one kid’s lunch. The disciples were involved in that miracle because, after Jesus thanked the Father in Heaven for the food, He broke and divided it, and had the disciples hand it out. When all was said and done, and everyone was full (and probably burping), there were 12 baskets FULL of food left over, which Jesus had the disciples collect. That was one full basket of food for each disciple to carry back. They not only got to watch Jesus perform the miracle, they also were involved in doing it by handing the food out, then they got a bonus of each one of them carrying a large basket full of leftovers when all was said and done.
After everyone was done eating, Jesus told His disciples that He was going to spend some time alone with our Father in Heaven, and that they should go on ahead and cross the lake in their boat, and that He would meet them on the other side.
Now, at least half of His 12 disciples were fishermen, and they were ALL aware of the dangers of being in a boat on the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias), especially during foul weather. As the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in their little boat, a storm arose – a nasty storm. As the storm got worse, and the wind and the waves were “contrary” to their safety, the disciples started to panic. They knew that at any moment their little boat could break up in the storm, and they’d all be dead. Suddenly Jesus appeared to them in the distance, walking on the water, on the stormy waves. They were all starting to freak out, thinking that He was a ghost or something. Imagine their panic! These dudes were just involved in a major miracle not eight hours earlier, and now their focus is completely in the opposite place, not on Who Jesus Is, but on their situation. He was right there, yet they were seeing Him as a menace, instead of their Salvation. They were deceived because they lost focus on Who Jesus Is, and their own authority in Him.
Well, in the middle of the disciples’ panic in that boat during the storm, Peter, in all of his zeal and passion, thought that he recognized this “scary ghost” walking on the water to be Jesus, so he called out to Him, “Master, if it’s You, tell me to come to You!” I’m pretty sure that, right about then, the disciples were probably saying, “Pete! Shut up! What’s WRONG with you?!!? You’re freakin’ talking to a ghost walking to us on the water! We’re all toast for sure, you idiot! Shut up!” Peter obviously was having none of their nonsense and called out to Jesus again, “Master, if that’s really You, command me to come to You!” Jesus obliged Peter and told him to come on out to Him – to walk on top of the stormy waves and come to Him.
Peter started to step over the edge of the boat to walk to Jesus. Right about then, I imagine, the that other 11 disciples were probably already discussing who gets Peter’s stuff when he drowns (IF they survived). Peter got out of the boat, his eyes fixed firmly on where Jesus was on the water. Peter walked on the water – on the stormy waves toward Jesus.
Now, realize this. Peter couldn’t possibly see Jesus the whole time that he was walking on the water. There were big waves between them. Jesus wasn’t floating in the air above the water. He was walking ON the water, and Peter was walking on that same water toward Jesus. Even though Peter couldn’t see Jesus all of the time while he was walking on the water, he had his eyes fixed on where Jesus was, so that, even when a wave would rise between them, he knew where Jesus was, kept his focus, and continued to walk toward Him.
Eventually, Peter got distracted by the wind and the waves. He lost focus. He looked at what was occasionally between him and Jesus, what he was already walking on top of. When this happened, Peter immediately panicked, and he started to sink. He cried out for help (probably something like, “Master, I’m SO screwed! HELP!!!“), and immediately Jesus was there and pulled him up. Notice how fast that happened – the Bible tells us that Peter only started to sink. Jesus was there in an instant, saved Peter, then put him in the boat and they went to shore.
See, it’s NOT that Jesus isn’t with us. He promised to be with us always – NOT just when we’re focused on Him, or even walking with Him, but always. No matter what, JESUS IS ALWAYS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. He is not far, far away. He doesn’t need to be summoned from beyond. He’s right here! Right here with you!
It’s not like we have to look really hard to find Him. It’s that we need stop focusing on the problems and focus on the One and Only Solution. It’s not that hard to see someone who is standing with you, unless you’re looking in the other direction. That kind of fits in with the word, “repentance”, too. Repentance doesn’t mean to say, “I’m sorry.” to God. If it did, then hell is full of repentant people. They’re all sorry!
Repentance means to turn and go in the opposite direction, to change one’s focus, to change one’s mind, to change one’s point of view, to do a 180° turn. When we repent, our focus changes, our hearts change, our minds change, and our entire lives change because we have then died with Jesus on the cross, and now He lives in us and through us by His Holy Spirit. (Romans chapter 8, Colossians chapter 3), and we abide (live) in Him (John chapters 14, 15, and 16). When that happens, nothing that is thrown at us from the enemy has any power over us because God in all of His fullness lives in us, and we have His authority to pronounce those things dead. Remember, it’s not us that live, but Jesus that lives in us! How cool is THAT?!?
Jonah 1:17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2:10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
So you think Jonah is a little fairy tale or story???
Matthew 12:40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
For more recent news about the ancient Assyrian Empire, Nineveh, and Jonah rediscovered in current events, click on the links below. God can use even ISIS…
Jonah 3:4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Jonah 4:11 “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Blowing up the Prophet Jonah’s tomb is not enough for ISIS. They are now proclaiming they are going to blow up the walls of the ancient city Nineveh. The 7.5 mile (one day’s walk) brick wall and rampart surrounds what used to be the ancient city of Nineveh. The majority of the wall is still present and standing. ISIS states the destruction of the wall is necessary because the cultural museum of Nineveh has “distorted” the view of Islam. Works of art and archeology artifacts have been stolen by ISIS from the museum. Nineveh is effectively modern day Mosul, Iraq.
Assyrians claim to be Iraq’s original indigenous people. Their history goes back to 4,750BC. Assyrians are approximately 95% of the country’s Christian population. Close to 200,000 Christians were forced to leave their homes around the Nineveh plain during the summer of 2014 due to ISIS. They are now refugees in the Dohuk and Erbil regions of northern Iraq that border Turkey and Iran. The region is also known as Kurdistan.
The Book of Jonah is dated roughly in the first half of the eighth century BC. The prophet Jonah travelled to the brutally violent people of Nineveh with a message of judgment if their ways were not changed. For intimidation purposes, the Assyrians would tie people to the stake and filet them. The people of Jonah’s day responded to the message of Jehovah. God cared for Gentiles in the Old Testament too; this is not a New Testament phenomenon.
In the Hebrew language, Jonah’s name means “dove”. In the Bible, the dove is a symbol of peace. The dove is likened to the descent of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus at His baptism. Luke 3:22a and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove…
…there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” One can tell by the pictures in the articles referenced, the Assyrians were skilled architects, designers, and laborers who built a massive brick wall with towers. Historically, these people were barbaric but they were not stupid. I take it those who do not know the difference between their right and left hands were children. Animals were included in the context of the ignorant. God does not judge the innocent bystanders with guilt by association. Remember the conversation between the Lord and Abraham in Genesis 18. God swore to Abraham He would spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were righteous people remaining in the city. God’s messengers removed the righteous, Lot and family. We know the rest of that story.
The Holy Spirit, like a dove of peace, descends on sinners offering a message of mercy and undeserving forgiveness. Just believe in the sign of Jonah: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 12:39-41).
To the critic who says Jonah was not a real person, ISIS and Muslims disagree with you. Jonah was a prophet and a real human being in the Old Testament who died. This is what ISIS thinks of Jonah. They are destroying his remains. They want to remove and delete as though he never happened or existed. ISIS militants believe giving special veneration to tombs and relics is against the teachings of Islam. The Book of Jonah is about a prophet who was called to warn a foreign country, an enemy of Israel, of God’s coming judgment. The people of Nineveh responded to the prophet’s call during their day and changed their minds and ways as a nation. God’s judgment was spared on that generation in Nineveh. The Book of Jonah demonstrates God’s mercy and grace to a nation who was behaving in a destructive and brutal nature.
Jesus Himself points to Jonah as a sign or a shadow of His death, burial, and resurrection. Matthew 12:39-41 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREENIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
That “any” includes terrorists. Even terrorists can avoid eternal judgment in Christ. We are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26).
What does it mean to repent? It is the Greek word “metanoia”. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: to change one’s mind, compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication, reversal of decision.
Things do not have to continue on their current path. We have the capacity to change our minds as individuals and corporately as humanity.
