The Sign of Jonah
By Richard P. Joseph
During Jesus’ ministry on earth he performed unbelievable miracles in the sight
of the multitudes and yet the Jews had the gall to come up to him and demand
that he show them a sign of his authority. Jesus had a few things to say about
their unbelief and ignorance.
of the multitudes and yet the Jews had the gall to come up to him and demand
that he show them a sign of his authority. Jesus had a few things to say about
their unbelief and ignorance.
Luke 11:29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to
say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.[f] 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the
Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of
the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and
condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh
will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they
repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.[f] 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the
Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of
the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and
condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh
will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they
repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
I have been hearing sermons on this my entire life and the only sign my futurist
pastors ever talked about was the three days and three nights in the belly of the
fish. However, as my preterist knowledge increases, I become strangely aware
of things that never crossed the minds of those stuck in the faulty theology of
futurism. Missing pieces of the puzzle seem to just drop into place once your
theology is rectified by a proper historical understanding. Let’s see if we can
add a few of those missing pieces in the story of Jonah and the whale.
pastors ever talked about was the three days and three nights in the belly of the
fish. However, as my preterist knowledge increases, I become strangely aware
of things that never crossed the minds of those stuck in the faulty theology of
futurism. Missing pieces of the puzzle seem to just drop into place once your
theology is rectified by a proper historical understanding. Let’s see if we can
add a few of those missing pieces in the story of Jonah and the whale.
First of all we see that Jonah was called by God to preach to a Great City
called Nineveh. It is obvious that Jonah did not want to warn the Ninevites
because he wanted them to be wiped out. This reminds me of how the Father
sent Jesus to warn a different Great City, Jerusalem. The difference is that
Jesus always sought to do the father’s will and he agreed to go whereas Jonah
dodged his mission by taking a ship to Tarshish. God therefore had to do a little
prompting and sent a severe storm upon the sea which caused the sailors to
panic and begin to throw cargo overboard. They finally went below and found
Jonah fast asleep. The captain, scolding Jonah, said “What do you mean,
sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that
we may not perish.” Oddly enough this same scenario played out when Jesus
was found fast asleep when him and the disciples were crossing the sea of
Galilee.
called Nineveh. It is obvious that Jonah did not want to warn the Ninevites
because he wanted them to be wiped out. This reminds me of how the Father
sent Jesus to warn a different Great City, Jerusalem. The difference is that
Jesus always sought to do the father’s will and he agreed to go whereas Jonah
dodged his mission by taking a ship to Tarshish. God therefore had to do a little
prompting and sent a severe storm upon the sea which caused the sailors to
panic and begin to throw cargo overboard. They finally went below and found
Jonah fast asleep. The captain, scolding Jonah, said “What do you mean,
sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that
we may not perish.” Oddly enough this same scenario played out when Jesus
was found fast asleep when him and the disciples were crossing the sea of
Galilee.
Matthew 8:25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord,
save us! We are perishing!”
save us! We are perishing!”
The only way Jonah’s ship would be saved is if he were thrown overboard
which caused a great calm on the sea. Of course Jesus calmed the sea by his
word alone. Jonah was then swallowed by a great sea creature only to be
released three days later. Jonah cried out in the belly of the fish a momentous
prayer that is reminiscent of Isaiah’s messianic prophecy and of the portrayal of
Jesus who was cast into the tomb for three days and three nights, and apparently
went to sheol and was brought back up from the pit. Here is Jonah’s prayer:
which caused a great calm on the sea. Of course Jesus calmed the sea by his
word alone. Jonah was then swallowed by a great sea creature only to be
released three days later. Jonah cried out in the belly of the fish a momentous
prayer that is reminiscent of Isaiah’s messianic prophecy and of the portrayal of
Jesus who was cast into the tomb for three days and three nights, and apparently
went to sheol and was brought back up from the pit. Here is Jonah’s prayer:
“I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,
And He answered me.
“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
7 “When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.”
This prayer contains too much to even comment on. I think a book needs to
be written on it. As for this short article I see Jesus sweeting great drops of
blood in the Garden of Gethsemane and then crying out in a loud voice on the
cross: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” The parallels are too numerous and close
to ignore. But that’s not the end of it.
be written on it. As for this short article I see Jesus sweeting great drops of
blood in the Garden of Gethsemane and then crying out in a loud voice on the
cross: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” The parallels are too numerous and close
to ignore. But that’s not the end of it.
Jonah took the message to the king of Nineveh that yet 40 days they will be
overthrown. Ironically, the king and his subjects covered themselves in
sackcloth and ashes and repented much to Jonah’s chagrin. The city was
saved and Jonah pouted. Jonah was vexed also that a plant that came up
quickly to shade him, wilted just as fast. My take on this is that the 40 days
of Jonah could easily represent the 40 year generation between AD 30-70.
The plant that came up by the will of God was about to also wilt. When Jesus
said that the men of Nineveh would judge the current generation of the Great
City of Jerusalem he was not using allegory, he was speaking in a matter of
fact. Nineveh repented but Jerusalem would take another course. Instead
they murdered the messiah, tortured the apostles, and rejected the plan of
God. They would indeed be judged by the the men of Nineveh in AD 70.
overthrown. Ironically, the king and his subjects covered themselves in
sackcloth and ashes and repented much to Jonah’s chagrin. The city was
saved and Jonah pouted. Jonah was vexed also that a plant that came up
quickly to shade him, wilted just as fast. My take on this is that the 40 days
of Jonah could easily represent the 40 year generation between AD 30-70.
The plant that came up by the will of God was about to also wilt. When Jesus
said that the men of Nineveh would judge the current generation of the Great
City of Jerusalem he was not using allegory, he was speaking in a matter of
fact. Nineveh repented but Jerusalem would take another course. Instead
they murdered the messiah, tortured the apostles, and rejected the plan of
God. They would indeed be judged by the the men of Nineveh in AD 70.
This is yet another confirmation of fulfilled theology. There are no weird
explanations or loopholes. There is a simple and direct connection to
what Jesus said and what would actually happen. For all of you who are
still trying to figure out how Jesus is still going to come in the future, you
are on a futile mission. Verse after verse confirm that Jesus fulfilled his
mission, including his second coming in the first century. There are no
double meanings or hidden mysteries. He plainly spoke and it was
fulfilled exactly when and how he said it would be proving that Jesus was
a true prophet and of a divine nature. And for my futurist pastor friends
out there, once you come to the truth you will no longer be puzzled by
eschatology. It will finally make sense.
explanations or loopholes. There is a simple and direct connection to
what Jesus said and what would actually happen. For all of you who are
still trying to figure out how Jesus is still going to come in the future, you
are on a futile mission. Verse after verse confirm that Jesus fulfilled his
mission, including his second coming in the first century. There are no
double meanings or hidden mysteries. He plainly spoke and it was
fulfilled exactly when and how he said it would be proving that Jesus was
a true prophet and of a divine nature. And for my futurist pastor friends
out there, once you come to the truth you will no longer be puzzled by
eschatology. It will finally make sense.
