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eli-kittim · 6 months

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The Sign of Jonah: Christ’s Death at Sea

By Eli Kittim

Jonah is the English form of the Hebrew name Yona, which is rendered as Ionas in the Greek. The Ionians were the ancient Greeks (see Josephus Antiquities I, 6). So Ionia means Greece, and an ancient citizen of Ion was called Ionas. So Jonah (Ionas), who is a type of Christ, is depicted as a Greek figure. Let us not forget that Jonah was going to Tarshish, which has been identified as Ancient Greece (see the undermentioned article).

What is more, it seems as if the sign of Jonah is a typological metaphor for Christ’s death and resurrection that is employed by the evangelists in order to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah. But, as I will show, it also represents an event in prophetic history, although this has not as yet taken place. In the gospel narrative, Matthew connects Jesus’ death to that of Jonah, after the latter’s body was cast into the sea. Matthew 12:39-40 (NASB) reads thusly:

“An evil and adulterous generation craves a

sign; and so no sign will be given to it except

the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as

Jonah was in the stomach of the sea

monster for three days and three nights, so

will the Son of Man be in the heart of the

earth for three days and three nights.”

We find analogous parallels and motifs in the Psalms as well. For example, Psalm 69:1-2 reads:

“Save me, God, For the waters have

threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mud,

and there is no foothold; I have come into

deep waters, and a flood overflows me.”

Similarly, Psalm 18:16 says:

“He sent from on high, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.”

So, Matthew is drawing comparative conclusions between Jonah’s and Jesus's death at sea. Let’s see what happened to Jonah. Jonah 1:15-17 says:

“So they picked up Jonah and hurled him

into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

… And the Lord designated a great fish to

swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the

stomach of the fish for three days and three

nights.”

The typological sign of the resurrection is suggested in Jonah 2:10:

“Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it

vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.”

This, then, is the sign of Jonah——which says in effect that God literally “drew … [him] out of many waters”——that Matthew applies to Jesus (cf. Isaiah 43:2)! This is reminiscent of another messianic type who was named “Moses” by Pharaoh's daughter “because … [she] drew him out of the water” (Exod. 2:10). It is also the sign of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. I will not focus on the phrase “three days and three nights” because it will divert us from the topic at hand. Suffice it to say that it need not refer to a literal three-day period. It seems to be a figure of speech that may signify the three-year great tribulation period.

At any rate, the so-called “sign of Jonah” is not simply a metaphor or a unique sign that would establish the deity of Christ, but it is also a factual event! And although I agree with C.S. Lewis who held that Jonah is ahistorical, nevertheless, I believe that the sign of Jonah, as a type, represents the literal, actual death of its antitype: the Messiah! We know that Jonah did not survive. The Book of Jonah 2:2-6 explicitly says that Jonah, after being hurled into the sea, cried out to God “from the depth of Sheol”:

“I called out of my distress to the Lord, And

He answered me. I called for help from the

depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. For You

threw me into the deep, Into the heart of the

seas, And the current flowed around me. All

Your breakers and waves passed over me.

So I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your

sight.’ … Water encompassed me to the

point of death. The deep flowed around me,

Seaweed was wrapped around my head. …

But You have brought up my life from the

pit, Lord my God.”

It’s important to note that the terms “pit” and “Sheol,” in the Hebrew Bible, are references to the realm of the dead (see e.g. Job 7:9; Ps. 49:14-15; 89:48). The resurrection is depicted in Jonah’s own words: “You have brought up my life from the pit, Lord my God.”

So it appears as if the sign of Jonah is also the sign of Christ’s death. Just as Tim Mackie (co-founder of the Bibleproject) explains in one of his sessions that there is a literary redundancy of the word “hurled” in the Jonah text, especially regarding its main character Jonah who is literally “hurled” into the water, I believe that Christ is similarly “hurled” into the water and eaten by a shark. Hence the symbolism of being born in a manger or a feeding trough. This, of course, is closely related to the last supper (i.e. the sacrament of the Eucharist), the idea that Jesus is literally consumed. There are also overtones of Noah's flood in this parallel (cf. Matthew 24:37), as well as of Osiris, who also drowned and whose coffin (like the Ark) floated in the sea (cf. the story of Perseus who was also cast into the sea in a wooden chest).

Another key point is that, according to the Hebrew text, Jonah's fish is not a whale but rather some kind of “great fish". Through special revelation, this appears to be a shark. And the term “swallow”——in the clause, “the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah”——is a euphemism for a great fish feasting on Jonah and consequently fatally injuring him. This, of course, ties in with the idea that we die and are reborn by going under water (Immersion baptism), a symbolic ritual that is unique to Christianity! Hence why Immersion baptism is not only tied to Jonah but is also symbolic of Christ’s death, being re-enacted in the New Testament through the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist!

This study of Jonah takes us back to the origin of the Christian fish symbol, the so-called “ichthys” (ἰχθύς), which is now known as the Jesus fish. And despite the acrostic use of this word: Ἰησοῦ�� Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ (i.e. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour)—— nevertheless, the fish symbolism has a variety of other theological overtones in the New Testament, such as the Feeding of the 5,000 with 2 fishes and 5 loaves, as well as the Feeding of the 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, not to mention that Jesus calls his disciples "fishers of men." That is precisely why Immersion baptism in the early church signified a parallel between fish and converts (i.e. born again Christians). The early Christian theologian Tertullian explained it thusly:

“we, little fishes, after the image of our

Ichthys, Jesus Christ, are born in the water."

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readersmagnet · 26 days

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Victoria Udo, a poet, songwriter, teacher trainer, and motivational speaker, was a born-again Christian for many years. She has served as a school principal in Africa and America in Christian and public schools. She founded Life Bridges International, a vehicle to bless schoolchildren worldwide, and is happily married to Dr. Okon Udo.

Visit https://www.victograce.com/ and learn more about Victoria Udo.

#VictoriaUdo #THEGODIKNOWAmazingSupernaturalEncounterswithJesus #ReadersMagnet #AuthorsLife #BornAgainChristian

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yahoo-sodaa · 2 years

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Everyone wants to be on “Demon time,” but what about “Jesus time,” or “God’s time?” I’m on Jesus time. Righteousness is a journey that I’m willing to take.

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blaqsbi · 1 month

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Post: Why Are Black People Obsessed With The Bible That Was Used To Enslave Them? https://www.blaqsbi.com/jz2

#breakmental #bondagebecame #becamebornagain #bornagainChristian

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noevilproject · 3 months

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#noevilproject #stereotypes #Father #Youtuber #BornAgainChristian

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faniyiaduragbemi · 1 year

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"GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD"

My First Gospel Rap Track and inspired from the bible verse John 3:16. Beat Production, Vocal Recording and Mix Mastering by @inzenmusic at @blu.cave recording studio Dubai. God Bless You Sid 😊🙌 I stand Testimony to grace and unconditional love of our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST. DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE.. Turn Back From Sins...Repent...The Second Coming of JESUS is sooner than we can think.. LIVE by The WORD and Not THE WORLD..

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glrosario · 1 year

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There are no atheists in hell! Those who go there immediately know that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, and that The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not a myth. An atheist stops being an atheist and becomes a believer the moment he dies an atheist and learns the truth the hard way. #God #Christian #christianquotes #christianity #christianitytoday #christianityquotes #christiandaily #christianlife #Christ #Jesus #JesusChrist #JesusSaves #Jesucristo #Trinity #HolyTrinity #OneGodInThree #bornagain #bornagainchristian #saved #faith https://www.instagram.com/p/CpNGWU2ui8K/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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mermaidgirl1990 · 1 year

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Other than counting down the days until Spring, I'm also counting down the days that I reclaimed my faith in God again. That's why this date is VERY IMPORTANT to me! 💗🙏🏻😇✝️ #countdownapp #BornAgainChristian #ThankYouGod https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJDxzCOm5eJQh7WgAif_UYjt4FeckkkfxdjNc0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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karimu231 · 2 years

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Daily struggling to get what to eat #faithful #faith #jesuschrist #bornagainchristian #christianity #christlivesinme https://www.instagram.com/p/Cghvbg9L8Z4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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childofchrist1983 · 2 months

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#StandUpForYourSavior .✨✝️ Jesus said, "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." (Luke 9:26)🙏✨ #ShareJesus#ShareTheGospelofJesusChrist#Jesuslovesyou#Jesussaves#JesusistheONLYway#PraiseGod#PraisetheLORD#Bibleverses#Bibleverseoftheday#AMEN#ChristianWarriors#BoldFaithWarriors#ChildrenofGod#Christians#BornAgainChristians#TrustJesusChrist#TrustGodALWAYS#FaithOverFear#PutGodFirstAlways#LiveForGod

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yulia-juniper · 6 months

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stellaadasesay · 1 year

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Some broken hearts never mend, Some memories never end.

Some tears will never dry, My love for Sierra Leone will never die.

🇸🇱🇸🇱❤️🇸🇱🇸🇱❤️🇸🇱🇸🇱❤️🇸🇱🇸🇱Father Lord JESUS Christ, thank you for Sierra Leone 🙏✨️🇸🇱🇸🇱❤️🇸🇱🇸🇱❤️🇸🇱Thank you God for the health and protection of your people in Sierra Leone 🇸🇱❤️🇸🇱🇸🇱❤️

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messiahtheprince · 2 years

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The Messiah will be in Israel before November 13th 2022

And

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem will go forth before summer 2023

And

Temple construction will begin that day

In less than 8 years God will be in Israel, the temple will be built and I will be known as Messiah the prince

#wholehouseofisrael #houseofisrael #kingdavid #abraham #israel #IsraelProphecy #EzekielsTemple #thelordisthere #thirdtemple #BibleProphecy #oldtestament #religion #judaism #jerusalém #benjaminnetanyahu #MessianicAge #MessiahThePrince #MessiahReady #bornagainchristian #twelvetribesofisrael #TwelveTribes #ezekiel37 #revelation12 #isaiah28 #ezekiel33

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donpapabear · 2 years

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Watch "Set Free From Demonic Soul Ties" on YouTube

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evangeliststerryks · 3 years

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Jesus Christ the son of living God is for you..... . . . #jesuschrist #thedevilisaliar #loveyou #friends #fearnot #jesustakethewheel #covid2020 #covid_19 #bornagainchristians #jesuslovesyou #lordhelpme #goodmorning #spiritualawakening #trending #bollywood #authors #lordjesus #bornagainchristian #virus #godsplan #glorytogod #jesusisking #sterryks #HOPE #biblequote #ihofpwd #bornagain #breakthechain #ihofpwd #jesuslovesus (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CK7_RfFA7Zj/?igshid=1i27wxmwk3q3o

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theempiricist · 3 years

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