Prayer 101 - Part 72: Christ In Jonah

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Outline

Jonah lived when Jeroboam II of the Northern Kingdom was king from 793-753 BC. He was a contemporary of Hosea and Amos. Jonah was one of four Old Testament prophets mentioned by Christ in Matt 12:39-41; Luke 11:29,30,32 along with Elijah, Elisha and Isaiah. Jesus recognised the historicity of Jonah. He called him a prophet, confirmed the miracle of Jonah’s recovery from the fish, and based His call to repentance in His day on the validity of Jonah’s message of repentance. Throughout the book Jonah is referred to in the 3rd person, so scholars believe the book was actually written by a prophet other than Jonah soon after the events. It is possible that Jonah feared that he would be used to help the enemy that would later destroy his own nation into the future as declared by Amos and Hosea.

Jonah 1 - The Reluctant Prophet

Jonah 2 - Prayer Meeting In The Belly Of The Whale

Jonah 3 - The Nineveh Mission

Jonah 4 - The Vine, the Worm, and the East Wind

Jonah 1:1,2

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib which dominated the ancient world between 930 to 612 BC and conquered and eliminated the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. It was destroyed by the Medes and Persians in 612 BC. They worshipped Dagon, the fish god. How ironical is that? Whale? Fish god?

Jonah 1:3

To Tarshish - often associated with Tartessus, a Phoenician colony in Spain. Jonah was heading in the totally opposite direction to Nineveh.

Jonah 1:4-15

The unfolding drama

Jonah 1:16-17

Is it possible that the entire ships crew and passengers turned to God?

Why Do Christians Have Trials?

1. To glorify God - Dan 3:16-18,24-25

2. Discipline for known sin - Heb 12:5;James 4:17; Rom 14:23; 1 John 1:9

3. To prevent us from falling into sin - 1 Peter 4:1-2

4. To keep us from pride - 2 Cor 12:7-10

5. To build faith - 1 Pet 1:6-7

6. To cause growth - Rom 5:3-5

7. To teach obedience and discipline - Phil 4:11

8. To equip us to comfort others - 2 Cor 1:3-4

9. To prove the reality of Christ in us - 2 Cor 4:7-11

10. For testimony to the angels - Job 1:8; Eph 3:8-11; 1 Pet 1:12

The Third Day

Jonah 1:17; 1 Cor 15:3,4

New Life on the 3rd Day - Gen 1:9-13

The Wedding at Cana - John 2:1

Abraham’s Offering of Isaac - Gen 22:1-4; Heb 11:16-19

Rahab’s Cord - Josh 2:15,18

Jonah 2:1,2

Hell is Sheol in this rendition not the Grave. Is it possible that Jonah even died while in the whale and was raised from the dead?

When it comes to Hell there are five words in the Bible rendered - Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, Tarturus and Abousso.

SHEOL

Not the grave which is the destination of the body

The location of departed souls; the abode of the dead(both good and bad)

The inhabitants of Sheol are ‘the congregation of the dead’ Prov 21:16

It is the abode of the wicked Num 16:33; Job 24:19; Ps 9:17; Ps 31:17

It is also of the good Ps 16:10; Ps 30:3; Ps 49:15; Ps 86:13

Sheol is described as deep Job 11:8; as dark Job 10:21,22; with bars Job 17:16

The dead ‘go down’ to it Num 16:30,33; Ezek 31:15-17

WHAT WAS ABRAHAM’S BOSOM?

An idiom for a place for Old Testament believers at the time of death Luke 16:23; 2 Cor 12:4

Theologians believe Abraham’s bosom was evacuated after the cross and resurrection. Eph 4:8-10

HADES

Hades is the Greek word for the which is out of sight, to denote the place of the dead. It refers to the abode of the unsaved dead prior to The Great White Throne Judgment Rev 20:11-15. It is a prison 1 Pet 3:19 with gates and bars and locks Matt 16:18; Rev 1:18 is downward Matt 11:23; Luke 10:15 and the righteous and the wicked are separated.

GEHENNA

This was originally the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned. The ‘lake of fire’ that is the ultimate destiny of the unsaved temporarily held in Hades or Sheol. The Hinnom Valley became an idiom to speak of the place of everlasting fire and burning.

‘HELL’

Referring to Hades which is temporary and will be cast into Gehenna Rev 20:14. Is within the earth Matt 12:40.

Is associated with the bottomless pit, the abousso - the abyss.

Referring to Gehenna. This is forever!

TARTURUS

Another word translated ‘hell’, but only one use in the New Testament 2 Peter 2:4. This is the deepest abyss of Hades. It is the specific place of incarceration of the angels that sinned in Genesis 6.

ABOUSSO

Another related term is the bottomless pit or the abyss or aboussos. This is what the Beast of Revelation comes out of Rev 11:7; Rev 17:8. And whereSatan will be bound for 1,000 years Rev 20:1-3. It is also the place from which the demon locusts emerge Rev 9.

Jonah was a man who knew the Word of God

Jonah 2:2 Psalm 120:1

Jonah 2:3 Psalm 42:7

Jonah 2:4 Psalm 31:22

Jonah 2:5 Psalm 69:1

Jonah 2:7 Psalm 142:3; Psalm 18:6

Jonah 2:8 Psalm 31;6

Jonah 2:9 Psalm 116:17, 18; Psalm 3:8

Jonah 3:1 - The God of the Second Chance

Abraham denied Sarah - As Abram:Gen 12:15; As Abraham:Gen 20:2

Moses murdered a man - Ex 2:12

David committed adultery and murder - 2 Sam 11: 4,15

Peter denied Christ - Matt 26:74

John Mark abandoned Paul & Barnabas - Acts 13:13

Jonah 3: 9,10 - God’s promise to a repentant nation - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Jonah 4 - God’s Heart for Nineveh

Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

Jonah 4:9-11

Should not I spare Nineveh…. ? God said.