As Jonah

Jonah¹

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“As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (cf. Matthew 12:40, ASV).

In the book that bears his name, Jonah “vicariously” experienced the essence of things yet to be, i.e., shadows of Christ. The Old Testament is filled with personas, e.g., Job, Joseph, and David, and many others who foreshadowed of the Son of man ─ each in his way symbolically prefiguring Christ, and each in turn, for a moment, likewise forsaken by God!



 As Jonah was fast asleep amid “a mighty tempest on the sea” (cf. Jonah 1:5) ─ likewise, the Son of man, as the “boat was covered with the waves” was asleep (cf. Matthew 8:24).

As Jonah was cast into the sea by the casters of lots (cf. Jonah 1:7) ─ likewise, the Son of man was crucified by the casters of lots (John 19:24).

As Jonah gave his life for the mariners (Jonah 1:12) ─ likewise the Son of man gave His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).

 “And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). 

 Jonah’s “body” was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights ─ but perhaps his soul was not! The breath of God imparts life to the “ever conscious” soul at the moment of conception. The body may sleep in the dust in death ─ yet the “ever conscious” soul remains unabated!

 “Then Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly. And he said, [Note, this pass tense] I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol (שְׁאוֹל, shĕ'owl) cried I, And thou heardest my voice” (Jonah 2:1-2). 

Jonah prayed this prayer before being spewed out upon the dry land, yet, there were times during those “three days and three nights” when he cried “out of the belly of Sheol” ─ the realm of disembodied dead!

 Consider how the following versions translates this phrase: “From the depth of Sheol” (NASB); “from deep in the realm of the dead” (NIV); “from the land of the dead” (NLT); “out of the belly of Sheol” (Darby); "Out of the belly of the nether-world” (JPS).

The following links are the two most graphic depictions Sheol in Scripture:

 Ezekiel is told to “take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt” ─ (Ezekiel 32:17-32).

Isaiah is likewise told to “take up this parable against the king of Babylon” ─ (Isaiah 14:9-20).

The following verse and associated links pertain to Jonah’s experience in Sheol.

“For thou didst cast me into the depth [Ezekiel 31:15], in the heart of the seas [Ezekiel 28:8], And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me [Psalms 42:7]” (Jonah 2:3).

Compare the weed shroud wrapped about Jonah’s head with the cloth "death" shroud, that was upon Jesus’ head:

“The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me [Psa_69:15] ; The weeds were wrapped about my head [John 20:6-7]” (Jonah 2:5 ).

  Jonah as he continues his remembrance of the shades of Sheol:

 “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains [Deuteronomy 32:22] The earth with its bars [Job 17:16] closed upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit [Psalms_30:3], O Jehovah my God” (Jonah 2:6). 

Perhaps as Jonah completes his prayer he is resurrected from Sheol:

“When my soul fainted within me [Psalms_22:14], I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple… But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah” (cf. Jonah 2:8-9). “And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2:10). 

 The following passages seem to pertain to the introductory verse: “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (cf. Matthew 12:40, ASV).

“He [Christ] went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah” (cf. 1Peter 3:19-20). 

 “He [David] foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31). 

“For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1Pe 4:6).

“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high [Psalms_68:18], he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men. (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:8-9).

 ¹By Unknown -This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1923.

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