Jonah Did What?

Recently, I heard a different take on the story of Jonah that made me wonder. Was what I heard actually true? Let's investigate.

We catch up with Jonah as he got thrown into the sea by his shipmates. It's wasn't looking good for Jonah at this point. It gets worse.

"Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." - Jonah 1:17

Okay, this is where questions begin to arise. For example, "How could a man spend three days underwater and come out alive afterwards?"

That's a logical question. There are a few possible answers. Either God kept him alive somehow, or Jonah actually died. And THAT is the new twist I heard on this story of Jonah. 

Let's fast forward to Jesus. You know the verse.

"He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." - Matthew 12:39-40

There is no evidence, one way or another for whether Jonah was alive or dead. Just that he was "in the belly of a huge fish." Let's go back to Jonah's account.

"From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God." - Jonah 2:1

So, Jonah was alive inside the fish. He was praying. But did he STAY alive for three days? Here's some interesting verses. Keep in mind that Jonah wrote this book AFTER everything was over.

"From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry." - Jonah 2:2

Was he in Sheol (the place of the dead)? Or was this just a figure of speech?

"To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit." - Jonah 2:6

That sounds like Jonah died, but we can't be sure. I think we need to go back to Jesus when he said, "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Jesus died. The question then becomes did "the sign of Jonah" that Jesus spoke about include Jonah's actual death? It doesn't really say, but it would seem to line up with what actually happened to Jesus. And HE died.

If Jonah died, God IS all-powerful, and more than capable of raising someone from the dead. That's why we are all Christians afterall. But did God raise Jonah from the dead too? Or was that something that was reserved only for Jesus? Hmm.🤔

Jonah couldn't have been dead because then HE would have been the fulfillment of the Festival of "first fruits," not Jesus. Right? Jesus WAS raised from the dead during the Festival of First Fruits. But what if Jonah was spit out by the fish during the same festival?

"And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." - Jonah 2:10

I give up. My brain is beginning to cramp. Lol! I'll just stick with the three days and three nights thing for now and ask Jonah about it when I see him.