The Arrival of Jonah at Nineveh

by Rosemarie Adcock

Throughout Scripture there are “types” or symbols of Jesus Christ that his disciples would eventually learn, and Jonah was one of them, though no one understood it at the time.  Jonah is spilling out of the mouth of the fish onto a sandy shore, with the bitten apples as symbols of his failure. Nineveh was still a distance from this shoreline, so Jonah had to walk on foot until he completed his journey. God instructed Jonah to go to the great city and preach repentance to the people, who were known to be ruthless and cruel. Wanting that these wicked people should be judged and destroyed rather than have God forgive them, Jonah refused to go to Nineveh, and instead paid the fare for a ship sailing in the other direction to Tarshish. But the real price of refusing God cost Jonah more than just the fare.

 During a deadly storm, Jonah knew he was the one endangering everyone on board the ship because he was running from God. Finally, the sailors threw Jonah overboard, and the Bible says the Lord appointed a “great fish,” which swallowed Jonah whole. Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights until the fish vomited him onto the shoreline where God had originally instructed him to go.

When asked for a sign of His authority, Jesus said there would be no sign given except the "sign of Jonah," prophesying that after His own death he would be raised to life in 3 days.