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Jesus told his disciples that Jonah in the great fish for three days and three nights was symbolic for his death and resurrection. And it was after this 3 day life changing event for Jonah when the Lord asked him a second time to go to Nineveh and warn the people to repent or face God's judgment after 40 days, Jonah 3:1-5.
If Jonah in the great fish for 3 days and 3 nights is symbolic for Jesus death and resurrection, is it possible that Jonah's message for the wicked people of Nineveh to repent within 40 days is also an end-time prophetic warning for today's rebellious generation?
However before we consider this possibility, I believe its important to examine several details in the first chapter of Jonah that are symbolic for the crucifixion of Jesus when he was lifted up on the cross to die for our sins.
The story of Jonah who went down and laid on the wooden beams of a ship in the stormy sea to be separated from the Lord, reveals Jesus laid down on the wooden beams of the cross as sin for us when he became separated from the presence of his heavenly Father, so we can be saved from the storm of God's wrath for our unrighteousness by faith in Christ's death for our sins and his resurrection after 3 days, Rom 10:8-10.
Jonah 3:1-4 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, (2) "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." (3) So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. (4 ) Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
I believe Jonah who came out of the great fish and went into the city of Nineveh that was 3 days journey in breadth with a message of repentance, is symbolic for a 3,000 year period of time that's comprised of the 2,000 year gospel age that began from Jesus resurrection, followed by the tribulation when Jesus will reign in Jerusalem for 1,000 years when sinful mankind will be given the message of repentance and salvation by faith in Christ.
The great city of Nineveh that was 3 days journey in breadth that's symbolic for a 3,000 period of year of time beginning from the cross, is also mentioned in Hosea 6:1-2.
Hosea 6:1-2 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for he (Jesus) has torn us (for our sins on the cross), that he may heal us (by faith in Christ's resurrection); he has struck us down (Israel is cast out of their land), and he will bind us up. (2) After two days (in the 2nd millennium from the cross) he will revive us (God restores the nation of Israel in 1948); on the third day (in the 3rd millennium) he will raise us up (when Israel's believes in Jesus at the end of the tribulation), that we may live before him (during Christ's 1,000 year reign in Jerusalem).
40 and 120The people of Nineveh that heard Jonah's message to repent within 40 days turned from their evil ways and the scriptures say a 120,000 were saved from God's judgement, Jonah 3:4-5, 4:11.
The symbolic numbers of 40 and 120 that are mentioned in the story of Jonah are also used in two other prophetic stories.
After Noah finished building the ark he entered it and the rain began to fall for 40 days and 40 nights which caused the flood of God's judgment that destroyed wicked mankind, Genesis 6:1-8, 7:11-12.
I believe the 40 days of rain that caused the flood of God's judgment on an evil generation in the days of Noah, and Israel entering the promised land by faith in God after 40 years in the wilderness, are prophetic for the Lord's righteous judgment for unbelieving mankind at the end of the tribulation on the symbolic 40th day of Yom Kippur (Luke 17:26-27), when a remnant of the Jews will enter the promised land of God's kingdom by faith in Jesus.
During the 30 day month of Elul a trumpet was blown each day warning Israel to repent and return to God, that was followed by the 10 day feast of Trumpets that would end on the 40th day of Yom Kippur when each person's name would be written in the book of the righteous or the book of the wicked for the following year.
The 40 days of repentance from Elul 1 to Yom Kippur, and Jonah's warning for the wicked people of Nineveh to repent withing 40 days, prophetically represents sinful mankind's last chance to repent and receive Jesus gift of salvation by faith, before the Lord judges the unbelievers at the end of the tribulation on the symbolic 40th day of Yom Kippur.
Its also important to understand the 10 day feast of Trumpets which is symbolic for the 7 years of tribulation, could possibly take place from 2031 to 2038 as I pointed out in this previous article.
Therefore if Elul's 30 days of trumpet blasts are prophetic for 30 years of birth pangs that will precede the beginning of the tribulation in 2031, then September of 2001 could have been the first year of Elul's trumpets when the twin towers fell in New York.
And ever since this first trumpet was heard around the world on 9-11-2001, there have been increasing birth pangs that are God's heavenly trumpet blasts warning this evil generation to repent and believe in Jesus salvation, before the unrighteous are eternally judged on the 40th day of Yom Kippur when the tribulation ends in 2038.
The book of Jonah is read by Israel on Yom KippurOne last important point is the book of Jonah is read by Israel on Yom Kippur when the nation's sins are forgiven through the offering of two goats.
I believe Jonah's story that's read by Israel on Yom Kippur will one day be spiritually revealed to them by God's grace at end of the tribulation, when a faithful remnant of the nation will understand that Jonah who was lifted up by the men on the ship and thrown into the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights, is symbolic for Jesus who was lifted up on the cross for our sins and was placed in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights, followed by Christ's resurrection victory over sin and death.
Zechariah 12:9-10 And on that (symbolic 40th) day (of Yom Kippur at the end of the tribulation) I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
If Jonah in the great fish for 3 days and 3 nights is symbolic for Jesus death and resurrection, is it possible that Jonah's message for the wicked people of Nineveh to repent within 40 days is also an end-time prophetic warning for today's rebellious generation?
However before we consider this possibility, I believe its important to examine several details in the first chapter of Jonah that are symbolic for the crucifixion of Jesus when he was lifted up on the cross to die for our sins.
The story of Jonah who went down and laid on the wooden beams of a ship in the stormy sea to be separated from the Lord, reveals Jesus laid down on the wooden beams of the cross as sin for us when he became separated from the presence of his heavenly Father, so we can be saved from the storm of God's wrath for our unrighteousness by faith in Christ's death for our sins and his resurrection after 3 days, Rom 10:8-10.
Nineveh was 3 days journey in breadth
When Jonah came out of the great fish after 3 days the Lord asked him a second time to go to the city of Nineveh with a message of repentance.Jonah 3:1-4 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, (2) "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." (3) So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. (4 ) Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
I believe Jonah who came out of the great fish and went into the city of Nineveh that was 3 days journey in breadth with a message of repentance, is symbolic for a 3,000 year period of time that's comprised of the 2,000 year gospel age that began from Jesus resurrection, followed by the tribulation when Jesus will reign in Jerusalem for 1,000 years when sinful mankind will be given the message of repentance and salvation by faith in Christ.
The great city of Nineveh that was 3 days journey in breadth that's symbolic for a 3,000 period of year of time beginning from the cross, is also mentioned in Hosea 6:1-2.
Hosea 6:1-2 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for he (Jesus) has torn us (for our sins on the cross), that he may heal us (by faith in Christ's resurrection); he has struck us down (Israel is cast out of their land), and he will bind us up. (2) After two days (in the 2nd millennium from the cross) he will revive us (God restores the nation of Israel in 1948); on the third day (in the 3rd millennium) he will raise us up (when Israel's believes in Jesus at the end of the tribulation), that we may live before him (during Christ's 1,000 year reign in Jerusalem).
40 and 120
The symbolic numbers of 40 and 120 that are mentioned in the story of Jonah are also used in two other prophetic stories.
40 days and nights of rain
In the days of Noah when every thought of man was evil continually, the Lord said his Spirit shall not abide in man forever.....his days shall be 120 years.After Noah finished building the ark he entered it and the rain began to fall for 40 days and 40 nights which caused the flood of God's judgment that destroyed wicked mankind, Genesis 6:1-8, 7:11-12.
Israel was in the wilderness 40 years
When Moses died at the age of 120 Israel followed Joshua by faith into the promised land after wandering 40 years in the wilderness, Deuteronomy 34:7, Numbers 14:33.I believe the 40 days of rain that caused the flood of God's judgment on an evil generation in the days of Noah, and Israel entering the promised land by faith in God after 40 years in the wilderness, are prophetic for the Lord's righteous judgment for unbelieving mankind at the end of the tribulation on the symbolic 40th day of Yom Kippur (Luke 17:26-27), when a remnant of the Jews will enter the promised land of God's kingdom by faith in Jesus.
During the 30 day month of Elul a trumpet was blown each day warning Israel to repent and return to God, that was followed by the 10 day feast of Trumpets that would end on the 40th day of Yom Kippur when each person's name would be written in the book of the righteous or the book of the wicked for the following year.
The 40 days of repentance from Elul 1 to Yom Kippur, and Jonah's warning for the wicked people of Nineveh to repent withing 40 days, prophetically represents sinful mankind's last chance to repent and receive Jesus gift of salvation by faith, before the Lord judges the unbelievers at the end of the tribulation on the symbolic 40th day of Yom Kippur.
Its also important to understand the 10 day feast of Trumpets which is symbolic for the 7 years of tribulation, could possibly take place from 2031 to 2038 as I pointed out in this previous article.
Therefore if Elul's 30 days of trumpet blasts are prophetic for 30 years of birth pangs that will precede the beginning of the tribulation in 2031, then September of 2001 could have been the first year of Elul's trumpets when the twin towers fell in New York.
And ever since this first trumpet was heard around the world on 9-11-2001, there have been increasing birth pangs that are God's heavenly trumpet blasts warning this evil generation to repent and believe in Jesus salvation, before the unrighteous are eternally judged on the 40th day of Yom Kippur when the tribulation ends in 2038.
The book of Jonah is read by Israel on Yom Kippur
I believe Jonah's story that's read by Israel on Yom Kippur will one day be spiritually revealed to them by God's grace at end of the tribulation, when a faithful remnant of the nation will understand that Jonah who was lifted up by the men on the ship and thrown into the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights, is symbolic for Jesus who was lifted up on the cross for our sins and was placed in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights, followed by Christ's resurrection victory over sin and death.
Zechariah 12:9-10 And on that (symbolic 40th) day (of Yom Kippur at the end of the tribulation) I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
- Continued in Part 2 -
Is Jonah's warning for Nineveh prophetic for today's wicked generation? Part 2
Is Jonah's warning for Nineveh prophetic for today's wicked generation? Part 2
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