The story of Jonah has been a confuse debate over the years by sceptics and some other religions i.e Islam because:

1. Sceptics believe that the story of Jonah in the Bible is a pure fiction of its inaccuracy with science e.g it's not possible for any man to survive under such condiction of suffocation. Simply because what most Christians has been taught was that God sustains Jonah in the belly of the great fish (though is possible for God but it wasn't so, GOD created natural laws so every thing must obey these laws and God has power to change any natural law).

2. Islam have used this Jonah's story to support their untrue story written about Jesus that "He(Jesus) didn't die because their book said so", and support it with these verses Matt 12:39-40 "when Jesus compared His death & resurrection miracle with that of Jonah's miracle.

Now the question is; was Jonah really alive in the belly of the fish?

In the book of Jonah where his story was written gave us the real clue about his life, sin, punishment, expirence at the belly, and the grace of God upon him.

Life of Jonah:- Jonah is an Hebrew man that have the fear of the Lord.

Jonah's Sin:- Jonah flee from the presence of the Lord because of God's assignment.

Punishment:- we read in Jonah 1:17 "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Expirence:- "Best expirence can only be shared by the victim". If what Jonah passes through wasn't shared by Jonah himself the story might become another thing but with the help of God Jonah was able to share his own expirence.

Jonah 2:3 "For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me." This verse by Jonah tells us what he really passes through.

When Jonah was passing through this condiction he went ahead to say the position he was at that time. Jonah 2:2 "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I,
@bold in this phrase "...out of the belly of hell cried I...." the word HELL in that phrase was translated from this hebrew word 'SHEOL' means "GRAVE-a place of the dead'. This word (sheol) was used throughout of the Old Testament, it's different from the one used in the NEW Testament that means 'LAKE of FIRE' and anywhere this word appear in the OT means 'GRAVE-a place of the dead'. So Jonah cried to God in the place of the dead(where dead people are reserved).

To be sure that Jonah did really die he went further to explain how it happened; Jonah 2:5 "The waters compassed me about, [b]even to the soul:...." @bold "even to my soul" means it took his life.

Then after Jonah died he explain where he found himself. Jonah 2:6 [b]"I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever:....."
@bold he went down to the bottoms or center of the earth where dead ones are kept.

What make him went down to the bottoms of the earth? He said; Jonah 2:7 "When my soul fainted within me..." in this phrase Jonah sincerely comfirmed that his soul leaves his body. If not he would've used a word like this when my soul is fainting (continuos tense) or when my soul is about to faint but rather he uses the past tense "when my soul fainted".

Grace of God:- God's grace never cease on those who He loves. In the last sentence of that verse 7 Jonah remembered the Lord and He prayed then his prayer went straight to the Holy Temple of God and God shew His grace upon Jonah, then last statement of verse 6 tells us what happened after his prayer "....yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God." The word 'corruption' used in this verse was translated from the hebrew word NIPHAL which can mean; rot, spoil, ruin, decay e.t.c it might even be possible that his body has started to decayed but Omniscient God brought him back to life and commanded the fish to vomit him....WHAT A WONDERFUL GOD AND A GREAT MIRACLE.

So Jonah was not alive in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights but it pleases God to revive him.

Shalom!

Emusan: The story of Jonah has been a confuse debate over the years by sceptics and some other religions i.e Islam because:

1. Sceptics believe that the story of Jonah in the Bible is a pure fiction of its inaccuracy with science e.g it's not possible for any man to survive under such condiction of suffocation. Simply because what most Christians has been taught was that God sustains Jonah in the belly of the great fish (though is possible for God but it wasn't so, GOD created natural laws so every thing must obey these laws and God has power to change any natural law).

2. Islam have used this Jonah's story to support their untrue story written about Jesus that "He(Jesus) didn't die because their book said so", and support it with these verses Matt 12:39-40 "when Jesus compared His death & resurrection miracle with that of Jonah's miracle.

Now the question is; was Jonah really alive in the belly of the fish?

In the book of Jonah where his story was written gave us the real clue about his life, sin, punishment, expirence at the belly, and the grace of God upon him.

Life of Jonah:- Jonah is an Hebrew man that have the fear of the Lord.

Jonah's Sin:- Jonah flee from the presence of the Lord because of God's assignment.

Punishment:- we read in Jonah 1:17 "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Expirence:- "Best expirence can only be shared by the victim". If what Jonah passes through wasn't shared by Jonah himself the story might become another thing but with the help of God Jonah was able to share his own expirence.

Jonah 2:3 "For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me." This verse by Jonah tells us what he really passes through.

When Jonah was passing through this condiction he went ahead to say the position he was at that time. Jonah 2:2 "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I,
@bold in this phrase "...out of the belly of hell cried I...." the word HELL in that phrase was translated from this hebrew word 'SHEOL' means "GRAVE-a place of the dead'. This word (sheol) was used throughout of the Old Testament, it's different from the one used in the NEW Testament that means 'LAKE of FIRE' and anywhere this word appear in the OT means 'GRAVE-a place of the dead'. So Jonah cried to God in the place of the dead(where dead people are reserved).

To be sure that Jonah did really die he went further to explain how it happened; Jonah 2:5 "The waters compassed me about, [b]even to the soul:...." @bold "even to my soul" means it took his life.

Then after Jonah died he explain where he found himself. Jonah 2:6 [b]"I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever:....."
@bold he went down to the bottoms or center of the earth where dead ones are kept.

What make him went down to the bottoms of the earth? He said; Jonah 2:7 "When my soul fainted within me..." in this phrase Jonah sincerely comfirmed that his soul leaves his body. If not he would've used a word like this when my soul is fainting (continuos tense) or when my soul is about to faint but rather he uses the past tense "when my soul fainted".

Grace of God:- God's grace never cease on those who He loves. In the last sentence of that verse 7 Jonah remembered the Lord and He prayed then his prayer went straight to the Holy Temple of God and God shew His grace upon Jonah, then last statement of verse 6 tells us what happened after his prayer "....yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God." The word 'corruption' used in this verse was translated from the hebrew word NIPHAL which can mean; rot, spoil, ruin, decay e.t.c it might even be possible that his body has started to decayed but Omniscient God brought him back to life and commanded the fish to vomit him....WHAT A WONDERFUL GOD AND A GREAT MIRACLE.

So Jonah was not alive in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights but it pleases God to revive him.

Shalom!

Hmm. So Jonah too was resurrected from the dead? In the belly of a fish? A fish? This just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

thehomer:

Hmm. So Jonah too was resurrected from the dead? In the belly of a fish? A fish? This just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

Did you also read that the fish vomited him?

His expirence in the belly matters alot.

Bro, I beg to differ with u on this.

Why should anyone thought it impossible? The bible said he was, for the fact that we don't understand how doesn't change anything.

Do u know why the bumble bee flies? Despite all the laws of physics that its wings are too small to carry the body and all that? The only reasons it flies is 'cos God told it so.

Obidiah77777 abeg do come change am for them.

Pastor Olu T: Bro, I beg to differ with u on this.

Why should anyone thought it impossible? The bible said he was, for the fact that we don't understand how doesn't change anything.

Do u know why the bumble bee flies? Despite all the laws of physics that its wings are too small to carry the body and all that? The only reasons it flies is 'cos God told it so.

please don't get me wrong I didn't base my explanations on science.

You can see I expressed myself through Jonah's statement, God can do all thing that is certain.

But critically study Jonah's statement made it clear that Jonah did die.

You can read the book especially whole chapter 2.

Emusan:

please don't get me wrong I didn't base my explanations on science.

You can see I expressed myself through Jonah's statement, God can do all thing that is certain.

But critically study Jonah's statement made it clear that Jonah did die.

You can read the book especially whole chapter 2.

I will, n would definitely get back to u.

Emusan:

Did you also read that the fish vomited him?

His expirence in the belly matters alot.

And you believe that too. You actually believe that a fish literally swallowed a man, the man died and was later vomited out alive. This indicates to me that you'll believe anything at all.

thehomer:

And you believe that too. You actually believe that a fish literally swallowed a man, the man died and was later vomited out alive. This indicates to me that you'll believe anything at all.

And u believe the bee can fly, 'cos u see it fly despite all the impossibilities?

Emusan:

please don't get me wrong I didn't base my explanations on science.

You can see I expressed myself through Jonah's statement, God can do all thing that is certain.

But critically study Jonah's statement made it clear that Jonah did die.

You can read the book especially whole chapter 2.

Interesting fact I came up with using God's word version;

Verse 1, "From inside the fish Jonah prayed"; a dead man can't pray n it says in the fish again?
Verse 4, "Then I thought"; a dead man can't think, again all this is happening in the fish?
Verse 7, "As my life was slipping away"; obviously was still alive for it shows that God did not even make things easier for him, but felt very uneasy and almost lost his life.
My summation, Jonah was alive in the fish, was conscious and experienced all the difficulty of being there.

Pastor Olu T:
Interesting fact I came up with using God's word version;

Well I'm not against this version.

Verse 1, "From inside the fish Jonah prayed"; a dead man can't pray n it says in the fish again?

I know, a dead man can't pray but where the dead a kept they can talk. You ignore verse two from this version.

Verse 4, "Then I thought"; a dead man can't think, again all this is happening in the fish?

Remember I didn't say fish didn't swallow up Jonah but Jonah died inside the fish and all this happened in the place of the dead.
Tha's why Jonah said it in verse 2 "out of the belly(inside of the fish) of sheol(hell-a place of the dead) cried I"

Verse 7, "As my life was slipping away";

From original manuscript it wasn't 'a continous tense' it was 'a past tense' word. Is recent version that change it to continous tense. That's why I read all my Bible verses from King James Version direct translation from original scripts.

obviously was still alive for it shows that God did not even make things easier for him, but felt very uneasy and almost lost his life.

If Jonah soul was slipping away 'used as continous tense' he's still alive but if if his soul has slipped away 'used as past tense' then he isn't alive.

My summation, Jonah was alive in the fish, was conscious and experienced all the difficulty of being there.

Ok I agree with you with this version but answer this question:
*was Jesus alive in the heart of the tomb? because he compared his miracle with that of Jonah.

If you read Amplified Bible version you will also see a similar account of that KJV.

Before I also think Jonah was alive not until I digested that chapter 2.

Pastor Olu T:

And u believe the bee can fly, 'cos u see it fly despite all the impossibilities?

What impossibilities? If it were impossible for it to fly, why would we see it fly?

was thinking obadiah would have put some light into this

dear emusan...when i told you lots of your brothers share a different idea from yours and i gave you lots of evidence and explanations here www.nairaland.com/1376282/re-what-does-koran-says/2#1376282.64 You thought i was just twisting facts...now are these guys twisting facts too.lol@ other bibles write it in present continous while kjv in past tense...well i leave you all to keep battling which of the bibles to take for this explanation...one bible inded!!!

God prepared the fish, that made all the difference. Otherwise, he would have died. Like OluT has said, he prayed, thought etc. The expression that he was in hell is not the literal hell. Jesus said He would be in the heart of the earth. hat also is not literal. It's colloqual like we say someone is facing hell or saw hell or saw wen. Its more of connotative than literal as such person didn't literally see wen or hell, whatever they both are.

With God all things are possible. Abeg u guys shuld sleep. Una too dey question God.

Emusan:
Well I'm not against this version.



I know, a dead man can't pray but where the dead a kept they can talk. You ignore verse two from this version.



Remember I didn't say fish didn't swallow up Jonah but Jonah died inside the fish and all this happened in the place of the dead.
Tha's why Jonah said it in verse 2 "out of the belly(inside of the fish) of sheol(hell-a place of the dead) cried I"


From original manuscript it wasn't 'a continous tense' it was 'a past tense' word. Is recent version that change it to continous tense. That's why I read all my Bible verses from King James Version direct translation from original scripts.



If Jonah soul was slipping away 'used as continous tense' he's still alive but if if his soul has slipped away 'used as past tense' then he isn't alive.



Ok I agree with you with this version but answer this question:
*was Jesus alive in the heart of the tomb? because he compared his miracle with that of Jonah.

If you read Amplified Bible version you will also see a similar account of that KJV.

Before I also think Jonah was alive not until I digested that chapter 2.

U dey see yourself ko. Hmmm
That's ur problem, u will not accept the fact that Jonah did not die cos u know what is means.
Look the truth remains the truth whether people see it or don't it will not change.
This is how ur brethen keep changing and revising the book of God. Ur brethen are still working to make it look Jonah died. Well that is your problem. Now u can see the quran has opened your eyes. Read the quran with open mind and let God talk to u.
Solve the problem with your brethen first.

udatso: dear emusan...when i told you lots of your brothers share a different idea from yours and i gave you lots of evidence and explanations here www.nairaland.com/1376282/re-what-does-koran-says/2#1376282.64

Yes I disagree.

You thought i was just twisting facts...now are these guys twisting facts too.lol@ other bibles write it in present continous while kjv in past tense...well i leave you all to keep battling which of the bibles to take for this explanation...one bible inded!!!

Keep watching at the back sit.

Image123: God prepared the fish, that made all the difference. Otherwise, he would have died.

I didn't say that Jonah was not swallowed by the fish. My point is his expirence inside the fish which Jonah himself confirmed

Like OluT has said, he prayed, thought etc.

They do the same in the place of hell.

The expression that he was in hell is not the literal hell.

NOTE: the word HELL was translated from this hebrew word SHEOL and throughout OT only a single translation was given to this word SHEOL which is GRAVE means a place of the dead.
Will Jonah's translation exclude?

You may get me wrong when you think I'm using HELL(hade-lake of fire) used in the NT.

Jesus said He would be in the heart of the earth. hat also is not literal. It's colloqual like we say someone is facing hell or saw hell or saw wen. Its more of connotative than literal as such person didn't literally see wen or hell, whatever they both are.

But what Jesus means is that He will die for three days and three nights. Is it also a literal statement?

Try to focus in my OP on that Expirence point.

Shalom!

mahdino:
U dey see yourself ko. Hmmm
That's ur problem, u will not accept the fact that Jonah did not die cos u know what is means.

Like as you know what brought you here and how it against your claim.

Look the truth remains the truth whether people see it or don't it will not change.

The day someone view change from dellusion to fact became truth.

This is how ur brethen keep changing and revising the book of God.

Because you fail to open your eyes to see the truth.

Ur brethen are still working to make it look Jonah died. Well that is your problem.

No you missed it, remember when 101 contradictions in Bible was pasted on internet your brethen didn't use any version than King James Version. Hope you remember?

Now u can see the quran has opened your eyes. Read the quran with open mind and let God talk to u.

I'm doing that henn.

Solve the problem with your brethen first.

Continue to watch.

joel lala: With God all things are possible. Abeg u guys shuld sleep. Una too dey question God.

Yes with God all things are possible, but what happend to Jonah inside the fish is my discusion here inwhich Jonah himself confirmed. Read the Chapter 2 of his book to see.

Before I believe Jonah was alive in the belly as what they told me.

Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

my point is that God had prepared a fish to swallow up Jonah. That fish was s prepared as to make Jonah survive in it. like He prepared the fire for Daniel's friends that it was not able to hurt them. He was not literally in the belly of hell, wherever that is. He spoke and described a physical location that we can access with oxygen masks. Of waters and being under the mountains. The hell expression was only figurative.

Image123:
Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

God prepared the fish only to transport Jonah back to where he's coming from

Jonah 2:10 "And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land"

my point is that God had prepared a fish to swallow up Jonah. That fish was prepared as to make Jonah survive in it.

I quitely agree with you @bold because Jonah wouldn't have survived it without the Fish.

My point here is what actually happened inside the fish to Jonah for three days and three nights.
Was it when the fish swallowed Jonah God can't command the fish to return him immediately and why God has to waited for good three days and nights?

like He prepared the fire for Daniel's friends that it was not able to hurt them.

Did Daniel's friends share their expirence; if yes what was their expirence?

He was not literally in the belly of hell, wherever that is.

But you never answer my question; when the word SHEOL was used throughout the whole OT as grave-a place of dead, why Jonah's own now become literal?

He spoke and described a physical location that we can access with oxygen masks. Of waters and being under the mountains. The hell expression was only figurative.

If you check verse 6 very well you will see this phrase "....the earth with her bars (magnetic poles) was about me for ever..." meaning he was describing a place of the earth which different from water.

If you check a version like Amplified Bible verse 5 this phrase in KJV "...even to the soul....." was translated to "....even to [extinction of life] life..."

what does it mean for life to go into extinct? Simply mean to stop exist. Though some version didn't put it that way.

You didn't answer this question, when Jesus said His miracle will be like that of Jonah, was it also literal?

I've been hoping to find time to give you a more detailed answer, but meanwhile, the scripture clearly states that God PREPARED a fish to swallow up Jonah. Why you would say, no God prepared a fish ONLY to transport Jonah to where he is coming from is surprising. i'm on pone but if i remember well, Jonah was vomitted on nineveh and he ws not coming from there. It is physically impossible for Jonah to have survived in the fish, that is why God had to prepare the fish. The fish's belly is not a prison, its death itself. Jonah was there unscathed, His body was not allowed to see corruption, like Jesus in the grave for three days. compare the verse below for instance
Psalms 119:109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.

My soul is continually in my hand. is the psalmist lying? No. Is the phrase literal? No. It's a similar expression to what Jonah sid while in despair. People talk about seeing hell or showing pepper when there is some sort of trouble. This is not literal.

Image123:
I've been hoping to find time to give you a more detailed answer, but meanwhile, the scripture clearly states that God PREPARED a fish to swallow up Jonah. Why you would say, no God prepared a fish ONLY to transport Jonah to where he is coming from is surprising. i'm on pone but if i remember well, Jonah was vomitted on nineveh and he ws not coming from there.

Let's try to read Bible for ourself rather than what we've been told.
Jonah 3:1-3 "1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of theLord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey."

From these verses above did the fish vomit Jonah in Nineveh or not?

It is physically impossible for Jonah to have survived in the fish, that is why God had to prepare the fish.

I agree with you but you still missed my point on what actually happened to Jonah inside the fish.

The fish's belly is not a prison, its death itself.

Hmmm bro how inside fish will be death? Is death living there?

I don't like using other version than KJV but see the verse 2 of chapter 2 in Contemporary English Version "When I was in trouble, Lord, I prayed to you, and you listened to me. From deep in the world of the dead, I begged for your help, and you answered my prayer.
Though in verse 7 they use the continous tense 'sliping away'

Jonah chapter 2 the verse 1-2 was a complete event while Verse 3-7 was actually what happened during the event.

Jonah was there unscathed, His body was not allowed to see corruption, like Jesus in the grave for three days.

Well I can't say anything about that, what Ilm insinuating on is the alive of Jonah in the fish and dead of Jesus in the tomb.

compare the verse below for instance
Psalms 119:109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.

My soul is continually in my hand. is the psalmist lying? No. Is the phrase literal? No. It's a similar expression to what Jonah sid while in despair. People talk about seeing hell or showing pepper when there is some sort of trouble. This is not literal.

You never answer my question, did Jesus miracle also literal?
And the word SHEOL was used as a place of dead throughout the OT, will Jonah case different?

Ok bro then should we say Jesus contradict Himself by comparing His miracle with that of Jonah?

....Jonah is alive in the fish and Jesus is dead in the tomb.....

Just look at the verse 2 in above version.

Emusan:
Let's try to read Bible for ourself rather than what we've been told.
Jonah 3:1-3 "1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of theLord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey."



From these verses above did the fish vomit Jonah in Nineveh or not?

Emusan, Emusan, here is what you initially said in green oh
God prepared the fish only to transport Jonah back to where he's coming from

And i said "mba, Jonah was vomitted on nineveh and he was not coming from there". Here it is in HD
Jon 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
Jon 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

It is after his experience in the belly of the fish that he went to Nineveh. he was vomited on dry land, then God told him to go to Nineveh.
Jon 2:10 And the LORD spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jon 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
Jon 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
Jon 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

I agree with you but you still missed my point on what actually happened to Jonah inside the fish.

What happened to jonah was that he prayed. Jonah was clearly in the fish's belly for three days and three nights. He went nowhere else.
Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

He was in the fish's belly when he prayed.
Jon 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
Any other venue we are inferring is not from this Bible passage.

Hmmm bro how inside fish will be death? Is death living there?

What i mean is that he would have died there in the fish's belly under normal circumstance. It's like taking a fish out of water for three days and nights, or burying a man inside water or underground for three days and nights. That is death already, except that the Lord had prepared the fish.
Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
It's why i likened it to God preparing the fire that Daniel's friends were thrown in, or the lions in the Den that lion was thrown in. They were prepared that is why Daniel and his friends were not hurt. Under normal circumstances, their plight, like Jonah's should have been death. Nothing organic survives in the belly of a living thing. It decomposes, its digested. Obviously, jonah came out unscathed or harmed in any way.

I don't like using other version than KJV but see the verse 2 of chapter 2 in Contemporary English Version "When I was in trouble, Lord, I prayed to you, and you listened to me. From deep in the world of the dead, I begged for your help, and you answered my prayer.
Though in verse 7 they use the continous tense 'sliping away'

Jonah chapter 2 the verse 1-2 was a complete event while Verse 3-7 was actually what happened during the event.

i also use the kjv primarily and there is nothing wrong with using the other versions too. The words used are pictorial/symbolic. Lastverse in chapter one and first verse have already plainly told us Jonah's location, where he prayed from. In the deep sea is where big fishes play, and that is the world of the dead to humans. There is little life there. The Bible severally uses the sea as where the dead is, or wherre things die. In Revelations for instance, you see something been cast into the sea(Rev 18:21) and in Rev 20:13 where the sea gave up the dead. When something is thrown into the sea, it is taken as dead. That's why the shipmen did not want to thrown jonah there because it was considered equal to killing him. Jonah did not die there as he consciously described his excursion in the fish's belly, where he "saw hell", as it were.
Verse 3 describes what is feasible in the sea - the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
The deep, the midst of the sea, the floods, billows, waves. All these are inside water, not in hell.
Verse 5 is similar. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
The waters, the depth, the 'weeds'.

Well I can't say anything about that, what Ilm insinuating on is the alive of Jonah in the fish and dead of Jesus in the tomb.



You never answer my question, did Jesus miracle also literal?

yes, they are similar in the fact that their they were not allowed to 'see corruption'. They did not decompose even though under normal circumstances, they should. They were both buried, considered dead and gone. Jesus said Jonah was in the whale/fish's belly for three days and nights.
Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

And the word SHEOL was used as a place of dead throughout the OT, will Jonah case different?

There are other instances. The sheol simply means GRAVE. The belly of the fish was like Jonah's grave. He was considered dead and buried. He didn't know that he would survive that ofcourse. It's now that we are reading it that we can be discussing. For jonah, he thought it was the end. In Psalms, we see similarly expressions where the psalmist was not even dead.
Psa 18:5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Psa 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
In this two instances, the psalmist was not in the grave or sheol, but he used such expression without dying.

Ok bro then should we say Jesus contradict Himself by comparing His miracle with that of Jonah?

....Jonah is alive in the fish and Jesus is dead in the tomb.....

Just look at the verse 2 in above version.

No, jesus did not contradict Himself. He compared Himself and God to different people and things. He also compared other himan beings to people and things. He compared His disciples to salt, light, trees for instance. He compared Himself to a thief coming in the night. He compared God to a certain man that had two sons, a field etc. he compared the kingdom to different things. He doesn't mean that He must do everything that a thief does, or that Lot does, or Noah etc. God compares Himself and His Word to water, to an eagle, to fire, a sword etc. These comparisons are to pass across a certain character and message. It doesn't mean that all the characters of what is been compared MUST tally. He does not have to boil at 100⁰ for instance. Let's keep the message as simple and clear as possible.

Image123:
Jon 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

Three day's journey from where?

Jonah was clearly in the fish's belly for three days and three nights. He went nowhere else.

When people die, is it that their body will go to the place of dead with them or only their soul?

I didn't say Jonah did not pray inside the fish. But verse 2 shows the position Jonah was where his dead body is. Jonah 2:2 "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord (some version use 'distress' meaning what he is passing through at that very moment of time), and he heard me; out of the belly (inside the fish where my body is) of hell (Sheol-in the place of the dead) cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

It's why i likened it to God preparing the fire that Daniel's friends were thrown in, or the lions in the Den that lion was thrown in. They were prepared that is why Daniel and his friends were not hurt.

I didn't claim Jonah was not swallowed by a fish, what he expirenced inside the fish is my main point. Daniel shear his own expirence "God send His angles to seal the Loin's mouth"... like his friends "the appearance of the forth man looks like Son of God". Jonah said he prayed in the belly of hell which is a clear statement.

The words used are pictorial/symbolic.

Here is not pictorial/symbolic/figurative sir.
I will repeat myself, if the word sheol was used a place of dead in OT will Jonah's case different?

Thank God you quoted Revelation. Now from Rev if seas give up its dead, are they alive or still living?

For jonah, he thought it was the end. In Psalms, we see similarly expressions where the psalmist was not even dead.

This is what I'm saying, stop quoting one verse without having the full knowledge of the rest of the verse.

Psalm 18:5 you quoted was written after the deliverance of David from Saul's hand.
Also Psalm 30:3, was written when David dedicate his house, and if you read it from beginnig you will see that David was sick before that time. What David means is just an appreciation that if not for the grace of God, he will have be in the place of dead not a pictorial word. but in the case of Jonah he saw himself there 7"when my soul fainted within me I remember the Lord..."

Lastly, verses 1-2 of chapter 2 is the complete story, why verses 3-7 is an explanations of how it happens. Actually Jonah would've expirenced a lot of things when he was threw inside the sea before the fish swallowed him which he explained in verse 3,5, & 6.

Mr. Image, I may not reply your next post for my personal reasons.

Anything you say I agree whether Jonah died inside the fish or not I'm in total support.

Thanks and God bless you more.

Shallom!

i give up

God bless you.

'Jonah', if this story is in any way true, was taken into an undersea vessel captained by otherworldly entities.

The best description pre-industrial men had for the episode was Jonah 'in the belly of a whale'.

Same applies to all alleged bible encounters with 'Yahweh', 'angels' etc etc.

Humans encountered powerful aliens in the past who they termed 'gods'. But these were really just technologically advanced beings.

But of course if you wish to believe that 'Jonah' did spend 40 nights in a live whale, your're free to persist in your delusion.

It's similar to the 'Elijah' going up in a 'chariot of fire' business. That was obviously some sort of UFO. A spaceship powered by advanced beings, into which 'Elijah' was invited or taken.

But of course if you wish to believe that an actual chariot spitting fire took up a man into the sky, you're free to persist in your delusion.

This is some deep, erudite stuff. I do think discussions about who's stronger, he-man or power mike, are more interesting though (and grounded in reality actually, considering power mike).

Well, the bible said it and it must be so!

That Balak abi Balam's donkey also spoke. Yahweh made it so!!

No more questions pls

Jonah was kidnapped by aliens, obviously.