JONAH

Jonah Chapter 2

• Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

Well its obvious at first that Jonah didn't die as some commenters believe because Jesus used the experience of Jonah being 3 days and 3 nights in the whales belly to compare the sign that Jesus spent 3 days and 3 nights in the grave after His death on the cross.  If he had of died, his soul would be somewhere else and not in the fish. A dead body can't pray. His soul and spirit would be in Abraham's bosom or hell.

• 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, and thou heardest my voice.

The word of hell or Sheol can either mean the grave or the place departed spirits go after death.  According to the story of the rich man and Lazarus, souls can speak in hell. This is not just a parable but even if it was just a parable, Jesus wouldn't tell something that wasn't possible so I include this story here just as an afterthought. So verse one says he was still in the fish's belly so that would mean he was alive. The 2nd verse says he cried out of the belly of hell, which could imply his body was dead or else being in the fish's belly seemed like hell would be. However, controversy on this too much gets us off the main message of the book of Jonah.

• Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
• 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
• 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
• 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
• 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
• 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
• 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
• 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

So we see two compartments in hell for the righteous and for the wicked. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, believer's souls go to heaven instead. We see this in the book of Revelation when martyred souls are before crying out for justice.

• Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
• 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
• 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

We can see that there is no soul sleep for they were in heaven and they could speak. Since it was after the resurrection of Jesus, they no longer went to Abraham's bosom but where Jesus is today in heaven.

• Psalm_68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

The new testament repeats this speaking of Jesus:

• Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
• 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

These are very hard passages and subject to different interpretations. One is that when Jesus was resurrected He went to hell, not the place of torment but Abraham's bosom and took the ones there to heaven. Other commentators skip this part and just speak of the gifts and callings Jesus gave to the church after His departure. 

Concerning no soul sleep we read this in Peter:

• 1Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
• 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
• 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Here is another difficult passage in scripture. Some believe Jesus as just referring to Noah's preaching before the flood. Others believe Jesus went to speak to the souls that died in the flood. He preached to their souls in hell. Another interpretation is that Jesus went to speak to the fallen angels in Tartarus or hell because after humans die there is no more chance to be saved. However, I can't figure out why Jesus would go preach to fallen angels. 

These things make interesting topics for discussion as long and people do not get afraid and offended and accuse one another of false teaching because there are some things in the bible we learn slowly as we continue to seek the Lord for understanding and some of us are going to disagree in the process. 

A real false teacher is one who deliberately teaches falsely and endangers souls from receiving the truth that they might be saved. One who just disagrees in certain passages and is not purposely trying to deceive can't be labeled the same as those that teach purposely to extract money or deceive. A good teacher though is one who once they find out they had been teaching something false, will strive to correct it. 

• 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.
• 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
• 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
• 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
• 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
• 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Why Jonah spoke of the sin of worshiping idols is a puzzle unless that was the main sin that Nineveh was committing and causing them to be in danger of the judgment of God. In order to have forgiveness and mercy they had to repent or turn from idols. Perhaps also Jonah was speaking of himself and referring to his own disobedience in running from God to a place where idolatry was practiced. I've prayed many times though and a thought would come into my mind about a certain sin that was wrong in the country, in the church or my own life that needed to be addressed so in prayer we learn as we are praying many times. 

• Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
• 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

One things I notice in studying commentators.

If there is no chance of salvation after one dies, then Jonah couldn't have been dead. However, if the dead can speak and pray then it is possible that Jonah literally died. Either way this was a miracle. The belly of a fish sure would seem like the grave or hell.

Jonah had a complete turn around or conversion here and he began offer the sacrifices of praise and gave glory to God. In turn God spoke to the fish and Jonah was vomited out on dry land. DC