The Time of Jonah By Gloria Henry
Saturday, March 31, 12
We know that Christ said his coming would be as in the days of Noah and the days of Lot, Matthew 24: 37-39. If we look close we will see that we are in these days. We see violence and sodomy as clear signs today. The bible did not go into all specifics of the days of Lot and Noah but if we open our eyes we can see what was going on than is going on now. The use of technology has accelerated this time period so much so that sin has reached into the heavens, Revelations 18:5.
Saturday, March 31, 12
Christ gave us another sign of his coming and that is the sign of Jonah, Matthew 12:38-41. How are our days similar to the time of Jonah? Why is Christ’s coming like unto the time of Jonah? To answer these questions we must look at the story of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet of God who was sent to prophesy against the great city of Nineveh because of their wickedness. Instead of obeying God, Jonah thought he could run from God and took a ship to Tarshish from the presence of God.
Saturday, March 31, 12
God sent a tempest which would destroy the ship Jonah was on and the other occupants. However the men being so afraid began calling on their gods and compelled Jonah to call on his God as well. When they decided to cast lots, they found out that this evil that came upon them was because of Jonah. Jonah confessed that he was a Hebrew and worshipped the God of heaven which struck fear in everyone. He also told them that he was running from the Lord and to throw him overboard and the sea would calm down. Nevertheless the men tried to row against the waves but were unable to. Eventually they threw Jonah into the sea and the sea calmed down. God had prepared a fish to swallow up Jonah and he was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights, Jonah 2:12-17; Luke 11:29-30.
Saturday, March 31, 12
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Saturday, March 31, 12
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NINEVEH: An ancient city founded by Nimrod on the banks of the Tigris River and for many years the capital of Assyria.
Saturday, March 31, 12
Nineveh was a great city of beauty, wealth, and sin. Jonah was supposed to preach unto them to repent of their sins. These people did not know their right hand from their left yet God had mercy on them and was going to give them a chance to repent, Jonah 4:10-11. We know that Christ came here to offer salvation to those who were in darkness and who did not know their right hand from their left.
Saturday, March 31, 12
As we know Christ fed the people, healed them, and taught them his word in the wilderness and desert and preached repentance. Yet he was crucified and was in the heart of the earth 3 days and 3 nights like Jonah was in the whale 3 days and 3 nights. HEART: The heart is the core or central part. Jonah was in the central part of the whale and down in the deep which is another name for hell or death which he could not escape from. He had to cry unto the Lord for help, Jonah 2: 1-5. Christ cried up to his Father when he was in the flesh as he was being crucified and asked God not to leave his soul in hell, Psalm 16:10.
Saturday, March 31, 12
Remember the people of Nineveh represent the people today who do not know their right hand from their left. These people are in the wilderness of confusion and the desert of ignorance.
Saturday, March 31, 12
Saturday, March 31, 12
These people are bruised reeds and smoking flaxes. In the last days God is calling his children back and giving them one last chance to repent. He will send unto them his prophets, priest liken unto Jonah to warn the people to repent for their sins, Jonah 3:5-7, Joel 2:12-13 Malachi 3:5-6. Let us look at the difference between the days of Lot, Noah and Jonah. The days of Lot and Noah represented how God saved a few of the righteous as compared to the rest of the world. The days of Jonah represents the call of the children of God in the latter days. Jonah also represented Christ when he was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights and his resurrection from the grave. It also represents the death saints of God who died in Christ and their resurrection from the grave. Just as God spoke to the fish and it vomited out Jonah, Christ will call his children out of the grave, 1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelations 20: 12-13.
Saturday, March 31, 12
Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh after he was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights and the people repented of the sins and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the least to the greatest and sat in ashes. The king and all the nobles, the flock and herds fasted and wore sackcloth. When God saw their sincerity he repented of the evil that he would do unto them. However this dis pleased Jonah and he complained to God of this. After all of this Jonah needed to understand the judgment of God. As Jonah sat on the east side of the city in a booth to see what would happen to the city. As Jonah’s lesson God prepared a gourd that grew over night that it might give Jonah shade from the heat of the sun which Jonah was very glad. However God prepared a worm that killed the gourd and a vehement east wind upon the head of Jonah that he fainted and wished to die. Why did God use a gourd to teach Jonah a lesson?
Saturday, March 31, 12
GOURD: A climbing plant in the family of melons or pumpkins that have seeds in them. The leaves are large like those of a vine.
Saturday, March 31, 12
The people of Nineveh were like a gourd and some gourds are wild. They did not know their right hand from their left. This gourd came up in one night and perished in a night which represents the shortness of their lives. They did not know God or his laws and God gave them a chance to repent as he does all of mankind. Jonah had pity on the gourd yet did not have pity on the people of Nineveh. If God had destroyed them they would not have had a chance to repent and seek God. Saturday, March 31, 12
When God comes to judge the world he will judge his children first. He will walk through his churches and tell each one about the wrong in their lives and give them a chance to repent, Revelations # 1-3. As watchman on the walls of Zion, we may not always understand God’s judgment, but we know he is just, fair, and merciful unto his children and the people of the world. Amen
Saturday, March 31, 12