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[Heidi]

Hi there all,

Can someone please point me in the right direction where I can find out about what the parable of the sign of Jonah means?

I always thought that it was a symbol of Christ death, how He was crucified and buried for three days. Much the same as Jonah spent three days in the whales tummy.

Also that Jesus spent three days in the earth... does this represent the tomb?

I would much appreciate any comments.

Cheers
Heidi

[cherokee]

Heidi,
Here is a link to a post on three days and three nights. It should help you.

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5916.0.html

Suzie

[winner08]

If I'm not mistaking the story of Jonah was a metaphore for Christ being in the heart of the earth. Jesus taught in spirit not physical, So was Jonha physically inside of a fish or was it a spiritual teaching??

                                           Darren

[cherokee]

Darren,

My understanding is the story of Jonah in the OT was a real physical happening, but in the NT it was a spiritual teaching.

Suzie

[winner08]

I could be wrong.

                         Darren

[Heidi]

Thanks for the web link Suzie.  I read the email sent to Ray and now my question is, what does "in the heart of the earth mean."
Ray teaches (and so does the scripture state) that when we die, we have no consciousness of the fact that we are dead.  So also did Jesus die, He was the first to rise from the dead....so by association is it correct to say then that Jesus was completely dead and had no consciousness of the fact that He was dead until God raised Him from the dead?

I would like some direction as to whether my thinking is going the right way or not???

[cherokee]

Thanks for the web link Suzie.
Your welcome.

  I read the email sent to Ray and now my question is, what does "in the heart of the earth mean."

I'm not to good at writing out what I understand, that's why I don't post much, but will give it a try.

Just as Jonah lived before he was in the belly of the fish so Jesus was(John 1:1) before he was born in the body of a man.
Man's bodies were formed of the dust of the ground(Gen. 2:7) which would make them earth.

So here is how I understand it.

Jonah = Jesus
belly of the fish = heart of the earth


Ray teaches (and so does the scripture state) that when we die, we have no consciousness of the fact that we are dead.  So also did Jesus die, He was the first to rise from the dead....so by association is it correct to say then that Jesus was completely dead and had no consciousness of the fact that He was dead until God raised Him from the dead?

I would like some direction as to whether my thinking is going the right way or not???
Yes you are going in the right direction.

I hope this helps and does not confuse you or anyone else.
I am open to correction.

Suzie

[Kat]

http://bible-truths.com/email6.htm#three ------------------

Now then, if Christ was to be DEAD for the exact period of TIME of three days and three nights, How then could that be "the sign of Jonah?" JONAH WAS NOT DEAD AT ALL!!! Jonah went through 'A LIVING HELL' if you will! Besides, Jesus was NOT buried in the "HEART" of the earth, He was buried in an ABOVE THE EARTH TOMB! Maybe twenty inches or so on the other side of a big stone. 

"In the HEART OF THE EARTH" is a parable showing the unbelievable agony of the human spirit and flesh that Jesus would go through LEADING UP TO and INCLUDING the time in the tomb. And those three days began on the PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER, seeing that Jesus, HIMSELF, was to BE THE PASSOVER!!!

And don't forget the AGONY IN THE GARDEN when Jesus SWEAT BLOOD!! No one will ever know what torture He endured those "three days and three nights in the HEART OF THE EARTH." BEFORE the beatings and crucifixion we read this: 

"NOW is My SOUL TROUBLED [Greek: DISTRESSED, IN TURMOIL!]; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for his cause came I unto THIS HOUR" (John 12:27).

The "heart of the earth" is the very DEPTH OF THE FLESH. The flesh of man is "of the EARTH, EARTHY" Paul tells us.


http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,7225.0.html --------------------------

For as Jonas 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.

    I see "whale's belly," and I see "heart of the earth."  I do not see where it says "So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights IN THE GRAVE."  Do you? No, of course you don't.

Once more, let's read the Scriptures: "Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
v

 The sign that the disciples remembered when Jesus rose from the dead was:

    Luk 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

    Luk 24:7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. [Not a word about the "sign of Jonah."]

    Luk 24:8 And they remembered his words..."

they did not remember the "sign of Jonah," which was a "parable" to the evil and adulterous generation, not a sign to "His disciples"
v

they did not eat leavened bread at Passover. They already put the leaven out BEFORE Passover, not after Passover.  When will Christians come to understand that Passover WAS the first day of unleavened bread, and was therefore a Holy Day.

They kept the Lamb until the 14th when it was killed at the going down of the sun, in the evening, and was then eaten, celebrated, THAT NIGHT, which is then the 15th of Nisan, not the 14th:

    Exo 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it IN THE EVENING.

    Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

    Exo 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh IN THAT NIGHT..."  That night being the 15th of Nisan, not the 14th.
v

Joh 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
v

 "For THAT sabbath day was an high day."

    Why would John tell us that THAT SABBATH was a certain day?  John doesn't say "for THAT DAY was an high day," does he?  No he doesn't. John doesn't say that "Thursday was an high day."  No,  John says "For that SABBATH [not just that "day," but that "sabbath"--it was ALREADY a sabbath day, not just any day of the week, like "Wednesday." No, that weekly SABBATH DAY, was ALSO AN HIGH DAY] was [in ADDITION to being a Sabbath day] was [also] AN HIGH DAY."
v

 Luke 24:1--"Now upon the FIRST day of the week..." That would be SUNDAY.  Late Sunday AFTERNOON as it was coming toward evening, two disciples went toward Emmaus when Jesus met them on the road. One of them explains to Jesus what had happened the past few days. Being downcast, he states that:

    Luk 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this,  TODAY  I-S  THE THIRD DAY since these things were done.

    WHAT "things" were done?

    THESE things:

    Luk 24:19 And he said unto them, WHAT things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

    Luk 24:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered  him to be  [1] condemned to death, AND have [2] crucified him.

    Those two things ONLY are the "THESE things" mentioned in verse 21. And so, late Sunday afternoon was "the THIRD day" since, "the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be [1] condemned to death, AND have [2] crucified him."
----------------------------------------------------------

And those three days began on the PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER, seeing that Jesus, HIMSELF, was to BE THE PASSOVER

So the key is to start counting the 3 days with the preparation for the Passover.

When will Christians come to understand that Passover WAS the first day of unleavened bread, and was therefore a Holy Day.

It is understood by Scholars that the passover (15th of Nisan) began on Thursday evening, as sunset is the beginning the Jewish day. 

Matt 26:19  And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
v. 20  Now when the even was come, He sat down with the twelve.

~Time-line of 3 days and 3 nights

Prepare for and observe Passover, agony in garden,
arrested...             Thursday-early Friday morning                --day 1-night 1
                                                                                             
Fri. morning went to courts, beatings and crucified
in afternoon, put in the tomb...  Friday                                --day 2-night 2
                                                                                             
Dead in the tomb...                Saturday 
                                                                                   --day 3-night 3
Raised, Jesus met the Disciples on the road to
Emmaus (Luke 24:1)...             Sunday

This is the way I have worked out the 3 days and 3 nights by what Ray has given.  Hope it is understandable 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

   

[cherokee]

Yes Kat, that was very understandable to me.
It is how I understand it also.
I just am not good at explaining these truths like you and others here.
That's why I do not post much but just linger and read.

Thanks,
Suzie

[Kat]

Hi Suzie,

It took me all day to figure out all the aspects of that post, lol, my thoughts kept going back to Him being in the tomb for 3 days and what day was the Passover     So I just kept reading it over and over to get my thinking straight, I guess I needed that purging from those old teaching that were stuck in my head.

Don't worry so much in your posting about explaining things perfectly, sometimes a simple response gives somebody that needed little help to understand something and is a big encouragement to the poster. 
It is really nice to see a variety of people's comments on the different topics.  I'm always glad to see your posts, so do join in 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[cherokee]

Thanks for the encouuragement Kat.

Love and Peace to you and yours,
Suzie

[gmik]

Suzi love the new avatar!!  Beautiful.

Oh, ps, good thread too!!

[cherokee]

Thanks Gena.

It's called Sunset at the North Pole.

Suzie

[gmik]

Cool!!

[Heidi]

Hi Suzie and Kat,

Thank you for your replies to my post.  I am beginning to understand it and will meditate on it until God gives me the grace to fully understand this.

Suzie, just as Kat has replied re your post, I want to also encourage you.  Thank you for taking the time.

Love in Christ
Heidi