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● Jonah 1:17 . . The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he was
inside the fish three days and three nights
FAQ: Was Jonah alive in the fish?
REPLY: Yes. (Jonah 2:1)
FAQ: The whole time?
REPLY: No; at some point in his nautical adventure Jonah went to a place called
sheol (Jonah 2:2) which is located at the roots of the mountains. (Jonah 2:6)
Well; the roots of the mountains aren't anchored in the tummies of fish, nor
are they anchored under the sea, rather: they're anchored underground
deep in the earth. So, the only way that Jonah could possibly be at the roots
of the mountains while simultaneously in the belly of a fish was for the man
and his body to part company and go their separate ways. This is not
impossible because according to Matt 10:28 people can, and do, exist as
disembodied souls.
Also, the language of Jonah's prayer strongly suggests that his corpse was
restored to life, i.e. resurrected.
● Jonah 2:6 . . I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its
bars was around me forever, But Thou hast brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
The Hebrew word for "pit" basically pertains to holes in the ground, but
sometimes speaks of putrefaction too, e.g. Ps 16:8-10 & Acts 2:25-31. In
other words: had Jonah's body been left inside that fish's tummy for much
longer, it would've been digested to oblivion.
● Matt 12:40 . . For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of
a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth.
Now when you think about it; Jesus' remains weren't laid to rest in the heart
of the earth; and in point of fact they weren't even buried in the earth's soil.
They were laid to rest up on the surface of the earth, above the soil, in a
rock tomb. So the only way that Jesus could be up on the surface of the
earth while simultaneously down below was for he and his body to part
company and go their separate ways the same as Jonah's did.
Also: it was essential to get Jesus back up on his feet again before a fourth
day to prevent his body from being lost to rot. (John 11:39, Ps 16:8-10,
Acts 2:25-31)
NOTE: Jonah 2:5-7 strongly suggests the prophet was already deceased via
drowning prior to the fish; which makes sense seeing as Jesus was deceased
prior to the tomb, viz: neither man was buried alive.
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