32) The Book of Jonah

JONAH is the most maliciously maligned book in the Bible (Matt. 12:39-40; Luke 2:34). It is spoken against by conservatives and liberals alike. The account of Jonah has been called an allegory, a dream, a fairy tale, a fiction, a legend, a myth, and a vision. The credibility of the Lord Jesus Christ rests upon the true story of Jonah and the whale (Matt. 12:40). The name of Jonah means dove, which is a type of the Holy Ghost and Amittai's name means truth telling, therefore, the Holy Ghost records the truth about Jonah and his experiences (John 16:13).
Jonah was a prophet in Zebulon of Galilee (Josh. 19:10-13; 2 Kings 14:25; John 7:52) and he lived during the reign of Jeroboam Ⅱ.

The historical account of Jonah portrays prophetic events. The three days and three nights in the belly of the whale picture the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matt. 12:38-40). The prophet Jonah pictures a Jewish saint who will preach to Gentiles during the Tribulation and upon martyrdom they will go to the heart ofthe earth (Ps. 40:1-3; Matt. 16:18; Luke 16:22; Eph. 4:8-10; Rev. 20:4-6).

Spiritually, Jonah pictures a believer who is upset with God about his circumstances or his calling in life. Jonah was called to preach against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (Isa. 37:37), but he did not care for the Assyrians. Jonah was not afraid of the Assyrians; he wanted God to destroy them for their wickedness. If God destroyed Nineveh, the Assyrians could not be used as the instruments of judgment against Israel (2 Kings 17:6). His burden for Israel overruled his call to Nineveh. The book contains 4 chapters and 48 verses.

King James Bible.