Jonah 1 - A picture of Christ (Jonah and the fish)

Jonah 1:17 – 2:10

After being thrown into the sea, Jonah is swallowed by a big fish (verse 17). Three days he resides in the belly of the fish before being vomited back up onto dry land (Jonah 2:10). This is a picture of the Lord Jesus who after being crucified descended into the depths of the earth in Sheol to preach to those in the grave and to retrieve the keys to death before rising up again on the third day.

Matthew 27:50-52 “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit. Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raise.”

Ephesians 4:9 “Now this ‘He ascended’ – what does it mean but that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth?”

Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death.”

Psalm 16:10 “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see Corruption.”

The belly of this fish is a picture of Sheol (Jonah 2:2 “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried and you heard my voice.”)

Jonah 2:10 states, “So the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” After 3 days Jonah returns from the fish’s belly, just as Christ rose again on the third day.