Boaz Baptist Chronicles
Boaz Baptist Chronicles
Bible Believing, KJV, Independent Baptist, Soulwinning, Premillennial, Family and Homeschool Friendly
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“You don’t believe those silly stories found in the Bible, do you:
“How could a man be swallowed by a whale?”
“Preposterous,” you say!
“The Bible couldn’t be correct.”
Or, could it be? Let's see...
The book of Jonah tells us that God “…prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17)
Jesus told us what that “great fish” was…
“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.” (Matthew 12:40)
Don’t let the modern day technical term “mammal” throw you. Not that long ago, the Grey Whale was referred to as the “DevilFish,” because unlike all other whales (except the Sperm whale) they aggressively attacked the whalers, maiming or killing one out of four who worked the fishery. And, Pilot whales are among the largest of the oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by the killer whale. They and other large members of the dolphin family are also known as “Blackfish.” There was also a species of whales called the “Whalefish” or Cetomimiformes.
Don’t believe me. Look it up!
What's so important about this? Well, one reason is the accuracy of the Bible. God mentions “whales” on the fifth day of the six days of creation...
“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind….” (Genesis 1:21)
Let’s face it, God didn’t make a mistake. He knew a whale was a mammal, since He created them, don’t you think?
A second reason this is so important is because Jesus likened Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale and vomited out, to His death, burial and resurrection. Read it, again, for yourself…
“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.” (Matthew 12:40)
Jesus prophesied the length of time He would remain dead in the earth, by the story—the REAL story of Jonah. It’s repeated here by Saint Paul…
“…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scripture….” (I Corinthians 15:2-3)
But, that isn’t all. After He arose, Jesus was seen of hundreds of people. Do you know who is listed first? “Cephas.” (I Corinthians 15:4) “Who was Cephas,” you ask? Cephas was Saint Peter. (John 1:42) Do you know what he did for a living? He was a commercial fisherman. (Mark 1:16-17) In other words, the first man listed who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus was a fisherman! I wonder if Peter thought about Jonah and the whale when he viewed the resurrected Saviour?
Do you believe this account, friend? Is Jesus Christ your Saviour? He can be, you know. Remember, He went to the cross to pay for your sins, was buried, and, like Jonah, came up three days later. All who repent of their sins and receive Him by faith has Eternal Life.
Please, click the picture below, to learn more…
Music from: Beethoven's ninth symphony, third movement.