Bible Study Jonah, Jesus and Paul

[GodIsMySavior]

Jonah is a rather small book in the OT consisting of 4 short chapters, but what makes it so rich and important to me is that Jesus quotes from it.
Besides Jesus, Paul is perhaps one of the most prominent men in the NT.

That aside, I would like to quote the similar passages I have found concerning Jonah, Jesus and Paul.

Here Jesus quotes from Jonah concerning His death and resurrection:
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Mat 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Mat 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41 Men Ninevites shall be standing-up/resurrecting<450> in the judging with this generation and shall be condemning it, that they repent/reform into the proclamation of Jonah and Lo! more of Jonah here.[Luke 11:32]
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Jonah tries to flee from Yahweh when told to go to Nineveh:

Jon 1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
Jon 1:4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
Jon 1:15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

Jon 1:17 Now Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jon 2:10 So Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jon 3:1 Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the second time, saying,
Jon 3:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
Jon 3:4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
Jon 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed Elohim, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
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A similar event concerning a tempest is shown both in the Gospels and Acts 17 [Paul's journey to Rome]
Jesus Stills the Storm
(Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

Matthew 8:
23 And when he entered into the boat his disciples did follow him, 24 and lo, a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves, but he was sleeping, 25and his disciples having come to him, awoke him, saying, ‘Sir, save us; we are perishing.’ 26 And he saith to them, ‘Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’ Then having risen, he rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm; 27 and the men wondered, saying, ‘What kind — is this, that even the wind and the sea do obey him?’
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And in Paul's journey to Rome.....Just as Jonah was sent to Nineveh, so Paul was sent to both Jerusalem and Rome.
A tempest stirred up on while they were sailing to Italy

Act 23:11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”

Acts 27:1 And when our sailing to Italy was determined, they were delivering up both Paul and certain others, prisoners, to a centurion, by name Julius, of the band of Sebastus,
Acts 27:14 and not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, that is called Euroclydon,
Acts 27:21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship
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Acts 28:11 And after three months, we set sail in a ship (that had wintered in the isle) of Alexandria, with the sign Dioscuri, 12 and having landed at Syracuse, we remained three days, 13 thence having gone round, we came to Rhegium, and after one day, a south wind having sprung up, the second [day] we came to Puteoli; 14 where, having found brethren, we were called upon to remain with them seven days, and thus to Rome we came;
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[GodIsMySavior]

It appears the Hebrew meaning for Jonah is "dove"

Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon - EliYah Ministries

Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

www.eliyah.com

H3124 - yônâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H3124 - יוֹנָה Yôwnâh, yo-naw'; the same as ; Jonah, an Israelite:—Jonah.

www.blueletterbible.org

H3124 יוֹנָה (Yonah), occurs 19 times in 17 verses Outline of Biblical Usage [?] Jonah = "dove"

3123 yownah yo-naw' probably from the same as 3196; a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating):--dove, pigeon.
3124 Yonah yo-naw' the same as 3123; Jonah, an Israelite:--Jonah.
3128 yownath 'elem rchoqiym yo-nath' ay'-lem rekh-o-keem' from 3123 and 482 and the plural of 7350; dove of (the) silence (i.e. dumb Israel) of (i.e. among) distances (i.e. strangers); the title of a ditty (used for a name of its melody):--Jonath-elem-rechokim.
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"dove" occurs 20 times in 20 verses

Coincidentally, the Gospels shows a dove as "the spirit of God" descending upon Jesus:

Mat 3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He[fn] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

Jhn 1:32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
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They are shown being sold for sacrifice:

Mat 21:12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God[fn] and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
Jhn 2:14And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.

Bible Study - Sound of a whip....John 2 "Passover Cleansing of Temple"...and Rev 18:8

This thread will be on this NT event and I will try to give some relevant OT and Revelation verses. All 4 Gospel record this event, tho John appears to give a longer and more descripted version of it. Matthew 21:12 Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and...

christianforums.net

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An interesting article I found

The Enduring Symbolism of Doves

Few symbols have a tradition as long and as rich as the dove. A favorite in art and iconography, the dove often represents the divine

www.biblicalarchaeology.org

There is strong evidence in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the archaeological record, that many ancient Israelites believed the goddess Asherah was the consort of their god Yahweh. Perhaps it is not so surprising, then, that the heirs of this Israelite religion incorporated the “feminine” symbol of the dove to represent the spirit of God (the word for “spirit,” ruach, is a feminine word in Hebrew). The Babylonian Talmud likens the hovering of God’s spirit in Genesis 1:2 to the hovering of a dove. Indeed, this same “hovering” language is used to describe God’s spirit in the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as the New Testament.

Dove imagery is also utilized in several of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. The low, cooing sound of a dove served as mournful imagery to evoke the suffering of the people of Judah (see Isaiah 38:14, 59:11; Ezekiel 7:16 and others).

But doves were more than just a soundtrack for a people who had fallen away from God; they were also an instrument of atonement. Several passages of the Torah (especially Leviticus) specify occasions that require the sacrifice of two doves (or young pigeons)—either as a guilt offering or to purify oneself after a period of ritual impurity (including the birth of a child). Several columbaria, or dovecotes, have been excavated in the City of David and the Jerusalem environs (by crawford). These towers were undoubtedly used to raise doves for sacrificial offerings, as well as for the meat and fertilizer they provided—a popular practice in the Hellenistic and Roman periods that continued into the modern period.

 

[GodIsMySavior]

I could not locate any OT references to Saul/Paul coming to the Jews/Gentiles.
Closest I could come is this passage:

Isa 66:19 “I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul[fn] and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles

Acts 18:6 When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!"

An interesting tidbit: The wording of the cities, Tarshish and Tarsus, are vaguely similar.

Genesis 1:1 (NKJV)

"tarshish" primary search results are listed below along with dictionary aides, FAQs, and Lexiconc.

www.blueletterbible.org

"tarshish" occurs 22 times in 20 verses in the NKJV,

Jon 1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. [Jonah 4:2]

Genesis 1:1 (NKJV)

"tarsus" primary search results are listed below along with dictionary aides, FAQs, and Lexiconc.

www.blueletterbible.org

"tarsus" occurs 5 times in 5 verses in the NKJV

Act 9:11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus<5018>, for behold, he is praying.
Act 22:3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus<5019> of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.
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I looked up those place on Wiki and found these articles interesting:

Tarshish - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Tarshish (Phoenician: ???? tršš, Hebrew: תַּרְשִׁישׁ‎ Taršîš, Greek: Θαρσεις, Tharseis) occurs in the Hebrew Bible with several uncertain meanings, most frequently as a place (probably a large city or region) far across the sea from Phoenicia (modern Lebanon) and the Land of Israel.

• Jonah 1:3 (Jonah 1:3), 4:2 mentions Tarshish as a distant place: "But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish." Jonah's fleeing to Tarshish may need to be taken as "a place very far away" rather than a precise geographical term. It may however refer to Tarsus in Cilicia where Saul, later Paul, hailed from.[6] On the Mediterranean Sea, ships that used only sails were often left stranded without wind while ships with oars could continue their voyage.[7]

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Tarsus, Mersin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Tarsus was the city where, according to the Acts of the Apostles, "Saul of Tarsus" was born, but he was "brought up" () in Jerusalem. Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 21:39; Acts 22: 25-29) "from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city".

With a history going back over 6,000 years, Tarsus has long been an important stop for traders and a focal point of many civilizations. During the Roman Empire, Tarsus was the capital of the province of Cilicia. It was the scene of the first meeting between Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and the birthplace of Paul the Apostle.

 

[GodIsMySavior]

A I delved more into the Book of Jonah, the more fascinated I became with this story.
Symbolically, I can see the ship symbolizing 1st century Jerusalem...

Jonah 1:
14Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, "We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don't let us die for this man's life, and don't lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you." [Matthew 27:24]
15So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. 16Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.17Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
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Mat 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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Unlike the men on the, ship who tossed Jonah overboard, the wicked 1st century Jewish rulers in essence "cast Jesus off the ship" by having Him crucified, not realizing that He would later resurrect.

Pilate actually tried to save Jesus and like the men on the ship in Jonah, said he was innocent of His blood........but the Scriptures had to be fulfilled........

Jhn 19:11Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
12At this, Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you release this man, you aren't Caesar's friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!"

13When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called "The Pavement," but in Hebrew, "Gabbatha." 14Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" 15They cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
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Mat 27:24
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.[fn] You see to it. [Jonah 1:14]
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About 40yrs later, they received their due recompense at the hands of the Romans in 70AD:

"Daughters of Jerusalem" is only mentioned in 1 verse of the NT:

Luke 23:
27 Followed yet to Him a-vast multitude of the people, and of-women were. And grieved and wailed of Him.
28 Being-turned yet toward them, Jesus said "Daughters of-Jerusalem no be-lamenting over Me, moreover for yourselves be-lamenting, and upon the children of ye.
30 "Then they shall be beginning to be saying to the mountains<3735> 'be falling upon us!' and to the hills<1015> 'cover us!'". [Hosea 10:8 24:15 Revelation 6:16]

Revelation 6:16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambkin! 17 For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” [Hosea 10:8 Luke 23:30]
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The Destruction of Jerusalem - George Peter Holford, 1805AD

The day on which Titus encompassed Jerusalem, was the feast of the Passover ;

Meanwhile the horrors of famine grew still more melancholy and afflictive.
The Jews, for of food were at length compelled to eat their belts, their sandals, the skins of their shields, dried grass, and even the ordure of oxen. In the depth or this horrible extremity, a Jewess of noble family urged by the intolerable cravings of hunger, slew her infant child, and prepared it for a meal ;.......................... Indeed, humanity at once shudders and sickens at the narration, nor can any one of the least sensibility reflect upon the pitiable condition to which the female part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem must at this time have been reduced, without experiencing the tenderest emotions of sympathy, or refrain from tears while he reads our SAVIOUR'S pathetic address to the women who " bewailed him" as he was led to Calvary, wherein he evidently refers to these very calamities : "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves and fur your children ; for, behold, the days are coming in which they shall say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the breasts that never gave suck." Luke xxiii. 29.
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