Soap Box 34- The Significance of the Sign of the Prophet Jonah

This is a day of prophetic experts. T.V. programs bend the ear and bleed the pocketbooks of those religious groupies who clamor for insight from the prophetic experts who seem like ( to me ) new millennium gypsies turning the Bible into their own crystal ball.

Along with this prophetic frenzy, there are the modern day movements, which promise a duplication of first century "signs, wonders and miracles". It is a large cauldron, bubbling with healing shrines and lines, even visions of the likes of Mary, rejection of the medical profession. Pentecostalists, Chrismatics Mormons, Christian Scientists and Roman Catholics make up part of a mixed multitude of claimants.

Like the ritual extremists of water baptism, who preach from a Bible that drips of water, with every page soaked with their H20 doctrine, modern day wonder workers see "signs, wonders and miracles" oozing and fermenting from the same pages.

This paper will deal not with the above subjects directly, but rather with the particular "sign" that Jesus alludes to, in the context of Matthew 12, the "sign" of the Prophet Jonah. The Lord had many kinds of followers. Among them, were certain scribes and Pharisees, who feigned an interest in what was happening in and around the ministry of the Lord, but really wanted to find reasons and excuses for "not believing".

Matthew 12:38-41:

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying,

Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said

unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign,

and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet,

Jonah; For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of

the great fish, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights

in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment

with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at

the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

Here Jesus is confronted with an offer he must refuse. Cf. Matt. 16:1-4; Mk 8:10-13; Luke 11:29-32. Many claim that "signs, wonders and miracles" are needed today in order to confront unbelief and to generate faith. Yet, the Lord "did not many mighty works there ( in his own country ) because of their unbelief". Matt. 13:58; Mark 6:1-6 John's Gospel was written for the very purpose of informing readers that they need NOT see signs in order to believe, but read about them. John 20:30-31

In the context concerning the Prophet Jonah, this paper will not deal with the subject that will discern the hours and/or days that the Son of man ( the Lord Jesus) was in the heart of the earth. The debate and dialogue concerning a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday crucifixion of our Lord should have a place for discussion. But the important fact is that our Lord did die for our sins. We must strive to be champions of the faith and not chompers of one another. Those who feel they are blessed with an insight into truth, must also extend grace unto those who may not yet see it this or that way.

This paper will not use this context to support the idea that "signs, wonders and miracles" were not found to be gushing forth on every page of the Bible nor in every ministry of the Lord. ( But the argument can receive some support from this passage ) That is, the writer of this paper believes that the source of all "signs, wonders and miracles" lies with a sovereign God, who never becomes a slave to the people who were promised these same "signs, wonders and miracles". This also includes the ideas of God being selective and stringent concerning these same " signs, wonders and miracles".

Rather, we think that there is an insight concerning the "sign' of the Prophet Jonah that can be valuable in interpreting the life, death and resurrection of the Lord as it relates to the People of Israel.

Jesus states that the request of the scribes and Pharisees was representative of an evil and adulterous generation. He clearly marks out the people of this generation and not just the scribes and the Pharisees. He makes this doubly clear, with the thought that the men of Nineveh with rise up in judgment with this generation. The implication is not as clear ( possibly to some) that though the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, the people of Israel were NOT repenting at the preaching of one greater than Jonah.

The Lord had performed many "signs, wonders and miracles" Consider the leper, Matt. 8:1-4; the centurion's servant, 8:5-13; Peter's mother-in-law, 8:14-15; the many others acts, 8:16-17; the paralytic man, 9:1-8. Yet, these did not suffice. Our Lord would not accept the offer.

But he did make a gracious invitation. In this context of refusing to accept as sufficient witness the many "signs, wonders and miracles" that the Lord had already performed ( cf. Acts 2:22, 10:38 ) and in spite of the false interest in asking an outlandish request of yet another "sign", the Lord does offer them a "sign".


"… as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,

so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of

the earth."


The significance of this sign concerns the scope of the Lord's ministry and extends through the death, burial and resurrection. From this writer's perspective, it would also include the chapters of early Acts ( 1-7 ) . There must be a time, after the unfolding of the sign, for a reaction to the sign. The ministry of the twelve during these early chapters in Acts gives to Israel the facts, the evidence needed to consider, reconsider their decision concerning this sign, as it relates to Jesus and his claims.
This "sign" impacts the interpretation of the life, death and resurrection of Christ in relation to the people of Israel. In this same context ( in Matt. 12) the unpardonable sin may have a part to play. Was this "sin" committed with Israel's two-fold rejection of the Lord, once in his incarnation ministry and then again in his resurrection ministry ( given by his apostles ) ? How could Israel be cast away before she has fully and finally refused to accept Jesus as her Messiah? How could she be judged before the full witness had been delivered by the apostles ?

Matthew 23:37-39 has long been used as a text to show that Israel has fallen from the place of favor. Yet, the "sign" extends her time of decision making beyond this juncture in our Lord's teaching ministry. The door of opportunity has not been slammed shut. The unfruitful tree has not arrived at the time of cutting down ( yet ).

This is truly grace, in the dispensation of Law. God did not judge Israel before the cross ( in Matt. 23:37-39 ) nor at the cross. Actually, the cross was the revelation of Israel's unbelief, not God's reaction to this unbelief. Israel was given the opportunity to discern the meaning of the sign of Jonah. This could not happen until after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Israel could not reject the significance of the sign, until she knew and understood the entire scope of the sign as it unfolded historically. The explanation and unfolding of the facts came with the preaching and witnessing on the day of Pentecost and after. The grace found in Acts 1-7 was not the beginning of the dispensation of the Grace of God, but rather the extension of grace before the closing of the dispensation of the Law.

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