Jonah: A Wayward Prophet Who Found Mercy & Deliverance (Part 2)

Is the story of Jonah Scientifically Plausible?

For many years people have scoffed at the Biblical story of Jonah. Skeptics
have likened it to a fable, saying it is "impossible". This page will examine the
Scientific plausibility of the Book of "Jonah".

One of the arguments often used is that "the belly of a whale is too small to
hold a man" therefore the Bible cannot be trusted.

Not only is a whales belly large enough to hold a man inside, but many
accounts similar to the Biblical account of Jonah have been recorded over the
years.

For example, read about the famous case of James Bartley at:

http://www.ycaol.com/swallowed.htm

Though these documented cases shed some light on the story's credibility, it
must be remembered the Biblical account is a miraculous one. We must
remember to trust the Bible first and foremost, even if no other evidence
exists at the present time.
 Was Jonah swallowed by a whale or by a fish?

Some people claim that there is a contradiction in the Bible because the Old
Testament (KJV) calls the creature that swallowed Jonah a "Great fish", while
the New Testament calls it a "whale". (KJV) This is not a contradiction.
Matthew 12:40 (KJV) says that the creature is a whale, but the original Greek
from which it was translated calls it a "sea monster". The alleged contradiction
is nothing more than a different word chosen for the English translation by 17th
Century Bible scholars. The NWT translates Matthew 12:40 as “huge fish”.

So which is it, a whale or a fish?

Nothing in the biblical account demands that the creature be a whale. A

Sperm whale is often shown in artistic representations of the account of Jonah
and Sperm whales do indeed inhabit the area of the Mediterranean where
Jonah had his misfortunes. However we cannot be dogmatic. It may have
even been a large fish such as the Whale shark or some other huge
unspecified marine animal … maybe a creature which is now extinct.

Sperm Whale
Whale Shark

"What happened to Jonah while he was in the belly of the whale (or fish)?

How was he protected from the creatures natural digestive process?"

Answer:
We are not given enough details to know for sure what species the sea
creature this was, so any ideas on how Jonah was not digested would be
mere speculation.

The Bible does say however that God “appointed" (“prepared" KJV) the
creature, in so doing he no doubt protected Jonah in some miraculous way.
(Jonah 1: 17)

"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And
Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" (KJV)
This is a literal account of a man. But It also foreshadowed the true account of
Christ's 3 days and 3 nights in "the belly of the earth".

"For just as Jonah was in the belly of the HUGE FISH three days and
three nights, so the son of man will be in the heart of the earth three
days and three nights." Matthew 12:40 (NWT)

Here is the same verse again in the King James version

"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 (KJV)

The historical accuracy of Jonah is important for it foreshadows Christ’s own

death and resurrection. Christ would not associate one of the most important
events in history (his resurrection from the dead) with a mere fairy tale.

The type of “huge fish” is not the important aspect of the story, nor is how
Jonah was able to survive the ordeal. The importance is “the sign” or
prophetic significance … it foreshadowed the three days Jesus would spend
in the grave before his resurrection (Matt 12:39).

Those who scoff at, doubt or otherwise ridicule the book of Jonah are in
actuality doubting Christ's own integrity. Jesus believed and taught that Jonah
was a real person, and that the events described in the Bible account really
did happen to him. The same argument applies to those who mock at the
story of Noah (Matt 24: 37) and Adam & Eve (Luke 3:38).

References (both articles)

“Insight on the Scriptures” (Vol 2 p 98 – 101)

Watchtower : Jan 1st 2009 (“He Learned from his mistakes”).

Watchtower : April 1st 2009 (“He Learned a lesson in Mercy”).

Awake : December 2009 (“Great Monsters of the Deep Sea” – excellent

article).

http://www.ultimatebiblereferencelibrary.com/