I love the Lord and believe the bible is the inspired word of God but I know the old testament was written during the Bablylonian captivity to keep Israel's patriotism alive. Could it be that God just allowed a made up story to be in the bible because He wanted that point to be made to us? It's hard to believe that a man was really swallowed by the fish and lived in him for 3 days, then was spit out. How could he even have had enough air to breath all that time? And wouldn't the stomache acids had burned him after 3 days if that was true? Yes, God can do miracles but it doesn't sound like something God would do. What are people's thoughts on this. Christians ONLY please. No offense to atheists but I know you don't believe any of it anyway.
2007-01-19 08:39:58 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
La Gringa - I do believe the bible is the word of God. But not everything is literal in it. The prophecies of Daniels beasts and most of visions in Revelations are symbolic as well as all of Jesus's parables. Maybe this is symbolic, too. That's what I am asking. I don't know.
2007-01-19 08:58:11 · update #1
To royal racer - That's an interesting point. I never thought of that. I'll have to ponder that.
2007-01-19 08:59:33 · update #2
Jonah didnt live..he died and came back
Jesus once said that the only sign of His death and resurrection would be the sign of jonah
2007-01-19 08:42:39 · answer #1 · answered by Royal Racer Hell=Grave © 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It never says it's a whale.It was a specially designed fish.I believe Jonah was written more than 100 yrs before the Babylonian Captivity even before Assyrias capture of No. Israel.I also believe he died in there and God restored his life.That's why Jesus used Jonah as an example a couple of times ,"As Jonah was 3 days in the belly of the fish ,so will the Son of Man be in the grave",and he was restored to life also.I'd take the Scriptures a little more literal.
2007-01-19 08:48:10 · answer #2 · answered by AngelsFan 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you start to doubt the word of God, you will eventually doubt God- so please do not get in that position! The word of God is alive and active, and is God breathed- yes it is true! It is truth! God can allow anythign to happen and can make anything happen- and the Bible says "a big fish" which we assume is a whale....but God controls creation yes? He can do whatever He wills, and this is a good lesson for us--and it was a good lesson for Jonah! God was glorified through this....and Jonah was drawn to the Lord more through this and given no fear in sharing the gospel with others~
2007-01-19 08:54:37 · answer #3 · answered by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God said it in his word and I believe every word he inspired scholars at that time to write. God said bless is the man that believe and hve not seen. If you are one that reads the bible then you would know that God did more than this miracle. Look at Jesus how he fed the 5,000 and this would in some way relate to this scene as well. By the way I am a christian. The story of Jonah and the whale is definitely true.
2007-01-19 08:48:09 · answer #4 · answered by JoJoBa 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It should be obvious to anyone who has actually read the bible that it is solely the words of men and was never intended to be taken literally. At best the bible is a collection of parables, much the same as the ancient works of Egytian, Greek and Roman mythology.
2007-01-19 09:09:41 · answer #5 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that a God who sends His son through the Spirit to Mary, made Himself poor for our sakes, to die and rise again by the Resurrection power; part the red sea, appear in a burning, shall I go on. Certainly He can find a way to do anything. I have not studied the Jonah account completely; but from my other in depth studies of the Bible, I am trusting God will reveal its importance at just the right time.
2007-01-19 08:46:40 · answer #6 · answered by mariedockins 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Whether the story is actually true or not, I don't know, but it is actually is possible for someone to live in a whale for several days. I've heard stories of someone living for up to a week. It is uncommon, of course.
Note: yes, I know a whale is not classified as a fish, but the ancient Israelites didn't use the same system of classification that we do.
2007-01-19 08:45:25 · answer #7 · answered by piegie314 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many of the stories from the old testament are problematic in this way. I think that those stories are there as metaphors, to teach us lessons. Not to be taken literally at all. I include amongs these, Adam and Eve and the garden, the Tower of Babel, the Great Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Jonah and the Whale, Moses and the Red Sea, and the Ressurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
2007-01-19 08:44:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I am not an athiest nor Christian but I believe the story as you said it. You didn't mention that Jonah(PBUH) prayed to be released from the whale and after being released, he was told to rub the leaves of a special plant on him to help soothe the burns and pain.
2007-01-19 09:21:58 · answer #9 · answered by Simplicity 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Aren't you sort of contradicting yourself? You just said that you believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God(which is true). So of course the story of Jonah is true.
2007-01-19 08:50:10 · answer #10 · answered by La Gringa 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I believe it. If God can create the whole world He can create Jonah's whale. If you ever have a chance to listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a radio Bible teachers speak on Jonah please listen. Dr. McGee has a website at www.ttb.org. Check it out, you can go into his radio broadcast archives and listen to the teaching.
2007-01-19 08:56:26 · answer #11 · answered by angel 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋