Jonah/Christ TypologyJonah being spit out by the big fish is an amazing example of Typology in the Old Testament. Jonah disobey God by not going to Nineveh to preach against the people sinning against God. Instead of going to Nineveh he boards a ship. A big storm hits that night and he tells the people on the boat to throw him overboard, so they did. Jonah sacrifice his life that night of storm for his shipmates.
He is than swallowed by a big fish. He is in there 3 days/nights and after 3 days and nights Jonah is spit out of the big fish. To overcome bring in the big fish, Jonah started praying these words: To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever but you, Lord my God brought my life up from the pit. (Jonah 2:6) After being in the big fish for three days and nights, he was spit out. :And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 2:10) Jonah foreshadows the work of Christ. Just like Jonah was to call out the gentile Assyrians of Nineveh and preach to them about their sins; Jesus called out the gentile and all mankind to repent of their sins. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) Jesus sacrifices his life for us to be saved from our sin just like Jonah did for his shipmates that night of the storm so they could be saved, he jumped overboard.
Another way it foreshadows is Jesus rose from the dead of the third day, just like Jonah was spit out of the big fish on the third day. Jonah then continued his trip to Nineveh to preach the gentiles and Assyrians to preach to those people about their sin and wrongdoing against the Lord after being spit out by the big fish. How that foreshadows to the work of Christ is: Jesus continued his preaching after his resurrection and before he went to heaven. He preached to the church for 40 days.
The both continued their mission to preach to people about Salvation. “On the first day Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed. “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” (Jonah 3:4) and “He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all.” (Mark 16:15) So Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh about their sin and Christ preached to Disciples and other about their sin and to spread the gospel to others.
