Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
Jonah: An Object Lesson for the Church

Jonah: An Object Lesson for the Church

The book of Jonah is not only an historical account of a reluctant prophet, his eventual delivering of God’s message to the wicked city of Ninevah, and their repentance, but it also serves as an object lesson for us. There are lessons beyond the obvious historical events of a people living wickedly and receiving a message of impending doom, an end of their city, and how they repented being applied to God’s end-time call to the wicked world to repent because the end of our sinful earth is coming.

Jesus applied the object lesson of Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days to Himself being in the grave for three days; He observed that while the Ninevites repented at Jonah’s witness, the Jews did not repent when He, one greater than Jonah, testified to them (Matthew 12:39–41).

But let’s consider other potential object lessons from Jonah.

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD (Jonah 1:1–3 NIV84).

  • The name “Jonah” means dove and is considered a term of endearment. God called Jonah (the dove who is dear to Him) to be His witness to Nineveh.
    • Today, God calls His people, who are dear to Him and are filled with the Holy Spirit, symbolized by a dove, to be His end-time witnesses, to take the gospel message to the world, calling the world to repent because the end, the destruction of our world, is coming.
  • Jonah was reluctant to fulfill this calling and, therefore, fled.
    • Has the church been reluctant to stand up and call out the wickedness and abuses of power by the godless? Throughout history, has the church been reluctant to take the true gospel message and gone in a different direction instead? Could Jonah’s fleeing fit the church? Consider the next point.
  • Jonah headed toward Tarshish by way of Joppa, the city from which the cedars used for Solomon’s temple were obtained. The wood that went into the temple was cut from its roots in the earth, shaped for the building, covered in gold, and stood upright in the temple.
    • This symbolizes the people of God, humans who are made out of the dirt of the earth, being cut away from our earthly sources of sustenance and the ties to the powers of this world so they no longer bring forth the natural fruits of sinfulness but have their characters shaped by the Holy Spirit, who circumcises their hearts and fills them with the Spirit/life of Christ, symbolized by the cutting and shaping of the cedar and covering it in gold—the righteousness of Christ, which enables them to stand upright and live upright lives.
  • But when Jonah goes to Joppa, he doesn’t mobilize the people of God to help in giving this message of repentance; instead, he flees toward Tarshish, which was a city in Spain known for its wealth through its strong trade relationship with Tyre, and the Bible uses the king of Tyre to represent Lucifer (my commentary in red.):
  • The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you. … Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. [Lucifer is symbolized by the king of Tyre; he was sinless, perfect, and he was created with his mind and character founded in gold, built in the righteousness and perfection of Christ’s character and methods of truth, love, and liberty.] You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. [Through beauty, wealth, and pride, he lied to himself, valuing the wealth, the position, the power, the adoration, more than the source, the Creator of all. And Lucifer trades in lies, deception, manipulation, selfishness, and the exploitation of others.] So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. [That is, the sanctuary of his mind and heart—his mind was corrupted with lies and his heart was corrupted with pride and selfishness, which further corrupted him with resentment, envy, bitterness, and hate.] So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more’” [This part of the prophecy is yet future to be fulfilled at the end of the 1000 years.] (Ezekiel 28:11–19 NIV84, emphasis mine).
  • The king of Tyre is symbolic of Satan, and Jonah, instead of initially leading the people of God to support God’s message, fled toward an affluent and powerful city that gained its wealth by trading with Tyre. Symbolically, the people entrusted with the message of God, the gospel, instead of initially taking the true gospel to the world, aligned with and gained power from partnering with Rome, the seat of Satan’s power and Christianity Romanized, and the church entered the Dark Ages; through that alliance, the spirit temple, the sanctuary of God, became corrupted with the imperial dictator view of God.
  • And just as Jonah was in darkness for three days, the church was in darkness for 1,260 years. And the people who were so deceived became like Satan, proud of themselves and think they are rich, like the people of Tyre and like Lucifer, proud of their wealth, power, and beauty. But Jesus has a message for these people in Revelation 3 and 17:
  • “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:14–20 NIV84, emphasis mine).
  • “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries’” (Revelation 17:1, 2 NIV84, emphasis mine).
  • The church ran from the mission given by God and committed spiritual adultery with the kings of the earth. It became infected with imperialism and legalism, and it has come to believe they are rich and have acquired wealth, when in reality it is wretched (broken, exhausted, worn out, and without spiritual power), pitiful, poor (of spiritual virtue, truth, love, and Christlikeness), blind (without the Holy Spirit and ability to discern truth from error, reality from fantasy), and naked (exposed as sin-sick, necrotic, and terminal).

Continuing with Jonah.:

  • “Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, ‘How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish’” (Jonah 1:4–6 NIV84, emphasis mine).
  • The seas represent the populations, the peoples of the earth (Revelation 17:15).
  • The ship represents the church, boarded in Joppa, the place where the cedars for the temple, which represent the people of God, were obtained.
  • The winds represent the influences blowing upon the people, and thus the church. These influences include the Holy Spirit, who stirs things up when the church is sailing in a direction contrary to the Lord’s leading. This is also represented by the fires of tribulation that burn out the dross or impurities in our characters.

    This is a form of loving discipline to cause dissatisfaction with the way things are, the direction we are going, to motivate the sailors (the people in the church) to reevaluate what they are doing and where they are going, and to begin prioritizing rightly.

    The sailors do so and throw their cargo into the sea, which represents people cutting out of their lives the things of this world that we have valued and cherished, the treasures of this world that we have been carrying in our hearts that interfere with God’s calling, purposes, and mission, for us individually (interfere with our own salvation and maturing in Christ) and interfere with the overall gospel commission for the church.

    The storm caused them to devalue those treasures and throw them overboard, which represents the trials that the Lord either brings or allows, causing us to get the worthless treasures of this world out of our lives, the cutting from our hearts affections for the things of this world, which is also symbolized by circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29).
  • The sailors were terrified, which represents the distress of church members when trials and tribulations come. They are terrified because they have been filling their lives with the treasures of this world, and as tribulations come, people must make a choice: jettison the treasures of this world, or cling to them and go down with the ship.
    • Consider Abraham, who was called to leave his home and go to a strange land—we are called to do the same.
    • Consider Lot’s wife, who couldn’t let go of the treasures of this world and, therefore, died with her treasures.
    • Consider the rich young ruler, who couldn’t let go of earthly treasure in order to follow Jesus.
  • The captain of the ship represents Jesus.
  • “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10 NKJV).
    • The captain of the ship goes to Jonah, who is asleep during the storm, with a message: “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god!” (Jonah 1:6).

      Jonah represents the people of God, His end-time servants—the spokespersons, the ones with the end-time message for the world (Revelation 7). And the captain, Jesus, has the same message for us that Jonah heard: “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your God!”

      This is Jesus’ message to the church today, which He taught in the parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, who also represent the church; all ten were asleep until the call that the bridegroom was coming woke them up (Matthew 25).

      Some might argue that Jesus would not captain a ship that was leading Jonah away from Nineveh, but if we are intent on running away from Jesus’ call, what will Jesus do? Jesus will seek to lead us into the exact experiences we need, the very trials and tribulations that we would not have experienced had we followed His call, but which will be most therapeutic to get us to stop running and surrender self to Him, to get us back on track, just like He did with Jonah.

And this is where we are today. Right now, Jesus is calling for His people to wake up! The chaotic winds of this sinful world are blowing, ever-increasing turmoil, waves of dysfunction, disorder, and fear, and each one of us must decide: What is our treasure? What are we clinging to? Are we going to jettison everything in our lives that interferes with God’s calling, purpose, and plan for our lives—and attach our hearts and minds fully to our heavenly Captain and follow Him? As Paul wrote,

Love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:8–12 NIV84).

Wake up, my friends! It is time for the final message of mercy to go to the world, to cut away from our hearts anything in this world that interferes with God’s calling and purposes and take the true message of God’s kingdom of love and His eternal design laws of truth, love, and liberty to the world.

 

Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa

 

Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

Brendon S.

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA

 

Testimony 27

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 49

I came into the church at 21, but that is as far as it went. I was so confused about what love is. I couldn’t find it in the bible, because I am not a person that can read between the lines. I have no logic. I have read many, many books; trying to figure out the crux of the matter. They were helpful, but something was still missing. I have become very frustrated to the point of crying out to God, “Where can I go?”  I needed some basics.

I found two books, written by Timothy Jennings, MD, to be very helpful. God showed me that I had lived my whole life in fear. I didn’t even see it. Now, I do. God is so good.  I discovered the “The Remedy”  Dr. Jennings new book, “The God-Shaped Heart!” Oh, I was so excited, I purchased them right away.

I can get rid of most of my books, because “The Remedy” brings the Love of God out so clearly, even I can’t miss it. Now, I want to sit and read my Bible. Wow, what a revelation! It is just simply Awesome! I am so grateful to Jehovah Almighty for hearing my prayer for more understanding! I am so encouraged!

Jackie S.

 

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA

 

Testimony 74

Thank you so much for opening my eyes. I’ve been through a lot of ministries that just didn’t show the love of God that I felt he was. You have helped me to begin the process of true healing. I thought I was “too far gone,” now I know there’s hope in Jesus, because he loves us beyond what we can comprehend. Thank you again for all you do. I truly appreciate it and pray more people find you (physical at your studio and through this website).

Dalio M.

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.

 

Testimony 5

We listen to your bible studies lessons in our class in Montana. You actually were the main reason I decided to get a laptop, so I can go to your site and listen, read, learn, and print the class notes. I am so grateful to learn the correct view of God and his character. Now, to just have others have an interest in knowing, so I can share it with them. Good thoughts your way.

R. N., MT, USA

 

Testimony 25

I just want to say thank you so much for your conversations via YouTube. I regularly tune in to your lectures, “Let’s Talk” sessions, and many others. Through these I’ve found greater depth and meaning to God’s word. Thanks for all that you do and please continue. I’m currently working in the middle of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. I feel like God really has me in the right place right now and I’m sensing that your teachings might be part of it.

B. F., Silicon Valley, CA, USA