NO story in the Holy Bible has evoked as much ridicule and unbelief as the story of Jonah, a prophet who was swallowed by a great fish. This story is found in the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament. Modern critics of the Holy Bible who claim that the throat of a whale is not spacious enough to allow the passage of a human being like Jonah ask: "Did it happen? Could it happen?"
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To Bible-believing Christians, the obvious answer: Of course, the Jonah incident did happen and it could happen again. What’s impossible with men is possible with God. Our omnipotent God who created all the fish in the seas of all sizes, shapes, and color could easily create one special fish for the purpose of saving Jonah. And to think that the "great fish" mentioned in the Book of Jonah may not even be a whale as some versions of the Holy Bible have described the fish to be.
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Let me sahre some historic and scientific accounts on the issue of whether there is a kind of fish that can swallow and contain a human being. A certain Mr. Henn, a resident of Birminghan, gave the following testimony as appearing in the publication Daily Mail dated December 14, 1928:
"My own experience was in Birmingham about twenty-five years ago, when the carcass of a whale was displayed for a week on a vacant land in Navigation Street, outside New Street station.
"I was one of twelve men who went into its mouth, passed through its throat, and moved about in what was equivalent to a fairsized room. Its throat was large enough to serve as a door. Obviously, it would be quite easy for a whale of this kind to swallow a man."
In a book entitle "SixtyThree Years of Engineering" by Sir Francis Fox, there is an account of a manager of a whaling station stating that a kind of whale known as the sperm whale "swallows lumps of food eight feet in diameter." In the belly of one such whale was actually discovered the skeleton of a shark 16 feet in length. If this is the case definitely a human being who is less than 16 feet in length can also be accommodated in a whale’s belly.
Again, in a book entitled "The Cruise of the Cachalot" by Frank Bullen, we get the information that the cachalot or sperm whale throws out or vomits the contents of its belly when it is dying. Bullen narrated that in one stance, he witnessed a sperm whale vomiting huge masses approximately eight feet by six feet by six feet, which is equal to the bodies of six stout men compressed into one.
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And so the controversy continues among modern critics of the Holy Bible. It the Book of Jonah fiction or history? Was Jonah a real person? The book of Jonah starts with the opening: "The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittal…(Jonah 1:1.) in King 14:25, we find the following; He (Jeroboam II of Israel) was the one restored the bounderies of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabain, in accordance with the world of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah, son of Amittal, the prophet from Gath Repher.
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King Jeroboam was a real person. He ruled Israel (the northern kingdom) for 41 years (793-753 BC), the longest reign ever had by the rulers of the northern kingdom. It was Jonah, the prophet from Gath Hepher and son of Amittal, who prophesied about the restoration of the boundaries of Israel during Jeroboam II’s reign. I both Jonah 1:1 and 2 King 14:25, there is mention of Jonah, the son of Amittal. This identical mention of Jonah’s name is not found anywhere else in the Old Testament.
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I will write more about the Book of Jonah in my next article. The Book of Jonah is more than a story of a prophet and a great fish. This is the story of God’s great love and compassion for everyone including sinners.
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This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Biblie for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis-Villafuerte, 5th Floor Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas, Roxas Blvd., Manila. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano version that is preferred.
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This column is also giving out for free a 42-page 3x5 inch booklet that briefly explains the said doctrine of salvation presented in the Holy Bible. To those who are struggling as to what the Holy Bible really says on how souls can be saved from eternal damnation, please do not hesitate to write me and ask for copy of this booklet. Let us not forget the Biblical verse that says "What profits a man if he gains the whole world and losses his soul?"
Have a joyful day!
