Jonah preaches repentance in Nineveh

As Jesus walked the earth and preached "you must be born again" (John 3:3, John 3:7), the proud and arrogant religious leaders asked Jesus for a sign, to prove He was who He said He was, "Lord of the sabbath" (Matthew 12). 

Just prior to their inquiry for a sign, Jesus had just healed a man (Matthew 12:13), then multitudes came to Him and He healed all of them as well (Matthew 12:15) and then he cast the spirit of infirmity out of a blind and mute man (Matthew 12:22); nevertheless, the Pharisees (religious leaders) accused Him of casting out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. 

Jesus informed them that "a house divided against itself cannot stand."  He said, "If satan casts out satan, he is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?" Matthew 12:26.  Jesus then warned that "to speak against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven, not in this world, neither in the world to come" Matthew 12:32.  To attribute the work and power of the Holy Ghost to satan is an unforgivable sin, the only unforgivable sin.  He went on to tell them that every idle word that men speak they will give an account of on the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36), for "by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" Matthew 12:37. 

It is at this point that the scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign.  Jesus answered them and said, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonas" Matthew 12:39.  He went on to explain to them that "as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man (Jesus) be in the heart of the earth three days" Matthew 12:40.  He spoke of his descent into the earth for three days.  We know by the fact that the souls of the saints were raised with Jesus, who died prior to His coming (Matthew 27:52-53), that He delivered those who believed in Him, according to the promises made concerning the Savior to come.

There is also another factor concerning the "sign of the prophet Jonas."  Not only was Jonas in the belly of the whale for three days, as Christ was in the earth delivering souls from death, but after God delivered Jonah from this death experience, he went on to do what God commissioned him to do in the first place.  God had given the prophet Jonah a message for a very wicked city by the name of Nineveh.  Jonah didn't want to go and deliver the message, so he went in another direction, running from God's calling to preach the message of repentance to the Ninevites.  The Word of God tells us that because he did not go to Nineveh and preach repentance, he was swallowed by a whale.  After Jonah repented and God delivered him from the whale, he obeyed God and went to the city of Nineveh. 

The book of Jonah tells us that when Jonah went into Nineveh and told the wicked that the city would be destroyed within 40 days, if they did not repent, they fasted, repented, put sackcloth on and humbled themselves before God and the whole city was saved.  This too is what Jesus came to do.  He came to warn the wicked about impending judgment and the day of wrath.  He said to the scribes, Pharisees and hypocrites of His day, "You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?" Matthew 23:33. 

During His ministry, Jesus spoke of judgment, mercy and faith; but ever so many in our generation want to forget all about the fact that He warned against hypocrisy, sin and the penalty hell fire.  Jesus also said, "I will forewarn you whom you should fear, fear Him, who after He has killed has the power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him" Luke 12:5. 

If you are attending a church and you never hear a warning from the preacher, never hear the word hell, never hear the word hypocrite, never hear the words fear God; but only mercy, love, faith and goodness - get out of there!  The Word of God has to be taught - all of it - not just part of it, not just half of it.  Jesus would have never given us a warning, if we never should hear about it.  The whole Word of God was given, not so people could just hear half of it, the pleasantries of God, but it was given so we could hear it all, all of it.

Of course, if you are in a church and you never hear about God's love and mercy - get out of there!  In summary, gather together with Christians and ministers who teach and preach THE WHOLE WORD OF GOD, not just part of it.  All of God's Word is for you and me, not just the niceties we want to hear.  Don't be deceived by "enticing words."  The Apostle Paul wrote, "Preach the Word, be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they will turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables" 2 Timothy 4:2-4. 

If you need sound teaching, consider visiting this link to John Fenn's website, www.SupernaturalHouseChurch.org.  John is a true apostle of God, he receives divine revelations from the Lord, which line up with the Word of God.  You won't be disappointed.  God bless you.