When I was speaking to our filming audience on Tuesday at Anna's Gate, I made the statement, "Jonah was swallowed by a dog." There were questioning eyes looking back at me from the audience. This audience is used to me giving the Paul Harvey's, "Rest of the Story", but they were not sure where I was going with this statement. "All this time we thought Jonah was swallowed by a whale but I can prove to you that it was a DOG!" I declared. Some minds were saying, "A dog?", while others displayed snickers around the room.
On the board, I had written the two Hebrew words that the passage had used for the word "fish". Each with a "Dalet" and a vowel under it and a "Gimel". These letters would give the pronunciation of "Dawg" (or "dog" with a southern accent). But the second word had a "Hey" at the end of the word showing the gender was female. Both words are found in the book of Jonah chapters one and two describing the big fish that was assigned to Jonah. (Some Hebrew scholars say he was swallowed twice, once by a male and again by a female due to the spelling in the text.) Regardless of how it happened, it is clear Jonah was running away from the Lord, which caused the storm to come against their ship. The storm stopped when he was thrown overboard and a "DOG" (or "Dawg") was prepared to swallow him, which brought Jonah to a place of repentance.
 We are now at a time of repentance! Around the world the "Day of Atonement" (or Yom Kippur") is recognized. It is a time of repentance and making things right with God and man. The Book of Jonah is also read as an example during this time. When Jonah cried out to God from the belly of the "dog" fish, (not a cat fish), he repented! God heard his prayer and the fish spewed him out on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Scholars it was on the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul. Jonah was told by The Lord to go to Nineveh before Jonah got on the boat, but now Jonah is paying attention and is willing to obey! Nineveh is a 500-mile journey from where he was spit up on the shore. If he did it on foot it would have taken around six to seven weeks to make the journey. (I personally think it was the shorter time as Jonah wanted to get this over with). Jonah would have arrived at Nineveh during this time in which we are in now. (according to the calculations).
Before Jonah arrived in the city, disasters had hit Nineveh. Twice plagues had hit the city and thousands died. A civil war had broken out and fighting within had taken place. Then on top of this, a total solar eclipse on June 15, 765 BC had just happened! Can you imagine? No wonder the king down to the youngest were ready to repent and turn to God when they heard Jonah's message. Jesus said that the sign of Jonah was a sign of himself. "The men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed, a greater than Jonah is here." Luke 11:29-32
In our day, we too are experiencing signs in the heavens such as eclipses and the aligning of planets. As the whole city of Nineveh repented and gave their lives to the Lord, I believe during our time we will see whole cities do the same!
God is raising up the Jonah(s)! By the way, according to history Jonah is believed to be the widow of Zarephath's son spoken of in 1 Kings 17 and the one Elijah raised from the dead! God could trust him with big assignments! He was the one Elisha called in 2 Kings 9 to anoint Jehu as king; and in other writings it tells how he spoke into King Jehu's life while he reigned.
Zarephath and Nineveh were both in the Assyrian Empire in the 700BCs, when this took place. It was Jonah's territory in which to take authority. (And his mother being a widow opened the borders for him! "God establishes the borders of the widow" (Proverbs 15:25.)
Where is your Nineveh? What territory has God given you to take? The signs are in the sky and the Lord is awakening us to repent for our families, cities and nation! Yeshua (Jesus) is our atonement. He paid the price, it's a finished work. Let's agree with Heaven, for the Greater one is here! We are called to be fishers of men. Could it be "dog-fish" that carries repentance?
Hear more about "
Establishing the Borders" with this CD set that goes into more detail about the widow of Zarephath and her son Jonah.
Click on above image for link.
We would like to INVITE you to bring widows and prayer warriors from your church to Anna's Gate to be in our filming audience on Tuesdays! We air on four local networks as well as globally, via Internet. Call our office (865-803-5445) with your reservation and how many you would like to bring.
We would also like to invite you to send us a brief testimony
(written or filmed on your smart phone)
of how God has used Anna's Gate
to help you and to reach your realm of influence.
(Put "Testimony" on the subject line).
If filmed, please make it only 1 to 2 minutes.
We would love to hear from you!
Read what Jesus read on this week in History!
COMING THIS FRIDAY!
School of the Spirit
with Jeremy Caris
October 6,2017
7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
When you make a purchase using
amazon smile, a part of your purchase amount is given to support the work Anna's Gate does. We appreciate your using these businesses and in the process blessing Anna's Gate.
Click above image for details.
Join CarolMarie on
"Empower Hour" With CarolMarie
Wednesdays from 5-6 pm
or listen live around the world by Internet at
www.wrjz.com same time EST
If you Live in the Knoxville, TN area
Check out our TV Program!
Anna's Gate
REDEEMING THE TIME
Channel 12 if you have Comcast
Channel 6 on Charter
Channel 6 on WOW/Knolegy
Channel 99 on AT&T
Be a part of the audience when we film on Tuesdays from 3:45 to 6:00 PM at Anna's Gate!
|
