The Sign of Jonah

by millie210 18 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  nicolaou

  You guys are all aware that Jesus didn't really come back to life after being dead for 2 or 3 days right? You do get that don't you?
• 

  Crazyguy

  If he existed at all. Early gnostic writings indicate there may have been a guy but that he was just a cool teacher so to speak and not the son of God. The books of James and Jude were supposedly written by his brothers and they do not elude to this idea of him being the son of God.
• 

  millie210

  Hi nicolaou,

  I get that there is a good argument for that yes.

  I havent had enough time yet to investigate it for myself yet though. My fade is still in progress.

  I am in a situation where I employ almost all Witnesses. They are aware of my fading and are either neutral or supportive (yes I realize I am very lucky) but sometimes when things are being discussed I will listen and even join in the discussion.

  No one brings up current things like my lack of meeting attendance, its more like obscure trivia things like the subject of this thread. I was hoping that at some point there was something stupid about this scripture that was peculiar to the JWs specifically.

  I understand that to a person standing in a different place this whole discussion would seem peculiar though!
• 

  nicolaou

  I get that there is a good argument for that yes.

  No argument at all Millie. It's not a matter of opinion, there is no controversy, and no opposing view that merits any consideration. There is no debate to be had.

  Every human has either died or will die and biological death is always permanent. None of this takes away from the wonder of life, if anything it only highlights how precious life is.
• 

  StephaneLaliberte

  You know, the prophecy didn't just say three days.... it said "three days AND three nights!" So, they can argue that three days was fulfilled, but not three nights. A half filled prophecy is not a fail.
• 

  leaving_quietly

  It's interesting that the parallel account in Luke didn't mention the three days as the sign of Jonah.

  When the crowds were massing together, he began to say: “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Joʹnah. 30 For just as Joʹnah became a sign to the Ninʹe·vites, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solʹo·mon. But look! something more than Solʹo·mon is here. 32 The men of Ninʹe·veh will rise in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at what Joʹnah preached. But look! something more than Joʹnah is here. - Luke 11:29-32

  I wonder if the Ninevites even knew Jonah was in the fish for three days.
  
  
  
• 

  millie210

  The apparent and "official" explanation is the one given in the Barnes commentary posted above by Splash.

  The Jews customarily counted anything that happened during any part of 3 days as a full 3 days.

  This was a known and accepted practice.

  I want to thank you each and every one for helping me out with this.

  You guys are the best!
• 

  rstrats

  millie210,
  re: "The Jews customarily counted anything that happened during any part of 3 days as a full 3 days.This was a known and accepted practice."

  But was it a known and accepted practice to say that a daytime or a night time would be involved with an event when no part of the daytime or no part of the night time could occur?
  
• 

  smiddy3

  People believe what they "WANT" to believe regardless of what the facts/ logic state.