THE COMING ECLIPSE OF THE SUN AND THE BOOK OF JONAH

Everyone is piling on the gloom and doom of the world concerning the coming eclipse and the signs in the heavens. Many articles are being written here is one: 2024 Solar Eclipse Side Story | Michael Snyder (newbostontx.org)

 Has anyone spoken about the Book of Jonah? What is God trying to tell us? Has anyone read the Book of Jonah lately? Maybe The Lord has information for us in the book of Jonah.

The eclipse will go through 7 towns named Nineveh and one named Jonah. Maybe we’re just supposed to read the Book and determine what God is telling us individually. The following is my simple take what God wants us to glean from the coming signs in the heavens.

Jonah is a short four chapter book but it contains a lot of interesting information and spiritual guidance for Elohim’s people. Jonah is the only prophet in the Bible to whom people listened and reacted accordingly to avoid the judgment of God.

Jonah didn’t want to go in the first place. The word of the Lord came to him and he decided to flee to Tarshish, went down to the port of Joppa and hopped on board a vessel headed for Tarshish.

How many times have we been directed by our Father and “kicked at the pricks” trying to avoid the command? This was Jonah. He was running from the job Elohim had for him.

When a mighty storm and wind buffeted the ship the mariners were afraid and ‘called every man unto his god for deliverance.’ While they were throwing cargo overboard Jonah was down below sleeping. The shipmaster came down to see Jonah. ”Why are you sleeping? Awake O sleeper, arise and call on your God.”

The men on the ship were displaying a healthy fear of God while Jonah slept. Just as the Apostles slept when Yeshua was in serious prayer and danger in Gethsemane. Jonah thought he could sleep and it would all go away. God isn’t that easy! He wants us to awake!

The crew drew lots and they discovered Jonah was the man whose God could stop the storm. Jonah told them he was a Hebrew who feared the Lord, the God of heaven which made the sea and dry land.

Jonah identified as a Hebrew, one who has crossed over to the one true God Jehovah. The crew was aware of who Jonah’s God was. They knew he was fleeing from God’s presence because Jonah had told them. They wanted Jonah to tell them what to do to calm the storm.

God often puts us in uncomfortable situations with the ability to calm the storm and bring Him glory. Jonah didn’t want the responsibility. Perhaps God is calling on His current day people to stand up to the corruption and unjust political system in our world. To speak out against corrupt power, to follow His law as instructed in the Torah and refuse to allow the destruction of our countries by Godless leaders.

Jonah told them to cast him into the sea. The raging sea is a type of the nation’s raging against God and His law. The book of Revelation says the beast will rise from the sea. The roaring is the sound of roaring nations rebelling against God and His people. The sea is always a type of the nations raging.

Jonah was willing to die in order to avoid his calling!

Reluctantly the mariners cast Jonah overboard, the fish swallowed him up and the storm calmed. Many times we are swallowed up by our trials in this life and feel like we are imprisoned by our situation. When we turn back to God His peace will come upon us and lead us to victory.

Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said, ‘I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

For thou had cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah 2

God finally had Jonah’s attention. Jonah took up his burden to warn Nineveh. He would yield to the Lord and do the work he was called on to accomplish in spite of the difficulty. We all know what it’s like when God’s storm is raging within us.

For the second time God told Jonah to go and preach to Nineveh. It was a three day journey. As he entered the city Jonah cried out, “In forty days Nineveh will be overthrown.”

The people of Nineveh heard, believed God, and proclaimed a fast. Every citizen, including the King would not eat or drink. Even the animals would not be fed. These people were serious and feared the word of the Lord.

If only people took God this serious today! It is time for us to awake and rise up! If we do is God telling us He will deal with this evil, lawless governments, corporations, and politicians. Perhaps there is a chance we might see God do great things if we repent cry out for His salvation in our generation.

I never really thought of the world as an evil place. Paul the Apostle called the current world of his time evil. Yeshua called the leaders of His generation evil. Think about that. Corruption in the current system is beyond our recognition. It is hard for us to understand the true depth of corruption. People are awaking from their sleep!

The people of Nineveh, Assyria, sworn enemies of Israel repented and were spared, “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, and we perish not?  And God saw their works, they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Jonah 3.8-10

God is merciful to those with a contrite heart: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3.9

Elohim is warning us through the signs in the heavens to repent and walk righteously. Will our nations repent and sweep out the house or will we look the other way? The choice is ours. This can be a time of restoration even if only for a short period time. Each generation is responsible for their time. This is our time.

Amazingly, Jonah was very angry and displeased that God was merciful and repented of the destruction he was going to bring upon Nineveh.

God asked Jonah why he was so angry. Jonah went out of the city and built a booth to watch what would happen to the city. The heat of the sun was hot and God raised up a plant or some kind of gourde to provide shade for the booth.

Jonah was happy about the shade the plant provided but the next day a worm attacked the plant and it died. The east wind began to blow. The east wind is a dry scorching wind often associated with disaster or God’s power.

It blows into Jerusalem from the eastern desert and the air becomes polluted with dust.

The wind of change is blowing in our corrupt world. If we cry out perhaps we turn back the storm for a period of time. Just as King Josiah did. Read 2 Kings 21 through 23.28. Josiah reigned 31 years and restored God’s Passover and law.

It was only a short 31 years of God relenting but it was Jehovah’s way of showing mercy for the reforms the people made. After Josiah’s death Babylon would come and take Judah into 70 years of captivity.

Jonah fainted and was near death as the heat of the day wore on. He wished in himself to die, it would be better to die. God asked Jonah if it was good to be angry about the gourde dying. Jonah said, “Yes!”

God asked him why he was upset about the gourde dying but not happy for the people of Nineveh being spared from His anger. God told Jonah he cared about Nineveh. They were rewarded for their repentance. They were not even Israelites, but the enemy of Israel.

Jonah wanted to see the city destroyed and was angry that God relented. Jonah was self-absorbed. His pride was hurt. He wanted God to really hammer them.

God said Jonah had pity for the gourde dying but not for Nineveh being spared. God said he spared the 120,000 citizens of Nineveh because they deserved mercy for crying out to Him.

God desires we care enough to seek His face and plead for our nations and this world. Judgment is coming to this world. The world is turning away from the Creator. We have the opportunity to plead with God to change our hearts. We are responsible for our generation. We can still delay the coming judgment upon this corrupt world.

Simple message is that we individually repent and ask our Father for mercy. He will hear us and extend his mercy to a generation that seeks Him. This has to be a generation that seeks Him!

Nineveh was an Assyrian city that was corrupt. They would do future damage to Israel and God would later judge the Assyrians. But not to that generation. They heard the word of the Lord through Jonah. Jonah should have been rejoicing but he was pouting. Let’s plead with our God and ask Him to forgive our generation so we can end our days in peace.

I’ll let the Apostle Peter finish:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 2 Peter 3.10-13