Spiderman
Veteran Member
In a story reminiscent of that of Biblical Jonah, a veteran lobster diver was swallowed whole by a humpback whale on Friday off the Massachusetts coast and survived to tell the tale.
Michael Packard, 56, was diving near the Herring Cove Beach in Cape Cod Bay in order to pluck lobsters off the sandy seabed.
“All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black,” Packard told the Cape Cod Times. “I could sense I was moving, and I could feel the whale squeezing with the muscles in his mouth,” he recalled.
“Then I realized, oh my God, I’m in a whale’s mouth… and he’s trying to swallow me,” he said. “And I thought to myself OK, this is it — I’m finally — I’m gonna die.” His thoughts went to his wife and children.'
Packard estimates he was in the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds, but continued to breathe because he still had his breathing apparatus in.
His struggling apparently did not agree with the marine giant, which then spat him out.
“I saw light, and he started throwing his head side to side, and the next thing I knew I was outside,” he told the local newspaper. He was rescued by his crewmate in the surface boat.
My question for you is, what kind of fish or whale swallowed Jonah? If God completely had control of the fish/whale to obey him, swallow him, spit him out when and where God wanted it, wouldn't that technically be God swallowing him?
Since Jesus compared himself to Jonah, if the New Testament is accurate, and Christ was God's son, (and that is the word of God,) I guess the story of Jonah would have to be a literal story, and not some poetry, made up children's tale to inspire virtue (or make a point) symbolism, hyperbole, or at least Christ spoke of it like it really happened.
In the Jonah story, what Jonah preached would happen to Nineveh, never actually happened to the great city. His prophecy failed, and Jonah wanted to die afterwards, because God changed his mind, so what the Prophet said would happen, failed to come to pass.
It isn't the only place in Scripture where God changes his mind, or people can get God to change his mind. It means prophecies contained in Scripture, like the reign of the Antichrist, Armageddon, or the tribulation, don't actually have to happen. Through prayer and other factors, God can change his mind. So, maybe we should try to get him to change the prophecy? Can't hurt to ask!
Moses got God to " change his mind, relent, repent of the evil he planned on doing to Israel".
Also, another thing, if the Jonah story is true, what gives me hope, is that he tried to escape God's will.... so God sent a storm to get him thrown off the ship, and a fish to spit him out on shore.
It would theoretically mean, that if I consistently pray for God's will in my life, that even if I try to avoid it, or I avoid it on accident, something will happen to cause me to get back on course to do it...or something...
(But I only want to do God's will if it involves relieving suffering on earth, not causing more of it.)
Michael Packard, 56, was diving near the Herring Cove Beach in Cape Cod Bay in order to pluck lobsters off the sandy seabed.
“All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black,” Packard told the Cape Cod Times. “I could sense I was moving, and I could feel the whale squeezing with the muscles in his mouth,” he recalled.
“Then I realized, oh my God, I’m in a whale’s mouth… and he’s trying to swallow me,” he said. “And I thought to myself OK, this is it — I’m finally — I’m gonna die.” His thoughts went to his wife and children.'
Packard estimates he was in the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds, but continued to breathe because he still had his breathing apparatus in.
His struggling apparently did not agree with the marine giant, which then spat him out.
“I saw light, and he started throwing his head side to side, and the next thing I knew I was outside,” he told the local newspaper. He was rescued by his crewmate in the surface boat.
My question for you is, what kind of fish or whale swallowed Jonah? If God completely had control of the fish/whale to obey him, swallow him, spit him out when and where God wanted it, wouldn't that technically be God swallowing him?
Since Jesus compared himself to Jonah, if the New Testament is accurate, and Christ was God's son, (and that is the word of God,) I guess the story of Jonah would have to be a literal story, and not some poetry, made up children's tale to inspire virtue (or make a point) symbolism, hyperbole, or at least Christ spoke of it like it really happened.
In the Jonah story, what Jonah preached would happen to Nineveh, never actually happened to the great city. His prophecy failed, and Jonah wanted to die afterwards, because God changed his mind, so what the Prophet said would happen, failed to come to pass.
It isn't the only place in Scripture where God changes his mind, or people can get God to change his mind. It means prophecies contained in Scripture, like the reign of the Antichrist, Armageddon, or the tribulation, don't actually have to happen. Through prayer and other factors, God can change his mind. So, maybe we should try to get him to change the prophecy? Can't hurt to ask!
Moses got God to " change his mind, relent, repent of the evil he planned on doing to Israel".
Also, another thing, if the Jonah story is true, what gives me hope, is that he tried to escape God's will.... so God sent a storm to get him thrown off the ship, and a fish to spit him out on shore.
It would theoretically mean, that if I consistently pray for God's will in my life, that even if I try to avoid it, or I avoid it on accident, something will happen to cause me to get back on course to do it...or something...
(But I only want to do God's will if it involves relieving suffering on earth, not causing more of it.)
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(Hmm, that sounds familiar, I may have to rethink that)
