Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 152
152 when he came alive out of the fish's belly. There lay then between him and the inhabitants of Nineveh a distance of some five to seven hundred miles, nay, even as much as a thousand miles. Wherefore could they see that Jonas entered the fish's belly, or, that he had remained alive in it or had come out of it alive? Of all these things not one could the people of Nineveh see. The Ninevites saw him not when he entered the fish's belly; nor did they see him when he stayed alive in its belly and nor did they see him when the fish disgorged him. But when Jonah went back to the people of Nineveh and they saw that it was the same person that had taken to flight in fear, and God the Almighty had forced him back and granted him success where he thought there were no prospects, this became a mighty sign of the dominion and power of the Almighty God which the people of Nineveh witnessed. The Messiah had similarly claimed about himself "For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation" (Luke, ch. 11:30). . WHAT NINEVEH SAW?. Now the question is what did the people of Nineveh witness?. The Ninevites did not see Jonah enter the belly of the fish; they did not see him living in it, nor did they see him coming out of it. All they saw was that a man received the revelation commanding him to go forth and call the people of Nineveh to God. But he lacked the courage to deliver to them the message of the Almighty and fled away, seeking to escape to another country. But, after he had suffered many hardships and disasters, God forced him back to the Ninevites, and they were compelled to accept his message. Hence if the