Jonah
When Jesus was asked by the religious leaders to show them a sign, he said that the only sign that would be shown would be the sign of Jonah! And what was the sign of Jonah? You’ve got it: a whale that swallowed Jonah, from Joppa, and then spat Jonah up three days later!
This sign of the whale was given during what is called the second redemption cycle for the Jews. Today we are in what they call the third redemption cycle. A number of articles earlier this year detailed the sighting of a gray whale off the coast of Israel, near Joppa, for the first time in 300 years. This is unusual because gray whales are normally only found in the Pacific ocean! Read more: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3888813,00.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/lost-in-search-of-lunch-rare-pacific-whale-spotted-off-israel-s-coast-1.289085
If the sign of Jonah was a sign of redemption when Christ was alive, could this be yet another sign that Christ in near?
Hosea / Joshua
Hosea 6:2: “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
Joshua’s story, more so than Moses’ story, is one of the best patterns of Yeshua in the Old Testament. Not only does Joshua’s name reflect the name of Yeshua, but so also does his ministry to the Hebrews reflect the ministry of Yeshua to all.
His name, originally Hosea (Numbers 13:16) [הוֹשֵׁעַ H1954] Son of Nun [נוּן H5125] meant: salvation, son of the shoots [seed, or root]. Yeshua is both our salvation and also the branch, root, shoot, or seed of Jesse! Furthermore, when Moses changed Hosea’s name to Joshua [יְהוֹשׁוּעַ or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Yehoshua H3091], the name then meant: the Lord is salvation, or salvation of Yahweh.
Upon reaching the eastern bank of the Jordon, Joshua commanded the people saying, “Prepare you victuals; for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.” (Joshua 1:11). In Joshua 3:4, scripture tells us that after the three days, the Ark went before the children of Israel into the Jordon River and the people were commanded to follow behind the Ark of the Covenant by about 2000 cubits while the Ark remained in the river. At the same time, the waters of the Jordon River backed up all the way to the city of Zaretan (their distress) and the city of Adam (Joshua 3:16). Once all the people were on the other side of the Jordan, Joshua circumcised them (Joshua 5:1-3).
Notice The Parallels:
Moses, who represents the Law, was unable to bring the people into the promised land, but Joshua, who became the salvation of Yahweh, was able to do so. The Law cannot save, only Yeshua Ha’Mashiach can bring salvation.
Yeshua rose on the third day, and then ascended into heaven about forty days later. He is our ark of safety. When Yeshua died, or crossed over, his blood washed away our distress and every sin committed throughout history was washed away all the way back to Adam, the first man! He circumcises our hearts, once we accept his free gift of salvation.
We are now about 2000 cubits (years) behind Yeshua entering our promised land (heaven).
Hosea / Zephaniah
Hosea 4:3: “By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.”
Zephaniah 1:1-3: “The word of Yahweh which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. I will utterly consume all things from off the land, syas Yahweh. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, says Yahweh.”
In both of these verses, we see that Yahweh will remove animals, birds, and fish from the earth because of continual lying, thieving, murdering, and adultery.
But, when does this happen? According to Zephaniah 2:2, this happens just “before the decree brings forth, before the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Yahweh comes upon you, before the day of Yahweh’s anger comes upon you.”
Makes one wonder if the recent animal, bird, and fish deaths worldwide are letting us know that Yahweh’s judgment upon the earth is coming soon. One can only ask: “Is God sending judgment upon this world, and if so, how close are we to the return of Christ?”
Final Thought
Scripture talks of many signs that will begin to appear before Yeshua Ha’Mashiach returns. Could the signs above be two of them?
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