1. Jonah Fleeing from God. Jonah 1:1-17.
2. Psalm of Thanksgiving. Jonah 2:1-10.
3. The Reluctant Missionary. Jonah 3:1-10.
4. Absurdity of Limiting God’s Mercy. Jonah 4:1-11.

1. Author is unknown. The book was post-exilic. Date: Somewhere between 400 and 300 B.C.
2. It could not have been written by the prophet Jonah mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 (eighth century). Σ.
3. It is a skillful piece of literature. While it is unique among all Old Testament writings, it deserves a place among the Scriptures.
4. Jonah is the noblest missionary evangelistic tract in the Bible.

1. On (UB 130:1.2) Jesus used the story of Jonah to teach a valuable lesson to the young man at Joppa. He did not inform his pupil as to whether the story was history or parable.
2. On (UB 159:4.1) Jesus discussed Jonah with Nathaniel. He as much as said Jonah was an evangelistic parable or allegory.
3. The references in Matthew 12:39-41 and Luke 11:29-32 where Jesus refers to Jonah in connection with his own death, do not appear in the Urantia Book.
4. Even if Jesus did make use of the Jonah story, it does not follow that such use of the story means that Jesus is validating the Jonah narrative as history. If a modern preacher refers to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it does not mean that he regards Macbeth as a historical person.
5. Jesus, in referring to the prodigal son, in the parable of that name, does not mean that this prodigal son was a historical character.

1. In the Old Testament we have psalms, proverbs, histories, sermons, letters, and parables. It is important that any book should be placed in its proper category.
2. In the case of the real prophets, little or nothing is said about the prophet-all attention is paid to his message. In the case of Jonah, all attention is paid to the so-called prophet, while his message is granted but eight words.
3. Would a real prophet turn his back upon God’s call and run away in the opposite direction, taking a ship for Spain?
4. And when he did reluctantly return to his mission, would he stupidly mourn over the success of his work?
5. A storm is created to plague Jonah’s boat, and a calm ensues when he is thrown overboard.
6. Three days in the fish’s belly-and then coming up alive-is just too much, to accept.
7. History recognizes no “king of Nineveh.” The size of the city as shown by its ruins is not the preposterous size given in Jonah.
8. Could a gourd grow into the size of a shade tree overnight?
9. Could Jonah warn and convert a whole city in one month?
10. This parable is a protest against the bitterness of the Jews toward gentiles-especially against the edict directing all Jews to give up their gentile wives and children.
11. The book does present a powerful spiritual message-one of tolerance, divine mercy, and love.

1. Regarded as a parable or an allegory, the story is well done-it is really a masterpiece.
2. The name for God is both Yahweh and Elohim. This would not occur in a serious religious narrative.
3. In olden times Jonah was spoken of as being three days in “the belly of hell.” They did not regard the book as factual.
4. The psalm introduced in Chapter 2 is much like those found elsewhere in the Old Testament. In almost a dozen psalms there are passages remindful of Jonah.

1. Jonah’s commission. “‘Arise, go to Nineveh...and cry out against it.’... But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish...He went down to Joppa and found a ship...so he paid the fare, and went on board.” Jh 1:2-3.
2. Jonah thrown overboard. “So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea.” Jh 1:15.
3. The big fish. “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jh 1:17.
4. Jonah prays. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish.” Jh 2:1.
5. God speaks to the fish. “And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” Jh 2:10.
6. Jonah’s disappointment. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry...And he...said...’It is better for me to die.’” Jh 4:1-3.
7. And God creates a plant. “God appointed a plant...that it might be a shade over his head...So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But... God appointed a worm which attacked the plant...and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head so that he was faint.” Jh 4:6-8.
8. Mercy for mankind. “‘You pity the plant... should not I pity Nineveh, that great city?’” Jh 4:10-11.