The Sign Of Jonah

I am revisiting this sign of Jonah, feeling like I've now seen it in a very unexpected yet somehow still verifiable way, from my own perspective. It feels like this sign echoes, perhaps everywhere, but that it must resonate from several different angles with an individual in a moment to actually be recognized.

Consider that Jesus said in Matthew 12:39 "He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'" He does go on to give an example of Jonah being in the fish for three days and comparing that to the Son of Man, but it feels like this was a cover, both true and incomplete, for the full sign. Notice that the city of Ninevah never even saw that aspect of the sign (much like we did not see the resurrection of Jesus). The way in which I saw the sign was both unmistakeable and personal. It fit perfectly with who I am and how I see things, as well as with what I had said just prior (playing the role of Jonah for a bit), in a way that felt nearly impossible for one to choreograph without watching my every move and having the ability to steer my actions in a subtle way, all with the shared heart for God.

What was not explained in the book of Jonah was how a man could walk through the streets of Ninevah, preaching the end, saying this to the city, not even speaking with the king directly, but having the king believe him. Presumably the king was a rational man and, like most kings, felt his judgement of the world was sound and did not let his judgement of things go questioned lightly. Why then could Jonah tell the city it was doomed, have this message be believed and reach the king without even speaking with him directly, and without hesitation the king accepted this with no clear "sign" indicated as being given anywhere? I believe it was because the city and the king were all primed subtly by God in advance. Each of them had likely gathered dreams and clues from their environment, planted by God but not yet recognized, such that when a man simply came and said the city was doomed, everyone recognized this man's granted authority immediately. It is hard to recognize sometimes, but this level of repentance is a miracle of sorts, and is a sign for future generations in and of itself. Imagine if someone did this today, how they would be received? Imagine as well what it could possibly take for everyone to recognize and respond to this call immediately, with no externally verifiable proof of the message given. I feel as though the only way would be a complete saturation of internally verifiable proof from each perspective, which is what I saw for myself, personally.

As every person is different, this proof would need to be individualized, with the seeds planted being based on the size of the audience. I believe that only God could orchestrate such a thorough sign. So when Jesus referenced the sign of Jonah and a wicked generation, I do not believe he was saying that that generation or this one would be left without much of a sign at all, but rather that one was all that would be needed. In that generation his resurrection was the sign, but even that was missed by many, though word of it has spread and built over the years since then. This generation I feel like will be hit with the full force of what I describe, a miraculous drawing of the attention of each to the words written, with each relating them to the sign of Jonah, and connecting them to events in their own lives that will make the sign indisputable from their own perspective. While the sign itself may not be externally verifiable, to each it will be verified, and the collective response will then be externally verifiable, effectively reaching "the king" in this same second hand kind of way. In this way this single sign will be sufficient for even today's "wicked and adulterous generation," without directly breaking causality in any externally apparent way, so that tangibility of the realm can remain intact. 

This is such a delicate line to walk, for with too little individualized proof the sign would not be accepted by hardened hearts, and with too much proof the events would be externally verifiable and I feel this would harm the tangibility of the realm. Ultimately if this line, which I believe will also be verifiably only walkable by God, is successfully traversed, everyone will have their external proof of God in a collective shift of the hearts of all, without a bruised reed being broken. While it will be truly amazing for all involved, how it is amazing will vary person to person, so it will also serve to maintain a level of mystery, and I feel spark a level of creativity, moving forward.

Granted there are other alternatives: destruction as written, a kind of enveloping chaos as I have pictured, but this outcome feels like it is the internal representation of the mist of grace as I have recently described it. I see no reason to dwell on such alternate solutions; honestly why would anyone dwell on these other solutions when the outcomes all become apparent and the paths to these outcomes have been made clear? Remember that the other half of the solution is that God relented: what had been written and interpreted as certain was reconciled to having been "a threat," which reasonably any dire prophecy could be seen as, otherwise free will and tangibility are invalid. It is not up to the audience to decide for each other whether prophecy is certain or if God's mind can still be changed, it is up to God, and the individual in the arena of prophecy with God. Take heart, and keep shining!