NOT A FISH TALE

Photo Credit: Because Truth Matters

Tags: TRUTH, Spiritual Signs, Endtimes, Jonah, Days of Noah,  Noah’s Ark, Repentance, Grace, JESUS

There was another item in the news recently about a person being swallowed by a whale.

Massachusetts lobster diver swallowed by humpback whale

Oh how the Magicians hate this story!!  They have spent so much time and energy disputing it, denying it, belittling anyone who dares to believe it.  Why?  Because it is one of the most important ENDTIME signs!  It is the sign of God’s REDEMPTION!  At the same time it is a warning of GOD’s JUDGEMENT!

Jonah, seems to many people to be a fairy tale.  Far from it.  It is a MESSAGE for us TODAY!  I want to caution you to avoid placing anyone’s word ahead of GOD’s.  We live in a world of hero worship, where those who spout the “wisdom” of man are seen as the experts.  We look to political leaders, teachers, doctors, even Computer Geeks for answers to all of life’s questions.  We take whatever doctrines, policies and guidelines we are handed by those we see as professionals.  We get our history and our news from media even if and when it goes against the WORD of GOD.

That is the reason our world is in the condition that we find it.  Man has gotten so far away from GOD he can’t even discern what is right, good and true anymore.  We are tossed and turned about with every wave of doctrine.  Every new theory, suddenly becomes truth even though they are not and cannot be proven.  We are so quick to dismiss the WORD of GOD, and to even deny that HE EXISTS.  

In spite of our total disrespect and all of our offenses against HIM.  GOD keeps reaching out to us, in love, to try and turn us from what will lead to our destruction.  

Oh you generation of vipers, you have turned from the Lord, and corrupted the earth, you rob and plunder each other, and rebel against God and transgress his law, and  corrupt your ways, and you will not hearken to the voice of the LORD.  You trespass against God and even say He does not exist.

Yet, in his compassion, he continues to offer you signs and opportunities to repent and turn back to HIM.  How long do you think HE will continue to extend grace to you?  The day is coming and is just about here, when the door of GRACE will close.  

Wake up and recognize that you are putting your trust in faithless men who are manipulated by demonic spirits who HATE YOU.  They tell you lies and they cut you off from truth in every way they possibly can.

I pray for all who are lost, and do not even know it.  I pray that GOD will open your eyes, hearts and minds and cause you to turn from your wicked ways, before it is too late.

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If you have not seen my earlier post on Jonah, check it out here: 

JONAH – God’s Message to this DYING WORLD!

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IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER! JULY 11, 2021 SUNDAY SCHOOL MESSAGE

First published at 03:52 UTC on July 13th, 2021.

Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker talks about how it’s ALL COMING TOGETHER, just like the Bible said, and leading up to the mark


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UNITED KINGDOM

Ark grounded by flood of bureaucratic requests

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“The Ark needs to move…this Old Testament ship with the Tree of Life and He who brought forgiveness on board needs to be in motion again,” he wrote on Facebook.

Documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Ipswich Star, reveal the MCA has ruled it cannot release the Ark until it has a load line certificate and papers to show it meets anti-fouling laws.

Mr Peters tried to get the vessel towed in March by asking authorities to issue a certificate for a one-off voyage. The MCA, however, told his agents that it was not possible to exempt the Ark from international rules as it was not registered in the UK.

As of January 2021 the detention of the vessel had cost its owners £12,132, and it has been incurring £500 daily fines since April 1.

Mr Peters’s agents had argued that the vessel was designated by the Dutch maritime authorities as a “non-certified floating object” which means it did not have to comply with international regulations.

But the coastguard also wants to see evidence that the Ark complies with international rules banning hulls from being treated with anti-fouling paint which contains chemicals harmful to wildlife.

Emails from coastguard bosses, seen by the Ipswich Star, raise “serious concerns” about the condition of the vessel, including the fact it is 61 years old.

“We do have concerns about this vessel and we cannot rely on the grace of God that it can be safely towed to Holland,” the emails read.

It is understood the Dutch Government is lobbying the UK Foreign Office and the Department of Transport on the issue.

A spokesperson for the MCA said: “The vessel, Noah’s Ark, will remain detained until all the deficiencies have been put right and a MCA surveyor is invited to check they’ve been corrected.”

Mr Peters, who is now back in the Netherlands, has described his Ark as “a message of hope” and “an educational and cultural celebration of many of the Bible’s legendary stories”.

His spokesperson said: “The requirement to obtain full registration and the required certificates was and may not be achievable within the required timescales and would incur unreasonable costs and time delays to the vessel.

“Towage plans have now been made for the Ark to return to the Netherlands and the vessel is still awaiting towage approval to depart from the UK.

“Owners have been continuously seeking a means (of release) and (permittance) to be towed on a single voyage from the UK to the Netherlands, with an agreed towage plan.”

Just as well nobody ever asked Noah for an agreed towage plan, or for that matter a load line certificate, after the man himself loaded a male and female of every animal onto his Ark on being warned of the devastating flood to come.

Fortunately it didn’t happen to the original because – if the Bible is to be believed – none of us would be around to tell the tale.

A giant replica of Noah’s Ark has been impounded and is racking up fines of £500 a day on Ipswich’s waterfront after the UK authorities said it did not have the correct paperwork.

The 230ft long floating museum, full of sculptures of biblical characters, arrived in November 2019after being towed across the North Sea from the Netherlands.

The attraction, which has welcomed more than 15,000 visitors, had been due to leave in March 2020 but has been stuck for 18 months after the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was not seaworthy.

Now, the Department of Transport is in discussions with Dutch authorities to find a way for the ship to be released.

The owner of the replica Ark, Dutch TV and theatre producer Aad Peters, is desperate for it to be allowed home.

LOOK: Pictures show stunning hidden world behind the doors of the ark at Ipswich waterfront

Feb 7, 2020

Filmed in Ipswich, UK.
 See inside Noah’s Ark – the full size replica at Orwell Quay, Ipswich
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LOOK: Pictures show stunning hidden world behind the doors of the ark at Ipswich waterfront

Dutchman Aad Peters has brought his replica of Noah’s Ark to Ipswich docks for three months Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY – Credit: Archant The 70m vessel, a replica of Noah’s Ark, is owned by Dutch TV producer Aad Peters. It tells Bible stories through wooden sculptures Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY – Credit: Archant
Telling Biblical stories onboard a replica of Noah’s Ark, Dutchman Aad Peters has brought his 70m vessel to Ipswich for three months Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY – Credit: Archant

From the outside, it is a dark, towering ship looming in front of the clouds in a cold, blustery dock.

But inside – thanks to the equally quirky and impressive mastermind of Dutchman Aad Peters – there is something quite different.

No stranger to storytelling, the artist, television and theatre producer attempts to question the way people look at fact and fiction in his floating museum – posing the idea that anything is possible.

From wooden statues of Noah riding a scooter with a ram’s head for handlebars, King Solomon brandishing his sword and a live snake and Koi Carp, Mr Peters eccentric way to tell the story of the bible is as striking as it is thought-provoking.

The ark at Ipswich waterfront is full of striking statues made from olive wood Picture: OLIVER SULLIVAN – Credit: Archant

Mr Peters added: “I felt it’s sad that these stories aren’t there anymore – I’ve worked in more than 60 countries, and if you know you’re own story it’s much easier to talk to other people who have their own. I am as story teller, and this is a story ship.”

Dutchman Aad Peters inside his floating museum – a replica of Noah’s Ark – which opens to visitors from November 15 Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY – Credit: Archant

 

 

Split across four floors, the museum is not affiliated with any religious group – instead, according to Mr Peters, giving people the choice to believe whatever they want to believe.He said: “I don’t go into the religion, I go into the stories and let the stories do their job.

For me, religion is something very personal, but a story is a story – here we separate the two different things.”

Built in 2010 by carpenter and evangelist Johan Huibers, the ark is built to half the size of the specifications in the bible, and proved a tricky task to transport to the UK last week.

Mr Peters said: “This is the only floating ark in the world and it is extremely beautiful – but more than that it is an opportunity to bring people together and simply discuss life.”

Noah’s wife with caged birds in her chest, onboard the replica of Noah’s Ark – a floating museum which is docked in Ipswich for the next three months Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY – Credit: Archant

Having previously been to Germany, Denmark and Norway, the boat has again been hot in the public eye.

Local businessman Kevin Barber said: “This is a great opportunity show how aspirational Ipswich is as a town. Not only will it help our community, it will also help our local economy which is a fantastic thing.”

Adult tickets are priced at £16.50, with children between four and 14 at £9.50 and discounts available for family tickets. A further 20% discount is available on Mondays.

The ark is set to remain at its spot at Orwell Quay for three months.

One of the quirky displays inside the huge 70m vessel, a replica of Noah's Ark, which has docked in

One of the quirky displays inside the huge 70m vessel, a replica of Noah’s Ark, which has docked in Ipswich for three months Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY – Credit: Archant

Noah’s Ark in a Double Rainbow!

Jun 6, 2020
A few months back the floating replica of Noah’s Ark arrived at the Ipswich Marina where we live in the UK. Today we had a very sudden, heavy and short downpour of rain while the sun was still shining. I looked outside and saw and incredible sight… Noah’s Ark caught within a double rainbow.

Halleluljah!

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Matthew 24:37 and Luke 17:26

37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

You surely do not think that GOD destroyed them all for eating and drinking an marrying!!   So, let’s dig a little deeper and find out what was really going on in the DAYS OF NOAH.
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Book of Jasher Ch 4

1 And all the days that Enoch lived upon earth, were three hundred and sixty-five years.

2 And when Enoch had ascended into heaven, all the kings of the earth rose and took Methuselah his son and anointed him, and they caused him to reign over them in the place of his father.

3 And Methuselah acted uprightly in the sight of God, as his father Enoch had taught him, and he likewise during the whole of his life taught the sons of men wisdom, knowledge and the fear of God, and he did not turn from the good way either to the right or to the left.

4 But in the latter days of Methuselah, the sons of men turned from the Lord, they corrupted the earth, they robbed and plundered each other, and they rebelled against God and they transgressed, and they corrupted their ways, and would not hearken to the voice of Methuselah, but rebelled against him.

5 And the Lord was exceedingly wroth against them, and the Lord continued to destroy the seed in those days, so that there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth.

6 For when they sowed the ground in order that they might obtain food for their support, behold, thorns and thistles were produced which they did not sow.

7 And still the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were still extended to do evil in the sight of God, and they provoked the Lord with their evil ways, and the Lord was very wroth, and repented that he had made man.

8 And he thought to destroy and annihilate them and he did so.

9 In those days when Lamech the son of Methuselah was one hundred and sixty years old, Seth the son of Adam died.

10 And all the days that Seth lived, were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

11 And Lamech was one hundred and eighty years old when he took Ashmua, the daughter of Elishaa the son of Enoch his uncle, and she conceived.

12 And at that time the sons of men sowed the ground, and a little food was produced, yet the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and they trespassed and rebelled against God.

13 And the wife of Lamech conceived and bare him a son at that time, at the revolution of the year.

14 And Methuselah called his name Noah, saying, The earth was in his days at rest and free from corruption, and Lamech his father called his name Menachem, saying, This one shall comfort us in our works and miserable toil in the earth, which God had cursed.

15 And the child (NOAH) grew up and was weaned, and he went in the ways of his father Methuselah, perfect and upright with God.

16 And all the sons of men departed from the ways of the Lord in those days as they multiplied upon the face of the earth with sons and daughters, and they taught one another their evil practices and they continued sinning against the Lord.

17 And every man made unto himself a god, and they robbed and plundered every man his neighbor as well as his relative, and they corrupted the earth, and the earth was filled with violence.

18 And their judges and rulers went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their husbands according to their choice, and the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the Lord;and God saw the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals.

19 And the Lord said, I will blot out man that I created from the face of the earth, yea from man to the birds of the air, together with cattle and beasts that are in the field for I repent that I made them.

20 And all men who walked in the ways of the Lord, died in those days,before the Lord brought the evil upon man which he had declared, for this was from the Lord, that they should not see the evil which the Lord spoke of concerning the sons of men.

21 And Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord chose him and his children to raise up seed from them upon the face of the whole earth.

Jasher Ch 5

5 And all who followed the Lord died in those days, before they saw the evil which God declared to do upon earth.

6 And after the lapse of many years, in the four hundred and eightieth year of the life of Noah, when all those men, who followed the Lord had died away from amongst the sons of men, and only Methuselah was then left, God said unto Noah and Methuselah, saying,

7 Speak ye, and proclaim to the sons of men, saying, Thus saith the Lord, return from your evil ways and forsake your works, and the Lord will repent of the evil that he declared to do to you, so that it shall not come to pass.

8 For thus saith the Lord, Behold I give you a period of one hundred and twenty years; if you will turn to me and forsake your evil ways, then will I also turn away from the evil which I told you, and it shall not exist, saith the Lord.

9 And Noah and Methuselah spoke all the words of the Lord to the sons of men, day after day, constantly speaking to them.

10 But the sons of men would not hearken to them,nor incline their ears to their words, and they were stiffnecked.

11 And the Lord granted them a period of one hundred and twenty years, saying, If they will return, then will God repent of the evil, so as not to destroy the earth.

21 And all the sons of men who knew the Lord, died in that year before the Lord brought evil upon them; for the Lord willed them to die, so as not to behold the evil that God would bring upon their brothers and relatives, as he had so declared to do.

22 In that time, the Lord said to Noah and Methuselah, Stand forth and proclaim to the sons of men all the words that I spoke to you in those days, peradventure they may turn from their evil ways, and I will then repent of the evil and will not bring it.

23 And Noah and Methuselah stood forth, and said in the ears of the sons of men, all that God had spoken concerning them.

24 But the sons of men would not hearken, neither would they incline their ears to all their declarations.

25 And it was after this that the Lord said to Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, on account of their evil deeds, and behold I will destroy the earth.

26 And do thou take unto thee gopher wood, and go to a certain place and make a large ark, and place it in that spot.

27 And thus shalt thou make it; three hundred cubits its length, fifty cubits broad and thirty cubits high.

28 And thou shalt make unto thee a door, open at its side, and to a cubit thou shalt finish above, and cover it within and without with pitch.

29 And behold I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth, and all flesh be destroyed, from under the heavens all that is upon earth shall perish.

33 And Noah rose up, and he made the ark, in the place where God had commanded him, and Noah did as God had ordered him.

11 And on that day, the Lord caused the whole earth to shake, and the sun darkened, and the foundations of the world raged, and the whole earth was moved violently, and the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared, and all the fountains in the earth were broken up, such as was not known to the inhabitants before; and God did this mighty act, in order to terrify the sons of men, that there might be no more evil upon earth.

12 And still the sons of men would not return from their evil ways, and they increased the anger of the Lord at that time, and did not even direct their hearts to all this.

13 And at the end of seven days, in the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, the waters of the flood were upon the earth.   (at the end of the seven year tribulation, in the six thousandth year. For one day is as a thousand years with GOD.)

14 And all the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

15 And Noah and his household, and all the living creatures that were with him, came into the ark on account of the waters of the flood, and the Lord shut him in.

16 And all the sons of men that were left upon the earth, became exhausted through evil on account of the rain, for the waters were coming more violently upon the earth, and the animals and beasts were still surrounding the ark.

17 And the sons of men assembled together, about seven hundred thousand men and women, and they came unto Noah to the ark.

18 And they called to Noah, saying, Open for us that we may come to thee in the ark–and wherefore shall we die?

19 And Noah, with a loud voice, answered them from the ark, saying, Have you not all rebelled against the Lord, and said that he does not exist? and therefore the Lord brought upon you this evil, to destroy and cut you off from the face of the earth.

20 Is not this the thing that I spoke to you of one hundred and twenty years back, and you would not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and now do you desire to live upon earth?

21 And they said to Noah, We are ready to return to the Lord; only open for us that we may live and not die.

22 And Noah answered them, saying, Behold now that you see the trouble of your souls, you wish to return to the Lord; why did you not return during these hundred and twenty years, which the Lord granted you as the determined period?

23 But now you come and tell me this on account of the troubles of your souls, now also the Lord will not listen to you, neither will he give ear to you on this day, so that you will not now succeed in your wishes.

24 And the sons of men approached in order to break into the ark, to come in on account of the rain, for they could not bear the rain upon them.

25 And the Lord sent all the beasts and animals that stood round the ark. And the beasts overpowered them and drove them from that place, and every man went his way and they again scattered themselves upon the face of the earth.

26 And the rain was still descending upon the earth, and it descended forty days and forty nights, and the waters prevailed greatly upon the earth; and all flesh that was upon the earth or in the waters died, whether men, animals, beasts, creeping things or birds of the air, and there only remained Noah and those that were with him in the ark.

So, we see that the people were guilty of not honoring and/or recognizing GOD.  They were guilty of living their lives as they saw fit, regardless of who they hurt or what laws they broke.  They were guilty of making gods of their own choice, not recognizing that GOD is the CREATOR of all things, and therefore has the right to make the rules.  They ignored his mercy and grace when he offered them multiple opportunities to change their ways and open their eyes.  

Sadly the truth is, that is EXACTLY where we are today.  God has been giving us so many signs, he has sent his messengers over and over again to warn us.  However, most of the world is stiff-necked, hard hearted and rebellious.  They refuse to honor GOD.  They refuse to even recognize His existence.  They are deceived into thinking that they can go on their own way, with no consequences.  THEY ARE WRONG!

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Let me tell you, YOU CAN TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD!!  He is not a man that he should lie.  EVERY WORD that issues from the mouth of GOD is true and will accomplish what he sent it to do.
When GOD’s word says the JONAH was swallowed by a whale and lived there in its belly for three days.  That is exactly what happened.   Though the “experts” will tell you that NO ONE can live inside a whale… they are wrong!  I don’t care how many degrees they have, or how much they have studied.  They are wrong.  
I have settled in my heart long ago that I WILL BELIEVE GOD!!  HE is well able to do ANYTHING HE PLEASES.  He created ALL THINGS. 
It is time for you to decide whose REPORT will YOU BELIEVE?  You better think long and hard… your eternity depends on it.
GOD is separating the sheep from the goats.  He is watching to see who will take Him at His Word.  Who is watching and waiting for HIS RETURN.  WHO is worthy to be saved from all that is coming upon the earth.  
There is not sign for us, but the sign of JONAH.  God has been repeatedly showing us the sign of NOAH in recent years.  Many of these testimonies have been hidden or erased or disputed.  GOD is relentlessly, sending witnesses.  He does not want anyone to perish.  But, HE has given us free will.  Sadly, many people will make the wrong choice.  No one will ever be able to blame GOD.  ALL have had plenty of opportunities to hear the truth.  Don’t harden your heart.  Don’t close your mind.  Don’t let the truth fall on deaf ears.  Open your eyes and see the truth is all around you.  Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear are declaring it to you everyday!
The story of JONAH was obviously a very important to GOD.  It stands alone.  It is not hidden among other scriptures.  It is clearly laid out in three parts.  (3 is the number of God’s perfection).  

The chapters are very short, but full of content.  Let’s take a good look at the story of Jonah.  

Jonah 1:1-17

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai
[Amittai = veracious according to the etymology: “habitually disposed to speak truth,” 1670s, from Latin verac-, stem of verax “according to truth, truthful,” from verus “true” (from PIE root *were-o- “true, trustworthy”) + -ous.]

 , saying,  Arise, go to Nineveh (the capital of Assyria), that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish (a Port City of Merchants) from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa (A beautiful place in Palestine); and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (So, he was turning his back on the mission and running away from GOD)

But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1-10

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 3: 1-10

And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

SO, God clearly states not only that Jonah was swallowed by a whale/big fish where he spent three whole days, but that GOD is the one who cast him into the sea and who sent the fish to swallow him.  He is also the one who caused the fish to spew him out.

More importantly, GOD says that JONAH’s 3 days in the belly of the whale was a sign of the coming Messiah and the deliverance of God’s people.

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Let’s take a look at scripture and what it has to say about Jesus and his three days in the belly of the Earth.

Matthew 12: 34-40

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

But he answered and said unto themAn evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

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#2.2 JESUS WAS LITERALLY THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE GRAVE

This bible study uses a Greek Unicode font and is printable.

Introduction 2.2

This is a very thorough bible study about Jesus being three days and three nights in the grave. We have included every scripture with Greek and Hebrew so that people can see the truth of what is taught here. The common belief that Jesus died on Friday and rose on Sunday cannot be true if Jesus was three whole nights and three whole days in the grave. At the most it comes to one day plus part of a day and one night plus part of a night. The Sunday sunrise had not happened when the women came to the tomb because they came “while it was still dark” (John 20:1). Therefore dear reader, please study carefully and prayerfully, and when you realize the truth every scripture will fit.

#2.21 He was Raised on the Third Day

MATTHEW 16:21
21 From that time on began Jesus to show to his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day (Greek: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ).

MATTHEW 17:22-23
22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men.
23 And they shall kill him, and the third day (Greek: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ) he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

MATTHEW 20:18-19
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day (Greek: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ) he shall rise again.

MARK 9:31
31For he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day (Greek: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ).

MARK 10:32-34
32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things would happen to him,
33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered to the chief priests, and to the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
34 And they shall mock him, and scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

LUKE 9:21-22
21 And he strictly warned them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

LUKE 18:31-33
31 And he took to him the twelve, and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all thing that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
32 For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spat on:
33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day (Greek: τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ) he shall rise again.

LUKE 24:6-7
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke to you while he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

LUKE 24:46
46 And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day

ACTS 10:39-40
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly;

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Note 1: In every one of these scriptures except one (Luke 18:33) the expression “the third day” is translated from the Greek words τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ (Gtr. te trite hemera), which are the singular of the dative case, the adjective being in the “Attributive Intermediate Position” (Ward Powers p85). In Greek the dative describes a point in time when it is used in reference to time, and “te trite hemera” literally means “on the third day” (D.F. Hudson p105; Ward Powers p112; H.P.V. Nunn p47), that is, at some particular point in time on that day. That translated the third day (Luke 18:33) is the Greek expression τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ (Gtr. te hemera te trite), which means exactly the same thing as “te trite hemera”, but has the adjective in the “Attributive Post Position” (Ward Powers p85; H.P.V. Nunn p60).

Note 2: How then do we understand this? Jesus died on the day of the Passover, which was the 14th of the month (Leviticus 23:5Numbers 9:5Ezra 6:19), and the preparation for the feast of unleavened bread (John 19:30-31). He died around the ninth hour (Matthew 27:46-60Luke 23:44-46), which would be around 3 p.m. in the afternoon (See #2.16 Note 2), and was buried the same day (Luke 23:50-56). There are different ways that we can interpret the phrase “the third day”. One way is to count the days after his death on the 14th. The first day would be the 15th, the Sabbath of the feast (See #2.14), the second day would be the 16th, and the third day would be the 17th. Thus, counting these as whole days, according to every one of these scriptures, Jesus had to rise on the 17th day of the month. Another way would be to understand “the third day” as meaning “the third day of the feast of unleavened bread”, in which case it would still mean that Jesus would rise on the 17th day of the month.

#2.22 He was Raised in Three Days

JOHN 2:19-21
19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days (Greek: ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις) I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days (Greek: ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις)
21 But he spoke of the temple of his body.

Note: In both of these verses the words translated in three days (Greek: ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις, Gtr. en trisin hemerais) are the plural of the dative case. As the dative specifies a point in time (See #2.21 Note 1), this phrase means “at some point in time during a three day period”. In agreement with the previous section, we know that it was more specifically at a point in time on the third day of that period, which was the 17th day of the month.

#2.23 He was Raised During Three Days?

MATTHEW 26:59-61
59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witnesses against Jesus, to put him to death;
60 But found none: yes, though many false witnesses came, yet they found none. At the end came two false witnesses,
61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days (Greek: διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν).

MARK 14:55-58
55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
56 For many bore false witness against him, but they did not agree together.
57 And there arose certain, and bore false witness against him, saying,
58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days (Greek: διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν) I will build another made without hands.

Note: The words translated in three days (Matthew 26:61Mark 14:58) are the Greek words διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν (Gtr. dia trion hemeron) which are in the genitive case. In this case the preposition “dia” literally means “through”, and as the genitive case stands for “time during which” (D.F. Hudson p105; Ward Powers p108; H.P.V. Nunn p43), these statements speak as if he would be building during the three days. This was not what Jesus said. He used the dative case indicating a point in time during three days (See #2.22 Note). In accordance with the best principles of interpreting the word of God (See RP 301 #4.16), as these are stated to be false witnesses who made these statements (Matthew 26:60Mark 14:57), we can safely ignore their testimony altogether.

#2.24 He was Raised After Three Days

MATTHEW 27:62-63
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days (Greek: μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας) I will rise again.

MARK 8:31
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days (Greek: μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας) rise again.

Note 1: The words translated after three days in both of these scriptures are the Greek words μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας (Gtr. meta treis hemeras) which are in the accusative case. As far as time is concerned, the accusative case deals with “duration over a whole period” (D.F. Hudson p105; Ward Powers p106; H.P.V. Nunn p40), not “duration within a period” – that would be genitive case (See #2.23 Note). As the preposition “meta” literally means “after”, these statements make it clear that Jesus could not rise within this three day period specified, it had to be some time after it. If you count a day as a period of light – “God called the light day” (Genesis 1:4) – that is “twelve hours” (John 11:9), then where are your thee periods of light if you believe Jesus died on Friday afternoon and rose on Sunday morning? If you count a day as a 24 hour day, then where are the three days, which equals 72 hours, between 3 p.m. Friday afternoon and 6 a.m. on Sunday morning?

Note 2: We cannot take this to be a period of three separate complete days, because that would mean that he rose after the 17th day, at least on the 18th, and it would contradict many other scriptures (See #2.21). So in accordance with the best principles of translating scripture (See RP 301 #4.08 “Make Sense of the Apparent Contradictions”), we can count this as a period of three whole days in length – that is 72 hours. This is exactly what we would do with righteous reckoning. If we take it to start from the time of his death, around 3 p.m. on the 14th day, then he must have risen at some time after 3 p.m. on the 17th day, but before 6 p.m. which would be the start of the 18th day for the Jews.

#2.25 He was Raised After Three Days and Three Nights

JONAH 1:17
17 Then Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Hebrew: שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לֵילוֹת).

MATTHEW 12:40
40 For as Jonah was three day and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights (Greek: τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας) in the heart of the earth.

Note 1: The sequence of events following Jonah’s three days and three nights in the belly of the fish are as follows.

(Jonah 2:1) “Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God.”
(Jonah 2:10) “And the Lord spoke to the fish.”
(Jonah 2:10) “and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”

In each case here the underlined words “Then”, “And”, and “and”, are the same conjunction (Hb. וַ , Htr. va) which can mean “and”, or “but” or “or”, depending upon the context (J. Weingreen, A PRACTICAL GRAMMAR FOR CLASSICAL HEBREW Page 40), and it can also mean “then”. It doesn’t mean “prior to this”, or “before this”, or “during which time”. We can see that it is being used here to join a sequence of events which follow one another, from which we can conclude that Jonah spent three whole days and three whole nights in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17), that is, at least 72 hours of time. After this Yahweh spoke to the fish, and the fish vomited Jonah out on the dry land.

Note 2: In the New Testament, the expression three days and three nights (Greek: τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, Gtr. treis hemeras kai treis nuktas) (Matthew 12:40) is in the accusative case, and as we have already seen (#2.24 Note 1), the accusative case denotes a complete period of time. It does not normally mean “a time during which”, that would be the genitive case, or “a point in that period of time”, that would have to be the dative case. The Greek is scriptural proof that Jesus was literally three days and three nights in the grave. So we can take this period of time to be at least 72 hours by counting 12 hours in each day (John 11:9), and 12 hours in each night. This is literally three periods of darkness, and three periods of light as we can see what God said in the beginning, “And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night” (Genesis 1:5). This was not the time between his death and resurrection, but the time that he was “in the heart of the earth”, that is, the time between his burial in the tomb and his resurrection.

#2.26 Conclusion Concerning the Time of the Resurrection of Jesus

We have already shown that Jesus rose at some point in time on the 17th of the month Nisan (See #2.21; #2.22), and that for other scriptures to agree it must have been between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on that day (See #2.24). We can narrow the time down even more when we see that Jesus had to be buried for three whole days (See #2.25 Note 2). We do not know the exact time of his burial, but we can estimate it from the following facts.

(1) He died around 3 p.m. in the afternoon (Matthew 27:46-50).
(2) The Jews sought Pilate to break the legs of those on the cross, and the soldiers broke the legs of the two robbers, and pierced the side of Jesus with a spear (John 19:31-37).
(3) After this, Joseph of Arimathӕa went and asked for the body of Jesus at evening time (Matthew 27:57-58Mark 15:42-43Luke 23:50-52John 19:38a).
(4) The centurion then had to go and check if Jesus was dead, and report back to Pilate (Mark 15:44-45).
(5) Joseph and Nicodemus then took the body, wrapped it up with spices (John 19:39-40), and took it and laid it in the tomb, and rolled a stone across the door (Matthew 27:59-60Mark 15:46John 19:41-42).
(6) It was still the day of the Passover when he was buried (Luke 23:54John 19:42).
(7) While he was being buried the women watched how he had been laid (Luke 23:55).
(8) The next day, on the feast day, the 15th Nisan, the priests and Pharisees came to Pilate (Matthew 27:62) and requested the tomb to be sealed, and Pilate gave orders to do it (Matthew 27:64).
(9) The next day, after the feast day Sabbath, that is the 16th Nisan, the women disciples bought spices (Mark 16:1), and went and prepared them, and rested on the weekly Sabbath which followed, which was 17th Nisan (Luke 23:56), the day he rose from the dead.

We can assume from all of this that it was very late on the day of the Passover (14th of Nisan) when Jesus was buried, probably between 5 and 6 p.m. He had to be buried for at least three days and three nights, that is, 72 hours (See #2.25 Note 2). We have already shown that he must have risen on the 17th of Nisan (See #2.21; #2.22), so it was probably between 5 and 6 p.m. on that day, which was the weekly Sabbath day.

Three days and three nights

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GOD IS BRINGING THIS SIGN OF JONAH in these last days, over and over again.   Here are a few in recent days.  

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His name’s not Jonah — but this Cape Cod man sure has something in common with the biblical figure now.

Commercial lobster diver Michael Packard was going about his business off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts when he was swallowed whole by a humpback whale — trapped in its gullet for nearly a minute before being coughed back up, according to a report.

Mr Packard, 56, was about 10.6m below the surface near Herring Cove Beach at 8am on Friday when the massive mammal tried to turn him into breakfast, the Cape Cod Times reported.

“All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black,” Mr Packard told the outlet.

“I could sense I was moving, and I could feel the whale squeezing with the muscles in his mouth.”

Michael Packard is a lobster diver in Massachusetts, USA. Picture: Facebook
Michael Packard is a lobster diver in Massachusetts, USA. Picture: Facebook

Stunned, his first thought was that he’d been snapped up by a great white shark — and was done for.

Mr Packard told the local CBS News affiliate that he thought to himself “This is it, I’m gonna die.”

“I was completely inside [the whale]; it was completely black,” Mr Packard told the Cape Cod Times.

“I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here. I’m done, I’m dead. All I could think of was my boys, they’re 12 and 15 years old.”

But when he realised he could feel no teeth, he began struggling and felt the whale shaking his head in discomfort, he said

Within 40 seconds the massive mammal spat him back out into the ocean.

“I saw light, and he started throwing his head side-to-side and the next thing I knew I was outside [in the water],” Mr Packard said.

“My first thought was I can’t believe I got out of that situation. My second thought was for how injured I was.”

Cape Cod Times
@capecodtimes
“Thank god, it wasn’t a white shark. He sees them all the time out there. He must have thought he was done.” – Cynthia Packard
capecodtimes.com

Mass Lobster diver swallowed by humpback whale off Cape Cod coast

His boating pal, Josiah Mayo, saw water spraying as the sea creature surfaced and Mr Packard was ejected, the Cape Cod paper reported.

He plucked Mr Packard out of the sea, and rushed him to a hospital, where he was treated for soft tissue damage to his leg.

Amazingly, Mr Packard said he feels just fine after his remarkable, Pinocchio-style getaway.

“I’m good overall,” he said.

An expert said the whale was likely a juvenile, and may have swallowed Mr Packard accidentally, not seeing the diver while his mouth was open wide to scoop up little fish.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission

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Jun 11, 2021
The veteran Cape Cod lobster diver was positioned off the coast of Provincetown, about 35 feet down, when he was swallowed by a humpback whale. Subscribe to WCVB on YouTube now for more: http://bit.ly/1e8lAMZ

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‘Oh, my God, I’m in the mouth of a whale’: Hear how this diver survived scary ordeal

Michael Packard spent a harrowing 30-40 seconds in the mouth of a whale before being spit out into the ocean.
Michael Packer, left and a whale off Cape Cod.

Michael Packer, left, and a whale off Cape Cod.Courtesy Packard family via NBC Boston; AFP-Getty Images

 / Source: TODAY

Michael Packard was working off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Friday when he had a harrowing experience that will surely be a whale of a tale for him to tell for years to come.

According to NBC Boston, Packard, a commercial lobster diver, was in about 45 feet of water when he was swallowed by a humpback whale.

“I just want to clarify what happened to me today. I was lobster diving and A humpback whale tried to eat me,” Packard, 56, wrote in a Facebook post.

“I was in his closed mouth for about 30 to 40 seconds before he rose to the surface and spit me out. I am very bruised up but have no broken bones.” Packard went on to thank the Provincetown rescue squad for helping him.

Amazingly, Packard was released from Cape Cod Hospital with only minor injuries and was able to go home to recuperate, according to Cape Cod Times.

“I just felt this truck hit me,” Packard told NBC Boston. “And everything just went dark … I just thought, ‘Did I just get eaten by a white shark?’ And then I said, ‘No, I don’t feel any teeth.’ And I said, ‘Oh, my God, I’m in the mouth of a whale. With his mouth shut.'”

White sharks have been a fixture off the coast of Cape Cod in recent summers, but encounters with whales are much more rare, according to what Charles “Stormy” Mayo, a senior scientist and whale expert at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown told the Cape Cod Times.

Packard, whose job as a diver is already a risky one, realized he was in serious trouble when he couldn’t find the regulator for his oxygen tank and had no way to escape.

“This is how you’re going to go, Michael,” he said. “This is how you’re going to die. In the mouth of a whale … I just thought, ‘Am I just going to run out of air and suffocate? Is he going to swallow me?'”

“I just got thrown out of his mouth into the water. There was white water everywhere. And I just was laying on the surface, floating.”

Packard said he was in “extreme pain” and thought his legs had been broken but that he only has a dislocated knee and “soft tissue damage” from his ordeal, which seems minor compared to the possible fate of becoming a whale’s lunch.

“The doctor says I’m good. Thank God,” he said.

Packard plans to get back in the water and continue lobster diving as soon as he’s better and hopes that will be sometime soon.

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THE BOOK OF JONAH… NEW LIGHT FROM OLD SHADE!!!

First published at 03:31 UTC on December 30th, 2019.

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Humpback whale nearly swallows two kayakers before spitting them out

WRITTEN BYSJ LYNN
Whale Kayakers

Julie McSorley / Facebook

Julie McSorley and Liz Cottriel were nearly swallowed by a humpback whale while they were out kayaking on Monday in Avila Beach, Calif.

The pair were watching the whales below the surface when a humpback whale suddenly emerged and appeared to swallow the whole kayak.

Their close call was captured on shocking video:

“I still have an adrenaline rush!” McSorley told Fox 26 News.

“The whale was in my face, literally,” said Cottriel, who recounted having the instinct to “push the whale out of the way.”

“It was the weirdest thought,” she told Fox 26. “I’m thinking, ‘I’m dead. I’m dead.’ I thought it was gonna land on me. Next thing I know, I’m underwater.”

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  Lifestyle  Viral and Trending  05 Apr 2016  Swallowed alive, man …

Swallowed alive, man survives inside whale’s stomach for three days

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedApr 5, 2016, 1:04 pm IST
UpdatedApr 5, 2016, 1:12 pm IST
According to the man he stayed inside the whale for three days and three nights.

"The only thing that kept me alive where the raw fish I ate and the light from my waterproof watch,"says the man.

 “The only thing that kept me alive where the raw fish I ate and the light from my waterproof watch,”says the man.

A Spanish fisherman who drowned in the sea is back with a very interesting story. The man who disappeared for several days after he went overboard during bad storm has return to share his survival tale.

The 56-year-old fisherman Luigi Marquez claims that a whale swallowed him. According to Marquez he stayed there for three days and nights.

When Marquez didn’t return home, the coastal guard tried to find him during but failed to locate him and he was considered dead.

“This great beast swallowed me the morning after the storm,” he told local reporters.

“It is the most frightening thing I have ever lived. Everything was pitch black and I was shivering cold. The only thing that kept me alive were the raw fish I ate and the light from my waterproof watch, that is how I kept in touch with time. And the smell, I will never forget that horrible stench of putrid decomposition. I had to wash for three days before the odor went away,” Luigi Marquez told reporters.

“This is truly a miracle! Saint Mary of Jesus has heard our prayers. “I prayed and I prayed and I never lost faith, and the Lord has brought me back my precious Luigi,” told his wife, Penelope Marquez, to local reporters.

Though there are many speculation over what Marque is saying, but he claims that he was inside the whale for 72 hours before it flushed him out.

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Diver recounts panic of almost being ‘swallowed’ alive by massive whale

A stunning photo captured the moment wildlife photographer Rainer Schimpf had his head and torso in the mouth of a 15-ton whale off the coast of South Africa.

Watch the video on YOUTUBE:  CLICK HERE
 / Source: TODAY

A South African photographer has a whale of a survival story — and the stunning photo to prove it.

Rainer Schimpf, 51, had his own personal Book of Jonah moment when his head and torso were gobbled up by a whale while he was shooting footage of a sardine run off the coast near Port Elizabeth Harbor in South Africa.

“I held my breath and I was prepared, and that’s the only thing I could do, I mean there was no other thing I could do,” Schimpf told TODAY’s Keir Simmons. “I mean, you can’t fight a 15-ton animal.”

Schimpf was in the mouth of a Bryde’s whale, which can grow to 55 feet and weigh up to 30 tons.

He thankfully was only trapped for about two seconds before the whale let him free. The incredible scene that was captured by photographer Heinz Toperczer, who was in a nearby boat with Schimpf’s wife, Silke.

Man swallowed by whale
A stunning photo shows the head and torso of wildlife photographer Rainer Schimpf in the mouth of a Bryde’s Whale off the coast of South Africa. TODAY

“I was just holding myself and bracing myself and calming myself down not to be panicked, and it worked out,” he said. “He spat me out and everybody’s happy.”

His biggest fear was not being completely swallowed by the whale, but being pulled down into the deep ocean.

“My second thought was that obviously it can’t swallow me, because the throat of a whale is not big enough to swallow a human, and my next thought was it’s most likely going to dive down with me,” Schimpf said.

Whales were also a secondary concern, since sardine runs usually attracts a host of sharks, he said.

“It’s not the whale you should be afraid of,” he said. “It’s more the situation.”

Bryde's Whale
A Bryde’s whale off the coast of Thailand. The animals can grow up to 55 feet and weight 30 tons. Getty Images

A check of his body after the ordeal found that he didn’t even have a single bruise. He was back in the water only minutes later.

Simmons joked that Schimpf might be the first person since Jonah’s biblical odyssey to enter the mouth of a whale and survive.

“I showed (the photo) to my son, and he was impressed,” Schimpf said. “And you’ll never guess what his name is — Jonas.”

Mar 7, 2021
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