The sign of Yonas/Jonah

Hezekiel

In Matthew 12:40 , we read:
 
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth"

What does the Lord mean by this? Was the belly of the fish the tomb of Yonas for 3 days/nights , ie, was Yonas dead or alive? Why is the story of Jonah so significant to understand the death and resurrection of our Lord? Are there any parallels?

What do you think?

jydeacon

Its exactly what it means, Jonah was not dead however. He was only a literal symbol of the Lord Himself, by him being in the belly this represented the tomb and after three days he was spit up by the belly ie resurrection of the Lord

PopeKyrillos

No, jonah was not dead in the belly of the fish. As he did not eat in the belly of the whale, so christ did not eat in the tomb. The reason Jonah was in the belly of the whale was because of sin, and Christ was also in the tmb for the sins of the people.

gregorytheSinner

lets not forget that although Christs human body died on the Cross, doesnt mean that the world was witout GOD i.e., God was still alive (as He always is)
and as popeKyrillos said, he was in the tomb for our sins as was Jonah was in the belly for his, and after Jonah came out, Ninevah was saved from Death just as after Christ resurrected he saved everyone from the grips of death, by opening the gates of heaven to the righteous