JONAH VS SIMON, THE SON OF JONAS
The prophet Jonah, and Simon, the son of Jonas, better known as Peter, had reverse roles, but the Father taught both the same lesson. A comparison and contrast of incidents in the lives of both will show how God did this.
(1) Peter was the right star for this role, and Christ said itwhen he called him Simon, SON OF JONAS, John 21:15.
(2) JONAH was sent to preach repentance to the gentiles, and God chose the Assyrian city Ninevah for that purpose, Jonah 1:1-2. The SON OF JONAS was sent by Jesus to the lost sheep of the House of Israel rather than to the gentiles in contrast, Matthew 10:5-6.
(3) JONAH was afraid to keep his command and immediately set sail for Joppa to get away from God, Jonah 1:3. But SON OF JONAS when commanded by God the Holy Ghost to go preach to the gentiles did the reverse act. He was not afraid to obey the Holy Ghost, and he was already at Joppa, Acts 10:19-23.
(4) The prophet JONAH was asleep in the ship when a tempest arose on the sea. The men in the ship woke him up and asked him to call on his God that the sea might be still, Jonah 1:4-6. The SON OF JONAS was also on a ship at sea when a tempest came. But in the reverse act, he and the disciples woke up the Son of God to save them from perishing, Matthew 8:23-25. Notice in Matthew 8:26. Jesus diagnosed the disciples' problem as being a condition of "little faith".
(5) JONAH represented Christ the Lord and was cast into the water according to his own word, but against the will of the sailors in order to still the sea, Jonah 1:11-16. These sailors were not faithless, but believed Jonah. In the reverse act, we find the SON OF JONAS and the sailors with him afraid to get out in the water, but Peter tried it any way. But it was Jesus the Word walking on the waters that calmed the sea, - Notice Jesus' witness for the second time that the disciples' problem was "little faith" because of doubt.
(6) God prepared a fish to swallow Jonah 1:17, and he remained in its belly for three days and three nights. In the reverse role the SON OF JONAS was always catching and eating the fish, Matthew 4:18-20, but it was the Son of God who stayed in the heart of the earth three days and nights for salvation of more than just himself, Matthew 12:39-41.
(7) JONAH was baptized in the sea where the washing by the spirit made him ready to obey. He himself gave the KEY WORDS TO INDICATE BAPTISM saying, "Yet thou hast brought up my life from corruption, 0 Lord my God," Jonah 2:6. In the reverse act we find Jesus simply baptizing the feet of the SON OF JONAS who asked that his head and hands also be cleaned, John 13:4-10. "Know ye not that so many of us were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life," Romans 6:3-4. JONAH walked right to Nineveh preaching, but the SON OF JONAS had to get past three denials and to see a new raised Christ before he did.
(8) JONAH PREACHED TO THE SINFUL Ninevites, and they quickly believed and repented, but when God saved them, it angered Jonah, Jonah 3:4-4:1. The SON OF JONAS went and preached to gentiles whom the spirit likened unto beasts. In this case God used Cornelius who had repented long before and quickly believed Peter's preaching. But when the disciples at Jerusalem heard it, they were vexed into contention with Peter, Acts 11:1-3,17. These men did not walk the water, because Jesus said they were "of little faith."
(9) Now JONAH knew God all the time, that He was merciful to all His children whether Jew or gentile. Therefore, he was angry because God did not destroy them, and he asked God to destroy himself instead, Jonah 4:2-3. The SON OF JONAS in the reverse act did not even know the FATHER, or that gentiles were also children of God, or that they were worthy of God's mercy, Acts 10:28-29. Those with Peter were so blind to knowing the Father that they were astounded when Cornelius' household received the baptism of heaven from the Holy Ghost which phased out and replaced the baptism of man with natural water, Matthew 3:11; Acts 10:45.
(10) AFTER JONAH had preached, God taught him with a parable that He loves all His ignorant children who do not know their right hand from their left, being bound by Satan. The parable used was a gourd that shaded Jonah from the hot sun which later withered away when God sent a worm to kill it. When the hot SON hit Jonah, then God taught him about His mercy, Jonah 4:4-11. In a reverse act, God taught the SON OF JONAS BEFORE he went to preach with a vision of a sheet let down from heaven with animals on it, Acts 10:9-17. It means God sent His children down from heaven to be born in the earth. They are like animals because they are God's children whom He honors, but they do not understand, Psalm 49:20: "Man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish." The RIGHT HAND IS JESUS, but demons are "left" for hell!
(11) The word Peter means A ROCK. It is necessary that only God can teach a rock to pour out fresh water, and the Holy Ghost must convince the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. God can smite you with the sun by day to put water of mercy in the rock as the SON OF GOD smote JONAH to teach him mercy. Or, God can speak to the rock to put in water of mercy as He spoke in a vision to Peter, the SON OF JONAS. Now you are the "lively stones", I Peter 2:1-8, and what must God do to you to teach you what this means, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice," concerning His ignorant children who act like beasts, Isaiah 53:5-6; Matthew 12:6-7; Hebrews 5:1-5.
(12) The Son of God has testified that the men of Nineveh are children of the resurrection and will be there to judge the earth, just because they believed Jonah, "the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold a greater than Jonas is here," Matthew 12:41. You are in a boat amid the floods of the dragon. The winds of Satan are blowing hard. Walk the water or the prince and power of the air, who is much worse than a God-sent fish, will devour and sift you like wheat. There is no respect of persons. Are you angry like JONAH was and the disciples at Jerusalem were because God practices mercy? Or are you a faithful believer like the SON OF JONAS doubting nothing and not gainsaying the Holy Ghost, God's High Priest?