Jonah tried to run to the far end of his then known world, to Tarshish (Spain), Jon 1:3.

We learn Jonah’s reasons later.

The Ninevites were first of all gentiles, goyim, filth that no Jew would have anything to do with. Also they were vicious and brutal conquerers, absolutely heartless in dealing with conquered peoples. The Northern kingdom Israel was finally destroyed by the Assyrians.

Further God wanted Jonah to preach to them that they must repent or soon be destroyed. Poor Jonah! He was actually afraid that they would repent, and turn, and God would have mercy on them! (Jonah 4.)

But God prevented Jonah’s flight.

In a well know story, God had Jonah swallowed by “a great fish,” Jon 1:17. Much of the description is highly symbolic. Jonah said he called to God, “Out of the belly of Sheol,” Jon 2:2 WEB. Sheol does have associations with the sea, but was he literally in Sheol, the world of the dead. I would have to say no. He says he “went down to the bottoms of the mountains …” Jon 2:6 WEB. Literal? Again I would say no. Still, God heard his prayer and had a perhaps scarred and bleached Jonah go preach to Nineveh … and they repented!

The sign of Jonah, Mtt 12:39

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jon 12:40 WEB

Where Jesus went was the world of the dead, also called Sheol or the abyss (Greek abussos, as in Lk 8:31, Rom 10:7, and Rev 17:8).

What were the key ingredients here?

1. That the gentiles also deserved to have the opportunity for repentance to life. The exaggerated Jewish rejection of all gentiles were very much out of line. As God Himself said,

“Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”
Jon 4:11 WEB

The Jews should have learned better just from this prophet, but they didn’t, and haven’t as a group, even to this day.

2. Jonah was to bring this word of repentance even to the gentiles, as Jesus does in our own day.

3. Jonah was at least symbolically in the world of the dead for three days, but Jesus was literally.

And was Jesus reluctant to leave heaven to suffer so that we might live? Well at least he did pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.” Mtt 26:39 WEB

Who could blame Him?

Notice these types are all loosely related

These loose associations of synonyms and descriptions are the key to catching this imagery. There are many more types of the Christ.. For another partial list, consult Naves’s Topical Bible under “Types … ? of the Savior.”

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901