Jonah angrily leaves the city, receives some relief from God, but the sun’s heat overcomes Jonah.

Jonah 4:4-8

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:4-8

Jonah had a vehement disdain for the people of Nineveh, so much so that his anger towards them existed even after God forgave them in their repentance toward Him. God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?” At that, Jonah left the city of Nineveh, perhaps it could be said that he “stormed out”. Even today, there are times when we Christians find it extremely difficult to forgive and accept some people even though they have repented to God and received His forgiveness. The best thing for us to do is to separate ourselves from them and to seek a place to cool off, like Jonah did. God does provide some comfort when we do that. However, when we continue to harbor bitterness and criticism for everything around us, it just throws more heat onto our own head. It’s not a good thing to pity ourselves and hate others to the point that we think it is better to die than to live in an unfair, hot, and difficult world.

In Jonah’s frustration, he left the people of Nineveh; he was like someone hired to watch over a flock of sheep but had no real concern for the flock that wasn’t his. In comparison, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who gave His own life to bring forgiveness and repentance to everyone. As Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd…” John 10:11-14

Jonah was not the type to willingly give his life for the sinful people of Nineveh and certainly had no intentions of giving his life on behalf of the repentant people of Nineveh. As is written, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8

Global warming is beating down on the heads of every one of us in every city around the world, “…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good…” Matthew 5:45 Even so, it is the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ that gives us faith and hope for the future, a future life in the eternal new Jerusalem. Global warming is the Fourth Plague of Revelation 16:8-9 and the more powerful the United Nations become as the one world government, the hotter and more intense the effect of global warming becomes. The heat of the vehement “east wind” and the sun’s heat is beating down on the heads of people around the globe. The world is growing faint in the ecosystem and within the soul of the people.

---

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1