The story of Jonah the Prophet is one of the most beloved stories in our Holy Scriptures.

We also find a reference to the Book of Jonah in the Creed when we say: “And on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures.”

As for the 3-day fast, it holds a special and beloved place in the hearts of the people of our holy Church. Therefore, we would like to accompany you on an engaging journey to enjoy the remarkable triadic harmony found in the events of the book, its characters, and its features, all of which point to the three days in the tomb and to our orthodox faith in the Holy Trinity.

First: Three Individuals’ Names

Jonah: in Hebrew “Yonah,” meaning “dove.” He is a real historical figure, as is clear from the Second Book of Kings (2 Kings 14:25). He lived in the eighth century BC in the town of “Gath Hepher,” meaning “pit” or “well.”

Amittai: a Hebrew name meaning “truthful.” He is the father of Jonah the Prophet.

Zebulun: a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “habitation” (Genesis 30). He is the sixth son of Jacob by Leah, and the tribe to which the Prophet Jonah belonged.

Second: Three City Names

Nineveh: the capital of the Assyrian kingdom (modern-day Mosul, Iraq), on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, about 800 kilometers northeast of Israel. Its people worshiped the goddess Ishtar and plundered other kingdoms, believing that the whole world was a slave to Nineveh and obliged to supply it with all it needed.

Joppa: a Canaanite name meaning “beauty.” It is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea from which Jonah boarded the ship, intending to flee.

Tarshish: a Phoenician name meaning “refining plant.” It was a city in southern Spain near Gibraltar and was rich in mineral wealth.

Third: The Three Greats in the City of Nineveh

It was exceedingly great in its palaces, streets, temples, walls, and its great library.

It was exceedingly great in its wickedness and corruption, to the extent that the Prophet Nahum called it: “The bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery” (Nahum 3:1).

It became exceedingly great in its marvelous and comprehensive repentance, becoming a powerful example of the repentance of an entire people at once.

Fourth: The Three Subjected Natures (First Half of the Book)

The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest (Jonah 1:4).

The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17).

The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land (Jonah 2:10).

Fifth: The Three Subjected Creations (Second Half of the Book)

The Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah to be a shade for his head (Jonah 4:6).

The Lord prepared a worm, and it damaged the plant so that it withered at dawn (Jonah 4:7).

The Lord prepared a wind, and the sun beat on Jonah’s head (Jonah 4:8).

Sixth: The Three Descents in the Life of the Fleeing Prophet

He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship going to Tarshish and paid the fare.

He went down toward Tarshish, in the opposite direction from Nineveh, fleeing from the presence of the Lord.

He went down into the lowest part of the ship, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.

All of this is found in Jonah 1:3–5.

Seventh: The Three Ascents in the Life of Nineveh

The people of Nineveh believed God because of Jonah’s preaching, representing the most successful missionary endeavor in all human history.

They proclaimed a fast, which is the weapon of repentance and the strongest discipline of the will. As the Fathers say, if you wish to begin your spiritual struggle, begin with fasting.

They put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least, which was an expression of practical conduct befitting repentance.

All of this is found in Jonah 3:5.

Eighth: The Three Titles Given to the Book

The Book of Hope: for there is an open door for every person and every nation to return and believe.

The Book of Redemption: for God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The Book of Divine Care: for God’s hand cares for everyone, beginning with the sailors and passengers of the ship, then the people of Nineveh from the least to the greatest, and finally Jonah himself, the fleeing prophet.

Ninth: The Three Spiritual Goals in Jonah’s Fast

Purification of the heart: fasting purifies the heart from all corruption and evil accumulated over past days, for our God calls out saying: “My son, give Me your heart, and let your eyes observe My ways” (Proverbs 23:26). A person’s response is: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Training of the senses: fasting is an opportunity to remove perversity from the mouth, crookedness from the lips, to turn our feet away from the path of evil, and to strive for simple eyes so that the whole body may be full of light (Proverbs 4:24–27).

Sanctification of the will: the sanctified will is the primary goal of fasting discipline. With this will, the person who has said “no” to food can say “no” to the sin that they battle.

Tenth: The Three Models of Repentance

Collective repentance: the repentance of an entire people, as the people of Nineveh did, symbolizing the repentance of a whole people or Church.

Group repentance: the repentance of a group, such as the sailors and passengers of the ship, symbolizing the repentance of a family or community.

Individual repentance: the repentance of a single person, as the Prophet Jonah himself experienced, thus symbolizing every individual who repents and returns from the path of deviation.

Is it not remarkable that we find all these triads (Threes) within one story, contained in a single book of the Old Testament? This is undoubtedly a hidden indication of the greatness of the number three (3), which represents our faith in the Holy Trinity.

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