Was a kayaker really swallowed by a whale?

Did you see the story about the man who was swallowed by a whale? Not the one in the Bible—the one in the news.

A father and son were kayaking off the coast of Chile when a humpback whale apparently scooped the son into its mouth. Adrián Simancas and his father Dell were in the Strait of Magellan when the whale surfaced, engulfed Adrián and his yellow kayak for a few seconds, then let him go. The event was captured on video, which has since gone viral.

“I thought I was dead,” Adrián said. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”

Experts disagree. They say that while a whale’s mouth is massive—as wide as ten feet—their throats are much smaller, roughly the size of a human fist. As a result, a humpback whale couldn’t swallow a man and wouldn’t even try. In all likelihood, this particular whale was lunging through a school of fish and accidentally caught Adrián briefly in its mouth.

So, given the size of a whale’s throat and the size of a human, you may be wondering: Does this mean that Jonah wasn’t really swallowed by a whale?

The question is much more significant than it might appear.

“The Lᴏʀᴅ appointed a great fish”

Let’s begin with two biblical facts.

First, the wayward prophet was swallowed by a “great fish,” not a “whale” (Jonah 1:17). Whales are mammals, not fish—they breathe through lungs rather than gills, are warm-blooded rather than cold-blooded, give birth to live young rather than laying eggs, and move their tails up and down rather than side to side when they swim.

Second, the text tells us that God “appointed” this fish to swallow Jonah. The Hebrew word means to “allot” or “appoint” and can be translated as “provided” (NIV), “prepared” (NKJV), or “arranged” (NLT).

In other words, this was no normal fish that swallowed the prophet, much less a humpback whale whose throat was too small for the task. So, what the marine biologists tell us about the whale that briefly swallowed Mr. Simancas and what the Bible tells us about the fish that swallowed Jonah are in no sense contradictory.

Bruce Willis on organized religion

Our discussion brings up a larger point regarding those times when science and Scripture seem to contradict.

This became a massive issue after Darwin’s evolutionary theory seemed to disprove the biblical account of creation. If humans descended from apes, how are we made by God in his image (Genesis 1:27)? This bias against biblical truth in light of scientific knowledge has become pervasive and contributes greatly to the secularization of our post-Christian culture.

For example, comedian Phyllis Diller was convinced: “We were not created by a deity. We created the deity in our image. Life began on this planet when the first amoeba split.” Of course, I would like to ask her where the “first amoeba” came from.

Bruce Willis similarly stated: “Organized religions in general, in my opinion, are dying forms. They were important when we didn’t know why the sun moved, why weather changed, why hurricanes occurred. Modern religion is the end trail of modern mythology. But there are people who interpret the Bible literally. Literally! I choose not to believe that’s the way.”

I would respond by pointing to the fact that organized religions are not “dying forms” but are more popular today than ever. Mr. Willis can “choose not to believe” if he wishes, but I would rather he base his beliefs on evidence, not subjective opinions. 

Nonetheless, it has become conventional wisdom for many that science has “disproven” Scripture, leaving faith in Christ in the dustpan along with earlier religions. Richard Dawkins asserted: “We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”

“Prepared to make a defense”

In such a secularized society, it is important for followers of Jesus to take four steps.

One: Affirm our commitment to the objective, authoritative truth of God’s word.

The cultural rejection of biblical authority is pervasive, affecting every dimension of our lives and popular culture. We see characters on television and in movies who sleep together before marriage and have affairs. We read about leaders across the cultural spectrum who act in grossly unbiblical ways. And, in many schools, we encounter a foundational bias against the biblical worldview.

It is, therefore, vital that we continually remind ourselves:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

As J. V. Langmead Casserley noted, we don’t break God’s word—we break ourselves on it.

Two: Explain and defend the truthfulness of Scripture whenever and however we can.

Peter exhorts us: “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). It is important that we counter falsehoods with truth and opinion with fact. (For help, please see my paper, “Why believe the Bible”).

Three: Live biblical truth in ways that lead others to consider the transformation they see in us.

Our faith claims that those who follow Christ become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). In turn, we are to be “ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (v. 21). Any religion or worldview that claims to transform its adherents should be judged on these merits. A diet pill that doesn’t help its users lose weight wouldn’t sell many bottles. A dentist with bad teeth probably won’t have many patients.

In the same way, it is vital that we think biblically and act redemptively so that we can be the change we wish to see. If this is our daily prayer, it will become our daily experience.

Four: Pray and work for opportunities to tell our story.

When Jesus healed a man born blind, the religious authorities disputed his theology but could not disprove his experience (John 9). People can argue over our assertions, but they have a harder time discounting our personal stories.

When biblical truth changes our lives and we share that truth with others, the Spirit uses us as conduits and catalysts for the spiritual awakening our fallen culture desperately needs.

Two reasons I believe the story of Jonah

I believe in the historicity of the story of Jonah for two reasons.

First, the text tells the story in historical narrative, not poetic symbolism. I believe the Bible should always be interpreted in line with its authorial intent. (For more, see my paper on biblical interpretation.) When the text tells stories or parables, we should interpret them as such. When it records history, we should read the text as history. This is true of Jonah and the book bearing his name.

Second, Jesus referred to Jonah as a person of history (cf. Matthew 12:40–41; Luke 11:29–30). He predicted that Jonah’s “resurrection” from the “belly of the great fish” would illustrate his resurrection from the “heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). The miracle God performed for the prophet (Jonah 2:10), he would perform for his Son (Matthew 28:1–10).

Those who reject all miracles as “non-scientific” are likely to reject the resurrection as well. This is a mistake on the merits (see my paper on the subject). But, even more, it prevents us from experiencing the living Lord Jesus in our personal lives.

What the Lord did for Jonah in the fish, he has done for every person who has placed their faith in his Son. You and I have been “saved” from eternal death for eternal life.

Now we are called to go to our Nineveh to tell our story. Where will you begin today?