Jonah among the Twelve Prophets

This article provides a fresh solution to the disputed issue of the meaning of the book of Jonah, namely, that its depiction of the conversion of the pagan sailors and the deliverance of Nineveh anticipates the end-time salvation of the nations. These unlikely events will be witnessed in the end-time and are not to be expected before that time. This interpretation is in accord with a wider reading of the Book of the Twelve as a unified canonical structure, noting especially the pervasive theme of the day of the Lord, especially in the grouping Joel-Amos-Obadiah; the theme of the fate of the nations; and the links between Jonah and other prophetic booklets within the Twelve (notably Joel, Obadiah, and Malachi).