Below is a timeline of the prophets from Jonah through Malachi including key historic events: 

Jonah (820-804 B.C.) - spoke to the Assyrians

Amos (810-785 B.C.) - spoke to the northern kingdom

Joel (800 B.C.) - spoke to the southern kingdom

Hosea (785-725 B.C.) - spoke to the northern kingdom

Micah (749-722 B.C.) - spoke to the northern kingdom

Isaiah (740-681 B.C.) - spoke to the southern kingdom

722 B.C.: Northern Kingdom of Israel destroyed by the Assyrians 

Nahum (661-612 B.C.) - spoke to the Assyrians

Zephaniah (630 B.C.) - spoke to the southern kingdom

Habakkuk (610-599 B.C.) - spoke to the southern kingdom

Jeremiah (625-582 B.C.) - spoke to the southern kingdom

605, 597, 586 B.C.: Jerusalem is attacked in three waves and ultimately destroyed by the Babylonians 

Daniel (605-534 B.C.) - spoke to captives in Babylon

Ezekiel (592-570 B.C.) - spoke to captives in Israel

Obadiah (585 B.C.) - spoke to the Edomites

539 B.C.: Babylon is conquered by Cyrus, and Jews allowed to return to Jerusalem

Haggai (520 B.C.) - spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon

Zechariah (518 B.C.) - spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon

Malachi (430-400 B.C.) - spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon

Author

In this book, Jonah is sent to a city to preach a message. Oddly, the story is not primarily about the message preached, but about the prophet who was sent to do the preaching, and more so about the God who sent him.

Jonah, the vacillator, was overcome by Yahweh, the Lover. Jonah’s name means “dove”; his father’s name was Amittai. Jonah came from the city of Gath-hepher situated between the Sea of Galilee and Mt. Carmel, about two miles northeast of Nazareth. The background to Jonah’s life is rather brief, with just two stories filling in what we know of him. 

Jonah’s Ministry to Jeroboam

His ministry took place right after Elisha, and some scholars consider Jonah to have become the leader of Elisha’s prophetic band. 

It was through Jonah’s prophetic ministry that God expanded and restored the border of Israel (2 Kings 14:25) under Jeroboam II.

The Israelites had been oppressed by the Arameans, and it seemed the nation was on its final gasp. Then, through the word of the Lord, they were finally given victory and relief and another opportunity for repentance. 

In 797 B.C., Elisha had first spoken to the king of Israel about the coming victories over Damascus (2 Kings 13:14-19). God showed compassion, and Israel did win some battles while Jonah came next and began prophesying the restoration and expansion of Israel’s boundaries (2 Kings 14:25). Those expansions were realized, not only as Israel won some battles, but also as the Arameans and Assyrians were battling each other. Also, the famine raging through parts of Assyria aided in Israel’s season of affluence. Amid all these world events, Israel finally experienced relief from foreign pressures. Israel also began to prosper and thrive economically. No doubt Jeroboam II showed slight signs of interest in Yahweh, leading to Jonah becoming a famous and popular prophet, a spiritual celebrity of sorts.

It was in this climate that Jonah was sent by Yahweh to minister to Nineveh, an emerging world-class city. Such an act would have greatly destroyed the shine on Jonah’s celebrity status, so Jonah became angry at even the thought of such a trip. 

Because Jonah knew God to be gracious, he was also aware that if he were to go to Nineveh, the city would certainly repent. In such a climate, his favored status would be greatly threatened.

Jonah was no doubt a mighty prophet, no doubt heavily influenced by his spiritual father Elisha, but he was also a self-willed and self-centered man, which caused him to be a vacillator when God gave him a contrary course. 

Style of Book

Some have considered this book to be an allegory using Jonah as a symbol of the Israelites who were reluctant to become God’s missionaries to the world. 

While the story may have allegorical application, it is not a fictional story but a straight prophetic narrative. It is telling a story, a real and historic story, no matter how incredible it sounds. As a prophetic and historical narrative, it accomplishes what all biblical, prophetic, and historical narratives accomplish—the story reveals Yahweh. The story is prophetic and predictive of future events, especially future Messianic events. 

Jesus Himself would later pick up on the event of Jonah being swallowed by a fish for three days and nights and use it as a prophetic sign of Himself being swallowed by hell:

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40)

Prophecies 

It is also a prophetic book because it teaches prophetic and timeless truths concerning Yahweh:

• God is sovereign.

• God is missional.

• God is gracious.

• God is merciful. 

• God grants repentance.

• God can change people.

• God allows choice.

Purpose

The book of Jonah has one clear and overarching purpose: to reveal the compassionate nature of Yahweh toward all people. One of the features of the book of Jonah is to reveal God’s compassionate nature by contrasting it with Jonah’s reluctance to see the Gentiles saved. 

Outline

• Jonah’s Flight (1)

• Jonah’s Prayer in the Fish (2)

• Jonah’s Preaching and Nineveh’s Repentance (3)

• Jonah’s Anger (4)