portrayed. This is one of the first and necessary important steps in the process of interpretation. Let the reader understand that this is a different issue than determining exactly who the intended audience is. Since the exact date of composition is unknown, the answer to that question is that the intended audience is simply God’s people in each successive generation. The book of Jonah was intended for God’s people in ancient Israel, and it was intended for God’s people after Christ came. Even so,
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