Jonah was devoured, digested, and died in the belly of a great fish.

The story is used as an allegory. It was used by Christ in reference to himself, his death and ressurection. *Of Jonah- (Forshadows Christ's death and ressurection) -For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40 Jonah did come out alive according to Christ. -The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. Matthew 12:41 -We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4 Christ referenced many Old Testament stories as analogies, some allegorically, metaphorically, and literally in reference to the day of judgement. -The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here. Matthew 12:42 *With Noah- (Forshadows Christ's protective covering blood, from the wrath on a world of violence with judgement, then a New Heavens and new Earth) -Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. Genesis 6:11 -Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. Luke 17:26 -People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:27 *And with Lot- (Forshadows a rapture like event going into wrath and judgement due to bloodshed of the innocent, and rampant immorality) -It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. Luke 17:28 -But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Luke 17:29 http://www.godrules.net... * -Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. Romans 5:1 -Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. Romans 5:14 -But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Romans 5:15 -Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. Romans 5:16 -For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Romans 5:17 -Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. Romans 5:18 -For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 * The Old Testament is a winding metaphorical allegory of man's fall into sin, the law, Christ's life, death, and ressurection, the battle between God's children (with Christ) against evil in the darkness confounding darkness with light, and then of judgement, the wrath of God, redemption, and God's love for His children, and the price he paid at Calvary showing the highest conceivable judgement and the highest conceivable love manifested in and on one man, Christ, thus transforming us into His image as is pleasing in His sight. * The point? Seeing the story of Jonah is used comparatively with our ressurection to life in Christ in Romans and Christ's ressurection to life from death in the Gospel, and it tells us of Jonah doing other things after escaping the fish, we can safely assume he was alive and well when he escaped the fish.