The prophecy of Nahum has already been fulfilled, but it foreshadows the judgment of Gentile world powers at the end of the age when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to set up His Millennium Kingdom. Let’s take a brief look at this interesting and instructive book.

Nahum 1:1-2 reads, “The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies” (NKJV). These verses give us the theme of this little book, for Nahum was raised up by God to foretell the judgment of God upon Nineveh, the capital of the nation of Assyria. About 150 years before Nahum’s prophecy, God had sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh to announce God’s judgment upon it for its extreme wickedness, but the people of Nineveh repented and the judgment was averted. But it didn’t take long for Nineveh to return to its evil ways. The city of Nineveh, and the nation which it represented, was known for its military conquests and its cruel treatment of their enemies. One of the nations it conquered was Israel and even though God allowed the Assyrians to take them into captivity, their unjust treatment and oppression of Israel resulted in God’s determination to utterly destroy the city of Nineveh. We saw in verse 2 that “The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries,” and in 612 B.C. every word of Nahum’s prophecy was fulfilled to the letter.

Each chapter has its own theme. In Chapter One you have THE DOOM OF NINEVEH ANNOUNCED; in Chapter Two we see THE DESCRIPTION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF NINEVEH; and in Chapter Three, God reveals THE REASONS FOR NINEVEH’S OVERTHROW. Space prevents us from going through this marvelous prophecy, but one example will illustrate how literally this judgment would be fulfilled. In 1:8 we read, “But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.” And in 2:6 it says, “The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.” History proves that God allowed “heavy rains to overflow the great Tigris and Khoser rivers” which broke down the great walls of the city, allowing also a “flood of Babylonian armies” to pour into the city. With the destruction of its capital city, the nation of Assyria met its demise and the Babylonian Empire was born.

We see in the book of Daniel, Jeremiah and other Old Testament books that Babylon, like Assyria, was also allowed by God to attack Jerusalem and to take away survivors into captivity. But like Nineveh, it treated its enemies cruelly and the same judgment overtook this city and its empire by the One Who has said, “The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.” So, even though the judgments of these two great cities and nations were fulfilled long ago, they serve as a reminder to all nations who dare to rebel against God and to afflict His people, that their doom is sealed. In Daniel 2:31-45 we have the judgment of these nations predicted, for Christ will return from heaven and smash to smithereens the kingdoms of this world and then His everlasting kingdom shall be established forever. I would encourage you to read Zechariah 12:1-3; 14:1-3 and Revelation 19:11-21.  (198.7)  (DO)