The time of his prophecy is between 663 B.C and 612 B.C. It is between the fall of Thebes and Assyrian itself.
Poetic style
Some evidence of an acrostic (which is a mnemonic). Though if it is, it is not followed in the translation
Incredible prophecy: at the time the Assyrian empire extended everywhere but Judah. God had protected them by killing 185000 in one night. Judah was on track and walking after some righteous kings at the time. But the extent and might of Assyria would have made this a laughable prophecy in some peoples eyes.
This prophecy is dual
One of the keys to understanding prophecy is that it can be fulfilled in two different times. This is clear that is what is going on here. The fall in 612 BC and then one still yet to happen in the future. We will point out the several indicators of this in the first chapter alone
This should come as no surprise since modern day Assyria will be Israel’s enemy in the end-time. As we have discussed many times Modern Day Assyria can be found in the area of the Germanic peoples of Europe [see the Germany in Prophecy message]
Isaiah 30:30 The LORD will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones. [How will this happen?].
Isaiah 30:31 For through the voice of the LORD Assyria will be beaten down, As He strikes with the rod.
Isaiah 30:32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the LORD lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it.
This passage describes the fate of the king of Assyria—he will be burned up in a place likened to a stream of brimstone, also referred to as “Tophet,” which literally means a “burning place,” or “a lake of fire.”
Christ will seize the “beast” and throw him alive “into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 19: 20). If we compare this with the statements in Isaiah 30 it is apparent that the Beast, the political leader, is the king of Assyria. Thus the beast, the king of the North in Daniel 11, and the king of Assyria and King Jareb would all be identical to one another. This is obviously a significant key to putting all the end time events together and in the right order.
Isaiah 31:4 For thus the LORD has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
Isaiah 31:5 Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.”
Isaiah 31:6 Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
Isaiah 31:7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.
Isaiah 31:8 “Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor.
Isaiah 31:9 He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Nahum 1
Nahum 1:1 The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
Nineveh is the capital of Assyria and typically in these times when the main city or the citadel fell – it meant the nation would too.
Genesis 10:8 Cush begot Nimrod [making him the great-grandson of Noah]; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
Genesis 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.”
Genesis 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel [Babylon], Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Genesis 10:11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
There is no evidence that this specific prophecy was actually communicated to the Assyrians
This not particularly important considering that Jonah had already done that conveyed to them their need to repent and turn from their ways about 90-140 years before give or take.
Jonah 3:4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
(This is all that is recorded of the whole message – we know that the core message of prophets is REPENTANCE
Assyria is told that this would happen to them if they continued in their sinful ways and did not repent.
Who was this written for?
Israel already in captivity 722-718bc
This is written between 663 and 612bc
Well the name Nahum means “Comfort”
and I think that this is what it was meant to convey
to those that put their faith and confidence in God – He will protect
is related to the name Nehemiah, meaning “The Lord comforts” or “comfort of the Lord
His name is in the word ‘Capernaum’ [modern Kfar Nahum], which means ‘village of Nahum
from Elkosh; don’t exactly know where this is
Nahum 1:2 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;
We are given insight into the mind of God here – He is jealous, furious, and will bring vengeance upon anyone who is against Him and His way and His word.
Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:20 Therefore “IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD.”
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1. We are not to take matters into our own hands
Hebrews 10:30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.”
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
2. We are being judged right now too. Not just the Assyrians, but physical Israel etc
Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
Slow to anger… He gives everyone enough time to come around
in this case how much time did He give Nineveh
from the time of Jonah until this point? 90-140? that was a sufficient amount
will not at all acquit the wicked… God’s judgment will come and it will be just and thorough
The Assyrians are now back to their old tricks and old ways – the ones that Jonah undoubtedly warned them about. So in this sense there was a stay of execution for Jonah’s prophecy since Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes. But ultimately, Nineveh was overthrown as Jonah said it would be.
In the latter part of the verse, We also see in this verse some of the reasons that make Nahum the most poetic of all the prophets as he begins to paint a picture of the power of God.
That being said we need to be careful not to merely accept this as hyperbole
Nahum 1:4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts.
Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
We know this power of God and have seen it in other examples
Joshua and Israel crossing the Jordan – as soon as the soles of their feet touched
Elijah and Elisha – mantle struck the Jordan
and perhaps more poignantly is that this will happen in the future when the Euphrates is dried up to make way for the 200M horseman army to cross
We also see other imagery that is synonymous with the return of Christ
Micah 1:3 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth.
Micah 1:5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?
Now back up to :4
Micah 1:4 The mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will split Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place.
Mountains can often symbolize governments and/or nations and hills would be smaller/ancillary nations or peoples. I think what we are seeing here is just that.
There are going to be earthquakes leading up to the return of Christ, and the biggest
Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
Revelation 16:18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
Also the Mt of Olives is going to split in two at His return
But notice how it defines what it is talking about in the latter part of the verse:
The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
It is referring more importantly to the people of the world and that God is bringing His judgment on all of them … we see this continuing in the next verse.
Nahum 1:6 Who [people are the subject] can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him.
We continue to see this Day of the Lord imagery and “His indignation” or “My indignation” is another term for Day of the Lord and it is found throughout the Bible
Isaiah 10:5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. [Day of the Lord].
Isaiah 10:6 I will send him against an ungodly nation [Israel and Judah], And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
Isaiah 10:7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so [ie, they do not see themselves as a tool of God to exercise righteous judgment]; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.
Isaiah 10:8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings?
Isaiah 10:9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
Isaiah 10:10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
Isaiah 10:11 As I have done to Samaria [House of Israel] and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem [House of Judah] and her idols?’ ” [It will come on them both, even though Israel was scattered and never went back to Israel as a people].
Isaiah 10:12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”
Isaiah 10:13 For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.
Isaiah 10:14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened hismouth with even a peep.”
Isaiah 10:15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
Isaiah 10:16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire.
Isaiah 10:17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. [very quickly in other words].
Isaiah 10:18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.
Isaiah 10:19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them.
Isaiah 10:20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Isaiah 10:21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God.
Isaiah 10:22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
Isaiah 10:23 For the Lord GOD of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land.
Isaiah 10:24 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. [ie, Assyria will enslave Israel and Judah, as had been the case in Egypt].
Isaiah 10:25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.”
Isaiah 10:26 And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him [Assyria] like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb [as the two princes of Midian fell in the war]; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt [as the army of Pharaoh perished in the flood].
Isaiah 10:27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.
the day of trouble… Day of the Lord
Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zephaniah 1:16 A day of trumpet [shofar; sound of war] and alarm [teruah] Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.
Zephaniah 1:17 “I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.”
So by now I hope that the point has been made thoroughly enough for us to understand, that this book is a prophecy for both Assyria 2600 years ago and modern day Assyria in the future. It is God working these things out – that is how prophecy comes to pass – and God can make parallel things happen on a physical and spiritual level at the same time (ie physical Israel and spiritual Israel during the GT). He can also make prophecies come to pass in a literal and symbolic as we see in this book and perhaps even in this next verse.
Nahum 1:8 But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies.
The city had these massive and practically unassailable walls around it. One of the ways that God may have inspired Nineveh to be overthrown was by means of a flooded river.
Battle of Nineveh (612 BC) – Wikipedia: According to tradition laid out in Diodorus, the Tigris river flooded the city. The allied armies entered the area of the outer wall and fought to enter the palace
Nahum 2:6 seems to support this as well:
Nahum 2:6 The gates of the rivers are opened, And the palace is dissolved.
So it could have very well been just Nahum 1:8 says that is was by means of an overflowing flood that Nineveh came to its utter end
NOW, we of course understand that a flood can also represent an army
Jeremiah 46:7 “Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers?
Jeremiah 46:8 Egypt rises up like a flood, And its waters move like the rivers; And he says, ‘I will go up and cover the earth, I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.’ [by its army]
There are several other scriptures Isaiah 59:19; Jeremiah 46:7-8; 47:2; Psalm 18:16-17; 69:1-2
Nahum 1:9 What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.
Here we have the end-time Assyrian nation rising up against God.
We know of no instance of this having happened in the past (not directly at least, it could have been indirectly, as Assyria has gone too far against God’s people and thereby against God)
But what we do know is that in the end-time that Assyria, the King of the North, also known as the Beast, will go to fight Christ at His return. AND as it says here they will not rise up again, a second time – which has not been the case in the past!
Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.
Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Revelation 16:14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. [this is the conspiring against the Lord].
Revelation 16:16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
55 miles north of Jerusalem; battle will be in the valley of Jezreel though
Nahum 1:10 For while tangled like thorns, And while drunken like drunkards, They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. [like very dry straw that is burns up quickly, easily and completely.] In other words they will be defeated without breaking a sweat … so to speak.
Now back to the conspiring talk:
Nahum 1:11 From you comes forth one Who plots evil against the LORD, A wicked counselor.
Who could this be that gives them this type of advice? That knows Christ is returning, but still plots AGAINST him? Who in their right mind would do something like this … well no one in their right mind!
But I think we may have just read our answer in Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
It could be any one or all 3 of them since one is Satan and the other 2 are apparently possessed.
This being the case not only would they have knowledge of the plan of God but they also have the motive to try and thwart His return.
To me this narrows down greatly who it is that is plotting and conspiring
PART 2
Nahum 1:12 Thus says the LORD: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, Yet in this manner they will be cut down When he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more;
The first part of the verse is directed at Assyria or the modern day Germanic people and the second at God’s physical people the nations of Israel and Judah
Let me read the LITV Nahum 1:12 So says Jehovah, Though secure, and so many, yet they will be cut off and will vanish. And though I have afflicted you, I will not afflict you any more.
Now he continues talking to God’s people
Nahum 1:13 For now I will break off his yoke from you, And burst your bonds apart.”
I don’t know how prevalent it still is out there, but there are/were many that believed that the modern day nations of Israel and Judah , particularly Israel, could NOT go into captivity. EXPOUND who Israel is and how powerful we were/are; disintegrating over time. I love the country that GOD has blessed us with BUT nonetheless we along with the UK, Israelis, and the lost tribes are going to go into captivity in the end time.
The Bible is littered with references to it. [The Coming Captivity of the Houses of Israel and Judah]
And it going to happen for cause – there are many reasons for it – but at the heart and core of it, is that they have forsaken the way of God.
And in :13 God is saying that He will free us from the slavery that we will be subjugated to by modern day Assyria [Germany]
This is part of the comfort that God is relaying through Nahum – whose name means “comfort”
There is hope; there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Now back to speaking to Nineveh:
Nahum 1:14 The LORD has given a command concerning you: “Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, For you are vile.”
Your name… in the sense of your reputation; What kind of name do you have; Strongs: by implication honor, authority, character, renown, report.
This all literally happened. Assyria/Nineveh disappeared off the map for some 2450 years until someone actually went looking for it. And as is the case many doubted that the stories of the Bible were true – as has been done many times in the past and will continue in the future.
But the point is where was it? God said I will dig you a grave – which He did and covered until someone came along and dug it out.
Assyria was perpetuated no more; their existence was even doubted and no one worshiped their “gods”
Nahum 1:15 Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.
Nahum quotes Isaiah here at the beginning of the chapter:
Let’s look at the context of this quote in:
Isaiah 52:4 For thus says the Lord GOD: “My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
Isaiah 52:5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the LORD, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the LORD, “And My name isblasphemed continually every day.
Isaiah 52:6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ ”
Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Gospel being brought by Christ at His return which among other things was a gospel of peace (Rom_10:15 ; Eph_6:15 ); along with this we see His intervention in the lives of His chosen people.
O Judah, keep your appointed feasts… these are feasts of Lev 23 that they had not been keeping not that they would have been allowed to anyway while they were in captivity.
This will be a part of the good news that Christ will bring and implement
Context is the day of the Lord
Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
Gather at Armageddon and then march towards Jerusalem and fight Christ in the valley of Jehoshaphat
(“Kidron Valley”), which borders Jerusalem on the east
they will be obliterated as we discussed before and:
For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off….
This is the same wicked counselor of :11
Nahum 1:11 …A wicked counselor….:12 they will be cut down When he passes through
:15 is an extension of this thought
shall no more pass through you… this has not been true since the fall of Assryia
see :12
in this manner they will be cut down When he passes through
Nahum 2
Nahum 2:1 He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.
He who scatters… Kings from the East vs JC; “he that dasheth in pieces” (KJV)
Revelation 2:26-28; Dan 2:34
Man the fort!…
Get ready! Retribution is coming! Not that it will do any good
In the end notice the battles that Assyria will have to endure:
Kings from the East
5th trumpet / (first woe) Beast attacks
6th trumpet / (second woe) Kings from the East retaliate (Revelation 9:16)
Christ at Jerusalem
Gathering at Armageddon; going down to fight JC at His return;
Nahum 2:2 For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel, For [because] the emptiers have emptied them out And ruined their vine branches.
It is after this point in time that Israel will also be used as a weapon against the King of Assyria which will also be the end-time Babylonian system.
Jeremiah 51:4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets.
Jeremiah 51:5 For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.”
Jeremiah 51:6 Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He shall recompense her.
Jeremiah 51:11 Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple.
Jeremiah 51:12 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the LORD has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:20 “You [Israel] are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms;
Jeremiah 51:24 “And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight,” says the LORD.
For the emptiers have emptied them out And ruined their vine branches… Assyria; King of the North setting up in Jerusalem and went too far in punishing Jacob (israel and judah), so then they will be repaid by God and those that God uses.
Jeremiah 51:19-24; Isaiah 41:11-16; Zechariah 12:6; 14:14
Assyria is going to be the brunt of the Kings of the East, Christ and Israel
Nahum 2:3 The shields of his mighty men are made red, The valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches In the day of his preparation, And the spears are brandished.
Nahum 2:4 The chariots rage in the streets, They jostle one another in the broad roads; They seem like torches, They run like lightning.
Verses 3-4 are images of warfare
Nahum 2:5 He remembers his nobles; They stumble in their walk; They make haste to her walls, And the defense is prepared.
Sounds like the best laid plans of mice and men. The preparations of the leaders will be in vain.
Perhaps we will see the reason that they stumble in chapter 3
Nahum 2:6 The gates of the rivers are opened, And the palace is dissolved.
This the verse we mentioned previously, from what we can tell today, it was seemingly fulfilled at the fall of Assyria in 612 BC
Nahum 2:7 It is decreed: She shall be led away captive, She shall be brought up; And her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves, Beating their breasts.
(KJV) And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.
(JPS) (2:8) And the queen is uncovered, she is carried away, and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.
his mighty men are made red; He remembers his nobles
In this verse here it talks about she
This another case of not knowing whether to translate this as a proper name or the meaning of the name itself. Either way we can still u/s the intent of the verse.
Huzzab comes from a root meaning “stand”— idea of “establish” or “decree.”
Or stand next to the king
Seems to be either way the Harlot of the next chapter.
We will talk about this to a greater extent later in ch 3
Nahum 2:8 Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; But no one turns back.
There is now nothing to keep them there are make them want to stay there. It used to be a entreatable like a cool drink of water, but now the soldiers disobey commands to stay and fight the losing battle
Nahum 2:9 Take spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure, Or wealth of every desirable prize.
Now they are being overrun and spoiled. It is not clear who is doing this at this time, but we do see something similar for sure in:
Zechariah 14:14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.
I do not think that Germany would necessarily be considered a surrounding nation…but this still goes to show that God will be using those that repent and come out of captivity to punish others…and as we saw earlier specifically Assyria.
Nahum 2:10 She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; Much pain is in every side, And all their faces are drained of color.
The tables are now turned; the emptiers of :2 have now become the emptied
This is how they once were.
Nahum 2:11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, And no one made them afraid?
Nahum 2:12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, Killed for his lionesses, Filled his caves with prey, And his dens with flesh.
Powerful, fearsome, did what they wanted, when they wanted. Who challenges a pride of lions?
BUT… the hunter become the hunted
Nahum 2:13 “Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of hosts, “I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more.”
Chariots and swords are symbols of war;
God is against them
and because of this their defeat is assured in the future.
Nahum 3
Nahum 3:1 Woe to the bloody city! [Now why he says “Woe to them”] It is all full of lies [not the truth] and robbery. Its victim never departs. [in particular Israel and Judah are still being abused in captivity].
Nahum 3:2 The noise of a whip And the noise of rattling wheels, Of galloping horses, Of clattering chariots! [They are engaged in war here and the beginning of :3].
Nahum 3:3 Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. [and now the effects of their fighting] There is a multitude of slain, A great number of bodies, Countless corpses— [so many] They stumble over the corpses— [Nahum 2:5 He remembers his nobles; They stumble in their walk…]
Now we see a slight change in focus here
Nahum 3:4 Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, The mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations through her harlotries, And families through her sorceries.
Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
Revelation 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
Revelation 17:5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Revelation 17:6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
Revelation 17:18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
Revelation 18:6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
Revelation 18:7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’
Nahum 3:5 “Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of hosts; “I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.
Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
Isaiah 47:3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, Yes, your shame will be seen; I will take vengeance, And I will not arbitrate with a man.”
Isaiah 47:4 As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 47:5 “Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; For you shall no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms. [queen from before].
Isaiah 47:6 I was angry with My people; I have profaned My inheritance, And given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; On the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily.
Isaiah 47:7 And you said, ‘I shall be a lady forever,’ So that you did not take these things to heart, Nor remember the latter end of them.
Isaiah 47:8 “Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children’;
Isaiah 47:9 But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments.
Isaiah 47:10 “For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, ‘No one sees me’; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
Isaiah 47:11 Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises. [If they would only listen to this message they would] And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, Which you shall not know.
Isaiah 47:12 “Stand now with your enchantments And the multitude of your sorceries, In which you have labored from your youth— Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you will prevail.
Isaiah 47:13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you.
Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before!
Nahum 1:10 For while tangled like thorns, And while drunken like drunkards, They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.
Isaiah 47:15 Thus shall they be to you With whom you have labored, Your merchants from your youth; They shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you.
Now some of the repercussions and punishments that will come upon her
Nahum 3:6 I will cast abominable filth upon you, Make you vile, And make you a spectacle.
Nahum 3:7 It shall come to pass that all who look upon you Will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
Nahum 3:8 Are you better than No Amon [City of Thebes] That was situated by the River, That had the waters around her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall was the sea?
One of the ways in which we date this book is know when the fall of the city of Thebes is (No Amon). Here it is mentioned in past tense and since it occurred in 663 B.C. We can make it our earliest possible time for the writing of this prophecy.
The reason though for the scripture was by way of comparison. Thebes in Egypt, in its day was a capital of Egypt, the political, religious and cultural epicenter of its time…which was overrun by Ashurbanipal
The Assyrians plundered and destroyed Thebes,
Here is what Ashurbanipal wrote about it:
“This city, the whole of it, I conquered it with the help of Ashur and Ishtar. Silver, gold, precious stones, all the wealth of the palace, rich cloth, precious linen, great horses, supervising men and women, two obelisks of splendid electrum, weighing 2,500 talents, the doors of temples I tore from their bases and carried them off to Assyria. With this weighty booty I left Thebes. Against Egypt and Kush I have lifted my spear and shown my power. With full hands I have returned to Nineveh, in good health.
So the point then that is being made is that Thebes thought they were something, just like you
Assyria, think you are something now. And just as they were conquered, so you shall be too!
And this is despite the fact that:
Nahum 3:9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, And it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers.
Lubim: parts of Libya
Put: Libya (or parts of Libya)
Nahum 3:10 Yet she was carried away, She went into captivity; Her young children also were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound in chains.
So even with all of this help, it made no difference – they were conquered any way.
Nahum 3:11 You also will be drunk; You will be hidden; You also will seek refuge from the enemy.
Nahum 3:12 All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, They fall into the mouth of the eater.
Nahum 3:13 Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; Fire shall devour the bars of your gates.
Symmetrical to Nahum 1:10
A poetic description of Assyrian also being defeated – and apparently in a handy fashion. No longer will they be the mighty force they once were. And it continues with the same type of talk:
Nahum 3:14 Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln!
Nahum 3:15 There the fire will devour you, The sword will cut you off; It will eat you up like a locust. Make yourself many—like the locust! Make yourself many— like the swarming locusts!
Nahum 3:16 You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away.
Rev_18:3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”
Rev_18:11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
Rev_18:15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev_18:23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
Nahum 3:17 Your commanders are like swarming locusts, And your generals like great grasshoppers, Which camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun rises they flee away, And the place where they are is not known.
Now not only are the soldiers not listening (Nahum 2:8), but the leaders of the military too!
Nahum 3:18 Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; Your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, And no one gathers them.
The leaders no longer lead and the once important people sleep in the dust. The ones that they once led go every which way without leadership and no one is left to take up that mantel
Nahum 3:19 Your injury has no healing, Your wound is severe. All who hear news of you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?
They will finally be brought down in the end and you can imagine the comfort that will come to those who have been the brunt of Assyria’s, Modern day Germany’s, oppression. There will be many that rejoice as this dual prophecy comes to fruition once again in the near future.
Commentary
All this surely came to pass in 612 B.C. as a type of what is yet to occur in the last days. It happened before will happen again. Let this serve as a warning to the coming Europe superpower soon to dominate the globe—as the book of Nahum is surely meant to be.
Conclusion
Among all the end-time events what we always need to see and understand is that there is a message of Comfort that one that shows an end to the means – a soon coming time of unparalleled peace and prosperity.
Here is the true “comfort” — it all works out in the end
Isaiah 19:23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.
Isaiah 19:24 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land,
Isaiah 19:25 whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”