The Assyrian city of Nineveh
What is so special about the books of Jonah and Nahum? They both deal with the evil city of Nineveh 100 years or so apart from the 760 BCs in Jonah’s day to the 660 BCs in Nahum’s day. Nineveh, which is modern-day Mosul in Iraq, is a picture of the world we live in today. Nineveh was known as the city of blood where children were sacrificed because it was inconvenient to look after them. Similarly, we abort our babies today willingly often because it is an inconvenient truth to our lifestyle. They beheaded people and stacked their skulls in piles by the city gates. They were infamous for impaling their enemies as shown in the relief above and even skinned people alive. Nineveh of old is a picture of us today because even though they were known for their violence and showing no mercy to their enemies, God had compassion on them and gave them a preacher in the form of Jonah. What was God’s answer to the wicked city of Nineveh 2800 years ago? God’s answer to wickedness in the world is to send a preacher.
The Two Witnesses
At the end of the age as we know it, for 1260 days God’s answer is again going to be to send two preachers or the Two Witnesses to the world at the height of its wickedness. They will be protected but eventually killed by the “beast” that is to come at the halfway point of the last seven year period.
Just like Jonah, the Two Witnesses will have important questions for us at the appropriate time. You also may not realise that Jonah and Nahum are the only two books in the entire Bible that end with questions…
Jonah 4:11… “Should I not be concerned about that great city?”
Nahum 3:19… “Who has not felt your endless cruelty?”
These two questions are asked about the same city separated by only 100 years but offer two different outcomes. Nineveh, under Jonah, experienced the compassion of God and they were saved from destruction because they listened to Jonah’s five words. Five words stirred up and saved a city. What were the five words? “Forty more days (and Nineveh) (will be overturned).”1 But Nineveh, under Nahum only 100 years later received an oracle of destruction and they experienced God’s judgment via the Babylonians for their endless cruelty.
The answer lies within the right preaching
We too, today, right now are left with these two questions in a similar vein… For all of us, there can be two different outcomes depending on our response. It is up to us whether we listen to the preachers of God’s Word at this time and especially when the last two preachers/witnesses are on this earth at Jerusalem. Their warning will be that destruction is coming and we need to repent and go in a different direction. Firstly we need to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ only and perhaps these two men will have further instructions as to where, when, and how to escape and hide in the place of safety designated in Revelation 12 for those who are willing to listen. We will need to hide for 1290 days until when Christ comes to gather His own.2
Will we experience the compassion and mercy of God or will we experience God’s punishment? It is up to us. Start by listening to my teaching series in Jonah here.
One Response
I would like to know the specifics of the barbaric acts of the Ninevites when hearing their redemption story in the book of Jonah. It puts some perspective on why Jonah jumps ship and argues with God about his job description. It also highlights how merciful our God is and how nothing can separate us from His mercy, but also His judgement if we are unrepentant.