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Because of Jesus’s testimony, all is made known; scripture is fulfilled two
times and in two distinct ways; hopeful anticipation has been rewarded.
Spiritual Freedom Is Change—Nahum
Although somewhat obscure, Nahum was not popular among the religious
of his world either. It seems that religion is always stuck in a past reality, or
in a theory that conflicts with prophetic truth that is expressed. Nahum’s
words are also important because they add clarity to the overall picture of
that time, and what was to happen in the time that followed. They are
certainly applicable to a world gone wrong, and a world subject to perfect
justice or what is foretold.
These writings depict God as jealous and angry, ready to take vengeance on
his adversaries, and rightly so, for justice can do nothing less. Satan, who
holds God’s chosen captive, uses its deceptive powers to depict God in a
bad light, but such projection is in fact vengeance and anger. Conversely,
God loves humanity in every way, desiring a positive end for mankind.
These writings consist of oracles, an ongoing effort concerning the
deliverance of Judah, and an oracle of doom directed against Assyria,
Judah’s oppressor. The descendant of the original tribe of Judah [meaning
“the faithful of God”] does not pertain only to peoples of the past. Judah is
a spiritual remnant according to the original essence of the word. The
faithful of God today could be called Judah, affirming the essence of the
word used then. The oppressor uses people as instruments to do its work,
because the oppressor uses those who are oppressed. The oracle of doom is
a pronouncement, revealing evil and those who are subject to it.
The second major part of Nahum describes the siege and plunder of
Nineveh, which was condemned by God for destruction because of its
spiritual condition. Nahum seems considerably different in context from
the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah. In the latter books, prophetic wrath
against foreign nations is coupled with a predominating concern for the
religious well-being. However, Nahum is not exclusively concerned with the
fate of Nineveh. God is expressively depicted as universal and all-powerful.
Therefore, the prophecies of Nahum imply that God is not against just one
nation or people; He is against any wicked nation, because He is just.
Comparing perfect justice, the peoples of Nineveh were told by Nahum:
“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance