Introduction

Good day to you all. Let us turn to the Book of Nahum, chapter three, which also serves as the concluding chapter. What is this chapter about? It recounts the tragic end of the Assyrian Empire. Many find it hard to believe that such a mighty empire could be overthrown. Remember, for God to destroy a powerful nation is but a matter of moments.

Never think that such a great nation could never fall. Throughout history, the change of dynasties always has clear signs. They had the desire to revive the Great Ming, but the Ming dynasty perished; they longed to restore the Great Qing, yet the Qing dynasty collapsed; they wished to maintain their mighty image, but when the time came, it was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing everything to crumble at once! And the speed of this collapse exceeded the imagination of people at that time, something we find hard to fathom.

For instance, when the Qing dynasty fell, you wonder, what would become of the officials? Some had just passed the imperial examination with top honors, yet the dynasty was overthrown. What would become of them? This chapter describes the tragic end of the Assyrian Empire. When you view it with this perspective, you realize that the collapse of any dynasty is but an instant.

The Reason for God's Judgment on the Assyrian Empire

Why is it said that the Assyrian Empire was an enemy of God? Was it because they destroyed Israel? No! It was because the Assyrian Empire was full of bloodshed, lies, violence, and unceasing plunder. It was a nation that glorified violence and a culture of the strong, enjoying competition to see who was the most powerful. And what was the result? God was more powerful than all of them! The Assyrian Empire was also a nation of promiscuity. What is promiscuity?

All because of the persistent whoring of a prostitute, graceful of form and skilled in sorcery, who enslaved nations by her prostitution, and peoples by her charms. (Nahum 3:4)

Reading this scripture, we realize that this nation was an enemy of God because it embraced a culture that greatly angered God, a culture of bloodshed, violence, lies, and unceasing plunder. During Jonah's time, they repented, and God did not bring upon them the disaster He had prepared. But over a hundred years later, the entire Assyrian Empire was filled with violence, lies, and bloodshed. Why was that?

Because they believed in a prostitute, who is actually the devil, and believed the devil's lies, committing promiscuity with the devil, colluding with it, and practicing sorcery, thus enslaving nations by her prostitution and peoples by her charms. In retrospect, if you observe carefully, you will find that the downfall of nations throughout history is always accompanied by some very ominous signs! The nation begins to believe in sorcery and worship idols, which becomes particularly prevalent. This is what it means to be an enemy of God.

Regarding bloodshed, what did God say in the days of Noah? Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; whether it is an animal or a person, if an animal kills a person, that animal must be killed. Why? The reason is simple: because humans bear the honorable image of God. But the Assyrian Empire did not treat people as people. What did they consider most important? They placed great importance on money, glorified violence and military force, and turned the nation into chaos.

When God saw this scene, He thought, Oh, you think you can get away with that? I will deal with you! So God judged the Assyrian Empire, and the disasters that came upon them were unstoppable. At that time, people found it hard to believe Nahum's proclamation, thinking that such a powerful nation could never fall. But it was useless. No matter how powerful, they could not stop God's judgment.

All Preparations of the Assyrian Empire Were Useless

The decline of a dynasty is predestined; nothing you do will help. What did the Assyrian Empire prepare? They prepared all sorts of defenses, but these defenses were of no use! Like figs that fall into the mouth of someone who wants to eat them when the fig tree is shaken. Like treasures, you can dig trenches, build moats, and construct defensive walls, but all these protections are useless. The Assyrian Empire, after hearing what Nahum said, went to prepare all these defenses.

I believe that in that era, besides Nahum, whose prophecies were recorded in the Bible, other prophets also made some prophecies to prepare the people on earth. How did they prepare them? Somewhat like the Qin dynasty, which used the Baojia system to strictly control the people, binding their minds very tightly. What was the result?

Look at your troops— they are all women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed their bars. Draw water for the siege; strengthen your defenses! Go into the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork! There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like locusts. Multiply like locusts, multiply like grasshoppers! (Nahum 3:13-15)

The Assyrian Empire controlled its people to an extent no less than the Qin dynasty. The management of the Qin state by Qin Shi Huang was extremely strict, but at the critical moment, it was all useless! The Assyrian Empire prepared many things, but God made them all useless, and not just generally useless. Wasting people's money and resources is like digging a deep pit for oneself. What is the result?

You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars in the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away. Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day— when the sun appears, they fly away, and no one knows where they have gone. (Nahum 3:16-17)

The Assyrian Empire was very good at managing the economy. The merchants made more money than the stars in the sky, possibly including many state-owned enterprises and central enterprises! However, the locusts devoured everything and flew away. They also prepared many officials, like locusts, but it was of no use. The Assyrian Empire's management was indeed very effective. This reminds me of something very interesting: the earthly operational theories are worth pondering. For example, when a company rises, everyone says, Wow! Its management system is particularly good. Is that really the case? It does not seem so!

The Assyrian Empire's management system was very advanced. Two thousand six or seven hundred years ago, it was able to manage a vast empire. That system was still advanced and powerful! Archaeologists who excavate the Assyrian Empire admire its management system. But these are useless in the face of God's judgment. If the Assyrian Empire did not repent, even if it prepared a lot of things, it would be useless.

Gradually, if you ponder carefully, the preparations of the Assyrian Empire were useless. Then, can the things we ordinary people prepare be useful? No, they are not! But as long as people are not enemies of God in this world, there is still hope. So let us not be stiff-necked in our hearts, but be soft.

## Even More Powerful Noahs Than Assyria Were Destroyed

The Bible says in this place: **Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall. Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. Yet she was taken captive and carried into exile; her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Lots were cast for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains. (Nahum 3:8-10)**

We will not investigate what the Noahs specifically refer to, nor do we know what it is, but it must be more powerful than Assyria. Why is it more powerful than Assyria? Because it has Egypt and Cush behind it, with boundless strength, but it is useless. This is the end of being an enemy of God.

This passage is addressed to the emperor of the Assyrian Empire. At that time, the Assyrian Empire had not yet been destroyed. So, do not think you are very powerful. Even more powerful Noahs than you have been destroyed. Why? Because the Noahs were walking the path of the strong. Therefore, do not admire the culture of the strong. If you carefully observe the end of these strongmen, the end of the strongmen is not good, whether in China or abroad!

I ask you: How did Zhang Fei die? Not well! How did Guan Yu die? Not well! These people are among the top generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Later, in The Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was the same. Qin Qiong, Luo Cheng, and a large group of strongmen also died poorly. If you carefully examine it, you will find that the culture of the strong is itself at odds with God. Those who are at odds with God, many have been destroyed. The Qin Dynasty was a very strong country. It destroyed the six kingdoms all at once. Qin Shi Huang originally wanted to be an emperor for ten thousand generations, but Qin Ershi was gone. Why? Because this country is a city that sheds blood, full of deceit and violence, and the plunder never ceases.

Therefore, in the Han Dynasty, they concluded that the culture of the strong would bring destruction. So they began to implement a more moderate management policy, and the country lasted for hundreds of years. So do not think about being strong. Think about not being an enemy of God. If you are not an enemy of God, there is still hope. If people become strong, they will become extremely arrogant, thinking that it is impossible to destroy the Assyrian Empire.

You see, once the common people become arrogant, you know that disasters will increase. Once the common people become arrogant, the entire national culture becomes arrogant and conceited, and disaster is not far away. If you carefully examine history, you will find that arrogance is closely related to the disasters that the country is about to encounter, whether it is an earthquake or a flood. The common people are very hard. Why? Because people are proud, arrogant, and conceited.

## The End of Not Repenting

The Assyrian Empire was like being drunk, not knowing what was going on. To what extent did it reach? Very serious! That is, when you talk to him, he seems drunk and does not know, seduced by prostitution and witchcraft. His internal logical system has been messed up, thinking: Will the Assyrian Empire be destroyed? No way! Impossible! As a result, people began to deceive themselves.

In fact, the Assyrian Empire was a very wealthy country. Do not think that the Assyrian Empire was economically underdeveloped. It was economically very developed, and the country was very strong! So how could such a strong country be destroyed? In fact, if God wants to destroy it, it cannot not be destroyed! So, self-deception is like being drunk, completely unbelieving. What does the Bible say? If you do not believe it, you will believe it when you experience it.

The tragic end of the Assyrian Empire was very miserable! The Babylonian Empire destroyed the Assyrian Empire. Babylon was a very small country, but it destroyed a very powerful Assyrian Empire. Hard to believe, right? In that era, God raised up Babylon. So, God reigns in the world.

A weak Babylon destroyed a powerful Assyrian Empire. How was it destroyed? The people's hearts were discouraged, fire burned it, the sword killed it, the great flood submerged it, and then inexplicably, the people colluded with Babylon, opened the city gates, and the entire city was set on fire by the Babylonian army. The defeat was like a landslide.

**Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is severe. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty? (Nahum 3:18-19)**

This is the result of the strongman culture of the Assyrian Empire. It bullied the surrounding countries, exploited the people of its own country, and was a very cruel rule. As a result, when people heard of its demise, they applauded and praised it. This is the end of not repenting. Everyone must know that the sin of shedding blood will surely be avenged by God. Therefore, when you see a country that is licentious and immoral, and many people suffer from deceit, violence, and robbery, it will soon be destroyed.

If you look closely at the online scams and deceptions of this era, they seem so powerful! The Myanmar Northern scam parks were very arrogant at the time. What happened? Destroyed! How was it destroyed? We always thought it was some allied forces. In fact, it is easy for God to destroy some people. Do not look at how arrogant people are. It is useless. So do not rely on money, do not rely on people, walls, armies, leaders, they are all useless, only rely on God.

Look at the scene: **The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! A multitude of casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses. (Nahum 3:2-3)**

Look at how many people died? Many people! You say: God, why do you allow these things to happen? In fact, this is what happens when you do not repent! So brothers and sisters, we must begin to have a heart of repentance, and do not store up wrath for yourselves before God. You say: Oh, teacher, I am so afraid of what you are saying! It is useless to be afraid, it is good that you are afraid! If you do not have a little reverence, that is scary! If you are so afraid, then there is hope. If you say: Is there such a thing? That is bad, it is about to end.

So, our brothers and sisters must be careful, and never be arrogant because of worldly things, wealth, status, or fans, because everything can collapse in an instant. If you study history carefully, every dynasty and every era is actually like this! The Book of Nahum is finished, and what stands out from it is: Our God is mighty, great, and awesome! We must have a heart of reverence. May God bless everyone!