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I shall read from The Mount of Blessing beginning with the second paragraph on page 181. -1TG24 10.1

M.B. p. 181, 182 — …There may be a wonderful keenness of perception to discover the defects of others but to every one who indulges this spirit Jesus says Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye. He who is guilty of wrong is the first to suspect. By condemning another he is trying to conceal or excuse the evil of his own heart…. -1TG24 10.2

When men indulge this accusing spirit they are not satisfied with pointing out what they suppose to be a defect in their brother. If milder means fail of making him do what they think ought to be done they will resort to compulsion. Just as far as lies in their power they will force men to comply with their ideas of what is right. -1TG24 10.3

We need to pray for power to resist criticizing others than ourselves and thus to get closer and closer to Christ and to abundantly receive of His grace. Never yet have I seen a father or a mother criticize their own son or daughter. When parents hear others criticizing their offspring then the critics often get into trouble. But those same defendants of their own sons and daughters often criticize others with the idea that they do it for the good of the ones they criticize. If they actually believe that their criticism is prompted by love to help rather than to wound and not to bolster their reputation and to cover up sin then pray tell me why the critics do not give their own children some of it? -1TG24 10.4

Let us pray for the grace of Christ to enable us to treat others as we would have them treat us rather than to keep ourselves in sin by finding fault with their practice of religion. To watch our own steps is all we can do. -1TG24 10.5

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This afternoon we are to study the book of Nahum. The burden of this entire book three chapters in all is concerning two separate people. To ascertain who these people are we shall begin with– -1TG24 11.1

Nah. 1:1 3:18 — The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite…. Thy shepherds slumber O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains and no man gathereth them. -1TG24 11.2

Plainly Assyria with her capital city Nineveh are the one people. -1TG24 11.3

Now to find who the other people are we shall read chapter 1, verses 12, 13, and 15 (omitting those parts of the verses which pertain to Assyria). -1TG24 11.4

Nah. 1:12, 13, 15 — Thus saith the Lord … Though I have afflicted thee I will afflict thee no more. For now will I break his yoke from off thee and will burst thy bonds in sunder… Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace for the wicked shall no more pass through thee he is utterly cut off. -1TG24 11.5

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The people whom God has afflicted (by their dispersion among the nations) and whom He promises to afflict no more and to break the Assyrian yoke from off their shoulders are His people His church — antitypical Judah. They are therefore the other people. -1TG24 12.1

The title of Gods people you note is Judah. They are counselled to behold the messenger of God who at the fulfillment of this prophecy brings to them good tidings tidings of peace…the message of the Kingdom of peace (Isa. 11:6-9). The Lord counsels them to be honest with Him honest in their profession of faith. They are moreover assured that at the fulfillment of this prophecy the destroying angels are to remove the wicked from the midst of the righteous. Thus will the wicked be raptured away and be no more. -1TG24 12.2

So it is that while Nahum predicts liberation and peace for Gods faithful people he predicts disaster and humiliation for antitypical Assyria (the power which they serve) and for the wicked in the church. -1TG24 12.3

Three verses of chapter two will suffice to show the fate of Assyria: -1TG24 12.4

Nah. 2:6, 10, 13 — The gates of the rivers shall be opened and the palace shall be dissolved…. She is empty and void and waste: and the heart melteth and the knees smite together and much pain is in all loins and the faces of them all gather blackness…. Behold I am against thee saith the Lord of hosts and I will burn her chariots in the smoke and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard. -1TG24 12.5

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Here the prophet predicts that Assyrias capital city will be emptied and her palace dissolved. Clearly then the kingdom of Judah is set up in time of war and turmoil. What additional signs will mark the time? — Let us read from chapter two: -1TG24 13.1

Nah. 2:3, 4 — The shield of his mighty men is made red the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches they shall run like the lightnings. -1TG24 13.2

Since this prophecy meets its fulfillment in the day when the chariots are with flaming torches when they run like lightning when they jostle one against another in the highways and in the broadways and since the automotive traffic of today completely and perfectly answers the prophets description of it then there is no other conclusion but that the day in which we are now living is the day in which Nahums prophecy is to be fulfilled. -1TG24 13.3

Now in view of the truth that we are living in such a period as described by Nahum together with the fact that preparations for Nahums war are made during a time of such lightning-like travel the evidence clearly stands out that Nahums prophecy is to meet its fulfillment in our day and that the Assyria here in prophecy therefore is not ancient Assyria but another widespread power that exists in the time of the end (Dan. 12:9, 10) the time in which its yoke is removed from Gods people. -1TG24 13.4

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Moreover since this antitypical Assyrias fall liberates Gods people and since from then on the wicked no longer pass through their midst the time and the events are solidly clinched: All these predictions come to pass in the time of the purification of the church in the Judgment day of the living during the great and dreadful day of the Lord. -1TG24 14.1

Nah. 2:1 — He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition watch the way make thy loins strong fortify thy power mightily. -1TG24 14.2

It is plain to see that the one who dashes in pieces and who comes before Assyrias face is the one who forces Assyria to prepare to militarize herself mightily. Her forced military preparations agitated by him that dashes in pieces starts Assyria on her downfall. -1TG24 14.3

Now to find out what happens to the one who dashes in pieces — he who compels Assyria to prepare mightily we shall read– -1TG24 14.4

Nah. 2:5 — He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk they shall make haste to the wall thereof and the defence shall be prepared. -1TG24 14.5

His worthies (his mighty generals) stumble in their walk that is they make a mistake as they march on in hope of victory. In view of their disastrous blunder and in view of the fact that he that dasheth in pieces is mentioned no more in Nahums book it is evident that by his stumbling he loses the war. Nevertheless according to the verses that follow in Nahums chapters the fall of Assyria is certain. -1TG24 14.6

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The question then arises if Assyria is to fall and if the one that starts the war the he that dasheth in pieces is himself to lose out first then at whose hands is Assyria to fall? For the answer Let us turn to Isaiah 31, where this same Assyria is again brought to view: -1TG24 15.1

Isa. 31:6-8 — Turn ye unto Him from Whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword not of a mighty man and the sword not of a mean man shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword and his young men shall be discomfited. -1TG24 15.2

Assyria is to fall and to be devoured but not by the sword of a mean man not by him who dashes in pieces. -1TG24 15.3

Now the fact that Gods people are admonished to turn unto Him against Whom ancient Israel revolted shows again that Inspiration is speaking to antitypical Israel to Gods people in the Christian era. -1TG24 15.4

Isa. 31:7 — For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. -1TG24 15.5

Obviously the prophet is looking down the stream of time to a time of a thorough reformation a time in which only those who forsake every sin and embody Truth and righteousness will be left in the church. None others will be found in the congregation of the Lord. Then Assyria shall fall and thus shall her yoke be removed from the neck of Gods people. -1TG24 15.6

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The Assyrian is to fall because of his wickedness and because Gods people return to Him because of a thorough revival and reformation. -1TG24 16.1

Isa. 31:9 — And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign saith the Lord Whose fire is in Zion and His furnace in Jerusalem. -1TG24 16.2

All these calamities overtake Assyria as soon as Gods people turn to Him as soon as they cast away their idols. -1TG24 16.3

What are the Lords fire in Zion and His furnace in Jerusalem for? The answer we shall find in– -1TG24 16.4

Mal. 3:1, 2 — Behold I will send My messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord Whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in: behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soap. -1TG24 16.5

The prophecy of Isaiah along with the prophecy of Malachi make the subject very simple: According to these prophecies during the Judgment of the Living and while the first fruits — the servants of God the 144,000 — stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion the headquarters of the gospel shall be in Zion and Jerusalem. -1TG24 16.6

Now before passing judgment as to whether Nahum prophesies the World War II it will be well to refresh our minds by summarizing the main points of the study: -1TG24 16.7

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1. Two people are brought to view — the church and a nation comparable to ancient Assyria to which the church is under subjection. -1TG24 17.1

2. Gods people Judah are asked to behold the messenger of God who at the fulfillment of this prophecy and at a time broiling with war brings them good tidings of the Kingdom of peace. -1TG24 17.2

3. The prophecy is fulfilled in the day of unprecedented motorized vehicular traffic the day when the chariots (automobiles) are with flaming torches and when they jostle one against another in the broad ways — unquestionably in our day. -1TG24 17.3

4. In this day he that dasheth in pieces wars with this antitypical Assyria. He begins her downfall. -1TG24 17.4

5. Assyria fortifies her power mightily after her enemy comes before her face. -1TG24 17.5

6. On the march to victory Assyrias enemy — he that dasheth in pieces — makes a mistake and consequently falls loses the war. -1TG24 17.6

7. Assyria nevertheless later falls too but not by the sword of a mean man. -1TG24 17.7

8. The war the fast-rolling chariots and a revival and reformation such as the world has never seen are signposts of the fulfillment of Nahums prophecy. -1TG24 17.8

9. When Gods people cast aside all their idols fully turn to Him then it is that Assyria falls. Then it is that the wicked are removed from the midst of the people of God the Assyrian yoke is broken and the servants of God evidently the first fruits the 144,000, stand with the Lamb on Mt. Zion. -1TG24 17.9

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Let us now consider the already historic facts: -1TG24 18.1

Hitler made his preparation for war in an era when the chariots were raging in the streets running lightning-like and jostling one against another in the broadways that after the allies Hitlers military might breaking everything in pieces wherever he took his guns then it was that they themselves begun to build gigantic war machines Hitler stumbled as it were by starting war against Russia while he was still engaged in war with Great Britain although Germany lost the war yet rather than taking deeper root since the downfall of Hitler England is instead wearing away and the crashing sounds of her empire are becoming louder with each passing day Hitlers war has dashed in pieces the whole world and new chips and cracks are heard and seen right along — that there are new partisan politics from within and from without in every nation and people. -1TG24 18.2

Since Nahums description of the city and country traffic at the time his war prophecy is fulfilled perfectly fits the conditions of World War II we are assured that the war which Hitler began will actually be finished when Assyria falls and when her yoke is removed from the neck of Gods people. From then on the wicked shall no more be found in the congregation of the righteous. -1TG24 18.3

What is the over-all purpose of Nahums prophecy? It is to enlighten Gods people of the signs of the times to make them aware that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is at hand that the purification of the church the Judgment in the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17) is soon to take place that the wicked shall not much longer be in their midst that the redemption of the righteous is at hand that they must not fail to perform their God-given duties. Indeed Nahums prophecy clearly identifies Gods people of today under the Assyrian yoke and points to their liberation. -1TG24 18.4

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Most important of all though the prophet Nahum plainly tells that all these things take place in our day and that the fall of Assyria takes place while Gods people are turning to Him while revival and reformation are successfully carried by him who publisheth peace (Nah. 1:15). If we therefore fail to take hold of the message and if we fail to reform as it recommends then it is not possible to survive the day of the Lord. -1TG24 19.1

(For a detailed study of the book of Nahum study Tract No. 14, War News Forecast. ) -1TG24 19.2

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