Do Not Be Afraid of the Assyrian, Chapter Twelve

IN THE middle of the ninth century B.C.E., the Hebrew prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, ventured into Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire.  He had a weighty message to deliver.  Jehovah had told him: "Get up, go to Nineveh the great city, and proclaim against her that their badness has come up before me." -Jonah 1:2, 3.

When he first received his commission, Jonah ran off in the opposite direction, toward Tarshish.  From a human standpoint, Jonah had reason to be reluctant.  The Assyrians were cruel people.  Notice how one Assyrian monarch dealt with his enemies:  "I cut off the limbs of the officers . . .Many captives from among them I burned with fire, and many I took as living captives.  From some I cut off their hands and their fingers, and from others I cut off their noses." Still, when Jonah finally delivered Jehovah's message, the Ninevites repented of their sins and Jehovah spared the city at that time. -Jonah 3:3-10; Matthew 12:41.

Next time: Jehovah Takes Up "the Rod"

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2000