Nahum 1:10, commentary and pictures

While they are tangled together and helpless like folded thorns and overcome and reckless like drunkards, the wicked will be eaten up and destroyed rapidly, violently and completely like harvest refuse that is thoroughly dried and highly combustible. It was given concerning the overthrow of Nineveh as the wicked capital representing the wicked facing final destruction in the last days, portraying the second advent and the day of God when He comes in indignation with fury poured out like fire. The wicked will be entirely consumed and perish by fire, burned up completely and swiftly with nothing remaining, which ends life rather than preserving them forever in eternal torment or continued existence apart from God. That fire once kindled bursts into unquenchable fire that no power can quench until all is consumed root and branch and reduced to ashes, since it is not in the nature of man to live forever in the midst of fire. This destruction is decisive and final so that affliction shall not rise up the second time, coming when Christ's reign on the throne of grace ends and He consumes His enemies as dry stubble while delivering His people, leaving the universe clean with new heavens and a new earth under an everlasting kingdom.

Context and Imagery

The verse was given in connection with the predicted overthrow of Nineveh, the wicked capital of Assyria. That city serves as a type of later wicked cities. It represents the people facing final destruction in the last days, rather than the prophecy being limited to ancient Nineveh.

The chapter portrays the second advent and the day of God. At that coming He executes judgment upon the ungodly in indignation and fierceness of anger, with fury poured out like fire. The mountains melt and the earth is burned at His presence, and the fire that burns the earth devours the wicked like fully dry stubble. This destruction of His enemies belongs to that event of the second advent and the day of God. The day of preparation named by Nahum comes before the judgment, and therefore is the time for the world to receive warning about the judgment and the second advent.

To be folded together as thorns is to be bound, tightly tangled together and helpless. To be drunken as drunkards is to be overcome, reckless and helpless, yet certain to be consumed. To be devoured is to be eaten up, destroyed rapidly, violently and completely. To be as stubble fully dry is to be like thoroughly dried harvest refuse that is highly combustible and easy to destroy. Such material cannot endure forever in fire but is consumed and ceases to be, so the image teaches utter destruction and not eternal misery.

The comparison to dry stubble is one instance of a uniform scriptural pattern concerning the fate of the wicked. When separated from Christ they become lifeless branches that wither and are cast into the fire and burned up root and branch. Their end is always likened to the most perishable and combustible materials such as stubble, chaff and thorns. It is never likened to imperishable or enduring substances that withstand fire and time. This proves their complete consumption into annihilation and ashes, not everlasting torment or continued existence away from God.

Complete Final Destruction

The wicked will be entirely consumed and perish by fire, burned up completely and swiftly, leaving nothing remaining. To be devoured means to be eaten up, destroyed and consumed rapidly and violently. The comparison to fully dry stubble means they are consumed, not preserved forever, for thoroughly dried field waste is completely consumed by fire. Their punishment is total destruction that ends life, not preservation forever, endless life, eternal torment, everlasting misery, or continued existence apart from God. The surrounding description of mountains melting and the earth burning at God's presence identifies the setting of their destruction.

The fire that destroys them finishes its work and does not burn forever. Once kindled by the breath of the Almighty it bursts into unquenchable fire which no power can quench until all is consumed root and branch and reduced to ashes. Unquenchable does not mean the fire burns forever, but that it completes its work of ready consumption. This disproves the doctrine that the wicked will live forever in torment, since it is not in the nature of man to live forever in the midst of fire. Their end is annihilation, not everlasting torment or continued existence away from God, for they consume away and are reduced to ashes like stubble, chaff and other easily burned substances.

Together with the declaration that God will make an utter end, this teaches that the destruction is decisive and final so that affliction shall not rise up the second time. He comes in indignation and fierceness of anger with fury poured out like fire, so that the earth is burned at His presence. Sin will never exist again, and the entire universe is left free from sin and clean, with new heavens and a new earth under an everlasting kingdom, the earth restored to the loyal race God first planned. Satan the wicked one is utterly cut off and shall no more pass through.

Sinners must be destroyed out of the earth because they destroy the earth, corrupt and ruin it by their sins, and stand against the purpose of God. Their end is total consumption like dry harvest refuse burned up, leaving nothing remaining. Their punishment is carried out by fire at the end of the thousand years, after their cases have been judged and according to their deeds, and all the universe will recognize God's judgments as just.

The destruction occurs when Christ's reign as priest-king on the throne of grace ends, after His power to convert and save has been exerted to the uttermost and some still refuse to yield. He lays off priestly robes, is clothed with kingly attire, and leads forth the armies of heaven to execute judgment. He smites the nations and rules them with a rod of iron, sweeps the wicked away as chaff, and consumes His enemies as dry stubble in what is called an overrunning flood and the lake of fire. At the same time He delivers His people, breaks Satan's yoke from off them and bursts their bonds, so wars and rumors of wars trouble the faithful no more. He publishes good tidings of peace and gives lasting peace and safety to those who keep their vows, afflicting His people no more. Then the saints inherit the kingdom and sit with Christ in His throne as God's immortal redeemed people who will never pass away.