Forget about all the Christian revivals from the 13th century to recent history. The greatest revival recorded on earth took place in Nineveh.
The city of Nineveh.
To begin with, the city of Nineveh that we are discussing in this article flourished around 700 before our Lord Jesus Christ was born. It was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the present-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq.
It was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River and was the capital and largest city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, as well as the largest city in the world for several decades.
The Population of Nineveh.
First, the text in the book of Jonah describes Nineveh as an exceedingly great city. Some scholars have interpreted the “three days’ journey” description as a reference to the city’s size, suggesting it might have been a very large city with a population of 600,000 or more.
Why the revival in Nineveh was so unique.
Second, the revival in the city of Nineveh was not ordinary for several reasons. First, it involved the king of Nineveh who made a decree for repentance. Second, this revival involved everyone in the city of Nineveh. It is like the current President of U.S.A directing that all New York’s current population of 9 millions must fast and repent of their wicked ways. Third, this revival involved all the domestic animals and birds within the city of Nineveh.
Here is the King’s command.
Listen to what the written word of God in the Bible says:
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
All the people in Nineveh changed their ways.
Jesus spoke of the Nineveh revival.
