“Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.” (Nahum 1:5, NASB)
When the Lord manifests Himself on the earth, things change. Mountains quaking and hills dissolving represent the changing of the landscape. This kind of language is typically used to indicate the destruction of a kingdom or empire. The fall of one kingdom leads to the rise of another. When one kingdom is dissolved another is born.
God is sovereign. He has long ago mapped out the beginning and ending of nations. With each birth and death of a nation, His plans are accomplished. These are the quakings and dissolutions of human history.
His presence changes not only the nations, but also society (“the world”) and individual lives (“all the inhabitants in it”). Everywhere God manifests His presence, the landscape is changed.
As Christians, we welcome this changing of the landscape. We know all the changes in world powers and systems are just the sovereign hand of God at work. We know the same is true of all the changes in our own hearts and lives. Embrace His sovereign hand. Let the mountains quake and the hills dissolve. It is just God's glory at work.