THE PROPHECY OF HABAKKUK
Installment 4

As has been shown before, the conditions in Israel in the days of Habakkuk were appalling. The Lord opened the prophet's eyes and gave him spiritual discernment so that he could see things as they were. Being overwhelmed by the revelations just made to Habakkuk, he complained bitterly concerning the deplorable situation. He concluded that the Lord should take an active part in correcting the evils and in establishing the country upon a basis of right and righteousness.

In reply to the prophet's complaint, the Lord showed that He was already taking measures to correct the evil. Babylon was rising out of the grave of the forgotten past and was assuming a most important role among the nations of that time. The Lord gave Habakkuk a vision of the military might and power of the Chaldean nation, which, like a cyclone, would sweep from nation to nation leaving death and wreckage in its path.

But Habakkuk could not understand why God would use the pagan Chaldeans and their arrogant king, Nebuchadnezzar, who were heartless, cruel, and wicked, in punishing His Chosen People, Israel, who, though far from being what they should have been, were living on a much higher plane.

Habakkuk, therefore, made a second complaint to the Lord, and awaited His reply. Then the Lord instructed him, saying, "... Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay" (Hab. 2:2,3). The vision which he was to write is the one shown in chapter one, verses 5 through 11. In this vision one sees the triumphant Chaldean army marching from one victory to another. An examination of these verses shows that the description goes far beyond that of any army that the Chaldeans could or did put into the field of battle.

How does one explain this literary phenomenon? This passage is an example of the law of double reference, or double, or manifold fulfillment of prophecy. This principle may be illustrated by one's looking at a mountain range from a position on a level plain. As he looks at the range, he sees the high and mighty mountains whose lofty peaks seem to pierce the blue. In the foreground, however, there are low-lying foothills. Thus the observer, from his standpoint, can focus his eye on the low-lying range, or on those higher mountains in the background. Or, if he chooses, he may glance rapidly at one and then at the other, and blend his descriptions into a single picture. But from his position he cannot see the valley between the two ranges. If, however, he climbs to the top of the low-lying range, he can see the vast valley which separates it from the higher mountains. In this illustration the foothill mountains would represent the Chaldean army and activities; the mighty and more distant mountains, the mechanized hosts of the world ruler of the end time.

Habakkuk was commanded to "write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets ... for the vision is yet for the appointed time. ..." As seen above, the vision that Habakkuk saw was the one found in chapter 1, verses 5-11, which blends the prediction concerning the Chaldean army with the mighty hosts of Antichrist of the end time. But this statement does not include all who are seen in the vision. This fact is proved by an examination of Habakkuk 2:3,4, which is quoted in Hebrews 10:37,38, interpreted, and applied to the local situation of the Hebrews to whom the Book of Hebrews was written. The writer of Hebrews changes the wording somewhat and instead of talking about the vision of Habakkuk he speaks of the Messiah and His Coming. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews urged them, saying, "For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise,

37 For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry,
38 But my righteous one shall live by faith:
     And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him"

39 But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul" (Heb. 10:36-39). In the light of the original passage of Habakkuk and the quotation in Hebrews 10:37,38, it is clear that the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives us in the following translation "for yet a very little while, he that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry" a free translation and interpretation of the words: "though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay."

That the prophets did not always mention every one and everything seen in a vision is clear from these passages. According to the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Habakkuk saw the Second Coming of Christ in this vision, though he did not mention that fact. This principle is also illustrated by Isaiah 40:1-5: "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.

3 The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: 5 and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." One sees from this Scripture that Isaiah is talking about the Second Coming of Christ and the forerunner who will announce His coming, who is Elijah the prophet (Mal. 4:5,6).

When John the Baptist electrified the people of the land with his announcement that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, the Jerusalem authorities sent a delegation to inquire concerning who John was. When they asked him who he was, he confessed, "I am not the Christ." Then they asked him if he were Elijah. To this question he replied in the negative. Wanting a definite statement from John, they then asked, "Art thou the prophet?" To this question he answered that he was not. Finally they asked him, "Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?" John then identified himself by saying, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said by Isaiah the prophet." As stated above, Elijah is to be the forerunner of the Messiah at His Second Coming. The language used by John in identifying himself is, as one sees, a prediction of Elijah's announcing Christ's Second Coming. Nevertheless, John said that Isaiah spoke of him in this prediction. Since John claims that in this vision, Isaiah the Prophet saw him and foretold his ministry, one may be certain that Isaiah saw the two Comings of the one Messiah, each being introduced by a forerunner. Though Isaiah saw in one vision both Comings and the two heralds announcing these Coming's, he mentioned only the second. A study of both John the Baptist and Elijah shows that they were very much alike. John's speaking of himself in terms of Elijah, the herald of the Messiah at His Second Coming, is equivalent to his affirming that he himself was the herald of Messiah's First Coming.

"Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him." To whom does this language apply? The one, or ones, who were seen in the vision, chapter 1, verses 5-11. As has already been seen, this passage is an example of the law of double reference or manifold fulfillment of prophecy. The one seen by Habakkuk immediately in the foreground of the vision was Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This picture blends with the great ruler of the end time, namely, the Antichrist. Pride is the one thing that God hates above all other attitudes or actions. Every possible sin may be caused by pride. The anointed cherub, of whom we read in Ezekiel 28:11-19, was created pure, good, and holy; but he became proud and sought to exalt himself above God. When he attempted to match swords with the Almighty, of course, he was hurled from his high position in the kingdom of God. Pride always goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. "The proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name; He worketh in the arrogance of pride" (Prov. 21:24). Nebuchadnezzar certainly was proud, strutting and boasting about his accomplishments, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:30). While the words were still in his mouth, there fell a Voice from heaven saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee: 32 and thou shalt be driven from men; and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds' claws" (Dan. 4:31b-33).

The Antichrist will be puffed up with pride and conceit and act in a manner similar to Nebuchadnezzar but making far greater claims. Concerning his boasting and exalting himself, Daniel gives us this information: "And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price" (Dan. 11:36-39).

The Apostle Paul, speaking of the same one called him the man of sin and the son of perdition, who "opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God" (II Thes. 2:4). When this lawless one is at the height of his pride and arrogance, the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed from Heaven. With the breath of His mouth He will slay and, by the manifestation of His coming He will bring to nought the Antichrist (II Thes. 2:8). Pride and self-sufficiency never pay.

"But the righteous shall live by his faith." Proud and arrogant rulers seem to vent their spleen against the humble, non-resistant, and righteous ones. Although there were no just grounds for Nebuchadnezzar's casting the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, nevertheless, he did so. But God protected and delivered them. Under the reign of the Antichrist, while the world-wide revival is being conducted, he will persecute the righteous and will martyr untold numbers, as is seen in Revelation, chapter 7.

What is the force of the word righteous in Habakkuk 2:4? Primarily, it means one who is living right—according to the ethical and moral standards of the day in which he lives. Those who accept the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ and are justified by faith are also called righteous. One must look at the facts of each context to determine the significance of the term in each instance. In Habakkuk 2:4 both of these meanings are probably blended into one. Literally rendered the statement, "The righteous shall live by faith" is correctly translated "the righteous shall live in his faithfulness." If we accept this literal translation, the dominant thought of the promise is that by one's living up to the light and knowledge which he has, he will live and pass through the fiery trials of persecution, being preserved by the overruling providence of God.

The Apostle Paul quotes this passage in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11, and interprets it to prove that people are saved by the grace of God through faith. The righteousness of God is counted to the one who has faith.

In Hebrews 10:37,38, the inspired writer quotes this passage, promising that the one who continues in his faithfulness shall live or survive the persecution. On the other hand, if he shrinks back God will have no pleasure in him. Jesus had the same thought in mind when He said, "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13).

Knowing that monarchs drink wine to excess and become intoxicated by it, Habakkuk declares, "Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples" (Hab. 2:5). The Prophet thinks of Nebuchadnezzar and his being under the influence of wine. In this condition the monarch is a treacherous person; he is arrogant and haughty; he is not satisfied to stay within the boundaries of his own realm, but ruthlessly invades the territory of others for the purpose of loot and plunder. He is like Sheol and death. He is never satisfied.

What Habakkuk says in this verse concerning Nebuchadnezzar and his wars of aggression will also be true of the Antichrist, who in the end time will heap "unto him all peoples." The Antichrist is never satisfied until he has seized world dominion and crushed under foot the humble and lowly—but he meets his Waterloo at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory.