Opening my Bible one morning this summer I was struck how God explains – in the Old Testament – the days that we are living in now! It was in Habakkuk. I was quite shocked when I read Ch 1 – it’s a description of how things are today!
‘This is the burden which Habakkuk the prophet received’ – and this is his complaint – “How long O Lord must I call for help and You do not listen? Or cry out to You of violence, but You do not save? Why do You make me look at injustice, why do You tolerate wrong?! Destruction and violence are before me, strife and conflict abound…”’
This describes much of the world right now! So many nations simultaneously are facing violence, stress, civil unrest, war…Even in Britain this August, violence on the streets… The same in Europe. As I write in Summer 2024, the Russian terror war against Ukraine continues. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, a woman, had to flee by helicopter to escape the violence in her country. There’s war between Israel and the Palestinians. Changes of government everywhere…
In v5, God answers the prophet, ‘“Look at the nations, watch – and be utterly amazed! For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told!”’
This is interesting! It follows straight on from my time on my prayer mountain when God promised me from 1 Chron 28 to reveal the details of His plan to build His ‘Temple’, His Kingdom on earth… Leading me so soon afterwards to Habakkuk, I believe this is literally what God is doing now, today, in the age in which we live. Not the distant future, NOW! And it’s something we would not believe, even if we were told!
This is what God reveals in v6, “I’m raising up the Babylonians, a ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. They are a feared, dreaded people, a law unto themselves who promote their own honour…”
We are seeing disturbances throughout the world. But I believe these are an indication of two things. One, that the return of Christ is near, and two, that the Lord is saying today to you, to me, to the world, just as He said in Habakkuk 1:5, “Look at the nations! Watch and be amazed! For I am going to do something in your day, NOW, that you would not believe, even if you were told!”
BUT the important thing I want to bring to you is this: Habakkuk, the prophet says in Ch 2:1, “I will stand at my watch and look to see what HE – God – will say to me, and what I shall answer!” This is a challenge to us who know the Lord, to be in prayer, to be watching, waiting to hear and to know what the Lord is showing us for the future! Because in v2ff, the Lord answers, “Write the vision, make it plain and run with it! The vision is for an appointed time! It will not fail!”
God is in control of everything that is happening. He knows the future. He has set the times and seasons. He knew in advance, before He created the world, what would happen today. That’s why the Bible, speaking about Jesus, tells us that before sin entered the world, God had already prepared the answer! Because Jesus is described as the ‘Lamb slain before the world began’ – the sacrifice for our future sin!
Every promise of God, every prophecy will be fulfilled literally – by a miracle! Though Habakkuk is only a minor prophet, unlike Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and others, yet I believe Habakkuk is prophesying about the days we are living in NOW! It’s so significant that God revealed this to me after my time on the mountain this summer. The prophet says in Ch 2:3, THIS prophecy is for an appointed time – God knew in advance all these things would happen in our days – and though it lingers, wait for it, it will not delay, it will surely come!
In Habakkuk Ch 3, the prophet admits, “O Lord, I’ve heard Your speech, and I was afraid.” Yes, when we look at the world, and we see that prophecy of violence and destruction is part of the preparation for the Kingdom of Christ, we are afraid at what we see, afraid of what’s going on. But this is the key: Habakkuk continues his prayer, “O Lord revive Your Work, make Your Work known in the midst of the years and remember mercy…”
…And this is what God has put in my spirit – though there is violence and disturbance all over the world and we are threatened with a third world war. God sees and knows all these things… BUT He’s given us the vision: He is about to do something miraculous, that even those of us who know God could not anticipate or imagine. it’s going to be so big, so powerful…
BUT, we must surrender the control to Him! We used to sing a beautiful song, ‘All to Jesus I surrender, all to Thee I freely give, I will ever love and trust You, in Your Presence daily live… I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all!’ That’s what I’ve had to do all my life, surrender the control to Him. As a boy, I had gone to bed, but I could hear this heavenly music coming from downstairs. I got up, stood at the top of the stairs, and these are the words I heard: ‘Hear the Lord of Harvest sweetly calling, “Who will go and work for Me today? Who will bring Me the lost and dying? Who will point them to the narrow way?”’ Then came the chorus, ‘“Speak my Lord, speak My Lord, speak and I will answer, “Lord, send me!”’ And that’s exactly what I did, aged 9, at the top of the stairs, I said, “Lord, send me!”
Father, help us understand the challenge of what You are saying in Your Word. Aged 92, open my heart, open my eyes to see it! And send me.