The Watchtower, June 15, 1935
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THE UNSELFISH ONE’S FRUIT-BEARERS’ PERIOD
This period of unitedly giving testimony to the name of Jehovah, the Unselfish One, begins Saturday, August 3, and ends Sunday, August 11. During these nine days all those on the side of Jehovah will have a special season of showing forth the same spirit of unselfishness as Jehovah has displayed in giving us his life-giving and life-sustaining fruit, the kingdom truth. Those who are "trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified’’, will surely delight in bearing his fruit forth to others, and so will all people foreshadowed by Jonadab. The particular literature to be specialized on, and the testimony to introduce it, during that period will be duly set forth in the service Bulletin. But the other necessary arrangements, as reservation of time and obtaining of territory for work, can and should be taken up and settled promptly with this announcement.
FACTORY AND OFFICE CLOSED–JULY 27-AUGUST 11
All publishers afield will please take notice that the Bethel home, factory and office at Brooklyn will be closed from July 27 to August 11 inclusive. This will afford the members of the Bethel family opportunity to get away from the regular routine Work and enjoy field privileges with their brethren. Because of this no shipments of literature will be made to anyone during that time. You will therefore please get your orders into the Brooklyn office in sufficient time for handling and filling before the shipping department shuts down. Be sure to order sufficient literature to carry you through the two weeks mentioned above as well as to the end of August.
Please do not write letters to the Society during this closed period, as there will be no one here to answer them. It is hoped that during the period from July 27 to August 11 the only mail that will be received will be the regular service reports and the mail which accumulates because of responses to the radio lectures, as well as renewals of The Watchtower and The Golden Age. We hope to be able to give this immediate attention on the reopening of the factory, and such other mail as is urgent.
PUBLIC LECTURES BY TRANSCRIPTION
Jehovah’s blessing has been markedly upon the use of the portable transcription machine. He has plainly manifested that this machine meets the need of the hour, when the enemy, under Gog, is seeking to curtail the use of the radio by God’s anointed and when the people’s ears are eager to hear, not man’s message, but God's. The transcription machine has increased the power of Jehovah’s witnesses afield to preach His truth manyfold, so that the desire for the literature is stimulated and study classes of many interested hearers are being formed. Besides more than 600 such machines in the United States alone, great numbers are now being effectively used in countries near and afar. For more information, write the Society.
Vol. LVI
June 15, 1935
No. 12
JOYFUL SONGS
"Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah."–Ps. 32: 7.
(continuation of habakkuk’s prophecy)
PART 4
JEHOVAH is at his holy temple, and unto him Christ Jesus has gathered his saints. This great truth, made known, brings joy to the remnant, because ‘in his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand there is favor for evermore’. (Ps. 16:11) Those who have devoted themselves to Jehovah and his kingdom now appreciate the fact that their joy is accompanied with tribulation because the enemy is desperately trying to destroy those who are serving Jehovah God. The rebellious ones are doomed for destruction, and properly therefore the remnant pray: "Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.’’ –Ps. 5:10,11.
2 The remnant love the name of Jehovah God and know that his holy name shall be vindicated, and their joy is in the vindication of God’s name. They diligently seek to be filled with a knowledge and understanding of the progressive steps of the unfolding of his great purposes, that they may walk worthily before him. To such faithful ones Jehovah says: "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Ps. 32: 8) Being taught of Jehovah, and from him learning the meaning of the present-day persecution of Jehovah’s witnesses, the faithful have full assurance of final victory, and therefore they sing: "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance."–Ps. 32:7.
3 The prophet Habakkuk stood as the representative of the faithful remnant now on earth. Having made pertinent inquiry of Jehovah, and having received the answer from the Most High, Habakkuk was filled with prayer, thanksgiving and joy, and he uttered a song of ecstasy: "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth."–Hab. 3:1.
4 Chapter one, verse one, of Habakkuk’s prophecy is a "burden", or prophecy, against the enemies of Jehovah, and chapter three is a part of that burden. God makes known to his people his purpose and how that purpose will be carried out, and this knowledge brings joy to the remnant and calls forth from them a song of praise. Habakkuk here gives utterance to a soul-stirring prayer in song, and which is the soulstirring prayer of praise of the remnant to Jehovah God. The prayer-song is "set to Shigionoth" (R.V.) ; "in the manner of an ode" (Roth.). According to the root of the Hebrew word it implies rapture or being enraptured. It means a wild, irregular, rambling poem. It is a psalm or song of ecstasy which rises to the heights of rapture, as Jehovah gave Habakkuk a vision of what was to come to pass. An understanding now of that vision enraptures those who see what is just at hand.
5 Habakkuk had stood on the watch and had heard what God had to say to him and why Jehovah had permitted the acts of the wicked, and what he did to them, and now he prays that Jehovah will bring to pass his judgments heretofore written. Likewise the remnant standing on watch have heard the reasons from Jehovah why he has permitted them to suffer at the hands of the enemy, and they rejoice and in a prayer-song to Jehovah implore him to quickly bring these things to pass. "O Lord, I have heard thy speech [thy fame, A.R.V., margin] and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." (Hab. 3:2) By the revelation of the prophecy and the making plain of the battle-types of the times of old to Jehovah's witnesses, these faithful ones have truly today ‘heard the report of thy fame’, and by faith they see that Jehovah’s fame at Armageddon will be universal. Not until the coming of the Lord to his holy temple do the remnant get an understanding of his purpose. Being taught of God they learn that his purpose is to make a glorious name for himself and that the supreme issue or question for settlement is the vindication of his holy name, and in that vindication his supremacy will be made known to al). At one time these followers of Christ Jesus understood thatArmageddon would be merely anarchy or class struggles between human creatures; but now they see that Armageddon will be all of Satan’s organization arrayed in battle against the Lord and all those who take the side of Jehovah, and that therefore Armageddon truly is Jehovah’s fight, the battle of the great day of God Almighty. The former understanding of Jehovah’s purpose pales into insignificance when compared with the revelation of what is his real purpose.
6 Jehovah had spoken to Habakkuk the woes upon the world, and particularly against "Christendom", and Habakkuk for the remnant says: "I . . . was afraid"; "and [I] am afraid" (R.V.), Now the remnant have heard the words of Jehovah telling of the battle of Armageddon that draws very near, and they stand in awe and fear before the Lord. The remnant, trusting in the power of Jehovah, are not afraid for themselves or for their own safety, but because of the fearfulness and dreadfulness of the manifestation of the power of God at Armageddon they fear and tremble. Having in mind that all the nations will be involved; that men composing the armies on earth, who are against Jehovah God and his people, will fall and that this will be a slaughter of multitudes, when "their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth" (Zech. 14:12), and that there will not be a sufficient number surviving to bury the dead, they see it will be a terrible and dreadful time. They realize the import of the words of Jesus that it will be a tribulation such as the world has never known and that there will never be another like it. Seeing these dreadful things approaching, the remnant do stand in awe and fear of the power of Almighty God. When upon the plains of Moab Moses reminded the Israelites of what took place at Mount Sinai and said, "I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount." (Deut. 5: 5) "And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake." (Heb. 12:21) The remnant are not among those who think that Armageddon will be a small affair. There has never been anything so great and terrible as what will take place at Armageddon. It will be a fight of Almighty God against entrenched and desperate enemies. The power there exhibited by Jehovah will strike fear in all creation. Even the inanimate objects will tremble. The destruction of Pharaoh’s armies in the Red sea was a type of Armageddon, and when Moses and the other Israelites beheld it Moses said: "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina."–Ex. 15:11-14.
7 Again Moses said: "Fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD." (Deut. 28:53) "For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward." (Deut. 10:17) Jehovah’s witnesses do not fear the enemy, composed of Satan, Gog and all their forces on the earth, because that fear is cast out by their love and devotion to Jehovah and his kingdom. (1 John 4:18; 2 Chron. 20:15; Ps. 27:1-3) Safety and security is only to those who fully trust in and serve Jehovah.
8 The things which Jehovah did to the enemies of his people in times of old were ensamples of what shall now come to pass at Armageddon. The remnant, therefore, now pray as Habakkuk prayed: "O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years." Another translation reads: "In the midst of the years bring it to life." (Douay) Jehovah’s witnesses now pray according to his will that Jehovah will repeat his acts of old according to his promise, to wit: "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (Zech. 14:.3) That will be Jehovah’s work, his strange work. The faithful student of divine prophecy now learns why Jehovah fought the battle of his people in times of old and that such battles then fought foretold the great universal war now near. "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out." (Ps. 44:1,2) Jehovah had said: "Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you." (Hab. 1:5) "For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hands." (Ps. 92: 4) "His work is honourable and glorious; and his righteousness endureth for ever."–Ps. 111: 3.
9 "In the midst of the years make it known." (R.V.) The climax of the years was reached in 1914, and there Satan’s world ended and Christ Jesus, the world’s rightful King, was enthroned. The tribulation upon the world there began, and at Armageddon it will end in such a spectacular demonstration of power that all will know that it is Jehovah’s mighty hand that accomplishes these things. "Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, 1 will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord." (Jer. 16: 21) "So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more; and the heathen [nations, R.V.] shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel."– Ezek. 39: 7.
10 The words of Habakkuk, according to Rotherham, read: "In the midst of the years wilt thou make known? in trouble"; the marginal reading: "agitation," "excitement," "tumult," or "wrath", "Wrath" here denotes a time of great trembling, trepidation and disquietude. This further shows that it relates to the time of Armageddon. In support thereof says the psalmist: "The Lord reigneth ; let the people tremble; he sitteth between the cherubims [in his temple]; let the earth be moved."–Ps. 99:1.
11 Concerning this same time the prophet Isaiah states: "As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!" (Isa. 64:2) "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain ; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." (Joel 2:1) These texts show that all nations shall be involved in the great universal war. The wrath of God is against Satan and his crowd. That wrath began in 1914, and then "the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come". –Rev. 11:18.
12 The prayer by Habakkuk, and now by the remnant, will then be heard by Jehovah and answered. "For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act." (Isa. 28: 21) Habakkuk’s prayer asks: "In wrath remember mercy" ; that is, mercy toward those devoted to Jehovah, who are the remnant and the Jonadab class. These who stand for the name of Jehovah God and boldly proclaim his message God will remember, shield and protect. "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have merey upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name."– Ezek. 39:25.
13 The ruling powers of this wicked world shall pass away in the midst of great tribulation, but Jehovah will have mercy on those who love and serve him. "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." (Isa. 54:10) Mercy will mean that God will spare during his wrath at Armageddon those who serve him, and this he will do, not for their own sake, but for his own name’s sake. "But do thou for me, O God, the Lord, for thy name’s sake; because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me." –Ps. 109:21.
14 In the days of old Jehovah went forth to vindicate his name by fighting against the enemies of his chosen people, but his action then was chiefly to foretell what he will do at the battle of the great day of God Almighty. When he sent Moses to Egypt to make a name for himself, that was temporary, for the reason, God’s due time had not arrived to destroy the enemy completely. At Armageddon he will permanently and for ever vindicate his holy name. The prayer-song of Habakkuk recounts what Jehovah did in the past, and which foretells what shall come to pass at Armageddon. "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise."–Hab. 3:3.
15 Jehovah inspired the prayer of Habakkuk to ‘revive his work’ at the consummation of years, and what He did in answer thereto he in times of old fulfilled in miniature only. The prophet briefly refers to those acts of Jehovah in times of old and which foretell the fulfillment of the prophetic prayer now in completeness. In the vision he beheld God coming from Teman. Teman was the grandson of Esau, or Edom; and a part of the south country was named for Teman. (Gen. 36:11-15) Jehovah is shown as coming from Teman. The marginal rendering of this text is: "God came from the south." On his triumphant march from Mount Sinai to Jerusalem God led his people through the land of Teman. "O God, when thou went- est forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness [south of Jerusalem] ; Selah: the earth shook, the heavens also dropped [waters] at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel."–Ps. 68:7,8.
16 This is corroborated by the statement in Judges: "Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir [of which Teman is a part], when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom [to which Teman belonged], the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water."–Judg. 5:4,5.
17 Jehovah selected Jerusalem as a city for his people, and he placed his name there; and he will fight the battle of Armageddon and vindicate his name; therefore Jerusalem pictured his glorious organization, which he defends. He is the Mighty One over all of his host, which includes the remnant on earth. With lightning speed Jehovah hastens to the battle, and this is pictured by his approaching from the south to engage in the war. "And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south." (Zech. 9:14) He comes as a whirlwind; thus indicating great swiftness and indicating that the fight will begin suddenly and result in taking the enemy by surprise and will bring about the enemy’s sudden destruction. "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."–1 Thess. 5:3.
18 Furthermore says Habakkuk: "And the Holy One from mount Paran." Manifestly Mount Paran is here used as an illustration. To some the name "Paran" means "beautiful, gleaming". Jehovah in his conquering march to the battle of Armageddon comes from the highest place, illustrated by the mountains, but far more lofty and beautiful than Mount Paran. God led the Israelites from Sinai to the north by the hand of Moses, and now he leads his mighty host by the hand of the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, approaching from the south to engage in the great battle. Moses recounted to the Israelites on the plains of Moab God’s movement. "And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them [the enemy] ; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints [holy angels]: from his right hand went a fiery law for them."– Deut. 33: 2, 3.
19 At Armageddon "the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee". (Zech. 14:5) In this prophetic picture Christ Jesus is shown as chief in command, leading all the hosts of heaven and earth to the execution of Jehovah’s judgment against the enemy. Concerning this same matter Jude wrote: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."–Jude 14,15.
20 In Habakkuk 3:3 appears the word "Selah", which word means "pause", or "suspension" of the music or song. This would indicate a pause in what is done or said by the remnant. Will the remnant on earth, whom Habakkuk pictured, see the march of Jehovah’s forces to engage in the battle of Armageddon? Some of the prophecies seem clearly to answer this question in the affirmative, that they will see Armageddon begin. Habakkuk in uttering this songprayer pictures the remnant singing the praises of Jehovah when by faith they see that Armageddon is at hand. It would seem exceedingly appropriate to say that, if the remnant see the beginning of the battle of Armageddon, the manifestation of Jehovah’s power and glory there will be so overwhelming that they will pause or cease their singing for a time and view the splendor, weight, power and glory of the Lord with all wonder and fear. The great spectacular demonstration of Jehovah’s power would certainly cause the remnant to pause and remain absolutely dumb for a time.
21 Immediately following the pause the prophecy reads: "His [Jehovah’s] glory covered the heavens." That will be a dazzling manifestation of Jehovah’s power appearing in the sky and will surpass the sun’s brilliancy at high noon, and at that time it must be that "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea", and all nations and tribes and peoples of the earth shall see it at that one time. God has repeatedly stated concerning the enemy that ‘they shall know that I am God’. By faith the remnant now see Jehovah with his mighty war chariot moving into position for the war, but certainly at the fixed time all of the earth shall have an ocular demonstration of his mighty organization moving into battle. Says Jehovah’s prophet: "And I will set my glory among the heathen [nations, R. V.], and all the [nations] shall see my judgment [upon Gog and his army] that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them."– Ezek. 39:21.
22 At Mount Sinai the Israelites saw a manifestation of Jehovah’s power; and says the prophet: "So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward." (Ezek. 39:22) What the Israelites saw at Mount Sinai was terrifying to them: "And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." (Ex. 24:17) The things which the Israelites there saw appeared unto them as ensamples or types of what shall come to pass at the end of the world.–1 Cor. 10:11.
23 The Scriptures clearly disclose that the manifestation of Jehovah’s power at Armageddon will strike terror in the hearts of the enemy. Habakkuk, describing the opening of the battle, says: "And the earth was full of his praise." Certain it is that the enemy will not be singing the praises of Jehovah, and therefore this part of the text must mean that God’s praises will be sung by the small band of Jehovah’s witnesses on the earth as they behold his glory and the marching of his martial host going into battle. Jehovah in times of old made pictures of this very thing, when he sent the Israelites out against Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir and commanded that the singers should be put in the van and, as they approached the enemy, they should all sing. "And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." (2 Chron. 20: 22) It is true that the remnant now see the glory of Jehovah and sing: "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens." (Ps. 8:1) Is it not also true that the faithful ones on earth will at the time of Armageddon sing the praises of Jehovah when the war begins? "Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands [stable places, that is, those who stand firmly on the Lord's side]." This will occur at the time after the fight is beginning: "The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man. he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies." –Isa. 42:10,12,13.
24 The prophet seems clearly to refer to the glory of the Lord at the beginning of the war, when he says: "And his brightness was as the light [like the sunlight, Leeser] ; he had horns coming out of his hand [(Hebrew) out of his open hand] : and there was the hiding of his power." (Hab. 3:4) It is truly written that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) At Armageddon he will make his glorious light to shine that all may see his glory. "At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire."–Ps. 18:12,13.
25 This song of David was sung in relation to the battle that God fought for him against David’s enemies, and which was also an ensample or type of what shall come to pass at Armageddon.
26 This part of the prophecy, according to Botherham, reads: "Rays [margin: And rays (two horns)] out of his hand hath he." Another translation, "Rays streamed forth out of his hand." (Leeser) Jehovah’s rays of light are power, and like horns they push back the forces of darkness into destruction. The suggestion is that the horns are like prods, prodding the enemy. It is the glorious hand of the Almighty God, and the rays of light from his hand are bolts of lightning hurled forth from the hand of the Almighty that works destruction upon the enemy.
27 The ‘open hand’ well pictures Christ Jesus, whom Jehovah uses as his Executioner to destroy the enemy and concerning whom it is written: "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies." (Deut. 32: 41, 42) Then says the prophet Habakkuk: "And there was the hiding of his power"; that is, hiding of his power in his hand. All power of heaven and earth God has committed to the hand of Christ Jesus, who will execute that power in God’s due time. (Matt. 28:18; John 5:27) During the long period of time when Satan has been the unhindered ruler of this world, and up until 1914, that great power of Jehovah has been concealed. At Armageddon the hand of Jehovah is to be opened to the natural senses of those who dwell upon the earth.–Ps. 110: 2.
28 The invincible Jehovah of hosts marches to the war, and everything must perish before him: "Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet." (Hab. 3:5) Clearly this does not mean the pestilence which is mentioned in Matthew 24, which accompanies the World War, and marks the beginning of sorrows upon the world; but the pestilence mentioned by Habakkuk is that same pestilence described by Ezekiel, that afflicts Gog and his forces and concerning which Ezekiel recorded: "And I will call for a sword against him [Gog and his army] throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord."–Ezek. 38:21-23.
29 " Christendom " is the unfaithful city foreshadowed by the unfaithful Jerusalem. To "Christendom" their sanitary and medical corps that have fought against diseases will be powerless at the time of Armageddon to stay the pestilence and disease. Jehovah God will smite the enemy with these pestilences, and all who have been and who arc against his holy organization are pictured by the unfaithful Jerusalem. The faithful ones are pictured by faithful Jerusalem; and "Christendom", having fought against the real servants of the Lord, shall suffer the pestilence and plagues which God has caused to be described in his Word. "And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem ; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth. "–Zech. 14:12.
30 Continuing to describe the exhibition of Jehovah’s power moving on the enemy at Armageddon, Habakkuk ’s prayer-song says: "And burning coals [margin: And diseases] went forth at his feet." "And fiery bolts went forth at his feet." (B.V.) The basic sense of the original word is that of burning, whether with hot coals, lightning or disease. Warning concerning these burnings have been given to the nations by Jehovah’s witnesses in obedience to the commandments of the Lord. These faithful ones have received the "coals of fire" from the cherubim and, as commanded, have gone out and scattered them over the unfaithful city of "Christendom". (Ezek. 10:1-8) The enemies of Jehovah arc now made the stool of the feet of Jehovah, and he treads them down and brings burnings or destruction upon them, and they shall suffer annihilation. "But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat."–2 Pct. 3:7,10,12.
31 In 1914, at the command of Jehovah, Michael, who is Christ the great Prince and King, stood up to reign. (Dan. 12:1) This mighty prince makes an inspection of the earth before the beginning of Armageddon. Says the prophet Habakkuk: "He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations: and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting." –Hab. 3:6.
32 While Christ Jesus at the command of Jehovah has been taking the measures of the earth, he has also caused his witnesses to go throughout the earth and declare his judgment. When the time for Armageddon is reached, the Lord will not stand still or halt in his marching. He will shake the heavens and the earth and move with rapidity of the whirlwind. "He stood forward, and made the earth tremble"; according to the Leeser translation. At Mount Sinai the earth shook, and that was merely a sample of what shall come to pass at Armageddon. (Heb. 12: 26, 27) "And 1 saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."–Rev. 20: 11.
33 The Lord has beheld the activities of the enemy operating many conspiracies, leagues, defiances and other forms of opposition to God and to his kingdom, and also the reproaches and persecutions that the enemy has brought upon the witnesses of Jehovah; and not only has he beheld them, but he has caused his witnesses to tell the people that these various agencies are the offspring of Satan and form a part of Satan’s wicked organization, and to declare to the people that God’s purpose is to soon destroy them at Armageddon. Now shall Jehovah permit the nations that have defamed his name to continue their wicked course? The prayer-song of the prophet Habakkuk answers: "He beheld and [then] drove asunder the nations.’’ Men who rule in this world claim that the nations, pictured by the mountains, are everlasting and shall never perish. Those who push schemes for so-called "national recovery" claim that the nations must and will endure for ever and that the present sickness is only temporary and that these earthly schemes will pull the nations out of the hole and that they will continue on without end. But Jehovah God can and will level them to the ground, and this he will do by the hand of Christ Jesus. (Ps. 2: 9) The nations of this present wicked world are "mountains of prey". (Ps. 76:4) Says Habakkuk (3:6): "The everlasting mountains were scattered." It is the rulers of this earth that claim that these "mountains" or kingdoms are everlasting; but at Armageddon they shall pass away as "mountains [or nations] of prey" to the marching host of Jehovah. During the World War Jehovah’s witnesses were scattered upon and wandered through all of these mountains or nations until the Lord, from and after 1918, gathered them into bis mountain, that is, his organization and place of security. (Ezek. 34:5-13; Ps. 91:1-8) To the nations of Satan’s organization Jehovah now says: "Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain." (Jer. 51: 25) No salvation or blessing can come to the people from any of these nations or any part of Satan’s organization. "Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel." (Jer. 3: 23) All those nations shall perish. "For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax [melts] before the fire, and as the waters that arc poured down a steep place." (Mic. 1:3,4) If it be the will of God, he can make the literal mountains to melt; but it appears that these texts refer to the nations of the earth, which shall be melted down, leveled, and disappear. "Behold, I will make thee [Christ] a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel."–Isa. 41:15,16.
34 The superruling elements of the earth, that is to say, the men that really dictate the policies of the various nations, are not the men who are so much in the limelight, but they are in fact the ones who stay to the rear. They are seldom seen, and little is known of them by the public, but they are the ones that tell the men in the saddle what to do. For instance, during the World War, although the peoples of France and Germany were killing each other by the wholesale, the big manufacturers of guns and other deadly weapons, both of France and of Germany, were consorting together to keep the war going that they might sell their products to the people at an exorbitant price. For the same purpose the big munition and gun manufacturers of England had an understanding with the manufacturers of France and Germany. All of these superpower men worked together before the war and then during the war; and while no one ever mentioned treason so far as they are concerned, they are the guiltiest men amongst all on earth. Those men pulled the strings, and the politicians, like puppets, jumped about and enacted the necessary laws to keep the machine going, and the big preachers shouted to their congregation, "We must use these guns and ammunition to show that we have red blood in our veins." A greater crowd of hypocrites could not be found anywhere.
35 A hill is the highest point in a mountain, and therefore the hills picture the highest or superpower ruling men of the nations of the earth. Such men never bow to other men or to God, but at Armageddon they will have to get down and crawl in the dust. According to the prophecy of Habakkuk (3: 6), "the perpetual hills did bow [are sunk, Roth.; were bowed down, Douay]." Those international superpower men are never subject to local activities, but they rise to the very top and above the others and think themselves invulnerable to all the forces of the nations; but these exalted ones, at Armageddon, shall be brought low and be abased, and of this the Word of God is plain and explicit. (Matt. 23:12) When the Israelites went out of Egypt God made the inanimate creation to bow as a testimony to his name. "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of a strange language, Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The [Red] sea saw it, and fled; Jordan [river] was driven back [before Joshua]. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs." (Ps. 114:1-4) "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low."–Isa. 2: 2,11,12.
36 Jehovah at Armageddon will level things, and the influence and power of the great and exalted men will amount to absolutely nothing. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isa. 40:4,5) No wonder Habakkuk uttered a prayer-song when he had a vision of these things. And truly the remnant now pray and sing, when they see these things coming to pass, because they know that Jehovah will vindicate his name and that they shall have the privilege of being on his side and beholding his victory. That which appears to be very powerful in the Devil’s organization, and every part thereof, is very insignificant in the light of Jehovah’s power.
37 Says Habakkuk: "His [Jehovah’s] ways are everlasting." "His goings were as of old." (R.V.) Jehovah does not change. (Mal. 3: 6) His ways of long ago God can and will duplicate at Armageddon on a far grander scale than ever before. In the long ago past God performed certain acts which there in miniature vindicated his name, but at Armageddon his work will be strange and miraculous, beyond anything that has ever been done: when he comes forth to defend his cause and his people he will "be his old self again", and all creation shall know that Jehovah is the almighty, supreme One.
38 From other prophecies Jehovah makes it clear that Gog, who is Satan’s chief officer, will lead Satan’s forces at the battle of Armageddon. Armies live in tents, and therefore tents would symbolically denote the dwelling place of the warriors. The song-prayer of Habakkuk continues: "I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble." (Hab. 3:7) "Cushan" here seems to apply to an Asiatic Cush, king of Mesopotamia, namely, Chushan-Rishathaim. (Judg. 3:10) The Hebrew name means "Cush of the two wickednesses"; the Arabic means "Chief of two governments"; and this appears to properly apply to Gog, the chief one of the visible and invisible government or governmental power of the hosts of Satan’s organization ; and also to the chief of the ‘two-horned power’ or ‘two-horned beast’, namely, the British-American empire system, and corresponding to Aram-naharaim over which Chushan- rishathaim ruled. (Rev. 13:11-17) From that same region, as described by the term rishathaim, and probably from the same territory, the unfaithful prophet Balaam came, who hired out himself to curse God’s chosen people. (Num. 23:7) Thus he illustrates how Gog, acting as the ruler over the Anglo-American empire system, uses the hired clergy, who pose as prophets of God, to fight against and curse Jehovah s witnesses. The Anglo-American empire system is "the false prophet" and corresponds to Balaam. Gog assembles the wicked angels and wicked men at Armageddon, which surround Jehovah’s chosen people; and it is certain that the assembly place of that wicked horde will be greatly disturbed, and this is illustrated by the words of Habakkuk, when he says: "I saw the tents ... in affliction." And so shall the forces under Gog be in great affliction. The seventh world-power, now controlled by Gog, will come to the greatest affliction of all the visible parts of Satan’s organization, due to the fact that that empire system has rejected the message of and concerning Jehovah’s kingdom, which has been given within its borders more fully than anywhere else on earth. It is also the "scat of the beast", "where Satan’s scat is: and thou [Jehovah’s witnesses] boldest fast my name." "Even in those days [before 1918] . . . Satan dwelleth" there (by his principal agent Gog).–Rev. 2:13,14.
39 The name "Midian" means "contention, brawling". In Habakkuk 3:7 mention is made of Midian, that "the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble". The false prophet Balaam instructed the Midianites how to entice their enemies and how to interfere with the Israelites. (Num. 25: 6-18) This foreshadows that all those who follow the lead of "the false prophet", the Anglo-American empire system, thereby put a stumblingblock in the way of God's chosen ones, and all such shall tremble and fall. The overthrow of the Midianites is also a type of the destruction of Satan’s earthly organization. (Judges, chapters 7 and 8) When the tent curtains of the Midianites get to trembling, the stake pins will loosen and the guy ropes will slack, and the tents will collapse. Likewise the Devil’s organization will tremble, shake and fall when they learn that Jehovah is fighting against them. (Jas. 2:19) "The earth shall quake before them [Jehovah’s army] ; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining; and the Lord shall utter his voice before his army; for his camp is very great: for he is strong that exccuteth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?"–Joel 2:10,11.
40 Nothing will be able to stand against the marching hosts of Jehovah. Habakkuk, God’s prophet, there had a vision of it, and the remnant, by God’s grace, shall in fact sec the falling of Satan’s organization; and having a knowledge thereof now in advance, they are greatly comforted and their hope is made strong.
41 Rivers picture the peoples of the nations under the control of Satan, some willingly and some unwillingly. "Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?" (Hab. 3:8) When God’s ehoscn people were inarching toward the promised land they were interrupted by certain peoples, and God was displeased with those who did interrupt. Jehovah exalted his power against the op- posers in those days, not for vainglory, but in vindication of his name; and that pictures what shall take place in these latter times. When the Canaanites heard of the great power exhibited by Jehovah they trembled with fear. (Josh. 5:1) Likewise today God makes manifest his displeasure, but not chiefly against the poor people. He manifests his power for the vindication of his name, and with all those who support Satan’s organization he is displeased. The river Arnon flows west and empties into the Dead sea, on the east side thereof, and this river the Israelites had to cross before they reached the Jordan. The Jordan flows from the north into the Dead sea. To the Israelites Jehovah said: "Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee."–Deut. 2: 24, 25.
42 Like the rivers Arnon and Jordan, the streams of mankind flow down into the sea of death. (Rom. 5:12) All those in the stream who oppose the marching of Jehovah’s people merit and will receive evidence of his displeasure. At the time the Israelites crossed the Jordan river that river was at a flood stage. (Josh. 3:15) At the present day, when God’s people are marching to the kingdom, the population of the earth is at its greatest height, in its own estimation and according to the boast of the clergy and other would-be philosophers. But soon God will manifest his displeasure and anger against all these peoples. By the time of Armageddon that part of the human rivers now known as ‘people of good will’, and called " Jona- dabs", will have turned aside, that they may escape the trouble and pass over. As to the rest of the people willingly remaining with Satan’s organization, they must feel the great tribulation and destruction of Armageddon, because like the rivers of Amon and Jordan they have acted as barriers or hindrances to the march of God’s chosen people to the kingdom. The supporters of Satan’s organization have kept on voting and fighting and upholding the same old gang that has ruled for centuries and continues to rule by oppressive means, and this they do rather than to hear the message of and concerning God and his kingdom, and hence they take the way of opposition to the kingdom. The wrath of God shall be expressed against them.
43 The "sea’’ symbolically is that which gives support to and bears up the oppressive organization of Satan on the earth; and its ruling factors, acting by the will and power of Satan, hold the sea in control and use it. God’s hottest anger or wrath is against such ruling factors, that exploit the people and carry on their merchandise on the sea. The supporters of Satan’s wicked rule must feel the strong hand of Jehovah, and the sea must be dried up. "He stretched out his hand over the sea; he shook the kingdoms; the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof." (Isa. 23:11) "He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth." (Nah. 1: 4) "The violence done to me [Zion] and to my flesh [the remnant on earth] be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, My blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will plead thy [Zion’s] cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry."–Jer. 51: 35, 36.
44 This will certainly pain the old "dragon that is in the sea" and that claims the people for himself. (Isa. 27:1) After Armageddon there shall be "no more sea". (Rev. 21:1) But when the people of the "sea" are confronted with Armageddon they will tremble and flee. "What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" (Ps. 114:5) "The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee: they were afraid; the depths also were troubled. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." –Ps. 77:16,19.
45 Those who are saved and brought through the great tribulation will be so favored, not because of their own merits, but for Jehovah’s name’s sake, as he saved the Israelites: "Nevertheless, he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known." (Ps. 106:8) Those who seek meekness and righteousness will be doing so in vindication of Jehovah’s name, and he will remember them in the time of stress.
46 Universal war will result beneficially to those peoples of earth who take their stand on the side of Jehovah ; and relative to this says the prophet Habakkuk (3:8): "Thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation"; "thy [Jehovah’s] chariots of victory." (Leeser) Horses and chariots are symbols of war equipment, and this shows that it is in the time of ‘the war of the great day of God Almighty’ that salvation comes, and that it is to those people on God’s side, and that the victory in that great battle is with Jehovah God. "For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many."–Isa. 66:15,16.
47 To those who now gain a knowledge of what is to take place at Armageddon and who take advantage thereof by seeking meekness and then following the teachings of Jehovah and learning righteousness, the promise is made, and they shall be the gainers and be protected in that great battle. The prophet Zechariah had a vision of this coming battle and wrote: "And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains [Jehovah’s organization under Christ Jesus] ; and the mountains were mountains of brass.’’ (Zech. 6:1) That great army of Jehovah will be led by his chief horseman and mighty Warrior, Christ Jesus, concerning whom it is written, in Revelation 19:11,14: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.’’ All the warring hosts of heaven will be following him in that fight. "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place.’’ (Ps. 68:17) That will be a war equipment that will completely wreck and destroy Satan's organization, and the faithful remnant of Jehovah on earth will see it. (2 Ki. 6:17) Above this mighty army Jehovah will ride in supreme command. (Ps. 68:33; Ezek. 1:1-28) Before this mighty war force of Jehovah the armies of Satan will be as weaklings: "Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit.’’–Isa. 31: 3.
48 For many centuries Jehovah has kept his war equipment out of sight and has given Satan full opportunity to make good his boastful challenge, but at Armageddon there will be a complete change and Jehovah’s forces will be fully revealed. "Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.’’ (Hab. 3:9) At Armageddon Jehovah will completely uncover his "bow" and make it twang and throw a shower of arrows against the enemy’s forces. Christ Jesus is Jehovah’s battle bow, and he will hurl his irresistible strength against the enemy: "Out of him [the tribe of Judah] came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor [of the enemy forces] together." (Zech. 10:4) "Thine [Christ Jesus’] arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee." (Ps. 45:5) "When I have bent Judah [as a bow] for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons [of Zion; Judah and Ephraim], O Zion, against thy sons, 0 Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar." (Zech. 9:13-15) In support of this Isaiah testifies: "And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me." (Isa. 49:2) Jehovah’s battle bow will work havoc to the enemy’s forces: "Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them."–Ps. 18:14.
49 Jehovah gives to his faithful remnant full assurance by revealing to them the meaning of his prophecies long ago written, and this he does that they may be strengthened in this day of great stress. The fact that God sends these things to his people is proof conclusive that they need the strength derived therefrom. Long ago he gave his Word and bound it with his oath, and thus he gives double assurance to those who believe and rely upon his Word. "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us."–Heb. 6:17,18.
50 As the time for the battle of the great day of God Almighty draws near, Jehovah draws his war weapons, as stated by the prophetic song, "according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word." (Hab. 3:9) "According to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes." (Douay) "Like severe rods of punishment [goeth forth] thy word." (Leeser) "Oaths of chastisement–song!" (Roth.) The Hebrew for the word "tribes" here used is translated "staves" in verse 14 of this same chapter, and this identifies the one to whom the oaths were made. The same word is translated "rod" in Psalm 110: 2, wherein it is stated that ‘Jehovah sends forth his rod out of Zion to rule’. Jehovah has given "oaths of chastisements" in giving his Word on oath into the hand of Christ Jesus, whom he has commissioned to bring punishment upon all of Satan’s organization; He has thus given his "oaths of chastisement". Not only are his oaths a double assurance to the true followers of Christ Jesus, but they arc also "the judgments written" against the enemy organization, which Jehovah’s remnant sing forth at the fulfillment of these oaths or judgments. To the twelve tribes of spiritual Israel, which is "the Israel of God", Jehovah has declared his Word and has bound it with his oath, by which it is impossible for him to lie, and therefore the hope of the remnant is made strong, and this causes them to sing forth with joy. Jehovah has lifted up his hand to heaven and sworn, long ago, to bring his wrath or judgments upon his enemies, and which he describes here in the song uttered by his prophet Habakkuk. Because Jehovah gave his Word and oaths to do these things, the remnant, whom Habakkuk foreshadowed, likewise utter the prophetic prayer and sing to Jehovah, now saying: "Revive thy work in the midst of the years"; and thus they show their complete confidence in and reliance upon the Word of the Most High. The faithful ones are meek, because they are diligent in seeking to understand the purpose of Jehovah and hasten to obey his will, and therefore Jehovah has pleasure in them and they rejoice and sing: "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen [nations, R.V.], and punishments upon the people. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord." –Ps. 149: 4-9.
51 Having full confidence in Jehovah and his Word, and in obedience to his commandment, the remnant, who are Jehovah’s witnesses, sound the warning to the rulers of the world and to the common people before the beginning of Armageddon. They declare the day of the vengeance of Jehovah. (Isa. 61:2; Rev. 16:1-21) "The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those that published it." (Ps. 68: 11) The result of their efforts in this behalf shows that they have received the blessings of the Lord, and that particularly in recent years. It is to be expected that the enemy and his agents would make all the trouble possible for such publishers of the truth, who announce the curse or judgments of Jehovah upon those who now wickedly rule the world. What else could be expected at this time than opposition and persecution of those who firmly stand for God and his kingdom? The things that we see coming to pass in these days are exactly in accord with what God long ago foretold, and which things are necessary to enable the remnant now to maintain their integrity toward God. In the past the followers of Christ Jesus have stood for the Word of Jehovah and confidently relied upon it as they understood it, and have looked forward with gladness to the day of their own salvation; but they have had little or no understanding that the chief purpose of Jehovah is to magnify and vindicate his holy name. That particularly refers to the time as mentioned by the prophet: "Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Ps. 138:2) But now, in the present day, when the vindication of Jehovah’s name is at hand, and when Armageddon draws near (and at Armageddon more particularly), God confirms his Word which his witnesses have heard and published, and he will at Armageddon vindicate both his Word and his name to his praise and honor. (Isa. 44:26) Joyful now are those who continue to publish the Word and fame of Jehovah God. They cannot and will not keep back the song. They sec and appreciate the unfolding of prophecy, and together they lift up their voices and with one accord proclaim the praises of his holy name. (Isa. 52: 8) This they must and will continue to do until God directs otherwise.
52 At this point in the prophetic song of Habakkuk there is another pause indicated by the word "Selah". This pause stresses and emphasizes the importance of the prophecy that has just been stated. The pause gives opportunity to those who joyfully feed upon the sacred truths of the prophecy to here consider with greater gratitude and thankfulness to God the precious things of that prophecy. The pause indicates that what is to follow in this prophetic song will be just as deserving of attention and prayerful meditation as what has gone before. Since the word "Selah" also means forte; (musically) "loud and strong", may we not expect something even louder and stronger in the remaining words of the prayer-song of the prophecy?
(To be continued)
QUESTIONS FOK STUDY
1, 2. Account for the joy of the remnant, even in tribulation.
3,4. Explain the significance of the designation "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth".
5-7. In their application to those whom the prophet there pictured, show the relation between the statement of Habakkuk 2: 1 and the words in 3:2, "O Lord, I have heard thy speech." As supported by other scriptures, what is the application of the prophetic statement by Habakkuk, "I . . . was afraid"?
8-11. With related scriptures, point out the meaning of the prayer of the remnant, "O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years," and whether that prayer has been answered.
12,13. Explain the occasion for the further request, "In wrath remember mercy."
14-23. Compare the manner of Jehovah’s 'coming forth’ in the days of old, and the purpose thereof, with that in the great day of Armageddon, as recorded and foretold (a) in the words of Habakkuk 3: 3, "God came from Teman," and directly corroborative scriptures, (b) In the further expression, "and the Holy One from mount Paran." (c) In "his glory covered the heavens", (d) In "and the earth was full of his praise". Just how does "Selah" fit at this point in the prophecy?
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