The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
Word-of-the-Day: (2) ‘Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. (3) For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it <or the herald, or the revelation> will certainly come and will not delay.”’ (Habakkuk 2:2-3)
Habakkuk was a prophet who was around during the times of Jeremiah, the fall of Judah, and the exile to Babylon, roughly in the range of 620-600 BC. The book of Habakkuk is not extensive, with Habakkuk breaking his writings to have two inquiries, or ‘complaints’, to God. God responds to both complaints and Habakkuk provides a prayer to the Lord as a praise and a ‘thank you’ to Him in closing his writings.
The first inquiry (or ‘complaint’) is Habakkuk asking God why He allows violence and injustice prevail in Judah/Israel. God responds that the Israelite/Judaic injustice that the people are practicing will come to an end by the secular, ungodly but disciplined Babylonian force sent by God that will exile them. This will remove the unjust from Israel, as Israel will start anew when returning 70 years after the exile.
The second inquiry has Habakkuk asking God why He allows the wicked and evil to overcome the ways of the Righteous, and even allow the Righteous to be pulled into ways of evil. The initial part of God’s response is Habakkuk 2:2-3; namely, the ways of evil and wickedness is on borrowed time. The edict God places on Habakkuk is the revelation that He will overcome all evil in time, and the messenger is coming to provide the people the Good News of the coming of the Lord’s wave of Righteousness that will wash away all the evil.
This revelation is part of the ‘mystery’ Paul writes about in his Epistles, the mystery of Jesus as the Christ. The ‘revelation’ Habakkuk refers to is the Gospel message Jesus brings, and Jesus is also the herald who brings us the good news. Though the Old Testament has ample prophecies on the coming of Jesus’ first arrival, Habakkuk provides through God’s message to him that the revelation (Jesus’ first arrival) had an appointed time, and the sermons and teachings Jesus gave is true. Jesus was both the revelation and the herald to the world who needed the Good News of a Savior who could forgive and take away their sins.
The arrival of the Messiah, though written about the prophets, including those of Isaiah, was one purpose of their writings, but as with many of the prophecies they were often stacked, or more than just one prophecy was being spoken about. The second ‘mystery’ revealed is Jesus’ second coming toward the End Times. Again, Jesus’s first coming and His earthly ministry was an announcement and a prelude to Him coming again. As with the Righteous awaiting the Messiah to come, centuries after the prophecies were made, prior to His birth, we who are Righteous today are awaiting the ‘appointed’ time of His second coming to fulfill the promise of His first coming.
We don’t know when He will come again, but we know He will come when it is time. Like His first coming, the day and time is not known, but for the Believer, we’ll know it through the fulfillment of the prophecies given. As several translations provide, the Lord’s return ‘tarries’, or lingers; we know He’s coming to redeem His Church, His Faithful. The knowledge is there with us every day, and we await, but He will not come until it is time. The delay is not an indication He won’t come; His Faithful (including us) must wait patiently and reverently for Him.
Waiting is the hardest part; the Righteous of the Old Testament waited for the Messiah to be born, and we of the New Testament must wait until Our Messiah returns. When He returns, the injustice and evil will be swept away and we will see His Righteousness prevail!
