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| 1 Upon my watch-tower, will I stand, and will station myself upon the bulwark,–so will I keep outlook, to see–what he will speak with me, and what I shall reply, when I am reproved. |
Set me upon – Fix my foot upon. (Douay Version) R621:1
Will watch – Studying his Word. R1475:5
To see – Not to guess at it, or to surmise about it, but to see it, so plainly that he can clearly, logically, and Scripturally demonstrate it to others. R1475:5
What he will say – We can know only what God has revealed in the Bible as his revelation. R769:1
Let us balance our judgments by the testimony of God's Word. R770:6
What I shall answer – To the unbeliever. R621:1
When I am reproved – When the unbeliever reproves me. R621:1
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| 2 Then Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly read it; |
Answered – Gave me an answer for the unbeliever. R621:1
Me – The faithful watcher. R1475:5
Write the vision – God's plan of the ages, the vision seen by Habakkuk. R5374:1
What you have seen of divine truth. R1475:5
Concerning the glorious consummation of God's plan. B15
This command has been obeyed--by charts, diagrams, concordances and explanations. R621:1
Make it plain – Set it out in an orderly, systematic manner. R1475:5
Some are called to make the truth plain for the benefit of all the rest. R1475:5
It becomes the privilege of the faithful watcher to make plain to others what the Lord has made plain to him. R1475:5
Do not attempt to make it plain to others until you understand it yourself. R1475:5
Upon tables – Charts. C89
That he may run – For the prize. R1475:5
Run over it; be able to prove to himself its correctness. R621:1
That readeth it – Read it readily. C89
Read it clearly. B15
That everyone may read it fluently. (Leeser) R5374:1
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| 3 For yet is the vision for an appointed time, still, it presseth towards an end, and will not deceive,–if it tarry, wait thou for it, for it, surely cometh,–will not be too late. |
The vision – God's plan of the ages. R5374:1
The testimony of the Scripture. R621:4
A great revelation--a picture of God's plan through the prophets and the Law. Q729:5; R5731:5
For an appointed time – Is to be made clear at the appointed time. R5374:3
Time features are not as definitely stated in the Scriptures as are doctrinal features. R5374:3
Much of which was previously purposely hidden and obscurely expressed. R1475:5
It shall speak – Appear at the end. (Douay) R621:1
It will make itself heard and will not lie. R5374:2
Though it tarry – Its fulfilment would seem to tarry. R5731:6[R5731], R5374:1[R5374]
If it appear to make any delay. R621:1[R621]
"Where is the promise of his coming (presence)? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning." (2Pet. 3:4) R621:1[R621]
Wait for it – If, in the Lord's providence, the time should come 25 years later, then that would be our will. R5374:3[R5374]
The year 1915 is now more than half gone, and I think it is very doubtful whether we shall see all we had expected in this year. It looks as though we were trying to hasten the fulfilment of the vision. Q730:1
In their haste, some supposed that all things concerning the Day of the Lord were to transpire immediately, but instead the trouble comes like spasms. R621:2[R621]
Let none of the consecrated be in haste to rush into print with crude, undefined ideas, and thus become stumbling blocks in the way of many others. R1475:6[R1475]
"Oh, the blessedness of him that waiteth unto the 1335 days." (Dan. 12:12) C89
It will surely come – All the blessed things are positively certain to come. Q730:2
It will not tarry – It does not really tarry. It is a matter of God's time and our understanding of it. R5731:6; Q730:2
Its seeming tarrying was not so, but a partial mistake on the part of William Miller, foreknown and permitted by the Lord for the testing of his "holy people." C89[C89]
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| 4 Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him,–but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.
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Behold, his soul – The understanding, or mind, of the unbeliever. R621:1
Is not upright in him – He is not right at heart. R621:1
By his faith – In his faith--not slow to believe all that God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets. R621:1
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| 5 Moreover also, when wine betrayeth, a man, is arrogant, and findeth no rest,–because he hath enlarged, like hades, his desire, yea, he, is like death, and cannot be satisfied,–but hath gathered unto himself, all the nations, and assembled unto himself, all the peoples. |
Yea also – Another version of the first 16 words: "As wine deceiveth him that drinketh it, so shall the proud man be deceived and he shall not be honored." The time has come when those who have no limit to their greed are not honored, but the reverse. R621:3
Because he – The Papacy, or a modern ambitious nation. E374[E374]
His desire as hell – His ambitions as sheol, oblivion, the grave, never full. E374; R2599:6
Cannot be satisfied – Their covetousness is like death in that it never has enough; its capacity cannot be satisfied. E375
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| 6 Shall not, these, all of them, against him, take up–a taunt, a mocking poem, enigmatical sentences–concerning him? And say–Alas! for him who maketh abundance in what is not his own, How long? that he should be burdening himself with heavy debts? |
A parable against him – Questioning not only the rights of kings, but how and why one man is supposed to be born with the right to command and rule another; why millionaires roll in wealth while others, their intellectual, moral and physical equals, barely have life's necessities. R621:3
A taunting proverb – A dark speech. R621:4
Woe to him – "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries which shall come upon you." (Jas. 5:1) R621:4
That which is not his – Since money is the equivalent of service, and the wealthy have never rendered extraordinary service, the conclusion is that they accumulated their wealth dishonestly, without giving an equivalent service to the world for it. R621:3
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| 7 Will not thy creditors, suddenly rise up? and they who shall violently shake thee, all at once become active? Then shalt thou serve for booties, unto them! |
Vex thee – Tear thee. R621:4
For booties – For a spoil. R621:4
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| 8 Because, thou, hast plundered many nations, all the residue of the peoples, shall plunder thee,–for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein. |
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| 9 Alas! for him who extorteth an extortion of wrong for his own house,–that he may set on high his nest, that he may be delivered from the grasp of calamity. |
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| 10 Thou hast counseled shame to thy house–making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life. |
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| 11 Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry,–and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it. |
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| 12 Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood,–and establisheth a town with perversity. |
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| 13 Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts–that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves? |
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| 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh,–as, the waters, cover the sea. |
For the earth – During the Millennial age. B99; R1015:4; OV192:3
After the gathering of the elect. R4557:3
Shall be filled – The curse shall be rolled away, and all darkness shall be dissipated by light and blessing. R5338:2; OV384:1
The wonderful inventions of our day, the printing press and the mail, are potent factors in knowledge filling the earth. R5363:6, R1155:3
But this knowledge is coming to a people who at heart are unprepared for it. The hands of the ignorant and unlearned are stretched forth to grasp the throttle of power--political, social, religious and financial. R5363:6
Showing that great enlightening and educational influences will be set to work. R1248:2
Breaking the shackles of ignorance and superstition. OV384:1
As with the Gospel Church, a gradual matter--line upon line, precept upon precept. F709
It will be in and through the glorified salt of the earth that the blessing will come, the streams of truth for human refreshment, for a thousand years. R5780:2, R4990:3, R4957:1, R1043:2*; OV192:3
Accomplished by the Kingdom of Light, operating through earthly agencies, in harmony with its principles of righteousness and truth. OV45:2
"As truly as I live, the whole earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah." (Num. 14:21) D656
As a result, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God. (Phil. 2:10, 11) SM130:2; R5427:3
"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped." (Isa. 35:6) OV382:T; HG651:5
Jesus has not yet been the Light of the World, but merely a light to his people. R5352:5, R5338:5
All will then understand the promises now being grasped by the "Little Flock." Then "the mystery" shall have ended. A86, A87
With the knowledge – Knowledge of the Lord will be the drawing power in the Millennium, even as now. D195
The Millennial age will furnish full knowledge and full ability to all. R892:4, R4158:6; HG417:4
All will know and appreciate the privileges then possible to them. R5178:4; OV382:1
All the eyes of understanding will be opened. R5762:1
The Lord will turn unto his people the pure message, that they may all call upon his name and serve him. (Zeph. 3:9) R5823:3
Men will become not only perfect, having all that Adam had, but will have additional knowledge and character. R4965:1
"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me." (Jer. 31:34) R6013:5, R1365:5
The clear knowledge of God's goodness. SM174:2
The Church of Christ gets this knowledge beforehand. OV424:1
The gathering of the world will be the result of knowledge. R5530:6
Some will resist this knowledge. After 100 years they will be destroyed. R5530:6; SM16:1
The glory of the LORD – God's law of love and life, which men will fully know and keep. R1213:5*
No longer will the divine character be aspersed with slanderous teachings, making him out viler than any of his creatures. HG685:1
Our temporary blindness will but accentuate the glorious brightness of God's wisdom, justice, love and power. R5210:5; OV351:1; SM472:T
Cover the sea – Ocean-deep. R5823:6
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| 15 Alas! for him who causeth his neighbour to drink, from the goblet of thy fury, and also, making him drunk,–to the end thou mayest gloat over their parts of shame. |
His neighbour drink – The condemnation would apply equally to those who tempt others to the use of intoxicating drinks and to those who endeavor to lead others to imbibe of the intoxicating wine of the spirit of the world. R1444:5
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| 16 Thou art sated with contempt, more than glory, drink, thou too, and expose thy person,–the cup of the right hand of Yahweh, shall come round unto thee, and ignominious filth be upon thy glory; |
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| 17 For, the violence [done] to Lebanon, shall cover thee, and wasting by wild beasts shall cause them terror,–for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein. |
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| 18 What hath a carved image, profited, though the fashioner thereof, carved it? a molten image, and a teacher of falsehood,–though the fashioner of his fashioned thing trusted therein? that men should make Dumb Nonentities! |
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| 19 Alas! for him who saith to wood, Awake, bestir thee! to a silent stone, he, shall teach! Though he is overlaid with gold and silver, yet, no spirit whatsoever, is in him! |
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| 20 Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple,–Hush before him, all the earth. |
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