| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning erring ones: |
A prayer – Habakkuk's entire prayer, recorded in this chapter of his prophecy, is symbolical. R5383:1
Rehearsing the trouble coming upon the world during the Day of the Lord from the Lord's standpoint, showing whose power really shakes the kingdoms and brings in everlasting rigtheousness. R622:4
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| 2 O Jehovah, I heard thy report, I have been afraid, O Jehovah, Thy work! in midst of years revive it, In the midst of years Thou makest known In anger Thou dost remember mercy. |
Thy speech – Thy fame. R622:5
Midst of the years – Of the time of trouble. R622:5
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| 3 God from Teman doth come, The Holy One from mount Paran. Pause! Covered the heavens hath His majesty, And His praise hath filled the earth. |
From Teman – Using the marvellous display of God's power in Israel's deliverance from Egypt as an illustration of the world's deliverance at the establishment of the Kingdom. R622:4
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| 4 And the brightness is as the light, He hath rays out of His hand, And there the hiding of His strength. |
His brightness – His Kingdom. R622:5
Light – Sunlight. R622:5
He had horns – Rays of light and blessing. R622:5
Out of his hand – Out of his every act. R622:5
The hiding – The secret; God's goodness is for a time kept secret, not recognized by men. R622:5
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| 5 Before Him goeth pestilence, And a burning flame goeth forth at His feet. |
Went the pestilence – Moral pestilence shall flee as darkness before the rising sun. R622:5
Coals went forth – Dross and stubble shall be consumed as rigtheousness steps in. R622:5
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| 6 He hath stood, and He measureth earth, He hath seen, and He shaketh off nations, And scatter themselves do mountains of antiquity, Bowed have the hills of old, The ways of old [are] His. |
Measured – Judged. R622:5
Drove asunder – Melted. R622:5
Everlasting mountains – Ancient governments. R622:5; A318
Scattered – Crushed to pieces. R622:5
Perpetual hills – Less autocratic governments. D551
Did bow – Sunk. R622:5
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| 7 Under sorrow I have seen tents of Cushan, Tremble do curtains of the land of Midian. |
Tents of Cushan – The dwellings of darkness, of iniquity. R622:5
And the curtains – Those who caused the darkness. R622:5
Land of Midian – Strife. R622:5
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| 8 Against rivers hath Jehovah been wroth Against rivers [is] Thine anger Against the sea [is] Thy wrath For Thou dost ride on Thy horses Thy chariots of salvation |
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| 9 Utterly naked Thou dost make Thy bow, Sworn are the tribes saying, 'Pause!' [With] rivers Thou dost cleave the earth. |
Oaths of the tribes – Like severe rods of punishment goeth forth thy sword. R622:6
Cleave – Open. R622:6
Rivers – Truth channels. R622:6
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| 10 Seen thee pained are mountains, An inundation of waters hath passed over, Given forth hath the deep its voice, High its hands it hath lifted up. |
The mountains – Kingdoms. R1813:4
Of the water – The water of Present Truth. "The waters shall overflow the hiding place." (Isa. 28:17) R1813:4
Deep uttered his voice – "The sea and the waves roaring." (Luke 21:25) R1813:4
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| 11 Sun moon hath stood a habitation, At the light thine arrows go on, At the brightness, the glittering of thy spear. |
The sun and moon – The Law and the Gospel. D590
Refers to a future event. R1813:3
Stood still – Were darkened. "The sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light." (Matt. 24:29) R1813:3
The miracle in Joshua's day was evidently typical of the power to be displayed by our Lord in the time of trouble. A61
See also comments on (Josh. 10:12, 13).
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| 12 In indignation Thou dost tread earth, In anger Thou dost thresh nations. |
Thou didst march – Thou wilt tread the earth under foot in thy wrath. R622:6
Thresh the heathen – Astonish the nations. R622:6
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| 13 Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of Thy people, For salvation with Thine anointed, Thou hast smitten the head of the house of the wicked, Laying bare the foundation unto the neck. Pause! |
With thine anointed – With thy Christ. R622:6
Woundedst the head – Satan. R622:6
Discovering – Destroying. R622:6
The foundation – Thus a complete overthrow. R622:6
Unto the neck – With its high-towering walls. R622:6
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| 14 Thou hast pierced with his staves the head of his leaders, They are tempestuous to scatter me, Their exultation [is] as to consume the poor in secret. |
With his staves – With his own spears. R622:6
The head of his villages – The chief of his warriors. R622:6
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| 15 Thou hast proceeded through the sea with Thy horses the clay of many waters. |
Through the sea – The Lord's doctrines were enforced and conquered the great multitude-the "raging waves of the sea." (Jude 13) R622:6
With thine horses – With thy doctrines, which will then be enforced. R622:6
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| 16 I have heard, and my belly trembleth, At the noise have my lips quivered, Rottenness doth come into my bones, And in my place I do tremble, That I rest for a day of distress, At the coming up of the people, he overcometh it. |
My belly trembled – My inmost parts trembled. R622:6
At the voice – At the report. R622:6
That I might rest – In the remembrance that the trouble brings the chariots of salvation for the deliverance of the just. R622:6
In this day only those can rest who are built upon the Rock foundation and are faithfully living up to their covenant of consecration. R622:6
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| 17 Though the fig-tree doth not flourish, And there is no produce among vines, Failed hath the work of the olive, And fields have not yielded food, Cut off from the fold hath been the flock, And there is no herd in the stalls. |
The fig tree – But from God's standpoint, the fig tree (Israel) will be budding. R5384:4
Fruit be in the vines – The Church. The fruit of the vine will feed the world in the coming age. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches." (John 15:5) R5383:2
Olive shall fail – The Church, the special people of God. R5383:2
Seem to fail. R5383:2
The olive will give life to the world during the Messianic reign. R5383:3
The fields – "The field is the world." (Matt. 13:38) R5383:3
Yield no meat – The Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Greeks, Romans, Papacy, and lately Socialism, have successfully failed to better the world. R5383:3
The flock – The Church, the Little Flock. R5383:2
Shall be cut off – Our Lord Jesus was cut off from the earthly fold when he died. So with us. R5384:1
No herd – No perfect men, with the Church glorified and the Ancient Worthies not yet here. R5383:4
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| 18 Yet I, in Jehovah I exult, I do joy in the God of my salvation. |
I will rejoice – Those who will then understand--the Great Company. R5383:4
By the fall of Babylon these will be set free. Before all this is made plain to them they may use the language of our text. R5383:2
All things had seemed to them to be failures, and now they see that God's plan has not failed, but has been fulfilled. R5383:2
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." (Rev. 19:7) R5383:2
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| 19 Jehovah the Lord [is] my strength, And He doth make my feet like hinds, And on my high-places causeth me to tread. To the overseer with my stringed instruments! |
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