For The Vision Is Yet For An Appointed Time, But At The End It Shall Speak - Part 1915

And the Lord answered me, and said, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." (Habakkuk 2:1-3)

Speaking of a new time, when the dayspring from on high would visit His people, is what many call the appointed time -- when the Lord Himself would come forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:78)

"... and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;" (Acts 17:26)

"... but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the f/Father." (Galatians 4:2)

" ... the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:" (Hebrews 9:8)

Herein, the Lord is speaking through the prophet Habakkuk about the promised Saviour/Messiah which was to come forth and save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23) The prophesied Christ which would bring those who believe in Him life and salvation through His precious, holy Name. (Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:9)

"... who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time ... receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you ..." (I Peter 1:5, 9-10)

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly ..." (Romans 5:6)

The Lord told Habakkuk to write boldly the vision that He was going to reveal to him about the appointed time -- how He Himself would rescue the perishing in due time. Tell the people, the Lord is saying, of the coming deliverance for His people -- the mystery that was held in the bosom of the Father from the very beginning. The good news gospel of God in Christ Jesus reconciling the world unto Himself, bringing salvation and peace to those who otherwise would be lost. (II Corinthians 5:19; I Timothy 3:16; John 1:10-11; Revelation 1:8)

Yes, the Lord, even then was saying, "Let him that hears [the gospel / the good news message of the Kingdom of God] say [to every one he/she meets] "Come. The Master is calling, come and dine!"

Tell those who are lost about this same He "... who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (I Timothy 2:6)

And who "hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour!" (Titus 1:3)

Indeed, the Lord had a good news message for those who waited for the promised Messiah to come and willingly waited (like Simeon in the temple) to see the Lord's Christ. This message of hope as we read from Habakkuk completely contrary to the worldly view -- wherein the people not only coveted for themselves and their families, but also, by extension, desired for others to enter into this same drunken state, wherein their lusts and desires were insatiable [impossible to satisfy]. It is this comparison that is worthy of study, and how we as believers, having set our hand to the plow should not look back. 

Habakkuk writes what the Lord is saying through Him, for one and all to  see and understand, asking the same question as many of us do in this day -- How long Lord, how long? But I digress. From the second chapter of Habakkuk:

 

"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by His faith. Yea also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keeps at home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers unto him all nations, and heaps unto him all people .... Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, "Woe to him that increases that which is not his! how long? and to him that lades himself with thick clay! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. Woe to him that builds a town with blood, and stablishes a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

For the earth SHALL be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

[Therefore,] woe unto him that gives his neighbour drink, that puts thy bottle to him, and makes him drunken also, that thou may look on their nakedness ... thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

What profits the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusts therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, "Awake" ... to the dumb stone, "Arise, it shall teach!" Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him." (Habakkuk 2:1-20)

Wisdom that is most certainly not from this world. Let him that reads, understand. Stand in the offering plate.