"I Will Work A Work In Your Days"
By
Frances Metcalfe
With
sublime imagery the Prophet-Poet Habakkuk dramatically portrays the mighty End-time work of God. “He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the church” through this inspired word. “Behold ye among the heathen,
and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”
Hab. 1:5.
Like
many of the prophecies, Habakkuk's vision had a partial, local fulfillment; but that the complete fulfillment occurs in the
End-time cannot be disputed by those who are led of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul quotes this verse in the beginning of the
Gospel dispensation, (Acts 13:41) as looking forward to a future accomplishment. Other verses which follow, plainly set the
date as being just before the return of the Lord of Glory. “Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days, these
words by the mouth of the prophets.” Amen!
The
revelation of Habakkuk is one that should cause God's people to greatly wonder and rejoice. Of a truth all who have been given
even so much as a glimpse into the Latter Rain, End-time work of the Lord, are amazed and filled with praise. Yet strangely
enough there are many who will not believe it, even though it be told to them. It is certain that so great and far-reaching
is God's program that none of us have sufficient faith to believe whole-heartedly in the complete work. “Lord, we believe,
help thou our unbelief.”
The
first chapter opens with a crying heart. Out of the midst of a vision of terrible wickedness and violence, the prophet calls
upon the Lord, “O Lord how long shall I cry... and Thou wilt not save?” Does that cry find an echo in your praying
heart today? How quickly the Lord answers Him, and us. “Behold ye among the heathen, and wonder marvelously: for I will
work a work in your days.” Then God gives to him a picture of judgment. A bitter and hasty nation arises which marches
through the breadth of the land, possessing dwelling places that are not theirs. Not only does this army march, but their
horses are described as being fiercer than wolves and swifter than eagles, flying to eat the prey! Habakkuk interrupts this
horrible picture to cry out in faith: “O Lord my God, mine Holy One, we shall not die. O Lord, Thou hast ordained them
for judgment; and O mighty God, Thou has established them for correction.” Judgment – correction - “so far,
and no farther!” God is still on the Throne!
INTERVENTION!
"Intervene," cries the prophet. “Spare the righteous.” He asks for and expects an answer from the
Lord. Throughout the world today, the Spirit-controlled intercessors are repeating this cry. We too ask, and we, too, expect
an answer from heaven. Habakkuk was not disappointed, nor shall we be. “I will stand upon my watch to see what He will
say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me.” Praise His Name! The Lord still
answers those who cry and watch in the prayer-tower. God's answer was not for the prophet's ears alone, but was for all who
would hear. He must give the word to the people, and so too must we.
"Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for
an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie." The Leeser translation, from the Hebrew, makes this more explicit.
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, and it speaketh of the end, and will not deceive.” “Though
it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” How significant that the “it” is
changed to “He” in the book of Hebrews, where we read in chapter 10:37: “he that shall come, will come,
and will not tarry.” This quotation identifies this word with the return of Christ.
In
Hab. 2:4, we find the first utterance of the battle cry of the Reformation, “The just shall live by faith,” repeated
in Romans 1:17. Martin Luther was gripped by these six little words, and shook the nations with them in the 16th century.
Justification by faith alone, through grace, shall likewise save multitudes in the 20th century! Descending from the height
of this tremendous revelation, the prophet describes the final end of those who have dealt such death and destruction upon
many nations. “Shall thy not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee?... Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the
remnant of the people shall spoil thee.” We shall soon see this word fulfilled in connection with those who have wrought
great havoc. He ends the chapter with a trumpet call to the nations. “The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth
keep silence before Him.”
WRATH
AND MERCY
In
chapter three we come to one of the most beautiful portions in all literature. The prophet, anointed with the Holy Spirit,
bursts forth with a magnificent psalm of prayer and prophecy. This prayer was recorded at the Throne of Grace and is sure
to be answered! “O Lord, I have heard Thy speech, 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.”
The
one concern of the prophet's heart was that the Lord's work should not suffer loss, because of violence and judgment in the
earth. This should be the consuming passion of the praying saints today, that the Gospel should not suffer loss, because of
the turmoil in the earth. O, that is some way, in the midst of the years of wrath, there might come a mighty manifestation
of mercy and grace. This one verse alone is sufficient authority for praying and expecting a revival in the midst of judgment.
The rendering of this verse in the Leeser translation is poignant with meaning. “O Lord, I have heard Thy fame, and
was afraid, O Lord revive Thy work – (here there is a break in his utterance). In the midst of the years of sorrow revive
Thou it – in the midst of the years make it (God's work) known!”
Then
in vision, the prophet was shown the answer to his prayer, and in this prophecy we have a picture of the Latter Rain Revival.
“God came from Teman” The R. V. and Leeser render this, and to the end of the chapter, not “came,”
but “cometh,” the future tense! “Teman” means south-land, or wilderness. God comes to His people in
the midst of spiritual drought. “Who is she that cometh out of the wilderness leaning upon the arm of her beloved?”
he must meet His Church where she is, and bring her out upon His arm.” “And the Holy One from Mount Paran.”
“Paran” means to glow, to be bright and illuminated. Praise God for the wonderful light which is manifest even
now to those who are preparing for the Latter Rain. “His brightness was like the sunlight, rays streamed forth out of
His side.” (Leeser). This closely fits Malachi's word concerning the “Sun of Righteousness arise with healing
in His wings.”
The
next line is very significant. “There was a hiding of His power.” A secret revelation, to his chosen ones; a mighty
working of His Spirit, which is even now in operation! Hidden now, soon to be manifest! Still quoting from Leeser, “Before
Him went the pestilence, and fiery bolts went forth at His feet.” Pestilence with war! “He stood forward and made
the earth to tremble. He looked and dispersed nations... the ways of the world are His. Thous didst ride upon thine horses
and thy chariots of salvation. Thy bow was made quite bare... the paths to the tribes were a sure word. Thou didst cleave
the earth with rivers.” Streams in the desert – rivers and floods in the wilderness!
MANIFEST SALVATION!
"Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even for victory, with Thine anointed" (shall we be in that
number?). Surely this is a great manifestation of salvation and deliverance brought by the direct intervention of the Lord,
through His anointed ones! In the midst of world-wide judgment, here is a world-wide visitation of salvation! Habakkuk ends
this prophecy with a song of praise. Looking forward to this triumphant work, he rejoices, even though he finds himself in
a period of unfruitfulness and drought. We, too, may join in this victory song, rejoicing in the hope that in the midst of
the years of wrath, we shall see the fulfillment of this prophecy, and by the grace of God, actually participate in bringing
it to pass!
"Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will exult in the God of my salvation, for the Lord eternal is my strength,
and maketh my feet fleet as those of the hinds, He will cause me to tread on the high places." Glory!
