by Jody Neufeld
Then the LORD replied:
“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
Habakkuk 2:2-3 (ESV)
Have you ever had a dream and woke up truly hoping that it would come true? Maybe you have had a dream or a vision from God and knew it was a word of wisdom or knowledge for your life and/or even for the Church. Remember that God said: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29) Maybe you have meditated on this dream or vision and you brought it to your pastor. You shared with the church leadership what God has said. But you haven’t seen anything happen.
In verse 1 of chapter 2 of Habakkuk, the prophet says that he will stand at his watch and do what he is told, waiting for the Lord to speak. Makes me wonder if Habakkuk was also feeling discouraged that he had given the message from God and he didn’t see people making that BIG 180-degree turn toward God!
And what does God say to this -— “Write down in plain words what I have said to you – don’t embellish it — just speak my plain words so that you (the crier/speaker) can say it. Just speak it!” God doesn’t promise a pillar of fire with it or an earthquake or gallons of water to flood the altar. God says that the revelation will be known at a certain time and it will be seen as truth. And then comes that phrase I more often than not hate — wait. AND God doesn’t say how long I will have to wait but that the revelation will come.
Many Bible scholars have listed the prophecies about the Messiah. Just as an example Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. was written 700 years before Jesus was born. 700 YEARS!!! That’s a long time to wait for the revelation to be fulfilled! Maybe waiting a few months or a year for my pastor or church leadership to see the truth of MY — I mean GOD’S — vision isn’t so far out of God’s plan.
Those of us who have prophetic gifts or who even are prophets need many, many blessings from God — not the least of which is encouragement and peace. We are “called” to speak when God says and what God says and then receive God’s blessing for being obedient. We are not “called” to convince. That is the job of the Holy Spirit and we need to let Him do it — because He IS so good at it!
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Revelation 22:18-21 (ESV)
My goodness, how we have added and thrown out things in this book alone thinking that we could convince someone of our way of interpreting the “signs”. The apostle John did the best he could to write down what God had said to him and we’ve spent all these hundreds of years since trying to make them fit into our dimension of understanding.
God’s words are “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) and have something for me today and tomorrow and tomorrow and — all my tomorrows. The next time I am impatient or feel like “I’ve waited long enough!” I am going to go back to Habakkuk and Isaiah and Malachi and the rest. I will wait with expectation for what God is going to do next — in His time.