Habakkuk: Habakkuk 3:6a-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Shake the Earth at His Second Advent

Habakkuk 3:3 God will travel form Teman. Then, the Holy One will travel from Mount Paran. Selah. His majesty will cover the heavens so that His praise will certainly fill the earth. 4 In fact, His splendor will be like lightning. Flashing rays of light will come from His hand on His behalf. Indeed, there it covers His strength. 5 Plague will proceed from His presence. Correspondingly, pestilence will follow at His feet. 6 He will stand while He causes the earth to shake. He will look while He causes the citizens of the nations to tremble in fear while the ancient mountains will disintegrate. The primeval hills will be flattened. Ancient processions assist Him. (Pastor’s translation)

As we noted in our study of Habakkuk 3:3-5, Habakkuk 3:3-20 is a prayer which the prophet Habakkuk offered up to the God of Israel, which he directed to be sung in the temple as part of the worship of the God of Israel.

We also noted in verses 3-5 that Habakkuk 3:3-15 is not only prophetic referring to the events of the seventieth week and Second Advent of Jesus Christ but are also alluding to the mighty acts of God which He performed on behalf of the nation of Israel in past history such as during Israel’s exodus from Egypt under Moses.

Habakkuk 3:6 contains seven statements which form five prophetic statements.

As we noted in our study of Habakkuk 3:3, I believe in an eschatological interpretation of Habakkuk 3:3-15 in the sense that I interpret these verses as being fulfilled in the future during the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Christ.

Now, here in Habakkuk 3:6, each of the five prophetic statements recorded in this verse are prophetic of the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

They describe what will take place when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to planet earth at His Second Advent to establish His millennial reign on the earth.

The first and second statements in Habakkuk 3:6 form the first prophetic statement.

The first asserts that the God of Israel, the Holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ will stand while the second will take place at the same time as the second statement which asserts that He will cause the earth to shake.

Therefore, the first and second statements assert that the Lord Jesus Christ will stand while causing the earth to shake at His Second Advent, which will take place when the Lord ascends from heaven and lands on the Mount of Olives, which will result in a massive earthquake according to Zechariah 14.

Zechariah 14:1 A day of the Lord is about to come when your possessions will be divided as plunder in your midst. 14:2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away. 14:3 Then the Lord will go to battle and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. 14:4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other half southward. 14:5 Then you will escape through my mountain valley, for the mountains will extend to Azal. Indeed, you will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come with all his holy ones with him. 14:6 On that day there will be no light—the sources of light in the heavens will congeal. 14:7 It will happen in one day (a day known to the Lord); not in the day or the night, but in the evening there will be light. 14:8 Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it will happen both in summer and in winter. (NET)

When the Lord lands upon the Mount of Olives at His Second Advent to personally and bodily deal with His enemies and those of His people, the Jews, the Mount of Olives, dislodged by a severe and terrible earthquake, will dissolve into “an exceedingly great valley.”

Therefore, there will be a vast alteration of the geography in Jerusalem in order that it might be the center of blessing to the world during the millennial reign of Christ.

Haggai 2:6-7 predicts that the Lord will cause the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe, the earth and its various bodies of water and the dry land to shake.

Haggai 2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord communicated a message through the agency of the prophet Haggai: 2 “You must now immediately communicate to Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, Judah’s governor as well as to Joshua, the high priest, Jehozadak’s son including the remnant, which is a part of this people in order to say the following, 3 ‘Which one among all of you who have survived saw this temple during the height of its magnificence? How does it look to each one of you now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 However, now you Zerubbabel be strong,’ declares the Lord. Likewise, you Joshua, the high priest, Jehozadak’s son be strong. Also, each and every one of you citizens possessing this land be strong,’ declares the Lord. ‘Therefore, work because I am with each and every one you,’ declares the Lord who rules over the armies, 5 ‘which I promised for the benefit of your ancestors when your ancestors departed from Egypt. Correspondingly, My Spirit stands in the midst of each and every one of you. Do not be afraid!’ 6 because the Lord who rules over the armies says this, ‘Once again, it is in a little while I indeed am about to cause the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe, the earth, the various bodies of water as well as the dry land to shake. 7 Consequently, I will cause each and every one of the nations to be shaken so that all the wealth of these nations will be brought in. Thus, I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord who rules over the armies.” (Pastor’s translation)

Now, the Lord’s assertion in Haggai 2:6 that once again, in a little while, He indeed is about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere, the earth itself and its various bodies of water and dry land to shake implies the Lord has done this before.

The context would indicate that He did this previously for the Exodus generation since Haggai 2:5 asserts that the Lord’s promise to the remnant of Judah to be with them corresponds to His promise to the Exodus generation when they departed Egypt.

Therefore, the Lord shook the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere, the earth itself and its various bodies of water and dry land on behalf of the Exodus generation when He judged Egypt.

He also did this when He gave the Law to Israel on Mount Sinai.

This prophetic statement in Haggai 2:6 will be fulfilled during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which terminates this week.

This is indicated by the statement in Haggai 2:7, which asserts that the Lord will shake up all the nations and subsequently, they will offer their treasures to Him, then He will fill His temple with glory.

This prophetic statement in Haggai 2:6 has never taken place in history but the Old Testament Scriptures and the book Revelation make clear that this will take place at Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.

The statement in Haggai 2:7 that the nations will offer their treasures to the Lord and He will fill His temple with glory will be fulfilled during Jesus Christ’s millennial reign will immediately follows His Second Advent.

The writer of Hebrews quotes Haggai 2:6 in Hebrews 12:26.

Therefore, the writer of Hebrews is teaching in this passage that those who are in union with Jesus Christ possess an unshakeable kingdom that will endure God’s judgments against all of creation and mankind and every living thing during the tribulation portion of the seventieth week of Daniel.

Haggai 2:20-22 also predicts that the Lord will cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth to shake.

Haggai 2:20 Now, the Lord communicated a second message to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month for the purpose of saying the following. 21 “You must communicate to Zerubbabel, Judah’s governor saying specifically the following: ‘I am about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere as well as the earth to shake.’ 22 Consequently, I will surely cause thrones of kingdoms to be overthrown. Specifically, I will surely cause the military capability of kingdoms of the nations to be destroyed. Also, I will surely overturn chariots as well as their riders. Furthermore, horses and their riders will surely die. Each by the sword of his brother.” (Pastor’s translation)

Now, each of these five prophetic statements in Haggai 2:22 are a reference to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27; cf. Dan. 7:25; Rev. 12:6; 13:5) and His Second Advent (Matt. 24:27-31; Mark 13:24-30; Rev. 19:11-21).

Specifically, it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ destroying the military capability of kingdoms of the nations during the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

This act would express God’s wrath or righteous indignation against these nations which have rebelled against Him as a result of being deceived by the members of Satan’s kingdom who have been unified in their purpose to oppose Him from the tower of Babel.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact that the prophetic statement in Haggai 2:23 is Messianic since the Lord asserts that He will make Zerubbabel His signet ring for He has chosen him.

In this verse, “My servant” is Messianic as it is in many Old Testament passages (2 Sam. 3:18; 1 Kings 11:34; Isa. 42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25).

Therefore, Haggai 2:23 indicates that the prophetic statements in Haggai 2:22 pertain to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week and Second Advent, which not only brings to an end the seventieth week of Daniel but also brings to an end “the times of the Gentiles.”

The latter will come to an end upon the completion of these four hundred ninety prophetic years.