Habakkuk 3.13b-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Kill the Antichrist at His Second Advent (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday February 11, 2024

Habakkuk: Habakkuk 3:13b-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Kill the Antichrist at His Second Advent

Lesson # 53

Habakkuk 3:13 You will certainly march out in order to deliver Your people. Specifically, for the deliverance of Your anointed one. You will certainly strike the leader from a house composed of wicked people by laying him open from head to foot. (Pastor’s translation)

As we noted in our study of Habakkuk 3:3-12, Habakkuk 3:3-19 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 3-12 that Habakkuk 3:3-15 is not only poetic but also prophetic referring to the events of the seventieth week and Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

They are also alluding to the mighty acts of God which He performed on behalf of the nation of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament.

As we also noted in detail in our study of Habakkuk 3:3, I adhere to the 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.

Habakkuk 3:13 contains four more poetic, prophetic statements.

The first two describe the Lord Jesus Christ delivering regenerate Jews from Satan and the fallen angels, the Antichrist and the false prophet and the Gentile armies who will exist on the earth during the tribulation portion of the seventieth week at His Second Advent.

The last two prophetic statements describe in graphic terms the Lord Jesus Christ killing the Antichrist at His Second Advent.

There is nothing in Old Testament history which corresponds to these four statements.

However, they do correspond to the prophecies in both the Old and New Testament concerning the Lord Jesus Christ delivering regenerate Israel from Antichrist at His Second Advent.

The first statement in Habakkuk 3:13 asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly march out in order to deliver His people.

Zechariah 12 and 14, as well as Revelation 19:11-20:6 teach that the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver regenerate Israel at His Second Advent from Satan and the fallen angels, the Antichrist, the false prophet and the unregenerate Gentile armies of the tribulation at His Second Advent.

Now, the third prophetic statement recorded in Habakkuk 3:13 asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly strike the leader originating from a house composed of wicked people.

This striking refers to the fact that the Lord will physically attack the Antichrist so as to cause the latter’s death.

The noun rō(ʾ)š (רֹאשׁ), “the leader” is the Antichrist, which is supported by the fact that I adhere to the eschatological interpretation of Habakkuk 3:3-15 and is thus prophetic of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, the Antichrist will be head of a ten nation European Confederacy which will be the final stage of the Roman Empire during the seventieth week and Second Advent of Jesus Christ (cf. Dan. 2:34, 40-45; 7:8, 13-14, 19-26; Rev. 13; 2 Thess. 2:7-9).

Thirdly, the second and third prophetic statements here in Habakkuk 3:15 speak of the Lord killing this leader and Revelation 19:20-21 asserts that He will kill the Antichrist at His Second Advent.

The noun bǎ·yiṯ (בַּיִת), “a house” refers to the house of Satan or the empire which Satan has built which opposes God.

It speaks of a race of moral rational creatures and specifically human beings who originate from Satan who are thus children of the devil (cf. John 8:44).

The adjective rā·šāʿ (רָשָׁע), “wicked people” refers to unregenerate humanity who are children of the devil.

The fourth prophetic statement asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ will lay open the body of this leader from the house composed of wicked people from head to foot.

It serves to explain the third prophetic statement in that it describes how the Lord will kill him.

Therefore, the fourth prophetic statement is explaining how the Lord Jesus Christ will kill the Antichrist, namely by laying bare the organs of the body of the Antichrist from head to foot in the sense of exposing his organs.

Habakkuk 3:13 concludes with the interjection sě·lā(h) (סֶלָה), “Selah.”

This is the third and final time in the book of Habakkuk that this word appears (cf. 3:3, 9).

Here in Habakkuk 3:13, the interjection sě·lā(h) (סֶלָה), “Selah” is calling the hearer or reader to pause and meditate upon these four prophetic statements in this verse.

Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures prophesy of a man who will live during the seventieth week of Daniel who will rule the entire world as a great tyrant.

Satan is behind his power and will be the most wicked individual in the history of the world and he will stridently oppose Jesus Christ with all the power of the devil himself.

The Scriptures give this man many titles and names: (1) “The beast” (Revelation 13:1-2) (2) “The prince that will come” (Daniel 9:26-27) (3) The “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10) (4) The “scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3) (5) The willful king (Daniel 11:36-40) (6) “The man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), (7) “The son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (8) The Desolater (Daniel 9:27).

He is also called the Antichrist and will not appear until the Day of the Lord has begun (2 Thessalonians 2:2) and his manifestation is being hindered by the Holy Spirit indwelling the members of the church (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7) and this appearance will be preceded by the rapture of the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Antichrist will be a Gentile since he arises from the sea according to Revelation 13:1 and since the sea depicts the Gentile nations according to Revelation 17:15, he must be of Gentile origin and he will arise from the Roman Empire, since he is a ruler of the people who destroyed Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26).

Daniel 7:21-22 identifies him as “the little horn” and asserts the following about him: (1) He will persecute the saints of the Most High and is thus a person and Daniel 7:24 says that he is a king. (2) He will overcome the nation of Israel and will bring that nation under his authority (Revelation 12:13-17; 17:7). (3) He will be judged by God (Revelation 19:19-20) and Israel will thus enter into her millennial reign.

Daniel 7:23 reveals that the little horn will have a world-wide kingdom (Compare Revelation 13:7) and it will be an overwhelming conquest, which anticipates a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.

Daniel 7:25 corresponds to Revelation 13:1-10 and gives us three more additional facts about the Antichrist: (1) He will oppose God’s authority as indicated by the phrase “He will speak out against the Most High” (Compare Revelation 13:6). (2) He will oppress born-again Israel as indicated by the statement “wear down the saints of the Highest One”. (3) He will abolish the Levitical sacrifices in the rebuilt temple and institute the worship of himself. (Compare Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Daniel 9:26 indicates that this little horn will be a Roman dictator as indicated by the phrase “the people of the prince who is to come.”

Daniel 9:27 says that Antichrist will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and make a seven year treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid-way point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half years.