Habakkuk 3:13a-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Deliver Regenerate Israel at His Second Advent

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. (My 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 in past history such as during Israel’s exodus from Egypt under Moses.

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.

The second further explains the first and asserts that He will certainly march out for the deliverance of His anointed one, which is the noun mā·šîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ).

Now, concerning this word, O. Palmer Robertson points out, “Contrary to what many assume, the OT uses the term messiah to refer to a future deliverer in only a very few instances.[1] Indeed, the term appears in only one other text from the prophetic writings.[2]”[3]

I interpret the noun mā·šîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ) as being used in a corporate or collective sense for regenerate Jews living at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.

This interpretation is supported by the immediate context in that the noun mā·šîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ) parallels the phrase ʿammekā (עַמֶּ֔ךָ), “your people,” which appears in the first prophetic statement recorded in Habakkuk 3:13.

Furthermore, as we noted in our exegesis and exposition of Habakkuk 3:3-12, I interpret Habakkuk 3:3-15 as prophetic for the seventieth week of Daniel and Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

If the referent of this word mā·šîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ) is the Lord Jesus Christ, then He would be said here in Habakkuk 3:13 to be delivering Himself.

If the referent is the Father, then the Father would be said to be delivering His Son, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, I believe that it is best to interpret the second prophetic statement as identifying regenerate Israel who were in a covenant relationship with God as the people for whom the Lord Jesus Christ will be marching out of the third heaven from the right hand of the Father in order to deliver.

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.

[1] The clearest instance is Ps. 2:2. 1 Samuel 2:10 is another possibility. Isaiah 61:1 uses the verbal form of “to anoint” in referring to the servant of the Lord. Other OT uses of the term messiah referring to a future individual are scarce.

[2] Isaiah 45:1 denotes Cyrus as “messiah.”

[3] Robertson, O. P. (1990). The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah (p. 237). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.