What is the 'appointed time" Habakkuk is referring to? An "appointed time" is a 'set' time. Whenever I see that kind of terminology used in the bible, (Hab. 2:3 and elsewhere), it indicates the end of days or time of the end.
In my view, John of Patmos’s Revelation in the New Testament seems to predict a divine ethnic cleansing that is literal terrorism for the entire world.I didn't find this commentary by Ernest L. Martin until just recently, several years after my own studies of Habakkuk 1. I think it's time to study the rest of the book of Habakkuk. But people are so obsessed with the prophecies and beast of Daniel and Revelation that many prophecies go unnoticed.
Ernest L. Martin said, (1977)
http://www.askelm.com/prophecy/p131001.pdf
"The prophecy of Habakkuk is three chapters long and it is packed with events that occur at the very end of the age, a time just before the Advent of Christ’s Kingdom on earth. This is clear if you read the chapters together as a unit. Habakkuk was written to show people at the very end what would occur in the Middle East. Some of the nations of the Middle East are mentioned, principally the antagonist which is the NeoBabylonian Empire known as the Chaldean people. King Nebuchadnezzar was in charge of these people. We find him mentioned frequently in the last part of the Book of Second Kings. Nebuchadnezzar and his armies destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple around the year of 586 BC."
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The word 'God' in all it's forms is mentioned more than 3,000 times in the bible. Habakkuk 1:11 and Daniel 11:38 are the only two places 'God' (Strong's # 433 'elowahh') is used with the prefix and suffix. The word is used of 'any god.'
Of the over 3,000 times the word 'God' is used it's in the plural EXCEPT, in Daniel 11:37-38, Habakkuk 1:11, 2 Chronicles 32:15, and Nehemiah 9:17. There's a reason for this.
Habakkuk 1:5-10 is all about Islamic terrorism and ISIS. The rest of Chapter 1 is about the anti-Christ.
Islamic prophecy states that the Mahdi will return when the region of 'Babylon' is complete chaos. One argument between the Sunni's and Shia's is "who is going to welcome the Mahdi when he returns." Ahmadinejad of Iran believes it's incumbent upon him to bring the region into chaos in order to hasten the Mahdi's return, but ISIS beat him to it. ISIS also believe that Jesus will also return to help them defeat the dajjal or 'Islamic' anti-Christ.
"Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. For, lo, I raise up the Chaldean's, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand."
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For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which...
World Domination...
...."shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs"...
Verse 7. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
In today's world this is called the power of Islamic fear. They behead people and put it on video. They have a reputation of being feared and dreaded by everyone everywhere they go. Why do you think there's a mass exodus going on in the region. They've made quite a name for themselves. Using ISIL as an example of Jihadist foreign fighters, people know what kind of judgments they pass and the evil they are capable of. When people know ISIL or foreign fighters are coming, they know that abominations like beheadings, and burnings are coming. Their atrocities are numerous. The blew a baby up in a training video, and are having children behead people.
The word 'dignity' means to exalt and uprise. They are haughty and egotistical about their strength and capabilities. It's the power of Islamic fear. "DOMINATION BY ABOMINATION!"
"Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far;"
There's about 20,000 foreign fighters from about 90 different countries fighting to take out Assad. People are flocking to ISIS from all over the world too and I don't care about the numbers but it's probably 30-40 thousand. These are the ones that "come from far."
I don't know how many jihadist groups there are but I know that plenty of them (close to 30) 'specialize' in spreading foreign fighter across the world. I'm sure that this mass exodus was a free ticket to paradise for many of those leaving the Babylonian region. These are the horsemen who, "spread themselves."
..".they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat."
They're bent on on jihad and obtaining it's goals and have spread quickly. You would be surprised how many of them have passports and can "fly. The jihadist that broke the first seal on Sept. 11, 2001 were in an airplane.
"They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand."
"They shall come all for violence":...Enough said!
The East Wind is associated with evil, destruction, falsity.
"their faces shall sup up as the east wind"
Sup up means to do so as a horde or an assembly. Islam is the only religion where it's followers sup their face up to the east even 5 times a day.
The east wind is always associated with evil destructive wind. E. Swedenborg (1688-1772) said, "That wind, and especially the east wind, signifies nothing else than the dispersion of falsities and evils....
Some of the experts believe that Habakkuk chapter 1 is prophecy fulfilled. But chapter 2 say's...
Habakkuk 2:1-3 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
And the LORD answered me, and said, 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: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
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Ernest L. Martin also said,
"When you look at the prophecy, it is packed with information about events regarding these Chaldean invaders upon Judea, the Babylonians at the end of the age, and about a particular man who will lead the Babylonian forces. In fact, he is singled out as an individual. He seems to be very close to the man of sin, or the son of perdition, or as indicated in the Book of Revelation the beast or perhaps the antichrist prophesied in the New Testament to be on the scene at the end of the age. There are ramifications of that here in the Book of Habakkuk, ramifications which include many of the activities of the antichrist."
http://www.askelm.com/prophecy/p131001.pdf
Just to quickly respond to your studies, it should become common sense that “God’s Word”--or even “God’s words” do not come down to us whole cloth. The different translations and versions of the Bible prove that.Not in Habakkuk 2 (and 12 other places) it doesn't. Most places it doesn't.
Look at it here and here and click on the scripture references where it says, "The KJV translates Strongs H4150 in the following manner:"
When 'time' is used with the word 'appointed' it means a 'set time.' It's apparent by the context when it's translated 'feast.'
Take a look....
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H4150&t=KJV
Habakkuk 1:5...
"They shall come all for violence: (terrorism) their faces shall sup up as the east wind, (Islamic form of worship) and they shall gather the captivity as the sand." (world domination)