"KEEP ON THE WATCH"

Ignoring God's Prophets

Centuries after the Deluge, the kingdom of Judah faced a serious state of affairs. idolatry, injustice, oppression and even murder were common. Jehovah raised up Habakkuk to warn the people that if they did not repent, calamity would befall them at the hands of the Chaldeans, or Babylonians. (Habakkuk 1:5-7) But the people refused to listen. Perhaps they reasoned, 'why, over a hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah sounded a similar warning, but nothing has yet happened!' (Isaiah39:6, 7) Many of the officials of Judah were not only indifferent to the message but also hostile to the messengers. On one occasion, they tried to put the prophet Jeremiah to death, and they would have succeeded were it not for the intervention of Ahikam. Angered by yet another prophetic message, King Jehoiakim had the prophet Urijah slain. -Jeremiah 26:21-24.

Habakkuk's message was no less bold, and it was just as unpopular as that of Jeremiah, who was divinely inspired to foretell the 70-year desolation of Judah. (Jeremiah 25:8-11) Therefore, we can understand Habakkuk's distress as he cried out: "How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for help, and you do not hear? How long shall I call to you for aid from violence, and you do not save?" (Habakkuk 1:2) Jehovah graciously answered Habakkuk with these faith-strengthening words: "The vision is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late." (Habakkuk 2:3) So Jehovah had an "appointed time" for bringing an end to injustice and oppression. If there seemed to be a delay, Habakkuk was not to be discouraged, nor was he to slow down. Instead, he was to "keep in expectation," in living each day with a sense of urgency. Jehovah's day would not be late!

About 20 years after Jehovah spoke to Habakkuk, Judah's capital city, Jerusalem, was destroyed. Later it was rebuilt, and many of the wrongs that so distressed Habakkuk were set right. In the first century C.E., however, the city was once again slated for destruction because of the unfaithfulness of its inhabitants. Mercifully, Jehovah arranged for righthearted ones to survive. This time, he used not less a prophet than Jesus Christ to deliver the message. In 33 C.E., Jesus told his followers: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolation of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains." -Luke 21:20, 21.

As the years passed, some Christian in Jerusalem may have wondered just when Jesus' prophecy was going to be fulfilled. After all, consider the sacrifices some of them had undoubtedly made. Perhaps they had turned down attractive business offers because of their determination to keep on the watch. As time wore on, did they grow weary? Did they conclude that they were wasting their time, reasoning that Jesus' words applied to the future generation not to their own? In 66 C.E., Jesus' prophecy began to be fulfilled when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. Those who kept on the watch recognized the sign, fled the city, and were spared experiencing the desolating of Jerusalem.

Next time: Illustrating The Need To Be Watchful

Watchtower, 2000