What does EGW write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "The prophet Habakkuk, when did he live and preach? In the Bible his activity is described around 600 BC, which is a bit puzzling because he speaks of God allowing the Chaldeans, Babylonians to become great again. The battle of Karkemish, however, already took place in 607 BC, where Nebuchadnezzar completely crushed an Assyrian and Egyptian army, thereby attaining world power."
Answer
The prophet Habakkuk ministered around the year 626 BC, a time when Babylonian power was already on the rise but its complete dominance had not yet been established. God revealed to him that He would use the Chaldeans as a tool to discipline the people of Judah for their unfaithfulness, which would occur during the lifetimes of his contemporaries. The battle of Karkemish in 606 BC finally marked the decisive turning point by which Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar became the undisputed world power and ended Egyptian ambitions.
The prophetic placement of Habakkuk
It should be considered that all prophets... lived before the return of the Jews from Babylon and uttered their prophecies... Habakkuk ministered in 626 BC.
The rise of the Babylonians as divine judgment
God answered the cry of His loyal children. Through His chosen messenger He revealed His intention to bring discipline upon the nations... Even during the lifetimes of some who inquired about the future, He would wonderfully direct the affairs of the ruling nations of the earth and lead the Babylonians to supremacy. These Chaldeans, "terrible and dreadful," were to suddenly fall upon the land of Judah as a divinely appointed tribunal of punishment.
The battle of Karkemish and the shift of power
The battle of Karkemish ultimately decided who would be lord over West Asia. The Egyptian forces were completely shattered... Judah and the neighboring countries came under the yoke of Babylon.
Unexpected emergence of a new world power
Completely unexpectedly, a new world power rose in the East, the Babylonian Empire, and quickly eclipsed all other nations.
The announcement by Jeremiah and Habakkuk
In that same year Jeremiah prophesied the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem and that the whole land would be given into his hands.
- Habakkuk prophecy Babylon
- Battle of Karkemish 606 BC
- Rise of the Babylonian Empire
Original Sources (English)
Loading...
