34. (a) How will the earth be shaken up by Jehovah’s standing still? (b) How will the nations leap when Jehovah ‘sees’?

³⁴ Jehovah does not impulsively rush pell-mell into anything. He takes his position and turns his attention to the situation that calls for action, to see that he has his enemies just where he wants them, fully exposing themselves as to their intents. His taking his stand, ready for action, causes a commotion in the figurative “earth” that lies before him; it causes, as it were, an earthquake in the earthly organization of the enemy. When it becomes evident that it is indeed Jehovah who has approached and stands before them, the earthly organization gets all shaken up prior to falling to ruin. When the nations at last realize that Jehovah God the Almighty ‘sees’ them and that he is giving his attention to them, they are indeed startled. Awakening now to the real state of affairs, they leap, not for joy, but with a shock, in a burst of agitation. They will be like the Egyptian charioteers and cavalrymen, who, when bogged down in the midst of the Red Sea, saw the real cause of their trouble and began crying out: “Let us flee from any contact with Israel, because Jehovah certainly fights for them against the Egyptians.”​—Ex. 14:25.

35. (a) What will happen to organizations, like mountains and hills, in Jehovah’s line of march? (b) In what way will the “walkings of long ago” be those of Jehovah then?

³⁵ No earthly organization, even though imposingly high like a mountain, will be allowed to obstruct Jehovah’s march to triumph. All such mountainlike organizations, though appearing to be eternal for age, will be smashed. Other less prominent earthly organizations, whose capacity for endurance seemed to be indefinitely lasting, like that of the hills, will have to bow in defeat, letting Jehovah march ahead, trampling them underfoot. His ways of walking at Har–Magedon will be like his “walkings of long ago,” only on a greatly magnified scale. What He did of old he can do today. He will bring to life again his activity of olden time.

36. (a) What is illustrated by the tents of Cushan feeling hurt and the tent cloths of Midian being agitated? (b) Such ones are not among what exultant people?

³⁶ What the God of Habakkuk does as he pushes forward irresistibly strikes terror into all those who hear the report of it, these ones not being friendly to Jehovah and his chosen people. As an illustration of these, Habakkuk uses the tent dwellers of Cushan and of the land of Midian, closely related or neighboring territories. Although the land of Midian lay east of the Gulf of Aqabah and was not in the direct line of march of the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land, yet the Midianites were agitated, as it were even the tent cloths taking on the agitation of the dwellers inside. The prophet Habakkuk saw “what is hurtful” upon the tents of Cushan. The tenters felt that Jehovah’s passing by with his redeemed people meant no good for those in Cushan. The depressed and tense feelings that afflicted them hurt them, pained them, kept them in suspense. Certainly it will not be good to be among those who are afflicted with painful feelings and agitation at the report of Jehovah’s forward movements at Har–Magedon. They are not among those who exult in Jehovah under such circumstances, although hardships may be involved.

Why Exult in Spite of Personal Hardships?

1, 2. (a) Those able to exult at Har–Magedon are called what? (b) What display of superhuman power with waters on the part of Jehovah does Habakkuk now describe?

BLESSED are those who will be able to exult at Har–Magedon in spite of the personal hardships that will then befall them. Habakkuk finally sets forth the reason for such exultation as he carries forward his prophetic prayer. Still describing the exploits of Jehovah God as He enters into the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon, the prophet says:

² “Is it against the rivers, O Jehovah, is it against the rivers that your anger has become hot, or is your fury against the sea? For you went riding upon your horses; your chariots were salvation. In its nakedness your bow comes to be uncovered. The sworn oaths of the tribes are the thing said. Selah. With rivers you proceeded to split the earth. Mountains saw you; they got to be in severe pains. A thunderstorm of waters passed through. The watery deep gave forth its sound. On high its hands it lifted up. Sun​—moon—​stood still, in the lofty abode thereof. Like light your own arrows kept going. The lightning of your spear served for brightness.”​—Hab. 3:8-11.

3. How did Jehovah, in the years 1513 and 1473 B.C.E., demonstrate that things like a sea and river are no obstacle to Him?

³ Not only do mountainlike obstacles fail to halt Jehovah in his march, but also seemingly uncrossable things like rivers and seas do. In the year 1513 B.C.E. the Red Sea learned that fact, when Jehovah divided its waters from east to west in order to bring his liberated people through to safety on the shores of the Sinai Peninsula. In the year 1473 B.C.E. the flooding Jordan River was taught the same fact when God the Almighty cut off its flood tide from the north and dried up the riverbed for his people under General Joshua to cross over and set foot at length upon the Promised Land. At such treatment of obstructing waters, the prophet could well ask whether wrath and fury were against rivers and sea. Whereas Egypt’s Pharaoh and his horsemen and chariots were swallowed up in the attempted Red Sea crossing, Jehovah and his heavenly armies, riding as it were on war horses, plunge right in and churn their way through anything like rivers and sea seemingly blocking passage. His symbolic chariots, instead of conveying their drivers to a watery grave, bear the riders to salvation, to victory!

4. How can God split the earth with rivers and cause the watery deep to raise up it “hands” on high?

⁴ How faith-strengthening this is to Jehovah’s anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites today, who, like the tribes of ancient Israel, are under sworn oaths to Him, through the new covenant with Him as mediated through his Son Jesus Christ! They know that flash floods are at the disposal of the Creator to split the earth and engulf the enemies, as in the days of Judge Barak and the prophetess Deborah. Waters from the skies above can pour down in a thunderstorm. In contrast to waters dropping from above, the waters of the deep under the earth can be made to geyser or spout up, as if the deep were lifting up its hands on high to play a part in the destruction of the enemies.​—Hab. 3:9, 10.

5. How does Habakkuk 3:11 picture Jehovah’s brilliant weapons of warfare?

⁵ While mountains writhe as if in severe pains, Jehovah displays himself as a warrior with superhuman weapons of war. His winged darts of death and his means of propelling them are no mere man-made arrows and bow. They will not be left covered, concealed, as if in a bow cover and a quiver. Roaring thunderbolts and crackling lightnings are in his divine armory. At the flashing of God’s means of death to his enemies the light will be so intense by day and night, that the natural sun and moon will, as it were, feel themselves not needed for illumination. It will be as if they “stood still,” not functioning as light bearers, but letting Jehovah’s radiant missiles put on a display of illuminating power. To add to the awe-inspiring spectacle of speedy flashing missiles of destruction, Jehovah’s larger weapon, like a spear, will be sent streaking through the air and add to the brightness by its lightnings. Imagine the mental effect of such war action upon the foes of Jehovah and of his people!