In the foregoing message we covered the introductory word, the first dialogue between the prophet and Jehovah, and the first part of the second dialogue between them, and in the next message we will cover the second part of this dialogue and the prophet’s song to Jehovah. In this message, which is an insertion, I have the burden to say a word concerning two matters: Christ as the linking factor in the books of Micah, Jonah, and Habakkuk, and the Bible as the divine revelation given by God’s speaking through man.
Apparently, the books of Micah, Jonah, and Habakkuk are separate and are not linked together by anything. However, if we get into the intrinsic contents of these three books, we will see that there is a linking factor and that this linking factor is Christ.
Micah 5:2 says, “You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, / So little to be among the thousands of Judah, / From you there will come forth to Me / He who is to be Ruler in Israel; / And His goings forth are from ancient times, / From the days of eternity.” Here we see that Christ is the eternal One; His origin is in eternity. But one day He was born as a man in Bethlehem. Thus, here we have Christ’s origin and birth.
Jonah 1:17 says, “Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah up, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.” Here Jonah is a type of Christ, who died, who was in the heart of the earth three days and three nights, and who then was resurrected (Matt. 12:40-41). Thus, in the type of Jonah, we see Christ’s death and resurrection.
In the book of Jonah, Jehovah’s salvation was brought to the most evil city of the Gentiles through the preaching of the prophet. Today God’s salvation has come to us through the preaching of the gospel. We have received and applied God’s salvation by faith. This is what is mentioned in the one golden verse in the book of Habakkuk, 2:4: “The righteous one will live by his faith.” By faith we have received the salvation that was prepared, completed, and consummated by Christ’s coming forth, and as a result we now are believers constituting the Body of Christ. Eventually, those believers who are the overcomers will be with Christ when He comes to defeat His enemies and to set up His kingdom on the earth.
From the foregoing we can see that Christ Himself is the linking factor in the Minor Prophets. We have seen His origin, birth, death, and resurrection. We have also seen that through His going forth after His resurrection, God’s complete salvation has come to us and that we have received it by faith.
Whereas we can see Christ as the linking factor, the worldly people see only the consuming factor (the locusts) and the suffering factor (Israel). For twenty-seven centuries Israel has been suffering under the locusts with their cutting, swarming, licking, and consuming (Joel 1:4). The newspapers are full of reports concerning the locusts and Israel. We need to see something more than what is reported in the newspapers. We need to see something intrinsic. This means that we need to see that Christ, the eternal One, has gone forth in His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection and that His going forth is continuing today as more believers are added to Him. We may compare His going forth to the movement of a train that makes various stops so that more goods can be loaded onto it. Christ is the “train” and we are the “goods” that are in Him. Eventually, this train with its goods will reach its destination.