prophecy | the Hunt for Truth

Tags

Book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk, Jerusalem, Jesus, Lord, Pharisees, prophecy, rocks will cry, stones will cry

Allen Morell: ‘If I Did Not Sing .. The Rocks Would Cry Out’

I love the song.

I wondered about a biblical origin — for the pronouncement that rocks will cry out — glad I did. This actually had me wondering since a recent comment on my post. The comment is from my friend stephensmustang1 November 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM. The comment contained this: “Abba says even the rocks cry out…” and I recalled it was biblical — but couldn’t recall more than that. Here is what I found out. The reference comes from Luke.

Luke 19:28-44
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

I wondered — Did Jesus actually refer to a prophecy? The Pharisees criticized his following for praising Jesus as he came into Jerusalem. Thus, I wondered if this was an important moment that would be in prophecy. I used Google and an online bible tool — sure enough — it is — as are all of the important moments about Jesus written into Old Testament prophecies.

Here is where it was written — Habakkuk. Habakkuk was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. In the first book of Habakkuk there is the complaining series of questions put to God: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” Habakkuk was perplexed it seems by the behaviors of his people — some were openly hideously ungodly and violence was prevailing all about. His prophecies are commonly referred to as “the burdens” of prophecy. His name, Habakkuk, is said to mean to “embrace,” denoting a “favorite” (namely, of God) and a “struggler” (for his country’s good).

The second chapter foretells the coming of Christ into Jerusalem and the conditions that must occur. Here is the second chapter — the prophecy.

Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

The Lord’s Answer

2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.

3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come
and will not delay.

4 “See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—
5 indeed, wine betrays him;
he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive all the peoples.”

6 “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
“ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
How long must this go on?’
7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their prey.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.”

9 “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,
setting his nest on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.”

11 “The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.”

12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by injustice!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.“

15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!
The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.”

18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman
or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.

19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.”

20 The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.

Jesus pointed out (Luke 19:40) that the stones will cry out because of the prophecy — not for any other reason as it seems now that I see that the verse is tied back to Habakkuk. The stones and the beams are represented as ready for calling out for vengeance against ruthlessness. How stones may cry out, we are not told.

Thanks for visiting.

Eric