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Could Paul’s Hebrew Name Be Intended in Hab. 2:5 of the Prophecy of Hab. 2:2-5?

Jun 25, 2022

Video Description

At our restored website (lost during an illness -sorry about that), you can read our article on whether Habakuk 2:2-5 is a prophecy about Paul. See https://jesuswordsonly.org/topicindex/284-habakkuk-prophecy-about-paul.html

The passage reads in the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible (1999) at 460 where the bracketed text fills in from the Hebrew Masoretic text where the DSS was damaged:

(2) And the Lord answered me, and said, "Write the vision and make it plain [on tablets] [that he may run] that reads it. (3) For the vision is yet [for the ap]pointed time, and it hastens [toward the end, and] shall not fail. Though [it] tarries [wait for it] because it will surely come; [it will not delay] (4) Behold the proud one, his soul is not right [within him], but the righteous shall live by his faith [or his steadfastness]. (5) [Yea, moreover, wine betrays] a haughty man so that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his desire as SHL [and he is as dea]th; he cannot be satisfied [but gathers to him]self all nations and collect[s] to himself all peoples. ... (16) [You are] filled [with shame rather than] glory. [Dr]ink you also, and [be as one uncircumcised.]....(20) But the Lord is in His Holy Temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." (DSS Bible (1999) at 460.)

Christian scholars point out that Paul in Romans 1:17 and Gal. 3:11 takes out of context Hab. 2:4 – “the just shall live by his faith” – to support faith alone, but in context it is a prophecy of a “someone whose soul was puffed up and not upright” as an end times warning, even though the “righteous shall live by his faith,” i.e., by his correct beliefs which contain the path to life. God intends this as a warning, so no one should spread the influence of this proud and “not upright” person. This evil person’s goal is to win over “all nations and collect to himself all peoples.” His mission to the gentiles is for his glorification, and not truly God’s or His true Messiah. In verse 5 appears SHL – Saul or Sheol. Either meaning applies, and this ambiguity may be intentional by God in his wisdom.

So rather than Hab. 2:4 saying we are saved by having only faith, it is saying we are on the right path listening to something taught by this nefarious person.

How should we interpret which of Paul’s teachings are valid? In the Bible, Paul is two different persons – the one of the book of Acts written by Luke, and the one in Paul’s epistles.

The Paul of the Book of Acts has a perfectly acceptable faith and doctrine consistent with Jesus’ teachings. Listen carefully to Luke’s portrayal of Paul in Acts:

First, Paul believed Jesus was Messiah and Son of God.

"For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, [Paul-Saul] saying, "He is the Son of God." (Acts 9:19-20) "This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you." (Acts 17:2-3)

Second, Paul taught the prophecies of Messiah in the Law and prophets apply to Jesus:

"To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26:22-23)

Third, the Paul portrayed by Luke is completely orthodox in his FAITH as to the Law: Paul says "he believes in all points of the Law," (Acts 24:14); and adds nothing to them (Acts 26:22-23).

Fourth, and most shocking of all, in Acts, Luke quotes Paul proclaiming under oath his gospel message told Gentiles to “repent, turn to God,” and do “works worthy of repentance” – just as Jesus taught:

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me. (Acts 26:19-23.)

The Paul of Acts does not teach faith alone, but salvation by trust and following Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, including his teachings to love God and keep his commandments, doing works worthy of repentance. Hence, just as Habakkuk 2:4 says, we can live by the faith taught by this nefariously proud person who seeks to gather all the Gentile nations to himself. The purpose of this video is to solely address the common translation of Sh’l in Habakkuk 2:5 as Sheol rather than Saul. With this permissible change to Saul, the verse would say: "Yea, also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlarges his desire as SAUL [sh'l] and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto himself all nations [i.e., GENTILES], and heaps unto himself all people." Hence, as Saul calls himself the Apostle to the Gentiles, so does God, but not in a good way.

 

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