Christ Current

The people compared the current unfinished temple with Solomon’s magnificent temple. God encouraged them once again: “I am with you. Be strong. Do not fear.” As we continue, we will see how Haggai’s next message lifts their eyes far beyond the unfinished temple before them to a glory that far surpasses it all!

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”
—Haggai 2:6-9

How could this plain, unfinished temple ever surpass Solomon’s magnificent temple?

God Lifts Their Eyes Beyond the Present

“In a little while” a great shaking would occur. How is this comforting to the people? They are already surrounded by ruins and more would be shaken? Where is the encouragement here? 

God is not telling them to fix their eyes on the building before them. He is lifting their eyes beyond it.

The encouragement in this message is one we often need to hear ourselves. This isn’t about us or the things of this world that will not last. The ultimate fulfillment of the shaking is the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ: a glory greater than anything they could presently imagine. But first, what is God’s view of time?

From the time of this word from Haggai, it would still be more than 500 years before Christ’s arrival. Does that seem like “a little while”? To God it is. Remember, with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day (2 Pe 3:8). Compared to eternity, our lives are but a mist (Jas 4:14). Compared to the time from Adam until Haggai, which was approximately 3,500 years, another 500 years until the birth of Jesus Christ was short. And from His resurrection to His Second Coming when He establishes His eternal kingdom, on a timeline of eternity, is also a little while.

We consistently need a shift in perspective: an eternal perspective rather than a temporal perspective. What is all of this for? It is the fixing of our eyes on what is unseen rather than what is seen (2 Co 4:18). It is the setting of our hearts and minds on the things of heaven (Col 3:1-3). Recall the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11, from Enoch to Noah to Abraham.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
—Hebrews 11:13

At the root of this is trust in God’s promises. Faith in God’s faithfulness: what He has covenanted with His people. This is exactly what this message to Israel was reminding them of.

Sometimes, and perhaps, most times, God asks us to trust promises we will not immediately see fulfilled. Like the saints in Hebrews 11, we are called to cling to God’s promises from afar, even when we cannot yet understand how He will accomplish them. Jesus told Peter, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (Jn 13:7).

Israel could not yet see how the glory of this temple would surpass Solomon’s, but God was inviting them to trust Him at His Word before they saw the fulfillment. We often need the reminder that His greatest promises are often fulfilled far beyond what our eyes presently see, calling us to walk by faith not by sight (2 Co 5:7).

The Great Shaking

“…I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations…”
—Haggai 2:6

Before God reveals how the glory of this house will surpass the former temple, He speaks of a great shaking. This would not be an ordinary earthquake or political upheaval. Throughout Scripture, great shakings mark decisive acts of God that declare His authority, expose what is temporary and prepare the way for what is eternal. Perhaps this prophetic word brought to the people’s minds the shaking at Mount Sinai when God gave Moses the Law.

Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.
—Exodus 19:18

Consider another violent shaking that accompanied the death of Jesus centuries later.

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.
—Matthew 27:50-51

These were two decisive moments in redemptive history. At Sinai, God established the Old Covenant and gave His Law. At the cross, Christ fulfilled the Law, establishing the New Covenant of His Spirit. Our legal indebtedness was nailed to the cross (Col 2:13-15), and Christ entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood (Heb 9:12).

The shaking at the cross pointed to something far greater than an earthquake. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the way to God was opened. Those who are in Christ are no longer under condemnation, but have access to the Father through Him and may approach the throne of grace with confidence and boldness.

But Haggai speaks of another shaking still to come. This time, it would not involve one piece of land or mountain but the heavens, the earth, the sea, the dry land and all nations.

The writer of Hebrews quotes Haggai’s words directly:

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
—Hebrews 12:26-29

The purpose of the shaking is to remove everything temporary so that what is eternal and unshakable may remain. Could Haggai’s prophecy simply have been referring to the second temple? Surely not. We know that temple would eventually be destroyed.

The later prophets repeatedly spoke of this kind of cosmic shaking. Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel and Micah all describe a definitive act of judgment: the great shaking of God’s righteous wrath (Eze 33:19-33, Isa 13:13; 24:18-23, Joel 3:15-21). Revelation describes a great earthquake unlike any seen in the history of the world that splits end-times Babylon into three parts, collapses the world’s cities, levels the mountains and wipes away the islands (Rev 16:18-20). Everything temporary gives way to what is eternal: Christ’s unshakable kingdom.

As children of God, we can rest assured with confidence that evil will not prevail. It may look like evil is winning, but we know who wins. Darkness will never overcome the light of Christ. In Him, we are secure and victorious. What will be terrifying for the world will ultimately reveal the security of God’s unshakable kingdom.

Do you perceive shaking in the world today? In your own life? Even now, there are tremors occurring as God prepares to shake the heavens and the earth and all that is in it. God is preparing His people and drawing others to Himself. These rumblings, which will only increase in this world, remind us that this present world will not last forever and only His kingdom will remain.

Therefore, we should live with readiness and anticipation, looking toward the day of His return. Like Israel, we are to lift our eyes beyond the temporal—beyond this world. God often shakes what we wrongly depend upon so that what cannot be shaken becomes our treasure: Jesus Christ. Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be (Mt 6:21).

After speaking of the great shaking, God makes a remarkable promise.

The Treasure of All Nations

I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.
—Haggai 2:7-8

Traditionally, Haggai 2:7 has been understood in two main ways. The Hebrew word hemdah can be understood as the “precious things” or “treasures” of the nations, while traditional interpretations such as the KJV, translates this as “the desire of all nations,” pointing to the Messiah. Given the immediate context of verse eight, where God declares that the silver and gold belong to Him, I understand the verse first in terms of the treasures of the nations, while also seeing a greater spiritual fulfillment in Christ, the true Desire of the nations.

The Israelites were rebuilding the temple in the midst of ruins. They may have wondered how they could possibly obtain the resources necessary to complete the work. God’s answer was essentially, “Isn’t all of this Mine? Would I call you to build something and not provide?” He was reminding them that He does not lack resources. He can provide whatever is necessary to accomplish what He has called His people to do.

They did not need to worry about how the temple would be financed. God could shake the nations and cause their wealth to flow where He desired because all of it belongs to Him. The responsibility of His people was not to manufacture the resources, but to be available with willing hearts and hands.

Though we know the ultimate shaking points to a future event, we do see an immediate fulfillment of this flow of wealth in Ezra. King Darius commanded that the expenses for rebuilding the temple be paid from the royal treasury and that whatever was needed for the sacrifices was also provided (Ezr 6:8-10). God provided through the resources of the nations.

Isaiah and Zechariah also spoke of a time when the wealth of the nations would pour into restored Zion (Isa 60:5-7, Zec 14:14). This is larger than material wealth: God is gathering the nations to Himself and directing all things toward His purposes.

But maybe there is another layer of depth to consider with this idea of treasure. If the treasures of the nations ultimately belong to God, then what greater treasure could be brought into His house than the people He is redeeming from every nation?

Scripture repeatedly describes God’s people as His treasured possession (Dt 7:6, Ex 19:5, Mal 3:17, 1 Pe 2:9). Revelation paints a picture of the redeemed from all nations entering the eternal city and bringing their glory into it (Rev 21:24). This gathering of the nations was always part of God’s plan. The Messiah would not come only for Israel but would become a light to the Gentiles:

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
—Isaiah 49:6

Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too…
—Romans 3:29

Isaiah and Micah describe this future gathering of the nations as people from all over the earth flowing toward the mountain of the Lord and His house:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
—Isaiah 2:2

This is bigger than gold and silver. The treasures of the nations may flow into God’s house, and God’s redeemed people are indeed His treasured possession, but ultimately, the greatest treasure is Christ Himself. He is the true Desire of the nations, the One to whom every treasure points and in whom every promise finds its fulfillment.

And so what can we take of this? If we have silver and gold, it belongs to God. If we have resources, they are His. But our greatest treasure is not what God can provide for us; it is God Himself. If we have little, we can still offer Him what He desires: our hearts. We often worry about how God will provide for what He has called us to do. Haggai reminds us that the resources are ultimately not ours to begin with. Our part is the obedience of willing hearts and willing hands.

What a comfort this must have been to the people rebuilding the temple. They did not have to figure everything out on their own. God owned every resource and could provide however He chose. He then takes their gaze further, to a glory beyond this building.

A Greater Glory

‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
—Haggai 2:9

How could this second temple possibly surpass the glory of Solomon’s?

The people were starting with very humble beginnings, and God was reassuring them that He would honor what they were rebuilding. One day, Herod the Great would renovate this second temple, expanding and embellishing it with precious stones and gold, making it magnificent once again (Jn 2:20). But is that really what Haggai meant when he said its glory would be greater?

Solomon’s temple contained the Ark of the Covenant. This second temple would hold something greater: God Himself, in human flesh, would walk and preach through its courts. This temple would welcome the One to whom the Ark had pointed.

It was not the architecture, the dimensions, the gold or the precious stones. The glory would surpass Solomon’s because Jesus Himself would enter. God’s Light came into the world and entered the very house whose restoration God was promising. What looked humble and insignificant in their hands would become part of something far greater in God’s plan.

Christ’s coming would establish a New Covenant, one whose glory surpasses the old (2 Co 3:6-11). The glory was moving from the shadow to the substance, from the temple that pointed toward God’s presence to Christ, in whom God’s glory was and is revealed.

The greater glory was never about another building. It was about Christ. And ultimately, God’s dwelling place would no longer be confined to a physical building. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s people themselves become His temple.

The Temple God is Building Today

Peter calls believers “living stones” being built into a spiritual house (1 Pe 2:5). Paul writes that in Christ “the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21-22). God is still building His temple today, not with quarried stone, but with redeemed people transformed by His Spirit.

Yet we often become discouraged because the work looks slow and unfinished. We still see our weaknesses, our failures, the battle of the flesh and all that God has yet to do within us. This can lead us to fall for the lie that we must earn it once again! That we must busy ourselves with more activity to make up for it. But Haggai reminds us to lift our eyes to Jesus and to the promises of a faithful God. He has not abandoned what He is building. He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion (Php 1:6).

The temple God is building today is moving toward something even greater: the day when He will dwell with His people forever.

He is Our Peace

‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
—Haggai 2:9 

Haggai spoke of the peace God would bring to the temple. What would bring peace to this house? Again, this is fulfilled in Christ.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
—Isaiah 9:6

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
—Ephesians 2:17

He is our peace. Through His blood, He reconciled us to God and brought peace to those who were far away and those who were near (Eph 2:13-18).

“In this place I will grant peace.” The Prince of Peace would come to this temple. The One who is our peace would walk through its courts. The promise of Haggai reaches beyond the peace of a restored building to the reconciliation of sinners to God in His eternal kingdom.

The Ultimate Fulfillment

Even the second temple wasn’t the end. It too would eventually be destroyed in 70 AD. Haggai’s prophecy pointed beyond any earthly structure to something that could never be destroyed.

Peter tells us that the present heavens and earth will pass away and that God is bringing about “a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Pe 3:10-13). And Revelation gives us the ultimate picture.

John sees the New Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling place of God with His people and he wrote he did not see a temple. Wait a minute. Why is there no temple? Because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple and the glory of God illuminates it (Rev 21:22-23). Here, we see final and perfect peace: when God Himself wipes every tear from our eyes and there is no more death, mourning, crying or pain (Rev 21:4).

This is the ultimate fulfillment. Haggai’s prophecy culminates there, not in a building, but in God dwelling with His children in everlasting glory—a glory that surpasses it all!

Reflection

Sometimes God shakes our lives in order to remove what cannot remain. The shaking reveals treasures we hold more firmly than our Treasure: Him. Sometimes the present moment seems impossible and there is much discouragement. God is faithful to remind us of His promises.

Sometimes God calls us to build something that seems insignificant. We compare. We become discouraged. Our eyes become fixed on the fleeting temporal rather than the eternal. Our eyes turn back to ourselves rather than looking to Him. The people in Haggai’s day looked at what was unfinished and wondered how it could ever become glorious. God told them to look beyond what they could see. We need that same perspective.

Today, God is still building His house, not with cedar or gold, but something more precious than gold: a redeemed people who are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. Though the work often seems slow and incomplete, the Master Builder has not abandoned His project. Every trial, every shaking and every difficult season is being used to prepare His Bride for the coming of her Bridegroom.

Perhaps you are in a season where God’s work makes little sense. Perhaps you are disturbed by the rumblings happening all around us in the world. Maybe you are undergoing a shaking of your own. The temple may look behind and less than what it should be. The promises seem distant.

Remember Jesus’ words: “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (Jn 13:7).

Much of the Christian life is lived in the tension of waiting. We may not understand today, but one day we will see that every shaking, every trial, every delay and every stone the Master Builder laid was preparing for us an eternal weight of glory that far exceeds it all.

Doesn’t it encourage you to know that one day soon, we will be fully glorified with Him? Our present trials will fade away but our glory with Him will never fade. What cannot be shaken will remain.

Christ is our glory. Christ is our Treasure. Christ is our peace. And Christ is leading us toward the day when we will dwell with Him forever. So we need not despise small beginnings or fear present shakings. We can count it all joy, as He did when He endured the cross. We can trust the God who owns all things, provides all things, and is faithfully bringing His work to completion. The glory that is coming will be greater than what we can presently see or imagine.

Lift your eyes.

The King is coming.

Haggai Study Series to Date: