In this chapter we have three messages from the word of the Lord by Haggai to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant of the people for their encouragement in restoring the temple. They are told the temple they are building will in respect to the spiritual will exceed that of Solomon’s temple. In the second message Haggai will assure Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant of the people though their sin in delaying the restoration of the temple had a negative effect on their lives, now that they are restoring the temple the Lord will bless them and give success in what they are doing. In the third message Haggai assures Zerubbabel that as a reward for his pious zeal and activity, he will be a favorite of heaven and one of the ancestors of Messiah the Prince whose kingdom will be set in the ruins of all opposing powers.
Verse one - three - “On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,” the last day of the feast of Tabernacles, “the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, speak now to Zerubbabel....and to Joshua....and to the remnant of the people saying, ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?”
It is possible there were among the workers restoring the temple men who saw Solomon’s temple in all its glory. They had to admit there would be no comparison between the restored temple and the temple dedicated by Solomon some four hundred and forty years earlier at the feast of Tabernacles (1st King 8:2). A similar comparison was made when the foundation of the temple was laid about 15 years earlier (Ezra 3:8-13).
When comparisons are made we need to remember God’s view of what we do is not the same as man’s view (Zechariah 8:6; 1st Samuel 16:7). We need to remember when we do something that is pleasing in the sight of God our pride will not let us be satisfied with what we have accomplished unless it meets the standards of those whose abilities exceed ours. This comparison can have a discouraging effect.
Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people of the land are told by the Lord through Haggai:
Verse four - “But now take courage...and work”
It is true, from the viewpoint of man Zerubbabel’s temple will be inferior to Solomon’s temple. But Zerubbabel and Joshua must not let this discourage them. If they are discouraged it will effect the attitude of the people who are doing their best to restore the temple. We may think our best is not enough, but our best is all the Lord asks of us. If those who are overseeing the restoration project have a good attitude about the project the worker will have a good attitude.
The encouragement needed in the restoration of the temple, in doing the will of the Lord is the advice given to Zerubbabel;
Verse four - “I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts.”
The Lord of hosts made this same promise in chapter one verse thirteen. The presence of the Lord overcomes fears, disappointments, and discouragement. When we are in the dark days of life it is the presence of the Lord that turns the night into day. The people who were restoring the temple had hundreds opposing them, but they had the Lord of hosts with them. He will fight for them and intercede for them. If the Lord is for us, who can be against us? The extent of the presence of the Lord is revealed in verse five.
Verse five - “As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst, do not fear.”
Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant of the people have nothing to fear. They have the Lord of hosts on their side, His Spirit is abiding in their midst, and He will keep the promises He made when Israel came out of Egypt. Although the Lord has punished them for their transgressions the promises He made when they came out of Egypt were not nullified.
The Lord dwells among His people by His Spirit, even though His Spirit is often grieved and provoked to withdraw from them for a season, He is now with them. It was the Spirit of the Lord of hosts that stirred up their spirits to come out of Babylon (Ezra 1:5). It was the Spirit of the Lord of hosts that stirred up the spirits of the people to resume the restoration of the temple (Haggai 1:14). Although the Lord is going to “Once more...shake the heavens and earth, the sea...and the dry land” Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people have nothing to fear. The Lord is going to do what He did when He brought His people out of Egypt.
Haggai, tells them:
Verse six - “Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.”
The Lord of hosts is going to do what He did when He brought them out of Egypt to Mount Sinai where He shook the heavens and earth with thunder, lightning and earthquakes. This shall be done again when at the sufferings of Christ, the sun will be darkened, the veil of the temple torn into from top to bottom, the earth will shake and rocks split. Tombs will be opened and many of the saints who have fallen asleep (died) will be raised from their sleep and coming out of the tombs after the resurrection of Christ and will enter Jerusalem and appear to many (Matthew 27:51-53).
The Lord said;
Verse seven - “ I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts”
This may be a reference to Zerubbabel’s temple and the additions made to it by Herod and the peace the Son will make with the Father on the cross or the peace Christ will bring to the world at His second coming. This is why the people must not be discouraged because this temple will lack the gold, silver, and precious stones that were in Solomon’s temple. These were a symbol of the glory that will come to this temple. In verse eight the Lord of hosts tells the people why they shouldn’t let the lack of gold, silver, and precious stones in the temple discourage them.
Verse eight - “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, declares the Lord of hosts.”
Who owns all the riches of this world? He allows us to use them. He becomes very upset when we misuse them.
God doesn’t need gold and silver to adorn His temple. When gold and silver are used to adorn God’s temple the builders are using what is God’s. David admitted this when he and his princes offered vast sums of gold and silver for the building of the temple. He said, “all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You...all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours” 1st Chronicles 29:14, 16).
If we have gold and silver we must serve and honor God with them, for they are His. He has given them to us for our use, but they remain His. If we don’t have gold and silver and we serve and honor God with what we have He will accept us. God doesn’t need our gold and silver, its already His. He wants our love and what we offer Him is a reflection of that love. The Lord of hosts is telling these people who are giving their best to the Lord, if He wants gold,
silver, and precious stones adoring His house He will provide them.
Haggai closes this message with the following:
Verse nine - “ The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I shall give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.”
The Jews admitted something was missing from the temple, the fire from heaven, the ark, the urim and thummim, and the Schechinah. If these are missing how then can this temple exceed Solomon’s temple? The presence of the Messiah, the Son of God, in it. Here the glory of the Lord of hosts was found in the temple when He was twelve years old. Years later He will teach and perform miracles in the temple area. He will drive out those who were making His Father’s house a den of thieves.
It was necessary the temple be restored because here was where the Messiah would come. When He was rejected the temple was destroyed by the Romans. From the departure of the Messiah to the present there has been no peace in Judah and Jerusalem. But the Lord of hosts said He will establish peace in this place. Who will establish peace in this place? The nations of the world? How can they establish peace in this place when they can’t establish peace among themselves. The One who will establish an everlasting peace in this place is the promised Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.
