Haggai 1:1-14

  

 The coming glory of God's house 

 

Hag 2:1  In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

Another time given of a prophecy. It has been around 2 months since the first prophecy and a month after the work on the temple had begun.

Hag 2:2  Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

He was speaking to the governor the high priest and now also the remnant.

Hag 2:3  Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

A question? Are there any alive who saw the temple of Solomon 70 yrs ago? How do the temples compare?

Ezr 3:12  But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
Ezr 3:13  So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

The historian Josephus said the new temple was about the same dimension, but only half the height. It was 60 cubits high, whereas Solomon's temple was 120 cubits high and Solomons temple was covered with gold. The holy of holies was overlaid with 600 talents of gold. A talent was 75 pounds. This alone was worth over 30 billion dollars at today'

s prices. Ezra did not have the wealth that Solomon had.

Hag 2:4  Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

Hag 2:5  According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

Be strong and work, for I am with you. The LORD is with his people to help them do his work.

Deu 31:23  And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

"my spirit remaineth with you"

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Hag 2:6  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:8  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

"I will shake heaven and earth"

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 

"The desire of all nations shall come"

desire; desirable, pleasant, precious, goodly

Jesus is the desire of all nations and through him they would be blessed.

Gal 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 

"Silver is mine, and gold is mine"

Psa 50:10  For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
Psa 50:11  I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
Psa 50:12  If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Hag 2:9  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Jesus, the Messiah, would come and preach in this temple, that had been enlarged by Herod. The glory is not the temple, but the Christ who entered the temple.

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

The people are defiled

Hag 2:10  In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
Hag 2:11  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
Hag 2:12  If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
Hag 2:13  Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
Hag 2:14  Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. 

Promised blessing

Unclean things defile, and touching something with something holy does not make the unclean clean, under the law. But what of spiritual things? Will laying on of hands make an unclean person clean? How about an anointed cloth? Can it make something unclean, clean? Can the Lord save? Can he make the unclean clean if they confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Jesus is the savior? Jesus touched people, healed them and even forgave sins. Do we have this power in his name? I believe so, because it is the work of God, not a thing or just a person. No matter how much work you do for God, it will not make your sins go away. Building the temple would not undo years of sin, but believing in the Messiah and God's promises would result in deliverance.

Jesus healed and forgave sins

Luk 5:20  And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
Luk 5:21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
Luk 5:22  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
Luk 5:23  Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
Luk 5:24  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Luk 5:25  And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

Be careful about relying on an object or an ikon for salvation. These may be a reminder of Jesus or a point of faith, but it is faith in Jesus that saves and heals.

Act 19:11  And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
Act 19:12  So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. 

Believe that Jesus is able

Mat 9:27  And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat 9:28  And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 9:29  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mat 9:30  And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 

How often do we see young people who get with the wrong people and they are corrupted, leaving the church. So many young Christians are sent to colleges with ungodly teachers who teach them that their faith is a myth. The unclean can corrupt the clean, we must be aware of this. Our eyes watching unclean TV programs or things on the Internet can corrupt our minds We are to remain holy and draw close to God especially with so much deception and delusions in our nation.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

Life is not a game, but a war. We are to fight the good fight of faith.

1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

The law cannot save you, nor an icon, an object or a ritual. A temple or particular church will not save you. Your sins remain until you come to Jesus and his healing saving blood that was shed for our sins. Salvation is of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.