Haggai 02
Haggai 02:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai:
This prophetic message came three and a half weeks after the temple building project was resumed.
2 “Ask the following questions to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the remnant of the people:
This message was addressed to Zerubbabel, the civil leader; Joshua, the high priest; and the remnant of the people.
3 ‘Who among you survivors saw the former splendor of this temple? How does it look to you now? Isn’t it nothing by comparison?
There were some people who returned to the land who were over 80 years old. They had seen Solomon’s temple before its destruction. They could plainly see that the new temple was not nearly as glamorous as the first temple. The younger people were doing all of the work, but the older people were complaining about how this new temple was so inferior to the old temple. This was beginning to discourage the younger workers.
What were some of the differences of the two temples? Solomon’s Temple had a room big enough for ten tables of showbread, but the Second Temple had only room for one. Solomon’s Temple had room for ten lampstands, but the Second Temple only had room for one. The Second Temple had no Ark of the Covenant, no sacred fire, no spirit of prophecy, no Shekinah Glory, and no Urim and Thummin.
4 Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord. ‘Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you citizens of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and begin to work. For I am with you,’ says the Lord who rules over all.
Many of the elders were discouraging the young workers by telling them how much better Solomon’s temple was in the “good old days.” God told them not to be discouraged by this elder group of complainers. God was with them. God, not these elder complainers, was the one who needed to be pleased.
5 ‘Do not fear, because I made a promise to your ancestors when they left Egypt, and my spirit even now testifies to you.’
The promise which God made was the Mosaic Covenant. These people who were building the temple were following the guidelines of the Mosaic Covenant, so they had nothing to fear. They would be blessed. Besides, the Spirit of God was with these builders.
6 Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘In just a little while I will once again shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry ground.
This shaking was also mentioned in Isaiah 13:13 and 14:16. This shaking will occur during the Great Tribulation.
7 I will also shake up all the nations, and they will offer their treasures; then I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord who rules over all.
After God shakes the Gentile nations during the Great Tribulation, these Gentiles will bring treasures to a new Millennial Kingdom Temple. The Second Temple did not possess the Shekinah Glory like Solomon’s Temple, but the Millennial Kingdom will be home once again to the Shekinah Glory.
It is important to note that Isaiah 65 predicted that the Gentiles would beautify the Millennial Temple. Ezekiel 43 predicted that the Shekinah Glory would return to the Millennial Kingdom.
8 ‘The silver and gold will be mine,’ says the Lord who rules over all.
God told the people not to be concerned about the cheaper metals that they were using on the Second Temple. All of the silver and gold in the world already belonged to Jehovah. Even today, all of the money of the world belongs to God.
9 ‘The future splendor of this temple will be greater than that of former times,’ the Lord who rules over all declares, ‘and in this place I will give peace.’ ”
This Second Temple would eventually be greater than Solomon’s Temple in two different ways. First, Herod would refurbish this temple, making it even more beautiful than Solomon’s Temple. Second, Jesus would appear in human flesh at this temple. The peace that Jehovah gives this temple is the actual atonement of Jesus, which was the final sacrifice. Jesus will bring physical peace to all who believe during the Millennial Kingdom.
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, the Lord spoke again to the prophet Haggai:
Three months later in the winter month of December, Jehovah spoke to Haggai once again.
11 “The Lord who rules over all says, ‘Ask the priests about the law.
The people were to ask the Levitical priests a question about the Mosaic Law.
12 If someone carries holy meat in a fold of his garment and that fold touches bread, a boiled dish, wine, olive oil, or any other food, will that item become holy?’ ” The priests answered, “It will not.”
If a man carries holy sacrifice in his garment, but that garment touches something else, then the object touched will not become holy. There are many modern Christians who think that their holiness will affect other people in bars, strips clubs, or other risqué places. However, the opposite will happen. The Christian will become dirty and unclean and will not be used by God. A Christian does not lead an unbeliever to Christ by participating in his sin. He leads one to Christ by being an example and teaching him the Word of God.
13 Then Haggai asked, “If a person who is ritually unclean because of touching a dead body comes in contact with one of these items, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”
According to the Mosaic Law, when a clean body touches an unclean body, the unclean body does not become clean. It is the exact opposite. Sin contaminates everything that it touches.
14 Then Haggai responded, “ ‘The people of this nation are unclean in my sight,’ says the Lord. ‘And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also unclean.
The Hebrew word for “the people” is הַגּ֨וֹי (ha-goyi), meaning the Gentiles. God was calling His chosen people “Gentiles” because their lives were unclean like that of the Gentiles.
The people of Israel were building the temple, but their lives were unclean. Therefore, God was not going to bless their work. All of the work that the Jews were doing was unclean.
God will not accept the work of dirty vessels. If Christians do not know and apply the Word of God, if Christians do not continually confess their sins according to 1 John 1:9, then God will not use them. God will choose someone else to do His work.
15 Now therefore reflect carefully on the recent past, before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple.
God asked them to think and meditate upon their attitude fifteen years earlier before the temple foundation was laid.
16 From that time when one came expecting a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures from it, there were only twenty.
Since the people were unclean, the land production was being cursed by the conditions of the Mosaic Covenant.
17 I struck all the products of your labor with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’ says the Lord.
What the land did produce, God destroyed it with natural causes.
18 ‘Think carefully about the past: from today, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, to the day work on the temple of the Lord was resumed, think about it.
God asked them to think back to the last three months. The temple work resumed, but with defiled hands. Therefore, the land was cursed and did not produce.
19 The seed is still in the storehouse, isn’t it? And the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not produced. Nevertheless, from today on I will bless you.’ ”
During the last three months, the seed was still in the storehouse. The fig trees, pomegranate trees, and the olive trees had not produced any fruit. The curse of the Mosaic Law was still in effect. However, God was about to end the curse and began blessing Israel.
20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:
God gave another prophetic message to Haggai on the same day. This second message will look forward into the latter days.
21 Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready to shake the sky and the earth.
God will shake the Gentile nations during the Great Tribulation of the latter days.
22 I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and those who ride them, and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another.
The Hebrew word for “thrones” is כִּסֵּא (cisa), meaning throne. Notice that the noun is singular, and not plural. The Hebrew word for “kingdoms” is מַמְלְכ֣וֹת (mamlikut), meaning kingdoms. Notice the noun is plural, not singular. The Hebrew word for “earthly” is הַגּוֹיִ֑ם (ha-goyim), meaning the Gentiles. Notice that this is a plural noun, and not a plural adjective. Therefore, this verse in Hebrew should be translated as "I will over throw the royal throne and shatter the might of the kingdoms of the Gentiles.
The “I” is Jesus at His Second Coming. He will shatter the royal throne of the Antichrist. The Antichrist will have authority over one royal throne which is over ten Gentile kingdoms. Jesus will remove this last satanic Gentile government from the earth and replace it with His own Millennial Kingdom government. The Time of the Gentiles will come to an end.
Jesus will also overthrown the armies of the Antichrist who gather together to kill the Jews at the end of the Great Tribulation. This event will happen at the Battle of Armageddon.
23 On that day,’ says the Lord who rules over all, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord who rules over all.”
When Christ returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom, He will resurrect Zerubbabel from the dead and give him a special administrative position. Zerubbabel will be given a signet ring. The signet ring was a sign of authority. According to Isaiah 32:1 and Ezekiel 45:8, one of the positions of authority in the Messianic Kingdom over Israel will be a position of princes. According to this verse, Zerubbabel will be one of the princes in the Messianic Kingdom.