Chapter Two >> The coming glory of God’s house
Verses 1 – 5
“In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying …”
It is needful for us to see that Haggai represents a messenger, a prophet of the last days, by whom comes the word of the Lord to the people of God. In the seventh month we see that God’s time has come when He will personally intervene in the affairs of men, and this is stressed by the twentyfirst day of the month – that is, three times seven in the seventh month. It is not even yet the day of the Lord’s return, which would have been the first day of the month, bit rather the emphasis here is on God’s time. (thrice seven). So we must conclude that this ushers in the tribulation period, that final time of trouble when evil overtakes the world – evil, that is to say, not as has always been in the world in relation to Satan, but evil from the seven vials spoken of in Revelation as God’s direct intervention in the affairs of men. The verse does not mention Darius, because what is in view now is God revealed as a God of wrath – the sixth month being ended and the days of grace gone forever as far as the world is concerned. In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai. We see again the importance of Haggai, for right into the tribulation era the word of the Lord comes to us ‘by the prophet Haggai,’ thus serving many generations.
“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 …”
Let us at this point consider the names given here – first, Zerubbabel which means ‘the last word’ or ‘the final voice’, implying the word or the voice at the end of all things. ‘Son of Shealtiel’ means begotten of the King and of the kingdom, denoting the authority behind the word or voice. On the other hand Joshua means Saviour, (literally Jesus) the son of Josedech, which again means “the author” as in the sense of the fountain-head of all authority, and implies the King and the kingdom. We must remember that Haggai came before the birth of the man Jesus Christ, and therefore spoke to Him as well as spoke of Him; Haggai is an Old Testament prophet pointing out Christ to the people, for all prophecy pointed to the coming of the Messiah. But because Haggai is more important to us than to them, his prophecy is easier perhaps to understand in our day than in any previous age because the times are actually here now. There is only One who could be the Governor of Judah and our great High Priest at the same time, the One born in Bethlehem in a manger, for “out of thee (Bethlehem) shall come a Governor that shall rule (lead) My people Israel.” Haggai thus serves a double purpose, to foretell the Messiah to Israel and the second coming of the Lord to us. If we are the residue of the people let us listen to this prophetic utterance.
“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?”
Here are three questions that we should all look at seriously. Who is left among you that saw this house in her former glory? It is a question directed to the elders, those who remember when the Church was a great house, or those who have gathered from the New Testament some idea of the first glory of the early Church, or those who have seen from the Old Testament the glory that God gave to the Church as the place on earth where He had put His great name, in the illustrations of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and Solomon’s Temple in the land. And how do ye see it now? Apart from the microphones, tapes, efficiency, comfort, conveniences, public relations officers, big business methods, financial resources, real estate, buildings and parking lots – how do ye see it now? To those who have eyes to see so as to understand and perceive, is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Do ye not mourn the passing away of her glory and power and influence and beauty and love and zeal? – to be replaced by synthetic Christianity and business-school methods and boredom and powerlessness, but with bright smiles and lively singing and entertainment. To those who retain some idea of the great house in her first glory, this latter house is a ruin and a desolation that puts despair into the stoutest hearts at the thought of re-building.
“Yet now be strong, O Zerrubbabel, 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.”
The words of Haggai the prophet are addressed to our Lord Jesus as leader of the people and as Saviour and High Priest of Israel, for the work which was done on earth in His day here called for determination and strength to carry it out, first as the man Christ Jesus the son of David – “Be strong, O Zerrubbabel;” then as the high priest of the great sacrifice – “Be strong, O Joshua;” then as first-born from the dead among many brethren – “Be strong, all ye people of the land,” and work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. But whereas the early church was to replace the former house of Moses and the temple of Solomon, and seemed to them to unfavourably compare to what they had known, yet the glory of the latter house was to be even greater than the glory of the former house. But to us the word in Haggai is not so much to ‘build again’ as meaning to start from the new foundation, but to ‘build again’ as in the sense of restoration of greatness and glory. We are thus to be strong in the Lord for this final effort, even with the strength and purpose and determination which He showed when He left us His footsteps to follow, for the task before us today is almost as great as at the first.
“According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.”
As the tribulation period approaches, and the day of grace ends, the Church on earth is to come to a climax of greatness and glory before being taken away. All the wonders seen in Egypt are to be revived, and the covenant renewed, and the Holy Spirit brought into prominence. For this the word is, “Be strong – fear ye not.” We are not asked to do the work in our own strength but in the strength of Zerrubbabel and Joshua – that is, in the strength of the Lord our Saviour. And we are blessed by the presence with us of the Holy Spirit, for “My Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.” We have all the help we will ever need; the Mountain is still there and so is the Wood, the Governor of Judah is our leader and Joshua is our high priest, the prophetic utterance gives us instruction and direction, and the Spirit of God remaineth among us. We have the new covenant in blood, according to the word which God covenanted with us when we “came out of Egypt.” Let us not fear, therefore, nor be discouraged from doing the work of building again the house with the wood from the mountain, but let us be led by the Spirit, be strong in the Lord, be resolute and willing to do the work to which God is calling us. The shortness of the time left to us should by no means put us off this work, but rather compel us to put away our lethargy and procrastination for ever.
