Filled with the Glory of the Lord

“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying...” Haggai 1:1

“The Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet.” The original Hebrew for the phrase “came by Haggai” is “in the hand of Haggai.” God is the speaker. Haggai is His helping hand to people.

Haggai received this prophetic message during the second year of Darius. This would have been Darius Hystaspes. He is the third of the Persian kings. Babylon was overthrown by Persia. Darius was a common title for Persian kings, even as Pharaoh and Caesar were common titles for the rulers of Egypt and Rome, respectively. Darius is from the root word Darh which means “to preserve.” The Persians viewed their king as a preserver.

Zerubbabel means “one born in Babylon.” Previously, King Cyrus of Persia appointed him to govern the land of Judah. The people of God are back in the Promised Land.

Joshua is the high priest. Joshua the son of Nun brought Israel into the Promised Land when they came out of Egypt. Joshua the son of Jehozadak served as their high priest when they came out of Babylonian captivity back to the Promised Land. And Jesus (Joshua in Hebrew) the Son of God brings His followers out of the captivity of sin into the Promised Land of heaven.

According to Ezra 3:10, when the Jews came out of captivity, they set up an altar for sacrifice, and within a year laid the foundations of a temple. But then, their enemies convinced the Persian court to stop their work. So, they stopped. By the time that court ruling was reversed, they had shifted their focus to building their own houses. Things are not going well for them. The prophetic message that the Lord gives to Haggai explains why things are not going well.

“Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, the time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.’ Then the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ‘Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: consider your ways! You have sown much and bring in little. You eat, but do not have enough. You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:2-6

No matter what they did, the return on investment was poor. They were neglecting their relationship with God. God was determined to get them back on track and doing well.

In Ecclesiastes 1:8, Solomon wrote, “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” In Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, he wrote of all the pleasures that he enjoyed, but concluded that it was emptiness, a grasping after wind and unprofitable. In Ecclesiastes 5:10, he wrote, “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver nor he who loves abundance with increase. This also is emptiness.” In Ecclesiastes 6:7, he wrote, “All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied.” The soul needs spiritual food. Spiritual food comes to us by way of fellowship with God via worship, Bible reading, prayer and service of Him.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why, says the Lord of hosts? Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” Haggai 1:7-11

Why don’t our politicians talk about how the neglect of God harms the environment? God told the people that the heavens withheld dew and the earth its fruit because they no longer cared about maintaining a place of worship unto Him in their community. Grain, wine, oil, other crops, livestock and people were suffering due to their lack of regard for their Creator and Sustainer.

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the presence of the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the Lord.’ So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the 24th day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.” Haggai 1:8-15

In Haggai’s day, somebody said something about the real reason for their nation’s problems. Haggai did! And guess what? People actually listened and obeyed the Word of the Lord. They returned to honoring God and God honored them for it. He told them, “I am with you.” God stirred their hearts to get to work. Haggai spoke to them on the first day of the month, and by the 24th day of that same month, they were working.

“In the seventh month, on the 21st day of the month, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: ‘Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, 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 in comparison with it? Is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord. And be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work. For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. According to the Word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear!” Haggai 2:1-5

Nearly a month later after the work on God’s house began, the Lord gave another word to Haggai to give to the governor, the high priest and to the people. He tells them to be strong and work. Don’t let fear of failure divert them from their goal. His Spirit is working among them.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-9

The writer of Hebrews alludes to this prophecy in Hebrews 12:27. In Hebrews 12:2, he urges his readers to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. The shaking of the heavens and earth creates a desire among all nations for Messiah to come. Jesus is the answer for the world today. He did come and He did fill His temple with glory. The glory of the latter temple is greater than the glory of the former. Why? Because Jesus Christ is glorious. Jesus fills people with His Spirit. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace.

Jesus Christ is also coming again. When He returns, wars and death will be no more. Hebrews 12:22 says that Jesus is bringing us “to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.” Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

“On the 24th day of the 9th month, in the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, if one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?’ Then the priests answered and said, ‘No.’ And Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?’ So the priests answered and said, ‘It shall be unclean.’ Then Haggai answered and said, ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord, and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.’” Haggai 2:10-14

Three months after the restart of the temple rebuild, the Word of the Lord came to Haggai again. He makes the point that is not what the offering touches that makes it unholy, but the person who offers it. Their hearts needed to be purified by God.

Jesus made a similar point in Mark 7:1-15. Pharisees had complained to Jesus that His disciples did not wash their hands according to the required rituals. In Mark 7:14-15, Jesus called the multitude to Himself and said to them, “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.” God the Father cleanses our hearts via faith in His Son. He feeds our minds with clean thoughts via His Holy Spirit. This purification process points to a personal relationship with God.

“And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord—since those days, when one came to a heap of 20 ephahs, there were but 10. When one came to the wine vat to draw out 50 baths from the press, there were but 20. I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands. Yet you did not turn to Me, says the Lord. Consider now from this day forward, from the 24th day of the 9th month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid—consider it: is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.” Haggai 2:15-19

The Lord calls them to remember this because from this day forward the environment is going to improve. There shall be seed in the barn and yields from vines and trees. Why? Because they obeyed the Lord and finished rebuilding His house. He was going to bless their environment.

“And again the Word of the Lord came to Haggai on the 24th day of the month, saying, ‘Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders shall come down, everyone by the sword of his brother. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.’” Haggai 2:20-23

The Lord gave Haggai a word for Judah’s governor. Zerubbabel had led the people to obey the Lord. Thus, God was going to deal with his enemies. He called Zerubbabel His servant. To be called God’s servant is an honorary title. Paul introduced himself to his readers as a servant of Christ in 1 Corinthians 4:1. God called Moses and David His servants.

God made Zerubbabel a chosen signet ring. Kings sign edicts, grants, and commissions, with signet-rings. God was authorizing and accomplishing His work on earth through Zerubbabel. What an honor! He obeyed God with little and God gave him much. When God chooses to work through a person, great things happen.

In Matthew 28:18-20, before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus authorized them to do His work on earth. He promised to be with them always. Thus, great things happened!

In Haggai 2:9, the Lord of hosts says, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, and in this place I will give peace.” Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy and is continuing to fulfill it in all who receive and serve Him. Praise the Lord.


[1] Geneva Bible Notes