Originally posted: 11/21/2021
“‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:9).
Some incredible Promises were made; Promises that seemed too good to believe and impossible to be realized. And because the exiles determined the task they had been called to was just too huge for their own feeble ability and resources, and that the light at the end of that tunnel was just too far away to reach, they gave up.
But truth be told, the task they had been called to was exactly that, too huge for their own feeble ability and resources; and in and of themselves, that light at the end of that tunnel was completely unattainable.
And it looked bleak; for what once was could never be reclaimed.
“‘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?’” (2:3).
And from this reminder of their reality, God calls His people to take courage. But not by assessing the situation with their eyes. For what they could see with their eyes would not be the determining factor of their ultimate fate. It would be God with them, Who would empower them for the work.
“‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:4).
God Promised that His latter glory would become His place of peace. But history proves He was not describing a structure the exiles would construct under the leadership of Zerubbabel. While this temple would become the designated place of their sacrificial worship, this temple would pale in comparison to the magnificent temple of Solomon.
And though the temple would be later refurbished and brought to magnificent splendor under the reign of Herod the Great, it would not even be 600 years from the time of Haggai’s prophecy that the temple would be destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., and left lying in ruins today.
Yes, this physical structure was eventually demolished; but His Indestructible Promise would be fulfilled through His Son, and it would be like nothing ever seen before.
Consider His Indestructible Promise
- His Indestructible Promise: His Empowering Presence
- “‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:4).
- And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
- for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
- And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
- “‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:4).
- His Indestructible Promise: His Abiding Spirit
- As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’” (2:5).
- But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you, (Romans 8:11).
- But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you, (Romans 8:11).
- As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’” (2:5).
- His Indestructible Promise: His Sovereign Rule
- “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land,’” (2:6).
- and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, (Revelation 1:5).
- and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, (Revelation 1:5).
- “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land,’” (2:6).
- His Indestructible Promise: His Glorious Filling
- “‘ 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,” (2:7).
- and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God, (Ephesians 3:19).
- and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God, (Ephesians 3:19).
- “‘ 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,” (2:7).
- His Indestructible Promise: His Inexhaustible Wealth
- “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:8).
- For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich, (2 Corinthians 8:9).
- For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich, (2 Corinthians 8:9).
- “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:8).
- His Indestructible Promise: His Incomparable Glory
- “‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts,”…(2:9).
- in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power, (Hebrews 1:2-3).
- in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power, (Hebrews 1:2-3).
- “‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts,”…(2:9).
- His Indestructible Promise: His Permeating Peace
- …“‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:9).
- “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).
- “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).
- …“‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (2:9).
How do we respond to His Indestructible Promise?
Did you find yourselves wondering how the exiles really received His Promise? The temple was a far cry from a suitable dwelling for Holy God. Did they wonder how could they possibly get it ready for His latter glory?
I had the privilege of visiting Israel a few years ago, and we were taken to the very place that held the ruins of the temple site. And while the huge stones amassed in a heap were impressive, the reality is the temple still lies in ruins. And as I read the Promise of God spoken through Haggai, I tried to imagine standing before those very ruins and hearing about His Glory that would one day fill that place. And to believe that takes faith.
But we are not called to fix our eyes on the ruins of this life, on the broken promises and crumbling foundations. We are called to lift our eyes to the sure hope we have in His Indestructible Promise, believing that because He has decreed it to be, we shall see His incomparable glory.
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).
When Jesus came to earth as a man, He revealed the glory, grace, and truth of the Father.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, (John 1:14).
But the day is coming, when the latter glory will be greater than the former. Rather than fixing our focus on the brokenness of this life, let us choose to fix our minds on His Indestructible Promise when we will be gathered to be with Him forever.
“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other,” (Matthew 24:30-31).
Because the fact is, no matter what disappointments and letdowns we face in this life, when we have placed our faith in Jesus, we can rest in the truth that we know what our future holds; for all His Promises are Indestructible, and yes and amen in Him.
For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us, (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Oh, that we would not lose heart by the afflictions of this life with their empty threats of destruction. Instead let us stand in faith in His Empowering Presence, His Abiding Spirit, His Sovereign Rule, His Glorious Filling, His Inexhaustible Wealth, His Incomparable Glory, and His Permeating Peace. Oh, let us seek Him daily; that we would be renewed in the truth that what is unseen is incomparably glorious and eternally secure in His Indestructible Promise
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal, (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).