Knowing the Word in the Minor Prophets: The Coming Glory of the Temple, Haggai 2:1-9

The word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet between August and December of 520 B.C. after the return of the exiles from Babylon in 586 B.C. Today’s reading is the third oracle he received from God on October 17. (It is very rare to find a dated prophecy in the Old Testament!) The decaying temple represents the defiled relationship between God and his people. Yet God reminds them of his faithfulness to the covenant and that he is in their midst by his Spirit. He proclaims there is a future glory coming to the temple.

That glory is Jesus, The Word.

1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

Father, I know that you are with me today through your Spirit, that Jesus is my friend, and that I am blessed by the Trinity.