He showeth that the glory of the second Temple shall exceed the first.

In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of king Darius,

In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the ministry of the Prophet Haggai, saying,

Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel prince of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak the high Priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

Who is left among you that saw this [a]House in her first glory, and how do you see it now? is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it as nothing?

Yet now be of good courage, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be of good comfort, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak the high Priest: and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and [b]do it: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts.

According to the word that I covenanted with you, when ye came out of Egypt: so my Spirit shall remain among you, fear ye not.

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, [c]Yet a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land:

And I will move all nations, and [d]the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this House with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

The [e]silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

10 The glory of this last House shall be greater than the first, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give [f]peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

11 ¶ In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto the Prophet Haggai, saying,

12 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Ask now the Priests concerning the Law, and say,

13 If one bear [g]holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch the bread or the pottage, or the wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the Priests answered and said, No.

14 Then said Haggai, If a polluted person touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the Priests answered, and said, It shall be unclean.

15 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord: and so are all the works of their hands, and that which they offer here, is unclean.

16 And now, I pray you, consider in your minds: from this [h]day and afore, even afore a stone was laid upon a stone in the Temple of the Lord:

17 [i]Before these things were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the winepress, for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

18 I smote you with blasting, and with mildew, and with hail, in all the labors of your hands: yet you turned not to me, saith the Lord.

19 Consider, I pray you, in your minds, from [j]this day, and afore, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid: consider it in your minds.

20 Is the [k]seed yet in the barn? as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

21 And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

22 Speak to Zerubbabel the prince of Judah, and say, I [l]will shake the heavens and the earth.

23 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the [m]kingdoms of the heathen, and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them, and the horse and the riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

24 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a [n]signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 2:4 For the people according as Isa. 30:19 and Ezek. 41:1, had prophesied, thought this Temple should have been more excellent than Solomon’s Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians, but the Prophets meant the spiritual Temple, The Church of Christ.
  2. Haggai 2:5 That is, go forward in building the Temple.
  3. Haggai 2:7 He exhorteth them to patience though see not as yet this Temple so glorious as the Prophets had declared: for this should be accomplished in Christ, by whom all things should be renewed.
  4. Haggai 2:8 Meaning, Christ whom all ought to look for and desire: or by desire he may signify all precious things, as riches, and such like.
  5. Haggai 2:9 Therefore when his time cometh he can make all the treasures of the world to serve his purpose: but the glory of this second Temple doth not stand in material things, neither can be built.
  6. Haggai 2:10 Meaning, all spiritual blessings and felicity purchased by Christ, Phil. 4:7.
  7. Haggai 2:13 That is, the flesh of the sacrifices, whereby he signifieth that thing which of itself is good, cannot make another thing so: and therefore they ought not to justify themselves by their sacrifices and ceremonies: but contrary he that is unclean and not pure of heart, doth corrupt those things and make them detestable unto God, which else are good and godly.
  8. Haggai 2:16 Consider how God did plague you with famine afore you began to build the Temple.
  9. Haggai 2:17 That is, before the building was begun.
  10. Haggai 2:19 From the time they began to build the Temple, he promiseth that God would bless them: and albeit as yet the fruit was not come forth, yet in the gathering they should have plenty.
  11. Haggai 2:20 He exhorteth them to patience, and to abide till the harvest came, and then they should see God’s blessings.
  12. Haggai 2:22 I will make a change, and renew all things in Christ, of whom Zerubbabel here is a figure.
  13. Haggai 2:23 Hereby he showeth that there shall be no let or hindrance, when God will make this wonderful restitution of his Church.
  14. Haggai 2:24 Signifying that his dignity should be most excellent, which thing was accomplished in Christ.

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