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DECEMBER 25
9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to 6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once
little; and when you brought it home, I blew it more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven
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away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will
of My house that is in ruins, while every one shake all nations, and they shall come to the
of you runs to his own house. Therefore the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple
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heavens above you withhold the dew, and the with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver
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earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD
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drought on the land and the mountains, on the of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall
grain and the new wine and the oil, on what- be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of
ever the ground brings forth, on men and live- hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says
stock, and on all the labor of your hands.” the LORD of hosts.”
12 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 2:7 Desire of All Nations. While some view
Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had the phrase as referring to Jerusalem (e.g., Ezra
sent him; and the people feared the presence of 6:3–9), it seems preferable to see a reference
the LORD. Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, here to the Messiah,the Deliverer for whom all
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spoke the LORD’s message to the people, say- the nations ultimately long.I will fill this tem-
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ing, “I am with you, says the LORD.” So the ple with glory. There is no Scripture to indi-
cate that God’s glory ever did come to
Zerubbabel’s temple, as the first temple was
filled with the Shekinah glory (1 Kin. 8:10,11;
2Chr. 5:13,14). However, His glory will fill the
1:13 I am with you. Oppressed by hostilities millennial temple (Ezek. 43:5). This glorifica-
from without and famine from within, the tion cannot refer to Christ’s physical presence
Lord responded to their genuine repentance in Herod’s temple, for the events of vv. 6–9
and obedience,assuring them of His presence cannot be accounted for historically.The con-
with them.This should have evoked a memo- text speaks of the establishment of His earth-
ry of God’s word to Joshua and the returning ly, Davidic, millennial kingdom and His
people centuries before (Josh. 1:5). presence in the temple during that kingdom.

LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son
of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth
Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, month, in the second year of Darius, the word
and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, say-
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and they came and worked on the house of the ing, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Now, ask
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LORD of hosts, their God, on the twenty- the priests concerning the law, saying, “If one
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fourth day of the sixth month, in the second carries holy meat in the fold of his garment,
year of King Darius. and with the edge he touches bread or stew,
In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of wine or oil, or any food, will it become
2 the month, the word of the LORD came by holy?” ’ ”
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Haggai the prophet, saying: “Speak now to Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of 13 And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean be-
Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the cause of a dead body touches any of these, will
high priest, and to the remnant of the people, it be unclean?”
saying: ‘Who is left among you who saw this So the priests answered and said, “It shall
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temple in its former glory? And how do you see be unclean.”
it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is
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eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerub- this people, and so is this nation before Me,’
babel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their
son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and 15 ‘And now, carefully consider from this day
work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. forward: from before stone was laid upon
5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with stone in the temple of the LORD— since those
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you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit days, when one came to a heap of twenty
remains among you; do not fear!’ ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to
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