Haggai 2:1-9--The Coming Glory of the Temple

Haggai 2:1-9
English Standard Version

The Coming Glory of the Temple
2 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.’”

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In the last passage, the command was given to Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest and the remnant of the people of God on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.  Haggai is called to speak to them again on the twenty-first day of the seventh month (nearly a month later) to the same audience asking who among them is left that saw Solomon's Temple?  Most of the original exiles died, and only the oldest of the exiles that returned were young enough to have seen the former Temple in all of its glory.  It would be bittersweet for them as they would love to see the Temple rebuilt, but it wouldn't be as large and gaudy as Solomon's Temple that was destroyed by the Chaldeans.  Still, they are called to rebuild, even if they won't be able to rebuild exactly what was there before.

The LORD tells the leaders and the people to not be afraid, because His Spirit is with them.  It will not be long from the LORD's perspective until the Day of the LORD comes and earth and sea and dry land will be shaken.  The nations will be shaken, and the nations will give their treasures to the LORD and they will be stored in His Holy Temple (not Zerubbabel's Temple as that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, but a different Temple that is yet to come).  The LORD commands that when these treasures come pouring in that the gold and silver are to go into His treasuries so that this "End Times Temple" will be even greater than Solomon's Temple.  In that day (the coming Messianic Kingdom), there will be peace and prosperity for the people of the LORD.