Reading:
Speak
now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the
son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people,
saying, Who is left among you
that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it
not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the
LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong,
all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: 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
remaineth among you: fear ye not. For
thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will
shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire
of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the
LORD of hosts. The silver is
mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be
greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I
give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
Commentary:
The
Lord here gave a comforting promise to governor Zerubbabel, Joshua the Priest,
as well as the people of the land: the glory of the second Temple would surpass
the first. This prophecy was given at
the time when the Judeans had been released from captivity, and were rebuilding
the temple. This second temple was
nothing compared to the first which Solomon built. The men who knew the first temple even cried,
when they remembered its glory compared to this second. We find the Lord here however strengthening
and encouraging the people in their work and hope. God says, "Work: for I am with
you, saith the LORD of hosts….so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not." The Lord then gives the glorious promise that
He would "shake the nations" and the "Desire of all
nations" would come. God would then
fill this house with glory. All these
promises were fulfilled in the New Testament.
The nations shook, "when all went to be taxed, everyone into his
own city", and the "Desire of all nations" was born……"for
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the
Lord." The first and second temple
are thus types, the Old Testament Church compared to the New Testament
Church. We today, namely each believer,
are a part of this Living Temple, the Body of Christ, the Holy Christian Church
on earth, yet all this glory really belongs to Christ who achieved peace
between God and man. "The glory of
this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts:
and in this place will I give peace"….The Lord lift up His countenance
upon thee and give thee peace."
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