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 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.--Haggai ii. 7, 9.
Haggai prophesied at that period of the Church's history, when,
after the return from the Babylonish captivity, the Jews built the
second temple: on which occasion, we are told the young men shouted
for joy; but the old men wept,[42] for they had seen the glory of
the former house, in comparison with which, the second was nothing.
But the Lord commissioned Haggai to inform them, for their comfort,
that the glory of the latter house should be greater than of the
former. It appears by the descriptions given us of the temple
built by Solomon, that it surpassed in grandeur and magnificence
all other buildings, which in any age have appeared to astonish
and delight the world. It has never been equalled, either as it
respects the grandeur of the design, or the richness of its internal
decorations; a great part was overlaid with pure gold. But these
were not the most glorious distinctions of the former house. It
contained the Ark, with the mercy seat and cherubim;[43] the Urim
and Thummim,[44] the spirit of prophecy,[45] the holy fire,[46] and
the Shechinah, or Divine Presence.[47] The Jews themselves must
confess that the second temple was destitute of these five signs,
which so eminently distinguished the first house. We hear nothing
of them after the Babylonish captivity. Well might the old men weep,
for Ichabod (the glory is departed) might with much propriety, have
been written on the walls of their newly erected temple. It was
afterwards considerably injured during the wars, but was repaired
and beautified by Herod; yet none, when speaking of the splendour of
the temple, can allow it to bear any comparison with the one built
by Solomon: yet the Lord hath said, "the glory of the latter house
should be greater than of the former;" and God is not unmindful of
his promises, nor has he ever neglected to fulfil them. We will
therefore endeavour to discover if this has not been accomplished.
We observe, that the Lord would first "shake all nations; and the
desire of all nations should come;" and then "would he fill the
house with glory." This promise was made shortly after the return of
the Jews from Babylon; which kingdom had been shaken to its centre,
as were also in succession the kingdoms of Persia and Greece. The
thrones and power of their kings had been subverted, the nations
almost annihilated; and Rome was the mistress of the world, when
Jesus, the "desire of all nations," appeared. Perhaps it may be
said, that few nations had even heard of the promised Messiah,
and still fewer desired his coming. But do not the guilty sigh for
pardon, the captives for liberty, the oppressed for a deliverer?
does not the debtor need a surety; the weary and heavy laden rest;
the diseased a physician; the young a guide; the aged a support;
the distressed a comforter; the hungry food; the thirsty water; the
ignorant an instructor; and the wanderer shelter? That these things
are desired by all people and nations, none can deny; but it is in
Christ alone we can find a supply for all our spiritual wants, and
a remedy for these, and a long list of unmentioned ills. In Jesus
there is a fulness to supply all our need. He has pardon for the
guilty, "liberty for the captive;" he is the "surety" of the debtor,
and the "physician" of the sin-sick soul; he will be a guide to
youth, and "even to hoar hairs he will be with them;" he is the
"water of life," and the "bread that cometh down from heaven;" his
"flesh is meat indeed," and his "blood drink indeed:" he will teach
the ignorant wisdom, and "deliver the oppressed;" he calls to him
the "weary and heavy laden," promising to "give them rest;" he bids
the mourner be of good comfort, for he will give "the oil of joy for
mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;"
and truly he is the refuge of the destitute. In short, it is only
in him, and from him, we can find supplies for all our spiritual
wants; with him is "life," "light," "liberty," and "joy." Surely if
all nations did but know him, all nations would love him too; for
he is justly described by the Church as "the altogether lovely, and
the chiefest amongst ten thousand." The fulfilment of the latter
clause of the prophecy, was literally accomplished when Jesus (the
second person in the revealed order of the Trinity), in our nature,
entered the temple. Surely that must be acknowledged a far more
glorious distinction, than the ten thousands of gold and silver
which ornamented the former house. Yea, it was a greater honour
to have the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, personally teaching
in the temple, than the five signs which constituted the greatest
glory of the former house. They were only intended to exhibit to our
view a God in Christ. The temple and its contents were but figures
of the things signified, even the Messiah. The second temple was
honoured not with types, but the person; not with the shadows of the
good things to come, but the substance, even Jesus, the Son of the
most High. At twelve years of age, Jesus was found in the temple,
in the midst of the Doctors of the Law, both hearing and asking
them questions. Often, in the days of his flesh, did he visit the
temple, and from within its walls, did he instruct the people, and
declare his divine mission. To those who deny that Jesus was the
Messiah, this promise must for ever remain unfulfilled; for the
second temple never did, either in its buildings, or decorations,
surpass, or even equal the glory of the former. It is now seventeen
hundred years since the second temple was destroyed, and all its
stones laid level with the dust. Thus are they reduced to the
alternative of representing God as failing to fulfil his promises; a
sentiment, it might be supposed, any man would shudder to advance,
and much less maintain. To those who receive "the truth as it is in
Jesus," there appears a beautiful harmony between the promise, and
the accomplishment; they can exclaim, truly did "the glory of the
latter house exceed that of the former," for it was honoured with
the personal presence of Jesus, the "Christ of God," "the Lord of
life and glory," "the prince of peace." Of whom, it may be justly
observed, that he is the only source from which true and lasting
peace can be expected without the fear of a disappointment; and this
"peace is made through the blood of his cross."
[42] Ezra iii. 12.
[43] Exod. xxv. 19. 20. 21.
[44] Exod. xxviii. 30. Deut. xxxiii. 8.
[45] 2 Kings xix. 14-37.
[46] 2 Chron. vii. 1. 3.
[47] 2 Chron. vii. 2.