Haggai 2:6,7 - I will shake all nations

2:6,7

Now these verses present us with a problem, namely of timing. For as far as Haggai’s temple is concerned these things never happened. So let’s look at things closely. “Once more” indicates that we should refer back to the incident referenced in v5. In Ex 19:19 it says that God answered Moses out of the thunder. Now He is going to speak to the whole earth. 2:6 is also referenced in Heb 12:26,27. Some versions have “desire of all nations” and others “treasures of all nations” (or something similar to either of these). Either translation is possible, so maybe we should take both. In Solomon’s time other nations did bring treasures to the building of the temple, so nations may again bring treasures to the temple. However, if we take the “desire of all nations” line, then Ecclesiastes speaks of God putting eternity into the hearts of men (Ecc 3:11). All men are looking for something, and this would speak of men recognising that what they are looking for is actually found in Christ. Christ is the desire of all men, if only they would recognise it, every true longing is found in Him. So we now come to timing. This certainly looks eschatological. We can also view it from an amillennial perspective and a post/pre millennial viewpoint. From the amillennial view the gospel has been going out to all nations, and people from all nations have been finding salvation. This applies to all cultures and races. This has and is happening, but this does not preclude a futurist application as well.

I also think we have to take the second temple as being a prototype, a trailer, for the real “second temple”. For the temple that was built was destroyed in AD 70. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is being spoken of. And, of course, Jesus referred to Himself as a temple (John 2:19).  This raises the question (at lease to me!) as to why did God tell them to build this temple, knowing it would not last (though it did manage a few hundred years)? I don’t know anything like the full answer, but a couple of thoughts. First, it provided a prototype for teaching lessons that we find in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai. Secondly, it provided the stage for the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus. But this is where the Blog title of “Bible Musings” is appropriate, for there is much more to it than that.