Digging Deeper posts are intended to help us go farther into God’s word than a simple surface reading
and are designed to help us discover new tools in the process.
Curious as to why we Dig Deeper? Here’s Why!
The Passage
Haggai 2:6-9
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.’”
My Questions
1) In today’s Journey Post, we learned that this is a prophecy about Jesus. How do we know?
2) What does the phrase, “treasures of all nations” in verse 7 refer to?
3) What kind of peace is promised in verse 9?
4) Is this a prophecy that affects me?
The Tools
A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom!
It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse?
Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage?
Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
The Findings for Original Intent
1) When studying prophecy, it is helpful to understand a couple of things. First, think about prophecies as looking at the silhouette of a mountain range. All you see is one layer of peaks, but in reality, some of those peaks are closer to you, and some are dozens of miles beyond. In the same way, some prophecies have a closer fulfillment and a far-off fulfillment. Our goal is to determine which apply to our passage.
A second thing to remember when studying prophecy is that seeing how that prophecy is quoted in the New Testament gives us clues to its meaning. Here, cross-references are vital. In a study bible or on ESV.org, look at the tiny letters next to the verses that reference other passages in the Bible. Those passages will help us understand the original meaning of the passage we’re studying.
If we follow the cross-references, we come to Hebrews 12:26. The context of this verse is talking about an unshakable kingdom—and the only unshakable kingdom is the Kingdom of God, which Jesus Christ established.
2) Doing a word study on the word “treasures,” we see that the Hebrew word here is chemdâh. This word means desire, delight, or that which is precious. What is the ultimate desire of all nations? It’s not gold or silver, it’s Jesus Christ.
3) Looking at a word study, we see that the definition of the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, doesn’t simply mean peace from war or conflict, but it carries the idea of wellness or completeness. If we follow cross-references, we come to Ephesians 2:14, “for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” So the promised peace is the peace brought by Jesus—the completeness and wellness of our souls that results when we trust in him for salvation and allow him to reign in our lives.
4) While each of these questions from Haggai finds their fulfillment in the complete sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, it points even beyond the Church and Believers today to the return of our Lord and the welcoming of His Bride into eternal perfect relationship. With this in mind, read our passage again.
In a little while – God’s timing for His return is ever closer.
I will shake the heavens… – tribulation will lead up to that time of glorious return
…so that the treasures of the nations shall come in – WE are His treasures! We will finally come in to meet Him face to face!
I will fill this house with glory – the glory has always been God’s presence from Genesis to Revelation, but in the new Heavens and the new Earth, His presence will be fully known!
The silver and gold are mine – again, we are His treasure; we are His great reward just as much as He is ours!
The latter glory…will be greater than the former – The new Jerusalem, the new heaven, the new earth, all will be far beyond our possible imaginings that neither the Old Testament physical temple, nor the New Testament intangible presence of God in our hearts, will be but a shadow of all that is to come. There will be so much more! (for a little more reading, see Isaiah 60:17-22 and Revelation 21:22-27 and share what you think!)
Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives
1) This prophecy was given to Haggai to bring hope to the Hebrew people. They were laboring to build God’s house, which was nowhere near its former glory, and they needed the hope and encouragement that God was still building a greater kingdom. Is my hope in the only unshakable kingdom? With all the uncertainty in the world, am I putting my confidence in the glory of Jesus Christ and the truth that He is coming back one day?
2) Am I truly treasuring Christ? Or am I distracted by and pursuing lesser desires that in the end will not satisfy?
3) Am I accepting the peace that Jesus Christ gives? Am I confident that no matter my circumstances, I am complete and well in my soul if my heart is ruled by Christ?
4) Because my future hope as a believer in Jesus is completely secure, I can choose to live boldly today for my Lord and Savior because I know I am His!
Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Fullness! Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
