Haggai 2:7-The Lord Will Shake the Nations So That They Give All Their Wealth to Him Thus Filling His Temple with Glory

Haggai 2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Ask the following questions to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the remnant of the people: 3 ‘Who among you survivors saw the former splendor of this temple? How does it look to you now? Isn’t it nothing by comparison? 4 Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord. ‘Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you citizens of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and begin to work. For I am with you,’ says the Lord who rules over all. 5 Do not fear, because I made a promise to your ancestors when they left Egypt, and my spirit even now testifies to you.’ Haggai 6 Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘In just a little while I will once again shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry ground. 7 I will also shake up all the nations, and they will offer their treasures; then I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord who rules over all.’” (NET)

Haggai 2:7 contains three prophetic statements.

The first asserts the Lord will cause each and every one of the Gentile nations on earth to be shaken.

It presents the result of the previous prophetic statement in Haggai 2:6, which asserts that in a little while, the Lord was indeed about to cause the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe, the earth itself, its various bodies of water and dry land to shake.

Therefore, a comparison of these two prophetic statements indicate that as a result of the Lord causing the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe, the earth itself, its various bodies of water and dry land to shake, the nations will be shaken by the Lord.

In other words, if the Lord is going to cause all of creation to be shaken, the inevitable result is that the nations will be shaken.

These nations refer to the various Gentiles nations which will exist on planet earth during the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which is indicated by the fact that Haggai 2:7 also asserts that these Gentile nations will offer their treasures and then the Lord will fill the temple with glory.

This has never taken place in history.

However, the Old Testament Scriptures and the book of Revelation reveal that this will take place during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ which immediately follows the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

This shaking of the Gentile nations during the seventieth week of Daniel is the result of the Lord Jesus Christ administering the seven seal (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1-5), trumpet (Rev. 8:1-9:21; 11:15-19), and bowl (Rev. 16) judgements.

They will result in political, governmental, economic and social turmoil and upheaval in these nations.

This shaking of the nations as a result of the Lord shaking all of creation is alluded in Haggai 2:20-22.

Haggai 2:20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 2:21 Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready to shake the sky and the earth. 2:22 I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and those who ride them, and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another. (NET)

Now, there is an interpretative issued with regards to the reference to “all the nations.”

Does it mean all the nations among whom the people were scattered (Jer. 25:15; 29:14, 18; 30:11; 43:5; 46:28; Zech 7:14), or does it mean all the nations of the earth (Jer. 26:6; Isa. 52:10; Jer. 33:9; 36:2; 44:8; Joel 3:2 [MT 4:2]; Obad 15), or does it mean all the nations, even the mightiest of them (Isa 40:17)?

Does it refer to the specific category of nations where the people were scattered or is it referring to all the nations of the earth?[1]

I believe that the reference to “all the nations” is a reference to the totality of nations on planet earth.

This is indicated by the first use of the verb rā·ʿǎš in Haggai 2:6, which is used of the Lord shaking the stellar universe, the earth itself, its atmosphere, its various bodies of water and dry land or in other words, it is used of the Lord shaking all of creation.

Therefore, if the Lord is going to shake all of creation including planet earth, it is best to interpret the reference to all the nations as referring to the totality of nations on earth.

The second prophetic statement in Haggai 2:7 asserts that all the wealth of these nations will be brought in to the temple by the Lord and presents the result of the previous prophetic statement that the Lord will cause the Gentile nations to be shaken.

Therefore, a comparison of the first and second prophetic statements in Haggai 2:7 indicates that the Gentile nations will bring all their wealth to the Lord as a result of causing them to be shaken.

There is an interpretative problem with regards to this second prophetic statement and it involves the interpretation of the phrase ḥemdat kol-haggôyim (חֶמְדַּ֣ת כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם).

The NRSV, ESV, HCSB, CSB and LEB translate this expression “the treasures of the all the nations” while the NASB95 renders it “the wealth of all nations” and the NET translates it “their treasures.”

These translations reflect the interpretation that what is brought to the temple is the wealth of the Gentile nations while on the other hand, the TNIV, and NIV renders it “what is desired by all nations” while the NIV84 translates “the desired of all nations.”

These translations reflect a Messianic interpretation.

This interpretation does not imply that the Gentile nations consciously yearned for the Messiah but rather that He was the only one who could satisfy the deepest desires of the human heart.

I believe the former is the correct interpretation since Haggai 2:8 records the Lord asserting that the silver and gold will be His.

Furthermore, Haggai 2:9 records the Lord asserting that the future splendor of this temple will be greater than that of former times.

A comparison of Haggai 2:7 and 8 would indicate that the silver and gold would be the Lord’s as a result of shaking the nations so that these nations bring all their wealth to Him and thus filling the millennial temple with glory or magnificence.

Consequently, the splendor of the millennial temple will far exceed that of Solomon or Zerubbabel’s temple or Herod’s.

Therefore, I am of the conviction that the expression ḥemdat kol-haggôyim (חֶמְדַּ֣ת כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם) means “all the wealth of these nations” referring to the wealth of the Gentile nations being brought to the millennial temple based upon the context, namely, Haggai 2:8-9.

The third and final prophetic statement in Haggai 2:7 assert that the Lord will fill this temple with glory and presents the result of the previous prophetic statement that all the wealth of the nations will be brought to the Lord in Jerusalem.

Therefore, a comparison of the second and third prophetic statements in Haggai 2:7 indicates that the Lord will fill the temple with glory as a result of the Gentile nations bringing all their wealth to Him or in other words, all this wealth the Lord will receive from the Gentile nations will be brought into the temple.

The millennial temple is described in great detail in Ezekiel 40-48.

Isaiah 60:5-13 also speak of the wealth of the Gentile nations being brought to the millennial temple by these nations.

The reference to the temple in the third prophetic statement refers to the millennial temple which will be located in Jerusalem.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact that the Gentile nations have never in human history brought all their wealth to the Lord in Jerusalem as a result of the Lord shaking these nations.

However, the Old Testament Scriptures and the book of Revelation reveal that this will take place during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ which immediately follows the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

The reference to glory in this third and final prophetic statement describes the magnificent state of the millennial temple as a result of the Lord bringing the wealth of the nations into it.

It describes the millennial temple as being marked by stately grandeur and lavishness and sumptuous in structure and adornment as well as being impressive to the eye and mind.

Therefore, in Haggai 2:7, the Lord was telling the remnant of Judah in 520 B.C. that they must not be afraid because of what He will do to the Gentile nations during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ which terminates this week.

They must not be afraid because He will shake these nations so that all their wealth will be brought to His temple resulting in this temple being filled with glory.

The implication is that they must not be afraid because the Lord is sovereign over all of the Gentile nations and is omnipotent.

The Lord will exercise His sovereignty over these nations and will exercise His omnipotence when He shakes these Gentile nations.

Therefore, the remnant of Judah must not enter into fear as they complete the task of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

In other words, they must not fear and complete the work because of what the Lord will do the nations in the future during the seventieth week of Daniel and His Second Advent.

MT Masoretic Text

[1] Jacobs, M. R. (2017). The Books of Haggai and Malachi. (E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, & R. L. Hubbard Jr., Eds.) (p. 87). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.