Haggai 2:1-7-Do Not Be Afraid For the Lord Rules the Nations

Haggai 2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ 6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. (NIV)

Haggai 2:5 asserts that the Lord’s promise to the remnant of Judah to be with them corresponds to His promise to the Exodus generation when they departed Egypt and which promise is recorded in Exodus 33:1-17.

This verse then asserts that the Lord’s Spirit stood in the midst of each one of the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah while they completed rebuilding His temple in Jerusalem after they departed from their captivity in Babylon.

This statement corresponds to the Lord’s promise to the Exodus generation to be in their presence when they departed from their captivity in Egypt.

These two statements are designed to encourage the remnant of Judah by reminding them that His promise to have His Spirit dwell in their midst corresponds to the same promise He made to the Exodus generation after the golden calf rebellion.

Haggai 2:5 comes to an end with the Lord solemnly issuing the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah a prohibition, which required that the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah not enter into the state of fear as they completed the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

A comparison of Haggai 2:4 with 2:5 makes clear that the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah must not be afraid of anyone or anything while they completed the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem since He was in their presence to protect them and give them success in this task.

This remnant’s greatest fear were the nations which surrounded them, however, the Lord in Haggai 2:6-7 asserts that He will judge these nations, thus, this remnant need not fear these nations because the Lord will intervene on their behalf by judging these nations.

Haggai 2:6 contains an emphatic declarative statement which asserts that the Lord who rules over the armies will once again in a little cause the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe, the earth and its various bodies of water and the dry land to shake.

Here in Haggai 2:6, the Lord asserts that He is about to intervene on behalf of His covenant people, the remnant of Judah by causing the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe, the earth itself and its various bodies of water and dry land to shake.

Also, as was the case in Haggai 1:2, 5, 7, 9, 14 and 2:4, we have the expression the yhwh ṣĕbāʾôt (יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת), “the Lord ruling over the armies” here in Haggai 2:6.

The term “armies” (ṣābāʾ) refers to both human and angelic armies because we are speaking in the context of God.

Therefore, this expression “the Lord ruling over the armies” is speaking of the God of Israel’s sovereignty over all creation and every creation, both human and angelic beings.

The Lord’s assertion that once again, in a little while, He indeed is about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere, the earth itself and its various bodies of water and dry land to shake implies the Lord has done this before.

The context would indicate that He did this previously for the Exodus generation since Haggai 2:5 asserts that the Lord’s promise to the remnant of Judah to be with them corresponds to His promise to the Exodus generation when they departed Egypt.

This prophetic statement in Haggai 2:6 will be fulfilled 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.

This is indicated by the statement in Haggai 2:7, which asserts that the Lord will shake up all the nations and subsequently, they will offer their treasures to Him, then He will fill His temple with glory.

This prophetic statement in Haggai 2:6 has never taken place in history but the Old Testament Scriptures and the book Revelation make clear that this will take place at Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.

The statement in Haggai 2:7 that the nations will offer their treasures to the Lord and He will fill His temple with glory will be fulfilled during Jesus Christ’s millennial reign will immediately follows His Second Advent.

The writer of Hebrews quotes Haggai 2:6 in Hebrews 12:26.

Therefore, in Haggai 2:6, the Lord is telling the remnant of Judah that they must not be afraid because of what He will do 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.

The implication is that they must not be afraid because He is sovereign over all of creation and is omnipotent.

Haggai 2:7 contains three prophetic statements and the first asserts the Lord will cause each and every one of the Gentile nations on earth to be shaken and presents the result of the previous prophetic statement in Haggai 2:6.

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 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, which 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.

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.

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.

The third and final prophetic statement in Haggai 2:7 asserts that the Lord will fill this temple with glory and presents the result of the previous prophetic statement.

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.

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.

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 and 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 and so 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.