Haggai 2
BBCHaggai 2:1
II. SECOND PROPHECY21ST DAY OF 7TH MONTH (2:1-9) A. The Prophet Again Encouraged the People with Assurance of the Lord’s Presence (2:1-5)About a month later, in the seventh month, the people had become discouraged with the new building, when they thought of the glory of the former . . . temple. The leaders were told to “Be strong” and not to fear because God’s Spirit remained among them.
Haggai 2:6
B. The Glory of the Future Temple Would Exceed that of the Past (2:6-9)God encouraged the leaders with the assurance that the glory of the temple of the future (millennial) would be greater than any of its predecessors. “The Desire of All Nations” is often taken to refer to the Messiah and His return to the temple. However, the context suggests that it might mean the treasures of the nations (NKJV marg.). Their silver and gold would flow into Jerusalem to beautify the temple. Verse 9a reads: “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former . . . .” The two temples were viewed as one house. In addition to glory, peace is also promised for that future time.
Haggai 2:10
III. THIRD PROPHECY24TH DAY OF 9TH MONTH (2:10-19) A. Sacrifices Offered on the Altar Were Unclean as Long as the Temple Was in Ruins (2:10-14)The third prophecy was given on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. The people were told to ask the priests two questions: (1) If . . . holy meat carried in the fold of a garment should touch other foods, would those other foods become holy? The priests correctly answered . . . “No.” (2) If one who has become unclean through touching a dead body should touch these foods, would they become unclean? The priests correctly answered “Yes.” In other words the following was understood: “He that is holy imparts no holiness to anything else, but he that is defiled communicates defilement.” Or, to put it another way, “Work and worship do not sanctify sin, but sin contaminates work and worship.” This was a reminder to the people that their offerings to God were polluted and that they themselves were unclean as long as the temple was in ruins.
Haggai 2:15
B. Before the Foundation of the Temple Was Laid, the People Suffered from Scarcity (2:15-17)Before they had started building the temple, they had experienced shortages of grain and wine, and their crops had suffered blight, mildew, and hail. Even since then, their interminable delays in rebuilding had brought the chastisement of God in hardship and deprivation.
Haggai 2:18
C. If They Would Resume Work on the Temple, the Lord Would Bless Them (2:18, 19)But from the day on which they would lay the foundation of the LORD’s temple, God would bless them.
Haggai 2:20
IV. FOURTH PROPHECY24TH DAY OF 9TH MONTH (2:20-23) The People Encouraged by Promise of the Overthrow of Gentile Kingdoms and Establishment of the Messiah’s ReignZerubbabel is here a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. God would overthrow and destroy this world’s Gentile kingdoms and set up Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. The signet ring indicates that divine authority to rule is committed to the Messiah.