Haggai 2:9-Two Prophetic Statements Regarding the Millennial Temple and the City of Jerusalem
Bill Wenstrom
Haggai Chapter Two • Sermon • Submitted • 1:04:28
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Haggai 2:9 ‘The future splendor of this temple will be greater than that of former times,’ the Lord who rules over all declares, ‘and in this place I will give peace.’” (NET)
Haggai 2:9 contains two prophetic declarations which were communicated by the Lord who rules over the armies through the prophet Haggai to the political and religious leaders of the remnant of Judah as well as this remnant itself.
The first asserts that the future glory of this temple will be superior to the former one, which is a reference to Solomon’s temple.
“The future glory of this temple” is a reference to the millennial temple being superior to the glory of Solomon’s temple.
This is indicated by the second prophetic declaration in Haggai 2:9, which asserts that the Lord who rules over the armies will give peace to this future temple.
Zerubbabel’s temple did not have peace as indicated by the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes IV who in 169 B.C. according to 1 Maccabees 1:20-28 entered this temple and removed the vessels used in the sanctuary.
Jerome asserts that he set up an image of Jupiter Olympus on the temple grounds and Josephus records that he built a “pagan altar” on the original altar and sacrificed a pig on it (Antiquities 12.5-4-253).
This abomination came to an end as a result of the Maccabean revolt which was led by the Hasmoneans (165-164 B.C.).
In 63 B.C., the Roman general Pompey attacked Jerusalem and entered the temple and thus desecrating it.
Herod the Great renovated Zerubbabel’s temple beginning in the 18th year of his reign around 20 B.C. however, in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy it was eventually destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Also, indicating that the two prophetic declarations in Haggai 2:9 are referring to the future glory of the millennial temple are the three prophetic statements in Haggai 2:8.
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.
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.
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 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 reference to the temple in the third prophetic statement refers to millennial temple which will be located in Jerusalem, which 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.
Now, when the second prophetic declaration in Haggai 2:9 asserts that the Lord will give peace to the millennial temple, He is in effect asserting that He will give peace to Jerusalem, which will be the location of the millennial temple during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
In the Hebrew text there is an implicit play on words in the clause ‘in this place [i.e., Jerusalem] I will give peace’: in יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (yérushalayim) there will be שָׁלוֹם (shalom).[1]
So therefore, this prophetic statement means that this city and this temple will never experience war.
National and individual peace is the fruit of the Messiah’s reign (Is. 2:4; 9:4-7; 11:6-9; 32:17-18; 33:5-6; 54:13; 55:12; 60:18; 65:25; 66:12; Ezek. 28:26; 34:25; Hos. 2:18; Mic. 4:2-3; Zech. 9:10).
As was the case in Haggai 2:7, the reference to glory in Haggai 2:9 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 and this interpretation is further supported by the Lord’s statement in Haggai 2:8 that all the silver and the gold on earth belong to Him.
Now, notice that once again, in Haggai 2:9 that the prophet Haggai employs the proper noun yhwh (Yahweh) “Lord,” which we have noted many times in our study of the book of Haggai, is the covenant-keeping personal name of God and is used here in connection with His covenant relationship with the Jewish people.
This word is also emphasizing the “immanency” of the Lord meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of the citizens of the kingdom of Judah.
Here in Haggai 2:9, the Lord asserts that He is about to intervene on behalf of His covenant people in a two-fold sense.
First, the future glory of the millennial temple will be superior to the glory of Solomon’s temple and secondly, the Lord will give peace to the city of Jerusalem and thus peace to this temple in the sense that they will never be destroyed or threatened by war during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
These actions will benefit the Lord’s covenant people Israel.
Also, as was the case in Haggai 1:2, 5, 7, 9, 14, 2:4, 6, 7 and 8 we have the expression the yhwh ṣĕbāʾôt (יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת), “the Lord ruling over the armies” here in Haggai 2:9.
The term “armies” (ṣābāʾ) pertains in this context to a military congregation as a large fighting or combat unit and denotes a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land.
These armies refer 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.
He will sovereignly cause the future glory possessed by the millennial temple to be superior to the glory of Solomon’s temple and will also sovereignly give peace to Jerusalem and the millennial temple in that this city and this temple will never be destroyed or threatened by war during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, in Haggai 2:9, the Lord was telling the remnant of Judah in 520 B.C. that they must not be afraid because He will provide a temple in the future whose glory will be superior to Solomon’s temple.
He will also give peace to the city of Jerusalem and this future temple in that they will never be destroyed by war as was the case with Solomon and Zerubbabel’s and Herod’s temple.
They must not be afraid because He will do these two things and many others on behalf of His covenant people.
The implication is that they must not be afraid because the Lord is sovereign over the nations and is omnipotent and is thus able to bring these two prophetic declarations in Haggai 2:9 to pass.
Therefore, the remnant of Judah must not enter into fear as they complete the task of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem because these two prophetic declarations were will come to pass because the Lord is sovereign and omnipotent.
[1] Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Hag 2:8–9). Biblical Studies Press.