Aggeusza 2:7 Komentarz

In this chapter we have three sermons preached by the prophet Haggai for the encouragement of those that are forward to build the temple. In the first he assures the builders that the glory of the house they were now building should, in spiritual respects, though not in outward, exceed that of Solomon's temple, in which he has an eye to the coming of Christ (Hag 2:1-9). In the second he assures them that though their sin, in delaying to build the temple, had retarded the prosperous progress of all their other affairs, yet now that they had set about it in good earnest he would bless them, and give them success (Hag 2:10-19). In the third he assures Zerubbabel that, as a reward of his pious zeal and activity herein, he should be a favourite of Heaven, and one of the ancestors of Messiah the Prince, whose kingdom should be set up on the ruins of all opposing powers (Hag 2:20-23).

INTRODUCTION TO HAGGAI 2 This chapter contains three sermons or prophecies, delivered by the prophet to the people of the Jews. The design of the first is to encourage them to go on with the building of the temple, though it might seem to come greatly short of the former temple, as to its outward form and splendour. The time of the prophecy, Hag 2:1 an order to deliver it to the governor, high priest, and all the people, Hag 2:2. A question is put concerning the difference between this temple and the former; between which it is suggested there was no comparison; which is assented to by silence, Hag 2:3 nevertheless, the prince, priest, and people, are exhorted to go on strenuously in the work of building; encouraged with a promise of the presence of the Lord of hosts, and of his Word, in whom he covenanted with them at their coming out of Egypt, and of the blessed Spirit, and his continuance with them, Hag 2:4 and, the more to remove their fears and faintings, it is declared that in a very short time a most wonderful thing should be done in the world, which would affect all the nations of the earth; for that illustrious Person would come, whom all nations do or should desire; and, not only come into the world, but into that temple they were building, and give it a greater glory than the former; yea, a greater glory than if all the gold and silver in the world were laid out upon it, or brought into it; which being all the Lord's, could have been easily done by him; but he would give in it something infinitely greater than that, even the Prince of peace, with all the blessings of it, Hag 2:6 then follows the second sermon or prophecy, the time of which is observed, Hag 2:10 and it is introduced with some questions concerning ceremonial uncleanness, by an unclean person's touching holy flesh with the skirt of his garment; and other things, which is confirmed by the answer of the priests, Hag 2:11 the application of which is made to the people of the Jews, who were alike unclean; they, their works, and their sacrifices, Hag 2:14 and these are directed to consider, that, during the time they had neglected to build the temple, they were attended with scarcity of provisions; their fields and vineyards being blasted with mildew or destroyed by hail, and their labours proved unsuccessful, Hag 2:15 but now, since they had begun the work of building, it is promised they should be blessed with everything, though they had nothing in store, and everything was unpromising to them; which is designed to encourage them to go on cheerfully in their begun work, Hag 2:18 and the chapter is concluded with the last discourse or prophecy, the date of which is given, Hag 2:20 an instruction to deliver it to Zerubbabel, Hag 2:21 foretelling the destruction of the kingdoms of the heathen; and the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah, of whom Zerubbabel was a type, precious and honourable in the sight of God, Hag 2:22.

And I will shake all nations,.... By changing their governors, and forms of government; which was done by the Romans, when subdued by them; and by bringing in wars among them, which produced those changes; and by civil wars among the Romans themselves, in the several nations that belonged to them, which were notorious a little before the coming of Christ: or else this was to be done, and was done, by the preaching of the Gospel, both in Judea, and in the Gentile world, when all the inhabitants thereof were shaken by it, in one sense or another; some had their hearts and consciences shaken by the Spirit and grace of God through it, and were brought to embrace it, and profess it; yea, were brought to Christ, to yield obedience to him, his truths and ordinances; and others were moved with envy, wrath, and indignation at it, and rose up to oppose it, and stop the progress of it: and the desire of all nations shall come; not the desirable things of all nations, or them with them, as their gold and silver; and which is the sense of Jarchi, Kimchi, and Aben Ezra; but this is contrary to the syntax of the words, to the context, Hag 2:8, and to facts; and, if true, would not have given this temple a greater glory than Solomon's: nor the elect of God, as others, brought in through the preaching of the Gospel; who are indeed the desire of God, he takes pleasure in them; and of Christ, whose delights have been always in them; and of the blessed Spirit, whose love to them, and esteem of them, are very manifest; and with the saints they are the excellent in the earth, in whom is all their delight: yet not they, but one far more glorious and excellent, is intended, even the Messiah, in whom all nations of the earth were to be blessed; and who, so far as he was known by good men or proselytes among the Gentiles, was desired by them, as by Job, and others; and who, when he came, brought all good things with him; and has all blessings in him, that may make him desirable to men, being what they want; and though he is not in fact desired by all, yet of right he should be, and to all sensible sinners he is; even above all persons and things in the whole world; on account of his excellencies and glories; his mediatorial qualifications; his names, offices, and relations; the blessings of grace in him; the works done by him; his truths and ordinances, people, ways, and worship: and when it is said, he "shall come", the meaning is, not only into the world by assumption of nature, to obtain redemption for his people; but into this temple now building, in that nature assumed; where he appeared at the presentation of him by his parents; and at the passover, when twelve years of age; and when he drove out the buyers and sellers from it; and when he often taught in it. The word "come" is in the plural number; and may denote his frequent coming thither, as well as in different respects; his personal coming; his spiritual coming; his coming to take vengeance on the Jews; and his last coming, of which some understand the words particularly: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts; alluding to the glory which filled the tabernacle of Moses, and the temple of Solomon, Exo 40:35 but that was but a shadowy glory, this a real one; here Christ appeared in person, who is the brightness of his Father's glory; here his glorious doctrines were taught, and glorious miracles wrought; and the Spirit of glory rested on the disciples, in his gifts and grace bestowed upon them in an extraordinary manner, on the day of Pentecost.

Therefore, gather from this that the establishment of the earth is in the power of God, as it is written: "He looks at the earth, and it trembles." And elsewhere: "Yet once more I shake the earth." Therefore, it does not remain motionless in its balance, but it is frequently moved by the will and power of God, as even Job says: "For the Lord shakes it from its foundation; its pillars tremble." And elsewhere: "The naked underworld is in his sight, and there is no covering for death, extending the North for nothing, suspending the earth into nothingness, binding the water in his clouds... The pillars of the heavens tremble and quake at his reproof; by his power he stilled the sea, by his understanding he struck down Rahab." Therefore, it does not rely on its own foundations, nor does it persist stable on its own supports; but the Lord has established it and sustains it by the firmness of His will; for all the ends of the earth are in His hand. And this simplicity of faith surpasses all arguments.

(Chapter 2, Verse 1 and following) In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: Who among you is left who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? And now, be strong, Zerubbabel, declares the Lord, be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord Almighty, and work; for I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty. This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. For thus says the Lord Almighty: In a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations. And the desired one will come to all nations, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts. In the same year, but in the seventh month, on the first and twenty-first day of the month, after three weeks and the perfect rest of the mystery of the Trinity, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai, who was constantly toiling to always have the word of God with him. Forgetting the past and reaching forward to the future (Phil. III), he worked daily as if he had nothing accomplished before. So it is said to him: Speak to Zerubbabel and to Joshua, and to the remnant of the people, who have seen the former house of God, and who are now part of its restoration. Is not this that is seen comparable to the previous one, as if it were not even there in a certain way? But do not despair and do not let your hands grow weary, but you, Zerubbabel, and you, Joshua, and all people, take courage and do the work in my house. For I am with you, and my word that I made with you when you came out of the land of Egypt. And my spirit will not leave you: do not be afraid, I am the one who commands, the Almighty Lord, whose word is done. When I first gave the testament, and on Mount Sinai I appeared, I shook the heavens and the earth, and the Red Sea, and the desert, so that I might establish the Testament with you; but now I promise you that once again I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land, so that when they are shaken, all nations may be shaken, and they may come according to the seventy chosen ones of the Lord from all nations; but according to the Hebrew, the desired one will come to all nations, our Lord and Savior. Then I will fill this house with a greater glory than the former, and I will always add to you, says the Lord Almighty. And lest you think the sponsor is weak: the gold is mine, and the silver is mine, and all the riches are mine. I will give gold and silver as ornaments for the temple, so that the glory of this house may be greater than that of the former. And because what I promise seems difficult, and human unfaithfulness always hesitates at greater promises, therefore I say again, I am the Lord Almighty who promises. Furthermore, because I know that for the construction of this renowned house, and for the fact that it is a supernatural house, nothing can be done so that there may be peace, therefore I promise this. For I will give peace in this place, says the Lord of hosts, so that the peace which surpasses all understanding may guard my house and be a place of peace. Meanwhile, I have drawn these explanatory lines in a paraphrastic manner, so that from them, even while we remain silent, a discerning reader may ascend to a higher understanding. So the word of God fit well with those who had begun to work in the house of the Almighty Lord, now at rest, that is, in the seventh month, and in the fullest sacrament of the Trinity, on the twenty-first day of the month, and to Haggai celebrating the feast of God, who had once again prepared his hand to the word of the Lord, and he says to him: Speak to Zerubbabel from the tribe of Judah, and to Joshua the high priest, who deigned to become both man and Priest for us, and to the remnant of the people: for in comparison to the whole world, a small part was in the beginning of the believers. Therefore, let us listen to what he has spoken. Once there was a house of God in Israel, which is now so deserted that it is not believed to have ever existed. From being beloved, it has become unbeloved, and those who were not the people of God have begun to be the people of God. And that house, which was once glorious, now in the sight of Zerubbabel and Joshua and the remnant of the people, is as if it does not exist. But we should not only understand this to mean the temple buildings that we see have collapsed, but also everything that the Jews once held in high esteem. However, because the previous house was almost nonexistent, Zerubbabel the leader and Joshua the priest are called upon to establish the kingdom of Christ and priesthood and to enable the people, once the people of the land, to work in the house of the Lord and know that God is present with them. They should also fulfill the word that the Lord made with them when they departed from the land of Egypt. And I hope that we also depart from Egypt, so that we fulfill the word of the testament that we have received. The Lord God also promises his works to those who do them in his house, and fulfills his word to those who receive it, saying: 'And my spirit will be among you.' Behold the sacrament of the Trinity: I am with you, and my spirit, and the Word, in whom I made my covenant when you go forth from Egypt. But what he says 'among you' should be understood according to what is written in the Gospel: 'There stands among you, whom you do not know, one who comes after me' (John 1:26). Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts to you who see the former house as it is now, 'It is as nothing in your eyes. For I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, when the voice of the Lord will be heard from heaven. I am going to shake the earth, when I gave the former people the covenant; and in my coming, darkness, storm, and darkness were seen. I moved the Red Sea, when I made a way for the people passing through. I moved the desert, or Egypt, through the plagues, emptying them of the worship of God, or through the wilderness where I led the people for forty years.' I will now move on to this. Which we see happen at the coming of the Lord and Savior. Indeed, at the time of his passion, with the sun setting, the sky was in motion and darkness occurred over the whole earth from the sixth hour until the ninth hour (Matt. XXVII and Luc. XXIII). The earth was moved, and rocks were split, and tombs were opened; the sea was stirred with the serpent that was in it being killed; the dry, once barren wilderness of the nations was also moved. But in this trembling of the whole world, all nations were also moved; for the sound of the apostles of the Lord went forth into all the earth, and their words reached to the ends of the world (Ps. 18). For this reason, all nations were moved, that from their movement a chosen multitude of nations might come forth, and those things which are illustrious wherever they may be. For example, chosen from Corinth, because there was a great multitude of God's people in it. Chosen from Macedonia, because the Church of God gathered in Thessalonica was great and did not need to be taught about charity (1 Thess. 14). Electa of Ephesus, so that they may know the mysteries of God and the sacraments never before revealed. What more? all the nations were stirred, to whom the Savior had sent the apostles, saying: Go, teach all the nations (Matt. XXVIII, 29), and from the many called, few chosen, built the Church of the first Christians. Therefore Peter the apostle also says: She who is in Babylon, elect, greets you, and so does my son Mark (I Pet. V, 15), and John: The elder, he says, to the elect lady; and then he mentions the children of the elect. Therefore, with these nations in turmoil, from which we can indeed receive opposing strengths, not being able to endure the splendor of the Lord, the chosen ones of all nations came, and the glory of the house of the Lord, which is the Church of the living God, was filled, the pillar and foundation of truth. This is according to the Septuagint. However, in Hebrew, it is held better and more significantly as we have mentioned before: And I will shake all nations, and the desired one will come to all nations. For truly, after he came, the glory of the house of the Lord was fulfilled. And as much as the Lord is distant from the servant, so much better is the house of the Lord, which the Lord presides over, than the previous house over which the servant presided. But when he says, 'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,' the Lord of hosts says, I think no one believes that he is speaking of silver and gold, which are possessed by the rich and the kings. For in this manner, not only silver and gold are God's, as if of the Creator; but also the other metals, bronze, tin, lead, and the iron that tames all things. But I consider the silver with which the house of God is adorned to be the words of Scripture, of which it is said: The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried by fire, refined of earthly impurities seven times (Ps. 12:6); and the gold that is in the secret sense of the saints, and dwells in the hidden depths of the heart, and shines with the true light of God, which it is clear the Apostle understood when he speaks of those who build upon the foundation of Christ, as gold, silver, precious stones (1 Cor. 3); so that in gold there is hidden meaning, in silver there is appropriate speech, in precious stones there are works pleasing to God. The Church of the Savior becomes more illustrious with these metals, which once was a synagogue; with these living stones the house of Christ is built, and eternal peace is offered to it. Furthermore, what follows in the Septuagint: 'And peace of soul for the possession of every creature, that it may raise up this temple, as something superfluous and barely connected, since it is not reported by any Hebrew or any other interpreter, we have omitted.'

There remain for discussion the three minor prophets who belong to the closing days of the captivity, namely, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. To begin with, Haggai has the following brief but clear prophecy of Christ and the church: “For thus says the Lord of hosts: yet one little while, and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea and the dry land. And I will move all the nations, and the desired of all nations shall come.” It is obvious that this prediction is, in part, already fulfilled; the rest we may confidently expect at the end of the world. Surely God set the heavens rocking when angels and a star stood as witnesses to the birth of Christ; surely too he moved the earth when he performed the tremendous miracle of giving Christ a virgin birth. Surely he moved the sea and the dry land when he made Christ’s name known throughout the whole world, on island and on mainland. For the rest, we ourselves are witnesses of the fact that all nations are being moved to accept the faith. The last part of the text, “and the desired of all nations shall come,” refers to Christ’s second coming. For before the whole world can await him and desire his coming, it just first believes in him and loves him.

When this prophecy was uttered, about four years before the temple was finished, and sixty-eight after the former one was destroyed, it appears that some old men among the Jews were greatly dispirited on account of its being so much inferior in magnificence to that of Solomon. Compare Ezr 3:12. To raise the spirits of the people, and encourage them to proceed with the work, the prophet assures them that the glory of the second temple should be greater than that of the first, alluding perhaps to the glorious doctrines which should be preached in it by Jesus Christ and his apostles, Hag 2:1-9. He then shows the people that the oblations brought by their priests could not sanctify them while they were unclean by their neglect of the temple; and to convince them that the difficult times they had experienced during that neglect proceeded from this cause, he promises fruitful seasons from that day forward, Hag 2:10-19. The concluding verses contain a prediction of the mighty revolutions that should take place by the setting up of the kingdom of Christ under the type of Zerubbabel, Hag 2:20-23. As the time which elapsed between the date of the prophecy and the dreadful concussion of nations is termed in Hag 2:6, A Little While, the words may likewise have reference to some temporal revolutions then near, such as the commotions of Babylon in the reign of Darius, the Macedonian conquests in Persia, and the wars between the successors of Alexander; but the aspect of the prophecy is more directly to the amazing victories of the Romans, who, in the time of Haggai and Zechariah, were on the Very Eve of their successful career, and in the lapse of a few centuries subjugated the whole habitable globe; and therefore, in a very good sense, God may be said by these people to have shaken "the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;" and thus to have prepared the way for the opening of the Gospel dispensation. See Heb 12:25-29. Others have referred this prophecy to the period of our Lord's second advent, to which there is no doubt it is also applicable; and when it will be in the most signal manner fulfilled. That the convulsion of the nations introducing this most stupendous event will be very great and terrible, is sufficiently plain from Isaiah 34, Isa 35:1-10, as well as from many other passages of holy writ.

And the Desire of all nations shall come - The present Hebrew text is as follows: ובאו חמדת כל הגוים. This is a difficult place if understood of a person: but חמדת chemdath, desire, cannot well agree with באו bau, they shall come. It is true that some learned men suppose that חמדות chemdoth, desirable things, may have been the original reading: but this is supported by no MS., nor is באו found in the singular number in any. It is generally understood of the desirable or valuable things which the different nations should bring into the temple; and it is certain that many rich presents were brought into this temple. All are puzzled with it. But the principal difficulty lies in the verb ובאו ubau, they shall come. If we found ובאה חמדת ubaa chemdath in the singular, then it would read as in our text, And the Desire of all nations shall come: but no such reading appears in any MS.; nor is it fairly acknowledged, except by the Vulgate, which reads, Et veniet desideratus cunctis gentibus, "And that which is desired," or the desired Person, "shall come to all nations." In Hag 2:7 God says he will shake or stir up all nations; that these nations shall bring their desirable things; that the house shall be filled with God's glory; that the silver and gold, which these nations are represented as bringing by way of gifts, are the Lord's; and that the glory of this latter house shall exceed the former. Bp. Chandler labors to vindicate the present translation; but he makes rash assertions, and is abandoned by the Hebrew text. The בא ba, to come, is often used in the sense of bring, and that חמדת chemdath, desire, may be considered as the plural for חמדות, having the point holem instead of the ו vau, and thus mean desirable things, will not be denied by those who are acquainted with the genius and construction of the Hebrew language. Bp. Chandler thinks that בא, he came, cannot be used of things, but of persons only. Here he is widely mistaken, for it is used of days perpetually; and of the ark, Sa2 6:9; and of mounts coming against Jerusalem, Jer 32:24; and of trees coming to adorn the temple, Isa 60:13; and of silver and gold coming into the temple, Jos 6:19; and Jer 6:20, Why doth incense come to me? See Abp. Secker's notes. I cannot see how the words can apply to Jesus Christ, even if the construction were less embarrassed than it is; because I cannot see how he could be called The Desire of All Nations. The whole seems to be a metaphorical description of the Church of Christ, and of his filling it with all the excellences of the Gentile world, when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be brought in.

SECOND PROPHECY. The people, discouraged at the inferiority of this temple to Solomon's, are encouraged nevertheless to persevere, because God is with them, and this house by its connection with Messiah's kingdom shall have a glory far above that of gold and silver. (Hag 2:1-9) seventh month--of the Hebrew year; in the second year of Darius reign (Hag 1:1); not quite a month after they had begun the work (Hag 1:15). This prophecy was very shortly before that of Zechariah.

shake--not convert; but cause that agitation which is to precede Messiah's coming as the healer of the nations' agitations. The previous shaking shall cause the yearning "desire" for the Prince of peace. MOORE and others translate "the beauty," or "the desirable things (the precious gifts) of all nations shall come" (Isa 60:5, Isa 60:11; Isa 61:6). He brings these objections to applying "the desire of all nations" to Messiah: (1) The Hebrew means the quality, not the thing desired, namely, its desirableness or beauty, But the abstract is often put for the concrete. So "a man of desires," that is, one desired or desirable (Dan 9:23; Dan 10:11, Margin; Dan 10:3, Margin). (2) Messiah was not desired by all nations, but "a root out of a dry ground," having "no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isa 53:2). But what is implied is not that the nations definitely desired Him, but that He was the only one to satisfy the yearning desires which all felt unconsciously for a Saviour, shown in their painful rites and bloody sacrifices. Moreover, while the Jews as a nation desired Him not (to which people Isa 53:2 refers), the Gentiles, who are plainly pointed out by "all nations," accepted Him; and so to them He was peculiarly desirable. (3) The verb, "shall come," is plural, which requires the noun to be understood in the plural, whereas if Messiah be intended, the noun is singular. But when two nouns stand together, of which one is governed by the other, the verb agrees sometimes in number with the latter, though it really has the former as its nominative, that is, the Hebrew "come" is made in number to agree with "nations," though really agreeing with "the desire." Besides, Messiah may be described as realizing in Himself at His coming "the desires (the noun expressing collectively the plural) of all nations"; whence the verb is plural. So in Sol 5:16, "He is altogether lovely," in the Hebrew the same word as here, "all desires," that is, altogether desirable, or the object of desires. (4) Hag 2:8, "The silver is mine," &c.; accords with the translation, "the choice things of all nations" shall be brought in. But Hag 2:8 harmonizes quite as well with English Version of Hag 2:7, as the note on eighth verse will show; see on Hag 2:8. (5) the Septuagint and Syriac versions agree with MOORE'S translation. But Vulgate confirms English Version. So also early Jewish Rabbis before JEROME'S time. PLATO [Alcibiades, 2] shows the yearning of the Gentiles after a spiritual deliverer: "It is therefore necessary," says Alcibiades on the subject of acceptable worship, "to wait until One teach us how we ought to behave towards the gods and men." Alcibiades replies, "When shall that time arrive, and who shall that Teacher be? For most glad would I be to see such a man." The "good tidings of great joy" were "to all people" (Luk 2:10). The Jews, and those in the adjoining nations instructed by them, looked for Shiloh to come unto whom the gathering of the people was to be, from Jacob's prophecy (Gen 49:10). The early patriarchs, Job (Job 19:25-27; Job 33:23-26) and Abraham (Joh 8:56), desired Him. fill this house with glory-- (Hag 2:9). As the first temple was filled with the cloud of glory, the symbol of God (Kg1 8:11; Ch2 5:14), so this second temple was filled with the "glory" of God (Joh 1:14) veiled in the flesh (as it were in the cloud) at Christ's first coming, when He entered it and performed miracles there (Mat 21:12-14); but that "glory" is to be revealed at His second coming, as this prophecy in its ulterior reference foretells (Mal 3:1). The Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem all expected Messiah would appear in the second temple. Since that time they invent various forced and false interpretations of such plain Messianic prophecies.

Glory of the New Temple, and the Blessings of the New Era - Haggai 2 This chapter contains three words of God, which Haggai published to the people in the seventh and ninth months of the second year of Darius, to strengthen them in their zeal for the building of the temple, and to preserve them from discouragement. The first of these words (Hag 2:1-9) refers to the relation in which the new temple would stand to the former one, and was uttered not quite four weeks after the building of the temple had been resumed.