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. 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. 8 "The silver is mine and the gold is mine," declares the Lord Almighty. "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house," says the Lord Almighty. "And in this place I will grant peace," declares the Lord Almighty.
Haggai 2:6-9
Yahveh promises to shake up the world’s status quo to the degree that all nations will flock to lay hold of the world’s most precious commodity, that is, his personal holy presence. This will happen literally as a result of when he fills the second temple with his glory. Yahveh goes on to describe himself as possessing all silver and gold, that is, everything in the Temple treasury belongs to him. All the nations that come to him in his temple to get his presence will become his precious possession. Yahveh promises that the glory of the second temple will exceed that of the first temple built by Solomon, and, within its precincts, Yahveh promises to dispense peace. The end purpose of the tabernacle and temple was for God and man to live together in peace. Jesus achieves this goal through his cross, burial, and resurrection.
The Old Testament has no record of God’s glory ever coming to the second temple like it gloriously manifested in Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). Yahveh’s shimmering and pulsating glory left the first temple, as recorded in Ezekiel 10, never to return until the arrival of “God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19) as recorded in the New Testament! The Ancient of Days visited at least once in Christ when Jesus was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52), and later as God’s man on a mission from God (Luke 19:41-44). The glory of the second temple exceeded that of the first because Yahveh, mutually indwelling the Messiah, walked in it, cleansed it, taught in it, and healed in it (Matthew 21:12-17). To host the visitation of God in Christ was a privilege reserved for the second temple and not the first.
The mission of the Messiah was to reconcile humanity with God. This he accomplished under God’s guidance and help.
· Jesus is the priest of the New Covenant.
· Jesus is the atoning sacrifice of the New Covenant bringing us peace with God.
· Jesus is the resurrection and our blessed assurance in the New Covenant confirming God’s acceptance of his sacrifice and of us.
God’s acceptance is the foundation for our peace with him. The resulting reconciliation and union of God and Man creates the new temple in Christ.
Not only did God in Christ walk the temple precincts of the second temple, but God in Christ in his people also gathered to meet at the temple for worship, fellowship, and ministry (Acts 3:11, 5:12). So, in effect, the Messiah visited and ministered at the Second temple before his death and afterwards in and with his people! The second temple was doubly blessed! Yahveh’s promise in Haggai 2:9 has been emphatically fulfilled in Christ.
For a brief moment in time the spiritual temple in Christ resided in the physical temple in Jerusalem as promised by God. From there, forgiveness of sins and peace with God and peace from God was administered as promised by God. In due course, the river of God flowed out from that temple through the temple in Christ to cover the earth as promised by God in Ezekiel. That river, the Body of Christ, brought and continues to bring the wealth of God - his precious presence in his precious people - to all four corners of the earth. God lives in a temple “not made by human hands”. He lives in redeemed and regenerated holy humanity.
If you want to know God, go to Jesus! God’s precious personal presence, “the mystery of God”, is found today and everyday exclusively in Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” of knowing God (Colossians 2:2-3). God’s presence is buried in Christ and further buried in his people, the Body of Christ. We who live in Christ have Christ living inside. We are repositories and dispensaries of his precious presence, his glory, around the world today. As repositories of his wealth, we constitute his treasure. He is our treasure, but, in reciprocating fashion, we are also his treasure. Let us give away to others the God who lives inside and around us.
In summary:
· God is the ultimate treasure in life. Seek him!
· Jesus is the ultimate treasure chest revealing the depths of God’s love and power. Take the lid off and look inside the mind of Christ. Be greedy for God!
· We are God’s treasure house hosting God’s treasure chest and treasure. Share the wealth. Freely you have received, freely give!
Grace and peace.
John Reichardt
