The Lantern

Haggai2

The Coming Glory of God’s House

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

Say 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 is left among you who saw this house in its first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not like nothing in your eyes?

And now, be strong, Zerubbabel — the utterance of the LORD — and be strong, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all the people of the land — the utterance of the LORD — and work; for I am with you — the utterance of the LORD of hosts —

the word that I cut with you when you came out of Egypt; and my spirit stands in your midst. Do not fear.

For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once — it is a little while — and I am shaking the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.

And I will shake all the nations, and the desirable things of all the nations will come; and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.

The silver is mine and the gold is mine — the utterance of the LORD of hosts.

The glory of this last house will be greater than the first, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give peace — the utterance of the LORD of hosts.

Blessings for a Defiled People

On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying:

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask now the priests for instruction, saying:

If a man carries holy flesh in the corner of his garment, and touches with his corner bread or stew or wine or oil or any food — will it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

And Haggai said, If one unclean by a corpse touches any of these, will it become unclean? And the priests answered and said, It will become unclean.

And Haggai answered and said: So is this people, and so is this nation before me — the utterance of the LORD — and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

And now, set your heart, please, from this day onward — before a stone was laid on a stone in the temple of the LORD.

Since they were: one came to a heap of twenty, and there were ten; one came to the vat to draw fifty from the winepress, and there were twenty.

I struck you with blight and with mildew and with hail — all the work of your hands — and there was no turning of you to me, the utterance of the LORD.

Set your heart, please, from this day onward — from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the temple of the LORD was founded — set your heart.

Is the seed still in the granary? And still the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne. From this day I will bless.

Zerubbabel the LORD’s Signet Ring

And the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying:

Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking the heavens and the earth.

And I will overturn the throne of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overturn the chariot and its riders, and horses and their riders will come down, each by the sword of his brother.

In that day — the utterance of the LORD of hosts — I will take you, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, my servant — the utterance of the LORD — and I will make you like a signet, for I have chosen you — the utterance of the LORD of hosts.