Glory of the House
Be strong and work for God’s Spirit is with us.
The book of Haggai is prophetic, containing the Word of God delivered through Haggai, one of God’s many prophets. The second chapter of Haggai is a prophecy about a house and God’s intentions for that house. Verse 9 of this chapter states: "The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former."
The house to which this scripture refers is not a physical structure, but rather the house of Israel. Through His prophet, God Almighty promises to the nation of Israel a future glory surpassing any level of glory experienced prior. This glory will evidently be precipitated by a “shaking” of the nations of the world and a release of “what is desired by all nations”. These desired things will “come in” to the house. When God “once more” shakes “heaven and earth”, the result will be a filling of the “house with glory”. That house is Israel.
Now, having the benefit of thousands of years of history between ourselves and the days of Haggai, we can see that although the temple was being rebuilt at the time of Haggai, it would come down again later at the hands of the Romans, a destruction from which it has yet to be rebuilt. We also understand that although treasures and shaking certainly happened during many wars since the time of Haggai, the promise found in Haggai 2 is still yet to come. We know this because along with the tremendous glory prophesied, God also promises to “grant peace”. Peace is something the house of Israel has not had for a very, very long time.
So we know that the house spoken of is Israel. We also know the promises of glory and peace spoken of are yet to come.
From Haggai’s proclamation we know something else: we know that we are to work. Why? Because God is with us ( vs 4 ). His Spirit remains in our midst. When God’s Spirit is no longer in the midst of the house of Israel it will be time to rest.