The Coming Glory of Jesus

4 Be strong, Zerubbabel,' says the Lord; 'and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,' says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 5 'According to the word that I covenanted (promised) with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' 6 "For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations (Treasure or Christ the Messiah), and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 9 The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts." Haggai 2:4-9 (NKJV).

The Prophet Haggai from the Old Testament predicted the magnificence glory of God visiting the people.  Haggai’s message was given during the Feast of Tabernacles in 520 B.C. to encourage the people of God’s coming glory.  About 500 years later, Jesus Christ as the glory of God fulfilled Haggai’s prophecy by coming to the people as a Baby at Bethlehem, walking the earth, and visiting the Temple (Luke 2:9-14; see John 1:14).

The Prophet Ezekiel also of the Old Testament had earlier witnessed the departure of God’s glory from Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, before the Temple’s destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 24 and 25; Ezekiel 10 and 11). The people during Haggai’s time prayed for the Shekinah Glory to return to the new Temple, but there is no record that God’s glory returned after the 586 B.C. destruction of Jerusalem.

About 500 years later, Haggai’s prophecy was fulfilled in the return of God’s glory in the embodiment of Jesus Christ, the “the Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7; see also John 1:14-18). With His coming, Jesus Christ filled the earth with His peace and glory (Luke 2:27-32; see also Isaiah 9:6). No amount of gold or silver could surpass the glory of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is God incarnate and our Immanuel, “God with us.”  So, we no longer have to be afraid, but strong in the Lord God (Haggai 2:4-5; Matthew 1:23). No matter what problems we face or how difficult our job may be, God's glory is with us through Jesus Christ (Haggai 2:5)!