Page 24 - October 2024 - Truth & Tidings

Take It to Heart to Be Blessed (vv15-19) assured that God’s glory would return to
Haggai reflected on their lack of bless- Jerusalem’s temple. God will be the center
ing in uncleanness (vv15-17) experienced of worship, and the land that Joshua led
between the time they began to rebuild them into will be restored to them.
and the present. Then he shared with the Throughout the Scriptures, false reli-
priests the expected blessing for holiness gion and world politics joined to com-
(vv18-19) from that day onward. These merce continuously oppose God. Ever
farmers received too much rain, scorching since God tested man in the dispensation
heat and storms with hail, limiting their of human government, Babylon has been
yields. Now, as they began seeding their its center. The two systems’ history is in
crops in the 9th month, God promised Babel, where rebellious people declare,
His blessing. Each of the previous mes- “Let us build us a city and a tower” (Gen
sages had comforting words: “I will take 11:4). The city represented political in-
pleasure in it, and I will be glorified” (1:8); surgence toward the God who declared
“I am with you” (1:13; 2:4); and now the as part of the Noahic Covenant that they
conditional promise, “From this day will should be “fruitful, and multiply; bring
I bless you” (2:19). Their blessing was forth abundantly in the earth, and mul-
conditional upon their obedience. tiply therein” (9:7). The tower in Shinar
represents a religion of man’s own mak-
Message Five: A Promised ing. The people of the earth determined
Kingdom (vv20-23) to make “a tower, whose top may reach
Haggai’s final message is an uncondi- unto heaven” (11:4). In both the city and
tional promise that foreshadows Messian- the tower, the spirit of Babel seeks man’s
ic rule. This contrasts with the conditional glory rather than God’s glory, foreshad-
promise of blessing. The Lord will bring a owing the trinitarian number of man, 666,
new kingdom through Zerubbabel. in Revelation 13.
Overthrowing the Kingdoms (vv20-22) The thread continues in Old Testament
Haggai reminds us multiple times that prophecy in Daniel and Zechariah. We
Gentile political dominance prevailed will not speak of Zechariah here, but
then and will continue until the Son of politics and religion in Daniel 2-3 display
Man returns to the earth to establish His the next time Babylon is prominent since
3
kingdom (Luk 21:20-28). For this reason, its mention in Genesis. Nebuchadnezzar
the language of verses 21-22 encourages dreams of an image composed of different
and promises the destruction of Gentile layered materials, symbolizing Gentile
political rule. Note the similarity to 2:6-7, kingdoms topped by a golden Babylonian
which focuses on a religious rather than head; the image is destroyed by Christ,
a political aspect. Both sets of verses open a stone cut without hands, becoming a
with the promise of shaking “the heavens mountain, establishing His kingdom.
and earth.” In verses 6-7, the Lord of hosts Next, Nebuchadnezzar demands worshi-
states that He will also shake “the sea, and pof a golden image in the plain of Dura.
the dry land.” Also, He says, “I will shake
For comments on these verses, see Daniel
all nations, and the desire of all nations 3 Rudge’s March 2022 article in Truth & Tidings
shall come: and I will fill this house with on “Zechariah’s Night Visions”: Visions Six and
glory.” The people of God could rest Seven.

312 TRUTH kTidings October 2024