THE VISION: I saw a man with his hands handcuffed behind his back. The man’s head was shaved, his head slightly bowed. I knew that the man normally wore glasses, but he was not wearing his glasses. Then, the man received a shot to the heart and chest. END
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Haggai 2 (NIV 1984). The Lord is giving me a practical understanding of this passage of scripture as applied to today, so I am going to share my understanding after sections of this scripture (taken in part from two previous writings, “The Desired of the Nations” – 11/7/09 and “The Grim Reaper” – 10/21/10):
The Promised Glory of the New House
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
My Understanding: The Lord is speaking concerning the “former glory” of his temple, i.e. the Body of Christ, the church. The Lord is reminding us of its beginnings and of what he intended it to be, based upon scripture. Yet, he is also calling us to look at it now. How does it look in comparison to what it was like when it began? I believe the implications are here that it is sadly neglected and is in great need of repair, i.e. in great need of a spiritual rebuilding, renewal, and revival.
Certainly the church of today is not what it used to be. If this was speaking of America, I would say that this is speaking of how the world has crept into the church and how it is merely a shell of what it used to be spiritually. It is very sad to see the spiritual and moral decline in today’s church, and often to feel helpless in knowing what to do about it.
The man in the vision, that the Lord gave me in the morning, represents God’s earthly temple, the church, the body of Christ. He is in captivity, as the children of Israel had been in captivity for 70 years because of their sins against Almighty God, and because of their refusal to repent of their sins. So, the captivity has a dual meaning: 1) Captivity to sin, and 2) God’s judgment because of the sin. The man’s head was shaved, representing mourning and/or shame. So, there is a sense in which he is sorrowful over his sin, or at least over the results of his sin, as the children of Israel faced famine and financially destitute times.
The man normally wore corrective lenses because of his poor vision. Vision has to do with foresight; insight; understanding; discernment; judgment; discrimination; and reasoning. The man had poor vision, i.e. he lacked discernment, judgment and the ability to make right decisions. He needed corrective lenses, i.e. “a single framed lens for correcting defective vision” (Encarta). In other words, he needed the power of God in his life to help him in making right and just decisions, but he was missing that power. The single framed lens, i.e. the Holy Spirit’s power for correcting his defective reasoning, judgment and decision-making was absent from his life.
I believe the Lord is calling us to look at this body, his temple. How does it look now in comparison to what it was like when it began? The outlook is not too great, is it? Yet, the Lord said to not fear, to be strong, and to work on the rebuilding of his temple. This begins always with repentance (turning from sin) and obedience (turning to walk humbly in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ and to follow where he leads).
6 "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. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of 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. 9 '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."
My Understanding: I looked this passage up in several commentaries. I remembered that v. 6 had been quoted in the New Testament. It is quoted in Hebrews 12:26-27 in relation to the judgment of the nations at the second coming of Christ. Actually, that judgment really begins in the time of the tribulation, in particularly in the second half of 3.5 years when God greatly pours out his wrath on the nations. God is truly going to “shake” everything during this time of judgment on the earth. And, he will shake the nations, i.e. man-made governments that have made earthly kingdoms for themselves that do no honor God as holy.
This next section of the passage (vv. 6-9) is difficult to interpret. I read several commentaries on these verses, and the commentators don’t agree on what it means when it says, “The desired of all nations will come.” Some believe this is a reference to Jesus Christ’s second coming, and yet these same commentators agree that Zerubbabel is a prefiguring of Christ, so it is difficult to interpret them both as Jesus Christ. Other commentators state that this could not be a reference to the Messiah, because of particular words or word forms that were used in the original language. In addition to that, the word desire is a word often associated with longing, craving, wanting, and coveting. The word “nations” is usually a reference to the world, not to the saints of God who would be the ones longing for the Messiah to return. So, who are the nations longing for? - A world king? - A universal messiah for all people, i.e. for Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.? What is America craving for? They want political leaders who will shake up Washington and who will return America to what they want it to be. They are looking for a human king to save them. And, before Jesus returns, such a king – the antichrist – will come.
I do believe that when this antichrist is revealed and he begins his truly evil work of the last 3.5 years of the tribulation, that truly the glory of God will fill the “temple” – His Body – His Church. We will see a Great Awakening unlike anything I have never known before, and the “temple” – His Body – His Church – will be rebuilt. It will be revived. People will get their hearts right with the Lord and the church will once again be what God designed it to be. And, many people will come to Jesus.
In the second part of this vision, the man received a shot to the heart and the chest. Based off of v. 22, this could be a reference to literally being shot by another person with a gun. Yet, I saw another possible meaning here. Shot can mean injured; wounded. The heart is the center of emotion of a person; his core; soul; spirit; and courage. A chest is a place where money is kept, stored or saved; a cashbox; or it can represent strength, courage, shield of defense, etc.
The people of God were disheartened and discouraged by their circumstances. They were captives for 70 years due to their sins. They experienced famine (the bald head, perhaps), and financially hard times (the shot in the chest, perhaps). They were depressed and they felt hopeless. Yet, they also were still relying upon themselves and were busy caring for their own houses while neglecting God’s house (their hearts). So, God was encouraging them to be strong in the Lord and to not fear, because God was with them, and he would help them in rebuilding the temple (their broken lives; their hearts).
Blessings for a Defiled People
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: 11 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' "
The priests answered, "No."
13 Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?"
"Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."
14 Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
15 " 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on —consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. 18 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
" 'From this day on I will bless you.' "
My Understanding: I believe the point of the beginning of this section is that holiness is not catching, but uncleanness is contagious. The Bible states that “bad company corrupts good character” and it speaks of analogies such as one bad apple can make all the rest of the apples rotten or one potato that is rotten can corrupt all the other potatoes that are in close contact with it. Defilement is infectious. And, I believe the Lord is specifically applying this to the USA right now. Whatever our nation and its leaders do is defiled. God wants our hearts, not our hands. He desires obedience rather than sacrifice. That is taught over and over again in scripture.
Then, we are asked again to look at our condition. We, as the temple of the Lord Jesus Christ, have been in spiritual famine; spiritual poverty. The “barns” of our church and our hearts is without seed and without harvest. The church, represented by the man in my vision, is devoid of a true spiritual harvest because they (we) have become complacent, self-gratifying, selfish, self-centered, living lives of spiritual adultery and idolatry while ignoring God’s pleas for us to repent, to turn from our sin and to turn back to Almighty God. The Lord is saying that he has been sending his judgments on our nation and yet we have not returned to Him. So, now this final time of judgment on the earth is here at the door, which I believe this shot to the chest/heart represents. And, now His temple will be revived and God will fill it with His glory and He will bless us once again with spiritual blessings. The physical restoration will not come until the millennial reign of Christ, I do believe.
Zerubbabel the LORD's Signet Ring
20 The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
23 " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."
My Understanding: This shaking of the earth is the time of judgment known as the time of Tribulation to come upon the earth. At that time, God will overthrow kings and kingdoms, and people will be killed, even by their own fellow countrymen, or by their literal brothers, which I believe this shot to the heart/chest also symbolized. Zerubbabel is a prefiguring of Christ Jesus, the Messiah. Following the time of tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to receive his bride, to judge, and to set up his kingdom on the earth during the time known as the millennium. Then Jesus Christ will reign supreme on the earth for 1000 years.
In the meanwhile, God is calling to his church to take a good look at the body of Christ, represented by this man. It doesn’t look too promising. Yet, he is also giving a message of hope and encouragement that he can rebuild our lives after we have fallen into sin’s deceitfulness, and he can make us what he intended us to be if we will just turn from our sins and trust him completely to do the work.
Not By Might / An Original Work / March 29, 2012
Based off Zechariah 4
“Not by might, and not by power,
But by My Spirit,” says our Lord, God.
“Mighty mountain, O what are you?
Before Christ you will become level ground.”
The hands of our Lord, Savior God,
Formed the foundation of His church.
He alone will complete the work
He began in His servants’ hearts and minds.
Who despises small beginnings?
Much can be done in Christ’s strength within.
Be of courage, and trust your Lord.
All sufficient He is for all your needs.
Opposition and apathy:
Holy Spirit will set us free!
We can be overcomers in our faith
In our Lord, and our Savior, King.
Don’t be troubled by God’s timing.
He has ev’rything in His command.
Hasten to obey His commands fully,
Trusting Him to work all for good.
Not by might nor by human strength,
But by God’s power; strength within;
My dependency now on His working
His will in me in righteousness.
http://youtu.be/bX2houWB_HE
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