Haggai 2:6 – And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come:
and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Over the years this has become one of my favorite prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ. Many modern scholars have missed the significance of this prophesy possibly because of the double meaning carried in this passage. Haggai is describing a last day restoration of the land of Israel including the temple of the Lord. Many miss the second message within this prophesy which describes the Messiah as the Desire of all nations. One of their misunderstandings is they say something like the nations don’t have a desire or attraction to the Lord so this must not be about Him or this passage is just about natural treasures even though the word desire is used in the original language. Of course we know that the desire for God is the work of the Holy Spirit. The nations of the world are turning to the Lord and their desire is for Him. Jesus is the treasure all of our hearts have always longed for, we just did not know it until Jesus came into our lives. Here is how Augustine describes this prophesy.
“Haggai has the following brief but clear prophecy of Christ and the church: “For thus says the Lord of hosts: yet one little while, and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea and the dry land. And I will move all the nations, and the desired of all nations shall come.” It is obvious that this prediction is, in part, already fulfilled; the rest we may confidently expect at the end of the world. Surely God set the heavens rocking when angels and a star stood as witnesses to the birth of Christ; surely too he moved the earth when he performed the tremendous miracle of giving Christ a virgin birth. Surely he moved the sea and the dry land when he made Christ’s name known throughout the whole world, on island and on mainland. For the rest, we ourselves are witnesses of the fact that all nations are being moved to accept the faith. The last part of the text, “and the desired of all nations shall come,” refers to Christ’s second coming. For before the whole world can await him and desire his coming, it just first believes in him and loves him.”
The birth of Christ began the fulfillment of this prophesy, the Desire of all nations was born in Bethlehem. His life and ministry shook the nations as His death and resurrection was preached throughout the world. Today His message is still shaking the nations as multitudes are turning to Christ. He is building His true temple, the body of Christ, all across the world. Haggai went on to say, “I will fill this temple with glory”. The Lord is planning to shake the earth one last time before He returns, I believe His glory will shake the foundations of our world in this last generation.
