Greater Glory

“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the LORD Almighty.

Haggai 2:9

Ah, glory! Today we talk about greater glory, after tackling the disappointment of this new temple.

In particular, the Israelites who had seen the original temple of Solomon in its former glory wept: “‘Does it not seem to you like nothing?...Be strong!...Be strong!...Be strong!’” says the LORD. “‘For I am with you’” (Haggai 2:3-4). Don’t give up! Keep on with the work! What a word of encouragement. Not only did Haggai say God is with you, but His Spirit “‘remains among you. Do not fear’” (2:5). We all need to hang on to that truth in trouble!

Haggai then goes on to say that God always has all the resources at His beck and call (2:6-8) to do whatever He determines to do. But is it the resources, the gold and silver, that bring glory to the temple? No, it was the presence of the Almighty that brought glory to Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). It will be the presence of the LORD in this house as well.   

And glory entered into life and the temple some 500 years later in the person of Jesus. But commentators in general agree with Matthew Henry that the greater glory in Haggai 2:9 is even further into the future.*

The buds on the camelia outside my window survived the January frost again this year—a hint of full blossoms to come. During frosty troubles we too long for perfect days to bloom. “Somewhere deep within each of us is a desire, a longing for a world very different from our own. …The stunning beauty of a sunset, the awe of starry heavens, a deeply moving story or poem, can arouse within us for a brief moment an awareness and desire for our true home.”**

And so we learn to be content, now, with the hint of that real glory: the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints—the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27).   

Nancy P

*blueletterbible.com, online commentary

**C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, New York: Macmillan and Co., 1966, p.4-5.

All Scripture quotations are from the NIV Translation 1973, 1978, 1984, unless otherwise noted