Verse 9 today is at the heart of this prophecy. Haggai tells us that the temple that is to be built will be even greater than the first temple that was built. That’s hard for the people to understand because Solmon’s temple was so great. But it is right; the temple that was built was even great. And we know, of course, that the greatest temple of all is the glorious Body of Christ. As Christians, we are optimists. We know that God is always doing something. As much as we love and love and love to mythologize the past, God has something even better in store. Let’s rejoice in what God is doing, and let’s do our part to be a part!

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Good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Monday morning. Today, we’re continuing our study of the minor prophets, focusing on Haggai. I want to start by making a quick correction. I recently learned that I’ve been pronouncing the book of Haggai wrong. It’s pronounced “Haggai,” not “Haggai.” Thanks for the correction, and please feel free to let me know anytime I make a mistake.

I believe the key verse in all of Haggai is verse 9: “The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former,” says the Lord of hosts. This is a significant promise given the context.

After the Babylonian attack, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed. When the Jews returned from exile, they began rebuilding the temple on the ruins of the former one. For those who had seen the original temple, the new construction must have seemed insignificant in comparison. But God’s promise through Haggai was that the future glory of the temple would surpass its former glory. This prophecy was fulfilled in multiple ways:

1. Historical Fulfillment: The rebuilt temple in Jesus’ day was indeed more magnificent than Solomon’s temple.
2. Spiritual Fulfillment: As Brian Zahnd points out, the ultimate glory of the temple is not found in the physical structure but in the body of Christ—the church. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence dwells within us.

The idea that the latter splendor of the temple will be greater than the former speaks to more than just a physical building. It points to the spiritual reality that God’s ultimate plan is to dwell among His people. Revelation 21:3 says, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” This final fulfillment will be in the New Jerusalem, where God will live among us, and there will be no more tears or sorrow.

It’s easy to romanticize the past and believe that the best days are behind us. In sports, we might think no players will ever match the legends of our youth. In our spiritual lives, we might think the church’s best days are in the past. But God is always doing new things. We should be optimistic about the future, knowing that God’s glory and work in our lives and communities can surpass what we’ve experienced before.

Just as the people were encouraged to take courage and work because God was with them, we should also be encouraged to build our spiritual community. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence among us means we have a future filled with hope and glory.

Let’s treasure our memories and the good times of the past, but let’s also look forward to the amazing things God has in store for us. The latter splendor of God’s house—the church—will be greater than the former. God’s work is not finished; there is still much to be done. Let’s remain hopeful and faithful, trusting that the future holds even greater things.

Thank you for joining me in Haggai today. We’ll continue tomorrow with verse 10. Have a great rest of your day, and I’ll see you in the morning.