Haggai 2:23 - Prayer Tents

The Builders Encouraged

2IN THE seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, in the second year of Darius king [of Persia], came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,H7637H259H6242H2320H1697H3068H3027H5030H2292H559

2Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remainder of the people, saying,H559H2216H1121H7597H6346H3063H3091H1121H3087H1419H3548H7611H5971H559

3Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is not this in your sight as nothing in comparison to that?H7604H7200H1004H7223H3519H7200H5869H3644

4Yet now be strong, alert, {and} courageous, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; be strong, alert, {and} courageous, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, alert, {and} courageous, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.H2388H2216H5002H3068H2388H3091H1121H3087H1419H3548H2388H5971H776H5002H3068H6213H5002H3068H6635

5According to the promise that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit stands {and} abides in the midst of you; fear not.H1697H3772H3318H4714H7307H5975H8432H3372

6For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake {and} make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;H559H3068H6635H259H4592H7493H8064H776H3220H2724

7And I will shake all nations and the desire {and} the precious things of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts.H7493H1471H2532H1471H935H4390H1004H3519H559H3068H6635

8The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.H3701H2091H5002H3068H6635

9The latter glory of this house [with its successor, to which Jesus came] shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace {and} prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.H3519H314H1004H1419H7223H5002H3068H6635H4725H5414H7965H559H3068H6635

10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,H702H6242H8671H8147H8141H1867H1697H3068H3027H2292H5030H559

11Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask now the priests to decide this question of law:H559H3068H6635H7592H3548H8451H559

12If one carries in the skirt of his garment flesh that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God], and with his skirt {or} the flaps of his garment he touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does what he touches become holy [dedicated to God's service exclusively]? And the priests answered, No! [Holiness is not infectious.]H376H5375H6944H1320H3671H899H3671H5060H3899H5138H3196H8081H3978H6942H3548H6030H559

13Then said Haggai, If one who is [ceremonially] unclean because he has come in contact with a dead body should touch any of these articles of food, shall it be [ceremonially] unclean? And the priests answered, It shall be unclean. [Unholiness is infectious.]H559H2292H2931H5315H5060H2930H3548H6030H559H2930

14Then answered Haggai, So is this people and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord; and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there [on the altar] is unclean [because they who offer it are themselves unclean].H6030H2292H559H5971H1471H6440H5002H3068H4639H3027H7126H2931

15And now, I pray you, consider what will happen from this day onward. Since the time before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, how have you fared?H7760H3824H3117H4605H2962H68H7760H68H1964H3068

16Through all that time [the harvests have not fulfilled expectations, for] when one has gone expecting to find a heap [of sheaves] of twenty measures, there were but ten; when he has gone to the wine vat to draw out fifty bucketfuls from the press, there were only twenty.H935H6194H6242H6235H935H3342H2834H2572H6333H6242

17I smote you with blight and with mildew and with hail in all [the products of] the labors of your hands; yet you returned not {nor} were converted to Me, says the Lord.H5221H7711H3420H1259H4639H3027H5002H3068

18Consider, I pray you, from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was [re]laid, consider this:H7760H3824H3117H4605H702H6242H3117H8671H3117H3245H3068H1964H7760H3824

19Is the harvested grain any longer in the barn? As to the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree--they have not yet borne. From this day on I will bless you.H2233H4035H1612H8384H7416H2132H6086H5375H3117H1288

20And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth {day} of the month, saying,H8145H1697H3068H2292H702H6242H2320H559

21Speak to Zerubbabel [the representative of the Davidic monarchy and covenant and in direct line of the ancestry of Jesus Christ] governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;H559H2216H6346H3063H559H7493H8064H776

22And I will [in the distant future] overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the [ungodly] nations, and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.H2015H3678H4467H8045H2392H4467H1471H2015H4818H7392H5483H7392H3381H376H2719H251

23In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you [through the Messiah, your descendant] {My} signet ring; for I have chosen you [as the one with whom to renew My covenant to David's line], says the Lord of hosts.H3117H5002H3068H6635H3947H2216H5650H1121H7597H5002H3068H7760H2368H977H5002H3068H6635