1In the seventh month , in the one and twentieth day of the month , came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet , saying , 2Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel , governor of Judah , and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak , the high priest , and to the remnant of the people , saying, 3Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory ? and how do ye see it now ? is it not in your eyes as nothing ? 4Yet now be strong , O Zerubbabel , saith Jehovah ; and be strong , O Joshua , son of Jehozadak , the high priest ; and be strong , all ye people of the land, saith Jehovah , and work : for I am with you , saith Jehovah of hosts , 5according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt , and my Spirit abode among you : fear ye not . 6For thus saith Jehovah of hosts : Yet once , it is a little while , and I will shake the heavens , and the earth , and the sea , and the dry land ; 7and I will shake all nations ; and the precious things of all nations shall come ; and I will fill this house with glory , saith Jehovah of hosts . 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts . 9The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former , saith Jehovah of hosts ; and in this place will I give peace , saith Jehovah of hosts .
The Promise of Future Glory
10In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month , in the second year of Darius , came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet , saying , 11Thus saith Jehovah of hosts : Ask now the priests concerning the law , saying, 12If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment , and with his skirt do touch bread , or pottage , or wine , or oil , or any food , shall it become holy ? And the priests answered and said , No . 13Then said Haggai , If one that is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these , shall it be unclean ? And the priests answered and said , It shall be unclean . 14Then answered Haggai and said , So is this people , and so is this nation before me , saith Jehovah ; and so is every work of their hands ; and that which they offer there is unclean . 15And now , I pray you , consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah . 16Through all that time , when one came to a heap of twenty measures , there were but ten ; when one came to the winevat to draw out fifty vessels , there were but twenty . 17I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the work of your hands ; yet ye turned not to me , saith Jehovah . 18Consider , I pray you , from this day and backward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month , since the day that the foundation of Jehovah ’s temple was laid , consider it . 19Is the seed yet in the barn ? yea, the vine , and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate , and the olive-tree have not brought forth ; from this day will I bless you .
The Significance of Holiness
20And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month , saying , 21Speak to Zerubbabel , governor of Judah , saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth ; 22and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms ; and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations ; and I will overthrow the chariots , and those that ride in them ; and the horses and their riders shall come down , every one by the sword of his brother. 23In that day , saith Jehovah of hosts , will I take thee , O Zerubbabel , my servant , the son of Shealtiel , saith Jehovah , and will make thee as a signet ; for I have chosen thee , saith Jehovah of hosts .