The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-09-07
ENCOURAGING THE BUILDERS.
for September 10, 1S0O-Text, Haw-
gal 2,1-O-Memory Verses 4, 8.


for I am with you.-Hag. 81.
READ the Book Of Haggai and Isaiah CO.
LIGHT FROM OTHER SCRIPTURES
The History.-Ezra, Chaps 4-6 Prophecy.
Compare Isa. go; Dan. 7:27; Mic. Al, 2; the
whole Of Zech.; Nal l III. Encouragements.
-Psa. ~; Isa. 2:2-4; s:6, Z; ni-i1: H:lS-N;
Ezek. 36:25-2S.
TIME.-This prophecy was delivered on
the 21st of the seventh month (September-
October), b. C. $40, Is years after the laying
Of the temple foundations.
EXPLANATORY.
/. The Prophet Inspiring Courage
and Hope.-Vs. 10. This prophecy was
uttered seven weeks after the first one,
nearly a month after work had COM
menced on the temple. Its object was
to remove the hindrances in the minds
of the people and to encourage them to
persevere in the good work. They were
poor and weak; all they could do would
not make the present equal to the past;
enemies were many and strong EZRA
5:3-1T; the work was vast and hope
less; they would impoverish themselves
by undertaking such an Herculean task.
Haggai's reply was:
First. God is with you. v. l. "1n the
seventh MONTH" Tisri, October. "In
the one and twentieth day." The
seventh day of the feast of tabernacJes
Uev. 23:33-36). V. 3. "Who is left
among you:" 1t was &c years since
oolomon's temple was destroyed, and
there might well be not a few who had
seen it. Saw this house:" The tenn.
pie was ever regarded as one and the
same temple, however many times it
was rebuilt or restored. ''ln her first
glory" AS Solomon built it, with mar
BILE and gold and gems from all over
the world. THE Holy of Holes was
empty. The ark, the cherubs, the tables
of stone, the vase of mama, the rod of
Aaron, were gone. The golden shields
had vanished" "and the high priests
breastplate, with the oracular stones"
Cambridge Bible. rs it not in
comparison Of it as nothing:" (See Ezra
3:12, 49, V. 4. Yet now be strong:"
There are other things besides these
that you see with your bodily eyes. II
am with you, saith the LORD" Je-
hovah, as always when printed in capt.
tails. "Of hosts:" Organized armies
and companies, not only of angels and
the forces of Heaven, but of all the
powers and forces of nature, which are
organized to do His will.
Second. He is the same God now that
He has been in the past. His covenant
made centuries before was still in force
V. S. Omit according to-" "Iam with
you" ". 4) is 1.-The word that covenant
ed with you when ye came out of
Egypt" (Ex. 1888, G; 29:45, 46; 34:1o,
I'D Gods covenant with Israel, when
the people came out of Egypt, was this,
that they should be His people, and He
would be their God. $50 my spirit re-
among you:" He had wrought
wonders for their fathers in deliverance
from Egypt, from the Red sea, from
numberless dangers. He had just
wrought a wonderful return for these
His later people. He had punished and
those who disobeyed in the
early ages; He had done the same in
The exile. He had restored and blessed
the penitent in former times; SO now.
Third. He controls the nations and
will compel them to aid in building the
new kingdom. V. 6. Yet once, it is a
little while:" Yet once, again, in a lit
tie while. In their past history God had
shaken the nations many times. II will
shake the heavens:" The invisible
spiritual powers, the ideas, thoughts,
olans, which control the earth. V. Z.
And the desire of all nations shall
,ome:" r. ", the desirable things of
Ill nations, the objects which the ma
tons most desire, their choicest treas
lres. Thus Isaiah writes: The abun-
lance of the sea shall be converted into
thee, the forces ii. e., resources" or
wealth." it is as here a singular
1oun with plural verb) of the Gen
lies shall come unto thee;" and he adds
n almost verbal accordance with with !
his prophecy of Haggai: They shall
BRING gold and incense and L will glor-
fy the house Of my glory Gsa. 6O:5-7,
II, 13, II. See also s1:6)."-Perowne.
Fourth. v. 8. "The silver is mine, and |
he gold is mine:" He created it, and
lie controls it, and compels it to work |
or the furtherance of His kingdom.
AAeh' "A NAoiiouS IioLlllSc.-Ns D.
The glory of this latter house shall be |
greater than of the former:" Better
S r. v, the latter glory of this house
hall be greater than the former, the |
house" being regarded as the same
louse from Solomon's time till Herod's,
md the spiritual temple which grew
tut from it. More of the wealth of the |
world should come to it; but chiefly |
vas this promise fulfilled in the pres
nee of Christ, in the birth of the new
lispensation, in the abiding of the spirit |
# God.
"And in this place will give peace:"
The house of God was preserved invio-
ate during the terrible conflict be- |
ween the Persian and the Greek en-
'ires. There was a larger fulfllment |
n the coming of the Prince of Peace,
ringing peace to the heart, peace with
iod, peace with man, peace within each
oul; and also bringing peace on the
arth, whose rays, now shining on the
mountain tops, are beginning to de-
cend into the plains and valleys. Peace |