The glory of the Second Temple shall be Greater than the First

The Prophet Haggai brings one of the great and most unbelievable prophesies of the Old Testament. In this prophecy, the LORD of hosts declares that the glory of the latter temple shall be greater than that of the former temple. This may not seem not some great or unbelievable claim except I need to tell you about the former temple (called Temple of Solomon) and the latter temple (called Herod's Temple).

The former or the first temple was constructed by King Solomon. He had some 183,000 men working on the temple. He used some 1,000,000 talents of silver and some 100,000 talents of gold, each talent weighing about 75 pounds each. This means that the first temple of the LORD contained some 200 billion dollars worth of silver and gold. Just so you can rap your mind around this super expensive glorious house of the Lord. 200 billion dollars is enough money to construct the "Burj Dubai" the largest building in the world 50 times.

No wonder this temple built by Solomon was called the "Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World". Now that you have some understanding of the cost and expense of the first temple, not to mention all the temple instruments made of silver and gold including the Ark of the Covenant. God Himself dwelt in this first temple and His glory filled this temple. Let's now take a look at the second or latter temple.

The second or latter temple constructed after the return from excile in Babylon had no Ark of the Covenant. It is said in the Talmud that daily miracles ceased in the second temple. There was not 183,000 workers to rebuild this second temple. In fact Ezra records that only 56,000 Jews returned from Babylon. They did not have all the Silver and Gold which David had saved up and given to his son Solomon to build the first temple. This second temple was so unimpresive that Herod spent 46 years remodeling and giving a face lift to this second temple, hence the name given to this second temple, Herod's Temple. So the question has to be is, "How is the glory of this latter or second temple greater than the first?"

Let's read the passage then answer this question;
"For thus saith the LORD 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; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts... The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts" (Haggai 2:6-7, 9).

First Haggai prophesies that in a little while, the LORD is going to shake things up, in heaven and on the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. God is going to shake all the nations, because the desire of all the nations is coming. What is the desire of all the nations? The desire is none other than the Messiah, a savior of all people and all nations. The desire of all the nations is the Word of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The LORD says, "I will fill this house with glory".

This is exactly what John records in his gospel, "And the Word was made flesh (made into a temple of flesh), and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). This latter temple whose glory that would be greater than the temple built by Solomon was none other than a temple of flesh concieved in a womb of a virgin.

Jesus confirms this himself when challenged by what authority He does the things that He does. They challenged Jesus to show them a sign. "Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Destroy this temple; and in three days I will raise it up.' Then said the Jews, 'It took Forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body" (John 2:19-21).

This latter or second temple was the body of Christ. Jesus was speaking of Himself being that temple of God. The writer of Colossians writes that it pleased the Father that all the fulness of God dwelt in Him. (1:19) Daily miracles returned in this second temple. Peter tells us that even the very blood of Jesus was of more value than the 200 billion dollars worth of silver and gold writing; "Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The glory of the latter temple turned out to be greater than the first temple, as we have beheld the glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John records that when Jesus was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said that He would "raise this temple in three days" and "they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken" (John 2:22).

What Scripture did they believe? Haggai 2:9 which says, that the glory of the latter temple would be greater than the glory of the former temple.