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The 7th day of Tabernacles

Today is the seventh day of the feast of Tabernacles, the 21^st day of the 7^th month on the Hebrew calendar. There is only one biblical prophecy that specifically is associated with this day. It is in Haggai 2:1-9. Verses 1-4 read,

¹ On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, ² Speak 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, ³ Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? ⁴ But now take courage, Zerubbabel, declares the Lord, take courage also, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage, declares the Lord, and work; for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts.

I suspect that the prophet was expecting to see the glory of God come down and fill the second temple, which, by now, had been finished. I imagine he was disappointed when this failed to materialize—unless, of course, he understood Jeremiah’s prophecy that the temple site in Jerusalem, had been forsaken as Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:14). When the glory of God left Shiloh, Eli’s grandson Ichabod was born. Ichabod means “the glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:21).

The glory of God never returned to Shiloh, but instead, the Ark was taken to various places until David finally took it to Jerusalem. When Solomon built the temple, the glory came to Jerusalem on the eighth day of Tabernacles. But when God forsook that place, as the prophet saw in Ezekiel 11:23, the glory did not return to the second temple that was built in the days of Haggai.

Centuries later, the glory of God came down at Pentecost, but not at the temple site. It came upon the 120 disciples in the upper room. But Pentecost is not Tabernacles. Hence, there is still more prophecy to be fulfilled (in our day, I believe).

Jesus prophesied this in John 7:37, 38, 39 on “the last day, the great day of the feast” (of Tabernacles). The timing of a revelation always has something to do with its fulfillment.

So the prophet Haggai gave the people the word of the Lord, admonishing them not to be discouraged. They had been obedient in building the second temple, but it was nothing in comparison to Solomon’s temple. Likewise, they should not be discouraged when the glory of God failed to come down upon that temple. God had a greater plan, a greater temple to build, made of living stones and founded upon Jesus Christ. Hence, the promise was delayed.

Haggai 2:5 continues the prophecy,

⁵ As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!

God has made many promises. Which promise was this? It is non-specific, so we can assume that it includes all of the promises in one. God led them out of Egypt in order to bring them into the Promised Land. On the way, they stopped at Mount Horeb, where the feast of Pentecost was instituted on the day that the glory (fire) came down and shook the Mount. Pentecost was part of the promise. Jesus said in Luke 24:49,

⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

He was referring to the coming of the Spirit just ten days after His ascension. So we can also say that the promise of God to the Israelites under Moses included the outpouring of the Spirit at the original Pentecost at Mount Horeb. The difference is that the people under Moses were too afraid to approach God and to hear His voice (Exodus 20:19). Jesus’ disciples overcame that fear.

Haggai 2:6, 7 continues,

⁶ For thus says the Lord of hosts, “Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of hosts.

This word was spoken by Jehovah Sabbaoth, “the Lord of hosts,” in His position as the Lord and Commander of the heavenly army. It implies that this shaking describes spiritual warfare. In other words, “the wealth of all nations” comes only through spiritual warfare, which will “shake the heavens and the earth.”

The word to Haggai drew from the scene at Mount Horeb, which “quaked violently” (Exodus 19:18). But Horeb was only a type and shadow of greater things to come. Hebrews 12:26-28 KJV brings us up to date, telling us that the new Mount that we are ascending is Mount Sion, where Jesus was transfigured and declared to be the Son of God (Matthew 17:5). Mount Sion is Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 4:48) overlooking Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13), the New Testament name for the old city of Dan.

For this reason, we no longer look to the earthly Jerusalem but to the heavenly Jerusalem. We are no longer sitting with authority in Zion, but Sion, the place of Sonship. Neither does the wealth transfer come by honoring Jerusalem (“Hagar,” Galatians 4:25) but through the heavenly Jerusalem (“Sarah”), which Mount Sion represents under the New Covenant.

The word to Haggai makes a connection between the glory coming to the temple and the wealth of all nations, which presumably also comes to the temple. The glory is from heaven, while the wealth is from the earthly nations. This pictures the temple as God’s Treasury, and, of course, the temple itself is constructed of living stones—people.

The Treasury is described prophetically in Isaiah 22 in terms of the key of David, which has both spiritual and financial applications. There are corrupt stewards (“Shebna”) and faithful stewards (“Eliakim”), and at some point in time God will issue His official ruling as to which steward is authorized to possess the key of David. Eliakim represents Christ Himself at the top, but there is also a body of people, faithful stewards, united with the Chief Steward, whom God is calling to that position. I believe He is now determining that body of people and that a point will come when He will issue a formal ruling in the heavenly court.

Haggai 2:8, 9 concludes,

⁸ “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,” declares the Lord of hosts. ⁹ The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,” says the Lord of hosts, “and in this place I will give peace,” declares the Lord of hosts.

No doubt this silver and gold is equated with the wealth of nations. Because God is the Creator of gold and silver, He is declaring eminent domain over this wealth. He does not claim paper currencies, because these are manmade constructs. What is interesting is that He speaks of silver and gold as being linked the “the latter glory of this house.” The word picture is of Solomon’s temple, which was made with much gold, picturing the divine nature.

Where was the royal Treasury located? No doubt it was in the temple itself, for this was common practice even in other religious temples. So also the Romans in 70 A.D. took Jerusalem and entered the Most Holy Place looking for temple treasure. They were disappointed, of course, for that room was a dark empty room with a “foundation stone” where the Ark should have stood, had it been in that temple.

Haggai’s prophecy on the seventh day of Tabernacles is being fulfilled in our time, though much of it is yet hidden from the general public. Nonetheless, God is shaking heaven and earth, as there is a great battle taking place, not only in the heavens but also in the earth, specifically in South Africa.

There are three court cases coming to a head tonight and tomorrow, which will determine the future of the earth. These court cases were unleashed by the event on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, September 25, 2023, when God hardened the heart of “Pharaoh” in order to destroy him utterly at the “Red Sea.”

Pray that Haggai’s prophecy will be fulfilled now.