REBUILDING IN TROUBLESOME TIMES
[prophecy]
"Shall you not warn my people, says the Lord? For a sword [is coming] on the land. Yes, and a terrible scourge is
on its way. Even now it comes while the people are
unconcerned about my ways and seek to walk in the
stubbornness of their own heart. Yes, I say, is it not time for
the Lord to judge the earth and not pass it by any more?
(Amos 7:8). I say, the time has come and judgment comes
swiftly; it is coming! Oh my people, prepare, for
it is even now at the doors. Your time is short. Oh that you would redeem the time and make
your preparation! (Ephes.
5:14-18). For the Lord God of the whole earth arises to
bring judgment, and to purge and cleanse the
earth.
"Is it time, says God, to build your own houses and to consume
yourself on your own pleasures, and yet
consider not that my house lies [in ruins]? Where are those who
will abandon their own pursuits and turn from their
folly and give themselves to me? For my house shall be
built. My people shall come forth and return to
Zion with everlasting
joy and singing; for that which has lain [in ruins] shall be built. It
shall be built in a time of trouble and in a time of
great lamentation for the inhabitants of the world. But
my people shall be joyful even in the midst of
tribulation. For the power of their God shall be on them. And the joy of their
God shall uphold them. Yes, even in a time of great
tribulation shall my house be built. For I will have a
glorious house in these last days, says the Lord. And the glory of
this latter house shall outshine the glory of the
former, says the Lord. For in a time of
grief will my people arise to build that which has been
torn down—that which has been destroyed by the hand of
the enemy—because my people have turned from me to their
own ways, and have not sought me after my due order. [Do you think] that I have not
revealed in my word that which I desire for my house? Am
I not the master builder, and have I not laid down the
plans for that which I will build? Why then do you seek to build with your own plans and your own ideas, when my plan is
given to you? Have I not said that you shall search and seek out
that which I have given in my Word? Why will you then not seek that you might find, and ask that you might receive, and truly I
will give you instructions on how to
build my house. I say, that which you build must be
built according to my plan and purpose or it shall
surely fall, says the Lord." (end of
prophecy).
[commentary]
The Lord is not speaking about some
house or building of wood and stone, but rather of the
spiritual "house" (temple) of God. Even as Peter says:
"You also, as living stones, are built up a
spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ." (I Peter 2:5). In Hebrews 3:6 we read: "But
Christ as a son over his own house; whose house we are,
if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of
the hope firm to the end." Paul says in
Ephes. 2:20-22, that we are "built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief corner stone: In whom all the building [being joined] together grows into a holy temple in the Lord: In
whom you also are built together for [a dwelling place] of God
through the Spirit."
But men have neglected the true
house (temple) of God and have sought to build their own
"houses" (denominations, organizations, groups, etc.). A
picture of this is seen in the writings of Haggai the
prophet. Haggai was one of the prophets God used to
stir up the people to finish rebuilding the house (temple)
of God after the return from the Babylonian captivity.
The people had begun to build, but because of opposition
from without and difficulties within, the work had ceased. The house of God was
then neglected for about sixteen years, during
which time the people turned to their own pursuits,
became interested in building their own houses, and
letting the house of God remain in an unfinished state
of ["ruin."] At this time God raised
up Haggai to admonish the people to once again build the
house of God.
[prophecy]
"Oh my people, will you not build my house? Can I
alone do that which I have decreed shall be done by my
chosen servants, even those whom I have ordained to
build it in this day? Where are those who will come
forth to declare the Word of the Lord in this hour? For
my house must be built. The scripture must be fulfilled.
Think not that one jot or tittle shall pass away which I
have spoken to be fulfilled in this age. For did I not
say that my church would be built? (Matt. 16:18). And
can I return to my temple when that temple lies in
ruins? I say to you, you must be built together according to my will
and purpose, even for a holy dwelling place for my spirit,
and for an instrument of my glory in this day. Why, oh
why, will not my people build according to my plan and
my way, says the Lord?" (end of
prophecy).
[lesson from
Haggai]
Let's listen to the admonition of
Haggai the prophet, for truly his words are appropriate
and relevant to the conditions which we find today.
"Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet,
saying. Is it time for you [yourselves] to dwell in your paneled houses, and this house
(temple) Iie [in ruins]? Now therefore thus
says the Lord of Hosts;
Consider your ways. You have sown much, and bring
in little; you eat, but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not fllled with drink;
you clothe yourselves, but there is [no one is] warm; and he that
earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag
with holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts;
Consider your ways ... You looked for much, and, lo,
it came to little; and when you brought home, I [blew] on it. Why? says the Lord of hosts., Because of my house that is [in ruins], and [every one
of
you
runs] to
his own house. Therefore the heaven
over you [withholds the] dew, and the
earth [withholds] her fruit." (Haggai
1:1-10).
Yes people, we need to consider our ways, and realize that our ways
are not His ways, and that our ways are an abomination
to Him. Our failure to build
the true spiritual house (temple) of God has resulted in
consequences similar to those described by Haggai,
except to us they are primarily spiritual rather than
physical. And what are these
consequences? We have "sown much" with all of our
multiplied efforts, campaigns, drives, programs,
publicity, spending of time and money with all the
modern media at our disposal, yet we have "brought in
little." And much that has been brought in has been put
into a bag with holes in it. In other words, it has not
lasted. God has "blown" on it with His testings and
provings and it has been scattered. We have looked for
much and it came to little. WHY, yes WHY?" Because of
my house that is [in ruins], and [every one of you runs] to his own house." Yes,
every man is interested in building up his own
denomination, organization or group, and the true spiritual temple of God
is not built.
How divisive and sectarian have
been our ways! How selfish have been our motives! How
much we have sought to build for ourselves that we might
boast in that which we have done! How we have [ ]
“paneled" our own organizations while the house that the
Lord wants to build lies neglected. When will we
awaken and come to repentance? When will we quit trying
to do something for God, and just be obedient
vessels to be built together in that true
spiritual house which He is erecting. Yes, we need to consider
our ways!
We see a further consequence in the
words of Haggai: "Therefore the heaven over you [withholds the] dew (the
"latter rain" is withheld), and the earth [withholds] her fruit" (the
"harvest" of this age is delayed). (Haggai 1:10). We
need to understand that the present move of the Spirit
of God in all denominations is NOT the "latter rain"
promised in God's Word. The "latter rain" will far
exceed anything we see now. The present move of the
Spirit is a preliminary move of God to STIR UP the
people of God and cause them to SEE that which God wants
concerning His true temple, and to call out a "remnant"
in preparation for the
"latter rain." For we read that "the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel
.... and the spirit of Joshua . . . and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they
came (out of their own houses) and did work in the house
of the Lord of hosts, their God." (Haggai 1:14). We have
been "stirred up" by God's moving in our midst. NOW is
the time to have our eyes opened to SEE God's plan for
His house (church) and begin to BUILD according to
His pattern.
When we see what seems to be such
an insignificantly small group today who understand this
vision of an end-time church filled with the glory and
power of God, we may feel much like those to whom Haggai
spoke these words: "Who is left among you that saw this
house in her first glory? and how do you see it now? Is it now in
your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? (Haggai 2:3).
The temple which they saw being rebuilt didn't seem like
much compared to the glory of Solomon's temple
which had been destroyed, and which some of them
remembered. Even so that which we see today doesn't seem
like very much in comparison with what we read about in
the book of Acts concerning the glory and power of the
early church. But hear the words of Haggai: "Yet now be
strong, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; and be strong, O
Joshua . . . and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work: for I
am with you, says the Lord of hosts . . . my
spirit remains among you: fear [ ] not . . .
and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts . . . The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts." (Hag.
2:3-9).
[Solomon's
temple vs. Zerubbabel's temple: type of the early vs.
latter day church]
In TYPE, Solomon's temple
represents the "former house" or church of the first
century, which was "filled with glory" on the day of
Pentecost. Just as there were 120 disciples gathered in
the upper room on the day of Pentecost, so in the type
there were "a hundred and twenty priests
sounding with trumpet," at the dedication of Solomon's
temple (II Chron. 5:12). As they were in one place and
in one accord on the day of Pentecost,
so in the TYPE we read, "It came to pass, as the
trumpeter and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising
and thanking the Lord . . . that then the house was
filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that
the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the
cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of
God." (II Chron. 5:13-14). Even so, on the day of
Pentecost, the "glory of God" (the Holy Spirit)
"filled" the house (people) of the Lord gathered in the
upper room.
If Solomon's temple, as the "former
house," is a type of the
early church, then certainly Zerubbabel's temple, the
"latter house" of which Haggai spoke, is a TYPE of the church of these last days, which will be filled with
greater glory than the "former" or
early church. Yes, we can expect more of
the "glory" and "power" of God in these last days than
has ever been manifest before.
According to Haggai, this "glory"
is to be manifest at a time when the Lord will be
"shaking" all things. "And I will shake all nations, and
the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill
this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts."
(Haggai 2:7). This "shaking" process is now going on and
will grow in intensity until we see the fulfillment of
Hebrews 12:26-28, "Yet once more I shake not the
earth only but also heaven. And this word, Yet once
more, signifies the removing of those things
that may be shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we
receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear: For our God is a
consuming fire." God is "shaking" the religious
"heavens," the political "heavens," the financial
"heavens." He is shaking all the earth (organizations
and systems of man); and all of these "rumblings" are
the prelude to the great "earthquake" (Rev. 6:12, 11:13)
which shall see the complete collapse of all that "can
be shaken." Even so our God is now arising to "shake
terribly the earth." (Isa. 1:19-21).
NOW is the time to heed the voice
of the "Haggals" that the Lord is raising up to trumpet
this call for a "remnant" to REBUILD the house of the
Lord in these troublesome times. In the prophecy at the
beginning of this article, the Lord said that His house
(church) would be RE-built during a time of difficulty
and tribulation. A pattern of this is seen in the
difficulties encountered by the "remnant" which returned
out of
Babylon
to rebuild the
house of the Lord. There were many internal obstacles to
overcome, as well as tremendous opposition from
surrounding peoples. Read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah
for the details. Even so, according to this pattern, the
latter-day house (church) is going to be REBUILT during
times of extreme difficulty. We are now in the very
inception of this rebuilding.
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