The Pulpit Commentary — Haggai — Section 22

which Wits shown by the, revclntinns mnde of heathon nations; e.fl. Isn. ii. 11, eto. : t.o the prophets, 11s 1-foggni 1tnd ZrchariRh, xix. 21, 22; Dau. ii. 44; l\Ticah v. 9, etc. nnd whirh exhibits itself in his providenti1tl Ver. 7.-All nations (Luke xxi. 25, ordering of events, the removal of obstacles, where our Lord refers to the end of this the fnrth0ring of the good work. Words- world). But before Christ'• first ndvent worth nntes th1tt " Christ was with the there was a genernl sbakin~ of empires, ancient Church in the wilderness (sec I Oor. Persie. fell: Alexander's dominion waa x. 9; Heb. xi. 26); e.nd now, when the divided and gradually shattered before the eternal Word became inoe.rnate, and when might of Rome; Rome herself wns torn with the Holy Spirit we.s sent to be in the mid.st oivil wars. The faith in the power of of God's faithful people, then this prophecy national gods was everywhere weakened, was fulfilled." Fear ye not. " If God be and men were prepared to receive the new for us, who ce.n be against us?" (Rom. viii. revelation of one Supreme Deity, who ce.me 31; and comp. Zech. iv. 6). on earth to tee.oh and save. Now is men- Vere. 6-9,--§ 2. The prophet, to reconcik tioned the objeot or consequence of this shaking of nations. The desire of e.ll tJae peopk to th~ new templ,e, and to teach them nationa she.ll come. This ia the render- to ,,alue it highly, foretells a _ftJ,ture time, ing of the ancient Jewish expositors, the u,lien the glory of this hoUBe shall far ~- Ohaldee Te.Tgum, and the Vulgate, whioh ceed that of Solomon's, adtJ,mbrating the gives, Veniet desideratw cunctis gentibw. 'l'he words in this case point to e. person, M6B8ia"ic era. and this person can be no one else the.n the Ver. 6.-Yet onoe, it is a little while; fr, Messiah, for whom "all nations consoiously /i,r<l{ (Septuagint); .AdhtJ,C untJ,m modicum or unconsciously yeam, in whom alone all eat (Vulgate), The writer of the Epistle to the longings of the human heart find satiss the Hebrews (xii 26, 27) quotes and founds fe.otion" (Perowne). But there is difficulty e.n argument on this rendering of the LXX. in accepting this view. The word rendered The expression is eqtrive.lent to" once again ••the desire" (chemdath) is singular, the verb within a little time." I will shake, etc. "she.11 oome " (bafJ,) is plural, as if it was Some diff"erence of opinion exists as to the said in Lo.tin, Venient desideritJ,m omnium events here ndumbrated. All, however, gentium. The LXX. transle.tes, "H~•• .,.a agree in seeing an allusion to the promulga- i1t>..<1tTb. ,..,h,.,...,v .,.,;;v i8vwv, "The choice things tion of the Law on Mount Sinai, which was [ or, •portions'] of all the nations shall come." accompanied with certain great physical The plural verb seems fatal to the idea. of a commotians.(see Exod. xix. 16; Ps. lxviii 7, person being spoken of: nor is this objec- 8), when, too, the Egyptians were" shaken" tion answered by Dr. Pusey's allegation by the plagues sent on them, and the neigh- that the object of desire contains in itself bouring nations, Philistia, Edom, Moab, many objects of desire, or Bishop Word11- were strnck mth terror (Exod. xv. 14-16). worth's refinement, that Messie.h is regarded This was a p-eat moral disturbance in the as a collective Being, containing in his own heathen world; the next and final" shaking" Person the natures of God and man, and will be under the Messianic dispensation combining the three offices of Prophet, for which the destruction of heathen king- Priest, and King. Every one must see that doms prepares the way. The Israelites would both these explanations are forced e.nd un- soon see the beginnings of this visitation, natural, and are conformed rather to theo- t.g. in the fe.ll of Babylon, and might thence logical considerations the.n to grammatice.l conclude that all would be accomplished in accuracy. Chemdah is used for "the object due time. The prophet calls this interval of desire," as 2 Chron. xxxii. 27, where it "a little while" (which it is in God's eyes refers to Hezekiah's treasures, and 2 Chron. and in view of the vast future), in order to xxxvi. 10, "the goodly vessels " of the console the people and tee.ell them patience temple (comp. Jer. xxv. 34; Nab, ii. 9), and confidence. The final consummation Nowhere is any intimation given that it is and the steps that lead to it in the prophet's a name applied to the Messiah; nowhere is vision are blended together, just as our e.ny such explanation offered of the term so Lord combines his prediction about the applied. 'l'he word is 1, common one; its ,:estruction of Jernsalem with details which meaning is well ascertained ; and it conld concern the end of the world. The physical hardly have been understood in any but its convulsions in heaven and earth, etc., usual accepto.tion without some preparation spoken of, are symbolical representations of or further definition. This accepto.tion is political revolutions, as explained in the confirmed by the mention of•• the gold and ne~t verse, "I will shake all nations," and silver" in ver. 8. Tho Revised Version a.gain in vers. 21, 22. Other prophets cuts the knot by rendoriug, "the desirable announce that Messio.h's reign shall be things; " Perowne affirms that the plural 11ebtred in by the overthrow or oonveTSion 1 verb denotes the m~nifo!dncss 4nd varietv OH. II, 1-23.) THE BOOK OF HAGGAI. 21