'FORMER GLORY AND LATTER GLORY'

Walter J. Chantry

'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong . . . all you people of the land,' says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of All Nations shall come, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts' (Hag. 2:3-9).

History is filled with great acts of the Almighty. These are splendid in their suddenness and magnificent in their vast impact. In the above verses God reminds His people of two such events, the epic act of Redemption in the Old-Testament Exodus from Egypt, and the raising of one of the wonders of the ancient world - Solomon's temple.

These episodes in the history of Abraham's descendants were much on the minds of those to whom Haggai the prophet spoke. For these 50,000 Jews had been led back to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel in 536 BC, after 70 years in Babylonian captivity. Some of them had seen the former glory of the temple before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. An exodus from captivity to build a new temple provoked deep and fond memories of past parallels.

However, as past history seemed so glorious, present duty appeared drab by comparison. They stood amidst the ruins of the former temple which had been built with newly quarried stone, fresh cedar timbers, and abundance of gold and silver. For this new project, they rummaged through the debris to rescue stones blackened in the res of past destruction. Zerubbabel was not wealthy Solomon to provide exquisite ornaments. As the new temple began to take shape, it was as nothing compared to the former, glorious temple. Because history made them retrospective, their hearts sank into discouragement. Heavy hearts make for grim plodding in the work, or for discontinuing it. There was fear that present work would be in vain.

Reformed Christians usually have a high sense of history. Our congregations are more aware than most of Augustine's engagement against Pelagius, of John Wycliffe's widespread ministry, of the Reformation, of the Great Awakening, of the Missionary Movement and of biographies of those who did grand exploits in former days. It is right that the church should remember great works done in the power of the Holy Spirit. But then there are the real contrasts with the apparent results of our own labours.

We seem to be in an era like that of Zerubbabel's followers. The wreckage remains of great gospel works from days gone by. From 1850 to the present has come monumental decline in the school and church institutions of former days. Liberalism and existentialism have come to dominate the denominations rising out of the Reformation and Great Awakening, turning them aside from their glory days of vast Biblical and spiritual influence. Western European and American societies are not what they used to be spiritually.

New beginnings have been made in the mid-twentieth century through the influence of Westminster Seminary, Banner of Truth and individual ministers like Arthur Pink. Numerous sound theologians are now teaching in many new schools. Hundreds of new churches and a number of new denominations have been formed. Many are the fine books available from an increasing number of publishers. Still, the impact of labours is diminished from what it used to be.

We who are rebuilding from the ruins of Reformed and Puritan churches have memories, some by our long past experience, some by reading church history. We are very small compared with the massive movements of days gone by. We dreamed large dreams. But the measure of gospel influence is much diminished among us. At times the dreams of returned glory turn to fears of annihilation. After sacrificial efforts, results are small, impressing no one.

We are few. We are weak. We are without the resources and infrastructure of former days. The pressures of new heathen philosophy and of the tide of immorality are pounding the church and at moments seem to be more than the present church can resist, let alone overcome, in society. All of our labours, sometimes quite strenuous, seem to produce nothing in comparison with bygone days.

In this discouragement in Haggai's days, and in a similar downcast spirit in our time, there is to be found a seed of spirituality. Such dejection can only overtake those who genuinely long for the glorious Kingdom of God to be advanced. It arises from desiring that a public honour be given to God from His people being in a healthy and strong condition, with His truth and righteousness powerfully destroying strongholds of darkness.

The error is in imagining that spiritual vitality will be recovered by repeating past history. The Jews of the restoration from Babylon would see another temple, but not externally the equal of Solomon's. The church will have new theological schools, but perhaps none will be exactly like Princeton in its first seventy-five years. Evangelical awakenings will never again fit the precise footprint of the Great Awakening.

Our thoughts must be redirected according to the message Haggai delivered to Zerubbabel's stagnant pool of workers: 1. The Lord Is Present with His People

'Work, for I am with you . . . according to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you: do not fear' (Hag. 2:4-5)

This reminds us of the refrain of Psalm 46:11 'The Lord of hosts is with us.' God's Spirit was among them when they crossed the Red Sea, when they wandered in the desert, when they occupied Canaan. The Spirit was among them as they groaned in the captivity of Babylon. His Word, His covenant promises, His Holy Spirit continued with them as they built the second temple.

When God's truth gripped our hearts and we were quickened to new life with Christ, the Lord came to be with us as He had come to be with Wycliffe, or Luther, or William Chalmers Burns. These glorious spiritual realities are not to be identified with silver, or with number, or with return to past conditions. The Lord was with the three Hebrew children in the furnace, but after the deliverance, they were still captives working for a heathen power. This was God's plan for his people in that age.

Would you not rather be a workman in the house of the Lord, no matter how insignificant in the eyes of the world, just so long as the Lord is there, His Word is there, His Spirit is there? We do not glory in wisdom, riches or strength (even within our churches), but we glory in understanding and knowing the Most High that He is 'the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth' (Jer. 9:23-24).

2. The Lord's Sovereign Purposes Are Moving Forward

'Once more (it is a little while), I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of All Nations will come, and I will fill this temple with glory' (Hag. 2:6-7).

The changes occurring in our world are every one under the direction and full administration of the Almighty Lord. Many empires must rise and fall under God's direction. They cannot stand longer than they advance His eternal plan for heaven and earth. Zerubbabel's workers had seen mighty Babylon fall as a necessary preparation for their return to Jerusalem. He will shake all nations to accomplish the eternal counsel of His will. In addition, He will shake the heavens and all spiritual powers which lie behind events upon the earth.

If we are weakened, the Lord is not. Our weakness merely accentuates divine might and displays that salvation is of the Lord. Therefore we have every reason to work and be strong in the inner man.

Furthermore, we know what the outlines of God's purposes are. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. Haggai speaks of the Messiah visiting the temple then being built. When He walked into the temple, He in whom dwelt 'all the fullness of the Godhead bodily' (Col. 2:9), what comparison would there be with Solomon's temple? The gold and silver of Solomon's time would be tawdry in contrast with the Son of God who came down from heaven.

If your congregation, faithful to Holy Scripture, is small and struggling, it is a lampstand still. A glorious figure walks among today's lampstands and He holds in His hands still the present messengers of the churches. He will, without fail, build His Church, gathering from every nation every single one the Father has given Him. He will do it by the Spirit attending those who are sent and are declaring the gospel. When this work is completed, every eye will see Him coming with His saints and His glorious angels. Then will appear a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness only. Your Lord commands you not to be afraid. You must be strong in your era as other Spirit-filled saints were in their times. There is work to do. Up! Put your hand to the plough, and don't turn back!

3. The Future Glory for Which We Labour Will Be Greater than the Past Glory.

'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts (Hag. 2:9).

As we have an ever more lengthy sacred history to contemplate, we can note a similarity of situation throughout the existence of fallen mankind. When Noah and his family came off the Ark, it seemed as if they were starting anew. Only a few had survived the judgment by flood. A rather elaborate culture had collapsed. They had failed to renovate the pre-Flood society. However, before them lay a more glorious prospect on earth than that of Adam, Enoch, or Methuselah.

When Abram left Ur, he had a lonely lifework before him, but in it all was the seed of the glorious covenant which would bring the Saviour to earth. If Moses led a rag-tag slave-nation out of Egypt, he still did not want to return to the status of Abram. Having seen how quickly the glory of Solomon turned into Babylonian captivity, surely Zerubbabel and company would not like to turn back the clock. As Jesus left twelve apostles of no standing in a Jerusalem about to fall miserably, surely nothing in the past was to compare with the rising gospel age.

In the same manner, we read history to be encouraged by the great providences of God which moved forward His gracious designs, formed in eternity past. Yet we are not committed to reproducing former ages. We are wedged between the two great comings to earth of the Son of God. We must not be backward-looking, but must be 'looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God' (2 Pet. 3:12).

Christians and ministers have drama enough awaiting them at the end of the age. What churches can withstand apostasy meanwhile? They are only those which are anchored in Scripture doctrine and diligent in conforming to Jesus Christ our Lord. There must be no wood, hay or stubble in our building; for all will be tested by fire. Caring nothing for the world's measure of greatness, nor for the world's notice of your efforts, be content with the place into which God has put you in His unfolding history. Not all could serve with Moses, Solomon, Calvin or M'Cheyne.

You do serve the cause of the coming, final glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord' (1 Cor. 15:58).

Back to Top