As discussed last week, the estimated value for the cost of all materials in the temple Solomon built is $240,381,000,000. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed that “Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World,” and we tend to lose sight of worship in the temple. When Babylon fell, the Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and built a new temple. They even brought vessels from the first temple.
We do not have room in this article to give the details, but humanly speaking, it was almost nothing compared to Solomon’s temple. Instead of using those magnificent cedars from Lebanon, it was built with wood locally found. There is a sense in which Solomon’s temple was a “temple of gold” and the second temple was a “temple of wood.” God used the prophet Haggai to deliver this message to the Jews. “Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified” (Hag. 1:8).
God then said to the Jews of Haggai’s day, “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” (Hag. 2:3). Humanly speaking, a temple of wood is not worthy to be compared to a temple of gold. God saw in the new temple far more than the Jews did. He said, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former” (Hag. 2:9). God saw in that temple of wood how it would lead to the coming Jesus (described as the “Desire of All Nations” in verse 8), and there would be a new temple filled with heavenly glory. Those Jews only saw a temple of wood, but God saw in it the seeds of the Messiah and His temple!
The temple they saw is mentioned in verse three, but God looked at it with heavenly insight and in verse nine spoke of a far greater temple—the Messianic Temple. Bible students should never overlook the six verses separating these two views.
The Holy Spirit quotes those six verses in Hebrews 12. Read them first in Haggai and then read the application in the New Testament. The Desire of All Nations had come and figuratively His coming and His continuing presence had shaken heaven and earth. The tabernacle was built at Mt. Sinai (mentioned in verse 18). “But you have come to Mt. Zion…the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem to…the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (vs. 22-23).
They saw a temple of wood, and God saw the glorious church. Read Paul’s words carefully. “To Him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:21). To this we add our own words, “Amen and Amen!”