Witness and Service: A Fruit of Revival

An audio overview of the lesson by Raul Diaz

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Witness and Service: The Fruit of Revival

‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ ” (Acts 1:8, NKJV).

Our title for this lesson implies that witness and service is an outgrowth or fruit of revival.  Revival being the change that occurs in our hearts and minds when the Holy Spirit is allowed to work in them.  If witness and service are a fruit of revival, then revival precedes witness and service. 

Fruit in the Bible are a product of abiding (John 15).  So, if witnessing and service are a fruit, then it means that it can only happen when we abide in Christ and He in us; in other words: the Holy Spirit abides in us.

Our lesson states that, “the purpose of revival is to fill our hearts with such a love for Jesus that we long to share this love with every person possible. (In revival we are exposed to the love of Jesus, and begin to experience it.  It is the Holy Spirit who sheds abroad Christ’s love in all of us.)  In genuine revival, our own hearts are wakened to God’s good­ness, compassion, forgiveness, and power.  We are so charmed by His love and transformed by His grace that we cannot be silent.

In contrast, a “revival” that focuses on one’s “spiritual experience alone” misses the mark.  (IT is not a true revival as defined by Ellen White). If it develops attitudes critical of others who do not measure up to one’s “standard of holiness,” it is certainly not heaven inspired. If the emphasis of revival is to merely change external behavior rather than to change hearts, then something is wrong.

Changed hearts lead to changed behavior. Genuine revival never leads to self-centeredness or, especially, to self-sufficiency or self-exaltation. Instead, it always leads to a selfless concern for others. When our hearts are renewed by God’s grace, we long to bless and serve those who are in need. All genuine revival leads to a renewed emphasis on mission and service.

There is no doubt that there was a contrast in behavior in the disciples.  Before Christ was arrested they were fighting for supremacy.  Just before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they were of one accord; what changed?   When Christ was arrested they all fled in fear.  After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they now preached to those from whom they fled in fear, telling them “you crucified Christ.  What changed? 

Our Lesson states that At Pentecost, the disciples were changed people. Something happened to them so that the Spirit could do something through them. The Holy Spirit had done something for them so that He could do something with them.  Ellen White gives insight into what happened,

“After Christ's ascension, His disciples--men of varied talents and capabilities--assembled in an upper chamber to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. In this room 'all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.' They made thorough work of repentance by confessing their own sins. Upon them was laid no burden to confess one another's sins. Settling all differences and alienations, they were of one accord, and prayed with unity of purpose for ten days, at the end of which time 'they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.'  {7MR 94.4} 

Did you notice repentance was part of what happened?  And according to Ellen White repentance is the first step for revival.  So, the Spirit overflowed from their lives to refresh the lives of others.  Jesus put it this way: “ ‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:38, NKJV). The root word for “believes” in the Greek here is pistis. It means much more than a superficial belief or mere intellectual assent. It is a rock-solid belief or confident trust. It is a dynamic, life-transforming faith in Christ, who poured out His life on the cross for the sins of humanity. Jesus’ point is that when His love quenches our spiritual thirst, this love flows from our hearts to the people around us.

                       

Why has not the church become one as the disciples did, why have they not received the latter rain?  The answer is very simple: true revival has not occurred.  If there is no fruit there is no abiding.  Christ, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is still waiting by the door knocking that we may let Him in, so we can purchase from Him what we much need or, in the context of the Samaritan woman: that we may get from Him living water that will cleanse, refresh and quench our Spiritual thirst.  Our greatest problem is we do not know how thirsty we truly are. 

by His o � e t �/� ��� nnot be silent.

In contrast, a “revival” that focuses on one’s “spiritual experience alone” misses the mark.  (IT is not a true revival as defined by Ellen White). If it develops attitudes critical of others who do not measure up to one’s “standard of holiness,” it is certainly not heaven inspired. If the emphasis of revival is to merely change external behavior rather than to change hearts, then something is wrong.

Changed hearts lead to changed behavior. Genuine revival never leads to self-centeredness or, especially, to self-sufficiency or self-exaltation. Instead, it always leads to a selfless concern for others. When our hearts are renewed by God’s grace, we long to bless and serve those who are in need. All genuine revival leads to a renewed emphasis on mission and service.

There is no doubt that there was a contrast in behavior in the disciples.  Before Christ was arrested they were fighting for supremacy.  Just before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they were of one accord; what changed?   When Christ was arrested they all fled in fear.  After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they now preached to those from whom they fled in fear, telling them “you crucified Christ.  What changed? 

Our Lesson states that At Pentecost, the disciples were changed people. Something happened to them so that the Spirit could do something through them. The Holy Spirit had done something for them so that He could do something with them.  Ellen White gives insight into what happened,

“After Christ's ascension, His disciples--men of varied talents and capabilities--assembled in an upper chamber to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. In this room 'all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.' They made thorough work of repentance by confessing their own sins. Upon them was laid no burden to confess one another's sins. Settling all differences and alienations, they were of one accord, and prayed with unity of purpose for ten days, at the end of which time 'they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.'  {7MR 94.4} 

 Did you notice repentance was part of what happened?  And according to Ellen White repentance is the first step for revival.  So, the Spirit overflowed from their lives to refresh the lives of others.  Jesus put it this way: “ ‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:38, NKJV). The root word for “believes” in the Greek here is pistis. It means much more than a superficial belief or mere intellectual assent. It is a rock-solid belief or confident trust. It is a dynamic, life-transforming faith in Christ, who poured out His life on the cross for the sins of humanity. Jesus’ point is that when His love quenches our spiritual thirst, this love flows from our hearts to the people around us.

                       

Why has not the church become one as the disciples did, why have they not received the latter rain?  The answer is very simple: true revival has not occurred.  If there is no fruit there is no abiding.  Christ, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is still waiting by the door knocking that we may let Him in, so we can purchase from Him what we much need or, in the context of the Samaritan woman: that we may get from Him living water that will cleanse, refresh and quench our Spiritual thirst.  Our greatest problem is we do not know how thirsty we truly are.  

Prayer: The Heartbeat of Revival

Due to extenuating circumstances there will be no audio version of the overview this week. Sorry for any inconvenience.  However, here is the script for those who will benefit from it.

Prayer: The Heartbeat of Revival

“ ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!’ ” (Matthew 7:11, NKJV)

The objective of our lesson is to find out the role of prayer in revival.  According to the title it is the heartbeat.  What this is trying to say is that prayer is what keeps revival…alive.  However, according to Ellen White revival is an event and reformation is a process.  If anything, then, prayer, in terms of revival would be a part of CPR. 

1^st, let us review what revival is.  I will quote from last week’s overview.  We based our definition on a sentence from 1 SM 121, which begins with Ellen White stressing the urgent need for revival.  A few sentences down she says that “While the people are so destitute of God's Holy Spirit, they cannot appreciate the preaching of the Word; but when the Spirit's power touches their hearts, then the discourses given will not be without effect.”  In this sense, Revival is what happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to touch our heart.  What happens is that what we thought made no sense makes sense, what we thought was foolishness now is wisdom,  what we thought was mundane and uninteresting now is precious. Ellen White rephrases this in RH Feb. 25, 1902, “Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death.”

As Ellen White speaks about revival she stresses the importance of prayer in revival.  She says in 1 SM 121, “A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer.”  Revival is the Holy Sprit’s work in us.  He may initiate but he cannot continue unless we invite Him to do so.  And, Ellen White, says this is something to pray for.  She says,

There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing (1 SM 121). 

You could argue that a true revival will lead to prayer, because, we shall be distrustful of ourselves, having an abiding sense that our sufficiency is of God.  So, we will pray to be connected and sustained by God’s sufficiency. 

In Ellen White’s account of the disciples’ conversion and reception of the early rain, prayer figured prominently.  She says AA p. 36,

They also met together to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. They knew that they had a Representative in heaven, an Advocate at the throne of God. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:23, 24.

One change apparent in the disciples was a love for sinners.  The disciples wished to fulfill the Lord’s wish for them to preach the Gospel to all men.  Ellen White adds in page 37,

“The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ.”

The disciples received the early version of what we expect to be a much greater experience.  But, do we pray as they did?  Not, only in terms of amount of time, but with the conviction they had?  The prayer of the righteous – those who hear the Word and believe it (Romans 4: 9; Romans 10: 17) - avails much (James 5: 16), because not only does he believe that God is, but also that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11: 6).   

Revival: Our Greatest Need

An audio overview of the lesson by Raul Diaz.


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Here is the Script:

Revival: Our Great Need

“ ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me’ ” (Revelation 3:20, NKJV).

The title of our quarterly lesson is Revival and reformation.  The title is an obvious reference by Ellen G. White quote on selected messages, book 1, page 121.  They only quote the first sentence, “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs.”  What they omit gives an understanding of what revival is,

While the people are so destitute of God's Holy Spirit, they cannot appreciate the preaching of the Word; but when the Spirit's power touches their hearts, then the discourses given will not be without effect. (1SM, 121)

Revival here is what happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to touch our heart.  What happens is that what we thought made no sense makes sense, what we thought was foolishness now is wisdom,  what we thought was mundane and uninteresting now is precious.  Ellen White says that “Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death” (RH Feb. 25, 1902).  Ellen White is quoted in Conflict and Courage saying, that “Repentance is the first step that must be taken by all who would return to God. No one can do this work for another. We must individually humble our souls before God and put away our idols” (CC 145). 

We could argue that revival is what happened to those preached to by Peter in Acts 2.  When Peter preached to them about Christ and Him crucified, he made sure he told the people that He was the one whom you crucified.  Luke tells us that the people listening that day "were cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37), and became disturbed and convicted, then cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (v 37).  They recognized that the One whom they despised, esteemed not and rejected was not who they thought was originally.  They realized that the One whom they esteemed stricken, smitten and afflicted by God, bore their griefs, carried their sorrows, “…was wounded for our transgressions, … bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa 53: 3 – 5). 

The era of Laodicea had started when Ellen White made the comments she made.  In contrast to those listening to Peter, Laodicea is described as self-confident, complacent, apathetic, and spiritually indifferent.  The Lord tells them in Revelation 3,

Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

It is a strong rebuke, which reveals a strong love; so, no surprise that a beautiful solution to the problem is given.  Ellen White sums it up beautifully,

“Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul-temple, proclaiming, ‘I stand at the door, and knock.’ As a heavenly merchantman, he opens his treasures, and cries, ‘Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.’ The gold he offers is without alloy, more precious than that of Ophir; for it is faith and love.

“The white raiment he invites the soul to wear is his own robes of righteousness, and the oil for anointing is the oil of his grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. Open your doors, says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, and transact your business with me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of me.”— Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Aug. 7, 1894.

Like the Shunamite woman in Song of Songs 5: 2 - 5, Laodicea refuses to open the door, ignoring the overtures of her lover. 

Sol 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

Sol 5:3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

In essence saying, “at this moment the hassle to let you in outweighs any need for you.  Come back when it is more convenient for me.”  Then the Shunamite decides to get up,

Sol 5:4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

Sol 5:5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

But it was too late,

Sol 5:6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

Laodicea’s greatest problem is that of leaving Christ waiting by the door.  She despised Him.  She insulted Him.  She broke His heart.  Of that she needs to repent.  

Heaven’s Best Gift (Zechariah)

An audio overview of the lesson by Raul Diaz.

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Here is the Script:

Heaven’s Best Gift (Zechariah)

“The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown” (Zechariah 9:16, NIV).

The way I approach the creation of these overviews is to find an overarching theme and expound on it.  Sometimes it is easy to find it, other times are not.  Sometimes it is so simple it is hard to believe it.  This is this week’s case. 

The last chapters of Zechariah are a series of foretelling prophetic utterances that seems chaotic and long winded.  This of course is not true.  So, once you find the logic of the writings it becomes clear.  What Zechariah is foretelling is a series of events that surround three different periods of time on this earth: each of Christ advent to this planet.  Although, our quarterly says it is two, the author of the lesson stated correctly that, “When Zechariah announced the coming of the Messiah, he did not draw a line of separation between His first and second comings. As was the case with other prophets, he saw the coming kingdom of the Messiah as one glorious future. Only in the light of Christ’s first coming can we now distinguish between the two comings.”

The first period happened 2,000 years ago.  The second period will happen during the Second Advent: when Christ comes back in all His glory to take back His redeemed.  The last period is when the Holy City comes to the planet, and the entire planets with all the wicked are destroyed. And, finally, the new earth is created.  Time does not allow us to go through these passages to “tease” them out.  But we do have time to establish the main overarching theme.  As we can see they cover the entire human history since Zechariah’s day.  And, it reveals to the Jews then and to us today, how God is involved in the plan of redemption.  Specifically, how Christ, The Branch (Zechariah 3: 8; 6: 12), the One who was pierced (Zech. 12:10), the Shepherd who was struck down (Zech. 13:7) is involved in every step of our redemption.  Ellen White expounds on this,

“In the darkest days of her long conflict with evil, the church of God has been given revelations of the eternal purpose of Jehovah. His people have been permitted to look beyond the trials of the present to the triumphs of the future, when, the warfare having been accomplished, the redeemed will enter into possession of the Promised Land. These visions of future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, should be dear to His church today, when the controversy of the ages is rapidly closing and the promised blessings are soon to be realized in all their fullness. . . .Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 722, 732, 733.

This concept is greatly revealed in the following passage,

Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

These three verses can span thousands of years.  You see, here we find the cross, how we are sanctified, and what our glorification will be like.  The beauty is that Christ makes it all possible.  He is Heaven’s Best Gift to us.  

Visions of Hope (Zechariah)

Due to extenuating circumstances there will be no audio review this week.  Sorry for any inconvenience.  But, for those who may benefit, below is the script.

Visions of Hope (Zechariah)

Memory Text: “ ‘ “In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,” declares the Lord Almighty’ ” (Zechariah 3:10, NIV).

The name Zechariah means “the Lord remembers.” What does God remember? He remembers His people and His promises.  God want to fulfill his promises; one of which is to deliver His people from the power of evil. He remembers His assurance to send the Promised Seed, who will defeat Satan (Gen. 3:15). He remembers His promise to establish His eternal kingdom based on love, justice, truth, and freedom.  It is we that forget Him. 

Zechariah began his prophetic ministry a few months after Haggai began his ministry (Hag. 1:1, Zech. 1:1). So, Zechariah and Haggai were contemporaries in Jerusalem and both were concerned with the rebuilding of the ruined Temple.  By Zechariah’s first recorded sermon, building was already underway, so Zechariah’s message has a different context; for example, his first message concerned the symbolism of the temple services.  Through a series of prophetic visions, Zechariah learned God’s plans for the present and the future. God’s eternal kingdom was coming soon, but the prophet called those who lived in his time to serve the Lord now. A good portion of the book is centered on how they were to do just that. This week, and the next, we will look at what the Lord has revealed to us through Zechariah.  Let start be taking a closer look at the visions of Zechariah. 

As mentioned above, the message of Zechariah’s first six chapters is quite simple: it is time to rebuild the temple. This appeal was the main communication behind a series of eight short visions that God gave to Zechariah in order to help him to understand from a broader perspective the contemporary situation of God’s people. Each vision engaged the prophet in reasoning that deepened his understanding of the message. They were written in a chiastic order (in a mirror structure), which means that the first vision corresponds with the last one, the eighth; the second with the seventh; the third with the sixth; and, finally, at the climax is the fourth, accompanied by the fifth. These pairs also deal with related subjects, which are chronologically arranged in a reverse order. Let read a brief summary of each vision:

1. The first vision (Zech. 1:7–11), about the man among the myrtle trees and four horses with their riders, conveys the idea that these horses went through the whole earth, and their riders declared that the earth was at peace (vs. 11). So, it was now a ripe time to work on God’s project; namely, to build His house, because no one had the power to stop it. God had established peace.

2. The second vision (Zech. 1:18–21), about the “four horns” (NKJV), describes how the craftsmen broke them. God revealed the end of political cause for the exile. These powers were torn down because they were hindrances to the building of the temple.

3. The third vision (Zech. 2:1–5), about the “man with a measuring line” (NKJV), points to God’s abundant blessing: “ ‘ “I myself will be a wall of fire around it [Jerusalem]” . . . “and I will be its glory within” ’ ” (vs. 5, NIV).

4. The fourth vision (Zech. 3:1–10), about God’s forgiveness for Joshua, lies at the heart of these eight visions. Satan accused Joshua, the high priest, of sin. Joshua’s priestly robe was dirty, thus representing the filthiness of sin. But the “Angel of the Lord,” who is without doubt the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, ordered Joshua’s filthy clothes to be removed and assured Joshua: “ ‘I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you’ ” (Zech. 3:4, NIV). The Lord then re-ordains Joshua to minister in the temple and announces a magnificent prophecy about the Messiah. Joshua is freely forgiven and made just, because God ordered it so. Joshua just accepts it.  On this basis he experiences the assurance of forgiveness and the joy of salvation.

5. The fifth vision (Zech. 4:1–14), about God’s empowering Zerubbabel, lies at the core of Zechariah’s message, together with the fourth vision. God gives His Spirit to Zerubbabel to build the temple; thus, He strengthens him to accomplish His will. This vision about the gold lampstand and oil puts the emphasis on the work of the Spirit of the Lord who sanctifies. Only the Holy Spirit can change and stir up the work for God in an efficient way.

6. The sixth vision (Zech. 5:1–4), about the “flying scroll” (vs. 1, NKJV), shows that the curse was measured and God Himself punishes iniquity.  By this we mean that God allowed the Jews to suffer the consequences of their own choices.

7. The seventh vision (Zech. 5:5–11), about the “‘woman sitting inside the basket’ ” (vs. 7, NKJV), explains the spiritual reason for the exile. God revealed the people’s wickedness that had led them into the Babylonian captivity.

8. The eighth vision (Zech. 6:1–8), about the “four chariots” (vs. 1, NKJV), proclaims the opposite of the first vision. The last message was about war and turmoil in the world; but God would intervene, and His Spirit would bring peace.

To fully understand the message of these visions, one needs to realize that the first four visions show the effects and that the last four visions describe the conditions that led to those results. Thus, these visions should be studied in reversed sequence. One should begin with the last vision and go to the first (from war to peace), continue with the seventh one and then examine the second one (from the religious cause for the exile to the political reason), then investigate the sixth vision and follow with the third one (moving from curses and punishment to God’s immense blessing). At the heart of these visions are visions four and five. God first enables Zerubbabel to build the temple and then cleanses the high priest Joshua to serve in this sanctuary. From the first to the last and from the last to the first, God is in action. His love, grace, and justice are revealed and vindicated.

Apart from learning from this historical situation, we should see how it applies to us.  The bad comes as a result of our choices.  But, God intervenes to bring about good out of the bad.  All the while, God allows those experiences to teach us to know Him more and better.  That we may learn to trust and depend on Him.  

First Things First

An audio overview of the lesson by Raul Diaz.

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Due to technical difficulties there will be no audio player this week.

Here is the script:

 “First Things First! (Haggai)”

There are three main things on this book worth exploring.  One is the messages of Haggai to the people.  Second is the term Desire of nations.  Third is answering the question of the  lesson, such as: “Do you see any warning here for us?” “How can we learn to better appreciate the importance of the sanctuary message in the plan of salvation?” “Why is [Old Testament prophecy] so relevant for Christians even today?”

Let us deal first with the messages.  Haggai preached three messages to the returning Jewish remnant from their Babylonian captivity. (Actually five, but they can be combined into three.) The time of the three messages corresponds with our months of August, October and December. His first message was in regard to their hands; the second, to their hearts; and the third, to their heads.

The August Message (1:1-15). This was directed to the people’s hands. God said, build the Temple (1:2, 4–11). The people’s complacency is recorded in verse 2. “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.’ ” But the Lord pointed out two things (1) The people’s materialism (1:4,5). They were living in luxurious homes while the Temple lay in ruins. (2) The people’s misery (1:6, 9–11). They planted much, but harvested little. Attempting many things, they failed in everything.

     Nevertheless, God reassured them that if they would build the Temple, He would bless them abundantly. (1:7,8). He spoke through three of His servants: one from public life, Zerubbabel (Judah’s governor), one from the church, Joshua (Judah’s high priest), and the third, Haggai (Judah’s prophet). (1:1, 3, 12–15).

The October Message (2:1-9). This message was directed to the people’s hearts. There was both weeping and rejoicing at the second Temple’s dedication. Some of the older men remembered the glories of the first temple (Solomon’s) wept as they compared the second building with the first one. In light of this, Haggai attempts to encourage everyone as he speaks of the coming of the Messiah (verse 7).

     The prophet tells them to take courage because God’s presence among them is far more important than the size and glory of any earthly Temple. Although the outward splendor and glory of Solomon’s temple was greater than the one built after the captivity, this second one would be far more glorious than the first. “‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts” (2:9). This was to be because Jesus, “The Desire of All Nations” would come and fill this second temple with the presence of heaven (2:7).

The December Message (2:10-23). This final message was directed to the people’s heads. It* involved thinking, pondering and reasoning. There were facts Haggai wanted the people to think about, especially Judah’s contamination (2:10–19). He reminded them of past problems, giving them concrete examples (2:10–17).

     The questions were designed to get the people to think. The first question had to do with the person who carried a holy offering. If that person brushed his garment against an object, will the object become holy? The priests pondered and said, “No.” This is because holiness cannot pass to other things or even to other people. Holiness is embodied in Christ. It cannot be separated from Him. The only way holiness comes to us is by receiving Him by faith.

     The second question through Haggai is: “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” The priests answered, “It shall be unclean” (verse 13).

     God was illustrating the spiritual condition of His people. They did not believe. They were unrepentant. They were dead in sin; so everything they did was contaminated. They were unclean because of the deadness of their hearts and minds (verse 14). Haggai applied this principle to the people. He told them that their sinful ways contaminated their consecrated offerings to God, resulting in crop failures, famine, and all the rest of the calamities that befell them. (verses 14-17). The lesson for all time is this: work and worship do not sanctify sinning, but sinning always contaminates work and worship.

    The good report is that head, heart and hands responded to God’s call through Haggai. The people repented, believed and began building with their hands. And so, from the laying of the foundation of the temple, God promised to abundantly bless them (2:18,19). 

As mentioned above, throughout this lesson, questions are asked, such as: “Do you see any warning here for us?” “How can we learn to better appreciate the importance of the sanctuary message in the plan of salvation?” “Why is [Old Testament prophecy] so relevant for Christians even today?”  Is the message about building literal “temples,” church buildings, or could His message for us concern another “temple”—the heart, corporately and individually.  A wise author said that the “Lord used Haggai to stir the people’s hearts toward God’s concerns.” 

We are God’s concern.  And, Paul says that we are His temple.  So, the temple God is trying to restore is His dwelling place in us.  We read from Peter: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pet 2:4) What is another name for a “spiritual house”? A sanctuary! “You also, like living stones, are being built into a sanctuary…” Ellen White elaborates on this subject,

The Jewish Temple was built of hewn stones quarried out of the mountains, and every stone was fitted for its place in the Temple, hewed, polished and tested, before it was brought to Jerusalem. And when all were brought to the ground, the building went together without the sound of an ax or hammer. This building represents God's spiritual temple, which is composed of material gathered out of every nation and tongue and people, of all grades, high and low, rich and poor, learned and ignorant.  These are not dead substances, to be fitted by hammer and chisel. They are living stones quarried out from the world by the truth, and the great Master Builder, the Lord of the temple, is now hewing and polishing them and fitting them for their respective places in the spiritual temple. When completed, this temple will be perfect in all its parts, the admiration of angels and of men, for its builder and maker is God. Truly, those who are to compose this glorious building are "called to be saints." {TMK 151.5}

So, God has formed every man for His own dwelling place, and implanted in every soul desires that can only be satisfied by the fullness of God dwelling within, Christ is truly “the Desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7), who was to come and who would fill this second temple with the presence of heaven (2:7). That heavenly presence is the very righteousness of God, for salvation, and comes to the fallen race through the faith of Jesus (Rom 3:22, KJV), the Desire of All Nations. At His second coming, Jesus will still be “the Desire of All Nations,” but because of the desire for, and the cultivation of, sin by the lost, the desire for heaven’s righteousness will be destroyed in the hearts of the lost. They will despise and hate “the Desire of All Nations,” who is the Desire of All Ages, before He comes to claim His own.

Just as people did not like the second temple that was built in Haggai’s day; just as Herod despised the Desire of Nations and attempted to kill Him when Jesus was born into the human family; so the lost at the end of days will make war against Christ and His faithful followers (Rev 17:14). But the lost will lose that war. The cause of the lost will be traced to their unremitting resistance to the Holy Spirit as He brings to them “the Desire of All Nations.”

I want to end this study by quoting from the Preface of The Desire of Ages, let us read some excerpts:

   “ In the hearts of all mankind, of whatever race or station in life, there are inexpressible longings for something they do not now possess. This longing is implanted in the very constitution of man by a merciful God, that man may not be satisfied with his present conditions or attainments, whether bad or good or better. God desires that the human shall seek the best, and find it to the eternal blessing of his soul…

     It is God’s design that this longing of the human heart should lead to the one whom alone is able to satisfy it. The desire is of him that it may lead to him, the fullness and fulfillment of that desire. That fullness is found in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the eternal God. “For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell;” “for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” And it is also true that “in him ye are made full” with respect to every desire divinely implanted and normally followed.

    Haggai calls him “the Desire of All Nations,” and we may well call him “the Desire of All Ages,” even as he is “the King of Ages.”…

   It is the purpose of this book to set forth Jesus as the one in whom every longing may be satisfied.”

Is Jesus the Desire of your heart?

Eager to Forgive (Jonah)

An audio overview of the lesson by Raul Diaz.

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