The Temple of God

Rebuild the Temple

Christianity Oasis provides the House of God Bible study on how to rebuild the Temple of God. This study brings forth truth, understanding and peace within.


Daily Bread Devotional Bible Study
The Book of Haggai
Chapter 2


The House of God

Rebuild the Temple of God

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This thought provoking study is the House of God Bible study taking a look into how to rebuild the Temple of God. The absolutely awesome truth that YOU are the Temple of God and the mysterious Rebuild the Temple of God message will truly bring a smile to the lips and heart and shine the LIGHT of Truth upon your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk path.

Repair the House of God
Rebuild the Temple of God Meaning

Super great day to share some Daily Bread! I've got a little Daily Bread crumb to start off today's study with. The name Haggai in Hebrew means festival, and Haggai's second message, which starts off this chapter, was given during the Feast of Tabernacles (the 21st day of the 7th month of the 2nd year of the reign of king Darius).

That means it's been almost a month now since Haggai's first message from God. Now He sends another message through Haggai to Zerubabbel and Joshua, saying:

Haggai 2:3

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Have you ever had something custom made? You entrusted someone with specific instructions on what you wanted. You had high hopes of it being all that you imagined, and then when it was finished, it was nothing like what you wanted? Then you know what God must have been feeling like about how things were going with the new Temple.

The House of God Rebuilding Warning
Rebuild the Temple of God First

I'm gonna take you on a little history trip now to review what happened to the first Temple and why it had to be rebuilt.

After king David died, the children of Israel began to worship idols under most of the successive kings, for nearly 400 years. This of course, infuriated God and He decided to give Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, which is commonly known as the "carrying away into Babylon," or the "captivity." God warned the people through the prophet Jeremiah that He would guarantee those who obeyed Him their safe return to Judah but they had to accept their captivity, serving Nebuchadnezzar. Most did not obey. They were destroyed by hunger and disease and by the sword.

The first Temple was destroyed during this overtaking and those who did obey the Lord, did indeed return safely to Judah. Those people, known as the remnant of the children of Israel, were ashamed, the city of God, in shambles. They soon started to rebuild the Temple, but before the foundation was even laid, they decided to build their own houses first. The construction of the temple had virtually come to a stop and when God saw this, He sent a blight (disease) and a drought upon the land. There was no work, no money, no food and the Lord set everyone against his neighbor. They felt abandoned by God, and hopeless.

The House of God Promise
Rebuild the Temple of God Blessing

Now comes along Haggai with messages from God, and they begin working on the Temple once more. Jerusalem has mixed emotions about the Temple, the elders who had seen the first Temple are disappointed in the poor quality of the second Temple while the others are feeling joyous, hoping that they're getting back into God's graces once more. Now the Lord sends another message though Haggai, comforting them about His mercy.

Haggai 2:4-5

4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:
5 According to the word that I covenanted with you [the Promise] when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

Now, God adds a little glimpse of something from the End Times.

Haggai 2:6-7

6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

The House of God Restoration
Rebuild the Temple of God Within

What happens when something is shaken? When earthly, fleshly, worldly things are shaken, they're ruined. Whereas spiritual things cannot be shaken. If your desires can be "shaken" they will be done away with, but your faith, and your obedience to God is unshakable and most importantly God's Spirit within you is unshakable.

Haggai 2:8-9

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.
9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

The House of God Before and After
Rebuild the Temple of God Properly

Now, the men who had seen the first Temple (the elders) were so disappointed in the beginnings of the second Temple that they outwardly grieved about it. Read this passage from the Book of Ezra:

Ezra 3:12-13

12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

Sooooo, even though the elders cried, God said, Don't you worry, this second Temple will be even better than the first.

The House of God Rules
Rebuild the Temple of God and Regulations

About two months later, on the day that the foundation of the Temple was completed (the 24th day of the 9th month of the 2nd year of the reign of king Darius), the Lord spoke through Haggai again, saying:

Haggai 2:11-14

11 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12 If one bear holy flesh [meat for sacrifice] in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

Remember that God has encouraged the people through Haggai to get busy and build His house again and they would be blessed. This is just kind of a reminder here from God, saying, you know the law and respect the law and you consider something to be dirty even if it is touched by an apron that carried holy flesh. How do you think I felt about my own people who went and worshiped idols? Next God tells them, as so many parents tell their children when they've disobeyed, Think about what you've done, and what the consequences were.

The House of God Pros and Cons
Rebuild the Temple of God Reward

Through Haggai, God is asking them to search their memory to back before the temple was built when everything you did went wrong because you weren't serving me with a true heart. Food and drink were scarce and they didn't pray for help. So I blasted you with mildew and hail and still you didn't turn to me for help. But now, I tell you before it happens, from the day the foundation of the Temple is laid, from this day forward, I will bless you.

A foundation is a very important thing. Your foundation in God is your faith in Him. It stabilizes you, it keeps you strong and grounded and unwavering. The remnant of the children of Israel were having a hard time with their faith in these times of tribulation and they didn't turn to God.

The House of God Warning
Rebuild the Temple of God Vow

He wants to be our foundation. It's the first part of a house that is built. Put Him first. It means so much to Him that He lifted the blight and the drought from upon His children when they finished the foundation of the rebuilding of His house.

The same day, the Lord gave Haggai a message for Zerubabbel concerning the End Times:

Haggai 2:21-23


21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
23 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

You can read more about this End Times prophecy in the Book of Zechariah, Chapters 3-6 and in the End Times Study at Christianity Oasis on the Two Witnesses page.

The House of God Summary
Rebuild the Temple of God Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this study of the Book of Haggai. I hope you learned a lot about putting God first in your life, and building His house before yours. A good thing to keep in mind is that any undertaking that you endeavor for yourself is a building of your own house, so do something for the Lord, of the same or larger magnitude to glorify Him first, and you'll find that your own building will have a much better foundation.

Our next study will be of the prophecy of another minor prophet named Zechariah. Don't miss it, right here at Daily Bread.

Pssssssst ... Be sure to check this out to learn of the true Temple of God: