Haggai 2:20-23
If you follow current events and world politics, you know there is talk about a one-world government. The vision of many is to eliminate all the countries and armies around the world and unite the entire globe under one government so that war will cease. Another part of that dream is to make everyone equal so that poverty ceases to exist. No one will be either rich or poor. The assumption underlying this grand scheme is that humans will be in charge of the utopia.
The book of Haggai tells us there will be a time when all kingdoms will come to an end. However, the end result will be different than what the proponents of one-world government desire because humans will not be in charge.
Watch the video to learn more or scroll down to read the transcript.
Transcript:
If you follow current events and world politics, you know there is talk about a one-world government. The vision of many is to eliminate all the countries and armies around the world and unite the entire globe under one government so that war will cease. Another part of that dream is to make everyone equal so that poverty ceases to exist. No one will be either rich or poor. The assumption underlying this grand scheme is that humans will be in charge of the utopia.
The book of Haggai tells us there will be a time when all kingdoms will come to an end. However, the end result will be different than what the proponents of one-world government desire because humans will not be in charge.
Solomon built a beautiful temple in Jerusalem which was the focal point of Israel. However, in 586BC Yahweh allowed the Babylonians to destroy the temple because the Israelites were idolatrous.
Several decades later, some Jews were allowed to travel back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple. However, while they built houses for themselves, they were slack in rebuilding the temple. Yahweh sent the prophet Haggai to confront their lack of action.
Yahweh first spoke thru Haggai on the first day of the sixth month and criticized the Jews because they were not rebuilding His temple. Three weeks later, on the 24th of the sixth month, the Jews began working on the temple. One month later, on the 21st of the seventh month, Yahweh pointed out how the new temple was nothing compared to the original temple. Two months later, on the 24th of the ninth month, Yahweh highlighted the past poverty of the Jews and promised to bless them from that point forward.
Hag. 2:20 ¶ Then the word of Yahweh came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,
This message from Yahweh came on the same day He promised to bless them in the future.
Hag. 2:21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
What did Yahweh mean by shaking the heavens and the earth? Did He mean there would be earthquakes that people would feel? Or did He mean there would be events that would be so life-altering that people would be completely astounded? Did He mean both?
Hag. 2:22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’
Yahweh foretold that He would end all kingdoms and destroy all armies.
Furthermore, notice the last phrase of verse 22, “everyone by the sword of another”. Yahweh will destroy all armies by having the armies destroy each other.
Think about all the countries and their armies around the world. Think about the military might of the world’s superpowers. Now imagine that all those countries start fighting each other, they destroy each other, and no country actually wins the war. That is what Yahweh predicted.
It has long been assumed that this is what would happen during a nuclear war. No one will win a nuclear war. Instead, everyone will destroy each other. During the cold war this was called mutually assured destruction.
Over the past century, much of world politics has been focused on avoiding mutually assured destruction. There have been treaties to reduce nuclear weapons. Countries have developed anti-missle shields to protect themselves against nuclear warheads.
Concurrently, there has been a desire by many to eliminate the various governments and armies around the world and establish one government and one army that will rule the entire world.
Yahweh made it clear via Haggai that someday all the kingdoms and armies around the world will cease to exist. It won’t necessarily happen via nuclear warfare, but it will happen. However, the end result of this destruction will not be a one-world government in which humans are in charge. All human kingdoms will be destroyed.
Hag. 2:23 ‘On that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares Yahweh of hosts.
According to Matthew 1, Zerubbabel was a descendant of David. One of Zerubbabel’s descendants was Joseph, the father of Jesus. Jesus was an heir of Zerubbabel.
Just as Jesus is the fulfillment of many promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so too Jesus can be the fulfillment of this promise to Zerubbbabel.
A signet ring was something people used to make transactions. It was the equivalent of us signing documents with our signature. If a servant had his master’s signet ring, he could conduct business on behalf of his master, or in his master’s name.
Yahweh will make Zerubbabel like a signet ring. When Yahweh causes all the nations of the world to destroy themselves, Zerubbabel, or Jesus, will act and rule on behalf of Yahweh.
Someday all the kingdoms of the world will cease to exist. There will be one government. However, humans will not be in charge. Yahweh will be in charge.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”