“The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.” Haggai the prophet encouraged the repatriated Jews, the remnant from the Babylonian captivity who had returned to Judah, to start rebuilding the temple. The Lord told the people to “Be strong” and “Work” because He was with them beause they were His covenant people (vs. 4). And as His covenant people His Spirit remained with them (vs. 5). God promised that He will once again fill the temple with His glory and adorn it with treasures of silver and gold so that its future glory will be even greater than when Solomon first built the temple, and it will be a place of peace–Hebrew shalom, meaning well-being or peace with God. While the ultimate fulfillment of this prophetic verse may be found in Christ’s first and second comings, it has inferences for the individual lives of God’s covenant people in the present, who are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Contained in this verse is the promise that you have the potential to be more productive for God’s Kingdom as you grow older if you work and be strong in the Lord because His Spirit remains with you! Be encouraged that the physical aging process is also a spiritual strengthening process for those who have God’s Spirit.
Category Archives: peace
God’s Good Planning – Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon to reassure them that God has not abandoned them or forgotten his purpose for them. Jeremiah told them that after 70 years God will bring the exiles back to the land of Israel. The Hebrew word for “welfare” is shalom , which covers all aspects of peace and plenty. So God plans good–shalom–for His people. God tells the exiles through Jeremiah that if they will pray and seek Him, then He will hear them and grant them shalom. God’s plans for you are good plans that give you hope for the future! So pray and seek Him to find His shalom for you!

